A New Role for HR: Support Your Company’s Brand

One of the biggest challenges for Human Resource executives is breaking through the fence to get in the game. In this case the fence is real. But there is an opening if one knows what game to play.

Here’s How: Get Involved With the Brand

Except in a few instances, most companies offer largely undifferentiated products and services; airlines fly the same planes and serve the same food, financial service businesses offer similar advice and investment options, and retail stores offer the same merchandise. The list goes on.

Because of the undifferentiated nature of their businesses, such firms as, Disney, Fidelity, Southwest Airlines, to name a few, have made branding a core element in their business strategy. In many respects, their brand strategy is their business strategy, and vice versa.

A brand, simply put, is a promise to customers that a specific level of value, quality, and service will be received. Think of a brand as a covenant between a business and its customers. The promise is usually communicated through mass media advertising. Here are some current examples.

• FedEx – Don’t worry, there’s FedEx
• MasterCard – There are some things money can’t buy
• Xerox – Break Out
• Bose – Better Sound Through Research
• GE – Imagination at Work

When a brand promise is not kept, customers flee and go elsewhere. A classic example is the fate that befell Eastern Airlines when it promised to “Earn its Wings Everyday” through superior customer service while at the same time losing bags, canceling flights and serving lousy food.

As a result, the bonds of trust between customers and the airline were irrevocably broken. The net effect was passengers boycotted Eastern in droves and it eventually went out of business killing the brand for eternity.

What went wrong? Eastern Airlines failed to align the behavior of their employees with the brand promise. They failed to understand that the lines of copy in an ad do not deliver a brand promise, nor by an airplane or piece of machinery – it’s delivered by people.

Herein lies the opportunity for Human Resources to get through the fence and into the game, by helping ensure that all of the large and small actions that people take every day, throughout the organization, fall in line with the brand strategy.

This requires becoming knowledgeable about brands and branding as well as becoming familiar with the company’s brand strategy and marketing communications, especially advertising. This shouldn’t be too difficult. There are tons of books on the subject.

In addition, contacting the advertising agency handling the company account and asking for a “Branding 101″ session and a review of the company’s advertising and communications program is a great way to get up to speed.

How to Play: Get Involved With Your Company’s Business Brand

A second requirement is to make the brand strategy the lynchpin of the HR strategy. The first step is to convert the brand promise into “Brand Behaviors.” A well known financial services business developed a brand strategy around the idea that their financial representatives were, “Trusted Financial Advisors.”

The Human Resources function helped to identify the specific behaviors required to deliver the promise. For example, HR asked people to steer clients away from types of investments that were lucrative for the financial representative but risky for the client, to refer clients to other experts when necessary, to always give the pros and cons of investment choices, and to identify client needs before recommending investments.

After operationalizing the brand promise, the next step is to make sure training and development programs, performance management systems and compensation programs are designed to reinforce and promote “brand behavior.” In doing so, HR can change the way employees think and behave as they go about their daily activity.

This includes everyone in the enterprise, not just front line employees. This results in creating a “brand culture” where the organizing principle for all activity centers on delivering the brand promise to customers.

The success of Southwest Airlines is based on doing this. You’ll know if you’ve succeeded in creating a brand culture when everyone in the organization thinks and acts on the idea that “I am the brand.”

A third requirement for becoming involved in implementing the brand strategy is to brand the HR function itself. It’s a matter of walking the talk. All internal staff functions have customers who in an era of outsourcing have the option of looking elsewhere if they are not satisfied. There is no better way to establish credibility as a player in the branding game than creating and fulfilling your own brand promise better than any one else in the enterprise.

This requires the same steps as implementing the company’s brand strategy: create the promise, operationalize the required behaviors, and develop training, performance management and reward programs to align employee behavior.

Many CEOs today see the brand as a strategic asset and spend a great deal of time making sure the brand is thriving. In a very real sense CEOs have become the “keeper of the brand” and often have a powerful emotional attachment to their brand.

Understanding the business and emotional importance of the brand to the CEO and being able to link the role and mission of the Human Resources function to the brand strategy can greatly enhance the value and stature of the HR function.

It will no longer find itself trying to break through a fence to get in the game. Instead it will be standing at attention while the national anthem is being played.

Gary Billings has thirty years successful experience as a management consultant and corporate human resources executive in a variety of businesses.

 

What is Branding and How Important is it to Your Marketing Strategy?

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.

Therefore it makes sense to understand that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem.

The objectives that a good brand will achieve include:

• Delivers the message clearly
• Confirms your credibility
• Connects your target prospects emotionally
• Motivates the buyer
• Concretes User Loyalty

To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact.

Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot.

A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. It’s important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It’s a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.

Laura Lake

Recession pushes IT professionals into classroom

A massive proportion of IT professionals are considering studying for new qualifications during the current recession to improve their chances in the job market.

According to research from the IT Job Board, 83% of IT professionals are thinking about gaining new qualifications.

Of these, 37% said they hoped to improve their chances of getting a job and 29% wanted to broaden their skills.

In terms of updated their CV, 46% of respondents said they would highlight the number of years of experience they have, while 34% considered it important to show relevant IT qualifications.

The study also revealed that 100% of recruiters said candidates highlighting their additional IT qualifications would stand a better chance of securing a job, and those with certifications that supported experience would progress further.

“It is clear that representatives from across the IT sector are placing real emphasis on the need for employees to broaden their skillset, and demonstrate a deep level of knowledge,” said Jamie Bowler, head of marketing at The IT Job Board.

“IT professionals who fail to keep up-to-speed with industry changes and new qualifications risk the possibility of missing out on new jobs to those taking a more serious and planned approach to developing their careers,” he added.

Compass logistics chose Momenta InfoServices as their principal ICT supplier.

Compass logistics, a leading transportation specialist providing full fledged support in air, sea and land transportation, has chosen Momenta InfoServices as their principal ICT supplier for managing their Multi-offices across Asia-pacific and Middle East.

Momenta InfoServices would be deploying Compass’ network across the regions and managing the same. The Remote management of the same would be offered by Momenta InfoServices NOC in India and on-site management through its Service partner network.

The network comprises of technologies varying from Cisco, HP & Avaya which would be managed by Momenta.

12 words you can never say in the office

The article, written by Carolyn Duffy is about using outdated tech terms, which really show your age.  They have put together alternatives that can be used instead of these outdated terms.  This list is useful for 20-somethings, too. Now when the geezer in the office uses one of these terms, you’ll know what he’s talking about.

1. Intranet

Popular in the mid-’90s, the term “intranet” was eclipsed by portal not too long ago, and even that name seems to be waning. [Editor’s Note: This paragraph has been corrected in response to readers’ comments.]

2. Extranet

An “extranet” referred to private network connections based on Internet standards such as IP and HTTP that extended outside an organization, such as between business partners. Extranets often replaced point-to-point electronic data interchange (EDI) connections that used standards such as X12. Today, companies provide suppliers, resellers and other members of their supply chain with access to their VPNs.

3. Web Surfing

When is the last time you heard someone talk about surfing the Web? You know the term is out of date when your kids don’t know what it means. To teens and tweens, the Internet and the World Wide Web are one and the same thing. So it’s better to use the term “browsing” the Web if you want to be understood. Or you can just say “Google” since everyone uses that term as a verb.

4. Push Technology

The debate over the merits of “push” versus “pull” technology came to a head in 1996 with the release of the PointCast Network, a Web service that sent a steady stream of news to subscribers. However, PointCast and other push technology services required too much network bandwidth. Eventually, push technology evolved into RSS feeds, which remain the preferred method for publishing information to subscribers of the Internet. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.

5. Application Service Provider (ASP)

During this decade, the term “Application Service Provider” evolved into “Software-as-a-Service.” Both terms refer to a vendor hosting a software application and providing access to it over the Web. Customers buy the software on a subscription basis, rather than having to own and operate it themselves. ASP was a hot term prior to the dot-com bust. Then it was replaced by “SaaS.” Now it’s cool to talk about “cloud computing.”

6. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

Coined by former Apple CEO John Sculley back in 1992 when he unveiled the Apple Newton, the term “personal digital assistant” referred to a handheld computer. PDA was still in use in 1996, when the Palm Pilot was the hottest handheld in corporate America. Today, the preferred generic term for a handheld like a Blackberry or an iPhone is a “smartphone”.

7. Internet Telephony

You need to purge the term “Internet telephony” from your vocabulary and switch to VoIP, for Voice over IP. Even the term VoIP is getting old-fashioned because pretty soon all telephone calls will be routed over the Internet rather than the Public Switched Telephone Network. It’s probably time to stop referring to the PSTN, too, because it is headed for the history books as all voice, data and video traffic is carried on the Internet.

8. Weblog

A blog is a shortened version of “Weblog,” a term that emerged in the late 1990s to describe commentary that an individual publishes online. It spawned many words still in use such as “blogger” and “blogosphere.” Nowadays, few people have time to blog so they are “microblogging,” which is another word that’s heading out the door as people turn Twitter into a generic term for blasting out 140-character observations or opinions.

9. Thin Client

You have to give Larry Ellison credit for seeing many of the flaws in the client/server computing architecture and for popularizing the term “thin client” to refer to Oracle’s alternative terminal-like approach. In 1993, Ellison was touting thin clients as a way for large organizations to improve network security and manageability. Although thin clients never replaced PCs, the concept is similar to “virtual desktops” that are gaining popularity today as a way of supporting mobile workers.

10. RBOC

In 1984, the U.S. government forced AT&T to split up into seven Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) also known as Baby Bells. Customers bought local service from RBOCs and long-distance service from carriers such as AT&T. Telecom industry mergers over the last 15 years have formed integrated local- and long-distance carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and Qwest. This makes not only the term RBOC obsolete, but also the terms ILEC for Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (i.e., GTE) and CLEC for Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (i.e., MFS).

11. Long-Distance Call

Thanks to flat-rate calling plans available from carriers for at least five years, nobody needs to distinguish between local and long-distance calls anymore. Similarly, you don’t need to distinguish between terrestrial and wireless calls because so many people use only wireless services. Like pay phones, long-distance calls—and their premium prices—are relics of a past without national and unlimited calling plans.

12. World Wide Web

Nobody talks about the “World Wide Web” anymore, or the “Information Superhighway,” for that matter. It’s just the Internet. It’s a distinction that Steve Czaban, the popular Fox Sports Radio talk show host, likes to mock when he refers to the “Worldwide Interweb.” Nothing dates you more than pulling out one of those old-fashioned ways of referring to the Internet such as “infobahn” or “electronic highway.”

Unified Communications in the Cloud

Unified communications (UC) has been the main focus of the VoIP industry over the last few years. And over the last twelve months or so cloud computing has become a big driver of enterprise software. The big transition for UC over the last year was its transition to software. So, if you believe that UC is a software market, and most people believe that, and you believe software is moving to the cloud, then the next step is that UC is moving into the cloud. The enterprise market has been absolutely bombarded lately over the topic of Cloud Computing.

UC in the cloud is a natural extension to UC and the future is really a blank canvas where you can imagine all kinds of innovation. Emerging cloud-based UC services are offering companies an opportunity to cut communications costs while not sacrificing features. But companies must be willing to give up some control, particularly around security, if they want to try cloud-based UC. From small businesses to enterprises, a variety of options means that companies of all sizes can see savings if the tools are used strategically.

SMBs in particular could hand over most of their communications needs completely to the right host. With this approach, companies can avoid the staffing, software and hardware costs associated with running communications in-house. Also, the subscription-based model of cloud-based UC allows more flexibility. Companies can add and subtract applications as needed, rather than getting locked into a license for an application that no one uses. Cloud computing represents the next major wave of information processing.

Benefits include the potential to cut communications costs while not losing features and the ability to scale services up and down depending upon the need for them. However, companies will have to give up some control (but to be fair, this is true of all hosted apps) if they go into the cloud for a UC solution, with security being the biggest concern. Enterprises are more reluctant to hand over their communications to the cloud, and they have economies of scale to properly support internal UC technology.

But they too, can benefit from cloud-based UC. For instance, specific lines of business could tap into hosted tools that the company as a whole might not need. Though cloud-based UC is still nascent, the possibilities of hosted UC could take enterprises to places they’ve never thought of before. Companies that go with a hosted option will always get the latest and greatest without having to worry about upgrades or compatibilities, and Momenta expects one of the major areas of innovation to be integration of these SaaS applications into the rest of the enterprise’s business line.

To learn more about Momenta’s UC solutions and offerings, click here.

Doing IT Better With Managed Services

IT Services sit at the heart of almost every business acting as an enabler for your staff and your customers, and ultimately delivering value to the bottom line. It is the delivery mechanism for your businesses information, flowing to clients, prospective clients, and staff alike. It also allows you to protect your intellectual capital, data. For some businesses they choose to do this in-house, employing their own staff and facilities to deliver services, others choose to outsource it. 

When it comes to making the decision on whether to outsource, businesses need to clearly identify the weighted importance of a number of key requirements:

• Availability
• 24/7 support
• Scalability
• Availability of power, cooling and resilient network feeds
• Service Level Agreements

Then they need to identify the internal costs of delivery, any constraints, and the benefits of managing the systems yourself (such as control) and weigh these against the costs and benefits of a number of outsourced solutions.

Colocation: Outsource the data centre and manage the hardware, security, network, Operating Systems and applications yourself, delivering support whenever required, typically without SLA. Ideal for those with an in-house technical team with a broad range of skills with the ability to support the system whenever support is required. 

Shared Services: Outsource the support of the system to a third party Shared Hosting Provider that will deliver services using shared firewalls, servers, networks and security. This is typically ideal for those with tight budgets that are prepared to sacrifice the benefits of a dedicated infrastructure for the delivery of a low cost system.

Dedicated Managed Hosting Services: Outsource the delivery and support of the network, security, server and operating system environment, allowing your business to focus on the critical applications that deliver value to the business. This is typically for businesses that have identified a high weighted importance to the requirements bulleted above. They have constraints within their own data centre in terms of security, power and connectivity; they have a highly skilled technical team that they want to focus on application delivery and support, not on day to day support of a hardware environment. They do not want to have their own support staff on call 24/7 and they have to deliver against a tight SLA to their own clients, whether inside their own business or a paying customer.

Managed Colocation: Managed Colocation bridges the gap between Colocation and Dedicated Managed services. This is a partial outsource solution which delivers the benefits of the traditional outsource model; cost savings, security and availability but also allows clients to keep ownership and control of the chosen components of their IT infrastructure. In other words clients get complete flexibility to add whatever services they need to the basic colocation service.

Momenta’s 24×7 Managed Services offerings provide companies with the same high availability and performance that once required a large internal support staff. Momenta provides the following Managed Services at the moment:

• Network, hardware and software performance monitoring.
• Patch and Update Status, O/S health, Servers, Desktops, Network Applications, Remote VPN Connections.
• Device Bandwidth and Performance monitoring for Routers, Switches, Firewalls.
• Security Monitoring of: Firewall events/alerts, virus activity, network security events, application compliance, asset monitoring.
• Remote access and assistance for Servers, Desktops, End-users.
• Onsite service and support for network issues and customer requests.
• Quarterly or Monthly Reports on Security, Hardware, Applications, Incidents, Network, Backup.

Momenta infoServices is the services subsidiary of Momenta Global Group, a technology, media and telecommunications group that uses disciplines of outsourcing, human resource management and knowledge management to optimise operations and profitability. Each of Momenta’s divisions operate as independent entities with the unique advantage of being able to function and deliver as one entity and thus providing our clients a one stop shop solution for perfecting their business strategy, execution, delivery and profitability.

IT infrastructure deployment to business process outsourcing, Momenta and our experienced team of business process architects, engineers and consultants are able to transform your ideas into realities and your requirements into deployments. Momenta infoServices using its Master MSP (Managed Service Provider) global delivery model spread across United States, APAC, MEA (Middle East and Africa) enables its partners in transitioning and achieving MSP (Managed Service Provider) status and in-turn partners and customers get the advantage of being able to use different skill sets spread across locations to deliver the most cost effective and advanced solutions for your business requirements.

Momenta is a company focused on delivering customer centric solutions based on the integration of technology, media and telecom. Momenta develops operational, marketing and communication convergence for organisations around the MENA region. The Momenta support strategy revolves around three basic components:

• Uninterrupted availability of skilled resources
• Technology infrastructure optimisation
• World class operational and support processes

The main strength lies in is delivery process which is in synch with the best practices in industry and automated and customised as per its customers’ requirements. It is revolutionising the way network services are delivered by developing intellectual property and an innovative methodology to deliver the same. Our NOC is equipped with state of art technology infrastructure and applications to cater to most advance network systems in the industry.

The NOC is equipped with some of the best tools available in the industry to customize the process of delivery that best fits the Customer’s requirements. This addresses client demands for less expensive, rapidly delivered network solutions using industry-leading software tools. The following document elaborates on the complete services portfolio of Momenta along with the services delivery infrastructure and value prepositions.

Momenta as “Master MSP” offers its Master Managed Services offerings only through its partners that includes IT System Integrators and VAR’s. Momenta enables its partner with Best practices, technologies and tools on a pay per use model to transition them into an MSP. For detailed information on our Managed Services Offerings please take a look at our Managed Services page, or e-mail us for a Momenta Managed Services brochure.

Strategies for Effective Knowledge Sharing

The knowledge shared with the right indent can do wonders for any person or organisation. All those involved in knowledge sharing can benefit from such an effective sharing process. We gather our knowledge on various subjects from experience and studying and sometimes from our mistakes. When that knowledge is shared, it will become easier for others to get the information faster.

The knowledge and expertise gathered from years of experience can be easily transmitted to the new generation, when it is effectively presented and communicated. Here knowledge sharing assumes an important role in social development. The modern day gives you ample opportunity to share your knowledge not just through classroom lecturers or seminars. You can effectively share your knowledge and expertise through Internet, the biggest media in the world.

Various forums, Blogs and Websites make it easier to share your knowledge faster and effectively to a vast audience that are scattered around the world. The feedbacks you get from your readers will help you to further increase in your knowledge. The Internet provides an easy retrievable system of the shared knowledge. Internet is full of good and bad information. Filtering of knowledge for the authenticity is very important when you depend on the Internet for knowledge sharing.

Ensure that the source of information is dependable and authentic before you start accepting and sharing it. An efficient process in sharing the knowledge must be in place as far as any growing organisation is concerned. This helps all people who are working in the organisation share the same vision and strategy to work for the betterment of the organisation.

According to World Bank, there are seven pillars in defining a clear strategy for knowledge sharing, based on the business needs of an organisation. These include:

1. Keeping small the central Knowledge Management unit which oversees overall implementation.
2. Making available a budget to allow communities to function.
3. Supporting the development of communities of practice.
4. Keeping information technology user-friendly and responsive to its users needs.
5. Orchestrating systematic communications to explain what knowledge means and to keep everyone informed.
6. Introducing new incentives to accelerate the shift towards a knowledge culture.
7. Developing a set of metrics to measure progress.

Managing an organisation’s knowledge more effectively and exploiting it in the marketplace is the latest pursuit of those seeking a competitive advantage. The interest in knowledge management has surged during the last few years, with a growing number of publications, conferences and investment in knowledge management initiatives. The range of knowledge management solutions provided by Momenta touches many aspects of business operations:

• Creation of knowledge databases – best practices, expert directories, market intelligence, and so on.
• Effective information management – gathering, filtering, classifying, storing, and so on.
• Incorporation of knowledge into business processes, such as through the use of help screens in computer procedures or access to experts from icons.
• Development of knowledge centers – focal points for knowledge skills and facilitating knowledge flow.
• Reuse of knowledge at customer support centers, such as via case-based reasoning.
• Introduction of collaborative technologies, especially intranets or groupware, for rapid information access.
• Knowledge webs – networks of experts who collaborate across and beyond an organisation’s functional and geographic boundaries.
• Augmentation of decision support processes, such as through expert systems or group decision support systems.

Our Knowledge Management expertise helps address the challenge of managing the greatly increasing volumes of data by employing the right technology and solution mix enabling capture, codification, storage, dissemination, and reuse of your corporate knowledge assets for speedy and accurate information sourcing and smarter decision-making and action-taking. Momenta employs the best Knowledge Management practices for our internal needs to boost knowledge accumulation, sharing, reuse and augmentation to collect valuable knowledge assets for our employees, as well as to stimulate their intensive use and development.

Simplify Your Payroll Management

Human Resource is the most vital resource for any organisation. It is responsible for each and every decision taken, each and every work done and each and every result. Employees should be managed properly and motivated by providing best remuneration and compensation as per the industry standards. The lucrative compensation will also serve the need for attracting and retaining the best employees.

Compensation is the remuneration received by an employee in return for his/her contribution to the organisation. It is an organised practice that involves balancing the work-employee relation by providing monetary and non-monetary benefits to employees. Compensation is an integral part of human resource management which helps in motivating the employees and improving organisational effectiveness.

However, handling the payroll can be confusing and time-consuming, although knowledge of the basics and special software can help simplify the process. As your business grows, at least one of your employees should take on the responsibility of payroll management, or you can look into the cost-effectiveness of outsourcing the job.

Payroll management can include a number of steps such as:

1. Calculating wages
2. Deducting taxes
3. Printing and distributing checks
4. Signing checks
5. Setting up direct deposits
6. Pretax deductions such as health care and other deductibles

A good pay/compensation package is important to motivate the employees to increase the organisational productivity. Unless pay/compensation is provided no one will come and work for the organisation. Thus, pay/compensation helps in running an organisation effectively and accomplishing its goals. Salary is just a part of the pay/compensation system, the employees have other psychological and self-actualisation needs to fulfill. Thus, pay/compensation serves the purpose.

The most competitive pay/compensation will help the organisation to attract and sustain the best talent. The pay/compensation package should be as per industry standards. In such a scenario, there is definitely a need for a good payroll/compensation management system to be in place. Many firms turn to specialiaed payroll companies such as Momenta to handle the job. After all, it is complicated, time-consuming and usually cheaper to outsource it rather than hire someone to take care of it in-house.

However, there are some points you need to consider if you choose to outsource your payroll function:

• Pick a company that has experience with similarly sized businesses. Turnover is high in the payroll management industry, so try and talk to existing customers to gauge their satisfaction. Also, find out if the service firm has clients in your area and is familiar with the local tax laws that apply to you.
• Find out if payroll management is the firm’s main function or an afterthought. Many service firms offer payroll as an ancillary service, so they may not be committed to meeting your needs.
• Make sure the firm is bonded and insured. Smaller companies may not be, and this can lead to trouble if the firm mishandles your funds.
• Explore what other services the firm can offer you. Some firms will charge a lot to cut special checks, but the nature of your company may require this.
• Watch out for early low-fee offers. This is fairly common, but of course the firm will seek to make up the loss at some point. This usually comes in the form of additional fees or aggressive sales upgrades.
• Examine the service firm’s infrastructure. Some payroll firms consist of just a few employees, so make sure someone will always be available to answer your questions, even if your primary contact is on vacation. Also, if you foresee growth in your company’s future, check to make sure the service firm can handle a bigger workload as you add employees. It can be costly and time-consuming to switch payroll firms.
• Inquire as to possible penalties. Payroll firms are efficient when the information from their clients comes in on schedule. If, however, you do not submit your data on time, your paychecks may arrive late or you may be assessed a penalty. Also, there might be a fee associated with cutting a check as opposed to having the payroll firm do direct deposit.

Customer Retention in Tough Times

Economic downturns can wreak havoc on businesses. As a business owner or manager, it’s important to make an honest, accurate assessment of your situation and take the necessary steps to remain healthy. Customer retention and business development are central to successful managing through a downturn.

As a business owner, it’s my job to maintain a high-level view of the company and the status of all projects. And a big part of this is keeping an eye on customer satisfaction–you’d be surprised at how far executive involvement goes toward creating and maintaining happy clients.

Here are a few tips to help you manage your business more proactively and increase its ability to thrive and grow.

Customer Retention

Make sure your idea of superior client service is in line with your client’s expectations:

• Measure client satisfaction. Ask for feedback and critique to improve your performance and service.
• Monitor the feedback your customers provide about your company and be prepared to respond to it. Recently, United broke a passenger’s guitar through reckless baggage handling. The passenger responded with a video about the incident that has generated millions of views and unfavorable perceptions.

Maintain high-touch relationships with clients:

• Invest in relationships with your clients.
• Pick the most high-touch method of communicating with clients. Meet in person when possible and value phone calls over impersonal emails. A close, personal relationship might save you when your client starts looking for areas to cut costs. Despite all the technological advances, people still do business with people.

Focus on quality in your product or service:

• Define clear success for metrics with the client and continually exceed them.
• Promise something realistic and deliver something exceptional.
• Train your staff and set expectations for delivering excellent service and results. Humor is an effective way to demonstrate desired behaviors as illustrated in this Customer Service Video.

Business Development

Marketing yourself:

• Market to convince prospective customers that your product or service is a wise investment. Money is tight; market how your expertise, product or service adds value to a client.
• Examine your marketing and business development strategies and make sure you’re knowledgeable your target audience. Fully embrace the “quality over quantity” mantra.
• Monitor your competitors’ advertising and know what they’re doing.

Growing your current clients:

• It is much more cost effective to grow current clients than it is to go out and woo new ones.
• Current clients are more profitable as working relationships are established and efficiencies recognized.

Objectively analyzing your customer retention strategy is not a simple task. However, it is an essential part of ensuring the success of your business. Successful businesses take the opportunity to emerge from challenges stronger than when they started.

BY Melinda Partin