The proactive stance
Do the right work ahead of time.
Products vs services - Is there a difference?
The classic distinction between product and service is “perishabilty”. If you do not use a service, it perishes. A massage that was not had will not be used again. You cannot preserve the great service at a restaurant after it was had. I like that logical distinction.?
At the same time I don’t really mind what is a service and what is a product. Debating that distinction has never felt that it adds value. But then I think I notice there is something about the proactive stance.?
The proactive stance that:
You innovate on behalf of customer.?
You anticipate the future
You see what others do not see.?
As opposed to:?
Waiting for orders
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Do exactly what is asked by the customer
Jumping when needed
The proactive stance is to be ahead of the customer. The proactive stance anticipates. The proactive just does not wait and then respond. Is the simple response what is right for the customer? Simple response is sometimes all good, but does it scale as business?
Be proactive - do the work
You have to do the work. Insight does not come from nothing. You have to put in the sweat to understand what the customers really need and what is of super value. You surprise by giving the customer something more than what they asked for. You have to put in the hours to make the product work in all cases. You have to make the product scale as business. None of this happens by itself.?
Great service is great work by the company too. You have to know what the customer will want next. You will also have to deeply understand what the customer needs when they ask for something. Maybe you don’t give what the customer asks for but what they need. Then you need the capability to deliver that on the spot. So maybe this is not about the service vs product after all.?
All great things start with the proactive stance. Do the right work ahead of time.?
PS: Great to write things down. Sometimes you see how you did not see it right the first time. I know I equated proactive stance with primarily products while I was starting to write. I came to conclude the contrary on the way. ?
Remember to put the pen to the paper. Get your thought out of your head. Make your thought clear. You might be surprised at what it becomes. And that transformation, often of course, is for the good.?