Stop Stepping Over Dollars

Stop Stepping Over Dollars

One of the most famous automobile dealerships in the world is Sewell Village Cadillac in Dallas, Texas. After calculating the lifetime value of a loyal buyer, owner Carl Sewell, author of Customers for Life, said, “If the typical happy customer spends over...
Are Your Customers Telling Stories?

Are Your Customers Telling Stories?

Stripes is one of my favorite movies. Starring Saturday Night Live comedians Bill Murray and John Candy, the 1981 hit movie features a scene in which new Army recruits (including Murray and Candy) are in a “get-acquainted” circle with their basic training platoon...
The Egalitarian Delight-Maker

The Egalitarian Delight-Maker

When famed anthropologist Margaret Mead first visited Samoa in the South Pacific, it led her to write in the preface of her book Coming of Age in Samoa, “Courtesy, modesty, good manners, conformity to definite ethical standards are universal… It is instructive...
Value-Unique Trumps Value-Added

Value-Unique Trumps Value-Added

Value-added literally means taking what the customer expects and adding more.  As new value is added, up also go the customer expectations setting up a path to a dead-end street.  At some point, the additions exceed what is cost-effective.  The solution: innovative...