ChangeForge - Latest Comments in The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

Re: The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

kallan — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:34:16 -0000

Kia ora Ken!

"Fire a customer". That's funny - but I understand the theory you give here - the rationale behind the firing.

It reminds me of the recent debacle between Fiji, and New Zealand and Australia, over the sacking of the diplomats, and how, in these times of the economic pinch, there is nothing more likely to pinch the economies of all countries involved than sacking the diplomats - especially considering Fiji's strained position already.

But to the point. The pop artist who decides to do her own thing might be lucky. She may thumb her nose at a lot of 'customers', let's call them followers, who liked what she was doing because... but now that she's chosen to do what she's best at (or more particular, what she wants to do) she fosters a different grouping of followers. She too could say that her followers only think they know what they want.

It's a hard decision to make when it comes to financial survival though, and that's where it seems to be at with sales too. So it's a complex balancing act, and it's not a see-saw. It seems to be more like balancing a plate on a stick - a plate that's not spinning :-)

Catchya later
from Middle-earth

Re: The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:33:11 -0000

Greg, I love the extension to everyone in your life... I practice this fairly religiously ;-)

Re: The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

GregWalters — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:30:48 -0000

LOL!

Yes, you did, Number One...

Re: The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

GregWalters — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:27:47 -0000

Ken - There must be something in the air beside doom and gloom -

Great Insight, as revolutionary as it may sound to some, the concept of "firing a customer" has been around for a few years now...not only is it revolutionary, it is liberating.

But you swerve into another exceptional aspect.

You say, "...There comes a time, however, when a company reaches a point where it understands who it is and what it offers..."

Why don't we substitute "sales person" for "company"?

"There comes a time, however, when a sales person reaches a point where he understands who he is and what he offers..."

Once at this level of awareness, the sales person is on his way to becoming a Selling Professional - confident in who he is, what he does and who he can help, and willing or maybe even desperate to work with like minded people - customers AND EMPLOYERS(I despise that word).

That's right, include not only customers but employers and ALL THOSE IN YOUR LIFE WHO ARE A NEGATIVE....fire 'em.

Selling is Life, Life is Selling -

Re: The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

Frick — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:21:06 -0000

"Not every customer is good for you though", you are so correct.
I've seen companies take on customers not because it matches their core business mission but because they believe it will (insert reason here) "Give them more exposure, more profits, more bragging rights etc...". Somehow it just never turns out like they thought it would - If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.
Good article................

Re: The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

maxrosenthal — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:41:17 -0000

great insight Kenny boy. you are accumulating very valuable experience working for a SMB, getting acquired by an enterprise size company, assimilating the SMB into the enterprise size company, and i am sure next step will provide the experience of you representing the enterprise company as you assimilate another SMB.

Hey wait a second...did i just describe StarTrek: Next Generations??