The more things change, the more the fundamentals stay the same …

We’re in South Carolina for a conference and, so far from home, the basics of business are just the same.

I went to a little shop to get some salad bowls for lunch and when I walked in, the lady came up to me to ask if I’d been there before.

When I said no, she explained how the place worked, the range of foods and how we could customise our salad bowls.  Then when she finished she said “my name’s Teresa, just let me know when you’re ready and I’ll get your bowls prepared”.

She was attending to the basics:

Context – “.. have you been here before?”.  Implying that there is something different about this place.

Concept – “… here’s how you can customise your order”.  Explaining the big idea behind the value created.

Connection – “… my name’s Teresa”.  Making it personal.

When I chatted to her about the business, she told me she was the owner and the concept was her own idea.  She was just about to open a second store.

The first fundamental may be the most important – business rewards the brave!

Beyond that, the fundamentals of context, concept and connection still make all the difference.

Contextually, you must offer something that matters to people.  Conceptually, your business is only as strong as the idea on which it is built.  Connection wise, people still buy from people … even in a hyper connected world.

I’d love to know, how do you define the context, concept and connection fundamentals in your business?