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An Apple a Day Keeps the Customer
A large grocery store opened a new outlet in my neighborhood. A small basket of red apples sits by the cash register. The sign in the basket reads:‘Free apple if our staff at check-out did not greet you and say thank you.’But the apple basket stays full. Not because the check-out staff are always smiling (trust me), but because the act of taking an apple is tantamount to ‘catching the staff doing something wrong’! Who wants to irritate grocery check-out staff when they’re ringing up your order?To get the impact the store really wants, the sign could be re-written like this:‘Thank you for shopping with us. We want you to have a good shopping experience. If, at any point, we are so busy serving you that we forget to greet you or say “Thank you!”, please let one of these delicious apples put a smile upon your face. We will smile back!’The store would give away more apples with this sign, but would gain more smiles, too. Better text, better impact. Key Learning Point -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow your good ideas all the way from concept to detailed execution. Good ideas need great implementation to deliver real results. Action Steps -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find where your promotions and policies are actually seen and heard by your customers. Be sure the message is as clear at point of contact as it was when first created.

hallenge the end game if they do not agree with any part of it. However, any challenge to any portion must be accompanied by alternative recommendations. The concept is to finalize a “Vision for the Future” that everyone owns.

Step Four---- The SWOT analysis

The team will conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to identify critical constraints and potential opportunities for growth.

Step Five --- Developing the Critical Core Initiatives from the Vision for the Future

Critical core initiatives are over arching initiatives that are found within the Vision for the Future. An example may be defined as a human resource initiative for becoming employer of choice. There are many independent action steps (Strategic Implementation Plans – SIPs) that will be required to accomplish the Critical Core Initiative (CCI). They may include training, education, leadership development, compensation and benefits etc.

Identifying the CCI’s first is necessary to move on to the next step which is creating SIPs for each CCI.

Step Six--- Prioritize the CCI’s and identify individual SIPs for each CCI

A Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) is a set of tasks that supports a Critical Core Initiative and therefore creates fundamental change in the way you do things. SIP work deals with long-term improvement and change, balancing concern for today with concern for the future and is a fundamental task of managerial decision-making. Work against SIPs deals with improving things for tomorrow.

Each Critical Core Initiative is supported by a set of SIPs that contain a sequenced set of tasks, schedules, and named responsible individuals. The creation of SIPs indicates that the chosen area is one that provides a high payoff in terms of innovation and managed change.

Step Seven --- Assign sections of the strategy template to be completed by different team members

Developing the strategy document from team homework assignments

The Moment of Truth
Every customer contact is a Moment of Truth that creates a Moment of Misery, a Moment of Mediocrity, or a Moment of WOW. In the Moment of Truth you can create customers for LIFE or you can initiate a slow and painful demise of your company one customer at a time.A Moment of Mediocrity is what most often occurs in business to customer interactions and this is where the customer's expectations were met - and those may even be low expectations. Customers who experience a Moment of Mediocrity, feel "satisfied" but will not reward the company with loyalty. These customers are only your customers because they haven't found a better experience.A Moment of Misery is created each time you fail to meet the customer's expectations. Often, Moments of Misery result in damaging and highly persuasive negative word-of-mouth advertising and customer defection.A Moment of WOW is created when you exceed the customer's expectations. Service must be truly outstanding and service providers have to go "Beyond WOW" to create the Moment of WOW. Moments of WOW create a profitable base of loyal customers, which results in growth, increased profits, and lasting value. (For hundreds of ideas on how to create Moments of WOW, pick up my brand new book, Beyond WOW by going to Beyond WOW.) Two years ago I stayed in a luxury hotel in Miami with a corner ocean view room. I paid $179 for a one-night stay and my expectations for service were high. I experienced a myriad of problems during my short stay and one situation stands out. The morning of my departure I called the Concierge to arrange transportation to the airport. Here's a summary of this Moment of Truth:Me, the Customer: "I need to be at Miami International Airport by 5:00 pm for a 6:00pm flight. Can you arrange transportation with Super Shuttle for me? " Simple request - o

Let’s start by talking about strategic focus. Leadership models and new business models are key ingredients to success in the 21st century. The successful 21st century business model is built around servant style leadership with a focus on strategic thinking by harnessing the creativity and innovation of the employees. The vehicle to accomplish this is the strategic planning process Strategy serves as the organization compass and roadmap to future success. Strategic thinking must be clear and communicated effectively throughout the organization. It is not something you can leverage with technology. It isn’t something you will find in the latest business manual. It is embedded in the minds of your management team and most of your employees. It is your employees who are on the front line and know what is really going on with your customers and your markets. It requires effective leadership to release the power of the employees in building a strategic roadmap to the future.

Defining objectives and developing initiatives and action plans to meet those objectives is the basis of strategic planning. However, it all starts with an end game, a “Vision for the Future.”

Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction – to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there.

Fundamental decisions, actions and choices must be made in order to develop a plan that provides a Roadmap on “How to get there from Here.”.” The plan is ultimately no more, and no less, than a set of decisions about what to do, why to do it, and when and how to do it.

The scope of the strategy development process for any company is dependent upon individual business needs. The strategic planning process is a time and resource-consuming endeavor that involves many people in the organization. This process includes both tactical and strategic application. The DIY process assumes that you have a good handle on both your internal and external environment. If you don’t you may want to consider hiring a consultant to do an internal assessment and survey your customers and vendors to analyze your external environment.

Hiring a consulting firm can cost as little as $10,000 for a simple two day facilitation to upwards of $100,000 for comprehensive involvement by the consulting firm during the entire process.

So, if you are not inclined to hire an outside consultant, you may want to follow this ten step process for DIY (Do It Yourself) Strategic Planning. Although it isn’t possible to describe in great detail the entire process in an article (it would require 50 pages) the following is an overview of the process.

The Ten Step Process

Let’s identify the steps first and then we’ll discuss each one in a little more detail . I cannot emphasize enough that the true value of a strategic plan is not in the document itself. It is in the process of creating it, involving many of your employees from the bottom up. This empowers them to be more effective and better-informed leaders, managers and decision makers.

1. Select the strategy team and send a company wide communication
2. Create a Vision for the Future (End Game)
3. Preparation -----Secure an off site location for the kick off meeting which includes training the team on the strategic planning process. Purchase a strategic planning template, download one from the web or e-mail rick@ceostrategist.com for a generic sample.
4. Complete a SWOT analysis. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats)
5. Identify the critical core initiatives that are necessary to support the vision for the future and to achieve its objectives
6. Develop strategic implementation plans (SIPs) that support the identified critical core initiatives
7. Prioritize the CCI’s and SIP’s based on the biggest impact on the bottom line in the shortest period of time. Modify and complete the document template to fit your company strategy
8. Develop an accountability process based on a structured monthly strategic review
9. Develop a presentation of the strategy for approval by the CEO, owners or Board of Directors.
10. Develop a Roll Out Strategy to explain the strategic plan to the entire company

Step One --------- Selection and Communication

It all starts with communication. The very first piece of information should be the announcement to all employees that the company is embarking on a planning process for the future. This memo should be sent from the President asking for everyone’s support. (A sample memo is available from rick@ceostrategist.com) The memo will likely announce who the strategy team members are and ask for everyone to congratulate them and provide input at every opportunity. CAUTION: Make sure that you have talked to any employee in advance that was not picked for the strategy team that may feel that they should have been.

Once the team is announced and the process starts make sure you continue to keep employees aware of the progress and solicit their input. A minimum of a monthly memo should be issued. The strategic planning process can take from 6 weeks to 12 weeks so it is important to keep everyone informed without releasing too much detail.

The strategy team should include a senior accountant, and should consist of between seven and ten members. Team selection should be based on competence, integrity, work ethic, leadership skills, and future growth potential within the Company. The team will formulate and present the strategic document to the President/CEO and the Board of Directors. It is critical that all employees are empowered and encouraged to communicate their ideas and issues with any member of the strategy team. This process ensures accountability and ownership of the strategy at every level in the organization.

Step Two --- A Vision for the Future (The End Game)

The Vision for the Future (End Game) in business is simply defining what winning the game in your business is really about. What does winning mean. Just exactly what do you want your company to be when it grows up? Ask yourself the following questions from the perspective of looking five to seven years into the future.

1. What markets should your company be serving five years from now?
2. What products should you be distributing?
3. Who are your primary competitors?
4. What are your strengths?
5. What are your competitors’ strengths?
6. How has your marketing strategy changed?
7. What are your core competencies?
8. What is the size of your revenue stream?
9. How is your revenue stream segmented?
10. Do you have a Human Resource Development plan?

The CEO/Owners should create the “Vision for the Future” (End Game) for presentation to the strategy team.

Step Three --- Preparation

Running a strategic planning process is not just designing a template and having the team members fill in the gaps. On the contrary, it means carefully coaching the management team through a thinking process. Often, the actual strategic plan is even less important than the development and growth of the team members participating in the process. The strategy team should be trained on the process you intend to follow in developing the strategic plan. Once that is competed the CEO/President should present the vision of the future with copies for everyone and then excuse himself from the meeting to allow the strategy team to tear the end game apart and put it back together. The President will have explained that they have the right and the obligation to challenge the end game if they do not agree with any part of it. However, any challenge to any portion must be accompanied by alternative recommendations. The concept is to finalize a “Vision for the Future” that everyone owns.

Step Four---- The SWOT analysis

The team will conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to identify critical constraints and potential opportunities for growth.

Step Five --- Developing the Critical Core Initiatives from the Vision for the Future

Identifying the CCI’s first is necessary to move on to the next step which is creating SIPs for each CCI.

Step Six--- Prioritize the CCI’s and identify individual SIPs for each CCI

Step Seven --- Assign sections of the strategy template to be completed by different team members

Developing the strategy document from team homework assignments c

3 Best Practices For Dealing With Disruptive Employees
Rabble rouser. Pot stirrer. Fly in the ointment. These are some terms used to describe the person in the organization that brings some benefit to the team but by far their disruption to the team far outweighs the benefit they offer. This is the person that can be passive-aggressive in meetings, send along flaming emails in the barely veiled disguise of humor, and looks to be the demonstrative non-participant in management team functions. How do you deal with this negative influence?1. Put it on the tableMany executives either fail to recognize or fail to know how to handle this type of disruptive individual. Flowery language, working through someone else or heaven forbid in a memo are many of the ways people try to avoid having the actual sit down discussion – and they are all only making things worse for all parties involved. It’s best to lay it on the table and put some light on it.In most cases this individual is having issues with another member of the management team and is trying to cause problems to elevate himself by comparison, is threatened by this other person or is miserable and looking for company. As the leader you need to terminate this disruption and the rippling damage it’s doing. One of the unfortunate parts of leadership is the “Hard Talk,” and this is the time for a Hard Talk.Don’t mince words, maintain professionalism and talk openly about your point of view. Don’t expect the offender to comply. He will squirm, deflect and rationalize. Make it a short conversation stating you are aware of what is going on, site specifics and let him know it doesn’t fit your team. Short and to the point.2. Act fastBy the time a situation like this reaches the eyes or ears of the executive significant damage has been going on for months. This is why you need to take fast action. The

the strategy development process for any company is dependent upon individual business needs. The strategic planning process is a time and resource-consuming endeavor that involves many people in the organization. This process includes both tactical and strategic application. The DIY process assumes that you have a good handle on both your internal and external environment. If you don’t you may want to consider hiring a consultant to do an internal assessment and survey your customers and vendors to analyze your external environment.

Hiring a consulting firm can cost as little as $10,000 for a simple two day facilitation to upwards of $100,000 for comprehensive involvement by the consulting firm during the entire process.

The Ten Step Process

Step One --------- Selection and Communication

Step Two --- A Vision for the Future (The End Game)

The CEO/Owners should create the “Vision for the Future” (End Game) for presentation to the strategy team.

Step Three --- Preparation

Step Four---- The SWOT analysis

The team will conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to identify critical constraints and potential opportunities for growth.

Step Five --- Developing the Critical Core Initiatives from the Vision for the Future

Identifying the CCI’s first is necessary to move on to the next step which is creating SIPs for each CCI.

Step Six--- Prioritize the CCI’s and identify individual SIPs for each CCI

Step Seven --- Assign sections of the strategy template to be completed by different team members

Developing the strategy document from team homework assignments

Six Factors That Can Cost You the Interview/Job
Most job seekers know that an unprofessional appearance will count against them at an interview. Here are six MORE factors that can help you remain in the unemployment line: (1) Being unprepared for the interview. Prepare, plan, and practice! In today's tough job market, you MUST do everything you can to give yourself an edge... preparation is the key. (2) Not being able to communicate clearly and effectively. This is important during the interview and on the job. Being nervous can really mess up your communication skills, so being well prepared and practicing what you're going to say are always your best bet. (3) Being aggressive, arrogant, or acting in a superior way. No one wants to hire or work with people who think they're better than everyone else. Be careful with your attitude, even if you think you're surrounded by incompetent fools. Being confident is good. Being an arrogant jerk is bad. (4) Making excuses for failings. Your teacher never bought "The dog ate my homework!" and your boss isn't going to buy "The finance department gave me the wrong figures!" In the grown-up world, you have to take responsibility for what you are responsible for! You'll never earn respect by blaming others when things go wrong. (5) Saying unfavorable things about previous employers. Even if you left a job because the boss was an egomaniac who took credit for all of your hard work, verbally abused you in front of others, and poisoned the plant on your desk, don't say anything bad about him/her during an interview. When asked "Why did you leave your last job?" say something like "My manager and I both agreed that my advancement opportunities were limited there and obtaining

vision for the future and to achieve its objectives
6. Develop strategic implementation plans (SIPs) that support the identified critical core initiatives
7. Prioritize the CCI’s and SIP’s based on the biggest impact on the bottom line in the shortest period of time. Modify and complete the document template to fit your company strategy
8. Develop an accountability process based on a structured monthly strategic review
9. Develop a presentation of the strategy for approval by the CEO, owners or Board of Directors.
10. Develop a Roll Out Strategy to explain the strategic plan to the entire company

Step One --------- Selection and Communication

Step Two --- A Vision for the Future (The End Game)

The CEO/Owners should create the “Vision for the Future” (End Game) for presentation to the strategy team.

Step Three --- Preparation

Step Four---- The SWOT analysis

The team will conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to identify critical constraints and potential opportunities for growth.

Step Five --- Developing the Critical Core Initiatives from the Vision for the Future

Identifying the CCI’s first is necessary to move on to the next step which is creating SIPs for each CCI.

Step Six--- Prioritize the CCI’s and identify individual SIPs for each CCI

Step Seven --- Assign sections of the strategy template to be completed by different team members

Developing the strategy document from team homework assignments

How To Use Donor Recognition in a Capital Campaign
Capital campaigns using donor recognition are easy to conduct. In this type of capital campaign, a nonprofit group seeks a pledge of a certain contribution amount and in return, offers to provide a specific type of recognition.Donations of a certain amount are rewarded with graduated levels of recognition. The actual donation could be a one-time gift, a periodic donation, a monthly automatic withdrawal, or an annual check.Recognition products are available in a wide range of price points. They offer high-quality ways for your organization to thank donors for their support.Inexpensive items can be given to donors for smaller contributions, while larger donations are usually provided some type of visual recognition at your organization's headquarters or in a prominent high-visibility location outdoors.Recognition Plaques For very personalized recognition, consider offering a cast bronze plaque that highlights individual contributions to a specific project.You can also offer smaller individual photo plaques that provide more room for customization of the message.Donor Bricks Engraved or personalized bricks are an excellent way to provide or incent capital campaign contributions with inexpensive recognition. One attractive method is to use brick pavers with laser engraved messages in a special entryway or sidewalk.Another way to display these donor bricks that strengthens the tie to your group is to design and construct an attractive landscaping display.Many groups build a reflection garden or water fountain area and then incorporate these engraved bricks in the sidewalks, planters, and rest/reflection areas.Ask yourself if your grounds could benefit from this type of additional landscaping and then build a fund raising campaign around it.Remember that

at all employees are empowered and encouraged to communicate their ideas and issues with any member of the strategy team. This process ensures accountability and ownership of the strategy at every level in the organization.

Step Two --- A Vision for the Future (The End Game)

The CEO/Owners should create the “Vision for the Future” (End Game) for presentation to the strategy team.

Step Three --- Preparation

Step Four---- The SWOT analysis

The team will conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to identify critical constraints and potential opportunities for growth.

Step Five --- Developing the Critical Core Initiatives from the Vision for the Future

Identifying the CCI’s first is necessary to move on to the next step which is creating SIPs for each CCI.

Step Six--- Prioritize the CCI’s and identify individual SIPs for each CCI

Step Seven --- Assign sections of the strategy template to be completed by different team members

Developing the strategy document from team homework assignments

Gaining Customer Trust
As in every business, if you chose to work from home on line you must have in mind your customers trust. You need their trust because thus you will get them to come back over and over again and even maybe expand your network through potential partners. Here are a few ways through which you can gain your customers trust:Testimonials are probably one of the most important way to gain people’s trust. They are so powerful just because you don’t have control of them they’re true opinions of your customers. Testimonials might be the nudge people might need to buy your product, simply by reading about someone else’s pleasant experience.Testimonials are also very easy to obtain. Just ask someone who makes the slightest positive comment, after buying your product, if you can use that comment as a testimonial. As a bonus, offer to put their link on your website and most people will agree.Testimonials are a powerful tool in gaining your customers trust, so use them wherever you like. Put them at the start of your sales letter, in the middle, or at the end. Put them on the side of your website or create a page just for them and create links to it. Use them as often as possible.Offering guarantees is another way in which you will get your visitor’s trust. Try to offer a very powerful guarantee for your products. In this way people will think wisely about your product and services and the chances of them asking for their money back drops almost to 0.Try to make your guarantee as irresistible as possible. If you take all of your visitors worries and assure them nothing will go wrong, you will succeed in gaining their trust. If you want your business to be an honest one you will probably offer a guarantee anyway so why not make the guarantee part of your offer thus removing all risk from your customers.<

Step Four---- The SWOT analysis

The team will conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to identify critical constraints and potential opportunities for growth.

Step Five --- Developing the Critical Core Initiatives from the Vision for the Future

Identifying the CCI’s first is necessary to move on to the next step which is creating SIPs for each CCI.

Step Six--- Prioritize the CCI’s and identify individual SIPs for each CCI

Step Seven --- Assign sections of the strategy template to be completed by different team members

Developing the strategy document from team homework assignments completed over the previous weeks is a matter of following the template that has been modified to meet your specific company needs.

Step Eight --- The accountability process

The key managerial tool to ensure steady, consistent progress on SIP tasks is the formal Operational Review Meeting (ORM). This is the foundation to insure that the strategic plan is successful. The ORM is held monthly. The purpose of the ORM is to:
• Clearly understand the status of your key initiatives.
• Keep executive focus on strategic, rather than just urgent, issues.
• Facilitate communication and support throughout the executive team and the company.
• Formulate emergency responses to company-wide threats or opportunities.
• Leverage all appropriate company resources while maintaining proper accountability for performance.

The ORM should be attended by members of the Strategy Team, executive management and other senior managers. It will follow a formal agenda and discussions will be driven by two objective measurements: performance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and progress of SIP task completion. SIP and action item owners will be held accountable for achieving the desired results by the due date indicated on the plan. The entire team will be held accountable for meeting SIP goals.

Step Nine --- Developing the presentation for approval

The strategy team will provide the strategy document to ownership at least one week in advance of the formal presentation. Representatives of the strategy team will present the plan and defend it from a considered corporate challenge. The purpose of the challenge is to ensure that the plan is well thought out and based on a realistic assessment of the company’s risks and constraints. The presentation will also demonstrate the degree of commitment and ownership by the team. The objective of the meeting is to formally endorse the strategy for the company. If necessary, the team will revise and re-present the plan to obtain ownership approval.

Step Ten ---- The Roll Out Process

After formal acceptance, the President and two to three strategy team members should schedule meetings to introduce the strategy to the entire management team and all other employees, thus formally launching the strategy. This should be a big deal and should be completed as quickly as possible. In person presentations by executive management and strategy team members is highly recommended.

Strategy Development Overview

Discipline is a prerequisite to this process because it requires laser like persistence to result in a productive strategic planning initiative. The process raises a sequence of questions that helps planners examine current reality, test assumptions, gather and incorporate information about the present and perform trend analysis on the future industry environment. The prioritization of initiatives and SIPs is an essential step. Although your strategic plan will cover a five to seven year period prioritized SIPs are worked on during the first twelve to eighteen month period based on bandwidth and resources while other CCIs and SIPs are deferred. It is much more effective to completely finish three or four SIPs pertaining to one or two CCI’s than to work on ten or twelve SIPs and accomplish nothing.

Fundamental decisions, actions and choices must be made in order to develop a plan that provides the roadmap to the future. The plan is ultimately no more, and no less, than a set of decisions about what to do, why to do it, when and how to do it. CEO Strategist is in the process of producing a three CD set based on the strategic pyramid methodology for release by 1/1/2007 with a workbook that will walk you through every aspect of the DIY strategic planning process in great detail and provide all the forms and templates necessary for you to successfully complete a strategic plan with your team. E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com to reserve an advance copy of this program. In the mean time, you can request a copy of a generic template or get Rick’s recently published book “Leading the Pack” which has six “end game visions of the future examples” in the appendix.

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As more and more people get their news from MSN, Google and Yahoo, less and less are relying on the local newspapers. In this day and age with 200 channels of Satellite Radio, 400 Channels of Satellite TV, instant breaking news by email and online news gathering of search engines the newspaper industry is taking a hit.

Big corporations spend millions of dollars to advertise their products. Now, they wouldn't spend all of this money on advertising if it didn't generate more in revenue than they originally spent. The key here is to put your advertising dollars where they will be the most effective. You must target your audience.

Businesses that don’t listen to what their consumers are saying and how the society rates them are bound to fail, sooner rather than later. Companies would do well to realize and accept at least the spirit of the statement: Business is for the consumer, by the consumer, of the consumer.

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