Career Opportunities with CorePurpose

 

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Career Opportunities with CorePurpose
 

CorePurpose Recruiting Consultative Sales Executives

Opportunities in Phoenix/Austin/SF Bay Area

CorePurpose has created a new model for delivering enabling business services to companies in the technology, healthcare and manufacturing markets. Just as traditional distributors have supplied parts to build products, CorePurpose supplies services that build businesses.

CorePurpose is currently recruiting executive sales positions in the Phoenix, Austin and SF Bay areas.

Positions will be on a 100% COMMISSION BASED contract to start and may be transitioned to full employment based on individual performance and preference.

Qualified Applicants will demonstrate the following traits:

  • A well developed network of executive level contacts in one of the following fields: Human Resources, Information Technology & Web Services, and Sales & Marketing within the Health Care, Manufacturing, or High Tech sectors
  • Ability to develop, implement, and execute strategic sales plans for target markets
  • Great Listening, Analysis and Reporting skills
  • Self Motivated and Entrepreneurial in outlook
  • Solutions oriented and experienced in complex partnering relationships
  • Committed to building high quality engagements and relationships through superior service and support
  • Able to provide references and demonstrable results

Qualified Applicants are encouraged to review the quality of our service solutions at www.CorePurpose.net and to forward resumes to corepurpose@corepurpose.net.

For article reprints, Please visit our contact page
and include the name of the article desired.

CorePurpose, Inc. Announces the Second Installment in the Ready-Set-Grow Series: “Focus on People” and New Single Session Pricing Offer

 

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CorePurpose, Inc. Announces the Second Installment in the Ready-Set-Grow Series: “Focus on People” and New Single Session Pricing Offer
Phoenix, Arizona January 20, 2004– CorePurpose, Inc., a management consulting, software and outsourced solutions provider, today announced the second installment in the Ready Set Grow Lecture Series – “Focus on People”The program will explore how People-centric cultures within companies pay big dividends and look at specific examples of companies who have used this strategy to grow their business and their profits. Ann Rhoades, president of People Ink will open the program, followed by a question and answer period and workshop where participants can apply what they have learned to their own companies.

Ann Rhoades has spent her career building people-centric organizations at companies including JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and Doubletree Hotels. Ann will share her creative approach to developing cultures around fun; and her firsthand experiences in launching successful start-up companies, blending post-merger cultures and creating a legacy of people-centric organizations. A self-described “rule breaker”, Ann is adamant about standing up for what she believes in, regardless of the consequences. Her candor around the mistakes she’s made and the lessons she’s learned is the driving force behind her desire to inspire organizations to focus on the people side of their business.

“The economic hardships we faced in the last few years have led many valley companies to make short term human resource decisions that can have disastrous long term effects” shared Joan Koerber-Walker, executive director of CorePurpose. “As the market begins to turn, our businesses will need to be ready. That means having the right people in the right place, ready to grow and willing to give 100%. Unfortunately, these past decisions will come back to haunt us if we do not do something now. If anybody knows how to do it – it’s Ann Rhoades.”

Ready Set Grow, is a 12 month program bringing 12 nationally known business growth experts to the valley. The first in the series “Focusing for Success”, held January 20th, was well received by an audience of representatives from Arizona businesses. The series continues throughout 2004 and is held the third Tuesday morning of the month. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to these executives tell how they have improved their businesses and then participate in workshops designed to apply the same concepts to their own companies.

The program will look at a different facet of business growth strategy each month ranging from strategic execution to product design, customer focus and service, operations, sales, and globalization.

The experts coming to the valley include February’s speaker, Ann Rhoades as well as Greg Reid, sr. vice president of marketing and strategy at Yellow Corporation, who led customer strategy at Yellow Corporation as it moved from worst to first in its industry; Tom Espositio, president of The Insight Group, and former IBM executive who developed the IBM Global Services business model; and Roy Vallee, chairman and CEO of Avnet, Inc.. Other experts include leading Ph.D’s, CEO’s and senior executives who have created major impact in their organizations and industries by focusing on the concepts they will share.

The program has gained support from a number of business and community sponsors including The Business Journal, the Arizona Technology Council, AZ SNAP, ASBA, The Downtown Phoenix Partnership – Copper Square, and The Business and Industry Institute at Mesa Community College.

“Developing our workforce will be one of the key factors for growth of technology business in Arizona.” said Todd Bankofier, president of the Arizona Technology Council. “The Ready Set Grow program gives us the opportunity to support our members in this key area.”

The program is designed to support workforce development at multiple levels in an organization from senior leadership to the organizations key managers and next generation leaders. It is an opportunity for employees to step up and become part of the solution and an opportunity for employers to energize and endorse key team members through investing in their professional development.

Program details and information:

When, Where and How Much?

Dates: January 20 – December 21th, 2004

Forums: 3rd Tuesday of every month

Focus on People: February 17, 2004

Time:

7:30 – 8:00 AM – Continental Breakfast

8:00—12:00PM – Forum Session

Location:

Business and Industry Institute

Mesa Community College

145 North Centennial Way

Mesa, Arizona 85201

Costs for the Ready/Set/Grow Series

Individual participant:

$1100.00 for the balance of 2004
Groups of 3 or more:
$920.00 per person

NEW: Single Sessions now offered
Individual participant: $129 per session
Groups of 3 or more: $117 per person per session

For more details and registration – visit www.CorePurpose.com

About PeopleInk.
Headquartered in Arizona, the People Ink team are experienced culture creators who believe “you cannot force culture… you can only create environment”. Experience in building internal people cultures for companies such as: Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corporation, Dial Corporation, American Express, Doubletree Hotels Corporation, Office Depot, and Promus Hotel Corporation. People Ink works with organizations to create high performance people-centric cultures that deliver bottom line results.

CONTACT: People Ink
Lisa Stovall, 480/421-0370

About CorePurpose, Inc.
Headquartered in Arizona, CorePurpose, Inc., is a consulting and solutions company specializing in focusing companies for greater success through high impact activities that link directly to results. Together with members of the CoreAllianceSM, CorePurpose, Inc. works with companies and organizations to align internal resources to their areas focus while offering resources for mentoring, implementation and outsourcing in non-core areas or areas where additional support is required including: HR, Sales and Marketing, Operations, IT, and Finance. For more information about CorePurpose, Inc., and to view the listing and experience of CoreAlliance Members visit: www.CorePurpose.com.

CONTACT: CorePurpose, Inc.
Joan Koerber-Walker, 480/921-3933
jkw@corepurpose.net

CorePurpose® is a registered service mark of CorePurpose, Inc.

© CorePurpose, Inc.

For article reprints, Please visit our contact page
and include the name of the article desired.

Second Installment of Ready Set Grow Puts Focus on People

CorePurpose, Inc., a management consulting, software and outsourced solutions provider, today announced the second installment in the Ready Set Grow Lecture Series – “Focus on People”

The program will explore how People-centric cultures within companies pay big dividends and look at specific examples of companies who have used this strategy to grow their business and their profits.  Ann Rhoades, president of People Ink will open the program, followed by a question and answer period and workshop where participants can apply what they have learned to their own companies.

Ann Rhoades has spent her career building people-centric organizations at companies including JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and Doubletree Hotels.  Ann will share her creative approach to developing cultures around fun; and her firsthand experiences in launching successful start-up companies, blending post-merger cultures and creating a legacy of people-centric organizations. A self-described “rule breaker”, Ann is adamant about standing up for what she believes in, regardless of the consequences. Her candor around the mistakes she’s made and the lessons she’s learned is the driving force behind her desire to inspire organizations to focus on the people side of their business.

“The economic hardships we faced in the last few years have led many valley companies to make short term human resource decisions that can have disastrous long term effects” shared Joan Koerber-Walker, executive director of CorePurpose.  “As the market begins to turn, our businesses will need to be ready.  That means having the right people in the right place, ready to grow and willing to give 100%.  Unfortunately, these past decisions will come back to haunt us if we do not do something now.   If anybody knows how to do it – it’s Ann Rhoades.”

Ready Set Grow, is a 12 month program bringing 12 nationally known business growth experts to the valley.  The first in the series “Focusing for Success”, held January 20th, was well received by an audience of representatives from  Arizona businesses.  The series continues throughout 2004 and is held the third Tuesday morning of the month. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to these executives tell how they have improved their businesses and then participate in workshops designed to apply the same concepts to their own companies.

The program will look at a different facet of business growth strategy each month ranging from strategic execution to product design, customer focus and service, operations, sales, and globalization.

The experts coming to the valley include February’s speaker, Ann Rhoades as well as  Greg Reid, sr. vice president of marketing and strategy at Yellow Corporation, who  led customer strategy at Yellow Corporation as it moved from worst to first in its industry;  Tom Espositio, president of The Insight Group, and former IBM executive who developed the IBM Global Services business model; and Roy Vallee, chairman and CEO of Avnet, Inc..  Other experts include leading Ph.D’s, CEO’s and senior executives who have created major impact in their organizations and industries by focusing on the concepts they will share.

The program has gained support from a number of business and community sponsors including The Business Journal, the Arizona Technology Council, AZ SNAP, ASBA, The Downtown Phoenix Partnership – Copper Square, and The Business and Industry Institute at Mesa Community College.

“Developing our workforce will be one of the key factors for growth of technology business in Arizona.” said Todd Bankofier, president of the Arizona Technology Council.  “The Ready Set Grow program gives us the opportunity to support our members in this key area.”

The program is designed to support workforce development at multiple levels in an organization from senior leadership to the organizations key managers and next generation leaders.  It is an opportunity for employees to step up and become part of the solution and an opportunity for employers to energize and endorse key team members through investing in their professional development.

Program details and information:

When, Where and How Much?
Dates: January 20 – December 21th, 2004
Forums:  3rd Tuesday of every month

Focus on People:  February 17, 2004

Time:
7:30 – 8:00 AM – Continental Breakfast

8:00—12:00PM – Forum Session

Location:
Business and Industry Institute
Mesa Community College
145 North Centennial Way
Mesa, Arizona 85201
Costs for the Ready/Set/Grow Series

Individual participant:
$1100.00 for the balance of 2004
Groups of 3 or more:
$920.00 per person

NEW: Single Sessions now offered
Individual participant: $129 per session
Groups of 3 or more:  $117 per person per session

For more details and registration – visit www.CorePurpose.com

About PeopleInk.
Headquartered in Arizona, the People Ink team are experienced culture creators who believe “you cannot force culture… you can only create environment”.  Experience in building internal people cultures for companies such as:  Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corporation, Dial Corporation, American Express,  Doubletree Hotels Corporation, Office Depot, and Promus Hotel Corporation.  People Ink works with organizations to create high performance people-centric cultures that deliver bottom line results.

CONTACT:  People Ink
Lisa Stovall, 480/421-0370

About CorePurpose, Inc.
Headquartered in Arizona, CorePurpose, Inc., is a consulting and solutions company specializing in focusing companies for greater success through high impact activities that link directly to results.   Together with members of the CoreAllianceSM, CorePurpose, Inc. works with companies and organizations to align internal resources to their areas focus while offering resources for mentoring, implementation and outsourcing in non-core areas or areas where additional support is required including:  HR, Sales and Marketing, Operations, IT, and Finance.

Ready Set Grow open for Registration

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Articles, News, Announcements

 

Ready Set Grow open for Registration
Phoenix, Arizona , December 12, 2003– CorePurpose, Inc., a management consulting, software and outsourced solutions provider, today announced that registration is open for its 2004 Ready Set Grow Lecture Series and Workshops.

Ready Set Grow, a 12 month program that will bring 12 nationally known business growth experts to the valley, starts January 20, 2004 and is held the third Tuesday morning of the month. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to these executives tell how they have improved their businesses and then participate in workshops designed to apply the same concepts to their own companies.

The program will look at a different facet of business growth strategy each month ranging from strategic execution to product design, customer focus and service, operations, sales, and globalization.

“The last few years have presented great challenges to valley businesses” shared Joan Koerber-Walker, executive director of CorePurpose. “As the market begins to turn, our businesses will need to be ready. Unfortunately as I looked around – there was no program designed to address these business needs in a structured curriculum that takes you through the growth process. I shared my concern with business leaders here in the valley and with key experts around the country – the result is the Ready Set Grow program.”

The experts coming to the valley include Ann Rhoades, president of People Ink, who was instrumental in building high performance people cultures at Southwest Airlines and Jet Blue; Greg Reid, sr. vice president of marketing and strategy at Yellow Corporation, who led customer strategy at Yellow Corporation as it moved from worst to first in its industry; and Tom Espositio, president of The Insight Group, and former IBM executive who developed the IBM Global Services business model. Other experts include leading Ph.D’s, CEO’s and senior executives who have created major impact in their organizations and industries by focusing on the concepts they will share.

The program has gained support from a number of business and community sponsors including The Business Journal, the Arizona Technology Council, AZ SNAP, The Downtown Phoenix Partnership – Copper Square, and The Business and Industry Institute at Mesa Community College.

“Developing our workforce will be one of the key factors for growth of technology business in Arizona.” said Todd Bankofier, president of the Arizona technology Council. “The Ready Set Grow program gives us the opportunity to support our members in this key area.”

The program is designed to support workforce development at multiple levels in an organization from senior leadership to the organizations key managers and next generation leaders. It is an opportunity for employees to step up and become part of the solution and an opportunity for employers to energize and endorse key team members through investing in their professional development.

“The Ready Set Grow program creates a unique opportunity for valley entrepreneurs” according to Francine Hardaway, CEO of Stealthmode Partners. “The program will expose them to ideas and strategies they can apply to their own businesses within a budget and timeline they can support. It also gives them the opportunity to learn from both the speakers and the other businesses in the program.”

Program details and information:

When, Where and How Much?

Dates: January 20 – December 21th, 2004

Forums: 3rd Tuesday of every month

Time:

7:30 – 8:00 AM – Continental Breakfast

8:00—12:00PM – Forum Session

Location:

Business and Industry Institute
Mesa Community College
145 North Centennial Way
Mesa, Arizona 85201

Costs for the Ready/Set/Grow Series

Individual participant:
$1200.00 for the 12 month program

Groups of 3 or more:
$1000.00 per person for groups of 3 or more

Each attendee will receive:

> All conference materials and resource lists
>Access to a members only web site with forum resources, on line chat, and networking information
> 12 month FREE subscription to The Phoenix Business Journal

For more details and registration – visit www.CorePurpose.com

About CorePurpose, Inc.

Headquartered in Arizona, CorePurpose, Inc., is a consulting and solutions company specializing in focusing companies for greater success through high impact activities that link directly to results. Together with members of the CoreAllianceSM, CorePurpose, Inc. works with companies and organizations to align internal resources to their areas focus while offering resources for mentoring, implementation and outsourcing in non-core areas or areas where additional support is required including: HR, Sales and Marketing, Operations, IT, and Finance. For more information about CorePurpose, Inc., and to view the listing and experience of CoreAlliance Members visit: www.corepurpose.net.

CONTACT: CorePurpose, Inc.
Joan Koerber-Walker, 480/921-3933
jkw@corepurpose.net
© CorePurpose, Inc.

For article reprints, Please visit our contact page
and include the name of the article desired.

CorePurpose Achieves 300% Increase in Bottom Line Results with the assistance of GoalCentrix GoalCentrix, an industry leader in goal achievem

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Articles, News, Announcements

 

CorePurpose Achieves 300% Increase in Bottom Line Results with the assistance of GoalCentrix
 

CorePurpose Achieves 300% Increase in Bottom Line Results with the assistance of GoalCentrix

Phoenix, Arizona —November 4, 2003—

GoalCentrix, an industry leader in goal achievement solutions, today announced that CorePurpose, a leading business consulting and services aggregator, has achieved significant business results using GoalCentrix.

CorePurpose had developed a unique business model to distribute professional services, software, and outsource solutions its customers allowing them to focus on what they are passionate about and best at in a way that makes financial sense. With their success, came many challenges. “On the surface, everything was great,” said Joan Koerber-Walker, Executive Director and Founder. “But the faster we grew – the more the activity. I was working 18 hour days 6 days a week just to keep up.”

“Our mission is to provide services, software and outsourced solutions that build businesses” Joan said. “We help clients identify the high impact areas of their business and then support them with experts in that area and their industry. If we could not keep our own team focused, how could we help our customers?”

CorePurpose answered this tremendous challenge by deploying GoalCentrix in March 2003 and immediately had clear visibility to the execution of their strategic plan, all of their customer opportunities and effective communications with CoreAlliance Members. “The biggest increase in productivity came from the increase in communication effectiveness” Joan said. “Instead of conference calls, meetings and other gatherings to keep track of where we were on various projects, we simply used the email and report capabilities in GoalCentrix to keep everyone connected.”

Since using GoalCentrix, CorePurpose realized an 80% increase in communication effectiveness, a 50% increase in productivity overall and a 300% increase in bottom line results. “The difference between success and failure takes more than a strategic plan – it takes a framework for strategic execution. GoalCentrix is giving us that” said Joan.

“GoalCentrix is providing businesses with the process and system needed to achieve better bottom-line results” says Dave Riley, President and COO of GoalCentrix. “CorePurpose shows just how far a small organization can go using GoalCentrix to drive the execution of their business plan. We are proud to be a member of the CoreAlliance.”

ABOUT COREPURPOSE
Headquartered in Arizona, CorePurpose, Inc., is a distributor of professional services, software, and outsource solutions and specializes in focusing resources and teams for greater success through high impact activities that link directly to results. Together with members of the CoreAllianceSM, CorePurpose, Inc. works with companies and organizations to align internal resources to their areas focus while offering resources for mentoring, implementation and outsourcing in non-core areas or areas where additional support is required including: HR, Sales and Marketing, Operations, IT, and Finance. For more information about CorePurpose, Inc., and to see the listing and experience of CoreAlliance Members visit: http://www.corepurpose.net.

CorePurpose and CoreAllaince are either a registered trademark or trademark of CorePurpose, Inc.. in the United States and/or other countries.

ABOUT GOALCENTRIX
GoalCentrix offers industry-leading Goal Achievement Systems helping businesses achieve greater results. We are focused on helping companies achieve their goals by staying focused on their top priorities, being informed with a clear line of site throughout the organization, and acting with purpose making intelligent, proactive business decisions. Our customers improve profitability, increase customer satisfaction, and raise employee productivity through innovative applications and business processes based on best-practices. Please visit us at http://www.goalcentrix.com to learn more.

# # # © 2003 GoalCentrix, Inc. All rights reserved. GoalCentrix and the GoalCentrix logo are trademarks of GoalCentrix, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For article reprints, Please visit our contact page
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Executive Insights– The Power and Perils of Strategic Planning

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Executive Insights– The Power and Perils of Strategic Planning
 

The future of any organization is tied directly to the strategic decisions made today AND the ability to effectively execute on that strategy!

While we all understand the importance of thinking and acting strategically, often the demands of running the day to day business get in the way. A good strategic process focuses on what we must do to execute on the key actions for today and also provides a road map for long term actions that enhance and ensure our companies future.

As we develop our business strategy, we often focus our attention on the “fires” burning in our business. But our focus on the fire often inhibits our ability to objectively view the world around us and quickly react to it.

To complicate the process, the world around us is constantly changing.

  • Changing Competition
  • Competing Products
  • Customer Needs
  • Customer Wants
  • New Business Models
  • New Business Theory

Research has shown that most organizations have some form of strategic plan. These plans normally consist of:

  • Vision
  • Mission
  • Strategic Objectives or Goals
  • Projects
  • Tasks
  • Anticipated Results

Unfortunately, for many organizations, the most important components – the Anticipated Results – do not materialize. While those closest to the plan would fall back to excuses based on outside environmental or economic factors – things outside of their control – the reality is that often a plan fails through lack of foresight or execution.

For many organizations, strategic planning is a once a year event. The resulting plan is then fixed and reviewed at the end for successes and failures. This is the great peril of strategic planning – the false security created by having a plan. Having a plan is only the fist step – it is the execution of that plan over time that will determine the organizations success or failure to achieve anticipated results.

Strategic planning must always be a dynamic process. To be effective, the strategic plan must be a living document. It provides a roadmap for day to day activities that are designed to build towards the organization’s long term and short term goals.

An effective strategic execution process requires ongoing activity, effective delegation of key responsibilities, and monitoring of results at short and regular intervals. For greatest effectiveness, this process must be embedded into the culture of the organization so that each plan participant understands how their actions can affect the organizations strategic results.

Successful organizations have learned that strategy must be embedded in the culture across the organization and include strategic thinking, strategic planning AND strategic execution. When this is adopted within all levels of the organization – anything is possible!

About the author:
Joan Koerber-Walker is Executive Director and Founder of CorePurpose, an Arizona based distributor of consulting, software and outsourced solutions. CorePurpose provides Services and Solutions that build Businesses, in the areas of strategy, sales and marketing, IT, finance, operations and HR/OD.
Copyright CorePurpose, Inc. September 2003

For article reprints, Please visit our contact page
and include the name of the article desired.

Executive Insights: The Impact of Services Mapping

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Articles, News, Announcements

 

Executive Insights: The Impact of Services Mapping
Increasing employee and customer enthusiam for greater growth and sucessIn today’s challenging business environment, creating and maintaining customer enthusiasm can make the difference between business success and business extinction.Customers have more choices than ever before and expect higher and higher service levels relative to

> product and service information
> choice between service offerings
> tailored or custom services
> quality of delivery
> the quality of the buying experience

Across industries, companies are discovering that of these 5 customer demands, the greatest is that of the buying experience.

While a customer will forgive a service failure that is corrected promptly by a company’s enthusiastic employee ambassador, customers will migrate quickly from companies whose employees feel disenfranchised, even if the service is performed as promised.

But what is an employee ambassador, and where do you find one? The answer is simple, employee ambassadors are all around you. They are each member of your organization who touches a customer – directly or indirectly. To create enthusiastic employee ambassadors, organizations must provide a support system to foster enthusiasm that includes:

> A consistent culture that reaffirms that each employee is key to the company’s success
> A commitment to process, structure and continuous improvement that allows the employee to make promises to customers and gives the employee faith that their promises will be kept.

As companies aggressively pursue the development and growth of services offerings and services revenue, it has become increasingly important, in fact, imperative for these firms to provide a consistent level of process, support and flexibility to support employees in their quest of keeping promises to customers resulting in the growth of high levels of customer and employee enthusiasm and the resultant customer loyalty and profitability.

All of us want our employees and customers to be enthusiastic about the products and services we provide. Employees can not be enthusiastic if they feel that they can not deliver what is promised, and customers will loose enthusiasm and go elsewhere if promises are not kept. The question is how do we create that enthusiasm and keep it? One tool, created at Arizona State University, is the process of Services Mapping.

Cross functional teams across the spectrum of a product or service delivery create a “map” of the product and service delivery systems. The map is broken down into five levels:

Customer View & Evidence – What does the customer see in the way of marketing materials, articles, and information about the product or service that brings them to your door?

Customer Contact – What does the customer experience when they first make contact with your Organization?

On Stage Employee – What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive employee/customer interaction and the employees confidence in making promises to customers?

Back Stage Employees – What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive interaction between the front line employee and those they must rely on behind the scenes.

Resources – What are the physical, financial, and technology resources on stage and back stage employees need to keep promises to each other and ultimately to customers.

The Services Mapping process:
> Provides an Overview so employees know “What to Do” when things go right and when they don’t.
> Identifies weak links in the chain, so promises are kept more often!
> Defines the Lines of Customer Interaction between customers and employees so the employee recognizes where they can have the most impact to the customer experience and the company’s goals.
> Defines Lines of Internal Interaction defined between departments
> Provides a basis for identifying and assessing cost, revenue, and capital invested
> Creates a baseline for use in customer satisfaction and quality improvement efforts

When service delivery processes work, promises are kept, employee enthusiasm increases and it spreads to customers. The result is greater profits as customers stay, and more importantly, through their enthusiasm, bring more customers via the strongest marketing tool in the arsenal, customer referrals!

About the Author:

Joan Koerber-Walker is founder and executive director of CorePurpose,Inc. and organization dedicated to helping companies grow by refocusing actions and resources into the areas they are passionate about and best at in a way that makes financial sense. For more information on the power services mapping can bring to your organization contact Joan at “jkw@corepurpose.net”

Copyright 2003 CorePurpose, Inc.

For article reprints, Please visit our contact page
and include the name of the article desired.

Want impact? Draw a Services Map.

Increasing employee and customer enthusiam for greater growth and sucess

In today’s challenging business environment, creating and maintaining customer enthusiasm can make the difference between business success and business extinction.

Customers have more choices than ever before and expect higher and higher service levels relative to

  • product and service information
  • choice between service offerings
  • tailored or custom services
  • quality of delivery
  • the quality of the buying experience

Across industries, companies are discovering that of these 5 customer demands, the greatest is that of the buying experience.

While a customer will forgive a service failure that is corrected promptly by a company’s enthusiastic employee ambassador, customers will migrate quickly from companies whose employees feel disenfranchised, even if the service is performed as promised.

But what is an employee ambassador, and where do you find one?  The answer is simple, employee ambassadors are all around you.  They are each member of your organization who touches a customer – directly or indirectly.  To create enthusiastic employee ambassadors, organizations must provide a support system  to foster enthusiasm that includes:

A consistent culture that reaffirms that each employee is key to the company’s success
A commitment to process, structure and continuous improvement that allows the employee to make promises to customers and gives the employee faith that their promises will be kept.

As companies aggressively pursue the development and growth of services offerings and services revenue, it has become increasingly important, in fact, imperative for these firms to provide a consistent level of process, support and flexibility to support employees in their quest of keeping promises to customers resulting in the growth of high levels of customer and employee enthusiasm and the resultant customer loyalty and profitability.

All of us want our employees and customers to be enthusiastic about the products and services we provide.  Employees can not be enthusiastic if they feel that they can not deliver what is promised, and customers will loose enthusiasm and go elsewhere if promises are not kept.  The question is how do we create that enthusiasm and keep it?  One tool, created at Arizona State University, is the process of Services Mapping.
Cross functional teams across the spectrum of a product or service delivery create a “map” of the product and service delivery systems.  The map is broken down into five levels:

  •  Customer View & Evidence – What does the customer see in the way of marketing materials, articles, and information about the product or service that brings them to your door?
  •  Customer Contact – What does the customer experience when they first make contact  with your  Organization?
  • On Stage Employee – What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive employee/customer interaction and the employees confidence in making promises to customers?
  • Back Stage Employees – What are the tools, attitudes, and systems in place to support a positive interaction between the front line employee and those they must rely on behind the scenes.
  • Resources – What are the physical, financial, and technology resources on stage and back stage employees need to keep promises to each other and ultimately to customers.

The Services Mapping process:

  • Provides an Overview so employees know “What to Do” when things go right and when they don’t.
  • Identifies weak links in the chain, so promises are kept more often!
  • Defines the Lines of Customer Interaction between customers and employees so the employee recognizes where they can have the most impact to the customer experience and the company’s goals.
  • Defines Lines of Internal Interaction defined between departments
  • Provides a basis for identifying and assessing cost, revenue, and capital invested
  • Creates a baseline for use in customer satisfaction and quality improvement efforts

When service delivery processes work, promises are kept, employee enthusiasm increases and it spreads to customers.  The result is greater profits as customers stay, and more importantly, through their enthusiasm, bring more customers via  the strongest marketing tool in the arsenal, customer referrals!

About the Author:

Joan Koerber-Walker is founder and executive director of CorePurpose,Inc. and organization dedicated to helping companies grow by refocusing actions and resources into the areas they are passionate about and best at in a way that makes financial sense.