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... x No Thanks Loading.. Sweat The Small Stuff: Succeeding By Serving The Customer 4/30/2013 by Jack Burke This content has not been rated yet. The top-selling book Don't Sweat The Small Stuff gave me pause to think. Many businesses today aren't sweating the small stuff, concentrating instead on the big picture, ' including automation, advertising media, Web sites, and mergers and acquisitions. Unfortunately, these same businesses may have relegated their customers to the status of small stuff. Last year, I witnessed an example of this situation when I spoke with customers of a regional movie theater chain during four major consumer focus sessions. Over dinner and a three-hour fact-finding session, we discussed the entire theater experience, and I exposed them to some innovative ideas that everyone at the corporate office felt would be significant in building and maintaining customer loyalty. Although the customers appreciated most of the ideas, they expressed a different mindset regarding what was really important to their theater-going experience. Their No.1 concern was clean bathrooms, followed by clean lobbies and clean screening room floors. More recently, stock values for Crown Books plunged 39% upon the announcement that the company may seek bankruptcy protection. Its lowest price' strategy of the 1970s hasn't been working in today's marketplace. Consumer expectations have expanded with the mega-store capabilities of Borders and Barnes & Noble-not to mention the ease of amazon.com. Although a lowest-price strategy can work, the real problem is that Crown lost touch with the needs, wants, and desires of its customers, who want more than just low price. In a recent technology conference ...

... were a bread man, a teacher, and a mailman. Steve Goodfellow, Ph.D., CPCU advocates hiring a young person - a college grad with sales aptitude - and training him or her in the insurance business. Goodfellow is president of Business Insurance Services in Tallahassee, Fla., and was previously director of management programs for the Florida Association of Insurance Agents. While he was with the Florida association, he conducted a program called Up-Start' in which he recruited and hired 14 college graduates and placed them in sales positions throughout Florida. About Tests Many agents are skeptical about using personality or psychological profile tests when hiring. They prefer to go by a gut reaction. But there are persuasive arguments for using them as part of the hiring process. The interview process is really a kind of theater, ' says Greenberg. Tests can get beyond the facade of the interview to reveal more about the personality' of the candidate, he said. They can be an objective tool' to use in addition to the interview. Personality tests are considered very accurate (up to 90%) . With a good job description, the tests can be very specific about whether an individual will work out in a particular job. If the screening company has information about the agency's staff, it can also offer an opinion about whether the candidate will fit in at the office. The Caliper test costs $150 per analysis (there is a discount for IIAA members), while the cost of a hiring mistake can run in the thousands of dollars. Some experts suggest that five times the salary ...

... sommelier and all of the trimmings. The agency found that these tastings are one of the most popular ways to make sure that the contractors feel special. What's more, a sizable percentage of these contractors decide to trust their protection needs to this creative group of insurance professionals. Don't limit yourself to Contractors: Almost any client or prospect will enjoy a wine and cheese tasting. Idea #12: Sponsor a concert. It's no secret that music is a powerful force in the lives of teens. But teens aren't the only group that can be motivated by music. Because concerts bring people together in a way that stirs both the imagination and emotions, associating your agency with these emotions can help create a powerful bond with potential clients and existing friends. Check to see if you have a community theater in your area or perhaps you can use a local high school. Then look for local talent to help. You might even consider charging for tickets, then giving the proceeds to a local charity. Idea # 13: Sponsor a golf workshop. Although agent and consultant Pres Diamond is known for his expertise in Workers Comp, he's also a brilliant marketer. One of Pres' suggestions is to schedule a promotion announcing the opportunity to "Take Eight Strokes off Your Golf Game." Hold the workshop at a local country club where your agency has arranged for the golf pro to give personal lessons to a group of prospects. To make the most of these new relationships, don't even talk about insurance during the session — just let these prospects get to you know as a caring professional ...

...persons permitted on some rides. Theaters limit the age of persons admitted to...

... sommelier and all of the trimmings. The agency found that these tastings are one of the most popular ways to make sure that the contractors feel special. What's more, a sizable percentage of these contractors decide to trust their protection needs to this creative group of insurance professionals. Don't limit yourself to Contractors: Almost any client or prospect will enjoy a wine and cheese tasting. Idea #12: Sponsor a concert. It's no secret that music is a powerful force in the lives of teens. But teens aren't the only group that can be motivated by music. Because concerts bring people together in a way that stirs both the imagination and emotions, associating your agency with these emotions can help create a powerful bond with potential clients and existing friends. Check to see if you have a community theater in your area or perhaps you can use a local high school. Then look for local talent to help. You might even consider charging for tickets, then giving the proceeds to a local charity. Idea # 13: Sponsor a golf workshop. Although agent and consultant Pres Diamond is known for his expertise in Workers Comp, he's also a brilliant marketer. One of Pres' suggestions is to schedule a promotion announcing the opportunity to "Take Eight Strokes off Your Golf Game." Hold the workshop at a local country club where your agency has arranged for the golf pro to give personal lessons to a group of prospects. To make the most of these new relationships, don't even talk about insurance during the session — just let these prospects get to you know as a caring professional ...

... were a bread man, a teacher, and a mailman. Steve Goodfellow, Ph.D., CPCU advocates hiring a young person - a college grad with sales aptitude - and training him or her in the insurance business. Goodfellow is president of Business Insurance Services in Tallahassee, Fla., and was previously director of management programs for the Florida Association of Insurance Agents. While he was with the Florida association, he conducted a program called Up-Start' in which he recruited and hired 14 college graduates and placed them in sales positions throughout Florida. About Tests Many agents are skeptical about using personality or psychological profile tests when hiring. They prefer to go by a gut reaction. But there are persuasive arguments for using them as part of the hiring process. The interview process is really a kind of theater, ' says Greenberg. Tests can get beyond the facade of the interview to reveal more about the personality' of the candidate, he said. They can be an objective tool' to use in addition to the interview. Personality tests are considered very accurate (up to 90%) . With a good job description, the tests can be very specific about whether an individual will work out in a particular job. If the screening company has information about the agency's staff, it can also offer an opinion about whether the candidate will fit in at the office. The Caliper test costs $150 per analysis (there is a discount for IIAA members), while the cost of a hiring mistake can run in the thousands of dollars. Some experts suggest that five times the salary ...