(Time to read this article is about 90 seconds) A few years ago I did some work with a large trucking company that now leads its industry in customer satisfaction, management smarts and profitability.  But it wasn’t always that way. Several years ago, they were doing $95 million in sales and losing $12 million.  That’s […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 50 seconds) Whatever your faith or culture, December seems to be a month of special foods, gratitude and festive get-togethers.  Wonderful cookies are always a big hit…but especially so at this time of year. Click here for my amazing ‘world’s best’ and simplest recipe for shortbread cookies: […]

(Time to read this article is about 90 seconds) It’s November and now’s the time to be doing the planning, making the decisions and taking the action that will make 2018 your best year ever.  Now’s the time to work ‘ON’ the business…not just ‘IN’ it.  Here are some important questions, insights and ‘tools’ to […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 50 seconds) The beautiful new 5 star cruise ship, The Viking Sun, does a number of things to differentiate itself for their specific target customers.  The ship has no casino, no annoying ship’s photographer pursuing you and no bar staff endlessly flogging overpriced drinks.  But the one […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 50 seconds) Note:  This blog article is from my friend Jim Brown.  Jim is a brilliant business thinker and a ‘straight shooter’.  He can be reached at James B. Brown Consulting Inc. jbbrown@bell.net . Jim’s comments about the need for more women in senior management positions is […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 40 seconds) Order taking is the process of taking someone’s money for something they’ve already decided to buy. Many so-called sales people are actually just ‘order takers’. Selling is helping people make a purchase when they have doubt, confusion or concern, or convincing people to buy more […]

(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 […]