Making A Difference

DRiVE - Three Elements of Motivation

2010-09-10T13:06:00.006-04:00

DRiVE, is a fascinating book by Daniel Pink that challenges the traditional carrot-and-stick approach to motivation. With scores of examples, based on decades of motivational research, he illustrates how the joy of doing a task is itself motivational, and that the concept that an extrinsic reward is motivational is flawed. One example he gives is the encyclopedia created by Microsoft in 1995: MSN Encarta. Well-paid writers and editors developed what Microsoft thought would be the most comprehensive, paid information source available in the world. MSN Encarta didn't have any competition until 2001, when with the help of thousands of unpaid volunteers Wikipedia was launched. Looking backwards to 2001, who would you have bet on to succeed? In October of 2009, Microsoft ended MSN Encarta.

How Do Customers Evaluate Your Service?

2010-08-20T14:11:00.003-04:00

If you are curious as to how consumers evaluate customer service in your type of business, then check out the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Using customer interviews and a multi-equation econometric model developed at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, they rate 10 economic sectors, 45 industries and more than 225 companies and federal or local government agencies. ACSI ratings are on a 0 – 100 scale and focus on two areas: Drivers of satisfaction: Customer Expectations, Perceived Quality and Perceived Value and Outcomes of satisfaction: Customer Satisfaction, Customer Complaints, and Customer Loyalty. Interesting results: The two highest rated (many tied for third) are breweries and soft drinks, and the three lowest rated are airlines, subscription television services and government.

Managing the Customer

2010-03-29T17:01:00.001-04:00

We love great customer service – actually we expect great customer service! But we don’t always get it and often when we’re on the giving end we don’t practice it either. There are lots of books and articles about giving excellent customer service, and invariably they all say the same thing: people need to be trained about the process, they need to understand the impact that it has on the organization and then given the customer service skills to do it right. Well, that’s only part of the story. I think it comes down to this: people have to be motivated to want to provide good customer service, and even if they are, like any habit-changing dynamic people will every once in awhile slide backwards, and some people will refuse to change at all. That said, most people will do it if two actions take place: First, they have to have the rationale and skills on why and how to do it, and second management needs to reinforce it. Everyone will agree on the second, but what about the first? The rationale to do it comes down to Control and Manage. Everyone wants to feel that they control their actions, but they really don’t. Psychologists tell us that this is do to the rule of reciprocation; our initial reaction to others based on the perception of how we feel we are being treated by them. This has far reaching implications for customer service, especially on the frontlines because in my experience frontline staff tend to react to customers. If a customer doesn’t smile, looks unhappy, then frontline staff takes it personally and react accordingly. This of course sets of a chain reaction of more of the same. The more that frontline staff – or for that matter anyone – recognizes this, the greater the likelihood they can manage their reaction and control the customer interaction outcome. This is not only good for the customer, but it’s good for everyone. It reduces stress, and makes the work experience more enjoyable. More successful customer service will only take place if frontline staff and management are provided the tools and attitude awareness that will enable them to control and manage their own reactions as well as that of the customer.

Perceptions & What We Might Be Missing

2010-01-31T14:02:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine emailed me the following... This will make you think.

PERCEPTION

. . . Something To Think About. . .

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximatly. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?

Click here for Snopes to confirm this happened.

Social Media & Time Management

2010-01-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

You can use up a lot of time maintaing a social media presence - I was going to say "waste a lot of time" because it's easy to do that as well! My Twitter colleague, and a time management guru @Floramattis, sent me a link to an interesting article 3 STEPS TO BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, by Rich Brooks. It provides three key steps to take to help manage your social media time.

The Reckoning: How Does Your Moral Mind Work?

2010-01-05T10:50:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! My friend, Arthur Massi, sent me a link to a fascinating website Your Morals.com. Developed by professors and graduate students in social psychology at the University of Virginia, The University of California (Irvine), and the University of Southern California, it provides quite a few surveys that provide you insight as to how your moral mind work. You do have to register to participate in the surveys, but it's an account that you can log in and out of to take the many surveys it provides.

Do Mental Snapshots Define our Inner Selves?

2009-12-22T09:56:00.000-05:00

If we speak to ourselves do we tend to be more confident? If we think in pictures does that mean we have problem empathizing? Intriguing article in the NY Times Health section by Jascha Hoffman Taking Mental Snapshots to Plumb Our Inner Selves, that explores studies about consciousness and its influence on personality and behavior.

Devil Loves Prada - and Good Service!

2009-12-22T09:11:00.000-05:00

High end stores like Prada and Bergdorf are known for giving great service to their preferred customers, and according to today's NY Times cover page article by Eric Wilson, Luxury Stores Personal Touch is Extended to Holiday Shopper, they are also extending it to others as well. Apparently retailers across the board are using the service edge to make a difference. Whether it is Prada or Ace Hardware customer service ratings by consumers have improved. What are you doing to make a difference for your customers?

Twittering Your Way to Business Development

2009-12-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

Everyday Twitter is making a difference in business. What difference is it making for you? One way or another Twitter is making both a negative and a positive difference to business. Negative in that dissatisfied customers can now instantly inform dozens, and ultimately thousands of others about their dissatisfaction with the quality of a product they purchased or their displeasure with the service they received. Positive in that Twitter can be used to (if implemented within the organization the right way):

• Obtain new customers from your satisfied customers
• Make it easy for your customers to refer you
• Keep your customers informed of sales and specials
• Quickly and easily getting your marketing messages out
• Inform customers of trends, changes
• Respond to customer concerns and issues as soon as they occur (and before they let others know of their dissatisfaction)
• Interact directly with customers to answer questions
• Direct customers to information sources that will benefit them or their business
• Keep your business team informed

These are some of the most compelling reasons to consider Twitter. If you're using Twitter comment on this blog on how you are making it work for you. Want more information on how we can help you setup Twitter? Email me at djmas@smlr.net or call (631) 757-5716.

Zappos - Hiring People Passionate about Customers

2009-12-03T16:33:00.000-05:00

Zappos is a very familiar, and very successful, online shoe company. Zappos is also a fascinating story of how a company was started with basically nothing in the late 1990s and now does over $1 billion in online sales - thanks according to its CEO and droves of customers because of their customer service. In his book Twitterville, Shel Israel writes about how passionate CEO Tony Hsieh is about customer service: first everyone, regardless of position is required to take Zappos' four week training course. Then if you successfully complete it you are given an offer of $2,000 not to take the job! He says he does this because he only wants people who committed to serving their customers. Apparently it works because over 90% want to stay. Israel, also describes how Zappos uses the social media network - particularly Twitter - as both an external and internal tool building and maintaining excellence in customer service.

Over 60 and Making a Difference Online

2009-11-29T18:12:00.000-05:00

Great story by James R. Gaines in today's NY Times: Over 60, and Proud to Join the Digerati of how a former top editor of Time, Life and People magazines is making a difference at FLYP, an online digital publication.

Motivating Employees for Customer Service?

2009-11-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

I would like to obtain comments from frontline staff, supervisors, HR in both the public and private sector on what is being done by your organization to motivate employees to provide customer service excellence. Please share your ideas - it could make a difference.

Facebook for Business Success

2009-11-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

Are you using Facebook to promote your business? Today's NY Times article How to Market Your Business with Facebook, gives more compelling reasons why Facebook is fast becoming an important tool to promote your business online. Written by Kermit Pattison, it succinctly provides examples and ideas on how Facebook is used by business.

DRIVE Your Market Success

2009-11-19T17:24:00.000-05:00

The success of using the social media for business will depend on five principles contained in the word: DRIVE. The video describes in less then three-minutes what these principles are.

Making a Difference with Customers

2009-11-16T23:22:00.000-05:00

To gain a competitive edge, enhance your reputation, reduce stress and make the workplace more enjoyable apply Customer CARE. This five-minute review by Des - from a Customer CARE workshop - provides the four fundamentals of customer service excellence.

Marketing Business with Facebook

2009-11-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

The social media network becomes increasingly important in the small business world. Kermit Pattision's article in the NY Times, How to Market Your Business With Facebook, provides great examples of how small businesses are obtaining clients through their presence on Facebook, and it also gives tips on what to do, and what not to do. This is a must read for anyone looking to use the social media to promote a business, a career, or a cause.

Women Making a Difference in Business

2009-11-05T14:48:00.000-05:00

Mickey Meece has an article in the NY Times "One in Four Businesses Calls the Owner ‘Ma’am’" about women that are making a difference by playing significant roles in the economy during these challenging times. We know the importance of networking, and this article also underscores how these women entrepeneurs use an "inner circle" to make "strategic contacts."

Successful Marketing Techniques on YouTube

2009-11-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

The SBA has posted on YouTube excellent inspiring marketing stories of entrepreneurs talking about the lessons they have learned. This YouTube posting is only 12 minutes, and you'll there are other stories as well.

Three Keys to Persuasive Presentations.

2009-11-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

The following three-minute video is an introduction to a persuasive presentation workshop. It identifies three things you want to keep in mind whenever you are giving any presentation whether it is one-to-one, or one-to-one hundred.

Effective Business Networking

2009-11-01T18:56:00.000-05:00

"This networking business doesn't work!" That's what a fellow member said to me last week at a Long Island Association (LIA) Business Before Hours Meeting. He was there - like the rest of us - to meet contacts. When I asked him why it wasn't working for him he said that in the last six months he didn't get one sale. He wasn't the only one I've heard say this. Here's what typically takes place at these events:

Everyone exchanges business cards and then take turns giving an "elevator speech." Unfortunately it's often a boring three-minute, non-stop talk about their company.

After hearing a presentation then the other person is supposed to listen to you - or at least act like it. Instead of listening however, the person is often looking around to see who he/she can talk to next.
Although business cards are exchanged, most don't email the contacts they make. And worse, they don't respond to those who email them!

What to do? The following is a recommended process that can help you be more effective in all your business networking efforts:
Define your Brand. Before making any new networking contacts take the time to sum up in a minute or less who you are, what you do and the benefits you provide. By doing so you make it easy for your contacts to promote you.
Promote your brand in the social media (website, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) and with every in-person contact you make. This makes it easier for your contacts to direct people to you. The more visibility you gain the greater the name recognition you will have.
Consistently provide Value. Networking is not about exchanging business cards. It's exchanging value. When in face-to-face networking situations let the other person talk first, listen, take notes, ask questions to understand what they do, and what kind of customers they are looking for. The better you understand their business, the greater the likelihood you can be of service to them. And always follow-up with an email expressing your appreciation for meeting them.
Defining your Brand, Promoting it and consistently providing Value builds credibility, creates mutually-benefiting relationships and results in more business.