Well, so much for me being invincible. Saturday morning I was barreling down the hill at Hoodoo Ski Bowl, caught a sheet of ice and got upended. My left ski bounced off, and my right leg banged into the ice. Painfully so. Nothing broken, most likely a hyperextended knee. Trying to get a doc appointment, so they can tell me to put ice on it. In any event, with all the crazy skiing I've done over the years, I'm still a little amazed I haven't broken any bones. I'd say I'm getting too old for this, but that horse left the barn a long time ago. No doubt I'll be back up on the slopes soon.

 

This week on the blog, articles on ways to stay connected in the social-distancing and 'no tradeshows' era, a look at webinars from the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association, and a new podcast/vlog on the concept of "Flow."

 

Soundtrack for this week's issue: we're talking vintage vinyl. I pulled out Argent's "All Together Now," an album I'm sure I haven't sat through for thirty or forty years. It had a really big hit - "Hold Your Head Up" - and a minor hit, "Tragedy," but as the third album from the British rock band, released in 1972, it sounds a little dated. Still fun, if you like that era. Rod Argent was the founder and leader and principal song writer. And as an organist, it was a little weird to be the leader of a rock band. But it worked. The album was recorded in 1971 at Abbey Road Studios. Maybe you've heard of the place? 

Shep Hyken:

 

...what small changes can you make? The way to make small changes isn’t complicated. Here are four steps to help you get there.

1. Identify: If you haven’t already done a journey map of what your customers experience as they do business with you, it’s time to do it. The good news is that if you haven’t done it yet, you don’t need to get to the level of detail you normally would for this exercise. What you need is a bullet point list of all the places customers interact with you. This, by the way, can include people, processes, and even products. Make a list of these touchpoints. For example, it can be something as simple as the way a phone is answered.
2. Brainstorm: Once you’ve identified the touchpoints, discuss and brainstorm ideas to improve each one. Back to the way a phone is answered. You might consider asking some questions. What happens when a customer calls? Is the call answered by a human or by a recording that prompts the caller to press numbers on a keypad to get to who they want to talk to? I’m not suggesting one is better than the other. What I am suggesting is that you sit down and decide if this is the experience you want your customer to have. And keep in mind that even the smallest improvements – even 1% better – should be included on this list.
3. Execute: If you take the time to do this right, you’ll have identified a number of interactions. You’ll be surprised at how many there are. You should have listed them and have a number of opportunities for improvement. Now prioritize. What are the quickest wins you can get, small or big? Start there.
4. Repeat: On the side of the shampoo bottle the instructions say to lather, rinse and repeat. This is the type of exercise that is not a “one and done.” Consider repeating it annually. Things change. Software improves. What’s important to a customer today may not be tomorrow. The change you made last year may be ready for another change today.

 

Teamwork is the Key to Success: Yeah, I know many of us just want to do it all, but teams really can be effective.

 

5 Most Common Mistakes People Make with Tradeshow Post-Show Follow Up: Maybe you're missing a thing or two?