Word of Mouth marketing, the art of getting your customer to brag about your company, is the most coveted marketing plan in the business world. Yet, word of mouth marketing is the most untapped resource that many business owners implement. Understanding the motivation that your customers feel when they refer you is the key to creating a marketing plan that continues to create the behavior that your loyal customers are looking for to share your story.

When a new business starts up, the expectation is …click here to read more

What if you had super-powers?  What if you could choose the super-power you possessed?  What if you didn’t need to have an alter-ego or alias, but instead, you could assert your power upon everyone who crossed your path, every moment of every day?  Would the world be a different place?

All too often, we tend to carry lowered expectations with us wherever we go.  Even we in the customer service industry are not immune to this phenomenon.  And this is how it usually plays out.  We don’t expect much in the way of service, and so when we don’t get much – we chalk it up to having met our expectations.  On rare occasions, we receive the minimum amount of service, and we clap our hands with enthusiasm for what could be considered by some as a satisfying experience.  But once every blue moon… someone exceeds our expectations such to the point where our faith in humanity, and the possibility of genuine extreme customer service asserts itself in the most amazing of ways. …click here to read more

The complexity of language is one of the things that differentiates us from the animal kingdom.  Our ability to take such complexity, and complicate it further is uniquely human!  In life, as well as business, it would do us well to simplify whenever and wherever possible.

When healthy, two-way communication is the desired outcome, one must never assume the thoughts or disposition of the other.  Rather, respect is demonstrated when room for dialogue, and then complimentary, informative feedback is provided. This is especially true in the business world. …click here to read more

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and we suppose that they are right.  Opportunities to connect in an overwhelmingly positive manner present themselves in abundance at the very onset of a relationship, and diminish over the passage of time, directly correlated with an increase in the number of opportunities missed.

The relationship that you create with your customer is no different.  Your ability to represent willingness to help and the competence to accomplish that goal from the outset will largely determine how your customer feels about you from that point forward.  It behooves us to have a positive, uplifting, can-do attitude. …click here to read more

Welcome! (huh?)

Dear <Name Field Here>, (you’ve got to be kidding!)

Thank you for your recent subscription. (my wha…?) By subscribing to our newsletter (I didn’t!!) you’ll receive the following benefits:

- Exclusive coupons & discounts (on products & services I don’t purchase)
- Valuable product information (like warnings of spam e-mails?)
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- Invitations to enter Sweepstakes, Promotions & Giveaways (You need MORE of my contact information?)
- Business tips and advice (Here’s some tips and advice for YOU…) …click here to read more

Do you attend networking events?  If not… why not?  You must have a reason.  We’re interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.  Just leave us a comment below, and let’s talk about it.

In the meantime, if you are among the many that we know who do attend networking events, we’d like to pose a different question: What’s the point? …click here to read more

One of the most common issues that we deal with as we train our clients is the collision (in their minds) of “the way we used to do it”, and “what you’re trying to get me to do now.”  And it’s true, our system of business development and corporate training significantly differs from the mainstream, traditional methodology.  That’s why people hire us.  If what you are doing right now is really working for you, you probably don’t require our services.  If, however, you are looking for new ways to increase bottom lines, or gain and retain more customers… we’ve got a system that really, really works.  But it will require a change in behavior, and that is rarely an easy proposition at the outset. …click here to read more

Cold weather gear on a sub-zero day. That fantastic sub sandwich that you love so much.  Your favorite chocolate cake.  What do all of these things have in common with advertising and marketing?  They all have layers – and each layer is essential to the success of the whole.

Recently, we have been talking quite a bit about the layers of marketing and advertising.  And the thing that has occupied most of our conversation is the fact that we have never before really explored the value of the individual layers involved in running an effective campaign. …click here to read more