We all hate waiting. We have become a nation of snobs as we have increased demands on our time and attention. If I have to get through a complex directory to reach you, guess what? I move on to your competitor who is easier to reach, and I get to solve my problem now.

Responsiveness differentiates today. In our increasingly tight economy, how about looking at how you are doing business and annihilate every barrier for your customer in their touch-points with your company. Make it about them. Get transparent. Post a direct number or put one-touch live help on your site. Strip your processes of all the fat.

A periodical I read recently storied the failings of multiple service businesses and why their loyal customers would switch even after doing business with them for a while. The answer came down to one specific issue – responsiveness. The firm hired to survey these companies wanted to get more granular and asked a second question, “Did your service firm have to necessarily solve your problem quickly?” The answer overwhelmingly was, “No.” The true issue was that they just wanted to hear from them that they took responsibility and they cared.

Of course, you have 200 emails every day screaming at you. You have a list of things to get done and can only work serially. Without the right systems and processes, you will not win the responsiveness game. If you don’t care about it, then the customer voted right in the first place by not picking you. They want you to care. That means you think through their processes and make it extremely easy and convenient to do business with you.

Winning when there are multiple options demands attention to convenience. Attention to convenience requires thorough thinking and leadership. You may be stuck in ruts because you have done business a certain way a long time. There’s no excuse with what is available today to avoid upgrading your business and approach. Get in the convenience game. If you are serious, click here and I will show you what I mean and just how much of an impact it can mean to growth in your business and freedom in your life.

I think many of us would agree we could make a better taco than Taco Bell. However, not many of us could make a better taco making system. While you may not endeavor to be in the taco business, your business has the same litmus test for viability and success. Do you have a system which scales? If you design, is it always custom? Or is there a method? If you sell, do you have a predictable, refined and high quality process? Or do you show up and “wing it?”

Look around at the successful businesses around you. They have something in common. They can scale. Another one can be built halfway across the country. Without a business model which is predictable and connects with the customer, you have to continually work harder. You are a custom shop. Custom shops have their place, but usually, there is a lot more work and a lot less leverage and predictability.

It is likely you have a trade or something more intangible. The same principle applies. What are the steps to winning a customer? What is the delightful sequence for servicing the customer? How is each step executed with precision? Do you make the customer experience the focal point? Crack this code, and regardless if you want to stay small or grow big, your business will be highly leveraged.

I enjoy a well thought-out experience. Whether it is a fine restaurant, a sportscar or a computer, the way I buy, experience and get service all matter. It helps me to see beyond the commodity. Behind the elegance is a process. A process which delivers consistently, scales.

If you can predictably envision being in the same place in 5 years, you fail the scalability test. Start taking aim at how you execute and deliver your service or product. Make it repeatable and delightful. Automate it to perfection. It should be your art form, or you may be in the wrong business altogether. Artists love to perfect their work and create a reaction with a recipient. This is essentially what will allow you to grow your business while your competitors just keep working harder with inconsistency.

We are living in times where everything is going to be cut back. We have too much inventory of goods, services and businesses. If you want to play in the downsizing of today, ensure that what you do moves beyond custom work that has to always be managed and re-created. Get to a scalable business model, and make it delight every time.

There is a story of a mountain village which experienced an unforgiving drought. The condition was deteriorating to the point that a village elders’ meeting was held. They decided to hire two men to solve the problem of bringing water to the village from the valley below where a well existed.

The first man got two large buckets and started going back and forth from the village to the well below. He sold the water at a handsome price. He brought his sons on board to the venture and made as many trips as possible to sell his water. Read more

There was a telling comment made a few years ago by famed NBA basketball star, Allen Iverson. He revealed his perspective about practice, “We’re talking about practice man, we’re not even talking about the game, when it actually matters, we’re talking about practice.”

At that time, Iverson was the MVP of the National Basketball Association. He erred with his comments. He did not see the connection between excellence developed through repetition and showtime. Read more