Podcast appearances and mentions of loyal customers

Why do some brands create repeat customers, while other brands create loyal customers—and the very best brands create loyal brand fans?The answer isn't just a better product. It isn't a bigger marketing budget. And it isn't a loyalty program. It's about creating an emotional connection that makes customers feel like they belong.In this episode, I sit down with customer experience strategist, Fractional Chief Customer Officer, and author Christina Garnett to discuss her book, Transforming Customer-Brand Relationships.We explore why customers don't want to feel like transactions, how brands create genuine community, what drives long-term loyalty, and what it takes to turn customers into loyal brand fans.What You'll LearnHow treating customers like transactions kills long-term loyaltyThe best ways to truly understand your customers and their needsWhy organizational silos create friction in the customer experienceThe right - and wrong - ways to build a brand communityHow to move customers from repeat purchases to loyalty to true brand fandomWhy surprise and delight often fails to create lasting customer loyaltyHow game theory can transform the way you think about customer relationshipsChapters00:00 Introduction to Transforming Customer Brand Relationships01:28 Defining Customer Experience03:34 How Brands Treat Customers Like Transactions07:24 The Ideal Methods For Understanding Your Customers10:17 Breaking Down Silos for Better CX13:03 The Right and Wrong Ways to Create a Brand Community16:33 Repeat Customers to Loyal Customers to Brand Fans20:44 Hierarchy of Customer Delight22:51 The Importance of Genuine Customer Engagement24:48 Creating Memorable Customer Experiences27:06 The Gap Between Customer Perception and Leadership Assumption29:13 The Little Things Matter in Customer Experience31:38 Applying Game Theory in Customer Experience35:45 Connecting Employee Experience to Customer Experience37:50 Christina's 5-song PlaylistAbout Christina GarnettChristina Garnett is a customer experience strategist, Fractional Chief Customer Officer, founder of Pocket CCO, and author of Transforming Customer-Brand Relationships. She helps organizations strengthen customer relationships, improve retention, build meaningful communities, and create experiences that inspire loyalty. Connect with Christina GarnettChristina's Website Christina's Book - Transforming Customer-Brand RelationshipsChristina on LinkedIn Connect with Matt LylesCheck Matt's speaking availability Subscribe on YouTube Matt on LinkedInMatt on Instagram The SIMPLE brand newsletter 

"The goal is not to win the argument. The goal is to keep the customer." Episode Chapters [01:00] Why Service Recovery Creates Loyalty [03:13] Empowering Employees to Solve Problems Fast [05:32] Service Recovery in Call Centers and High-Volume Environments [09:04] The LAST Model for Handling Complaints [11:22] How Great Recovery Protects Your Reputation Most leaders spend a lot of time thinking about how to prevent problems. That's important, but problems will happen anyway. What often separates a good organization from a great one is how quickly and professionally it responds when expectations are not met. Some of the strongest customer relationships are built during moments of disappointment, when employees take ownership, listen carefully, and turn frustration into trust. In this episode, Lee Cockerell explains why effective service recovery makes all the difference in business. It often creates stronger customer loyalty than a flawless experience. He shares his experience using the LAST model to turn difficult situations into lasting relationships. Read the blog for more from this episode.  Resources CockerellStore.com The Cockerell Academy About Lee Cockerell Mainstreet Leader Jody Maberry Travel Guidance Magical Vacation Planners are my preferred travel advisors. Reach out to have them help plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.  

The World's Largest Loyalty Programs™ research report from Let's Talk Loyalty is now available.Download it by subscribing to our newsletter on the World's Largest Loyalty Programs™ now.---------------This week, we're revisiting one of our most insightful conversations with Bridget Blaise-Shamai, former President of the AAdvantage Program at American Airlines — and now one of our wonderful Let's Talk Loyalty hosts.In this episode, Bridget shares timeless lessons on customer engagement, personalization, loyalty ecosystems, and why relevance is at the heart of every successful loyalty strategy.From building emotional connection with customers to creating value beyond travel, this conversation remains incredibly relevant for loyalty marketers today.A must-listen episode for anyone thinking about the future of loyalty, trust, and customer relationships.Show Notes:1) Bridget Blaise-Shamai2) AAdvantage Program3) American Airlines4)#32: AAdvantage - Caring for Loyal Customers through Challenging Times.

Episode 178: Desiree Martinez and her book, Stop Marketing, Start Belonging.: Real-World Marketing That Builds Loyal Customers AnywhereAbout DesireeDesiree Martinez has been marketing since Myspace, back when coding your profile was the ultimate flex. With more than 15 years of experience helping small businesses grow, she has built a career turning marketing overwhelm into clarity and connection. As the founder and CEO of The Kast Agency, Desiree helps service-based and community-driven businesses build strategies that actually work in the real world. Known for her straightforward, sassy approach, Desiree has partnered with brands like Adobe, Streamyard, and VidIQ, and has helped thousands of small business owners grow through trust, consistency, and community. When she is not coaching or creating content, Desiree can be found on her Michigan homestead, sipping tea, rolling dice in Dungeons & Dragons, or chasing her next big idea. Stop Marketing, Start Belonging is her guide for building loyal customers and a business people truly care about.Conversation HighlightsDesiree shares her path from aspiring animator to digital marketing expert with over 17 years of experienceLessons learned from platform rises and falls, including MySpace, Facebook, and Google Plus, and how adaptation is critical for survivalThe evolving role of AI in marketing, government influence, and the importance of owning your audienceHow her childhood traits, like extroversion and creativity, have shaped her professional approachThe philosophy of “Start Suck Get Better” and embracing imperfection in entrepreneurshipAn overview of her book, Stop Marketing, Start Belonging, and its foundational principlesThe importance of human connection in digital marketing and authentic relationship buildingReflections on societal shifts, seasons of relationships, and the power of curiosity in personal and professional growthThe MAIN QUESTION for you that comes out of my conversation with Desiree is, What kind of resilience, adaptability, and appreciation have you built in your life that you unknowingly have used to move forward, building up and elevating yourself and others in the process? Find DesireeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsdesireerose/Website: mrsdesireerose.comLinkedIn - Full Podcast Article: CHAPTERS00:00 - The Book Leads Podcast - Desiree Martinez01:00 - Introduction & Bio03:27- Who are you today? Can you provide more information about your work?07:46 - How did your path into your career look like, and what did it look like up until now?28:39 - How does the work you're doing today reconcile to who you were as a child?32:22 - What do you consider your superpower?46:36 - What does leadership mean to you?57:52 - Can you introduce us to the book we're discussing?01:05:18 - A breakdown of the chapters in the book.01:07:35 - What's changed in you in the process of writing this book?01:10:09 - What's next for your writing?01:25:11 - What book has inspired you?01:29:57 - What are you up to these days? (A way for guests to share and market their projects and work.)This series has become my Masterclass In Humanity. I'd love for you to join me and see what you take away from these conversations.Learn more about The Book Leads and listen to past episodes:Watch on YouTubeListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsRead About The Book Leads – Blog PostFor more great content, check out the catalog for my newsletter Last Week's Leadership Lessons, if you haven't already!

He built millions. He influenced campaigns. He "made it." …And still almost lost everything that mattered. In this powerful conversation, Kurt Luidhardt shares a conversation with Stephen Scoggins, to reveal the real story behind his success, the grind, the burnout, the identity crisis, and the wake-up call that changed everything. From sleeping in cars chasing opportunities, to discovering why success without purpose feels empty, to revealing the exact marketing framework that attracts aligned customers at scale. If you want to grow without losing your soul, DON'T SKIP THIS. Key takeaway: You don't need more success. You need alignment.

Skepticism is at an all-time high, so how do you win buyers over? Get actionable strategies to build unshakeable trust, prove your value, and transform cautious shoppers into lifelong fans.And don't forget! You can crush your marketing strategy with just a few minutes a week by signing up for the StrategyCast Newsletter. You'll receive weekly bursts of marketing tips, clips, resources, and a whole lot more. Visit https://strategycast.com/ for more details.==Let's Break It Down==06:07 "Belief Bubbles in Marketing"08:33 "Relational Trust Shapes Marketing"12:38 "Trust Architecture Explained"14:55 Building Credibility for Technical Brands==Where You Can Find Us==Website: https://strategycast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategy_cast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategycast==Leave a Review==Hey there, StrategyCast fans!If you've found our tips and tricks on marketing strategies helpful in growing your business, we'd be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover how they can elevate their business game!

Send a textA shed sale isn't won with pressure—it's won with details, trust, and a clear path from need to solution. We sit down with veteran seller and mentor Hal Hatcher to unpack 15 years of practical wisdom you can put to work today. From the moment a buyer steps onto the lot, Hal shows why first impressions and layout matter: sweep the floors, square the buildings, and don't let a great unit die in a bad spot. Move it, reframe it, and watch attention return. Then, turn the office into a “war room” where buyers sketch placement, doors, and colors. That small act creates ownership before the first signature.We explore the full sales cycle with concrete tactics: prospect beyond walk-ins, build a steady presence on social media, and open every interaction with a name and a face people remember. The process thrives on documentation and follow-up—old-school notebooks, time stamps, and plant verification now pair with CRMs and 3D configurators. When a buyer says “It's expensive,” shift the lens to value and use their benchmark—protecting a Harley, a boat, or holiday keepsakes—to craft a fit that lasts. Smart upgrades like roll-up doors and reinforced floors prevent pain later, turning “price” debates into practical choices that feel right.Hal's playbook is people-first. Read body language, invite the skeptical partner into the design, and give couples room to decide. A simple lunch sign with a return time—and a small courtesy discount—can convert missed moments into loyal customers. That habit of listening and following through builds referrals, which become your best marketing. Along the way, we draw clear lines between mentorship and leadership: invest in your team, match roles to strengths, and never let promises slip. If you sell sheds, haul them, or manufacture them, these lessons lift your close rates and your reputation.If this conversation helps you sell with more confidence and less friction, share it with a teammate, subscribe for more practical episodes, and leave a quick review so others can find us.For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.Would you like to receive our weekly newsletter?  Sign up on our website.Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.To be a guest on the Shed Geek Podcast visit our website and fill out the "Contact Us" form.To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.This episodes Sponsors:Studio Sponsor: Shed ProIfabIdentigrowSolar BlasterCardinal Manufacturing

In this episode of the Modern Direct Seller Podcast, we shine the spotlight on one of the most important (and most avoided) activities in direct sales: following up. We're breaking down the real reasons so many sellers skip it, how to shift your mindset around it, and the simple systems you can put in place to stay consistent. The leads are already there. This episode is about making sure they don't go cold, with straightforward strategies to follow up at every stage and build the kind of relationships that keep customers coming back.From a simple Google Sheet to a fully automated CRM, there's a follow-up system for every stage of your business. Grab the free 300 Club Tracker to get started, and head over to Oh My Hi to explore what automated follow-up can look like when your business is ready for it. Time-Based Notes:3:44 - Overcoming the Fear and Mental Blocks Around Follow-Up6:10 - Systems and Tools to Keep Your Follow-Up Organized9:13 - What to Do When You've Waited Too Long12:11 - Follow-Up Strategies for New Leads15:00 - Following Up with New Customers17:37 - The Best Channels and Methods for Follow-Up20:23 - How Much Follow-Up Is Too Much?23:19 - Building Follow-Up Into Your Daily RoutineShow sponsored by CinchShare: The number one most trusted social media scheduling tool for direct sellers. Start your 60 day trial today with coupon code KEYBOARD60 and spend less time posting and more time socializing!Get the full show notes at https://moderndirectseller.com/episode277

Learn how to use Facebook and Instagram to find customers, even if you have zero followers. In this episode, discover why follower count no longer matters and how to build engaged audiences using Meta Business Manager. You'll see how to identify people who watch most of your videos, apply the Rule of 7 to build trust, and retarget warm audiences who are ready to buy. This is the same content strategy used by top-performing brands to grow sales in 2025.What You'll Learn:- Why followers no longer drive growth on social media- How to use Facebook & Instagram audiences to find real customers- The Rule of 7: turning engagement into trust and sales- How to retarget high-engagement viewers for better conversions-------------------About Manuel Suarez:Manuel Suarez, known as the "Marketing Ninja" and a "Best Selling Author" of "Marketing Magic", leads Attention Grabbing Media (AGM), a marketing agency honored three times on the Inc 5000 list. With a team of over 120, AGM specializes in turning attention into profit for a wide array of brands. In 2023 alone, brands managed by AGM exceeded 250 million USD in revenue.Manuel is also the co-founder of NaturalSlim, a self-funded high 9-figure brand. He has elevated thousands of businesses across various sectors and has directed marketing campaigns for industry leaders like Dr. Eric Berg, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John.He is also responsible for two of the top 15 largest U.S. YouTube channels—Dr. Eric Berg and MetabolismoTV—which together have over 20 million subscribers. Over seven years, his strategies have amassed 8 billion views, generated 5 million leads, and earned over 500 million USD in revenue.Follow Manuel Suarez on Social Media:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theninjamarketer/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmanuelsuarez/- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrmanuelsuarez- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MrManuelSuarez- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmanuelsuarez/Learn More About AGM:- Visit our website: https://www.agmagency.comNeed Help with Your Marketing?- Talk to a Ninja: https://www.talktoaninja.comCheck Out Manuel's Book, a #1 Seller on Amazon:- Marketing Magic by Manuel Suarez: https://a.co/d/gbwHKSf

Guest Suggestion Form: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/bnaeY3FpoFU9ZjA47⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: This video is intended solely for educational purposes and opinions shared by the guest are her personal views. We do not intent to defame or harm any person/ brand/ product/ country/ profession mentioned in the video. Our goal is to provide information to help audience make informed choices. The media used in this video are solely for informational purposes and belongs to their respective owners.Order 'Build, Don't Talk' (in English) here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/eCfijRu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Order 'Build Don't Talk' (in Hindi) here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/4wZISO0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Our Whatsapp Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaokF5x0bIdi3Qn9ef2J⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe To Our Other YouTube Channels:-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@rajshamaniclips⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@RajShamani.Shorts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Modern marketing has mastered data but forgotten feeling. Branding experts say that emotional connection, not automation, will define the next era of brand success and long-term customer loyalty.https://www.thelolaagency.com/post/the-joy-deficit-why-brands-feel-cold-and-how-to-fix-it London : Los Angeles (LO:LA) City: El Segundo Address: 840 Apollo Street Website: https://www.thelolaagency.com

A holy grail in business is to secure repeat business from loyal customers. And while nearly two thirds of marketers still believe that brand love motivates these repeat purchases, the reality is that more pragmatic considerations, like convenience for example, has a bigger impact on driving those repeat purchases. Marketers often idealize loyalty as a form of emotional devotion, but research shows it's driven by far more practical factors, like providing that level of convenience, product performance, and situational needs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Kaya Cast, host Tommy Truong sits down with Noel Burkman, co-founder of StrainBrain, to explore how AI and advanced data science are reshaping cannabis retail. Noel explains StrainBrain's meta-analytic approach - combining COAs, consumer sentiment, regional preferences, and product data - to move beyond generic marketing toward personalized, needs-based recommendations. Learn how their four foundational questions - how do you want to feel, how you want to consume, how strong do you want it, and what problem are you solving - help budtenders normalize education, build trust, and guide shoppers to the right product. They discuss segmentation strategies that target the growth opportunities of health-minded, 45+ consumers as well as wellness outcomes like better sleep, focus, and pain relief, and how to expand a dispensary's reach without relying on price cuts. The conversation covers practical deployment - easy website or kiosk integrations, loyalty program tie-ins, and a closed-loop feedback loop to continually refine messaging and offers. They also contrast cannabis and hemp marketing, explain how StrainBrain plans to scale its data-driven engagement, and share actionable ideas for dispensaries to boost frequency, wallet share, and loyalty through a more personal, wellness-focused shopping experience.With a background in finance and marketing, Noel has a unique understanding of the business side of the cannabis industry. He has helped numerous companies navigate the complex legal and financial landscape of the industry, allowing them to achieve success and sustainable growth.As a thought leader in the cannabis space, Noel is a sought-after speaker and has been featured in various industry events and publications. He is also the host of the popular podcast, "Cannabis Conversations," where he interviews top professionals and entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry.In addition to his work with Green Leaf Consulting, Noel is also a passionate advocate for cannabis legalization and education. He is a member of several cannabis advocacy groups and regularly volunteers his time to educate the public about the benefits of cannabis.Noel's extensive knowledge and experience in the cannabis industry make him a valuable guest on any cannabis business podcast. He is dedicated to helping businesses thrive in this rapidly growing and ever-changing industry, and his insights and expertise are sure to provide valuable insights for listeners.Find out more about StrainBrain at:https://www.strainbra.in/https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelburkman/https://www.linkedin.com/company/strainbrain/ 00:00 Introduction to Kaya Cast00:11 Journey into Cannabis Tech01:19 Consumer Education in Cannabis02:56 Targeting Health and Wellness04:24 Segmentation and Marketing Strategies06:28 Challenges in Dispensary Operations08:15 StrainBrain: Enhancing Customer Experience11:33 Future of Cannabis Marketing17:56 Data-Driven Product Development22:05 Understanding Regional Preferences in Retail22:49 Strategies for Increasing Retail Sales23:50 Creating Awareness and Marketing Creativity26:43 Leveraging Technology for Customer Engagement29:56 Implementing AI in Retail Environments34:41 Enhancing Customer Experience and Loyalty41:06 Conclusion and Contact Information #kayacast #cannabis #tips #dispensaries #business #podcastcannabis retail technology, AI in cannabis, StrainBrain, cannabis data analytics, dispensary software, cannabis personalization, predictive retail analytics, cannabis machine learning, budtender education tools, cannabis business strategy, dispensary marketing, cannabis loyalty programs, cannabis consumer insights, cannabis segmentation, cannabis for wellness, cannabis for sleep, cannabis for pain relief, cannabis for focus, cannabis product recommendations, terpene data, cannabis COAs, cannabis sentiment analysis, cannabis marketing automation, dispensary innovation, data-driven cannabis, cannabis consulting, cannabis entrepreneurship, cannabis industry trends, AI-powered dispensary, cannabis retail operations, cannabis product discovery, dispensary customer engagement, cannabis brand loyalty, cannabis technology startups, cannabis predictive modeling, cannabis recommendation engine, dispensary optimization, cannabis growth strategy, cannabis market intelligence, cannabis product differentiation, wellness cannabis products, cannabis e-commerce integration, AI for retail, cannabis CRM systems, data science in cannabis, cannabis education, cannabis brand trust, cannabis user experience, cannabis innovation podcast, dispensary management tools, consumer-driven cannabis retail, personalized cannabis shopping

In this episode of the Modern Direct Seller Podcast, we're diving into the three-part framework that helps direct sellers turn casual followers into loyal customers. You'll learn how to build a content system that attracts attention, capture leads beyond social media algorithms, and convert those leads into repeat buyers. We're covering what kind of content actually moves the needle, how to set up simple lead-capture tools, and how to create offers that inspire quick action and lasting loyalty in your business.Join us for the free Get Found, Get Leads, Get Paid training on October 29 to learn how to set up a content and website system that works for you—even when you're offline. Explore examples, templates, and trainings at ModernDirectSeller.com.Time-Based Notes:02:37 – Content Strategy: Long-Form vs. Short-Form06:46 – CinchShare Free Plan & TikTok Experiment11:50 – The Capture Phase: Lead Collection14:59 – The Convert Phase: Turning Leads into Customers19:07 – Get Found, Get Leads, Get PaidShow sponsored by CinchShare: The number one most trusted social media scheduling tool for direct sellers. Start your 60 day trial today with coupon code KEYBOARD60 and spend less time posting and more time socializing!Get the full show notes at https://moderndirectseller.com/episode259

Discover simple, actionable ways to attract more customers to your store by focusing on experience over discounts. This episode explains visual merchandising, store layout, lighting, staff training, and small exterior touches that draw attention and convert visitors into repeat buyers. Also learn how to engage loyal customers through targeted CRM, events, and personalized service so you keep full-price shoppers coming back instead of chasing one-time bargain hunters.

Is AI-powered personalized pricing the next frontier—or the next fiasco—for customer loyalty and corporate reputation? That's the burning question I dive into with my guest, Dr. Peter Fader, on this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast. With Delta Air Lines rolling out AI-driven pricing and the world watching closely, the conversation takes a provocative turn: Should the C-suite pursue every possible drop of revenue if it risks alienating the very customers whose business it depends on? Dr. Fader walks us through the razor's edge between innovative revenue optimization and the real dangers of going “too granular” with pricing, shining a light on the long-term risks few companies are thinking about today. Why should you tune in? Dr. Peter Fader is not just an academic—he's a trailblazer whose work bridges the gap between data science, behavioral psychology, and pragmatic business leadership. His pioneering research on customer lifetime value and predictive analytics has redefined how top firms measure, value, and grow their customer bases for sustainable profitability—not just quick wins. If you work in pricing, revenue management, customer experience, or strategy, you need to hear his take on dynamic pricing, the emotional minefields of AI, and how to make decisions that customers—and shareholders—can live with tomorrow, not just today. Here are three key questions Dr. Fader answers in this episode: What's the real difference between smart dynamic pricing and dangerous personalized pricing—and why should every business care? How can companies avoid the temptation of “slicing the bologna too thin” with AI, and what are the hidden long-term costs of over-optimizing for short-term profit? Where are the true opportunities and ethical boundaries in customer-based valuation, and what lessons can firms learn from industries like airlines and pro sports? Listen now and subscribe so you never miss an episode—find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on any of your favorite podcast platforms. Apple Podcasts Spotify Meet Dr. Peter Fader Dr. Peter Fader is a Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, renowned for his transformative contributions to customer analytics, customer lifetime value, and predictive modeling in business. His influential books include “Customer Centricity: Focus on the Right Customers for Strategic Advantage,” “The Customer Centricity Playbook,” and “Customer-Base Audit.” Beyond academia, Peter made waves as co-founder of Zodiac, a predictive analytics firm acquired by Nike in 2018, and continues pushing the boundaries at Theta, a company focused on customer-based corporate valuation for private equity and enterprise clients. Peter's work stands out for blending rigorous quantitative modeling with real-world application, helping executives across industries balance the drive for immediate revenue with strategies that nurture lasting customer relationships and true organizational value. His recognitions include teaching and research awards, and he is frequently sought after for his insights by global brands, sports franchises, and media. Connect with Peter on LinkedIn: Dr. Peter Fader Show Notes/References Delta Airlines' AI-driven strategic pricing news: Delta, Fetcherr, and AI Pricing Example Customer-Based Valuation (Theta): Theta Prospect Theory – Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences 2002 – Daniel Kahneman Dr. Fader's books: Customer Centricity: Focus on the Right Customers for Strategic Advantage Customer-Base Audit The Customer Centricity Playbook Reference to Amazon's 2000 personalized pricing backlash: Wired: Amazon Customers Upset About Price Tests Have a question or feedback? Reach out—I love hearing from listeners!

Joyce discusses Cracker Barrel's decision to ditch their old logo for a modern design, what it means, and how people are feeling about itSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adam Maguire from the RTÉ Business Desk

When you think about successful tech companies, you might picture Silicon Valley giants or venture-backed unicorns. But what about an email marketing platform that's thrived for three decades?Gail Goodman, the former CEO of Constant Contact, helped build a company that defied the odds in an industry where many thought their business model wouldn't work. By focusing on customer needs and creating a strong company culture, she turned this skepticism into a 30-year success story."What I kept from all of it was to stay close to your customer," Gail emphatizes. "Understand the problem you're solving for your customer and stay focused on what they need to successfully use your product."In this episode, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, reconnects with Gail to explore how to build something that truly lasts. They discuss the power of repeat business, why resilience matters when hitting plateaus, and how staying obsessively close to your customers drives sustainable growth, even when others say it can't be done.Listen to discover practical ways to build stronger customer relationships and create a business that stands the test of time.If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.Additional Resources:Constant Contact On-Demand LibraryGetting Started with Constant Contact webinarsMeet Today's Guest: Gail Goodman of Entrepreneurship for All

Today we are re-publishing this fantastic episode from our archive as our planned episode has been delayed for technical reasons. As Ford Motor Company celebrates 120 years of innovation, we're bringing back one of our standout conversations — this time with Beth Leverton, Director of Rewards, Loyalty & CX at the Ford Motor Company.Originally recorded after the Comarch User Group conference in Poland, this episode dives into what it takes to build customer loyalty for a global giant that operates in over 126 countries.Beth shares the evolving vision behind Ford's loyalty strategy — how they're balancing legacy with future-focused thinking, and what loyalty looks like beyond the dealership floor.Whether you missed it the first time or are tuning in again, this conversation is packed with insights into customer experience, emotional loyalty, and brand trust at scale.Hosted by Paula ThomasShow Notes :-1) The Ford Motor Company2) Beth Leverton⁠3) www.Loyalty TV⁠

Join us as Heather Garbodin, Chief Customer Officer at American Airlines, reveals how the airline is reshaping customer loyalty beyond traditional rewards programs. From enhancing digital tools to elevating premium experiences, Heather shares how data-driven insights and cross-team collaboration are driving initiatives that make travel easier, more personalized, and truly seamless across the OneWorld alliance.Discover how small operational changes—like improved boarding processes and reduced gate-checked bags—are creating big wins for both customers and the airline. This episode dives into the emotional connection, trust, and reliability that American Airlines fosters to turn everyday travelers into lifelong advocates.Hosted by Bridget Blaise-Shamai Show Notes:1) Heather Garbodin2) American Airlines3) Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance 4) Moments of Truth 5) AAdvantage from American Airlines - Insight-led Innovation & Industry Leadership6) AAdvantage - Caring for Loyal Customers through Challenging Times.

What started as a family-run, grass-fed beef operation near Calgary has grown into a thriving direct-market business focused on full-animal utilization. Lorin and Barry Doerksen of Gemstone Grass Fed Beef say that working with the whole animal, rather than boxes of cuts, is both a challenge and a strength. “It’s a lot different than butcher... Read More

If you think Hallmark is just about greeting cards and holiday movies, think again. In this first of a two-part conversation, I sit down with Patrick McCullough, President of Hallmark Business Connections, to explore how over 110 years of creating emotional connection can teach B2B brands how to build stronger, more meaningful relationships—with customers, employees, and even themselves.Patrick brings years of experience helping companies foster loyalty and purpose by focusing on what really matters: relationships. You'll hear about how trust is built over time, why meaningful interactions at work make life more fulfilling, and what B2B leaders can do today to create a culture of connection.In a world where people are tired of being treated like transactions, this episode offers real, actionable steps on how to lead with care, create trust, and build loyalty that lasts. Whether you're a marketer, a sales leader, or an executive trying to shape a more human-centered culture—there's something in here for you.We all can learn from Hallmark.

This week, the guys are as close as they've been in a long while! And while maybe they're close in a relationship sense, we're talking literal, physical closeness! Evan has officially moved to Indiana, and that means more moving stories and topics to discuss. For example, Facebook Marketplace has been like the Wild West, and there are some frustrating tales to tell. Evan also has some tips about getting new internet, and maybe some cautionary tales of being TOO nice to customer service workers. Josh has his own examples of that, but maybe it just means they're loyal. And as always, there are Fact of the Week, "sticking it to the man," and This Day in Hear-story tidbits mixed in!

Costco (COST) will be one of the last big box retailers to report earnings this season after its peers painted a mixed picture. Caroline Woods notes that while month-over-month sales are growing, the rate has slowed compared to prior prints. The company also faces tariff pressure but Caroline argues its loyal customer base can offset those headwinds. Joe Tigay offers an example options trade for Costco.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Today I'm joined by Fred Reichheld, Bain Fellow and NY Times Best-Selling Author, for a fascinating discussion on all things loyalty and CX.   Sponsored by https://www.b2bframeworks.com   Brought to you in partnership with https://awardsinternational.com

Hey hey, Product Bosses! We're pressing play again on one of our most impactful coaching sessions—because the strategies we uncovered here are truly timeless.Do you ever feel like you're offering so many products but aren't sure what's really sticking? You're not alone. In this coaching session, I sit down with Ashleigh, the founder of Teal Meal, a brand creating eco-friendly, non-toxic baby products like silicone sippy cups, bowls, and utensils. Ashleigh came into this session feeling overwhelmed by her wide product range and low monthly sales—and she was ready for clarity and focus.Together, we dig into why leaning into your best sellers is the fastest way to simplify your business and grow your revenue. I walk Ashleigh through how to identify her ideal customer—hint: it's the first-time mom who wants clean, safe, and beautifully designed products—and how to speak directly to her through clear, benefit-focused messaging.If you've ever felt unsure of how to convert social media traction into real sales or wondered if you're spreading yourself too thin, this episode will feel like the reset you didn't know you needed. Sometimes going back to your best sellers is exactly how you move forward.Resources:Learn more about Teal Meal here.Follow Ashleigh and Teal Meal on Instagram by clicking here.Consistent content is key to getting more people to see and buy your products. If you want to create great content but you don't know what to say, or you feel too busy, or you just don't want to be the face of your brand, no worries – because we've got you covered with a year's worth of consistent content that's sure to resonate with your audience! If you want to see how easy this can be, click here.Connect:Website: theproductboss.comInstagram: @theproductbossMentioned in this Episode:InstacartDiscover more about how Instacart can work for you!Click here to learn moreGlociUse Code JACQUELINESNYDER to get 15% OFF your order! Click here to shop now!

Struggling to turn social media followers into paying customers? In this episode of Call Her Creator, we're diving deep into what really drives sales online — and it's not just Reels and trending audio. Messaging expert Lauryn joins us to break down the essential pieces every business owner needs to master: email sequences, paid ads, and high-converting landing pages. You'll learn: The difference between attraction vs. conversion content Why email marketing still outperforms social media when it comes to ROI The must-have emails for every business (even if you're just starting out) The #1 mistake people make on landing pages that kills conversions How to create content that handles objections and builds deep trust with cold leads Whether you're a coach, content creator, or small business owner — this episode is packed with practical strategies to help you nurture leads, increase conversions, and build a business that doesn't rely on posting every single day.

Episode Description:  “You can over engineer things like a business plan. I think there's no substitute for going out and just trying things— that's the best and fastest way you can learn.” —Ashwin Cheriyan   Modern life often makes it hard to balance convenience, health, and sustainability, leaving many searching for better options.  Ashwin Cheriyan, Thistle's co-founder and CEO, is a former corporate lawyer turned passionate innovator, dedicated to bringing health and sustainability to everyone's table. Ashwin's work focuses on proving that eating delicious, wholesome, and planet-friendly meals can be both effortless and satisfying Tune in as Justine interviews Ash about how about Thistle's remarkable journey from a passion project to a mission-driven food company, exploring how they blend health, sustainability, entrepreneurial resilience, and innovative meal delivery to create positive change for individuals and the planet. Meet Ashwin:  Ashwin Cheriyan is an entrepreneur, recovering corporate lawyer, and a mediocre surfer. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Thistle, a Bay-area-based modern, tech-enabled, organic food and nutrition company. He was also the co-founder of WeGoFair, a social enterprise providing ratings for hotels and restaurants reflecting their performance on social and environmental issues. Prior to Thistle and WeGoFair, he spent 4 years in New York as an M&A associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, where he worked alongside senior management and cross-functional deal teams in collective transactions valued at over $100 billion. He received his A.B. in Economics from Brown University and his JD from The University of Texas School of Law. Outside of Thistle, he spends his energy working with, advising, and investing in startups, mountain biking throughout Marin County, suiting up in neoprene to surf the waves of Bolinas, and enjoying the abundant culinary delights the Bay Area has to offer.   Website LinkedIn Facebook Instagram X TikTok   Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube   Episode Highlights: 02:05 Building a Heath and Sustainability-Driven Biz 15:44 Challenges and Growth of Thistle  27:46 Thoughts Before Seeking Venture Financing  31:52 The Importance of Passion and Alignment 36:05 The Broader Impact of Collective Action  39:44 From Skeptical Partners to Loyal Customers    

 With host retail coach Wendy Batten   https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/   Are you ready to simplify your marketing strategy and boost your retail sales? Join me and a small group of driven retail business owners for my 6-week, hands-on program: The Sales and Marketing Accelerator! Each week, you'll receive a short video with an actionable tip followed by a live, interactive strategy group coaching session. We'll work together to create a simple, repeatable marketing plan tailored to your business. No fluff, no wasted time—just practical strategies you can implement right now. Spots are limited, and we start on April 23rd. Join us!   In This Episode:  Did you know that 76% of shoppers have made a purchase from a brand they discovered on social media? Social selling isn't just a trend—it's a game-changer for independent retailers looking to drive sales and build deeper customer connections. In this episode, we break down how you can turn your likes, comments, and follows into real revenue for your retail business. Key Takeaways: What social selling really means (hint: it's more than just posting products!) How to create engagement-driven content that leads to sales Why live shopping is the future and how to start The power of consistency—how to build an audience that shows up to buy Tools and strategies to make social selling seamless and profitable   Need more? Join me and our supportive community of retailers in my Retailer's Inner Circle! You'll get a monthly marketing and operations playbook, monthly group coaching, countless on-demand masterclasses and access to a vibrant community of retailers like you - and so much more. Check it out HERE.   Not ready to join but want to purchase the stand-alone Foot Traffic Made Simple masterclass? You can purchase it on demand HERE.   Most impactful: Join the small group 6-Week Sales and Marketing Accelerator course. We start in April! More information HERE.   Related podcasts we think you'll like:  Episode 210: What's Working for Social Media and Retail Business Growth with Brooke Riley Episode 230: Takeaways from my Mastermind Retreat: Building Connections and Strong Businesses Episode 246: 5 Minute Marketing Tips: Relationships are Rocket Fuel   About your host, Wendy Batten In case we haven't met yet, I'm Wendy, a small business coach and founder of the Retailer's Inner Circle, where I help other independent shop owners learn how to gain the right business skillsets to see more profits, paychecks, and joy as they navigate running their retail business.  Through online classes, business coaching programs, speaking, and a top-ranked podcast, I've helped hundreds of retailers around the globe reclaim their dreams and see the success they want from their beautiful shops. My signature private coaching community, The Retailer's Inner Circle, has helped retailers around the world build their retail business skill sets and confidence.  I am proud to have been featured in several major publications, including my own business column in What Women Create magazine. I have been privileged to be a guest on top-ranked podcasts and sought-after as a guest speaker and teacher for several brands, associations, and communities that are passionate about the success of independent retailers. When I'm not coaching, you will find me either DIYing and renovating my very imperfect old crooked cottage by the sea in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg, NS, or blogging about our travel and RVing adventures and the weird fun things we get up to in our coastal village. I'd love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for real retailers at https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/    For more support from Wendy   Retailer's Inner Circle - Join Wendy inside the best retailer's community Free resources for shop owners   Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG    All of Wendy's programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.  Subscribe & Review on iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you're not, I'd love you to consider it. Subscribing means you won't miss an episode! Click here to subscribe to iTunes! If you want to be more of a rockstar, I'd love it if you could leave a review over on iTunes as well.  Those reviews help other retailers find my podcast and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful to you! Thank you!

Top B2B sales producer Andrew Barbudo shares his secret sauce for sales success. Join Mark as he chats with Andrew about his fascinating journey from journalism to becoming a sales powerhouse. Discover how he leverages his journalism skills to adapt and thrive in the competitive sales landscape, emphasizing the power of listening to clients and adapting to market shifts. We also tackle the inevitable challenges salespeople face, like maintaining persistence during those slow periods, and how focusing on customer feedback can lead to long-term success. We'll also break down the essentials of differentiating between warm leads and cold prospects and unveil the critical role of CRM systems in nurturing these valuable relationships. 

In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence Podcast, Donna Peterson, CEO of World Innovators, highlights why in-person meetings remain invaluable in today's fast-paced, digital-first world. Donna shares how face-to-face interactions help industrial brands build trust, foster meaningful relationships, and stand out from the competition.She also provides practical, step-by-step guidance for creating email sequences that not only lead to impactful in-person meetings but also position your brand as a trusted partner. From personalized thank-you emails to value-driven follow-ups, Donna explains how these strategies can nurture long-term client relationships and accelerate business growth.Whether you're looking to improve your email marketing, build stronger client relationships, or learn how to integrate traditional and digital marketing methods, this episode is packed with actionable tips that align with World Innovators' commitment to helping industrial brands succeed.Tune in to learn how to use email marketing and follow-up strategies to build stronger connections and achieve your business goals faster!Episode Breakdown:00:00: Introduction to B2B Marketing Excellence and World Innovators' philosophy.01:02: Why in-person meetings matter for building trust and relationships.06:01: How to craft effective, personalized email sequences that lead to meaningful connections.09:44: Tips for building rapport and showcasing value during in-person meetings.11:37: Post-meeting strategies: Thank-you emails and value-driven follow-ups to keep the conversation going.14:51: Conclusion and actionable next steps.Don't miss this episode! If you want to create deeper client relationships and build a marketing strategy that combines tradition and innovation, this is a must-listen.Please Like this episode and share this with your connections to promote quality marketing.If you would like help with your in person meeting strategy contact me directly, dpeterson@worldinnovators.com.

Unlock the secrets of recurring sales success with our special guest, Guitze Messina, executive director at Hardy the Avocer Trade Association. Discover how businesses can thrive by transforming one-time buyers into loyal customers through a deep understanding of customer needs and behaviors. Guitze shares pivotal insights on the dynamics of recurring sales compared to long-cycle sales like real estate and life insurance, emphasizing the art of maintaining relationships without the pressure to purchase. Explore proactive sales strategies that keep your business ahead, taking cues from Guitze's transformative journey from skepticism to advocacy in the sales domain.If you've ever wondered how some businesses keep clients coming back without slashing prices, you'll find valuable techniques in this episode. We delve into the essence of effective sales techniques, focusing on listening and understanding customer needs to craft tailored solutions. Avoid the common pitfall of competing solely on price, and learn from real-world examples, like the restaurant owner who paid dearly for a cheaper ventilation system. Gidzi guides us through the importance of asking the right questions, making client feedback a cornerstone for strengthening business relationships and growing sales.Close the episode with actionable insights for both budding and seasoned sales professionals, as we explore strategic marketing solutions tailored for self-published authors and businesses alike. From conducting a Pareto analysis to identify key clients, to the power of storytelling in sales literature, we offer strategies that can reshape your marketing efforts. Embrace the transformative power of implementing ideas from nonfiction books with Messina's proven techniques, designed to unlock potential and leave a lasting impact on your personal and professional legacy.Join the What if it Did Work movement on FacebookGet the Book!www.omarmedrano.comwww.calendly.com/omarmedrano/15min

Dr. C. Shanté Cofield, known as the Movement Maestro, is Lauren's guest on this episode of the REAL Personal Branding Podcast. Shanté's journey from physical therapist to sought-after entrepreneur is a masterclass in personal branding. She's the force behind a top-rated podcast and a social media-based company that's changing the game for health and fitness professionals. In this no-nonsense discussion, Shanté shares practical insights on creating content that truly connects with your target audience, navigating the ever-changing social media algorithms, and developing a sustainable content strategy that fits your life and business. If you're ready to take your business's messaging to the next level, this is the conversation you need to hear. Connect with Lauren V. Davis here: https://linktr.ee/ldaviscreative Connect with Dr. Shanté Cofield here: Website Instagram Podcast  

“People are going to talk about you whether you're in the room or not. Why not take a proactive approach and help augment that narrative?” says Gianna Scorsone, COO and co-founder at Champion HQIn this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, Gianna Scorsone, Co-Founder & COO at Champion HQ, talks about the importance of focusing on customer retention, cross-functional alignment, and leveraging AI to identify your brand advocates. She also talks about her experience scaling businesses from $5M to $100M, the value of customer-led growth, and why SaaS organizations often overcomplicate their approach to growth.In this episode, you'll learn:Why customer marketing is the voice of the customerHow AI-powered tools can identify champions and drive advocacyThe key to aligning teams for sustainable growthResources:Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/Check out The Juice HQ: https://www.thejuicehq.com/Connect with Gianna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giannascorsone/Learn more about Champion HQ: https://www.championhq.com/Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:05) Gianna's journey from sales leader to co-founder(05:30) Why customer retention is key to growth(08:06) From start up to scale up(09:53) Creating marketing strategies based on your customer base(12:04) Identifying your ‘champion' users(13:29) Leveraging AI to identify and nurture customer champions(16:45) The best customer marketing campaign(20:10) Breaking free from the hamster wheel of traditional growth strategies

Tune in for another exciting episode of Driven Loyalty, sponsored by Podium —your partner in enhancing customer communication and driving business growth.

In this episode, first-generation farmer Vannah Roddy talks about how she keeps her customers coming back.  Get time and labor-saving farm tools and microgreen seeds at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Carrot Cashflow Podcast In Search of Soil Check out Diego's book Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

What's the secret to building a brand that customers and employees adore while capturing the attention of industry insiders? In this episode, Tori Johnston, Brand President of goGLOW, shares her insights on the fast-growing beauty and skincare franchise that's “outsmarting the sun.” From defining unique value propositions to spotting industry trends, Tori reveals how goGLOW innovates with eco-friendly solutions and a holistic approach to skincare. You'll also hear how goGLOW's visionary founder, Melanie Richards, built a best-in-class customer experience by saying “no” to shortcuts and prioritizing quality at every turn. Whether you're a franchisor, franchisee, or entrepreneur, this episode is packed with lessons on brand loyalty, market innovation, and leadership. Get inspired by goGLOW's journey and uncover how to make your brand glow!   “At goGLOW, we like to say that we've outsmarted the sun. I think that unique value proposition is easy to understand." ~ Tori Johnston   In This Episode: - Unique Value Proposition vs. Unique Selling Proposition: What's the difference? - Why Tori joined GoGLOW and the booming sunless tanning industry - Key beauty and wellness trends fueling goGLOW's growth - What makes goGLOW a fit for Tori's background and career aspirations? - Why goGLOW earns consistent five-star customer and employee reviews - Melanie Richards' innovative approach to building goGLOW's brand   Resources: 

“What are the things that I do daily to build and maintain relationships with people I deeply care about. And then I just do that to the people that are the next sphere out from me.”   This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode. This Mini Chief episode features Mike Smith, Founder and CEO of Zero Co. His full episode is titled How to build a tribe of loyal customers, creating a better world through business, and personal growth. You can find the full audio and show notes here:

In this episode of Powered By Her, Tiffany sits down with Cigi England, the founder and owner of Cigi's Boutique, to celebrate an incredible milestone—10 years in business! Cigi shares the story of how the last 10 years have flown by, what it takes to run a successful boutique, and how she's built a loyal customer base over the years. She also hits on what it takes to keep your thriving business AND add in employees. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or just love hearing about strong women in business, tune in to learn how Cigi keeps her customers coming back and what's next for her journey.   Thanks to our partners:  Plenty Downtown Bookshop Miss Sallie's Market The Biz Foundry

“We built this school. And then over the next 12 months, we ended up building two more schools in other, other villages around. And it completely changed my perspective on what meaningful work is.”   In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to Mike Smith, Founder and CEO of Zero Co, on how to build a tribe of loyal customers, creating a better world through business, and personal growth.

Natalie Doyle Oldfield joins us this week to explore the crucial role of trust in the workplace, focusing on both team dynamics and customer relationships. She emphasizes that the most trusted companies in their industry have increased revenue and brand loyalty. Natalie also outlines some of the key principles of trust and offers advice on how to build and maintain trust.

Today on the show we have Evgenia Mkrtychian, the Director of Customer Success and Corporate Communication Strategy at LoyaltyPlant, a full-scale customer engagement platform.In this episode, Evgenia shares her decade-long journey in B2B SaaS, emphasizing practical strategies for customer engagement and retention and discussing LoyaltyPlant's 30% revenue growth, process improvements, and the introduction of gamification elements.We then discussed the release of her new book, "Customer Success Playbook: Your Practical Guide to Winning Customer Loyalty in B2B SaaS” and we wrapped up by discussing  simplicity, decision-making, and critical thinking in customer success.Mentioned ResourcesLoyaltyPlantCustomer Success Playbook: Your Practical Guide to Winning Customer Loyalty in B2B SaaS Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

Clients don't just want great service. They value and prioritize experiences that stand out, that feel personalized, and that make them superfans of a brand or business.  So how can you create unforgettable experiences that your clients will rave about to their friends? Today, Megan and Gina share some memorable experiences from the consumer side, and they share their tips on how it all relates to wedding pros.----Links Mentioned:Time-Saving Client Questionnaire Bundle: https://www.theplannersvault.com/shop/p/time-saving-questionnaire-bundleThe Planner's Vault Client Experience Bundle: https://www.theplannersvault.com/shop/p/client-experience-bundleWhat to Gift Your Couples and Vendors: https://www.theplannersvault.com/blog/what-should-a-wedding-planner-gift-to-couplesThe Planner's Vault Discovery Call Guide:  https://www.theplannersvault.com/shop/p/effortless-consultations-a-6-step-framework-for-booking-dream-clientsa'Verde Cocina + Tequila Library: https://www.averdecary.com/Midtown Pediatric Dentistry: https://www.midtownkidsdentist.com/Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect: https://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573/Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention: https://www.amazon.com/Giftology-Increase-Referrals-Strengthen-Retention/dp/1619614332-----(00:02:23) Elevating Client Experiences for Loyal Customers(00:05:21) First Impressions at the New Vet(00:13:55) Why Megan's daughter cried when she COULDN'T go to the Dentist!(00:23:45)  Flaming Churros, Boomboxes, Orange Juice Spray, and SHOTS!(00:27:58) Personalized Wedding Thank-You - One Easy but Special Gift---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence. --FREE Lead Magnet Workshop happening on Tuesday, October 22 @ 12:30 PM ET/9:30 AM PST - Replay Available: https://learn.theplannersvault.com/leadmagnet

Marybeth Alexander has been the Knowledge Goddess and Chief Executive Owl at KnowledgeOwl since she co-founded the company with Pete in 2015. As KnowledgeOwl's CEO, she's responsible for embodying KnowledgeOwl's mission and values, which include using business as a force for good, cultivating a people-first company, giving excellent service to everyone, and creating awesome knowledge based software.   Questions  · We always like to give our guests an opportunity to share in their own words, a little bit about their journey. So, if you could share with our listeners just a little bit about how you got from where you were to where you are today. · Could you share with our audience what exactly is KnowledgeOwl, and what do you do on a daily basis? · What are some of the successes that you've experienced as a CEO of an organization of this nature, and if you were to predict where you see customers experience going in another 3 to 5 years, based on where the technology is currently, what are some of your predictions where that's concerned? · Now, Marybeth, can you share with our listeners, what's the one online resource, tool, website or application that you absolutely can't live without in your business? · Can you also share with our listeners, maybe one or two books that you've read, it could be a book that you read a very long time ago, or even one that you've read recently that had a great impact on you, and it could be an impact that affected you personally or professionally. · Now, can you also share with us what's the one thing that's going on in your life right now that you're really excited about, either something you're working on to develop yourself or your people. · Where can listeners find you online? · Now, before we wrap our episodes up, we always like to give our guests an opportunity to share with us a quote. So, do you have a quote that during times of adversity or challenge, you'll tend to revert to this quote if for any reason you get derailed or you get off track, the quote kind of helps to get you back on track. Do you have one of those?   Highlights Marybeth's Journey Me: Now, we always like to give our guests an opportunity to share in their own words, a little bit about their journey. So, if you could share with our listeners just a little bit about how you got from where you were to where you are today.   Marybeth shared that she'll try to do the short version of this. So, she just loves helping people. All of her jobs are her favorite, her favorite jobs have always revolved around people. She loved being a camp counselor, she was a teacher. She also really loved working in hospitality. She loved working at restaurants and bartending and serving folks. And then she transitioned into software support, and she loved helping people there too.  So, she got into software. She was a teacher for a while, and then she transitioned into software, which was actually a pretty good transition, because a lot of the same skills that make you a good teacher for kids also makes you good at doing software support for adults.  So, she grew her leadership in that realm, and she went from being on the support team to being a team lead, to a manager, to a director, and then she got this little opportunity to head up a product, which was a knowledge based product, it was called Help Gizmo at the time.  And she took that opportunity. I was basically like the product owner or manager of that product, and they brought it to market, and then that company didn't want to continue that project, so they ended up giving them the opportunity to buy it, and that is how she accidentally ended up as the CEO of a software company.  She likes to call herself an accidental entrepreneur, because she didn't start out that way, but as luck would have it, she got the opportunity, and now it's been almost 10 years.   What is KnowledgeOwl? Me: Now, Marybeth, could you share with our audience what exactly is KnowledgeOwl, and what do you do on a daily basis?   Marybeth shared that KnowledgeOwl, they call it knowledge based software, but it was essentially, what knowledge based software is, is a specific type of software that allows you to create a website to share information with whoever your audience is, that is often times your customers.  So, a lot of people use them for their help center and documentation for their software products, but they also sometimes use it for their products for their customers, they have airlines who use them for their help and FAQs, for their customers on their website.  They have customer service teams that use them as a knowledge base for their call center agents. They have lots of companies that use them as their internal knowledge base for all of their playbooks and policies and procedures. So, pretty much what they do every day is help people with these knowledge based websites that help them help their customers, whoever they might be.   Me: I think knowledge base is an extremely good thing for customers, because I do find if a customer has an issue, they tend to do their own troubleshooting first before they actually pick up the phone and call a company or even reach out to a representative at a company. So, if you have a strong knowledge base, you're actually empowering the customer to fix the problem themselves.    Marybeth agreed totally yes, most people do not want to contact your support team, there are a small percentages of people that do, but most people want to be able to self-serve. And when we're talking about giving your customers a great experience and giving them great customer service, a big part of that is allowing them to get help the way they want to get help, and most people would prefer to do it themselves.    Me: So, walk me through, let's choose an industry, let's say, for example, an automotive industry. You sell motor vehicles, for example, and you are trying to create a knowledge base for your team members, so this would be internal with let's say product knowledge, or just general information that customers may call and ask about frequently. Is it that they have to document the information and then give it to you, and you feed it into the knowledge based software, or is that something that you provide for them as well, the research and the documentation that is fed into the knowledge based software?   Marybeth shared that they basically provide the software tool for them. So, their customers like, let's say this automotive, this car service company or automotive company, they would purchase KnowledgeOwl and then somebody on their team would be the one that would put all the content in. So, often times this could be a manager of a team, sometimes you have somebody whose job it is to do like documentation or training, but often times it is like the support team itself, like the people doing the work, they will go in there and document the answers to questions, because on many support teams, you know what team leads end up doing, or like the advanced folks on the team that have been there for a while, is they end up being the go to person and having to answer the same questions over and over again for the other teammates.  So, rather than just answering those same questions over and over again, those people will go to the knowledge based software create a document that says, here's information about this automotive vehicle, here's information like a frequent process that we use. And here's how to do this for the customer, and they'll write it down, so that way their teammates can then reference that or look for it in the knowledge base and get the answer without having to ask them.  So, it speeds up the process and the not just internally, but also it helps the customers get answers faster, because the teammates can find the information they need to help the customers faster.    Me: And your knowledge based software facilitates different formats, so, for example, it could be an audio file, it could be a video file, it could be just a document that the customer is reading.   Marybeth stated exactly. So, it's basically a website. She likes to tell people, pretty much anything you can put in a website, you can put it inside KnowledgeOwl.  So, a lot of times it's going to be text. So, a lot of times it's processes, it's procedures, it's information. But in terms of training in like a video format, you could have audio files in there. You could even like host files. So, if you need to have, like a PDF document or a forum that you need to print and give to a customer, you can store those in the knowledge base as well to make it easy for people to find, print, download it and use that information.  So, essentially, a knowledge base can become sort of the single source of truth for your team. So, rather than having to remember where this forum lives, or where that procedure lives, or where the information about like that car lives, it's all in the same place, so that people can search one place and go to one place to find all of the information they need to do their jobs.   Me: And if the organization already has their own website, Mary Beth, is it that knowledge base has some form of feature that integrates into what they have already, so you live on their server that exists? Or do they have to host their website now through your website?   Marybeth shared that it's not their whole website. So, a knowledge base is typically a separate website. So, you might have your website, which is like www.likemyamazingcompany.com and then you might have your knowledge base for your customers, and that might be on help.myamazingcompany.com or support.myamazingcompany.com so it's actually a separate website that people can go to that is either public or it could be behind a login, because sometimes you only want your logged in customers to access it, or especially if it's an internal knowledge base, you probably only want your employees accessing all of your internal company information.  So, it's often times a separate website. But there are ways you can integrate the knowledge base into your main website if you want to. They have an embeddable help widget, some people go a little bit more advanced with that, but generally it's a separate, standalone website that complements the information on your regular website.   Predictions for Customer Experience in the Next 3 to 5 Years Me: Now, since you've been in this operation for about 10 years you mentioned earlier, what are some of the successes that you've experienced as a CEO of an organization of this nature, and if you were to predict where you see customers experience going in another 3 to 5 years, based on where the technology is currently, what are some of your predictions where that's concerned?   Marybeth shared that in terms of successes, her successes are all going to be people based because I think, like you, she was looking at Yanique's website, it's for her, it's all about the people, and giving people a great experience and making sure that not only, like their customers are having a great experience and love working with them and love using their software, but also that the people that work with them, like their staff members are having a great experience working for KnowledgeOwl too and their vendors who are having a great experience working with them as a company.  So, for her, like the biggest success has been building a community of not just customers, but staff members and team members and other vendors and organizations, a really supportive community that cares about each other. But in terms of looking forward in the industry, it's a very interesting time; especially with the word that is on everybody's mind right now is AI. So, everyone is talking about chatbots, right? So, everybody wants to talk about how they can make a ChatGPT for their company and their customers, and they can automate more of your customer service and their customer experience. But for them and who knows what it's going to look like in 3 to 5 years, because the landscape is changing so fast. But what she does strongly feel like is having your company knowledge documented, like having your product, your services, everything in a knowledge base is now more important than ever, because especially with AI, the only way that AI learns is by getting trained.  And one of the best ways to train your AI is to have all of your policies, your procedures, your documentation about your company, your product and your services and your processes written down so that the AI can learn.  So, she thinks what we're going to see over the next 3 to 5 years is even more formal focus on creating and maintaining great documentation, which for many companies, that's always been really important.   So, like most business books you're going to read at the end of the day, the magic secret to like growing your business is to document everything right and to document all your policies and procedures and processes so that you can scale your company, and other people can do what you do.  And that's always sort of been the not very sexy, but honest truth about what great companies look like as they have their policies and procedures and everything well documented. But she thinks what we're going to start to see is that not only are people going to be creating like great documentation for customers and creating great documentation for their teams internally, but they're going to be creating documentation for AI tools as well.   Me: I think that's a very good point that you just brought across the fact that the knowledge base can train the AI, because a lot of times I find that even with chatbots that are attached to organizations, you may start the conversation to resolve an issue, but the bot can answer maybe just the very basic question. And so, a lot of times when I talk to people, they mention that they don't even entertain the bot because they know that they're not going to get the answer they're looking for so they automatically tell the bot they'd like to speak with a live representative, or an agent for the conversation to end with the bot and actually be talking to a live human being in the chat. But maybe that could mitigate the intervention of live agents or representatives if it is that the bot is, as you mentioned, trained fully by the policies that have been documented and simple questions that maybe is embedded in your website, or maybe the customer is not able to quickly identify, the bot can say, “Okay, this is the policy or this is the rate for this,” or whatever the information is as it relates to the organization, again, minimizing the customer having to reach out to someone and speak to them in person or live.   Marybeth agreed and shared that she thinks what's going to be the sort of people of this is we're going to get to a point, probably here in the next 3 to 5 to 10 years, where you might have trouble telling whether you're talking to a real human or a bot. So, think about like the chats on website. So, a lot of bots, you can tell they're a bot because they tell you that they're a bot and it's very simplistic, but the more conversational bots, like, if you've had a chat with ChatGPT, like it's conversational, it can go back and forth with you, you can have an ongoing conversation that builds upon what you were previously talking about.  So, she thinks there is going to be a lot, and it's already starting. There are a lot of AI customer enablement tools, customer service enablement tools that they've been testing, and they've seen other companies using that learn from your knowledge base and your past emails and conversations, what your tone is, how you usually respond, what the correct answer is most likely to be. And there are these tools out there that right now, if they're confident, they can actually reply as an agent would, versus having the agent actually do it. And there's a lot of companies that are very nervous about that with good measure, because we don't want people giving out bad information.  But the agents are suddenly becoming, they're just double checking before the bot sends their answer, but the bots actually writing everything and creating the response and then having that engagement. So, she thinks we might get to a point where sometimes it might be hard to tell whether it's a real person or not.   App, Website or Tool that Marybeth Absolutely Can't Live Without in Her Business When asked about an online resource that she can't live without in her business, Marybeth mentioned if it's cheating to say KnowledgeOwl?  KnowledgeOwl is interesting because that is where they document not just everything about their products. They have their customer facing knowledge base, which they use to understand how their product works and their customers do as well. But they have all of their internal company documentation in KnowledgeOwl as well. But as a team, they're a remote team, so they're 100% remote, they're distribute everywhere.  So, their team relies a lot on Slack to connect with each other and have like an online space where they all can all exist and not just talk about work but talk about life and interact with everybody. And it's that necessarily that Slack is that important, because if Slack wasn't there, they'd probably be using Microsoft Teams or some other tool to do that collaboration. But having collaborative, like a space for your team to collaborate together and help each other out and just sort of be together and care for each other as humans is really important, especially we move into an age where there's like less in person interactions and support teams and customer services teams are often going to be distributed. She thinks having that space is really important.   Books that Have Had the Biggest Impact on Marybeth When asked about books that have had a great impact, Marybeth shared that she's actually going to give you three. So, yes, she's got three for you. So, number one, it was Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service, and she probably first read this about 15 years ago, someone gave it to her, and she said, “What does this have to do? I'm running a software company support team. This is a food service book.” And she read it, and it was the first time that she actually saw someone be able to define the steps to actually giving great service and the steps to actually handle a complaint. And it might have seemed really simple at first, but she has been using the same framework for about 15 years now, and it really works. So, it was the first time she was able to take something that was very conceptional, like great service, and actually give someone a process to follow. So that's number one, is Zingerman's Guide to Great Service.   A compliment to that is Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, it's a series of books. There's one on building a great business, there's one on being a better leader, there's one on managing ourselves, and another one's about the power of beliefs in business. And these books and series of books have really influenced her whole philosophy about the type of company she wants to build, about the types of teams she wants to build and how she wants to treat people. So, those have been really important to me.  And then her third one, which is more for the business owners or the team leaders on here, but it is Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell, it came out last year or the year before, but it has been life changing for her, and sort of organizing her life and figuring out how to grow herself as a leader.    What Marybeth is Really Excited About Now! When asked about something that she's excited about, Marybeth shared that she thought about this one a little bit, and this might sound a little bit wild, so she's like a customer service person at heart. Like, support is her jam, she loves customer service, but what she's really excited about right now is sales and marketing. The reason she's very excited about sales and marketing is because she's done a complete 180. When she first started KnowledgeOwl, she thought sales and marketing were bad words, she thought they were icky. They did not have anybody doing sales and marketing, a dedicated team, and they grew their company to this point without really focusing on sales and marketing, because they thought it was something sort of gross, like, she's a support person, she likes helping people, and she sort of see sales and marketing, or she used think about sales and marketing as sort of this other thing that businesses had to do, but it was sort of gross.   And what she's realized recently is that sales and marketing can be done good, or it can be done poorly like many things, it's just a tool, and if we think about it through the lens of customer experience and customer service, and how do we add more value for our customers, and how do we give them a better experience in the world?   And how do we do more good, then sales and marketing become a really interesting skill to learn and problem to figure out, because she thinks they can do it in a way that is true to their values. And it's very people centered and is very helpful and is very centered in service. And it's a totally new area for her. So, she's getting to learn, she's getting to apply all of her learnings and feelings about customer service and experiences to the realms of sales and marketing, and she's really excited to figure it all out with her team.   Where can listeners find Marybeth online? LinkedIn - Marybeth Alexander LinkedIn – KnowledgeOwl Website – www.knowledgeowl.com Email – marybeth@knowledgeowl.com   Quote or Saying that During Times of Adversity Marybeth Uses When asked about a quote that she tends to revert to, Marybeth shared that she has many of those. She loves a good mantra. And she thinks her favorite one that she keeps returning to, and she writes it down a lot is….Enjoy yourself. And to her, it's a quote from a song that she really likes. But in times of adversity, when things seem to her not going well, when she feels like she's unmoored or a little bit lost, remembering that life is short and that it's shorter than we think, and to remember to enjoy ourselves, and it brings her back to her why. It brings her back to her purpose, and it really helps her to refocus things. So, it brings her back to that positive frame of mind. So, enjoy yourself.   Me: So, Marybeth, just want to extend our gratitude to you for taking time out of your very busy schedule and jumping on our podcast with us today. Conversation was amazing, just learning about Knowledge Owl, and just learning about the impact of a knowledge base and the future of customer experience as it relates to integrating the knowledge base into our different platforms and allowing the customer to be able to self-serve and resolve their issues that much quicker and get information at the tip of their fingers. So, I think it was really insightful, I hope that my listeners gained as much insight from it as I did. I thought it was wonderful, and I just want to thank you so much for sharing with us today.   Please connect with us on X @navigatingcx and also join our Private Facebook Community – Navigating the Customer Experience and listen to our FB Lives weekly with a new guest   Links •    Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service by Ari Weinzweig •    Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lasped Anarchist's Approach to Building a Business by Ari Weinzweig •    Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstruck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire by Dan Martell   The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience Grab the Freebie on Our Website – TOP 10 Online Business Resources for Small Business Owners  Do you want to pivot your online customer experience and build loyalty - get a copy of “The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience.” The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience provides 26 easy to follow steps and techniques that helps your business to achieve success and build brand loyalty. This Guide to Limitless, Happy and Loyal Customers will help you to strengthen your service delivery, enhance your knowledge and appreciation of the customer experience and provide tips and practical strategies that you can start implementing immediately! This book will develop your customer service skills and sharpen your attention to detail when serving others. Master your customer experience and develop those knock your socks off techniques that will lead to lifetime customers. Your customers will only want to work with your business and it will be your brand differentiator. It will lead to recruiters to seek you out by providing practical examples on how to deliver a winning customer service experience!

Michael Barbarita has owned retail, manufacturing and service companies over the last 40 years.  He is the Author of the Book "Powerful Business Strategies" and Host of an Iheart Radio show of the same name. What problem do we solve? Michael solves the problem of lead generation and conversion for small business owners. He provides practical advice and strategies to help businesses attract more high-quality leads and effectively convert them into paying customers. Small Business Answer Man Show Notes: Being an entrepreneur can be demanding because there is never enough time to do everything. Despite obstacles, it is possible to achieve balance and success in business. Michael Barbarita talks about how to generate great leads and turn them into paying clients.   Steps of the Conversion Formula: Captivate: Create a headline identifying the customer's problem. Fascinate: Engage with the solution they can't find elsewhere. Educate: Detail how the problem is solved. Offer: Make a compelling offer using: Scarcity and Urgency Risk Reversal Adding Value Packaging and Bundling Indifference to Outcome The conversion formula is essential for business differentiation. "I Hope So Marketing," which makes general statements that don't set the company apart, is a common marketing problem. Emotional factors are the first and rational factors are the second targets of effective marketing. Position of Market Dominance is attained by drawing customers in and holding their interest. It is possible to avoid being merely another price-based decision by using the conversion formula. Differentiation requires a dominant market position. Dominance in the market demands work and an organized 13-week program. begins with comprehending the customer's avatar to determine their issues. A compelling customer avatar makes a company stand out and support higher prices. Putting the 80/20 rule into practice and concentrating on high-impact tasks is essential for both revenue development and time freedom. Owners of businesses should concentrate on developing original tactics rather than copying rivals. In addition to offering free downloads of the book, Next Step CFO does interviews for it. To dominate the market, Michael Barbarita stresses the significance of differentiating your firm. Seven-Step Pathway to Profit Formula: Quality Leads: Generate high-quality leads. Conversions: Focus on conversion rates within the sales process. Closing Rates: Increase the percentage of leads converting to customers. Client Retention: Retain and add value to existing clients. Average Dollar Per Sale: Enhance the average revenue per sale through additional products or services. Frequency of Sale: Increase the frequency of sales to existing customers. Cost Management: Manage both fixed and variable costs efficiently. Michael Barbarita's Advice for Leaders: Steer clear of ambiguous statements like "best service" or "highest quality," as they don't provide any value to your company. Instead, to differentiate yourself from the competition, use a targeted and distinctive marketing strategy. Employ the techniques of enthrallment and amazement to establish a solid position of market supremacy. This lets you stand out from the competition by addressing certain consumer issues and offering customized solutions. Create a thorough customer avatar to pinpoint their particular issues. Instead of trying to outwit rivals, concentrate on what makes you unique. Focus on the 20 percent of your endeavors that provide 80 percent of your outcomes. Customize your solutions to meet the needs of each consumer so that you can provide greater value. A distinctive value proposition will allow you to charge more for your goods or services. Make a name for yourself in your industry by standing out from the competition. Connect with Michael Barbarita: Website LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Clarity Navigator Discovery Session – Sign Up HERE Learn more about Gary's Mastermind group at goascend.biz/the-mastermind-solution

Bob Carrothers has 29 years of experience, he facilitates peer-to-peer boards of CEOs and executives, creating environments conducive to skill enhancement, informed decision-making and superior results. Bob is certified as an Emergenetics advisor and Predictive Index practitioner, equipping him with a profound understanding of human behaviour and cognition.    Questions · So, we always like to ask our guests, in your own words, could you share a little bit about your journey? How you got from where you were to where you are today? · What would you say maybe if you could pick three overarching tenets or competencies that you believe CEOs need to practice or embrace in order to really achieve the three areas that just mentioned. · What are some of the key things that make an organization successful? · Now, Bob, can you also share with our audience, what's the one online resource, tool, website or application that you absolutely cannot live without in your business? · Now, can you also share with our listeners maybe one or two books that you have read, it could be a book that you read a very long time ago, or even one that you've read recently, but it had a great impact on you, whether it be personally or professionally. · Bob, can you share with our audience what's the one thing that's going on in your life right now that you are really excited about, either something you're working on to develop yourself or your people. · Where can listeners find you online? · Now, before we wrap our episodes up, Bob, we always like to ask our guests, do you have a quote or saying that during times of adversity or challenge, you'll tend to revert to this quote if for any reason you get derailed or you get off track, the quote kind of helps to get you back on track. Do you have one of those?   Highlights Bob's Journey Me: So, we always like to ask our guests, in your own words, could you share a little bit about your journey? How you got from where you were to where you are today?   Bob shared that it's been a very interesting journey. He started out as an entrepreneur; he had companies involved in the meat trading business. So, they bought and sold animal parts, lungs, livers, kidneys, everything that was most people would consider waste from an animal, and then they would resell them to people we knew wanted them, mostly to pet food companies, that's where the tonnage went. And then others to went to Mexico. Others went into sausage making, Chorizo making on the West Coast. They just find a buyer and go do it. And they'd go into a packing house and buy their entire production of lungs or livers or whatever, and then resell it into the pet food canning business. So, it's been an interesting ride.  In 1996 he got out of that business. He sold it to his management team, and they took it over, and they're still running it. And then after that, he started another company that failed miserably. He lost a ton of money. He was crushed, and it was hard and then he looked around, and he'd been a Vistage member, and he loved it. And he knew that with all the ups and downs he's had in his life, he could help people from making mistakes and doing what he did and living that life. So, he reached out to his past business chair, and he hired him, and that was in 1996, so he's been doing this ever since, September of 1996, so it's been quite a ride.   Overarching Tenets or Competencies CEO's Need to Embrace to Unlock Their Potential, Enhance Performance and Achieve Their Goals Me: Now, you focus on empowering CEOs to unlock their full potential, enhance their performance and achieve their goals. Based on your many years of experience, Bob in this space, working, I'm sure with CEOs and entrepreneurs across different industries, what would you say maybe if you could pick three overarching tenets or competencies that you believe CEOs need to practice or embrace in order to really achieve the three areas that I just mentioned.   Bob shared that he thinks they need to establish a great culture in their company and mind it. Nurture it and protect it, because culture trumps everything, nothing else matters. Your people won't be happy, you won't keep people, you will make your customers angry, your suppliers angry, and you'll do a really bad job because your employees won't care. And so, that's the first thing he would say, is build a strong culture.  The second thing is to hire correctly, be slow to hire and fast to make them available to industry. So, that's really important. If the employee can't do the job they were hired to do, they need to move on and then hire the right people. Put a lot of effort in your hiring process. And the other one would be, watch the money. You've got to keep track of your cash flow, you got to predict what the cash is going to be down the road. Bigger companies have CFOs to do that, and then they'll report to the CEO. Smaller ones, often the CEO will do it themselves. But you have to do it, because if you run out of cash, you're out of business. It's just really simple, if you can't make payroll, then you're gone.   Key Things for an Organization Success Me: So, Bob, in working with these different organizations, right? We're trying to establish what are some of the key things that make an organization successful? And so, the customer experience is critical in all businesses regardless of whether or not you have a face-to-face type of interaction or you're just digital and people are communicating with you solely through the internet. But leadership is very important for a business, whether you're a solopreneur or you're a fortune 500 company, regardless of the size, it's driven by the leader in the organization. As it relates to customer experience, if you were to maybe give us an example of a use case, a good use case, example that you've observed over the years in working with these CEOs, what do you think are some of the key things that make them be able to have a successful customer experience, one in which their customers are their brand advocates, their evangelists, their word of mouth advertisers. If that company decided not to advertise for the next two, three years, they would still be doing great business because their customers view them as fans. What would you say are key things in that?   Bob shared that there's one company that comes to mind, and that CEO was brilliant, and the culture in the company was extremely strong. He would walk around his plant every day, and he knew everybody's name and met family members, and he'd walk up to him and just say, “Hey, Charlie, how you doing? How's the family? How's your wife? I heard your son Robbie is sick.” He would do that, and the employees felt that they were cared for.  He never stopped setting goals, he never stopped doing things that would make the work fun. He was trying to reduce shrinkage one day, and it kept bugging him, it was going on for months, and he decided he'd just do a little contest, and he went out and bought an old junker car and a whole bunch of sledgehammers, and every day the group, the employees reduced the amount of shrinkage, they could go out and beat up on the car. And it was just amazing how much fun they were having and how just beating a car, they hit their goal for sure, and it cost the CEO, like, what $500 to do that.  He had other contests like dunk the CFO, where he had one of those dunking tubs. Certain goals were reached, that was out in the parking lot. He saw him with his customers. One of their Vistage speakers impacted him so much that he invited his customers from around the country to come to his plant, see the plant, and hear this speaker present, and because it made such an impact on him, he wanted his customers to be better too, so he thought this speaker could really help him.  What else did he do? Whenever he'd walk up to somebody and they promised to do something for him, he recorded it on his phone, so he'd pull it out and before he saw them, pull up their name and say, “Hey, how are you coming on that project we talked about?” And the accountability went through the roof. Just little things like that, simple things. But he had one goal, that if the company reached so much in revenue sales, he knew that if it did, they'd make extra money, if it was over and above the regular goal, it was big….hairy….audacious goal, and he said, “If you guys hit this, I will take the entire company to Las Vegas.” Because he knew if they increased the revenue that much, the profits would go up enough to pay for the trip and then some. And he was legendary with his employees. Just things like that that are special.   Me: I think one of the things I took away from what you said just now that it's not the big things, it's like always the little things, the minor details, and they go very far away with another human being, because it shows them that you value them, you appreciate them, and they're just not there to milk, to get more money, money, money. But you value them as a person, and you recognize the fact that your success is just as important as their success.   Bob agreed, that's exactly right. That's what it takes to build a great company, is the culture you create. You want people waiting in line to go to work for you.   Me: I know right, that's awesome.   App, Website or Tool that Bob Absolutely Can't Live Without in His Business When asked about an online resource that he cannot live without, Bob shared that he hates it, but he can't live without it, it's called email. Buries him, but it's the communication is so fast, and we can send documents back and forth, and he doesn't think anybody could live without email now. We all curse it, but it's there.    Me: Agreed, because in the absence of email, we have to go back to posting a letter to your customer or to your friend or family member, and we all know the Postal Service takes forever for you to get that response. So, yeah, email is amazing.   Bob shared that he remembers those days and they'd send off a contract and wait and wait and wait to get it back, just because of the mail, or an invoice. It just was crazy. And then came fax machines, and they were huge. He bought one once and his accountant, and said, “Why do you want that thing? Nobody else has them.” And he said they will, even though they will. And that became huge, and then email took over for that.   Books that Have Had the Biggest Impact on Bob When asked about books that have had a great impact, Bob shared that Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don't was a book that had an effect on him. Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant is another one. Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People.   Me: I'm actually looking at the book right now. It's sitting right in front of me.   Bob shared that that's one of the major ones. And another one he wrote was How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. So, there's several.    What Bob is Really Excited About Now! When asked about something that he's really excited about, Bob shared that he's always excited about cheering, he sees so much, and he loves what he does. As far as he's not in any training right now, but Vistage offers trainings all the time, and he also does stuff outside of Vistage. But right now, he's getting ready to go on a holiday in a sprinter van, it's an RV, and that's kind of got his attention. Plus, he's got two Vistage meetings next week.   Me: So, those are your things that you're working on that you're really excited about. Fantastic.   Where can listeners find Bob online? LinkedIn - Bob Carrothers Website – www.vistage.com   Quote or Saying that During Times of Adversity Bob Uses When asked about quotes that he tends to revert to, Bob shared he does, he's a big fan of Albert Einstein, and he had a quote that was, “The same level of thinking that caused a problem is not going to fix the problem.” That's not exact, but that's what it means. And that's so true. Another one is, “Everybody's a genius. But if you want to teach a fish to fly, they're going to fail and feel they're a loser from then on.” And some people just can't get it. And sometimes when things go wrong, you got to look at the people involved, or the thinking involved and reapproach it with a different level.   Me: Okay, so that second quote is more to say, maybe you need to take a few steps backward just to move forward, just to reevaluate and do it again.   Bob agreed. Reevaluate if it's an employee and they just can't get it. Maybe they're just not set up for it, and it's better to find another position for them, or another area of responsibility, or perhaps they're just not right for your company, like you got to have the right people on the bus as Jim Collins say.    Me: True. If you have the wrong people on the bus, it makes the journey that much harder.   Bob agreed, they got to be in the right seats.   Me: Well, thank you so much Bob for jumping on our podcast today and sharing all of these awesome insights as it relates to Vistage and your journey and just what are some of the key things that makes a leader successful and makes an organization successful as they navigate their customer experience through the journey of their customers lifetime. So, I think your conversation today was extremely insightful, and I just wanted to extend our deepest gratitude to you for taking time to share with us today.   Bob shared that he's really enjoyed this. Yanique ask great questions and make him think so, thank you.   Please connect with us on Twitter @navigatingcx and also join our Private Facebook Community – Navigating the Customer Experience and listen to our FB Lives weekly with a new guest  Links • Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don't by Jim Collins • Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim •    How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie •    How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie   The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience Grab the Freebie on Our Website – TOP 10 Online Business Resources for Small Business Owners  Do you want to pivot your online customer experience and build loyalty - get a copy of “The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience.” The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience provides 26 easy to follow steps and techniques that helps your business to achieve success and build brand loyalty. This Guide to Limitless, Happy and Loyal Customers will help you to strengthen your service delivery, enhance your knowledge and appreciation of the customer experience and provide tips and practical strategies that you can start implementing immediately! This book will develop your customer service skills and sharpen your attention to detail when serving others. Master your customer experience and develop those knock your socks off techniques that will lead to lifetime customers. Your customers will only want to work with your business and it will be your brand differentiator. It will lead to recruiters to seek you out by providing practical examples on how to deliver a winning customer service experience!

Are you tired of feeling like you're throwing content into the void, hoping it magically turns into clients?

In this Greatest Hits episode, host Lauren DeSouza is joined by Elyssa Verhoogen, the Senior CRM & Lifecycle Marketing Consultant at Dojo. In the episode, Lauren and Elyssa discuss how to build a relationship with the customer, why emails can cause anxiety for your customers, and why personalization is so important to lifecycle marketing.

Podcast Episode 209 of the Make Each Click Count Podcast features Max Bidna, a serial entrepreneur and seasoned marketing strategist who has directly contributed to the growth of over 200 companies. Max founded his advertising agency in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, in early 2017. He has an impressive track record, boasting an average client revenue of $4.22 for every dollar spent on advertising.Join Andy as he dives deep with Max into key strategies and principles critical to achieving consistent business success. Learn about the importance of marketing messages that align with everyday desires, creative approaches to growth advertising, and effective tactics for turning casual website visitors into loyal customers through targeted email newsletters.Max also shares the secret behind bootstrapping his newsletter from zero to 100,000 readers and generating $500,000 in revenue within a year. Whether you're a startup or an established business looking to refine your marketing approach, this episode is packed with valuable insights and actionable advice you won't want to miss.Learn more:LinkedInABOUT THE HOST:Andy Splichal is the World's Foremost Expert on Ecommerce Growth Strategies. He is the acclaimed author of the Make Each Click Count Book Series, the Founder & Managing Partner of True Online Presence, and the Founder of Make Each Click Count University. Andy was named to The Best of Los Angeles Award's Most Fascinating 100 List in both 2020 and 2021.New episodes of the Make Each Click Count Podcast, are released each Friday and can be found on Apple Podcast, iHeart Radio, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and www.makeeachclickcount.com.