Values Are The Single Most Important Part Of Gaining Career Security.
Communicating your Values is the foundation of career security. And expressing your values consistently over time is one part of how you build your network and how you create secure business relationships. If someone is spending money with or on you because they feel it is an expression of their values, rather than a transaction, you will have created a relationship that is based on those shared values.
If someone is spending money with or on you because they feel it is an expression of their values, rather than a transaction, you will have created a relationship that is based on those shared values.
That will result in more business in the long term and loyalty within the relationship. Ultimately, when you base your business relationships on values, you’ll have better, more fitting outcomes for both the buyer and seller.
Values Are More Important To Communicate Than Quality
If someone is just paying you for your labor, they can go across the street tomorrow and find someone just out of school who is going to work harder than you. If someone is paying you for your expertise in tax law, well, unless you’re the Michael Jordan of tax law, there’s always someone better (and even if you are the Michael Jordan, there’s always someone cheaper). So, if you’re looking to build career security, money can’t be why people are hiring you or retaining your services. However, when a customer or client views doing business with you as an expression of values, rather than a transaction, you’ve successfully built a relationship that is more secure than one solely based on end results.
Communicating Your Values
Your professional values should impact every single piece of communication you put out. Focusing your communications on these values will result in business relationships and connections that will be sustainable through thick and thin. That will lead to security in the long term because you won’t be as reliant one any individual job or client and your relationships will last longer.
Forget Transactions, Build Relationships
Every time a person spends money with your business or hires you as an employee, they need to think of that transaction as being an expression of values. Somewhat paradoxically, you don’t want them to feel like spending money with you is a a transaction involving money.
What That Looks Like In Practice
When major brands communicate their values effectively, purchasing their products no longer feels like a transaction.
- When I buy a Corona beer, I’m not purchasing a beer, I’m purchasing the feeling of being on a beach.
- When I’m buying an Apple Computer, I feel like I’m purchasing cultural cachet.
- And if I bought something from a religious organization, I’d feel like I was expressing my religious values through that purchase.
None of those transactions feel like they involve money to the purchaser. And it is in transactions like that that you build long lasting business relationships and career security.
Conclusion: Communicating Your Values Should Be The Point Of Your Messaging
Messaging based on values creates more secure relationships. It leads to customers or clients feeling like they are expressing values when they are doing business with you, rather than engaging in a meaningless transaction. This meaning brings loyalty and long lasting relationships. Major brands practice this and you should be doing so too.