How Far Do Your Customers Say You Clear The Performance Bar?

Sep 22, 2020 | Leadership Development, Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

In just the past few days, how many times have you been disappointed in the quality of service, responsiveness, and basic courtesy you’ve experienced? If you’re like me, it’s happening more and more often, and it’s so prevalent, that it’s becoming the norm. The level of service or performance we’re experiencing more often than not, is so low, our expectations of ‘good’ service have also been lowered. The level of service or performance we’re experiencing more often than not, is so low, our...

Are you serving each other with respect?

Sep 25, 2018 | Leadership Development

If I were to ask each of your managers to rate how well they and their teams are being served by other departments within your company, which of the eight options listed below would they choose? We receive excellent service from every colleague and/or department with which we interact. We receive excellent service from select colleagues and/or departments. We receive good service from every colleague and/or department with which we interact. We receive good service from select colleagues...

Grow Your Business: Market Someone Else’s

Dec 10, 2017 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

I just completed helping one of my small business clients (let’s call him Ted) with his sales and marketing quandary. He really doesn't like making phone calls or talking with clients to identify additional ways he can help them; it’s just not something he’s ever been comfortable doing. He has said to me, “I can sell for someone else, just not myself.” Obviously, that mindset is not a good one to have when you own your own business, but how can you work around it if you don't have a sales team...

Doing What the Contract Says Instead of Doing Your Job

Feb 18, 2014 | Leadership Development

What do you do when the contract that's just been signed with the client, is no longer in their best interest or yours? Renegotiate the contract. Change the contract. Rewrite the contract to fix the real issue and achieve a better win-win scenario. Right? It seems like an easy enough solution, but why doesn't it happen as often as it should? Why do so many project managers avoid renegotiating contracts? They don't realize what their real jobs as project managers are. Project managers are...

What’s Your Legacy?

Dec 10, 2013 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

As we draw close to Christmas, I thought I'd share this article from my archives as it reminds me of a special person. It also causes me to focus on how important each person we come in contact with is... I received an email from Jackie, a former client, the day after Christmas. Her e-mail informed me a gentleman, who had attended one of the training programs I presented to her organization, over two years ago, had died of lung cancer. She wanted to tell me about Al's passing, because my...