The first Thursday of each month will now feature a “best of” X5 Management blog. The intent is to showcase and revisit some of our most popular blogs from the past. We hope you enjoy them! Those of us in business who rely on a committed and consistent customer base understand that customer satisfaction is…
This is a concept I learned from Darren Hardy, Publisher of SUCCESS magazine and author of the New York Times Bestselling book, “The Compound Effect” It is simple to understand, but more difficult to implement. If you think about your day like a bookend, your morning is on one side and your evening is on the…
Is your company going through major and necessary change? Or more importantly, are you in desperate need of challenging the status quo? Effective change management and helping employees understand the change process is critical to building and maintaining growth and positive momentum in any organization. Those organizations that are quickly able to adapt to necessary…
While coaching clients and executives, I often utilize this simple model to help people to the next level of performance. If you want to improve on a particular aspect of your life, you must have a balance of Focus, Will and Capability. Let’s look at golf for a moment. To hit the perfect shot, consistently,…
Collaboration, teamwork, idea sharing and prioritizing organizational initiatives all seem like they would be foundations to business growth and success. All organizations have specific challenges and opportunities that need discussion and attention in order to move forward in a positive direction. However, very few mid-sized busy businesses and growing corporations take the time to plan, strategize…
We all have things that we have done and we all have some things left undone. Ask yourself the question: Why have I started and completed certain goals, actions, or tasks in my life? Now ask the next question: Why have I not yet completed certain goals, actions, or tasks in my life? I remember…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA About a month ago I drove to Banff National Park for a wedding and a weekend in Canmore with my girlfriend. Unfortunately, on the highway between Calgary and Banff we had a flat tire. We tossed on the donut (spare) and managed to make the wedding just in time…
This summer the team at X5 Management will be facilitating several strategic planning sessions for organizations and companies looking to reflect on the previous year, share information with their teams and plan for the upcoming quarter and year. Several themes exist for these sessions including strategic growth planning, team goal setting, succession planning and leadership or…
How many new people have you met in the past 30 days? How many people have you known for over a year and you have just discovered something new about them? The older I get, and hopefully the wiser I become, I have learned to appreciate that when I take the time to seek, learn and…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA Communication and transparency: Schedule meetings with your sales staff regularly. Instead of just focusing on what they’re doing well and what they are doing wrong, make sure that some 1-on-1 time is used to address their worries, pain points and work environment issues. If you encourage honesty and constructive criticism…
I recently decided to join a toastmasters club in Edmonton. Although I was hesitant at first I am now very pleased with this decision and understand the positive impacts it will have on my life and career. No matter what your speaking experience is, Toastmasters International provides an opportunity in a relaxed and comfortable setting to work…
Unlike sports, we do not always have to keep score with the things we do for others. Have you heard this line before? “Hey, I helped you….now you have to help me.” It’s tough to keep track and know if it is even or balanced….does it have to be? In the world of life and…
In sales planning, routine, consistency and productivity are critical to your success. Consistent daily action and scheduling high-payoff activities into your weeks can take your sales game to the next level. As summer approaches, have you scheduled time off just as you would schedule all of your important client and business meetings? Do you have a…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA I spend the majority of my time as of late working in sales with teams and individuals and a question I continue to get is, “what roles do we need to fill to operate a successful sales team?”
You’ve just had a seemingly great meeting with a prospective customer. Now the big question becomes whether or not to complete a proposal request. How many times have you completed an RFP for an identified prospect that failed to go anywhere beyond you sending the proposal? Perhaps you really didn’t have any chance of winning the business in…
Guest blog by Nicolle Germain, MBA As you sit here today on a hopefully sunny, warm Thursday reading the latest X5 blog, I will challenge you to reflect on your current life and your habits – both professional and personal. Habits are things we all have – whether they are good or bad. Perhaps drinking…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA There are many questions you can ask yourself about work productivity. Here are four big ones that have a lot to do with tracking – something Jenny Craig and other big weight watching companies have perfected.
When it comes to your sales management pipeline – efficiency is critical to your success. In this month’s X5 CROPS Report, we explore how operational efficiencies play a key role in your sales success. Customer Satisfaction When it boils down to the nitty gritty, your customer satisfaction has a lot to do with how enjoyable…
It’s Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. and your business is about to start the most important meeting of the week: the weekly sales meeting! Once again, your sales team members are looking at their watches and waiting to listen to your weekly report – totally disengaged in the process. The sales team is unsure of the meeting’s purpose, benefit…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA Occasionally I get questions about how we run our blog at X5 and seeing as this week’s topic includes marketing and operations, I figure it’s not a bad time to talk a little about that.
Alberta’s economy is strong and with that it brings assorted challenges as our businesses grow. Read more about how growth can affect your business and what to do to mitigate risk in this month’s X5 CROPS Report.
Exciting news! The city of Edmonton is currently planning additional legs and expansion of the LRT transportation system. Edmonton opened the first light rail transit (LRT) segment in North America in April of 1978. When the first leg of the LRT system was originally constructed, the population of Edmonton was under 500,000. Since that time, Edmonton…
Guest blog by Nicolle Germain, MBA Are you a current or aspiring leader? Leadership is not an easy task, nor always a desired one. It is likely one of boardroom leadership the most challenging positions within an organization, no matter the level, size, location, or industry.
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA It seems to me that Oscar Sunday has become a huge event over the last number of years. Supposedly 40 million plus tuned in to watch the Oscars this year, however, over 110 million people watched the last Super Bowl.
The world of consumerism is constantly changing. Find out what you can do to combat the challenges associated with poor customer service in February’s X5 CROPS Report.
We are in the midst of one of the greatest sport competitions on earth as the Winter Olympic games from Sochi Russia continue to create buzz, excitement and epic sports battles. In a global sporting event such as the Olympics there are stories of undeniable favourites cruising to victory, under-dogs rising to stardom and feel-good…
Guest blog by Nicolle Germain, MBA Throughout history, communication has been critical to our success as humans. Whether it is in your personal or professional life, how you connect with people has a huge impact on your well-being. As humans have continued to create and discover, the way in which we interact with one another…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA In one of my coaching appointments the other day I was preaching the value of LRT (Like, Respect and Trust), as I often do, when the conversation took a small step backward. The question was, “What’s the key to attracting those relationships in the first place?” Both a relevant and…
Happy New Year from sunny Mexico! Wow, I can’t believe that 2013 is already behind us. I am convinced that 2013 has been my best year yet both personally and professionally. With that said, I am also excited that 2014 has arrived and expect that this year will be even better than the last.
Guest blog by Nicolle Germain, MBA. This month we are pleased to re-cap the Best Tips & Food for Thought from our monthly 2013 CROPS Reports!
Guest blog by Nicolle Germain, MBA You’ve probably heard your whole life how hard work pays off and putting in an honest day’s work is important. But, my question to you is: Does Work Smarter NOT Harder really pay off?
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA In his latest blog ” Christmas Customer Service Commitment ,” Matt Graff shared a couple telling customer service stories, highlighting theimportance of a brand’s relationship with its customer.
It’s December and Christmas is just around the corner! Many of us are planning for Christmas parties, family gatherings, vacations, work events and shopping marathons. I’m sure this time of year brings up past memories of both positive and negative customer service stories for businesses and consumers. Sadly, more often than not, Christmas is a time…
This month’s CROPS Report has a focus on Operational Efficiencies. Do you have the RIGHT mix of people, things and time?
When you woke up today what were your initial thoughts like? Were you sad because it’s only Thursday and it’s been a long, draining week (especially with our tiring winter commutes), or were you excited to Choose Your Attitude that tomorrow’s Friday and a fun weekend awaits you after a rewarding work week?! Your perception…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA In my last blog post for X5 I talked about marketing, more specifically how to build and share your message more effectively. One of the steps I mentioned was understanding where and when to share that message, mostly with respect to social media. The last few weeks I haven’t been…
Today is a significant day for the X5 team and several Edmonton Business Community members. X5 Management’s CEO Mike Mack is a proud member of the Edmonton Synergy Network of Edmonton. The Synergy Network is a “private group of over 90 business and community leaders that has existed for 29 years, and who share ideas and…
This month’s CROPS Report has a focus on risk management. Your customer’s satisfaction is highly dependent on their experience with your company. There are many things that you can control and risks you can mitigate in order to improve the likelihood that your customers will be satisfied with the goods and services your business provides….
This month’s CROPS Report has a focus on risk management.
Guest blog by Nicolle Germain, MBA. In the spirit of Halloween next week, much like a horror movie or haunted house, the word “CHANGE” can be a frightening word. But it is a word not to be feared. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, often the greatest learning experiences come from moments when…
Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA Marketing products or services is something every company, and in my opinion, every individual needs to do. There are so many marketing firms, channels, mediums and philosophies out there that it’s difficult to know where to start and/or how to improve your existing efforts.
Guest blog by Trish Kushniruk While travelling through Asia recently, I became acutely aware of the culture around me. No, I`m not referring to Nasi Goreng and batik silk – I am talking about the culture that exists in everyday business environments. In particular, as I made my way through the island of Bali, I…
In the latest X5 Video blog, Mike Mack explores Effective Goal Setting. Learn the 4 key components to getting it right.
