Play to Your Strengths

Judson H. Hill, J.D.

To move from a vendor to a valued team member and extension of your client’s business, develop a focused expertise. Some of the best ways to enhance your value in the marketplace are to focus on your strengths, then develop strategic relationships and strengthen your customer base. In other words, become an expert at what you are uniquely gifted to do. Determine where your talents can be best applied. Then seek out complimentary experts to enhance your offering and target client relationships with people who need your services.

This is the first of a two-part article that addresses several ways to develop a stronger business practice. This article discusses the value of focusing on your strengths and how a refined focus and strategic relationships improves your business. The second article we will consider diversification of your customer base as an important method to enhance your business.

An unknown author once said, "If you chase two rabbits, both will escape." Others have said "a divided focus works against us." Conventional wisdom tells us we should work on improving our weaknesses rather than focus exclusively on our strengths. What a terrible waste of time, talent and opportunity. No matter how hard you try, it is unlikely that you will ever be more than average in areas you do not have an aptitude. Author Peter Ducker states: "The great mystery isn’t that people do things badly but that they occasionally do a few things well. The only thing that is universal is incompetence. Strength is always specific!" Highly successful people throughout history have achieved greatness by focusing on their areas of strength. Everybody has at least one strength. Leadership expert John Maxwell says determine your unique giftedness and resolve, "to pour" at least "70 percent of your time, energy and resources" towards your strengths to further develop them.

Focus on offering the very best service and resources out of your strengths. As you assess your strengths and core competencies also analyze your client base and your market to determine where you can provide the best service – the greatest value.

When you are in a service business, it’s important to know your clients’ needs and desires, especially if you want to develop and grow your business to the next level. Your achievements are measured by how well you help your clients succeed. Dedicate your personal and business growth in a few areas related to your strengths. This focus not only deepens your relationship with the client because they recognize you as a valuable expert, but also opens doors to greater opportunities.

If you have not narrowed your focus to your unique strengths nor shared your distinctive expertise with your clients, then do so. Otherwise, you probably have not differentiated yourself from the pack, and there is no surprise that your clients do not have a clear vision of your value to them.

Enhancing your strategic relationships will help you satisfy your clients’ desire for value-added relationships. John Maxwell states "Growth equals change. If you want to get better, you have to keep changing and improving. That means stepping out into new areas." How do you begin? Start by assessing your strengths and your clients’ needs, then leverage your offering by adding a complimentary service that will help your clients. Determining your clients’ needs is not difficult. In fact, in a few minutes you can possibly list them yourself. Avoid only offering services "just like" everyone else for if you do so your clients may not consider you as an essential distinctive resource to help them achieve their goals. This weakness may become the entry point for other vendors who can fill the gap.

Don’t divide your focus by trying to become an expert in everything. When tempted to do so remember that if you chase two rabbits both escape. While staying focused on your strengths, leverage and expand your services through strategic business relationships to fill any gaps between your clients’ needs and your expertise.

Develop relationships with experienced experts to enhance your offering, and to compliment your strengths. Clients do not believe you alone can meet their every need. So tell them about your new strategic relationships that they can rely on to guide them to achieve their goals. With a refined focus and new relationships to enhance your services, your business will be energized. The added value you offer will distinguish you and improve your success in the marketplace.

Judson H. Hill, J.D. is the Managing Director of the Southeast office of Vercor. Judson can be reached at 770.565.0024, or judson@vercoradvisor.com.