How to Save a Relationship with a Customer When Things Go South

Sometimes, being an entrepreneur isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When I left my 9-5 job, it was to pursue the ultimate freedom of self-management. I became the boss, and that meant the power was all mine, right? Not exactly. As we all figured out —particularly those of us in the service industry and…

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The Tragedy of “No Decision Made”

Depending on the research you read and believe, the number of buying journeys ending in “No Decision Made,” is around 50-60%. Think about what that means. Sure, we’re disappointed—it’s a lost opportunity for us. We may have invested a lot of time, resource, and energy in competing to win the decision from the customer buying…

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There Are No Silver Bullets

It seems every day I encounter someone looking for a silver bullet: “How do I get my prospect to see me, what’s the one thing/trick/technique you recommend that causes prospects to want to meet?” “What is the best technique to overcome objections?” “What is the way I can get my customer to select our solution?”…

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There’s No Second Chance to Create First Quality

Let me illustrate this insight with a personal story. As my enterprise computer software company which produced innovative lodging systems for hotels and resorts grew quickly, we found ourselves straining to keep up with the hiring and training of good customer support representatives, a critical part of the equation then and still so today in…

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Cole Slaw, Carrots, and Limiting Beliefs

We’ve often explored the concept of Belief Systems and how our personal way of understanding and relating to the world — typically on an unconscious level — directs our behaviors. Recently I heard what was perhaps the perfect example of how these unconscious beliefs manifest and affect everyone whose lives we touch. Last month I was cordially,…

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Ask Your Customers

“Treat with utmost respect your power of forming opinions, for this power alone guards you against making assumptions that are contrary to nature and judgments that overthrow the rule of reason. “ ~Marcus Aurelius Asking your customers about your business is so important for each and every business. If you are selling a product or…

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Greatly Exceed Early Customer Expectations

First customers are critical. Greatly exceed expectations at all costs. There is so much history behind this insight, and so many stories that illustrate this point. Your first customers for any product or service form your reference base, the important group of allies that your marketing and sales people rely upon when attempting to create buzz…

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6 Crippling Customer Service Non-Calls

The most devastating customer service calls are the ones you don’t get. They are far more damaging to your business that the ones you get a chance to answer and respond to. When you have an irate, disappointed, or troubled customer on the line or in front of you, you have the opportunity to turn…

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Sweat the Small Stuff When Owning a Franchise

If this is your first venture into owning a franchise or if you already own a franchise business it’s important to realize that even the smallest of choices, may end up having an enormous impact on the future success of your franchise business. Think about this, if a car is going the speed of 5…

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The Reviews Aren’t Good

In the “good old days” when a neighbor or work colleague told you how much they enjoyed a nearby B&B, movie or restaurant, it mattered. Word of mouth has always been one of marketing’s most potent weapons. Today – we have word of mouth marketing on steroids with online reviews. Interestingly, in a wide range of surveys examining the…

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