Book Description
Foreword by Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, coauthors of The Disney Way.
All businesses have customers, but how many of them deliver unforgettably good customer service? Secret Service reveals the hidden systems of the few exceptional companies that do: what actions they take behind the scenes to consistently surpass customer expectations. These organizations reap the benefits of greater customer loyalty, exponentially expanded referral networks, lower employee turnover, and stronger bottom-line results.
By quantifying and examining each phase of the "Customer Experience Cycle," Secret Service reveals clever, practical ideas that can be transformed into repeatable best practices in any organization and at every level. Packed with examples applicable to a wide range of industries, this book provides practical, realistic ways to:
* Turn customer complaints into positive experiences * Use marketing to go deeper with existing customers * Increase customer and employee retention, and turn bland customer service into truly memorable customer experiences
Customer Reviews:
Secret Service: Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service .......2007-09-16
This is a book that I reccomend to all of my franchise stores that I support. This is a glossary or handbook of great service and marketing. There is no reinventing the wheel in this little book but a refernce of the tried and true. Each example is supported with results and successes. The multiple companies referred to are known companies who lead their markets in service.
I encourage my stores to take a highlighter to this book of concepts and write notes in the margins. They will refer to this book often. This is 165 pages of good information.
all business owners should read this book.......2007-07-11
I read this book in one day while I was on vacation. I was so inspired, I couldn't wait to get back to work to begin a new customer service policy in our salon. We already do some of the rituals for our guests, but this book gave me so many more ideas. John Dijullius is so right about creating systems and sticking with them, day in and day out. Can't wait for the second book!!!!
Secret Service.......2007-03-30
By far the best book I've ever read on customer service. Nice work!
Secret Service: Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service.......2007-01-17
Even though I am in the same industry as the author, this book is full of great ideas any business could use to implement systems to improve their customer service. We have used many of the ideas with great results. Mr. DiJulius gives you these wonderful ideas and how to implement them. If you read his book you'll see why his company is so successful. I require my staff to read this book when they are hired. This is one of my favorite business books!
great read.......2007-01-05
I like this book, it has great ideas and real life examples of customer service excellence. It is inspiring and well worth the read. It is an active read in my library of customer service reference books.
Book Description
âWe’re now hip-deep, if not drowning, in the âexperience economy.â Hereâs the smartest book Iâve read so far that can actually help get your brand to higher ground, fast. And itâs written by people who not only drew the map, but blazed these trails in the first place.â
–Brian Collins, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Brand Integration Group
In a market economy characterized by commoditized products and global competition, how do companies gain deep and lasting loyalty from their customers? The key, this book argues, is in providing meaningful customer experiences.
Writing in the tradition of Louis Cheskin, one of the founding fathers of market research, the authors of Making Meaning observe, define, and describe the meaningful customer experience. By consciously evoking certain deeply valued meanings through their products, services, and multidimensional customer experiences, they argue, companies can create more value and achieve lasting strategic advantages over their competitors. A few businesses are already discovering this approach, but until now no one has articulated it in such a persuasive and practical way. Making Meaning not only encourages businesses to adopt an innovation process that’s centered on meaning, it also tells you how. The book outlines a plan of action and describes the attributes of a meaning-centric innovation team. With insightful real-world examples drawn from the Cheskin company's experience and from the authors' observations of the contemporary global market, this book outlines a plan of action and describes the attributes of a meaning-centric innovation team.
Meaningful experiencesâas distinct from trivial onesâreinforce or transform the customer’s sense of purpose and significance. The authors’ vision of a world of meaningful consumption is idealistic, but don’t be fooled: this is a straightforward business book with an eye on the ROI. It shows how to bring R&D, design, and marketing together to create deeper and richer experiences for your customers. Making Meaning: How Successful Businesses Deliver Meaningful Customer Experiences is an engaging and practical book for business leaders, explaining how their companies can create more meaningful products and services to better achieve their goals.
Download Description
""We're now hip-deep, if not drowning, in the 'experience economy.' Here's the smartest book I've read so far that can actually help get your brand to higher ground, fast. And it's written by people who not only drew the map, but blazed these trails in the first place." -Brian Collins, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Brand Integration Group In a market economy characterized by commoditized products and global competition, how do companies gain deep and lasting loyalty from their customers? The key, this book argues, is in providing meaningful customer experiences. Writing in the tradition of Louis Cheskin, one of the founding fathers of market research, the authors of Making Meaning observe, define, and describe the meaningful customer experience. By consciously evoking certain deeply valued meanings through their products, services, and multidimensional customer experiences, they argue, companies can create more value and achieve lasting strategic advantages over their competitors. A few businesses are already discovering this approach, but until now no one has articulated it in such a persuasive and practical way. Making Meaning not only encourages businesses to adopt an innovation process that's centered on meaning, it also tells you how. The book outlines a plan of action and describes the attributes of a meaning-centric innovation team. With insightful real-world examples drawn from the Cheskin company's experience and from the authors' observations of the contemporary global market, this book outlines a plan of action and describes the attributes of a meaning-centric innovation team. Meaningful experiences-as distinct from trivial ones-reinforce or transform the customer's sense of purpose and significance. The authors' vision of a world of meaningful consumption is idealistic, but don't be fooled: this is a straightforward business book with an eye on the ROI. It shows how to bring R&D, design, and marketing together to create deeper and richer experiences for your customers. Making Meaning: How Successful Businesses Deliver Meaningful Customer Experiences is an engaging and practical book for business leaders, explaining how their companies can create more meaningful products and services to better achieve their goals."
Customer Reviews:
A business case for meaning in design.......2006-07-11
If you've been following Nathan Shedroff's work to build a conceptual framework for experience design then you will find this book to be his next step, but with an emphasis on meaningful experiences. The book presents the business strategy and design process. It is of little help directly for actually designing anything and that information wouldn't fit into the same book anyway. Such help only exists by studying ethnography, social and environmental psychology, neurology, product design, and so forth.
Books that I would recommend along with this one are "The Meaning of Things" by Csikszentmihalyi, "The Cultural Animal" by Baumeister, "Emotional Design" by Norman, and whatever product design liturature you can find for your field. If you aren't an ethnographer then you should acquire the basics and there are several books on Amazon to help develop your skills.
While "Making Meaning" is a fine business book and lays out a basic conceptual framework for business, the framework for applied meaning design is not yet developed. For now you will have to figure this out on your own. Designers have stumbled into decent meaning designs in products or adopted existing designs that already have meaning, but if you want to design for a new meaning then you are on your own. The 15 meanings included in this book will help get you started. If you want an excellent example of meaning design I suggest you check the dash of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It is thick with meaning; see if you can find it.
- jim
Important idea, unimpressive narrative.......2006-03-22
This book makes a minor contribution to the literature on customer experience management. Its raison d'etre is that there is potential for "meaning" in customer experience that can be used for competitive advantage. The authors could have demonstrated personal commitment to their theory by better managing the experience of reading their book. It has copious typographical errors and several grammatical errors as well. In addition to that, readers like me who appreciate the visual aspects of a book may be put off by the lack of illustrations. The few included here look like they were drawn on a napkin---not by Picasso. These are not serious obstacles to understanding the "meaning" of this book, but they made me wonder why the authors didn't do a better job of walking their talk. The physical book itself could have been an example of their theory. The ideas in the book are attractive, but could have been helped by a more coherent explanation of key words like "meaning" and "experience." The HOW TO content, which consumes the bulk of the narrative, is not very instructive nor inspiring. On the whole, the same theory is presented more effectively in books like Corporate Religion, by Jesper Kunde; and The Hero And The Outlaw, by Mark and Pearson.
heron preston review.......2006-03-02
loved the book. a great, informative read. as a college student currently studying design+management at parsons, this book made me excited about my future. here are some highlights:
1. Footworks:
In the book, the authors develop a ficticious company, Footworks, which they use to build examples from. This is a cool method to teach because you can watch Footworks grow throughout the progression of the book. You can also visualize how their ideas would really be implemented within a company.
2. Defining Innovation Culture:
They build an innovation team, and speak about every person making up that team. They talk about their importance of creating meaningful experiences, their responsibilities within the company and why they should be on the team. These are some of the people:
Brand Management, Sales Management, Information Tech (IT), Human Resources (HR), CEO, Marketing Management and Research, Design and Development.
3. I think the most important of all is how they really deal with defining "meaning" which is something that took me a couple chapters to really grasp. They speak about how important it is for businesses to really figure out which meaningful experiences their customers value. Then it breaks into delivering that experience which really connects on a personal level making them integrate that experience into their lives. A meaningful experience would be how a vegetarian FEELS when he / she practices vegetarianism.
4. There's psychology involved, which goes past working with products and services into for example, deciding whether the new CEO of your company should be male or female and whether or not they're athletic. "Just as tribes, traditions, and objects brought order and `rightness' to people in previous centuries, a company and it's offerings may now play that role as well by solidifying a relationship at the deepest possible point in the human psyhce and personality. It's a potent place for a company to be".
A powerful way of thinking about design........2006-02-27
As a visual communicator, I found the book thought provoking, stimulating and insightful. It is quite simple to negotiate, and absolutely matches my instinctive but unfocussed thoughts on the topic.
It's really a big idea. The thoughts and processes encapsulated here are bound to become the norm in terms of research. It's a natural.
Making Meaning.......2006-02-13
This book is a great resource for anyone working in marketing or research. Learning how to communicate with consumers in a meaningful way is the key to earning both their respect and their business. The authors' years of experience is synthesized into a concise and practical guide to creating meaningful experiences for consumers, including many specific examples of how "making meaning" actually works. Their suggestions will help to elevate brands to new levels in the eyes of customers.
Book Description
PRAISE FOR THE BRAND WHO CRIED "WOLF"
"Powerful brands command. Read this insightful book and allow Scott to share how to make your brand stand out and deliver you buckets of money!"
—Mark Victor Hansen, bestselling author of the
Chicken Soup for the Soul(r) series
"Deming's approach to branding is not about gimmicks. It's about relationships-the real formula for building and sustaining your brand and your business."
—Rieva Lesonsky, Editorial Director, Entrepreneur magazine
"It doesn't matter what you sell. We're all selling service. Deming's book shows businesses of all sizes how to create incredible brand power through innovative service levels. The Brand Who Cried Wolf will not end up on your book shelf; it will stay in your briefcase or on your desk as a daily reference guide. If you want to grow your business, get this book!"
—John Valletta, President, Super 8 Motels
"Deming's revelations on creating an emotionally engaging experience between you and your customer are without equal!"
—Joel Bauer, bestselling coauthor of How to Persuade People Who Don't Want to Be Persuaded
"The Brand Who Cried Wolf explains how every customer interaction, large or small, impacts your brand's image and reputation. This is an easy-to-read book— veryone in your organization needs to own."
—Patrick Sweeney, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Succeed on Your Own Terms; cohost of the nationally syndicated radio show Winning in Business
"Deming delivers an essential message to businesses and delivers in a way you won't forget. You know the fairy tales, just adapt it to your unique brand: you!"
—Wayne Kandas, CFP and host of nationally syndicated Bloomberg Radio
"Stories sell, and that's what helps sell the ideas in this brilliant book. If you're in business-any business-you need this book. Get it now!"
—Robert G. Allen, bestselling coauthor of Cracking the Millionaire Code; CEO of The Enlightened Millionaire Institute
Chapter 8: Just Call Me Slick!
People Really Hate to be "Sold"
What We’ve Accomplished So Far
By now you know that branding is not exclusively about business identity in the form of a logo or advertising. You might recognize the Nike brand from its iconic swoosh logo. You might immediately think of McDonald’s when you think of fast food because McDonald’s commercials are ubiquitous, but by this point, you know that icons and awareness do not constitute a brand.
You also know that big businesses are not the only brands. Your business does not have to be the size of GM, Microsoft, AOL Time Warner or Wal-Mart. Your business could be run out of your home with you as the sole employee. You could conduct business from a small office with a single assistant, or in a store with several employees. The size, scope, and location of your business does not change the fact that it’s a brand, nor should any of these factors truly impact your brand if you’re focusing on one-on-one relationships.
Businesses are not the only brands, either. Every individual is a brand, as are organizations from non-profits to political parties to social clubs. For example, the Gates Foundation, the Red Cross, UNICEF, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Kiwanis Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Republican Party, and Democratic Party — all are brands. The concept of branding I’ve been articulating is personal, which means everyone needs to develop one.
Each category — from individuals to organizations to businesses large and small — brings with it its own brand development challenges. At the same time, however, these challenges are minimized when you understand your brand identity. Throughout this book, I have written about creating unique and memorable experiences for your customers. Chapter 2 defined a brand in terms of establishing relationships with your customers. Chapter 3 distinguished between types of experiences you can generate for your customers, and differentiated a brand experience from ones that are merely transactional or simply meet customer expectations. Chapter 4 highlighted the importance of changing your perspective to adopt your customer’s point of view, rather than emphasize your product or service. Chapter 5 analyzed the results of changing your perspective. Chapter 6 admonished you to avoid overstating your own worth. Finally, Chapter 7 focused on the ripple effects of your actions. Thus, most of the facets of branding I’ve been articulating since the beginning of this book have emphasized how you affect the customer’s perceptions. In other words, I’ve been talking about the customer’s connection to your brand. Now I’m going to talk about how you perceive your own brand, and about your connection to your own brand.
Creating An Authentic Brand Identity: Sincerity Can’t Be Faked!
First, you must take stock of your brand identity. In the Introduction to this book I stated that everyone is a brand. Everyone has a brand identity, but not everyone understands their own brand correctly, or even knows what it is. You cannot develop an authentic, sincere brand without this understanding. And you cannot create brand evangelists — people who trust you and praise your brand every chance they get — without an authentic, sincere brand. You earn someone’s trust through your actions, so you’d better know how to act!
Understanding your brand identity, and developing the trust that turns your customers into evangelists, involves knowing what your own beliefs and values are. The fact is, when you walk in your customer’s shoes, when you change your perspective to deliver the impossible, you’re reflecting a core element of your identity, your values, and your beliefs. When you are sincere about trying to understand your customers’ needs, desires, and what they’d truly love from you, a genuine connection is made that is the foundation of trust between you and your customers.
Compassion and sincerity can’t be faked. Branding is not a matter of putting on a persona that others will like. It’s not playing a role, putting on a mask, or pretending — all that is superficial, a veneer that covers up the “real” you. Moreover, a veneer can be quickly spotted. I don’t think there’s anyone that hasn’t had the experience of being “sold.” It’s uncomfortable precisely because it’s not authentic. The experience simply feels hollow. Think about the slick car salesman who’s “going to do what it takes to get you into this car!” Maybe he’s heavy on the ‘hale fellow well met,’ demeanor, or drenches you with flattery. When the time comes to make an offer on the car, he engages in an overly dramatic show of anxiety. “I’m gonna see my manager right now and see if I can talk him into this one. Between you and me, he’s having a bad day, but I’m really gonna work on him.” Eventually, the long, drawn out ceremonial dance ends with you signing the lease or sale papers, but you walk away knowing the whole experience could have been different, and you dread the prospect of going through it again.
Why do you dread it? What has soured you on going through the process again? In a word: insincerity. Insincerity is the wolf trotting around in sheep’s clothing pretending to be something he’s not. When you experience a wolf in sheep’s clothing, you’re soured on future interactions. It is this sort of insincerity that destroys a brand or prevents an authentic one from being established.
The car salesman example is cliché, just like the sales girl at the clothing store who tells you every single piece of clothing you try on looks so good! Though they’re cliché for a reason, we tend to forget just what that reason is. We instantly recognize the cliché, but not what made it true in the first place.
Customer Reviews:
Not Your Father's Book on Branding ..........2007-06-19
I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical when I first felt that the title of this book didn't sound grammatically correct to me (I'm the guy muttering "It's 15 items or FEWER" to my wife, every time we're near the express lane at the supermarket) - I thought that the right title should have been "The Brand THAT Cried Wolf." But, Deming quickly and convincingly explains that "The Brand" is more than an inanimate corporate symbol ... it's my company, it's my department, it's me ... and, thus, deserving of the "Who" in his title. Deming uses a pleasing blend of children's fables (which, I will admit, were enjoyable to get caught up on and, in some cases, to read for the very first time), business cases, hypothetical situations and personal experiences and anecdotes to put his principles into meaningful perspectives. I continually found myself playing a mental game of "Can You Top This" with Deming every time he gave examples of unique, emotional, memorable business experiences that caused him to become, as he would put it, a "Brand Evangelist." Likewise, I found myself playing the same game (probably with a little more fervor) whenever he gave his examples of such poor service that caused him to become a "Brand Antievangelist."
Coincidentally enough, just 2 days before reading this book, my family and I rented a movie that seems to be a perfect and real-life exemplification of Deming's "You-Are-Your-Brand" hypothesis: "The Pursuit of Happyness." Based upon a true story, it's about Chris Gardner, a down-on-his-luck salesman who can't buy a break, even after he is given the "opportunity" to compete against 19 other unpaid interns at a stock brokerage for 6 months for one permanent position. His successes started only after he began creating unique experiences for his prospects and clients rather than just those typically provided by such brokerages. His first big "splash" took awhile, but the ripples that resulted got him the business he needed to beat the other 19 and earn the job. (I wish that I had read this book first!)
Definitely a good, fast and worthwhile read. And definitely not you father's book on branding. And that, here, is a good thing.
Buy This Book.... NOW!.......2007-05-23
Wow! What a great book. It arrived this afternoon - never intended on finishing it this evening. After reading the first chapter, I was hooked. It's that good! This is the second book on branding I've read this month. The first was "Footnotes" by Kenneth Cole. That book, also excellent, shows the finished product. In "The Brand Who Cried Wolf", Deming shows you how to get there... and stay there. Whether you run a large corporation or a home based business, you will learn a great deal from this fun read. Just like Disney, Deming understand the power of a good story. Each of the ten chapters cleverly starts with a brief fable to illustrate a key point. Deming then follows up with countless up to date examples of how companies succeed, and more importantly, fail to achieve success in branding and customer satisfaction. Deming really hits the nail on the head with his comparison of Costco and Walmart.
This is a very well written book filled with stories to inspire. The type of writing that obviously comes from years of experience and a passion to help others. As Deming mentions in chapter eight, "you can't fake sincerity".
To sum it up - Don't think you need to be a business owner to buy this book. This is a great lesson of customer satisfaction and communication skills for anybody who interacts with others on a daily basis. Deming seems well versed in what it takes to form a successful relationship - both personal and business. I'm just glad he took the time to share some of his insightful stories with the rest of us.
A book for the Ages!.......2007-05-22
What a book! I recently saw Mr. Deming's presentation at a national conference in Dallas. After his presentation, he did a book signing and I bought The Brand Who Cried Wolf. I had it read from cover to cover by the time I got home the following day! This is one of the most inspirational and TRUE books I've ever read. Mr. Deming has not invented anything new here. What I mean is, the processes and ideas are already out there, but the way in which he explains them - with the stories and the humor and the compassion - it's just incredible. I found myself captivated by his style and message during his presentation and the same thing happened reading the book. It's just full of wonderful ideas that you can immediately apply to your personal and professional life. I am buying a copy for every member of our customer service department. Whether you're a professional wanting to improve your organization, or an individual wanting to improve the relationships with those around you, this is the book! I highly, I mean HIGHLY recommend it!
Deming delivers!.......2007-05-19
This book reads more like a fast paced, New York Times best selling story, rather than a business book. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a business book. In fact, probably one of the best business books I've read in many years. But it doesn't read like one. It's fun, full of incredible ideas and processes, inspirational and incredibly transfomational. When reading this book, I felt like I was having a conversation with the author. That's how he writes. As if he's standing there having a one on one discussion with you. Because of Mr. Deming's ideas and unique processes, I have already changed the way I approach situations and relationships, both personally and professionally.
My favorite chapter is chapter eight. This is where he teaches the reader how to truly understand their own brand. No faking, no veneer as he puts it. No pushing hot buttons to make a sale. Just understanding who you are and then creating sincere and unique interactions with those around you. This in turn will get people to trust you forever and become your evangelists. I also love his take on the ripple effect. As he writes "Your actions generate far reaching ripples." He tells about the real effects of our actions, both positive and negative, then he gets into a true story about Sears that is both eye opening and absolutely hilarious!
This book is going in every office in our organization. It's a fast read and one you'll want to read over and over again. I highly recommend this book to anyone with the sincere desire to improve their personal and professional image. Or as Mr. Deming puts it- your Brand.
Deming's book is a blue print for creating customers for life!.......2007-05-17
Deming's message is a must read for anyone who has competition. How do we make our competition irrelevant? How do we create customers for life? The Brand Who Cried "Wolf" delivers a proven and effective approach to develop lifelong customer relationships. If you want to create a leadership position in this experience economy -you must read and re-read this book and then act on the wisdom Deming skillfully presents!
Chandler
Customer Reviews:
Nothing more to say...other than this book is great!.......2002-09-19
The other reviews here sum up this book nicely. It is very insightful and great to read. Highly recommended.
learn from the best.......2002-07-11
"Uncommon Practice is the book that lets you hear about the essence of business success straight from the horse's mouth. "
Phil Dourado, Editorial Director, eCustomerServiceWorld.com
In an increasingly crowded market place, there are certain companies that really stand out from their competitors - companies like Tesco, PizzaExpress, Virgin, easyGroup, First Direct, Harley Davidson, Krispy Kreme and Pret A Manger.
This new book by Interbrand and Forum, demonstrates, through interviews with key executives from these and other leading companies, how they provide remarkable experiences for their customers and staff alike. The premise behind Uncommon Practice is that that this success stems from their distinctive cultures uniquely developed to meet the needs of customers. The companies featured have defied conventional wisdom and broken the traditional rules of management to engender exceptional levels of commitment from their people, who, united behind a clear brand vision, translate their belief in the company into exceptional customer service.
Editors Andy Milligan and Shaun Smith have taken care to let the voice of the organisation speak for itself. Uncommon Practice is not a `how to...' book, and does not provide a `quick-fix' list of invariable rules for success. The editors do however provide insight into the core principles and practices that the leading companies featured share but which are uncommon in many organisations today.
Uncommon Practice explores the creation of outstanding brand experiences delivered through people, illuminated with interviews with senior executives and front-line managers.
Critical to the success of these brands is the way they treat their own people. Open management, share ownership, training and appraisals are common benefits, but can you guess which company has an empty seat policy on the company jet, keeps a fleet of yachts, has a monthly beer bus, gives an employee the Bentley for the weekend or awards Tiffany stars? Through a series of interviews with key executives, Uncommon Practice gives an insight into how certain companies have become so successful by providing remarkable experiences for their customers and staff alike.
Book Description
In Breakaway, entrepreneurial businessman Charles Fred presents a revolutionary performance model that helps your company break away from the competition. He offers a new approach to organizational learning that will dramatically speed up the learning process and help any company save on their two most valuable resources-time and money. Breakaway provides the critical information you need for hastening the moment when each worker in your organization can convert knowledge into action to provide value to the customer, and increase the bottom line.
Customer Reviews:
Breakaway is a must read!.......2003-04-05
Breakaway is a must-read book for anyone in the corporate world who has responsibility for human resources, employee development, sales and marketing management, and for top corporate executives.
The main theme of the book is that in order to break away from the competition in today's ever-changing economy, an organization must effectively develop employees to deliver value to the customer faster than the competition does. After analyzing how organizations currently train employees and the deficiencies associated with this type of training, Fred goes on to define a new method for bringing employees to proficiency faster and more successfully than traditional training methods.
The first several chapters of the book document a new model for human performance and the three rules for accomplishing peak performance. The first rule - Establish a proficiency threshold - describes how to determine the point at which an employee is equipped to deliver the promised value to customers quickly. Fred clearly describes the questions that managers must ask in order to define the proficiency threshold and discusses the relationship of the proficiency threshold and the value chain.
The second rule - Accelerate the accumulation of experience - includes a discussion of how people really learn, describes the four phases of learning, discusses how traditional training methods leave the accumulation of experience to chance, and how to manage the accumulation of learning. Using an example of training copper splicers to become fiber optic cable splicers, Fred demonstrates how to successfully manage the accumulation of experience in relation to training.
The third rule - Measure the cycle time to threshold proficiency - describes the metrics used to measure the how fast an employee can be trained to arrive at the proficiency threshold. Fred goes into some detail on how to measure the overall proficiency of the organization, and redefines the learning curve as the proficiency curve.
In the last half of the book, Fred describes how to "put it all together". Recognizing that no two companies are the same, Fred compares and contrasts the styles of two very different companies. What emerges is that there is no set of rules for achieving organizational proficiency, rather there are a set of key concepts that managers must be aware of in designing fast, effective, successful development programs.
In summary, this book is very readable, indeed it is designed "...for the business leader, to be read in the time it takes to fly from Chicago to San Francisco or Denver to Miami." True to one of the key concepts, the book is clear, concise and to the point.
About the author:
Charles L. Fred is a thought leader in performance improvement and an expert in learning speed. He is the founder and CEO of The Breakaway Group, which provides seminars and workshops to teach the concepts described in Breakaway. Formerly the CEO of Avaltus, a leading provider of e-learning services, he has also directed major change efforts in both the manufacturing and service industries, has consulted to successful companies around the globe, and has been a frequent speaker to major business forums and groups of senior executives over the past twenty years. Once a nationally ranked NCAA track athlete, he continues to compete in corporate races across the country. He lives in Centennial, Colorado, with his wife, Julie, and their three teenage children.
Review by Richard D. Turnquist.
If you only have time for one book this year, read this one........2002-09-21
What has really changed in our world in the last two decades? Time has sped up and surpassed all the other busienss variables in importance. These days time is more important than money.
To win in business, you must break away from the pack and stay ahead by serving your customers extraordinarily well. "Speed-to-proficiency is more than a theoretical advantage; it is the most devastating competitive weapon in a world where the competitive forces of scale, automation, and capital are subordinate to the power of a proficient work force."
I enjoyed this book, right from the first sentence -- "This book is designed for the business reader, to be read in the time it takes to fly from Chicago to San Francisco or Denver to Miami." Breakaway is an easy read with a vital message. Read it.
Excellent Book!.......2002-09-03
Breakway was clearly written by an author who has been in the trenches, growing a company and working with people. From its elegant organization to its intuitive set of theories Breakaway reinforces what we all know to be true - that a principled approach to business will achieve the best results. This book should be on every business person's must-read list.
D. K. Luraas.......2002-08-27
Breakaway is a refreshing, common sense book that provides fresh, new ideas about performance improvement, and the value of employees. This book describes how important a competitive edge is in today's market place, and provides the tools to help you succeed!
Breakaway.......2002-08-22
Breakaway lives up to its promise (and premise) of delivering value and expertise fast and clean. No-nonsense, practical, with suggestions of surgical precision to guide organizational transformations.
Don A. Johnson
Principal,
The Clarity Group, Inc.
Book Description
This edition will address critical changes in marketing concepts and strategy, and shed light on what must be done now to remain competitive in a customer-focused, market-driven economy.
* In addition to bringing each chapter up-to-date, this new edition will add numerous current topics such as branding, marketing strategy implementation, sales force deployment, value delivery database marketing, CRM, the rise of both outsourcing and strategic alliances, the challenges of globalization and e-commerce, and the lessons learned from the dot-com debacle.
Average customer rating:
|
How to Really Deliver Superior Customer Service
Manufacturer: Inc Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Customer Service
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Entrepreneurship
| Small Business & Entrepreneurship
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1880394286 |
Book Description
Learn from the successful customer service strategies of nationally recognized companies like Intuit and Dell Computers.
Book Description
For two hundred years the volunteer fire service has motivated teams, developed leaders, and managed quality, all without spending a dime.
This book uncovers the ten secrets of how they do this and shows you how to apply these principles to your business.
If you have ever looked for “best practices” for motivating employees and insuring customer satisfaction, look no further. We will show you how to light a fire under your organization and have it Burning for Success.
Amazon.com
The Horizontal Organization, by institutional-change specialist Frank Ostroff, is a blueprint for the future development of public and private infrastructures that have outgrown the vertical, or "top-down," hierarchy that has been standard in the business community since the onset of the Industrial Revolution. "It is increasingly apparent that the long-favored vertical model is, by itself, no longer capable of meeting all the different needs of business," Ostroff writes. "It has been rendered inadequate for today's demanding competitive, technological, and workforce environments by its inherent shortcomings." The time is therefore right, he continues, completely to overhaul this outdated corporate structure and prepare for the next 50 years as some major establishments--such as Ford Motor Company's Customer Service Division, Xerox, and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)--already have done. Through well-reasoned arguments and the help of these and other real-world examples, Ostroff convincingly shows how his concepts might be employed to eliminate bureaucracy, improve productivity, and solve common long-term organizational problems. And by presenting the entire picture where only small pieces have previously been revealed, he makes a compelling case for radical change in the corporate world as well as in the public sector and non-profit universe. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
The vertical/functional hierarchy has been the mainstay of business since the industrial revolution. But it has its problems. In fact, the vertical design all but guarantees fragmented tasks, overspecialization, fiefdoms, turf wars, the urge to control from the top--all the negatives that foster organizational paralysis. In The Horizontal Organization, Frank Ostroff provides executives with the first truly viable alternative to the age-old vertical alignment. Indeed, he offers nothing less than the first full view of what the organization of the future looks like and how it works. The concept of horizontal organization has been hailed in Fortune as "a model corporation for the next fifty years" and in a Business Week cover story as "the real thing." But until now, management books have offered only piecemeal accounts of what the organization of the future might look like. Ostroff, a key developer of the concept of the horizontal organization, offers the first workable road map. He describes what the horizontal organization is, what it looks like, why it is important, how it helps improve performance, where it is appropriate, and how to develop it. The book contains real case examples that show how major international corporations (and one federal agency) have used Ostroff's concepts to meet their competitive goals. For instance, we see how Ford Motor Company's Customer Service Division turned to the horizontal organization to meet a highly ambitious goal--to get the customer's car fixed right, on time, the first time, at a competitive price, in convenient locations. We see how a horizontal design radically improved the performance of OSHA (the federal agency that oversees occupational safety), transforming it from a bureaucratic enforcer of regulations to a proactive problem-solver in a concerted effort to improve working conditions and save lives. And we see how Xerox combined both vertical and horizontal designs successfully, a case that underscores when a firm can best use the horizontal organization to achieve their goals. Ostroff also looks at a General Electric plant in North Carolina, Motorola's Space and Systems Technology Group, and the home finance division of Barclays Bank, highlighting how these major corporations have also used the horizontal organization to radically improve productivity. Many successful business books, such as Reengineering the Corporation and Beyond Reengineering, have given managers only a piece of the puzzle. Ostroff gives us the complete picture. The Horizontal Organization offers the first usable roadmap to the twenty-first-century firm. It is a book everyone who desires to radically improve the performance of their organization will want to read.
Customer Reviews:
A How-to manual for Change Managers.......2006-03-04
The author sees the tradition vertical structure of business as an outdated structure from the industrial era. This book pushes the horizontal organization. The horizontal organization does not divide the company into departments. Instead, it groups people and work across core processes. These core processes all work together to create and deliver something of value to the customers.
This new structure is supposed to flatten hierarchies, integrate many tasks into a few processes, and focuses all employees on what the customer needs, not what their department needs. The author demonstrates this through the use of case studies that include companies such as Ford, and government agencies such as US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These case studies coupled with a discussion of the new structure combine to form a how-to manual for change managers, showing how companies can design and implement the right structure.
The author offers twelve principles to achieve this goal:
1. Organize across cross-functional core processes
2. Install process owners
3. Make teams
4. Integrate with customers and suppliers
5. Decrease hierarchy by eliminating non value-added-work and by giving team members the authority to make decisions
6. Build a culture of openness, cooperation and collaboration.
7. Empower employees by giving them tools, skills, motivation, and the authority they need.
8. Use information technology to help people reach performance objectives and deliver the value proposition to the customer
9. Measure the results
10. Redesign as necessary
11. Emphasize multiple competencies and train people to handle problems in cross-functional areas
12. Promote multiple-skilling, the ability to think creatively and respond flexibly to challenges that arise in the work that teams do.
A Solid Effort!.......2001-05-30
The horizontal organization is a more appropriate model for the knowledge age, according to author Frank Ostroff, who says companies increasingly find this structure more effective. He emphasizes the need to start with an understanding of your organization's core competencies and to develop a horizontal structure from there. Ostroff claims this is the first model of this approach, but it is not. In fact, his fairly academic book advances a trend that is already well documented. Horizontal organizations have been covered in numerous other books, which, like this one, promote more decentralized, downsized, team-oriented organizations with empowered workers. Despite a leaden, pedantic writing style, Ostroff distinguishes his theoretical discussion with several detailed examples of how the horizontal organization works and how you can apply it to your company. We ... recommend this book primarily to academics, who may enjoy its theoretical nature.
Enlightened Speculation.......2000-11-19
The subtitle promises that Ostroff will explain "what the organization of the future actually looks like and how it delivers value to customers." It is more accurate to say that Ostroff suggests what that organization will probably look like...and how it will probably deliver value to customers. Specifically, what he calls the Horizontal Organization "organizes around core process groups. All the people who work on a core process are brought together into a group that can easily coordinate its efforts and maximize the value of of what it delivers to customers." It differs from other models in that it is more comprehensive by incorporating "elements of some of the existing concepts, such as process reengineering, individual empowerment, and teams. But it goes beyond them by providing an overall framework for the organization that integrates and makes use of the best of these ideas in a new structure that has been proved in practice." So, Ostroff's intention is to help his reader understand what the Horizontal Organization is, how it works, how it can be developed, and how to decide where it can be effectively employed in any organization.
I rate this book so highly, not because it provides THE answers but because Ostroff asks what I consider to be the important questions as all of us proceed into an uncertain future. There are so many paradigm shifts occurring simultaneously. Words such as "organization" and "customer" seem to be redefined constantly, as are the concepts of "leader" and "manager" as well as "core business" and "competitive marketplace." Of course, despite what his book's subtitle suggests, Ostroff is well aware of all this. He thinks clearly, writes well, and in his concluding remarks indicates a proper respect for "buy in" throughout any organization., asserting that "the change effort itself and the new organization born from the old must have full top-down, bottom-up, cross-functional commitment. If done right, the integration of the fundamental principles of the horizontal organization will inspire the people in your organization, supercharge their performance, and create a winning value proposition that lifts your organization far above the competition."
Nothing New Here.......2000-04-21
The Horizontal Organization by Frank Ostroff is well written and an easy read. Its main draw back is that the author is claims that he is presenting something new when in fact it is not. The concept outlined in his book and the design principles for the horizontal organization are nothing but a "dumbed" down version of basic industrial engineering principles that has been espoused for years. The concept of organizing around business processes and with cross-functional teams has been discribed in various books by industrial engineers for years, espesially in the area of socio-technical systems design theory. The book is good in that it gives managers, with business major degrees, a good introduction to a sound organizational design theory. Any manager with an industrial or systems engineering degree will already be aware of these principles for organizational design to a far greater extent than the author.
Very helpful perspective.......1999-11-25
This is an excellent book with a forward-looking perspective. I found it useful to read RESPONSIBLE MANAGERS GET RESULTS, by Faust, el al, at the same time. The responsibility piece is important to the kind of horizontal organization Orstroff depicts in this book.
Average customer rating:
|
Next-Step Selling: A New Approach to Create and Deliver Value for Your Customer
John Barker
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Customer Service
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Life
| Insurance
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Advertising
| Marketing & Sales
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sales & Selling
| Marketing & Sales
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1740096231 |
Book Description
A must for every sales professional,
Next-Step Selling explains how to sell complex goods and services to today's savvy customer
- Provides a clear and realistic diagnostic tool for complex selling that may be applied to the majority of sales environments.
- Teaches the salesperson how to sell not only the product, but the organization and themselves.
- Shows how to differentiate a product from the multitude of competitors by tangible 'separation factors'.
Relevant to today's complex sales environment, where the customers are more knowledgeable, aware and demand the best value for their money,
Next-Step Selling provides a clear, workable and realistic diagnostic tool that may be applied to the majority of sales environments and products, goods or services. In today's cost sensitive business environment, retaining and nurturing existing customer relationships is more effective than focusing energies on gaining new customers, so complex selling is more critical. John Barker teaches the salesperson how to sell, not only the product, but also the organization and themselves and illustrates how to differentiate a product from the multitude of competitors by intangible 'separation factors'. The book is divided into three key sections and provides a workable view of the 'Next-Step' selling technique. The first section offers a new approach to selling while the second section covers the nine key sales elements (planning, prospecting, relationship, needs, positioning, follow-up, barriers, closing and negotiation). The final section covers bringing the process to life with essential sales skills.
John Barker is a partner in DTS International, a corporate communications consultancy and is a high profile speaker, participating in seminars about communication and negotiation skills, conflict resolution, team dynamics, sales skills and customer relationships.
Books:
- Service Support (It Infrastructure Library Series)
- Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas
- Spanish FSI Basic Course Platiquemos Version Vol 1 (8 CD's and Book)
- SPIN Selling
- SPIN Selling
- Statistical Modeling and Analysis for Database Marketing: Effective Techniques for Mining Big Data
- Stumbling on Happiness
- Survey Research Handbook (Paperback)
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
- The Best Friends Staff: Building a Culture of Care in Alzheimer's Programs
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Distressed Debt Analysis: Strategies for Speculative Investors
- The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy: Or everything your doctor won't tell you
- Improvising Violin
- Mad Reader Book 1
- Pattern Classification
- The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot
- Rick Steves' Croatia and Slovenia 2007
- College Accounting: A Practical Approach, Chapters 1-15
- Market Socialism: The Debate Among Socialist
- International Agreements to Protect the Environment and Wildlife
Service Magic: The Art of Amazing Your Customers
Be Nice (Or Else!): and what's in it for you
Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the Customer's Expectation
Customer Service Training 101: Quick and Easy Techniques That Get Great Results
Super Service: Seven Keys to Delivering Great Customer Service...Even When You Don't Feel Like It!...Even When They Don't Deserve It!
![The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0374292795.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)