Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2023

Commonly, I find that business owners and entrepreneurs look first at solutions which solve painful problems, or have high profit margins, regardless of their own commitment to a higher purpose, such as saving the environment or helping the underserved. Test specifics and potential on friends, advisors, and potential customers.

Satisfaction 114

Satisfaction Customer Custom Social Media 114

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2016

In business, this means an entrepreneur who never says no to any customer is doomed to a hard life and some expensive mistakes. Many people will argue that total customer satisfaction is paramount, but I’m a pragmatist who believes that treating everyone the same really means treating all of them poorly.

Customer 65

Customer Custom Startup Satisfaction 65

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2010

You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of customer satisfaction, but customer loyalty is the real win. A satisfied customer is necessary, but not sufficient, to be a loyal customer who will come back repeatedly, refer their friends and family to you, and be faithful even when your price is not the lowest.

Satisfaction 49

Satisfaction Customer Custom Startup 49

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. We spent time out in the marketplace talking with customers, looking at their solutions, comparing ourselves with our competition and then squirreling ourselves away in our offices designing our next set of features.

Organization 280

Organization Customer Custom Tips 280

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2017

In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. Missions and products that are too broad confuse your team, your customers, and potential investors. Customer support chasm. Product development chasm.

Customer 76

Customer Custom Entrepreneur Technical Review 76

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2012

You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of customer satisfaction, but customer loyalty is the real win. A satisfied customer is necessary, but not sufficient, to be a loyal customer who will come back repeatedly, refer their friends and family to you, and be faithful even when your price is not the lowest.

Customer 104

Customer Custom Startup Competition 104

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

While starting a new business always involves tackling many new challenges, I’ve personally found myself reluctant to ask for help. Thus, in my consulting with entrepreneurs, I always encourage them to get more comfortable asking for help. Of course, there are good ways and bad ways to ask for help.

Help 123

Help Entrepreneur Course IBM 123

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain. Risks to the business drift off their radar screen, resulting in poor business decisions, as well as less job satisfaction and declining professional success.

Satisfaction 147

Satisfaction Organization Customer Custom 147

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Los Angeles-based HONK Technologies , which is developing an app that helps provide roadside assistance to users, has signed up an insurance firm as a customer. HONK says that Wawanesa is ranked the number one insurance company in California for customer satisfaction, according to J.D.

Company 113

Company Companies Satisfaction Los Angeles 113

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Trying to do everything is a sure way to maximize stress, lower job satisfaction, and minimize productivity. If you are not sure of your best fit, like many people I know, I just found help in a new book, “ The 6 Types of Working Genius ,” by Patrick Lencioni. Timing is important, and communication with your customer set is critical.

Activity 108

Activity Satisfaction Metrics Startup 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2023

A common initiative I hear from business owners today is their effort to improve the customer experience. To achieve real growth, business leaders need to improve both employee as well as customer experiences. Flexible – listen to allow flex hours and customization. Responsive – empower employees to help peers.

Customer 113

Customer Custom Training Tool 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2021

Don’t look to customers for breakthrough ideas. Steve Jobs and Henry Ford are famous for their assertion that, contrary to popular belief, the customer isn't always right about what they want next. Advanced degrees won’t help you run your startup. You now have many bosses, including partners, investors, and customers.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Demand Customer 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2012

I deal often with early-stage startups, and many of these don’t have any customers yet (but wish they did), so it’s not surprising they still don’t think of customers as their friends. The right time to put a formal customer service program in place, with measurements, is before the first sale of your product or service to a customer.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Training Services 96

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

So here are my own top recommendations on how to think about your business aspirations, and put innovation in perspective among all the other priorities you will need to achieve success and satisfaction with your role on the road ahead. Purpose defines the feeling that everyone wants to have from helping others and doing good for the world.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

It seems they are both looking for more personal satisfaction and sense of purpose for their efforts. Even the simplest of new technologies, such as Zoom for remote meetings, can be a detriment to work satisfaction if workers are not trained on how to use it effectively, causing video and sound problems, as well as background distractions.

Tips 159

Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

You may feel good when that first burst of customers arrives, but don’t assume that “ word of mouth ” and those early adopters will grow your business to match your dreams of success. In these days of global competition via multiple channels, you need continuous marketing to find more customers. They won’t find you.

Technical Review 142

Technical Review Social Media Conference Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2011

I deal often with early-stage startups, and many of these don’t have any customers yet (but wish they did), so it’s not surprising they still don’t think of customers as their friends. The right time to put a formal customer service program in place, with measurements, is before the first sale of your product or service to a customer.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Startup Training 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2022

In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. Missions and products that are too broad confuse your team, your customers, and potential investors. Customer support chasm. Product development chasm.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2019

Successful entrepreneurs have to work well with people, whether they be partners, investors, employees, suppliers, or customers. The others include the rest of the team, investors, and customers. They can also help you be happy and have some fun. An idea person and a problem solver make a great team. You must do it alone.

Satisfaction 78

Satisfaction Startup Ideas Entrepreneur 78

socalTECH

MAY 1, 2014

The startup--led by Bernard Louvat--said the new product helps reduce call volume and increase customer satisfaction, by leading customers off traditional call center calls via online, self-service options. touchcommerce contact center software touchconnect self service customer support chat' READ MORE>>.

Agoura Hills 147

Agoura Hills Agoura Satisfaction Customer 147

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

Jim Sterne, who has written many books on Internet advertising, marketing, and customer service, tackled this complex world of social media metrics in a classic book titled simply " Social Media Metrics." Social media is the realm of public opinion and customer conversations. Measure customer response and action.

Social Media 127

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 127

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2023

Both ends of this spectrum fail to bring long-term satisfaction or success. Patagonia , a successful outdoor products company, combines building safe high-quality products with philanthropic efforts to help the environment. To find new work you love, it helps to do job shadowing or short term rotation.

Framework 95

Framework Customer Custom Tips 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2022

Too many customers have long felt distanced from many successful brands, seeing them as closed and mysterious environments, focused only on profits and killing competitors. In the idea stage, get customers involved with an engaging contest. Shared leadership (member and customer led). Shared risks (open capital).

Organization 126

Organization Social Media Examples Customer 126

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

As a long-time mentor to new entrepreneurs and business owners, I have noticed that many no longer associate more fulfillment and satisfaction with more money, power, and success. In fact, customers today also seem more attracted to companies with a higher purpose than profit. Assemble a complementary support team to help you.

Satisfaction 173

Satisfaction Mentor Coach Entrepreneur 173

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2023

The Internet is the problem, by facilitating constant change, and it’s the solution, by providing an absolutely current view of customers, trends, and best practices. The Internet is the source of data for alternative views, and social media allows direct customer interactions to test these views.

Social Media 120

Social Media Startup Entrepreneur Education 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2022

The canvas is a visual chart with elements describing your value proposition, structure, finances, and customers, to help companies identify and align business activities. I look for evidence of the nine major elements of the model canvas, as paraphrased here from the author’s key points and how they apply to teams: Customer segments.

Funding 133

Funding Activity Customer Custom 133

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

Zingle, a startup whose software is used by hospitality, travel, and retail industries to more easily and quickly connect with their customers via messaging, has been acquired for about $42 million in cash by Medallia, a publicly traded software company in San Francisco. Read more » Reprints | Share: UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS.

Software 95

Software Startup Satisfaction Customer 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 30, 2021

Based on my own long experience in business, team satisfaction, engagement, and productivity continues to be a challenge. Help people uncover and apply their strengths. Most people don’t recognize their own strengths, and need your help, as well as strength assessment tools, to capitalize on them.

Satisfaction 168

Satisfaction Coach Resource Tool 168

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

Here are the key reasons that I recommend that aspiring leaders focus on people before process: Customers judge the business by the people quality. Whether it be in person, on the phone, or implied in your marketing, your people and their engagement level is the key driver of customer loyalty, advocacy, and sales growth.

Satisfaction 154

Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

Both ends of this spectrum fail to bring long-term satisfaction or success. Patagonia , a successful outdoor products company, combines building safe high-quality products with philanthropic efforts to help the environment. To find new work you love, it helps to do job shadowing or short term rotation.

Tips 174

Tips Framework Customer Custom 174

socalTECH

DECEMBER 28, 2020

In 2020, the pandemic radically changed the customer acquisition process for many consumer-facing industries. This presented MomentFeed with an immense opportunity to help multi-location consumer brands meet the challenges brought on by an overnight shift in consumer shopping patterns. Contact our editors for details.

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Software Review Organic Search Startup 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

Out of curiosity, I often ask aspiring entrepreneurs like you, who come to me for help, what drives them to take on the workload and risk of a new startup. Many entrepreneurs I know conclude they can never be in control, due to the constant and unpredictable need to satisfy investors, vendors, and customers.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Startup Technical Review 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2023

Everyone in the company must adopt the principles of customer-first focus, agility in responding to change, and constant innovation to improve your processes as well as the solution. Seek customer feedback on ways to improve value and satisfaction. Make customer experience your key priority.

Customer 91

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2021

Building and running a business is not rocket science, but it does require making practical tradeoffs, building solid relationships, and taking smart risks, all of which a one-on-one mentor can help you with. Mentoring will help you, as well as your mentees, find and build the right relationships for success.

Mentor 159

Mentor Satisfaction Education Organization 159

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

These haven’t changed much over the years, but still seem to be often overlooked by business professionals and leaders in their haste to keep up with peers, competitors, and customers in today’s volatile environment. Timely follow-up on customer and team member requests. Stretch here also increases job satisfaction.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

Today’s business mantra must be “Take care of your people and they will take care of your customers.” Once a product-first, customer-second, and employee-last culture is set, it is extremely hard to change. As well, you need to focus externally on getting feedback from customers, suppliers, and competitors.

Organization 108

Organization Startup Satisfaction Customer 108

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2020

Every entrepreneur and startup loves you, but too many forget that every potential customer is not like you. Unfortunately many of their suggestions may actually increase the solution complexity for the larger segment of mainstream customers who come later and you really need for success. Usability is often an afterthought.

Startup 141

Startup Customer Custom Design 141