It's my job to tell my client what's barreling down the road at them as they usher their business into the next decade - and leading the concerns for many of them is the challenge of technology and the speed at which everyday communication takes place.
A shot can literally be heard around the world before you put your shoes on - literally. The rapid pace at which information is propelled throughout the ethernet is a little intimidating - but it shouldn't be if you're thinking ahead and executing your day-to-day routines with strategy.
Embrace the notion that you can connect with your customers electronically. If you're too busy to communicate, then you're too busy to listen to your customers and treat them as the valued commodity they are. Without them you're not.
Encourage and respond to online reviews. Good or bad - they're all a conversation. Be grateful for both kinds and interact. Thank the good ones and utilize the bad ones to show your skills of diplomacy and customer support.
Businesses today can get buried by online reviews if they're not managed, and like it or not, if you're in business, count on someone, somewhere, somehow posting about your company or service. Think of rating stars like a social credit score. More stars bring in more revenue, encourage business growth, and keep the lights on. So I say, shine on stars - twinkle, twinkle little stars, twinkle me all the way to the bank! ~Val Stilwell, MSCS