Does Your Customer Service Meet Customer’s Needs?
Customer service is enhanced through the building and sustaining of strong relationships. Relationships require trust, rapport and credibility. If you have staff who handle customer service, consider the following questions: 1. Is there a fit between the personality of staff and your expectations of the image you want to be projected to customers? Image is […]
READ MOREThe Finish Line is Looming: Are You Winning or Loosing?
Time is finite and regardless of our desire to often ignore this, the fact remains that there is a finish line looming. Some let this thought paralyze them, choosing to ignore it’s existence and instead spend each day similar to the last, seeking shelter in the safety of that which they have experienced and feel […]
READ MOREWhat Are Realists?
When working with clients in introducing and managing Change initiatives, I often stumble across people who are doubtful of the potential for success. You know who I am talking about… “We’ve tried that before.” “That won’t work here.” “You don’t understand our culture/union/atmosphere.” “Our business/culture/company is unique.” I could go on. But what I find […]
READ MOREMarginal Increase 2: How to Increase Profit Margins (right now!)
During part 1 of Marginal Increase we touched on the three ways in which to increase profit margins. Margin is everything when it comes to business. After all, if you can’t maintain margin you won’t be in business for long. So how can you increase profit margins? Here are some questions to consider: 1. Who […]
READ MOREMarginal Increase: Part 1
There are only three ways in which you can raise profit margins and in turn profits. Each however has a varying degree of complexity and cost. 1. Increase margins of existing products or services to existing customers. This is significantly challenging without threat of loosing business. The best way to increase margins with existing customers […]
READ MOREThere is Nothing New Under the Sun
It has been a strange spring to say the least, with temperatures hovering well below seasonal (I don’t consider a low of -3 degrees C (26 degrees Fahrenheit) to be remotely close to spring time weather, but that’s just me). It would appear that we have completely missed spring somewhere along the way. Most people […]
READ MORECommunication Complexity in Today’s Workforce
The face of organizations as we know them is changing, driven most significantly by multi-generational workforces. Different generations prefer differing means of communication, and failing to engage employees at all levels is a clear recipe for disaster. From an extreme perspective, simply ignoring these differences will result in both ineffective communications and a lack of […]
READ MOREShawn’s Friday Five: Five ways to improve your productivity.
1. Spend more time listening to others than talking. You will be seen as more polite (leading to improved relationships) and you will learn a tremendous amount about the other person. Knowledge is power. 2. Overcome your personal filters. Whether you know it or not how you communicate is filtered by your personality style and […]
READ MOREWhere the Rubber Hits the Road
You may have heard me say that I love riding motorcycles. One of the most intriguing things about riding a motorcycle is how much traction you can get from such a small patch of rubber making contact with the pavement. If you have ever watched motorcycle races on television where the riders look like they […]
READ MOREShawn’s Friday Five: Five ways to improve your productivity.
In this weeks edition of Shawn’s Friday Five I wanted to provide you with five ideas you can use immediately to prioritize your priorities. Consider the following five points to help you clarify what is a true priority, and where to start. 1. Urgency: Not all priorities have the same degree of urgency (despite what […]
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