Recently I came across a very interesting article — 7 Essential Habits of Successful Business Owners. It was a great piece. However, buried inside that article was an even more interesting piece of information (that I almost overlooked) that has me doing some thinking lately. So glad I didn’t miss it.  If considered, it could potentially change the way we creative professionals do business, and the way we take care of our clients.

What was this simple nugget of info? Obsess over Value.

As the article states, a lot people preach the idea of obsessing over the customer, but studies (and successful leaders) have found that real success comes from obsessing over value – valuable products, processes, communication, follow-up, service, content, connection and context.

When you obsess about delivering value, measuring value and increasing value in everything you do, you start to realize that everything matters and there are no small things – and there’s no better way to serve your customers than that.

Now, what does that look like for a company like ours?  Sure, it’s always going to be important to deliver creative results — on budget and on time. But, it’s so much more. Does your customer feel like you listen to them and understand their unique positioning? Do they feel like you care about their bottom line? Do they feel like your top priority is helping them to look better and to succeed in their objectives?

What if our main focus became to deliver so much value to our clients they could not even imagine a day, a project, a successful result without you playing a crucial and unequivocable role in that success? Now, that kind of brand positioning (inside their hearts and minds) is worth striving for.

I know… this is a subtle thing – but the best way to serve your customers is to obsess over value.