Dear Friends,
June usually ushers in the summer dulldrums. Not this year. Nothing is normal about this summer. We are all experiencing changes, most notable are the rising prices we encounter just about everywhere we go. As consumers, we find ourselves modifying our behavior, being more selective about where we go and what we purchase. This is not a passing thing but more of the shape of things to come.
Our patients will price-test and scrutinize their purchases to a higher degree. In our column Consumer Decision-making, we review this process to understand what social and psychological factors influence our patients' purchasing decisions.
As consumers and employers, we expect the most for every dollar we spend and that includes what we pay our employees. In the article Challenging Your Staff to Raise the Bar we explore our staff's' contribution to the success of the practice and how to encourage more ownership from them.
While we are discussing rising prices, we have not increased Sandy's speaking fees for two years and her consultation fees remain at 2007 rates. Sandy is honoring her 2007 prices for private consultation and speaking through July 15th. If you have been considering Sandy for private consultation or working with your study club or organization in the fall of 2008 or spring of 2009, now would be the perfect time to review your calendar and book some time with her.
We would love to hear how your practice is fairing and how you have adjusted to tougher times. If your ideas are used, you will receive a $250 gift credit toward any of our learning resources.
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Challenging Your Staff to Raise the Bar
by MaryBeth Head
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Last week I was shopping at J C Penney with my daughter. I can count on getting an outfit for 50% off because they have the "biggest sale of the season" every month of the year. I also know that when it comes to service, I'm pretty much on my own. Most of the time I wander through and don't come in contact with a salesperson until I have waited in line to check out at one of the kiosks. But not this time.
I was sifting through the clothing rack, trying to find a matching top in my size when a couple of men in suits walked by. They caught my eye, acknowledged me, and asked if I was able to find what I was looking for. I said honestly that I was having trouble and they both started looking through the rack with me. One of them brought over a sales person to help in the search and they stayed with me until I was able to find the right item. Wow. I didn't expect that at a J C Penney.
On that same shopping day I noticed a higher level of service at several other stores as well. I experienced friendlier attitudes, associates dressed more professionally and the same kind of attentiveness I had experienced at J C Penney. What changed? I suspect it is the economy.
We all know that discretionary dollars are scarcer these days and the retail stores know this as well. Their sales have been declining and they have been forced to come up with new strategies for bringing people into their stores and encouraging them to spend. The message management is sending to employees is that they must step up and give all they can. If they fail, the business fails and they will likely be out of a job. This uncertainty has fueled a new motivation for putting more effort into their work.
Like it or not, your competitor is J C Penney, Kmart, and the local mall.
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Consumer Decision-making
by Sandy Roth
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What factors contribute to the decisions people make when evaluating the purchase of your services? If we could identify and
understand these variables better, we would probably be able understand our clients and help them better. There are two distinct sets of characteristics which help us to understand
how and why people make the decisions they make: Social Characteristics and Psychological Characteristics.
Read on
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