Lessons From The Food Vendor
Give me #300 Akara! I want plantain and potato! Akara #100! Add 2 ponmo to my yam!
This and many more were the sounds ringing in my ear at the food vendor’s stall just down the road.
I got back from my 9–5 quite early, decided to take a nap. I woke up later at night and proceeded to get dinner somewhere in the neighborhood.
I ended up at the food vendor stall but couldn’t make my purchase because Akara was not ready. I had to wait for a few minutes while waiting some guys arrived and joined the queue. Instead of waiting till it’s their turn, they conversed and decided to jump the queue.
I was mute all through their conversation, in fact, I seemed uninterested but determined in my heart that I won’t be silent as soon as the Akara was ready.
A few minutes after, Akara was ready to be dished out. Meanwhile, the food vendor was a woman, and she had two sons who doubled as her sales representative.
As soon as the Akara was ready to be dished out, my friends placed their order in the loudest voice and even added that they are buying so much, so they should be given more priority at the point of sale. I was patiently waiting for the reaction of the sales attendant if they would sell to these my friends at the same time I was voicing my order to them.
Fortunately enough, they attended to myself and every other person who ordered for Akara before my friends. I was satisfied and I left for my abode to enjoy my dinner.
Two things struck me!
- The woman who is the owner of the store understood the importance of business integrity
- She didn’t only understand business integrity, she has over the months/years shown and trained her sons(sales attendants) what she stands for.
You see, it is not enough that you have a business or you intend to start a business. Add business values to it, let your customers or prospective customers know what you stand for.
After knowing your business values, ensure you transfer them to your employees or team members. Let them see you hold on to the value you are transferring to them.
It’s normal for your employees or team members to have different beliefs and values, they are humans who didn’t grow up together or in the same geographical locations. Even if they did, they are wired differently and of course, their values will be different.
If you’re just managing a team, do the same thing. Let the people working with you or for you, know what you stand for and what you believe in, this will aid effectiveness, efficiency, and uniformity on the assignment.
It would also sustain your business existence as your customers, prospective customers will be able to hold you accountable, which is the foundation of trust and that’s one way to grow your brand either personal or corporate.
I believe with these points of mine, I have succeeded in sharing with you what should have more priority in either a new business or an existing business.
If you would like to connect with me, you can send a message to me here, I would respond within 24 hours or more.😉
