How to Lead Like Apple's Steve Jobs and Create Significant Market Differentiation for Your Company

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How to Lead Like Apple's Steve Jobs and Create Significant Market Differentiation for Your Company

I don't normally offer other articles for you to read but yesterday I read this article on Apple and its CEO Steve Jobs.

The article at FastCompany.com provides outstanding insights into Apple's resurgence and Jobs' unique leadership approach that has made Apple the company to catch in the high-tech world.

Business leaders at all size companies, in all industries and even leaders of non-profit organizations can learn things in this article to lead their organizations in ways that can differentiate them from their competition in the marketplace.

You can enjoy the article, "Invincible Apple: 10 Lessons From the Coolest Company Anywhere" at this link.

Make it a great weekend!

How to Easily Create Market Differentiation With an Out-Going Voice Mail Message In Any Industry or Profession

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How to Easily Create Market Differentiation With an Out-Going Voice Mail Message, In Any Industry or Profession

I get more comments from callers about my out-going voice mail message than anyone I know. I also know it has brought me potential business opportunities. If you get a chance you may want to see what I'm speaking about (the number is 845-463-3838, if you care to give it a try).

The message on your out-going voice mail can be a branding tool for your business and set you apart from your competition. Yet, few people I know use it effectively.

This issue was reinforced in my mind and for my own personal business strategy last week. I had a discussion with a former client about differentiating his business

The challenge we discussed was a call he received from a business prospect that commented that a call to the competition went un-returned for over four weeks.

This prospect had to also leave a message for my former client and even though it was returned in much less than four weeks, it still took a couple of days.

His out-going voice mail was just like 99% of all voice mail messages. It went something like this:

"Hi, thank you for calling XYZ company, your call is very important to us so please leave a message and we'll return your call as soon as possible."

I'm certain this was also a similar message to the competitor that was called first. I told my former client he was lucky to get this new client, for the following reason.

Imagine what kind of expectation was set for the prospect who called my former client. He probably wasn't expecting a call back inside of four weeks.

But, what about this?

What if my former client had an out-going voice mail message more similar to mine:

"Hi, this is Skip Weisman, thank you for calling. Even though I can't take your call right now, I promise to respond within 3-hours either by voice or e-mail. Please leave a message with as much detail as possible so we can limit the game of phone tag. Thank you for calling and I look forward to speaking with you soon."

This type of message does a few important things:

1. It is only 15 seconds so it respects the caller's time,
2. It promises a return call in a certain time frame that is within less than a 1/2-day,
3. It sets a standard few others in any business or industry offer.

When I suggested to my former client he raise the bar on the standard he sets for his business, he told me, "Wow, I'd like to be able to do something like that, and as soon as we add some more personnel to our team so we can have greater resources to serve those that call!

I stopped him in mid-sentence and said,

"No, you can decide to hold yourself and your company to a higher standard now, so that those you bring in to the firm will be indoctrinated to a higher expectation and level of professionalism, instead of trying to change their expectation after the fact.

"Commit first, and your business will become very attractive to prospects looking for a high quality firm to work with. You say you are better and different from your competition, this is one not so small way you can show it early in the relationship."

I've coached dozens of clients over the past few years since I instituted my out-going voice mail and not one of them has picked up on this standard for their out-going voice mail. When I ask "why?" I get poor excuses such as,

"I didn't want to commit to something I couldn't deliver!"

My point is not to make a commitment as mine, a 3-hour turn around. My point is to commit to something, 4-hours, by the end of the day, within 24 hours, 72 hours, etc.

Commit to some higher standard and you will create a market differentiation between your company and the competition.
Let me know what you think of this strategy and what you can commit to.

 
 
 


p.s. - there are few reasons to not return phone calls at the end of your day. You can always call back after hours to leave a voice mail letting the person know you got their message and you are working on getting them what they need, or that you will get back to them by the end of the next day, etc.

The worst emotion in human psychology is "uncertainty." As such as business professionals we should be doing everything in our power and control to provide our business prospects and clients "certainty" in our approach to solving their problems. Is your out-going voice mail message doing that, if not it's an easy to way to get started.

Does Your Brand Promise Statement Command the Confidence of Your Target Market?

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Does Your Brand Promise Statement Command the Confidence of Your Target Market?

While my wife and I were reviewing our vacation pictures from our January trip to Australia, I was reminded about this blog posting I thought of while touring the continent.

In two different Australian cities, Melbourne in the State of Victoria and in Devonport in the state of Tasmania we came across these two food establishments that had significant differences in their brand's promise to prospective customers that I thought was striking. See the photos below and see if you notice the difference:

Do you notice a difference? 

Which of these two establishments has the stronger brand promise statement? How does it impact your impressions and expectations of the value you might receive if you were to sample their products and services?  

I'll wait a few days before I post my comments as I'd like to see what everyone else thinks. Please take a moment and leave your impressions.

Champion Leadership Tip #11 - Leading With Humility a Sign of Strength, Not Weakness

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Champion Leadership Tip #11 - Leading With Humility a Sign of Strength, Not Weakness

One of the things that holds leaders back from being most effective and getting the best out of the people on their teams is a belief that they have to always be strong, always have all the answers.

Leaders who are unable to admit mistakes and unable to apologize for indiscretions will be limited in the results their teams achieve..

Many inexperienced and some experienced leaders succumb to the myth that they need to know it all and be all to everyone, yet this is the quickest way to failure.

The best leaders are humble. They apply humility in ther leadership approach by asking for help in situations where they know their people on the frontlines or whom are closer to the situation may have better answers.

Leaders also apply this humility by hiring strong personalities that have strengths in areas where they are weak and they are not threatened by the presence of that strong personality.

It takes strength to lead with humility and to know when to apply it in a genuine way that connects with those that follow. Humility is one of the quickest ways to build trust and show your team members you are human, and that's a good thing.

But, leaders also have to know when to use it and can't over do it, otherwise the leader will be seen to lack confidence and courage. For leaders that want to learn how to effectively apply and lead with humility, the foundational Champion Leadership Communication Skills Program, "Influencing Skills" is a good place to start. For more information on "Influencing Skills" visit this link.

Champion Leadership Tip #10 - Set Organizational Behavior Standards, Hire & Manage Performance By Them

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Champion Leadership Tip #10 - Set Organizational Behavior Standards, Hire & Manage Performance By Them

Monday, January 11, 2010

One of the questions I receive most from the owners and CEOs of small businesses and non-profits is about hiring the right people. Even in this economy with so many qualified people out of work, employers are still challenged in bringing people in to their organizations.

I believe one of the causes of this hiring challenge is that few organization leaders are clear on their hiring standards. Most take the antiquated approach of hiring for experience and education and put little focus on the prospective team member's fit with the organization's culture.

The reason for this is that most organization's culture's are developed organically without direction and forethought at the top of the organization.

When I offer the owners and CEOs of small businesses and non-profit organizations the concept of expected behavior and values standards that can consciously craft the culture, I am amazed they see this as a revelation.

I always suggest my five values of a C.H.A.M.P. as a model to follow. It is usually well received since most don't have a standard of their own. At the same time I also let them know that there is no magic to my five values of a C.H.A.M.P. and suggest they adapt and/or create their own to begin as quickly as possible to integrate some behavior and attitude standards into their organization's culture, to more consciously create their organization's culture.

This tip offers a great strategy with which to launch the new year to begin creating a new culture of performance and accountabilty. In my free white paper report  "6 Keys to Creating a High Performing Business Team That Gets Champion Level Results." I discuss this and five other components for creating a Championship Culture in any organization.

You can download that free report here.

 

Champion Leadership Tip #9 - Stop Trying to Motivate Your People

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Champion Leadership Tip #9 - Stop Trying to Motivate Your People!

Monday, January 4, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Everyone is motivated! I'll write that again in case you missed it. Everyone is motivated!

What? You say, that's impossible, you haven't met my son-in-law. Yes, Virginia, even your son-in-law is motivated. His motivation may be to lay on the couch with the remote control while your daughter supports their household, but he is motivated. 

Everyone is motivated.

But, are they motivated towards the right things? A procrastinator is motivated to put things off. A high-performing sales person is motivated to put money in his commission check. A homeless person is motivated to panhandle for his next meal.

If everyone is motivated then what do they need leaders for, you might ask?

The leaders job is to inspire their people to apply their motivation towards the right things. Inspiration gets people to apply their motivation towards goals and objectives that fulfill a particular purpose.

"Motivation" gets people to act in a certain fashion, but "Inspiration" directs that action in the areas that get the best results for the right reasons, fulfilling a particular cause or purpose.

The early moments of 2010, as in any new year, are the ideal time for leaders to leverage the optimism, enthusiasm and motivation for making this a great year that many people start out with, with an inspiring focus on achieving purposeful results.

Human beings want to know that their able to make a difference in the world. They want to know that they are on this earth for a purpose and leaders can inspire individuals to buy-into and fulfill a purpose in their role with the organization.

How are you inspiring your people? What is the ultimate purpose that you can focus your people's attention on that will have the greatest impact on themselves, the organization, your organization's customers and clients, and the community in which it serves.

As a leader start today to identify the specific ways your organization makes a difference and then connect that purpose to the role each person on your team fulfills.

That's inspiration! Doing so will take their motivation in the right direction and get your year off to a fast start with a motivated team.

Have fun! 

The $5 Million Mail Clerk - How Do Your Employees Make a Difference?

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A new client shared a story with me a couple of weeks ago that was very powerful in terms of employee engagement and workplace morale. I'm a big proponent of organizational leaders doing things that let their people feel like they make a difference. Here is one great example:

One of the largest law firms in our region, Finkelstein & Partners, had a personal injury case in which their client was severely handicapped in a car accident, the injuries turned him into a paraplegic.

As the firm was preparing its case to go to court a FedEx package arrived at the office late on a Friday afternoon.   Rather than wait until Monday to deliver the package, a mail clerk understanding the significance of a FedEx package, but with no idea about its contents, took the package directly to the attorney for whom it was addressed knowing it may impact a client's interests.

Inside was an offer from the defense attorney offering a $5 million pre-trial settlement. The offer came with one caveat, a deadline of 5 p.m. Monday afternoon.

This mail clerk's actions provided the attorney and his client the entire weekend to evaluate the offer's merits, instead of just a stressful few hours contemplation the offer could have received if the mail clerk had less initiative.

The offer was accepted before the deadline and a client who desperately needed significant financial resources to address his new lifestyle and health challenges was able to find resolution without a having to deal with a costly, stressful and uncertain court trial. 

A mail clerk made a $5 million difference in the life of a client. This is just one example of how regular, front line employees make a difference every day in the lives of customers and help companies of all sizes fulfill their visions, mission and purpose.

How are your employees making a difference, and how are you letting them know they do?
What is your $5 million dollar mail clerk story? 

Next week I'll write about recognizing and rewarding this type of initiative on behalf of your team members. 

And Now for a Story of Very Poor Customer Service

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My previous post discussed an outstanding customer service, first impression experience I had recently. Today I write about the opposite.

I was facilitating a training program for a client, a regional non-profit, that was using the conference room at a regional business services organization. After our session we needed to schedule a couple of follow up dates so I went to the front counter to inquire as to availability.

The middle-aged woman at the front counter who knows me from my regular networking events in the area greeted my request with what I would call "less than welcoming enthusiasm."

Immediately upon pulling out the facility's conference room scheduling book, a disco music tone begins to emanate from a purse under the desk. With a grumble the woman moves quickly for her cell phone, looks diligently at the caller ID and decides to answer the phone with absolutely no acknowledgement that she is inconveniencing the person she is serving standing in front of her.

It was difficult for me to discern if the call was personal or business, but my sense was that it was personal. The call and the distraction took only about 30- seconds and wasn't a major inconvenience, but I felt ignored and unimportant through the entire transaction, even after she came to focus on my request. There was no apology upon returning from the phone call, through which I had just stood witnessing wondering how long it would be 'til I confirmed my conference room dates.

I'm not sure what she would have done in that instance if the main phone to the office rang while I was there and she was juggling her cell phone. It would have been interesting to witness, though I'm sure.

I'm wondering if my familiarity with the woman impacted her actions and poor choice of behavior, or if this is the norm and would have been the same if it were a new prospective customer was standing in front of her.

This is the type of poor customer service I may have expected from a teenager behind the counter of a movie theater or a retail store, but not a middle-aged woman behind the desk of a large regional business service organization.

Hmm, what to do, what to do? Any suggestions?