Write a Business Thank-You Note

Have you seen that thing on TV where the gal tells the nerd she wonders why he never asked her to marry him and he stumbles and says "Thank You" and she turns to butter?

The point of the message is that "Thank You" goes a long way to making people feel better.

Personally and in business, develop the "Thank You" habit.

While it is generally expected to send a written thank-you for gifts and special favors, it is also appropriate to send one for employment interviews and new business contacts. However, the most powerful thank-you note is the one that's unexpected.

Here are some "Thank You" points to consider

You should hand write it. With the exception below, don't use your computer to print it, or to print the address label and please don't use email for this most personal communication.

If you have that nifty computer font that was made from your own handwriting, your could slip the card in your printer. Be sure the font really looks like the way you write. Didn't know about this? There are several companies that do it, here is a link to one as an example only: http://www.theory.org/~strthrwr/fonts/custom

You can use plain paper, or you can use a thank you card. Some folks have personalized cards created, some buy them at the Hallmark. You can use a fold over card, or a single hard card in an envelope or a post card. It's not the messenger, its the message.

Be brief. All you are saying is Thank You. And say it only once.

No need to gush, be personal, say thank you and why.

Be sincere.

When you send a thank you note, it will have a great impact, "Because no one else does it"

Top Ten Tips for Outstanding Customer Service

Remember the 80:20 rule? You may not get everything perfectly right, but getting most right will be much, much better than the majority of your competition. These Top Ten Tips for Customer Service will get you well on the way.

  1. Be Your Customer
    Live the life of your customer and experience what they do. Stand in line, call your call-centre, soak up feedback.
  2. Give Memorable Service
    Make the life's mission of everyone (yes, everyone!) to be customer focused - even those seemingly out of direct line of fire.
  3. Have Product Available
    Generally, you can't sell it if you haven't got it. Work your systems hard and focused to get product there on time.
  4. Listen Hard to Complaints
    Complaints are a wonderful gift - it is feedback of the highest order. Enjoy them and learn fast.
  5. Enable Your People
    Enable and encourage your people to give an immediate and generous customer response.
  6. React Fast
    Make sure that you and your people work with pace and immediacy with customer issues.
  7. Be Systems Focused
    Ask, 'What would my customer think of this - would it give brilliant service?' If not, reshape the system fast.
  8. Be Curious
    Encourage everyone in your team to overhear, be nosy, ask questions and feed back information from your customers.
  9. Research the Marketplace
    Do more in your own business from what you experience as a customer elsewhere. Encourage your people to do this too.
  10. Have Fun
    Have fun with your customers. It builds relationships. Relationships are business.

Ten Tips to success, in an easy to use framework. Will you take up the challenge?

Top 10 customer service tips

1. Hire people who have a service attitude. Some people simply enjoy serving others, their organizations, and even their communities. The spirit of service dominates their personality. This attitude of service has nothing to do with money or background, and people who have this attitude are not necessarily the most outgoing or bubbly. This type of person will move your business forward. These people make the best salespeople as well.

2. Make the customer's time with you an experience. You have but a few short moments with customers. You don't have time to complain about your day or anything else. Ask yourself, "How can I make their experience better?" Can I refer to them by name and how can I ask without being too aggressive? How can I control the environment in this company? How am I affecting their 5 senses? Exceed their expectations just a little with their senses and with your attitude to serve and please, and you will have created a memorable and compelling experience. Of course, all you really have to do is visit your competition, see what they are doing and then top them. But would that be cheating? No, that's comparative shopping.

3. Regularly inform all your employees about what's going on in your company. Employees need to know what's happening. What new products are you offering? When will they be available? What kind of advertising will take place in the next month? Will any physical changes be happening in your offices? Will new branches be add? The more they know, the better they can serve your customers.

4. Make every decision with the customer in mind. Ask yourself questions such as, "Do our customers like what we're doing?" and "Would our customers like this type of promotion?" Change the way you look at things from having it centered around you to focused on whether the customer would approve.

5. Make the customers an agenda item at every staff meeting. Present their point of view and ask these questions: What would the customer think of this? Would this move be fair to them? How can we serve our customers better or differently?

6. Empower your employees to do the right thing. And don't hold it against them if the situation doesn't turn out perfectly. That means giving employees the power to do whatever has to be done to make a customer's experience a WOW experience. They will make mistakes, but each time they will learn – with your help.

7. Continually ask yourself how you can improve and add value. If you don't keep asking and pushing yourself, you'll start to slip behind the competition. Customers have more than one choice and your competition is aggressively marketing to them. They know what is being offered by others. Be ahead of the curve by asking what you can do to add value to your customer’s experience with you.

8. Create an atmosphere of excellence. Let it be known that everything you and your employees do has to be the best, and you won't accept less. Remember that winning organizations are always raising the bar. If you aren’t pushing to do better than yesterday, you will be left in the dust of your competition.

9. Continually do the unexpected. Have the reputation for doing the unexpected, and customers will always expect something different and exciting from your company. This doesn’t mean that you have to have dancing clowns in your lobby, but having the same lollipops that everyone else gives out is not at all unexpected. Do something different. These are the things that customers talk about.

10. Never let an untrained employee have customer contact. Your employees represent you, your company, and your brand. Working with customers is the most important thing they will do. Give them the tools necessary by giving them adequate training to handle customers.

The History of CRM -- Moving Beyond the Customer Database

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of those magnificent concepts that swept the business world in the 1990’s with the promise of forever changing the way businesses small and large interacted with their customer bases. In the short term, however, it proved to be an unwieldy process that was better in theory than in practice for a variety of reasons. First among these was that it was simply so difficult and expensive to track and keep the high volume of records needed accurately and constantly update them.

In the last several years, however, newer software systems and advanced tracking features have vastly improved CRM capabilities and the real promise of CRM is becoming a reality. As the price of newer, more customizable Internet solutions have hit the marketplace; competition has driven the prices down so that even relatively small businesses are reaping the benefits of some custom CRM programs.

In the beginning…

The 1980’s saw the emergence of database marketing, which was simply a catch phrase to define the practice of setting up customer service groups to speak individually to all of a company’s customers.

In the case of larger, key clients it was a valuable tool for keeping the lines of communication open and tailoring service to the clients needs. In the case of smaller clients, however, it tended to provide repetitive, survey-like information that cluttered databases and didn’t provide much insight. As companies began tracking database information, they realized that the bare bones were all that was needed in most cases: what they buy regularly, what they spend, what they do.

Advances in the 1990’s

In the 1990’s companies began to improve on Customer Relationship Management by making it more of a two-way street. Instead of simply gathering data for their own use, they began giving back to their customers not only in terms of the obvious goal of improved customer service, but in incentives, gifts and other perks for customer loyalty.

This was the beginning of the now familiar frequent flyer programs, bonus points on credit cards and a host of other resources that are based on CRM tracking of customer activity and spending patterns. CRM was now being used as a way to increase sales passively as well as through active improvement of customer service.

True CRM comes of age

Real Customer Relationship Management as it’s thought of today really began in earnest in the early years of this century. As software companies began releasing newer, more advanced solutions that were customizable across industries, it became feasible to really use the information in a dynamic way.

Instead of feeding information into a static database for future reference, CRM became a way to continuously update understanding of customer needs and behavior. Branching of information, sub-folders, and custom tailored features enabled companies to break down information into smaller subsets so that they could evaluate not only concrete statistics, but information on the motivation and reactions of customers.

The Internet provided a huge boon to the development of these huge databases by enabling offsite information storage. Where before companies had difficulty supporting the enormous amounts of information, the Internet provided new possibilities and CRM took off as providers began moving toward Internet solutions.

With the increased fluidity of these programs came a less rigid relationship between sales, customer service and marketing. CRM enabled the development of new strategies for more cooperative work between these different divisions through shared information and understanding, leading to increased customer satisfaction from order to end product.

Today, CRM is still utilized most frequently by companies that rely heavily on two distinct features: customer service or technology. The three sectors of business that rely most heavily on CRM -- and use it to great advantage -- are financial services, a variety of high tech corporations and the telecommunications industry.

The financial services industry in particular tracks the level of client satisfaction and what customers are looking for in terms of changes and personalized features. They also track changes in investment habits and spending patterns as the economy shifts. Software specific to the industry can give financial service providers truly impressive feedback in these areas.

Who’s in the CRM game?

About 50% of the CRM market is currently divided between five major players in the industry: PeopleSoft, Oracle, SAP, Siebel and relative newcomer Telemation, based on Linux and developed by an old standard, Database Solutions, Inc.

The other half of the market falls to a variety of other players, although Microsoft’s new emergence in the CRM market may cause a shift soon. Whether Microsoft can capture a share of the market remains to be seen. However, their brand-name familiarity may give them an edge with small businesses considering a first-time CRM package.

PeopleSoft was founded in the mid-1980’s by Ken Morris and Dave Duffield as a client-server based human resources application. In 1998, PeopleSoft had evolved into a purely Internet based system, PeopleSoft 8. There’s no client software to maintain and it supports over 150 applications. PeopleSoft 8 is the brainchild of over 2,000 dedicated developers and $500 million in research and development.

PeopleSoft branched out from their original human resources platform in the 1990’s and now supports everything from customer service to supply chain management. Its user-friendly system required minimal training is relatively inexpensive to deploy. .

One of PeopleSoft’s major contributions to CRM was their detailed analytic program that identifies and ranks the importance of customers based on numerous criteria, including amount of purchase, cost of supplying them, and frequency of service.

Oracle built a solid base of high-end customers in the late 1980’s, then burst into national attention around 1990 when, under Tom Siebel, the company aggressively marketed a small-to-medium business CRM solution. Unfortunately they couldn’t follow up themselves on the incredible sales they garnered and ran into a few years of real problems.

Oracle landed on its feet after a restructuring and their own refocusing on customer needs and by the mid-1990’s the company was once again a leader in CRM technologies. They continue to be one of the leaders in the enterprise marketplace with the Oracle Customer Data Management System.

Telemation’s CRM solution is flexible and user-friendly, with a toolkit that makes changing features and settings relatively easy. The system also provides a quick learning environment that newcomers will appreciate. Its uniqueness lies in that, although compatible with Windows, it was developed as a Linux program. Will Linux be the wave of the future? We don’t know, but if it is, Telemation’s ahead of the game.

The last few years…

In 2002, Oracle released their Global CRM in 90 Days package that promised quick implementation of CRM throughout company offices. Offered with the package was a set fee service for set-up and training for core business needs. .

Also in 2002 (a stellar year for CRM), SAP America’s mySAP began using a “middleware” hub that was capable of connecting SAP systems to externals and front and back office systems for a unified operation that links partners, employees, process and technologies in a closed-loop function.

Siebel consistently based its business primarily on enterprise size businesses willing to invest millions in CRM systems, which worked for them to the tune of $2.1 billion in 2001. However, in 2002 and 2003 revenues slipped as several smaller CRM firms joined the fray as ASP’s (Application Service Providers). These companies, including UpShot, NetSuite and SalesNet, offered businesses CRM-style tracking and data management without the high cost of traditional CRM start-up.

In October of 2003, Siebel launched CRM OnDemand in collaboration with IBM. Their entry into the hosted, monthly CRM solution niche hit the marketplace with gale force. To some of the monthly ASP’s it was a call to arms, to others it was a sign of Siebel’s increasing confusion over brand identity and increasing loss of market share. In a stroke of genius, Siebel acquired UpShot a few months later to get them started and smooth their transition into the ASP market. It was a successful move.

With Microsoft now in the game, it’s too soon to tell what the results will be, but it seems likely that they may get some share of small businesses that tend to buy based on familiarity and usability. ASP’s will continue to grow in popularity as well, especially with mid-sized businesses, so companies like NetSuite, SalesNet and Siebel’s OnDemand will thrive. CRM on the web has come of age!

Handling Difficult Customers - 8 Strategies

In any business our customers are one of our most important assets. Unfortunately there are days when not all customers want to be friendly or pleasant. On days like this, try these effective tips to help you handle those difficult customers.

Don’t take it personally – remember when a customer complains they are unhappy with the product or your company – not you.

Remember you are good at your job – remind yourself of the skills you have and why you are working there. Don’t allow customers to make you feel inadequate.

Write down their complaint or concern – show the customer you are listening by recording their problem and if you are on the phone, tell the customer you are writing down all the details.

Ask a supervisor to join you and be part of the transaction – if the customer is becoming more difficult, invite a supervisor to join you and the customer will notice you are treating them as important by seeking additional help.

Debrief the situation with someone else when the customer leaves – sometimes you may need to talk to someone about your difficult customer to debrief and get rid of any negative thoughts and emotions you may have – this is a very important step.

Learn stress management techniques – this may help you stay calm if a customer raises their voice or becomes emotional. By learning to breath deeply, focus on the positives and also ensure your body doesn’t carry stress you will be able to handle these difficult customers easily.

Recognise and accept you will work with customers who have bad days – understand when you are working with the public some people take their bad days out on you – it is not personal.

Consider what you could do differently next time – if the customer is complaining about a company system or process, take some time to review this and determine if this might need to be changed. Think about the way you handled the customer and note anything you would do differently next time.

Dealing with Difficult People

1. Don't get Hooked !!!

When people behave towards you in a manner that makes you feel angry, frustrated or annoyed - this is known as a Hook.

We can even become "Hooked" by the way people look, how they talk, how they smell and even by their general demeanour.

If we take the bait then we are allowing the other person to control our behaviour. This can then result in an unproductive response.

We have a choice whether we decided to get hooked or stay unhooked.

2. Don't let them get to you.

We often allow the other persons attitude to irritate or annoy us. This becomes obvious to the other person through our tone of voice and our body language. This only fuels a difficult situation.

When dealing with difficult people, stay out of it emotionally and concentrate on listening non-defensively and actively. People may make disparaging and emotional remarks - don't rise to the bait!

3. Listen - listen - listen

Look and sound like you're listening. - When face-to-face you need to look interested, nod your head and keep good eye contact. Over the 'phone - you need to make the occasional "Uh Hu - I See"

If the other person senses that you care and that you're interested in their problem, then they're likely to become more reasonable.

4. Get all the facts - write them down.

Repeat back (paraphrase) the problem to ensure your understanding and to let the other person know that you are listening.

5. Use names

A persons name is one of the warmest sounds they hear. It says that you have recognised them as an individual. It is important not to overdo it as it may come across as patronising to the other person. Make sure they know your name and that you'll take ownership for the problem.

6. DON'T blame someone or something else.

7. Watch out for people's egos

" Don't interrupt

" Don't argue

" Don't jump in with solutions

" Allow them to let off steam

" Don't say, "Calm down".

8. See it from the other person's point of view

Too often we think the "difficult" person is making too much fuss. We think - "What's the big deal; I'll fix it right away". It is a big deal for the other person and they want you to appreciate it.

You don't necessarily need to agree with the person however you accept the fact that it's a problem for them.

9. Be very aware of your body language and tone of voice

We often exacerbate a situation without realising it. Our tone of voice and our body language can often contradict what we're saying. We may be saying sorry however our tone and our body language may be communicating our frustration and annoyance. People listen with their eyes and will set greater credence on how you say something rather than what you say.

It's also important to use a warm tone of voice when dealing with a difficult situation. This doesn't mean being "nicey- nicey" or behaving in a non-assertive manner.

10. Words to avoid

There are certain trigger words that can cause people to become more difficult especially in emotionally charged situations. These include:

"You have to" -

"But" -

"I want you to" -

"I need you to" -

"It's company policy" -

"I can't or You can't" -

"Jargon" or "Buzz" words -

"Sorry" -

"I'll try" -

11. Stop saying Sorry

Sorry is an overused word, everyone says it when something goes wrong and it has lost its value.

How often have you heard - "Sorry 'bout that, give me the details and I'll sort this out for you." Far better to say - "I apologise for …."

And if you really need to use the "sorry" word, make sure to include it as part of a full sentence. "I'm sorry you haven't received that information as promised Mr Smith." (Again, it's good practise to use the person's name).

There are other things you can say instead of sorry -

12. Empathise

The important thing to realise when dealing with a difficult person is to:

Deal with their feelings - then deal with their problem.

Using empathy is an effective way to deal with a person's feelings. Empathy isn't about agreement, only acceptance of what the person is saying and feeling. Basically the message is - "I understand how you feel."

Obviously this has to be a genuine response, the person will realise if you're insincere and they'll feel patronised.

Examples of an empathy response would be - "I can understand that you're angry," or "I see what you mean." Again, these responses need to be genuine.

13. Build Rapport

Sometimes it's useful to add another phrase to the empathy response, including yourself in the picture. - "I can understand how you feel, I don't like it either when that happens to me" This has the effect of getting on the other persons side and builds rapport.

Some people get concerned when using this response, as they believe it'll lead to "Well why don't you do something about it then." The majority of people won't respond this way if they realise that you are a reasonable and caring person. If they do, then continue empathising and tell the person what you'll do about the situation.

14. Under promise - over deliver

Whatever you say to resolve a situation, don't make a rod for your own back. We are often tempted in a difficult situation to make promises that are difficult to keep. We say things like - "I'll get this sorted this afternoon and phone you back." It may be difficult to get it sorted "this afternoon". Far better to say - "I'll get this sorted by tomorrow lunchtime." Then phone them back that afternoon or early the next morning and they'll think you're great.

You don't win them all

Remember, everyone gets a little mad from time to time, and you won't always be able to placate everyone, - there's no magic formula. However, the majority of people in this world are reasonable people and if you treat them as such, then they're more likely to respond in a positive manner.

Some more thoughts

These notes are primarily designed to help deal with difficult people when we have made a mistake. We often have to deal with other people where we have not made a mistake however the people we're dealing with often prove to be difficult and unwilling to accept what we say.

We therefore need to demonstrate assertive behaviour that helps us communicate clearly and confidently our needs, wants and feelings to other people without abusing in any way their human rights.

Some books to read

A Woman in Your Own Right - Anne Dickson

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers

Irresistibility - Philippa Davis

Why Men don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps - Allan & Barbara Pease

10 Customer Service Quality Statements to Measure up Against

It might sound quick and simple, to say how well your business does in satisfying it's customers. Hearing such as:-

"We're increasing our turnover by 14% year to date"

"Our customer complaints are now less than 4% or our transactions"

...might sound like music to your ears, but that's just the time you need to be very careful.

A regular measurement of where you are as your organisation, not depending on some of the easy-to-fake figures, might just make the difference in how well you are doing now, and into the future.

Try these quality statements and set up a mechanism whereby you review them monthly - yes, that's right, monthly. This needs to be thorough and objective. And maybe even the scores made by a cross- section of your people in all areas of your business - then you get objectivity and a true picture of how you are scoring. It is a great activity to score each of these out of 10, make a tracker month by month and each time you review, ask yourself the question:-

"What would we need to do to move our score up by 3 points"

Do it point by point and then, after you have that 3-point question, work out a monthly action plan, so that step-by-step, you gradually improve. (Note:- If you are too near a score out of 10 to have three points to go - upgrade your statement!).

Then and only then will your improvement be sustainable and you can reset the questions over time to a higher standard. Then you truly will be The Best in class!

The Quality Statements:-

  1. We use a variety of staff to monitor customer service on a regular and consistent basis

  2. We know and can clearly state our customer groups

  3. We listen to customers about our products and proactively seek to redress issues

  4. We notice and congratulate our people and teams when they perform well

  5. Senior management are fully and visibly engaged in customer activities

  6. Our people enjoy the challenge of changes

  7. Our organisation and our people have aligned values

  8. Our customers find working with us easy and pleasurable

  9. We know how our people feel about working here and always respond to make it better

  10. We have teams and individuals who can respond quickly to changes circumstances, whatever they are
Keep a track of these - visually represent it somewhere very publicly for your people. Involve many of your them in monitoring, finding solutions and taking accountability for change, where needed and your business, your people and you will thrive.

One final point. Starting is good, being able to demonstrate your success in 12 months is another thing - as is still doing this review at that time.

8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture

“Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company,” --Erwin Frand

During our recent weakened economy, many businesses have seen declining revenues and declining budgets. Declining budgets often lead to reduced staff levels and diminished services. To me, this does not make sense. I believe that it is during the down times, when service should be at the forefront and retention of loyal customers even more of a focus.

When price wars fail to drive revenues, businesses often look to service to give them a competitive advantage. Many big business marketers are returning to a “service sells” mentality, however, many sell great customer service and few deliver. The problem is that few marketers have ever truly served a customer.

Throughout my years in business, I have had the opportunity to interact and develop a customer service philosophy. It is inherent that when you are in a service-based business, there will be times when your customer is compelled to offer you their feedback. It is what you do with this feedback that will shape the future and their impression of your business.

Upon reflection, most all of my interactions with displeased customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a disappointing customer experience. Why is that? Because, product is not personal, customer service is. Briefly, I would like to share with you eight critical steps to establish a customer service culture.

1. Customers are the reason for work, not an interruption of work

This sounds really obvious doesn’t it? How many times have you gone into a business only to wait while someone is on the telephone or busy doing some “non-service” task? Employees often lose sight of the importance of the customer and get consumed in lesser day to day tasks. Sure, there are tasks that need to be accomplished, but you cannot afford to sacrifice service to get them done. Good customer service must be a priority for you and your team. Without your customers, you have no company!

2. Train, train, and continue to train.

• Cross train your entire staff to be able to assist a customer regardless of their department. When a customer becomes upset they want their problem solved not to be shuffled between employees that are not empowered or enable to assist them.

• Offer continuous customer service training for your staff and once they are providing good service, continue to train them.

• Utilize role play situations to assist your staff in recognizing and experiencing both easy and difficult service opportunities. If an employee has a level of comfort with a difficult situation, they will be able to better handle it.

3. Empower your staff to serve

• Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.

• Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong or create a “memorable” customer experience. I am not advocating large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a small gesture can go a long way.

• Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.

4. Make service personal

• Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.

• Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.

• Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.

5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”

• Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repercussion, as long as they are meeting a customer’s need. I have found this creates a greater willingness to serve the customer.

• Often times you could say “no” to a customer, however, “no” can have huge implications on your business. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to potentially lose 10 customers as result of this interaction?”

6. Offer a solution

• Shift from the problem to the process for resolution.

• Offer a choice between several options.

• Put yourself in their place.

• Involve the customer in determining the solution.

• Clearly explain any limitations that exist.

7. Recognize your staff members for outstanding service

• Implement a customer service awards program that recognizes employees for exceptional customer service. Maybe you have tried these without success and do not believe that they work. I would tend to agree if the program were like most I have seen. Try something different; break the mold. One of my most successful clients offers spa treatments for his female employees if a customer goes out of their way to recognize them for great service. Another client provides his employees with a “day off with pay” incentive for every five unsolicited, positive customer comments that he receives. These are just a few examples that are “outside the box.” Be creative and generate a little excitement in your staff for customer service.

• Take the time to acknowledge employees at staff meetings. People want to leave their mark and feel that they matter. Taking the time to recognize them in front of their peers can make a real difference.

8. Ask your customers what they think of your service

The best way to find out if you are satisfying customers is to ask them. Formal efforts could include customer surveys, questionnaires, interviews or comment/suggestion cards. Informally, get out and talk with your customers and your staff. Ask them how they feel about service you are providing. Ideally, use a combination of both methods.

You may be thinking, “Why should I go ask for trouble? Who knows what I might hear if I ask?” That is the point. As you will see in the statistics below, most customers will not voice their disappointment with your service levels. They will simply leave and never return. If you do not ask about the quality of your service, you might make the wrong assumptions and feel that you can reduce service levels because you get few complaints and lead your organization into areas that turn off your customers or cause problems that you never intended.

On the other hand, asking your customers about their satisfaction sends a message to them that you care about your business and about them. While you might hear some criticisms, you might also learn what you are doing right and see what you should modify.

In addition to the information, you will benefit from the interaction. Every interaction is a customer service opportunity. Make the most of each and every one.

Most of us continue doing business with people and businesses who give good service. We might not say anything, but we reward good service providers by continuing to do business with them. If the service is outstanding, we will probably tell our friends and colleagues about it. Likewise, when we receive poor service most of us vote, not with our voice, but with our feet—we just leave.

In the 1980’s the White House Office of Consumer Affairs commissioned a report called the TARP study. The report revealed the following facts about unhappy customers:

96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain directly.

90% will not return.

One unhappy customer will tell nine others.

13% will tell at least 20 other people

Superior customer service is one of the most difficult deliverables facing the business world today. Selling service is the easy part, delivering on that promise offers a tremendous challenge. So I ask you, what can you do to improve the service you provide? Implement these eight steps and begin to excel at providing a superior customer culture today!

Customer Service A Chicken's Way

Anyone who knows me knows my favorite fast food restaurant is Chick-fil-A. Aside from the fact their chicken is especially good and I can always get sweet tea, I have a valuable business reason for eating there – they serve up amazing customer service. And these lessons aren’t just served in my nearest location. But in any city, any town, any time I have been to a Chick-fil-A, I have left feeling like the most valuable Customer.

Now you may wonder what you can learn for your business, from a fast food restaurant. In short, plenty. Just because your business is different does not mean you can’t take someone else’s ideas or techniques and make them applicable to what you do. So I challenge you to be open to what you can learn from a chicken.

They are focused.

Chick-fil-a knows their expertise is making good chicken. You don’t drive up to their window with options such as beef, pork or fish. Their focus stays on what they know. No empty promises of the best steak in town or a delicious oriental creation, just chicken. We should do the same for our Customers.

Don’t pretend to have expertise where you can’t deliver. Customers are good at sniffing us out. If you promise something you can’t deliver just to get their business; you will be without a Customer.

They give me what I want.

I love Polynesian sauce (dipping sauce for nuggets) for my French fries. Chick-fil-A never charges me extra even though I don’t order their nuggets. They are happy to give me what I want.

How many times to we charge our Customers all these added fees if they want something that is not the standard? When your Customer is hungry for something different – make it easy for them to eat.

They rest.

I often crave chicken on lazy Sunday afternoons but Chick-fil-A is never open for business due to clear company values and beliefs. They choose Sundays as a day to rest. They are never open, no exceptions, and according to their business plan they never will.

So often we cheat our Customers by not breaking from our work. Too much work can lesson our ability to concentrate, cloud our focus, and leave a bitter taste in our mouth. How much help are we to Customers if we are burned out?

They train their employees.

At a Chick-fil-A visit you will hear things like, “It is my pleasure to serve you.” “Please.” “Thank you.” “I look forward to seeing you at the window.” The atmosphere includes smiles, laughter, and happy workers who appear to love their job. And I doubt their happiness is based on a love for chicken – they have been trained to value the Customer.

If you want to excel as a business, hire superstars that believe the Customer writes their paycheck. Set expectations with your employees and staff that outstanding Customer Service is expected, not optional. Add Customer Service as a major part of an employee’s orientation. And most importantly lead by example. S.Truett Cathy, chose to do things his way by taking care of Customers and employees by hiring operators and managers that believed in his philosophy. To date, Chick-fil-A, the company he founded has more than a billion in sales annually.

I encourage you to visit a Chick-fil-A when you get the chance. I will continue my weekly visits to reaffirm my Customer service beliefs (and to get a chicken sandwich, no pickle with a large sweet tea!). p.s. You will notice in both articles the word Customer and Client are capitalized. Capitalizing the word is just one way we can remind ourselves of the great importance Customers have for our businesses. After all, without them, we wouldn’t be in business.

Ten Ways to Help You Improve Your Customer Service

1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Just
as it is bad news to send out too many emails to customers,
it is just as bad to not stay in contact with them.
Customers don't want to feel abandoned. So don't.

Here are three things to help you stay in touch.

(1) Offer them your ezine subscription at least once a
month.
(2) Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when
you make changes to your Web site.
(3) Follow-up after each sale to see if they are satisfied
with their purchase. Send an e-mail out a few days after
their purchase, another in a week or two, and then another
in a month.

2. Create a customer focus group by inviting 10 to 20 loyal
customers to meet regularly. Alternatively, send out a
monthly survey to this group asking for ideas and input on
how to improve your customer service. Give them a reward.
Pay them, give them a gift certificate, or send them free
product.

3. Have a web site that is easy to navigate. Add a
frequently asked question's "FAQ" page and explain anything
that might confuse your customers or visitors. Follow-up
with an electronic survey with questions on how to increase
your site's user-friendliness.

4. Resolve customer complaints quickly and completely.
Answer all e-mail and phone calls within a few hours. This
will show your customers you really care about them.

5. Don't make your customers or visitors hunt for your
contact information. Make it easy for them to contact you.
Offer as many contact methods as possible. Hyperlink all
your e-mail addresses so they don't have to find or type it.
Offer a toll free number.

6. If you have strategic alliances or employees, make sure
they are familiar with your customer service policy. Give
your employees bonuses or incentives to practice excellent
customer service. Tell employees to be flexible with each
individual customer, each one has different concerns, needs
and wants.

7. Give your customers more than they expect. Send thank you
gifts to long time customers. E-mail them greeting cards on
holidays or birthdays if you have their address or online
cards if you only have their e-mail address and name. Give
bonuses to your customers who make a big purchase or
multiple purchases.

8. U-welcome, please, and thank you and can never be over
used. Be polite no matter what. Admit and apologize for
mistakes quickly and make it up to them in BIG ways if you
want them to continue being a customer.

9. Reward in points -- give customers a point for every
dollar they spend. Set up a points-earned sheet. E-mail the
customer an update monthly. If they send you a referral they
get 10 points, if they buy something add 10 more points.

10. If your business is local, invite customers to your
office for lunches, parties, barbecues, dances, seminars or
other special events.

It isn't what you perceive as valuable but what customers
see from their eyes. Yet, sometimes, you just can't please
some folks. If that occurs, do you best and then let it go.
You don't want them for clients anyway.

The Marvelous World of Metaphors

Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more insight into your own innovation. Nobody can do it better than you can!

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that means one thing is used to describe an object or ideas to which it is not literally applicable -- a ship is said to plow the sea.
Denise Shekerjian

Webster defines Metaphor:

The application of a word or phrase to an object or concept, which it does not literally denote: in order to suggest comparison with another object or concept, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”

A figure of speech founded on resemblance, by which a word is transferred from an object to which it properly belongs to another in such a manner that a comparison is implied though not formally expressed, thus, “that man is a fox” is a metaphor; but “that man is like a fox,” is a simile or comparison.

Whenever we explain or communicate a concept by likening it to something else, we are using a metaphor.
Tony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within.

Don’t let bad metaphors be a part of anyone’s master plan. Especially yours! Change your metaphors to a process of renewed awakening.

All of us and most businesses when advertising use Metaphors.

“Get right to the top and reach out!” Picture a beautiful woman mountain climber, reaching out with outstretched arms on the top of a snow-capped mountaintop.
webseller.net

Metaphors are common groups of words, which contribute a punch to a meaning by association.

There are different ways of defining metaphors. For instance dictionaries explain it as a word or a phrase to illustrate a real thing or action in its relationship to something else.

In our capacity to illustrate the importance of metaphors in creativity we are going to use them in association as related to the qualities which are attributed to creative people. According to most authorities creative people have the following characteristics. But don’t we all have them? We hope to share ways in which you can use them to initiate your interpretation in the transformation of your own life.

· Innovative – Ideas -- Change
· Originality
· Diversity -- Versatility -- flexibility – resilience
· Humorous
· Aware,--Focused--Committed

So let's go and see how we can apply some of these metaphors to each of these characteristics as applied to creativity. It is interesting how metaphors can stimulate thinking into so many different avenues by association. Applying your own interpretations to metaphors can lead to a remarkable world of similarities in your own thinking and association to incredible dimensions.

We are all familiar with the everyday usage of popular metaphors such as:

“Do you see?” “When you can see through the Hype!” “I’m bursting at the seam!” “The eyes of the customer.” Am I on a Wild Goose Chase?” The list is endless.

Let's start our journey into the exhilarating "constellations of creativity."

Ideas, Innovation, Change. Freshness.

"No idea is more than an imaginary potency, a mushroom cloud (destroying nothing, making nothing) rising from blinding consciousness."
Saul Bellow, The Bellarosa Connection.

Think of what Saul means by imaginary potency? Doesn't our imagination rule everything? You can interpret this in many ways but one can imagine a mushroom in our minds, stimulating our thinking into an expansive mushroom of thought. For instance, another perception of mushrooming may be illustrated by the enormous mushroom effect of the atomic bomb rising into creative explosive productive ideas. Aside from the devastating effect of the atomic bomb visualize only beneficial ideas for mankind, instead of destruction. What is your interpretation?

"In the mind-world ideas are the indestructible elements which form the jeweled constellations of the interior life."
Henry Miller "The creative life"

Can you picture one idea leading to a constellation, of multiple ideas to hold sky full of them? One idea of building on the other leading into "Who knows what?" Notice even another metaphor "Who knows what?" Is used to explain another thought!

"Here,/in the rule of my life/the objects keep changing." Anne Sexton, "The room of my life"

One of the main characteristics of creative and innovative people is their ability for flexibility and change. In our world that is dramatically changing so rapidly isn't it exciting that we can be a part of it? We are living in one of the most exhilarating eras for creative changes in all aspects of our lives. Thankfully most of them are good. Think of ways in which you can become more flexible, resilient and adaptable? Is the room in your life opening doors and windows to let your inner self out?

"Luck never gives, it only lends."
Anon, Swedish proverb

What are you doing to stimulate the luck in your life? Are you ready for success? Or are you afraid of success? Many times we don't think about the actual fear some people have of success. Think hard about it!

"All owned the affairs of men hang by slender thread."
Ovid "El Ponto"

One can relate this metaphor with simple events, changes, and incidents and just about anything that can make the slightest change in our lives to greatness or despair. Thinking of the slender thread can remind one of the metaphor, “The Sword of Domacles" when his King, in order to remind Domacles how precarious his position in life was at the Palace. At a banquet in honor of Domacles, the King placed a sword directly over Domacles head, hanging by a few horsehairs. The implication, “Just a reminder of who is really the boss!” Couldn't anyone of our simple deeds of kindness be that simple strand of hair leading to the turning point in our lives?

Originality

"They sun themselves in the great man's light, and feel it to be their own element."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, speech "The American scholar," Harvard college, Aug. 31, 1837. (They as the masses and the herd)

Isn’t it interesting how Emerson conveys the thought that most people in this world will bask in the accomplishments of all those marvelous creative and innovative risk takers? It’s a wonderful experience instead of "following the leader, to being the leader." A good feeling is when you are the contributing mentor and "the masses and the herd" bask in your contributing greatness to their dignity and welfare? What's wrong with you being their best coach?

"And this I swear by blackest brook of hell,/I am no pick-purse of another's wit."
Sir Philip Sydney, "Sonnet 74"Astrophel & Stella.

It appears somebody accused him of pilfering an idea as many other writers, artists, coaches and just about everybody else has borrowed from somebody else. When Dad belonged to the National Speakers Association, he conveyed to us a common statement. "When the speaker borrows a quote or idea from one speaker, that's stealing but when he borrows from a whole group of speakers, that's research!"

We should be grateful that we can contribute to somebody else's creativity by the letting them copy from us?

==============================================

Diversity

"Every human being is a colony."
Pablo Picaso's Epigraph

The uniqueness of metaphors is the meaning it has only to you and what perceptions it conjures in your imagination!

Jog your memory as to what the colony of your life is? What makes up the different colonies within your life that stimulates the different worlds of your imagination. It could be family, associations, work, hobby or just about anything that is empowering and having that phenomenal, enrapturing and energizing effect in your life?

What does this overused metaphor still mean to you? "Variety's the spice of life, that gives it all its flavor." William Cowper, "The Timepiece" What type of variety do you have continuously adding to wonderment and resourcefulness?

==============================================

Flexibility

"The rulers (in Japan) our politicians and large businesses. The ruled our everyone else, the "Grass people," so apathy termed because they bow in whatever direction the wind blows."
Reiki Hatsumi

Are you one of the "Grass people?" Are you one of the media junkies who let’s the newspapers, TV news, Internet- ions, headlines and all the other distractions vying for your mind, direct you to the way their wind blows? Think of the enormous possibility of flexibility you can choose to have?

"Of course you don't change a persons nature you retouch it."
Andre', "Home Port Maurois"

Isn’t it nice that you can still make choices?

You can choose to change.

You can choose to grow.

You can choose to be your own person.

You can choose love.

You can choose to be creative.

You can choose all of your own choices.

"You must learn to drink the cup of life as it comes, Connie, without stirring it up from the bottom. That's where the bitter dregs are."
Agnes Sligh Turnbull, The Rolling Year

Have you ever thought of all of the bad memories, experiences and episodes in your life that you may be stirring “The bitter dregs” each day that detract from your potential creativity and innovation?

==============================================

Humor, Wit

"A sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to our steps as we walk the tight rope of life."
Anon

Humor is a learned experience. Learning to laugh can be taught to anyone. It only takes a change of your perception. Humor is one of the chief characteristics, as related by some authorities, stimulating our creativity and innovation. Humor is also great for your health. It not only stimulates your immune system but it also energizes our brain cells with those funny little chemicals that make life more interesting.

“Wit ought to be a glorious treat, like caviar. Never spread it about like marmalade.”
Noel Coward

“Humor is really laughing off a hurt. Grinning at misery.”
Bill Mauldin

“Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can.”
Elsa Maxwell

Awareness

’Voynitsky: We used to think of you as almost superhuman, but now the scales have fallen off my eyes and I see you as you are.´
Anton Chekhov, Uncle Vanya

Think of yourself with whatever blinders you have covering your eyes? Each of us perceives everything differently. Of course, this difference in our perception is what makes us so unique.

But depending on our background and images planted by sources even unknown, we may have scales, like some animals, over our eyes. Removing these scales over our eyes creates our awareness to the awakened mind.

“On the surface, life is much the same as before…But it is through-the-looking glass world.”
Jeffrey Schmalz, The New York Times, December 20. 1992

Some awareness leads to an allusion as to how we see our world. How do you see your world?

What is wrong with creating beautiful allusions of what some people call the “Real World?”

We all experience the awareness of our “Real World” daily but why not change your world?

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Gandhi

How CRM Software Works -- Creating Customer Satisfaction with a Click

When people ask, “What is CRM?” the literal answer is, “Customer Relationship Management,” but that doesn’t really convey much in terms of what all CRM does for a business. This CRM definition is too narrow to really explain everything the system does if it is working to its fullest potential and is user-friendly enough to expand and grow as a customer-client relationship changes and grows.

CRM in the broader sense encompasses not only customer relationship management itself but how customer relationship management is handled and the most important elements of a CRM program that are essential to its being successful. The range of CRM software options vary from those that provide simple customer tracking and live chat capabilities to the more complex CRM solutions that can integrate all of the customer relationship data an enterprise has on each client past, present and future in a dynamic information data network.

What should I look for in a CRM software package?

If there’s an ideal CRM software package that works for every company and every situation, it hasn’t been discovered yet, simply because every company has slightly different needs for their customer relationship management needs as well as software implementation.

In general, however, when you are looking for a strong CRM software package there are a few things to keep in mind. If you are shopping for a CRM package, try to forget about the initial price tag at first (as difficult as this may be) and focus on the adaptability, usability and integrity of each system you evaluate as it relates to your particular needs. A few things to consider:

• What are the most important facets of customer relations are we looking to address, and does this CRM software support tracking and updating all aspects of this? For example, if your company wants to customer service to have ready access to changes in customer spending habits and an opportunity to offer new product options based on these records, make sure this capability is built into the software. Customization down the line will be time-consuming and expensive -- if you have a primary goal, make sure it is standard in your CRM software package.

• Will the CRM software package integrate smoothly with all platforms currently in use at your company? If you will have to re-enter all databases such as client names, addresses and phone numbers, this will significantly increase the amount of money you’ll spend in the long run. Make sure that you can either integrate smoothly or import all information needed flawlessly.

• Is the product more than you need? An enterprise solution that offers fifteen functions you don’t need and never will isn’t a bargain if you will never expand into that market niche. Just because it’s available doesn’t mean you have to have it. Selling custom-sewn hats? You won’t need a CRM software package for tracking million-dollar overseas accounts.

• Has this CRM software package been used for a company of your size before? If it has been used for companies up to 10,000 and you have 150,000, the system may simply not be able to sustain the volume of data and crash or develop glitches. Look for something more powerful with a support system capable of understanding the size of your company.

Can you build me a dream CRM software package?

Hmm…let’s see. The best CRM software package would be optimally functional across all platforms and have its own customer support backing it, and …. Well, let’s take a look at our own list of what we’d really like in a CRM software package if money was no object and we could “have it all,” so to speak:

• A CRM software provider that has partnerships with other vendors for support in the event you need it for integration of platforms.

• Extensive training from certified CRM software technicians who will walk your people through the process of setting up, using and training others on the system.

• Full data migration capabilities to and from all programs in current use to the new CRM software.

• Offsite server storage backup for all information in the CRM system for added security.

• A toolbox for company programmers for customizing templates for company use -- this will save huge amounts of time by eliminating the need to write custom codes from scratch.

• Either in-house consultants or a choice of contracted consultants they recommend (try not to be at the mercy of one consultant when there is a problem).

• A CRM software package designed by a company familiar with our specific industry and its structural needs.

The best CRM software packages enable customer service representatives to review the account information of each client or customer when they are talking to him or her and immediately understand something about that person’s needs, wants and spending patterns.

For banks, CRM software can indicate their banking patterns -- are they investing through the bank? Have they recently looked into a money market fund? Do they have substantial funds that could be put to better use than languishing in a simple CD?

A mail order company can note your shopping tendencies and make Christmas shopping suggestions based on past purchases by seeing that you buy a lot of kids’ clothes and that you spend about $200 each holiday. Used correctly, a toy company can steer you toward some bargains and suggest alternatives, enriching your shopping experience and building customer loyalty.

Why does CRM software fail so often after it’s put into place?

You’ve heard the stories about a company buying a CRM software package and then realizing it hasn’t really changed anything. The big-wigs are disappointed, customer service is frustrated, and the clients are aggravated with the new changes that don’t seem to show any improvements in customer service or client relations. How does it happen?

Because CRM software was purchased that wasn’t appropriate, was purchased too soon, or wasn’t implemented properly. If you don’t purchase CRM software that specifically addresses what your customer concerns are, you may have software that is very detailed in an area you don’t need and somewhat lacking in exactly what you do need.

Purchasing too soon means you bought the software before you had evaluated what you really wanted. Many companies by CRM software with a goal “to improve customer relations,” which is not a clear business goal! You should have a very specific, well-defined objective that your CRM software solution can address, and you company should have developed a formal objective before you went shopping for a solution. Retaining customers? Improving the size of current customer portfolios? Penetrating a new market niche? Reduce customer complaints? Improve customer repair response? Determine what it is you want to focus on as a goal, and then choose your CRM software solution based on how it will address it.

Finally, implementation of a new CRM program requires proper management support and effective training. That means that management must be behind it one hundred percent, and not have “head in the sand” approach where they determine that “that’s for customer service, I never did understand that stuff,” and avoid learning how the CRM software works. It is an attitude that will pervade the company.

Second, training is essential and must encompass the company to ensure that all levels of personnel will embrace the new system and understand the genuine need for it and the real goal of what you are trying to achieve with your new CRM software solution.

Some CRM software options for small and medium sized businesses

For small and medium businesses, the most common customer relations management software request is for anything that enhances online communications and improves the time between a customer complaint or question and resolution of the issue for them.

For many companies, there are software solutions that can be purchased or downloaded to be used through their Internet website for basic services such as online customer support through live chat and customer assistance with online purchasing that is both efficient and relatively inexpensive. If your need is primarily to improve sales volume, improve response to customer questions and complaints and to make your company website more personalized, look into these solutions that are at the lower end of the price spectrum while providing solid CRM products:

LivePerson offers two different versions, Basic and Enterprise that provide live chat, email and a variety of interactive forms customized to meet companies’ needs for customer relations. This company has developed live chat solutions and online forms for everything from universities to financial services firms. This company provides a wide range of services, including online marketing, case studies, and software designed to improve online shopping cart capabilities.

LiveHelper offers many of the same features, and adds real time traffic monitoring and other data assessment features as well. For the price, LiveHelper is a very good CRM software value.

GroopZ includes customer routing software so that you can transfer entire chat strings from one customer service rep to another if you need be, along with an efficient filing system for chat transcripts and customer records. For improving customer relations, the software support suggests pre- and post-service questions for all customers who contact you.

Also included are templates you can set up with specific, pre-scripted answers to frequently asked questions in online chat to save customer service representatives time and make the process clearer and more efficient. This company does a bit more customizing on the front end to fit your needs, and pricing is adjusted accordingly.

SupportWizard gives you three CRM options that give you some flexibility -- you can buy, lease or let them host your customer service/relations solutions. Interactive FAQs, live chat, standard answers to frequent questions, and Boolean search capabilities to review past interactions all make this package extremely effective. SupportWizard also has more customizable features than some, including an “escalation alert” that can be tailored to specific situations when a supervisor would be notified if a customer service situation exceeds certain parameters.

This is one of the more expensive packages available, but rather than a monthly fee you are paying for lease or outright purchase options, so factor this into the cost. You will also get spectacular customer support and constant upgrades and patches when necessary. The integration of email, live chat and telephone information into one database is also a plus with SupportWizard.

BoldChat offers free CRM software for online customer service chat that you can use for a limited time, and offers a $9.95/month and a $39.95/month customized version of their CRM software. Both offer live customer service chat, but one adds customized windows and more options on buttons and the number of available customer service reps you can add.

CSLive offers the most comprehensive CRM software solution available for small and medium businesses, with live chat, email, and the usual customer service features you expect from a small business CRM solution, but with plenty of extras. CSLive also offers an extensive tracking and filing system, an Internet server site where you can upload and store files of customer help articles that customers can be referred to that can by emailed directly to clients by your reps. Throw in the message center and online meetings, and this is practically an enterprise sized solution at a small business price of $29.95 a month.

CRM software, whether on a monthly user basis or purchased outright and downloaded onto your own server, will make serving and understanding your clients and customers a more productive experience, and you will all be happier for it.

Losing Angry Customers

This article offers five ways to help you deal with angry customers. While the goal of all businesses is to have only happy customers, we also have to be realistic and realize sometimes we are going to anger a customer. Isn’t it best to know in advance how to deal with an angry one, of course it is. Read on…..

Handle the person first, then the problem. Let angry people vent their frustrations. This alone will go a long way toward resolving the problem. Many times people just need to let off some steam and you are their sounding board, whether you deserve to be or not.

Apologize. This is crucial. It shows you are committed to the relationship. Remember, the customer is always right, whether they are or not. So apologize, whether or not it was your fault.

Show empathy. Assure your customer that he or she has every right to be angry and disappointed and that you would feel the same way if it happened to you. Make them feel understood. Use your own experiences to show empathy.

Find a solution. Resolve the problem with your customer, not for the customer. Ask questions that will get the customer involved in the process, such as “How would you like to see this problem resolved?” or If you were in my position, how might you resolve this kind of problem for your customer?”

Follow up. After resolving the problem, you must follow up. Make sure things are satisfactory, but also look for additional needs that represent selling opportunities.

So, employ the above strategies and turn angry customers into happy ones!

The 7 Principles of Business Integrity

If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters. -- Alan K. Simpson

If I were to ask you what attribute is the most influential in regard to the success of a business, would you know immediately which one is the most important? Based on my many years as a business owner and entrepreneur, I have discovered that at the very top of the list is the distinguishing quality of integrity. Without integrity at the helm of a company, a business is usually short-lived. In fact, when business integrity is present throughout the deepest layers of a company and not just at its surface, it becomes the heart and soul of the company’s culture and can mean the difference between a company that succeeds and a company that falters.

The Internet’s Immeasurable Impact on the Marketplace!

The importance of integrity has always existed among the business community, but in recent times has been shown as falling short. It is the Internet’s immeasurable impact on the global marketplace that is now making the expression of integrity, reliability and credibility extremely important. Furthermore, the consequence of global competition means that customers will simply not consider a company that shows any less than the highest level of integrity. Since there is a wealth of competitive companies easily available and accessible via the Internet, there is in fact no need to accept anything less than the best.

Where Does Integrity Start?

In an effort to build upon a foundation of integrity, the first requirement would be to establish excellent rapport with clients. Based on many years of study, the best and most practiced method for achieving rapport is by way of Relationship Marketing. Just as it sounds, Relationship Marketing is founded on the single and most critical characteristic, known as “Integrity.” However, achieving true integrity with clients often leaves many an entrepreneur bewildered, grasping for techniques and strategies that guarantee their futures. But integrity is not something that can be grasped and then simply used. Integrity in its essence must be so ingrained within the nature of an individual, its company and the team members, that it remains steadfast no matter what. Without question, others sense it and find it very attractive.

The True Nature of Integrity!

Now you are probably asking yourself, what is the true nature of integrity? There are in fact some very basic principles that surround the qualities of business integrity. At its core, integrity begins with a company leader who understands the qualities of integrity which then filters down throughout the company into every department and every member’s approach and attitude.

In recent research performed by the Institute of Business Ethics- an organization which is among the world’s leaders in promoting corporate ethical best practices, it was found that companies displaying a “clear commitment to ethical conduct” almost invariably outperform companies that do not display ethical conduct. The Director of the Institute of Business Ethics, Philippa Foster Black, stated: “Not only is ethical behavior in the business world the right and principled thing to do, but it has been proven that ethical behavior pays off in financial returns.” These findings deserve to be considered as an important tool for companies striving for long-term prospects and growth.

The following 7 Principles of Business Integrity are the basics of integrity and a good starting off place to consider. By integrating each of these principles within a company environment, the result will be nothing short of a major rebirth of the enterprise.

Principle #1: Recognize that customers/clients want to do business with a company they can trust; when trust is at the core of a company, it is easy to recognize. Trust defined is assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of a business.

Principle #2: For continuous improvement of a company, the leader of an organization must be willing to open up to ideas for betterment. Ask for opinions and feedback from both customers and team members and your company will continue to grow.

Principle #3: Regardless of the circumstances, do everything in your power to gain the trust of past customer’s and clients, particularly if something has gone awry. Do what you can to reclaim any lost business by honoring all commitments and obligations.

Principle #4: Re-evaluate all print materials including small business advertising, brochures and other business documents making sure they are clear, precise and professional; most important make sure they do not misrepresent or misinterpret.

Principle #5: Remain involved in community-related issues and activities thereby demonstrating that your business is a responsible community contributor. In other words, stay involved.

Principle #6: Take a hands-on approach in regard to accounting and record keeping, not only as a means of gaining a better feel for the progress of your company, but as a resource for any “questionable “ activities; gaining control of accounting and record keeping allows you to end any dubious activities promptly.

Principle #7: Treat others with the utmost of respect. Regardless of differences, positions, titles, ages, or other types of distinctions, always treat others with professional respect and courtesy.

While it is most certainly an integral and positive step for a small business to recognize the significance of integrity as a tool for achieving its desired outcomes, that is only the beginning. What must truly be recognized for true success is that while certain precise universal principles lead to business integrity, it is in the overall mindset of the company and the unfailing implementation of these key elements that an enterprise is truly defined. A small business that instills a deep-seated theme of integrity within its strategies and policies will not only be evident among customers, associates and partners, but its overall influence cannot help but to result in a profitable, successful company. By recognizing the value of integrity, and following each of the aforementioned 7 principles for achieving integrity, your success cannot be far off.

Listening: The Foundation of Communication

Listening is the #1 communication skill for leadership, selling, customer service, and even romance! The problem is, most of us don’t listen very well. We’re not trained to listen and we don’t even realize that listening is a skill. People have lost jobs, customers, employees, and relationships because of an inability to listen. In this issue we’ll examine ways to become a better listener.

Listening Means Peace
Sheng jen is the Chinese word for wise person. It literally means “one who listens.”
Joanna Rogers Macy, a peace activist, said listening is “the most powerful tool in peacemaking and any other kind of social change work.” I wonder what would have happened if students, teachers, and parents were really listening in Columbine? Someone, somewhere missed the distress signals that the two young killers were sending out.

Just Be
When I was a volunteer on a suicide crisis intervention line, we were taught to take all threats of suicide seriously. How often have we told young people, “You’re too young to be depressed.” Or “You they’re just going through a phase.” Suicide is anger turned in against the self. How did we miss their anger? Why wasn’t it taken seriously? The mistake we make is to talk, advise, and debate instead of listening. We don’t have to have words of wisdom. We just have to lend an ear. Most times people can solve their own problems. They just want to be heard. Take the case of my friend. She had a problem she wanted to discuss. I listened as she thought through alternatives and discussed how she felt. She came to a decision. She thanked me for helping her to decide. I never did anything. She did it all. I just listened. Sometimes all you have to do is be. Be there. Be present for another.

Soothing the Savage Beast
Did you know that talking actually reduces stress and anxiety? That’s right. Talking, confessing, getting it off your chest, will feel like a weight has been lifted. But if people are jumping in with their own opinions, the person never gets the opportunity to vent and the anxiety continues to build.
Let’s consider customers. Customers may be external people who pay us, or they may be people we serve internally— co-workers and other departments.

When a customer is irate, why doesn’t the person immediately calm down when you present a solution? Because the customer is in an emotional state. Solutions or problem-solving are intellectual exercises. The person isn’t there yet. To calm the emotions, you must have a meeting of the minds. Acknowledge the feeling. “I can understand why you’re upset.” “Waiting on line for an hour must have been so frustrating.” Until you acknowledge the feeling, the conversation will go nowhere. People need to be heard. It’s a form of validation. Respecting the feeling doesn’t mean you agree with their opinion. It means you understand.

BodyTalk
Communication breaks down when people ignore what they see in favor of what they hear. The body doesn’t lie. Visual communication is more than half the message. When you hear a mixed message it’s because you are giving too much power to the spoken word. Watch the body language for the real message and tune into the tone of voice. People use words to conceal. What words conceal the body will reveal. If a customer or co-worker says, “Sure, no problem” and doesn’t make eye contact, seems distracted and curt, don’t trust the message.

Listening is Spiritual
What are your fondest memories as a child? Is it the person who bought you expensive gifts or the person who told you stories? In our materialistic society, we think that providing for physical needs is the measure of success. We work two and three jobs to give children things “we never had.” In the frenzy, we may rob them of the riches we did have—time and attention. I’ve never heard anyone be accused of listening too much. When I was an adolescent, I could sound off on all sorts of topics to my Aunt Gloria and she would listen. We were never judged. So all the nieces and nephews confided in her.
Listening is a spiritual act. You must suspend you own ego in order to really listen to another. Listening is one of the greatest gifts we can give another. It lasts a lifetime in our hearts.

Listening to Ourselves
While we’re busy trying to listen to others, how well do we listen to ourselves? How do we really feel about that customer, accepting that new job, going out with that friend? We don’t take enough time to listen to ourselves. What is your body telling you? According to Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, the body gives off messages. Different parts of the body signify different issues that are going on in your life.

Are you getting a lot of colds? You have too much going on. Slow down and smell the roses. Lower back pain? You may feel a lack of financial support. Money problems need to be addressed. To be a better listener of others, we need to listen to ourselves, our intuition. Meditation is a form of self-listening. Is your head cluttered with mind chatter? Is the TV going all the time? You can’t hear inner messages unless you have quiet time.

Tips for Better Listening

• Take all threats seriously. Listen when people speak about harming themselves or others.
• Be present. Let people talk. Talking relieves anxiety.
• Respect feelings. You may not agree but you can acknowledge their right to their feelings. Empathizing will calm an irate customer.
• Believe the visual message over the words. The great lie detector is the body. Tune into the nonverbals and you will hear the real message.
• Trust your intuition. Take time to meditate. One day a week, sit under a tree during lunch, or go into a room by yourself and tune into your thoughts, and body. Quiet your mind. When you get a “gut feeling” don’t dismiss it.
• Listen to children. Spend time hearing their ideas, dreams, troubles, and success. They are our future.
Practice shen jen. Be a wise person. Listen.