tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.comments2023-09-13T05:47:20.964-07:00Client Service Insights (CSI)Leo Bottaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10043698095787343204noreply@blogger.comBlogger406125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-21892416045695720322010-11-24T05:00:37.000-08:002010-11-24T05:00:37.000-08:00Great question. It's important to note that R...Great question. It's important to note that Rath doesn't suggest that we ignore our weaknesses, but too often people/organizations become overly focused on weaknesses and become satisfied with what they do well. In many cases, it results in marginal improvement on weaknesses and good but not great execution against your strengths - which should be your competitive differentiators. If your client wants you shore up a weakness, I wouldn't ignore that, but at the same time, I'd get even better at all the things which likely represent why your client hired you in the first place and why they are likely to stay as long as they believe you're listening.leobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-64450278976679074232010-10-25T20:26:08.000-07:002010-10-25T20:26:08.000-07:00Leo,
This summer I worked for a startup company ...Leo, <br /><br />This summer I worked for a startup company that was facing a similar dilemma. This company's growth was astronomical in the first couple of years. I noticed that the company was unable to keep up the pace on the account management/ client relations side of the business. Clients became excessively agitated with certain aspects of the company. As the company continues to grow, executives will need to place more focus on maintaing relationships with current clients. This will not only keep revenue flowing into the company but it will create brand advocates--an essential key to any successful business. As you mentioned above, celebrating organic growth is something that this company would need to adapt in order to develop a client service culture within the startup. <br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />CarrieCarrie Pennewellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-75194905173059303862010-08-25T10:56:57.000-07:002010-08-25T10:56:57.000-07:00Shawn, thanks for your comment! I won't be po...Shawn, thanks for your comment! I won't be posting here anymore, so feel free to read and comment on my posts at http://blog.vistage.com/author/leo/<br /><br />Please pass along to Professor Hawley and your fellow students as well. Cheers, Leoleobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-83111201132331328532010-08-25T07:31:35.000-07:002010-08-25T07:31:35.000-07:00Hi leo! My name is JD and I'm taking JOUR 433 ...Hi leo! My name is JD and I'm taking JOUR 433 and 435 at KU this semester! My professors recommended following you and your blogs so I look forward to keeping up with you at your new site too!<br />Best Wishes!<br />JDShawn "JD" Schallernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-58751465099938855272010-07-01T16:18:17.000-07:002010-07-01T16:18:17.000-07:00Angela Booth just finished her new website at http...Angela Booth just finished her new website at http://www.cottonwoodtees.com - now you will never have another t-shirt emergency during the mud season or anytime!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-8871108119125676372010-07-12T08:04:12.000-07:002010-07-12T08:04:12.000-07:00Sorry to see you go Leo... but glad you're not...Sorry to see you go Leo... but glad you're not going very far!<br />I for one will be following you and your exploits on the Vistage Small Business Blog.<br />Thanks for making many business days a bit more interesting, and often even educational.<br />All the best!Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-76450449648795095092010-05-06T08:16:38.000-07:002010-05-06T08:16:38.000-07:00I love this article! We're so on the same page...I love this article! We're so on the same page.Priya Batesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-88233619972292090752010-05-17T21:59:18.000-07:002010-05-17T21:59:18.000-07:00Love this bit of advice: Ask them to explain what ...Love this bit of advice: Ask them to explain what success will look like to them. So critical!Jules Zunichnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-86955110154176004492010-04-27T10:18:09.000-07:002010-04-27T10:18:09.000-07:00Great to hear you're doing so already. Not su...Great to hear you're doing so already. Not surprised. Thanks for your comment!leobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-85283084113039427752010-04-27T10:10:02.000-07:002010-04-27T10:10:02.000-07:00Another great article Leo,
It's basically the...Another great article Leo,<br /><br />It's basically the same thing as the Postmortem report that I write up after a customer escalation has been resolved. The process is basically the same and a colleague asked to use it to identify why we had failed to win a deal...<br /><br />Your autopsy takes the idea one step further and I think this should be a critical process for all businesses. If you don't understand why you lost a client, how are you supposed to keep it from happening again?<br /><br />Thanks again!<br />EricEric Jacquesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-68786523517816474402010-04-10T12:45:49.000-07:002010-04-10T12:45:49.000-07:00John, thanks for your thoughtful comment! I unders...John, thanks for your thoughtful comment! I understand what you mean. I guess what I applaud is the sensibility to the requirements of the audience and an aptitude for two-way communication. These can often be the harder things to learn. The rest will come over time. Sorry about the JS-Kit issue. I'll be sure to check into it.leobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-54542200744397711382010-04-09T17:26:03.000-07:002010-04-09T17:26:03.000-07:00Thanks for pointing to that study.
I guess I am i...Thanks for pointing to that study.<br /><br />I guess I am in the group of lamenting about the demise of language (not only the English one). Our generation produced and produces a lot of Gobbledygook which is hard anything else but persuasive.<br /><br />The most important hint for marketers (I'm not an educator): "You'll need to be fluent in the language of your market. Don't try to teach them what's right or wrong."<br /><br />Yours<br />John<br /><br />P.S.: Strange. JS-Kit doesn't allow me to share my comment here with my Google Friends and my Twitter followers at the same time. Logged my out of Google again.John W. Furstnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-40510723961650792702010-04-02T12:03:31.000-07:002010-04-02T12:03:31.000-07:00Thanks for the kind words. I will say that I too ...Thanks for the kind words. I will say that I too am inspired by the instructional team. Every MASCL instructor from Mods 1-5 team shares a passion for connecting with each student and improving every aspect of the program. LT 25 is certainly a special group. Thanks for helping us be better as well. Congrats again!leobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-31081834646169208022010-04-01T17:54:31.000-07:002010-04-01T17:54:31.000-07:00Leo, as a member of LT 25, I want to thank you for...Leo, as a member of LT 25, I want to thank you for this post! I am so grateful to have been part of such a wonderful, talented group of people. The team projects, although challenging at times, were a great test of our ability to come together as colleagues. We could not have accomplished so much without you and the rest of the Instructional Team. You motivated us, kept us focused and dedicated through each module and each weekend of presentations. Thank you!!!Natalie Guzzonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-26314580457046881882010-03-31T00:40:04.863-07:002010-03-31T00:40:04.863-07:00I like that you think. Thank you for share very mu...I like that you think. Thank you for share very much.KINGRPGhttp://www.kingrpg.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-71154017511757380362010-03-13T07:18:21.000-08:002010-03-13T07:18:21.000-08:00Fabian, as you've probably experienced by now,...Fabian, as you've probably experienced by now, most people don't pretend to be lawyers, but they often fancy themselves communication experts. Sometimes it isn't about trying convince them that they are not, but by your counsel and actions, see to it that your clients come to the conclusion that it is your strength.leobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-66128411943224929662010-03-12T17:40:25.000-08:002010-03-12T17:40:25.000-08:00I completely agree with your main point, that we s...I completely agree with your main point, that we should focus on our strengths and not our weaknesses. Not only is that a better mental exercise, but it will ultimately also lead to better results. I am legal marketing consultant with my own agency, <a href="http://www.advoltlegal.com" rel="nofollow">AdVolt Legal</a>. Although it is somewhat self serving, I always advocate that my clients focus on what they do best (being lawyers), while we provide the services we do best (legal marketing).Fabian Ahmadinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-76352903154940026092010-03-08T01:51:39.000-08:002010-03-08T01:51:39.000-08:00Nowadays caring for your client’s needs and satisf...Nowadays caring for your client’s needs and satisfy their wants is truly needed in facing tough economic crisis. We all know that not everyone have good career like <a href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2010/03/03/harry-shearer-amazing-technicolor-career/" rel="nofollow">Harry Shearer</a>, and maintaining strong relationship with are clients would save us from losing our job or business. Also, one thing that is good about caring is the power to make your clients trust and respect your capabilities in giving them quality products/services. Always, remember that business grows because of the clients/customers that patronize us!Vhong Vnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-18520575320867161302010-03-04T11:15:18.000-08:002010-03-04T11:15:18.000-08:00Leo,
Thanks for the kind words. Agree that cultur...Leo,<br />Thanks for the kind words. Agree that culture matters above all and that if you are in a service business you better care. I believe furthermore that the two go together and that the key, of course, is the people you hire. Lots of talk this week about talent and the role of individuals. Culture and caring come from one person at a time. Find them, hire them, trust them, set them free and it all comes together. Thanks again for the shout out.edward bochesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-55875269231011134092010-03-02T06:18:32.000-08:002010-03-02T06:18:32.000-08:00I appreciate the kind words and your question abou...I appreciate the kind words and your question about strengths and weaknesses in my subsequent post. Thanks!leobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-58580342599414650362010-03-02T05:09:30.000-08:002010-03-02T05:09:30.000-08:00Great stuff,your blog is very helpful in performin...Great stuff,your blog is very helpful in performing the task of client integration/services better.vikrantu@gmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-50888246846898499332010-03-02T06:15:30.000-08:002010-03-02T06:15:30.000-08:00David Maister wrote a book titled Strategy and the...David Maister wrote a book titled Strategy and the Fat Smoker, where he talks about why most people and organizations fail to correct weaknesses or bad habits. If there's a particular weakness that is holding you back, you should certainly address it. To do so, however, starts with identifying the problem and its root causes, developing a plan to overcome it, and being prepared to make the kind of lifelong behavioral change that can convert a weakness to a strength over time. If you treat it as an event, your efforts to correct the problem may succeed for awhile, but will ultimately fail. As Maister would say, your commitment to change will have all the teeth of a new year's resolution.leobottarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-8049813047278308102010-03-02T05:34:04.000-08:002010-03-02T05:34:04.000-08:00Hi Mr Bottary,
I have a small question here, i co...Hi Mr Bottary,<br /><br />I have a small question here, i completely agree with what you say, however i wanted to know your viewpoint on how should we proceed with client when they keep talking about our weakness, i mean the product/services that we offer to them. what are the ways or step that one need to take to make sure that we convert the weakness that the client is talking about to the strength or positives that we have?vikrantu@gmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-30187386618195172002010-02-25T09:55:41.000-08:002010-02-25T09:55:41.000-08:00Leo ~ Agree! You know how passionate I am about th...Leo ~ Agree! You know how passionate I am about this. Everything I learned about PR did not come from a book, class or seminar. I enjoy reading relevant authors and attending seminars, but it's the practical work that makes the practitioner, I feel. We are at a crossroads and as professionals we need to stretch a bit. Social Media "gurus" are popping up all over the place and are going to have a negative impact on our already bruised image. Yes, PR has an image problem, as we have discussed. I see APR preparation in my future, but the points made above take priority.Jules Zunichnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879779555304468045.post-18153562328702917862010-02-23T16:32:03.000-08:002010-02-23T16:32:03.000-08:00Andrew and Colin, thanks for the kind words. I bel...Andrew and Colin, thanks for the kind words. I believe clients and agencies should challenge one another in an effort to produce better work. That way, when it's all said and done, they can celebrate together!leobottarynoreply@blogger.com