The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur

The Spirit of Entrepreneurial Service

When was the last time you experienced really great service? Where did you find it? Was it at your local retail store or were you bowled over by great customer service via a technical support site?

Maybe it came from a small shop, a start-up business, or even a global company with service centers around the world. 

Those who know me find out early on how passionate I am about service. I’ve spent most of my career delivering great service to my customers, whether internal to the company or external.

This is both a blessing and a curse for those who now serve me. The blessing because when I receive it I scream it from the rooftops (well, not literally), but I do share it with my personal network. Over and over again. And the curse? Well, I share that as well.

Getting the Basics Right

What makes the difference between good and great service? It’s the unexpected things that go beyond someone just doing their job. I want to be treated to the same level of service when I have a problem as when you excitedly made the initial sale.

Please keep in mind that consistency isn’t about continuing to do the same level of service, but surprising me with innovative ways you’ve improved the service since the last time I visited. 

An example of great service in my own backyard, comes from a family-run European-style coffee house that opened in my neighborhood where competitors surround it like the three men on the boat in the movie Jaws.

Just the place to hang out, Bellano Coffee not only makes great coffee (expected), offers their own Internet connection at no cost (a plus), but their personal level of service to customers continues to wow me!

Influential Selling

Years ago I wrote a customer letter to the folks at Virgin-Atlantic because my daughter and I had experienced outstanding service from one of their flight attendants in Coach, no less. I must have shocked them with my outpouring (most folks write letters when they receive bad service), because I received a personal response that was as surprised as it was sincere.

Women and Risktaking: How Do We Improve the Odds?

I’ve attended two women-focused conferences in the last four months where keynote speakers emphasized the importance of taking personal and professional risks.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m tickled pink when folks talk about risktaking, which is certainly a refreshing change from recent years when fear seemed to have captured the hearts and minds of business. 

But are there really more professional women not taking risks or are we just seeing more women stepping up and admitting they need help in figuring out the right risks to take in business and how to deliver on them? 

The dozen or so women who I chatted with at the BlogHer conference this past July were grappling with the challenges of running small businesses, juggling careers and family, and serving as primary caregivers, but when asked about what tips they had to share for tapping into their courageous selves not one of them saw herself as a risktaker!   

I was happy to help them tweak their perspective. 

2-Minute Communication Drill

It’s football season here in the U.S., and although my post will have little to do with football, it will have everything to do with the sport of communication.

One of my all-time favorite football players is Joe Montana, a great quarterback during his heyday with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.   

Montana was given the nickname ‘Joe Cool’ for his calm handling of intense situations when the stakes were high. He was able to do four things in two minutes that increased his team’s chances for success.

1. He looked across the field to find his open receivers.

2. He didn’t waste time and made the most of each play.

3. He adjusted his passing style to match that of his receiver.

4. He kept the end goal in sight and didn’t allow himself to get distracted.

2–Minute Communication Drill

People have a tendency to waste prime time when they don’t know what to look and listen for during the opening minutes of a conversation.

Decoding Business Ethics

I think Silicon Valley companies are in dire need of a decoder ring like the kind kids scramble to find in cereal boxes. 

Many of our local leaders appear to have lost their way. In recent days we’ve read about the stock option backdating debacle and the HP spying scandal that’s sure to stay in the spotlight thanks to Carly Fiorina’s tell-all book about the ‘good old boy’ network she fought against and a Board of Directors who exhibited less than emotionally intelligent behavior. 

But at some point we’re all faced with doing the right thing for the right reason, whether it’s personally or professionally. Sometimes the decision is more straightforward—is it legal or not?—but other times you could find yourself struggling with the ethical nuance of a decision.