Is Your Baby Ugly?

Sounds mean doesn't it?  An idea is born, nurtured and launched to the world with great expectations. And then someone calls it ugly.  Do you curl up and die?

"Get used to having your baby called ugly," says Frank Mastronuzzi of OneGoodLove.com, a dating website for same sex couples.  Frank was helping Regina Lark of  Q2D Speed Dating Service (Q2Dspeeddating.com) map out the growth of her company.  I laughed at that very apt phrase.

I call it Iron Underwear.  The need to have a thick skin and know, beyond knowing, that your 'baby' is beautiful, no matter what. 

Raising two children in today's times, I know how the world dishes out the 'your baby is ugly' message.  Parents react in two ways: Mama Lion or Meek Mouse?

Entrepreneurs are no different.  I've seen the guy get wrung out over a comment on improving his business model.  I've seen business owners fold quickly when the going gets rough.

I like Franks' attitude:  My baby is not ugly,  IT ROCKS!    I am making this my new mantra: My baby is not ugly,  my idea rocks. my business is not ugly, my business rocks.

What do you do when someone calls your baby ugly?  Comments welcome.

Yes! There are five key ways to keep your clients

I have been reading and reading about how customers in today's business environment move from vendor to vendor with a drop of a hat.  No one seems to have a clear idea, but my theory is:  buyers mirror their dating habits. And the younger generation is into 'hook ups' not relationships.. 

But the truth is the truth:  humans are unpredictable.  One day it's the Beatles the next it's The Rolling Stones.  What is a service provider to do? 

I ran across and article by Jim Billington in The Harvard Management Update.  Although written in 1996, it still holds some tried and true ideas that still work today. 

So break out your CRM files and: 

1.  Identify Core Clients: who loves your service and why?
2.  Measure what matters:  Measure your individual customer's satisfaction not  the 'market satisfaction
3. Analyze defections: Why did they leave - only the truth please
4. Mass customize: How can you service each client according to their specific needs 
5. Learn to meet unspoken needs: Need to understand what makes the relationship tick

 At Strategies for Growth we work to consolidate core clients, train and support our clients in the development of client relationships to insure steady revenue streams for company growth and profitability,