Be More Creative By Thinking Slowly

Selling & CRM implementations can learn

a lot from Monty Python Star 

Recently I attended the ICCM (International Call Center Managers) conference here in Las Vegas. The focus of this show is to help call center professionals develop customer-focused business processes and “bolster” professional success. ICCM attracts thousands of professionals annually and provides an opportunity for them to network with the world's leading organizations while actively looking for products and solutions to drive revenue and increase efficiency.

Like most conferences and expos, this event was organized into tracks, namely – People Management, Operations Management, Business Planning and Customer Service. What impressed me the most was the way they developed a theme around these tracks. They called it, “The 5 D’s” which stood for: Define, Design, Develop, Deliver and Discover. The first day was focused on Defining your problems and Designing solutions to those problems. Day two’s topics focused on Developing the solutions and Delivering the results to your organization. Finally, day three focused on Discovering the results of the solution and its implementation in order to measure the outcome. All the tracks and sessions fit into this theme, which was very well done.

I personally related to this sort of organization since it’s aligned with the strategies I recommended in my first book, CRM For The Common Man (see www.PeakSalesConsulting.com/CRM_Book.htm), for planning your CRM implementation. Before doing anything, you first must define your problem, then design your solution. It’s the same as building a house – regardless what tools you may have or will get, you still need an architect’s plan before you begin. Yes, this show was well organized and on track for providing good, solid advice and education for the attendees.

The Keynote speaker for ICCM was John Cleese. Yes, thee John Cleese of Monty Python fame... Read More

When "Bad" Customer Service Is Good

Sometimes I want to be slapped around

I just returned from our annual excursion back East. My wife and I spent nearly 2 weeks visiting our home town in New Jersey. And, as usual, we ate our way through both New York and New Jersey. I have to tell you, nothing beats New Jersey-style Pizza, fresh seafood, crabs, and Cheese Steak sandwiches. We just can't get that kind of food here in Las Vegas.

Whenever we are in New York City we have to visit our favorite restaurants, specifically Carmine's and Carnegie Deli. Sure, they're for the tourists, but to us they represent Broadway, Times Square, and the New York we don't get enough of anymore. If you've ever been to Carmine's, you know about their HUGE portions. Check out the picture of the 48-ounce Porterhouse Steak we ordered (click on the picture to enlarge it). That's my son, Kevin, with his totally awesome girlfriend, Casey, hovering over the already partially devoured carcass. Can you believe the size of that thing? ...Read More

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