I once worked in a place where my manager got mad at one of my teammates for being too much of a customer advocate. This left me scratching my head. By definition, an advocate is a supporter, promoter, or backer, so, given that, I kind of thought that’s what we were supposed to be doing. … Continue reading Are you an advocate or an adversary? Only one truly increases success.

During a webinar I was attending, the presenter made a comment that they once talked to some business leaders about the importance of customer focus and those leaders rolled their eyes. They then had to have a conversation about the importance of customers in business. You can imagine me shuddering in disgust. What the hell … Continue reading Business is about people. If you don’t get it, get out of business.

Compassion. It's not something we talk about too much in the world of business, but we should. Why? To answer that, let’s first come to grips with what compassion is, and then, look at why it’s important to the work we do. So, what is compassion? Well, it’s not empathy. Empathy is about understanding and … Continue reading Compassion. In business? Really? Why? How?

In just about any human endeavor, there are two dimensions at work. One is objective—elements that are black/white, yes/no, 1/0, and are easily measured and managed—while the other is subjective—these are the elements that are not easily measured like emotions, feelings, and behaviors.  This set up fits with how our brains work. As Daniel Kahneman … Continue reading Want your business to be known for great service? You’ll need a balanced approach.

Leaders solve problems, they also—should—help the people following them solve problems. However, many of them don’t so much help as they jump in and take over. It’s that overwhelming leadership urge to be hero rather than helpful guide gently steering them to useful solutions. This heroic urge impacts just about everyone, and as much as … Continue reading Why leaders should stop trying to be heroes and what to do instead.

Civility, courtesy, and manners are severely lacking in our world today. Here are five behaviors we can practice to lead change. Consideration – Taking time to see others and take into account their needs and feelings is an invaluable relationship skill.  Consideration of others affirms their basic human value and shows respect. Using Please and … Continue reading Want to make a difference? Try manners.

We live in a time of great upheaval where people are very divided. One thing we all share though is a need for freedom. The need to be able to do things that further our beliefs and help those we love to thrive without having to succumb to the control of others. Over the span … Continue reading Freedom. Ironically, for it to work, there must be control.

Let’s get this straight. Customers do not buy products, they buy what products help them do. Thus, the goal for businesses is to determine what it is they help people do and then proceed to help them do it in the best way possible. This means there is more to business than just selling a … Continue reading Do you know what game your business is playing? Is it the sell game or the serve game? Knowing determines everything.

Businesses send messages to customers all the time. Sometimes they are intended and sometimes not. I was getting some work done on my car and had to use the restroom. I walked in and …AAAHHHH!!! It was like a dingy truck stop in the middle of nowhere. But I couldn’t wait. Business had to be … Continue reading What message do your restrooms send?

“Customer satisfaction is the biggest driver of customer retention.” I saw this the other day as the subject in an email and had to ask, “Is this news to anybody?” This kind of thing always surprises me. How can things that are so obvious be such eye-opening news? It seems the customer experience movement gets … Continue reading C’mon business leaders, do you really need proof of the obvious? CX matters.