Graziadio Business Report Blog

Nancy Ellen Dodd, MPW, MFA

I have been teaching with Frances Grimes in the Management Communications program here at Graziadio this fall and so business communication is on my mind.

Face-to-face business communication is difficult—attempting to read body language, facial expressions, and gestures (although some gestures speak for themselves), can be a challenge. Not to mention cultural differences that can blur the meaning to any one or all of the above.

Even more difficult can be written communication when there are no expressions and gestures to guide us. Add poor grammar, haphazard punctuation, and misspellings… well, we all know where that can lead. Then mix in the language of different cultures and disciplines, and you can really have a problem.

I once wrote an email to someone in another department who was handling our IT. Since we were just starting to develop audio and video, I needed extra help with a particular project. In the email I wrote that I just needed a download of the file in a new format for “audacity.” The recipient of the email responded not quite in the way I expected, offering to do something quite different than I requested. Continue reading ‘5 Simple Rules for Better Email Business Communication’

Wayne Strom, PhD

Today’s harsh economic realities continue to impact everyone. Hundreds of thousands have been losing their jobs each month. In California, even firemen and policemen are being laid off (California firemen are being laid off even as we approach fire season!). It does not matter if you work for a private enterprise or a tax-supported agency.

Everyone is somewhat at risk. Everything is somewhat on the line.

An attorney friend once told me, ‘When you have a fire, you get to choose: you can pour on water, or you can pour on gasoline.’ This is absolutely true in our business relationships.

When people feel at risk, they become anxious and can easily rise to defensiveness. Negotiations, even over the smallest issues, can become brittle.

But to pour on gasoline does not mean that one is operating from a position of strength and confidence! It does not signal the other person that you are competent to deal with what is happening. If I anxiously enter a business conversation, or if I am even just a little apprehensive (a form of defensiveness), or perhaps a little pushy, I may be setting the stage for a defensive push-back or confrontation. Continue reading ‘The Business Imperative for Staying Calm During Stressful Times’

This is the third of a series of four blogs devoted to the topic of customer retention. Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Every customer that you keep represents at least three that you don’t have to attract. Numerous research studies indicate that the cost of acquiring a new customer usually runs from two to four times the annual cost of keeping an existing customer. Obviously, an effective customer retention strategy translates into profits.

It has been estimated that most companies spend about 98 percent of their time reacting to problems and less than 2 percent preventing them. The first, most important, way to prevent customer defections is to identify and define each problem from the customer’s vantage point. This blog suggests several ways to retain customers once you understand the problems and their ramifications.

Superior service and database management provide your best defense against customer defections. Service provides the opportunity to solve customer problems and build partnerships; the database serves as a vehicle to personalize customer communication and enhance your relationships.

Establish a Customer Baseline

In order to develop a successful retention program, you must have accurate and complete information about your customers. In my experience, at least 5 percent of the information in a typical customer database is inaccurate. Errors translate into wasted money, customer aggravation and loss of credibility.

You should know the following basic information about your customer base: Continue reading ‘Retaining Customers Part III: Invest to Prevent Customer Defections’