Roy's Blog: December 2010
December 30, 2010
Serving Customers: The House of YES
Choose Wierd Fans to BE DiFFERENT
Dead or Alive: How Would You Rate Your Customer Service
The Customer Charter of Rights
A sign that reads The House of YES sits above the kitchen area of every Cactus Club Restaurant in Canada.
Recently, I asked a Server what it meant to her, and here is what she said:
- their mission is “Every Customer Leaves Happy”
- their culture is to “say YES” to whatever their customer wants;
- if someone wants something that is not on the menu the kitchen will happily make it;
- if the customer’s request involves an ingredient that they don’t have, they will run out and get it. For example a special drink that requires a liquor not in stock. They will go to the Liquor Store and buy it. WOW!
- she is empowered to make whatever decision is needed to “say YES”
- her manager is there to support whatever she does. Management’s role is to make it easier for Servers to Say YES, not to give them orders.
A Servant Leadership Strategy for any organization is tough to achieve. It requires frontline serving behaviors that are supported by Management. Cactus Club has figured it out.
Nice job!
Cheers,
Roy
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December 27, 2010
Choose Wierd Fans and BE DiFFERENT
VP Experience Martketing
Don’t Let Marketing Brand Anything
Dead or Alive: How Would You Rate Your Customer Service
One path to BE DiFFERENT is to choose a customer group to serve and do it in a way that is completely different than anyone else: products and services offered, the customer experience created and deep, intimate customer relationships could be the ways to succeed.
There is another approach that might also work. What if we targeted people who were:
- “weird”. Who had really different tastes than everyone else. Not just sightly different but orders-of-magnitude different?
- not just border line eccentric but way over the top?
- connected to people who liked to stand out in a crowd?
- contrarians who refused to go with the flow?
They could be described as being odd in terms of the market norm (whatever that is).
What if we chose these people to serve and did everything we could to dazzle them? Could that be a winning strategy in terms of establishing Uniqueness and Distinction in the cluttered and overcrowded marketplace that we all find ourselves in? I think so.
BE DiFFERENT might just be possible by picking different people to serve.. Pick DiFFERENT people to serve and BE DiFFERENT among the faceless competitive herd.
A “normal” solution to a “weird” person just might be revolutionary, remarkable and unforgettable!
Cheers,
Roy
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December 23, 2010
Wanted: Vice President - Experience Marketing
Dead or Alive: How Would You Rate Your Customer Service
The Customer Charter of Rights
Things They Don’t Teach Business Students
Marketing today is boring, lazy and lacks imagination. Probably 95% of all marketing activity is spent flogging products to mass markets. So is the rest of the herd. Sameness proliferates. Undifferentiation happens. Corners are rounded to try and satisfy everyone with a bland result.
Product myopia is the result of a supply-minded view. Marketers are infatuated with the capabilities of what they produce. The coolness of their technology. The functionality of the thing.
The problem is, with virtually everyone follwing this marketing prescription, no organization achieves the exhalted position of DiSTINCTION, UnFORGETTABILITY, UnIQUENESS, GaSPWORTHINESS and ReMARKABILITY. Consumers see a blur of offerings and capabilities with no one standing out from the herd. VALUE is a spoken word with no substance. It’s all about the “iron” of production. The secret desires of the fan are lost in the flurry of Product Management activity to ship the product.
We need to intervene and change the course of Marketing. People buy when they are Happy (thanks Tony Hsieh of Zappos for his thoughtful book “Delivering Happiness”). Tangible goods don’t create long term happiness. If what-is-promised is delivered in terms of functionality consumers rate the product a ‘C’. No adulation and loyalty is produced. Happiness wanes and disappears into the feature cloud.
People remember EXPERIENCES. They FEEL experiences. They talk to others about experiences. They buy repeatedly on experiences. They are happier when they are in a memorable experience. Not rocket science. So why don’t Marketers listen? Because we are a “push” enterprise society. But it has to change.
The new world marketing MUST focus on creating Dazzling ExPERIENCES for their fans. Where feelings reign supreme. Where emotion rules. Where marketing success is measures by how blown away the customer was with the Experience Offer rather than how many sold.
We have a long way to go. Marketing needs the Experience Virus, or rather leaders need to get with the program! Lets add Experience Managers to the marketing organization to be held accountable to create Offers that crystallize high emotion experiences based on the Secrets learned about their high-value fans.
Cheers,
Roy
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December 18, 2010
ONLY Workshop Richmond Country Club
BE DiFFERENT or be dead ONLY Workshop
“I really enjoyed the session and took away a number of nuggets. The part that appealed most to me was your approach of defining the value proposition in terms of the “only” which tips the normal convention of better/best/superior etc. on its ear. Moving forward, I am now a firm believer in the concept and am committed to relentlessly seek out the ONLY!”—Boris Kluck, Toronto
Are you:
- Trying to create your competitive position in the market?
- Finding it difficult to avoid descriptions like “better” or “best” to declare your unique capabilities?
- Having difficulty explaining to people why they should do business with you and not someone else?
- Unable to answer the question “What makes your organization Different than your competitors?”
- Eager to grow your business and increase market share?
If you have answered “Yes” to these questions this Workshop is for you!
This half-day Workshop is based on the book Be Different or Be Dead, by local author Roy Osing. The seminar is presented by Soft Skills for Success and Brilliance for Business; the speaker will be Roy Osing himself. The Event Organizer and Emcee is Sandy Chernoff of Soft Skills for Success. The Host is The Richmond Country Club.
“Roy is an exceptional speaker who drills down to the core of what a business has to do in order to be sustainable into the future. His workshop will get you thinking to the beat of a different drummer.”—Jordan Stevens, London
Cost of the Workshop:
The fee for registration in this Workshop is only $69.00 plus applicable tax. Each attendee will receive a copy of Be Different or Be Dead, signed by Roy and a take-away Learning Guide. In addition each attendee will have the opportunity to work on The ONLY Statement for their organization and create a distinctive competitive position.
Date & Time: Monday, March 7, 2011, 8:30am -12:00pm.
Location: Richmond Country Club, 9100 Steveston Highway, Richmond, BC
Pre-Registration (mandatory) and all inquiries regarding the seminar:
Call: 604-290-5549, or email: roy.osing@telus.net
“Roy’s workshop is THE ONLY session you need to attend, if you are looking to increase the effectiveness of your company’s brand in driving results. Roy’s message is powerfully simple in its focus and provides attendees with what is truly important in building their brand. Roy’s practical approach in using the group to craft and hone an only statement for each attendee provides true value in the form of tangible results!” - Phil Griffin, Toronto
Roy Osing - A leading senior executive in the Canadian Telecommunication industry and widely recognized Author, Speaker, Educator, Coach and Business Advisor, Roy Osing’s career spans over three decades of singular achievement.
Osing knows what it takes for businesses to survive in today’s chaotic times and achieve extraordinary levels of performance. As current president and CEO of the consulting firm Brilliance for Business, Osing brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the complex challenges businesses face in the contemporary global economy.
He is the Author of the groundbreaking book “BE DiFFERENT or be dead: Your Business Survival Guide”, now in its Second Edition, which teaches practical and proven ways for organizations to distinguish themselves from the competitive herd and thrive and survive the unforgiving challenges of a chaotic and highly unpredictable marketplace.
He is actively promoting his work through Workshop Events, Keynote Addresses and Media Exposure. In addition, Roy regularly publishes Blog Articles on his BE DiFFERENT Practices to help organizations better understand and implement his ideas.
For more information on Roy and his work please visit BE DiFFERENT or be dead
Sandy Chernoff - R.D.H., B. Sc.
Sandy has taught a variety of courses for Continuing Dental Education UBC, BCIT, Capilano University, University of the Fraser Valley, Dental Hygiene Study Clubs, BC Institute of Chartered Accountants, B.C. Certified General Accountants, Greater Vancouver Home Builder’s Association, Association of Professional Engineers and Geo-Scientists, Law Society of BC, several unions, numerous large law firms, businesses, and professional and volunteer organizations.
Since 1995, Sandy has presented Soft Skills Training Seminars to audiences across Canada and in the US.
Her energetic, humorous, and interactive presentation style provides her sessions with variety and pace making the atmosphere most conducive to retentive learning.
Her company, Soft Skills for Success, offers the only personal and professional training experience of specifically customized sessions delivered in a fun-filled, interactive, and informative format which guarantees retentive learning.
For more information please visit: Soft Skills for Success
Richmond Country Club - From the moment you enter the driveway of the Richmond Country Club (RCC), you’ll begin to experience our commitment to providing excellence in everything we do. We are the ONLY true exclusive private family country club in the region.
Whether you’re a business professional or a family looking for a full service recreation location, RCC is your home away from home. With private country club traditions for more than 50 years, you and your family can cherish memories for years to come.
Currently the Club is accepting new member applications and we invite you to consider all we have to offer within our three very unique membership categories.
For membership information, please contact Lisa Wood, Marketing Director at 604-241-3703 or lwood@richmond-cc.org. Also visit RCC website Richmond Country Club for additional information on the Club and its facilities.
