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Local Business  » What really makes the difference between a GREAT business and an

What really makes the difference between a GREAT business and an

Article:

Every once in a while I come across a business that doesn't just

stand out visibly but is truly outstanding in every sense. A

business that has somehow created a great Team of people, a

business that has mastered the art of delighting it s customers,

a business that is achieving spectacular growth and profits.

These sensational businesses are the ones that I really like to

watch. After all, that's where so much of the material for my

book comes from. But what is it that makes the difference? How

do these businesses succeed when others around them are failing?

How do they manage to recruit when other businesses cannot find

good people?

There are two things that I've noticed that these businesses

have in common. The first of these is systems. And I don't

particularly mean information or computer systems. What I do

mean are systems for all the basic things.

It starts with a vision.

Someone realises that there is a niche in the market. Not

because there aren't already businesses in that market. But

because those other businesses aren't exactly making a good job

of things. Haven't you sometimes had a bad experience of dealing

with a business and said to yourself, "If only they could do it

this way".

And with "if only" in mind they set out to do something special.

They set out to create a business that does that extra

something. And by going the extra mile that business learns that

it can delight its customers and grow more quickly than its

competitors.

Let me give you an example from the UK.

Supposing you had said to me, back in the mid 1980's, that a new

sandwich outlet was going to be started that would come to

dominate the London sandwich industry. I would have thought that

you were mad.

London already had sandwich shops on every street and every

corner. There were hundreds of them! And the market was very

tough. Very competitive. How could anyone ever come to dominate

such a market?

At about that time, two chartered surveyors - Julian Metcalfe

and Sinclair Beecham started a business. They called it Pret A

Manger. Julian and Sinclair now rank amongst the wealthiest

people in the UK. And in 2001 they sold one third of their

business to McDonalds for an "undisclosed sum". My

interpretation of undisclosed sum is a lot of money!

Their stores may not have reached Malta yet but they have taken

off in the USA - another tough market to enter. So what makes

them special?

If ever you get the chance, do visit one of their stores. Or

just take a look a their website to get a flavour for what they

do.

They are systemised. They work to a system.

The shops are always immaculately presented. Often in

spectacular contrast to their neighbours.

Their people are bright, energetic and full of smiles. And Pret

regularly features in lists of the best companies to work for.

Their sandwiches, cakes and coffee are extraordinary. Just

reading about how they make their products is enough to convince

you.

"Our two noodle lunches, both Vegetarian and Prawn, are made

with fresh egg noodles, not the cheaper dried variety. The

noodles are dressed in our Oriental sauce, bursting with ginger,

sesame and coriander."

Sounds good, doesn't it?

Visit a few of their stores and you start to see some of the

systems in operation. Basic systems for how the stores will

look. What materials do we use to help keep them clean and make

them easy to maintain? How to layout the store to make it easy

for people to select their food, pay for it and take it away?

How should our sandwiches be displayed and what type of cups are

we going to use?

Speak to some of their people. Find out about what you'd have to

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do to get a job at Pret. Find out about the morning briefings

that cause the Team to come running into work, laughing and

punching the air! Find out about the mystery shopper programmes

and the incentive programmes.

These things don't just happen by accident. And they don't just

happen occasionally. They happen consistently. Time and time

again. The result is that the customers know exactly what to

expect. Fast and friendly service, superb food, great

environment and easy to purchase.

Now ask yourself about your own systems. Systems for answering

the phone, for writing a letter, for recruiting great people,

for delighting customers. What do you need to do to create a

GREAT business?

One of the Pret A Manger stores won The WOW! Award in 2000. A

customer had picked up a number of sandwiches and several drinks

and taken them to the till to pay.

The assistant took tremendous care with each item and described

it to the customer as he rang it in. When he got to one of the

sandwiches, he stopped. "Salmon and cucumber," he said, "I'll

change that one for you."

The customer looked at him a little surprised. After all, this

was the sandwich that she had chosen to buy and she only wanted

to pay over her money.

The assistant went on to explain. "This sandwich is not quite

full with salmon and we like to see our sandwiches bursting with

fresh salmon. I'll find you another sandwich."

That's the sort of thing that happens in GREAT businesses.

The second common feature of GREAT businesses is great

leadership. But that is the subject of another of my articles.

About the author:

Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards™ an International

Professional Speaker and Chief Executive for the Society of

Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.

For more information about Derek Williams visit www.MrWow.co.uk.

For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service

newsletter) visit www.TheWowAwards.com