If you will allow me a little poetic license, with the first few lines of Hamlet’s immortal speech;

To be Customer-Focused, or not to be Customer Focused that is the question:

Whether it ‘tis better to do what is necessary to reap the benefits of being truly customer-focused

Do Diversity Policies Matter?
A recent survey conducted by the National Society of Hispanic Professionals (NSHP) asked 268 Hispanics their opinion on diversity policies in the workplace. A whopping 72 percent of those surveyed felt that diversity policies were more words than actions or did not make a difference, while only 27 percent felt that such polices were necessary in the workplace and benefited Hispanics. While it is probably true that most Hispanics surveyed believe in the ideals of diversity, it is apparent from the survey that a large majority of respondents do not feel that its purposes have been accomplished to their satisfaction. On the other hand, human resources executives at many of the largest corporations in the United States continue to tout their advanced diversity policies and the great accomplishments they have made in designing a workplace that closely reflects the US cultural landscape. Who really is correct, the respondents to the survey or human resources execs? Do diversity policies actually make a difference? The answer depends on whom you ask.Employees and HR execs expect different results from diversity policies. Corporations and their execs generally expect that diversity policies will foster creativity among their employees and have a positive effect o

This is the first in a series of short articles about understanding why customer focus is strategically important, what it means to be truly customer-focused and how to create or improve customer focus in your organization. This article presents a simple business case for the strategic importance of creating greater customer focus. Many excerpts are taken from the book, That’s Customer Focus! We hope you find in interesting and helpful.

Most of you will probably recognize this soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them?

To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd.

To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

A popular interpretation of the speech suggests that it is a debate on suicide. Hamlet considers the attractions of death (not to be), which he refers “to a sleep”, over life (to be), where pain seems unavoidable. But in the end he decides that; his fear of possible suffering in the afterlife as opposed to the known evil that is life stops him from actively ending his existence.

What has this got to do with Customer Focus?

Based on the unacceptably high levels of poor or mediocre customer service, prevalent across North America and other parts of the globe, it appears that many companies seem to favor “not to be”. The evidence we have to support this view surrounds us. Everyone of you, that has taken the time to read this article, for which we thank you, has undoubtedly experienced poor or mediocre service personally if not today, than very recently.

If you will allow me a little poetic license, with the first few lines of Hamlet’s immortal speech;

To be Customer-Focused, or not to be Customer Focused that is the question:

Whether it ‘tis better to do what is necessary to reap the benefits of being truly customer-focused

Things You Need About Invitations Printing
Though it is said that technology had drastically changed the way of living, still we can never deny the fact that there are still some traditions that are still being practiced at present.Like for invitations printing, although we could easily communicate with our loved ones using e-mail and cell phone, still we prefer to come up with invitation prints.Invitations had remained to be the most common way to let people know about your upcoming party. With the capabilities of printing companies providing invitations printing jobs, you can easily seek for a faster printing service.Invitations printing are a sure way of making a successful announcement for your party. It works to get the attention of your target recipients and can bring interest to your invited persons.Moreover to successfully work out with your invitations there are several factors that you need to think of before doing the printing production.1.Designs – the designs of your cards must be appropriate with the occasion. Let say you are about to inform your loved once about your upcoming wedding, the designs must show a wedding design. Worrying about this is no longer a problem because there are lots of wedding invitation designs online that you can have for your inv

will probably recognize this soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them?

To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd.

To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

A popular interpretation of the speech suggests that it is a debate on suicide. Hamlet considers the attractions of death (not to be), which he refers “to a sleep”, over life (to be), where pain seems unavoidable. But in the end he decides that; his fear of possible suffering in the afterlife as opposed to the known evil that is life stops him from actively ending his existence.

What has this got to do with Customer Focus?

Based on the unacceptably high levels of poor or mediocre customer service, prevalent across North America and other parts of the globe, it appears that many companies seem to favor “not to be”. The evidence we have to support this view surrounds us. Everyone of you, that has taken the time to read this article, for which we thank you, has undoubtedly experienced poor or mediocre service personally if not today, than very recently.

If you will allow me a little poetic license, with the first few lines of Hamlet’s immortal speech;

To be Customer-Focused, or not to be Customer Focused that is the question:

Whether it ‘tis better to do what is necessary to reap the benefits of being truly customer-focused

Tips to Maximize the Sale of Your Business
Question: How can I maximize the amount of cash I receive when I sell my business?Answer: Acquire every last after tax dollar and get paid in cash. Also, follow three critical steps before proceeding:1. Preplan the sale of your business. This should not be a spur of the moment decision. Rather, it should be well planned in advance. Though it is not possible to control the external environment, such as interest rates and strength of the economy, it is possible to plan for an orderly transition. Start thinking about some obvious sources for a potential buyer. For example, should an employee be groomed for possible succession? Might a good customer be interested in acquiring your business in the event of its sale?2. Recognize the importance of finding the right buyer. Most businesses don't have a value that is set in stone. Instead they have a range of value. This means that different buyers will have different perceptions of the same business's value. It becomes important to pre-plan your confidential marketing effort to gain exposure to multiple buyers, especially synergistic buyers. Synergistic buyers are those individuals who, because of their location, complimentary customer base, financial resources or market position, can profit more fro

shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd.

To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

A popular interpretation of the speech suggests that it is a debate on suicide. Hamlet considers the attractions of death (not to be), which he refers “to a sleep”, over life (to be), where pain seems unavoidable. But in the end he decides that; his fear of possible suffering in the afterlife as opposed to the known evil that is life stops him from actively ending his existence.

What has this got to do with Customer Focus?

Based on the unacceptably high levels of poor or mediocre customer service, prevalent across North America and other parts of the globe, it appears that many companies seem to favor “not to be”. The evidence we have to support this view surrounds us. Everyone of you, that has taken the time to read this article, for which we thank you, has undoubtedly experienced poor or mediocre service personally if not today, than very recently.

If you will allow me a little poetic license, with the first few lines of Hamlet’s immortal speech;

To be Customer-Focused, or not to be Customer Focused that is the question:

Whether it ‘tis better to do what is necessary to reap the benefits of being truly customer-focused

Succeed By Impressing The Right People!
There is a Zen story that I like a lot about the man in a rowboat who saw a distant ship on the horizon.As it got closer, he thought, “Hmm, it’s heading toward me; that’s strange.”Then it got closer, still. “Hey, you, what’s up? Turn away!”Still closer, he screams, “You’re going to hit me! Turn away, turn away!”The next thing he knows, he’s spitting water, wondering what happened. As he looks at the ship, continuing on its course, he notices it doesn’t have a pilot.He wasted all that time shouting to no one. He would have been better off changing his own course slightly, than trying to get the attention of a phantom.Yet, this happens all the time, in business and in personal life: We try to impress the wrong people.Let me give you an example.It’s a lot of fun being on radio and TV, but all in all, these media have yielded less management consulting and success coaching business to me directly, than trade publications in the fields of sales, customer service, and success and entrepreneurship.Despite the fact that the audiences are huge, radio and TV deliver a different type of audience that is in a different mood. Plus the transience of the medium, the fact it’s on the air and not on paper, makes writ

le suffering in the afterlife as opposed to the known evil that is life stops him from actively ending his existence.

What has this got to do with Customer Focus?

Based on the unacceptably high levels of poor or mediocre customer service, prevalent across North America and other parts of the globe, it appears that many companies seem to favor “not to be”. The evidence we have to support this view surrounds us. Everyone of you, that has taken the time to read this article, for which we thank you, has undoubtedly experienced poor or mediocre service personally if not today, than very recently.

If you will allow me a little poetic license, with the first few lines of Hamlet’s immortal speech;

To be Customer-Focused, or not to be Customer Focused that is the question:

Whether it ‘tis better to do what is necessary to reap the benefits of being truly customer-focused

Technology Is Not a Substitute for Organization
Technology is changing business for everyone -- from small home- based businesses to mega multi-national corporations. Whether you are inspired or threatened by those changes, they are here to stay, or more accurately, to continue changing. You cannot only survive these changes, but turn them into exciting opportunities by applying some basic organizing principles.Not many years ago, getting organized was an option. Today technology has made it a necessity for three reasons: Today we have more to organize than ever before. Not only did the computer not give us the paperless age, it created more. In addition, we now have to organize the technology itself. Computers, fax machines, cellular phones, and on-line services enable us to do more -- and require us to do more. The speed of the microchip doubles every 18 months -- with no end in sight.Secondly, as a result of the economy, and fueled by the capabilities of technology, companies are downsizing. All managers used to have an assistant, and it was the job of that assistant to keep them organized. We fired the assistants, and are now faced with organizing ourselves.And finally, there is a greater sense of urgency than ever before. If I can fax you a question in 20 seconds, why can’

time to read this article, for which we thank you, has undoubtedly experienced poor or mediocre service personally if not today, than very recently.

If you will allow me a little poetic license, with the first few lines of Hamlet’s immortal speech;

To be Customer-Focused, or not to be Customer Focused that is the question:

Whether it ‘tis better to do what is necessary to reap the benefits of being truly customer-focused

Or maintain the status quo and do nothing but continue to handle customer complaints, put up with customer churn and operational inefficiencies

And by doing nothing?

Commit long-term corporate suicide...

Customer Focus Is Not an Option!

Everywhere you turn, Corporate Head Offices extol the virtues of service but when it come down to it, most of the time they are really paying accelerated lip service to this the importance of service.

This is very curious, particularly when you consider the number-one reason why that small number of service leaders, you know, those few companies where the service is almost always really great, consider customer service a.k.a. customer focus to be a critical business strategy.

What is the Number 1 reason you ask?

Customer Focus is a Profit Strategy!

This happens in a couple of ways. Truly customer-focused companies have loyal customers. Loyal Customers:

• buy more,
• cost less to serve because they know your processes,
• tell you when things go wrong so you can fix the problems and
• tell their friends, family and associates about how great you are and as a result you get more customers.

Also, customer-focused companies are more productive. Employees are motivated, and perform their jobs more effectively.

Re-work, duplication of effort and mistakes are significantly reduced. These all cost you money in terms of time spent, money spent, loss of productivity and loss of business.

Your turnover also reduces so you keep your staff longer and don’t experience down-time, productivity losses and employee morale related issues.

If you are still not convinced, consider the following:.

1. It’s 5 times more expensive to