Apr
25
Give your patrons a ‘boutique experience’
Filed Under Business Builders, Editorial & Guest Columns | Leave a Comment
When it comes to pleasing customers, bigger is not always better
By KATHY MULLENIX
Guest Columnist
Today’s buzz-phrase in the corporate world is “customer experience.” Customer relationship management (CRM) has been replaced by customer experience management (CEM), which is defined by Wikipedia as “the processes and methods used to design and manage a customer’s entire experience with a product or a company.” Companies have even gone so far as to hire customer experience managers, responsible for ensuring every customer experience is not only positive but also helps to increase customer retention and loyalty. Read more
Apr
25
Keep your staff meetings quiet
Filed Under Business Builders | Leave a Comment
Top speaker trains the trainers in peak performance techniques
By BILL SCHILLER
Business Writer
Staff meetings are generally counterproductive because they contain too much of something that should be avoided – talking.
“Talking is one of the least effective things you can do in a meeting,” said Jack Wolf during April’s annual co-meeting between the Human Resource Management Association of Southwest Florida (HRMA) and the Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD).
Human resource professionals and trainers from the two organizations annually come together to gain insight on techniques and trends essential in their industry, and this year’s meeting provided an opportunity to listen to Wolf, one of America’s top speakers and a leading expert on methods of increasing meeting effectiveness, initiating behavior change and implementing performance management systems which achieve results. Read more
Apr
25
By BILL SCHILLER
Business Writer
The push for a regional growth entity may provide numerous small businesses with the means to succeed. It just needs a little help.
The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council (SWFRPC) is working to generate support vital to the establishing of a business incubator network for the region. Read more
Apr
25
Beyond the bottom line
Filed Under Business Builders, Editorial & Guest Columns, Vince Crew columns | Leave a Comment
Hire people for attitude as well as experience
By VINCE CREW
Resumes, interviews, even job openings and descriptions are usually focused on experience and technical skills. While there’s nothing blatantly wrong with that, most employees lose their jobs based on attitudinal issues, not technical skills. People lose their jobs because they don’t fit, not because they’re incompetent.
“Fitting in” deals with interpersonal skills, values and attitude. How do you teach that?
Over the years, I’ve had owners and executives tell me, “Give me an honest, hard worker and I’ll teach them, train them, do whatever it takes – but I can’t teach attitude.” Read more
Apr
25
Russian Contractors Seek Comrades in Southwest Florida
Filed Under Economic Development | Leave a Comment
By BILL SCHILLER
Business Writer Read more
Apr
25
Robotic seal is a comfort to humans
Filed Under Technology | Leave a Comment
Paro is the brainchild of Japanese co. moving HQ to Fort Myers
By BILL SCHILLER
Business Writer
Whatever you do, don’t call it a toy.
True, it’s cute, cuddly and capable of conjuring delight beyond Tickle-Me-Elmo-type degrees. But the Paro robot – which resembles an adorable baby harp seal –is really “the embodiment of the best technology that has been developed over the past 30 years,” said Walter Weisel, “integrated into a groundbreaking robotic device that has the sole purpose of comforting human beings.”
So don’t be swayed by its joyful expressions, liquid black, blinking eyes and disarming coos of affection that all but demand you to caress its soft, snow-white fur.
As Weisel is also quick to affirm, “This is one of the most sophisticated machines ever designed for the benefit of mankind – and it would be wrong for anyone to think of it as a toy.” Read more
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