One Element of Entrepreneur Success: GIVE A DAMN!

This sounds a bit odd but it really isn’t; it’s not traditional. I don’t think entrepreneurs should be entirely traditional because one element to being successful is how you set yourself apart from others. I am not just talking about a product or service. It is the value-add that you provide emotionally that people notice. So what can you do to get noticed? What can you do to be remembered? What can you do so people talk about you in a positive way to others?

What do you think is the greatest form of marketing you can do for your company that costs nothing? It’s more credible than anything you can do when it comes to advertising or spending money. But it takes time to reverberate throughout your marketplace yet it’s very powerful; it’s word of mouth.

This translates to a book I have written called GIVE A DAMN; it is the ultimate spread of “word of mouth.” I have had a GIVE A DAMN attitude for several years (I just did not know it completely to be honest with you) and it helped me be successful over the years. I am here to share with you a few ideas that might help you be more successful from the human side. After all, don’t people buy a product or service from whom they like?

A GIVE A DAMN attitude and personality will set you apart from others.  I wrote the book because over the past several years I have been amazed at how people think. The impressions they make are often very negative or they just don’t care. So I present to you some of my GIVE A DAMN ideas that might help you (and I have many more in my book):

• The customer is always right – Even though you know when they are not, you need to handle every situation to satisfy them and takes care of them.
• Create positive moments of truth – Everything you do creates a moment of truth, and you can make it either a positive or negative experience. Make sure it’s positive.
• Take responsibility – If you make a mistake, own up to it and don’t blame any circumstance for what might have caused the mistake. Make it right and move on.
• Do the right thing, ALWAYS – People generally always know what is right and what is wrong. You never want to cut corners and always do the right thing no matter how painful and hurtful it could be because at the end of the day, the truth always comes out.
• Be thankful – There are two phrases/words that seem to be missing more and more in today’s society:  please and thank you. Go the extra mile to thank your customers and employees because all they want to be appreciated. Who doesn’t?
• Don’t expect anything in return – Too many times people act expecting something in return. What people don’t realize is that eventually you will get something in return, (and probably more so than you think) but if you expect it, that is when you become self-centered.

I have so many more ideas that can help businesses succeed when they GIVE A DAMN. It is an external thinking process that can be difficult to change, as a change in anyone’s behavior is extremely difficult.  Yet I think a GIVE A DAMN attitude helps you succeed and sets you apart from others. I tell people all the time that as a CEO I don’t care about revenue (most people think I am crazy). I do care about revenue but what I care most about is customer service because if you provide great customer service the revenue will come. It’s called “word of mouth”.

I am not at all saying that you should forget about the business management practices that will help lead you to success.  It is definitely needed but there is also a very important attitude and human element that, in combination with how you manage and execute your business, vastly increases your chances for success. I think having such a GIVE A DAMN attitude is paramount towards your success and not just sometimes, ALL THE TIME. 

Here is to your GIVE A DAMN success. If you wish to learn more, feel free to email me at mlewis@giveadamnbook.com or call me at 504 905-4646.