Many business people tell themselves two big lies on a regular basis...

Lie #1: "There's no such thing as customer loyalty any more!" (we deal with this one further on in this Newsletter)

Lie #2: "There’s no such thing as staff loyalty any more!”

The simple truth is that people (both customers and staff) are loyal to what's best for them...or what they assume is best for them and they're desperately looking for companies and employers to be loyal to.

Rather than blame others for our failure to attract and keep great people at every level of our organization it will be infinitely more useful to ask two simple but powerful questions...

1. "What kind of company do the best people want to work for?"
   
   
2. "Specifically, what do we have to fix, create or stop doing to become that kind of company?"

So, what do good people want? According to a number of surveys, good people want five things...

• A challenging job with opportunity to grow.
• Clear, honest and consistent communication.
• A positive, uplifting environment.
• Recognition of performance.
• Money.

How does your business rate in the delivery of these five critical factors and specifically what will you fix, create or stop doing to create the quality environment that attracts and keeps the best people?


2) ARTICLE:"You can't have a relationship with people that you don't know a lot about!"
Time to read this article is 70 seconds.

I've just spoken to the management team of a great Canadian company, Sun Rich Fresh Foods. They're North America’s leading supplier of fresh cut fruit, a business that is incredibly demanding in the areas of quality, logistics and food safety.

Sun Rich credits much of their success to a concept that I love. It's called "Customer Intimacy". This program captures and uses both relationship and transactional information about each customer in a way that strengthens connections, creates customer value and grows their business.

As I learned about Sun Rich’s “Customer Intimacy” commitment I couldn’t help contrasting it to my experience with American Express a few years ago.

For a number of years I carried and used an Amex card to the tune of several thousand dollars a month. Then, someone turned me on to the CIBC Aerogold Visa card that would earn me tons of air miles…and I switched, cold turkey! Either Amex didn’t notice that they’d lost me or they didn’t care…but, either way, I received no call, no letter, no nothing, asking about my business, why I left and how they might get me back. They simply weren't paying attention!

When we pay attention to our customers, two things happen…

1. We learn from them…and,
2. We honour them.

1. We don’t learn from them...and,
2. We dishonour them!

Clients keep telling me that one of their biggest frustrations is that there’s no customer loyalty any more. When I ask them whey they think that is, the response is usually something like, “It’s because God’s making people differently today!” (Nothing like blaming it on a higher authority!) The truth is that people are desperately looking for businesses to be loyal to…and nobody gets it!

Life is now so complicated, so full of choices and conflicting information that whatever we go to buy, in every part of our business and our personal lives, we now know about 10% of what we need to know to make the best purchase decision for us…and we’re desperately looking for “heros” that we can trust to help us with the other 90%!

Think about your own life. If you went out today to buy insurance, a computer, mutual funds, a new car, or even groceries. (“Dairy is good for you or dairy will kill you.”…two pretty much different opinions there) I think you’d agree that you know about 10% of what you need to know to make the best decision for you. And are you not looking, in every part of your life for a “hero” that you can trust and be loyal to?

As I said in the earlier article on staff loyalty, people are loyal to what’s best for them, or what they assume is best for them.

So, if you’re not experiencing the degree of customer loyalty that you’d like in your business, it’s for one of two simple reasons...

1. You aren’t best for anyone yet...or,
2. You are best for some people but, so far, you’ve done a lousy job of communicating your powerful message to those target customers.

Either way, it’s up to you to fix it!

1. Is this program of interest to you and/or some of your team? If so, how many might attend in total?
2. Is a fee of $260 for a half-day program of value for you?
3. If you’re not from the Toronto area, would this program be of interest to you, if we could bring it to your community?
4. Do you know other business people, including customers and suppliers, to whom you would recommend this Seminar?

Over the years I've attended a number of hyped up presentations on "How to sell your way to success", "How to outsell your competitors", "27 tricky ways to close a sale" and I've generally left half way through feeling a bit nauseous.

Then comes along Tom Stoyan, Canada's Sales Coach, who informs, uplifts and inspires sales professionals with his 30-Day Program on "Selling with Integrity"...my kind of a guy!

I've known Tom for years. He's cutting edge bright, generous with both his knowledge and his spirit and a compelling communicator! His unique approach to achieving sales excellence is the best I've seen.

To know more about Tom and to subscribe to his FREE, brief and thought-provoking "Sales Tip of the Week" for Sales Excellence, just click here www.canadassalescoach.com.


6) A Commitment to Love!

Some time ago, I came across a simple but beautiful commitment to love and honour ones partner. I put it on the wall next to my desk as a reminder of what’s really important in my life. I share it with you below.