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How to give your clients exactly what they want

Jenha White,  Tuesday, 09 February 2010 12:46

New Zealand is full of people who are highly skilled at their profession, but who don't know how to run a truly successful business.  To begin with they need to get over the belief that being a good plumber or accountant is enough. It's not, according to John Haylock.

He is the author of "Absolute Certainty - How to give your clients exactly what they want".  This book outlines a simple prescription for improving the performance and productivity of service-based businesses.

Haylock has worked closely with accountants for the past 10 years and is an expert on improving the performance of accountancy firms.

He works for BankLink - winner of the award for "Most innovative approach to international business" at the 2009 New Zealand Trade and Enterprise International Business Awards.

He says to achieve outstanding performance, business owners need to provide what their customers really want - which is outstanding service.

"It's not WHAT you do, it's HOW you do it that makes the difference," he says.

Haylock believes business owners and chief executives need to set their sights higher and that they and their companies can earn more money, not by working harder, but by focusing on what really matters to their customers.

"It is going to take a new mind-set for many businesses," Haylock says.

"Business owners and managers need take a step back from their day-to-day busyness and look at their business from a different perspective - from the perspective of their customers.

"Just as importantly, they also need to be prepared to invest in themselves and their staff in order to learn what to do differently."

He says it just needs more business owners to firstly - think "I will do better" or for the more ambitious "I will make my business the best of its kind in this region"; secondly to learn from others through books, seminars or mentoring; and finally to act on what they have learnt so they can build a more successful business.

"If our businesses are successful, New Zealand as a whole will be successful" says Haylock.

"It's as simple, or as complicated, as that."

Haylock has also written more than 65 articles for the New Zealand Accountants Journal and presented Professional Development courses for the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

John Haylock's book "Absolute Certainty" is available from the www.intelligentinvestor.co.nz book store.