(Time to read this Blog article is about 30 seconds) Many businesses spend huge sums of money on ‘customer research’ to find out exactly what their customers want.  Then, when they deliver that, they wonder why customers don’t go “WOW”. What they don’t realize is, they’ve fallen into ‘The Research Trap.’  It works like this. […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 90 seconds) Every business talks about ‘marketing’, but most never really define it.  There are many debates, disagreements and myths about what marketing is.  Some folks equate it to advertising, promotion and sales, but it’s much more than that.  Here’s my simple definition of ‘marketing’ that may […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 60 seconds) A number of clients have asked me to comment on the increasing minimum wage that we see in Canada and the USA.  First off, to give yourself a little perspective, for just one week try living on what some of your minimum wage employees are […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 60 seconds) Many businesses, large and small, make the mistake of believing that their customers have only one ‘currency’ in their lives, which is money.   So they can think of only one way to compete, which is to cut their price.  ‘Price’ is important but when you […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 45 seconds) Many companies measure their service excellence by how well and how quickly they respond to their customers.  How we respond matters.  But the real customer service magic comes when we anticipate our customers’ needs and proactively do what needs to be done. One day, early […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 40 seconds) We’re not just talking about cultural or ethnic diversity; we’re talking about diversity of thought and perspective.  If you surround yourself with people who look, think and act like you do, this doesn’t unleash your creativity, it narrows your view and limits your possibilities.  Innovation […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 40 seconds) One of my recent coaching clients has been negotiating to buy out a competitor.  As usual, the seller thought their business was worth much more than it actually was.  How could they have worked so hard and the business be worth so little?  Because working […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 90 seconds) There’s much talk in business today about the importance of initial and on-going training, coaching and employee development…and so there should be.   You can’t grow your business without growing your people. To truly embrace a program of ongoing employee education and development, keep in […]

(Time to read this Blog section about 60 seconds) ’Congratulations’ you are in the top 1%. According to the World Bank, more than 2.8 billion people on this planet live on less than $2 a day.  In fact, a North American salary of just $32,400 a year puts you in the top 1% of wage […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 50 seconds) Earlier this year I spoke at a Marketing Conference in Miami for a technology business that had recently been purchased by a huge global conglomerate.  They are growing rapidly, introducing new products, opening new markets and adding lots of new people.  Everything about the business […]