Sales management is not enough anymore. The profitable businessperson needs to understand the discipline of producing a customer experience, just like a Steven Spielberg or a Disney. This is a battle of the Baskin & Robins ice cream cone versus the pageantry of a Cold Stone Creamery.
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Archives for Customer Service
The incision is healing.
Who cares if you can type 80+ wpm if you hands are hurting? Carpal Tunnel. I went in for the procedure on my drawing hand. Scary stuff if you make your living with magic markers and a lot of Strategic Planning. The interesting part is the Thank You Note that came in the mail last week from my operation room nurses and support staff. Can you imagine that? A thank you note for my business. Hospitals are looking down the throat of a coming judgment day that goes by the initials of HCAHPS. This is a fancy way of saying
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Do you know how much fun chocolate is?
There is the science of this brown stuff. Chocolate contains all these awesome chemicals. Phenylalaine elevates mood and increases amiability and helps the brain manufacture serotonin . . . which is linked to mood stability. Beside the small amount of caffeine, chocolate also contains theobromine which makes the nervous system more alert and improves concentration. For decades, Hershey had a business of extracting theobromine from their discarded cocoa bean shells and selling this compound to Coca-Cola, who then put this powerful chemical in their soft drinks to add pep. This continued until the 1950’s, when Coke found a less expensive
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Say Less, Sell More
The need to ask more questions, be more conversational to connect with customers.
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Are YOU Happy? . . . my conversation with Alex Trebek
It took a minute because he was out of place, at least in my mind. After I sat down, I looked at the row of seats opposite mine in the airport gate area. There in front of me was Alex Trebek of Jeopardy fame. He had a slight warm smile as our eyes met. (I have since learned that he is worth about $45 million so he should be smiling. . . no?) I asked him. “May I ask you a question?” “Sure.” “Do you ever get tired of your celebrity? Are you happy with what you are doing?” Alex
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What YOUR Competition Does NOT Want YOU To Know About
It is called Sub Rosa. You need to be aware of this term. It could sneak up on you. Consider some recent news stories. · The recruiting of Sales and Marketing Executives has found new levels of attention and activity by Executive Head Hunters (Wall Street Journal) · Restaurant Sales are way up over last year (USA Today) · Victoria Secret’s new Miraculous Bra is expected to show great sales in 2010 signaling a time when women are ready to spend on themselves again. (NY Times) The economy is coming back (no surprise) and when that happens the focus
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They Squeak when you bite them.
It was an awards dinner and the table talk turned to what is unique about Canada. I was in Ottowa, where I was speaking to the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada. What a absolutely beautiful city. Cosmopolitan, very European in fee. Of course you put a bunch of Chamber of Commerce people together and the fun meter kicks up about 5 clicks. “We Canadians are a humble lot,” said one of my table mates. “We apologize for everything . . . sorry about that.” Now that is funny. Then another volunteered that Poutine is unique to Canada. What? Poutine.
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The 10 Commandments of How to Handle Angry Customers
The 10 Commandments of Angry Customers By Kordell Norton I – Thou Shalt Assume That Thy Customer Has Rights . . . Including Anger Every decision is made by its decision maker. That person may not be the smartest, most qualified, or the right person to be making the decision . . . but it is still their decision. It is our job to persuade them as much as we can to make the right decision, or in our favor if that is the case. That decision maker has the title of CUSTOMER. If they don’t make it in our
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Only a professional speaker would find something good in having their car stolen
“Dad, my car got stolen,” the words coming fast and in panic from his cell phone. My home-bound college student had just lost everything he owned while he sat in the restaurant. “Even my birth certificate and social security card,” he declared. For a couple of days all he owned were the clothes on his back and his iPhone. He was able to stay on top of a police investigation, cancel credit cards, start on the insurance spreadsheets, apply security protection on his identity and keep us informed of his activities . . . all on his phone. On his
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How ShamWow Can Mess Up YOUR Business
There is the scene in the ShamWow! commercial where the spokesperson pours cola drink into a piece of carpeting. He then proceeds to suction up massive amounts of liquid with the fantastical Shamwow. On watching the commercial a second time I notice that between the soaking of the carpet and the picking up the liquid there is a moment when the camera cuts to a shot of the spokesperson. When the camera goes back to the carpet all of the soda that was running out from beneath is GONE. The picture had been doctored. Ah ha. The ShamWow! is a
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