I hate sappy New Year messages and if I read one more blog, article, letter, card, or email wishing me a Happy New Year, I am going to scream! I would say that I am going to cry, but it seems that John Boehner, United States Speaker of the House, has the market cornered in that regard!

It seems like people have a hard time being creative at this time of year. Maybe they used up all of their creativity over the holidays. My point is this, those messages for success and profitability in 2011 are all the same after a while.  To capture my attention (and the attention of a lot of other people) you need to be different in the way you do business and that includes the way your reach your customers and the messages you send. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot of competition out there.

So instead of my wishing all of you who are a part of this blogging community a “Happy New Year”, let me tell what my hopes are for you in 2011:

As a part of our blogging community, I hope…

• all of your customers become raving fans of your products and services
• all of your customers tell all of their friends on Facebook and Twitter how great it is to do business with you
• your customers can readily see the value in what you sell and never quibble about price
• your vendors, clients, contractors, and employees call or email you back within 24 hours
• every resource you need is within your reach
• all of your customers are repeaters
• every experience a customer has with you is fabulous
• all of your employees are top performers
• 2011 is your best year yet

What do you hope for your customers?

The holiday season is upon us. Whatever your business may be, we all have to get wrapped up in this season in some form or fashion. Most people, even in the business to business community, are looking to feel the warmth of the holiday spirit. Does your company connect with your customers to make them feel especially welcome or do you give the brrrrr….. feeling to your clientele?

If your business has a storefront, does your window display offer a warm, ‘come on in’ kind of feel? Coaching your staff to be pleasant and welcoming, offering tastes of the season, creating seasonal smells and sounds inside all are known to create an increase in sales and satisfied customers.

Some companies never actually ‘see’ their customers. If you do business strictly on line or through direct mail – have you updated your website and materials to reflect the change of season? Presenting a new look, one that is festive, colorful and inviting, creates a curiosity for people to read through the material or browse through the pages of your website.

For businesses with busy call centers – it is important that each caller be greeted as though they were the first and only caller of the day. Maybe create a different type of greeting that is related to the season or the day. Keeping that smile in the voice of your staff is important as they are greeting tired and weary purchasers. If the warmth and welcome can be felt through the phone lines – that bonus item that is offered may be purchased!

Creating a comfortable, fun and warm atmosphere for your customer to linger, browse and purchase will make YOUR holiday wishes come true!

Training and Development. We always say these terms together – like peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, or profit and loss. But, is there a difference? Can we do one without the other? The answer to the first question is that there is most definitely a difference and the answer to the second question is maybe. Let’s take a look at defining these two terms as they apply to your organization’s needs.

Training is providing the basics to your work force. When education professionals use this terms they are usually referring to the skills that are essential to performing the most rudimentary tasks. Training also refers to  providing your work force with information that is essential to smooth operations. Training might include familiarizing your work force with the products you sell and support, delineating how the organization defines the customer experience, and explaining operational policies.  Training is most often associated with that portion of the work force that is classified as entry level or for those who may be brand new to your organization.

Development, on the other hand, has to do with the teaching of more advanced skills. Think in terms of advanced product applications, advanced technology skills in the areas of systems and software, leadership development, management development, creative problem solving, productive thinking, etc.

Many of our clients ask if they need to be concerned with both aspects of education in their organizations and my answer is that it depends on the composition of your work force. Do you have a pool of young talent that is new to the working world or new to your organization? Then you probably need to be concerned with teaching them the basics. As your work force matures, in terms of age and experience, or if you already have a percentage of more experienced personnel working for you, they will be hungry for more advanced knowledge of how to perform their jobs better, faster, and easier and that’s where development time in the classroom comes in.

As you budget for the year ahead, be sure to plan for both – training and development. An educated employee is a happy employee and that makes for happy customers! Let Market Viewpoint help you plan for the training and development of your staff in the year ahead.

Now let’s get out there and make some employees and customers happy!