Why Attend a Conference?

Does this sound like you? Day after day, it seems that you’re merely going through the motions.  Maybe it has even gotten so bad that you are beginning to think a mildly-skilled monkey could adequately perform your duties.  I’m here to tell you that we’ve all been there and it’s not a fun place to be!  While your... [read more]

The receiving side of customer service

We buy on emotion, and we justify those emotions with our own particular logic. Yesterday was my day; it was Saks Fifth Avenue calling to me with one of their huge shoe sales. I think it’s important to be on the receiving side of business to know what great customer service really entails, and purchasing a designer pair of shoes at a... [read more]

Customer and Company Value, You Must Define Both

In my presentations I oftentimes reference a quote from Gartner which says the following:  “By 2010 more than half of companies that have established an online community will fail to manage it as an agent of change, ultimately eroding customer value.  Rushing into social computing initiatives without clearly defined benefits... [read more]

Positive customer experiences bring customer satisfaction

Companies need to find the customer point of view through words and phrases. Sales and service personnel want to sound positive, helpful, appreciative, respectful, inviting, and informed. We don’t want to get too technical, but we do want to improve the customer experience and say what customers want to hear. A customer experience isn’t... [read more]

Customer-Centric Marketing and the Power of Personalization

According to a recent study Forrester Research, Inc. conducted, “most companies structure their company around their products or business lines. As a result, they lack a holistic view of their customers and communicate with them from multiple silos.” In today’s 24/7 marketing environment, marketers face the need to understand the wants,... [read more]

Six ways to ensure time to think about your best customers

 My last post hits a chord far and wide. I received reactions from across the USA, from London and from Melbourne. OK, that’s also connected to my gypsy past, but I’m happy to see the responses. So what can you actually do to make sure you get time to think? Here are a few tactics that clients and colleague have used with success... [read more]

Will CRM Sytems and Listening Tools Become One and the Same?

Call me crazy (as many of you have), but I don’t see the separation of “listening tools” and “CRM systems” lasting too much longer.  We have actually seen a few acquisitions over the past few months such as Jive acquiring Filtrbox, Lithium acquiring Scout Labs, Meltwater acquiring Buzzgain, Attensity acquiring Biz 360, and several... [read more]

6 Secrets to Better Customer Service Coaching

The nine most terrifying words an employee can hear are, “I’m your coach and I’m here to help you.” Front-line employees dread these words because they know what’s coming. It will be a one-sided conversation in which their well-intentioned supervisor will proceed to point out a list of things they did wrong (“opportunities for... [read more]

Everyone Is a Journalist

The social media tsunami is the game changer that is significantly impacting our world of communications and challenging the current models of engagement with journalists and influencers. This change mandates that we reassess our current engagement models and the importance of individual and organizational influence. Social media is more... [read more]

Facebook Places, to use or not to use?

Wow, Yelp, FourSquare, Gowalla and now Facebook gets involved in location-based services (lbs). I don’t like it and do not think that I will use it (outside of my initial test). Why you ask? Well here goes. I am a member of numerous Social Networks for a reason. Facebook for my friends and to keep in touch with others acquaintances,... [read more]

How To Find Your Thought Leadership Voice Online

There is plenty of information online about using social media for thought leadership. The returns and values have been well-calculated and, in some cases, well-articulated. One great example is our friends over at Bloom Group, who are the thought leaders for thought leadership. Few seasoned marketing professionals would argue that... [read more]

REPORT: Facebook and the New Age of Privacy

It’s said that opposites attract. However, in social media, it’s quite the opposite. The idea of privacy and publicity are in fact at odds with one another. And at the heart of the matter, one social network is caught in the crossfire of sharing information and TMI (too much information). The line that separates privacy and openness... [read more]