The book is continuing to sell well in a number of outlets and we are hearing the concept of "jestership" is resonating with a lot of people!

We are also seeing interest from organizations in working with us to provide keynotes, training and coaching based on the book. Fantastic! Can we talk with you about what is possible for YOUR organization?!

Dates:

• In early February, Dave Riveness will be speaking in Romania and Bulgaria.

• In mid February, Dave Riveness will be speaking at the 2nd Annual Writer's Conference held in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

• In mid March, Dave Riveness will be giving a keynote at Ebay Headquarters in Northern California.

Sale at Amazon:

Amazon.com is currently discounting the paperback edition of "The Secret Life of the Corporate Jester" by 32% - from $14.95 to $10.17! It is a perfect time to pick up a couple copies for friends or collegues. We would appreciate you passing the word!

We would love for you to visit our updated website. There, you can find out more about Corporate Jester, as well explore the philosophies and ideas found in the book "The Secret Life of the Corporate Jester".

Also, if you have read the book, and enjoyed it, we would appreciate a customer review on our amazon.com page (even if you got the book somewhere else). To submit one, follow the link below.

Most organizations comprehend the value of measuring and responding to customer feedback. Indeed, significant amounts of time and money are spent creating elaborate customer feedback processes, channels and programs. The data that comes out of these programs is often used to make better decisions in marketing, product R&D and revenue forecasting in organizations throughout the world. At least that is the premise. Without jesters constantly on the lookout, blind spots can render these complex (and expensive) systems useless.

Recently I helped a friend buy a car. At the final point of delivery, the salesperson brought out a complex customer response form (mentioning that the company was interested in evaluating the customer process). The salesperson then surprised us by sitting down to "help fill out the form". She tried to coach particular responses, even offering to fill it out herself - we would only have to sign it when she finished!

Curious, I did a little digging later and found out:

• Corporate headquarters relies on the data to fine tune the customer experience.

• Sales Management uses the data to understand how the sales force is being perceived and where it may need improvement.

• Although the form was designed to be sent home with the customer, it is commonly understood by salespeople that if it was completed later thoughtfully, in private, the actual feedback would be much less positive.

With that in mind, how valid a picture does management really have of reality? What decisions are being made under the assumption that the data correctly assesses the customer experience?

I believe this automaker is maintaining a system that is not generating the results intended due to a huge blind spot in their understanding of how the system is actually being used. Obviously a jester isn't around to uncover the issue, or point it out to others, so the process continues to run its course. The result? Year after year, misleading data is mined, tabulated and used to make flawed decisions.

So how valid is the data used in YOUR organization? Any blind spots? If so, why aren't Jesters pointing them out?