“We’re not selling travel right now… we’ve turned into Insurance agents… that’s ALL we’re talking about!” – Karen D., CTC

Karen is a seasoned travel advisor who is witnessing some booked business go bust and some eager shoppers go silent. The traveling public are fear-filled, and their desperately needed vacations are being put on-hold.

Some will consult their trusted travel advisor. Some will wish they had one. Read the rest of this entry »

I fired my HVAC company because they made big customer service promises that they could not deliver. Their technicians, who were friendly and capable, were not to blame. Folks in the call center dropped the ball.

Bold slogans are empty promises when the company can’t deliver consistently. That annual contract encompassed heating, air conditioning, and plumbing for three houses. That losing company was out of sync and now they’re short a valuable customer – no more revenue, no shot at referrals. Read the rest of this entry »

Influence, by definition, isn’t always good by default. We can be negatively influenced by someone as easily as we can be positively influenced. Bottom line, they have an effect.

Business leaders, both strong and weak, yield powerful influence and drive measurable results. Strong leaders create a culture of high performance and productivity, which leads to healthy profit. Weak leaders create a culture of complacency and mediocrity, which leads to unhealthy fear and turnover.

No doubt, weak leadership is the greatest gift we give to competitors. It is an aversion for employees. It has a ripple effect that reaches and repels consumers. Read the rest of this entry »

Eric is the owner of The Bar-B-Q Shop here in Memphis. His restaurant was voted #1 ribs in America on the list of the Food Network’s “Top Five Restaurants”. That’s quite an achievement considering Memphis is just one city with no shortage of lip-smacking, succulently smoked pork, brisket and chicken restaurants.

It’s fair to say that Eric has got a secret sauce. His web site reveals, “The unique taste of The Bar-B-Q Shop’s gourmet award-winning sauces has always been something that has set The Bar-B-Q Shop off from other barbeque restaurants.”

Having met him, I will reveal something else; the award-winning sauce is just one of his secrets. Read the rest of this entry »

Every January most people endeavor to create their list of personal resolutions. As an entrepreneur, I do my business resolutions at the start of the year as well, also known as my annual business plan. The secret to my success is to not make these resolution lists mutually exclusive.

I take a blended approach to goal-setting. My personal and business resolutions, always audacious, have to be perfectly synchronized for me to achieve my ultimate goal which is to maximize success and happiness simultaneously.

Isn’t it grand to have them both?

I believe the secret to having a stellar year is identifying our truest intentions and streamlining our efforts and energies in order to achieve them. In a sense, we need to work together internally. Read the rest of this entry »