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    Be Foolish More Often In Engineering
    As engineers and technical professionals we are all trained to be logical and rational and rely on proven facts in making decisions. The approach with engineers is to vigorously apply the blowtorch to any concept which is rather nebulous and stick to solid engineering design practise. However as Margot Cairnes, an Australian leadership strategist recently pointed out: ‘This often means being conventional, boring and underperforming (when creating solutions to difficult problems). In a changing world, creativity is essential, not only to keep pace with change but to be at the crest of the wave’.I am sure you have been in numerous engineering meetings which grind on and on regarding some trivial but critical design issue. Important, perhaps, in many cases. But we submerge our creat
    one. It is highly personalized, customer-centric, customer-driven." (From One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time).

    Known variously as customer relationship management (CRM) and one-to-one marketing, personalisation is being practiced by businesses large and small across all sectors of the economy. The message here is simple: you want to lavish personal attention on customers who are going to reciprocate by being consistently good purchasers of your product or service

    Generally Accepted Accounting Principals - A Primer
    Accountants are the keepers of the standards. They are the ones who make sure that when we look at a financial statement, we can be reasonably that it was built using sound accounting practices and that it is comparable to other audited financial statements for other companies.That sounds like a daunting task, but never fear. The accounting professional is in business to help you through all this.The accounting profession is self-regulated. They decide the most appropriate way to record company activity on the financial books of record. They do this through an august board of seasoned professionals, the Accounting Practices Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). This group defines what is known as “Generally Accepted Accounting Principa
    For many of us - especially those in service businesses - our existing and previous customers are vital for three reasons:

    1. They have already bought from us, so providing they had a good experience, they might buy from us again. We also know that getting a new customer is much more expensive than selling to an existing customer, so by continuing to sell to them, we are really saving ourselves some money.

    2. They can give us invaluable feedback on how we did. Was our service good enough? Did we delight them or were we 'just ok'. Did our product meet their expectations? Was it good value for money? And so on.

    3. They continue to save us money because they should be our major source of referrals and new business. So through them, we get access to new clients who already know about us and have a positive opinion of what we do.

    Most clients I meet are not leveraging their existing customer database, and by not doing so, are losing out on a cost effective source of potential new business. Many receive referrals - for which they are grateful - but it's not because they actively sought the referral, or had a strategy in place to ask for it.

    Here are 8 ways to maximize the value from your most valuable asset:

    Delight your Clients

    Anyone with half a brain can satisfy a customer. But only when you continually delight customers will they keep coming back. You should aim to exceed your customers expectations on every interaction that they have with you. Do this consistently, and you will have a customer for life.

    For example, you think your loyal client could benefit from reading a section of your ebook or an article you've written? Surprise them and make it a gift. Sure, you could say, "I'll give you a fifty percent discount." Forego the money. Give your client a reason to stick around and spend a thousand dollars instead.

    Personalise, personalise, personalise

    "We are entering an era where one size no longer fits all-or even a few. We are entering an era where one size fits one. It is highly personalized, customer-centric, customer-driven." (From One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time).

    Known variously as customer relationship management (CRM) and one-to-one marketing, personalisation is being practiced by businesses large and small across all sectors of the economy. The message here is simple: you want to lavish personal attention on customers who are going to reciprocate by being consistently good purchasers of your product or service.

    Advertising to Promote a Service Business
    Do you own or run a service business? Are you looking to get more bang for your advertising buck? Have you tried Yellow Pages only to find the cost is outrageous and the competition is fierce and then field half the calls coming in knowing they are merely competitors shopping you? Are you sick and tired of direct mail, newspaper and the local radio stations, which put your business in the middle of the deck, bottom of the page or play the commercials at 3 AM in the morning? Have you simply had enough and know it is time to get tough?If all of these are concerns to you then perhaps you need to audit all of your current advertising and look to see if you are indeed delivering a simple message to the consumer. Is your advertising compelling to get the customer to call you? Is the fr
    t them or were we 'just ok'. Did our product meet their expectations? Was it good value for money? And so on.

    3. They continue to save us money because they should be our major source of referrals and new business. So through them, we get access to new clients who already know about us and have a positive opinion of what we do.

    Most clients I meet are not leveraging their existing customer database, and by not doing so, are losing out on a cost effective source of potential new business. Many receive referrals - for which they are grateful - but it's not because they actively sought the referral, or had a strategy in place to ask for it.

    Here are 8 ways to maximize the value from your most valuable asset:

    Delight your Clients

    Anyone with half a brain can satisfy a customer. But only when you continually delight customers will they keep coming back. You should aim to exceed your customers expectations on every interaction that they have with you. Do this consistently, and you will have a customer for life.

    For example, you think your loyal client could benefit from reading a section of your ebook or an article you've written? Surprise them and make it a gift. Sure, you could say, "I'll give you a fifty percent discount." Forego the money. Give your client a reason to stick around and spend a thousand dollars instead.

    Personalise, personalise, personalise

    "We are entering an era where one size no longer fits all-or even a few. We are entering an era where one size fits one. It is highly personalized, customer-centric, customer-driven." (From One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time).

    Known variously as customer relationship management (CRM) and one-to-one marketing, personalisation is being practiced by businesses large and small across all sectors of the economy. The message here is simple: you want to lavish personal attention on customers who are going to reciprocate by being consistently good purchasers of your product or service

    Job Search Myths Exposed: Career Myths And Rumors
    As a recruiter I have heard and read many suggestions related to job searching and career development. I've spent a significant amount of time helping people find their dream career and have also watched as some candidates have made huge mistakes that have prevented them from doing so.One of the biggest mistakes I've seen is when job searchers listen to advice without considering the source. Often the source isn't accurate.As a recruiter, I get paid to help people find new jobs so I have to know what is right and what is wrong when it comes to job searching.Here are perhaps the biggest myths I've encountered during my career in recruitment:Myth #1: You can find a job in 14 days/30 days, etc. I've seen products on the Internet that refer to things
    ferrals - for which they are grateful - but it's not because they actively sought the referral, or had a strategy in place to ask for it.

    Here are 8 ways to maximize the value from your most valuable asset:

    Delight your Clients

    Anyone with half a brain can satisfy a customer. But only when you continually delight customers will they keep coming back. You should aim to exceed your customers expectations on every interaction that they have with you. Do this consistently, and you will have a customer for life.

    For example, you think your loyal client could benefit from reading a section of your ebook or an article you've written? Surprise them and make it a gift. Sure, you could say, "I'll give you a fifty percent discount." Forego the money. Give your client a reason to stick around and spend a thousand dollars instead.

    Personalise, personalise, personalise

    "We are entering an era where one size no longer fits all-or even a few. We are entering an era where one size fits one. It is highly personalized, customer-centric, customer-driven." (From One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time).

    Known variously as customer relationship management (CRM) and one-to-one marketing, personalisation is being practiced by businesses large and small across all sectors of the economy. The message here is simple: you want to lavish personal attention on customers who are going to reciprocate by being consistently good purchasers of your product or service

    Mobile Detailers; Customer Window Displays
    Mobile detailers have all types of customers, many of whom are self-employed. We know that these customers love their automobiles as most Americans and therefore love the services we provide. So much so that they will refer us new customers and tout our services. But they are willing to do much more if you ask them. Like referrals you get more when you simply ask. Let me give you another couple of ideas.Have you ever seen a sign in the window of a business that says UPS YES/NO. Well, how about “Reflections Auto Detailing” (A Logo) with a slider for YES or NO. And on the other side a matchbox car glued to the slider handle. How about a sign that says; “No Soliciting Except For Reflections Auto Detailing” or a half sheet of paper that says; “Reflections Auto Detail Country”. Your
    ve a customer for life.

    For example, you think your loyal client could benefit from reading a section of your ebook or an article you've written? Surprise them and make it a gift. Sure, you could say, "I'll give you a fifty percent discount." Forego the money. Give your client a reason to stick around and spend a thousand dollars instead.

    Personalise, personalise, personalise

    "We are entering an era where one size no longer fits all-or even a few. We are entering an era where one size fits one. It is highly personalized, customer-centric, customer-driven." (From One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time).

    Known variously as customer relationship management (CRM) and one-to-one marketing, personalisation is being practiced by businesses large and small across all sectors of the economy. The message here is simple: you want to lavish personal attention on customers who are going to reciprocate by being consistently good purchasers of your product or service

    Incredible Power In Numbers
    As a promoter and publicist representing liberal arts clients, my daily existence can be anything but normal. As such, I would like to disseminate a bit of my experience that may be of significant benefit to business owners who work in more mainstream industries.Although previously only a witty saying to me, I now have firsthand experience that the age-old axiom, "There is power in numbers," is indeed an accurate statement. For, it is a verifiable fact that the more something is presented to more people, the more it will continually find responders who support it.As an example, in the music industry, in order for a recording artist to obtain a Gold record award for sales, the artist must sell a minimum of 500,000 units of the recording.While that number may seem s
    one. It is highly personalized, customer-centric, customer-driven." (From One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time).

    Known variously as customer relationship management (CRM) and one-to-one marketing, personalisation is being practiced by businesses large and small across all sectors of the economy. The message here is simple: you want to lavish personal attention on customers who are going to reciprocate by being consistently good purchasers of your product or service.

    Give these customers an incentive to share information about themselves that you can use when you contact them next. The more your customers feel as though you are treating them individually, the more likely they are to continue their relationship with you.

    Provide Guarantees

    A guarantee is a powerful tool for keeping your customers when they might otherwise go elsewhere. With a good guarantee, you tell your customers where and how to complain, and that complaining is worth their time and effort. It also shows that you care. A good guarantee is unconditional, easy to understand, meaningful, easy to invoke and easy to collect on.

    Ask for Feedback

    If you don't know what your customer thinks about you, your business, your product and your services, then you might as well close shop.

    People will endorse your business not because they think it looks good, but because they know it is good. If they have problems with your services, customers are the best source of objective advice on how to make improvements. So have a process in place where you regularly ask them for feedback. And once they've given it to you, let them know how you are going to use it. They will begin to feel involved in your business, and are more likely to send other people your way.

    Reward them for being Loyal

    Loyalty marketing programs are designed to engender loyalty and increase sales from your best customers. When properly designed and executed flawlessly, loyalty programs provide a vital link between your business and your customers, improving customer satisfaction and increasing sales. Here are some commonly used ideas for creating your own loyalty program:

    ? preferable rates for loyal customers

    ? provide bonus product or service if they have bought before

    ? programs that promote multiple purchases (buy 3 and get the 4th free)

    ? Points program - each purchase is worth points. When they amass a certain number of points they get a reward of some kind

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