The Wealthy Business - by EnergizeGrowth

Don't Occupy Seattle! Harvest More Value from Your Customer Base

Nancy Porte of Vovici (now a Verint company) recently read my book, and asked me to spend time discussing some highlights. In this Listening Post interview, you will learn:

• Why it's important to balance online and offline customer feedback approaches
• The one factor most companies ignore when profiling their ideal customer
• How to gather valuable, live customer feedback

The 9/11 Song

Close your eyes

You can close your eyes, It's alright

I don't know no love songs

and I can't sing the blues anymore

But I can sing this song

You can sing this song, when I'm gone

--James Taylor, "Close Your Eyes"

In the Spring of 2001, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the long descent down the World Trade Center elevator. The whirring sound of the wind tunnel felt as exciting as an amusement park ride.

During that ride, I felt privileged to have completed a consulting assignment with OppenheimerFunds. Their headquarters office was situated in Two World Trade Center. Then-President Jim Ruff was one of those clients who really wanted our project team to succeed. 

photo courtesy of Steve Berry photos

I dropped by a World Trade Center boutique, treated myself to a new silk skirt, returned to my hotel, and planned my return flight home to San Diego. Little did I know what events would soon unfold.

You're Invited August 31: B2B Expert Panel with EMC, DemandBase

There comes a time when you have to stop blaming business slowdown on a tough economy and break free from feeling marginalized and commoditized.

I have found B2B companies who are thriving and innovating at a record pace. This session will bring their fresh ideas to you.

Join me on August 31 for this complimentary live panel discussion from the comfort of your office from 11-11:45 am PT/2-2:45 pm ET. FOCUS Expert Network will be hosting:

"Customer Centric Marketing Strategies to Escape the Commodity Trap"

 Click here to register and learn more. Don't worry--if you miss the event, you will receive the replay at no charge.

As a member of our community, I'm counting on you to send me your questions for our esteemed panelists:

Jim Bampos, VP of Customer Quality at EMC Corporation

and

Chris Golec, CEO of DemandBase

Register now. See you on the call!

copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

1 to 1 Feature Article: Attitude and the Customer Experience

I recently enjoyed meeting Ginger Conlon, Editor in Chief of 1 to 1 Media, a Peppers & Rogers company.
Ginger and her editorial crew span the globe to identify customer-centric planning and marketing trends.
She recently reviewed my book and asked me to comment on:

• The linkage between customer experience and your BS (belief systems)
• How values can guide positive customer experience efforts
• Tips for tracking the right key performance indicators
• Specific actions that today’s customer-focused companies should stop doing

Enjoy this article now:
http://www.1to1media.com/weblog/2011/08/attitude_and_the_customer_expe.html

copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

EnergizeGrowth Goes Dutch: Podcast on Growing Mindshare and Market Share

I recently discovered a like-minded company from the Netherlands--Energize NL. Founder Klaas Weima recently interviewed me on key growth issues, including:

• The biggest obstacles to growth
• How leaders address a slowdown in growth
• What is BS, and how it impedes market growth 

This 22 minute discussion provides some Cliff Notes on my latest book.

Click here to download:
http://www.energize.nl/wat-we-delen/sparkcast/?sce=46

Click here to listen on iTunes:
http://tinyurl.com/6z64e6q

Copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

Bye, Bye Borders

I am going to miss Dennis and his friendly sales team at Borders BWI Airport stores.
He made my recent book signing happen flawlessly. He ensured my Starbucks latte awaited me when I arrived. He was genuinely proud to host nationally-recognized authors at his location.

 

Sadly, his enthusiasm was not enough to keep his stores afloat.

The halcyon days of Borders airport book signings have vanished.Their demise leaves me wondering: what drove Borders to liquidation, and what can any growth-oriented business leader learn from its downfall? Here is my read:

1. Borders responded too slowly to seismic technology and publishing shifts. They revised their website too late in the game to adapt to the new book selling paradigm. From 2001 until 2008,they chose a strange bedfellow--Amazon--to outsource their online sales.Their version of an e-reader, the Kobo (who?), premiered in 2010. Too little, too late.

2. They over-invested in their (antiquated) bricks and mortar model. Borders signed 15- and 20-year leases for huge retail properties. When it came time to shed cash-draining properties, they were left with serious debt. Their 2011 bankruptcy filing explained this strategic error.If they had looked outside the retail publishing sphere, they would have found several examples of viable, pared-down retail models. Umpqua Bank's Ray Davis once boasted to me that they could launch a bank store within four months for less than $400,000. ING Direct, which was recently acquired by Capital One, cleverly launched a finite set of cafes in select cities. They created a retail presence without breaking the bank.

3. They never created a powerful community of customer evangelists.Have you ever heard a colleague profess their undying loyalty to Borders and eschew amazon, Barnes & Noble, Netflix, or file-sharing networks? I thought not. During tough economic times, it's easy to focus too much of your time on expanding capacity and forget to invest time with customers. Think of the last time you visited customers or interacted with prospects in your call centers, executive briefings, advisory group meetings, or other  live gatherings.

As an author and avid reader, I am sad to see another media retailer disappear. I am hopeful that Dennis and his loyal team find a new home that rewards agility and customer-centric strategies.

What are your thoughts? Please share them here.

copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

Three Causes of Business Growth Gridlock

 I was just interviewed on Allegiance Radio today. In this 30 minute discussion, you will hear:

• How the definition of a wealthy business has changed in the past decade
• The three main causes of business growth gridlock
• The role that Voice of the Customer programs play in today's challenging business environment
• Examples of successful customer-centric companies

 
Thank you, Jeff Olsen, for inviting me today. Here is the link for you to enjoy.

copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

 

How to Energize B2B Sales - Exclusive Interview

I just enjoyed another provocative discussion with John Cousineau, founder of Innovative Information. His company develops breakthrough tools to help B2B companies predict and improve sales productivity.

 

 

 

 

John Cousineau, 2011.

 In this post, you will hear:

• Three things savvy B2B companies are doing to accelerate sales
• How courageous companies plan for growth
• The importance of analytics to accelerate decision making and how to "fail fast"

Enjoy the interview - click here.

Are Your Presentations Powerful or Pathetic? 4 Profitable, Persuasive Presentation Preparation Tips

Over the past month, I attended three conferences. Each one brought together some of the greatest minds in B2B sales and marketing. Sadly, some of their presentations distracted us from their important messages. A chronic case of PPD (Pathetic Presentation Disorder) surreptitiously sabotaged their agenda.

How to Give Your Customers a Voice in Growth Planning

When you can attribute a 20% revenue gain to a customer centric culture or program, you get noticed. And that's exactly what happened to several Voice of the Customer thought leaders during the annual Allegiance Engage Summit 2011 in Deer Valley, Utah.

Jim Bampos, VP of Customer Quality at EMC Corporation, was one of the show stealers--and for good reason. Unlike many companies who talk a good game about putting customers first, EMC can prove it.

EMC dances on the leading edge of the Voice of the Customer (VoC) movement.

 

Interview with Jim Bampos (listen time: 7 minutes)

VoC programs emerged from the market research milieu. This term describes the in-depth process of capturing a customer's expectations, preferences and aversions. Specifically, VoC systems produce a detailed set of customer wants and needs and prioritizes them in terms of relative importance and satisfaction with current alternatives. Highly evolved VOC program leaders also analyze and act upon free form customer comments from multiple sources, including call centers, salespeople, Twitter, etc.