[gravata]Newsstand owner shows his recipe for overcoming difficulties and achieving success. [/gravata]
Born into a very poor family, Jussier Ramalho is now a requested speaker and author of “You’re your best brand”, which has sold thousands of copies. Owner of a newsstand in Natal (RN), he’s adopted strategies to differentiate himself which have made him well known, being able to attract customers from all over the city and even from out of state. Read some of his ideas in this interview.
WHAT IS YOUR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS?
You can be successful in any type of business. I’ve always faced a lot of difficulties, but never stayed put. Complaining doesn’t get you anywhere, only action does. Products today are pretty much the same. What makes someone stand out is excellence in service.
HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED WHEN FACING DIFFICULTIES?
You have to motivate yourself daily, without losing heart. The world belongs to those people who are inspired by their goals and go after them, working each time more and better. What matters is where you’re going and not where you came from.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE?
Knowledge is everything. You have to seek to learn more and more. I read at least one book a month, watch lectures on various subjects, I’m always recycling myself. As a child, I wasn’t able to study, but that didn’t stop me from qualifying myself.
HOW DO WE SEE OPORTUNITIES?
It’s necessary to observe, be attentive. Everywhere you look there are opportunities. Before having the newsstand I even sold manure, realizing that there was demand for it. The entrepreneur has to pay attention to what the customer wants him to do.
HOW CAN WE DIFFERENTIATE OURSELVES?
EI seek to amaze and satisfy my customer. This is the maxim that I follow: you get paid by the rarity of what you do. If you’re like everyone else, you’ll receive the same as they do. People dream, they want to do it, but don’t do it. Nothing falls from the sky, except rain and hail. It takes hard work, always focused on innovation.
CAN YOU GIVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU DID?
Drive-thru system, realizing that many customers were in a hurry and didn’t want to get out of the car to buy their newspaper or magazine. I did countless other things because I wanted to surprise my clients, day after day.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE CUSTOMERS?
The customer is always at the center of everything. You have to fulfill what you promised and go beyond. I can’t, at any time, disagree with my client, even though he’s not right. Sometimes losing out in the present, to satisfy the customer, is the way to have greater and continuous gains. Anyone working with services should worry about having the customer for life. Besides coming back, he recommends your shop to others.
HOW DO YOUR IDEAS APPLY TO REFRIGERATION PROFESSIONALS?
In my stand, I came to have nine refrigerators and this put me in touch with technicians who came to service them. Often the contractor had dirty hands and, when finished, left the equipment full of marks, without bothering to clean it up. Taking another approach would already be a differential: to clean up, check that everything was in order, and offer something else to amaze me.
