As a mentor, I hear the theme so often, especially from newer clients: “I want to be the best,” they proudly utter. And when I ask them what that means, the answers are less forthright.

The subject came up again yesterday in a most unusual way. I was reading a commentary by Rabbi Ari Kahn, where he noted that the Ark in the Sinai desert and the two Temples, were all filled with increasing amounts of gold. However, the level of grandeur was not commensurate with the level of holiness. Why?

The Ark, often considered the most special, had been constructed by a man named Bezal’el, whose entire being was permeated with a holy spirit. In modern parlance, Bezal’el was empowered and thus determined to create something as brilliant and as appropriate as was possible.

Doing your best or striving for excellence does not put you above everyone else. It does not secure sales. It does not guarantee success. So, why is it so important? Why do mentors encourage people to consider the concept?

There are many websites, which debate the subject endlessly. They rush to quote Aristotle, who opinionned that “excellence is not an act, but a habit.”. For all that, if it is not the elixir of enduring commerce, what is it? What did Bezal’el understand thousands of years ago that most of us still fail to grasp today?

Let me try to explain through a true story, also with a slightly religious angle. I recently popped in on ‘Joe’, the owner of a large shop in central Jerusalem. We had first met when I had attempted to recruit him as a client, but we have remained in touch. With the help of a different mentor, he has reduced his stock, improved sales, redesigned the interior, and………..well, life is beginning to feel good for him.

Joe has no academic background. He has a small back office. He has little professional literature, mostly religious books, as  he has caught the ‘spiritual bug’ in recent years. However, lying on a shelf by itself was a book entitled “Excellence”. It said everything for me.

Joe knows that he does not provide all the stock his customers need, but he is constantly listening and trying to innovate his lines on offer. Joe realised that the appearance of the shop was unattractive, especially to the eye of a female – his main clientelle. That was dealt with. Staff receive training. Prices on key products were deliberately dropped to ensure he was dominant locally. And Joe still looks to improve.

What does this add up to? Whoever walks in to the shop will quickly realise that they are associated with an establishment that genuinely wants to help and toplease. The customer will undergo an enjoyable retail experience that will direct them towards making a purchase and to feeling good about it.

It takes a passion for excellence to achieve that result.