March 18, 2024

3 Simple Steps To Build an Ironclad “Serving” Strategy

3 Simple Steps To Build an Ironclad “Serving” Strategy.

Everyone tries to develop a Customer Service Strategy, which completely misses the point.
It’s not about “servicing” customers; it’s about “SERVING” them in a relevant & compelling way.

For all you “formula-ites”, here’s the strategic context that defines the importance of a Customer Serving Strategy:

Business Growth = Customer Retention = Serving Customers

So, how do you build a Serving Strategy?

Here are 3 simple steps that I used to help take us from a startup to A BILLION IN SALES:

Step #1. Deliver your Core Service Flawlessly 24X7X365. — Core Service consists of the primary product or service of your business, without which you wouldn’t have a business.

Core Service is WHAT you produce, like computers, automobiles and communications services.

The objective is to MEET the expectations of your customers by consistently providing them with what you promised them.

Consequences: meet their expectations and you get a ‘C’ on your Serving Report Card; fail to live up to your promise to deliver a working product or service on time as promised and you get an ‘F’ on your Report Card.

The ‘C’ doesn’t get you any loyalty at all because customers EXPECT a product or service to work as promised. The ‘F’, on the other hand, gets you foul language on reviews, a condemnation story to friends and loss of business.

The basic platform on the journey to an effective Customer Serving Strategy is to deliver your Core Service flawlessly EVERY TIME, because if you don’t you will never reap the benefits of Steps 2 and 3.

Step #2. Provide “gasp-worthy” experiences. — Assuming you have architected the appropriate Core Service delivery system to satisfy your customer obligations, you are now entitled to earn the rights of a gasp-worthy experience provider — customer loyalty.

Unlike Core Service which is WHAT the customer gets, The Serving Experience is how they FEEL when they get it.

It’s the Experience that enables stronger loyalty; it’s the return on the investment made “taking their breath away”, “dazzling them”
and “blowing them away” during the time the customer engages with you.

”Magical Moments” are created when the customer’s expectations are NOT met; when they get what they DON’T expect.

They are made when the customer is left speechless and SURPRISED by the way they’ve been treated.

These are a few dustings I sprinkled to build a culture of delivering Magical Moments:
✔️ Recruit people who have the innate desire to care for others. You can’t train people to “love humans”. You must discover the special ones who have the gene in their DNA.
✔️ Eliminate the rules and policies in your organization that make no sense to customers and which disable the customer engagement process.
✔️ Expunge the Grunge in systems and procedures that complicate the engagement process. The CRAP must go!
✔️ Empower your frontline employees to make decisions to transform a ho-hum moment with a customer into a breathtaking outcome.
✔️ Have humans as a backup to technology supplied service elements—like FAQ’s & Chatbots—for those customers who have issues that cannot be satisfied by a predefined algorithm (which in my experience is most of them!).

Step #3. Recover miraculously when you screw a customer over (and you will). — Now that your Core Service delivery is meeting your customers’ expectations and you are adding a Magical Moments engagement layer, you’re done, right?

Everything is now taken care of and the illusive grail of sustainable customer loyalty has been secured.

Nope. Nada. Nein. Non. Nee. Nei.

Perfect systems don’t exist. Perfect humans don’t exist. Predictable environments don’t exist.

Things don’t always turn out the way we intend in the serving customer world. Human error occurs. Mistakes are made. Systems breakdown.

Sh*t happens!

And we need a strategy to recover from the serving OOPS! and continue to build the customer loyalty we have worked so hard to build.

Here is another formula.

Serving Recovery = Fix the Mistake in less than 24 Hours + SURPRISE! the customer with what they DON’T expect.

The interesting—counterintuitive—result is that amazing recovery actually strengthens customer loyalty and the customer forgets (or at least is willing to FORGIVE) the screw up happened, they are so mesmerized by the after-the-mess delight.

Jaw-dropping Serving Recovery actions:
✔️ Empower and hold people accountable to fix the mess the customer presents to them.
✔ Eliminate the organizational hierarchy and give the mess owner CEO power.
✔️ Measure how well you are doing to clean up your mess by asking customers who you’ve screwed over.
✔️ Recognize and reward “Mess Cleaners”; make them a critical part of the Serving Strategy success.

Final Formula:

Serving Strategy = Flawless Core Service + Dazzling Serving Experience + Jaw-Dropping Mess Cleaning

BOOM!

Cheers,
Roy
My 100 Podcast Shows that will make your business and your career incredibly successful.

My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION will share the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Un-heard-of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 3.18.24 at 05:49 am by Roy Osing
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March 11, 2024

Why a “Just About Right” Strategy is Insanely Outstanding

Why a “Just About Right” Strategy is Insanely Outstanding.

Traditional planning methods are obtuse.

They’re too expensive. Too time consuming. Too academic. Too unrealistic.

They’re founded on the premise that a “perfect” strategy can be developed by using planning pedagogy promulgated by “the experts”.

And that if the strategy conforms to traditional principles it will deliver unbelievable results.

Utter nonsense!

How can you have a perfect ANYTHING in an imperfect world filled with uncertainty, unpredictability, crazy change and chaos?

You can’t.

The best you can do is get your plan “just about right”, EXECUTE! it pristinely, learn from what you do, adjust your plan based on your learning and EXECUTE! again.

The proverbial “do-loop” to a successful strategy.

Based on action.

Doing stuff.

Trying stuff.

Cheers,
Roy
My 90+ Podcast Shows that will make your business and your career incredibly successful.

My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION will share the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Un-heard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 3.11.24 at 05:13 am by Roy Osing
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March 4, 2024

7 Remarkable Moves to a Jaw-Dropping BILLION in Sales

7 Remarkable Moves to a Jaw-Dropping BILLION in Sales.

How did we take an early stage internet company to A BILLION IN ANNUAL SALES?

Was there one “silver bullet” that explained the phenomenal growth we achieved?

NO!

The BILLION was the result of doing many things that resonated with people in the organization and encouraged them to join our growth journey.

Here’s my Pithy Seven.

#1. Have a plan made to EXECUTE! — My Strategic Game Plan method allowed us to create our strategy FAST! and get on with execution, learning and adjusting it “on the run”.

#2. Be the ONLY one who does what you do. — We rejected the traditional CLAPTRAP claims like “We’re the best…” or “We’re number 1…” and created “The ONLY Statement”, a granular claim that distinguishes one business from another in a way that customers CARE about.

”Lawn and Garden Co. is the ONLY service partner who delivers tailored Property Development solutions for stratas. We only serve Strata Corporations.”

#3. “Cleanse the Inside” of your business. — We cleansed our organization of the CRAP, GRUNGE and STUPID POLICIES that created friction in the value delivery system.

#4. Be a “Line of Sight” leader. — To prevent organizational dysfunction we translated what our strategy meant to each and every employee on our team in terms of what additional things they needed to do and what they had to STOP doing.

#5. Hire for “goosebumps”. — If a prospective employee gave me goosebumps in telling me their story showing how much they “loved” human beings I HIRED them.

#6. Market to what people “CRAVE”, not what they need. — We morphed our marketing machine to discover what our customers desired, lusted for, coveted and craved, spaces where competitors were virtually nonexistent and premium prices could be applied without objection.

#7. Deliver “gasp-worthy” service experiences. — Our Customer Serving Strategy was more than delivering promised value, it was all about taking the customer’s breath away when they engaged with us.

Cheers,
Roy
My 90+ Podcast Shows that will make your business and your career incredibly successful.

My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION will share the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Un-heard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 3.4.24 at 04:57 am by Roy Osing
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March 3, 2024

80+ proven ways to make your business unbelievably successful

Check out these podcast shows—over 85 now!—where I break down my seventh book, Audacious Unheard-of Ways, and show you how to grow your business and your life!

***NEW! “As president, Roy Osing guided a Canadian early stage internet company to $1 billion in sales. He identifies six major drivers that helped to achieve that growth, including differentiation, planning, and championing the frontline staff. He insists that there are no silver bullets – running a business is a game of inches.” — Chris Ashmore, Host, The Business Essentials Daily Podcast, How Roy Got To $1 Billion In Sales

***NEW! “If you can’t differentiate yourself in a rapidly changing, highly unpredictable and insanely uncertain market, the outcome will be filled with agony.”
With these works, John, Rich and I explore every nook and cranny of my Be Different or be dead journey from killing “Dumb Rules” to “Hiring for Goosebumps” Listen in…— Be Different or be dead. The Entrepreneurs United Podcast

***NEW! “Roy is an expert in making businesses successful. He has tons of experience and knows exactly how to make a company really stand out from the crowd. This episode is great for students, young entrepreneurs, or anyone interested in starting their own business.
Get inspired to make your business idea amazingly unique with advice from Roy Osing!” — Simple Proven Ways to Break The Horrific Mold

***NEW! “Customers don’t like it when they’re told “No, you can’t do that,” or “No, you can’t have that.” Many organizations insist on rules and regulatory systems to control and handle large numbers of customers. The problem is, observes entrepreneur Roy Osing, they ignore customers as individuals, which leaves them annoyed and upset. And you don’t want that! Instead, Roy encourages businesses to implement a strategy of “YES!” — Chris Ashmore, Host, The Business Essentials Podcast

***NEW! “We’ve got something exciting for you. In the latest episode of ‘Sell The Sizzle’, we had the privilege of hosting Roy Osing, a seasoned pro in the world of sales and marketing. And he dropped some real gems.
The concept of ‘the only’. It’s not about being better. It’s not about being number 1. It’s about being the ONLY one. The only one that does what you do. According to Roy, that’s the ultimate manifestation of being different. Of having a differential advantage.
In a world where everyone is trying to outdo each other, to be the best, the fastest, the most efficient, we often forget about uniqueness. About being the only one with our particular set of skills, offerings, and value.
Tune into Season 2, Episode 1 of ‘Sell The Sizzle’ to hear more about this unconventional approach to sales. You won’t regret it.” — Mick Holly, Host, Sell The Sizzle Podcast

***NEW! “I’m excited to share with you a fascinating conversation I had with Roy Osing, a renowned expert on business and personal branding. We delved into the importance of differentiation in business and personal branding, a concept Roy encapsulates in his mantra, “be different or be dead.
During our conversation, Roy emphasized the critical role differentiation plays in helping businesses stand out from their competitors. He criticized the common practice of using generic claims like “better” or “number one” without actually offering anything unique. According to Roy, being different isn’t about superficial characteristics, but about serving customers in a way that truly matters to them.
He introduced his solution, the “only statement,” which declares what a business is the only one at. This statement is a powerful tool for businesses to differentiate themselves and provide a compelling reason for customers to choose them over their competitors.” — Doug Thorpe, Host, Leadership by Common sense Podcast

***NEW! “In this episode of ‘Podcast Marketing Secrets’ Roy gives us some real-world advice that’s all about growing and scaling your business in just 24 months. Get ready to dive deep into the concept of competing for customer cravings, the power of the ‘only statement’, and why being different is your ticket to unparalleled growth.
He’ll shed light on why rapid execution trumps long-term planning and how creating ‘gasp-worthy experiences’ is the key to dazzling customer service. And this episode is packed with insights that challenge conventional wisdom, push against the over reliance on technology, and advocate for human engagement and a relentless drive toward revenue goals” — Al Morentin, Host, Podcast Marketing Secrets

“In this episode, Roy delivers valuable nuggets to help us understand what it takes to build teams that grow our business.
The discussion was a real “eye-opener” and offered beneficial learning.
Don’t miss this great episode sharing direction and guidance to entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders who wish to increase revenue, and outperform the competition! — Beverly Hathorn, Host, Teambuilding Cultures Podcast 

In this episode Chris Dubois and I break down the Moves I made and the Methods I used to incorporate the right business toolset to stand apart from the herd and get a BILLION DOLLARS IN SALES! Unbound

“Business plans are traditionally too expensive, they take too much time, they’re too rigid, and they’re not properly implemented. Roy Osing advises on his Strategic Game Plan with a rule of three: focus on the three things that will produce 80% of your results.
Beware, though, of being diverted by what he calls the “Yummy incoming”, the distractions that will pull you away from your game plan.” — Chris Ashmore, for Business Essentials Daily. Don’t Be Distracted by YUMMY!

“We All Live in Red Oceans” podcast on Business is Blumin!
Some people preach that you should look for a “Blue Ocean” where you have ZERO competition. That would be nirvana, but for most business leaders, we have to learn how to win in “Red Oceans” with hungry competitors and powerful customers.
Listen and learn how I not only survived in a Red Ocean, I grew a startup business to A BILLION IN SALES!

“Osing’s mantra—be different or be dead—has been the backbone of his audacious journey, driving him to constantly innovate to create ripples of value for his customers.
Osing dissects the magic of differentiation through offering customer experiences that customers can’t resist while ensuring that you’re the only game in town offering it.
This discussion is peppered with personal encounters of working with small companies, outlining the significance of differentiation, and the power of prioritizing the customer experience above all else.
Osing also dives into the world of audacious Leadership by Serving Around and how this seemingly simple idea can pave the way to success in business.” The Power of Differentiation and Audacious Leadership

In this Mindset Growth Show, we unpack my crazy secrets to growing a startup TO A BILLION IN SALES. They’re not complicated but they work.
Pick one gem to try and see what happens! From a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES | Part Two

“Ready for a jaw-dropping journey into the world of audacious entrepreneurship? I just had a mind-blowing chat on the Grownlearn Podcast with none other than Roy Osing, the genius who took a startup to a BILLION in annual sales!
We spilled the beans on “The Audacious Entrepreneur’s Guide: Roy Osing’s Journey to a Billion in Annual Sales.” From crafting bold brands to tackling those make-or-break business moments, Roy’s story is nothing short of extraordinary.”

From a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES | Part One.
What’s the motivation to BE DiFFERENT? Why go on this “painful” journey? Why put up with the backstabbing? Why be The ONLY One? The Mindset Growth Podcast.

In this episode, I discuss why most organizations are too myopic in their #sales #strategy, pushing monthly or quarterly goals rather than embracing a long-term strategy for effective sales. I share my ‘customer report card’ Move to refocus sales teams on nurturing the customer rather than foisting pushy sales techniques. Business Essentials Daily

In this Chasing Happiness episode, we strip the layers of a journey that transformed a startup into a billion-dollar powerhouse.
Roy Osing, a maverick in the business world, shares his unfiltered, raw insights on what it takes to scale the heights of entrepreneurial success. From laughable mistakes to strategic masterstrokes, get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and lessons.” Turning Bold Ideas Into Billions

The Audacious Unheard-of Ways of Using Practical and Common Sense Strategies to Drive Success, The Disruptive Minds Podcast

“Special guest Roy Osing shares very thought-provoking and audacious ideas to help you differentiate yourself from your competition, so you can achieve your goals sooner rather than later and maybe even exceed what you thought possible. This is a must listen to interview.”, The Accountability Podcast

Audacious Leadership is all about breaking away from the normal way leaders practice their art. In this ‘Biz Gone Social’ show we explore the Moves I made to successfully grow a startup to A BILLION IN SALES! Biz Gone Social Podcast

“Roy discusses the importance of breaking out of the “sameness” that businesses have accepted as the norm and standing out to be the ONLY ONE doing……(fill in the blank). We discuss practical ways to make that happen and touch on some of the points from Roy’s many books.”, Customer First Podcast

“This week I was lucky enough to interview a very cool and articulate guy named Roy Osing. One of the highlights of Roy’s illustrious career was driving a company to a BILLION in annual sales. Roy documented his journey in a book - not the ordinary how-to textbook type - but based on what he did differently to actually grow a business to a billion in annual sales.
Let’s fly all the way to Vancouver and explore Roy Osing’s ocean of thoughts through his book ‘Be Different or Be Dead’!”,  The First Customer Podcast

A Journey to A BILLION in Annual Sales. “Join me this week as I talk with Roy Osing, Author of “BE DiFFERENT or be dead,” about his journey to bring his company to $1 billion in annual sales. Roy and I talk about how he reached this milestone through learning on the run, “leadership by serving around” and building trust and consistency within his organization. Roy shares many tips that he has implemented throughout the years and encourages front line recognition and a strong culture to create a successful team.” The Positive Polarity Podcast

From a Startup to a Billion Dollar Sales. “In this episode, host Michael Brooks dives deep into the world of business success with Roy Osing, a renowned business advisor with a remarkable journey. Roy takes us through the audacious strategies he employed to take a small data company and grow it into a billion dollar industry behemoth. If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or aspiring leader looking for practical, real-world strategies to scale your business, this episode is a goldmine of insights you can’t afford to miss!”. The Scaling Edge Podcast

Growing Business at an Audacious Level, Your Spectacular Life
The Audacious Unheard-of Ways Roy Osing took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES. “Roy provides tangible tips and frameworks for developing effective business strategies, leading teams, standing out from the competition and more. You’ll come away with new perspectives and motivation to take your business to the next level.” The Profit Answer Man Show
Famous Interview with Roy Osing. “ Roy is a stellar man with a grand vision and unique walk .. very cool cat….” Joe Dimino, Neon Jazz

Unleashing Audacity: Being DiFFERENT and Dominating the Market. “ This is an episode you won’t want to miss, packed with practical advice, proven strategies, and audacious ways to break away from the norm. Join us in the conversation and learn how to stand out in today’s competitive business landscape. So, tune in, get inspired, and learn how to be audaciously different.” Financial Freedom for Physicians
How a Guy Took A Startup To A Billion In Sales. “Dive into the remarkable journey of Roy Osing, a true powerhouse in the business world. Roy has seen it all and done it all.”, The Pete Primeau Show
Breaking Away From The Herd: Why it’s critical to break away from the herd, be different and the key elements of an audacious leader, The Audacious Living Podcast
How to be the ONLY ONE who does what you do, In Turn Podcast
How to Avoid Being Forgotten, Design your Legacy
Keys to a Great Sales Team, Business Essentials Daily
Standing out. Defining the Fox. Being The ONLY One, Remarkable People

Your Mistakes Could Win You Business, Business Essentials Daily
Differentiation. Why? Why now? Ian Selbie Sales Pro
Being Memorable with Dazzling Customer Service, Business Essentials Daily
What’s Wrong With Blue Ocean Strategy? Business Essentials Daily
How to Build a Remarkable Personal Brand, Author to Authority
How to Stand Out, Spark The Genius

You Can’t Sell People on Ideas Alone, You Must Deliver Results, Time to Shine Today
Building a Unique One-of-a-Kind Business Strategy, Business Essentials Daily
Executing Bold Moves to Unlock Billion-Dollar Growth, The UNLOCKED Show
A Journey to A BILLION IN SALES, From Embers to Excellence
Roy Osing Helps People Cut Through The Noise, Life’s Essential Ingredients

Don’t run with the herd! Business Essentials Daily
How Being Different is the Real Path to Success, Hurricane H
Small Business Mobes for Unbelievable Growth and Success, Time to Thrive Show
How to be Audaciously Different, The KAJ Masterclass LIVE Podcast
Why Compliance Sucks, , Coaching in Session

I’m a guy who took a startup to A BILLION IN SALES, The 12|30 Podcast
Win In A Competitive World With Strategic Differentiation, CPA Marketing Genius
Roy Osing, The Original “How To” Guy, Online for Authors
How to Outperform Your Competition and Achieve Astonishing Growth, Biz Help for You
How I Took a Startup to a Billion in Sales, SalesPop!

The Contrarian Leader, The Introspective Manager
How to Use Books as a Strategic Tool to Standout, The Author Factor
How to Build Your ONLY Statement to Declare Your Uniqueness, Mind for Success
How to Build a Remarkable Personal Brand, Stuck in My Mind

Satisfy Cravings not Needs, Business Essentials Daily
Avoid the Price Trap, Business Essentials Daily
Breaking Through the Noise: Building a Winning Brand that Stands Out From Everybody Else, Curate Your Success
BE DiFFERENT or be dead, Deep Conversations with Dope Individuals

Hiring people Who Like People, Business Essentials Daily
Making Your First $1 Billion, Late Boomers
Debunking Leadership Myths, Business Essentials Daily
The Audacious Communications Skills I Learned as a Leader with Roy Osing, Publicly Speaking with Peter George
Breakaway from Boring! Be Different, Be Audacious, Straight Talk About Small Business Success
Avoid the CLAPTRAP and Move to the ONLY, Weekly Wins and Losses with James Heppner

Differentiating for Success, Success for Life
Creating an ONLY Statement to Differentiate Your Organization, Lubar Executive Education
How to Differentiate your Business and YOU, Terminal Value
Being an Audacious Leader is about Breaking away NOT Pivoting, Leading to Fulfillment
How’s That for Marketing, Leadership Powered by Common Sense

To Have a Successful Career, It’s Important to be YOU, Pursuit of Relentless
It’s Not Complicated. Look Here For the Roy’s Simple Stuff That Works, Business That Matters
Don’t be #1… be the ONLY ONE, Business Essentials Daily
Behind the Numbers is a Different Leader that ‘Lights Fires in People , Behind the Numbers
Be Audacious with Roy Osing, Straight Talk No Sugar Added

Be Audacious and Different, OR Be Dead, InnovaBuzz
Roy Osing’s Leadership Rules for being Audaciously Different, Zoe Routh on Leadership
How to Break Out, Be Different and Make an Audacious Impact, Evolution of Brand
Here’s What Sales Must Do To Succeed In 2022, The Confessions of a Sales Pro
Be Different or be dead Leadership, Tech Pro Unicorn

The ONLY way to Build a Great Business, Hive with Us
From a Startup to a BILLION, Science of CX
Audacity or Death, Fire in the Belly
If Your Sales isn’t Different, it’s dead (or soon will be), The Business of Sales
Going Boldly is about Being DiFFERENT, Russ the Big Guy
Audacious Leadership - Why it’s Absolutely Critical to your Organization’s Success, Lubar Executive Education

Why Innovation Needs You Need to be an Audacious Leader, Mind the Innovation
Roy’s Unheard-of Ways to Achieve A BILLION IN SALES, Aim to Win
How to be Different and Audacious, Leadership is Changing
An Audaciously Different Brand Story, BrandAPeel: Brand Storytelling in a Digital Age
To Live Your Best Life, Live Label Free (But BE DiFFERENT), Label Free Podcast

Cheers,
Roy

Order your copy of ‘Audacious’ NOW at:

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• Posted 3.3.24 at 07:26 am by Roy Osing
• Permalink