unique enough that new members start looking for you, drawn by your singular, magical amazing-ness

It’s hard to read the label from inside the jar.

It’s obvious you’re different. You have the best staff, the best products, the best rates, and no one else is so completely devoted to their members. Absolutely no one can compare to you, and, frankly, you should have members willing to pay extra just to get in. Of course, you’re on the inside, looking out. When everyone else reads…

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Understand that my time is valuable, and we both win.

Everyone wants my opinion, but no one respects my time.

I understand why a “please review our services” approach has become the norm for customer service departments. Generally, any chance of opening up a conversation with a customer is a good thing. But not when it feels preprogrammed, a meaningless step in a never-ending sales cycle. Just look at my yesterday: I bought some clothes at the store and the…

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Change happens. Sometimes (relatively) quickly.

Four facts that may rock your world

Plenty of CEOs and Boards act as if nothing has changed in the 70+ years since their credit union was founded, and that it will probably continue along as it has for another 70+ years. (Insert mental pic here of CEO with feet up on desk, eyes half closed.) I’d tell them they might not want to get too comfortable,…

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It's not always easy to find customers that want what you are selling

What if you weren’t allowed to buy what they were selling?

Have you ever felt like you weren’t allowed to buy what they were selling? About a week ago my wife and I were wandering around downtown Asheville with our NC friends. One of our group was excited to see that a small “Scottish” shop was open, since she had tracked some of her ancestry to…

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Developing and maintaining multilingual marketing materials and websites

Language lessons

In many parts of the US, a significant portion of the people speak another language. Even if these folks are also fluent in English, using a “native” language can be a great way to connect and build trust. Here are a few recommendations for developing and maintaining multilingual marketing materials and websites: Use professional translators,…

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It's not that he's a slacker or a bum. He's a millennial.

Millennials: No Car, No House, No CU Income?

My youngest son sort-of-hates cars. Sure, Grandma’s-hand-me-down-Buick helps him get around town when he comes back to visit family. But that’s also a big reason why he plans to always live in a city with a decent mass transit system. He doesn’t want to own any car, or make monthly payments for it, much less pay for the gas, insurance, and upkeep.…

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If the CEO isn't willing to champion the idea it won't go very far.

Name Change Step #1: Getting the CEO on Board

Whenever an organization thinks about a name change, there are lots of emotions and memories that surface. Sometimes those emotions and memories can even become obstacles. Some are relatively minor and are easy to get around, but others can turn out to be insurmountable — especially when they occur at the highest levels. That’s why one of the first questions we ask our clients…

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how can we break our horrible stock photo habit?

If everyone hates stock photos, why do we see so many of them?

I see three reasons why “shiny, happy people” stock photos are so prevalent: 1. Because they solve a problem quickly. You need a visual image that helps to communicate an idea, there seem to be mass quantities of them available, and if you ignore the time it takes to find the “right” one, they are a speedy way to complete your layout…

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Making our goals becomes more important than making a difference.

Why is the destination more important than the journey?

I spent part of last weekend walking the Freedom Trail in Boston. It’s a double wide red brick trail that leads tourists through many of the highlights of historical Boston where our national history was made, including the site of the balcony where they read the Declaration of Independence to the townsfolk (as well as…

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We always encouraged our boys to be true to their inner nerd. Why? Because nerds rule the world.

United by a single shared interest

We always encouraged our boys to be true to their inner nerd. Why? Because nerds rule the world. More importantly, nerds also use their imagination in creative ways, often becoming absorbed in thoroughly exploring one interest after another. Growing up, my boys went through multiple phases where they were obsessed with one thing or another, from collecting Beanie Babies, to Pokemon…

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