When I was growing up, we wanted to avoid being someone with a “reputation.” Today, we want a reputation, but we need it to be positive. However, maintaining one’s reputation is getting harder and harder. As social media and social networking sites continue to flourish, the power of the individual voice is growing greatly. We have to protect our reputations, and have … [Read more...]
Successful Marketing Strategies for The Job Seekers
I have several friends who recently found themselves in the market for a new job – and, fortunately, have successfully landed another job. Watching them through the process, I’ve concluded that finding a job in today’s job market can be like conquering a new frontier – and not just because the job market is flooded with stiff competition. The days of mailing in your resume … [Read more...]
Are Your Client Delight Efforts Misplaced?
I have spent many years speaking about the concept of creating an exceptional client experience. I even have the term, “Client Delight” trademarked because of the educational materials I have created around this topic. But recently, I read something in Harvard Business Review (July-Aug 2010) that made me change my thinking on this topic, quite drastically actually. The … [Read more...]
Generic Answers Lead to Lost Opportunities
If you find yourself constantly resorting to generic answers when people ask you questions about yourself – it’s time to rethink your approach. We can so often drift through our day, not even seeing the opportunities in the conversations with others. From the simplest Hey, how are you? to the more complex questions you are asked throughout your work day - how often do you … [Read more...]
People ARE listening! The question is – Are you saying anything worth hearing?
From years of experience, I’ve learned that if I leave a voicemail message for my husband, I have to get to the compelling and important information at the beginning of the message. If I leave it for the end, he never really makes it there. He begins doing something I call “light listening” (i.e. He’s bored with his own wife’s rambling message and can barely pay … [Read more...]
Winning isn’t everything…
Vince Lombardi famously said “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” or some variation on that theme. Do you think it’s true? Is it really all or nothing? Well, what is true, typically, is that the runner up will not be remembered. Sometimes, our instincts are to minimize the value of winning. We tell ourselves, “It’s ok if we don’t win” or “We’ll get ‘em next … [Read more...]
Rallying a Revolution: What We Can Learn From The Chicago Blackhawks
Whether you’re a hockey fan that was rooting on the Flyers or the Blackhawks this past week – what the Chicago Blackhawks have done to turn around their franchise in 18 short months is nothing short of staggering. Just think if your business had faltering success… since 1961. Your clients no longer show up, having lost all enthusiasm for you and your brand. It sounds … [Read more...]
Manufacturing Loyal Employees – Is it Possible?
I have observed many firms attempt to create loyalty and an inspiration for hard work amongst their staff. One financial planning firm has actually gone to the extreme in attempting to create a staff of loyal, committed staff people. But what has transpired, instead, is more of an episode of The Office than a truly inspired workforce. The reason: loyalty is not something … [Read more...]
Are You Working in the Red Zone, or Just Working?
Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing What is worth the effort in your business? Where does your productivity and focus pay off the most? Of course, the activities that produce the greatest results are not the easiest. The biggest successes often come when we are in the difficult, magnified, and critical “red zone.” The red zone is a common football term. … [Read more...]
Are Your Rules Made To Be Broken?
Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing Sometimes the rules and regulations that are created are so ridiculous that it seems that they can’t possibly have been designed to follow. It makes you wonder if some rules really were just meant to be broken, even in our own businesses. Last week I was on a flight from Detroit to Chicago. There was a line of … [Read more...]