Take Your Turn!
If you spend much time around me these days, you’re bound to hear this phrase: Take Your Turn! The concept is one of personal accountability; it’s about you and what drives you. I owe this latest inspiration to Seth Godin, a favorite author of Linchpin; his latest work is titled What To Do When It’s […]
Two Options
If you want to know what your client cares most about, you have two options: Guess. Ask Them. You might think you already know, because you’ve been working with them for some period of time and things seem to be going rather well. After all, there is a service agreement in place and we both […]
Guesswork?
If you’re a contestant in a game show, guesswork might be acceptable. After all, part of the objective of the TV producers is to prey upon surprise, disappointment and occasionally exuberance. Since the outcome is simply a matter of chance, who can possibly be responsible for what happens? When it comes to the world of […]
Manage the When
We live in an instant world. As consumers, we’re accustomed to instant gratification. You can find myriad products and services online, swiftly do your research, and buy them right now. “Amazon” offers a world full of possibilities with “1-Click Ordering” and even the online auction “eBay” offers a “Buy it Now!” button. In the world […]
Culture in the Cockpit
I just had one of those fabulous “dream client” experiences that make it all worthwhile. It was the sort of interaction where you hear that they not only love your work, but they use words like “strategic partner” during the conversation and openly discuss their Vision for the future. When you’re in the business of […]
Ask!
If you don’t ask, who will? What’s the price of remaining silent? Will you miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime? The world is a busy place and its not going to slow down to figure out what you want. It’s up to you to use your voice and to ask about the things […]
Do YOu Speak Accounting?
Accounting is the language of business. Without at least a conversational knowledge of the language, it’s like visiting a foreign country and being unable to communicate.If your job is in the Accounting Group, you obviously need more than a conversational knowledge. Becoming fully fluent enables a person to progress and handle more complicated analysis and […]
It’s Different Here
I’ve heard that a lot lately. In fact, I’ve heard it all across the Southeast, in every corner of our business. If you drill down into what that comment really means, however, you discover something “different” altogether. In fact, the more things are declared different, in reality the more they are the same.Sure, regions differ, properties […]
Who is Telling Your Company’s Story? [Guest Post]
I am pleased to introduce you to Joseph Barnes, Austin Outdoor’s new Marketing Manager. In this article, he describes what it takes to win the right to tell our story to clients. Not too long ago, this was an easy question to answer. Companies spent billions of dollars a year in traditional advertising so that they could […]
Shoot Straight
If you want to hit the target, it pays to shoot straight! It minimizes the ammunition you need to accomplish your objective and drastically reduces the risk of collateral damage. While that is obvious advice for a marksman, it also applies to the world of business and customer service.In business there are two broad target […]