What is the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t? Attitude. The first step to success is believing you can. As Mark Emkes, recently retired CEO of Bridgestone Americas, said in a recent interview, “if you don’t think you will hit the baseball, you won’t.”
The great thing about attitude is, it is within [...]
From the category archives:
MARKETING
In a few weeks, I will be interviewing Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A. In their corporate communications, they talk about their “raving fans”. They have even registered the phrase. I was asking a friend of mine who is in marketing at Southwest Airlines whether they have a “raving fans” marketing plan, and [...]
Have you met anyone who enjoys being a road warrior? George Clooney in Up in the Air aside, most people don’t really enjoy slogging from airport to airport and hotel to hotel. Air travel is unreliable with constant delays. Security is tight with restrictions that make it difficult to get basic supplies on board. And [...]
Have you ever wondered where common sense comes into play in decision making? I once encountered an executive who believed that if he could just explain to his customers why he has to charge what he does to make a profit they would understand. In a role reversal exercise, when he was the customer, he [...]
Banking is a dirty word in some circles. The recent economic challenges have galvanized the public’s negative sentiment toward those greedy “Wall Street bankers”. What you may not know is many banks would agree with you. The cliché, “a few bad apples spoil it for the whole bunch” applies. Most banks are trying hard to [...]
The definition of a brand is “everything that gives an entity its recognition, meaning and value.” The brand perception held by the public, your customers and others familiar with your brand may or may not match the intended brand image. Crafting a brand blueprint is the process of identifying all the touch points your brand [...]
Everybody knows what branding is, right? I used to think so, but I am no longer convinced. The definition of a brand is “everything that gives an entity its recognition, meaning and value.” Seems simple enough but there are many misunderstandings that inhibit branding execution and reaching the full potential of brand value. Here are some [...]
Just back from a trip with a new dose of customer service frustration. I am reminded of the book by Ted Cohn, Why are you making it so hard for me to give you my money? His point isn’t that companies don’t want your money—they just don’t want to serve you to get it. No more [...]
In today’s competitive marketplace, companies are only as good as their people. The best companies get that and have unique hiring processes to hire people who are aligned culturally with their company’s brand promise.
But, so many companies don’t. How many times do you encounter those in the service profession (such as retail associates, telephone customer [...]
This is not a news flash. We have always known that change is not a luxury of choice. Yet, we have never been in the position we are now––facing so much change all at once and at such a rapid pace. We are surrounded by it… technology, health care treatment (not insurance, an entirely different [...]