Archives for Signficant

"But . . . they are free?"

Dr. Brad Harken, a dentist in Spokane, had just sat through my presentation at the American Dental Society’s National Convention. I had some free dental bib chains I wanted to give him.  They are the small chain that has clips on either end, which keep a napkin on your chest while you are having dental work done.  In this case the two chain clips said “Crest” and “Oral B”.   Stay tuned.  Even Proctor & Gamble can get it wrong. Dr. Brad noted that in his practice they don’t use the metal chains because when you put it around the patients
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People Gotta Talk – – Know-It-Alls Need Not Apply How Today's Leader Needs to Facilitate More Dialog

People gotta talk! The internet was originally an electronic brochure.  With the rise of Facebook, blogs, and various “testimonials websites” (Angie’s List, Rotten Tomatoes) this society EXPECTS, in fact demands to be involved in dialog.  Organizations, especially associations, are struggling with the issue of getting the Millennials to join, or get involved.  Yet they also struggle with getting and understanding feedback and dialog. People gotta talk! The old “show-up-and-throw-up” sales pitches in the past are going the way of pet rocks.  Today the imperative is the trusted advisor who listens TO THE CUSTOMER.  (What a novel idea).  Prescription without diagnoses
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What is Hindering Your Business'' "Bedside Manner"? How to Adjust the Emphasis on the Right-Way-To-Do-Things . . . and Instead Develop a Charismatic Customer Relationship

“Their Emergency Room scores for patient satisfaction was rated one of the best of hospitals across the country.  And yet if they focused on controlling quality, they might be undermining patient trust and respect.” “How is that,” I ask?  My conversations are with Todd, a medical resident who recently returned from a rotation of various departments in this distant and admired hospital.  “When an 8 year old comes into the ER, his diagnosis might immediately indicate administering an anti-inflammatory like Tylenol or Ibuprofen.    Normally we doctors, who get our value from knowing all the answers might prescribe and be done
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Charisma starts with Mission . . . and it is probably not yours

“You know if you take off your glasses you will do better.” “What?” Mario, my good friend and I had picked up ping pong paddles in the clubhouse of the Hilton Head resort we were staying at.  After missing several returns, he suggested that I take OFF my glasses, that they were hindering my perceptions. Off they came and whamo, I started to connect with every volley.  Aren”t glasses supposed to help?  But what if your learned basics are different than your altered world (with glasses)? The first element in creating Business Charisma is to reconsider your Mission.  Oh sure,
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Exits and Enters – What do you do when you have a 88% chance of failure

Two days left in the year.  Time to look back, learn from success and set-backs and make plans for climbing that next big challenge. New Years resolutions have a 88% failure rate.  So why even make them? The problem is not with the resolutions, but putting enough meat into them to make them work. “I am going to lose weight” becomes a fight against will power.  If I just have enough tenacity, drive, and motivation . . .then I can white knuckle it . . . to the new me. But willpower is not enough.  Especially with the speed and
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Charisma . . . Is it learned or are you born with it?

JFK, Eva Peron, Marilyn Monroe had it.  That charisma that attracts others.  In the case of Monroe, she seemed to be able to turn it on or off at will. There is evidence that companies too have “charisma”.  Is it the difference between Sam””””s Club and Costco?  Of In & Out Burger and McDonalds? So is it something that is learned or are you born with it? I personally believe you can learn it.  Just like an employee of Disney, who is taught how to respond to others.  There are things you (and your business) can do to get this
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Being Cool is over the horizon of the average.

Facebook is not cool.  Recent findings of note indicate that the social media site is loosing some of its cachet with the teen crowd. There is a real value in exclusivity.   Does that $80,0000 dollar import sedan get a gas mileage that is 3 times better than the American sedan, while selling for 3 times the price?  Is it’s sound system three times better?  The fact is that there is real value in the unique, the niche.   The $30,000 watch may only be a ten thousandth of a second more accurate than the $100 watch . . . but the
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Ice Cream and the Civil War – The Next Steps for Providing the Value that YOUR Members Want

The South attacked from the north.  And the North attacked from the south. What insights from the battle of Gettysburg are there for associations? Consider some basic principles. Transactions grow up into Transformation As business matures, and competition increases, most products and services become more transactional.  Specialized offerings get more competition, which forces everyone to sharpen their pricing, or get some sort of edge.  Eventually products become so generic that the market evolves into a “big box store” or morphs into high value offerings.  Consider the overrun of Sears by Wal-Mart (transaction) and Nordstrom (transformation).  When you want a makeover
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The New Rules for Branding – Getting Edgy or Getting Lost in the Noise of YOUR Marketplace

The biggest enemy to your business these days is being average.  With mass customization, free information, and a tight economy, you need to drive your branding image.  What are the new rules for branding? 1 – It must have a plot or a storyline.  Think Disney.  Chipotle has it’s brown bags with stories on them.  Harley is about terrorizing small towns (see previous blog post) 2. It must be unique to stand out.  Unless you have a BHAC (Big Hairy Audacious Concept) you have beige, average, pedestrian. 3. It must fill a need or create a new mind set for
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