Business myths that may sabotage your success

MCG — In this climate of economic uncertainty, small businesses have an even tougher job staying afloat. Nearly 40 percent of those businesses will fail in their first year, and nearly 80 percent will fail within five years.

According to Rick Phillips, an internationally recognized expert in sales, there are several common myths lurking in the dark corners of business that can sabotage success. Following is a look at what they are and how business owners can avoid them:

• Myth No. 1: The customer is always right. Not so. You know more about your products and services than 90 percent of your customers can ever expect to understand. Customers seldom understand their needs as well as a salesperson might..

• Myth No. 2: The customer is No. 1. Wrong again. If you believe that your employees are not the most important people who step through the doors of your organization each day, you are in trouble. If you are not letting your employees know that they are No. 1, you are doomed.

• Myth No. 3: Quality customer service is “knowing what the customer wants and giving it to them.” Quality customer service is understanding the customers’ expectations and then gaining a reputation for exceeding them.

• Myth No. 4: Your mission is to make a profit. Your mission is to grow and survive. Making a profit is far too shallow an incentive to be the mission of an organization.

• Myth No. 5: You need more satisfied customers. You really need “missionaries.” Satisfied customers leave you all too often for reasons you may consider unreasonable. That’s why you have to go past earning satisfied customers who not only shut out competitors but bring you more customers with praise of your services.