It’s Over and You Are Okay

by | Jan 3, 2017 | Really? The Personal ScLoHo

2016 is in the history books.  GONE.  Forever.

No matter what you did, it’s done.

No matter what someone else did or any of us did in 2016…

It’s time to look forward.

Face it. Some people are scared out of their minds as they look to the future.

Have empathy.

Others have gone through unexpected hardships, be there for them.

While last year was a weird one on a political level, it was also a year that saw lots of other changes going on.

It’s December 28th as I type these words on my laptop.  The final week of 2016 with almost a week before this article is published.

Celebrity deaths like Carrie Fisher, her mom Debby Reynolds and George Michael were all over social media in the last couple of days.  Add them to the list of big names that the world lost.

This morning I saw the obit in my local paper that a woman that I’ve known, Helen passed away at Christmas time.  She was a member of our church and in the neighborhood outreach that I was involved with for the past 3 years.

Earlier today my wife and I had brunch with an old high school friend, Steve and his wife Lesa who were in town for about 5 days.  Steve’s dad passed away years ago but his mom is still around. My own parents never made it to 70 passing away in 1998 and 2001.

Death is a part of life, as the saying goes and I don’t want to get stuck there or actually any of us to get stuck anywhere.

Stuck is not a good word, usually.

So today and in the days to come, I urge you to appreciate the past.

Even the crappy parts.

The lessons we learn are from the crappy parts.  Don’t get lost wishing for the good old days, or you’ll be left behind.

Cherish, laugh, learn, listen and love.

Let’s embrace 2017 as another year to change the world, one day (sometimes one hour) at a time.

A Question Every Business Owner Needs to Answer

by | Jan 2, 2017 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom

Is your business set up for your convenience or for your customers convenience?

That’s a question every business owner needs to answer. 

Depending on the specifics of your business, your answer will determine your level of success, not just this year but for years to come.

Here’s more from Mediapost:

Customer-centric marketing puts the customers at the center of marketing; all promotions and messaging flow towards them in the way that is most relevant to them. Marketers put themselves in the customers’ shoes to sell to them better.

While this article talks about marketing, it is really the entire customer experience:

When U.S. consumers were asked about the companies with which they were satisfied, their responses defined the characteristics of a Customer-First company:

  • 56% say I consistently have good experiences with it
  • 43% say It is easy to conduct business with the company whether online, in person or on the phone
  • 35% It doesn’t always try to sell to me but tries to provide value
  • 34% Its marketing is not intrusive
  • 33% It is respectful of my privacy

And:

Satisfied customers were three times more likely to say the company often or always puts their needs before its business goals than unsatisfied customers did, says the report.

These quotes are from this article.