Steve at StartUp Blog got me thinking with this post titled The Big Win. In his post, Steve explains how we so often count on the next big thing to get us the big win. But it never happens. In his words, “The big win is a hoax. If we want a big win, we’re better [...]
Everyone believes they are unique. Different. Not the status quo. A contradiction to the statistics. Everyone believes they have problems, issues and obstacles that have never been experienced by anyone. Ever. Everyone believes everyone else is normal. Of course, both statements are right and wrong. The only thing that’s normal is that we’re all different. [...]
Stumbled upon Altrec.com today, a web store for outdoor gear etc. Take a look at this page. Having the pictures of the service people, with a signature and outdoors, is such a nice touch. It makes you want to call, and it assures you you’re going to get something different when you do. Just another [...]
After reading through the book summary of Relentless in Marketing Gurus, something simply struck me: When you consider marketing to your customers a privilege, everything changes. The book, as best I can tell, focuses on the differences between Western marketing and Japanese marketing, whereas Western marketing relies on research and testing, while Japanese marketing relies on [...]
It appears as though a new terror is on the loose. There’s been a sighting of Company Policy Man in the foothills of Utah. Let’s face it: policies are for companies, not people. Your customers are people. They hate policies. When you’re the customer, you hate them, too. People like to think they are the [...]
I was at Pei Wei the other night, picking up a much needed and specifically requested order of Spring Rolls for my pregnant wife. I walked in, placed my order, and expected to wait 5-10 minutes. As the checkout procedure comes to a close, the clerk grabs a to-go cup and asks, “Would you like [...]
I’ve been reading Starbucks Experience by Joseph Michelli, and he points out one of the five key components of Starbucks’ success: Surprise & Delight. When is the last time you genuinely surprised your customers? When is the last time you exceed the expectations of your clients? Meeting expectations is expected. What can you do to [...]
I received an extremely pleasant surprise today at an Applebee’s in Phoenix. As I entered, the hostess took my name and told me it would be about 10 minutes. As predicted, I was seated within a few minutes, ate my meal, paid, and got up to leave. As I was walking toward the door, the hostess [...]
Countless great posts over the past week. Enjoy. Unschedule Your Life: Life Clever lists out some highlights of the book The Now Habit. Haven’t read the book, but this concept makes sense: Schedule the fun stuff that’s important in your life, and make your “work” work around it. Swastikas and the U.S. Navy: This isn’t [...]
Years ago, when I worked at AdvoCare, Donna Cash made a statement that has stuck with me ever since. Donna was certainly no computer whiz, but she had an attitude about what computers could do that should drive every business model. “If you can think it, a computer can do it.” Simple (many programmers [...]
