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AttitudeAttitude is how a person comes across. It’s a feeling we get about someone’s mindset, mood, outlook and energy. We have a sixth sense when it comes to sensing peoples’ in-the-moment attitude. While some people are pretty consistent in their outward appearances of attitude, others vacillate. We sense attitude changes in friends, families and coworkers. […]

Responsiveness Responsiveness is the perceived time it takes for your team to act on promised and implied commitments. By definition, these implied commitments are unspoken and often assumed by custom, like returning a phone call within two days. Since there’s no official rule of response times per channel between company and customer, unless you specifically […]

PersonalizationPersonalization is how your team communicates to individuals uniquely based on their key attributes and behaviors. Companies often use a one-size-fits-all communication framework that’s workable for most of their customers. “Workable” communications will help you satisfy your customers, while personalized communications deepen relationships and help you create super-satisfied customers.   There are two key aspects […]

“Helpful” is in the eye of the person being helped, not the person providing the help. Your customer is the judge and has to feel that the expertise you provide really is helpful to their exact situation and is given in a manner that suits both their personality and experience with the subject.   Before […]

You are the absolute center of your company’s Hot Center. Look inward to expand outward. The hotter the center, the more it attracts Quality Customers to your company.   In this step, you’ll articulate your company’s most important Values and Principles. You need to get this on paper. Download and use the Hot Center Worksheet […]

If every employee behaved as you do with other staff and customers, how hot would your company’s Hot Center glow? If SUPER HOT flashed into your mind, you’re right. Whether you have one or 100 team members, adding your team’s aligned thinking and actions to your own Hot Center will power your company’s engine for […]

Expand your company’s Hot Center to include your best customers by selecting those who are fans and significant purchasers of your services. Your “Voice of the Customer” tour.During my work at American Ratings Corporation, we’ve conducted customer satisfaction research for thousands of local companies, and they’re a great tool for Diamond Certified company owners. I […]

Lots of local companies provide services that Quality Customers purchase once and then not again for a long time. In this post, I focus on these Big Ticket/One-Time companies and do the math on the difference on a per customer basis between doing business with a Quality Customer versus a Bad or 2nd-Rate Customer. The […]

Quality Customers fuel your company with an ongoing flow of good-margin work. Local companies tend to either have customers/patients who Return for Service one or more times per year (auto repair shops, dentists) or Big Ticket/One-Time customers/patients who won’t need the service again or won’t for many years (auto transmission shops, many types of contractors). […]

Most owners aren’t aware of how big of a difference there is between fueling their company with Quality Customers versus Bad and 2nd-Rate Customers. As you can see in the table, it’s the difference between a wonderful dream and a nightmare.     Fuel your company with too many bad and second-rate customers and you’ll […]