Comments

Simply please the customer and they beat a path to your door.

Posted by Sean at March 13, 2006 12:00 PM

Great conversation going on here on the weekend. What I like about Steve´s definition is that it multiplies the possibilities of "business impact" for any company.

You are in great form, Trevor! Keep going! ;)

Posted by Felix Gerena at March 13, 2006 12:17 PM

Competitor=Customer I think not!

Posted by Bob Hail at March 13, 2006 4:00 PM

Excellent conversation. Thanks for reminding us about this one, for those that missed it.

Posted by Phil Gerbyshak at March 13, 2006 8:56 PM

Bob said "Competitor=Customer I think not!"

In a way he is 100% correct ... perhaps for the wrong reasons.

I believe that my competitors do not... no... Cannot affect my results. The power of my results comes from my people, my contacts, my sponsors, my supporters ..... MY customers.

If I ever give in to the belief that my competitors can affect (even in a tiny way) my results, I would be giving them Power that they are not entitled to have.

So the equation is correct Competitors are not customers ... because although they might be competing for market share.... they do not affect MY results.

Posted by Scott Mackenzie at March 14, 2006 5:00 AM

Customer = ROI
ROI = profit
Profit = independence

Posted by Sean at March 14, 2006 9:14 AM

I agree in general with Sean's comment, but if we use Steve's definition, I think competitors can affect your results (positively or negatively) in the sense that their actions can influence how others peceive a profession or industry. We often are judged by those expectations regardless of whether or not they are consistent with how we do our work.

Posted by Jeffrey Cufaude at March 14, 2006 3:48 PM

Came across this quote this morning ...

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." Charles Mingus

Love it!

Posted by Trevor at March 15, 2006 4:57 AM

Henry David Thoreau ("Where I Lived and What I Lived For" Walden)
Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify, simplify! ... Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose.

The customer craves elevation of purpose ...

Posted by Sean at March 15, 2006 10:25 AM