A PLANTERSBANK top official on Tuesday said most businesses are now already showing signs of recovery from economic turndown.
Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting, Plantersbank chairman and president said in the wake of these developments, it is best to promote good governance and instill good business values among our entrepreneurs.
Hence, Plantersbank in cooperation with Bayan Business launched on Tuesday this year's Small-Medium Enterprise Speaker Series in Davao City, with guest speaker Francis J. Kong.
Kong, who is author of 11 books, is a newspaper columnist, morning TV show host and founder of a local jeans company -- Company-B.
"There is so much opportunity for businesses in the Philippines as the country is now part of the world's emerging economies," Kong began. "However, even if a businessman does get on top, the only thing that will make him stay there is integrity."
Corporate value maybe the DNA, which determines the way how you want your people to behave, but it actually is a reflection of the personal values of the owners and operators, Kong said.
"We should also take this corporate value seriously. Corporate talk and corporate walk must match," he added.
He also emphasized the value of customer loyalty, as any business' purpose should be to win a customer and retain him for life, therefore building loyalty one customer at a time. Kong advised the audience to always give more importance to customer loyalty than customer satisfaction.
"If you are married, what's more important? Your spouse's satisfaction or loyalty?" Kong jokingly asked.
"Many businessmen grow cold, critical and cynical," Kong said.
He added that sometimes, we concentrate on working too much that we neglect the more important things like value. "In life, you can't change the circumstance," he said. "We should know how to count the things that matter."
In business, he said, it is not anymore about cut throat competition but collaboration.
The only thing others can't compete over is the way you handle your customers and your honesty and integrity when it comes to transactions which, overall, results to your clean reputation as a businessman, he added.
"Your success in life doesn't have anything to do with the economy but it has everything to do with your philosophy," Kong said, challenging entrepreneurs to not to make a difference in this world but, make this world different.