Key Takeaways

Elon Musk set his first principle for Tesla to be creating a battery that could move a car 250 miles with one charge. Once this battery was in place, he stated “Now it’s time to get an electric car.” This “first principles” thinking centers around peeling everything back until you get to the fundamental truths about a situation – and building from there.

If we apply this to the service industry, which holds 50% of the country’s jobs, what would the first principle be when it comes to helping clients or customers? It might seem like a daunting question, but it can be simplified by employing The Strategic Coach® Program’s D.O.S.®, which stands for Dangers, Opportunities, and Strengths.

What are your customers’ dangers? These are the things that go bump in the night – things that they want resolved because the result would be horrible if they weren’t taken care of. What are these dangers from your perspective and how can you help them with that?

Then there are opportunities. These are the things that get customers excited because they can move forward, grow, develop, and achieve something new. How can you help them seize these opportunities and get them to a new place with your service offerings?

Finally, there are strengths. What are their existing strengths and how can you augment them? What do you have to offer that will make them stronger than they already are?

This is a really powerful first principle – asking, before you do anything for a customer, “Does the thing I’m about to do address one of these three things?” If not, perhaps you ought not do it, as it means you’re not doing what you and your company set out to do for them. By focusing on their D.O.S.®, you’ll find you’re really able to provide great service and make their lives better in the process. Until next time, enjoy.

* D.O.S.® registered trademarks, protected by copyright and integral concepts of The Strategic Coach, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  Used with written permission. www.strategiccoach.com

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