I’m working hard to eliminate from my regular vocabulary the following phrase: “Sorry I haven’t called, I’ve just been so busy…” I heard someone saying this on their cell phone at Starbucks during the last week. It sounded completely disingenuous, and I was appalled to realize I’ve been guilty of saying it myself. A lot. […]
Internet Business
Three Ways to Get New Clients… Today
Like so many things in life, getting new clients is not nearly as complicated as we sometimes like to make it. Here are three ways you can get new clients (whether your freelancer, a consultant, or a salesperson)… and get them today. 1. Call previous clients and ask for business. I know. Seems simple when […]
All I Really Need to Know About Online Community
Chris Garrett gave an excellent talk yesterday at Wishlist Live about online community. I was struck — not for the first time — by the thought that online community is no different than “real world” community. I need this reminder every now and then. This morning, while thinking about all this, I remembered a delightful […]
Faster Horses
Common wisdom says “give the customer what they want”. The only problem is, if everyone followed that advice, we would not have Indiana Jones, airline travel, the iPhone and a host of other things we didn’t know we wanted because they hadn’t been invented yet. Henry Ford said that if he had given his customers […]
When Is the Customer Wrong?
There’s a saying: “the customer is always right.” Really? What about: A customer who wants a refund on something they clearly did not buy at your store? A customer who “buys” an expensive TV for the holiday weekend, only to return it Monday for a refund? A customer who is abusive, obnoxious, or just too […]