We ran across this article by Stacy Blackman on BNET. We hear a lot about customer service that's just good common sense, but this adds the extra dimension of solid research to back it up. Enjoy!
We’ve all experienced it. The clerk who sees you waiting in the checkout line behind the hundred-coupon customer and motions you over while saying the magic words: “I can help you here.” The restaurant manager who takes a sub-par dish off the bill without being asked. After having one of these experiences, we might have told our friends about it, giving our ultimate seal of approval: “I am definitely going back there.” What we had in these cases was a “wow experience.”
At least, that’s what new Wharton research on providing customers with the utmost satisfaction is calling it. The study identifies five areas that are key to creating a wow experience for your customers:
1. Stay engaged through their whole shopping experience by listening and helping
2. Provide product quality and knowledge
3. Create a consistently positive brand experience
4. Help them expedite time spent shopping
5. Resolve their complaints to complete satisfaction
Unfortunately, one of these five by itself might please customers, but it isn’t going to wow them. In order to go above and beyond, the researchers suggest basing the foundation of your customer service mission on these five principles.
This might sound like a lot of work. How can you hold your customers’ hands through their whole shopping experience, dazzle them with your product knowledge, make them fall in love with your brand and resolve any complaints, all the while getting them out of your establishment in a timely manner?
Certainly a tall task, but according to the research, it’s worth it. If you give your customers the wow experience, four out of five will tell an average of three others about it. For word of mouth like that, the effort you put into creating the wow can easily pay off.
Revolutionizing the way small businesses grow.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Four easy ways to increase idea flow
Here's some good, sensible ideas on keeping the ideas flowing.
By Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®, an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters.
One of the most important attributes of a being a successful entrepreneur is having the ability to generate fresh and meaningful ideas, often. Then, connect the dots to move your business forward.
Many times circumstances for entrepreneurs make this pretty darn challenging. You have a microscopic budget, no staff, juggle two full-time jobs to pay your bills and your cat has the chicken pox; all while you’re building your dream.
No problem. Some of the biggest and best ideas are birthed because of the above. Why? Because you are forced to be a truly creative problem solver.
My best creative thinking happens when I stimulate my brain by exposing myself to other cool ideas that empower me to recognize patterns, think in a metaphoric way, and absorb a lot of information quickly.
Here are 4 easy ways to increase your idea flow.
1) Visit online and offline, high-volume idea venues.
Trend reporting websites like Springwise and Iconoculture are two of my favorites. Springwise showcases entrepreneurial ideas from around the globe, and Iconoculture recaps top consumer and business trends with a good mix of recent market facts and statistics in a free newsletter.
Schedule a trip to a shopping mall. Don’t go to shop. Go to discover with a conscious eye. Watch how people behave and respond to marketing initiatives; evaluate displays, and listen to conversations.
Annually attend industry tradeshows in innovative sectors. Journal what you see; the good and bad, pick up marketing collateral and take pictures of exhibits and people.
2) Pay attention to smart, successful companies and people.
My list includes competitors and random organizations, both large and small. I keep an admiration notebook and folder on my computer. I include words, images, and processes that I find intriguing.
3) Develop a habit of producing idea quotas.
This means, need a solution or big idea? Set a daily volume quota for your ideas. For instance, need a new product name? Jot down five possibilities a day for two weeks. Invite a friend or colleague to do the same. In 14 days you’ll have at least 70 seeds for finding your big idea. Remember, don’t set any limits for your ideas, the wilder the better. Ignore budget restrictions and don’t strive for the perfect idea; aim for quantity.
4) Master the art of scan and skim, and read more.
Early in my career I attended a workshop on how to read the Wall Street Journal in less than 15 minutes. This 60-minute class dramatically increased the amount of information I can absorb which, in today’s world of massive data deluge, is a necessary skill to have.
Here’s the fast track on how to be a better scanner and skimmer of publications.
Turn off distractions like music and the TV. Go straight to a publication content summary, sometimes this is the table of contents, sometimes it is a special section that features top stories. Find subjects that interest you, jump to those articles. Then read the subheads, the intro and the last paragraph. This filtering method is a quick and efficient way to cover a lot of ground. I also scan all visuals, images, and charts and graphs and set a reading time limit on a publication. I also use an index card to underline what I’m reading and I highlight information I want to retain.
New, different, and sometimes even recycled ideas are the vital ingredients for problem solving and connecting the dots. The better and bigger the idea flow, the higher propensity you’ll achieve success.
By Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®, an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters.
One of the most important attributes of a being a successful entrepreneur is having the ability to generate fresh and meaningful ideas, often. Then, connect the dots to move your business forward.
Many times circumstances for entrepreneurs make this pretty darn challenging. You have a microscopic budget, no staff, juggle two full-time jobs to pay your bills and your cat has the chicken pox; all while you’re building your dream.
No problem. Some of the biggest and best ideas are birthed because of the above. Why? Because you are forced to be a truly creative problem solver.
My best creative thinking happens when I stimulate my brain by exposing myself to other cool ideas that empower me to recognize patterns, think in a metaphoric way, and absorb a lot of information quickly.
Here are 4 easy ways to increase your idea flow.
1) Visit online and offline, high-volume idea venues.
Trend reporting websites like Springwise and Iconoculture are two of my favorites. Springwise showcases entrepreneurial ideas from around the globe, and Iconoculture recaps top consumer and business trends with a good mix of recent market facts and statistics in a free newsletter.
Schedule a trip to a shopping mall. Don’t go to shop. Go to discover with a conscious eye. Watch how people behave and respond to marketing initiatives; evaluate displays, and listen to conversations.
Annually attend industry tradeshows in innovative sectors. Journal what you see; the good and bad, pick up marketing collateral and take pictures of exhibits and people.
2) Pay attention to smart, successful companies and people.
My list includes competitors and random organizations, both large and small. I keep an admiration notebook and folder on my computer. I include words, images, and processes that I find intriguing.
3) Develop a habit of producing idea quotas.
This means, need a solution or big idea? Set a daily volume quota for your ideas. For instance, need a new product name? Jot down five possibilities a day for two weeks. Invite a friend or colleague to do the same. In 14 days you’ll have at least 70 seeds for finding your big idea. Remember, don’t set any limits for your ideas, the wilder the better. Ignore budget restrictions and don’t strive for the perfect idea; aim for quantity.
4) Master the art of scan and skim, and read more.
Early in my career I attended a workshop on how to read the Wall Street Journal in less than 15 minutes. This 60-minute class dramatically increased the amount of information I can absorb which, in today’s world of massive data deluge, is a necessary skill to have.
Here’s the fast track on how to be a better scanner and skimmer of publications.
Turn off distractions like music and the TV. Go straight to a publication content summary, sometimes this is the table of contents, sometimes it is a special section that features top stories. Find subjects that interest you, jump to those articles. Then read the subheads, the intro and the last paragraph. This filtering method is a quick and efficient way to cover a lot of ground. I also scan all visuals, images, and charts and graphs and set a reading time limit on a publication. I also use an index card to underline what I’m reading and I highlight information I want to retain.
New, different, and sometimes even recycled ideas are the vital ingredients for problem solving and connecting the dots. The better and bigger the idea flow, the higher propensity you’ll achieve success.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Top three security concerns are viruses, spam, and data breaches but most companies don't have protection
We like this article so much we recommend our IT clients send it out to all their customers!
New Surveys on Small Business security and Success
By James E. Gaskin , Network World , 04/23/2009
Understanding small business is tough because there are so many of them and they vary so widely. But all small businesses share certain problems, attitudes, and approaches to those problems. Let's give a hand to Symantec and Network Solutions for doing their part to discover the state of security and creating (and studying) the Small Business Success Index.
In its study, Symantec focused on its sweet spot, security, with an added dash of storage. Symantec surveyed over 1,400 small businesses worldwide, including 200 in each state in the U.S. and 200 more in Canada. Of all companies surveyed, 44% employ between 10-100 workers, 28% employ 101-250, and 29% employ 251-500.
Overall, Symantec found small businesses know security is important. Budgets for security and storage are flat or rising for 91% of the responders. Exactly half say they plan to increase spending for IT. Yet despite this understanding, serious security and data protection gaps exist.
Small businesses report that their top three security concerns are viruses, spam, and data breaches. But how do I reconcile those findings with the fact those same respondents said they have no endpoint protection (59%), no desktop backup and recovery (47%), and no antispam solution (42%)?
Isn't that the definition of cognitive dissonance? How can you say security is a serious concern to you, yet have no endpoint protection? How can four in ten companies function today without some type of antispam control? Do they just ignore e-mails because they can't find important messages in the never-ending flood of spam?
Some specific questions about data breaches really caught my attention. Symantec asked, "Why did the security breach happen?" and allowed multiple answers from survey takers. Top of the list, at 47%, was system breakdown / hardware failure. I wonder about the wording of the question or possible answers, because in my experience, hardware rarely causes those types of problems. Hackers don't attack hardware, they attack weak software security and poorly trained end users.
The second highest response about the data breaches also strikes me as curious. Forty four percent said the breach happened because of a lost or stolen laptop, smartphone, or PDA. Other surveys I've seen put this percentage at two thirds or higher. The Symantec survey pegs human error as the reason for 39% of the breaches, but nearly all poor security processes can be called human error if you look at the problem in the right way.
The main security barriers include the usual suspects, with lack of employee skills at the top of the list (41%) followed by budget (37%). Forty two percent said they don't have any dedicated IT staff, which surprised me. Usually companies hire a full time IT person when they have 50 or 60 employees, and the survey included firms as large as 500 employees.
Symantec wraps up its survey with tips, including involving solution providers, using layered and comprehensive security, and backing up your data. Hey, those 38% who said they had no server backup or recovery processes in place, call a solution provider quickly. Today.
Network Solutions brought in the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business to help develop and study the factors of small business success. Network Solutions created an online survey you can take to see where you rate on the Small Business Success Index. Each of the 1000 businesses surveyed by phone have 100 or fewer employees.
On their new site, Grow Smart Business, Network Solutions offers videos and downloadable articles on ways to become more successful. The index focuses on six areas: capital access; marketing and innovation; workforce; customer service; computer technology; and compliance. Small business owners answered 28 questions to provide a baseline for small business success.
About a quarter of small business did enough correctly to fall under the "Highly Competitive" label. About 20% only rate "Failing" which falls in line with my favorite 80/20 guideline rules. As with any studied group, the biggest numbers were in the middle, either marginally competitive (29%) or marginally failing (27%).
Not surprisingly, the worst grades across the board were for capital access. Network Solutions says this has the most impact on overall competitiveness, so it was rated as most important. Since non-high-tech small companies get little venture capital interest in general, and since venture capital spending is way down thanks to the economy, I'm surprised any small businesses scored high in capital access. Those who did must have a good working relationship with their local banker.
The highest index score was in customer service. One of the primary advantages of being a small business is closeness to customers, and Network Solutions seems to bear that out. I'd be interested to see the ratings of the highly competitive companies in customer service. I bet they'd be at the top of that list, explaining much of their success.
Since Network Solutions sells domain names and Web sites, you won't be shocked to hear it feels using Internet business solutions helps small companies be the most competitive. Thirty one percent of the highly competitive businesses scored at the top of the tech-powered scale with 6-14 Internet business solutions in their organization. If you need an excuse to focus more attention on your Web site and start leveraging the Internet for more marketing, there's the kick in your can to get you started.
Wrapping back around the circle, the more Internet business solutions you use, the more security and data protection you need. No desktop backup (47%) and no server backup (38%)? That's really scary.
New Surveys on Small Business security and Success
By James E. Gaskin , Network World , 04/23/2009
Understanding small business is tough because there are so many of them and they vary so widely. But all small businesses share certain problems, attitudes, and approaches to those problems. Let's give a hand to Symantec and Network Solutions for doing their part to discover the state of security and creating (and studying) the Small Business Success Index.
In its study, Symantec focused on its sweet spot, security, with an added dash of storage. Symantec surveyed over 1,400 small businesses worldwide, including 200 in each state in the U.S. and 200 more in Canada. Of all companies surveyed, 44% employ between 10-100 workers, 28% employ 101-250, and 29% employ 251-500.
Overall, Symantec found small businesses know security is important. Budgets for security and storage are flat or rising for 91% of the responders. Exactly half say they plan to increase spending for IT. Yet despite this understanding, serious security and data protection gaps exist.
Small businesses report that their top three security concerns are viruses, spam, and data breaches. But how do I reconcile those findings with the fact those same respondents said they have no endpoint protection (59%), no desktop backup and recovery (47%), and no antispam solution (42%)?
Isn't that the definition of cognitive dissonance? How can you say security is a serious concern to you, yet have no endpoint protection? How can four in ten companies function today without some type of antispam control? Do they just ignore e-mails because they can't find important messages in the never-ending flood of spam?
Some specific questions about data breaches really caught my attention. Symantec asked, "Why did the security breach happen?" and allowed multiple answers from survey takers. Top of the list, at 47%, was system breakdown / hardware failure. I wonder about the wording of the question or possible answers, because in my experience, hardware rarely causes those types of problems. Hackers don't attack hardware, they attack weak software security and poorly trained end users.
The second highest response about the data breaches also strikes me as curious. Forty four percent said the breach happened because of a lost or stolen laptop, smartphone, or PDA. Other surveys I've seen put this percentage at two thirds or higher. The Symantec survey pegs human error as the reason for 39% of the breaches, but nearly all poor security processes can be called human error if you look at the problem in the right way.
The main security barriers include the usual suspects, with lack of employee skills at the top of the list (41%) followed by budget (37%). Forty two percent said they don't have any dedicated IT staff, which surprised me. Usually companies hire a full time IT person when they have 50 or 60 employees, and the survey included firms as large as 500 employees.
Symantec wraps up its survey with tips, including involving solution providers, using layered and comprehensive security, and backing up your data. Hey, those 38% who said they had no server backup or recovery processes in place, call a solution provider quickly. Today.
Network Solutions brought in the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business to help develop and study the factors of small business success. Network Solutions created an online survey you can take to see where you rate on the Small Business Success Index. Each of the 1000 businesses surveyed by phone have 100 or fewer employees.
On their new site, Grow Smart Business, Network Solutions offers videos and downloadable articles on ways to become more successful. The index focuses on six areas: capital access; marketing and innovation; workforce; customer service; computer technology; and compliance. Small business owners answered 28 questions to provide a baseline for small business success.
About a quarter of small business did enough correctly to fall under the "Highly Competitive" label. About 20% only rate "Failing" which falls in line with my favorite 80/20 guideline rules. As with any studied group, the biggest numbers were in the middle, either marginally competitive (29%) or marginally failing (27%).
Not surprisingly, the worst grades across the board were for capital access. Network Solutions says this has the most impact on overall competitiveness, so it was rated as most important. Since non-high-tech small companies get little venture capital interest in general, and since venture capital spending is way down thanks to the economy, I'm surprised any small businesses scored high in capital access. Those who did must have a good working relationship with their local banker.
The highest index score was in customer service. One of the primary advantages of being a small business is closeness to customers, and Network Solutions seems to bear that out. I'd be interested to see the ratings of the highly competitive companies in customer service. I bet they'd be at the top of that list, explaining much of their success.
Since Network Solutions sells domain names and Web sites, you won't be shocked to hear it feels using Internet business solutions helps small companies be the most competitive. Thirty one percent of the highly competitive businesses scored at the top of the tech-powered scale with 6-14 Internet business solutions in their organization. If you need an excuse to focus more attention on your Web site and start leveraging the Internet for more marketing, there's the kick in your can to get you started.
Wrapping back around the circle, the more Internet business solutions you use, the more security and data protection you need. No desktop backup (47%) and no server backup (38%)? That's really scary.
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