Matrix Group International

Category: Blog

  • The Driving Force Behind Good Leaders

    The Driving Force Behind Good Leaders

    At a recent CEO forum, I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Schutz, former President of Porsche AG and author of the book “The Driving Force: Getting Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People.” Peter calls himself the former king of Porsche because, as he put it, Porsche is a cult, and when you become President, you become King.

    I was captivated by Peter’s stories about Porsche’s turnaround during the early 80s. He
    talked about the 24 hour Le Mans race that began the company’s turnaround. Porsche was not expected to win; the company was broke and did not have a new car to showcase. Peter told his staff, “We shall never enter a race we don’t intend to win.” And with that edict, the company rallied and ultimately won the race.

    (more…)

  • Live Support a Boost to Customer Satisfaction

    Live Support a Boost to Customer Satisfaction

    Photo of TelemarketerThe National Electrical Contractors Association recently launched a new website. Dramatic improvements were made in navigation, authentication, visual design, etc. These improvements meant change; never mind that they’re all positive, it’s still change.

    Matrix Group anticipated the typical human behavior — resistance to change — and recommended setting up live support to hedge off any frustrations when users discover that their favorite button is not there anymore or the link they always click on has been moved. We implemented LivePerson because it’s easy to set-up, user-friendly and inexpensive. The results have been terrific. Adrianne, the staffer behind the NECA live support function, reports:

    • About 10 people initiate a live chat session every day; about half never responded back to her initial hello; the other half have questions about logging in, where to find something, or how to use a specific application.
    • Visitors really appreciated the instant help.
    • She loves seeing how many people are on the site, how long they have been on, and where they are clicking. Occasionally, if a person looks stuck on a page, she will initiate a live discussion to offer assistance. The reaction has been very positive.
    • She does feel a little chained to her desk, but it’s easy to switch the message so that visitors can send a request for help, rather than initiate a live chat. She always turns off live support during lunch.

    (more…)

  • You Call That a Site Search?

    A friend works for Levi Strauss, so I always ask for her opinion when buying jeans. I was looking for skinny jeans; she recommended a pair of 503 jeans. So I went to Levi.com, typed “503” and got nothing. I tried “levis 503” and got nothing. I typed “skinny jeans” and finally got some results, but nothing for 503 jeans.

    So I went to Amazon.com and typed “levis 503” and got a hit for 503 jeans, as well as other jeans. It turns out that 503 jeans are no longer being sold directly by Levis, but a few are still available from Amazon.

    The Levis site search missed an opportunity to:

    • tell me that 503 jeans are no longer being made
    • suggest similar jeans or jeans that succeeded 503 in the product line

    (more…)

  • Are You HyperConnected?

    Are You HyperConnected?

    A recent study by Nortel and IDC showed just how wired and connected we have become. The study found that:

    • 16% of global workers are already “hyperconnected,” fully embracing a world of multiple devices and intense use of new communication applications. The hyperconnected worker uses a minimum of seven devices for work and personal access, plus at least nine applications like IM, text messaging, web conferencing, and social networks.
    • 36% of global workers were designated as “increasingly connected,” meaning they use a minimum of four devices for work and personal access to six or more applications.
    • The most hyperconnected country is China and the United States. The least hyperconnected countries were Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
    • The ranks of the hyperconnected are expected to rise to 40% in the next few years.

    Seven devices and nine applications! Okay, I use four devices: My laptop, iMac, regular phone, and cell phone. And I thought that was over the top, but seven?

    (more…)

  • No E-Mail Fridays

    I got a wondrous e-mail today, from a Senior VP at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). NFIB is a Matrix Group client and I sent him a routine e-mail. Here is what I got back:

    “Please call me today. In an effort to facilitate better communication, I am not going to be communicating by email on Fridays. I look forward to meeting / speaking with you directly. Otherwise, I will respond to your email request on Monday. I encourage you to consider participating. Have a great day.”

    Wow, no e-mail on Fridays. I’m not sure I can even imagine a day without e-mail. Would I have the guts to try such a thing? What would my clients and staff say? Would not responding to e-mail be liberating or would I just pay for my indulgence on Monday, when I come back to double the e-mail I have to respond to.

    Has your organization implemented a similar policy? How have your members or clients responded? What do you think of the concept?

  • New Blog on the Block – MatriXFiles

    Okay, we finally did it! Matrix Group launched a blog, MatriXFiles. After helping dozens of clients develop their blog strategies, I decided it was high time we had one. We established our own blog strategy and brand, created an awesome design, put together the content plan and now we’ve launched! I’d love your comments about the site.

    The strategy, which includes the site title, is most critical. It sets the tone and image you want to communicate. So, the Matrix Group blog had to have a movie-themed title. You see, every person at Matrix Group is assigned to a team and every team is named after a movie. Why? We’re all superstars around here. While movie names can be lighthearted, they can also be inspirational.

    (more…)