While (most) dogs can be trained, Jeremy Greenberg found that (many) customer service skills must be learned, often through trial and error, or, in this case, through email.  Two years ago, I adopted a very cute Cheagle (Chihuahua-Beagle mix) named Buddy. Buddy was abandoned by his owner in North Carolina and rescued by an organization in New York. He was shy at first, and his anxiety quickly became evident: clawing at the door frantically when left alone, whimpering and shaking…

In this article, Anastasia Ksenofontova explains why studying both the relationship and transactional insights of your B2B customers is the first step in establishing customer success.  In the B2B world, salespeople are traditionally the only reliable source of information about customers. Conversely, salespeople consider the marketing function to be out of touch with reality. Product specialists are seen as too technical to communicate directly with key customer decision-makers. The customer success function is either absent or spread out among various…

In this post from his company website, Jeremy Greenberg shares the ten tenets of the customer diplomacy movement. As business owners and leaders, we know that our customers are the lifeblood of our companies. Without them, we wouldn’t exist. When customers leave us for our competitors, express dissatisfaction, or want to see a change in our products or services, we should set out to understand why. But, why wait until then? If we do, it may be too late. We…

Anubhav Raina shares a convincing post on the power of influencing others. Being able to influence someone on a key issue is the single greatest superpower you can have. From convincing a client or boss to try out your idea, to being able to guide your family into seeing things your way. Humans are influencing each other ALL the time, and similar tHow it started I still remember the moment. I was 23 and had just found out what my…

Xavier Lederer identifies a key component that must be considered when building a strategy for growth.  You are not competing directly against your competitors, you are competing to be unique in the marketplace.” What does your most valuable prospect look like? “Probably a lot like your existing valuable customers. The easiest and most profitable growth will be achieved by adding additional customers very much like your current most valuable customers,” explains Robert Bloom in his book “The Inside Advantage.” Clients…

  James Black provides an update on how COVID-19 forced museums and cultural institutions to reshape how they interact with the public and still provide an engaging experience. As the WSJ noted, “With galleries and museums closed due to Covid-19, online offerings blossomed—giving viewers the chance to experience outstanding exhibitions and masterpieces in a new, digital way.” (12/13/20). From an analysis of the activities of 20+ institutions around the world, completed via desk research and interviews with various CEOs, board…

  Amanda Setili asks us to think about how interaction with clients has changed and what expectations will be in the years ahead. Imagine that it’s three years in the future, in 2024. Largely gone are the days of flying somewhere to meet with a customer for an hour or two. Customer expectations have changed dramatically; they want substance more than just a few hours together. Instead of a social call, customers in 2024 want substantive gatherings of talent. For…

  Robbie Baxter shares a video and transcript of this interview on subscription-based business with insights on how to quantify the value of customer relationships.  Revenue from loyal customers is more valuable than anonymous transactional revenue–it’s more predictable and more profitable. But until recently corporate valuations haven’t had a way to distinguish the quality of the revenue based on customer relationships. Dan McCarthy, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business, is advocating for a new approach,…

  Robbie Kellman Baxter shares her latest post on key subscription-based business strategies. This week she covers the new metrics of subscription models. Selling is hard. You have to find the prospects, attract their attention, build their trust, understand their needs and goals, and then get them to sign the agreement. It’s much easier to keep the customers you have, and focus on extending and expanding that relationship. That’s why there’s been an explosion in the “Anything-as-a-service” models (XaaS)–in the…

  David A. Fields shares a blog post on the omnipotent power of gratitude and how it can serve your consulting practice. Extra bonus tips included in the comments.  At this time of year, one word is bandied about with unusual frequency. It turns out that word can help you win more consulting business. Each Friday I pause to consider everything I have to be grateful for. Family, friends, a thriving business, homemade banana-chocolate cream pie. Some wise folks do…

  Azim Nagree explains which methods of communication work best during a pandemic and why.  When companies ask me how to accelerate sales or improve retention, I tell them a story. I needed to purchase a sign for my wife’s French pastry shop. I spoke with the front desk clerk who said that it would be around $90. A few days later, I got the final quote from the sales person – $265. And with that, I was out. The…

  Carlos Castelan’s company blog provides five questions to help you think about and prepare for the future post COVID-19. To say that 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone is an understatement. The last six months have brought an enormity of difficulties and change to both the world of retail and the global population. While we don’t have the fabled Sports Almanac to identify future results, we wanted to share five questions that we have used with our…

Kaihan Krippendorff provides three signposts that can direct your organization towards a successful pivot.   If people try to tell you that pivoting is the new thing, that it’s the fresh Silicon Valley approach to business designed for today’s fast-paced digital world, don’t believe them. Consider Fairfield University, a private school founded just outside of New York in Fairfield, Connecticut, by the Catholic Church – a 2,000-year-old organization. In 1941, the society that runs the Jesuit school system had acquired two…