INDEX
ability to satisfy customer demands, assessing your, 55
adaptability as a skill, the importance of, 23
adapting to tomorrow’s customer, 177-179
Amazon influence, 51-53
Amazon Prime, 140
Apple, 42
one-click buying and, 51
approach, value-first, 66
approaches,
blending, 41-42
traditional, 40-42
artificial intelligence, developments in, 22-23
assessing your ability to satisfy customer demands, 55
assignments and projects, identifying critical, 81
attention span, 34
attracting and hiring employees who add value, 114-117
Baby Boomers, 92-93
Barnes & Noble, one-click buying and, 51
behavioral preferences, customer, 42
bell curve and growth, 31-32
Bellwyck Packaging Solutions, 57-58, 79, 112
blame, employees who are the primary point of, 41
Blommer Chocolate, 126-127
brand building method of growth, 15
brand, empowering your, 167-176
burnout, avoiding, 81
business, retail-facing, 49
business-to-business environments, 49
buying decisions, influences of, 35
buying preferences of customers, 32-33
buying preferences, customer, 42
Caframo, 111-112
calls, time constraints of, 84
capitalizing the next generation, 179-181
CenterLine Limited, 168-169, 170-171
CEO, employee morale and communication with the, 87
challenging methods of customer communication, 43
Coca-Cola, products of, 37-38
cold calling, 42
collaborative selling, 193-196
communicating a new system effectively, 81
communication
about customer issues and feedback, 89
about customer news, 89
about financial performance, 89
about investments, 89
about updates on competitors, 89
among employees, an environment that encourages, 58
as a conduit to people, 85-88
channels, having multiple, 50
feedback, importance of, 83
participation, importance of, 83
preferences and generational differences, 94
preferences, 34
through dialogue, 86
with the CEO, employee morale and, 87
communication,
employee empowerment and, 162-163
face-to-face, 85
frequency of, 88
prioritizing, 83
technology as a key component to, 87
when is there too much, 80-85
community, 35
building a, 46
competition, looking for ideas from your, 51-52
complexity of value, simplifying, 69
concept to realization, moving from, 66
connections through social media, customer-employee, 205-206
cost of employee skill sets, 24
cost of technology, calculating the, 23-24
creativity as a skill, the importance of, 23
cross-training practices, 111
culture
and market share, 183-184
of employees who add value to your customers, 109-114
that adds value to your customers, creating a, 105-119
customer
acquisition strategies, 15
advisory boards, 128
behavioral preferences, 42
buying preferences, 42
buying preferences, understanding, 37
centricity, importance of, 50
communication, challenging methods of, 43
empowerment questionnaire, 143-144
empowerment, 140
experiences, employees and their role in negative, 20-21
feedback, collecting, 128-129
interviews, direct contact, 128
issues and feedback, communication about, 89
news, communication about, 89
perceptions, satisfying, 140-144
purchases, future shifts in, 53
service liaison, 124
surveys, 128
testimonials, 128
touch-points, 68
value chain, see CVC
customer demands,
assessing your ability to satisfy, 55
limited ability to respond to, 56
satisfying shifting, 56
customer needs,
employee culture and, 165
employee empowerment and, 160
customer relationships,
de-personalizing, 148-152
the three key levels of, 144-145
customer, five aspects of value for today’s, 69-72
customer-centric focus, 171
customer-employee connection, 153-166
customer-employee connections through social media, 205-206
customer-facing brands, 169
customerization, 45-58
customerize, preparing your employees to, 56-58
customerized environment, elements of a, 56
customerizing, 53-55
customers,
building a culture of employees who add buying preferences of, 32-33
creating a culture that adds value to your, 105-119
defining value for your, 66
empowering your, 139-152
engagement of employees and, 94
influence of online information and, 48
instant messaging, 43
questions to ask, 39
texting, 43
the simplicity of today’s, 32-36
where to find your, 95-99
value to your, 109-114
customers’ needs, empowering team members to service, 47
customers’ true needs, understanding your, 65
CVC, 110-111
decision-making
preferences, 34
shift from leaders to employees, 58
decision-making, involving executive teams in, 85
definition of roles, having a clear, 111
delegates, identifying, 81
demands of customers, 37
demographics, generational, 88
de-personalizing customer relationships, 148-152
determining the perceived value of a product or service, 61
dialogue with employees, holding frequent, 58
dialogue, communication through, 86
dialogues, the key to having, 89
differences, generational, 92
direct contact customer interviews, 128
dominant retail presence, having a, 47
Domino’s Pizza, 51
Dyson, 103
ease of use, value and, 70
easy transactions, facilitating, 98
electronic employee engagement survey, 159
e-mail inquiry, follow-up call to an, 42
emotional intelligence as a skill, the importance of, 23
employee
advisory panels, 111
engagement survey, 157
experiences, customers and, 19
feedback methods, 128
feedback, collecting, 127
fit in a role, importance of, 50
idea boards, 128
input, 55
intelligence, 43-44
interviews, 128
morale, communication with the CEO and, 87
needs, employee empowerment and, 160
pushback and inconsistency, 117-119
responses to organizational change, 27-28
skills, teaching, 50
suggestion programs, 111
value, understanding, 112
employee-facing brands, 169
employees
and their role in negative customer experiences, 20-21
and your unique brand promise, 55
creating personalized interactions, 38
engaged in services, 37
in sales and marketing, 126-131
on social media, engaging, 206-208
online, preparing for a growing generation of, 101-103
who add value to your customers, culture of, 109-114
who are the primary point of blame, 41
who don’t care, 155-159
employees,
communication among, 58
decision-making and, 58
empowering, 153-166
engagement of customers and, 94
focus groups of, 128-129
holding frequent dialogue with, 58
importance of your, 18-19
isolating, 56
neutral, 27
one-on-one feedback to, 112
online presence and attracting, 102-103
opposing, 27
peer reviews amongst, 113
preparing to customerize your, 56-58
questions to ask, 39
supportive, 27
the strategy of empowering, 50
the value conduit and, 72
empowering
customers on multiple levels, 144-148
market share, 177-185
your brand, 167-176
your customers, 139-152
empowerment, customer, 140
engaged employees, 37
engagement of customers and employees, 94
engagement survey, 156
engagement, employee empowerment and, 164
engaging employees on social media, 206-208
environment that encourages communication among employees, 58
environment, customerized, 56
environments, business-to-business, 49
executive teams in decision-making, involving, 85
expectation, the importance of, 72-73
experience, the importance of, 72-73
Facebook, 204
face-to-face
communication, 85
environment, benefits of a, 33-34
feedback methods, employee, 128
feedback,
disagreements on the meaning of, 129
employee empowerment and, 162-163
importance of communication, 83
soliciting, 142
financial performance, communication about, 89
five aspects of value for today’s customer, 69-72
focus groups of employees, 128-129
follow-up call to an e-mail inquiry, 42
frequency of communication, 88
frequent dialogue with employees, holding, 58
Generation X, 93
Generation Y, 93
Generation Z, 93
generational
demographics, 88
differences and personal preferences, 94
generational differences, 34, 92
communication preferences and, 94
greeters, 62
growth,
bell curve and, 31-32
seeds for, 77-80
Harley Davidson, customer experience at, 64
higher prices, when your company can charge, 59
Hillberg & Berk, 180-181
hiring employees who add value, 114-117
hiring process, importance of, 115
historically accepted practices, importance of, 48
idea boards, employee, 128
image, the importance of, 72-73
importance of priorities, identifying the, 81
inconsistency and pushback, employee, 117-119
influence of online information and customers, 48
information, ways to absorb, 83
informative selling, 122-126
innovation, the importance of, 23
input, employee, 55
Instagram, 204
instant messaging customers, 43
intelligence,
emotional, 23
employee, 43-44
intermediate customer, 145
Internet, customers and the influence of the, 96
interviews,
direct contact customer, 128
employee, 128
Intuit, 80
investments, communication about, 89
isolating employees from each other, 56
isolation, looking for growth in, 191-193
leadership as a skill, the importance of, 23
liaison, customer service, 124
life integration, value and, 70
LinkedIn, 204
management needs, employee empowerment and, 160
market share, empowering, 177-185
marketing and sales, why every employee is in, 126-131
marketing and selling machine, creating your, 131-125
marketplace,
B2B, 49-50
delivering value in the, 61
Maslow’s hierarchy, 35-36
McDonald’s, 63
unique features of, 51
McKenna Distribution, 141
meeting, time constraints of a, 84
message clarity, 171
methods of customer communication, challenging, 43
Millennials and technology, 95
Millennials in the workplace, 106
Millennials, 93
clichés about, 86
money, where to invest your, 32
negative customer experiences, employees and their role in, 20-21
neutral employees, 27
Nike, 42
objectives, creating, 84
one-click buying, 51
one-on-one feedback to employees, 112
online information, influence on customers and, 48
online presence,
attracting employees with an, 102-103
having a reputable, 97
online,
marketing only through, 41
preparing for a growing generation of employees, 101-103
opposing employees, 27
order of importance for priorities, identifying, 81
outside sales, 193-196
Pacesetter Steel, 57-58
ideas of growth at, 79
participation, importance of communication, 83
peer reviews amongst employees, 113
people, communication as a conduit to, 85-88
perception, the importance of, 72-73
perceptions, satisfying your customer’s, 140-144
personal preferences, generational differences and, 94
personalized interactions, employees creating, 38
personalized needs of customers, 37
planning, employee empowerment and, 163
plans, employee empowerment and, 162-163
policy and procedures, drawbacks to, 44
preparing your employees to customerize, 56-58
price, value and, 70
primary customer, 145
print ads, marketing only through, 41
priorities,
identifying order of importance for, 81
identifying order of, 81
prioritizing communication, 83
problem-solving as a skill, the importance of, 23
procedures and policy, drawbacks to, 44
product knowledge, employee culture and, 165
product lines,
adding more, 35-36
growth of new, 37
product, determining the value of a, 61
products, standing behind the quality of your, 46
projects and assignments, identifying critical, 81
pushback and inconstancy, employee, 117-119
quality of your products, standing behind the, 46
quality, value and, 70
question-and-answer period, importance of a, 85
questions to ask current customers, 39
questions to ask employees, 39
questions, avoiding tough, 85
relationships, de-personalizing customer, 148-152
reputable online presence, having a, 97
responsive, the importance of being, 98
responsiveness, value and, 70
retail presence, having a dominant, 47
retail-facing business, 49
revenue growth, importance of, 15
roles, having a clear definition of, 111
Saje Natural Wellness, 45-46
sales and marketing, why every employee is in, 126-131
sales closing techniques, 15
sales force, building your secret, 196-197
sales team, visiting with the leaders of the, 192-193
satisfaction, the importance of, 72-73
satisfying
customer demands, assessing your ability in, 55
customers’ needs, importance of, 48
shifting customer demands, 56
your customer’s perceptions, 140-144
self-serving kiosks, McDonald’s, 64
selling and marketing machine, creating your, 131-135
selling, informative, 122-126
service knowledge, employee culture and, 165
service, determining the value of a, 61
services, employees engaged in, 37
shifting customer demands, satisfying, 56
shifts in customer purchases, future, 53
simplifying the complexity of, 69
skills of employees, cost of, 24
Skype, 86
smiling, the importance of, 63
social media, 203-212
social proof, value and, 70
soliciting feedback in person, 142
speed of transactions, focusing on the, 63
stakeholders, identifying key, 81
Starbucks, 62
strategies, customer acquisition, 15
supportive employees, 27
survey, engagement, 156
surveys, customer, 128
sustained growth, struggles with, 77
team discussions by a leader, 112
team members, selection of, 66
technological intrigue, value and, 70
technology
as a key component to communication, 87
problems that arise from, 25-26
technology,
business and the future role of, 23
cost of, 23-24
effective training and introduction to, 87
growth and, 22-23
Millennials and, 95
tertiary customer, 145
testimonials, customer, 128
texting customers, drawbacks of, 43
time, where to invest your, 32
today’s customer, five aspects of value for, 69-72
touch-points, customer, 68
tough questions, avoiding, 85
traditional approaches, drawbacks of, 40-42
transactions, focusing on the speed of, 63
true needs, understanding the customers’, 65
turnover statistics, your current, 107
Twitter, 204
UBP, 55
unique brand promise, see UBP
updates on competitors, communication about, 89
Upper Canada Stretcher, 100-101
value conduit, employees and the, 72-75
value for your customers, defining, 66
value of time, employee culture and, 165
value, 61-75
attracting and hiring employees who add, 114-117
definition of, 72
how customers assess, 72
simplifying the complexity of, 69
value-first approach, providing a, 66
Wedi Shower Systems, 141
WIP, 38
work in progress (see WIP), 38
workplace, Millennials in the, 106
YouTube, 204
Zoom, 86