Pax and I were walking down the street when we passed a business that we used to frequent. "Dad, what happened to them? We used to go there all the time. Now, we don't, and nobody else does, either."
He wasn't wrong. In fact, I was impressed by the observation. This place was, in fact, a prominent business. And today, it's a shell of its former self. What happened?
To me, it's simple. This business made three fatal mistakes:
It started treating its customers poorly. Or, "matching their energy," as the owner once said. Customers started having poor experiences, ranging from the owner making a scene to the owner just acting annoyed.
The owner started making political posts on the company's social media channels. About half of the population loved it, while the other half was disgusted. That's okay, though, as they proclaimed that if you voted for XYZ, you shouldn't come back, anyway. So, they didn't.
After sales dramatically decreased because of #1 and #2 above, the owner again turned to social media, this time pointing fingers at people for "not supporting small business."
This sounds like a wild and ridiculous story, but small businesses all around us are repeating these same fatalities. Notoffering excellent service/hospitality, creating political division, and using guilt as a marketing tool (er, weapon). These are all unforced errors, slowly feeding into the destruction of small businesses all around our country.
I have a simple solution today, and not only is it simple, it's easy!
Treat people well. Be grateful for their business. Earn the right for them to come back. Earn the right for them totell other people about how awesome you are.
Don't transfer your personal politics to your business. Your business isn't a human being with feelings of anger, frustration, and conviction. It's an entity born to serve others, so use it to serve others well.
Never use guilt to manipulate those whom you have the privilege of serving. Nobody owes you anything; you owe them everything. Guilt may yield short-term results, but it will inevitably result in destructive outcomes.
Don't have a business? That's cool, you're the consumer on the other side of the equation! Demand excellence. Require businesses to get better and be better. As a consumer, you deserve it! We all do!
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