June 2017

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on June 27th, 2017 Many business leaders are clear about their strategic direction. Many have clearly mapped out how to get to their desired destination. They know the exact road-map that their businesses will take for the next one, two or three years. Most company executives can easily point out how they intend to grow their business. Some mention regional expansion while others cite introduction of new products as the route they will take. In today’s fast-paced world, business leaders are also bringing up adoption of new technologies as key to their survival. How many of these businesses have fully integrated the customer experience into their chosen strategic direction? Customer experiences whether good or bad can be traced to the choices that organizations make. Most of the choices are made during the day-to-day interactions with customers. However, the very critical choices are made when companies are determining their strategic…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on June 20th, 2017 I have met hundreds of Kenyans that have gone through business school both locally and abroad. Many at undergraduate level and others at masters’ levels. I have also been a student and a teacher in business schools. Studied in three and taught in one. The question that has been going through my mind lately is - Are business school steering customer focus? In addition, do our business school graduates recognize that customer focus is vital for business success? If they do, why do we still have many gaps in the overall customer experience in most businesses? I have sat through many job interviews as a panelist. I have interviewed students with varied education backgrounds. Some are graduates in engineering, others in education, economics, and arts and others are graduates in a variety of business studies. In most of these interviews, I am keen to find…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on June 13th, 2017 Have you ever made or received a cold call? Like many of us, I have received cold calls. I have also made cold calls. In the world of business, cold calling has been around for decades. A cold call is one made where there has been no prior contact between the persons or between the two organizations. An unexpected visit to an office is also termed as a cold call. Today we also have a proliferation of cold messaging. Cold calling is not just about to die; it continues to be widely used in business circles. I receive at least one genuine cold call per month. Cold calling is a significant selling tactic for soliciting new business. Insurance sales agents and network marketers are especially known to make cold calls. They use cold calling as one of the first step to reach out to potential…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on June 6th, 2017 Do I trust myself to do the right thing at the workplace? Do I trust my colleague from another department to do their best in a cross-functional team project? Do I trust my staff to do the right thing even when I am away? Do we trust our CEOs or the Board to have the best interest of the organization and the staff at heart? Do our customers trust us? While some organizations have built high levels of trust at the workplace and with their customers, many others are struggling with distrust. A friend who facilitates Stephen M. R. Covey’s ‘The Speed of Trust’ training program reckons that organizations need to do much more to build trust with both staff and customers. The oxford dictionary defines trust as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. What is your…