Who Are Your Customers?
We don’t often think of Starbucks as being the new kid on the block. Yet, India Real Time, a blog published by the Wall Street Journal, fairly recently reported that the majority of India’s population of 1.2 billion people have never heard of it. Rather, their equivalent café experience is with Café Coffee Day (CCD)…
Salespeople are the Real Super Heroes
Jeb Blount, author of People Buy You was kind enough to offer a guest blog for your enjoyment this week. I will provide my blog later in the week but am grateful to be able to share Jeb’s thoughts… Let’s get real. The world continues to wallow in an economic malaise where unemployment is high…
The Conundrum of Consistency: When More Becomes…More of the Same
Consumers value consistency. Consistency of service, consistency of product, consistency of availability, particularly when we travel. But consumers also value the unique and, of late, the local – that feeling of having discovered a secret gem. As a business owner, how do you cater to this perplexing paradox? Many brands enter communities and appear “out…
The Big Question – What’s Next For Our Business?
Growth and expansion are provocative words in business. They suggest all things good, abundant, and forward-moving – more revenue, more brand exposure, more leverage and influence. When seasons of success accumulate under your belt growth often feels like the next logical step, much like marriage after a long courtship. Yet, whether your business is big…
Getting Personal: It’s NOT Just for Valentine’s Day
Having the products and services your customers want and delivering them consistently is merely table stakes today. The real challenge is whether you get personal with customers! Let’s face it, we live in a service economy and are surrounded by service providers. Yet, oddly, we often feel that we are woefully underserved or worse –…
How to Get a Solid Return on Workplace Fun
It happens in many places and in many ways, but it is a consistent theme for employees at Zappos…they practice random acts of fun and weirdness. Maybe you were in an airport during the hectic holiday season when seven different flights participated in a Zappos-themed game of Wheel of Fortune…baggage claim style. If your luggage…