Friday, June 15, 2012
FREE AGENTS, FLEXIBLE & BLENDED WORKFORCE MODELS, GEN Y - The New World of Work!
The blended workforce is nothing new. Companies have always relied on both employees and contingent, or free agent, workers, and oftentimes have them working side-by-side. Traditionally, however, companies recognized and managed talent as a function focused on employees, those traditional “full-time, W-2 workers” who put in a forty-hour work week and collect benefits. Companies would augment their employees with flexible workers — contingents, temporary staff, contractors, and others who would provide support to fill in gaps that didn’t require hiring a traditional employee. From the employee perspective, the focus was even simpler. When looking for employment, a worker typically sought a full-time job. A contract assignment or temporary position might fill a gap, but usually only until something more permanent came along.
Today, that view has changed. According to the Staffing Industry Analysts 2011 Contingent Buyers Survey, one dollar of every eight earned is paid to an independent worker. Unlike many temporary trends, the recent rise of the free agent and contingent workforce has multiple contributing factors.
---Globalization opens more opportunity for workers
First, there is the globalization of business. Companies are not only operating across boundaries of nations and regions, but they have access to workers around the world, which means more options for workers themselves, and more opportunities for companies to access the skills they need, when they need them—all of which make a flexible work style a viable career choice.
---Scarcity of skills places premium on critical talent
Along with globalization, general trends in the talent marketplace are also having an effect. While unemployment figures would suggest a large availability of talent, that figure is significantly lower for highly educated workers, and salary averages reflect that scarcity. Rather than simply focusing on temporary talent needs, companies may have to engage contingent workers or contractors for skilled, strategically important roles. Otherwise, they could endure a long, expensive search for full-time employees to perform the same work that a free agent could provide, and they may still never find the talent they need.
---Changing demographics add to the free agent mix
Changing demographics are also important. A large and highly skilled section of the population is reaching retirement age. Many of those workers don’t want, or can’t afford, full retirement, but they also don’t want the commitment of full-time employment — they want to apply their skills, receive the best compensation available, and have the freedom to choose where and how they work. For them, a free agent approach is preferable.
Another end of the spectrum is the emerging new generation of young, skilled workers. They have options that their parents likely did not have. They can work virtually. They can apply their skills to a particular project, and then find themselves in demand for another project by a different company almost instantly. They are growing up with the idea that non-traditional work is a viable option that delivers a consistent income.
Together, the influences of multiple factors, from changing demographics to globalization and skills shortages, point to the rise of the free agent and the need for a blended workforce model as something more than a short-term trend. It is a permanent market reality.
Today, that view has changed. According to the Staffing Industry Analysts 2011 Contingent Buyers Survey, one dollar of every eight earned is paid to an independent worker. Unlike many temporary trends, the recent rise of the free agent and contingent workforce has multiple contributing factors.
---Globalization opens more opportunity for workers
First, there is the globalization of business. Companies are not only operating across boundaries of nations and regions, but they have access to workers around the world, which means more options for workers themselves, and more opportunities for companies to access the skills they need, when they need them—all of which make a flexible work style a viable career choice.
---Scarcity of skills places premium on critical talent
Along with globalization, general trends in the talent marketplace are also having an effect. While unemployment figures would suggest a large availability of talent, that figure is significantly lower for highly educated workers, and salary averages reflect that scarcity. Rather than simply focusing on temporary talent needs, companies may have to engage contingent workers or contractors for skilled, strategically important roles. Otherwise, they could endure a long, expensive search for full-time employees to perform the same work that a free agent could provide, and they may still never find the talent they need.
---Changing demographics add to the free agent mix
Changing demographics are also important. A large and highly skilled section of the population is reaching retirement age. Many of those workers don’t want, or can’t afford, full retirement, but they also don’t want the commitment of full-time employment — they want to apply their skills, receive the best compensation available, and have the freedom to choose where and how they work. For them, a free agent approach is preferable.
Another end of the spectrum is the emerging new generation of young, skilled workers. They have options that their parents likely did not have. They can work virtually. They can apply their skills to a particular project, and then find themselves in demand for another project by a different company almost instantly. They are growing up with the idea that non-traditional work is a viable option that delivers a consistent income.
Together, the influences of multiple factors, from changing demographics to globalization and skills shortages, point to the rise of the free agent and the need for a blended workforce model as something more than a short-term trend. It is a permanent market reality.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Why am I so damn loyal to certain brands, products & services? Customer Experience & Overall Quality & Satisfaction!
Do you take great pride on your company’s customer service department? Are you aware how your customer service personnel treat customer service calls? Do you sometimes confuse the customer experience with your primary branding efforts? How do your customers experience dealing with your brand? Knowing the answers to these questions is crucial to determine how your customers feel about your business, your products and the services you provide to them.
Defining "Customer Experience"
Primarily, customer experience is meeting your customers’ wants and needs, while creating long-term, loyal relationships. First, you must understand what your customer expects when dealing with your company.
Once you know what your customers want, give it to them. You must deliver this level of service consistently, every time they call, visit or write. Christine Mauro, writing for MarketingProfs.com, outlined valuable tips for creating a consistently positive customer experience. Consider using these features to build the long-standing customer relationships you want:
Meet Your Current Customers’ Wants and Needs – Surprised? Probably not. First, understand your customer base. Are they 20-, 30- or 40-somethings? Teenagers or seniors? Wants and needs for these groups differ widely. Understanding the difference helps you create outstanding customer experience features. This, then, generates loyal, buying and engaged customers.
Understand Your Desired Customer Outcome – How do you want your customers to feel about your company? Define the result you want for your customers and take all action to make it happen exactly as you envision it. For example, if you want to make it easy for customers to exchange one product for another, make it easy for them to do so. They will be happy and you will have achieved your customer experience goal.
Make Their Experience as Personal as Possible – Customize your operations to make customers feel that they are important as individuals, not just revenue producers. For example, sending or responding to emails involving customer questions should, whenever, possible include their name and any other personal information you have that is pertinent. Your customers will, consciously or subconsciously, feel good about your organization.
Additional Components that Help Your Company Achieve Wonderful Customer Experience
Be Clear and Understandable – Do not communicate with customers by using intercompany codes or insider slang or jargon. Concentrate on being clear, using a “voice” and words that should be understood by the majority of the population. Answer customer inquiries pleasantly and conversationally. This further enhances the “personal” customer experience quotient.
Understand That Customers View Your Company as One Entity – Your organization may have many departments and diverse groups responsible for different functions. However, your customers see your company as one, integrated organization. Mauro describes this as “aligning touch points.” All functional departments should operate as one fine-tuned machine when relating to your customers.
Address All Details – Even if your website looks totally fabulous, your customer experience level could suffer if you forget to address all details on various pages. Proofread and examine each word or graphic image in every area of your website. Be sure your site is easy to navigate, filled with useful information. Don’t neglect your terms and conditions page or agreement. Emphasize to your legal counsel that, while you want to be legally protected, you want your non-attorney customers to read – and understand – your terms of use. These simple details, often overlooked, can improve, or detract from, developing loyal customers.
Keep Your Superior Customer Experience Goal at the Forefront of All Policies – Keep your “eyes on the prize.” Give your customers multiple reasons to become loyal, engaged fans of your company. Even those people who are only subconsciously aware of how they “feel” about your organization, become more or less loyal based on their customer experience.
Treating the customer experience factor as only a branding effort lowers the value of the entire customer service, focus and full experience feature. While important to your branding strategy, improving your customer experience quotient delivers long-term benefits – including increased revenue – to your company.
You’re probably aware that keeping current customers happy and engaged is much less expensive than creating new fans. However, focusing on outstanding customer experience features will keep your loyal, happy fans, while also generating new, soon-to-be-happy customers who then should become pleased with the relationship over the long term.
Consider integrating these suggestions into your branding, marketing and customer service strategies. If you currently use some of these tips, continue or increase them. Evaluate those suggestions that you feel are not current components of your strategies. Implement those elements that you believe will enhance your customer experience level. Your bottom line will be as pleasant to read as your customers are to tout the wonders of doing business with your organization.
Defining "Customer Experience"
Primarily, customer experience is meeting your customers’ wants and needs, while creating long-term, loyal relationships. First, you must understand what your customer expects when dealing with your company.
Once you know what your customers want, give it to them. You must deliver this level of service consistently, every time they call, visit or write. Christine Mauro, writing for MarketingProfs.com, outlined valuable tips for creating a consistently positive customer experience. Consider using these features to build the long-standing customer relationships you want:
Meet Your Current Customers’ Wants and Needs – Surprised? Probably not. First, understand your customer base. Are they 20-, 30- or 40-somethings? Teenagers or seniors? Wants and needs for these groups differ widely. Understanding the difference helps you create outstanding customer experience features. This, then, generates loyal, buying and engaged customers.
Understand Your Desired Customer Outcome – How do you want your customers to feel about your company? Define the result you want for your customers and take all action to make it happen exactly as you envision it. For example, if you want to make it easy for customers to exchange one product for another, make it easy for them to do so. They will be happy and you will have achieved your customer experience goal.
Make Their Experience as Personal as Possible – Customize your operations to make customers feel that they are important as individuals, not just revenue producers. For example, sending or responding to emails involving customer questions should, whenever, possible include their name and any other personal information you have that is pertinent. Your customers will, consciously or subconsciously, feel good about your organization.
Additional Components that Help Your Company Achieve Wonderful Customer Experience
Be Clear and Understandable – Do not communicate with customers by using intercompany codes or insider slang or jargon. Concentrate on being clear, using a “voice” and words that should be understood by the majority of the population. Answer customer inquiries pleasantly and conversationally. This further enhances the “personal” customer experience quotient.
Understand That Customers View Your Company as One Entity – Your organization may have many departments and diverse groups responsible for different functions. However, your customers see your company as one, integrated organization. Mauro describes this as “aligning touch points.” All functional departments should operate as one fine-tuned machine when relating to your customers.
Address All Details – Even if your website looks totally fabulous, your customer experience level could suffer if you forget to address all details on various pages. Proofread and examine each word or graphic image in every area of your website. Be sure your site is easy to navigate, filled with useful information. Don’t neglect your terms and conditions page or agreement. Emphasize to your legal counsel that, while you want to be legally protected, you want your non-attorney customers to read – and understand – your terms of use. These simple details, often overlooked, can improve, or detract from, developing loyal customers.
Keep Your Superior Customer Experience Goal at the Forefront of All Policies – Keep your “eyes on the prize.” Give your customers multiple reasons to become loyal, engaged fans of your company. Even those people who are only subconsciously aware of how they “feel” about your organization, become more or less loyal based on their customer experience.
Treating the customer experience factor as only a branding effort lowers the value of the entire customer service, focus and full experience feature. While important to your branding strategy, improving your customer experience quotient delivers long-term benefits – including increased revenue – to your company.
You’re probably aware that keeping current customers happy and engaged is much less expensive than creating new fans. However, focusing on outstanding customer experience features will keep your loyal, happy fans, while also generating new, soon-to-be-happy customers who then should become pleased with the relationship over the long term.
Consider integrating these suggestions into your branding, marketing and customer service strategies. If you currently use some of these tips, continue or increase them. Evaluate those suggestions that you feel are not current components of your strategies. Implement those elements that you believe will enhance your customer experience level. Your bottom line will be as pleasant to read as your customers are to tout the wonders of doing business with your organization.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
What are the traits and competencies of an awesome MSP Account Manager? Don't try and take a staffing branch manager and place them into a program manager role without proper growth & training!
Defined key attributes of an Account Manager (MSP Program Manager/ Director)
Develops, communicates and drives Strategic Account Plan
Involves key markets and countries in planning process
Creates Marketing Strategy:
Brand awareness
Client satisfaction and Loyalty
Program Launch/Relaunch
Ensures Client Satisfaction
Reviews delivery and operational metrics regularly with Field Management
Creates and drives improvement plans
Drives Account understanding and excitement with Field
Monthly/Quarterly update calls
Reviews Opportunities, Challenges and performance Scorecard(s)
Develops Sphere of Influence at client - This person is your organization's Secret Weapon in taking the relationship to that of a TRUSTED ADVISOR
Highly Networked- New Contacts engaged regularly, documented in CRM/ Database
Goes beyond HR and Procurement, gets into the business
Monitors all contract compliance, ie, audits, rebates/discounts, DSO, renewals
Drives a sense of urgency for opportunities and challenges, and everything else
Ensures all details and activities are in CRM/ Database
Involves key markets and countries in planning process
Creates Marketing Strategy:
Brand awareness
Client satisfaction and Loyalty
Program Launch/Relaunch
Ensures Client Satisfaction
Reviews delivery and operational metrics regularly with Field Management
Creates and drives improvement plans
Drives Account understanding and excitement with Field
Monthly/Quarterly update calls
Reviews Opportunities, Challenges and performance Scorecard(s)
Develops Sphere of Influence at client - This person is your organization's Secret Weapon in taking the relationship to that of a TRUSTED ADVISOR
Highly Networked- New Contacts engaged regularly, documented in CRM/ Database
Goes beyond HR and Procurement, gets into the business
Monitors all contract compliance, ie, audits, rebates/discounts, DSO, renewals
Drives a sense of urgency for opportunities and challenges, and everything else
Ensures all details and activities are in CRM/ Database
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
In Enterprise Sales, Be Careful What You Wish For! You Can't Handle Every Type Of Client!
Special Counsel Note/ Enterprise
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