SimpleBiz360™ Podcast
The SimpleBiz360™ Podcast focuses on inspiring continuous improvement. Our content features "One Minute One Question" shorts, interviews, and monologues designed to ignite contemplation, and action.
Episodes
460 episodes
Does your company recognize negative perception patterns with your customer base? OMOQ #197
The “Experience Economy” is large and in charge in today’s business world. Often times if is the “HOW” we provide services that override the “WHAT” we provide. It sounds inverted, but it is reality in many cases. Customer perceptions are now he...
Does your company measure and manage consistency? OMOQ #196
Customers place high value on vendors that display reliability and consistency. If so, then why do so many companies deliver service when, and how it is convenient for them. We address this in out book. Service When It Is Convenient For Us (SWI...
Does your company manage issues with band aids or deep-dive fixes? OMOQ #195
Customer issues often repeat themselves, and carry the same characteristics time over time. Knowing this, does your company address the deeper problem of why issues are repetitive and reoccurring, or do you just try and fix the current issue wi...
Does your company deliberately aim at exceeding customer expectations? OMOQ #194
Expectations are a grossly overlooked aspect of modern business. Some companies never address expectations for customers, while many companies set few expectations. As a result, these types of businesses can easily go about servicing customers ...
Do you search for the reasons why customers stopped doing business with your company? OMOQ #193
Search is the optimal word. Customers will very rarely tell you that they are leaving, and why they are leaving. You have to go find the information, filter it, investigate, and then fix it. The cost to reinvent a lost customer is far too expen...
Does your company pay for repairing self-inflicted mistakes on customer jobs? OMOQ #192
It sounds like a funny question right? The truth is, many companies try to pass self-inflicted repair costs onto customers. This video highlights one of the many times I’ve seen it play out in real life with customers. If you want to win custom...
Are standard operating procedures part of your company? OMOQ #191
It feels like this concept has taken a backseat over the past few decades. However, standard operating procedures are a great way to regiment your business so that you can train new associates, deliver better customer satisfaction, and create p...
Does your business correspondence contain courtesy, purpose, and action? OMOQ #190
If you’re groping as to how to begin and end an email, or phone conversation, following the CPA method will take the anxiety out of the process. Simply inject an opening salvo of courtesy, then outline the reason you are corresponding with the ...
How do you show genuine interest in the lives of your customers? OMOQ #189
Verbally cutting to the chase has become an acceptable business norm. However, in doing so, we often bypass opportunities to ask our customers about their lives. If we know they’ve battled illness, or tragedy, or have been on cool vacations, or...
What continuous improvement ideas are you absorbing through everyday life experiences? OMOQ #188
My son-in-law is a DJ, so he constantly needs to have fresh content to use as transition segues. As a result, he processes everyday life situations as possible opportunities for content, and he is really good at it. If we follow that same minds...
Is politeness part of your business equation? OMOQ #187
As vendors, we are in the business of winning customers to our side. Being polite was a given during the 1900’s. However, nowadays politeness is being dismissed, and replaced by speed of mission. When was the last time you took a step back and ...
Is your company being intentional during the first 30 seconds of customer engagement? OMOQ #186
We live and work in a world that is so fast paced, that we only have about 30 seconds to make a good first impression. What are you doing with that first 30 seconds with a potential customer? Are you planning this out? Are you rehearsing the di...
Are you creating customer expectations based on actual deliverable history? OMOQ #185
Deliverables must equate to what expectations were promised. Otherwise, promises made are nothing more than empty words that often create negative customer experiences. Too many negative experiences, and your company will be on the next bus to ...
Does your company ever attempt to replace complication with simplification? OMOQ #184
Sometimes when we try and fix a customer problem, we bump into the discovery that we are making things confusing, and complicated for customers. How cool would it be if a team of employees were to go out and look at every aspect of the business...
Are you a problem solver, or problem sweeper? OMOQ #183
The business landscape is littered with scads of operators that tend to sweep issues under the rug, rather than roll up their sleeves and try to fix issues. Problem sweepers are a dime a dozen. Sweepers are easy to find, but solvers are a rare ...
Are your customers receiving your full attention, or partial attention? OMOQ #182
People feel disconnected and uncomfortable when they’re having a conversation with someone who is only half listening. What amazes me, is how many times we choose to do this in business. Why? If you are trying to win a potential customer to you...
Do you look customers in the eye when you’re speaking to them? OMOQ #181
Eye to eye contact builds connectivity during a business conversation. Looking down, or looking away creates customer uneasiness, feelings of alienation, and heightened skepticism. Teach, train and manage, consistent eye to eye contact with buy...
Does your internal terminology match your external customer terminology? OMOQ #180
Creating customer confusion is one of the quickest ways to eliminate potential repeat and referral business. To avoid falling into this trap, one of the easiest fixes is to make sure your company is using the same terminology whether you’re tal...
How many customer touchpoints are woven into you average transaction? OMOQ #179
Each touchpoint creates an opportunity for a customer impression. However, very few owners, or executives, have ever counted the number of touchpoints in an average transaction. With that said, it’s hard to manage customer satisfaction if you c...
What are the hidden business costs of being a perpetual procrastinator? OMOQ #178
Perpetual procrastination can literally send your company to the boneyard. How? As proprietors, we constantly see opportunities for improvement, but we rarely act on them. In many cases, these missed opportunities might be costly enough to sink...
Are you in the habit of touching things once? OMOQ #177
One of the biggest time wasters in business, and a large contributor to margin erosion, is being in the habit of touching the same thing multiple times. Streamlined businesses, mega-profitable businesses, and many well-run manufacturers realize...
Are you taking on more than you can handle? OMOQ #176
This is a classic contributor to broken promises. So many customers get upset at vendors who dropped the ball. Customers often chalk this up to a vendor that they think is inept and incapable, when in fact, the vendor is overcommitted. Are you ...
Do you address your customers by using their name? OMOQ #175
Sounds like a silly question, but you would be shocked at how many of us vendors miss the mark time, and time again. Most of our customers are given the name, “Hey”, when we could easily address them by their name. Maybe it’s time to take a goo...
What pain points do customers experience with your business? OMOQ #174
Have you ever examined your business through the lens of identifying pain points in your business? It’s a great exercise, and can be very fruitful. Every once in while assemble your team for a story-telling session. Encourage them to share thei...
Have you ever checked your voicemail message to see if it’s professional and clean? OMOQ #173
Sounds like a funny question right? Well I just ran into a very strange situation a few months ago, and I feel compelled to share it. I was leaving a voice message for a vendor when I heard a bunch of F-bombs coming from him as I was leaving my...