How selling professional can stop struggling to create and keep profitable customers, simple strategies that turn every business relationship into profits guaranteed.
December 31, 2003
Customer Loyalty? Think High-Touch and Not High-Tech. marketing departments seem to be more energized by using high-tech means to build relationships with customers, than by using high-touch means to building enduring relationships with customers. [BrandAutopsy]
Does your company throw technology at customers hoping to improve loyalty? You can keep customers loyal while getting them to repurchase by becoming a more human organization. It starts with polite positive interactions, trusting your employees, and recognizing how customers measure professional technical solutions providers.
(Continue ... Customer Loyalty Requires A High-Touch Approach)
December 27, 2003
Widely accepted facts about customer satisfaction prove it's in your best interest to keep customers happy, however, very few of these studies tell you how to measure this satisfaction. In this column, you'll learn how to measure customer satisfaction and relationship value in a way that increases business profits.
(Continue ... How To Measure Customer Satisfaction And Relationship Value)
December 17, 2003
In a recent piece I talked a little about how social software can help track business relationships, today I'd like to share how I'm using this same tool in my business. As someone who teaches others about cultivating profitable business relationships, I hope you gain some insight about how I practice what I preach.
(Continue ... How I Use Social Software For Stronger Business Relationships)
December 16, 2003
Customer expectations are a strange beast. Often your company will be judge against the best companies in the nation, perhaps even the world. Customers don't do this because they have high expectations, they do this because other associated experiences have trained them this way.
(Continue ... Cultivate Customer Expectations While Growing Relationships)
December 15, 2003
Hal Macomber offers two great articles on building trust. The first shares some insights on building trust within a team, and the second talks about building personal trust. I agree with what Macomber has to say and feel trust is an essential part of building any form of business relationship.
(Continue ... Trust Is An Essential Part Of Strong Business Relationships)
December 13, 2003
Does this touchy-feely stuff work?. Had the rare experience of getting a newsletter in the post this morning. This one comes from Fishburn Hedges a PR company named the second best place to work in the UK by the Financial Times. [The Mutual Marketing Weblog]
Building stronger relationships with employees isn't as touchy-feely as it is a sound business practice. Make employees feel a part of the larger organization, show them you trust their judgment, and reward them for their unique contribution. These actions create a an emotional connection (loyalty) that will make your company more productive, and highly profitable.
(Continue ... Create Loyal Employees With Sincere Appreciation)
Demand to be managed!. Too often in business, money is used as a substitute for managing. So the idea that if I can pay you a lot of money, [then] I don't have to engage with you, I don't have to be direct with you. [Software (Management) Process Improvement]
Do you want to attract highly talented employees? John J. Mack, the head of Credit Suisse First Boston, says "a firm's best hope for distinguishing itself in the crowded financial field now has to come from its superior management of people." (HBS Working Knowledge; Demand to be Managed; November 24, 2003) Management is almost as important as money in attracting and motivating employees.
(Continue ... Good Management Attracts Great Employees)
Testing Web Copy Improves Results. Direct mail companies wouldn't dream of sending out a large mailing without first testing the copy and layout. But many web marketers craft expensive web marketing campaigns and never test. [MarketingWonk - The single source for no-nonsense Internet marketing news]
Are you sure that your marketing efforts are relevant to your prospects? Your prospective customers are bombarded with literally thousands of advertising messages each day. How can you be sure they will respond to what you have to offer?
(Continue ... Why Copy Testing Is Critical To Understanding Your Customer)
December 12, 2003
Robert F. Kennedy. "The problem of power is how to achieve its responsible use rather than its irresponsible and indulgent use - of how to get men of power to live for the public rather than off the public." [Motivational Quotes of the Day]
Executives create power for themselves through the opportunities they create for others. These relationships bring together the best talent available to serve certain wants of a customer. Through this participation with society, you have a responsibility to that society to solve problems, improve relationships, and sustain growth.
(Continue ... An Executives Responsibility To Society)
Brandt On Leadership -- Old-Fashioned Leadership Still Matters Most Of All. IW/MPI Census presents magic bullets for better plant performance. 1.1.2004 [IndustryWeek - Articles & Columns]
Are you an information technology or professional services firm who wants to enhance performance with zero investment? John Brandt shares three magic bullets that properly applied to your firm can increase your performance immediately. Unbelievable? I've summarized them here with my comments:
(Continue ... Discover Performance Enhancing Magic Bullets)
December 11, 2003
Make the most of your consulting time. Companies are looking for new ways to save money. While this means more business for consultants, the important thing for the company is to get the most out of its time with a consultant. [AMA Marketing Power]
Consultants can identify new ways of saving money. But, understanding how to make the most of a consulting relationship can insure measurable results. Here are a few ideas you should keep in mind when hiring outside consultants:
(Continue ... Make The Most Of Consulting Relationships)
How to let your prospects sell themselves. A new paradigm is rumbling through the world of sales, transforming how professionals relate to and connect with their clients. [AMA Marketing Power]
Building business relationships is about bringing and keeping buyers in the most cost effective manner possible. Without buyers you don't have customers, without customers you don't have a business. For a technology company, the most cost effective way to transform more prospects into customers by helping them sell themselves.
(Continue ... Credibility With Prospects Helps Them Decide To Buy)
December 10, 2003
You probably have sales people who believe they can't cultivate honest business relationships and still sell at their current level. Sales people often feel compelled to stretch the truth to meet quotas, but your business doesn't have to be that way. Sales professionals at your organization can cultivate honest relationships.
(Continue ... Sales Professionals Can Cultivate Honest Relationships)
From B2B to . . . ? The business-to-business (B2B) market revolution seems to be over. And almost before it got started, too! [AMA Marketing Power reprint Journal of Management Consulting (December 1, 2003)]
Do you know the difference between business to business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets? Identifying these differences helps focus your business and will help improve the value of business relationships. These differences balance around the simple fact that no matter the emphasis, business relationships are still people connecting with people.
(Continue ... Even Business To Business Relationships Are Between People)
December 9, 2003
What Makes Us Loyal?. Two things that make him loyal to a brand: A great deal -- a price or unique combination or price and service that no one else can match. [Fast Company Now]
It seems everyone has their own idea of what creates loyal customers. No matter what you've read in the past, loyalty is created by the unique value you bring customers and by the delivery of customer desired results. Doing these two things will increase the number of repeat customers you have the pleasure of serving.
(Continue ... The Only Way To Create Loyal Customers)
Responding to Alison's Post. How do your companies talk about customer service? How do they teach it, and how do your corporate leaders embody the company's service principles (or do they)? [Fast Company Now]
Doesn't it seem like more talk about customer service than do anything about improving it? Customer service is an action, not a concept. Here are a few things you can do to take actions that improve loyalty and keep buying customers.
(Continue ... Customer Service, The Actions You Take For Greater Loyalty)
December 8, 2003
Leo Tolstoy. "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." [Quotes of the Day]
Expecting your company to change behavior to rapidly adopt relationship-based methods is ludicrous. Behaviors that influence the way individuals interact with others is one of the few change efforts that start at the top. You must change your own relationships if you want employees to follow suite.
(Continue ... Relationship Improvements Come Through You)
75% of CEOs think about quitting. Think that that urge to jump ship and swim as fast as you can to passion island is limited to the rank and file? Think again. It goes all the way to the top. [The Occupational Adventure (sm) Blog]
Being a CEO is more difficult than it seems, no longer the cushy life of leisure it was once thought to be (was it ever?) According to They've got the CEO blues (Dallas Morning News, Cheryl Hall) 73% of CEO's surveyed are thinking about quitting and another 80% lose sleep over worries of work. A surprising number of senior-level staff don't want the position either-- What is a CEO to do?
(Continue ... Satisfied CEOs Use These Strategies)
December 7, 2003
Leader to Leader Institute: Five Pillars for Leading the Client-Focused Organization. Joseph Neubauer shares his five precepts or pillars for building enduring client relations, and strengthening a companies reputation drawn from his 20 years as a chief executive. [elearningpost]
Five Pillars For Leading the Client-Focused Organization. A post in the Column Two weblog referenced a wonderful article, Five Pillars for Leading the Client-Focused Organization, which was written by Joseph Neubauer, Chairman and CEO of ARAMARK Corporation. [CRM Mastery E-Journal]
To have a strong client relationships you need even stronger employee relationships. In Joseph Neubauer's 20 years of executive experience he's found five precepts that contribute to building enduring client relationships. Neubauer shares them with Leader to Leader, which I've summarized here.
(Continue ... Five Pillars For Leading The Client-Focused Organization (Summary))
Swedish Proverb. "Don't throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water." [Motivational Quotes of the Day]
So many executives ask for new strategies they haven't seen anywhere else. I ask, "What strategies have you already tried?" It's rare they note more than 3 things they have tried. Are you endlessly seeking new solutions to tired old problems?
(Continue ... How Well Do You Do The Basics)
December 6, 2003
Leverage Relationships to Achieve Your Business Goals. You will increasingly be held to a national, or even global, standard of execution. Smart entrepreneurs look to relationship value to achieve their goals in this demanding environment. [Dispatches]
Leveraging relationships to achieve your business goals isn't about getting something from the other person, it's about a mutual benefit that advances the goals of all parties involved. Often when starting new ventures people forget that everyone must win. This entry summarizes key points from David Bayless article Leverage Relationships to Achieve Your Business Goals originally published for SCORE.
(Continue ... Leverage Relationships To Achieve Your Business Goals (Summary))
December 5, 2003
Capitalizing on Relationships. In a New York Times essay, Postrel considers whether open markets are threatened more by a pro-business or an antibusiness ideology, contending that relationship capitalism is a closed system that limits competition. [Fast Company Now]
Capital relationships are built on the character of all the parties involved. A certain level of trust is required to assure the terms of any agreement will be kept. Professional banking relationships do not threaten competition and are strongly encouraged.
(Continue ... Professional Banking Relationships Are Encouraged)
It's great to see the weight put into communications methods that contribute to stronger business relationships. However, when a technology tools are squeezed into every aspect of a business, we often overlook those skills that really create lasting results. After all, many of the great leaders in our business world today, didn't have half the technology currently available.
(Continue ... Blogging As A Communications Tool For Internal Executive Relationships)
December 4, 2003
Now that you know how social networks can help track business relationships, this article will share tips on how to establish a presents that attracts qualified business relationships. The strategies presented here will also help you strengthen existing relationships with these new tools.
(Continue ... How To Create Great Profiles For Social Networks That Attract Quality)
Every technology magazine presents social software as the next big thing. It seems every year we have a new big thing that only fizzles out the next when something new is created-- nobody ever seems to get much out of the old things before they move along. While the shallow hype doesn't excite me, I do like social softwares ability to organize relationships.
(Continue ... Social Software Networks Help Track Relationships)
December 3, 2003
Executive blogging issues. Robert Scoble wrote: I keep asking executives "when you gonna start a weblog?" But, quite consistently get an answer of "way too busy." ... internal bloggers will need to build better ties to execs and PR and marketing so that we can help solve the problem. [a klog apart]
A weblog can be a valuable tool for improving team communications, but isn't a tool for everyone at your company. To provide relevant content, even to jot daily notes, can take that an executive may better spend elsewhere. Executives aren't the right people to be blogging.
(Continue ... Things Executives Should Ask Themselves Before Blogging)
Lee LeFever: Farmer. One person that I shared lunch with gave me this sage advice: "Getting your business started is like starting a farm. ..." I'll never forget that advice. [Common Craft - Online Community Strategies]
Lee LeFever provides a great analogy between building a business and farming. There are more similarities than he presents in his short excerpt. LeFever highlights a point of cultivation. For your companies success, you must understand that businesses, like the relationships around them must be cultivated.
(Continue ... Building Customer Relationships Is Like Farming)
December 2, 2003
It's always good to see a 20-something in business, especially one with such a good foundation to be successful in it. Over a cup of tea at Borders, Neil Conner of Conner Marketing and I discussed the importance of process in building a successful business. Here are some notes from that conversation.
(Continue ... Discover The Importance Of Process In Reaching Business Objectives)
Benefits of Good Internal Partnerships (1:45 Min. Audio, Mp3, 1.66 MB, 128 Kbps) Earning Partnership Opportunities, Part 9 of 22. [Iunctura, Earning Partnership Opportunities]
Recorded in 2002, Earning Partnership Opportunities provided strategies to strengthen internal relationships that contribute to having the resources necessary to provide a service to the customer. Good internal partnerships contribute to company stability, lower productions costs, customer experience, and higher product quality.
(Continue ... Benefits Of Good Internal Partnerships)
December 1, 2003
What people believe when they see the symbols of your company contributes to their willingness to enter a business relationship. These perceptions contribute to creating new relationships with customer, employees, and even business partners equally. Brand represents credibility that describes your unique value and is earned one positive experience at a time while creating strong relationships between people.
(Continue ... Brand Contributes To Your Ability To Create New Relationships)
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