Blog
Busy Does not Mean Making Money
Busy does not mean profitable, and “we sold a ton” does not pay the bills. Our Candid Conversation this week digs into this typical Capital Goods dealer/distributor. We are joined by John Dowling, author of Service by the Boxes, to unpack why so many equipment...
America’s Schools Are Producing a New Generation of Techno-Peasants
Every week brings another pair of seemingly contradictory headlines: major tech companies announce sweeping layoffs while other employers say they can’t find enough qualified workers. Can both be true at the same time? The answer is that the United States is dealing...
Training Alone Does Not Create Change
Most companies do not invest in training because they want more training. They invest in training because they want something in the business to change. They want revenue to increase. They want expenses to decrease. They want employees to perform better. They want...
Rework: A Critical measure of Service Quality
In every successful service organization, rework serves as an important indicator of operational effectiveness and customer satisfaction. While often viewed simply as a cost of doing business, rework is actually a valuable measurement of service quality that provides...
A Message for Canada Day
I received this from my Best Man Terry Pascale. "We are often called “the elderly,” but that quiet label hides a truth most people rarely pause to consider we are the last living witnesses of a world that no longer exists. If you look closely, you might notice gray...
Where’s “The Number?”
I once started at a large urban dealership. Within my first two weeks, I noticed a daily pattern. The general manager would walk into the service lane and ask the same question: “Where’s the number? Where are we at? Where’s the number?” Every day. Production. Gross....
Sales Performance is a Data Problem, not an Effort Problem
“In God we trust. All others bring data.” (W. Edwards Deming) Ask a veteran salesperson to see their black book. The worn pages. The names are called for fifteen years. The dozen accounts they trust. It is a remarkable thing, and it is also the whole problem. We send...
Lifelong Learning Is Here to Stay
As many of you know, Socrates has long served as our logo. Socrates is remembered for his devotion to ethics, human behavior, and the care of the soul. Rather than lecturing, he professed uncertainty and pursued wisdom by questioning the assumptions of others. He...
Market share is the most comforting number you can’t actually move
“In God we trust. All others bring data.” (W. Edwards Deming) Here’s how it works today. The share chart goes up at the quarterly review. If it ticked up, everyone relaxes. If it ticked down, someone gets a talking-to. Either way, the meeting ends without a single...