Loyalty. It’s a great idea — customers who appreciate you for what you do, and who wouldn’t think of retaining someone else to do that type of work for them. It’s kind of a quaint notion. But loyalty is mostly dead.

Let’s check this out: are you loyal? Think of the people who provide services to you; do you continue to patronize them, without even thinking about it? Or do you “shop around?”

America — and much of the rest of the world, too — has evolved into a culture that shops. People are always looking — for a better … Read the rest

As a thoracic (chest) surgeon, Aaron was used to working on hearts and lungs. He’s a gifted surgeon, with a wonderful bedside manner, impeccable skills and true caring for his patients’ and families. But the truth was, his case volume was down, and so too was his income. What to do?

Aaron was surprised to realize that he had a sales problem.

In the medical community that deals with America’s epidemic of heart disease, the cardiologist is king. When surgery is indicated, the cardiologist recommends a surgeon, and most patients, firmly bonded to the cardiologist, accept those recommendations. Aaron needed … Read the rest

Looking to expand your customer base?

You can put your website out there — but they probably won’t see it.

You can do search engine optimization — but the rules for that seem to change daily, and most businesses are in categories that are populated with thousands of competitors.

You can do mass e-mail, but most people delete, without reading, dozens of e-mails daily.

You can do a snail-mailing, and if it’s clever enough it will probably be looked at; the percentage of people who act on it, however, is likely to be tiny.

Or you can simply call.

While … Read the rest

Doug Jones was excited. Today was the big day — his chance to meet with a prospective client he’d wanted to know for years!

The prospect had agreed to a conversation over lunch. Doug drove to the restaurant with his hopes high, and then made one of the biggest mistakes of his professional life.

He began with “I.”

• “I just wanted to make you aware of the new regulation.”
• “Our new service….”
• “The new product….”
• “The new division of our company….”
• “Our approach to client service….”

Doug thought he’d put his best foot forward, that he’d begun a relationship. In … Read the rest