Not in the job description

My family has a local YMCA membership. Each week, I encounter a young man, who is often busy with "cleaning chores". I've noticed him because he often bumps into me, or cuts between my friends and I as we speak. He is often observed moving about patrons and guests with his head down, burrowing his way through the locker room or recreation areas.

I have tried to make contact with him. A simple nod or a hello, or a how are you today, has received no response.

Just recently, I spoke with the branch assistant director about my observations. She identified that he was a normal, young man, just very shy. It really wasn't in his job description to interact with the members. He was in building maintenance.

Enough said.

My job description is to wonder why we can't elevate his awareness and behavior so all might benefit.

Feet, Don't fail me now!

My wife and I recently signed up for dance lessons. Not a bad idea in theory.

The class was offered through a local community program. Held at a local elementary school, lots of people attended, lots of enthusiasm existed for the concept- learning to dance.

The instructor told us she was a college instructor of dance, and a former professional dancer. She had lots of experience and she suggested we were going to learn many new steps and different dances. So far, so good.

As time progressed, we were often standing around in a gym listening to lots of talk about dance steps. Sometimes we got a glimpse of what to do, mostly we were told, observed and then proceeded to try for ourselves. With sixty some people, lots of bumping and stumbling around occurred and noticeable frustration was evident.

Each week, about midway through the class, a male instructor would take over and then introduce a new dance and new concepts. More talking more trying and more frustration.

From the onset, it appeared the class was too big. There weren't enough instructors and too much talking confused most of the people about what and how to do the varying dance steps. Everybody's feet seemed willing but for the most part it appeared that most people including my wife and I were not getting the message as intended.

Sometimes knowing something is not the same thing as teaching something. People hear,see and feel things differently. Putting everyone in a room trying to get them on the same page in the same moment, is expeditious and practical, but may not be very effective.

The message is that you can say and show the same thing to lots of people. They may even want to hear, see and know what you are saying. To get results however, a little more individual thought might be required.

Only Takes One!

Perhaps this is a new sales approach. Bore people into buying your service or product.

Here is the technique. Talk on and on to someone who isn't listening, then expect them to buy.

Get yourself a booth at a trade show and read a book while people walk past your space. Acting like you don't care makes you seem aloof / special and people like to buy from the elite.

Hire someone to call everyone, everywhere and leave messages on their answering machines about your great product or service. They will certainly call you back.

Send out lots of flyers, mailers and ads to random people. Prospects are sure to respond.

When they call back, have someone answer the phone who says, "he ( she) isn't in, would you like their voicemail"? People like great customer service!

Email people you haven't talked to personally, then invite them to a special program featuring you and your exciting product. People like surprises and being annoyed.

Pretty good approaches. They must be working, everybody is doing it!

Isn't this where someone says, it only takes one?

Good To Great

A few year back, author Jim Collins wrote Good to Great and expressed ideas and suggestion how some companies made the transition form doing ok to doing quite well. The notion of Good to Great is intriguing, but appears to be simply a matter of perspective. Is an organization doing great because profit is up and/or stocks are on the rise? Is an organization doing great because they are opening more and more locations? Is an organization doing great because they are still in business? Or, because Jim Collins told us so?

Some organizations do well in spite of themselves. Guess that would be Doing Great until the market and customers figure us out. That might take years. In the meantime, what perspective do you use to determine "Great" vs merely Good and who makes that call?

Samples and Amples

Traveling around as I do, I often look for cameras, thinking I am in the midst of a new comedy show. Because...

Many food chains and grocery stores have for years been employing, the sample approach for you to, "try their stuff".

Not a bad idea,it's just the execution that often makes me laugh.

Have you ever seen the meat sample, cheese, or cookie sample that is not much larger than the tooth pick holding it?

How about the Crispani pizza sample often displayed by Panera Bread, that is "for display only" - no touching or tasting!

Have you tried the 2 or 3 tiny morsels inside the miniature Dixie cups featuring the new trail mix or energy bar?

How about real size samples, something I can actually see, and taste.

Think about the whole point of samples? Now, try some AMPLES.

"WOW"

It doesn't happen very often, but it should. The "WOW" factor.

You have a bad experience at a restaurant, they respond immediately, fix it and make you feel valued, "WOW".

You have problems with your car, your dealership, handles it. No hassles, no debates,no fine print, no big deal- they are there to help. "WOW"

You son or daughter has problems at school, the administration and staff are responsive, polite and helpful. The problem is identified, resloved and people act like they really care, they act like educators. "WOW".

You go to a doctor or dentist office, the staff is polite, courteous and helpful. You spend less time on paper work and insurance data and more time on how you could be helped or made to feel better. "WOW".

Sound silly, but service and expectations have sunk so low, that even doing the basics is rating a "WOW". Sad but true.

Where's the Pain?

If you are looking for ways to make an immediate impact on your business, industry or professional career, look for the pain!

Most industries and organizations inflict a lot of transactional pain on their customers and suppliers.

Is the pain in your customer service? Too much waiting in line or holding on the phone?

Is the pain in your pricing? Too high, too complicated, too tricky?

Is the pain in your follow up and follow through, because you simply don't do it?

Is the pain coming from your employees who simply don't care, because it isn't their job?

If you don't know there is pain somewhere, you may need to do some searching.

There is plenty of pain out there. Find it and fix it. Your customers are waiting for your response. The results will be immediate and appreciated.

Time for Training

Training is fun. You go to meetings. Sometimes you break into groups. Often times, you listen to speakers and even watch interesting videos.

Many times you write down clever sayings and take home 3 ring binders with lots of information and ideas. You might even leave the proceedings inspired, motivated.

Then you go back to work and do the same old things you did before the training.

Training is fun.

What's in A Name?

Lots of new companies popping up every day. Lots of interesting names.

Mostly I don't give this a lot of thought, you don't either. Unless of course you are the new company, trying to develop a clever name. A name for everyone to remember, to recognize, to call when they need a UBUS, or a Clorus Inc. or a HealthServiceCore,LLC.

Names can be tricky. So tricky, no one knows what you do, or who you are.

If you want to spend lots of time explaining what you do, be clever and create a neat logo with a word that only makes sense to you. Or you can spend lots of time and money telling people that your WYZ LLC is really a Dentist Office/ Design Firm /Coffee Shop.

If you want to to make it easy, see how much information your name can share in a single read. You decide, or let your customers decide. If your customers have to take time to figure you out.. they probably won't.

And the Oz Network is what?

Location and Making Adjustments!

If you have a great location for your retail/food outlet, you are almost assured a success often in-spite of performance. Its almost hard to drive customers away at Panera Bread, Subway, Gas Stations, Retail Mall outlets...

If you have a really cool new product(s) or trend setting idea(s), you are almost assured of doing quite well. Unless of course, your customer service, pricing, or sales people are so bad you drive all the buzz and customers away. Think IPod, Razor Phones, Utube, Borders Books.

Interestingly when competition enters the buzz slows a bit and your customers get fragmented- they start moving away. Put a Chipotle next to Panera, or an IHop next to Bob Evans and watch the traffic fragment.

Or, as your technology or idea becomes common place then price and service becomes an issue. Sort of like all cell phones and all dry cleaners, printers and photographers, insurance agencies, drug stores...

Soon customers get lots of choices and start making decisions like, humm.. where should we eat today, or let's get quotes on insurance, or let's go on line and see what and where deals are available.

All of these are valid issues for you or your customers regardless of your business or profession. Where do you fit and how are you dealing with the changes, the options? Either you make the adjustments, or your customers will do it for you!