There Is No Substitute

by Stew Shaw

in Inspiration, Internet marketing, business ethics

I taught high school physics in my first career – a long time ago! It is therefore unsurprising that the following image on a shopfront billboard totally caught my eye this morning, so I snapped a pic on my mobile phone. Hey, didn’t (Sir Isaac) Newton invent only 3 laws of motion? Of course he did.

But this shop owner – whose surname is… Newton – turned that around into a crafty sales and marketing message. Let me spell it out in print:

  1. There is no substitute for quality
  2. There is no substitute for experience
  3. There is no substitute for product knowledge
  4. There is no substitute for service

Succinct and brilliant. I cannot think of a bolder way to telegraph to your customers/prospects what you stand for. Oh, what was the store selling you may wonder? Electrical goods. But to me the actual product/service doesn’t matter because those principles are timeless.

No matter what our online business – of whatever flavor of internet marketing or network marketing we engage in – these 4 laws underpin what we should stand for. They provide for a baseline level of good old-fashioned customer service.

Truly there is no substitute for… being great at what we do!

  • Yorinda
    Hi Stew,

    Yes, those for points are very important when it comes to business.

    I tried to leave you a comment for your 'marathon transcript pdf' couldn't find a comment box. Great job on the pdf and a great post and message there too.

    Love and Light
    from
    Yorinda
  • theuns
    Stew I cant agree more with you , Great blog i love you point of view
  • LoriTisot
    What a great way to get the message noticed - and the message is that they provide everything the customer is looking for in addition to the actual product they want - brilliant!! Definitely gets other business owners thinking about what they truly offer. Thanks so much for sharing this!

    --Lori
  • LynnGlaser
    Great find Stew. These four laws need to be taken up by some of the big businesses out there, you know the ones! If this shop owner can take such pride and commitment in selling electrical goods then everyone should be able take it on no matter what your business.

    Cheers, Lynn
  • Awww.......I just copy and pasted into my notebook these four things. Very inspiring as I read them and try to think of how I communicate my message to my customers and those I serve. Thank you for this!
  • Stew
    Glad you liked it Bill. Our brains must be wired alike! Full marks to that store owner in my hometown of Brisbane for his/her brilliance. That was the first time I came upon the billboard and instantly the significance of that marketing message hit me like the apple that triggered it all! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton#Apple_analogy
  • Stew,
    This was VERY clever indeed! I love it. And you are correct. wonderful post.
  • Stew
    Thanks Lesly, glad you stopped by and got something to take away. See my reply to Bill above - you people are all great. There is lots of great and worthy content and ideas around if only we pause for a minute and think about stuff, etc.
  • gavinmountford
    Hi Stew, absolutely! I pride myself on the quality of service I give, and I always give more than is asked.
    I have 7-8 years worth of experience and I always offer my customers an exciting experience.
    I've been doing this game for 7+ years and know it inside out :-)
    Service is my middle name. The better the service I can give, the more people refer me and come back to me!

    Thanks for the great insights,
    Gavin Mountford
  • Stew
    Gavin that's an enviable record, well done indeed. No wonder others look to you for leadership and guidance.
  • drericagoodstone
    Steve,
    There is no substitute for being great at what we do and also no substitute for this personal contact online - reading and responding directly to each others words of wisdom. Thanks for sharing yours.
  • drericagoodstone
    Steve,
    Not only is there no substitute for being great at what we do, there is also no substitute for directly connecting with others online. These automated reponses do not bring the same sense of building something together and supporting each other. Good post.
  • Stew
    Totally agree Erica. Wish I had more time to keep up with everybody's online progress. But it's great to know these personal connections provide a definite measure of validation and support.
  • Hi Stew,
    I love this ~ what a great billboard you came across! There is NO substitute for customer service...no matter what industry you happen to be in! Thank so much for sharing ;-) Christine
  • Stew
    My pleasure Christine. Thanks for reinforcing the message.
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