Hi all: Jut wanted you to know I have had a nasty staph infection along with two shoulder arthroscopic surgeries which makes getting on line for research for the blog very difficult.Also have to go to Porter Hospital here in Denver for anti-biotic infusions into my PICC line daily. Will be back soon....starting to use left arm...Spine surgery to lumbar to correct nerve pinching back in March is also getting better. Take care..Miss sharing the action with you.....Keep the faith
Philip Jay LeNoble, Ph.D.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
12 Leadership Guidelines for Leading through Learning in Turbulent Times
Posted by Michael McKinney of LeadershipNow 6.22.2010
In January 2009, founder and chairman of India’s Satyam Computer Services—the “largest publically traded company you’ve never heard of”—Ramalinga Raju confesses to massive accounting fraud and resigns. In a five-page letter to the board, he described the problem saying, “It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten.” In an instant, he left behind him, chaos, distrust, and plummeting moral among his more than 53,000 employees. But Riding the Tiger is not about how the Enron-like tragedy occurred, but how a leading through learning strategy calmed the chaos and helped the company recover and rebuild.
Authors and former Satyam employees Pricilla Nelson (Global Director of People Leadership) and Ed Cohen (Chief Learning Officer) share the take-away lessons learned on the road to recovery and renewal. Step one was what they eventually called the “Lights On” strategy. That is “deciding exactly what must be done to keep the business moving and doing only that which is critical to help the organization stabilize.” They describe 6-steps—beginning with hold everything and build an adaptable stop-stop-continue plan—based on the two pillars of learning and communication.
Nelson and Cohen write, “Learning is critical for stabilizing the organization, providing guidance to leaders, communicating with employees, and keeping the business open.” Communication is critical. “The leaders who lead out loud—those who maintain transparency, approachability, and integrity—are the ones with whom people want to work, in good times and bad.”
Venkatesh Roddam, Director of VenSat Tech India was the CEO at Satyam BPO (a Satyam subsidiary), reflects on the resilience at Satyam, “To be faced with a crisis the magnitude of what Satyam dealt with and then one year later to be reborn and vibrant in a new avatar speak volumes about the value of a strong leadership culture. This resilience is the result of years of painstakingly implemented leadership strategies.” The authors stress the need for developing leadership guidelines in order to leverage learning and to assist leaders with the complicated people and relationship dimensions of the business. You can use these 12 guidelines as a basic for coaching conversations:
1.Understand that we will never get back to normal: While it is comfortable to want to seek the status quo, “normal” in times of a crisis is constantly changing. Leaders need to move on to seek better ways of doing things, letting these new ways become the new normal.
2.Take care of one another: Listening reduces anxiety. Provide regular updates on what is happening across the organization and expand inclusivity.
3.React…pause…respond: The right response will be made once information gathering, integrity, an open heart, and seeking to understand have been considered.
4.Talk—even when you don’t believe there is much to say: Overcommunication is essential during turbulent times. Consistent and continuous messaging prevents rumors from spreading and demonstrates the leaders’ approachability and transparency.
5.Be visible—now is not the time to play hide-and-seek: People become fearful when the leader goes into hiding. As a leader, be present, inform comfort, and provide strength for others.
6.Maintain integrity and high value morals: Current circumstances should not influence or distort your definition of integrity and other core values.
7.Optimize costs, with retention in mind: Make cost optimization decisions keeping employee retention in mind. This allows leaders to assess risk and make more informed decisions.
8.Be a brand ambassador: The organization needs people who are brand ambassadors. As brand ambassadors, you are responsible for representing the organization both internally and externally in a positive manner. This means you must refrain from making statements that might cause further turbulence.
9.Assess and rebuild trust: Rebuilding an injured organization requires making difficult decisions that not everyone will understand. For this reason, you and other leaders must continuously asses and rebuild trust.
10.Remember, leaders are human, too: Though there will be difficult times during a crisis, as leader, it is important to remain composed.
11.Think like a child: Try to live “in the moment,” not allowing business to consume every moment. Work/life balance can exist, even in a crisis.
12.Take care of your emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being: Don’t put any aspect of your well-being on hold. While change and uncertainty at work are draining, you cannot allow them to take over your life.
The authors say that 87% of businesses fail to recover from devastation such as this because they have “not correctly aligned their priorities for recovery, and more importantly re-growth. Too often the immediate focus is put on salvaging customer relationships and brand identity. The relationship with employees does not receive the same priority. Leaders do not communicate as much as needed leaving them wondering what the future holds for them and their colleagues. This dichotomy results in major turnover, far more than companies in crisis can withstand, and ultimately contribute to their failure.”
In January 2009, founder and chairman of India’s Satyam Computer Services—the “largest publically traded company you’ve never heard of”—Ramalinga Raju confesses to massive accounting fraud and resigns. In a five-page letter to the board, he described the problem saying, “It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten.” In an instant, he left behind him, chaos, distrust, and plummeting moral among his more than 53,000 employees. But Riding the Tiger is not about how the Enron-like tragedy occurred, but how a leading through learning strategy calmed the chaos and helped the company recover and rebuild.
Authors and former Satyam employees Pricilla Nelson (Global Director of People Leadership) and Ed Cohen (Chief Learning Officer) share the take-away lessons learned on the road to recovery and renewal. Step one was what they eventually called the “Lights On” strategy. That is “deciding exactly what must be done to keep the business moving and doing only that which is critical to help the organization stabilize.” They describe 6-steps—beginning with hold everything and build an adaptable stop-stop-continue plan—based on the two pillars of learning and communication.
Nelson and Cohen write, “Learning is critical for stabilizing the organization, providing guidance to leaders, communicating with employees, and keeping the business open.” Communication is critical. “The leaders who lead out loud—those who maintain transparency, approachability, and integrity—are the ones with whom people want to work, in good times and bad.”
Venkatesh Roddam, Director of VenSat Tech India was the CEO at Satyam BPO (a Satyam subsidiary), reflects on the resilience at Satyam, “To be faced with a crisis the magnitude of what Satyam dealt with and then one year later to be reborn and vibrant in a new avatar speak volumes about the value of a strong leadership culture. This resilience is the result of years of painstakingly implemented leadership strategies.” The authors stress the need for developing leadership guidelines in order to leverage learning and to assist leaders with the complicated people and relationship dimensions of the business. You can use these 12 guidelines as a basic for coaching conversations:
1.Understand that we will never get back to normal: While it is comfortable to want to seek the status quo, “normal” in times of a crisis is constantly changing. Leaders need to move on to seek better ways of doing things, letting these new ways become the new normal.
2.Take care of one another: Listening reduces anxiety. Provide regular updates on what is happening across the organization and expand inclusivity.
3.React…pause…respond: The right response will be made once information gathering, integrity, an open heart, and seeking to understand have been considered.
4.Talk—even when you don’t believe there is much to say: Overcommunication is essential during turbulent times. Consistent and continuous messaging prevents rumors from spreading and demonstrates the leaders’ approachability and transparency.
5.Be visible—now is not the time to play hide-and-seek: People become fearful when the leader goes into hiding. As a leader, be present, inform comfort, and provide strength for others.
6.Maintain integrity and high value morals: Current circumstances should not influence or distort your definition of integrity and other core values.
7.Optimize costs, with retention in mind: Make cost optimization decisions keeping employee retention in mind. This allows leaders to assess risk and make more informed decisions.
8.Be a brand ambassador: The organization needs people who are brand ambassadors. As brand ambassadors, you are responsible for representing the organization both internally and externally in a positive manner. This means you must refrain from making statements that might cause further turbulence.
9.Assess and rebuild trust: Rebuilding an injured organization requires making difficult decisions that not everyone will understand. For this reason, you and other leaders must continuously asses and rebuild trust.
10.Remember, leaders are human, too: Though there will be difficult times during a crisis, as leader, it is important to remain composed.
11.Think like a child: Try to live “in the moment,” not allowing business to consume every moment. Work/life balance can exist, even in a crisis.
12.Take care of your emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being: Don’t put any aspect of your well-being on hold. While change and uncertainty at work are draining, you cannot allow them to take over your life.
The authors say that 87% of businesses fail to recover from devastation such as this because they have “not correctly aligned their priorities for recovery, and more importantly re-growth. Too often the immediate focus is put on salvaging customer relationships and brand identity. The relationship with employees does not receive the same priority. Leaders do not communicate as much as needed leaving them wondering what the future holds for them and their colleagues. This dichotomy results in major turnover, far more than companies in crisis can withstand, and ultimately contribute to their failure.”
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
6 Ways to Keep Your Rising Stars on Track
American Express' OPEN/Small Business Forum
by Lynn Truong Co-Founder, Sales Director (Wise Bread)
June 14, 2010 -
You may think it's safe to assume your rising stars are also highly excited and committed to your company, but Jason Martin and Conrad Schmidt's research suggests otherwise. Over the past six years, they studied over 20,000 "emerging stars" at more than 100 organizations worldwide. Considering the statistics that came out of the study, you may want to rethink any assumptions you have regarding your high potentials:
One in four intends to leave her current employer within the next year. 12 percent of all the high potentials in the study said they were actively searching for a new job.
One in three admits he is not putting all his effort into his job.
One in five believes her personal aspirations are very different from what the company has planned for her.
Four in 10 have little confidence in their co-workers and even less confidence in the senior team.
So, what can you do to combat negativity in your rising stars? Here are six ways to keep your company's best assets—its future leaders—on track.
1. Keep them engaged.
Your rising stars want stimulating work, recognition for their accomplishments, and the chance to push their career forward and prosper with the company. If the company is struggling, however, they are the first to consider leaving. Confident in their skills, they are the ones most likely to actively research other opportunities.
Even if your company is experiencing rough times (as many companies are these days), you need to make sure that high potentials are engaged in the company. Give them the recognition they're due by celebrating their successes and reward them with flexible work options, such as once-a-week telecommuting. Make it clear that their individual goals align with company goals and let them help solve major problems. The more involved they are with building the company's future, the less likely they will jump ship when the going gets tough.
2. Assess them for future potential.
The three attributes that really matter in the success of rising stars are ability, engagement and aspiration. Your rising stars need to have the intellectual, technical, and emotional skills necessary to handle future challenges, especially as their roles in the company become more and more important. They also need to feel personally connected and committed to your company and its mission. And they certainly need to want to advance in the company.
According to Martin and Schmidt's research, 70 percent of high performers don't have the levels of ability, engagement, and aspiration necessary to succeed in future roles. Although it certainly isn't impossible to do well without them, the chances for success are greatly reduced if even one attribute is found lacking. Design annual tests and interviews to assess these dimensions. You want to make sure that your rising stars will continue to rise.
3. Manage them at the corporate level.
Don't delegate the management of your top talent to line managers. Sure, line managers may know employees' individual strengths and weaknesses. It may also seem to make sense from an economic standpoint because the costs of talent development programs are shifted from corporate headquarters into the budgets of the department or business unit.
However, leaving the cultivation of your future leaders exclusively to business units tends to narrow the development opportunities of top talent, focusing on the skills required now rather than those needed tomorrow. Instead, senior leaders and general managers must share the development of high potentials. Your star players will be much more willing to contribute to the company if they're treated like the critical organizational assets that they are.
4. Place them in "live fire" roles.
Emerging stars need to be placed in demanding roles where they have to acquire new capabilities in order to succeed. Don't shield them by leaving them where you know they'll succeed. Your company's future leaders need to be developed and tested in "live fire" roles where they must perform under real stress and where there the chance of failure is very real.
Start by identifying the high-impact positions in your company that can offer quick development and learning opportunities (i.e., "brand manager for a leading product" or "marketing director for a new segment"). Then, make an effort to assign most of these positions to your high potentials. Yes, failure can disrupt the business, but if you shield your emerging talent from derailment in the training stage, they may not be able to handle greater challenges later on.
5. Make them feel special.
Martin and Schmidt's research found that under normal circumstances, high potentials put in 20 percent more effort than other employees in the same roles; their contributions may be even greater if the company has recently downsized or restructured. However, don't take their extra efforts for granted just because they're willing to do the work.
Give your support to your company's best employees. One company in the study dedicates a portion of the dollars saved through layoffs towards the emerging leaders' bonus pool, while another company buys lunch for its high potentials every day. Such gestures of appreciation, whether generous or modest, show your employees that hard work will be rewarded accordingly.
6. Share future strategies with them.
One of the strongest factors in high top employees' engagement is their confidence in their managers and in the company's strategic capabilities. If you don't disclose corporate strategies at times of economic uncertainty, you risk disengaging the very people that can help your company pull through.
Share strategies with your high potentials by sending them e-mail updates, inviting them to meetings with high-level executives, or providing other opportunities for them to weigh in on corporate direction. Let them know they're part of the team that is building the company's future. That's exactly what you want your rising stars to do, after all.
by Lynn Truong Co-Founder, Sales Director (Wise Bread)
June 14, 2010 -
You may think it's safe to assume your rising stars are also highly excited and committed to your company, but Jason Martin and Conrad Schmidt's research suggests otherwise. Over the past six years, they studied over 20,000 "emerging stars" at more than 100 organizations worldwide. Considering the statistics that came out of the study, you may want to rethink any assumptions you have regarding your high potentials:
One in four intends to leave her current employer within the next year. 12 percent of all the high potentials in the study said they were actively searching for a new job.
One in three admits he is not putting all his effort into his job.
One in five believes her personal aspirations are very different from what the company has planned for her.
Four in 10 have little confidence in their co-workers and even less confidence in the senior team.
So, what can you do to combat negativity in your rising stars? Here are six ways to keep your company's best assets—its future leaders—on track.
1. Keep them engaged.
Your rising stars want stimulating work, recognition for their accomplishments, and the chance to push their career forward and prosper with the company. If the company is struggling, however, they are the first to consider leaving. Confident in their skills, they are the ones most likely to actively research other opportunities.
Even if your company is experiencing rough times (as many companies are these days), you need to make sure that high potentials are engaged in the company. Give them the recognition they're due by celebrating their successes and reward them with flexible work options, such as once-a-week telecommuting. Make it clear that their individual goals align with company goals and let them help solve major problems. The more involved they are with building the company's future, the less likely they will jump ship when the going gets tough.
2. Assess them for future potential.
The three attributes that really matter in the success of rising stars are ability, engagement and aspiration. Your rising stars need to have the intellectual, technical, and emotional skills necessary to handle future challenges, especially as their roles in the company become more and more important. They also need to feel personally connected and committed to your company and its mission. And they certainly need to want to advance in the company.
According to Martin and Schmidt's research, 70 percent of high performers don't have the levels of ability, engagement, and aspiration necessary to succeed in future roles. Although it certainly isn't impossible to do well without them, the chances for success are greatly reduced if even one attribute is found lacking. Design annual tests and interviews to assess these dimensions. You want to make sure that your rising stars will continue to rise.
3. Manage them at the corporate level.
Don't delegate the management of your top talent to line managers. Sure, line managers may know employees' individual strengths and weaknesses. It may also seem to make sense from an economic standpoint because the costs of talent development programs are shifted from corporate headquarters into the budgets of the department or business unit.
However, leaving the cultivation of your future leaders exclusively to business units tends to narrow the development opportunities of top talent, focusing on the skills required now rather than those needed tomorrow. Instead, senior leaders and general managers must share the development of high potentials. Your star players will be much more willing to contribute to the company if they're treated like the critical organizational assets that they are.
4. Place them in "live fire" roles.
Emerging stars need to be placed in demanding roles where they have to acquire new capabilities in order to succeed. Don't shield them by leaving them where you know they'll succeed. Your company's future leaders need to be developed and tested in "live fire" roles where they must perform under real stress and where there the chance of failure is very real.
Start by identifying the high-impact positions in your company that can offer quick development and learning opportunities (i.e., "brand manager for a leading product" or "marketing director for a new segment"). Then, make an effort to assign most of these positions to your high potentials. Yes, failure can disrupt the business, but if you shield your emerging talent from derailment in the training stage, they may not be able to handle greater challenges later on.
5. Make them feel special.
Martin and Schmidt's research found that under normal circumstances, high potentials put in 20 percent more effort than other employees in the same roles; their contributions may be even greater if the company has recently downsized or restructured. However, don't take their extra efforts for granted just because they're willing to do the work.
Give your support to your company's best employees. One company in the study dedicates a portion of the dollars saved through layoffs towards the emerging leaders' bonus pool, while another company buys lunch for its high potentials every day. Such gestures of appreciation, whether generous or modest, show your employees that hard work will be rewarded accordingly.
6. Share future strategies with them.
One of the strongest factors in high top employees' engagement is their confidence in their managers and in the company's strategic capabilities. If you don't disclose corporate strategies at times of economic uncertainty, you risk disengaging the very people that can help your company pull through.
Share strategies with your high potentials by sending them e-mail updates, inviting them to meetings with high-level executives, or providing other opportunities for them to weigh in on corporate direction. Let them know they're part of the team that is building the company's future. That's exactly what you want your rising stars to do, after all.
Cable's Ratings Are Down, Which Is Why Its Upfront Is Up
By Catharine P. Taylor | Jun 15, 2010
BNET by CBS
I really should have seen this coming, but the cable TV upfront ad sales market is resembling the just-concluded network upfront in one way I hadn’t anticipated. Some nets, per Mediapost, are playing the ad inventory scarcity card to get more ad dollars in the door.
In brief, the scarcity card is what you play when your ratings start to go down. It’s s a game the broadcast networks have been playing for years, largely by convincing advertisers they need to buy more TV inventory to reach the same number of people they did back when ratings were higher. (God forbid the advertisers should go find those missing viewers where they are, like on YouTube or Facebook.) The reason some high profile cable networks are playing the card now is that, just like their network counterparts, they’re beginning to see erosion — of as much as 11 percent — in the key 18-49 demo.
The scarcity card seems to be working its magic in cable, just as it has in broadcast. Cable is experiencing CPM increases of as much as ten percent, and may wrap up business taking in upwards of $7.5 billion, a very healthy double-digit increase over last year’s recession-battered performance. By that logic, you’d almost think that when TV executives get together in private, they really all pray for no one to watch their shows.
BNET by CBS
I really should have seen this coming, but the cable TV upfront ad sales market is resembling the just-concluded network upfront in one way I hadn’t anticipated. Some nets, per Mediapost, are playing the ad inventory scarcity card to get more ad dollars in the door.
In brief, the scarcity card is what you play when your ratings start to go down. It’s s a game the broadcast networks have been playing for years, largely by convincing advertisers they need to buy more TV inventory to reach the same number of people they did back when ratings were higher. (God forbid the advertisers should go find those missing viewers where they are, like on YouTube or Facebook.) The reason some high profile cable networks are playing the card now is that, just like their network counterparts, they’re beginning to see erosion — of as much as 11 percent — in the key 18-49 demo.
The scarcity card seems to be working its magic in cable, just as it has in broadcast. Cable is experiencing CPM increases of as much as ten percent, and may wrap up business taking in upwards of $7.5 billion, a very healthy double-digit increase over last year’s recession-battered performance. By that logic, you’d almost think that when TV executives get together in private, they really all pray for no one to watch their shows.
SNL Kagan Forecasts Ad Recovery
by Wayne Friedman June 16, 2010
After crushing double-digit percentage declines in advertising a year ago, TV stations' ad growth will rocket up double-digit increases this year. Radio stations will also point upwards, but less than half the rate of TV.
SNL Kagan, the Charlottesville, VA-based media researcher, says TV stations will climb 14.3% in 2010 to $19.8 billion -- rising from $17.3 billion in 2009, the lowest TV ad revenue total in 15 years.
Adding in new retransmission fees, total TV station revenue is expected to grow to $20.9 billion in 2010 and $25.4 billion by 2016.
Radio will also make gains -- some 6.4% to $17.1 billion. This boost follows a drop of 17.7% to $16.0 billion in 2009. Advertising revenue from online businesses will push up total revenue for radio. SNL Kagan says radio stations will climb 15% to $552million. In six years, radio will grow to $19.8 billion.
The media company says investors have noticed the major progress in ad growth. This year, radio station stocks are up 36%, and TV stocks are 26% higher, year-to-date.
"The bounce-back in ad revenues, combined with other positive trends, such as growing digital dollars, have reassured investors," stated Robin Flynn, senior analyst with SNL Kagan
After crushing double-digit percentage declines in advertising a year ago, TV stations' ad growth will rocket up double-digit increases this year. Radio stations will also point upwards, but less than half the rate of TV.
SNL Kagan, the Charlottesville, VA-based media researcher, says TV stations will climb 14.3% in 2010 to $19.8 billion -- rising from $17.3 billion in 2009, the lowest TV ad revenue total in 15 years.
Adding in new retransmission fees, total TV station revenue is expected to grow to $20.9 billion in 2010 and $25.4 billion by 2016.
Radio will also make gains -- some 6.4% to $17.1 billion. This boost follows a drop of 17.7% to $16.0 billion in 2009. Advertising revenue from online businesses will push up total revenue for radio. SNL Kagan says radio stations will climb 15% to $552million. In six years, radio will grow to $19.8 billion.
The media company says investors have noticed the major progress in ad growth. This year, radio station stocks are up 36%, and TV stocks are 26% higher, year-to-date.
"The bounce-back in ad revenues, combined with other positive trends, such as growing digital dollars, have reassured investors," stated Robin Flynn, senior analyst with SNL Kagan
Monday, June 14, 2010
Seven Secrets Of Driving Customer Loyalty And Profits
Information Week
SMB
June 8, 2010
By Micah Solomon
Loyal customers are valuable to any businesses and by building a strong personal bond with your customers, you can empower them to help market your business.
In these rough and recessionary times, it's important to escape the commodity pricing wars and to find ways to strengthen the marketing backbone of your company. The most reliable and affordable way to achieve both these goals is by building a strong personal bond with your customers. Loyal customers see you as more valuable than a mere commodity purveyor, and can serve you as a powerful marketing arm, going out of their way promote and defend your company online and off -- for free. Here are seven ways to get process started of building customer loyalty.
Research shows that customers remember the first and last minutes of a service encounter much more vividly -- and for much longer -- than all the rest of it. Make sure that the first and final elements of your customer interactions are particularly well engineered, because they are going to stick in the customer's memory.
1. Did you shine that doorknob?
Research shows that customers remember the first and last minutes of a service encounter much more vividly -- and for much longer -- than all the rest of it. Make sure that the first and final elements of your customer interactions are particularly well engineered, because they are going to stick in the customer's memory
2. Set your clocks forward.
Modern customers expect speedier service than did any generation before them. (Not only speedier than their parents expected, but even than their older sisters and brothers expected.) In this age of BlackBerrys and iPhones, of Amazon.com and Zappos, you may as well not deliver your product or service if you're going to deliver it late.
3. Customers want to connect with a real person-online or off.
For example, instead of a web-based chat window that blandly announces "you are now chatting with Jane," try "you are now chatting with Jane Yang-Katzenberg." The customers will treat your "Jane" better, they'll take her advice more seriously -- and they'll be more likely to want a committed customer relationship with her company.
4. Remember each returning customer.
Whatever your business-and no matter how large, work to achieve the computer-assisted effectiveness of a beloved bartender, doorman, or hairstylist -- the kind who would know Bob's preferences, the name of Bob's pet, when Bob was there last ... Superb client tracking systems can create that same "at home" feeling in your customers -- regardless of the size and price point of your business, and whether it exists online or off.
5. Anticipate a customer's wishes.
When a customer's wish is met before the wish has been expressed, it sends the message that you care about the customer as an individual. That cared-for feeling is where you generate the fiercest loyalty.
6. Don't leave the language your team uses up to chance.
Develop and rehearse a list of vocabulary words and expressions that fit your business brand perfectly. For example, the expression "no worries" sounds fine if a clerk at a Portland Bose' Audio Store says it, but would be exceedingly off-brand for the concierge at The Four Seasons in Milan. Equally important, search and destroy any vocabulary words that could hurt customer feelings. For example, your service team should never tell a customer "you owe us." (Try instead: "our records seem to show a balance…")
7. Be patient when filling positions.
In a superb service organization, a single disagreeable or unresponsive team member can erode customer loyalty and team morale. That is why it can be better to leave a position unfilled rather than rushing to hire someone unsuitable. More generally speaking, customer excellence is most fully achieved once you become expert at recruiting, selecting, training, evaluating and reinforcing the efforts of service personnel.
SMB
June 8, 2010
By Micah Solomon
Loyal customers are valuable to any businesses and by building a strong personal bond with your customers, you can empower them to help market your business.
In these rough and recessionary times, it's important to escape the commodity pricing wars and to find ways to strengthen the marketing backbone of your company. The most reliable and affordable way to achieve both these goals is by building a strong personal bond with your customers. Loyal customers see you as more valuable than a mere commodity purveyor, and can serve you as a powerful marketing arm, going out of their way promote and defend your company online and off -- for free. Here are seven ways to get process started of building customer loyalty.
Research shows that customers remember the first and last minutes of a service encounter much more vividly -- and for much longer -- than all the rest of it. Make sure that the first and final elements of your customer interactions are particularly well engineered, because they are going to stick in the customer's memory.
1. Did you shine that doorknob?
Research shows that customers remember the first and last minutes of a service encounter much more vividly -- and for much longer -- than all the rest of it. Make sure that the first and final elements of your customer interactions are particularly well engineered, because they are going to stick in the customer's memory
2. Set your clocks forward.
Modern customers expect speedier service than did any generation before them. (Not only speedier than their parents expected, but even than their older sisters and brothers expected.) In this age of BlackBerrys and iPhones, of Amazon.com and Zappos, you may as well not deliver your product or service if you're going to deliver it late.
3. Customers want to connect with a real person-online or off.
For example, instead of a web-based chat window that blandly announces "you are now chatting with Jane," try "you are now chatting with Jane Yang-Katzenberg." The customers will treat your "Jane" better, they'll take her advice more seriously -- and they'll be more likely to want a committed customer relationship with her company.
4. Remember each returning customer.
Whatever your business-and no matter how large, work to achieve the computer-assisted effectiveness of a beloved bartender, doorman, or hairstylist -- the kind who would know Bob's preferences, the name of Bob's pet, when Bob was there last ... Superb client tracking systems can create that same "at home" feeling in your customers -- regardless of the size and price point of your business, and whether it exists online or off.
5. Anticipate a customer's wishes.
When a customer's wish is met before the wish has been expressed, it sends the message that you care about the customer as an individual. That cared-for feeling is where you generate the fiercest loyalty.
6. Don't leave the language your team uses up to chance.
Develop and rehearse a list of vocabulary words and expressions that fit your business brand perfectly. For example, the expression "no worries" sounds fine if a clerk at a Portland Bose' Audio Store says it, but would be exceedingly off-brand for the concierge at The Four Seasons in Milan. Equally important, search and destroy any vocabulary words that could hurt customer feelings. For example, your service team should never tell a customer "you owe us." (Try instead: "our records seem to show a balance…")
7. Be patient when filling positions.
In a superb service organization, a single disagreeable or unresponsive team member can erode customer loyalty and team morale. That is why it can be better to leave a position unfilled rather than rushing to hire someone unsuitable. More generally speaking, customer excellence is most fully achieved once you become expert at recruiting, selecting, training, evaluating and reinforcing the efforts of service personnel.
Nielsen: Americans Watch More TV, Smartphones on Rise
MediaPost News' MediaDaily News
by David Goetzl, Friday, June 11, 2010, 11:16 AM
A new periodic Nielsen three-screen report shows the penetration of devices equipped for video viewing has risen notably over the past year, giving programmers more real estate to generate consumer hunger. Plus, with the traditional "big screen" at home, people continue to spend more time watching.
Using figures from the January-March period, Americans on average spent two more hours a month watching TV versus the same period a year ago. The figure came in at an average of 158 hours and 25 minutes this year -- up from 156 hours and 24 minutes in 2009.
Broadband penetration stood at 63.5% among Americans ages 2 and up in the first quarter, up from 60.7% in 2009. Even more significant could be a rapid rise in smartphones: among people 13-plus, the figure went from 16% a year ago to 22% -- passing 20% for the first time.
Still, as programmers have more nontraditional distribution options, there appears to be a struggle to find breakout content for the emerging platforms. On average in the January-March period, Americans watched 3 hours and 10 minutes of video on the Internet each month, barely up from 3 minutes a year ago. The first-quarter figure was also down from the last three months of 2009.
In the mobile arena, video viewing was flat year-over-year, at a monthly average of 3 hours and 37 minutes.
One potential upside: as networks like NBC target multitaskers with their Olympic programming, Nielsen found that people using the TV and the Web at the same time grew about 10% year-over-year. The average of 3 hours and 21 minutes last year increased to 3 hours and 41 minutes in the first quarter of 2010.
DVRs proved a mixed bag for programmers because of ad-skipping risks, yet provided an opportunity to build viewership. DVR penetration is closing in on 40% (at 36.2%) -- up from 30.9% in the first quarter of 2009. The report shows average monthly time watching TV in time-shifted mode up from 8 hours and 22 minutes in 2009's first quarter, to 9 hours and 36 minutes in 2010.
Programmers counting on HD programming to boost viewing may take heart: The number of homes able to view -- although not necessarily receiving -- HD content soared from 32% in 2009 to 47.9% this year.
by David Goetzl, Friday, June 11, 2010, 11:16 AM
A new periodic Nielsen three-screen report shows the penetration of devices equipped for video viewing has risen notably over the past year, giving programmers more real estate to generate consumer hunger. Plus, with the traditional "big screen" at home, people continue to spend more time watching.
Using figures from the January-March period, Americans on average spent two more hours a month watching TV versus the same period a year ago. The figure came in at an average of 158 hours and 25 minutes this year -- up from 156 hours and 24 minutes in 2009.
Broadband penetration stood at 63.5% among Americans ages 2 and up in the first quarter, up from 60.7% in 2009. Even more significant could be a rapid rise in smartphones: among people 13-plus, the figure went from 16% a year ago to 22% -- passing 20% for the first time.
Still, as programmers have more nontraditional distribution options, there appears to be a struggle to find breakout content for the emerging platforms. On average in the January-March period, Americans watched 3 hours and 10 minutes of video on the Internet each month, barely up from 3 minutes a year ago. The first-quarter figure was also down from the last three months of 2009.
In the mobile arena, video viewing was flat year-over-year, at a monthly average of 3 hours and 37 minutes.
One potential upside: as networks like NBC target multitaskers with their Olympic programming, Nielsen found that people using the TV and the Web at the same time grew about 10% year-over-year. The average of 3 hours and 21 minutes last year increased to 3 hours and 41 minutes in the first quarter of 2010.
DVRs proved a mixed bag for programmers because of ad-skipping risks, yet provided an opportunity to build viewership. DVR penetration is closing in on 40% (at 36.2%) -- up from 30.9% in the first quarter of 2009. The report shows average monthly time watching TV in time-shifted mode up from 8 hours and 22 minutes in 2009's first quarter, to 9 hours and 36 minutes in 2010.
Programmers counting on HD programming to boost viewing may take heart: The number of homes able to view -- although not necessarily receiving -- HD content soared from 32% in 2009 to 47.9% this year.
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