Recently we had to take our Kitchen Aid mixer in for repairs. I was amazed at the sight of hundreds and hundreds of small appliances on the shelves of the repair shop. In this age where so much is disposable (think electronics like a DVD player) there were a lot of items being rehabilitated.
It demonstrates there’s a need for all kinds of services. The shoe repair shop near us looks the same, hundreds of items on the shelves. Good shoes or boots cost hundreds of dollars and it makes sense people want to keep them even when the basic parts wear out.
Think about where you add value. The above examples are simple to understand. Your appliance works again or your shoes don’t leak. At “Partner” On-Call we always said our goal is to have our clients better off with us versus without us. Here’s a simple three step process.
- Determine how you can get in front of more people you can help (it’s using the phone and in-person meetings, not Twitter).
- How do you figure out the value you can add (ask questions)?
- Impress them with valuable information before they hire you (no hard sell, have them realize what they’ll be missing without you on their team).
We all can provide value. But if your value stays hidden within you it’s not helping anybody.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful, that a life spent doing nothing.” George Bernard Shaw
