Persistence, Art and Happiness

One day, my husband and daughter were coming up the stairs to our front door.

She asked him "Are you happy Baba?"

He thought hmmmm why is she asking me this (she was 4 years old at the time).... but he answered...... "yes, I suppose I'm happy."

Ross, my husband is not one to make unequivocal statements.

So she said "Great! I'm happy too! Its a happy day!" and bounded up the stairs to tell me "Mama Mama, its a happy day, we're all happy!"

That was such a wonderful episode, I hope you can have one too like that.

What prompted her?

Well, if the truth be told, she got so much candy at Halloween that year, that she got to eat it one piece at a time, one day at a time. It lasted till the next Halloween, and we still had some left, that's how much candy she collected that year.

So I had said to her "If its a happy day, you can have two pieces of candy."

She is the daughter of parents who met at college in the first day of our Philosphical Logic class, both graduates with honors in Maths, therefore she is both logical and pragmatic, so she asked

"How do I know its a happy day?"

I said "If you, Baba and I are all happy, then its a happy day."

You don't have to use candy,.... but its really something wonderful to have your child ask you if you are happy.

We have never forgotten it.

So click on the link above and find out more about bringing happiness into your life.

ABOUT PERSISTENCE - JUST DO IT!

I have the following posted on the wall behind my desk, on the right of the framed poem Üpon this Gifted Age - see the June 11 2006 blogpost - and to the left of my monitor screen.

Developing Persistence

- finish a project ahead of time

- Notice your thoughts about stopping a task, and make a conscious effort to dismiss them. Focus on the task at hand.

- Find a system that works and actually use it. Begin using a time management aid of some sort (daily planner, pda)

- Set a goal and create a plan for sticking to it

- When you wake up int he morning, make a list of things that you want to get done that day that could be put off until the next day. Make sure to get them done that day.

These exercises were developed by Jonathan Haidt at the University of Virginia for working on Persistence, they are part of a longer list in an experiment he conducted to see what happened when people could choose to work on their weaknesses or strengths. You can read about the experiment (but I warn that you will enjoy it more if you are an engineer or statistician) in a paper entitled "Strengths and Weakness" at

http://wsrv.clas.virginia.edu/~jdh6n/Positivepsych.html

I have copied the rest of the exercises here - I hope he doesn't mind, I think they are thought provoking. Choose one that you'd like to do. And put it up next to your computer screen. Here are his instructions - some are localized to the University of Virginia context, but I'm sure you can adapt it. You'll have to read the paper to find out the hypothesis and results of the experiment.

Jon Haidt:

You do NOT have to use these activities! You can design whatever activity you think will work for you, as long as it allows you to EMPLOY one of your strengths, or WORK ON one of your weaknesses.



1. Curiosity and Interest in the World
a. Ask question in class
b. Discover new places
c. Explore the stacks in the library; browse widely, or pick an interesting looking book each day, and spend 20 minutes skimming it.
d. Eat something new that you never otherwise would have tried
e. Go to a meeting or hear a speaker

2. Love of Learning
a. Discover one new place in C’ville every day
b. Read a newspaper other than the Cav Daily
c. Go to a professor’s office hours without a question
d. Ask a question in class
e. Go to an online search engine like Ask Jeeves-ask a question and explore sites you never otherwise would have discovered
f. Every day, read a chapter of a book that is not an assigned class text
g. Read a book about something you’ve always found intriguing but never found the time to learn more about

3. Judgment, Crit. Thinking and Open-Mindedness
a. Go to a multi-cultural group or event.
b. Play devil’s advocate and discuss an issue from the side opposite to your personal views
c. Take a hall/suitemate out to lunch who is different from you in some way.
d. Go to a different church or religious event
e. Every day, pick something you believe strongly, and think about how you might be wrong.

4. Creativity, ingenuity and originality
a. Keep a journal, work on a picture or poem
b. Submit a piece to a literary magazine or newspaper
c. Decorate a notebook or your room
d. Pick one object in your room and devise another use for it rather than its intended use
e. Find a new word everyday (perhaps at dictionary.com) and use it creatively every day.
f. Change your profile on IM daily

5. Social Intelligence
a. Meet one new person each day by approaching them
b. Go into a social situation in which you would normally feel uncomfortable and try to fit in
c. Whenever you talk with someone, try to figure out what his or her motives and concerns are.
d. Encounter someone by themselves and by being friendly, include them in your group

6. Perspective (Wisdom)
a. Get a quote a day online
b. Give advice to an upset friend
c. Think of the wisest person you know. Try to live each day as that person would live.
d. Look up prominent people in history and learn their views on important issues of their day and/or find a significant quotation that they said.

7. Valor
a. Talk in class (if you don’t normally)
b. Go against peer pressure or social norms
c. Stand up for someone even if you disagree with him/her.
d. Ask someone out or to dance
e. Introduce yourself to a stranger next to you in class
f. Speak up for an unpopular idea (if you believe in it)

8. Industry diligence and Perseverance
a. Finish work ahead of time
b. Notice your thoughts about stopping a task, and ignore them. Focus on the task at hand.
c. In class, resist daydreaming and distractions.
d. Plan ahead- use a calendar for assignments and tests.
e. Set a high goal (e.g., for exercise, or studying) and stick to it.
f. When you wake up in the morning, make a list of things that you want to get done that day that could be put off until the next day. Make sure to get them done that day.

9. Honesty, Authenticity and Genuineness
a. Refrain from telling small, white lies, to friends (including insincere compliments). If you do tell one, admit it and apologize right away.
b. Monitor yourself and make a list of every time you tell a lie, even if it is a small one. Try to make your daily list shorter every day.
c. At the end of each day, identify something you did that was attempting to impress people, or put on a show. Resolve not to do it again.

10. Zest, Enthusiasm, and Energy
a. Go out of your way to become more involved in an organization you are already a part of
b. Take up a greater interest in one of your classes, i.e. volunteer for a class activity
c. Do something because you want to, not because you are told.
d. Get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast, to give yourself more energy during the day.
e. Do something physically vigorous in the morning (e.g., jog, push-ups)

11. Kindness and generosity
a. Leave a huge tip for a small check.
b. Do a random act of kindness every day (a simple, small favor). Make it anonymous if possible.
c. Be a listening ear to a friend. Ask them how their day was and actually listen to the answer before telling them about your own day.
d. Send an e-card to a different friend each day.
e. Pay the whole tab when you are out with friends.

12. Capacity to Love and be Loved
a. Tell boyfriend/girlfriend/sibling/parent that you love them
b. Send a loved one a card or e-card to say that you were thinking about him/her.
c. Give loved ones a big hug and a kiss
d. Write a nice note where someone you love will find it sometime during the day. Do this in a new place, or for a new person, every day.

13. Citizenship and Teamwork
a. Volunteer at Madison House
b. Take on added responsibility within an organization you are already a part of
c. Pick up litter that you see on the ground
d. Clean your suite, hall, or lounge (anywhere communal)
e. Organize a hall/suite dinner
f. Do your share in a group work/as a facilitator

14. Fairness Equity and Justice
a. Allow someone to speak their peace while keeping an open mind by not passing judgment
b. Stay impartial in an argument between friends despite your beliefs (be the mediator)
c. Notice when you treat someone based on a stereotype or pre-conception; resolve not to do it again.

15. Leadership
a. Organize something special for your friends or suitemates one evening.
b. Organize a study group

16. Modesty
a. Don’t talk about yourself at all for a full day.
b. Dress and act modestly, so as not to attract attention to yourself.
c. Find a way in which someone you know is better than you. Compliment him or her for it.

17. Self-Control and Self-Regulation
a. Set aside 2 hours (or other designated amount of time) and ACTUALLY study in a quiet place.
b. Work out four days a week (if you don’t already)
c. Clean or organize your room. Every day, make sure that you pick up whatever mess you made during the day.
d. Leave something unfinished on your plate that you usually regret eating afterwards.
e. When something upsets you, attempt to block it out of your mind and instead focus on the good things in your life.
f. Make a resolution to not gossip. When you feel the urge to talk about someone behind his or her back, remember your resolution and stop yourself before you talk.
g. In the evenings, make an agenda for the following day. Stick to that agenda.
h. When you get overly emotional about something, calm down and calmly consider all of the issues again.

18. Caution, Prudence and Discretion
a. During a conversation, think twice before saying anything. Weigh the probable effect of your words on others.
b. Think about the motto “Better safe than sorry” at least three times a day. Try to incorporate its meaning into your life.
c. Before you decide to do something important, reflect on it for a moment and consider if you want to live with its consequences 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 year later.

19. Forgiveness and Mercy
a. Think of someone that you found it very hard to forgive. Try to see the situation from their perspective. Then consider, if you had been the one to do the offensive act, would you have expected to be forgiven?
b. Keep a journal, and every night, describe someone who made you mad, or against whom you have a grudge. After writing about the grudge, describe why you are resistant to forgiving them. Then look at the situation from that person’s point of view, and forgive the person.
c. Make contact with someone who has made you mad in the past. Let them know that you forgive them, or just be kind to them in your conversation.
d. When someone does something that you do not understand, try to fathom his or her intentions in the actions.

20. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
a. Go to a museum (e.g., the Bailey) and pick out a piece of artwork or a display that has aesthetic value and touches you because of its beauty.
b. Write down your thoughts about a piece of art, or something beautiful you see around grounds.
c. Take a walk with a friend and comment on something pretty that you see
d. Attend a concert and enjoy the sound for its musical value. Or pick out the most moving music you know of, and listen to it appreciatively on headphones every night. Or ask a friend to recommend the most beautiful music he or she knows.
e. Keep a journal, and every night, record something you saw during the day that struck you as extremely beautiful, or skillful.
f. Find something that makes you happy, in aesthetics or value, a physical activity or an object, and let it inspire you throughout the day.
g. Visit the Fine Arts Library and browse through the art books.

21. Gratitude
a. Keep a journal, and each night, make a list of three things that you are thankful for in life
b. Every day, thank someone for something that you might otherwise take for granted (e.g., thanking the janitor who cleans your hallways).
c. Keep a record of the number of times you use the words “thank you” in a day. Over the course of the first week, try to double the number of times that you say the words.
d. Call a parent/sibling/friend each day and thank him/her (e.g., for helping you to become who you are, or for always being there for you.)
e. Send someone a “thank you” e-greeting.
f. Leave a note on your roommate/apartment mate suitemate/hall mate that thanks them for something about them that you appreciate.

22. Hope, Optimism, and Future-Mindedness
a. Keep a journal, and every night, record a decision you made that day that will impact your life in the long run
b. When you are in a bad situation, turn it around to see the optimistic side of it. You can almost always find some good in a situation, regardless of how awful it seems at the time.
c. Make a list of bad decisions you have made. Forgive yourself and move on in life realizing that you cannot go backwards, only focus on the present and future.
d. Notice your negative thoughts. Counter them with positive thoughts.
e. Reaffirm yourself that you can and will succeed at whatever you put your mind to.

23. Spirituality and Sense of Purpose, and Faith
a. For five minutes a day, relax and think about the purpose of life, and where you fit in..
b. For five minutes a day, think about the things you can do to improve the world or your community.
c. Read a religious or spiritual book, or go to a religious service every day
d. Explore different religions. You can do this by going to a library, looking on the Internet, or asking your friends about their religions.
e. Spend a few minutes a day in meditation or prayer.
f. Invest in a book of affirmations or optimistic quotes. Read a few every day.

24. Humor and Playfulness
a. Every day, make someone smile or laugh.
b. Learn a joke and tell it to your friends.
c. Watch a funny movie or TV show.
d. Read the comics
e. Learn a magic trick and perform it for your friends

End of quote from Jon Haidt http://wsrv.clas.virginia.edu/~jdh6n/Positivepsych.html

Finally, there's an interesting class on Art Therapy being conducted this spring by Lani Geritý's class at NYU. Check out the description! Bring Art into your life and Happiness too. Persist!

http://www.lanipuppetmaker.com/cgi-bin/itsmy/go.exe?page=33&domain=1&webdir=lanipuppetmaker


Just Do It!

Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour - we have received the gift of the iPod

Music has come back into many more areas of my life thanks to the iPod!

Hearing more music when I'm reading or exercising, just makes me want to play more music. Its wonderful.

I've played the piano since I was six years old. Blessed with good sight reading (I can read most music and play it right away) it means I can play lots of things (without practicing) just for the pure pleasure of making music. It is such a treasured gift that makes my life rich beyond anything money can buy - the arts have so much to give us, why don't we weave it in more to our customer connections?

This poem is my inspiration....

Upon this gifted age in its dark hour
Rains from the sky a meteoric shower
of facts..
They lie unquestioned, uncombined.

Wisdom enough to leech us of our ill
Is daily spun, but there exists no loom to weave it into fabric

Edna St. Vincent Millay


I'm working on a project that started on Thursday June 8 to begin to build that loom.... not for everyone or everything, but in an area that I care deeply about, health!

Seven reasons why global ethics should be part of the way you communicate.

Tom Venardos is a colleague of mine at the Institute of Management Consultants and we co-authored an article back in 1998. He wrote an excellent book on Consulting Success Using Higher Performance Standards (1997).

I re-read it today and decided that it is worth reviving, so I'm posting the link above and you can read the beginning of it here to decide if you want to see the rest... if you do, click on the title above.

Seven reasons why global ethics should be part of the way you communicate.


Communication World; 8/1/1998; Fung, Mei Lin and Venardos, Thomas



Professional consultants, companies and organizations that compete internationally will undermine their long-term profitability, professional development and client business if they fail to properly address and practice global ethics. These ethics include honesty in communicating with others, respect for differences, trust that others will engage in truthful transactions, and expectations that other people will keep their word. By observing global ethics and standards, professionals demonstrate their willingness to play by international rules and develop their business potential. They also show their sound and dependable character and reputation, their accountability and predictability during business transactions, their interest in long-term relationships, their potential as leaders in the global marketplace, and the uniformity in their professional life.

Consultants who choose to ignore or downplay global ethics in their practices are negatively affecting their long-term profitability, their professional development, and client business. Practicing global ethics is a must in today's diverse and global marketplace. Furthermore, it makes good business sense. based on our international experience we will illustrate a few concrete examples of global ethical issues, personal awareness along with a life-long learning approach to show how to make consulting practices more successful.

Some of the examples will be based on experiences all consultants encounter: learning about obvious social-cultural subtleties and differences, paying attention to current changes in various societies, being sensitive to unspoken or unwritten needs of the client, and promoting goodwill through use of high standards and professional communication.

What Is Meant by Global Ethics and Standards

Global ethics and standards exist in various forms and realities. These ethics include basic human interactions: respect for differences, trust that our counterparts will work with us in a truthful manner, honesty in communication with others, and expectations that each of us will keep our word and maintain credibility. The essence of global ethics and professional standards is based on self-understanding, tolerance of differences, appreciation for the unique, and curiosity of the unknown. Without the personal quest for experiencing new frontiers, and working with other professionals who have their own perceptions of us and ours of them, our professional life would be mundane.

To read more, click on the title above.

For Chinese Readers - Welcome to Customer Connections

For English readers, to read it in English, please click on the title of this post. Under the Chinese version, you will see the English version.

客户体验管理专栏

作者简介：冯美玲早期是CRM先锋, 曾同Tom Siebel及Marc Benioff共同就职于Oracle，后在Intel服务5年， 她擅长于“客户生命周期”管理和研究。在国际和国内的CRM及呼叫中心行业都享有极高的声誉。


专栏序语：尊敬的各位读者，非常高兴在《客户世界》同大家相识，也希望通过这个平台的月度沟通，尽我所能，让大家从中受益。要实现业务的迅速增长，业内得到验证的做法是培养忠诚的客户。因为客户感激你为他们所做出的一切，并且乐意同你沟通朝着什么方向努力他们就会更满意——牵手客户，促进业务蓬勃发展。
我尊敬的读者们，在此，我有个请求，那就是请你们做我的向导，给我提问和反馈，这能帮助我了解对于你们来讲什么是最有意义的。我讲的内容对你们是否有价值，是否是大家的兴趣所在？我最想做到的是为大家提供在“客户体验管理”方面世界前沿的最新资讯和理念，并能够解决大家在工作当中遇到的实际问题。
目前我有2个思路：1、及时分享，以图迅速提升业务；2、把一些西方的客户管理经验，介绍给中国和亚洲国家，并力求本土化。
如果你指望读完这些文章，销售业绩就能立竿见影，那可大错特错了。我上面提到的第一点，如果你是认真地考虑提高你的业绩，你就能从这篇文章学习借鉴西方的经验和想法。之后，在日积月累的实践中，将这些新的启发应用于提升客户体验，相信你的销售业绩也将与日俱增。作为客户，他们都在寻找一种更佳的体验，无论是在中国还是世界的其它角落，谁能提供最满意的体验，客户就会跟他们签单。
另外，鉴于每个月都有海量的文章和报道，我会考虑选择那些认为是符合中国的文化和价值观，可以“拿来”并能够放之于中国国情并得以广泛应用的作推荐。
讲故事在中国有很久的传统了，我在这儿也延续一下这个传统，给大家讲个３家小银行的故事。世界各地的银行都希望拥有他们最忠诚的客户，这些客户才会带给他们更多的客户，随之而来的带来更多的财富和业务。
有这样一家银行认为得到忠诚的客户要做到GST哲学（微笑和感恩）。在所有的银行，存钱的手续都是相同的，他们的自动提款机也没什么不一样，因为机器本身和软件都是从同一家供应商采购来的。只有抵押和商业贷款的业务是相对独立的，同竞争对手相比，这些业务也谈不上优或劣。
因此，这家银行认为无需从根本上做出任何改变，他们决定“我们要让我们的客户忠诚，需要让他们感觉开心，那么，要从他们一进银行的大门开始问候他们。当客户来到柜台前，我们要对他们微笑，并且如果他们办理存款业务的话，要称呼他们的名字以表示感谢。”

来到第一家银行的客户感觉到，“不错，有改观，至少他们没因为对我采用ＧＳＴ哲学而多收税（GST 在国外是国家征收的附加税），那他们对我微笑的时候，我也同样回馈以笑容。”

第二家银行更认真地考虑了如何让客户忠诚，他们想如果选择客户方便的地点提供多种银行服务的话，对客户来讲会非常便利。因此，他们在购物中心设立了分支银行，同时提供尽可能多的服务种类，包括退休计划、家庭贷款、各种抵押、存款证明等各种银行业务，从地点上他们覆盖了所有的购物中心、大型超市和商业中心等。另外，他们还投入大量的资金建设了网上银行，满足客户无需同柜面人员沟通的需求。这种自助银行的服务甚至沿用了好多年！大多数人不认识这家银行中的某个职员，他们之间的沟通主要是通过陌生的信函方式收取账单，或者该行的信用卡（即使有时他们已经申请过一张了）。 这家银行认为，我们获得的客户忠诚度，是通过对客户提供众多的便利，对于其它银行来说无法付出同样的成本来实现的。
第二家银行的客户在新网点出现的时候确实欣喜了一番，但是由于越来越多的业务可以通过网上银行实现时，许多人发现其实银行的地点并不重要了，我们可以通过网上交易，即使在家穿着睡衣也无妨。
第三家银行认为银行业务是客户信任银行的一种纽带，考虑到建立忠诚度，银行应该同客户建立起信任感。而信任的建立是需要时间的，因此，银行就他们采取的每一个行动之前，都会问这个问题“这么做会同客户建立起信任，还是反之？”，后来他们意识到：如果不了解对方的情况，要建立信任是相当难的。因为他们提供的产品如果不适合客户的话，客户就会很生气。
这三家银行中的一位副总裁同他上了年纪的寡妇母亲同住，他过世的父亲给他的母亲留下了一笔资产，供日常开销，这样老人在经济上不用依靠孩子。但是，事实上，这位老人高兴时经常给孙子们送各种各样的礼物，娃娃、自行车、国际橄榄球比赛等等。 老人的钱存在第一家银行里。有一天，银行给这位老奶奶打了个电话，“阿姨，您那么多的钱放在账上有些浪费。。”老奶奶说“浪费，怎么讲？我用这些钱来买牙膏牙刷和衣服，还有，什么时候我想看到孙子们的笑容时，我就给他们个小礼物。这不是浪费呀！”银行的女职员善意地说，“我的意思是这些钱可以变得更多，您能用赚来的钱给孙子们买更大的礼物。”这位老奶奶后来跟他们签了10年期的2万元的存单，她觉得10年里让她再挣出1、2千元钱是件乐事。但这位老奶奶已经85岁高龄，而这笔钱对她来讲，意味着她在临终前应该用它来尽情享受生活的。副总裁认为，第一家银行虽然对老人非常友善，但失去了对他们的信任，因为银行让老人买了根本不适合她的产品，而且他们从来没考虑到，“我们是一家人，现在倒好，我得来‘收拾’残局 - 我母亲的帐上没有足够的钱来保障她日后10年的日常开销。我的银行 – 上面讲到的第三家银行，决不会这样做的。”
第三家银行竭尽所能在每一次客户交互中都试图同客户建立起信任。他们所给出的每个推荐或建议，都把客户当成是自己的老母亲一样考虑周全。如果一位客户是女性或者高龄，他们受到的待遇如同对待自己的亲戚。客户开始谈论起第三家银行，“他们真的非常关心我，我的生活，他们相信帮助我能够得到最美好的生活”。。。“太棒了!”“难以相信，我和他们银行的老板没什么关系呀”这些客户开始同他们的亲戚、朋友、同事和商业网络谈论着这家银行，他们关注着健康理财的每个细节，就像个理财方面的医生定期给你检查，帮助你渡过财务上的困境，走出阴影。
之后，改革之风吹遍小镇。大国际银行（BIB）来到了镇上，带来了100多种产品和服务，在各处安装了1000多个自动提款机。第一家小银行同大国际银行相比，覆盖范围虽广，但成本上无法对抗；第二家小银行也无可挽回其命运，他们所谓的“忠诚客户”离开了他们，投向大国际银行，因为他们提供更多产品，覆盖范围也更广。
而第三家小银行呢？建立了良好的客户关系和信誉，并深深地了解他们的客户的想法。随同他们多年来一同起伏成长的客户们，早已沉浸在这家银行的温暖舒适的氛围里了。在对他们的客户的理解上，大国际银行却无法与第三家小银行比拼。
而第三家银行的客户，有着良性的财务增长，从一开始就养成了健康的理财习惯，家庭里的每一位成员都是如此，他们的客户变得越来越富有。这些客户还是保持着同第三家银行的业务关系，而且，他们也在不断地同他们富裕的朋友们游走相告着第三家银行的佳话。
好了，现在是故事的结尾。可能你觉得这个故事同西方的“三只小猪”有些雷同，3只小猪分别用草、木棍和砖建造自己的房子，狼来了摧毁了其中用草和木棍建的房子，当然，砖的房子证明是最结实的，这是一样的道理。

如果客户关系是建立在信任的基础上，而且每一次客户同你的业务上的体验应该去仔细评估，衡量一下是提高还是下降。最终，长期的忠诚是建立在信任的前提下的。短期忠诚稍纵即逝，如同草和木棍建造的房子。

如今的商战有些像救火，有时候你可能会自言自语，“我放弃为正义而救火”，因为“差不多就行了”更容易做到。记得这个故事 - 建造“砖的房子”。如果你经常被告诫，为公司利益做事情，但同时违背了客户的利益时，那么，你应该自问，是否你是在浪费着你的时间，你的热心和努力在建造着一个稻草或者木棍的房子呢？


——Mei Lin Fung（冯美玲）, 美国加州



公司的促销员
文/冯美玲 译/希曼
客户体验管理应该首先落实在“公司的促销员”身上——他们本身应该是充满热情的人群，现在需要做的是让他们充满激情地去“推广”你们的公司，不仅仅是面向他们自己的朋友和同事，而且还应该面对其他的客户！身体力行是增加客户量最有效的办法。

行动纲领: 增加客户推荐
1、找到你们“公司的促销员”
你们公司什么样的客户最有可能帮助你对外推介产品和服务呢？这些客户就是你们 “公司的促销员”。那么，如何才能找到他们呢？ 很简单，直接问他们：从0－10，选择一个数字表示你会帮助我们做对外推介的程度，数字越大表示帮我们推销的可能性越高？那些选择 9 或 10 的客户就是你要找的“公司的促销员”。
这些客户对你们的公司是非常宝贵的，不仅仅因为他们是忠诚的客户，更在于他们会帮助你开发新客户。要去找到他们喜欢你们公司的原因和他们记忆中在你们这里经历的一些美好的感受，然后你可以根据他们的这些经验和感受，进而发掘出更多的“公司的促销员”。

2、当“公司的促销员”推荐你们公司的产品和服务时，回馈给他们以最优的体验。
想方设法让那些有兴趣的客户在推介你们的产品和服务时感到简单易行，给他们提供各种相关的材料，方便传递给他们的同事和朋友；同时，也要考虑到这些材料能够提升他们个人的知名度。当这种推介成功时，要感谢你们的促销员所付出的努力，这是非常重要的。让他们感受到你们的深厚谢意，用各种具体的方式让他们感受你在聆听他们，而且在意他们所提供的一切帮助，以及让他们知道将来他们在为你们公司推介的过程中会得到的更多关注等。

3、增加“公司促销员”协助推介产品的机会
西方常用的一些方法如下：将“公司的促销员”所讲的就产品和服务的话述变成文字和电子文档，作为呈现给其他潜在客户的案例依据；在他们参加你们公司的媒体采访、会谈和介绍会时，给予他们恰当的认可，及便利的条件；邀请他们和你们最有机会的潜在客户共同参与你们举办的聚会等活动。
“公司的促销员”是最有价值的客户资产，因为他们能够帮助你们“扩大”客户群。因此，千万不要把你们的“公司的促销员”用于个人私利的目的，而应该永远出于积极的考虑： 你在要求你的“公司的促销员”所做的每一件细小的事情之前，一定要确信这样做的目的是能够为他们个人带来好处且巩固他们的声誉，你和他们之间的每一次互动本身应该即是一次良好的客户体验。

结论
要关怀好你的客户是非常不易的，但也是有所回报的。开始阶段，可以从那些对你的产品和服务非常关注的客户着手：公司的促销员！ 马上去专注于改善他们同你们公司的每一次体验吧，你们会很快发现更多的客户间的推荐，这过程当中你们始终重视这些重要客户的体验，同时也会感受到的他们对你们公司的感激之情。把这些体会应用于公司的其他客户，你们的“公司的促销员”就会源源不断。

The Answer to How is Yes - Acting on What Matters

In evolution, they talk about the "Missing Link". For me this book by Peter Block (see www.peterblock.com for more) is a Missing Link that I have been looking for. Reading the book was a chance to literally and figuratively sit on the grass in the sun, by a stream and feel all my connections to the universe resonate:

"All nature sings and 'round me rings,
the music of the spheres."

For a bit of a taste, here's an excerpt of an interview with Block by the Executive Director of Staff Development, the whole interview can be read by clicking on the title link above). The subtitles are directly from the article in the Journal of Staff Development, written by Dennis Sparks.

Intrinsic motivation

JSD: Something else you discussed in your book may also help explain the problem. "(T)he whole idea that bosses should motivate their people ties us all in knots," you wrote. "Instead, bring your employees together and stimulate the right conversation. This is an important role for any boss--to support the communal pursuit of what matters. Let this be motivation enough."

Block: I think the idea that bosses will motivate employees is a mistake. It's more important to ask what motivates us than to wonder what motivates others. For me what is motivating is intimacy, full self-expression, idealism, and people talking about their experience with others listening deeply to what they are saying. This releases enormous energy. It's interesting that at meetings or learning events people often display far more energy during the breaks. I want that type of energy to be the norm when we work together.

A life worth living

JSD: There's a clue to how that energy is generated in your views about the power of creating. You wrote, "As soon as I begin to discuss what I want to create, I am in the position of cause, not effect." Later you write, "Citizenship means that I act as if this larger place were mine to create, while the conventional wisdom is that I cannot have responsibility without authority. That is a tired idea. ... I can participate in creating something I do not control."

Block: That's an argument against the conventional wisdom. Creativity is an expression of our freedom, and it gives us a reason for being alive. Most people say they are not responsible for their work because they do not control it. I'm trying to push back on that by saying it's a defense against being responsible, against being accountable for the well-being of the whole.

I believe I can care for anything I choose to care for, and I'm not limited by my position. For instance, I can leave this room and walk out into my neighborhood and invest my energy in things that matter to me. Will I affect change? I don't know. Will I be acknowledged and rewarded and appreciated for what I do? I don't know. But that's just a barter mentality, a view that I should only invest in things from which I reap a return. The world is more than economics.

We are human beings who can invest in what matters to us. It is possible through my language and commitments to create a world that matters to me. Out of that comes a sense of having lived a life worth living. It also means I don't have to wait to do something that matters.

Activism breeds strength

JSD: You've written about the social nature of transformation. "All learning is social," you say. "It is with our peers that we will ultimately find our voice and change our world. It is in community that our lives are transformed. Small groups can change the world."

Block: I don't accept the view that it is only great men and women who truly make a difference in the world. Where does that leave the rest of us? Establishing a community around us can have tremendous impact on our emotional and physical health and on our capacity to perform. Strong communities with high rates of civic engagement have healthier children. Being activists in the world, feeling that we are not alone in the world, knowing that we have something to offer the world, is good for our communities as well as ourselves.


This book has so much for CRM practitioners and people who are working on developing relationships. It reminded me of the different roles that are necessary to develop customer relationships with value and integrity.

The engineer - sort out the HOW (feedback loops)
The economist - work out the MONEY (who pays what to whom and why)
The artist - imagine the CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE as a LifeCycle (anticipating, welcoming, engaging, culminating, extending the relationship)
The social architect - design the ECOSYSTEM


Read this book.

The Answer to How is Yes by Peter Block.

Here's the Amazon link.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576752712/002-3621004-8380051?v=glance&n=283155