Love in Business with Steve Farber

Shep Hyken interviews Steve Farber. They discuss how to implement love into every aspect of your business to drive customer success. The Interview with Steve Farber:Even if you love what you do, there will still be days that feel like work. You must do the necessary things you dislike in order to be able to do the things you love in your business. Doing only what you love is called retirement—but you don’t necessarily need to be retired to feel this way.Societally, we are unaccustomed to using the words “love” and “business” in the same sentence. Using the word “love” in relation to business raises the standards and expectations in a way that promotes positive growth. However, you shouldn’t use this verbiage if you don’t intend to follow through with it; if you talk the talk, you must also walk the walk.We want customers to love our products and services. If they don’t, we will have no competitive advantage. Achieving this starts on the inside with the company’s culture. You must first create an environment people love working in; do it right, and this love will be felt on the outside by the customer.A cultural focus can begin on any level of an organization and needs to happen on every level. However, you can’t create this as a leader if you don’t love it yourself first. You must love the environment you create so your employees will also love it—and then customers will feel that love too.To kickstart your cultural change, ask yourself the important questions, like what love looks like in business, why you love what you do, and how you can show it. Then ask those around you what you can do to demonstrate customer love and implement those new ideas. Many good ideas already exist within your organization. Ask the right questions so you can have the right internal conversations.Business, like love, is incredibly personal. This is the most important but also the most overlooked aspect of business.Quote: “As businesspeople, we want our customers to love what we do for them. If they don’t love the product or service, then we have no advantage at all.”  - Steve Farber About: Steve Farber is the president of Extreme Leadership Inc., a speaker and consultant, and the author of several books including Love is Just Damn Good Business and The Radical Leap. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices