Berkana Co.

Many companies tolerate poor customer care. Could the damage be $84 billion annually for US companies as some sources claim?  In a recent trip to an automobile dealer to purchase a car, the sales person stunned me. After a test drive in a pre-owned car with 25,000 miles, I asked for a copy of the […]

In many cases, sales have a bad reputation. You know the snake oil peddler and the used car salesman. The emphasis is not solving a customer’s problem but rather making a sale. Repel sales with these 5 selling tricks: 1. Use deception to get an appointment or make a sale. Even though you succeed, what […]

People who do not feel appreciated in the workplace are less engaged in the work they are doing. People at all levels in the organization make contributions to the goals of the organization, not only the deal makers, but the people working behind the scenes such as the cleaning crew and the IT professionals. A […]

Defining the values of an organization is the conventional wisdom today.  Increasingly it is becoming more common for organizations to state values in their literature, collateral and marketing material.  However, are they living it? Does it confound when you have an experience that seems contrary to the stated values of an organization?  For example, “respect” […]

Remember the Girl Scout classic, “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.” Applied to business, classic winning strategies are 1) to attract new business and 2) to keep happy customers. Offer what your prospect needs and what you can deliver profitably. Ask questions and listen carefully to your […]

Misfire: fail to ignite when expected One of the most challenging parts of business is an employee that fails to meet your expectations. An underperforming employee is expensive as well as disappointing. Failure to confront the issue not only prolongs the problem; it often makes it worse. Underperforming employees fall into two categories: acute and […]

Unhappy customers take their business to your competitors. Your customers and clients want you consistently to meet or exceed their expectations of doing business with you. They don’t really care how you do it. Studies show that it costs five to ten times more to get a new customer than it costs to keep an […]

"We want it more than they do." Do we want a free and democratic country for the Iraqis more than they want it for themselves?  Regardless of your opinion on the merits of the Iraqi War, this is a thought provoking question. Have you ever held a vision for someone or something that you want […]