My sister-in-law recently shared a little tip with me, and even though the tip was related to housekeeping, I thought it was a great concept to apply to any business.
Here’s what she said: she always ends her day by making sure her kitchen sink is cleaned. No leftover dinner dishes. No stray items. Stainless steel polished to a shine. That way, she can wake up in the morning to a nice clean sink, and the rest of her day just goes more smoothly.
It’s easier for her to keep the rest of the kitchen clean when she sees her shiny sink. She’s in a better mood when her kitchen is clean.
And knowing her kitchen is clean is a great incentive to keep the rest of the house clean. This one easy step of cleaning the sink each night helps everything else fall into place.
I’m sure you’re probably wondering what in the world this has to do with business. Well, let me explain…
A clean sink is a relatively simple idea. And in the grand scheme of things, it might not seem all that important to some people. In fact, some people might not care what their sink looks like at all.
But to my sister-in-law, it is a huge concern. Her kitchen sink has the power to make or break her entire day. And most people would never know that it matters to her so much.
So what are your customers’ and prospects’ “kitchen sinks”? What are the things that matter to them so much, they have the ability to make or break a deal?
Is your client a stickler about grammar and spelling? Does she really value punctuality? Does he want a particular color to always be in stock?
Chances are, every one of your customers has their own kitchen sink. And chances are, if the sink is clean, other issues don’t matter quite as much. As long as my sister-in-law wakes up to a clean sink, she’s OK with an extra pile of laundry.
It doesn’t matter (as much) when my nephew forgets to tell her it’s his turn to bring snacks to soccer practice. She can handle it when my niece uses her antique table cloth as a “wedding gown”.
And as long as you “keep the sink clean” for your customers, other issues that might crop up won’t seem quite as important to them.
When you have a choice to make between different deadlines or multiple concerns that need to be addressed, you’ll have a clearer picture of what would please your client best. You’ll know where to put most of your attention and efforts.
How do you find out what your client’s kitchen sink is? Believe it or not, it’s OK to ask. In fact, you’re doing a disservice to yourself and your customer by not asking.
It should be relatively easy to work this question into your proposal or sales inquiry. For instance, let’s say you’re a wedding planner. You might have your assumptions about what will make the perfect day for the bride.
But isn’t it much better to simply ask, “If we could guarantee only one particular thing would happen on your wedding day to make it the most perfect day ever, what would that one thing be?” If the bride replies that it’s really important to her that her grandmother have a great time, you’ll know some of the things you need to focus on.
If you’re a salesperson in a retail clothing store, you could ask, “What one item would you absolutely require to make the perfect outfit?”
If your customer says he really, really wants a blue paisley tie, you’ll know you can work around the fact that the brown slacks he had his eye on are out of stock… as long as you can get him that blue paisley tie.
Knowing your client’s kitchen sink is a great rapport builder. It also allows you to follow up in a very personal manner.
What a huge difference there is between “Thanks for letting us plan your wedding” and “It was wonderful to see the joy on your grandmother’s face. We were so honored to be a part of that special occasion.”
So start inquiring about your customers’ kitchen sinks. And by the way, if anyone wants to come over and clean mine, you’re more than welcome!
Karen Scharf is an Indianapolis marketing consultant who works with small business owners and entrepreneurs. She offers several whitepapers, free reports and checklists, including her FREE Can-Spam checklist and FREE email pre-flight checklist to ensure your emails get delivered, get opened and get read. Download your copies at http://www.ModernImage.com.
