What does this mean for you and your organization?

Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.

The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company's products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.

When people come in to your business, they shouldn't feel

You can't avoid change. You can't ignore change. You can't prevent change. You just have to live with it!

And if you fight change you'll ultimately end up the loser.

So how do you deal with change? And if you're a leader, perhaps the more important question is, "How do you help your people deal with change?"

The truth is…

"People resist change with every fiber of their being!"

They would rather things stay the same than to risk change. They would prefer to go about business as usual. Perhaps brought on by fear of the unknown.

In the past, keep things the same was ok. But those days are over. Technology significantly and dramatically influences nearly every imaginable industry. In the last ten to twenty years, entire market segments have disappeared.

The phonograph, eight track tapes, and LPs have given way to CDs, DVDs and MP3s. As a result, companies find themselves forced to either change to keep up with the times, or simply go out of business.

No doubt, you've seen businesses right in your hometown ~ or in your industry ~ that have resisted change - and lost! In today's world, businesses either move ahead, or get left behind!

Change leaves its mark on history. If no one were willing to embrace change, we would still ride horses to work and have outhouses. Lucky for us, our forefathers were not afraid to ask, "What if?" and to seek the answer.

Candlelight is romantic on occasion. However, I sure enjoy flipping the switch and being able to see. It's more than a convenience - it's a way of life.

Thank goodness, Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison were persistent in finding a better way. You can be sure the skeptics scorned and criticized these change agents because they did not understand the possibilities of electricity and light bulbs.

Much like electricity, automobiles, telephones and microwaves, some change can be positive. Sure, it may not be "the way we've always done it" but it just might produce better and faster results.

Ultimately, that is the kind of change we should embrace. That's what our customers expect ~ in fact, it's what consumers today demand.

Change is happening everywhere

Think about some changes that challenge us in business and in the workplace. What changes are we seeing, and what can we do to meet the challenge of those changes?

First, we're seeing changes in customer mindset or expectations. Customer's today have a microwave-mentality. They want their needs met and their problems solved, and they want it right now!

They don't want to wait. They don't want delays. They don't want excuses. They want it now! And, if you can't deliver what they want --when they want it -- they'll go somewhere else.

Have you ever been searching for a product or service, and called through the numbers in the yellow pages? What happens when you don't find what you're looking for at the first place you call? You call the next one right?

What does this mean for you and your organization?

Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.

The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company's products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.

When people come in to your business, they shouldn't feel

The phonograph, eight track tapes, and LPs have given way to CDs, DVDs and MP3s. As a result, companies find themselves forced to either change to keep up with the times, or simply go out of business.

No doubt, you've seen businesses right in your hometown ~ or in your industry ~ that have resisted change - and lost! In today's world, businesses either move ahead, or get left behind!

Change leaves its mark on history. If no one were willing to embrace change, we would still ride horses to work and have outhouses. Lucky for us, our forefathers were not afraid to ask, "What if?" and to seek the answer.

Candlelight is romantic on occasion. However, I sure enjoy flipping the switch and being able to see. It's more than a convenience - it's a way of life.

Thank goodness, Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison were persistent in finding a better way. You can be sure the skeptics scorned and criticized these change agents because they did not understand the possibilities of electricity and light bulbs.

Much like electricity, automobiles, telephones and microwaves, some change can be positive. Sure, it may not be "the way we've always done it" but it just might produce better and faster results.

Ultimately, that is the kind of change we should embrace. That's what our customers expect ~ in fact, it's what consumers today demand.

Change is happening everywhere

Think about some changes that challenge us in business and in the workplace. What changes are we seeing, and what can we do to meet the challenge of those changes?

First, we're seeing changes in customer mindset or expectations. Customer's today have a microwave-mentality. They want their needs met and their problems solved, and they want it right now!

They don't want to wait. They don't want delays. They don't want excuses. They want it now! And, if you can't deliver what they want --when they want it -- they'll go somewhere else.

Have you ever been searching for a product or service, and called through the numbers in the yellow pages? What happens when you don't find what you're looking for at the first place you call? You call the next one right?

What does this mean for you and your organization?

Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.

The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company's products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.

When people come in to your business, they shouldn't feel

Candlelight is romantic on occasion. However, I sure enjoy flipping the switch and being able to see. It's more than a convenience - it's a way of life.

Thank goodness, Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison were persistent in finding a better way. You can be sure the skeptics scorned and criticized these change agents because they did not understand the possibilities of electricity and light bulbs.

Much like electricity, automobiles, telephones and microwaves, some change can be positive. Sure, it may not be "the way we've always done it" but it just might produce better and faster results.

Ultimately, that is the kind of change we should embrace. That's what our customers expect ~ in fact, it's what consumers today demand.

Change is happening everywhere

Think about some changes that challenge us in business and in the workplace. What changes are we seeing, and what can we do to meet the challenge of those changes?

First, we're seeing changes in customer mindset or expectations. Customer's today have a microwave-mentality. They want their needs met and their problems solved, and they want it right now!

They don't want to wait. They don't want delays. They don't want excuses. They want it now! And, if you can't deliver what they want --when they want it -- they'll go somewhere else.

Have you ever been searching for a product or service, and called through the numbers in the yellow pages? What happens when you don't find what you're looking for at the first place you call? You call the next one right?

What does this mean for you and your organization?

Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.

The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company's products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.

When people come in to your business, they shouldn't feel

Change is happening everywhere

Think about some changes that challenge us in business and in the workplace. What changes are we seeing, and what can we do to meet the challenge of those changes?

First, we're seeing changes in customer mindset or expectations. Customer's today have a microwave-mentality. They want their needs met and their problems solved, and they want it right now!

They don't want to wait. They don't want delays. They don't want excuses. They want it now! And, if you can't deliver what they want --when they want it -- they'll go somewhere else.

Have you ever been searching for a product or service, and called through the numbers in the yellow pages? What happens when you don't find what you're looking for at the first place you call? You call the next one right?

What does this mean for you and your organization?

Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.

The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company's products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.

When people come in to your business, they shouldn't feel

What does this mean for you and your organization?

Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.

The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company's products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.

When people come in to your business, they shouldn't feel as if they are intruding - but instead should feel like the most important person who has walked through the door all day. In other words, they need to know that everyone, and I do mean everyone, in the company is there to serve them.

Some people say, "Well, customer service is not what I do!" Wrong! Customer service is what everyone does.

I saw a sign the other day that said, "We don't have a customer service department. We have a customer service company!" I love that. In fact, we turned that phrase into a FREE poster you can download from my website at www.JPMaroney.com.

We're also seeing significant changes in technology!

A few years ago, my four-year-old daughter was with me in a popular copy shop and business center. I had just finished using one of their computers to print out a document when I heard her ask me, "Da Da, what's this?"

I turned and realized she was looking at a typewriter. And it hit me just how much things are changing. Here she was, a preschooler who has her own computer, a binder full of computer games on CD, and she's NEVER seen a typewriter.

Think for a minute how technological changes have affected people and companies who once depended on the sale and service of typewriters for their income. Pretty scary isn't it?

The fact is…none of us are immune to the changes in technology. We must accept technology and learn to adapt and leverage it to fit our needs.

The other day, I was searching the Internet for a mailing list company. At one website, they had a button that said, "Click here for live support."

I clicked and immediately someone from that company came online and began communicating with me using text-based Internet chat. What a great example of using technology to improve service. But it was an improvement brought about by… change!

Today, we're seeing major changes in the workplace!

The new world of work has placed new demands on workers at all levels of the organization. In many cases they're being expected to accept new responsibilities, expanded job functions, and increased workloads due to downsizing, restructuring and mergers.

These changes require a person who is flexible and willing to adapt with the times. It demands that individuals continuously upgrade knowledge and skills to meet the needs of customers and team members. We need people who are willing to change!

So what do the people in the organization need to do in order to compete and thrive in a changing marketplace? What actions are required by savvy employees and managers.

First, we need to get beyond business as usual. We cannot afford to become complacent and feel that our past successes will guarantee our future results.

Sometime back, I saw a movie, "Pirates of Silicon Valley" which is based on the early days of the personal computing industry, including the rise of Microsoft and Apple Computer. In the movie, the character of Bill Gates says, "Success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking t