Observed

What is it that motivates my urge to deliver outstanding customer service? It it economic sustainability? Greater profitability? Is it something more personal, such as a code of ethics? Or, is it something else?

Many years ago, a friend of mine was applying to medical residency programs, including the one at Yale-New Haven Hospital.  “I had never been to Yale,” according to my buddy.  “So, when my train arrived, I grabbed a cab.  I told the driver to take me to the hospital and that I had 45 minutes to get to my interview.” (more…)

John Kralik's book -- 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life -- extols the virtues of the tangible...and how it benefits all of our relations, including the one with ourselves.

On NPR this morning, there came a story about John Kralik, a product of the Midwest (born in Cleveland and educated in Ann Arbor, Mich.) and now a superior court judge in Los Angeles.  It was about the fruits of writing — and receiving — hand-written notes.

As he puts it…

“In this day and age, a handwritten note is something that people really feel is special.”

Kralik says he is often moved by how many people have saved his notes: “It’s up on their wall,” he says. “It’s like part of you that’s there.”

So, check out what else Judge Kralik has to say and let me know if this speaks to you.  Give me your mailing address, and I’ll write you a note.

If I knew about a problem that causes problems for my clients AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT FOR YEARS, I'd deserve to have someone bite off my head!

If no one hears a college administrator fall in the forest, does the dude really fall?

The excuses given for a long-standing, vexing and high-stakes programming error in the widely used and vaunted Common Application tells me that someone is hard of hearing.  The responsible party was quoted this morning as follows:

Mr. Killion said the issue of “truncation,” as it is known within the Common Application offices, is not new, and had been a reality of the process for more than a decade, causing barely a ripple.

Read the rest of the article and tell me what you think.

An article about cabbies in New York City reminded me of the importance of the tangible.

It ought to be pretty obvious.   I mean, really.  Do you tip based on the tangible appearance of your cab’s interior?  How about whether your server bothered to bathe before their shift?

What makes an attorney or other professional service provider any different?  Do we give them a pass when they…

• Don’t return phone calls promptly?
• Consistently show up late to appointments?
• Add someone new to a case without discussing it with you first?

Do we give them a pass because they say that they really, really, really care about client satisfaction?

Of course we don’t.  Or, do we?

Study after study reports that we make lasting impressions based on small details.  Small, tangible details.

While W. Edwards Deming first introduced kaizen to post-WW2 Japanese industry, it's a management concept that's applicable far more broadly. That includes just about any service sector...such as freelance business writing.

The journalist Grady Clay used to be a neighbor many, many years ago.  I once asked him about becoming a writer.  What I remember Grady saying was, “Find something you like and write about it.”

I did.  And then, I found another thing and another and so on.

I discovered something in that process.  I discovered that there are some subjects about which I write that offer more value to my readers (and clients) than others. (more…)

Diego Della Valle appreciates the value of consistency.  The story of how he and his company — Tod’s — have leveraged Made in Italy quality is proof that patience is rewarded.

Come dolce.

Want more client-facing marketing materials, including your newsletters?

The Hollywood-based BIRD branding agency recently celebrated 20 years of terrific work in the entertainment and lifestyle sectors. They excel at theatrical promotions (including this 2005 poster), logo design and branding for some of the biggest names in the business. AND, they're fun to work with! The kind of client I love.

Looking for ways to make your biz dev more about the other person?

Then consider…

• Invite a client or referral source to contribute a guest column.
• Showcase a client, recent in-the-news mention or something.  Write about something they have accomplished, not about something you’ve done for them.
• Fix your ego-centric copy.

Remember:  250 to 300 words is plenty long and engage your reader with a picture…a mugshot, product, corporate logo, etc.

Plus, whatever I’ve suggested for newsletters also works for Web sites, presentations and probably anything else of which we can think.  In fact, leverage something client-centric you’ve created for one platform by recycling it somewhere else.

When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he realized he needed help while he was away.  So, Odysseus asked his friend, Mentor, to be in charge of his son, Telemachus, and his palace until he returned.

While the meaning has changed a bit, we still seek and offer mentoring.

What’s the best platform for such a trusted relationship?  According to my friend, Nick Gargala, Ed.D., the best results occur when the mentoring happens face to face.  In interviews for his recent dissertation, Nick found that over the phone is a distant second, and e-mail mentoring is the weakest.

Where trust is important to a relationship (e.g., in business development), the more personal the better.

Seth just posted a thought about the importance of relationships and how to build/maintain them.  “The experience I have with you as a customer or a friend is far more important than a few random bits flying by on the screen.”

My advice?

• Be tangible.
• Be tangible.
• Be tangible.

So, touch somebody.  Do something tangible.  Any questions?

The irony of the Andon cord is that its overarching purpose is to keep the production line moving. As in, How do we manage this process to keep from ever HAVING to pull the Andon?

The idea behind the Andon cord is central to Toyota, Opel and other Deming-esque management models.  It’s the cord you’ll find throughout the factory and at each work station, ready to be pulled if the production process must be immediately stopped.

Who may pull the Andon cord?  Anyone may, even the lowest-ranking member of the team.

That’s part of the beauty of the system.  Anyone is empowered to pull the cord.

The real beauty of the Andon cord, however, is that it’s so very there — whether it’s used or not.  By its physical, tangible presence, everyone is constantly reminded that they matter.  The Andon cord is a clear and constant tangible symbol that they are part of.

Which, Toyota’s recent troubles notwithstanding, seems to work really well.