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Archive for customer service

Christmas 2011 — Birth of a New Tradition

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Support your local Entrepreneur!!

This is a reprint of something a reader sent to me that I think is a GREAT idea that we should all adopt.  I’m in…who’s with me?

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Read More→

Network Marketing vs. ‘The Pyramid Scheme’

Friday, June 17th, 2011

I’ve recently joined the ranks of an outstanding direct sales/network marketing company, after some serious due diligence, I might add.

The skeptics among you are silently screaming..”what are you thinking, they’re all scams!” I must confess…I’ve been in the network marketing industry on and off for more than 15 years and while some companies have had integrity problems, the business model is more than 100 years old and in fact is something that you’ve also been participating in, week in and week out, whether you know it or not.

When I begin to talk to someone about the business the most common reply is “it’s one of those pyramid schemes…leave me out”. There is a very fundamental difference between network marketing and a pyramid scheme…a huge difference and if you don’t understand them you’re staying away from something that could make you a lot of money and give you great time freedom. Read More→

Every business owner should be able to answer a simple question about their client list…what is the average lifetime value of a typical client?

If you’re not sure what I mean, let me give you a brief overview. Anytime you spend marketing money to land a new client in your business you expect that they will produce a certain amount of revenue for your company. You should know what they’re likely to spend initially, how often they’ll reorder, at what frequency and, unless you’re just starting out, you should have a good idea about how long a client usually does business with you. Read More→

“They do it too…” (not a valid excuse)

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

I just finished reading a very silly sports article about the whole NY Jets tripping ‘scandal’…what?!

A New York Jets coach blatantly tripped a Miami player the other day, he was fined $25,000 and suspended for the remainder of the season. Crime – punishment…no scandal.

The issue that I have with the whole event is the example it sends to the kids. Up until now, they saw bad behavior being punished correctly…now we have a new lesson to teach, one of responsibility. Read More→

As a business owner, do you find yourself getting frustrated when all around you seem to think differently from you? Angry when the simplest of tasks or requests seem to be an imposition to others?  When the common sense approach (i.e. Yours) turns into an all out brawl when trying to get cooperation? If this sounds familiar it’s because most of the people you are trying to enlist to help you are listening to different stations, they’re all on a completely separate channel.

Now this channel isn’t on Sirius, not on XM, not on cable and not even on those funny in-between HD bands. They are all listening, with you canceling headphones, to WII-FM.

The What’s-In-It-For-Me channel.

The only way that you can get and keep their attention is with really good incentive based advertising on their favorite station. As entrepreneurs and small business owners we have to craft our messages in ways that create mutual agenda items. Read More→

I don’t know about you but I have a love -hate relationship with email.  I get about 300 inbound emails a day, about half of them get caught in the SPAM filter and the rest end up on my computer and now my iPhone.

I love the fact that I can quickly review emails almost anyplace and anytime.  I love the fact that I can answer some while waiting in line, during delays at airports and the like.

I hate the fact that most people don’t take put any time at all into their use of this form of communication…typoes, mispellings (both done on purpose), incomplete thoughts, random questions all sent easily with the push of a button clogging up all of our in-boxes and schedules as we bail ourselves out from under the deluge. Read More→