I have to admit some guilt here. Several times over the years I’ve had people (sometimes even people I’ve known for years!) admit that they had difficulty referring work to my company because they weren’t actually sure what or who to refer over to me. My immediate reaction was “Really?!?!?“. And once I got over that I realized how valuable that feedback truly was. When I allowed myself to step back and objectively look at the work I was doing I could see what they meant. I was all over the place. It was unclear what types of clients I wanted and what value I felt I could deliver to them. A true awakening.

So now it’s your turn. What is the one single thing your company does best…better than anyone else? Have you thought about that recently? So many of us are scattered for one reason or another. Typically it’s driven by the worry that we’ll miss out on a sale. Over time our businesses can end up as a confusing, unfocused mess.

• Can you name it – and clearly describe it?
• Do you organize your company around it?
• Do you define your brand by it?
• Do you design your marketing efforts around it?
• Do you clearly explain what problem it solves – and for whom?
• Is your customer service fully focused on supporting it?
• Do your employees know what it is?
• Does it figure prominently into your strategic thinking?

If you can’t answer “yes” to all these questions, maybe you need to think about your organization’s fundamental vision and direction. Consider how much more effective your company will be when you can answer affirmatively to ALL these questions.