How do you run a successful business with your customer's best interests at heart?

This is why we have the phrase "conflict of interest."

When you have one, you stop doing business with that person.

Imagine that you are a freelance writer, and you also happen to have a blog about cat training. (The dog training niche is too saturated.) A client comes to you and says "write me five blog posts about cat training; here are my keywords, and here's the site."

Your client's best interest says that you write him the best five posts you can.

Your own best interest says to write him some crap posts, then jack his keywords and write good ones for yourself.

No matter what you would do, you have to tell that client you can't take his order. Even if you really do write him the best posts you can, you can never prove that. It's an appearance of impropriety.

I understand wanting to provide great products and service, I do too. But when it comes to things like the customer not taking action because there is work involved, that's on your customer. It's not your duty to solve your customers psychological issues. Sometimes they have to learn by wasting their money a few times before they're willing to change their ways. Some never learn. That's not your fault or the fault of your product. Not everyone can be helped because they refuse to help themselves.

I think it is a question is what type of value you are creating for your customer. As long as your creating real value for your customers, then you should be worried about saying hey, would you give me $X for this value. There is nothing wrong with making an offer, just don't be a salesman.

Think of it this way, if the thing you create really has value that will really help your customer for it, then the customer should be happy to purchase it.

There is no end to the amount of money that people will spend, on the things that people want. People love spending money, they just don't like being sold. So, the key is to create desire for your value "whatever your trying to sell"

In the end, if it really helps the customer, then there is nothing wrong with make a profit.

Hi Moneyblogger1,

I comes down to being ethical, which you clearly are hence your concience.

Rule of thumb. Don't promote anything soley for commission, promote because you believe in the product and know it works.

Do this and you will sleep at night knowing that you have given your buyers value.

Warmest wishes,

Nicola

Brandon,

It is a balancing act with every business decision you make. Yes, your product must serve the customer (best interest), but you have to make a fair profit to even be in business. In my view if you can't accomplish both; then why are you in business?

When it becomes a true conflict of interest is when you set out to screw the customer and stuff money in your wallet by doing so. Then you are no longer a business man but just a plain old rip off artist again in my opinion.

There is no reason you can't use the above in your sales page. Your present customers and potential customers will find your honesty refreshing and may well kick your conversions up instead of down.

I base my opinion on my own experience in using something similar on several of my offer pages. The feedback I receive when I use this phrase has always been positive.

I believe you have no appearance of impropriety if you give your client notification of the fact you do have your own cat site and then give them the choice of using your service. My own personal integrity would not allow me to do anything less than my best for my customer.

From reading your post Brandon, I don't think you will have any problem doing what is right for your clients and yourself.

Ken Leatherman

The Old Geezer

I'm going to flip the equation on you. If you are creating more value, you can ALWAYS charge a higher price.

You may not sell as many units, but you can make a higher profit percentage, and become richer.

This is true in the IM market, just as much as in the real world. If your product can truly solve the problem (high value) then it demands a higher price, which increases your profits.

An attorney who provides higher value through winning more cases is always more expensive, and more successful.

A surgeon who is the most successful at saving lives, removing scars, or repairing body damage is always more expensive, and alway in high demand.

Right here on the Warrior Forum, who gets the highest profits, the best clients, and serves customers the most? A copywriter who is just getting his feet wet, or the trained professional who creates high value copy which produces results.

CREATE HIGHER VALUE, and you will have a more successful business.

The entire point... Do exactly what your heart is telling you, create the highest value you can, and you will see your profits go up.

You run a successful business with your customer's best
interests at heart by realizing that their best interests and
yours are not at odds with one another.

The are, in fact, one and the same. It's in my best interest
to serve the needs of my customers. Profit or loss is irrelevant
to that equation.

Tsnyder

It is a very good dilemma acutally.

a) If you only had your customers interest at heart then you could do the work for free. BUT then you wouldn't be making any money and wouldn't be able to help your customers at all... unless you are on wellfare or something and can stay at home and still have some money to live on.

b) If you only focus on profit you can churn out products and over-charge like hell.

Here's what I think:

You need to set a price that makes it possible for you to get a decent income - an income that makes it worth spending all your day or whatever helping your customers. The price must be low enough for people to afford it but high enough to make it worth while to you.

You can say that you must charge a high price because you can only work with so and so many people and you truly want to help these people be successful just like you.

If people see you actually help them make money you could charge almost anything...

Not sure if I completely answered your dilemma but I think it's close anyways

lol

If you are making someone money and asking for money in return, I don't see a conflict.

This is the hardest business lesson in my opinion! There are so many 'opportunistic customers' that will bleed you dry because of your helpful nature. Do not be afraid to charge (and yes even profit) from your knowledge and work. There is plenty of people that want this relationship with you (WIN-WIN) that to spend even a minute on opportunistic customers is a total waste.

Value is relative. If you're genuinely helping your customers, asking for money in exchange is not taking advantage of them.

Its good you are putting your heart and soul in your business. This is an obvious condition with every businessman.

All of us are in business to get good money and money comes when your customers are satisfied. Thats what makes your business long run.

But don't try to make money too fast. At initial stage try to get the minimum profit at maximum customer satisfaction and with time you will get maximum profits.

Remember "Perfection paths are not always shorter".

Brandon:

Sometimes, in a world of overhype, that kind of honesty can be quite refreshing to hear. Never underestimate it.

Look at Domino's Pizza. They finally got honest, and admitted what people knew all along, and went back to the drawing board and cranked out a way better product.

If it can work for them, it can work for you.

Brandon,

If you're providing the product that you advertised (and not lying about what it can do or what it contains), then you've met your obligation to your prospective customers.

At that point, it's the prospect's decision whether to buy or not. You're not putting a gun to anyone's head and you're not his or her babysitter.

As to price, you charge what the market will bear. They'll let you know when the price is too high. They'll stop buying and/or start refunding.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with maximizing your profits as long as you're not ripping anyone off.

By earning more money, you have the ability to advertise more, compete effectively in the marketplace (including against less ethical competitors), and develop more products and services to help your customers.

A business can't survive without profit. And if you price too low, you limit your profit, your ability to compete against wealthier competitors, and your ability to help your customers.

It's admirable that you care about your customers and want to maintain your integrity.

But I believe you need to separate your business mentality from your charitable one. It's a question of focus. Make your profits in business; give your money away in the charitable foundation you create from your profits.

Your obligation to your customers ends when you provide the products you advertise (and support if that's part of the process). You are not obligated to be their guardian angel.

KISS - Keep It Simple S

Yes you have to run a profitable business
Yes your customer has to solve there problem.

You state what is profitable to you to run the business, if your customer feels that it is reasonable for your joint goal to solve the customers issue, they will pay. It they do not feel that it is fair and you cannot make a profit. You have to lower costs, change business or make some adjustments.

See when I look at something, it is not you vs customer, it is you & customer vs solving the issue

Cheers,
Mukul

So, you have a problem wanting to make money but at the same
time serve your customers too?

It's really all about the approach. If people feel sold too, they run
away and never come back - if they feel like your giving great value,
they will be ready to whip out the credit card in a split second.

Although, I understand the OP's positioning, I believe you can have
your cake and eat it too. Who says' you can't serve people and ask
them to pay you for your product/service (wihout coming off as needy,
pushy, or salesly?)

Of course you should focus on profit - the more profit you are making - the more value you are giving.

More I think about this, I dont think its complicated.

Do you have a problem charging $10 if you can make someone a $100 in there business or life?
(then I would figure how to automate or outsource for $10 personally, so I can do it more)

Every business transaction should be win-win

Cheers,
Mukul

I build value into my product from the get go. I don't see any conflict between value and profit ... I see better profits by offering better value to customers. Happy customers are repeat customers and they also tell other people.