June 2015 - Vol 10, Issue 6
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Never Enough Time to Get Ready

The rollup to InfoComm is stressful for the 900+ Exhibitors, their employees, and the thousands of individuals that use InfoComm to build their personal network and develop careers. My estimate is that 75% of the projected 38,000 attendees have something big at stake. That makes everything from finding your lucky lanyard to remembering to set all those appointments top priority. No worries, right? I reminisce about the days when all I had to do was show up. look at some gear, and bump into people. 

  

What am I looking for at the show? New clients of course, but I also want to take the temperature of the industry. I keep a running forecast in my head and add data to it every time I meet with someone. If you are interested in sharing crystal ball forecasts, drop me a line and let's chat in Orlando.

 

I am also paying attention to macro technology trends as opposed to the latest gear. New products are interesting, but what I am really looking for is a sense of how these products will change our expectations of technology. Will that affect how we do business in three to five years or beyond? I guess you could say, what are the game-changers? But, I am thinking more in terms of "What will be the next game?"

 

New Case Study:
I have some great clients and I can't thank them enough for all their referrals and endorsements. On occasion, they also share a glimpse into our consulting relationship and outcomes. Arren Wetzel, owner of CLE Productions has let me share this one with you.

 

Expand Your Horizons

Folks ask me how they can be more in tune with the AV Industry. Here's a thought...check the interwebs! The good folks at AVNation produce a fantastic body of work and included me on the panel for a recent episode of AVWeek.

 

AVWeek - Your weekly dose of AV news and information. Featuring some of the most engaging people in the AV industry, AVWeek always brings the most current, entertaining, and sometimes controversial news and commentary about the industry today!
AVWeek - Your weekly dose of AV news and information. 


 

Recent Blogs

This past month I thought a lot about the customer experience. This goes beyond Customer Service, which is transactional (see Blog post below and this month's Best Practices piece). Customer Experience is Strategic.  When we change customer expectations about doing business - we are being strategic. When we make a traditional experience more pleasant, we are tactical. You need to consider both.

Example: The Drive-Thru window was a strategic change in the fast food industry among others. Adding a stop for paying and then another for pickup was a tactical development, ie: innovation on the same concept. When other companies copied the drive-thru, they engaged in a weaker form of strategy - called "copying" or "not falling behind."

Are you settling for someone's else's definition of the customer experience? Or, are you redefining your industry?

I have been blogging lately on Customer Service topics, and I have to say I am disappointed that so many organizations misread what's really important to their clients. I am sure I am no different - we all are too close to our own businesses to see the obvious. The saga of my search for [...]...»

Thanks for Reading!

Tom

214-553-7077 direct

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InfoComm 2015
Meet Me at InfoComm: Live Events Lounge at Booth #6551

Join me this InfoComm at the Live Events Lounge on the show floor. This is probably the biggest thing to happen to Live Events Networking at InfoComm in years. Finally a place we can meet, sit down, and talk. I plan on spending a lot of my free time here and may even give an impromptu seminar or Q&A session - who knows?

For all the Old Rental-Stagers out there, InfoComm has put together some important events and classes you won't want to miss. I have compiled them with the help of InfoComm staff into this
handy PDF that you can print and reference as you build your calendar for the week.

FYI - I have two workshops this year:
Systems Integration Business Roundtable      Wednesday, June 17      12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Live Events Business Roundtable*                   Wednesday, June 17        2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

*This event will be immediately followed by the Live Events Reception** in the same space.

 

**That's right... The Live Event RECEPTION is BACK! Check the date and time here.

I will be in Orlando Monday through Friday and look forward spending some time together. Be sure to email me to set your appointment times! -Tom

FREE Video
Presents
 
 

What did we learn from the last Recession? Will we be more prepared for the next one? This episode has some timeless advice from successful business owners about how to build a company that knows how to survive.


 

In this episode, Tom Stimson shares four key takeaways:

  1. Why Capital Budgets matter
  2. Don't wait for a downturn to fix things
  3. Learn to read a balance sheet
  4. Track leading indicators
Don't get caught in the "Business as usual" trap. Make this video a priority now.

 

Click on the image below to access the full video. A free AV-Matters registration is required.  

 


 

 

bestpracticesBest Practices Blog

 

Customer Service Failures

What may seem normal to you might be a problem for customers

 

As you read this, your company is experiencing a Customer Service Failure that neither you nor the person handling the problem is even aware of. That's the hard part about maintaining customer satisfaction is that most representatives don't know when they are facing a customer that is a victim of your failure.

 

Customer Service failures are sometimes hard to spot. My example is my rental car company. I rent from one of the biggies (ok, it's Avis) and have for years. I am very loyal - though it's only because my other traveler friends say their rental car companies are just as bad - so why switch? That is a poor testimonial to customer service right there. My story though is the typical car rental experience. I am one of those people that is supposed to land at the airport and go straight to my car, show my driver's license at the gate and off I go. To know which car I should take, I get an email (maybe 10% of the time) with its location or I check a big display that has my name and the location of my car (25% of the time). The other two-thirds of the time the big board tells me I need to go to the service counter for preferred customers and - get this - wait in line to speak to someone that thinks that my waiting in line is a 

normal thing

 

Shame on them. The fact that I am in line is an indication of an EXTREME Customer Service Failure. Every benefit I have of being an elite customer has already been frittered away and I have every right to expect someone to know that and give a darn. All I want is someone to say, "Good morning Mr Stimson. I am sorry you had to wait in line today. I will get you on the road as quickly as I can." It would be better if they just fixed the problem of having a car ready before I got there - but hey, if you can't fix your operation, you really should focus on how you handle service failures. Just saying!

 

So AVIS, if you are reading - teach your counter folks how important they are when it comes to customer satisfaction and retention. I meet some of the most petulant, unpleasant people at your Preferred desks. In your defense, I also meet some wonderfully helpful folks including managers that have handed me the keys to luxury cars and said, "Just take this, sorry for the inconvenience."

 

For the rest of you, continue to focus on improving operations to reduce mistakes, but you also need to pay attention to how your team recognizes and responds to customer service failures. Don't make excuses. Don't explain how it happened (unless the customer asks). And, while customers expect things to fail from time to time, they shouldn't be responsible for reminding themselves to be tolerant. Sincere understanding and a polite apology from you will go a long, long way to mend the failure and earn another chance.

 

Tom Stimson MBA, CTS helps owners and management teams rediscover the fun and profit that comes from making better decisions about smarter goals. He is an expert on project-based selling and a thought leader for innovative business processes. Since 2006, Tom has successfully advised over two hundred companies and organizations on business strategy, process, marketing, and sales. Please send your questions to: tom@trstimson.com

Closing Thoughts

Here's a few scribbles from the margins:

5% of folks that pay to listen to you are prepared to not like you. 10% of those that voluntarily listen to you assume they won't like you. But 20%  of the people that are TOLD to listen to you don't like you already. The more mandatory the attendance the more compelling you need to be.

 

See you at InfoComm in Orlando - Tom   

Who's Tom Anyway?
About Thomas R. Stimson, MBA, CTS

Tom Stimson helps small business owners and management rediscover the fun and profit that comes from making better decisions about smarter goals. Tom's clients learn how to move past the bad math and stagnant thinking that overcome so many entrepreneurs. 

"My clients often struggle with day to day issues, which hinder their ability to focus on strategic goals or even try new ideas. Together, we will learn how to set aside the noisy distractions of past decisions and make stronger, more strident choices. Before we are through, you will learn to love your business again." -Tom 

For more information visit the website.