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February 2007

RELATIONSHIPS | RESOURCES | RESULTS

Creating LoyalEmployees

Focus...

RewardProgramsCreating LoyalEmployees

Focus...

RewardPrograms

Al Ries &

Laura Ries

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ASI l 95280 W l www.warwickpublishing.com Contact your local Promotional Products Distributor

make a date with success!

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FO U R S O M E 2007

P R E S E N T S . . .

TH E PE R F E C T

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4 Brilliant Results | February 2007 www.brilliantpublishing.com

CREATING LOYAL EMPLOYEES 14When it comes to employee loyalty, the bottom

line is, it’s all about you. Learn what you can do to create a loyal staff.

By: David Javitch, PhD

POWER UP PERFORMANCE 18For business leaders in companies of all sizes, the

writing is on the wall: You can make and savemoney by keeping employees engaged. Read these

9 management tips and keep your employees By JoAnna Brandi

REWARD PROGRAMS: REWARDINGCUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES WILL

HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW 2280% of clients indicated they do more business

with companies because of reward programs.Discover how to set up successful,

self-liquidating programs.By Arnold H. Light, CTC

THE PERSIAN FLAW 26An interesting reminder that we all make

mistakes and how those mistakes are handledcan significantly impact employee morale.

By: Barton Goldsmith, PhD

BUILDING LOYALTY AND CUSTOMERRETENTION FOR UNDER A DOLLAR 32It may sound old fashion but before you finish

this humorous article you may just be convinced that writing more thank you letterswill improve your customer retention figures.

By: Jeffrey Dobkin

Contents

8 22

32

columns

COVER STORY 8FOCUS

Our interview with Al Ries, legendary marketing strategist and the bestselling author (or co-author)of 11 books on marketing, and Laura Ries, President of Ries & Ries and co-author with Al of 4 best

sellers gives our readers marketing and branding advice without equal.

TMbrilliant resultsVol. 4, No. 02

features

departments

MOTIVATING YOUR EMPLOYEES THROUGH ACCEPTANCE 40

Business success comes with a price; the price can bethat of self-learning and improvement or the price ofcontinual turnover, a turnstile of employees. Find out

how can you validate and what type of validation is best.By Ed Rigsbee, CSP

IS YOUR EXHIBIT PROGRAM LIVING UP TO ITS POTENTIAL? 44

Are you getting stellar results for your exhibit programor are your results suffering from a lackluster malaise

due to complacency? Do you even know the results youare getting? These six tips could be just the answer.

By: Barry Siskind

HELP WANTED: HOW TO WRITEAN EFFECTIVE JOB AD 28To keep your team well stocked

with the best marketing talent, it isessential that you write compelling

job advertisements when employmentopportunities arise, these tips will help

you accomplish that mission.By: The Creative Group

IT’S ALL PERSONAL 30Add Distributors and Suppliers to yourteam and increase your winning score.

By: Dave Ribble

SUCCESS STORIES 36Brilliant Results presents real

world stories from promotional andincentive winners.

BOOK REVIEWS 46Brilliant Results reviews three books

for your consideration.

PUBLISHER’S LETTER 6

ADVERTISING INDEX 48Get FREE information from

this month’s advertisers

OFF THE CUFF 49Quotes & Motivation-Communication Trivia

THE LAST WORD 50Brilliant Results discusses Frederick F.

Reichheld’s best selling book Loyalty Rules!How Today’s Leaders Build Lasting

Relationships. Mr. Reichheld makes a firmcase for loyalty being an important key tosuccess in today’s economy and gives us

his 6 Principles of Loyalty.

BR0207_Section01.qxl 2/1/07 2:31 PM Page 4

BR0107_Section03 1/1/07 10:54 PM Page 23

9034 Joyce LaneHummelstown, PA 17036

Ph: 717.608.5869Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISINGMaureen Williams-Berman

[email protected]

Account ExecutiveJan Kellogg

EDITORIALEditor in Chief

MaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorsMichelle Donofry, Pierce Roberts

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMildred Landis

Contributing WritersJoAnna Brandi, The Creative Group, Jeffrey Dobkin,

Barton Goldsmith, PhD, David G. Javitch, PhD, Arnold H.Light, CTC, Dave Ribble, Ed Rigsbee, CSP, Barry Siskind

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt Director

Percy Zamora

Brilliant Results is published monthly by Brilliant PublishingLLC, 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717) 608-5869;Fax# (717) 566-5431. Postage paid at Mechanicsburg PA andadditional offices. POSTMASTER please send address changesto Brilliant Results, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA 17036.Volume 4. Number 2. Brilliant Results subscription rates: one-year $120; Canadian $160 USD; one-year foreign $225 USD. Allsubscriptions are non-refundable. Copyright © 2007 BrilliantPublishing LLC. All rights reserved. The publisher reserves theright to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material.Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibility forany claims against the publisher based on the advertisement.Editorial contributors assume responsibility for their publishedworks and assume responsibility for any claims against the pub-lisher based on published work. No part of this publication canbe reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means,including information storage and retrieval systems, withoutwritten permission from the publisher. All items submitted toBrilliant Results become the sole property of Brilliant PublishingLLC. Editorial content does not reflect the views of the publisher.The imprints, logos, trademarks or trade names (Collectively the“Marks”) displayed on the products featured in Brilliant Resultsare for illustrative purposes only and are not available for sale.The marks do not represent the implied or actual endorsementby the owners of the Marks of the product on which they appear.All of the Marks are the property of the respective owners and isnot the property of either the advertisers using the Marks orBrilliant Results.


Publisher’s LetterTM


brilliant resultsbrilliant results

262467

LOYALTY - Is it an old fashion concept or a new economy

requirement for success? If you need it, how do you get

it? In this issue, Brilliant Results explored this core con-

cept from beginning to end. We started where success

begins at marketing and branding. To get the best road

map for navigating these challenging waters we spoke

with marketing legends, Al Ries and Laura Ries. If you

are searching for a proven path to successful marketing

and branding you must read our Focus Interview with these inspired leaders.

After you have a successful brand and a winning marketing plan, how do

you get everyone on board? To find answers to that question, checkout

Creating Loyal Employees, Power Up Performance, and Motivating Your

Employees Through Acceptance. If your problem is customer retention, look

no farther than Reward Programs: Rewarding Customers and Employees Will

Help Your Business Grow or the more humorous take on this problem in

Building Loyalty and Customer Retention for Under a Dollar. The Persian

Flaw reminds us that we all make mistakes and how we deal with the

mistakes of others definitely affects workplace morale.

If you still have doubts about the value of loyalty, then our Last Word

the Loyalty Rules author Frederick F. Reichheld should seal the deal. When

you consider the costs of new customer acquisition and hiring new employ-

ees, you cannot but agree that loyalty or the lack thereof goes right to the

bottom line.

So loyal readers, relax, sit back and enjoy another relevant, informative

issue of Brilliant Results and remember to

Have A Brilliant Day,

Maureen Berman

Publisher

[email protected]

541-788-5022

Brill492


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EVERY MONTH BRILLIANT RESULTS strives tobring our readers interviews and articles byexperts dealing with that month’s focus topic. Ourfocus this month is motivation and building loyal-ty, with a number of articles laser focused on thosesubjects. However, the more we thought aboutthese issues, the more we realized that the root ofall lasting motivation and loyalty is the successfulmarketing of a winning brand. Google®, recentlyselected as the #1 Best Company to Work For, iscertainly a model of the idea that successful brandmarketing creates motivated, loyal employees aswell as clients. With that in mind, Brilliant Resultssought out the country’s leading marketing andbranding gurus. Al Ries is chairman of Ries & Ries,an Atlanta-based marketing strategy firm that heruns with his daughter Laura Ries.

Al is a legendary marketing strategist and thebestselling author (or co-author) of 11 books onmarketing including Positioning, MarketingWarfare, Focus, The 22 Immutable Laws ofBranding, The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PRand his latest The Origin of Brands.

In 1972, Al co-authored the now infamous three-part series of articles declaring the arrival of thePositioning era in Advertising Age magazine.The concept of positioning revolutionized the tradi-tional view of marketing as communication. Theseries made the point that successful brands arethose that are the first to find an open hole in themind and to fill the hole with their brandname…Kleenex in tissue…Hertz in rent-a-cars...Red Bull in energy drinks. When AdvertisingAge magazine choose the 75 most important admoments of the last 75 years to celebrate thepublication’s 75th anniversary, the emergence ofpositioning came in at number 56.

In 1994, Al started Ries & Ries with hisdaughter Laura a recent graduate ofNorthwestern University and TBWA advertisingaccount executive. Al & Laura continue to worktogether today consulting with Fortune 500companies, writing books and giving seminarsaround the world. In 1999, PR Week magazinenamed him one of the 100 most influential PRpeople of the 20th century.

FOCUS


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Always one for controversy, Al’s book, The Fall ofAdvertising & the Rise of PR, has generated enormousinterest in the marketing community, making boththe Business Week and The Wall Street Journalbestseller lists.

Al’s latest book, The Origin of Brands explores“divergence,” the best way to create a new brand,creating controversy of its own by debunking themyth of convergence. What works today in marketingis creating a new category by divergence, a conceptwhich is analogous to the creation of a new species,as pioneered by Charles Darwin in his classic bookon the subject.

Laura Ries is president of Ries & Ries andworking together with her father has consultedwith numerous Fortune 500 companies and topcompanies across the globe. They have alsoco-authored four books:

• The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding (1998)• The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding (2000)• The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR (2002)• The Origin of Brands (2004)

Like her father, Laura is one for controversy andtheir latest book, The Origin of Brands does that bydebunking the myth of convergence.

In 2002, Business 2.0 named Laura a “managementguru” and issued trading cards with her picture andstatistics on them. Laura has appeared on the Fox

News Channel, CNBC, ABC World News Tonightand CNN. She is a frequently quoted marketingexpert in the New York Times, The Wall StreetJournal, USA Today, Associated Press, AdvertisingAge and other publications.

This dynamic duo have been profiled in BusinessWeek, Marketing News, Advertising Age, The WallStreet Journal, Atlanta Journal-Constitution,Brandweek and countless other domestic and inter-national magazines and newspapers. Therefore, it iswith great pleasure that we present their commentson the subjects of successful marketing and branding.

BR: Would you give our readers some backgroundinformation about how you select topics and developbest-selling, insightful marketing and branding books?

Controversy makes news and news buildsbrands, including book brands. We try to find topicsthat are controversial, especially if our ideas andconcepts go against conventional wisdom. Forexample, we would never do a book on “customersatisfaction.” Who can argue that companiesshould not create a high degree of customer satisfactionfor their brands? There is no controversy in this andmany other marketing subjects.

Our latest book, The Origin of Brands, for exam-ple, is based on the concept of “divergence,” asubject that is almost totally ignored by the media.Actually, there have been a considerable number ofarticles on the opposite idea (“convergence”)



which is generally accepted tobe the wave of the future, espe-cially in high technology.

Divergence versus conver-gence…This is a classic case ofadvocating a concept that isthe opposite of conventionalwisdom. Does this approach neces-sarily lead to a best-selling book? Notalways, but at least it has a goodchance of generating publicity.

Without publicity, a book hasalmost no chance of becoming abest- seller.

BR: Based on your experience what are the mostimportant keys to a successful marketing campaign?

Focus. Unless a marketing campaign is based ona single idea or concept, it can’t possibly succeed.

Compare Ford with BMW. What’s a Ford? It’s alarge, small, cheap, expensive car or truck. It’s alsoa company and a product. Is it any wonder thatFord (the company) lost $12.7 billion last year?

What’s a BMW? It’s an “ultimate drivingmachine.” The brand is based on the concept thatBMW vehicles are fun to drive. This singular focusis responsible for BMW’s success. Today BMW out-sells Mercedes-Benz in worldwide sales. Last yearBMW reported record sales.

Our book, “Focus: TheFuture of Your CompanyDepends on It” explains theidea in more detail.

BR: You have indicated thatthe focus of a corporation is an

important part of the marketingparadigm. Would you explain

what you mean by this to our readers?

Consumers buy brands; theydon’t buy companies (unless they

are buying stock in a company.) Asa result, it’s important for a brand to be focused.

Corporations don’t necessarily need to befocused. Sometimes they can be enormouslysuccessful by having multiple focuses. For example,Procter & Gamble has many brands that individuallyare focused. The corporation, however, is not.

BR: In your early work, you developed the theoryof ‘positioning’. Why is this still an important busi-ness strategy, how does it work and how do youexplain the fact that the information in your booksremains timeless?

Before “positioning” was introduced, most compa-nies considered marketing to be “communications.”(It’s often called “marketing communications.”)



Our take on the situation was different. We feltthat very little communications actually takes place.Ask consumers, What’s a Rolex? The truth is thatmost people can’t tell you what’s inside a Rolex, howit’s made, how it’s different from the competition. Theonly thing that most people know about a Rolex is“It’s the best watch.”

In positioning terminology, Rolex “owns” theexpensive watch position. Can another watchbrand take that position away from Rolex? It’shighly unlikely.

Therefore, the name of the game is to find a dif-ferent position that you can own. In other words,you look for a “hole” in the prospect’s mind andthen become the first brand to file that hole.

Swatch, for example, became the first “fashion”watch.

Starbucks became the first “expensive” coffee. Ikeabecame the first furniture chain to specialize in“unassembled” furniture. Red Bull was the first “energy”drink. The iPod was the first “high-capacity” MP3 player.

“Own a word in the mind” became our mantrafor using positioning to build a powerful brand. Butyou can’t own somebody else’s word.

BR: As a result of your research, what have youfound are the new roles of PR and advertising? Howcan marketing executives implement this change toincrease the success ratio of their campaigns?

It used to be that you could build brands withadvertising alone. That’s not true today. There are

just too many products, too many companies, toomuch advertising.

Furthermore, consumers are distrustful ofadvertising today. They are unlikely to believewhat is said in an advertisement unless othersources have confirmed that information.

Launching a new brand with advertising is not agood idea. Why would a consumer read an adver-tisement about a new brand the consumer hasnever heard of? The general attitude is, it can’t beany good if I’ve never heard of it.

We find the best way to launch a new brand iswith PR or public relations. A media story has muchmore credibility than an advertisement.

Look at the way Apple introduced theiPhone…No advertising, but an awful lot offavorable PR.

Does that mean that advertising is obsolete?Not at all. Sooner or later, a brand loses its PRpotential. You won’t find many stories today aboutthe Apple iPod.

When a company runs out of PR potential for itsbrand, then the company should start an advertisingcampaign. Actually, we are big believers in massiveadvertising, but only after the brand has becomeestablished.

Too many companies spend too much moneylaunching brands with advertising when theyshould be using PR. On the other hand, mostcompanies don’t spend enough money advertisingtheir established brands.



BR: In your most recent book about the origin ofbrands, you discuss brand divergence and conver-gence. Would you explain what you mean by thisand give our readers your thoughts on the key ele-ments involved in successful branding?

Divergence is the key idea behind The Origin ofSpecies by Charles Darwin. In Darwin’s view, newspecies are created by divergence of an existingspecies. An ancient animal, the humanoid, forexample, diverged and created the gorilla, theorangutan, the chimpanzee and the human.

We see the same parallel in products. First,there was the “mainframe” computer. Then the computer diverged and today we have the“desktop” computer, the “laptop” computer, the“handheld” computer, the server and many othertypes of computers.

Has the computer converged with any otherproduct? Not that we know of.

For some reason, many companies and the mediahave fallen in love with the opposite concept, con-vergence. So today, companies are trying to put thecomputer together with the television set…The

Internet together with television (Interactive TV.)…The Internet together with the cell phone (smartphones.)… Etc.

It’s not an all or nothing-at-all situation. Willthere be some convergence? Sure. Some consumerswill want smart phones, which today representonly 8 percent of the market. But most consumersonly want a cell phone to make telephone calls.

It’s not only high tech. Many low-tech companiesare trying to launch convergence products…Beerwith caffeine, for example.

BR: Finally, I always ask our interviewees:Do you remember the last promotional merchandise

or incentive you received and the name of thecompany from whom you received it?

We both received a nylon backpack from asoftware company.

Laura and Al thank you for an interesting inter-view. For those readers seeking more informationabout Ries & Ries, please visit their website atwww.ries.com.



IN TODAY’S BUSINESS WORLD, loyalty is a verypowerful concept. Decades ago, most youngeremployees would stay on a job for several years ata time. Older employees would stay longer,especially if they were concerned about building acareer with that employer. But times have changed,and many employees, especially those in their 20sand 30s, don’t consider loyalty to an employer to beas important as it once was.

But what exactly does loyalty mean in a businesssetting? In its most basic sense, it’s the relationshipbetween an employer and an employee—anabstract, often unwritten contract in which theemployer agrees to provide the materials andresources the employee needs to get the job done,matched by the employee’s agreement to work atan optimal level to fulfill the goals of the company.Loyalty is really the glue that ties an employee to

their job, and that tie is a function of the respect andallegiance the entrepreneur attempts to develop intheir employees. When it comes right down to it,loyalty is a key reason many employees remain ontheir job.

But when either party to this contact fails to ful-fill their role, the contract that is hard to build in thefirst place gets broken. And then it’s extremely dif-ficult to rebuild the trust that existed between theemployee and the boss.

But why are loyal employees so important—evencritical—to the success of your business? Loyalstaffers help create a history and a culture of stabil-ity; people who have been around awhile know theroad, the rules and the “how it’s done around here.”Loyalty reduces costly turnover rates by eliminatingthe time needed to advertise for new hires, theninterview, screen and train them, and wait till they

Creating Loyal

EmployeesWhen it comes to employee loyalty, thebottom line is, it’s all about you. Here’swhat you can do to create a loyal staff.

BY DAVID JAVITCH


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“But why areloyal employeesso important—

even critical—tothe success of

your business?”


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get up to speed. Loyal employees are usually alsosatisfied, productive employees.

STEPS TO TAKE TO DEVELOP LOYAL EMPLOYEES

So how do you go about instilling loyalty in youremployees? Stephen Robbins, the author ofOrganizational Behavior, offers several ideas in hisbook. The important thing to remember is that it’sall about you—how you behave, how you treat youremployees, how you perform as a manager. While itwould be nice to think you’ll be able to hire peoplewho will be loyal and stay the course, it’s reallycomes down to their interactions with you, becauseyou are the company, and if they like and respectyou, chances are, you’ll have loyal employees.

First, you’ve got to prove you have what it takes toget the job done—you’ve got to be competent, or you’llget no respect. This means you need to show a highlevel of knowledge, skills, and ability when performingboth your operational and leadership functions. If youcan demonstrate that, your employees will come torespect you—a major step toward building loyalty.

But if an issue arises, in which you don’t havethe knowledge or skills to develop a solution, thenyou have to be honest about your lack of ability andseek input from others. If you make excuses orblame others for your lack of knowledge or for theproblem, loyalty will suffer.

And that leads us to the next step: You’ve got todemonstrate integrity in your actions and beliefs.This means you’ve got to be honest and trustwor-thy, especially in difficult situations where it wouldbe easier to blame someone else or deny involve-ment in a negative situation. When false blame or adenial occurs, employees quickly lose respect fortheir leader, and loyalty decreases.

You want your employees to look up to and beproud of you—and they’ll do that if you demon-strate your integrity. Loyal employees trust thattheir boss will be honest and truthful in their inter-actions, and that they can be relied on to take themoral high ground, especially in difficult situations.

You also need to behave consistently with yourstaff. When you do that, you’ll show your staff thatyou’re reliable and predictable, and that you usegood judgment. Workers who want to follow aleader can’t do so when they can’t rely on their bossor know their boss’s judgment is flawed.

“You want your employees to look up to and be proud of you—and they’lldo that if you demonstrate your integrity.”



Next, you need to display a willing-ness to protect your employees andhelp them save face. Your goal shouldnever be to embarrass an employee. Ifyou do manage to embarrass them,then you’re going to be the “bad guy”and the embarrassed employeebecomes the martyr in the eyes ofothers. This isn’t to say that youcan’t reprimand or correct anemployee’s behavior. On the con-trary—not doing so will lead otheremployees to believe that you haveno standards, and they’ll loserespect for you.

When you encounter an employeewho’s made a mistake or has had anerror in judgment, the boss whowants to build loyalty will correctthe errant behavior in a manner thatdoesn’t demean the employee, butrather helps them learn what theproblem was and how to correct it inthe future. Better yet, the boss whohelps their employee identify theissue before it becomes a problem orresults in an error will gain thatemployee’s appreciation, respectand loyalty.

Finally, when it comes to devel-oping a loyal workforce, it’s impor-tant that you be as open with youremployees as possible. Do you eas-ily share information and ideaswith your employees? Or do youwithhold key data from them?Clearly, there is some informationthat needs to be withheld fromemployees due to its sensitivenature. But short of that, the entre-preneur who openly shares appro-priate information that enablestheir employees to work produc-tively and efficiently will be seen asa trustworthy boss who deservesan employee’s loyalty.

As you can see, there’s a clear linkbetween what you do and how youdo it that can impact whether or notyour employees will respect you andfeel a sense of loyalty. By working todevelop that trait in your employees,

you’re most likely creating one of thestrongest factors in an effectiveemployee-employer relationship.

David G. Javitch, PhD is an organi-zational psychologist consulting toorganizations on employee and corpo-

rate assessment, coaching, training,and speaking engagements. In addi-tion to his national and internationalconsulting, he teaches graduateschool at Harvard University andBoston University. [email protected],www.javitch.com.


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ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED in theirwork, or are they estranged from your company’smission and their role in making it happen?Mounting evidence suggests that the moreengaged employees are in what they do, the bet-ter their performance and the higher the rewardsfor everyone. The key is to have managers whoare skilled at creating employee engagement.Customer Care Coach® publisher JoAnna Brandiexplains why this is important, and shares tipsfor giving employees what they need so thatthey’re willing to be and do their best.

Are your employees giving your company‘their all?’ Do they believe that what they’redoing is important? Do they feel appreciated? Dothey show up for work each day with passionand purpose?

A ‘red flag’ should go up if you answered “no”to any of those questions. Why? Managers who

aren’t taking care of their employees are missingout on significant cost-savings and profits.

I’ve been spreading the word about this for 15years, but only recently have I been able to ‘rest mycase’ on a growing body of research. For example: • Gallup International reported that businesses in

the top 24% of employee engagement had lessturnover and remarkably higher percentages ofcustomer loyalty, profitability and revenues.

• Extensive studies by HayGroup revealedpowerful links between employee engage-ment and productivity, which ultimatelyimpacts the bottom line.

• Workplace values expert John Izzo has abun-dant proof that this ‘generation’ of employeesis more conscious of their own needs and oftheir place in the world

For business leaders in companies of all sizes,the writing is on the wall: You can make and

BY JOANNA BRANDI

Power UpPerformance:

Ways to KeepEmployeesEngaged

9


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save money by keepingemployees engaged. Coupled with The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires that businesses docu-ment internal controls relating to employee andcustomer satisfaction, it’s never been more impor-tant for business leaders to stop dismissing internalcustomer care as ‘soft and unimportant.’

Let’s face it, employees are not just humans‘doing;’ they’re human beings. Today’s managersmust make it a priority to get to know them so thatthey, in turn, can provide whatever’s needed tokeep their teams fully engaged in what they do.This creates wins for everyone. With that in mind,here are nine management tips for creating andsustaining employee engagement:

1) Let go of any negative opinions you may haveabout your employees. Approach each of them as asource of unique knowledge with something valuableto contribute to the company. Remember that you areco-creating the achievement of a vision with them.

2) Make sure employees have everything theyneed to do their jobs. Remember when you starteda new school year and you’d prepare by getting allnew school supplies? Why not build just such anopportunity into your department simply by askingeach staff member, or the team as a whole, “Do youhave everything you need to be as competent asyou can be?” Remember, just as marketplace andcustomer needs change daily, so do your employ-ees’ needs change.

3) Clearly communicate what’s expected ofemployees - what the company values and vision

are, and how the company definessuccess. Employees can’t perform well or be pro-ductive if they don’t clearly know what it is they’rethere to do – and the part they play in the overallsuccess of the company. Be sure to communicateyour expectations - and to do it often.

4) Get to know your employees - especially theirgoals, their stressors, what excites them and howthey each define ‘success.’ I’m not suggesting youpry too deeply or start ‘counseling’ your team mem-bers. What I am suggesting is that you show aninterest in their well-being and that, when appro-priate, you do what it takes to enable them to feelmore fulfilled and better balanced.

5) Make sure they are trained - and retrained -in problem solving and conflict resolution skills.These critical skills will help them interact betterwith you, their teammates, customers and suppli-ers. It’s common sense - better communicationsreduce stress and increase positive outcomes.

6) Constantly ask how YOU are doing in youremployees’ eyes. I know it can be difficult for man-agers to request employee feedback - and it can beequally if not more challenging for an employee togive the person who evaluates them an honestresponse. To get strong at this skill and to model it foremployees, begin dialogs with employees using con-versation starters such as, “It’s one of my goals toconstantly improve myself as a manager. What wouldyou like to see me do differently? What could I bedoing to make your job easier?” Be sure to acceptfeedback graciously and to express appreciation.


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7) Pay attention to company stories and rituals.Are people laughing at each other or with eachother? Do they repeat stories of success or momentsof shame? Stay away from participating in discus-sions that are destructive to people or the organiza-tion, and keep success stories alive.

8) Reward & recognize employees in ways thatare meaningful to them (that’s why getting to knowyour employees is so important). In addition,remember to celebrate both accomplishments ANDefforts to give employees working on long-termgoals a boost.

9) Be consistent for the long haul. If you start an‘engagement initiative’ and then drop it your effortswill backfire, creating employee estrangement.People are exhausted and exasperated from ‘pro-gram du jour’ initiatives that engage their passionand then fizzle out when the manager gets bored,fired or moved to another department. There’s aconnection between an employee’s commitment toan initiative and a manager’s commitment to sup-porting it. A manager’s ongoing commitment to

keeping people engaged, involved in and excitedabout the work they do and the challenges theyface must be a daily priority.

Ultimately, you must keep in mind that employ-ees are a company’s greatest assets. Their collec-tive ideas, feedback and enthusiasm for what theydo can help your business grow and succeed.Some people are naturally wired to give their alland do their best no matter where they work. Butthe majority of people require the guidance ofskilled managers who welcome their ideas, ask forfeedback and generate enthusiasm in order tohave a sense of purpose and energy about whatthey do.

JoAnna Brandi is the author of Winning atCustomer Retention, 101 Ways to Keep ‘em Happy,Keep ‘em Loyal and Keep ‘em Coming Back and 54Ways to Stay Positive in a Changing, Challengingand Sometimes Negative World. She is the publisherof the Customer Care Coach®, a weekly email basedtraining program, and a free, bi-weekly newsletter.Visit http://www.customercarecoach.com for addi-tional information.



Rewarding Customers andEmployees Will Help YourBusiness Grow

C O R P O R AT E - S P O N S O R E DREWARD PROGRAMS — in whichsalespeople or loyal customersget to cruise the Bahamas, watchtheir favorite TV programs on anew plasma screen, or receivelogoed thank you trinkets such ashats, mugs or T-shirts — are notjust for big companies. Smallerand medium sized businesses canalso use “Reward Marketing” togrow sales and harvest loyal cus-tomers. The best part is thatthese programs are self-liquidat-ing and the return on investmentcan be easily measured.

According to recent research,there is no doubt rewards work.But how you develop and struc-ture the program is critical to itssuccess. A recent study con-ducted by Maritz Research indi-cated that out of 1,205 adultspolled, 49 percent participate insome form of customer-rewardprogram. Eighty percent indi-cated they do more businesswith companies because ofreward programs.

Your staff may also need motiva-tion to deliver the kind of serviceand quality of product your compa-ny represents. Michael Hadlow,president of SITE Foundation, said arecent study they conducted con-firmed that tangible incentivesincrease work performance by anaverage of 22 percent.

Therefore, if you would like toexplore how a reward program canhelp your business grow, here area few points to help you plan aneffective incentive marketingcampaign:• Select the target audience. • Establish a program time frame. • Determine the goals of the pro-

gram and what participantsmust do to “win.” Make suregoals represent a significantrelationship with the objectivesand are obtainable and fair.

• Develop the award structure —how much payout for whataction, percent of sales increase,or total volume, margin or per-cent of increase, etc. Rewardcustomers for the value of their

BY ARNOLD H. LIGHT, CTC

10 Quick Tips On How to Plan A

Corporate IncentiveProgram

There are a number of steps youmust take to initiate a corporateincentive reward program:

1. Do an in depth audit of your needs to identifythe areas of performance improvement onwhich you want to concentrate.

2. Determine the objectives you want to achievein your corporate incentive program.

3. State the criteria for meeting those objectives.4. Write a corporate incentive program proposal-

outlining inception to completion.5. Develop the award structure.6. Select the type of reward.7. Implement and operate the program.8. Prepare a post program evaluation.9. Reconcile all accounts. Review budget versus

actual.10. Prepare return on investment (ROI) analysis

on corporate reward program.

RewardProgr


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grams


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purchases. (This will keep them coming back.) • Determine the type of reward — recognition, gift

certificate, merchandise, travel or a combination.• Plan the program announcement, a communiqué

that includes rules, regulations, tips on how to,and the just rewards.

• Create a theme logo to introduce the plan andmake sure it appears on all correspondence andmailings.

PROGRAM PROMOTION — on a periodic basistell participants how successful the program is.This is a great way for your customer loyalty pro-gram to communicate to your customers how theycan benefit by using more of your services and prod-ucts and what rewards they will receive for doingso. Most important to you, is that by joining yourprogram your customer gives you permission tomarket to him/her.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM — developa tracking and measurement system for awarding ofpoints or display of goals reached during the campaign.

Develop a time line for program conception,creation, implementation and close.

A reward can be anything, even a logo-imprintedmug. According to the Incentive Marketing Associationin Naperville, IL, the top merchandise items includeelectronics, apparel, gift certificates, house wares andtools. Travel is also in great demand.

BUDGET IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE— However, ifyou design the program correctly, the entire expen-diture should self-liquidate as a result of increasedsales, improvement in productivity or increase incustomer spending. The Incentive Federation sug-gests the following guidelines when formulatingyour budget:

• Awards: 80% • Communication/Promotion: 10%• Administration/Training: 10%

You next concern is how to implement andoperate the program. You can manage a basic,small-scale program in-house, perhaps with ahelping hand from an incentive marketing company.You will need assistance from your company’stechnology department to establish a databaseand a person to administer the program.

For more complex programs, consider callingon the expertise and technological capabilities ofan incentive marketing company. Running theprogram entails:

• Registering participants to gather necessary informa-tion, then use the information to create a database.

• Designing, printing and sending out mailings topromote the program.

• Tracking progress within the database. • Fulfilling the earned rewards.

How to Design aCorporate RewardProgram for Employees

The following are general guidelines for what must be put in place to effectively initiate, develop, launch and

implement an effective all-employee reward program.

• A corporate-wide all employee achievement reward programmust be derived from specific goals, which can be clearlymeasured and effectively communicated.

• The reward program must be "packaged" or positioned in a clear, concise and memorable format.

• Senior management support is essential, however "buy-in," commitment and support must come from all levels of management.

• Specific employee reward program initiatives must pro-duce measurable results that directly impact the bottomline and deliver substantial ROI.

• All elements of an employee reward program must belinked to the achievement of specific and clearly definedgoals.

• Participating employees must be presented with timelyrewards at a value commensurate with their efforts andcontributions. A base award earning opportunity shouldform the foundation of the program and be linked toachievement of corporate goals. In addition, instant awardsand discretionary award opportunities should be present togenerate ongoing enthusiasm and reinforce the overallimportance of the program.

• The employee reward program must be clearly, effectivelyand frequently promoted in order to build awareness andmaintain enthusiasm and excitement.


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• Issuing progress reports to participants andmanagement.

Many companies have their incentive programsonline. The cost is far less than conventional programs in terms of communicating, reward cata-logs, tracking and flexibility, and they are excitingand challenging.

Kristin Stoltenberg, Webmaster forCyberCentives.net, a division of The Light Group,Inc., in White Plains, explained, “When an incentiveparticipant has their own home page displayingtheir account status, participation in the programincreases dramatically. A properly administeredprogram should accomplish your goals whetherthey increase sales, market share, profits, developcustomer loyalty or improve customer service.

The SITE Foundation study also pointed out that 92percent of corporations surveyed reported objec-tives were surpassed, were met or at least partiallymet. A pretty good track record!

Now the decision is up to you. Do you think youcan grow your business using rewards?

Arnold Light, Founder of The Light Group ofCompanies is a leading authority on motivationand incentive industry best practice with 35years of experience specializing in incentive andloyalty marketing disciplines helping multi-nationalcorporations develop and implement B2B and B2Cresults oriented performance improvementprograms. Visit www.incentivesmotivate.com formore information.


THERE IS A LEGEND that ancient rugmakers wove an intentional flaw intotheir carpets. The reason was toremind us of our humanness andthat only a higher power couldmake something perfect…if onlywe could remember that basictruth when we get upset at ourteammates. I often wonder why people are so hardon each other when a mistake is made. Ask yourselfhow many times you have lost it when a co-workermakes an error—perhaps similar to one that youhave made in the past. It would seem only naturalto give some understanding that he or she is mortaland mistakes do happen.

If there is premeditated maliciousness at hand,that’s a different story. Intentional wrongdoing isnever appropriate and detrimental to morale. We allneed to maintain boundaries to keep ourselves andour companies safe. Having boundaries also keepsus from going overboard when we get tweaked atsomeone we work with (or for). Remember that get-ting even with someone actually leaves you withless. It’s not that mistakes shouldn’t be acknowl-edged. When you see someone doing somethingthat could result in a financial or client loss (or evena stain on the carpet), you need to let him or herknow it. But how you do this makes a difference. Bestraightforward and kind. Communicating with ran-cor or sarcasm can leave an emotional wound, andthe only thing you may learn is to avoid the personwho gave it to you. Fortunately, those who areforgiving by nature will find a way to overlook orunderstand the minor flaws of teammates. Therest of us may need to learn the technique throughtrial and error or, better yet, through the exampleof those who have overlooked our own mistakes.

Being able to admit when you are wrong is also agood trait. It can bring you new clients and help youkeep the business you’ve got. This ability can beespecially valuable in working relationships. Whensomeone has to be perfect all the time, it can makecommunication difficult, if not impossible. It can alsocreate a great deal of discomfort and inhibition,because you’re afraid of being chastised by someoneyou work with. If your teammates or boss is looking forflaws, trust me, they are going to find them.

The trick here is to give everyone a little room tobe human. Accepting the fact that we are all goingto slip and slide through this thing called life is agreat tool. It will make you easier on those aroundyou and yourself. Perfection is only possible in themovies. Living and doing business in the realworld is never going to be a fantasy. What we needto understand is that reality is the only vehicle wehave to make our dreams come true.

So trust that even if work isn’t a magic carpetride, in the end, it’s still a beautiful work of art.

For more than two decades Fortune 500 companies,educational institutions, and government organiza-tions worldwide have relied on Dr. Barton Goldsmithto help them develop creative and balanced leader-ship. His columns appear in over 500 publications.For additional information, please visit his web sitewww.BartonGoldsmith.com.


ThePersianFlaw

BY: BARTON GOLDSMITH, PHD




AS A MARKETING MANAGER, you undoubtedlyknow the importance of producing top-quality copyfor your clients and customers. However, good,persuasive writing should not be reserved just forcreative campaigns. To keep your team well stockedwith the best marketing talent, it is essential thatyou also devote significant time, thought and energyto crafting compelling job advertisements whenemployment opportunities arise within your firm.The best hiring managers do not merely jot down theday-to-day duties of a position; they think strategi-cally, redefine roles if need be and understand thenuances of writing a winning pitch to job seekers.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR CREATING HIGH-IMPACT JOB ADS:

PAINT A BIGGER PICTURE Providing a descriptive overview of the scope of

the job is critical; but go beyond key responsibilitiesand qualifications. Today’s job hunters — particu-larly results-oriented marketing professionals —desire big-picture insight. Explain how the employ-ee’s efforts will contribute to departmental goalsand the company’s overall mission.

You also can capture job seekers’ imaginations byciting opportunities for advancement. Instead of sim-ply describing a job as an “entry-level design position,”consider outlining a potential career path: “An entry-level direct-marketing design job that gives the right

candidate the opportunity to grow into roles withmore responsibility within the department.”

SOFTEN UPWhen it comes to referencing the skills needed

to succeed, don’t focus solely on the “hard” techni-cal requirements. Offer prospects a better sense ofthe open position — and your department’s culture— by noting specific requisite soft skills, such asnegotiating with vendors, delivering presentationsand working closely with senior executives. It isimportant your job ad include the subtle aspects ofthe position so only candidates who closely matchyour needs apply, and you don’t end up spendingvaluable time screening out those who are clearlyunqualified. In fact, one key feature of a good ad isthat it makes your job easier by ensuring only theright candidates contact you.

SELL YOUR FIRMJust as you use resumes and cover letters to size

up applicants, job seekers use want ads to evaluateprospective employers. Therefore, your ad needs tosell the biggest benefits of working for your company.After all, you are competing against countless otherposts from competing firms. Moreover, manymarketing specialty areas are in high demand rightnow. A strong employment ad will help you attracthard-to-find talent such as copywriters and multi-media designers.

How to Write an Ef fective Job Ad

BY THE CREATIVE GROUP

HELP WANTED



If you are offering a starting salary that is abovethe industry standard, that information will certain-ly grab the attention of job seekers; but there ismore to attracting candidates than just big bucks.Comprehensive healthcare benefits, a relaxed workenvironment, tuition reimbursement, telecommutingoptions, mentoring programs and an on-site fitnessor day-care center are all appealing perks. In addition,has your organization garnered marketing or designhonors? If you are an award-winning firm, don’t beafraid to brag and tell prospective employees exactlywhy they should want to work for you.

A FINAL REMINDERDon’t forget that your job isn’t done once you’ve

dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s. An ad won’t do

your department any good if it’s posted in thewrong place. Just as you write strategically, youmust advertise strategically, too. If you wish to hirean account manager, for instance, are potentialapplicants more likely to visit your firm’s home pageor pick up a copy of Adweek? Target your place-ment to your audience and consider all avenues,including major online job boards, niche websites,newspapers, business and trade publications, andindustry associations. You’re sure to succeed if yourjob ad is both well written and well placed.

The Creative Group is a specialized staffing serviceplacing creative, advertising, marketing and webprofessionals with a variety of firms on a project basis.For more information, visit www.creativegroup.com.



BACK FROM THE DANCE and my feet hurt! While I repair from walkingJanuary’s huge Promotional Products Showcase, let me reflect upon whatI witnessed: Two full floors of exhibitors crammed into every corner of theMandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas for three full days to accommodatetens of thousands in attendance. Suppliers and Distributors took notes, wrotedown what is new and promised to get together as soon as the dust settles.It is the dance we do each year, along with Regional Shows, Tabletop Showsand the personal visits the Suppliers provide in order for we Distributors to beknowledgeable about their products, applications and services.

What this should equate to for you is that your Distributor and Supplierpartners are teaming up once again to bring you the latest, greatest promotionalitems for helping you get where you are trying to go in your marketing schemefor the new year. A Distributor friend of ours has, for many years, hosted anevent with his top clients right after this type of show for the purpose ofbringing the show and the new ideas to them. They set up a huge room andsamples are laid out along with descriptions and information so that it is almostas though the clients/end users attended the show, too. It is a marvelousway to get that new info out to the masses quickly and it has become a great-ly anticipated event.

Would you like to know how many new products were introduced this year?One prominent Supplier introduced over 600 new items just in their line, alone.Not all of them were unique to the industry, but enough were to make thingsinteresting for us and valuable for you to know.

Your Distributor and the Supplier Partners should be a part of your team,early. They know what is new. They know what things cost, how the imprintcan be handled, what the packaging options are, how things can be bundled,and what kind of lead times you really need to understand.

It is their job to know this stuff so you can concentrate on what you do best.

The really savvy marketing folks are setting their meetings with Distributorsearly, like right now, to help in planning out the year. Their Supplier partnersare geared up and ready to provide expert advice on how to get the very mostfrom every marketing dollar you intend to spend. Wait and make your finaldecisions after you have taken the time to talk to your Distributor andannounce your plans, even if you have to change them later. Give them time todo the research, speak with their Supplier Partners and introduce the best wayto get it done.

Is this another way of ensuring that you provide that important Personaltouch going into ’07 with your target audience? It sure is.

It’s ALL Personal.

Dave Ribble is President of The Company Image, Inc. /Geiger. www.TCI4Me.com818-906-9894

It’s ALL Personal

Dave Ribble

“One prominentSupplier introducedover 600 new items

just in their line,alone. Not all of

them were uniqueto the industry,

but enough were to make thingsinteresting for

us and valuable for you to know.”




THE BUZZWORD FOR THIS WEEK is “branding.”Last week it was “Brand Loyalty.” Oh yeah, and thebuzz-acronym for this week is “CRM"... CustomerRetention Management. What crap.

What? Do you new guys on the marketing blockthink we old guys didn’t know what we were doingten, twenty years ago? Do you think we didn’t knowhow to keep a customer? So you came up with anew name for it, am I supposed to be impressed?Hell, there’s even a “Branding” magazine now, anda preachy new “CRM Magazine.” Ooooh. Lookwhat’s neeeew. Excuuussseee meeeeee.

You want to see a good example of CRM, take alook at L.L. Bean. They’ve been around forever - andthey keep their customers… for life. They have beenmarketing extremely well without all the new buzz-words, thank you. And I assure you they have beenaround a lot longer than any new fangled“Customer Retention Management” scheme.

Shamefully, most big companies today actuallydo need to study “CRM” - because they don’t knowshit about keeping customers happy. Just take alook at Sprint, or AT&T, or any of the big phone com-panies. You get their worst prices if you’re a loyal,long-term customer. Exactly what were those con-nivers thinking to concoct that plan? Then, callthem with a quick question… and get… 20 minutesof voice mail. Finally, they blow you off to their web-site so you can spend four hours looking for some-thing it would have taken them 30 seconds toanswer on the phone. I wonder if there is a secretpublication called Anti-CRM Magazine that only thephone companies - and credit card companies -receive? And banks. And…

Yeah, so the phone companies have got to readup on it. They lose so many people on the back-endthat they have to continually market on the front-end to stay ahead. I guess they haven’t figured out

Building Loyaltyand CustomerRetention for Under a Dollar

BY: JEFFREY DOBKIN





that it costs about one fifth as much to keep a currentcustomer as it costs to acquire a new one. Heck, theycould blow their marketing costs out of the water if theycould get their fingers out of their noses long enough towrite a few thank you letters. But I’m getting a littleahead of myself.

If you ask me, and some firms do, the way to keepcustomers is with good old-fashioned honesty, andsome good old-fashioned service. (I know, it’s quite astretch for some of the phone companies!) You answerthe phone when it rings - with a real, live person. Youdon’t tell customers the crap about “…to give you bet-ter service the phone call is being recorded.” Yeah,right. And here are three more quick lessons: You builda brand by providing good value: first quality productsand services. You build customer retention by askingcustomers if there is anything else you can do for them- then doing it. And you create loyalty when you thankthem sincerely when they buy something from you.

When you do all this on a regular basis, do you knowwhat you get? Presto! Customer Retention. You developa customer who keeps buying your goods and services.Poof! Brand Loyalty. And a customer who tells hisfriends about you: Bingo! Company Loyalty.

And now, I’m going to tell you how to get all thesethings for under $1. First, you send me a dollar and…just kidding. You do it in a letter.

A letter is the most effective single sheet of paper indirect marketing. It has been since I started my directmarketing career way back in, well, never you mind; andit will be long after I finish this column, which rightabout now will have to wait until after Sponge BobSquarePants. Yes, and a letter will still be the mosteffective tool in direct marketing way after Jay Leno isoff the air, and when The Simpsons shows its finalepisode. Well, maybe not The Simpsons.

What makes a letter such a powerful tool? And howdo you create one that has this kind of effect? It’s easy -I’ll show you.

In direct marketing a letter isn’t really a letter. A letteris something you write to Aunt Bertha at Thanksgivingso you get a nice gift at Christmas. In direct marketing aletter is really a one page highly stylized ad designed tolook like a letter. Any arguments?

When you write a letter, the very first thing you writeis… the objective. What do you want to accomplish fromthis letter. If the letter goes perfectly according to plan,what will the immediate result be? That’s the objective.Draft your whole letter around that.

Take this quick test: look at most of your correspon-dence. What is the objective? Most people are probablysaying it’s to generate a sale; unless you’re a lawyer - inwhich case it’s to sue some poor bastard - in which caseGod says, “so ye shall reap what ye shall sow.” And Isay it takes one to know one. Well, I guess that pissed



off all the lawyers who are now either not readingthe rest of this column or who are busy figuring outif I am liable for the above heretofore, or… arealready preparing to send me a notice of suit. Goodriddance to you. Do you know what you have whenyou have 8 lawyers buried in the sand up to theirnecks? Not enough sand. (Hey, just kidding, can’tyou guys take a joke?) Some of my best friends are,umm, ok, never mind.

So you create letters to sell. Sell sell sell. Sellproducts, services, appointments, sales calls. Right?OK, now those of you who shook their heads yes,reach out and smack yourself on the butt. Unlessyou are a direct marketer and your customers readyour letters and directly send you money with anorder, your real objective isn’t to sell your product.People don’t read your letter and send you money.The real objective is to generate a phone call. Yourletter simply makes the phone ring. When thephone rings, the letter worked - perfectly. It fulfilledthe objective. Then it’s your job to sell something.BTW, how’d you do on that test? That’s OK, I don’ttest well either. But wait, there’s more…

Now let’s talk about writing a letter to a very dif-ferent objective. How about creating a letter tokeep a customer? A letter to build loyalty, trust, andfriendship. Yes - all rolled up into a single sheet ofpaper. It’s pretty easy to do, here’s how: just writea thank you letter. “Thanks for your past business -I appreciate it.” There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?Instead of trying to sell something, take a minuteout - spend the 39¢ on building a customer relation-ship. Use a letter so powerful it will sit on a client’sdesk for a month: send a simple thank you. It will bethe best 39¢ you’ll ever spend - and I guarantee it.

Let me ask you: When is the last time youreceived a thank you letter? That long ago, huh? No,I’m not talking about the pre-printed junk card youraccountant bought from a catalog and sends youeach year at Christmas. (OK, there go all theaccountants calling their lawyers asking about aclass action suit.) I’m talking about a real letter -

one you’ve actually received from a real person thatsaid your name right there, up at the top, and con-tinued, “Thanks, thanks so much for your businessthis past year - I appreciate it.”

Call me old fashioned, but I still believe it’s aprivilege to serve your customers. I’ll bet theycould go just about anywhere to buy services andproducts exactly like the ones you sell. But theydon’t - they get them from you. When’s the lasttime you thanked them for that privilege? Thatlong ago, too, huh? Do you know what other ven-dors call your best customers? They call themvaluable prospects.

With a single thank you letter, you can turn yourbest prospects into customers; you can encourageyour best customers to do even more business withyou, and feel better about doing it. Yes, they’ll feelgreat about spending even more money with you -all from a single letter that was written with theobjective of making them feel great about doingbusiness with you. “Thanks for the business yougive to us - we appreciate it. We’re always readywith help, to answer your questions, and to assistyou in any way we can, at any time. Thank you.”

With two, well-written “Thanks for your busi-ness” letters, you can endear a person to remainyour customer for years. You can plug that hole inthe bottom of the customer bucket - you know, theone they keep falling out of.

And with three letters, with three thank you let-ters you can make a customer fall in love with you,your company, and they’ll never even considergoing anywhere else. Your letters need to say…oops, I’m out of room here - give me a call and I’llsend you instructions for the third letter.

Jeffrey Dobkin is a fun speaker on direct market-ing, sales and motivations. He's a direct marketingcopywriter who has written 5 books on direct mar-keting and humor. Visit www.dobkin.com. 610-642-1000 Rings on his desk - call him and ask for freesamples of his work.

“With a single thank you letter, you can turn your best prospects into cus-tomers; you can encourage your best customers to do even more busi-ness with you, and feel better about doing it.”



EARLIER THIS YEAR the BaltimoreRavens NFL team used 750 pairsof the Neet Feet Bali style san-dals for their annual picnic.The sandals were given tothe players, coaches andother team personnel tofoster communication, team-work and staff loyalty. TheseBali Ravens’ sandals were noticedby the team owner, who commentedon their excellent quality. He then decid-ed to order 2,000 pairs of our top-of-the-lineleather Kauai sandals for one of his other compa-nies, TEK (a temp agency, which, according to thedistributor who put together this motivation cam-paign, was the company that generated the moneythat enabled him to buy the Ravens). The teamowner believed these fine leather sandals would

go a long way towards motivating the TEKemployees, and showing his

appreciation for their work.The distributor responsi-

ble for the Ravens’project was Andy

Whiteley ofG&G Outfitters.

Another oneof our many suc-

cess stories is that of thePeter Island resort in the

British Virgin Islands. We havebeen supplying Peter

Island san-dals to

the property forover 10 years.The resortputs a pair oflady’s and a

pair of men’s san-dals in each of the luxury bunga-

lows on the island, for theirguest use and as a complimenta-ry reminder of their stay. These

sandals leave a logo imprint of theresort with each

step in thesand, makingthem a greatadvertising

vehicle whileat the beach and on vacation.

However, they also provide additional long-termexposure whenever the guests wear them after thevacation is over, since the Peter Island logo is alsoprinted on the top straps. Since the Peter Islandresort continues to use the sandals, we have oftenimagined scenarios in which the sandals generatethe extra at home ROI. For example, imagine thefollowing scenario: bar-b-que in Cincinnati in July,homeowner #1 wears his Peter Island sandalsbecause it’s hot outside, and since they have a poolcasual attire is the order of the day. A neighbornotices the sandals and asks,” Hey, when you allwent to the Caribbean last year, did you stay atPeter Island…I noticed your sandals and just fig-ured... So how was it anyway?” Homeowner #1 getsa serene look on his face and says, “Yeah, we didstay at Peter Island, and it was awesome, my wifeloved it”. Wife #2 overhears and the next thing youknow, she wants to go. Thus making the sandalsthe vehicle that generates the interest that leads

to another happy trip to Peter Island and givingthe resort one more reason to keep puttingNeet Feet sandals in their luxury bungalows.

For more information about Neet Feet visittheir website at www.neetfeet.com.

NEET FEET ~CUSTOM SANDALS

SUCCESS STORIES SUCCESS STORIES SUCCES



MICHELE BRENNER AND DIANE LARAJA, Ownersof Proforma Chickprint in NY, NY, recently complet-ed a successful project for their existing client,USAlliance Federal Credit Union (FCU).

“Cambridge has a large student/faculty popula-tion and is home to Harvard, MIT, Northeastern,and a multitude of other academic institutions,”begins Michele. “The initial feeling of USAlliancesenior management was to seek out this populationfor its customer base. However, large, mainstreambanks seemed to have a lock on this populationbecause many of those banks have branches oncampuses throughout Cambridge.”

THE CHALLENGES FOR USALLIANCE FCUAND PROFORMA CHICKPRINT WERE:1. How to have a successful opening, i.e., new

accounts and new deposits, in a community thatseemed all locked up with the major banks, par-ticularly the Cambridge academic population.

2. USAlliance does not have many branches com-pared to the major banks, so they would bedeemed inconvenient.

3. While anyone living in Massachusetts can become amember of USAlliance FCU and open an account,many people think that a Credit Union is something

that can only bejoined through aplace of work. Howdo you get massmarket attention?

4. Time was short because the openingwas being pushed up by two months.

“We knew that the academic popula-tion would be a hard group to appeal toas USAlliance would never have abranch on any of the campuses,” saysDiane. So we asked ourselves, “Whynot target everyone else?” Upon fur-ther demographic research, ProformaChickprint found that about 35% ofthe total Cambridge population wascomprised of faculty/students/administrative and other relatedacademic types. That means that therewere 65% of “other” people.

It turns out that this 65% leaned heavily liberal andanti-establishment, many 50+ in age, a/k/a former‘hippies.’ “We related completely and threw our heartand soul into this campaign,” says Michele. “We tooka shot and presented a very edgy campaign with themarketing slogan, ‘Power to the People’. The‘Member-Driven, Not Profit-Driven’ subhead furtherenhanced the anti-establishment feeling.”

The marketing director loved it, but knew that wewere all taking a risk. It might have a negative effectand turn people in the opposite direction – away fromthe branch. Many people in management initiallywanted to build a campaign around “Banking the OldFashioned Way” because of the history of the build-ing the Credit Union would be in and the painstakingrestoration that was undertaken to get it ready.Proforma Chickprint thought an edgier campaignwould prove to be more effective. USAlliance decidedto go with the ‘Power to the People’ theme.

The campaign was a huge success. It doubledthe original deposit projections in just a 1/4 of thetime expected. Bottom line, people loved ‘Power tothe People’. While USAlliance gave ProformaChickprint a fabulous Certificate Rate to advertise,this type of response was more than just a result ofa great rate, this campaign hit peoples’ soul!

Research:• Designed all pieces• Wrote taglines and copy• Determined criteria for mailing lists

Promotion:• Scan Card mailing used for traffic building for 4 weeks - $10,000

grand prize with 3 other prize categories• Larger folded mailing advertising Grand Opening Party &

Certificate Account Rates• Snapquik posters standing right outside of branch• Newspaper wrap in color for Boston Herald. This full page

wrapped around the paper before it was distributed & 1/4 pagecolor ad in the paper

• Subway Car ads on the Boston MBTA Red line• Promotional Items with logo (Psychedelic hippie theme)

- Lighted lava lamps- Lighted pens- Lighted bouncing balls- 60’s rock CD

(Turnaround - Inception to delivery: 4 weeks)

PROFORMA CHICKPRINT ~A GRAND OPENING HIPPIE STYLE

CESS STORIES SUCCESS STORIES SUCCESS STORIES


MICHAEL LEESE, CEO of Leese EnterprisesInternational, Inc. is a veteran in the confec-

tionery industry and with over twenty years ofexperience, he can see trends in the making. Just a fewyears ago while in the Germany, Leese saw a product thathe knew could bring messaging and gift giving to a wholenew level.

Leese immediately realized that the product would beperfect for the Canadian and North American markets,where companies and individuals are always on the look-out for the next hot and trendy “must-have” item.Hence, he purchased the rights to the first chocolatetelegram, Chocotelegram®.

One hurdle was packaging. How could Leese createa package that portrayed the image but was indicativeof a traditional telegram? He could not send Belgianchocolate in a manila envelope. Therefore, Leese’sdesign team went to work and created a high-glosscardboard package in rich colors with an elegantdesign. Leese also wanted to provide a packaging forlarger messages, one that was different from any otherchocolate on the shelf. They designed a luxuriouswooden case, available in two sizes; 3x10 and 5x12,allowing the sender to say anythingthey want!

Through traditional advertisingcampaigns and grass roots marketing, Leese successful-ly launched Chocotelegram® in Canada in 2006 and as ofthis month, Chocotelegram® is also available throughoutthe United States.

Today Businesses and consumers in the U.S. andCanada may now send a customized message in delicious,rich Belgian Chocolate. With Chocotelegram’s ‘chocofont’(similar to chocolate scrabble letters), anyone can easilycreate a message for any occasion. Each letter is present-ed on an individual piece of premium white or milk choco-late. The three primary uses of Chocotelegram are busi-ness promotion, event planning and personal use; i.e.Thanking customers, rewarding employees, launchingproducts, Holidays, Invitations and Favors. There are avariety of formats to choose from to accommodate mes-sages of different lengths of mouth-watering mail.

What are people saying about Chocotelegram®?Testimonials include consumers and businesses; i.e.“Our clients were extremely impressed with the entirepresentation, from your elegant wooden box to thedelicious, irresistible chocolate. They appreciated thefact that we personalized our holiday message withchocolate; it most definitely stood out from other giftsthey received. We look forward to ordering more”,says Newstalk 1010 CFRB Radio, Toronto, Ontario.

“What a great discovery! The yummiest chocolate I’vehad in a long time and in a unique presentation…smallblocks that spell out your message. I ordered quantities ofthe stock “THANKS!” for my clients to let them know Iappreciate their business. Chocotelegram® is a deliciousalternative to a boring thank you card”, says CelesteJohnson of Salt Lake City, Utah.

“I recently received a “Happy Birthday”Chocotelegram® from one of my girlfriends. Every girlloves getting chocolate and this is so tasty and thought-ful. I’m sending it to all of my friends for Valentine’sDay!” says Madeline Grimes of Toronto, Ontario.

In this age of personal expression and a refined con-sumer palate, Chocotelegram® is indeed the perfectgift by chocolizing your message.

www.brilliantpublishing.com

BY CATHI VOLANTE

SUCCESS STORIES

38 Brilliant Results | February 2007

CHOCOTELEGRAM® ~ CARVE YOUR NICHE IN THE INDUSTRY,MICHAEL LEESE “CHOCOLIZED” HIS!

CHOCOTELEGRAM® ~ CARVE YOUR NICHE IN THE INDUSTRY,MICHAEL LEESE “CHOCOLIZED” HIS!


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IN THESE TIMES OF CONFLICT AND UNCERTAIN-TY, showing acceptance of employees as fullyfunctioning, rather than apprentice humanbeings is a necessary element in employee moti-vation. The Western Electric Company,Hawthorne Works, Chicago in a study (late 1920sand early 1930s) reported by Harvard (Mayo &Roethlisberger), detailed that American workersdid not leave their personal concerns at home butrather, brought their problems to work. It was alsodiscovered that employees became much more pro-ductive when they had some say or control over theissues at work that affected them. While these discov-eries were monumental, the information was ignoredin American business for decades.

Show acceptance of your employ-ees through validation. Since thetime you were a child you have beenin search of things that made youfeel good about yourself. As farback as you can remember youhave wanted to feel good aboutyourself, your efforts, and also sev-eral other areas including yourwork. Are you different?

Absolutely not, we’re all in this together. As a professional speaker, I receive my validation

through my audience every time I present a keynoteor seminar. As a writer, I find validation much moreelusive. This phenomenon is experienced by 99% of

BY ED RIGSBEE, CSP

Motivating Yo uThrough Accep

Matures (Born before 1945) Boomers (1946 and 1966) GenXers (1967 and 1977)

Flattops

Sunday drives

Rotary phones

Dr. Spock

The Golden Rule

Sex on your honeymoon

Playtex girdle

Orange juice

Hair

Drive-thru’s

Touch-tone phones

Dr. Strangelove

Do bees and don’t bees

Sex in the backseat

Burning bras

The Juice runs

Skinheads

Drive-by’s

Cellular phones

Dr. Kevorkian

Just say no

Sex on the Internet

Wonderbra

The Juice walks


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the people in this country who work foranother. Why is feeling good aboutoneself so important? I believe it is aself worth issue. While I am notcompletely sure, what I do know isthat the need is real.

Visualize for a moment theworst boss for whom you’ve everworked. Let the negative feelings,the venom flow throughout yourbody. Even if this person maybe,possibly believed he or she was adecent human being, your only real-ity about this person is the currentconversation and emotion you arehaving with yourself about him or her.What is your reality?

The sword has two sides. Whatmight your employees be sayingabout you if asked the same ques-tion? What a thought! What istheir conversation (off the worksite) about you?

Most of us want to feel goodabout the way we treat others.While there are some excep-tions, your efforts can be easilyderailed. Are you letting yourefforts to partner with the per-sons in whom you come in con-tact, become victim of oversight?Has the Door Ding Fairy ever visited

o ur Employeeseptance


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you? You know what I’m talking about. You get a newcar. The first time you drive it to the store and forgetto park in the north 40, smash, you have a door ding.And nobody knows how it got here. Your employeescan do the same thing to your business, consciouslyor subconsciously, if you treat them poorly.

Business success comes with a price; the pricecan be that of self-learning and improvement or theprice of continual turnover, a turnstile of employees.So how can you validate and what type of validationis best? The following section on recognition willgive you some answers. An important considerationto keep in mind is that different personalities prefervalidation in different ways. A relationship person-ality person wants validation in making the work-place better for all. For a person with an expressivepersonality they want validation of themselves, theperson they choose to be. A directive or controllingpersonality wants validation on their effectivenessin the workplace. And last, a perfectionist or analyt-ical wants validation for their effectiveness inprocesses. Through your efforts to help youremployees by understanding what makes themtick, also help them to understand the meaning ofdoing the best job possible.

In the August 1999 OfficeSystems magazine itwas reported what GenXers want. Who areGenXers? They are the children of baby boomers,born between 1967 and 1977 and they have beenentering the workforce in increasing numbers.Some have been working full-time for a decadeso employers should know a bit about them.Unfortunately, companies have been slow in makingorganizational changes to better utilize the skills ofthis talented generation. Often, managers tryunsuccessfully to bend the GenXers into their ownimage and ways. It hasn’t worked too well.

While not all are the same, the following list is ageneral indication of what creates value in the livesof GenXers:

• Total honesty• Unlimited access to information • Training for another job• Total responsibility for projects• Constant informal feedback• Few rules and plenty of freedom• Telecommuting• The latest tools (hardware and software)

GenXers, Boomers and Traditionalists (also calledMatures), were raised and synthesized at differentchronological times and as such, see the world fromdifferent windows. In a mid-1990s Yankelovich Report,Rocking the Ages, they reported typical memories forthe different generations.

Motivating across the generations can prove tobe tricky. Creating programs, policies and incen-tives that embrace the similarities and differencesof these groups can make for high-level productivi-ty and ageless motivation.Bruce Tulgan, in hisbook, Managing Generation X, states, “You need togive GenXers the rewards that they really want.The perfect rewards can be enabling them to learnnew skills or giving them more responsibilities.They want to know that their hard work is valuedand that their accomplishments are recognized.Even if it’s as simple as the manager buying pizzawhen they work late or giving them a couple oftickets to a show”

As reported in the Los Angeles Times, theNational Study of Changing Workforce, releasedin April 1998, by the Families and Work Instituteput a common myth about GenXers to bed. Thestudy was compiled from interviews with 2,877employees over the age of 18. The study foundthat “contrary to the portrayal of Generation X . . .Young workers today are not a group of slackers.They work substantially longer hours on averageand find their jobs more demanding than youngworkers 20 years ago did.”

What does all this mean to you? Simply put—help all your employees to feel welcome(regardless of decorative face hardware) andneeded. Let them have some say about howthey do their jobs and give them an occasionalpat-on-the-back. Do these simple things andget out of their way—they’ll make you proud—and most likely rich.

Adapted from PartnerShift-How to Profit fromthe Partnering Trend by Ed Rigsbee, CSP, publishedby John Wiley & Sons, New York, October 2000.

Ed Rigsbee, CSP is the author of PartnerShift,Developing Strategic Alliances and The Art of Partnering.He has over 1,000 published business articles and is a reg-ular keynote presenter for major corporations, nationaltrade, and professional associations. For more informa-tion, e-mail him at [email protected]. His PartneringUniversity Web Site is located at www.Rigsbee.com.





BY: BARRY SISKIND

IS YOUR EXHIBITPROGRAM Living

Up To ItsPotential?



WHEN I REFLECT ON MY CHILDHOOD, thesewords spoken by my teachers still haunt me,” Hehas the ability but he is not living up to his poten-tial.” The same comment can be applied to all partsof your life from your career choice to your exhibitprogram. In each case, you need to know if you areliving up to your potential. If not, then you are wast-ing an incredible amount of energy, resources,hopes and talents. Living up to your potentialdemands that you strive to be the best you can beat all times and that is often a tall order to fill.

Let’s look at your exhibit program. Are you gettingstellar results for your effort or are your results suffer-ing from a lackluster malaise due to complacency? Doyou even know the results you are getting?

An exhibit marketing program has the ability ofhelping you achieve lofty goals. It requires some realsoul-searching to ensure your efforts live up to yourexpectations. Statistics prove that a trade shows orspecial events can help you achieve your marketinggoals. It’s your job to help it reach its potential.

Here are six questions to ask yourself about yourexhibit program.

1. DO YOU HAVE INTERNAL COM-MITMENT?It’s one thing to have your sales or market-

ing department support your exhibit programbut real success comes when support can be

found throughout your entire organization fromyour CEO on down.

2. HAVE YOU BALANCED YOURRESOURCES?There are three resources you need: financial,

human and logistical. Each is a necessary compo-nent and must be carefully balanced in order toensure your success.

3. HAVE YOU ALLOCATED ENOUGHTIME?A successful program not only requires tapping

into many internal resources it also needs time to

bring your plans to fruition. An exhibit program is a12-month a year responsibility. Exhibit managerswho leave things to the last minute do their pro-gram more harm than good.

4. HAVE YOU ESTABLISHED YOUR SUC-CESS METRICS?An exhibit marketing program is not carved in

stone. It is continuously evolving. In order to knowwhat to improve you need to establish the metricsthat will allow you to quickly measure and evaluateyour results.

5. HAVE YOU INTEGRATED YOUREXHIBIT PROGRAM WITH OTHERMARKETING EFFORTS?Your exhibit program is not a stand-alone activity.

It is one piece of your “marketing pie.” To gain max-imum impact it must reinforce the key elementssuch as logo’s, colors, images and messages foundin your overall marketing efforts.

6. DO YOU AND YOUR ADVISORSUNDERSTAND THE MEDIUM?Marketing is divided into specialties: print, tele-

vision, radio, media buying etc. All too often, youwill hear from one of your specialists who is profi-cient in one area that they can also help you withyour exhibit marketing plans. Exhibit marketingrequires the input from people who specialize inthis medium. You need people who can guide youprofessionally through the maze of decisions thatare needed.

These six questions are only the beginning.However, without the right answers your efforts aredoomed before you start.

Barry Siskind is North America's foremost trade andconsumer show expert and author of The Power ofExhibit Marketing. He is president of Toronto basedInternational Training and Management Company.For a free copy of Barry’s™ audiotape, Double YourTrade Show Results...Guaranteed call 1-800-358-6079or e-mail [email protected] .


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FREAKONOMICSBy Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J.Dubnerbrilliant results rating

Plus: Co-authored by Steven D. Levitt,a recent winner of the John Bates Clarkaward as the Best Economist underage 40, this is not your usual dry eco-nomics tome.Minus: While an interesting and com-pelling read this book's main shortcom-ing is that it does not provide a cohe-sive summation and tends to ignore thefact that pieces of conventional wis-dom may be true. Result: Although some chapters may seem frivolous, oth-ers touch on serious issues. The author's research isapparently based on the belief that complex phenomenacan be understood if the right perspective is found.Overall, this is an informative, thought provoking andenjoyable read.

The book does not offer a grand theory beyond the sugges-tion that 'experts' have a stake in promoting even incorrectconventional wisdom. However, its search for hiddenincentives behind real-world behaviors will hold the atten-tion of even the least economics minded reader. Who canresist the quest for answers to questions like…What docrack gangs and McDonald's restaurants have in commonor Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool orWhat do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in com-mon or Is it human nature to cheat and does the likelihoodof cheating increase the higher up in an organization a per-son rises? While some answers may offend just abouteveryone, they will also most certainly promote discussion.The author's storytelling and wry insight tend to establishthe root of economics as the study of incentives - how peo-ple get what they want, especially when other peoplewant or need the same thing.

IWOZComputer Geek to Cult Icon: How I inventedthe personal computer, co-founded Apple,and had fun doing itBy Steve Wozniak with Gina Smithbrilliant results rating 4 stars

Plus: This book is an entertaining memoir of perhaps oneof the most colorful, idealist and fun loving 'tech' inventors. Minus: The book's conversational writing style anddescription of youthful pranks is not for everyone.

Result: An inspiring read for any would be innovatorsand overall, a must read for any Apple fan.

A brilliant engineer for whom fameand fortune were just a happy acci-dent, Wozniak's personal computerssingle-handedly defined the PC, aswe know it today. This memoir trulyreflects Woz, both in its subject mat-ter and its happy-go-lucky tone, withmany laugh-out-loud, passages alongwith sections where a genius tries toexplain his engineering triumphs.There is also real substance when the narrative reaffirmsthat innovation is still a matter of perspiration, patienceand coincidence. The book is an inspiration for nerdykids. However, it is not a recounting of Apple insider sto-ries, but rather provides a creative viewpoint of anindustry far removed from its original ideals.

BLINKBy Malcolm Gladwellbrilliant results rating 3 1/2 stars

Plus: This book is an insightfulquest into the world of thought anddecision-making. What in fact isbehind your last snap decision?Minus: The writing is at times a bittechnical, but in general very read-able.Result: For those seeking to under-stand the thought process from adifferent viewpoint put this book onyour reading list.

From the author of the bestseller, The Tipping Point,this book seeks to revolutionize the way we under-stand the inner world of the mind by exploring deci-sions. Many of life's decisions are seemingly made inthe blink of an eye; Blink examines this thinking with-out thinking to gain an understanding of why theseinstantaneous decisions are almost impossible toexplain to others. In reality, they are not as simple asthey may seem according to the author. Based on cut-ting-edge neuroscience and psychology, this bookmay change the way you think you understand everydecision you make. It is doubtful after reading thisbook that you will ever think about thinking in thesame way.

BookReviews



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Off The Cuff

1. The word motivation is derived from the Latinterm motivus which means…

a. “a moving cause”b. “move forward”c. “just do it”

2. During which decade did the “Life Coach” profes-sion emerge?

a. 1970sb. 1980sc. 1990s

3. Maslow’s theory has seven hierarchies of humanneeds. The sixth level need is for…

a. Belongingb. Safetyc. Self-Actualization

4. Which of the following is NOT considered a “primary motive” by most Psychologists?

a. Hungerb. Powerc. Thirst

5. In the 1960’s who said “the message is the medium?”

a. Marshall McLuhanb. John Lennonc. Andy Warhol

6. Early motivation theories used drives, today motivation is conceptualized in terms of …

a. Needsb. Instinctsc. Expectations

7. What is the fourth most common language in the United States?

a. Chineseb. ASL - American Sign Languagec. Japanese

8. What does the expression “to have a frog in yourthroat” originate from?

a. A translation of the French word ‘grenouille’meaning frog and lump

b. The medieval belief frog secretions cured a cough when coated on the throat

c. The similarity of the sound frogs make to a person clearing their throat

9. What is ‘prosody’?a. The process of learning a second languageb. The mocking of adult speech sounds infants use

to learn to speakc. The patterns of melody, timing and stress in

speech

10. Which word in the English language possessesthe most synonyms?

a. Richb. Good-lookingc. Ugly

Answers: 1. a, 2. b, 3. c, 4. b, 5. a, 6. a, 7. b, 8. b, 9. c, 10. a

A Little Motivation & Communication Trivia ~

Quotes ~“What you leave behind is

not what is engraved in stonemonuments, but what is woven

into the lives of others.”Pericles, Ancient Greek

Statesman (495 BC - 429 BC)

“An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.”Elbert Hubbard, American Writer

& Publisher (1856 - 1915)

“Money was never a big motiva-tion for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement

is playing the game.”Donald Trump, American Businessman

(1946 - ), “Trump: Art of the Deal”


THIS MONTH BRILLIANT RESULTS is givingThe Last Word to Frederick F. Reichheld,the author of the best selling book LoyaltyRules! How Today’s Leaders Build LastingRelationships. Mr. Reichheld is a DirectorEmeritus of Bain & Company and founderof the firm’s worldwide Loyalty Practice.His work has been featured in numerouspublications and he is a frequent keynotespeaker. In his book, he discusses theeconomic values of loyalty and makes a firm casefor loyalty being an important key to success intoday’s economy.

According to Mr. Reichheld, “Chiefexecutives at the cutting edge of e-commerce…care as deeply about customerretention as does any top-notch bricks-and-mortar executive, and consider itvital to the success of their online oper-ations.” Including a quote from eBay’sMeg Whitman, “Loyalty is the primaryingredient in eBay’s secret sauce.”

While many would agree that customerloyalty is at least attainable, employeeloyalty appears to be a vanishing trait inthe modern workplace. However, Mr.Reichheld believes that loyalty is the trueacid test of leadership and that, “Loyaltyremains the hallmark of great leadership.”Because loyalty has an enormous economic value,that merits meaningfully measurement by methodsbeyond simple retention rates. For example, in a rep-resentative national survey, 70-75% felt the organi-zations of loyalty leaders deserved their loyalty,while in organizations without loyalty leadership,only 45% felt loyalty to the organization, 32% wereneutral and 23% felt no loyalty was appropriate.Obviously, the cost of hiring new employees andfinding new customers in those organizations with-out loyalty leadership is cutting into bottom lineprofits. The growth of the executive search businessfrom a cottage industry to one with some $10 billiondollars in annual fees certainly attests to a portion ofthose costs.

If your thought is…what about theInternet? You should consider the numberone answer Web shoppers give for dealingwith a particular site…and it is not price…itis a website I know and trust.

At this point Mr. Reichheld had con-vinced Brilliant Results that loyalty wasnot some old fashioned concept, but abusiness reality that affects the bottom-line. Therefore, we asked if he

had developed any principle points of loyalty as aresult of his research. Following are his 6 Principlesof Loyalty as presented in Loyalty Rules:

1. Play to win/win - Profiting at theexpense of partners is a shortcutto a dead end.

2. Be picky - Membership is a priv-ilege.

3. Keep it simple - Complexity isthe enemy of speed andresponsiveness.

4. Reward the right results -Worthy partners deserve wor-thy goals.

5. Listen hard, talk straight - Long-term relationships require honest,two-way communication andlearning.

6. Preach what you practice - Actions often speaklouder than words, but together they areunbeatable.

Mr. Reichheld cites a number of successfulorganizations as case study examples of the power ofloyalty from Harley-Davidson to The Vanguard Groupto Southwest Airlines to tech companies like Ciscoand SAS. Based on this sampling of an impressive list,Brilliant Results would suggest that readers consideradministering Mr. Reichheld’s Loyalty Acid Tests as astarting point for discovering their organization’s cus-tomer and employee loyalty rating…after all; raisingyour ratings could just raise those long-term profits!

For additional information about Mr. Reichheld andhis work, please visit the website www.loyaltyrules.com.


TheLast Word

Frederick F. Reichheld


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