A Service Tsunami
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe high-end (i.e. so-called “white collar”) jobs in our economy have been less affected by the rise of the internet than producers and distributors of goods and those holding lower level service jobs. If you’ve been spared so far, the party may be over soon. Venture capitalist Andrew Chen offers a
Voicemail Mayhem
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe all have outgoing voicemail messages but have you ever wondered if these messages are inviting people to not call you again. Nancy Friedman’s has some advice about his matter. Known internationally as “The Telephone Doctor,” Ms. Friedman has trained thousands of salespeople and customer service reps how not to shoot themselves in the
Steve on Email
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe think of Steve Jobs as a great creative entrepreneur whose feel for the market and insights into design created great products that people stand in line for. He was also very persuasive and a great communicator. If you’d like a few tips on one particular aspect of his abilities,
The New Four Horsemen
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNYU professor and marketing guru Scott Galloway has penned a book that explores the current and future impact of a group of companies that many call the “new four horsemen of the apocalypse” because of the cataclysmic effect they are having on many industries and many business models. Galloway’s book
Elvis Presley, CEO
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAugust 16 was the 40th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley at age 42. (Hard to believe Elvis would be 82 now!) Much has, is and will be written about “The King” and I will not attempt to recount his astonishing musical career here. But Elvis has much to
Crimes Against Pizza
Reading Time: < 1 minuteQuality isn’t everything. Case in point: Domino’s Pizza. Founder Tom Monaghan discovered that the key to success in the pizza business wasn’t great pizza, but free delivery. But no competitive advantage lasts forever and the company’s subpar pizza began to deliver subpar results, no matter how fast it’s delivered, especially
Seven Questions of Effective Marketers
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe late, great Peter Drucker once remarked that “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” Great advice….and how do you do go about knowing and understanding the customer? Marketing guru Seth Godin says you start
When Great Processes Create Bad PR
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRalph Waldo Emerson warned us that “Foolish consistencies are the hobgoblins of little minds.” To which most CEOs would say “But good processes create great results.” But what happens when an unanticipated situation presents itself to an unprepared employee? . You train employees in your processes…..do you train them to recognize when the
The Most Difficult Sentence When We Fail To Deliver
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEffective customer service is not just about getting it right but knowing what to do when we fail to deliver. This is especially important for front line customer service employees who may fear losing their jobs when customers are unhappy. Marketing Guru Seth Godin suggests a simple statement every customer