Some words are tossed around easily and used in advertising unsparingly.  It takes the power away from them because they are seen so often they are dismissed as just more noise.  In thinking about that, I thought about the word Dedication.  My team and I are dedicated to our clients, but what does that really mean?  How do you know we are dedicated?  Is that a description of a business person that you’d like to work with?

Dedication According to Webster

Webster’s Dictionary defines dedication as self sacrificing devotion.  Wow!  That’s pretty heavy duty.  Soldiers are dedicated to our protection.  That’s the first thought that comes to my mind.  Firefighters who ran into the towers on September 11, 2001 were dedicated.  They saved a lot of people through their dedication and many of them lost their lives - self sacrificing.  Most people are dedicated and devoted to their children.  So does the word dedication belong in business?

Dedication in Business

To me, dedication in business is putting your clients’ needs first.  In a retail setting that would mean providing excellent service, going the extra step, and being available to assist customers skillfully when they need help.  In a professional service industry, such as accounting, financial advice, lending, banking, real estate, law, among others, it means providing the fiduciary service to the client that has been promised to them by commitment of the professional to their industry.

In my business, it is doing the absolute best for your client by providing advice, service, and skill that helps them achieve the goal they have set for themself.  Being dedicated also means being truthful upfront so the client knows what to expect throughout the process.  In other words, helping them avoid the unexpected by being diligent, knowlegeable, and communicative.  Better get out the dictionary, we are loading up on big words here!  But it all comes down to 2 words - dedication means acting with integrity and ethics.  That is the type of professional I want to work with - one who is dedicated.  They always rise to the top because they don’t know any other way to be - being dedicated is in their genes.