Business-Building Action from Terry Brock
Dateline: Echteld, Holland
As I type this, I’m in the charming little village of Echteld located in Central Holland. I’m here in this “grab land from the sea” ingenious and lovely country for some speaking, coaching and other activities. In the process of enjoying some great cheese, fabulous weather (unusual for this time of year, the locals tell me) and great Dutch beer, I’m learning about business success and how we grow in rough times.
Yesterday we made a trip to a place you want to visit someday. It a fabulous chocolate shop near Echteld in a town called Tiel. In that small town there is a chocolate shop run by Hans Schroot — called appropriately, Shroot. If you enjoy chocolate, this I a place you have to plan to visit sometime during your life.
Hans is the owner and chief chocolate maker. He is an amazing man. You can see the wonderful combination of delightful, fun-loving Dutchman in his demeanor coupled with the hard-working, Dutch ethic that has propelled him to success. Recently, Schroot’s chocolate and pastry shop was award the #1 position in a contest of over 130 shops in Holland. From the first moment Schroot’s chocolate enters your mouth, you are transformed into a world of chocolate ecstasy and you know why his shop was selected as #1. To say it is delicious is like saying the Mona Lisa is a pretty good painting.
Hans has taken the art and science of making chocolates into a new realm to delight his customers. He told me he loves what he does as he gets to “share in the parties of our customers.” He is happy. His customers are happy and his bottom line shows the success.
This is what business is about. Find the way you can make people delighted and experience happiness. Even in a tough economy, you can always find ways to make people happy, provide them with something they want and profit from it in business.
Recently, Trish Gorman Clifford wrote in the Harvard Business Review about how you can grow your business in a rough economy – http://ow.ly/6JrQ6. Many are now calling this economy “The Greater Depression” as it continues to worsen. Yet, in spite of the dismal economic news and continued failures of stimulus after stimulus, many businesses are taking matters into their own hands to build their own bottom line.
As Hans Schroot has demonstrated, you have to provide something people want, something that is affordable (his chocolates are very inexpensive) and satisfy a need. In an economy where people are hurting, Hans Schroot is doing well because he helps them enjoy life, be happy and do it all in a way that is inexpensive for the bargain-minded Dutch while being profitable for him.
By the way, Hans is curious about the effects of social media. Drop him a line at J.schroot@tele2.nl or visit www.banketbakkerij-schroot.nl and congratulate him on getting first place in the contest. Also ask about how you can get some of his world-famous chocolates that are out of this world in goodness! You owe it to yourself to find out about what amazing things can be done with chocolate. I purchased a good supply of chocolates and am already enjoying them!
Reenergize your business, regardless of the economy. Here are three specific tips you can implement right away:
- Discover how to help. In the midst of “the Greater Depression” people still want to have fun and enjoy. Find inexpensive — but profitable to you — ways you can delight customers. They will be happier — and so will your bottom line.
- Promote like crazy. You have to continually tell people who you are and the benefits you give them. Even if you think they already know, keep shouting about how their lives will be better when they get involved with you.
- Enjoy the chocolate! Take time to enjoy life as you go. As the old saying goes, “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time.” Be happy and make others happy. It is good for life — and for business.
Take a moment and drop an email to Hans Schroot letting him know you appreciate what a wonderful guy like him is doing. Even better, make it a point to get to know more about this award-winning business and what they have done. Your taste buds will be forever grateful!
I look forward to your comments on my website at http://www.TerryBrock.com
