Business Tips by Chris Reich
Tips from growing a business to dealing with disputesShutting Down Thought or Ignoring 52% of Your Market
Most good ideas are picked apart, shot down or simply ignored the first several times those thoughts are put on the table. You can almost measure an idea's positive potential by the amount of resistance and rejection that idea gets upon introduction.I spoke with the...
How Do You Spend Your Marketing Time & Money?
Here's something for the metrics nuts to measure.How much time and money is spent at your business trying to be LIKE another business?Same question but different. How much time and money and effort and energy and thought and talent and resource is spent trying to be...
Time Change—Gain an Hour?
In the U.S. we push our clocks ahead 1 hour on Saturday. In theory, you're losing an hour this week. Too bad they take it away from our weekend!Stop. Think. Let's make this fun.If we are losing an hour, what if we did something really remarkable and EXCELLENT (Thanks...
Do Something Very Important Today
Do you want to do something very important at work today? I mean game changing, business improving important. Do you?Clean the bathroom. Yes, that's right. You, Mr. Important, go clean the bathroom. Many people who visit your business visit the restroom. If it's like...
Should Your Company Have a Mission Statement?
Well, is a mission statement important? Should your company have one? Probably not.
Camel Missing
So this guy's camel escapes while the family sleeps. The next day when he discovers the loss, he's very worried. That camel is everything. Without it, the guy could be wiped out completely. He'd lose his ability to get his goods from market to market. His business...
Do Your Employees Have Goals or Quotas?
First, here's a snippet from the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics:Canadian officials ensured there would be some poignancy at the closing ceremony, selecting figure skater Joannie Rochette as their flag bearer. Her mother died of a heart attack hours after...
Tell Me a Story
George Guidall is a great reader. If you like audio books, try any of the Russian masters read by George. I especially recommend "Crime and Punishment" (Audible.com for your MP3 player.)What he's talking about here is very important to your business. There is one...
The Past Does Not Predict the Future
One of the biggest problems with many American companies is the loss of nimbleness. Corporations are so weighted by forecasts and metrics they no longer can react with agility. I believe too many business decisions are based on looking through the rear-view...
A Very Important Question
Today I want you to think about a question.At what point in your business sales process does customer service enter the picture?If I've just heard about your company and need information, is that "customer" service or "pre-sale"? Now I want you to think about this....
Attention Ford! Now’s Your Time!
I want to see Ford come out swinging as the first step toward actually rebuilding our economy.NEW YORK – Toyota dealers across the country were swamped with calls Wednesday from concerned drivers but had few answers a day after the company announced it would stop...
Can You See the Other Side?
Let Your People Go!
Good employees won't take a "lateral move" in lieu of more money offered by another firm. If your people are approached by recruiters bearing gifts, they'll take them. The problem needs a better approach than changing a monthly report to a quarterly report. in my...
Practice What Thou Preachest
I'm a strong believer that the most effective marketing is interacting with customers and prospects. Most businesses talk about 'service' but they limit service to solving after sale problems. Few businesses consider interaction with prospects to be part of their...
Positive Thinking is Killing Us
Positive thinking really is killing us. We spend billions every year on "hope" based medical treatments.. We throw money into stupid 'investments' and 'hope for the best'. We hand money over to religious institutions because that will take us to prosperity. The...
Back in Time: A Marketing Lesson
Data, demonstrations and doughnuts won't make the sale.Let's say you could go back in time. You invent the pencil and paper and are sure you've got a hit on your hands. This will be huge!To get this thing off the ground, you invite 100 people to a demonstration of...
What’s NEW?
Is there anything new at your business? The recession we are in now is serious game changer. [Note: I am sorry to use a phrase like "game changer"]Just a year ago, the U.S. was the number one auto producer in the world. The U.S. is now number two. It's scary...
Successful Lemonade Venture
Seth Godin posts a simple story of two lemonade stands today.The story is so perfect, I have nothing to add. Just think about the stories. It comes to caring, no, loving what you do. If you love what you do, you'll approach every task differently. If you are in it...