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AI Isn’t a Replacement—It’s an Accelerator: How SMBs Can Use AI to Elevate Human Performance Across the Organization, Part 2
AI as an Executive and Organizational Force Multiplier
In Part 1, we explored how AI streamlines execution in outward-facing functions like marketing, sales, and customer service. Now it’s time to turn inward. In this second half, we’ll examine how AI empowers internal operations, drives better financial strategy, and helps executive leaders see farther and act faster—without sacrificing the human qualities that make a business thrive.
3 Steps to Improving Customer Retention
Wed, Mar 28, 2012 — As someone who once helped the pest control giant Terminix exterminate a nasty customer retention problem, I've seen what a difference a few strategic adjustments can make. So if you're facing the same issue, let me assure you that there are steps you can take to stamp it out.
3 Top Sources of Strategic Marketing Insights
Mon, Jul 18, 2011 — Effective marketing strategies that drive significant results are almost always based on key insights. Insights can come from a lot of different places – from research, from a review of operations, from an analysis of the market, from a review of available data, from experience. The critical common element to game-changing insights is perspective – looking at the situation from a customer/prospect/market point of view. Let’s look at some examples: 1. Research-based Insight At Northeast Savings, we conducted a major customer segmentation study to better understand the needs of our consumers. One of the key findings of the research was a hierarchy of concerns expressed by a key constituency – 50+ consumers. Their number one issue was their health; followed closely by their financial well being, especially as it related to being able to take care of themselves should anything happen to them physically. This insight, coupled with an understanding of the need for conservative investments (in this case, CDs) due to the risk profile of older people, led to the creation of the “Take Ten” CD. This was a traditional CD, earning market interest rates, with a twist – you could withdraw up to 10% of your principal without penalty. Northeast Savings was the first bank in the country to offer this type of CD and was recognized in USA Today. More importantly, the CD garnered $180M in new deposits in the first three months and, after a year, no one had exercised the option to withdraw principal. Consumers wanted the security of knowing that they could, but really needed to earn interest on their deposits.
Who’s Looking Out Your Window for You?
Tue, May 31, 2011 — This week I attended a leadership event sponsored by the Greater Houston Partnership. One of the panelists was Dr. Ed Young, the Senior Pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston. In addition to being a strong man of faith, Dr Young is also a very strong leader as evidenced by the growth of Second Baptist from 300 members to approximately 60,000.
7 Tactics for Customer Closeness with Improved Customer Profiles
Thu, Dec 23, 2010 — Customer Closeness Begins with Great Customer Profiles Think about your ideal customers. Do you have customer profiles to better understand who they are? Do you know them well or are they strangers? If they’re consumers, you might know basics like age, gender, household income, and some of what they buy. If they’re a business, you probably know what industry they’re in, what their revenues are, and some trends facing them. But knowing the basics won’t tell you what issues they face in their daily lives or business, how well they are or aren’t resolving those issues, where they go to find out more about resolving things and how they go about making a decision. You need to know what motivates them, how their attitudes and actions are measured, and what their priorities are. With detailed customer profiles, you can better customer closeness for your company. How do you get better customer profiles? Get to know your customers.