The number “7” is used, referenced and associated with a lot of things. There are the 7 wonders of the ancient world, 7 continents, 7 seas, 7 colors of the rainbow, 7 notes on the diatonic musical scale, Snow White had 7 dwarfs, three 7’s is a winning hand (Blackjack), three 7’s on a slot machine hits the jackpot, and there is the 7th inning stretch in baseball. You also have the 7-year itch in marriage, 7 letters in the Roman Numeral system, and 7 deadly sins: greed, gluttony, pride, lust, sloth, envy, and wrath

Today I want to talk about the number 7 as it applies to business. There are 7 words that will kill a company. Saying, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” is a sure sign you are headed in the wrong direction.

Here are 7 words you never want to hear a customer say:

• “I’ll never do business with you again.”
• “I will be trashing you on Facebook.” (Twitter - YouTube)
• “I absolutely hate everything about your company.”
• “Everyone should know how bad you are.”
• “It’s my goal to wreck your reputation.”

Here are 7 questions most employees have difficulty answering:

• What’s our competitive advantage?
• What are several ways our customer service stands out?
• Are there ways we can sell value instead of selling price?
• Why should customers want to do business with us?
• What will make our clients tell their friends about us?
• How can we deliver more than we promised our clients?
• Is there anything we do better than our competition?

Here are 7 sure signs you have a “Corporate Culture” problem:

• You have a management vs. employee atmosphere
• Customer complaints are ignored
• No one is ever held accountable for their mistakes
• There is no forum for sharing new ideas
• Management has a my-way-or-the-highway mentality
• Laughter is seldom heard
• No recognition for going above and beyond the “norm”

There are those who think the number 7 is a lucky number. I feel in business we make our own luck. I truly believe in the old expression, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Working hard is important, but working smart is even more important. For you to survive in this highly competitive environment, pay attention to how “The 7 Words,” “The 7 Questions,” and “The 7 Signs” could be hurting your company.

Here are 7 signs you are doing things right:

• You have no problem getting people to volunteer
• Employees are always making suggestions
• Associates are helping each other
• Employees take accountability for their actions
• Managers are respected rather than feared
• You see a lot of smiles and laughter
• Everyone is concerned about customer complaints

Make your customers want to say those 7 magical words about your incredible customer service: “I’ll be telling my friends about you.” They really are magical, because they will create more business for you.