Harry Browne quoted F. Leroy Hill (a successful manufacturer) as describing profits we, saying, “Profits are a measure of the service you render.” As sellers, we are trying to increase profits, so service should be the first thing we think about. Producers perform services to produce resources that consumers can use.
Harry Browne says, “It is not how much time, energy or talent you put into your service, it is the value the consumer places upon it that matters.” Consumers will only pay for something they value. The consumer has the power because he has the money. If the consumer does not want what the producer is offering, the consumer is free to spend his money on other items other producers might be offering.
Even the richest person in the world has to make decisions on how to spend their money. They must give up some things to get other things. An example of this is deciding what to eat for dinner. Ice cream contains sugar and milk. Every time you eat ice cream you support dairy farms in the Midwest and sugar plantations in the Tropics. Caesar salad contains lettuce and anchovies. Every time you eat Caesar salad you support vegetable farms and fishermen.
If we focus on the most efficient way to give people what they want, services, we will be successful in selling. How do we do that? We provide services more efficiently by buying better equipment, serving locally or in community groups, and minimizing overhead.