The Competitive Advantage

October 22, 2019

There is Nothing That Rivals In-Person Meetings for Deepening Client Relationships

We had clients visit us in our offices last week. These in-person meetings are a fairly rare occurrence in today’s ‘connected’ world. Aside my ‘road trips,’ most client get-togethers happen by phone or, maybe, video chat. And while those calls are always productive, they still leave me feeling a little disconnected.

So, when this client said they wanted to come to Nashville to meet, we got really excited.

September 24, 2019

Not sure what sort of customer experience you deliver? Just ask!

Here’s a short [true] story about an incredibly effective way to understand what sort of ‘customer experience’ your firm is delivering to the marketplace…

We subscribe to a webinar platform called WebinarNinja… and have been a client of theirs for just under three years. It’s proven to be a very good platform for our webinar program and workshops. WebinarNinja is one of those fast-growing tech companies, led by a sharp and energetic leader. In this case, his name is Omar Zenhom.

One of the risks when running a growing company is getting pulled in a lot of different directions and, as a result, slowly becoming ‘distanced’ from your clients. Losing touch with them. Getting so wrapped up in dealing with all of that other ownership and management ‘stuff,’ that you become disconnected from what made you successful in the first place… those clients.

September 2, 2019

3 Easy, No-Cost Ways to Upgrade Your Website

When was the last time you made some major enhancements to your website? Or even just a few simple edits? Did you create your website and then just let it sit there like a print ad in a magazine… or do you treat like it what it really is – the most important element in your entire marketing & sales effort?

If it’s been a while since you’ve spruced up your website, now’s the time… as you start thinking ahead to the new year (and the new decade). To help you get started, here are 3 easy ways to upgrade your website… and it won’t take very long or cost much (if any) money.

June 11, 2019

All Clients Are Important, But Large Clients Matter More.

We like to think that all clients are important… and they are. Our goal is to do good work for all clients and deliver a high level of service to each of them… and we strive for that every day.

But the fact is… your large clients are more important than your small clients!

May 22, 2019

What YOU think doesn’t really matter…

… it only matters what your clients & prospects think.

I recently stumbled across an online article from the Harvard Business Review, and though it’s several years old, its message is as true today as it ever was… maybe more so:

“Most companies are the centers of their own universes. It’s a natural enough impression; after all, the products and services they offer are on their minds 24/7. The trap is in those companies deluding themselves into thinking that they are as important to their customers as they are to themselves. This is almost never the case. This delusion interferes with understanding customers and their needs, and frequently leads companies to talk to customers in ways that seem foreign or confusing.”

The author sure hit the nail on the head with that one… that myopic perspective – that so many business leaders have – has been the cause of more business failures than virtually any other issue.

May 5, 2019

As a Small Business Owner, Your Clients are Buying YOU!

Like me, many of you are small business owners… proud of what you’ve built and of what you’re doing. But the fact is, regardless of how slick your technology, how well constructed your processes or how professional your [small] team… your clients are buying YOU! They know the risks of doing business with a small firm (remember “No one ever got fired for hiring IBM!”?)… but they’re willing to take a chance. Why? Because of you.

April 9, 2019

Want to Shut the Door on Your Competitors? Solve a Problem!

Taking advantage of opportunities that present themselves to you is a proven path to success. But if you really want to succeed – and shut the door in the face of your competition – then solve a problem before they do.

And here’s what got me thinking about this…

November 13, 2018

Ignore the title on your business card… you’re in sales!

What is selling? Simply defined, selling is the process of influencing a buying decision. That’s it.

And guess what? Your sales people aren’t the only ones who do that. Everyone at your firm has the opportunity and responsibility to do that – particularly in regards to ensuring repeat clients.