Kiplinger says “The
new norm is (called) ‘multichannel shopping.’
Your customer researches products online, has it customized and ordered
on a tablet in a store with a salesperson’s help, and then has it delivered to
their home.” By 2016, Kiplinger says that “half of all
consumer purchases will incorporate some online or mobile component…comparison
shopping, ordering, customizing, paying.
For most retailers, both large and small, survival means embracing the
model.”
One of the results of multichannel shopping will be a new
emphasis on customer service, “turning in-store shopping into a pleasurable
leisure activity rather than a necessary chore.
A knowledgeable sales staff that can solve problems can make the
difference between profitable and broke.”
If you’re using unskilled and untrained labor in your business to sell,
it may be time to rethink the effect of those people on your revenue and
profitability, and to make knowledge and positive customer service the hallmark
of your business.
A famous organist was performing a concert on a huge antique
organ in front of a large audience. The bellows were hand pumped by a boy
seated behind a screen, unseen by any in the vast auditorium. The first part of
the performance went very well, and at intermission the organist took his bows
as the listeners applauded enthusiastically. During the break, the musician
rested in a side passageway. The boy came out to join him.
"We played well, didn't we, sir?" the boy asked.
The arrogant musician glared at him. "What do you mean,
we?"
After the intermission, the organist returned to his seat to
begin his next number. But as he pressed his fingers down on the keys, nothing
happened. The bellows produced no wind, and so not a sound came out.
Then the organist heard a whisper from behind the screen:
"Say, mister, now do you know what ‘we’ means?"
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what Peter Drucker
describes as "the last of the deadly sins of business,” which he defines
as "feeding problems and starving opportunities." It’s human nature to focus on what’s going
wrong and how to fix it rather than focusing on what’s going right and how to
make it bigger, better and stronger.
Focusing on problems and not maximizing the potential of
your opportunities can have a huge negative impact on your business results. The
lesson to be learned from this Peter Drucker statement is that the squeaky
wheel isn’t always the one we should automatically apply grease to.
We had a meeting yesterday with the entire management team
including a couple of new additions. I
really enjoyed listening to the give and take of the participants. I hope the new management team members saw
that everyone was willing to speak their minds in a positive way, as well as
recognized that each team member has particular strengths and perspectives that
complement the strengths and viewpoints of other team members. It was a definite “wow” moment for me, that
made me smile as I realized the immense amount of talent in the room who were
all working together to accomplish important business goals.
I like what Michael Jordan writes about teamwork in his book
I Can't Accept Not Trying: "There are plenty of teams in every sport
that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players
aren't willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing
is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals
more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you
think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves.” Jordan summed up the powerful results of teamwork
when he said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win
championships." Don’t forget that
final thought.
