Way to Grow

A Look Back and a Look Forward

In my AllBusiness.com blog The First Year yesterday, I recommended that readers look back at 2006 and consider what went well and what didn't during the past year as they were entering the new year. It's one thing to give advice to others, but I also try to follow my own advice! 

When it comes to my Way to Grow blog, I was less active posting in 2006 than I wanted to be. I was fortunate to have a lot of consulting business in 2006, and I was able to take my first real vacation in 6 years!  I also interviewed 9 subjects for my book and tried to dedicate some time each week to writing. In April I started writing a blog for AllBusiness.com, and soon, I just wasn't getting as much done on the book as I wanted and I posted very infrequently to Way to Grow.

I'm starting a book proposal now and, while 2007 looks to be another busy year for consulting, I'm resolving to spend more time writing this coming year, including posting to Way to Grow. After all, with the passage of time, my readers of The First Year are moving on into the second year of their businesses and need new insights besides that "getting started" advice.

Thanks for reading, and best wishes for health and success in the new year!

Great Customer Service Creates Marketing Ripples

I've been thinking a lot lately about the marketing benefits of good customer service. What got me started was Glenn Ross' blog on AllBusiness.com. Glenn is the customer service Business Advisor there, and he ran a Customer Service Carnivale of posts from others last week.

Then I had an exceptional customer service experience this weekend, so I posted that on my own AllBusiness blog, The First Year. I mentioned that I would definitely do business again with that retailer based on my experience. What I didn't mention was: I'm telling everyone I know (and via my blogs, some I don't) about it!

So while ruminating on the word-of-mouth value of treating customers well, I dug into my newsreader archives and found The Yes Bank from Bird's Eye View. Susan Bird says about Commerce Bank, which calls itself The Yes Bank:

No matter what you ask for, they're trained to figure out how they can say yes, how they can accommodate whatever your little heart desires.  It doesn’t mean you get it.  It means they make an effort, and usually the answer is, in fact, yes.  In fact, I'm told it takes two Commerce people to say no!

I attended a meeting this morning of a dozen business leaders in New York and when the subject of retail banking came up, I swear two of us sounded like Commerce employees.  It was contagious; Commerce must have gotten at least two new customers as a result.

Too bad Commerce Bank isn't in my area!

Is it expensive for you to give your customer's exceptional service? How much more expensive per year? And what is the value to your business of two new customers? If that extra effort will more than pay for itself in new business, how can you afford not to delight your customers?