Life Enrichment – How Will It Affect Your Business?

Sep 23, 2011 by Holly Ralston-Oyler

It’s fall, the air is getting crisp and it is definitely a time of renewed interest in our businesses.  The casualness of summer is finally over and most of us have returned to our regular schedules.  It is the time of year that most of us look to life enrichment while taking the time to start setting our goals and directions for the months to come and the new year. That means taking a serious look at where we have been, where we want to go and the people we align ourselves with.

Many years ago while on the national speaking circuit, one of my programs involved training beauty and spa salon professionals on how to develop a sound business plan and direction. During a presentation one of the participants quickly jumped up and said, “I don’t worry about my clients, product lines or services. I know I have my hands and scissors (think hand making scissor movements), so I will always be successful.”  My first thought was we need to work on your manors. My second thought was that the comment seemed to be a bit crass and arrogant. Over the years, as my personal business focus has changed and grown I have replayed that statement several times in my head and finally realize she was wasn’t 100% wrong.

In reality, the product lines (personally developed, written and/or affiliate) we sell or represent  are available by others in the market place. So, what sets your business apart from all the others? The answer should be quick and easy, “Me”.
It is YOU! All of us are our most valuable product.

Stop and think about that for a few minutes. We offer solutions to our client’s needs, fears and wants. So does everyone else. The only difference is that WE do it in our own unique way, using our own words and knowledge. Most of all WE do it with our personalities, communication skills and hopefully with compassion, empathy and the need to serve those that are seeking out products. It can’t be a model or cookie-cutter reproduction. Just because someone has done it before, does mean it is the only way to do what we do.

The best analogy I can think of is the wheel. Imagine putting  stone-age wheels on a 2011 Mercedes Benz sports car as tires. Yes, they are  wheels, they turn,  are functional as a tires and has probably been patented a few dozen times in various incarnations over the years. If you were selling the sports car to Fred Flintstone and  Barney they might work great, but selling it to a qualified buyer in today’s market place, not so much. Nothing (including ideas, inventions and the written word is ever new.  They are just modified and improved to work at this point in time.

Once you make that connection with a client and cultivate their trust in your products and information, they want to remain your clients. It’s going to take a lot of imagination and resources to create a business that will meet their needs.. They want to be part of your business and they want YOU to be their trusted encourager. The you part has nothing to do with product or information  – is is all about how you interact with your clients.  Encouragement and time are the ultimate gifts you can give to your clients. Your solutions and products will always be second place.

Encouragement is first and foremost helping people see all they personally have to share with others. Helping that person create a new vision and image of who they could be comes next. Last but not least is guiding them and helping them find the courage to become that new vision. You are developing their need to become an individual, doing  a job they love and will continue  doing for a long time. You are not developing another you.

Create your own personal workbook for your professional life. Learn about personality types (yours and your clients) and create an environment that will nourish both. You want to give warm and caring vibes for your staff and clients in order to become life-enriching.

This article is adapted from the original article written by Holly Ralston-Oyler and published in The National Hair Journal, America and Pacific Rim editions, Fall 1997.