Number ONE Business Strategy - Missing Completely from Agenda

Customer Experience is core of every business activities. Every enterprise either creates plain, awesome or miserable customer experience by its initiatives, day in and day out, everyday with every customer. WITHOUT FAIL. Irony is; still most, yes most enterprises do not have someone completely in charge of customer xperience alone. People are functional in-charge and CEOs are too thinly divided in various acts.

End Results: Endless run around to achieve targets, daily fire fighting, stressed employees, unhappy customers, unhappy employees, unhappy suppliers and of-course unhappy share holders.   Today’s enterprises are creators and perpetrators of Mass Unhappiness.

Delivering Happiness is the slogan of US online corporation zappos.com. Of-course they enjoy clear cut mileage over competitors in attracting customers, suppliers, talent and investors. They FOCUS on HAPPINESS of all the stake holders and naturally all the other relevant elements are taken care off by keeping HAPPINESS at the core. Just shift in perspective and they are in different ORBIT ( they do huge business and financially very sound also  ).

We have plenty of Business Strategists around but still - How many businesses have applied Happiness and Delightful Customer Experience as their Business Strategy??? { Company focus, actions & results will change , dramatically }.  There is something GROSSLY wrong the way today's enterprises are being managed. 

Further Required Reading : Seven Days Weekend (Written by Business Owner) , Happy Hours r 9 to 5 (Written by Happiness Consultant) , Delivering happiness (Written by Business Owner) .

7 Drivers of WOW!!! Customer Xperience (enterprise survival also)

Drivers of Customer – Xperience (enterprise survival also)

-       Product Info & Guidance -  { enablers } – Website, Sales Collateral , Conferences & Exhibition, Social Media

-      Quality -  { enablers } – Six Sigma , TQM

-       Cost - { enablers } – JIT, KAIZEN , Lean, BPR , Technology – SAP , ERP etc

-       Speed -  { enablers } – Lean, BPR. Technology, TOC, Logistics & Distribution Strategy

-       New Products - { enablers } – Innovation , R & D

-       After Sales Service -{ enablers } – Grooming, Training,  Social Media

-       WOW!!! - { enablers } –  All the above elements designed by keeping CUSTOMER @ the center and working of these elements to create symphony added by some CREATIVITY at all levels. 

   Companies are excited to initiate select programmes stated above , HOWEVER yet most companies are not recognizing the importance of Customer Experience  , which is the wholesome DRIVING FORCE for any and every initiative , a company undertakes. 

   Reason: No Existence of Customer Xperience Officer in charge of over all end to end Customer Xperience !!!

Choice of Words & Company Profitability

Does your company has vocabulary policy or Vocabulary Directory for the company ?

Yes WORDs are powerful and can Impact the behaviour.

Words we use with our Customers and Employees greatly influence our relations with them. Words we use to communicate : Sales Pitch, Call Center Customer Service, Sales Collateral, Internal Mails, Letter of Appreciation, Failed Services, Presentations, Interviews everythig we do is by way of verbal or written communication - using WORDs. 

At Disney stores worldwide, good buyers are called “Guests” and potential trouble makers or shoplifters are called “Customers.”

When will software designers realize that “Search” is a database function, while “Find” is what people want to accomplish?

Every word has mood and meaning. Every word counts. Every word matters to improve customer experience.

Look at some of the recruitment ads in the news paper or on website. Whether it will be FUN @ Work or Dull @ Work, can be know by reading these advertizements. @ end of the day we deal with the people in whatever we do and We the PEOPLE are hugely influenced by words and language we use. It can make or break our day. 

Mostly front line people in the company are not specially trained on special vocabulary and they fail to impress the prospective buyers and customers. Company owners and senior management does the similar mistake while communicating with their employees. 

Words are MAGIC. Words are Poison. Words are Plain. Its up to us what we make out of our words we use - daily in all forms of communications.

Have your company wide VOCABULARY policy and guideline , one simple step will greatly improve company's performance!!!!! { Motivated and elevated Employees & Brand Advocate Customers, simply by altering choice of WORDs }. 

7 Reasons why ENTREPRENEURs Suffer

7 Reasons why ENTREPRENEURs Suffer :

1) Greed - is the greatest curse ( Will lead to over trading, tax evasion, corrupt practices, low governance standards to indicate a  few )

2) Inaction  - when decision is expected either way and its deferred for long time assuming things will be okay of its own.

3) Too quick actions  -  Execution for the sake of it without proper HOMEWORK. Activity without productivity and focus.

4) Petty Mind Set - Micro Managing , less delegation , less trust on people, less or no freedom to think.

5) Not focusing on Talent attraction - Its people who manages the business. They make or break the business. Not only ability to attract but willingness to attract great talent is the KEY top management decision and action.

6) Low on Governance - Its about Mind set not abiding the laws. NR Narayan Murthy " Corporations that genuinely recognises and embrace the principle of good Corporate Governance will drive enormous benefits - the availability and lower cost of capital , the ability  attract talent, clients and business partners, improved competitiveness and financial performance and truly sustainable long-term growth" 

7) Low on Learning -  How we individuals remain relevant? By continues learning and adapting. Same applies to enterprises. Most enterprises are low on new learning and lack innovation culture.

Let the 2012 brings whole mindset of NEWNESS in your organisation. Shake up the way things are being managed. Hire a weird outsider and start experimenting. Results will          { surely } surprise you pleasantly.

My 2011 Best of 5 Blog Posts

One) 

“you’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards for the technology."

Steve Jobs - Life & Death - Quotes & Salute 

Two)

Battle for Profit is won with great relationship ( suppliers, employees & customers ) and not by logical /rational analysis of left brain thinking alone.

5 things MBAs MUST learn from Entrepreneurs 

 

Three)

Just shut up , create memorable customer experience and allow/ enable customers to become brand ambassadors.

5 Reasons Why Traditional Marketing is (almost) DEAD in Digital World !!!! 

 

Four)

Unexpected Speed ( Execution, Thought, Response ) WOWs !!

12 Ways to WOW !!!!! - ( For ) Individuals & Enterprises

Five)

No focus on CUSTOMER. - Business Plan/Strategy defines everything else but  Customer Experience company propose to offer.

9 (old) + Three (new) Early Warning Sings of a Troubled Company

My 2012 Reading List , Favourite Blogs and Tweeters

Books on the Agenda

1) Likable Social Media by Dave Kerpen ( On How to delight customers using social media )

2) Read This Before Your Next Meeting. The Modern Meeting Standard by Al Pittampalli

( On How to make meetings more effective, efficient, and worthy of attending )  (On meetings Tom Peters says " No meeting is routine, every meeting is a chance to show leadership" )

3) Get Bold by Sandy Carter ( Using social media to create new type of business)

4) Social Intelligence by Danial Goleman ( On understanding human behavior , dealing with people and soft skills )

5) Shant Sudharas by Swami Vinayvijayji ( On 12 Bhavnas i.e. 12 Reflections of the mind - concepts in Jainism )

& to Finish already started book 

6) Save the Cat  ( On Script Writing )

7) Samaysar by Swami Kundkundacharya ( 2nd time Read )  ( On Jainism Concepts of Nine Elements )

My Favourite Blog /News Letter:

1) Seth Godin

2) Social Media Examiner

3) Copy Blogger

4) Bain Insights

5) Strategy + Business by Booz & Company

6) Fast Company

7) Customer Experience matters by Bruce Temkin

Favorite Tweeters I  Follow

1) Sekhar Kapur ( Sensible views on matters relating to INDIA )

2) Tom Peters ( Inspiring , Innovative , action oriented )

3) Paulo Coelho ( Thought provoking )

4) Amitabh Bachchan  ( No need to mention reason for him, he is what HE is )

5) Arvind Kejriwal ( True nationalist and clear thinker )

6) Guy Kawasaki ( Entrepreneurship, updates and many many more, U must be ready for 

bumper tweets daily )

7) Zig Zagler ( Motivational quotes )

8) Mashable ( Updates on whats happening & powerful contents of the online world )

Will update this regularly. 

Happy Reading and Action-ing your learning in the new year. 

I enable Entrepreneurs to Pay More Tax !!!!!

Yes, when I help them in capital structuring , interest cost does down 

When I help them to take make or buy decision, it impacts investments in fixed assets which in turn affects investment requirements, depreciation , interest cost and Mfg Cost

When I help them lean manufacturing and operations, wastage is reduced

When I help them in process rejuvenation , it reduces wastes and quicken the business

When I help them in offering WOW !! Customer Experience, they get more sales ,

premium pricing & powerful branding

When I help them on Social Media Strategy, it reduces sales & marketing cost and increases referral sales

All these initiatives will add to PROFIT and therefore it impacts Direct Tax , add to enterprise's Tax burden. 

As a CA I started as a tax practitioner and focused on below the line tax consultancy & helped enterprises in reducing their tax burden,  now I am focused on above the line advisory and helping indirectly to the Govt in filling their tax kitty. Govt & Entrepreneurs both are happy along with me.

2 Ways to Present Your RESUME (& Do Anything)

You have two options to present RESUME. 

1) Structured , Standard - Starting from your name, date of birth , address , qualification & experience etc etc etc. No Innovation , not even interesting for readers.But yes in proper format and how it used to be.  { Even u will find it boring }

Option 2

2) Describe your life story till date. Your likes, dislikes, your achievements and failures, your projects and performances , your family and friends, your education and experiences.  Its a story and one can make real life movie out of it. Make it interesting , keep it real do not fake , readers must get engrossed. You are the HERO of your story.

Its a competition (red ocean) everywhere. How do we differentiate in whatever we do? To stand out in the crowd, we must add SPICE to whatever we do and present.

Be it your RESUME or your Project or your day to day work. Nothing is routine if we are SPECIAL. To quote Dev Anand " Without style we don't exist. We are our own STYLE. "       The man has proved this also throughout his life.

Bottom-line - Do everything in STYLE. Your OWN STYLE.     Most routine and monotonous things can be presented and done in STYLE. Simplicity Yes, Routine No.  Refrain from being routine and boring.  Who likes it??

Feedback Can Transform Valia the Don to Valmiki the Sage

All Indian readers must be aware about the Valia to Valmiki story.

In short the story is : d Don Valia was looting the people in his area , one day sage Naradji asked him - for whom are you doing this anti social things. His reply was - for his family. Naradji asked him to check with his family whether they are partner in his wrong doings? Family refused to bear the fruits of his wrong doings. That made d don Valia to think for whom I am doing these activities. And that thinking turned him to great sage known as Valmiki. Rest is history. 

Most companies can be compared with feedback less Don Valia. Thinking they offer great value and customer services to their customers and all stake holders, however they are not aware about what their customers and stake holders thinking about them. Neither they care to talk to them. 

When was the last time your company took customer feedback?  Feedback which is relevant and asking right questions affecting the customers. Your employee policy, CSR activities, social and anti social activities (tax evasion and pollution) , suppliers policy and customer experience design. Everything requires great insight and feedback from the stake holders. Unless companies have them & act on them, they live in illusion and spreading great social unhappiness and stress. 

Feedback and action on feedback is so important that it can make or break and even set stage to transform the companies. Periodic feedback is not only essential but its a compulsory practice. Is your company practicing it?

HOW WOW !!! Customer Experience Works for Business ???

Location: Bungalow @ Lonavala

Time : Eve Tea

Group: Gathering of Friends to celebrate 25 years of Friendship

Number of People at the Tea Table: 7 

Story Narration ( Real Life Experience ) @ one of the dispensary in Mumbai by one of the friends. 

How this dispensary is taking care of the relatives of the patient too while the patient is under the treatment.  How whether the relatives have taken the food or no is taken care of. This is bit unusual as mostly doctors don't care for such little things. Many of them even don't know how to talk with patients and their relatives. They consider themselves as GOD. In majority of the case doctors talk to relatives for insurance matters and HOW to get more out of insurance claims.When medical profession has almost lost its credibility as far as financial dealings are concerned, this kind of pleasant service and care will certainly stands out.  Somebody MUST have thought of  it and implemented it to differentiate.  Not expected & hence pleasant surprise.    

Of course we go to doctors for technical skills but this kind of going extra mile is what makes him STAND OUT from the rest.  

Person who was describing also said " we don't mind paying extra for this kind of services and care."

Result: Talk of the Town Service, low (no) resistance to premium charges, if any. 

Experience Shared in the group and it will spread to many through word of mouth. Imagine what it can do in times of Social Media. Social Media success of song Kolavari D reinforcing the need for WOW!! Product & Services and Its unprecedented success through word of mouth or click of the mouse.

People pay for perceived value, people share bad or good experiences. Both spread fast and impact the business results, brand value.  

 
{ If you are in Mumbai and want to know more about high profile event on social media is taking place in Jan 2012.  Click here to know more and participate http://www.clickasiasummit.com }