Customer Service Starts with a Clear Vision

One of the keys to a successful organization is the ability to define and communicate a clear vision for the company’s direction. This is especially true in any business.

Employees must understand the company’s direction to keep customers loyal and attract talent. Employees want to work for companies they feel comfortable with. Change can make us all uncomfortable, but employees and customers will stay if this is part of your vision for the company to grow and innovate. If change is unexpected or uncharacteristic for the company, this will make everyone uneasy.

When businesses communicate their vision to employees, it empowers them to make decisions and handle situations confidently. An example would be if the company’s vision is to be in the custom fabrication business, employees can easily communicate this to customers when they request custom changes to an order or product. If your company’s vision is to provide the best off-the-shelf products, it’s easy to communicate that to the staff and customers. Companies get in trouble when they try to be something they are not or change direction without communicating this clearly to customers and employees.

Years ago, I took a marketing class that used a simple textbook to explain this. I have long forgotten the title. They used a rubber tree and ants to describe how to keep your company’s vision on track. A rubber tree was in the middle of the desert, and the ants survived under the shade of the rubber tree. Occasionally, some ants wander out of the shadow and get burnt in the sun. The lesson was to know your business and customers and have a staff that can execute that vision. You don’t want to get too far from your core business and that vision and wander out from the shade.

This is especially important for your salespeople to understand. They can tell your story clearly and confidently when they have a strong knowledge and understanding of the company’s vision and direction. Communicating a clear vision and direction for your company to all involved will keep you from getting burned.