March 29th, 2010
Last week, I had the chance to visit Betty Rigney of the Bose Corporation at the company’s headquarters. Betty is the co-chair of the Central Massachusetts Postal Customer Council, and we were meeting to plan an event for her members.
I let Betty know that I was a fan of their products. Their high-quality equipment is always backed up by high-quality customer service.
Betty told me that she’d been with Bose for 30 years, and she’s always been proud of where she works.
Are you proud of where you work? If not, what are you doing about it?
Tags: Bose, Mark Fallon, pride, The Berkshire Company
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February 11th, 2010
At dinner last night, I had an enjoyable conversation with my waitress, Sarah. She’s a college senior majoring in Music Business. Her dream is to work with a one of the orchestras in Boston or New York.
Sarah had just received her first rejection letter, and wasn’t sure what to do next. Her initial thought was that the best use of her time would be to “just get a job and enter the real world.”
I told her it was too early to make that decision, and that delaying reality to pursue your dreams is effective time management. Reality will find you.
Are you using your time wisely? Are you still pursuing your dreams?
Tags: dreams, Mark Fallon, The Berkshire Company, time management
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January 28th, 2010
Last night, I had dinner at Chelsea’s Kitchen in Phoenix, AZ. The food was very good, but the experience was great.
When I looked at the crowded parking lot, I began to think we couldn’t get a table. The head valet said he thought it would be 25-30 minutes for a table. He then had one of his employees run into the restaurant to make sure. When we went inside, the manager welcomed us to the restaurant, took our name and invited us to wait in the patio bar. He would find us when a table was ready.
The bar only had local beers, so the bartender asked what I normally drank, and recommended Deschutes Mirror Pond IPA (very good), and took my credit card to start a tab. While enjoying our drinks, we watched the staff efficiently, yet unobtrusively, change the propane for the outdoor heaters. Less than 20 minutes later, the manager came over and said a table would be ready shortly.
As we were being shown our table, I said I needed to close the tab at the bar. The manager let me know he would transfer the tab to my dinner bill, and returned my card. The service throughout the meal was tremendous. As we were leaving, the manager thanked me by name. When I gave the valet the ticket, he asked me if the wait was too long, and if I enjoyed the meal. Then he ran to get my car.
Yes, the quality of food at a restaurant is important. But the experience means so much more.
What type of experience are you offering your customers?
Tags: customer experience, customer service, Mark Fallon, thank you, The Berkshire Company
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January 24th, 2010
In my presentation, The Power of Networking, I remind my audience that when you post something on the Internet, you should act as if you’re on a giant stage with the whole world watching. Anyone can read what you post, and trace it back to you. Whether it’s on a “private account” on Facebook, or an electronic forum using a pseudonym. You should only post something if you would say those same words, face-to-face, in front of everyone.
Yet today, on an online discussion board, I found myself being drawn into an unpleasant argument with a person I’ve never met. It wasn’t about something the person had said about me, but about someone else on the forum. And I’ve never met that person either.
Then, I remembered the advice my mother gave me long before the World Wide Web was invented – don’t pay attention to negative people. She told me that if I allowed myself to get upset by those people, I’ve given them power. It may not be easy, but you have to ignore the pessimists and cynics; and not respond to their taunts.
Fortunately, it’s easier in the digital world. You can ignore people with the click of a button.
Now I have more time for the positive people – in both worlds.
Tags: Mark Fallon, negative people, networking, positive, The Berkshire Company
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January 21st, 2010
Most days, I feel younger than my age. I try to be healthy, know what’s happening in the world, and stay connected with technology.
This week, I’ve been working on a college campus. Being surrounded by people more than 25 years younger than me had an unintended effect – I felt old. Really old.
Then last night, I gave a keynote speech at an awards dinner. While I wasn’t the youngest person at the event, most of the attendees were older than me. Suddenly, I was young again. It was an interesting contrast of emotions.
How old do you feel today?
Tags: age, Mark Fallon, The Berkshire Company
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November 25th, 2009
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a day I reserve to spend with close friends, sharing a great meal, and even better memories.
I enjoy spending a few moments reflecting on what I’m thankful for. Often my reasons for giving thanks are the same – love, family, friends and good health. Sometimes, I’m thankful for a specific event that occurred in the past year. It may have been a goal that I worked towards, or it may have been an unexpected experience.
With these thoughts, and these feelings, at my fingertips, I start to set my goals for the coming year. Instead of making New Years’ resolutions in the middle of the hectic holidays, I take a few moments now to consider what accomplishments will create similar feelings next year.
What do you want to be thankful for tomorrow, and next year?
Tags: goals, Mark Fallon, thanks, The Berkshire Company
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November 4th, 2009
On my flight home this morning, the water wasn’t working on the plane. That meant no coffee. No coffee!!!
When the flight attendant let me know she couldn’t make coffee, she instantly recognized the face of a very disappointed caffeine lover. Then she did something unexpected – she smiled. I immediately smiled back. It was a natural reaction.
My smile changed the tone of my voice as I bemoaned the fact I was at least 2 cups behind my normally scheduled coffee intake. She shared that yesterday she ran out of coffee at home, and didn’t have her first cup of coffee until 1:00pm. At least I had a cup on my previous flight. I settled for water.
Several times during the flight, the attendant checked on me, to see if I wanted anything else. And each time, there was that smile.
The flight attendant couldn’t change the lack of coffee. She attempted, and succeeded, in changing my attitude towards the news.
How do you tell a customer disappointing news?
Tags: customer service, Mark Fallon, The Berkshire Company
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October 15th, 2009
Yesterday, I had another great session with my sales coach, Lisa Magnuson of Top Line Sales. Lisa does a great job of keeping me on track with developing prospects and preparing for difficult sales calls. At the end of the hour, I always have deliverables to work on.
Coaches are an invaluable resource. Even if you’re already doing well, a good coach can help you improve. Having someone review your performance, point out your weaknesses, and reinforce your strengths is a great approach towards achieving success.
Who’s your coach?
Tags: coaches, Mark Fallon, The Berkshire Company
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September 22nd, 2009
This morning, I checked in at Logan Airport and headed to the Delta Crown Room. I looked forward to having a cup of coffee in the quiet atmosphere of the lounge. A brief respite in a busy day of travel.
Next to the coffee was something new – a toaster! Delta started serving bagels in the Crown Room months ago, but you had to eat them cold. Now I was able to toast my bagel and enjoy it with some strawberry jam.
Just a little surprise that brightened my day!
What little surprises have you provided for your customers or employees lately?
Tags: customer service, Mark Fallon, The Berkshire Company
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September 15th, 2009
“The reports on my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Mark Twain.
On Sunday and Monday, I attended the Print09 trade show in Chicago. What I saw debunked the myths that “Print is a dying industry,” and “Trade shows are a dying industry.”
The trade show included many innovative approaches to print and finishing. Vibrant colors dominated the floor as vendors demonstrated how their machines could produce high-quality, high-speed, digital color output. A separate exhibit hall was dedicated to equipment that could bind, staple, fold, and insert documents at speeds unthinkable just a few years ago.
Even better than the equipment, were all the people in attendance. Although Sunday was a beautiful fall day, with sunny skies and 80 degree temperatures, thousands of people were indoors, attending classes and talking with vendors. Monday brought an even larger crowd.
As I talked with other attendees, I was most impressed with the optimism about our industry. Yes, there are many challenges, including digital communication. But hard-copy documents still have a role in customer relationships. And the new technology unveiled at the show means it will be done faster, cheaper, and more often, in color.
Tags: Color print, Digital print, Mark Fallon, Print09, The Berkshire Company, Trade shows
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