Xoonco

Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

• Outdoor Banner Advertisements Create Street Traffic Attention

  Saturday, July 17th, 2010

  When you are running a business that has a lot of street traffic one of your top priorities is to attract passerby’s into your store or restaurant. One of the ways to do this is to have someone standing outside greeting people as they pass by. This, however, is an expensive option and some people are annoyed by the uninvited solicitation. However, small cafes, stores, coffee shops and restaurants can all benefit from attractive advertisement banners that are on the sidewalk or hanging in front of the establishment.

  If you have a sign or poster and want to display it out on the street there are quality outdoor banner stands to keep it secure and hold it in place. This is one of the most highly recommended and successful ways of getting street traffic attention, and when they are displayed right they can also draw the attention of motorists who are driving by. With the amount of competition that exists for all businesses it is necessary to access any edge or advantage that you can in gaining the attention and interest of potential customers. Of course your actual service or product will be the deciding factor in retaining interest and building a repeat clientele, but you have to attract them to your business in order to create an ongoing relationship.

• Skills for Successful Communication

  Friday, June 11th, 2010

  Everyone could use some training in communications. It doesn’t matter if you are in management or sales you will always need to be able to communicate to those around you. If you have been to various sales training or management training seminars and have not yet learned these principals, really learned them, you have wasted your money. This is not because those courses are no good, in fact they probably assume you already know these things. If you take the time to learn these concepts then you will go far. What comes after that is what you can learn from those courses.

  Establish a Reason
  Each time you take time out to communicate with someone , whether it is a meeting or if you are problem shooting, establish what it is that you would like to talk about, what you plan on saying and what you are hoping to get from it.

  Make it Relevant
  People don’t pay attention to things that are not obviously relevant to them. When talking about something make sure that you put it in terms of how it is relevant to the other person. If you make it a prepackaged story that includes them in it this will be easier.

  Use Various Methods
  This is something you especially need to do when you are talking to a large group. People understand things in different ways. Don’t be afraid to say the same thing several times while you are talking in different ways to make sure that everyone can understand. Use diagrams and activities to help people internalize what you are saying. Pass out a leaflet so that it is in writing. This will appeal to several different ways on understanding a topic.

  Repeat after people
  When someone tells you something, repeat what they said so that it shows that you are understanding. Not word for word, but put what they said into your own words. Use the phrase “What I’m hearing you say is…Is that right?” This will show them that not only can you talk but you are also listening to them.

• Backwards in Wichita, Kansas

  Friday, February 26th, 2010

  What can I say about Wichita, Kansas? It feels like I’ve stepped back in High School, even the radio station that plays classic rock for the 50’s and 60’s have local commercials selling used cars and carpet. Wichita, kind of struck me as somewhat charming, but at the same time made me realize just how far I’ve come in the past 15 years.

  I’m here on business, so I don’t have much time to really scope out the city like I want to, but at least Kansas hotels have at least come into the 21st century. The one I’m staying at has all the modern conveniences, which I thought it just might not have, been that Wichita is stuck in the mid 90’s. I’m meeting with a very good client of ours at supposedly a great restaurant for dinner and to seal a deal. I found the restaurant online at a site that listed the top 10 restaurants. Number one is Chelsea’s Bar and Grill, it’s a steakhouse offering premier cuts of beef, fresh seafood, wood-roasted chicken and there will be live jazz music. Now, that seems so much better than listening to country music, which seems to be prevalent here.

  But, I did have a little time before I met my client tonight, so I checked out the Wichita Art Museum. The first thing I saw when I drove there was this large sculpture of a person with one arm holding a sickle. Later, I found out that the sculpture was a large female and that there’s a dismembered male figure on the ground next to her clutching a hammer. Apparently, one figure is a bank robber and the other a banker. The piece was done in the 50’s by a member of a group of artists interested in raising social awareness and social justice. As I entered, I looked up a saw this enormous arch over the entry that was filled with hundreds of pieces of blown glass art. If I wanted to, I could walk out on that arch, shoeless, and take a closer look at the blown glass pieces.

  I only spent about an hour at the museum before heading back to my hotel to get ready for tonight’s dinner, but, I must admit, the Wichita Museum was quite impressive for a backwards city.

• Customer Service at a Basketball Game

  Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

  While many sports fans are not thinking of the customer service they will receive once they get to the game, it is certainly plays a role in their overall experience while they are there. An eager fan who is handing over their ticket for the basketball game game will definitely notice if their is an unexpected hold up in the line due to inattentive staff, or a venue that is entirely understaffed for the event. This is only the beginning of why sporting events can serve to demonstrate the value of customer service in all fields, and the various aspects of it that often go unnoticed by the consumer.
  
  Steven Barbarich is one of the ethical and committed businesspeople in today’s market that understands that some of the most successful attention given to customer service is intended to remain unnoticed by the consumer. These early examples of service at a basketball game or other sporting event continue through the initial stages of the experience and include purchases at souvenir shops and concession stands. This is actually more important than what a lot of people who are randomly surveyed will realize, and in the increasingly competitive world market these details and an overall perspective on costumer satisfaction are becoming even more important. This is when the efforts that will go unnoticed by most consumers become some of the most important aspects of the service they receive. This always enters into the area of service, sales or event planning.

  Interestingly, at sporting event such as basketball, the players themselves have the obligation of providing the one service that fans will be most passionate about, winning the game and making great plays. With this in mind, the establishment needs to be aware that only one team will win, and some of the fans are going to be disappointed with the end result. This means that the other aspects of the experience, the aspects that the venue or sponsor does have control over, take on even greater importance.

• Customer Complaints are a Gift

  Friday, October 9th, 2009

  Receiving complaints into your organization and listening with compassion is the essential first step in dealing with customer complaints.  This information can be used to improve and eventually bring the complaint full circle by using customer complaint software to capture the information and and then solve the root problem. Customer feedback can then be used to drive improvements.   This can provide the information needed to ensure quality products and services, and also provide a way to build a lasting relationship with the customer. Read more at the Everest Best Practices in Customer Service blog.