An Opulent, Luxurious Lesson In Uncompromising Business Quality from Rolls-Royce!

 

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A Luxurious and Practical Lesson In Uncompromising Business Quality:

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From Rolls-Royce!

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Silver Ghost, Phantom, Silver Cloud, Wraith.

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No matter the model, fine automobiles produced by Rolls-Royce have always been synonymous with one thing: QUALITY!

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But it is important, vital in fact, for us as businesspeople to ask ourselves: "What is quality?"

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Is quality an "ideal" deserving of those few elite, discerning clients and customers who have half-a-million dollars to shell out for the best? Anyone who subscribes to this theory might find his or her business losing the battle for reputation and brand allegiance. Unless, of course, the business’s Marketing and Advertising is geared exclusively to the ‘upper-crust’ of society. But how many small-businesses fall into that category?

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So what is quality?  

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I read a statistic today which absolutely blew me away!

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According to National Geographic (Mega-Factories II: Rolls-Royce Facts), 65% of all Rolls-Royces built, that’s 2 out of every 3 Rolls-Royces ever produced, are still on the road! Not since 1990. Not since 1950, but two-thirds of every one produced since 1906! 

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I got to thinking, after my head stopped spinning from the sheer magnitude of this amazing statistic, what the Rolls-Royce formula is and how it can be incorporated into any business:

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1) Attention to Detail: Whatever the business, whatever the product or service, every "unit" (resume, computer, business plan, legal representation) must be prepared as if it is for the most important, most discerning, most deserving person in the world. Treating a client as anything less can destroy all semblance of loyalty and value.

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2) Branding: The only way that a successful brand and brand loyalty can be established is through quality and dependability. Perfection is the name of the game. Have you ever seen a Rolls-Royce broken down on the side of the road? Have you ever seen one on the back of a tow-truck? Neither have I!

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3) Building Things That Last: The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that the average life-expectancy of a new car is 12 years. So how is it, you may ask, that Rolls Royces remain on the road for 50, 75, 100 years? Quality-craftsmanship! Attention to detail! And cutting no corners in the production or service processes!

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4) The "Mark" of a Job Well-Done: In the case of Rolls-Royce, it is the "Spirit of Ecstasy", the winged lady which graces the hood of every one of its venerated vehicles. In the case of most small businesses, it is our signature and final handshake! It is the mark of personalization and quality. It is the mark of pride in a job well-done, a job in which our heart and soul was poured into the final product!

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5) CUSTOMER INVOLVEMENT: Here, at least as far as I’m concerned, is the biggest one of all. People who have bought Rolls Royces, whether in 1921, the years of the Great Depression or in the 1980s, LOVE their cars! They continue to cherish them, maintain them and preserve them long after the average car would have faded or rusted away. How many Rolls-Royces do you see ending up in the scrap-yard? 

Inherent in quality and longevity is the desire of the purchaser to keep the product, in this case a fine automobile, in their possession! Decades after the sales-slip was signed and the final payments were made, the Rolls-Royce continues to give its owner a valuable Return On Investment (ROI), both monetary and in terms of satisfaction.

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As businesspeople, we might not sell products with million-dollar price-tags. Hell, as a writer, my resumes, speeches and corporate bios can usually be had for under $200. 

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But when it comes to craftsmanship and quality, pricing is and should be irrelevant. No matter the product or service which we offer, whether it’s top-of-the-line or the discount, entry-level variety, our clients deserve THE BEST for Their Money! Any defects, sub-standard workmanship or failure to meet lofty expectations can render a product or service useless. Think you’ll have a return-customer if this is the case? Think your customers will laud and praise you and your company? Think you’ll achieve the sterling reputation you so desire?

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Only when these things are achieved will we earn the trust, loyalty and allegiance necessary to cultivate a brand with the reputation which we desire. And only then will our customers cherish, revere and hold in the highest esteem that which we have given them!

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It’s the only way…

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It’s the Rolls-Royce Way!

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Dear reader, thanks for stopping by. If you’ve enjoyed this original article, please consider giving it a re-tweet. I’d be most grateful!

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Image Credits: Rolls-Royce: diecastgarage.steves-services.com; Focus On Quality: zebratranslations.co.uk; Handshake; foundingimage.com

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Yonatan Maisel is a Business blogger, history buff and author. He specializes in all aspects of Business writing.

From speeches to resumes, from corporate bios to research, from blogging to website content, from articles to ghost-writing, he provides the highest level of quality at a very reasonable price.