Reaching out to wayward customers will reinvigorate your sales and allow you to do a lot of market research
Grant was on the ground yelling as I came around the corner at high speed on my mountain bike at dusk. He had flown off his bike instead of hitting a moose standing on the trail. I skidded to avoid him. I could still see two moose, a cow and her year-old calf, on the…
Those who can adapt will thrive
I once facilitated a meeting of a group of more than 100 retailers. Seventy per cent of them were either fearful or concerned about the future of their stores. And so they should be. Retailing is changing – you would have to be blind not to see that. When I started in retail in the…
Fun doesn't mean goofing off. It means enjoying what you’re doing and laughing when things go wrong
‘Fun’ isn’t a word often spoken in the same sentence as ‘work.’ But Norm and I were driving down a backroad last week in the middle of nowhere when we used those words together. We had just come from a meeting where we were representing our clients in some negotiations and we had really enjoyed…
People who have worked in customer service jobs are now avoiding these positions at all costs
It should be good news. Canada now has the lowest unemployment rate ever. Certainly, a high unemployment rate is bad news. When the rate hits double digits with one in 10 out of work, the economy is in trouble and Canadian workers – and politicians – become fearful about getting and keeping a job. But…
UX strives to make complex devices easy, from computing devices to cars, ATMs, airplanes and more
The importance of user experience (UX) has exploded in the era of ubiquitous personal computers, tablets and smartphones. Poor UX is a major reason apps and websites deliver disappointing business results. UX is the discipline that strives to make complex devices easy to use. Outside of computing devices, it applies to everyday objects, including cars,…
Increasing wages works to some extent. But retraining and being a better boss will do more
There are many challenges to running a business, including getting capital, getting customers and meeting the competition. Add staffing to the list. Hiring workers used to be less difficult. Any vacancy announcement attracted many more applicants than employers were able to consider. But now, there are multiple vacancies for every able, willing and available worker.…
Building trust and consistency can improve your sales and increase your profits
“If only our customers would buy more from us.” This resounding phrase is heard throughout many businesses as the demand for sales increases in order to offset rising costs. While we may wish to create more revenue by selling more, our customers are facing rising costs at the other end of the spectrum. They’re looking…
Subcontractors represent your business. So they need to maintain your standards
Imagine paying to have someone bring a washing machine into your house and set it up and then having to fire them before the job is complete. This is exactly what happened to my friends last week after they bought a new washing machine from Home Depot. The wife decided that, as a treat for…
Getting more of your ideal customers is key
Jerry reached out to us because he wanted to get out of his business. The business, he said, was “too stressful,” and he “was tired of struggling.” During our discussions with Jerry, we discovered that while the business was doing several million dollars in sales, it was only marginally profitable. Jerry had to work extra…
Here are a number of ways to increase opportunities to feel pride
I Used to Write for Sports Illustrated. Now I Deliver Packages for Amazon is a brilliant article by Austin Murphy in the December 2018 issue of The Atlantic. Murphy articulates his career journey as a result of being in an industry disrupted by technology. What really resonated for me about his story was his transformation…