Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a nice Holiday season.

At this time of the year, I always like to reflect on the last one and set my sights on the changes I would like to see. I would use the word “resolutions” but somehow, I gain 20lbs immediately instead of the other way around 😊

This year I decided to keep it simple and go with one theme; “Prove your mettle”. Those of you who may not have heard this before, it essentially means the heart or courage to carry on even when the going gets tough.

Why that type of theme you may ask? Because it’s time to find another gear! To add high-octane fuel in our tank. Things are changing and it’s time to get our butts moving!

The last two years have been very plentiful for our industry, which means that everyone was just trying to keep up with the business without a thought about the future. (Yes, I’m going to get to referrals, but I am doing what’s called “laying the groundwork” so hold your horses for a minute and let me get the right setting in place) People want everything yesterday! 😊

Business is slowing down. Not only that but now you are having to share it more and more with the online models that are popping up like Orville Redenbacher on a hot stove! Seriously, I can’t go on the internet and throw a filler without hitting one. In summary, most folks have just been in a reactive mode to handling the business coming in. Poof! And now it’s waning… time to change gear and go into a proactive mode which is a hell of a lot harder.

It takes a discipline that many businesspeople struggle with (myself included). It’s setting time aside to work on your business instead of being caught up IN the business. Sound familiar? You always want to do it, but that day never comes. Well guess what? Nothing is going to change unless you change your mindset.

So here is what we are all going to do:

• Write down why having an amazing raving fans program is so incredibly important to your business now more than ever!
• Pick 10 random projects that the company did last year.
• Ask your team how many of these customers loved their experience with you so much that they will make it a point to passionately tell others about you.
• Don’t confuse raving fans with just regular fans. There is a big difference between the two and the number of referrals you get from one compared to the other. If you had 2 RF’s (raving fans) on your list, you would get more from them than the rest combined!
• Were you happy with the percentage of RF’s you created?
• Pull out your Customer Journey Map and list out at least 5 touchpoints that would create positive memories for your clients. Would you remember them later? BTW, no Customer Journey Map?? Shoot me an email and I’ll send you one. thad@kbglobalpartners.com
• Are those touchpoints happening all the time or only every now and then? If not all the time, why?
• If you think you are good on Customer Journey and touchpoints, why not challenge yourself to make it better?
• Creating Raving Fans for your company is like surrounding your brand with magical rings that draw people in from all over the country to be part of it.
• Set up a time with your team to start reviewing the journey and pushing the envelope to make it more special. As my good Traction friend Santiago would say, “If it’s not on the calendar, then it doesn’t exist”
• Have fun and send the invite out to your team as soon as you can.

I have to mention this before we can call it a day. I visited Warren Cabinets recently who used to be so old school, there were paintings on the cave walls! Fast forward to our meeting this week and I was so taken aback by their new energy and attitude, I almost fell over! It was so exciting to see them recognize what they wanted to do with the company and actually start doing it. They read the tea leaves on the market and moved into action mode. Good for them!

I have also seen other companies start the search for systems that might help their business run more efficiently. Praise be! Hopefully we will see a continued movement of change in our industry by people taking the bull by the horns to start driving it!

Let’s start with a renewed focus on the showroom customer journey. Get excited and get moving! Let’s take step one and get it on your calendar. Not tomorrow, not next week, but today.

I will endeavor to bring these blogs into a shorter read. Good luck to all of us and lets “Get R Done”.

Please stop by our booth at the show N2775 or sign up for a time to visit us there and chat a bit. Look forward to seeing you! Thad