Comments on: Get on the phone! http://www.hooversbiz.com/2009/04/20/get-on-the-phone/ Individuals - Companies - Industries: How We Work Now. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:09:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Tim Walker http://www.hooversbiz.com/2009/04/20/get-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-14479 Tim Walker Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:11:28 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/?p=2528#comment-14479 Thanks for pointing me to the Godin video, Dave, which I had seen a while back, but which bears repeated viewing. It's amazing how many obvious problems -- and often their obvious solutions, too -- reveal themselves as soon as we start taking responsibility for noticing and acting on them. Thanks for pointing me to the Godin video, Dave, which I had seen a while back, but which bears repeated viewing.

It’s amazing how many obvious problems — and often their obvious solutions, too — reveal themselves as soon as we start taking responsibility for noticing and acting on them.

]]> By: dblwyo http://www.hooversbiz.com/2009/04/20/get-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-14460 dblwyo Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:06:27 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/?p=2528#comment-14460 Addendum: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/04/this-is-broken.html If you haven't seen this 20 min talk by Seth on "this is broken", otherwise known as the what are they thinking pitch, it fits perfectly with your theme. Addendum:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/04/this-is-broken.html

If you haven’t seen this 20 min talk by Seth on “this is broken”, otherwise known as the what are they thinking pitch, it fits perfectly with your theme.

]]> By: dblwyo http://www.hooversbiz.com/2009/04/20/get-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-14458 dblwyo Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:59:43 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/?p=2528#comment-14458 Tim - a stunning figure ain't it ? And so simple to "fix" one can only be re-stunned at the lacks. There are three major functions that touch the market- and customer-space: Marketing, Sales and Customer Service. Each in their own way is a bi-directional channel if properly managed. Each is largely broken in the way you and M-H describe. Here are some acid tests to judge both functional effectiveness and overall enterprise health: 1) Marketing - are they telling authentic stories appropriate for the times ? 2) Sales - are they following a disciplined process that maintains the customer relationship ? 3) CustSrvc - is it chartered to serve the customer's interests or the firm's ? A cost to control or a way of making your value higher ? All of which are readily observable and so become judgment sticks to measure enterprise performance with. Companies that are failing are not good bets as survivors, investments or partners IMHO. Tim – a stunning figure ain’t it ? And so simple to “fix” one can only be re-stunned at the lacks. There are three major functions that touch the market- and customer-space: Marketing, Sales and Customer Service. Each in their own way is a bi-directional channel if properly managed. Each is largely broken in the way you and M-H describe. Here are some acid tests to judge both functional effectiveness and overall enterprise health:

1) Marketing – are they telling authentic stories appropriate for the times ?

2) Sales – are they following a disciplined process that maintains the customer relationship ?

3) CustSrvc – is it chartered to serve the customer’s interests or the firm’s ? A cost to control or a way of making your value higher ?

All of which are readily observable and so become judgment sticks to measure enterprise performance with. Companies that are failing are not good bets as survivors, investments or partners IMHO.

]]> By: Tim Walker http://www.hooversbiz.com/2009/04/20/get-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-14456 Tim Walker Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:44:58 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/?p=2528#comment-14456 Thanks for the nice comment, Mark. I particularly like what you say about "unnecessary" risk. Because of the ways the economy has changed in the past year, some companies find themselves facing unavoidable challenges -- lower total demand, harder for their customers to get bank credit, et cetera. But this one is *totally* avoidable. One more thing: if you call up your customers now, you might be chagrined to find out that they can now justify only half of what you sell them. But when it comes time to purchase again, renew service subscriptions, or the like, would it be better to keep a happy customer who's using that half . . . or lose a customer who will now do *no* business with you? Thanks for the nice comment, Mark. I particularly like what you say about “unnecessary” risk. Because of the ways the economy has changed in the past year, some companies find themselves facing unavoidable challenges — lower total demand, harder for their customers to get bank credit, et cetera. But this one is *totally* avoidable.

One more thing: if you call up your customers now, you might be chagrined to find out that they can now justify only half of what you sell them. But when it comes time to purchase again, renew service subscriptions, or the like, would it be better to keep a happy customer who’s using that half . . . or lose a customer who will now do *no* business with you?

]]> By: Mark Keating http://www.hooversbiz.com/2009/04/20/get-on-the-phone/comment-page-1/#comment-14452 Mark Keating Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:22:14 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/?p=2528#comment-14452 Tim: It always astounds me when businesses don't do something as basic as asking for feedback. It's even more astounding in the current economy. Assuming that what worked for your customers six months or a year ago is still working for them today is a huge risk. And an unnecessary one. Thanks for sharing. Mark Tim:

It always astounds me when businesses don’t do something as basic as asking for feedback. It’s even more astounding in the current economy. Assuming that what worked for your customers six months or a year ago is still working for them today is a huge risk. And an unnecessary one.

Thanks for sharing.

Mark

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