One of my favorite holiday movies is Miracle on 34th Street from 1947. It’s a lovely story about imagination, stepping out of your comfort zone, and possibilities. I’ve watched this movie every year since I was a child and find something new to appreciate about it each time.
Curled up with my cozy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate, I found some key business takeaways while getting my fix of Christmas magic. The second time I watched the movie, I took notes.
Want to know how to help your business succeed? Learn from Santa why serving over selling is the key.
Customer Service or Serving Customers?
One of my favorite scenes involves a mother confronting Santa when he guarantees her son will get the toy he wants. Frazzled, stressed out, and noticeably frustrated at the pressure to find it, she asks for a moment alone with Santa. Point blank, she lets him know she’s been everywhere, and not one place has the toy.
With a smile, Santa refers her to another department store, the competition, to find what she needs. All she can utter is, “I don’t get it. I just don’t get it,” as she walks away.
Every business has some form of customer service guidelines. They are outlined in handbooks, taught in orientations and trainings, and discussed in performance reviews. You expect your employees to provide customer service, and your customers expect to receive it. Still, it’s not something that every business excels at.
What if you changed the phrase “customer service” into “customer serving”? Think about it for a moment. Customer service is a product of your business. Something that customers expect to find when doing business with you. Customer serving is a way of working that shows your customers you care about them first.
Example:
A friend of mine has some food allergies. Several months ago, we met up for our regular lunch date. The restaurant welcomed and seated us quickly. Our server had a smile and was pleasant. When my friend went to order and mentioned her allergies, the server provided customer service by pointing out the items on the menu that would work for her. Overall, it was an excellent customer service experience.
The following month, we tried a place we hadn’t been before. All the elements were the same, except the server took an extra step this time. Rather than just pointing out to my friend what was available to her, she asked her what she initially would have ordered.
She then asked us to hold on while she went to the kitchen to see if what my friend wanted could be prepared within the scope of her allergies. While they couldn’t accommodate the exact dish, they were able to make some modifications to another that met what she was looking for.
We’ve been to the second restaurant three more times since. Not because the food or prices are better, but because my friend experiences the true meaning of serving over service.
In the movie, the mother tells the manager she had never shopped much at their store. One act of serving, and she committed to becoming a regular customer.
I’m not saying that businesses should cater to every whim of every person. That’s not always possible. Still, take a moment to evaluate how your business interacts with customers. Do you provide service, or do you serve?
Takeaway #1: Serving creates loyalty.
Serving Over Selling
This one will probably push some buttons. Don’t stop reading. You’re in business to make money. So am I. Many companies serve themselves and service their customers.
Have you ever gone to a business and they didn’t have what you needed? Did you leave with something less than you wanted because they sold you on the alternative? Santa was supposed to do that. He chose serving over selling.
Example:
I once worked in sales for a well-known company. As in any sales organization, we had goals. Sometimes, that goal was like a dark cloud hanging over your head. The pressure to hit that number was ever-present.
When I worked there, this organization had two types of salespeople. For this article, I’ll call them Sellers and Servers.
Sellers
This group would shake the hand of the prospect, ask a few pre-qualifying questions, and decide before the presentation whether they would buy or not. They often wouldn’t even give them the entire presentation or show them the product because they wanted to “turn and burn” to get the next lead that might buy.
Sometimes, the prospect would pass their first round of questions, and the salesperson would either try to oversell them or find out they couldn’t afford the product they needed. The salesperson would say to themselves, I’m getting something from my time.
This resulted in selling inferior packages that didn’t work for the customer and caused inventory issues for other customers. They put their need to hit their goal and make money above the customers’ needs.
Servers
This group gave the entire presentation to every prospect every time. Their introduction questions were simply to understand the person and what they wanted the product to do for them. They built relationships with the prospects rather than having every question focus on the end result.
This group didn’t push packages they knew wouldn’t work for the customer. They provided the best option and let the customer lead from there. Sometimes, the customer did buy a smaller package, intending to add to it in the future. Sometimes, they chose to wait until they could get what they needed.
By placing serving over selling, this group often had higher package deals and received far more referrals than the others. Was it a longer sales process for this group? Absolutely. Did it pan out in the end? Without a doubt.
In the movie, Santa’s “business idea” generates more sales, unites competitors, and leads to new equipment for a hospital. By serving those in front of him, he helped many others.
Takeaway #2: Serve, and the sales will follow.
Bonus Takeaway: You never know how many others you can help by serving first.
Serve Your Employees
Serving over selling isn’t just for customers. As business owners and leaders, we struggle to juggle many things simultaneously. Much time is spent looking at sales reports, profit and loss statements, and things to move the needle. All of these things are crucial to business success, yet one asset feeds every category on every report.
Your employees.
Whether you are a large corporation or a solopreneur, you have employees. Many companies offer employee benefits, including vacation time, outside services, and discounts. The most significant benefit you can provide is a leadership team that serves your employees.
Don’t just sell your employees on working for you. Serve them first, and they will want to work for you.
Here are a few ways to serve your team:
- Understand what your front-line employees need to do their jobs effectively and provide the right tools, not just the cheapest ones.
- Be hands-on and help where needed.
- Serve up positive feedback instead of just the negative.
- Demonstrate trust by empowering them to make decisions up to a certain amount or level to serve customers.
- Don’t say one thing and do another. Trust goes both ways.
- Open communication is a buzzword. If you say it, mean it. (The same goes for the word “transparency”)
- Schedule a social time or event to get to know your team—bonus points for inviting their family.
If you are a solopreneur, you’re the owner and the employee. It’s easy to focus so much on the business aspects that you forget to value yourself.
- Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
- Schedule mandatory breaks and take them!
- Schedule a social time with other solopreneurs.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Give yourself grace when you have an off day.
Takeaway #3: Don’t sell your employees on working for you. Serve them, and they will want to work for you.
Become a Business that Serves
Don’t make the mistake of becoming a business that serves for the wrong reasons. Focusing more on what you’ll get from it means you’re not serving others. Serving over selling is a culture shift.
There are growing pains. People “don’t get it, they just don’t get it,” sometimes. It may be a longer process, but it will benefit you and the people you interact with.
Remember the takeaways:
- Serving creates loyalty.
- Serve, and the sales will follow.
- Don’t sell your employees on working for you. Serve them, and they will want to work for you.
Do these three things, and the sales, loyalty, and success will come.
How can I serve your business? Let’s talk about it during a Discovery Call.
About Me
I’m an author, ghostwriter, and copy and content writer dedicated to helping small businesses get found, get talking, and get results. When I’m not writing, you can find me in the kitchen creating delicious treats or exploring new destinations around the world.