Helping good people build great brands.
I woke up to find a billing folio from the Nobis Hotel Stockholm in my inbox.
This was a problem, since I woke up in Chicago, and I’ve never been to Stockholm.
Continue reading “Mistakes Will Happen. What Then?”
Different companies serve different masters.
Some companies serve their quarterly revenues.
Some serve their stock prices.
Some serve the whims of their executives.
Continue reading “Every Brand Is a Service Brand”
For many leaders of smaller businesses, sustainable growth can be difficult to conjure up. If that sounds like you, I’d like to introduce you to a company that should give you hope.
Consider these results:
And they did it without relying on any “secrets,” gimmicks or silver bullets.
Intrigued? Let’s get to know them a little better.
Continue reading “Here’s How One Business Quadrupled Its Sales in a Flat Market”
(Reading Time: 2 minutes)Exhibit A:
Before a recent vacation, I emailed a pet-sitting service to inquire about their pricing and availability.
It took them 11 days to respond, during which time I located a less expensive, more convenient option.
Exhibit B: Continue reading “Poor Customer Service – Widespread, But Easy to Fix”
(Reading Time: 4 minutes)“I want to build my brand!” declares Tom confidently.
I ask Tom what he means, exactly. I’m pretty sure I know what to expect, and he doesn’t disappoint.
“I want my company to be the one everybody knows – the one that leaps to mind when they need products like ours!”
Sally’s goal is to turn her product into a brand. For her, branding is all about sales: “The stronger my brand, the more I sell,” she explains. Continue reading “So You Want to Build Your Brand?”
(Reading Time: 3 minutes)It’s happening, and it’s happening right now. At this very moment.
It’s happening in board rooms, in grocery stores, online and a million other places: Companies are either getting better at making customers happy, or they’re getting worse. None stay the same.
Somewhere, there’s a VP of finance who convinces her CEO to reduce staff in the customer service center to hit the annual budget. Both execs are aware that doing so is good for their stock options, at least in the short term.
Somewhere else, there’s a CEO who recognizes just how critical his customer service department is. He knows that, in many cases, that department provides the only human point of contact between the company and its customers. So he hires carefully, trains thoroughly, rewards properly and defines jobs intelligently. Continue reading “Two Kinds of Companies”