As I have learned from leadership guru and best-selling author, John C. Maxwell, “Connecting is all about others.” Maxwell stated in his book, Everyone Communicates – Few Connect, “When you are trying to connect with people, it’s not about you – it’s about them. If you want to connect with others, you have to get…
Collaboration, teamwork, idea sharing, and prioritizing organizational initiatives seem like they would be foundations for business growth and success. All organizations have specific challenges and opportunities that require discussion and attention to move forward in a positive direction. However, very few growing organizations take the time to work “on” their business for planning and communicating…
Many customer service and sales teams do a lot of things very well. But sometimes, they lack specific ideas or skills in certain areas to reach their full potential. Do some members of your sales team spend the majority of their time making sales calls and lack the energy or time to service current customers…
In many cultures throughout the world, there is a time of year when you fast. Depending on the culture and religion, the fast might be a literal fast without food, or it might be a time where you give up something you love. Whether it is figurative or literal, this fast is a set period…
In my opinion and belief, any business in any industry can create Remarkable Service! It’s a choice, but in order to do so, you must create the Vision of what a remarkable business would look like in your customer’s eyes. Now you need to Align your entire team to move in the same direction and…
Based on the best-selling book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni, the single most untapped competitive advantage is teamwork. To gain this advantage, teams must: Trust one another: When team members are genuinely transparent and honest with one another, they are able to build vulnerability-based trust. Engage in Conflict around ideas: When there is…
It is easy for salespeople to lose hope when the sales pipeline looks bare, especially when hard economic times make every sale seem that much more difficult from open to close. However, effective sales practices are all about creating a solid system and sticking to it, no matter what the general economic climate is like….
How well (or not-so-well) your business handles a customer complaint can make or break your success, as well as your company’s reputation. The truth is, even if a customer is legitimately unsatisfied with your product or service, how you handle their complaint could make the difference in whether they continue to be your customer. Unsatisfied…
I grew up on a grain and cattle farm on the Prairies. Coming from a family farm, business and rural community has always been something I am particularly proud of. During my regular visits back, I can’t help but gaze across the land to see the surrounding farm operations. Some seem to be thriving and…
Patrons who walk through the door of Edmonton’s Corso 32 are almost inevitably assured of impeccable home-style Italian fare created by owner/chef Daniel Costa and his team. But it’s what’s not on the menu that plays an equal role in the accolades heaped on the Jasper Avenue restaurant, which has won multiple awards since opening nearly six…
