Chip R. Bell's Blog, page 26

Jim Blasingame: The King of Diamonds

“Great things come in small packages” is a line often used as a caveat for speaking of diamonds—typically an engagement ring. But, I think it also applies to businesses. The heart, soul and diamond of the U.S. economy come in a small package—the small business. The manner in which 23 million small businesses engage in commerce is the very foundation of our economic vitality. And, the king of diamonds is Jim Blasingame.

The news every evening loudly highlights big business…GM closes a plant; Ap...

The Innovative Customer Experience Appetizer

Walk in a theatre for a Broadway play in New York and the appetizer you are given between the ticket counter and your seat is the Playbill. It not only is a tool to tell you about the plot and characters, it sets the mood for what you are about to see and hear. Walk in an upscale restaurant and you are likely to get “compliments of the chef,” a tasty appetizer preparing you for the meal you have just ordered.

Appetizers are aimed at stimulating the desire for more. In the early days of the Rin...

Service as a Carousel

Several years ago we spent a part of the winter holiday on the beach in North Florida with our family. It was too cold for the beach one day so we took our granddaughter, Kaylee (then three years old), to Saint Augustine. As we entered the downtown area, she spotted the colorful carousel you see pictured here. It was her first time to see such a site.

As we later toured the ancient city, she could not wipe the big grin off her face after enjoying the elegantly decorated horses going up and dow...

Mentoring Traps to Avoid

There are countless traps along the path of mentordom. Mentoring can be a power trip for those seeking an admirer, a manifestation of greed for those who must have slaves. Mentoring can be a platform for proselytizing a cause or crusade, a strong tale told to an innocent or unknowing listener. However, the traps of power, greed, and crusading all pale when compared with the subtler “watch out for’s” listed below. There are other traps, of course, but these are the ones that most frequently ra...

Innovative Leaders Leave the Door Open

Watership Down is Richard Adams’ best-selling novel about a group of wild rabbits forced to abandon their warren and travel across England in search of a new home. Along their journey they encounter a group of caged rabbits–pets of a young boy. Opening the cage door, the wild rabbits invite the boy’s pets to join them on their cross-country adventure. “Who will protect us from the big dog?” they asked, moving to the back of their cage. “And, how will we get food; the little boy always feeds u...

Make Service Personalized

He sat on the right side of the pew a row up from me. Wearing noticeably expensive trousers, alligator shoes without socks and a new dress shirt, he looked like a wealthy man on holiday that, on a Sunday morning impulse, elected to stop by our quaint mountain church. When we stood up for the first hymn, he sang enthusiastically, like he was enjoying an old song he had not sung since his youth.

Then, I noticed the cuff of his neatly pressed light blue shirt. A three-letter monogram of his initi...

The Law of Kindness

My cousin, Joann Wall, recently passed away in her eighties, She had been in poor health for a long time. During her eulogy at her funeral the minister quoted a passage from Proverbs 31 that outlined the features of a virtuous woman…”and on her tongue was the law of kindness.” His reading of the scripture was followed by many stories told by family members of a woman who was the epitome of kindness–a lover of children with a constant manner that was always optimistic, positive and generous!

We...

Ensuring the Transfer of Learning

There are many advantages to being raised on a farm. You learn a lot about how nature really works. Instead of watching milk come pouring out of a carton, you get to see it come squirting out of a cow.

Before high-tech milking machines, milk made its way to your glass the long way around. It was the product of the bribery of a bag of feed, special squeezes on a reluctant udder, numerous restarts after the milk pail was kicked over or a tail in pursuit of a fly was deposited inside, slow strain...

Service Resolutions for the New Year

As 2013 draws to a close and we welcome another new year filled with endless possibilities many of us will resolve to do things differently in 2014. This year, resolve to deliver truly innovative service to your customers.

I’ve put together 7 resolutions designed to transform ho-hum service into the kind of remarkable service that will have your customers singing your praises and coming back again and again.

Mentor your customers:Help your customers become the world’s smartest buyer by hard-wir...

Are You Creating Protégé Cuttings?

Legacy is one of the strongest arguments for effective mentoring. It leaves behind a remnant of mentor greatness that helps perpetuate wisdom gained through experience. Legacy is more than pleasant memories or stories retold at special occasions. Stories are ultimately forgotten; memories eventually fade. Legacy is sustained when it is inculcated or fused into the life of another person.

Gardeners know that cuttings propagate a plant without relying on the original seed. A section of a plant’s...