Small Business Owner » guarantees http://mybrc.myobnet.com A blog about the lives and times of Aussie small business owners, proudly brought to you by MYOB. Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:43:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 Trial by Fire http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/07/16/trial-by-fire/ http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/07/16/trial-by-fire/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:30:10 +0000 Paul Hassing http://mybrc.myobnet.com/?p=932

Image used with kind permission from www.lifeonearthcartoons.com

Image used with kind permission from www.lifeonearthcartoons.com (click image for link)

I was grateful for the many considered comments on No Guarantees. So grateful, that I just did something I’ve never done.

I offered a guarantee.

Yes, it was in pursuit of new business. Nevertheless, it was still a big new trick for a relatively old dog. On spotting the word ‘readvertised’ in a job ad, I emailed the author. Here’s how it went:

Dear Fred*,

I thought you might find this article interesting and helpful:

https://mybrc.com.au/Staffing/Staff-Solutions/Hiring-Staff/Pages/Writing_Job_Ads_Step1.aspx

Best regards,

Paul.

Trying to tell me something?

Kind regards,

Fred.

Dear Fred,

After 23 years of writing job ads, I’m still learning.

I thought perhaps there could be something useful in there for you.

I get a kick out of filling ‘nightmare’ roles that have been advertised many times, at great expense, without success.

Got any shockers that have been driving you nuts?

Best regards,

P.

Cheers Paul; they all drive me nuts!

Kind regards,

Fred.

Ha!

Well, if you ever get one that really stumps you, put me to the test.

If my ad copy doesn’t garner a successful candidate, I won’t charge you a cent.

Best regards,

P.

As I pressed SEND, my heart was pounding and my breath was sharp.

I hope that, having offered a guarantee once, I can do it again. I may even extend the courtesy to my current clients!

If offering a guarantee is my trial by fire, what’s yours? A new product? Different terms? Changed hours? It can be daunting to alter a winning (or merely familiar) formula. Will you gain new customers or scare existing ones away?

Small business is flexible where big business ain’t. It’s an edge, Jim, as long as we use it.

What can you do that’s new? What’s your trial by fire?

* Not his real name.

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, www.thefeistyempire.com

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]]> http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/07/16/trial-by-fire/feed/ 8 No Guarantees http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/07/02/no-guarantees/ http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/07/02/no-guarantees/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:33:16 +0000 Paul Hassing http://mybrc.myobnet.com/?p=832

blog_no_guaranteesMy business coach insists that guaranteeing my work is crucial to my success. I’m good at what I do. I like my clients. I respect my coach. So why don’t I offer guarantees?

At a superficial level, it’s the fear of giving money back or doing something again. It’s hard enough to make a living in business. Any step back, however small, feels like putting a foot on the slippery slope to insolvency.

Yet I realise guarantees build trust and make it easier for customers to buy.

At a deeper level, I think it’s the definition of ‘guarantee’ that freaks me out. If I buy a $60 clothes airer from a hardware store and a strut snaps during assembly, I can get a new one or a refund. Copywriting is a bit more involved.

Unlike a clothes airer, there are many and diverse ways to craft good copy. Even with a strong brief, my perspective might not match the client’s. In addition, final approval for copywriting always rests with the client. This isn’t ‘all care no responsibility’ but simple task demarcation. I’m responsible for the writing. The client is responsible for publication.

Caveats aside, let’s say I write 300 words for a 3 column x 12 cm job ad in a newspaper. With briefing, research, editing and proofing, this might take me 4 hours. Here are some post-publication possibilities:

1.    I make an apostrophe error. Though few notice it, the client is as pedantic as I am. Do I refund my entire fee, an amount proportional to the error (i.e. 1/300th), or something in between?

2.    I write BUM instead of BOM. The ad is for a $200K Supply Chain Director, so it looks really bad. Do I refund more than my fee to compensate the client for this embarrassment? The ad cost $5K to put in the paper. How far do I go?

3.    My ad reads well, but I make the selection criteria too weak. The client is swamped with 2000 applications. Do I pay for five people to spend the weekend sifting through the resumes?

4.    My ad is compelling and the client hires the outstanding candidate. Alas, he turns out to be an axe murderer. Am I liable for writing words that attracted this undesirable to the pool?

Reading this, I realise I need to know a lot more about guarantees. So what do you think? What if your:

  • Pizza doesn’t satisfy me?
  • Mediation session doesn’t relax me?
  • Cartoon calendar doesn’t amuse me?
  • Tax advice doesn’t enrich me?
  • IT service doesn’t unfrazzle me?

Is it my problem, or yours? Why?

If it’s your problem, what are you going to do about it?

Your comment will be greatly appreciated: guaranteed!

 

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, www.thefeistyempire.com

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