5 Critical Ways to Become Indispensable in Business

Competition is fiercer today than ever before, and no matter how much you focus on data, analytics, and performance, it may surprise you that what ultimately matters most to people is the human touch. 

Companies don’t make decisions—people do, and people make the most crucial business decisions for personal reasons.

It may come as a surprise, but in today’s fast-moving, data-driven marketplace, where people have more choices than ever before, the personal factors are more important than ever.

So what are some of the factors decision-makers care about the most when deciding to make the initial purchase and the critical repeat purchases?

If you understand the five “abilities” below, you’ll never be left asking yourself, “What do I do now?” Because you’ll have a framework to answer that question quickly and correctly. There are five critical factors that keep people coming back for more. Here’s a summary of The Five Abilities:

1. Optimize Your VisABILITY

Be consciously and consistently seen in the right way, at the right time, by the right people. Perfect your messaging so you know you can get people curious in less than 30 seconds, delivering heightened value-add that surprises them and exceeds their expectations. Design every communication so that every time people see, listen to, or watch something by or about you, they will quickly pay more attention, and naturally step in, bring you closer, and focus on learning more about what you can do for them.

2. Demonstrate Your CredABILITY

Show your creds! Demonstrate superior knowledge and utilize your experience in ways that prove you know how to help people. Then deliver what you’ve promised. In fact, deliver more than what you promised. Impress every prospect, customer, decision-maker and influencer and make it a total commitment to offer and give helpful advice and assistance that goes beyond your stated product or service. Be consistent and you will get referrals and achieve loyalty that opens the doors to new opportunities.

3. Assess Your ViABILITY

Let prospects and customers articulate their needs, hopes and desires fully. Use your knowledge, expertise and experience as necessary to evaluate, coach and correct their expectations. Ask yourself if you are properly qualified and capable of delivering what they need. Can you be successful? Do they have realistic expectations? Success speaks loudly, but failure speaks much louder. Be averse to failure and choose your customers wisely so that you end up having only happy customers. If not, know when to say no, and move on. Then just say, “Next!”

4. Apply Your Special CapABILITY

Go beyond just completing the minimum specifications of a job or piece of work. Satisfy customers by identifying and addressing their personal motivations. Find out how they like to communicate, how they like to appear to others, and who they need to impress in order for them to be successful. Then design, propose, and get concurrent on the specific ways you will deliver their personal win and fulfill the hidden and unique motivations that are often not found on contracts, income statements, and balance sheets.

5. Demonstrate Your ReliABILITY

Be unreasonably accountable when the unexpected happens. Be unusually open, and communicate actively, engaging the right technical, sales, and management people when things go sideways. Anticipate challenges and be honest about problems. Never blindside a customer and be a particularly good listener when a customer is angry or unhappy. Be open and responsive to the need for change and new solutions.

Adhering to the “Five Abilities” not only makes people into better individual performers, but it improves how they function as team members and increases their value and consistency over long periods of time.

Money may be a way to keep score, but the true motivators are the joy of winning, the joy of helping, and the joy of relating.