Are We All In This Together?

Feb 26, 2013 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

Have you ever had the experience of working with a great group of people who all chip in to get the job done? Each person involved offers ideas on how to complete the project; each volunteers to do an extra task or two to make it happen; each seems excited about the project’s potential benefits. It’s a wonderful experience when everyone around you is just as excited as you are. The entire mood of the group or organization is upbeat. Improvements, enhancements, and efficiencies within...

Go Where Your Customers Are Going To Be

Feb 21, 2013 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

When asked what helped him become the great hockey player he was, Wayne Gretzky infamously replied, “I go where the puck is going to be.” Because of that simple philosophy, he would be at the right place at the right time; he’d get the puck and score. When he retired in 1999, Gretzky had scored 2857 career points. Not bad for just anticipating where the action is going to be. That same practice is crucial for us in business. We've got to constantly ask ourselves, “Where are our...

Service Your Customers – Turn Them Away

Feb 21, 2013 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

I experienced some of the best customer service you can receive yesterday. I was turned away. I had met with a web site designer to talk about redesigning and upgrading my websites. We discussed the shopping cart and site hosting services I currently use and need. We compared them to what his company offered, and he simply said, “Stick with what you've got. You've got a good system in place. We can’t improve on it.” He didn't belittle my current providers or try to sway me into signing up with...

No Appraisals? OK. But How Will You Keep It Fair?

Feb 19, 2013 | Leadership Development

I've recently had interesting conversations with a few organizations that want my company to work with them in developing their leaders. That's great but we're running into an initial roadblock as each company's leadership team has basically said, "We're hearing more and more that performance appraisals are a thing of the past. They're demoralizing, time-consuming, and ineffective. No one here likes to do them, so as a leadership team, we've decided we're not going to do them anymore."...

Fish In The Right Ponds

Feb 12, 2013 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

I heard Greg Caruso of Successful Exits share a story recently that I found valuable for my clients because of its simplicity and truth. When he was young, Greg loved to fish. When he grew older, life got in the way until one day he made a conscientious decision to restart his childhood hobby. He started fishing again in his favorite pond. However, now as an adult, he didn't seem to be as lucky. He caught very few fish. One day, as he was unloading his car after another disappointing...