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June 19 - June 23, 2024
That’s a long way from starting with a single restaurant in Katy, Texas.
I really do believe that. I don’t care if things are going well for you, that you think you know it all. Put this one thing in your head: there is a paddle coming for your ass right now.
Every successful business, in one way or another, is built around hospitality.
To me, the definition of hospitality is simple. It’s however you handle a customer. Nothing more, nothing less—how you treat him or her, how you respond to what he or she asks for, and your ability (and willingness) to stay flexible. The ultimate goal of interacting with a customer is to make him or her feel like the only customer you have in the entire world. Why? Because as I tell my own employees, there are no spare customers.
The rule is simple: when talking to a customer, be sure to make the conversation all about them. Let them talk about their needs, what they hope to get out of buying your product or service.
No matter how upset or worried you may be about other things in your life at the moment, do everything within your power to project a happy mood when you’re on the job.
The other reason that rule always stays in place in my businesses is that the customer experience is all that matters.
Follow-through is another aspect of hospitality. For example, if you say you’re going to deliver the product on the thirteenth at three o’clock, deliver it exactly at that time.
The overall goal is to make certain a customer feels special. And a customer who feels special will bring you more business and tell all of her friends how much she loves your service.
It circles back to making certain the customer knows you’re listening. Ask questions and react accordingly. And resolve the problem as quickly as possible, so it doesn’t turn into a monster.
How you can separate yourself from the competition is through hospitality—attention to customer needs and wants, 24/7.
Everyone working for a business, no matter what they do, should practice hospitality with the same level of commitment as everybody else.
Problems are inevitable. What matters is what you can do to make that customer happy again or, at the very least, mitigate the bad experience. Put another way, sometimes you can’t avoid the fire. It’s how you put it out that matters.
hospitality means doing things at the customer’s convenience, not your own.
• Hospitality means making a customer feel special.
• Keep your promises. Build in what-ifs to help you follow through on your commitments.
• Make hospitality the goal for everyone involved in your business. One person who doesn’t show hospitality can ruin an o...
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• If you can’t say yes, offer alternatives.
• Work to make your product appealing to as broad an audience as possible.
I don’t care how great a product or service you have. If you don’t know your numbers, you’ll go out of business.
One of the biggest mistakes an entrepreneur can make is to assume the good times will always last.
• Working capital is the lifeblood of any business.
Because when I go into my businesses, I pay attention and look for what’s wrong. I’ve trained myself to see little things that matter.
Little things truly matter in taking a business from good to extraordinary.
That’s because dissatisfied customers often won’t say anything. It’s up to you to take the first step to check to see if there’s an issue that needs to be resolved.
The point is, you can’t forget to experience your business like a customer does.
Never become complacent. No matter if your business is soaring or struggling, never take a break from looking at that all-important 5 percent.
• View your business through your customer’s eyes.
When things are bad, we often tend to forget that they’re going to be good again. Further, when things are good, we forget that they’re going to be bad again.
That’s why, as an entrepreneur, it’s always critical to try to see the bigger picture. Perspective is everything. Never forget the ebb and flow of good times and bad.
• Opportunity is always there, no matter what the current conditions may be.
• Spotting opportunity requires patience. There’s always another deal.
Don’t ever lose the hunger for what you’re doing.
Stay hungry because you want to be the best.
All of this comes down to a central message: be the bull. By that I mean be strong, opportunistic, and confident, not to mention always prepared, regardless of what may be happening or is going to happen.
It’s critical to surround yourself and work with others who are every bit as motivated and hungry as you.
• Surround yourself and work with others who are every bit as motivated as you.
• Define success by being better at something than anyone else.
• Treat every issue as a challenge instead of an obstacle.
the reason we have two ears and one mouth is that it’s far more important to listen than it is to talk. That’s true for everyone, but it’s especially true for great leaders.
This comes back to a central idea I’ve been emphasizing throughout this book: know what you know, and know what you don’t. It’s a form of personal honesty that every great leader embraces.
It’s been said that great leaders surround themselves with people much smarter than they are. Do you then tune out and ignore these people? Of course not. When you assemble your team, ensure that every person has something of value to contribute. I use this exact strategy.
Use your instincts and rely on them, particularly when you’re listening to others. Your instincts will let you know what’s good advice and what’s not.
Being a good listener helps a leader avoid insider business speak when communicating with the public.
If someone’s not communicating clearly, ask them to make themselves clear. If they’re blunt, it shouldn’t take that long.
If you’re only asking people to focus for fifteen minutes or so, they bring their A game to those fifteen minutes. A lot gets done because it’s focused and on point. The goal is to make them all focus for fifteen minutes and know that you’re listening to them. Get to the point and get out.
The message here is, don’t change who you are. If you see a problem, get involved. And that applies whether your business has grown by leaps and bounds or you’re just starting out and having to do a lot yourself. Stay true to yourself.
As a leader, never make the assumption that just because you told someone to do something, it’s going to get done. That’s one of the biggest lessons I have learned and that I share all the time.
• Take the time to listen to everyone. A great leader listens all the time.
• Be blunt with the people around you and expect them to do the same.
