Customer Relationships
Listen Up
Talking about yourself, or in our case, speaking up to promote your business, is easy. Stepping back and listening is much more difficult. To me, there is a delicate balance between…
Customer Relationships
Another Trip Around the World…Las Vegas
Earlier this week, I was in Las Vegas for the 2022 ICSC conference. I’ve heard this referred to as the ”Super Bowl” of retail. It’s certainly the premiere retail conference…
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These Two Years
For the last couple of years, building and maintaining relationships has been harder than I have ever seen in my career. Zoom, along with its video conference first cousins, has…
Customer Relationships
Call Me…
At a Phoenix CenterBuild Conference many years ago, I heard something that has resonated with me ever since. “Success is about finding the right customers and keeping them.” One of…
Customer Relationships
I’m Curious…
There are two ways to look at networking functions: A box to check, or an opportunity. Since you are there anyway, the “opportunity” option seems to make more sense. I’m…
Customer Relationships
The Buck Stops Here.
Yesterday, I received a call from a customer concerning our performance on a project. It was not the kind of communication I relish receiving, but I needed to hear it….
Customer Relationships
Communicator-in-Chief
Last weekend, I watched an interesting piece by Ted Koppel about how communication style and mastery of current mediums has affected the presidency. Franklin Roosevelt and his famous Fireside Chats made radio…
Customer Relationships
Workplace Gardens
When we made the decision to trade our offices in a corporate environment for a 16-acre campus, a garden was part of our plan. We saw a garden as part…
Customer Relationships
Where is the Heart?
In the construction business, it can be common to ask for a Fee & General Condition proposal prior to the plans being finished so that a customer/owner can bring a…
Customer Relationships
Make the Acquaintance First
For some, the idea of “sales” is a little too comfortable, and they push products and services before it’s appropriate. For others, making a pitch is uncomfortable. I would argue both sides…