A five-step strategy for turning a commodity into a necessity
When products and services become interchangeable, price becomes
the ultimate determinant for consumers. Indispensable shows
businesses how to break out of that cycle by using The Five
Drivers-a strategy that takes companies to the next level of
performance. Renowned business consultant Joe Calloway looks at how
real companies have made their product or service "mission
critical," and satisfied customers in the process.
Indispensable goes straight to the heart of the issue and reveals
how successful companies-of any size, in virtually any
manufacturing, selling, or service endeavor-achieve market
leadership through The Five Drivers of fierce customer loyalty.
Indispensable shows readers how to:
* Create and sustain momentum: overcome organizational inertia and
keep moving forward
* Develop habitual dependability: make consistency of performance a
defining characteristic
* Connect continuously
* See the Big Picture Outcome: create compelling customer
experiences
* Engage, Enchant, Enthrall: make magic in the marketplace
With interviews, detailed case studies, and dozens of real-world,
effective customer service ideas and initiatives, Indispensable is
just what today's forward-thinking businesses need.
Autorentext
JOE CALLOWAY is a consultant on branding and competitive positioning whose client list reads like a Who's Who in business—from newspapers in Sweden, hotels in Great Britain, and computer companies in South Africa to world brands like BMW and American Express. He speaks frequently on business trends, and has been inducted into the International Speaker's Hall of Fame. He owns an award-winning restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife, Annette, and daughter, Jess. He is also the author of Becoming a Category of One, from Wiley.
Klappentext
Praise for 1ndispensable
"I loved this book. Joe continues to teach a practical and powerful road map for a company's success through personal connecting and service. Read this book and become truly indispensable to your customers."
—Fred Wilson Chairman and CEO, Saks Fifth Avenue
"If your key customers don't think of you as indispensable, they should. In his latest straight-talking book, Joe Calloway tells you why that is true and teaches you what you need to know to make it happen."
—Larry Morse President, Quill Corporation
"I hate business books. . . too many graphs, studies, and analysis. They make me work. They make me have to figure out how the information will help me. Not this book. Joe has already done the work so I don't have to. Joe tells me great stories of real companies full of real people that entertain me while I learn the lesson. He gives me understandable, easy-to-implement lessons that I know I can do. I hate business books, but I LOVE this one."
—Larry Winget Author of Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life
"If you want to run a truly superior business, this book is practical, sensible, down- to-earth advice on providing customer service that will simply separate you from the competition."
—Joe Scarlett Chairman of the Board, Tractor Supply Company
"Joe Calloway has provided us with another gift—Indispensable. In his book, he takes us on the journey of companies that every day maintain their focus on an ever-ascending, ever-improving path. The journey never ends, but far from discouraging, Joe's book only adds to the joy and glory of the climb. This is a gift that should be opened and shared and provides a lifetime of opportunities for us all."
—Marti Eulberg Executive Vice President, Sales Operations Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
Zusammenfassung
A five-step strategy for turning a commodity into a necessity
When products and services become interchangeable, price becomes the ultimate determinant for consumers. Indispensable shows businesses how to break out of that cycle by using The Five Drivers-a strategy that takes companies to the next level of performance. Renowned business consultant Joe Calloway looks at how real companies have made their product or service "mission critical," and satisfied customers in the process.
Indispensable goes straight to the heart of the issue and reveals how successful companies-of any size, in virtually any manufacturing, selling, or service endeavor-achieve market leadership through The Five Drivers of fierce customer loyalty. Indispensable shows readers how to:
* Create and sustain momentum: overcome organizational inertia and keep moving forward
* Develop habitual dependability: make consistency of performance a defining characteristic
* Connect continuously
* See the Big Picture Outcome: create compelling customer experiences
* Engage, Enchant, Enthrall: make magic in the marketplace
With interviews, detailed case studies, and dozens of real-world, effective customer service ideas and initiatives, Indispensable is just what today's forward-thinking businesses need.
Inhalt
Preface ix
1 The Default Choice 1
2 The Five Drivers 11
3 Case Study: Deluxe 27
4 Back to the Six New Basics 51
5 Case Study: W Hotels 67
6 Create Community 77
7 Case Study: Gitomer 87
8 Obvious but Often Overlooked 97
9 Right PlaceRight Time 113
10 Case Study: The Pancake Pantry 125
11 Big Picture Outcome 133
12 Twenty-Eight Indispensable Lessons 145
13 Case Study: Pinnacle Financial Partners 169
14 Repeatable Process 179
15 Stop ApologizingStart Doing Your Job 189
16 Case Study: LawTalk 197
17 The Customer Decides 203
Index 221