A manufacturer called my company, LaBov & Beyond Marketing Communications and Training with a need: his industry is down 50%. They feel they need to focus on the customer experience ASAP.
Makes sense. Except, why now? Why haven't you been focusing on the customer? And, since you have less customers than ever, don't you think you also need to focus on bringing more of them into the dealerships?
Extraordinary customer service would've helped them get through the downturn, for sure, but now, that's just one area to focus on. They have bigger problems, like drumming up business right now. Otherwise, a new approach to customers will be wasted energy.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Flogging
I was speaking with the CEO, President of a huge manufacturing company. He was preparing to talk to dealers and apologize for his company's terrible performance in a particular area. He was very heartfelt in his embarrassment and said he was going to let the dealers know how bad they've been, and hopefully they'd accept his apology.
As I listened, it occurred to me that it is great to take responsibility, that's a sign of leadership. But, it's critical to have perspective, to be accurate. The shortcoming his company had was a commonplace problem in the industry, all the competitors fell short in that area, too. While it was not okay to dismiss their performance, it was also a potentially big mistake for him to publicly flog his company. Why?
Because by taking the position that his company failed, he would give the dealers positioning that was unwarranted, that might allow them to take advantage of his company and in the long run, hurt business both for the dealers and the manufacturer.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
As I listened, it occurred to me that it is great to take responsibility, that's a sign of leadership. But, it's critical to have perspective, to be accurate. The shortcoming his company had was a commonplace problem in the industry, all the competitors fell short in that area, too. While it was not okay to dismiss their performance, it was also a potentially big mistake for him to publicly flog his company. Why?
Because by taking the position that his company failed, he would give the dealers positioning that was unwarranted, that might allow them to take advantage of his company and in the long run, hurt business both for the dealers and the manufacturer.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Thursday, September 1, 2011
What if they threw a recession and no one came?
Just like the book from a long time ago: What If They Threw A War and No One Came, what if we didn't know that we were supposed to be in the middle of a downturn? Would we invest, hire, grow and progress?
I know an RV dealer that is having the greatest year in their decades-long history. They merely invested and focused themselves as if this were a boom economy. They can't keep up the pace, there's simply too much business. Their competitors are weeping and gnashing their teeth as they cut back and prepare their Business Stinks speeches for their commiseration discussions with other dealers.
All while the frustrated dealers are cutting back and complaining, the booming RV dealer is hiring top people from those dealers.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
I know an RV dealer that is having the greatest year in their decades-long history. They merely invested and focused themselves as if this were a boom economy. They can't keep up the pace, there's simply too much business. Their competitors are weeping and gnashing their teeth as they cut back and prepare their Business Stinks speeches for their commiseration discussions with other dealers.
All while the frustrated dealers are cutting back and complaining, the booming RV dealer is hiring top people from those dealers.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
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