14 ways to become Interesting Company.

We all are BORING unless we do INTERESTING things. 

On Sunday last I completed one of the finest books on marketing The Referral Engine by John Jantsch. In between I finished other three books in between i.e. Delivering Happiness by Tony , Founder CEO of Zappos.com , Linchpin by Seth Godin & Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Kabini. All the four were excellent READ. I am enriched !!!

Author of book The Referral Engine writes that BORING companies are never talked about or referred by any one.  

This is interesting. Not only people but companies are also BORING. This made me think about "Which is a Boring Company??"

- Customers -  talks about the way you do business or your product /services?

-  Do they feel WOW!!! while dealing with the company?

- Media - take notice and cover write up or interviews?

- People - eager to join your company (getting good number of resume) and employee turnover ratio is lowest in the industry? Employees are given opportunities to grow personally? Happiness surveys are part of appraisal process ? 

- Suppliers - can’t afford to lose your contract? Ready to offer more credit, get paid on due dates? 

- Processes - customer friendly, quicker and easier to deal with?

- Project - undertake interesting, large, relevant projects and execute with passion and purpose?

- Experiment - invests in our internal people for their start up ideas? Ideas fly from bottom to the top? 

- Innovation - way of life , failure is respected internally, customer focus is the ONLY focus?

- Unexpected - surprise element is a part of your offerings? 

- Social Media - customer often write great reviews about your offerings? 

- Celebrate - all festivals , birthdays of employees (even customers) and  small successes?

- Social - activities are encouraged internally?  

- Case Studies - business school studies your company for their class room case studies?

- Referral Business - most new business are coming this route? 

- Board of Director - have some interesting/weird member not connected with the business and governance? 

(I invite more real life case studies which makes company interesting) 

If no such things (ideally everything must be happening) are happening , of-course then company can be classified as BORING. 

Boring Vs Interesting !!!Agenda is to make company interesting and exciting. Rest will be taken care automatically. 

Why Customer Comes LAST ???

Yes , believe it of no.

Unless an enterprise is prepared to the fullest customer will not come and if at all she comes it will be a disaster for d company or d brand. 

Making of a Movie - Script, dialogue, costume, set, light , camera & then ACTION

Release of Movie - Post production , dubbing, publicity, promos , press release, music release & then AUDIENCE

Event - Hall, parking space, chairs, carpet, musicians, singers, welcome drink , exit gift , host & then GUEST

All precedence has to be the best,  has to be attuned to the BRAND value and Company Culture to attract best & most of the customers. In the above examples which of the elements in the link , taking us to the final entrant,  one can afford to have WEAK??? Any thing WEAK will spoil the final outcome and impact the response from the recipient. Offerings will be as great as its weakest link in the making of it. 

- Manufacturing Capacity/Service Design & Delivery - Share Holders/Lenders (capital Structure) - Modern Machinery - Product  Patent and  Design - Design of Customer Experience  to WOW !!! Customers - Reliable and Quality Raw Material Suppliers - Dependable and Motivated Employees - Robust Business Processes - Attractive and User Friendly Product Packing - Inviting Ad Campaigns - Sensible & Smart Marketing and Selling Approach - Ambiance & Location of Retail Outlets - Soft Skill and Product/Service Training of Front line People  & then comes CUSTOMERS (for life, rave fans and brand promoters).

If one needs CUSTOMERS - one needs to be fully focussed on what it takes to bring customers !!! Focusing on customers means focusing on all the links that lead us to customers. Skipping any links or lowering the quality/focus of any links will not work good for the BRAND.  Anything weak in between will lead to bitter customer experience and will impact customer acquisition & retention (remarkably) . There is no short cut !!!!!. 

When U want to put CUSTOMER First , its putting him last is the only way. 

Why we need more of KBC than BQC ........

We as a society need more of :


Chefs ( idea, think and design new ) than Cooks (Mere executors of instructions)


Fitness Professionals (or Gym) ( Prevent ) than Doctors (or Hospitals) (Cure)


Entrepreneurs ( Create ) than Job Seekers ( Seek )


Intra-preneurs ( Proactive ) than employees ( Reactive )


Governance ( Ethical ) than Mere Government (Symbol)


Authors (Quality) than writers (Filling the pages)


Value (  Synergy ) than Growth (Numbers)


Profit ( Productivity ) than Sales ( Activity )


Food Distribution (Less of Hunger) than mere Production (More of waste)


Chanda Kochhar / Kiran Bedi /Mamta Benerji ( Self Achievers / Competency ) than Sonia Gandhi / Supriya Sule / Poonam Mahajan ( Forced & by chance Achievers & Dynasty )


Brand in Action  ( Living the promise ) than Brand on Sign Board (Mere Slogan)


Roads ( Execution ) than Holes ( Govt. Corruption )


Jobs ( Eligible ) than Degrees ( Education Factory )


Venture Capital ( Risk Supporters ) than Banks 
( Custodian )


Bridges ( Infrastructure )  than Breaches( Corporate Corruption )


Narendra Modi ( Walking the talk ) than Manmohan Singh 
{( Help and action) - less } 


Change of Heart & Action ( Meaningful ) than mere Religious Yatra-s (Thoughtless)


Yoga Guru Ramdev ( Positive Energy ) than Politician Ramdevji (Misguided Ambition)


KBC ( I also can participate in KBC ) than BQC  (Now I cant, though made a suggestion to Derek Orbrian )


Its not about what we don't need but what we need MORE.

Is your company equally Enthusiastic abt Sale & Return !!!

Why Companies cant handle Customer Exit Gracefully??? Isn't it a kind of customer experience also???

I was sold by call center executive of TATA AIG one medical insurance Policy. I was explained certain features and some of my queries were answered to my satisfaction. Hence I decided to go for it and issued cheque. Cheque was collected within 24 hrs by them.

As a part of their business process,  to know whether policy was mis sold ,one more call came to explain me the features of policy. At this stage on seeking clarification , I found that one of the features were  mis sold to me. Since that feature was critical , I decided not to go for the policy. I told the executive to stop the process and return me my cheque. 

Next day again call center executive who first sold me the policy called me , I explained him the issue, he was not sure about the same therefore his senior spoke to me.  Tried to explain me but cud not satisfy me. I told him to return my cheque. 

There after in next 3 days cpl of executives tried to convince me but failed , to all of them I told to return my cheque. They promised to do so. However fact of the matter is today even after 2 weeks , I am still awaiting my cheque.

They collected in 24 hours and couldn't return for 14 days when I want to withdraw, that too at their fault of mis selling.

I wonder why companies do not handle this situation gracefully? Companies have their refund policy and fixed time for refunds. When they want to sale they are open 24 X 7 but for customer who wants refund and return they have policy , rules & absolute apathy !!!  

Here I wud like to mention about zappos.com return policy of NO questions asked. When companies learn and understand that this is also a kind of experience and most powerful way to get back the out going customer. 

There r very few companies who are graceful to attend to customer refund and return issues. Out there in the market everyone wants to sale but those who can accept return gracefully is the company awaken to customers' 360* need & Thats the winner!!!.Very very few will pass this test. Everyone want to sale but very very few wants to solve customer problem.

7 Ways to Promote BLOG ( Anything on the Internet )

Customers are readers too on Internet so 

Readers Experience Management 

is the KEY to get success. 

1) Write Gr8 Content. Make it gr8 with real life stories. (language, words and flow also matters) 

2) Write Interesting Content. Well some time controversial - mouth watering but thought provoking.

3) Write Content Regularly i.e. Once a week to 5 days a week but certainly not once a month.

4) Write with Insight on the Subject. Most people have GK, they want to know more. 

5) Write tirelessly. It will take some time to get people to know abt yr blog (If u have gr8 content). Therefore have passion and patience both.   

6) Write abt yr Niche Subject. How else U will stand out from millions of blogs ??. 

7) Only THEN submit to all Social Media Sites like  FB, Linked In, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, participate & contribute in group discussions and leave yr blog address at the bottom, have blog address with yr email signature, on yr visiting card, in yr office and everywhere u can think of. 

7th initiative will only work if first six are complied with.  ( It applies to every websites ). I cant resist but to relate this with my ( niche ) subject of customer experience. First have gr8 experience DESIGNED & READY and then go out in the market to promote.  Be it yr Blog or website , yr product or service.    

What is yr Fixed Assets? Plant & Machinery or CUSTOMERS & Brands !!!!

In the Economy where every thing like,  business model, competitive land scape , new technology, is changing so fast I wonder what is the real asset of the company ???

Amazon.com (Flipkart.com in India) started with Books - Today they are selling almost every thing under the sun. (Cuz they have customers, product range can be any thing!!! )

Sony was once upon a time highest Camera selling company - Nokia has taken over the Sony by selling Camera through Mobile Phones. (technology & convergence of everything into Mobile Phones)

From no where Snapdeal.com is selling thousands of services as discount deals per day.Suddenly perishable services providers will have queue of customers. (Large customer base, product can be any thing & every thing what customer demands or buys)

Question : What is D real assets??? Yes its not Plant & Machinery or Website or anything else. Its yr CUSTOMER base thats it. What ever is spent on customer acquisition, customer service, customer experience and customer moments of truth r the ONLY assets of the company. Brand is the only Asset.  

Everything else is subject to TRANSFORMATION quickly b4 one imagines or realises. 

Business Balance Sheets must incorporate or provide for changes in business eco system we live in. Or else Balance Sheet will lose its relevance in evaluation of company performance.   With IFRS and much more coming up in accounting space, are accountants and auditors ready to awake to the reality of new world??

Pause for a moment & think !!!! Restructure yr Balance Sheet TODAY. 

Lasith Malinga - Brand in Action

Why Lasith Malinga is so POPULAR in India ?

- His unique hair style

- His accurate bowling

- His unprecedented bowling Style

- His smile when batsman hits his ball for a boundary or a six 

- His smile even when he or someone else drops the catch in his bowling

- His smile when umpire turns down his very close appeal

  ( I have never seen any of d above characteristics in any of the bowlers till date)

- All d above put together 

What are the similar UNIQUE characteristics of Your Personal Brand and Brand U represent?? (After all we all are building BRAND 16 (Removed 8 hrs of sleeping)  X 7 by what we do & experience we create for the recipient).

Brand Building in Action

Customer Xperience = (Internal Change and Innovation) = Negligible Interest among Entrepreneurs  (Unless ofcourse Richard Branson or Tony Hsieh is the CEO) 

Brand Building = { External Cosmetic Show (rarely connects with internal state of affairs) } = Highest Interest among all Entrepreneurs

In fact  Customer Xperience = Brand Building in Action

Therefore to remain relevant and facinated among class of entrepreneurs I declare I am no longer Customer Xperience Champion but reposition as Champaigner - Brand in Action. 

Life and Brand is all abt Positioning , after-all (!!!)

5 Ways to Make CUSTOMERS your BRAND Ambassadors

People believes in customer reviews rather than brand ambassador's large cut outs and recommendations.Real brand ambassadors are customers as they recommend after using the offerings and so called brand ambassadors recommends for money they get!!!

When TRUST is the highest influencers  these new breed of brand ambassadors r preferred and searched on the net & social media. Today u search for any product or services , you will invariably get users reviews.I use reviews when I buy mobile phones, when I book hotels outstations,  when I want to experiment new things, when I do not want to subscribe to Speak Asia kind of schemes (I found whole lot of irregular things and cpl of articles by Sucheta Dalal in her magazine Money Life abt the Speak Asia drama which is going on with the help of Indian Print Media these days).Telling example of Branding vs Actual Customer Xperience. (now 19th May- govt has ordered inquiry into the affairs)

Bottom line is CUSTOMERS are net promoters or demoters of every BRANDs. Invest more in customer experience and less on BRAND Ambassadors which is paid , scripted & hence less authentic. 


Here are the ways U can make yr customers , yr brand ambassadors: (Experiment rigorously)

1) Go out of the way to solve customer problem.  Do it with SMILE. If U are a Dentist,don't just remove the teeth but give dental care booklet and free check up once a year bonus. 

2) Invite happy customers to periodic customer get to gather. Share their stories on blog, website and social media. Offer some branding mileage to those customers.(Introduce them and their business on social media)

3) Help and try to make your customers more successful in what they do. Have solution and not transaction approach.

4) To the extent possible customize the deal and make them feel special. As a tour organizer U have tie up with particular hotel, have an arrangement with the hotel to convey customer's preference, data and choice for surprise and delight. They must feel special for booking the hotel through yr company. 

5) Have Happy Hour.  On any one day a week ,lets say every Tuesday, allow any one randomly selected customer free shopping/buying/consuming every hour. Word of mouth publicity will much more cover the cost of free offerings.

Have as many surprise elements in yr offerings as possible.  

I am a FAN of Zappos.com , Starbucks & Virgin way of doing business. Why not every one else too? Looking for similar passion and enthusiasm from Indian Company !!!! Any 1 ? Kingfisher is closing in.

Not only do business , make it a fun for all involved.We ,after all , live only once and time to make FANs  are too short. Go full blast from TODAY. Share yr results here.

2 Questions on my ( our ) Birthday

We face many new years in one year in INDIA. 

1st Jan ( Calender Year )

1st April ( Financial Year )

New Year ( Next day of Diwali - Hindu New Year )

Gudi Padwa  ( Local State New Year , in my case Maharashtra) 

& 

Today ( In my case , and in your case yr respective actual birthday )

Advantage: Ever few months we can make new year resolutions and every few months we also review the same.  

I learned abt new ways to celebrate birthdays by following interesting ppl on Twitter: Author Chetan Bhagat took 300  less privileged children to the multiplex theatre for a movie, another gentleman spent time with senior citizen at one of the old age homes. Gr8 ideas.

Lets brain storm what better can be done on THE day?

Technology has made it easier to remember birthdays so I am getting many automated mails and many SMSs too. Just NOW got call from LIC for wishing me personally. 

I am still looking for Wow !!! er from all my service providers and all companies for whom I am a customer or a client. 

Therefore we have two questions: 

1) How do we celebrate our birthday - fruitfully /innovative-ly /non routine way?

2) How companies can wow!!! customers on their birthdays?

Pl share yr thoughts. Cheers.

Customer Xperience Today @ ICICI Bank

Today @  ICICI Bank.

I sent my daughter to get pay order which she required for her college admission. She was carrying duly signed cheque. Today was the only day for her admission and timing was limited. Amount was Rs.385/- only.

Now at bank I am classified as Preferred Customer. Therefore they have a special section and they attend to preferred clients with more attention and care. (They should that is what I expected)

They gave requisition slip to fill to her which required signature of account holder. Since I was not there my daughter called me and told me that pls come as yr signature is a MUST. I was bit upset so I talked to the concerned officer and requested that this is the first time I am hearing this that its a MUST on requisition slip. However since I can not come & I will come during the day & sign the slip , you pls process the request. I also confirmed & informed that she is my daughter & she requires pay order for her college admission. However she refused to process the request unless its signed by me. My daughter met the branch manager , she was busy and confirmed that its a MUST & we cant help it.

Leaving all my work aside I had to rush to the bank and complied with the requirement. 

Couldn't this have been handled in a better way in any other bank?? Relationship banking I enjoy with other banks , they even clear the cheque unsigned or with some correction on the promise that I will come and sign as required , later.

Look at the amount, purpose and my authorisation and promise to comply over phone, however nothing worked. 

This is not process centric banking but total customer apathy and we care less approach. Is it no employee empowerment or no sense of banking judgment??. & I am classified as Preferred Customer!!! (Oh ,my god, what must be the plight of no so preferred customer!!!))

The same bank on TV commercials wishes the customer who has come to open account on his birthday with a CAKE. Total disconnect between branding and customer experience in reality!!!! 

Branding sans Customer Experience !!! Ad agencies and Brand Consultants are not the BRAND builders its customer experience that builds brands !!!Still they spend millions on BRAND and nothing on CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.  (Even basic,  forget wowing!!!)

Who U R defines What U do!!!

Company Board is Responsible to the Share Holders. Rest all are responsible to the CUSTOMERS.However internal focus of the company and designations in vogue is making life complicated and working in silos a norm. If the tone at the top is CUSTOMER and it percolates down suitably at all levels , it can change the meaning for the PEOPLE in the company especially in big positions.  I have attempted to change the status quo just by changing the meaning of the designations by making it end result centric.

Here I go .........

1) Chief Executive Officer  -  Chief Customer Experience Officer

2) Chief Operation Officer - Chief Delivery Officer

3) Chief HR/People Officer- Chief Happiness Officer

4) Chief Marketing Officer - Chief Brand Officer

5) Chief Sales Officer -  Chief Fulfillment Officer

6) Chief Technology Officer - Chief Enabling Officer

7) Chief Public Relation Officer - Chief Image Officer

8) Chief Knowledge Officer - Chief Intelligence Officer

9) Chief Product Officer - Chief Customer Officer

10) Chief Procurement Officer - Chief Quality Officer

11) Chief Finance Officer - Chief Profit Officer

12) Chief Internal Auditor - Chief Sustenance Officer

13) Chief Compliance Officer  - Chief Governance Officer

14) Chief Belief Officer (Future Group does have one) - Chief Culture Officer

15) Chief Strategy Officer - Chief Competitive Officer

16) Chief Innovation Officer - Chief Future Officer

Even if they start looking at their designations, mind set will start transform-ing. 

Readers may add many more CXOs and suggest even appropriate names to the one given above. Let the winds of change take over our enterprises.

New Start Up & Six Qualities of Start Up Entrepreneurs - Reallife Xperience

Recently I become a part of team www.kredence.com . Though was always a part of Team Ketan Raiyani formally or informally. 

About Ketan, and his entrepreneurial dream, I must say (1) passion, (2) dream & (3) risk taking ability coupled with (4) fund raising capacity are the few of the  foremost qualities one (Start up entrepreneurs)  must have.  Dream of achieving something unthinkable, unbelieveable. Many people get (final) kick when someone challenges  them, Ketan is one of them. ("U cant do" so i will do). I have also seen that as an entrepreneurs one must be able to (5) take timely judgement when to withdraw when someting is not working.

With him , I was a co founder of taxsmile.com & other ventures thereafter . Many a times we had contarion views on some matters & also had unpleasant arguments. However test of the true entrepreneur is his (6) ability to  keep people around him who can challenge his thinking (Not only YES men).  All these arguments always lead us to objectivity in the situation and refinement of thoughts.  Many may not be aware that start up goes back to drawing board N number of times before their endeavour touches the market.

One suggestion: Go for something outstanding and unprecedented in the world. Be known for SOMETHING or ANYTHING even if that means lower profit.Make FANS not only customers.

Its a game of high passion and  patience !!!

Its not FACTs but E-FACT that matters

In Mumbai Suburban Railway some times people having ticket of 2nd class travels by 1st class. In similar one such instance a commuter appears to be of  2nd class commuter was boarding the train. While he was boarding 1st class compartment cpl of commuters informed that this is first class compartment so don't board.  He didn't pay heed and entered the compartment.  Then one of the commuters told him that if the ticket checker comes and he is found with 2nd class ticket he will be fined Rs.500/-. Immediately without thinking for a second he got down of the compartment. 

Fact : 1st Class Compartment E-Fact (effect): Rs.500/- penalty

Yes stating fact is just a statistics. 

Toothpaste with Salt or Clove or LED TV or 200 CC Bike or Al Queda is a Terrorist organisation - but so what? How does it matters to me??

Mere statistics may not move people to take action. If you wants action,  talk abt the impact of the facts or non action on the person. Communication be it advertising or marketing or any such personal persuasion should have this in it to be E-Fact-ive !!!

6 Ways Individuals Can leverage Social Media (professionally)

1) Have Blog  - Share yr thoughts on the subject of yr expertise or work place experience/stories.(Half of the net users read some or the other blogs atleast monthly) (This blog got readers from more than 25 countries in less than 6 months)

2) Have Blog - Writing for Blog will make U a good observer and thinker. This way U will be a better person over all.(Extra Advantages - language & writing skills improvements)

3) Have Face Book Page -  This will help U connect with yr friends and family members.  Share yr online knowledge or gain from their knowledge. Its knowledge distribution everywhere. Either gain or share. Its win win.  (1 out of every 8 Minutes online is spent on FB)

a) Have Linked In Profile - This is a must. Most (Well many and many more to catch up) employers are now hiring after viewing profile here. One can do own branding here. Write & Get Recommendations. Its abt BRAND U.

b) Have Twitter Profile -   Here follow some of yr role models and someone u want to get in touch with. Reply their interesting twits and get noticed. This was not possible at all otherwise.( 90 mn  twits per day )

c) Post Reviews & Comments - Post product and services reviews you have experienced.  Its a gre8 utility in the world bombarded by push advertising. (78% net users do their product research online, 24% of adults have posted comments and reviews online)

Next time why businesses MUST use social media to get more business and enhance customer experience. See u Soon.

How to WOW !!!

Inviting tips , ideas & stories for my book How to Wow !!!!. 

Its abt wowing yr audience as an individual or as a company. Tips, real life stories and more such stories r welcome. 

Participants will receive free ecopy with due credit if story find place in the book. 

5 ways to Rejuvenate Your Brand ( U and Brand U represent )

Past Experience sometimes is the biggest hurdle. It CONDITIONS our mind. Previous patterns determine our future actions. Life is an explorations and conditioned mind cant explore but just follow the trend. This applies to individuals and enterprises equally.

Therefore to unCONDITION our mind we need to be alert of our thoughts & actions.  Out of the Box or Lateral Thinking is all about this. Everyone be it individual or company becomes prisoner of this "following the pattern" habit. This is how we become stale after sometime.

Challenge is to get out of this and rejuvenate our thoughts on an ongoing basis:

5) Do something non routine daily.(take new route to office or home, buy  non regular magazine, go to movie with not so good review, watch channel not viewed regularly, offer peak season discount on products and services, pay yr supplier early and thank them for the support, celebrate achievement of family members of employees,  ask back office team to front end the customers,  respond to call center queries in 48 minutes instead of 48 hours, offer no question asked goods return for a day, call customer after a day of his purchase to know whether he is happy with product or service

4) Challenge Obvious Idea / Action / Interpretation. (Get feedback from suppliers, service providers, go to different restaurant, take no reason leave from the job and be with the family, have without appointments day for all patients,  go and play cricket with children on Sunday,   )

3) Think , apply your mind and look at the things in different perspective.(Talk to grieving customers or employees by calling him and giving full attention to know his perspectives)

2) For the sake of change do something differently. (Offer Lassi or lemon juice in place of routine Tea/Coffee to your customers /employees)

1) Check Business Processes more often for better customer experiences. Its a dynamic world, processes must be reviewed to achieve speed & convenience to customers.(Remove or merge processes, add delight factor in the process)

Many more such actions can be taken up routinely to un( Condition + Routine ) our mind. Daily Targets ,Quarterly Results and Annual Bonus will make it difficult to think anything other than routine but believe me thinking unroutine will improve all the three targets.

This is BRANDing in ACTION. Atrophy (Regular CONDITIONed) or Rejuvenate (Regular UNCONDITIONing). Choice of actions r clear. 

Six Questions to Awaken CUSTOMER within

As a part of my selection of case studies on customer experience & social media I request CEOs and Business Owners (or for that matter anyone interested) to share their views on following six AWAKENERs:

6) How often CUSTOMER xperience & feedback are on yr internal meeting agenda? 

Always, Sometime, seldom , never

5) Do U have someone fully end to end in charge of Customer Experience?

4) Do U believe that customer delight is core and critical to retain yr brand's competitive advantage? 

1) Do U believe in " Advertising & Marketing Messages need to line up with customer's real experiences. So first & foremost  U have to get customer xperience right. "

2) Do U have Social Media Strategy? If yes what is the core purpose? 

3) What are yr immediate plan to indulge on social media to enhance customer xperience & acquisition? & to enhance Health of the brand U represent?

  

Social Media & Customer De-light ( P-light )

"Focus of most marketing spend is usually around new customer acquisition and that only 20% of marketing budgets are typically spent on retention. Yet, in many cases, 75% of revenues comes from existing customers." (Book : Flip to Funnel)

Wow! Customer Xperience is NOW more relevant in times of powerful Social Media. Words Spreads with electrifying speed and across d globe - Good or Bad. 

Channel your marketing budget to existing customers. Wow !! them , delight them, offer them memorable experience, offer them something to speak (write) abt on social media online and offline. 

Every wants to share their experiences. Social Media is providing them many such platforms.Are we providing them enough (any) food for thought abt what to write/share with their friends, followers and group members ??? If we are not , customers have their own opinions. They will share.

Every customer is also a publisher. (FB, Tweet, U Tube , LinkedIn , Blog) Any clue what to do to get ur offerings published?

(Next coming up with my ebook on hOw to wOw!!!!)

U are not DEAD , but are U Dying in EMI !!! Wake up and Wake yr Boss up

People are dying from job related stress. Actually dying or moving fast towards death 

with diseases like stress related diabetes, cardiac problem, high blood pressure etc. 

(DEAD: Raghu Pillai of Future grp, R Ravimohan of Reliance, ex CRISIL, Ranjan Das of SAP, Dewang Mehta - NASSCOM are the known examples & DYING : Most of us)

Unfortunately the pace at which economy (due to technology) wants us to react is so fast that human species will take time to adjust. Like the versions of the IT products we also need advance versions of  people who can take on the technology and can react and move at speed of thought. I am not talking abt development of technology but the speed at which things in the world happens due to sophistication of technology is the KILLER.

Technology is just a one part, problem with CAPITALIST society is that Capital is d only measurement of success.All our measurements of success surrounds CAPITAL. ROI, IRR, EBIDTA, EPS, ROCE, PBT , EVA and that's it. Failure or success is defined by these figures. PERIOD.   

  

Which company actually measures stress or happiness of the employees , suppliers (Quick deliveries and delayed payment) & customers on an on going basis and actually work towards improving the happiness and lowering the stress? No Annual Reports talks about people's happiness or customers happiness due to the existence of the enterprise.  People talks about triple bottom line (one each for Shareholders, Society and Environment).We have regulator like SEBI and minister like Jairam Ramesh so two of the three are looked after to some extent (environment reporting is negligible).  Society incl people (HR) and customer influenced by the Enterprise is invariably ignored. 

Companies in the US like Zapoos is one of the very few who has taken up HAPPINESS as an objective of their existence and they are working on delivering happiness not just to their customers but to people across the globe. 

Unless the focus changes things will not change. Unless  we care abt the people more than the shareholders  things will not change. Unless our annual reports are driven by people, customers and society at large than by Companies Act things will not change. Which company will wake up first??  Infosys did it once on governance and reporting transparency.  
Who will take the lead this time? Are we not extremely conditioned!!!

Caution before U Commence !!!!

Never ever start any project without financial closure. Short term approach that lets manage till we need additional money invariably will puncture (Cost and time overrun, cost of finance will go up in a emergency situation and not so well thought out decisions  in desperation) the project. 

Don't forget the lesson of 2008 crisis, take money when available and not when u need it.  You may not use the available money in full and pay interest or commitment charges , but that is a better scenario than no money and project suffers.

Seen this and seeing again and again. 

(Not appliable to start ups, they need to manage from whatever sources till they dilute to professional investors)

Soul is left to someone else , CEOs r focusing on BODY of Business.

Customer Experience = Marketing Job ?? Biggest Myth of enterprises of TODAY. 

Its d Job of the highest decision maker or decision making forum in d company. 

Why?? Customer Experience can be altered and made delightful by;

1) Making Offerings stand out among the competing crowd

2) Making HR more customer friendly and happier

3) Making business processes customer friendly and quicker

4) Making after sales , powerful tool to get new sales

5) Going out of the way to help customers. Its abt empowering yr people

6) Its about DESIGN. The way products /services will be manufactured and delivered to the customers. 

7) Its abt sales collateral, ad campaign, social responsibility, governance and everything.

Its a SOUL (Script) of any enterprise. How CEOs and Core Team can remain out of the DESIGNING process of Customer Xperience and leave it to CMO or CSO??

CEOs other priorities without the center focus of customer experience design are misplaced priorities. Its red ocean mind set and running away from the real issue.

Do U design and measure Customer Experience this way???

Lets start designing and measuring Customer Experience with this bench mark!!! Fantastic Focus.

19 Life Changing Books !!!

 1) Experience Economy- Pine & Gilmore

2) Re-imagine & Circle of Innovation - Tom Peters

3) Rethinking the Future - Many Renowned Management Thinkers

4) Linchpin & Small is new Big - Seth Godin

5) Delivering Happiness - Tony Hsieh

6) Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

 7) Mavericks @ Work - Taylor & Labaree

8) The Referral Engine - John Jantsch

9) Seven Days Weekend - Ricardo Semler

10) The Goal - Dr Eliyahu Goldratt

11) Blue Ocean Strategy - Kim & Renne

12) The Starbucks Experience  - Michelli

13) Working with Emotional Intelligence - Danial Goleman

14) Who moved my cheese - Spencer Johnson

15) The Professional & Go Kiss d world - Subroto Bagchi

& Of course

16)  Indian Income Tax Act and Companies Act - For not pursing & practicing the same

(Everything need not end with round figure, influence is not in the given order & not included religious books - 
Readers are welcome to share their influencers - boook or people)