Growing unemployment, financial upheaval, socialism on the rise. Isn’t it interesting how grown people are given to panic? The United States’ economy seems to be in a death spiral, or at least that is how some people seem to project it. I guess I’ve always been a “glass is half full” kind of guy.
Unemployment is at 8 percent and could be growing. When I look at the United States today, I see that we still have over 90% of the workforce gainfully employed. I see jobs still being created, even when others are being lost. The election cycle brought us a promise of change. The biggest thing we face is a change of perspective. We need to stop believing and start achieving. We need to decide that we are going to make a difference in our sphere of influence.
For some people, this will mean a change in their career. For others, perhaps a change in direction. We can be sure that nothing will be as easy as the last few years have been. Our businesses need to establish a new connection with our customers. We need to hear them better and we need to serve them better. If we don’t, our competition will. It’s a well-established idea that it is much harder to get a new customer than to keep an existing one, but many of us don’t even know why we lose them. In this new economy, we need to make the hard choices. We need to ask the hard questions. But I believe that those who are willing to do this, will reap the long lasting loyalty of those they serve.
This has to start from the top and be carried throughout the organization. It’s a culture that is already instilled in some companies, but only the ones that embrace it will survive. You need to pull out your old customer lists, grab a cup of coffee and get on the phone. Or better yet, set up a customer service blog that let’s your customers know you’re doing business differently these days! Set up some hard question polls and ask your customers, old and current, to give you frank answers. Then let them know you have heard them!
Life is changing in the US, but the last time this happened, those who changed and adapted not only survived, but thrived! Make the change, decide today to embrace the customer and together learn how much you need each other.
Feast or Famine, it’s up to you!
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