“In the 21st century, it isn’t what you do that matters most. In fact, if you line up all the winners in business today, you will notice that few win by what they make or do. If you make something new (or just better, faster, and cheaper), the competition quickly comes up with a way to improve upon it and deliver it at the same or an even lower price. Customers instantly compare price, features, quality, and service, effectively rendering almost every what a commodity. Yet, the drive for differentiation – personal, professional, and organizational – lies at the heart of all our business endeavors. We all still want to stand out, to be bold, to be valuable, to distinguish ourselves from the competition, to do things others can’t copy and to be No. 1. We always will. But in a commoditized world, we are running out of areas in which to do so.

“However, there is one area where tremendous variation and variability still exist, one place that we have not yet analyzed, quantified, systemized or commoditized, one area which cannot be commoditized or copied: the realm of human behavior – how we do what we do.

“The people and companies that will rise to the top today and stay on top tomorrow – that will be rewarded, promoted, and celebrated – are those that get their hows right. The world has changed to make this idea more relevant than ever, and it now represents the most powerful way to chart a course of enduring personal and organizational business achievement.”

The above are excerpts from a new book by Dov Seidman called [1] How: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything… in Business (and in Life). This book is an intriguing exploration of what businesses in the future will have to do to be successful. Seidman contends that continued success will have more to do with the character of an organization than with the products, price, and services they deliver.

He maintains that technological advances have created a hyper-connected world that demands transparency. “Soft” things like trust and reputation are essential for success in today’s transparent world.

Your clients already have a certain level of trust in your organization. Otherwise, why would he do business with you? Yet most agencies I talk to are focused on what products and services they can deliver to their clients that will differentiate them from their competitors. If Seidman is right, to be successful in the future, an agency should concentrate on building trust and reputation.

An example of this might be videotaping the contents of a client’s home or business to be used as documentation in the event of a claim ([2] see previous post). Agents might read this suggestion and dismiss it because they don’t think they can afford to spend the time necessary to do this for their top clients –– much less for every client. However, if success truly is based on building trust with clients, what could be a better way to do this than to provide this service?

Technology is leveling the playing fields between competitors, making it much harder to distinguish yourself. The trend today involves delivering not so much a better product or service, but a better experience to customers. Working on the how instead of the what will put you in a leadership position for the future.