After several hours of him talking about the philosophy of his courses and what he was doing he asked me to attend one of his courses so I could better understand it and then develop a project for him to which I gladly accepted. These courses were given on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 December, 2011. Long story short the Friday course was very good with well-defined concepts.

That day we ended up with a group dynamic in which we were asked to answer the following 10 questions to prepare us for the next day:

• Technically speaking, can you every demand of a client?
• It is affordable to meet all the customer’s demands?
• Are customers always right?
• Do you have to sometimes educate your customers?
• Must you change the product or service just because one customer tells you to?
• Do prestige and tradition ensure quality?
• Should you change your schedules, policies and rules only because a few stubborn customers tell you to?
• Is quality democratic or defined by the majority?
• Are standard products needed in order to measure quality?
• Can a product be of quality even when you don’t like it?

Saturday comes and before we started talking about the questions above, the instructor gave us the following examples:

A woman has a restaurant in Puebla . She sells  the traditional “mole”, the restaurant has been serving clients for over 40 years, and she already implemented a process to ensure the quality of product. One day, a person who has never tasted mole  before , comes in the restaurant, orders the mole and after tasting it. he tells the owner that the mole isn’t good, that it has no quality and that she should do the following:

• Make a custom made mole for each customer.
• Change the recipe for mole
• Sell all kinds of mole at the same price

The question was: Whom do you support?

The next example was the following:

A young man goes in his  car just after 7 pm with two girls. He has no money or credit cards with him and he wants to party. He goes to the bank and sees his friend, who is manager of the bank after closing out. He asks her to open the bank because they need money to go on a spree with her friends. The friend says she can’t  help him since the bank is already closed.

And the question remains: Who do you support?

The instructor asked me directly if I agreed with the customer of the restaurant and if the lady should change the recipe just because one person told her to.

My response was that while I thought that it is important to listen to the customer and learn why he did not like the mole and try to do something about it, the recipe itself should not be changed. The restaurant has already consolidated itself and made it through for over 40 years and has  thousands of satisfied customers who keep coming back  for that mole recipe so changing the recipe could affect  the business. If something, she should try adding a different recipe to the menu.

After asking several people, some agreed to change the whole recipe while others didn’t. Just before going to lunch the instructor closed with the following statement:

It doesn’t matter if the recipe has been successful, it doesn’t matter if the restaurant has been successful, it doesn’t matter if it’s just one customer telling you to change the recipe, you MUST change it.

We came back from lunch and he asked me again what I thought about it, my response was  that  the woman should listen to what the new customer had  to say, but she shouldn’t change the original recipe just because of that one person who hasn’t even tried mole before.  You can always add other products to the menu  but there is no reason to throw away the original recipe that other customers have loved over the years.

His response to this really shocked me: “That is stupid. You are an asshole”

He then turned to the public and kept saying bluntly, “even if only one person asks you to change, you MUST change, that’s what really means having a customer service culture. I once consulted a very important company that sells paint and during my lecture the owner’s son said that just because they listened to one person , they created and started selling retail, which they did not do previously.”He continued: “I also once told the owner of a restaurant that I didn’t like the “Carne Asada” he sold that he had to have more options in the menu and just because of that advice the restaurant increased its sales.”

He also stated that “money talks” and if the customer was  the one who had the money ,then the customer was always right including if one told you to change your product or service completely and that meant Niches didn’t exist and there is no target market..

Anyway, what do you think?

More than four months after hackers brought down its PlayStation Network, accessing the personal information of more than 100 million users, Sony has hired a veteran of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as its security chief.

Philip Reitinger, the former deputy under secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been named senior vice president and chief information security officer at Sony, the company announced Tuesday. Reitinger will oversee information security, privacy and Internet safety across the company. In addition to serving at the Department of Homeland Security, Reitinger also worked at Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Sony’s stock has fallen about 45% since the April hacker attacks. Meanwhile, the company just kicked off a new ad campaign for PlayStation featuring fictional Sony executive Kevin Butler.

Image courtesy of Flickr, blindfutur3

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With regards to your website, you sould pay extra focus toa each and every detail to ensure it serves its objective. Here are 5 important rules of thumb to ensure your business web site performs well.

1) Do not use splash pages

Splash pages would be the initial pages you see when you arrive at a web site. They usually possess a very beautiful image with words like “welcome” or “click right here to enter”. In fact, they’re just that — fairly vases without any actual purpose. Do not allow your guests have a reason to click on around the “back” button! Give them the worth of your site up front with out the splash web page. Also avoid flash, it makes your website load slower and it can’t be seen in mobile devices.

2) Do not use extreme banner advertisements

Even the minimum internet savvy individuals have trained themselves to disregard banner ads which means you will be losing valuable website actual estate. Rather, provide more valueable content and weave related affiliate hyperlinks into your content, and let your visitors feel they wish to buy rather than becoming pushed to purchase. If you still want to add banner ads to your site, make sure you add related products or even your own products!

3) Have a simple and clear navigation

You have to provide a simple and extremely straightforward navigation menu so that even a young child will know how to make use of it. Stay far from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. In case your guests don’t know how to navigate, they’ll depart your site.

4) Have a clear indication of where the consumer is

When visitors are deeply engrossed in browsing your website, you’ll want to make certain they know which component of the website they’re in at that second. That way, they will have the ability to browse related info or navigate to any section with the site effortlessly. Don’t confuse your guests because confusion indicates “abandon ship”!

5) Steer clear of using useless audio on your website

In case your visitor will stay an extended time at your website, studying your content material, you’ll want to make sure they are not annoyed by some audio looping on and on on your website. In the event you insist on including audio, make certain they’ve some manage more than it — quantity or muting controls would function fine.

Re-check your website, even better ask someone to look at your website and grade this 5 categories.

Even better, you can ask your clients to help you grade your website in this five elements and give them an incentive. This will help you increase your sales and make the changes your website needs.

• Websites are the Great Equalizer
  • The internet provides equal access to its users, whether you have a small business or a multi-million dollar business. Everyone gets the same amount of screen space. 
• Image
  • Surveys have shown that most small business and organizations do not have websites, so putting your business on the web puts you a step above the rest.
  • A Small Business has the opportunity to compete with big organizations because the image they have on a website makes them look like that.

• Low Cost Advertising
  • The cost of a website is minimal compared to traditional advertising methods, like mail, newspaper or magazine ads, radio or television.
• Reduce Recurring Printing Costs
  • Websites offer you the opportunity to provide you with the freedom to change your products, services and information whenever you feel necessary. Compared to printed advertisements that quickly become outdated and there are large costs included for reprinting.
• Build A Customer/User Database
  • With a website, you can build a customer or user database to get to know your clients and enables you to get a sense of what their interests are, and how you can customize your business to meet the needs of your clients.
• Customer Coupons At No Cost To You
  • You can give your customer an incentive to visit your website by providing them with coupons they can use directly on the site or on your store.  By your customers printing out the coupons themselves, you will save on printing and postage costs.
• Increased Free Advertising
  • There is an important tool useful for your business, you can advertise for free by linking your site to other websites and vice versa.
• Supplement Your Current Advertising
  • You can use your current advertising like flyers or business cards to display your new website.  This can help your customers find more information about your company.
• Public Relations
  • Make information about your business available to all of your customers or just a selection of them by using a password to view you website.
• Great Demographics
  • Surveys have shown that the average Internet user is 36 years old, has a college education, and an annual income of 65,000.
• Universal “Findability”
  • Someone looking for the products you sell can find you in a matter of seconds, thanks to search engines.

• Give Users Printable Information
  • A visitor to your site can download and print anything that appears on the screen.  You can display a map to you location, forms that can be filled out, product literature, etc.
• Improved Customer Service
  • You can publish your own list of “FAQ” or Frequently Asked Questions. You can provide clients with immediate help to their question and give details in your answers.
• Improved Technical Support
  • You can provide up-to-date technical information, such as user manual, product specifications, diagrams, etc.  By providing your clients with such information, in the long-run you will save costs of extra technical support.
• Immediate Feedback
  • You can get immediate feedback from your customers, through surveys, contact forms, and e-mail addresses for your contact personnel.
• Your Clients Expect It
  • With over 400 million users worldwide, the Internet is getting more and more publicity every year.  As public awareness increases, the public will expect even small companies and organizations to have websites.

• e-Commerce
  • Setting up an e-commerce site allows your customers to access, browse and buy your products. This gives your sales a boost with no direct involvement from you.
• Open an Online Store for a Fraction of the Cost of a Physical Store
  • With a website you can display all of your products, with photographs, audio and video clips, with descriptions of each item.  With an online store you don’t have to pay rent, utilities, insurance, etc.
• 24×7 Availability
  • The website is available for everyone 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  No matter what time of day it is, your store will be open.
• Reach Specialized Markets
  • The website can help you reach specific markets looking for a specific product. Customers can look at a broader area for a product instead of just their local area stores.
• Product Availability
  • Your customers and sales reps can save time when looking for a product and it is not in stock by tying your website to your product database.
• Product and Service Demonstrations
  • Use your website as a tool for demonstrating your products and services to customers. Multimedia presentations allow you to provide your customers with an in-depth experience of your products and services before they buy.
• Your Competitors May Have Websites
  • As more and more businesses get online, those who don’t are increasingly putting themselves at a greater disadvantage.
• Your Competitors May NOT Have Websites
  • This is even better than the reason above.

• Networking
  • The internet can serve as your business card online.  You can establish relationships with other businesses and provide industry-related information to your customers.
• Host a Discussion Board for Your Users.
  • Hosting a discussion board where visitors can post and reply to comments and questions can be a great way to generate interest in your website.

Do you think you need more reasons?

YouTube expects to have its biggest hiring year in 2011, with plans to grow its staff by 30%.

The Google-owned video site has dozens of open positions in all areas — although an especially high number in advertising sales and customer support — and all around the world. A great number of the positions are based in YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno, California, just outside San Francisco.

The company currently has about 650 employees. A 30% increase would mean YouTube could hire close to 200 more staffers this year.

“[B]ecause we believe that technology and platforms like YouTube are giving rise to the most diverse set of faces and voices ever seen or heard in human history, us YouTubers really enjoy and feel proud to work here,” YouTube wrote on its blog Thursday.

The company has continued to grow and make acquisitions. Just this week, it was reported that YouTube bought web video production company Next New Networks.

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See the original post: YouTube To Expand Staff by 30%

Since such birthdays often pop up as trending topics on Twitter and Google, the organization has found a way to guarantee lots of hits and discussion. Case in point: To celebrate social media giant Justin Bieber’s 17th birthday on March 1, the Society rolled out a new version of Bieber’s September performance of “Happy Birthday” with Usher, remixed by Mysto & Pizzi vs. Agent Jackson.

The new version has gotten more than 570,00 views on YouTube since its February 28 release. The ACS launched the More Birthdays campaign in April 2009, but it got a reboot in September 2010 when the organization added a gallery of entertainers and artists to the program.

Andy Goldsmith, vice president of creative and brand strategy for the ACS, says that the fact that celeb birthdays are often a topic of social media discussion wasn’t a factor in planning the campaign, but it’s a happy accident. “We didn’t really base it on the fact that there would be a topspin created by a celebrity birthday,” he says. “It was more based on the universal truth that everyone likes birthdays.” Getting the message across in a positive manner was also a consideration.

Nevertheless, Goldsmith says he has taken note of the social media buzz from the Bieber video and is planning sequels based on other celeb birthdays. Says Goldsmith: “We’re taking a look at the biggest celebrity musicians who are part of our campaign and seeing what we can do to replicate our success.”

More About: advertising, justin bieber, MARKETING, The American Cancer Society

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The rest is here: American Cancer Society Benefits From Bieber Fever [VIDEO]

Jason Taylor is the vice president of Platform Strategy at Usablenet, a global technology leader in multichannel customer engagement. The company works with 25% of Fortune 1000 clients including Estée Lauder, Hilton, Delta, Victoria’s Secret and others. Follow @Usablenet on Twitter.

With more than 600 million active users on Facebook, the world’s largest social network is no longer just about “liking” brands when it comes to marketing. Today, Facebook users span various demographics and demand immediate value in return for demonstrating loyalty and joining new Facebook communities.

In addition to incentivizing new fans with automatic submissions to contests, businesses should also be utilizing Facebook e-commerce tools to develop a true social shopping experience. By integrating purchasing into their branded pages, businesses can effectively take advantage of Facebook as a viable sales vehicle with proven ROI.

Here are four tips to help businesses of any size begin generating revenue on Facebook.

1. Use Facebook Share, Like and Reviews APIs

Facebook offers businesses a range of APIs to enhance their e-commerce offerings and ensure the user experience remains fully integrated within Facebook. Of most importance, Facebook’s Share, Like and Reviews features allow users to comment on items and pass them along to friends, creating a shopping domino effect that leverages peer-to-peer influence to provoke additional product views and purchases.

Whereas traditional website reviews are visible only to consumers already investigating a certain product, Facebook reviews present more impactful opportunities for businesses as they are posted to other users’ news feeds. Unlike shopping in-store or on a company website, Facebook’s APIs encourage a more personalized shopping experience, shaped by users’ social behavior and friends’ suggestions.

2. Support Easy, Secure E-Commerce

Given that Facebook shopping is still in its nascent stages, it is essential for businesses to guarantee both an easy and secure user experience.

The most obvious way to reassure new Facebook shoppers is by building an environment that mirrors the traditional e-commerce experience. Supporting all the same functionality, businesses create a new shopping medium that is arguably even more useful than the dot-com website, given the additional social features.

To uphold an easy user experience, businesses should contain the shopping experience within Facebook, without redirects to their traditional website. A brand’s complete inventory can be extended to Facebook, incorporating individual PDP pages to support comprehensive “online window shopping.” Lastly, upon logging in to Facebook, users should have the flexibility to complete purchases either from Facebook or from the original site at a later time.

In addition to extending the same shopping functionality, businesses should also translate the same security features to Facebook. By integrating the website’s preferred payment system on Facebook (PayPal or otherwise), brands can process transactions the same way as they would on a website. All security offered by the traditional website is therefore maintained via Facebook.

3. Track Your Success

Facebook offers businesses two solutions to track performance of e-commerce integrations. On one hand, brands can continue to leverage their chosen web tracking system such as Google Analytics, Omniture or Webtrends, to monitor pages within the Facebook store. By optimizing these analytics tools on Facebook, businesses can simply extend page tags to track user traffic and revenue, allowing them to make more informed decisions on future investment and development.

Businesses can also take advantage of Facebook’s internal tracking system, Facebook Insight. In addition to standard metrics, this application also tracks Facebook-specific features such as likes, shares and any other social data users generate within the network. This extra level of knowledge allows brands to customize their Facebook stores to key demographics and user behavior.

4. Leverage Facebook E-Commerce for Social Campaigns

As Facebook social campaigns become more mainstream, marketers can increase ROI by integrating e-commerce functionality. Campaigns leveraging the Facebook store could include:

• Facebook contests that request Likes can automatically send users to the Facebook store to encourage product browsing.
• Businesses can post ads, promotions, flash sales, or product-focused press to their Wall and link to the Facebook store’s PDP pages, enabling quick purchasing ability within the social network.
• By leveraging the Facebook Fans API, brands are empowered to combine “deals of the day” or product announcements with deep links to product detail and purchase pages within the Facebook store. This approach gives the user fast transaction capabilities, while also helping the brand collect the user’s data and demographic details.
• Facebook is currently testing a “Buy With Friends” program, which allows brands to offer discount incentives to users who encourage their friends to buy the same item by publishing purchases on friends’ news feeds.

Facebook users spend more than 700 billion minutes per month browsing the network. As many consumers are increasingly spending the majority of their online time on Facebook, it’s crucial for brands to maximize their social presence with a Facebook commerce strategy that encourages social shopping and drives additional revenue.

More Business Resources from Mashable:

– 3 Facebook Commerce Success Stories
– Why Credit Cards Are Not the Future of Online Payment
– Why Data Mining Is the Next Frontier for Social Media Marketing
– 10 Ways to Turn Your Local Business Into a Global Success
– 6 Top Tips For Managing a Coworking Space

Image courtesy of Flickr, sushi♥ina

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Excerpt from: 4 Facebook E-Commerce Tips for Brands

Go here to see the original: Why Mobile-Friendly Websites Are Critical to Your Strategy

Back to our main topic, the expectations about online sales for Cyber Monday are up. In the U.S., Walmart is trending on Twitter in part because of its Monday deals, which have been extended to include the entire week, and dubbed “Cyber Week”, according to several sites in the internet such as Mashable.

The opportunity for you is NOW!

Last year, Cyber Monday broke traffic records with a 43% spike from the year before. With more shopping dollars shifting online, we might see a similar spike again this year. People are expecting online deals, they are waiting to shop online at great deals.

If you have are an Entrepreneur / Professional / Business Owner you have to take advantage of today’s BUZZ to increase your sales. This is what you have to do:

• Take 10 minutes thinking about your best product/service. What do your “perfect clients” can benefit the most from what you do and create a IMPRESSIVE DEAL!
• Take another 10 minutes to write a brief copy or sales letter. Don’t forget to talk about BENEFITS.
• Using your email marketing software take 5 minutes to copy the sales letter you just wrote and send it to your database. It is very important to add a couple of calls to action links and buttons in that email.

Notes:

• If you still don’t have a website it is time for you to consider taking your business online, in the mean time you can at least add a coupon and a phone number to the email and ask for a reply to the email if they are interested.
• If you are not using a e-marketing software I recommend you “Mail-Volution”. It’s still time for you to use it not only for the Holidays but as a fantastic tool. Use coupon code “COACHGC30″ if you would like a 30% discount in the software.
• You maybe in the first stages of your business and you don’t have any of those tools. Not to worry, create your DEAL and post it in your Social Media accounts.

Other people’s opinion on you does not have to become your reality

-Les Brown