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You don’t bring me flowers anymore: When customers turn on you
Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementOne day you’re walking on water, the best thing since sliced bread, you can do no wrong, and your customer is going to tell all their friends how wonderful your product and service are. And the next day, wham, suddenly you’re a pariah, a nobody, the worst ever, and they’re going to report you to the authorities to have your licenses revoked, have you thrown in jail, and bashed on any social media that exists. What happened? Did you change overnight? Did the other person change overnight? Did the circumstances surrounding your relationship change overnight?
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AI? Automation? How to use tech to improve marketing
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingArtificial intelligence (AI) has the power to change everything. But only 18% of B2B marketers and sales professionals are currently using it, found a 2019 DemandBase survey. Of those with access, over 40% said AI is the most important investment to achieve better sales and marketing performance. Nearly 33% went so far to say that it’s revolutionizing their marketing and sales performance. But most marketers (55%) don’t have the budget to invest in AI. Yet, you can likely use marketing automation tools to accomplish much of the same.
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Your personal brand: You are who people think you are
Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIt happens every single time someone sees you, your name, or hears your voice. It is inescapable, and it plays a significant role in how people respond to you. For example, it's about 3 p.m. and your smartphone buzzes, so you look at your phone to see who is calling you. In an instant, you recognize co-worker Larry LeGarrett’s phone number and wham! — you brand him before you decide what you are going to do with the call. Whether you answer or let it go to voicemail depends largely on how you feel about the Larry LeGarrett brand.
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Small-business owners lukewarm — or worse — on new tax law
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAt best, some owners of small firms are lukewarm about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) that Congress passed and President Trump signed. We turn to an April 10 public opinion poll from Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform. Among 501 small-business owners who were polled March 26-27 across the U.S. who have filed their taxes or are yet to finish their filing, nearly half, or 48%, reported that the new tax law did not make their profits or firms grow. About a quarter, or 24%, said the law caused them harm.
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The employee who cried wolf
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhat do we do when a whiny employee keeps whining? If we cannot move them to another department, we tend to try our best to "yes" them out of our office, ignore them or delay responding in the hopes they will go away. In many cases, while the employee may continue to be annoying, taking one of these approaches is often sufficient. However, if a legitimate issue does arise, the pattern of not addressing earlier problems can come back to bite us. Here are a couple of ways to rethink the approach to the employee crying wolf in case a wolf does actually show up.
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The just-in-time effect: How Amazon and Uber have changed associations
Linda Popky Association ManagementBig-box stores and local mom-and-pop shops are fighting to survive because they can't compete with the combination of selection and prices offered by Amazon. Taxis can't compete with the convenience and service offered by Uber and Lyft. But there's another area that hasn't received as much attention, and that's the business of associations. No, Amazon is not about to offer Prime Deals on association memberships. Neither does Uber run in-person meetings, events, or workshops. But their influence is felt nonetheless due to something I'm calling the just-in-time (JIT) effect.
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12 significant challenges for boards
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementThere are more than 1.5 million nonprofit boards in the United States. Chances are good that every organization has experienced at least one of these 12 significant challenges. One example is self-evaluation. You want your association board to be recognized as the best. Start with a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Six months into the term ask, "How do you think we are doing? What can we improve?" Forms are available to facilitate board and individual self-evaluation.
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Tips for minimizing and avoiding bullying in the workplace
D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementA few states are beginning to consider and/or pass anti-bullying laws to address inappropriate conduct in the workplace. Increasingly, plaintiffs' lawyers and courts are trying to advance novel theories to punish employers for failing to stop bullying or to create liability for employers. For example, even absent a specific anti-bullying law, employers could be liable under anti-discrimination laws and OSHA or similar state laws that impose on employers a "general duty" to maintain a safe workplace. With these trends emerging, employers need to develop programs and systems to prevent and avoid claims of bullying. Here are some steps employers should take to reduce bullying and resulting liability.
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The pros and cons of corporate events at sports venues
Wendy Parsley Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementWe recently found ourselves at a football stadium that was playing host to a manufacturing industry conference and trade show. It didn’t take long for us to ask: are sports venues a good fit for corporate events? Let’s face it: finding unique event venues for corporate events with the ever-elusive "aha" factor can be challenging for event professionals everywhere. We are all on the hunt for the extra special place that offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience. But before you make the leap to say yes to a ballpark or basketball arena as your next event venue, be sure to think about all the potential pros and cons. Here are just a few that caught our attention.
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Economy rebounds to add 196,000 jobs; unemployment steady at 3.8%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe March jobs report shows that nonfarm payroll employment rose 196,000 from 20,000 new jobs in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. March’s rate of unemployment of 3.8% matched February’s rate of 3.8%. "To be really clear — today's jobs report inspires a bit of a sigh of relief relative to the disastrous February jobs number — but the economy is definitely going to grow a lot more slowly in 2019 than 2018," said Josh Bivens, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. March marked the 102nd consecutive month of expansion since the end of the Great Recession.
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