Customer services Books

Book SynopsisThe president and CEO of Scandinavia Airlines details how to restructure an organization so that customer needs take priority, how to best utilize employees who deal directly with customers, and how to increase employee motivation.

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Book SynopsisWith a new foreword by Ken BlanchardA straightforward and snappy guide to successful customer service from the author of the bestselling The One Minute Manager.Raving Fans, in a nutshell, is the advice given to a new Area Manager on his first day in an extraordinary business book that will help everyone, in every kind of organisation or business, deliver stunning customer service and achieve miraculous bottom-line results.Raving Fans is written in the parable style of The One Minute Manager and uses a brilliantly simple and charming story to teach how to define a vision, learn what a customer really wants, institute effective systems, and make Raving Fan Service a constant feature not just a passing fad.Business is in the midst of a service crisis that has left millions of disillusioned customers in its wake. Raving Fans includes startling new tips and innovative techniques that can help anyone create a revolution in any workplace and turn their customers into raving, spending fans.

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Book SynopsisCelebrity Service: discover an inspiring way to serve like never before. Your customers will love you. Your competition will not. Inside this book you will find the answers to set you, your team and your business apart in your industry. From the cabin crew member who gives away prizes, to the restaurant in downtown Philadelphia with knockout entertainments, you'll see how service will always lead to the sale. You'll find out why 5-star service should be outlawed and why one Paralympian continues to inspire the next generation. You'll discover what to do when you can't deliver on your promise and how to offer superb service - even when you're closed! Geoff will reveal the philosophy, the stories and the award-winning results which have led companies across six continents to out-perform their competitors.

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Book SynopsisEssential lessons in hospitality for every business, from the former co-owner of legendary restaurant Eleven Madison Park.Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling New York City two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world.How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room—and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most pernicious business dilemmas is to give more—not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner.Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business—and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry’s most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.Trade ReviewGuidara makes his nonfiction debut with an enthusiastic guide for leaders [and asserts] sage advice about leadership. * Kirkus Review *Any organization would benefit from his thinking. * Simon Sinek *Will Guidara weaves heartfelt stories and keen observations to illustrate how purposeful, no-holds-barred hospitality satisfies our essential need to belong. An exceptional book for anyone or any organization aiming to excel at human connection. * Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and author of Setting the Table *In this book, Will Guidara shows us how to lead and to serve at the next level by building a foundation of hospitality, and creating a people-first “working together” culture. It’s an inspiring book for businesses in every industry. * Alan Mulally, former CEO of Boeing and Ford *Working alongside Will Guidara is the ultimate masterclass in how to thoughtfully improve the lives of those around you. He is now sharing his truly remarkable gift with the world in this keenly observant and heartfelt must-read, for anyone looking to stand out from the pack. * Dan Levy, Emmy® award winning writer, actor, director, and producer of Schitt’s Creek *

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Book SynopsisHow do you develop products that people will actually use and buy? This practical guide shows you how to validate product and company ideas through customer development researchbefore you waste months and millions on a product or service that no one needs or wants.

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Book SynopsisEveryone knows that the best way to create customer loyalty is with service so good, so over the top, that it surprises and delights. But what if everyone is wrong?  In their acclaimed bestseller The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and his colleagues at CEB busted many longstanding myths about sales. Now they’ve turned their research and analysis to a new vital business subject—customer loyalty—with a new book that turns the conventional wisdom on its head.  The idea that companies must delight customers by exceeding service expectations is so entrenched that managers rarely even question it. They devote untold time, energy, and resources to trying to dazzle people and inspire their undying loyalty. Yet CEB’s careful research over five years and tens of thousands of respondents proves that the “dazzle factor” is wildly overrated—it simply doesn’t predict repeat sales, share of wallet, or positive wordof-mouth. The reality:  Loyalty is driven by how well a company delivers on its basic promises and solves day-to-day problems, not on how spectacular its service experience might be. Most customers don’t want to be “wowed”; they want an effortless experience. And they are far more likely to punish you for bad service than to reward you for good service. If you put on your customer hat rather than your manager or marketer hat, this makes a lot of sense. What do you really want from your cable company, a free month of HBO when it screws up or a fast, painless restoration of your connection? What about your bank—do you want free cookies and a cheerful smile, even a personal relationship with your teller? Or just a quick in-and-out transaction and an easy way to get a refund when it accidentally overcharges on fees? The Effortless Experience takes readers on a fascinating journey deep inside the customer experience to reveal what really makes customers loyal—and disloyal. The authors lay out the four key pillars of a low-effort customer experience, along the way delivering robust data, shocking insights and profiles of companies that are already using the principles revealed by CEB’s research, with great results. And they include many tools and templates you can start applying right away to improve service, reduce costs, decrease customer churn, and ultimately generate the elusive loyalty that the “dazzle factor” fails to deliver.  The rewards are there for the taking, and the pathway to achieving them is now clearly marked.

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Book SynopsisGeoff Ramm has a passion for incredible customer service. In this book, he’s hand-picked THE most original, unique and quirky examples of creative customer experiences that are guaranteed to inspire you and your team to outperform, outmanoeuvre and stand head and shoulders above the competition. This is the book that your competitors wish they had, it’s your ticket to service superstardom and it’s going to reveal to you: The gap in your service that you never knew existed. Smart techniques to help you generate clever experiences of your own. Simple, cost-effective ideas and touches that will mean the world to your customers. Fun, fresh and exciting new perspectives that will inject your entire team with enthusiasm. Fantastic ideas and inspiring stories that will get you spectacular results. Why not join Geoff on this highly enjoyable, eye-opening and rewarding customer service journey around the world? He’ll introduce you to some of the amazing people he’s met who have discovered extraordinary ways to deliver world-class experiences, and he’ll show you how you can use their strategies to make your own brand unforgettable, your business unmissable and your customers coming back for more. So, are you ready to become a true Celebrity Service Superstar? Great! It’s time to get started on getting people talking…about you! “Entertaining and thought-provoking! Geoff Ramm’s knowledge and insight will reshape the way you think about customer service” – Heather McNamee, Area General Manager, Fraser’s Hospitality UKTrade Review“Entertaining and thought-provoking! Geoff Ramm’s knowledge and insight will reshape the way you think about customer service” – Heather McNamee, Area General Manager, Fraser’s Hospitality UK“Talk about WOW! Geoff Ramm ignites a desire to be the most talked about business on earth with positive energy and purpose. He’ll help you see the difference and be the difference.” – Olivia Sarah-Le Lacheur, General Manager, Retail Distribution, Partnership Development AIA Group“I have been living and breathing Geoff’s mantra for many years with significant success, enabling consecutive years of growth.” - Ed Bracken, General Manager, Crowne Plaza, The City, London

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Book SynopsisGreat leaders embrace a higher purpose to win. The Net Promoter System shines as their guiding star.Few management ideas have spread so far and wide as the Net Promoter System (NPS). Since its conception almost two decades ago by customer loyalty guru Fred Reichheld, thousands of companies around the world have adopted it—from industrial titans such as Mercedes-Benz and Cummins to tech giants like Apple and Amazon to digital innovators such as Warby Parker and Peloton.Now, Reichheld has raised the bar yet again. In Winning on Purpose, he demonstrates that the primary purpose of a business should be to enrich the lives of its customers. Why? Because when customers feel this love, they come back for more and bring their friends—generating good profits. This is NPS 3.0 and it puts a new take on the age-old Golden Rule—treat customers the way you would want a loved one treated—at the heart of enduring business success. As the compelling examples in this book illustrate, companies with superior NPS consistently deliver higher returns to shareholders across a wide array of industries.But winning on purpose isn't easy. Reichheld also explains why many NPS practitioners achieve just a small fraction of the system's full potential, and he presents the newest thinking and best practices for doing NPS right. He unveils the Earned Growth Rate (EGR): the first reliable, complementary accounting measure that can truly leverage the power of NPS.With keen insight and moving personal stories, Reichheld advances the thinking and practice of NPS. Winning on Purpose is your indispensable guide for inspiring customer love within your own teams and using Net Promoter to achieve both personal and business success.Trade Review"…a clear and passionate argument for companies focusing singularly on making the lives of their customers better—a thought-provoking thesis as more businesses shift from a primary focus on serving shareholders to embracing the values of stakeholder capitalism." — CharterAdvance Praise for Winning on Purpose:"[Reichheld's] most important work to date. It proves that the primary purpose guiding all great organizations is to enrich the lives of customers." — John Donahoe, CEO, Nike (from the Foreword)"Reichheld is a true pioneer in his field . . . his practical ideas earn a high Net Promoter Score." — Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author, Think Again; host, TED WorkLife podcast"Reichheld has again delivered a compelling and remarkable piece on winning through customer loyalty . . . 'Do the right thing' and read the book!" — Andrew C. Taylor, Executive Chairman, Enterprise Holdings"This book is fantastic! Net Promoter is more relevant than ever in the digital world." — Brad Olson, Chief Business Officer, Peloton"[Reichheld's] thinking has influenced our organization for decades, and he has raised the bar once again." — Tim Buckley, Chairman and CEO, Vanguard"This book shows how NPS provides companies with both a moral compass and a powerful tool for success." — Zeynep Ton, professor, MIT Sloan School of Management; author, The Good Jobs Strategy"Winning on Purpose confirms [Reichheld] as the unquestioned leader in his field. It's a must-read for any businessperson pursuing sustainable success." — Walt Bettinger, President and CEO, Charles Schwab"Reichheld has changed the business community forever, first with Net Promoter and now with Earned Growth. Every entrepreneur should read this book." — Dave Gilboa, cofounder and co-CEO, Warby Parker

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Book SynopsisIn this groundbreaking book, Bill Price and David Jaffe offer a new, game-changing approach, showing how managers are taking the wrong path and are using the wrong metrics to measure customer service. Customer service, they assert, is only needed when a company does something wrongeliminating the need for service is the best way to satisfy customers. To be successful, companies need to treat service as a data point of dysfunction and figure what they need to do to eliminate the demand. The Best Service Is No Service outlines these seven principles to deliver the best service that ultimately leads to no service: Eliminate dumb contacts Create engaging self-service Be proactive Make it easy to contact your company Own the actions across the company Listen and act Deliver great service experiences Trade Review"admirably straightforward book… refreshingly no-nonsense". (Financial Times , Thursday 27th March 2008)Table of ContentsIntroduction: Why We Wrote This Book xi 1 Challenge Customer Demand for Service: Instead of Coping with Demand 1 2 Eliminate Dumb Contacts: Instead of Handling Them Again and Again 29 3 Create Engaging Self-Service: Instead of Preventing Contact 65 4 Be Proactive: Instead of Waiting to Respond 99 5 Make It Really Easy to Contact Your Company: Instead of Dodging the Bullet 125 6 Own the Actions Across the Organization: Instead of Blaming Customer Service 165 7 Listen and Act: Instead of Letting Customer Insights Slip Away 203 8 Deliver Great Service Experiences: How to Delight Customers with Awesome Support When They Need It 241 Appendix A: Best Service Survey 277 Appendix B: Glossary 287 Appendix C: Bibliography 293 Notes 299 Acknowledgments 301 About the Authors 305 Index 307

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Book SynopsisRainmakers are the people who bring money into their organisations and this book is packed with hints and tips to pursue prospective customers and keep them.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword xix Introduction xxiii Chapter 1 What Makes Great Client Service? 1 Part One How To Be Great With Clients Chapter 2 Account Management’s Role 9 Chapter 3 Achieving the Next Level 13 Chapter 4 Transforming a Career into a Calling 15 Part Two Winning New Business For Your Agency Chapter 5 New Business: What It Is, Why It Is Important, and Why You Should Give a Damn 19 Chapter 6 How to Contribute Before, During, and After Pitch Day 25 Chapter 7 Getting to Yes 41 Part Three Beginning A Client Relationship Chapter 8 In a High Tech World, Be Low Tech 47 Chapter 9 What Success Looks Like 51 Chapter 10 Always Manage Client Expectations from the Outset 53 Chapter 11 Be Multilingual 57 Chapter 12 Live the Client’s Brand 59 Chapter 13 Ask, “What Do My Colleagues Need to Create Great Advertising?” Then Deliver It 61 Part Four How To … Chapter 14 Run a Meeting 65 Chapter 15 Brief a Colleague 71 Chapter 16 Write a Conference Report 73 Chapter 17 Perfect the Perfect Scope of Work 77 Chapter 18 Craft That Schedule You Need to Create 89 Chapter 19 Build a Better Budget 93 Chapter 20 Draft a Letter of Proposal 101 Chapter 21 Create a PowerPoint Presentation 111 Part Five Formulating the Brief That Drives Great Creative Chapter 22 Take the Word Brief Seriously 119 Chapter 23 What Makes a Brilliant Brief? 125 Chapter 24 In Writing the Brief, Provide the Client’s Perspective 133 Chapter 25 Know When to Look It Up; Know When to Make It Up 139 Part Six Establishing Trust With Clients Chapter 26 Great Work Wins Business; a Great Relationship Keeps It 143 Chapter 27 Client Presentations Are as Important as New Business Presentations 145 Chapter 28 Always Ask, “Does This Advertising Pass the ‘So What’ Test?” 149 Chapter 29 Don’t Fall in Love with Good Work; Don’t Fall for Bad Work 151 Chapter 30 Choice Is Good 155 Chapter 31 Fight About the Work with Colleagues; Fight for It with Clients 157 Chapter 32 Do Not Sell 161 Chapter 33 Bring Your Clients into the Process Early and Often 163 Chapter 34 Respect What It Takes to Do Great Creative 165 Chapter 35 Credit Is for Creative Directors 169 Chapter 36 We Are Smarter Together Than We Are Alone 171 Chapter 37 Judgment Overrides Any Rule 173 Chapter 38 Ideas Are the Currency We Trade in 175 Part Seven Building Long-Term Client Relationships Chapter 39 Make No Commitment without Consultation 193 Chapter 40 Take on the Coloration of Your Clients; Do Not Compromise Your Character 197 Chapter 41 Never Forget It’s a Business 199 Chapter 42 Once a Client, Always a Client 201 Chapter 43 Going Rogue 203 Part Eight How To Deal With Unhappy Clients Chapter 44 Always Think Endgame 207 Chapter 45 No Surprises about Money or Time 209 Chapter 46 Deal with Problems Head-On 211 Chapter 47 If Things Go Wrong, Take the Blame 213 Chapter 48 What Happens When I Screw Up? 215 Chapter 49 Getting Fired 219 Part Nine Regaining Client Trust Chapter 50 How Happy Clients Help You Gain New Ones 223 Chapter 51 Five Client Challenges to Agencies 225 Chapter 52 Five Client Service Principles to Believe In 233 Acknowledgments: Remember To Say “Thank You” 243 Postscript 245 A Bunch of Books to Make You Better At What You Do 249 About The Author 253 Index 255

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Book SynopsisContends that the people and companies harnessing the word-of-mouth power provided by multiplatform media - those that can shift their outlook and operations to be more customer-aware and fan-friendly - can pull away from the pack and profit in markets.

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Book Synopsis Let’s face it, dealing with customers isn’t easy. They aren’t always right—or even pleasant—but knowing the right words to use can make all the difference. Powerful Phrases for Effective Customer Service shares over 700 phrases and scripts that have been proven time and again to defuse even the most difficult interactions. Covering 30 challenging customer behaviors and 20 tough employee-caused situations, this indispensible reference makes it easy for readers to assess the circumstances, find the appropriate response, and confidently deliver satisfaction to every customer. In addition, readers will learn how to incorporate language into their daily routine that communicates welcome, courtesy, rapport, enthusiasm, assurance, regret, empathy, and appreciation. Every chapter includes helpful Do This! sample scenarios that brin

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Book SynopsisCreating a unique value for your customers is crucial if you want to differentiate in an overcrowded market. To do so, you need to define a powerful strategy that determines consistent action across your organisation to deliver your unique flavour. Szóstek describes this strategy as umami, which is the fifth category of taste (besides sweet, sour, salt and bitter), and gives an exceptional flavour to your food. How do you build a powerful yet actionable strategy, and successfully implement it across your organisation? Many leaders, marketers and designers try to answer these questions. The Umami Strategy proposes a novel approach that will help you build and execute an experience strategy. The model used in the book allows you to (a) find out what stories your customers are telling today; (b) uncover motivators and demotivators that guide these stories; (c) envision the ideal future experience you want to deliver; (d) define the actionable measures that will ensure progress toward that vision; and (e) evaluate that progress through future customer stories. Enjoyable, practical and full of hidden gems and tips, this book will help you get your organisation to align with building a unique market value through delivering memorable experiences to your customers. Because to be noticed, you need to stand out of the crowd.

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Book SynopsisSuccess in today’s rapidly changing hospitality industry depends on understanding the desires of guests of all ages, from seniors and boomers to the newly dominant millennial generation of travelers. Help has arrived with a compulsively-readable new standard, The Heart of Hospitality: Great Hotel and Restaurant Leaders Share Their Secrets by Micah Solomon, with a foreword by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company’s president and COO Herve Humler.This up-to-the-minute resource delivers the closely guarded customer experience secrets and on-trend customer service insights of today’s top hoteliers, restaurateurs, and masters of hospitality management including:Four Seasons Chairman Isadore Sharp: How to build an unsinkable company cultureUnion Square Hospitality Group CEO Danny Meyer: His secrets of hiring, onboarding, training, and moreTom Colicchio (Craft Restaurants, Top Chef): How to create a customer-centric customer experience in a chef-centric restaurantVirgin Hotels CEO Raul Leal: How Virgin Hotels created its innovative, future-friendly hospitality approachRitz-Carlton President and COO Herve Humler: How to engage today’s new breed of luxury travelers Double-five-star chef and hotelier Patrick O’Connell (The Inn at Little Washington) shares the secrets of creating hospitality connectionsDesigner David Rockwell on the secrets of building millennial-friendly restaurants and hotel spaces (W, Nobu, Andaz) that resonate with today’s travelersRestaurateur Traci Des Jardins on building a “narcissism-free” hospitality cultureLegendary chef Eric Ripert’s principles of creating a great guest experiences, simultaneously within a single dining room.The Heart of Hospitality is a hospitality management resource like no other, put together by leading customer service expert Micah Solomon. Filled with exclusive, first-hand stories and wisdom from the top professionals in the industry, The Heart of Hospitality is an essential hospitality industry resource.As Ritz-Carlton President and COO Herve Humler says in his foreword to the book, “If you want to create and sustain a level of service so memorable that it becomes an unbeatable competitive advantage, you’ll find the secrets here.”Table of ContentsCONTENTS Foreword by Herve Humler, President and COO,The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC ix Introduction xi 1 The Last Customer on Earth 3 2 Systems and Standards: The Secret Weapons of Service 21 3 People Are the Heart of Hospitality 43 4 Building a Culture of Yes 71 5 Developing a Genuine Service Style 99 6 The Power of Authenticity 119 7 Moviemaking and Magic 137 8 The "Chocolate Tastes Better When It's Being Shared" Theorem 155 9 How the Digital Revolution Has Changed Your Customers 173 Afterword 201 Notes 203 List of Hospitality Leaders Who Were Interviewed by the Author for This Book 207 Index 213 About the Author 224

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Book Synopsis"... Van Belleghem always delivers. Most companies want to create a customer-centric culture, but many struggle, even though they are capable of doing so. This is what the author refers to as A Diamond in the Rough. In addition to clearly articulated concepts, there are more than 100 tips and examples to help you build a culture that gets and keeps customers." — Forbes This book shows you how to build a customer-oriented corporate culture. Turn your rough diamond into a beautiful shiny jewel. Many companies have the intention to be customer-oriented, but only a few succeed in making the customer really happy. The key to success is building a customer-centric culture: a culture where both leaders and employees of an organisation are aware of their role towards the customer at all times. In this book you will learn in very concrete steps and clear tips on how you can develop a customer-oriented corporate culture. Success or failure is often in details and in having the right attitude.Trade Review"Let’s lead off this year’s “Top 10” with one of my favorite authors. Van Belleghem always delivers. Most companies want to create a customer-centric culture, but many struggle, even though they are capable of doing so. This is what the author refers to as A Diamond in the Rough. In addition to clearly articulated concepts, there are more than 100 tips and examples to help you build a culture that gets and keeps customers." - Forbes

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction xxvii Chapter 1 • Stages of an Implementation Overview 1 What Is Microsoft Dynamics? 1 The Client Journey 2 Implementation Methodologies 5 Waterfall and Sure Step 5 Agile and Scrum 7 Triple Constraints 8 The Bottom Line 9 Chapter 2 • What to Do Before You Begin a Project 11 Identify Your Project Team and Stakeholders 11 Executive Sponsor 12 Project Owner 12 Business Process Owner(s) 13 Project Manager 13 Core Team and a Core Team Lead 14 Subject Matter Experts 14 IT Resources 15 Time Commitment by Role 17 Identify Your Processes in Scope 18 Clean Up Your Data 19 Identify Your “Master” Data 19 Develop Naming Conventions 20 Identify System Owners 20 Find and Resolve Duplicates and Incorrect Data 20 Define Your Success Metrics 21 Possible Benefits 22 Building Your Business Case and Securing Funding 23 How Much Should an ERP Project Cost? 24 Costs to Include in Your Calculations 24 Capitalizing Costs 25 Contingency 27 Return on Investment (ROI) 27 Gaining Approval 28 The Bottom Line 29 Chapter 3 • Four Keys to Consider When Buying an ERP or CRM Solution 31 Selection Process 31 Selection Consultant 32 Decision Maker 33 The Four Keys 33 Fit 34 Platform 35 Implementer 39 Cost 41 Building Your Scorecard 44 The Bottom Line 45 Chapter 4 • How to Evaluate and Buy Business Application Software 47 Buying Process Steps 47 Qualification Stage 48 Discovery and Demonstration Stage 49 Selecting Your Vendor 51 Leadership or Board Approval 54 Moving Forward 54 The Bottom Line 54 Chapter 5 • Organizing Your Team for Success and Project Governance 57 RACI 57 Your Project Team 58 Your Partner’s Implementation Team 59 Executive Sponsor 60 Engagement Manager 60 Project Manager 60 Solution Architect or Solution Delivery Manager 60 Functional Consultant or Consultants 61 Technical Consultant 61 Development Lead and Developers 61 Integration Architect 61 Data Migration Specialist 62 Project Governance 62 Project Communication 62 Resource Loading 62 Project Schedule 66 Document Repository 67 Budget Tracking 68 Change Requests 68 Project Management Plan 68 The Bottom Line 69 Chapter 6 • Sprints and Tools Needed to Run Your Project 73 Definition of a Sprint 73 Length of a Sprint 74 Start and End of a Sprint 74 Delivering Value in a Sprint 74 Backlog 75 Project Backlog 75 Sprint Backlog 76 Allocating Work to Team Members 76 Sprint Success Rate 76 Sprint Meetings 77 Sprint Planning 77 Sprint Review 77 Sprint Retrospective 78 Stand-up Meetings 78 Work Definitions 79 Epic 79 Feature 79 User Story 80 Requirement 80 Research Task 80 Design Task 80 Development Task 81 Test Task 81 Other Task 81 Test Case 81 Test 81 Bug (Defect) 81 Risk 81 Issue 82 Change Request 82 Code and Changesets 82 Azure DevOps 82 DevOps Fields 82 Progress Reporting 83 Analytical Views 83 The Bottom Line 84 Chapter 7 • Change Management Throughout Your Project 87 Success Criteria 88 Use of Satisfaction Surveys 89 Nine Steps to Change Management 90 Leadership Alignment 90 Organization Evaluation 91 Outline Your Business Process Change Steps 92 Develop a System Vision that Provides Benefits to All Stakeholders 92 Communicate Effectively 92 Maximize the Team’s Time in the New System 94 Train Effectively 94 Set Realistic Expectations for the System Just After Go-Live 94 Support Your Team Members After Go-Live 95 Steps to Business Process Change 95 Importance of Adoption 96 The Bottom Line 96 Chapter 8 • Organizing Your Business by Processes 99 Common Language Businesses Speak 99 Operations 100 Sales 100 Finance and Administration 100 Standard Processes 100 Process Hierarchy 102 Process Category 102 Process Group 103 Process 103 Sub-processes, Tasks, Activities, and Requirements 104 Discovering Your Processes 104 SIPOC 104 Core Team Members 106 Rounding Out Your Scope 106 The Bottom Line 106 Chapter 9 • Independent Software Vendors—Filling Gaps and Managing Partnerships 109 The Purpose of ISVs 109 Hosting Providers 110 Private Hosting 111 SaaS-Style Hosting 111 Industry ISVs 111 Deciding If You Need an Industry ISV 112 Functional ISVs 113 Missing Functionality 113 Advanced Features 113 Missing Connector 113 Automation 114 Reporting Extensions 114 Deciding If You Need a Functional ISV 114 Working with ISVs 114 Budgeting for ISV Solutions 115 Implementation Partner or Customer Managed 115 Buying the ISV License or Subscription 115 Implementation of ISV Products 116 Manage Your ISV Projects Closely 116 Microsoft’s AppSource Marketplace 117 Product Listing 118 Services Listing 118 The Bottom Line 119 Chapter 10 • Factors for a Successful Project Kickoff 121 Pre-Kickoff Meeting Activities 121 Checklist 121 Expectations for the Meeting 124 Outing 124 Kickoff Meeting Content 124 Executive Overview 125 Introductions and Role Review 125 Expectations for Team Members 126 Project Management and Communication Plan 126 Project Schedule 126 Resources 126 Navigation Overview [Optional] 127 Wrapping Up 127 Executive Message 127 Expectations for the Project Team 128 Time Commitment 128 Decision-Making 129 Power of Positivity 129 The Bottom Line 130 Chapter 11 • Designing the Software Collaboratively 133 Joint Application Design Concept 133 Joint Process Design and Other Design-Related Definitions 134 What Is a Joint Process Design (JPD) Session? 134 Happy Path 136 “As-Is” vs “To Be” 136 Joint Process Design Iterations 137 JPD1 137 JPD2 139 JPD3 140 JPD4 140 Keys to Successful JPDs 140 JPD Output 141 SIPOC 142 The Bottom Line 143 Chapter 12 • Requirements Gathering and Staying “In the Box” 145 Staying in the Box 145 Customization vs In-the-Box Examples 146 Requirements 147 Out-of-the-Box Fields as Requirements 147 Requirements Link to Processes 148 Functional vs Non-functional Requirements 149 Verifying Requirements 150 Writing Good Requirements 150 Requirements Tips 150 Fit/Gap Analysis 151 Fit/Gap Spreadsheet 152 Trade-Offs 153 The Cost of Customizations 154 Cloud vs On-Premise Software 155 The Bottom Line 155 Chapter 13 • Conference Room Pilots 157 The Purpose of a Conference Room Pilot 157 How to Organize CRPs 158 Common Elements of CRPs 159 CRP Agenda 159 Logistics 160 Issues and Questions 160 CRP Roles and Responsibilities 161 Session Leader 161 Helper/Expert 162 Business Process Owner 162 Users/Students 162 Who Not to Invite 163 CRP Place in the Overall Schedule 163 Can You Do a CRP on One Process Group at the Same Time That You Do a JPD? 164 Entrance Criteria 164 CRP vs UAT 166 How They Are Similar 166 How They Are Different 166 What to Do Between CRP and the End of the Create Stage 167 CRP Goals 168 The Bottom Line 168 Chapter 14 • Dealing with Challenges Mid-Project 171 Managing the Project Status 172 Status Report 172 Colors on a Status Report 173 Managing Your Budget 175 Project Pulse 177 Risks and Issues 177 Risk Register 178 Issues vs Bugs 179 Common Project Challenges 179 The Bottom Line 183 Chapter 15 • Customizations vs Configurations and How You Manage Them 185 Customizations vs Configurations 185 Customization 185 Configuration 186 Integration 186 Master Data 187 Metadata 187 Personalization 187 Reference Data 187 When to Customize vs Configure 188 Why Choose to Customize 188 Tracking Configurations 188 Configuration Tracker 189 Gold Environment 189 Lifecycle Services 189 Functional Design Documents 190 Overview 190 Modification 190 Testing 190 Development Quotation 191 Revision and Sign-off 191 Updates 191 Design Complete 191 The Development Process 192 Develop the Solution 192 Unit Test 192 Code Review 193 Functional Testing (Part 1) 193 Finishing Up 194 After Code Complete 194 Deploying the Code 194 Functional Testing (Part 2) 194 Preparing for CRP and UAT 195 The Lifecycle of a Customization 195 Managing These Tasks 195 Wrap-Up 196 The Bottom Line 197 Chapter 16 • Data Migration—Early and Often 199 Data Migration Plan 200 Proactive Cleaning 200 Before the Kickoff 201 Data Migration Tool 202 Iterations 203 Extract 206 Finding the Data 206 Extraction Tools 206 Transform 208 Mapping the Data 208 Mapping Tools 208 Transforming Mapped Data 209 Load 210 Order of Operation 210 Load Time 210 Validating the Data 210 Technical Validation 211 Business Validation 211 Functional Validation 212 Go-Live Iteration 212 The Bottom Line 213 Chapter 17 • Environment Management and Deployments 215 Types of Environments 216 Developer Environments 216 Build 217 Test 217 Sandbox 218 Production 219 Environment Plan 220 Types of Releases 220 Frequency of Code Moves 222 Populating Configurations and Master Data 222 Deploying Code 223 Application Lifecycle Management 223 Environment Flow Using DevOps 224 Rollback 224 Security 225 Definitions 225 How Best to Manage 226 The Bottom Line 227 Chapter 18 • Testing 229 Definitions 229 Types of Testing 230 Common Testing Terms 231 Pre-Deploy Stage Activities 232 Testing Strategy 232 Unit Test and Regression Tests 233 Developing Test Cases 234 UAT Entrance Criteria 235 UAT Exit Criteria 236 UAT Sessions 236 Purpose 236 Additional Benefits of UAT Sessions 237 UAT Roles and Responsibilities 237 Executing Your Test Plans 238 Tips for the Sessions 239 Post UAT Testing 240 Issues List 241 Process Sign-Offs 241 Scenario Recaps 241 The Bottom Line 242 Chapter 19 • Training for All 245 Learning During Interactive Sessions 246 JPDs 246 CRPs 246 UAT 247 Learning Modalities 247 In-Person, Classroom Style 248 Remote, Synchronous Training 249 Asynchronous 251 Building Your Training Content 251 End User Training Content 251 Product Help Content 252 Microsoft Learn 253 Recording Sessions 253 Task Recorder 253 How Much to Document 254 How to Manage and Distribute Your Content 254 Learning Management Systems 255 Building Your End User Training Schedule 255 Pre-Training Learning 256 Train the Trainer 256 Synchronous Sessions 257 Advanced Concepts 257 Testing Users’ Knowledge 257 Office Hours 258 The Bottom Line 259 Chapter 20 • Going Live 261 Go-Live Criteria 261 Cutover Plan 262 Bug Criteria 262 Data Migration and Security Criteria 263 Support Readiness 264 Training Review 264 Communication Plan 265 Go-Live Scorecard 265 Mock Cutover and Final Week Activities 266 Disaster Recovery 267 System Setup Before Cutover 267 Go/No-Go Meetings 268 When to Have It 268 Voting Criteria 268 Meeting Agenda 269 Order and Outcome of the Votes 269 Next Steps 270 Live Cutover 270 Impact of the Cutover Start Timing 271 Completing Cutover Activities 271 Rollback Plan 272 Acknowledge the Team 272 The Bottom Line 272 Chapter 21 • Hypercare 275 Go-Live Support 275 Day 1 276 Week 1 276 Project Change Champions 277 Prioritizing Issues 277 Weeks 2–4 278 First Month End 278 Duration of Hypercare 279 Role of HelpDesk 279 Sample SLA 280 Project Team Support 280 Support Levels 281 Refer Users to Training 283 Making the Transition to HelpDesk Later 283 Post Go-Live Releases 284 Planning for Future Releases 285 Hotfix Release 285 Scheduled Releases 286 Project Team Transition 287 Rolling Off the Project Team 287 Documentation 288 Expectations of Support 288 After the Transition 289 The Bottom Line 289 Chapter 22 • Support and Enhance Your Project 291 Support After Hypercare 291 Extending the Transition from Consulting to Support 292 Engaging Your Partner for Support 292 Microsoft and ISV Support Plans 294 After Action Review 295 Who to Invite 295 How to Run the Meeting 296 What to Do with the Feedback 297 Ongoing Releases 297 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Release Cadence 297 Release Testing 297 When to Schedule Your Releases 298 What to Include in Releases 299 Future Enhancements 299 New Functionality 299 Usability 300 Guardrails 301 Business Intelligence 301 Incorporating Dynamics Data into Your Daily Business 302 Integrations 302 Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence 302 Calculating Return on Investment 303 ROI Checkpoints 304 The Bottom Line 305 Chapter 23 • Bringing It All Together 307 Align Stage 307 Define Stage 308 Create Stage 311 Deploy Stage 313 Empower Stage 314 Additional Resources 315 The Bottom Line 315 Appendix • The Bottom Line 317 Chapter 1: Stages of an Implementation Overview 317 Chapter 2: What to Do Before You Begin a Project 318 Chapter 3: Four Keys to Consider When Buying an ERP or CRM Solution 320 Chapter 4: How to Evaluate and Buy Business Application Software 322 Chapter 5: Organizing Your Team for Success and Project Governance 323 Chapter 6: Sprints and Tools Needed to Run Your Project 325 Chapter 7: Change Management Throughout Your Project 326 Chapter 8: Organizing Your Business by Processes 328 Chapter 9: Independent Software Vendors—Filling Gaps and Managing Partnerships 329 Chapter 10: Factors for a Successful Project Kickoff 331 Chapter 11: Designing the Software Collaboratively 332 Chapter 12: Requirements Gathering and Staying “In the Box” 334 Chapter 13: Conference Room Pilots 335 Chapter 14: Dealing with Challenges Mid-Project 337 Chapter 15: Customizations vs Configurations and How You Manage Them 338 Chapter 16: Data Migration—Early and Often 340 Chapter 17: Environment Management and Deployments 341 Chapter 18: Testing 343 Chapter 19: Training for All 344 Chapter 20: Going Live 346 Chapter 21: Hypercare 347 Chapter 22: Support and Enhance Your Project 349 Chapter 23: Bringing It All Together 350 Glossary 353 Index 369

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“If you’re in sales—and everyone is in sales!—this book is an extremely useful guide. It will hone your powers of persuasion and connection. And it will help you become a better salesperson by becoming a better version of yourself.” — DANIEL PINK, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret and To Sell Is Human “Presents a fascinating paradox: The harder you sell, the less convincing you often become. Colin and Garrett bring riveting stories and rich experiences to shatter the stigma of selling and help you inject authenticity into your efforts to persuade.” — ADAM GRANT, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife “Turns traditional thinking about selling on its ear. Crucially, that ear needs to be open to the important insights the book delivers that demand to be heard and employed.” — ROBERT CIALDINI, New York Times bestselling author of Influence and Pre-Suasion “Authentic, unorthodox, and transformational. Read The Unsold Mindset and find out why the best salespeople embody these traits while everyone else is just ‘selling.’” — BILL BURNETT, executive director of Life Design Lab at Stanford University and #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Designing Your Life and Designing Your Work Life “You can have all the data in the world, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t have a mindset that gives you permission to challenge what you’re expected to do with it. The Unsold Mindset shows readers how to turn their own authentic qualities into their greatest strengths.” — MARK ROBERGE, Harvard sales professor, former chief revenue officer of HubSpot, and author of The Sales Acceleration Formula “Required reading for anyone who wants actionable ways to hack their mindset and become the best version of themselves in any selling situation.” — SEAN ELLIS, author of Hacking Growth

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller!The new secret to driving LOYALTY THAT PAYSOnce revolutionary, loyalty programs designed todifferentiate products quickly became commoditized. And yet, billions of dollars are still spent every year on programs that are doomed to fail. These programs, it turns out, don't inspire long-term loyalty. Once a better deal comes along, customers will gladly defect. Can you blame them?Silicon Valley start-up Bunchball, the pioneer and innovator in gamification, is light years ahead when it comes to the concept of loyalty--and using it to drive business profits and growth. Focusing not only on customer loyalty, but also the loyalty of employees and partners, Bunchball combines behavioral economics, big data, social media, and gamification to inspire loyalty that lasts--fromeveryone involved in the success of a business.Now, in Loyalty 3.0, Bunchball founder Rajat Paharia reveals hoTable of ContentsContentsAcknowledgments xiiiIntroduction 1PART 1: VISION 7Chapter 1: May You Live in Interesting Times 9The Three Faces of Loyalty 9The Road to Loyalty 3.0 10We Live in Interesting Times 15Chapter 2: Whoever Figures Out Motivation Wins 23Fueling the Fire 23Deep Dive into the Five Intrinsic Motivators 27Piece of Cake? 36I Just Work for a Paycheck 37Chapter 3: The Next Big Thing Is Big Data 39What Is Big Data and Where Does It Come From? 40How Can We Use Big Data? 41Crunching the Numbers 49Big Data in the Consumer Space 52Big Data in the Employee Space 56Employee Hiring: An End to Hunches 57Workforce Analytics 58Big Data, Big Problems 61What’s Next? 62Chapter 4: Gamification: The Engine of Loyalty 3.0 65This Is Not a Game: The Difference Between Gamesand Gamification 68Games Are Intrinsically Motivating 69Adding the Spark of Gamification Mechanics 72The 10 Key Mechanics of Gamification 73Rewards = Meaningful Value 84Questions and Answers 89PART 2: EXECUTION 95Chapter 5: Case Studies in Customer Engagement 97Characters Welcome at USA Network 98Make Your Way to Rio with Chiquita Brands 104Insider Rewards at Warner Bros. 109Checking in with Foursquare 114Contributor Reputation with SAP Community Network 118More Loyalty 3.0 Communities 120Chapter 6: Case Studies in Skills and Learning 131Getting Fit with Zamzee 131Getting the Right Exposure to Adobe Photoshop 139Gearing Up with Ford of Canada 147Innovating in Education with Loyalty 3.0 153Chapter 7: Case Studies in Employee Engagement 159Inspiring Agents with LiveOps 160Preventing Death by Power Point with BOX 163Going Social with Bluewolf 167Turbocharging Sales with Nitro for Salesforce 174PART 3: DIRECTION 187Chapter 8: Planning Your Loyalty 3.0 Program 189The Loyalty 3.0 Road Map 190Plan 190Chapter 9: Bringing Your Loyalty 3.0 Program to Life 207Design 207Build 228Optimize 234Chapter 10: Forward in All Directions! 241Where We’ve Been 241Where We’re Going 242Wrapping It Up 245Appendix: A Loyalty 3.0 Sample Scenario:Engaging Attendees of a Tech Company’sAnnual Conference 247Notes 263Index 269

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Book SynopsisLike the international bestseller Who Moved My Cheese?, Hug Your Customers is powerful through its simplicity. Jack Mitchell is CEO of Mitchells - a clothes store and one of the most successful small businesses in America. This family-run business has built extremely healthy profit margins in a tough retail market through a most refreshing approach to sales - hug your customers! In other words: if there is one key to a successful business then it is happy customers and companies who go the extra mile enjoy the extra profits. From small independent businesses to established conglomerates, Hug Your Customers is an invaluable and fun tool for ensuring repeat business and outstanding results.

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Book SynopsisJo Owen has an outstanding track record of leading and creating businesses in the UK and Japan. Most recently he is the founder and Director of Strategy for Teach First - a not for profit initiative that takes the top graduates from UK universities and places them in inner city primary schools for two years before going on to a corporate career. He writes the leadership column for the Institute of Directors and as Director of Strategy for Teach First is shaping their Learning to Lead programme for top UK graduates. Jo is the author of the bestselling How To Manage and How to Lead.Table of ContentsAbout the author Introduction PART ONE: THE PRINCIPLES OF SELLING 1. Preparing to succeed 2. Persuasive conversations 3. The principles and mindset of success 4. The sins of selling: how to fail PART TWO: THE PRACTICE OF SELLING 5. Key account management 6. Relationship management 7. Bids and tenders 8. Dealing with the tough stuff Conclusion: the sales journey Index

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Book SynopsisDebra Stevens is a trainer, coach, mentor key note speaker and founder of Sold Out Trainers (www.soldout-trainers.com). She has 25 years of experience in delivering high impact experiential training solutions to many top companies throughout the UK, Europe,Asia and the USA, including Debenhams, Stena Ferries and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Debra brings her extensive knowledge of customer service training to give readers a practical common sense approach to improving their results.Table of ContentsAbout the author Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Customers have changed 2. The cornerstones of brilliant service 3. Make 'virtual' service brilliant customer service 4. Use the 'emotional scale' to create loyalty and trust 5. Read between the lines – silence is never golden! 6. How to handle any complaint 7. How to say no and still keep the customer 8. How to offer more 9. Seven ways to wow your customers Conclusion Index

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Book Synopsis"All-new discussion guide and success stories"--Jacket.

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Book SynopsisIn this 13th edition of Sales Force Management, Mark Johnston and Greg Marshall continue to build on the book's reputation as a contemporary classic, fully updated for modern sales management teaching, research, and practice. The authors have strengthened the focus on the use of technology in sales management, offered new discussions on innovative sales practices, and further highlighted sales and marketing integration. By identifying recent trends and applications, Sales Force Management combines real-world sales management best practices with cutting-edge theory and empirical research in a single, authoritative source. Pedagogical features include:Engaging breakout questions designed to spark lively discussionLeadership Challenge assignments and Minicases at the end of every chapter are to help students understand and apply the principles they have learned in the classroomLeadership, Innovation, and Technology boxes that simulate real-world challenges faced by salespeople and their mTable of Contents1. Introduction to Sales Management in the Twenty-First Century Part 1: Formulation of a Sales Program 2. The Process of Selling and Buying 3. Linking Strategies and the Sales Role in the Era of CRM and Data Analytics 4. Organizing the Sales Effort 5. The Strategic Role of Information in Sales Management Part 2: Implementation of the Sales Program 6. Salesperson Performance: Behavior, Role Perceptions, and Satisfaction 7. Salesperson Performance: Motivating the Sales Force 8. Personal Characteristics and Sales Aptitude: Criteria for Selecting Salespeople 9. Sales Force Recruitment and Selection 10. Sales Training: Objectives, Techniques, and Evaluation 11. Salesperson Compensation and Incentives Part 3: Evaluation and Control of the Sales Program 12. Cost Analysis 13. Evaluating Salesperson Performance

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Book SynopsisThrough the use of timely case studies and fascinating stories, Six Pixels of Separation offers a complete set of the latest tactics, insights, and tools that will empower you to reach a global audience and consumer base—which, best yet, you can do pretty much for free.Is it important to be connected? Well, consider this: If Facebook were a country, it would have the sixth largest population in the world.The truth is, we no longer live in a world of six degrees of separation. In fact, we're now down to only six pixels of separation, which changes everything we know about doing business.This is the first book to integrate digital marketing, social media, personal branding, and entrepreneurship in a clear, entertaining, and instructive manner that everyone can understand and apply.Digital marketing expert Mitch Joel unravels this fascinating world of new media-but does so with a brand-new perspective that is driven b

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Book SynopsisCustomer relationship management, or CRM, is certainly a hot topic in business today. If you have a small or medium-sized business, chances are you're already aware of all it can do for you.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Part I: Microsoft CRM Basics. Chapter 1: Taking a First Look at Microsoft CRM 4. Chapter 2: Using the Outlook Client — Or Not. Chapter 3: Navigating the Microsoft CRM System. Part II: Setting Things Up. Chapter 4: Personalizing Your System. Chapter 5: Managing Territories. Chapter 6: Managing Business Units and Teams. Chapter 7: Using the Product Catalog. Chapter 8: Understanding Security and Access Rights. Chapter 9: Implementing Business Rules and Workflow. Chapter 10: Creating and Running Reports. Part III: Managing Sales. Chapter 11: Setting Sales Quotas and Dealing with Forecasts. Chapter 12: Handling Leads and Opportunities. Chapter 13: Working with Accounts and Contacts. Chapter 14: Creating and Managing Activities. Chapter 15: Using Notes and Attachments. Chapter 16: Generating Quotes, Orders, and Invoices. Chapter 17: Setting Up Sales Literature and Dealing with Competitors. Chapter 18: Implementing Sales Processes. Part IV: Making the Most of Marketing. Chapter 19: Targeting Accounts and Contacts. Chapter 20: Managing Campaigns. Chapter 21: Integrating Your Web Site. Part V: Taking Care of Your Customers. Chapter 22: Working with Cases. Chapter 23: Managing Your Subjects. Chapter 24: Creating and Using the Knowledge Base. Chapter 25: Managing Queues. Chapter 26: Working with Contracts. Part VI: The Part of Tens. Chapter 27: The Top 10 (or So) Add-on Products for Microsoft CRM 4. Chapter 28: Ten Ways to Get Help. Appendix A: Converting to Microsoft CRM. Appendix B: Managing Your Data. Index.

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Book SynopsisSugarCRM is an innovative customer relationship management software solution that enhances your company's marketing effectiveness, drives sales performance, improves customer satisfaction, and provides executive insight into business performance.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Part I: Adding Sugar to Your Life. Chapter 1: Adding Sugar to Your Life. Chapter 2: Acquiring a Sweet Tooth. Chapter 3: Finding Your Way Around Sugar. Chapter 4: Working with Accounts, Contacts, and Leads. Part II: Cooking with Sugar. Chapter 5: Keeping Track of the Sweet Things in Life. Chapter 6: Creating a Project Isn’t a Major Project. Chapter 7: Working with Opportunities. Chapter 8: Working with Documents. Chapter 9: Watching Your Sugar Content. Part III: A Spoonful of Sugar Keeps Your Customers Happy. Chapter 10: Adding a Bit of Case Management. Chapter 11: Keeping Bugs Out of the Sugar Bowl. Part IV: Sharing the Sugar Bowl. Chapter 12: Adding Sugar to Your E-mail. Chapter 13: Campaigning Doesn’t Just Occur in an Election Year. Part V: Working with Extra-Strength Sugar. Chapter 14: Sweetening the Deal. Chapter 15: Adding an Extra Lump of Sugar. Chapter 16: The Administrator’s Recipe Book. Part VI: The Part of Tens. Chapter 17: Ten Reasons to Upgrade to the Professional or Enterprise Version. Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Make Your Life Even Sweeter. Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Become a Master Sugar Chef. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe founder of Salesforce. com tells how he created a billion-pound business and, in the process, an entire industry In less than a decade, salesforce. com has grown from a simple idea to the market leader of a new $52 billion industry that it created. Through candid, compelling first person stories, Benioff shows how salesforce.Table of ContentsForeword (Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell). Introduction. Part 1 The Start-Up Playbook: How to Turn a Simple Idea into a High Growth Company. Play #1: Allow Yourself Time to Recharge. Play #2: Have a Big Dream. Play #3: Believe in Yourself. Play #4: Trust a Select Few with Your Idea and Listen to Their Advice. Play #5: Pursue Top Talent as If Your Success Depended on It. Play #6: Sell Your Idea to Skeptics and Respond Calmly to Critics. Play #7: Define Your Values and Culture Up Front. Play #8: Work Only on What Is Important. Play #9: Listen to Your Prospective Customers. Play #10: Defy Convention. Play #11: Have—and Listen to—a Trusted Mentor. Play #12: Hire the Best Players You Know. Play #13: Be Willing to Take a Risk—No Hedging. Play #14: Think Bigger. Part 2 The Marketing Playbook: How to Cut Through the Noise and Pitch the Bigger Picture. Play #15: Position Yourself. Play #16: Party with a Purpose. Play #17: Create a Persona. Play #18: Differentiate, Differentiate, Differentiate. Play #19: Make Every Employee a Key Player on the Marketing Team, and Ensure Everyone Is On-Message. Play #20: Always, Always Go After Goliath. Play #21: Tactics Dictate Strategy. Play #22: Engage the Market Leader. Play #23: Reporters Are Writers; Tell Them a Story. Play #24: Cultivate Relationships with Select Journalists. Play #25 Make Your Own Metaphors. Play #26: No Sacred Cows. Part 3 The Events Playbook: How to Use Events to Build Buzz and Drive Business. Play #27: Feed the Word-of-Mouth Phenomenon. Play #28: Build Street Teams and Leverage Testimony. Play #29: Sell to the End User. Play #30: The Event Is the Message. Play #31: Reduce Costs and Increase Impact. Play #32: Always Stay in the Forefront. Play #33: The Truth About Competition (It Is Good for Everyone). Play #34: Be Prepared for Every Scenario . . . and Have Fun. Play #35: Seize Unlikely Opportunities to Stay Relevant. Play #36: Stay Scrappy . . . but Not Too Scrappy. Part 4 The Sales Playbook: How to Energize Your Customers into a Million-Member Sales Team. Play #37: Give It Away. Play #38: Win First Customers by Treating Them Like Partners. Play #39: Let Your Web Site Be a Sales Rep. Play #40: Make Every Customer a Member of Your Sales Team. Play #41: Telesales Works (Even Though Everyone Thinks It Doesn't). Play #42: Don't Dis Your First Product with a Discount. Play #43: Sales Is a Numbers Game. Play #44: Segment the Markets. Play #45: Leverage Times of Change. Play #46: Your Seeds Are Sown, so Grow, Grow, Grow. Play #47: Land and Expand. Play #48: Abandon Strategies That No Longer Serve You. Play #49: Old Customers Need Love. Play #50: Add It On and Add It Up. Play #51: Success Is the Number-One Selling Feature. Part 5 The Technology Playbook: How to Develop Products Users Love. Play #52: Have the Courage to Pursue Your Innovation—Before It Is Obvious to the Market. Play #53: Invest in the Long Term with a Prototype That Sets a Strong Foundation. Play #54: Follow the Lead of Companies That Are Loved by Their Customers. Play #55: Don't Do It All Yourself; Reuse, Don't Rebuild. Play #56: Embrace Transparency in Everything You Do or Be Transparent and Build Trust. Play #57: Let Your Customers Drive Innovation. Play #58: Make It Easy for Customers to Adopt. Play #59: Transcend Technical Paradigms. Play #60: Provide a Marketplace for Solutions. Play #61: Harness Customers' Ideas. Play #62: Develop Communities of Collaboration (aka Love Everybody). Play #63: Evolve by Intelligent Reaction Part 6 The Corporate Philanthropy Playbook: How to Make Your Company About More Than Just the Bottom Line. Play #64: The Business of Business Is More Than Business. Play #65: Integrate Philanthropy from the Beginning. Play #66: Make a Foundation Part of Your Business Model Play #67: Choose a Cause That Makes Sense and Get Experts on Board. Play #68: Share the Model. Play #69: Build a Great Program by Listening to the Constituents. Play #70: Create a Self-Sustaining Model. Play #71: Share Your Most Valuable Resources—Your Product and Your People. Play #72: Involve Your Partners, Your Vendors, Your Network. Play #73: Let Employees Inspire the Foundation. Play #74: Have Your Foundation Mimic Your Business. Part 7 The Global Playbook: How to Launch Your Product and Introduce Your Model to New Markets. Play #75: Build Global Capabilities into Your Product. Play #76: Inject Local Leaders with Your Corporate DNA. Play #77: Choose Your Headquarters and Territories Wisely. Play #78: Box Above Your Weight. Play #79: Scale Without Overspending. Play #80: Understand Sequential Growth. Play #81: Uphold a One-Company Attitude Across Borders. Play #82: Follow Strategy, Not Opportunity. Play #83: Going Far? Take a Partner. Going Fast? Go Alone. Play #84: Fine-Tune Your International Strategy. Play #85: Send Missionaries to Build New Markets Play #86: Handle Global Disputes with Diplomacy (aka Light and Love). Play #87: Edit an Overarching Outlook. Play #88: Bring Old Tricks to New Regions. Play #89: Don’t Use a “Seagull Approach”; the Secret to Global Success Is Commitment. Part 8 The Finance Playbook: How to Raise Capital, Create a Return, and Never Sell Your Soul. Play #90: Don't Underestimate Your Financial Needs. Play #91: Consider Fundraising Strategies Other Than Venture Capital. Play #92: Use Internet Models to Reduce Start-Up Costs. Play #93: Set Yourself Up Properly from the Beginning, Then Allow Your Financial Model to Evolve. Play #94: Measure a Fast-Growing Company on Revenue, Not Profitability. Play #95: Build a First-Class Financial Team. Play #96: Be Innovative and Edgy in Everything You Do—Except When It Comes to Your Finances. Play #97: When It Comes to Compliance, Always Play by the Rules. Play #98: Focus on the Future. Play #99: Allow for Change as Your Company Grows. Part 9 The Leadership Playbook: How to Create Alignment—the Key to Organizational Success. Play #100: Use V2MOM to Focus Your Goals and Align Your Organization. Play #101: Use a Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approach. Play #102: Build a Recruiting Culture. Play #103: Recruiting Is Sales. Play #104: Keep Your Standards High as You Grow. Play #105: How to Retain Top Talent. Play #106: The Importance of Mahalo. Play #107: Build Loyalty by Doing the Right Thing. Play #108: Challenge Your Best People with New Opportunities. Play #109: Solicit Employee Feedback—and Act on It. Play #110: Leverage Everything The Final Play. Play #111: Make Everyone Successful. Notes. About the Author. Index.

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Book SynopsisA timely look at effective use of social network analysis within the telecommunications industry to boost customer relationships The key to any successful company is the relationship that it builds with its customers.Table of ContentsForeword. Preface. Acknowledgments. Part I: Foundation of Social Network Analysis. Chapter 1: An Introduction to Social Network Analysis. Chapter 2: Formal Methods for Network Analysis. Chapter 3: Theoretical Foundation. Chapter 4: Measures of Power and Influence. Part II: Social Network Analysis Case Study. Chapter 5: Telecommunications Environment. Chapter 6: Social Network Modeling. Chapter 7: Assessing the Social Network Model. Chapter 8: Evaluating the Business Results. Chapter 9: Final Remarks for the Case Study. Part III: SAS Capabilities for Social Network Analysis. Chapter 10: Basic Statistics. Chapter 11: Overview of the Link Analysis Node. Chapter 12: Visualization Capabilities for Social Network Analysis. Chapter 13: A Note about OPTGRAPH. Bibliography. About the Author. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book reveals the Secrets to Service Success by analyzing four service companies that grew from small beginnings to the leaders in their industries. Interviews with the four CEOs who guided the companies to their success reveal the three basic principles they all share. The CEOs interviewed are Thomas Berglund of Securitas and J. Philip Sorensen of Group4Falck, the world''s two largest security companies, Francis Mackay of Compass plc and Pierre Bellon of Sodexho Alliance, the world''s two largest food service companies.Table of ContentsForeword ix Acknowledgements xiii 1 Introduction 1 The Investigation 5 The Framework 6 How this Book is Organized 8 2 The Journey to Leadership 9 The Challenge 9 Four Journeys to Leadership 12 Signposts 2002 33 Four Companies: Four Winning Traits 37 3 Pick Your Game and Play it 39 Decide What You Want to Do 41 Follow a Simple, Replicable Business Model 49 Use Simple, Transparent Performance Measures 58 Questions for Service Leaders 61 4 Leadership at the Heart 63 Visionary Industry Shapers 67 Passionate and Inspirational Leaders 80 True Entrepreneurs 93 Intimate Business Knowledge 97 Questions for Service Leaders 98 5 Passion for People 101 Recruit 106 Integrate and Develop 111 Retain 122 Build Partnerships with Unions and Works Councils 132 Questions for Service Leaders 135 6 Keep It Simple 137 Flat Organization and Decentralized Decision-Making 138 Small Head Office 143 Questions for Service Leaders 147 7 Winning at Service: Final Words 149 Win by Relinquishing Power 153 Win with the Right Outlook 154 Win at Golf: Play with a Full Bag 159 Win by Turning Non-Core into Core 160 Can all Companies Win? 161 Assa Abloy: Lessons from a Non-Service Winner 166 How Large Can Winners Be? 167 Appendix 171 Index 175

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Book SynopsisRuthlessly focus on what''s convenient for customers, not what''s convenient for you Ninety percent of dissatisfied clients will take their business elsewhere and never tell you why. However, ninety-five percent will become loyal customers again if their needs and problems are addressed and remedied. Speaker and salesperson Michael Aun shares these secrets and many more in It''s the Customer, Stupid!, a guide to growing any business by gaining new customers, and, more importantly, by keeping the ones you have happy and coming back for more. This fun-to-read book explains common myths about sales and customer satisfaction, starting with the fact that most businesses think they''re customer-centric, but they just aren''t. Get proven steps to REALLY put your customer at the center of what you do Distinguish your business from the competition by understanding the principle that good sales ARE good service Author received the Toastmasters WorTable of ContentsForeword xiii Jeffrey Gitomer Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1 Unhappy Customers Will Not Only Fire You But They Will Tell Others! 1 Chapter 2 Great Customer Service Is About Getting the Client’s Feedback 5 Chapter 3 Fix the Problem; Don’t Fix the Blame 11 Chapter 4 Always Give Them a Baker’s Dozen 17 Chapter 5 Trust, Once Violated, Negates a Relationship 27 Chapter 6 Somebody Has to Take Out the Trash! 33 Chapter 7 You Are Not the Enemy but Part of the Solution 39 Chapter 8 Communication Skills Mean Everything; Join Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie 47 Chapter 9 Prophet versus Profit . . . Why Not Both? 55 Chapter 10 Perception Is Reality 61 Chapter 11 Be a Hero or “Shero” . . . Fix the Problem . . . and Then Fire Whomever Caused It! 65 Chapter 12 Nothing Takes the Place of Good Manners 71 Chapter 13 Client Loyalty Is Earned, Not Given 75 Chapter 14 Nibble Away at Customer Solutions 81 Chapter 15 You Can Only Be Responsible for One-Half of a Relationship—Yours! 87 Chapter 16 Lead the Client to Solutions 97 Chapter 17 Find Out What the Customers Need and Give It to Them 115 Chapter 18 Find Out What Others Are Doing and Do Something Different! 119 Chapter 19 Become a Mentor to Your Client; Coach and Counsel! 123 Chapter 20 Winning Is Never Final and Losing Is Never Fatal 131 Chapter 21 Master Your Time or It Will Enslave You 133 Chapter 22 If You Pay Peanuts, You Get Monkeys! 143 Chapter 23 Mentor Your Client 149 Chapter 24 Customer-Driven Leadership Is about Advocacy and Mentoring 161 Chapter 25 The Old Way Is Rarely the Best Way Because Change Is Constant 169 Chapter 26 Respond to the Client Even If You Cannot Provide an Immediate Solution 175 Chapter 27 Bad News Travels at the Speed of Light 179 Chapter 28 Nine Rules That Drive Client Loyalty 183 Chapter 29 Eight Rules to Overcome Fear of Failure 189 Chapter 30 Six Rules of Service-Driven Leadership 195 Chapter 31 Five Rules That Drive Customer Achievement and Success 199 Chapter 32 Client-Driven Leadership Is About Removing Roadblocks 203 Chapter 33 Six Rules That Drive Client Results 207 Chapter 34 Ten Rules that Drive Client Decisions and Loyalty 213 About the Author 221 Index 223

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Book SynopsisAn enlightening blueprint of the secrets of reaching female consumers from the expert Just Ask a Woman is a powerful book about how to tap into female consumers' needs. Mary Quinlan, the founder of the premiere consultancy dedicated to marketing to women, has personally interviewed 3,000 women in the course of her research for Just Ask a Woman.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments. Introduction. Chapter One: A Checkup for Marketers: Listening or Not? Chapter Two: Self-Induced Stress. Chapter Three: Deliberate Decision Making. Chapter Fou: The Vigilante Shopper. Chapter Five: The Tug-of-War with the Mirror. Chapter Six: Intimate with Technology. Chapter Seven: Demanding Respect. Chapter Eight: Craving Comfort. Chapter Nine: A Listening Action Plan for Marketers. Research Notes. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisA guide to improving sales and profits in consumer financial services that stresses the development of a sales and service culture. The key principles discussed are interaction with customers, cultural support and values, service from the customer''s point of view, service selling, characteristics of successful sales organizations, star sales people, perfecting the sales process, dealing with prospective clients, and ongoing interaction with the client.Table of ContentsWhat Business Are You In?. Do You Have What It Takes to Be In Business?. What Is Service?. Service Selling. The Six Characteristics of an Effective Sales Organization. What Do Star Salespeople Do?. Making the Sales Process Flawless. Meeting Prospective Clients for the First Time. Interacting with Clients--Delivering the Goods. Growing Your Business Through Referrals. Selected Bibliography. Do You Have Any Comments?. Index.

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