In Business, Size Doesn’t Always Matter
In Business, Size Doesn’t Always Matter
As president of Jetta, I have found myself in a unique position. Not position in the sense of the word that refers to a title or role, but position as in the space we’ve carved out in the industry to situate ourselves as a brand. Every day, our small company rolls up its sleeves and does business in an arena filled with industry giants who are backed by more abundant resources, heftier budgets, and worldwide brand recognition. And while that may sound like a disadvantage for us, I would argue that it’s become one of our strengths. Over time, we’ve found that the size gaps left behind by those giants create opportunities for smaller companies like us to thrive. You just have to be willing to see them.
When I examine our value proposition and really search for the opportunities on which we can build even more into it for the businesses we serve, I am nearly always able to find a small niche that has yet to be filled and could offer just the extra touch that wins over a customer.
Here are four tactics that have proven very successful in communicating to our customers that they are important to us, they are appreciated, they are heard, and they can depend on us.
Provide the personal touch that big brands often lack.
Our mantra here at Jetta, the ultimate objective through which we filter every decision we make, is to “Nurture Relationships and Exceed Expectations.” It’s specifically our smaller size that affords us the ability to work with customers on a very individual basis and learn their unique needs. We can then build customized business solutions to accommodate those needs – and we have. We’ve created shipping solutions, new products, rewards and recognition initiatives, and training programs all because a customer asked. The result is a solution that makes life easier for them and creates more profit opportunity for both of us. Win-win. So while the big guys are busy keeping the focus on the masses, we’ll just stay over here, flexible and open – nurturing relationships and exceeding expectations.
Learn about the industry by watching the big brands, but don’t obsess over them.
It’s that lesson we all struggled to learn back in high school: when you stop trying to just be like all the popular kids, you can become the best version of yourself. In other words … you do you. I know we can’t win by trying to copy everything the big brands do. But I can certainly let their actions help me gain insight into industry product and marketing trends. I then let that information shape how I talk with our customers about what’s working for them and – more importantly – what’s not. Many of Jetta’s customers are small businesses themselves and we share the camaraderie of helping one another succeed. By listening to their perspective on what the larger companies are creating, I can ensure we stay relevant by providing the things that are important to them. Additionally, I can find ways to fill in the customer service gaps that large brands simply can’t address. It’s a lot easier than middle school was!
Exceed expectations when resolving issues.
We work very hard to get everything right, but occasionally things do go wrong. When that happens, the absolute best thing we can do is respond with a fast and painless issue resolution. So often, large companies are mired in bureaucracy and red tape – creating painfully slow response times and leaving customers frustrated. Because so many of our customers share our small business model, it can be costly and damaging to experience delays in resolving issues. We decided a long time ago to make issue resolution personal. We’ve empowered our customer service team with the autonomy to make quick decisions so issues can be handled efficiently. Consequently, one of the most frequent comments we see in customer testimonials is how easy it is for them to get their issues resolved. In a perfect world, there would be no issues. But until then … having happy customers is a pretty close second.
Collaborate with other small brands.
Building relationships with other similar-size companies in our industry is invaluable. Wait – make friends with my competitors, you ask? Absolutely. Because while on the surface, we all may appear to be targeting the same customer, at the heart of each of our brands is a unique set of cultures and values that become the foundation of a niche within the industry. (There’s that position again). Having discussions about trends helps all of us stay current and provides benchmarks that show us if we’re performing above or below the norm. We can share in product development, add to our product lines more efficiently by purchasing from each other, and, ultimately, get more done together than we can individually. I choose collaboration over competition any day.
So, if you’re interested in connecting with a bathtub brand that values relationships, collaboration and is relentlessly committed to making happy customers, we should talk. If you’re already one of those customers, you know who you are, thanks for reading our blog, and we appreciate your trust.
| Posted By | Sarah is a leading executive in the manufacturing industry and the Oklahoma City community. Her leadership, positivity and enthusiasm inspires others to achieve their goals. Her commitment to corporate culture development is just one of the reasons Jetta is a bathing market leader. In her free time, you might find Sarah hiking or playing pickleball. |
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| Sarah Fields President |