If you’ve ever watched one of those restaurant makeover shows on television, you’ll see that they often begin by simplifying the menu. They whittle down those four-, five- or even eight-page menus to showcase the few truly delicious dishes that the restaurant does best.
Susan Swagler, a Birmingham-based restaurant critic, emphasized the importance of simplicity in a recent review of a new, local seafood place. Considering two dishes with the same main ingredient: Simple steamed shrimp was delightful, while a more complicated shrimp etouffee was disappointing. Swagler wrote: “As with lots of things in life, simplicity is often the surest way to go. [This restaurant] is at its best when serving simple, straightforward steamed, grilled or fried fish and shellfish. …”
In business, simplicity is defined as specialization.
Today, people want specialists, not generalists, in their business dealings. They want expert vendors and/or partners. They are looking for the best they can afford, and that translates to the highest value for the price they pay—whether they are dining on shrimp or updating an insurance policy. (Interestingly, that restaurant we were talking about says that it specializes in steamed, grilled and fried foods—all are simple, straightforward preparations, and the restaurant does them well. The place served less than its best when the kitchen veered away from this specialization.)
Many years ago, I offered a lot of different services. (I had the equivalent of an eight-page menu!) Then one day during a presentation, a prospective client looked at my long list of services and said to me: “You seem to do a little bit of everything and not much of any one thing.” That comment stung, but it got me thinking. All those services I thought were benefits for my clients actually were diluting my brand and distracting the clients—and me—from what I do best.
So I decided to change my menu of services and reduce my offerings. Today, we focus on business coaching for executives and salespeople. If our clients need something else, like social media training, we refer them to someone else.
Recently, my wife and I updated our wills and life insurance. In the process, our insurance guy asked if we had considered long-term care. We said we were interested in knowing more, and he said he’d have a specialist—who only handles this type of insurance—follow up with us.
You see, he gets it. He knows what he does best, and he partners with others for the rest. He doesn’t try to be a generalist and sell all types of insurance.
His menu is simple and straightforward, and that allows him to be the best at what he does.
This insurance specialist happens to be one of the nation’s experts in estate planning and life insurance, but you should know that you don’t have to be “the best” nationally to be “the best.” You just need to be the best in the market you serve—the best in town or in your neighborhood or in the state or in your industry niche—and then you focus on that thing you do best. You specialize.
It’s a simple approach, and it’s a smart one, too. It’s how you do what you do better.
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