This is what happens to your business when you don’t put the “other” people first…

Ok, this better be good.

You are literally bombarded with articles, all day long. You often take interest in the headlines and skim through some of them, but there is so much garbage out there, right? 59% of people share articles without reading them so... that's quite something.

Is this part of that garbage? Hmmm…. I don’t know. Better not be! Right?

Let's see. First, there’s the stinking trash. That’s the stuff that smells like the dark alley behind a sushi shop at 7 in the morning. You know, when the stuff’s been sitting in the sun for an hour but hasn’t been picked up yet? Eurgh! Eau-de-fish-garbage anyone? Lol! Those are the posts and articles that are just painful… and stink for sooo many reasons. We all produce trash sometimes.

And then, there’s the bland. The mediocre. The blobby mass of gray... or better yet, the beiges. (I dare anyone to call their blog that: Beiges of the 21st century... ouf! Exciting!!) Those are like the gas station ground ham sandwiches of the content world. You know the ones I’m talking about...

Yes! The white plastic triangle container sealed with see-through film. The flat wonder bread that’s slightly moist. The ground meat that was once pork… or at least pig parts…probably. And a lot of bright yellow mustard to mask it all!

(Ever noticed some of them have a “packaged on” date but no best before?! What’s THAT all about? Hmmm, nothing says homemade like fallout grade preservatives… lol!)

That’s just the mass of content whirling around you, trying to suck you in and click bait you all-day-long. And when you fall for it, it just feels like… meh… not all that nourishing. You even kinda’ hate yourself after, a little. Like playing too much Farmville or Candy Crush, or somethin'…

Well, rest assured: there will be none of that today, my friend. Nope.

So, what’s in it for you then? Is it actually going to change something? Will your chances of crushing it in 2017 get any better for it?

You bet.

110% money back Guarantee!

I can personally guarantee it. If you read this through and it doesn’t give you an edge for the rest of the year, I will give you a full refund AND compensate you for your trouble.

I’m serious. :)

(Waaaait a minute! You see what I’m doing here… Funny guy huh? You didn’t even pay for it!! What refund?!? Nice try...wise guy.)

No, but all jokes aside, I also said compensate. So, you will get paid. And a few hundred bucks at that. No, not in Canadian pesos, nooo. We’re talking Trump dollars here… Here come the Benjamins!

So, here’s the deal. If this doesn’t plant a seed to improve your business substantially over the course of the year, I will give you 2 hours of my time. That’s right. You can sit me down in front of appear.in (check it out if you want to video chat without the headaches...), tell me what your business pain is all about, chew my ear off and yes, I will help you get rid of it. On my dime.

That's right. That’s the money-back-guarantee for the next 12 min and 6 seconds we will spend together here today. Or you can get store credit. :)

It doesn’t matter if you have products to manage or workflows to streamline. You can be trying to boost your top line or salvage your bottom line. We know you're wrangling sales-and-marketing. Doesn’t matter. My partners and I can certainly make it better. Rest assured.

But there’ll be no need for any of that today. Because, together, we’ll change something, right here, right now. Yay!

Vroum. Vroum!

Ok, so here we go. Let us partake in a metaphorical Tesla Model S P100D ride around your business with the Spaceballs-inspired-ludicrous+ mode on. Better hold on to your breakfast now: 1... 2... 2.275507139 seconds. Bam! A record-breaking 0-60MPH. Pas mal! as the French say...

So, go: in our previous article, we established that the ONLY WAY for your employees to care about your business is to care about them first, truly, and genuinely. You must put people first. There's no way around it.

You know that. You've always known that. I just jostled your memory a few weeks ago is all. But the question here is what about the other people in and around the business?

Should you also put your partners and suppliers first? Those are organizations. But those strategic partnerships and that supply chain still channel to your business through people. Do you also need to care about those people? That sounds like the opposite of negotiating for your business…

And what about your investors? They’re people too. How can you put them first at the same time as you put your employees first? AND your suppliers? That sounds like a nice west-coast-wacky-tabacky-hippie-wannabee-of-a-strategy but a hell of a P&L tactical nightmare if you ask me. – Or anyone in their right mind, for that matter. How can you possibly run a business like that?!? That’s just so dumb!

Any MORE people you supposedly need to put first? While we’re at it…

Well, I’m so glad you asked. Yes. Thank you.

There are. Because you see, you also need to put your customers first. Yes, on top of your employees, your partners and your investors. Oh yes... And the community you serve too. And also, even random people that need your help. I mean, why not, at this point right? *scoff*

Yup. You always have to put people first. All the time. Any people. ALL people. First.

You may not like it. But you have to put gas in the tank. People are awesome when inspired and when they care. But when they're not and when they don't, they simply default to hard-wired laziness. You can't argue with millions of years of evolution. If you don't believe me, ask neuroscience.

Remember how incentive is behavior? Well, inspiration is your best incentive, by far. Get your people fired up!

I do realize there's a good chance you're not even done making sure to put your team first, from the last time we spoke and all... And I’m sorry to just keep piling it on like that. But there is indeed a LOT more people you ALSO have to put first.

But don’t you worry, that’s only IF you wanna’ improve your odds of success. You don’t haaaave to. You can also do like most people and just pretend (or believe) you’re running a successful business…. Until you're not.

And I'm telling you, no one will "really" notice. It's the rule, not the exception. It’s fiiiine… Go ahead, fit in. Failure was always the new black.

(So, how we doin'? have I lost you yet? Or are you still here?

Oh, yes, there you are. Phew! How nice! Awww. Really thought I lost you there for a second… I felt something like a little ping of a doubt there for a moment. But, welcome back..? Wait, what?)

A few fries short of a Happy Meal

Ok, so if I didn’t lose you, then certainly I lost something else right? I mean "this guy" is out to lunch! I think our friend here is just a few cards short of a full deck, if you know what I mean… 'Cuz' let’s get real here, that is simply NOT how you build a real business!

Right? No?

…well…

Let’s just say that there’s a reason that most businesses fail. We even agree that there are quite a few reasons that your own business is potentially, and most probably, already on a course to fail… remember? I thought we established that together already...

But seriously… Let’s be real here.

Real businesses. Bigly.

You know tons of businesses that grew their revenues, their profits and their market shares by running a "smart" business. They did put their employees first, for certain things, but they mostly made sure to be profitable. They kept their eye on the prize.

The employees got to keep their jobs. They should be happy with that. Right? That’s their reward. To be employed? If they’re not happy with that, they can always go work elsewhere…No?

And frankly, you don’t win a negotiation by putting your partners and suppliers first. You find a win-win that’s tough but fair. Isn't that the art of the deal? Something that feels like a win for them but is such a win for you. Am I right? Yeah, that’s how you do real business. (Dig into the "illustrious" career of America's 45th president and witness his rise to "success" for a better sense of "real" business.)

I mean, of course, you try really hard not to "defraud" the customers by having a decent product. You always try to help most of the customers, when you can.. And you even give back a little to the community, if you can, when you can... sometimes.

But you’re running a business here. And that ain’t easy. You even plan to eventually try to do the right thing by choosing a charitable cause and giving a respectable amount, if it gets to that. Nobody’s against virtue. You do your best. It’s good PR, it's tax deductible and it’s also the right thing to do.

“You always try to help most of your customers, when you can.”

That’s how much you can take care of those other people. In the REAL world that is. Unless you’re some massive corporation that’s essentially printing money… Like… Like the BIIIG guys you know…? They can take of their people because they're literally swimming in money. That's different, right?

So, let me ask something here. Now, how do you think they got that biiiig?

They pretty much all started small. So, what then?

The blue pill or the red pill.

Is it by living in a vision of abundance and making a difference in the lives of people they touch? Maybe. For some of them.

Or is it by blowing up the top line on the back of their employees and their customers and then eventually slashing costs at their expense when they need to bump the bottom line? Isn’t that how it works in the real world? Yeah, probably a bit more like that.

You’re right. It’s actually a bit of both. A little bit from column A and a little from column B.

You certainly can survive and thrive in business by being a vile crook and a con artist. You can. Hey, some might even argue you could run for president like that. And get elected or something...

Or you can survive and thrive by making people's lives better, all around, all the time. It’s much harder but some people do that. It was always a thing for some. Not very many. But...

And apparently, it’s even been more of a thing this past decade. They even have buzzwords for it now like… social entrepreneurship this and sustainable that. Apparently, nowadays, if you want to help people you don’t have to go in the peace corps anymore... or grow a beard to chase whalers in some dinghy.

No, apparently, you can help AND make bank at the same time. Millionaires with a conscience is definitely a thing now. Billionaires too... Or so they say…

And of course, there is the full spectrum of everything in between. It appears to be a choice. It is technically a choice. You will either choose to do one, or the other. For the most part.

Truly, realistically, though, it’s not even a choice. One could easily argue it's just a by-product of who you really are. You know deep down how it is. We all start like Anakin but you either grow up to be like Vader or like the twins.

(Wow! What a bunch of garbage right? When is the truck coming around the block to pick it up? Because this is one ripe pile of fish refuse my friend…. just, wow! :) )

Time for a refund

Ok, that’s it. Stop it right there!

Where’s the form you have to fill to get my free time? Because you got one on the hook now! Actually, come to think of it… you don’t even want my time, because what an idiot! Ah-ha! That’s the catch. Not only is this utter and complete crap but the guarantee is also just obviously MORE trash so SURELY you don’t need any of it!!!

*Sigh! Biiig sigh!*

You’ve just been robbed of 6 mins of your life that you’ll never get back. That’s what happened… With a bit of luck, maybe you can salvage the rest of this break, so go! Flee while you can! :) Make sure to get your refund here...

Well, maybe.

If you leave now, definitely. But not if you listen to this AND want to do something about it.

Still here…?

Ok, so we already established that chances are that your business won’t make it. You were willing to give that some thought.

But here’s this guy who’s now trying to tell you how you can supposedly substantially improve your odds by also putting another whole bunch of people first!?! Not just your employees, but essentially EVERYONE ELSE first? Eeech!

Well, tell you what: if you don’t think that’s possible, please walk away. I'm not here to convince you. I'm here to let you know that you were right all along. That we need to listen to that inner voice that says that giving is more powerful than taking. (If on the other hand, the only voice says "screw this"! loud and clear...lol! Then go, none of this matters. Go curse my name and vent on what a prickly imbecile this Nik guy is… lol!

We can even smile and nod the next time we run into each other. No worries. :) As Saul Goodman would put it...)

"‘s’all good, man."

Or stick around and let’s do this. You ready? All right, step on it!

First of all, it's customers, not cuss-tomers @#!&*&!?

First, the easy part. Your customers. Let’s put them first.

How? By being nice to them? By having good customer service and by selling them a product or service that is not utter and complete crap?

Lol, no.

Well, hopefully, yes, you’re already doing that. But so, no. Not quite.

No, we’re talking about really upping the ante here. We’re talking about going good-ol'-no-limit-texas-holdem'-all-in here... tournament style! What we are describing is about getting with the times (if you haven’t gotten around to it yet) and making absolutely 100% sure to deliver on the following, without a shred of a doubt. You can't just dab here. You need to crush it.

There's a good reason Elvis just walked out of the building

Your product team needs to spend the majority of their time talking to your customers before and as you design, test, prototype and build your products.

This way, they can understand the jobs the customers are trying to accomplish. Yes, not some of the time. Not a little bit here and there. The majority of it. You heard me right: MOST of their time. That is incredibly hard, I know. But something incredible happens when your product team becomes experts at knowing who your customers are and what they're trying to do.

Check out The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators, if you haven't already, for solid insights on the science of discovery through observing, experimenting, networking, questioning and associating.

Won't be easy, but try it for half a day. See what happens... Baby steps

Create value. No, not pixie dust. Put away that snake oil. No smoke and mirrors. Real Value, you know, the kind you don't have to sell?

If you're really good at keeping a finger on the pulse of the market, it gives your technical team a chance to create actual value in what they build. You can help the customer get the job done, better, or faster. Building real value into your product is not easy. And you cannot do that by staying in your building. Get out of the building. Ideally, every day.

The people that moved your cheese sure are. So, figure it out. Get out there and get your cheese back.

Observe customers, in their natural habitat. Challenge your assumptions. Test them. Don't fall in love with your hypothesis. Follow the science.

The conveyor belt of your awesomeness

Then make sure that those frontline insights are constantly fueling your iteration process. This way your product can not only achieve real market fit BUT ALSO keep evolving WITH the market. If you're gonna go for real market fit, go all the way for continuous market fit. It will make your life much... harder.... but also better.

There are masters at that out there. Yes, of course, it’s hard. But get help. Now. Don’t be cheap. If you're still very much growing, this will mitigate the risk of your growth. And that will prove to be priceless. If you're a bigger corporation, this will save you much more money than another round of reorg and layoffs. Don't cut cost. Cut the cord of your delusions instead. It will save you a lot more money.

And please, no consultants. Doers. Get a copy of Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want, talk to the guys at Strategyzer if you need to and go! Go! Go!

Stop selling stuff. That is soooo not you!

Make sure that your sales and marketing team captures that value by being your voice in the market. If they are the authentic voice of a valuable proposition, you will end up gaining real traction. It’s all about finding the right customer that you can genuinely help with your product.

No, not people to sell to. That doesn’t matter. What you need is people you can help. Of course, they will pay you. If you genuinely make their life that much more freshershest, they will shower you with money. Might be a trickle at first but it will turn into a real stream if you keep at it. Don't worry.

But don’t go to customers in the hope of grabbing their money. They can smell that a mile away. That’s just a real poor way of conducting business. It's just soooo 2007. That was another era. I mean the Nokia N95 was the most popular phone back then. This is 2017 now. Snapchat out of it… lol!

And Yes, I did say sales-and-marketing. As in one-and-the-same. Please tell me you’re fully integrated already. Of course, it has to be the same team now. Yes.

There’s a reason you’ve been hearing a LOT about that if you hang around with the up and comers. It is absolutely amazing when done right. If you haven't already, start digging into account based marketing as a strategy. A thing of wonder, I can assure you.

We can certainly talk sales enablement later but please… do empower your sales-and-marketing people to find the customers that fit with what you have to offer. Stop trying to sell stuff. Just listen and tell a good story. As long as you tell the real story, you’ll do just fine. And ask the right questions. Get the customer to tell you his story. Let him sell himself. He's dying to anyway. :)

Can you feel the burrrrn? The burn of the churn? Yup, that's your money burnin' there...

And once people fit and do become customers. Find a way to delight them and to keep them for life. I know it sounds absurd. But do it.

If I found ways to achieve 4% annual churn in a business where the average is more around 35-40%... Considering it will cost you about 8X more to get a new customer, why not find a way to keep them loyal, delighted and not too unhappy throughout? – And especially delight them when you make mistakes or when you fall short... (yeah, that's a whole other weiji paradox that perhaps we can explore some other time).

How much would you improve your bottom line if you improved churn by 1%? How about 3%? How about 5%? Would that be something worth the effort? How much will that grow the business for you? Don't think we can do it? Dare me. :)

There are people to help with that if you’re not sure how that’s even possible. I can assure you that it is. You just need to map the algorithm of your business. And then find a way to tweak the right variables. They’re not the ones you might think of at first but once you find them and figure out a way to impact them… wow! Game changing. Amazing stuff, really :)

Cousin John, uncle Bob, auntie Suzie and the whole extended family

We could talk about your customers quite a bit more but time flies. It's been over 14 minutes and I do want to leave some time to talk about the other people.

Well, not much time really...lol! But here’s still some food for thought…

• Give your partners more than they hoped for and then inspire them to earn it. How would that impact your business? What if your partners really had your back?
• Don’t worry about your investors. By putting your employees, your customers and your suppliers first, you are fueling your valuation and ramping up for a liquidity event (steveblank.com) that will regale them.
• Surprise the community you work in by being a really helpful corporate citizen. Ask Peter Aceto about it. The return on that, if you do it right, will blow your mind. As Doc Searls et al. once put it, in the epic Cluetrain Manifesto, markets are conversations. So why not engage in one with your market, today?
• And make sure your business helps random people too, for no reason like the good folks at Zappos. And WATCH carefully what happens. Listen too. It might blow your socks off IF you pay close attention. See what that creates and take in the real price of NOT doing that. It's not what you do to other people that will lift your business. It's what giving does to your people...

And there you have it. Put people first. All people. All the time. Do you know why you want to put all people first in and around your business? One simple reason is that if you choose to put just some people first, you will expend an incredible amount of energy trying to figure out who to put first and when. That energy will yield a much better return by being invested in people, no matter which people.

"...if you choose to put just some people first, you will expend an incredible amount of energy trying to figure out who to put first and when."

So if you're willing to get out of the building... If you're now set on achieving market fit, creating true value, and capturing that value, do like 5 million other business peeps and count on these guys to help you make the leap:

• Yves Pigneur and Alexander Osterwalder at Strategyzer (authors of Business Model Generation and Value Proposition Design)

If you wonder what happens when the CEO of a major bank decides to make a difference, read the awesome story of it all, as told by no other than CEO Peter Aceto and master storyteller Justin Kingsley:

• Weology: How Everybody wins when we comes before me

If you wonder how a Media company can sustain an annual churn rate in the single digits for their SMB website products, with the right people on board... Then ask our friends at Code Mountain about Code Machine, the workflow engine we built these last 4 years.

• Code Mountain

And if you need some balm for your business pain, just find me here. I'll take out the first aid kit...

Oh. And WHAT does happen to your business if you don't put the other people first? It's very simple. You just take the blue pill and believe whatever you want to believe. That's all. So, don't worry about it. ;)

See you on the other side! And keep in mind... it doesn't have to be that hard. Just put people first.