Strictly Business:  Clarity Of Purpose

People often stumble over the question of their "purpose" in

life, but in business there can be no question. There is

absolutely no room for confusion on this issue. The purpose

of any business is precisely this: to serve a well-satisfied

customer.

Sure, you want to make a profit. Of course, you want to

serve your customer in ways that are convenient, satisfying

and (obviously) legal and moral. But the bottom line is

always the same, to serve a customer.

So the first and primary question for any business is:  What

exactly do you do FOR your customers?

Some restaurants provide meals that are fast or inexpensive,

that have particular ethnic or nutritional styles, or that

are conveniently located. No restaurant can be all things to

all people, but every restaurant has one main purpose.

McDonald's provides predictability and speed. The Four

Seasons provides elegance and memories. Ruth's Chris

provides fancy steaks. Dominoes delivers pizza in 30

minutes or less.

Recently in North America, we can see this in the cell phone

industry. AT&T emphasizes "more bars" and fewer dropped

calls. That's how they serve their customers and set

themselves apart from other providers. Verizon, on the other

hand, has emphasized their "network" and service.

Your business has only one primary purpose. When you are

clear about that, and communicate it in every message you