This is the story (more of a tribute, actually) about my beloved father. He was a tailor by trade who ran a small alterations and dry cleaning business. I used to visit his shop to watch him work on a treadle sewing machine surrounded by rainbows of thread neatly stacked on shelves. Sometimes I would
[With Employee Appreciation Day approaching, I’m delighted to share this special post from my friends at myHR Partner. These HR professionals are serious about their work, yet also have a great sense of humor. I encourage you to visit their Modern Employer blog where you can find helpful and informative content.] myHR Partner’s Cartoon Employee Hall of Fame In recognition
[Note: this special guest post is by Chip R. Bell, renowned keynote speaker and the author of several award-winning, national best-selling books. See more about Chip at the end of this post.] Audubon Magazine features annually their photography awards. This is the magazine of the National Audubon Society, the oldest conservation organization in the world for the
Working on new product/service development or re-positioning an existing offering? Then you can’t afford to ignore what your customers and prospects are thinking. “It’s very easy to think you are the expert on your own product. But in many ways, that’s a myth. The true experts are your customers.” Jamie Wong That’s why you need
Your brand is conveyed in everything you do to communicate and deliver your product/service offerings; i.e., what and how people think about your brand is based on the experiences they have with your business. This story illustrates how a business manager formed her impression of a company’s brand when seeking a new payroll processing firm.
Public relations (PR) is an essential part of a nonprofit’s marketing function because it helps educate the public on the organization’s mission, increase donations, and find more volunteers. With nonprofits allocating an average of five percent or less of their budget on PR and marketing, team members have to rely on less expensive options such
Curiosity. A hunger to explore what works and what doesn’t. Respectively challenging others’ ideas. These are among the many reasons I enjoy speaking with groups of young adults preparing for leadership roles. I recall one such gathering that involved an open discussion on marketing. We talked about dealing with difficult customers (it’s OK to terminate a
In honor of National Customer Service Week (observed the first week in October), here are three amazing stories told by customers — all marketing professionals — who experienced and analyzed them. They represent different situations that share a common theme. Customer experience #1: “I walked into an Eckerd Drug Store to buy a sympathy card. Before
The phrase “What am I, chopped liver?” is uttered when a person is made to feel that he or she is not special. It’s exactly how some customers feel as a result of neglect by companies. I’m seeing this scenario play out in a membership-based company that’s constantly offering special discount pricing to acquire new customers
When I asked other business professionals when it’s best to lose a customer or client, the reasons boiled down to the customer’s lack of respect and not being fully committed to the working relationship. Examples cited included: difficult interactions with or mistreating customer-contact employees being unresponsive and uncooperative paying late or not at all. The