Education and Training | The Barefoot Spirit

“Quick kid, make up your mind!”

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:07:33 +0000

High school graduation is almost here and Career Days are upon us. This is when young people are expected to focus on college, career, and beyond.

It seems like parents, relatives and other adults are always asking young people, “What are you going to do when you graduate?” This of course means, “Are you going to college?” and if so, “Where are you going? What will you major in? What will be your profession?” These and other probing questions put kids on the spot. But is it fair to put young people under pressure to make life choices at such an early age?

Being a teenager is challenging enough without the added pressure of, “Quick, kid, make up your mind!” The irony is that they don’t really have the experience and may not be prepared emotionally to make those decisions yet. How would you like to be held to the decisions you made right out of high school – for the rest of your life?

Some societies encourage or enforce some “breathing time” in the form of public service for a few years after high school. Many junior colleges and four-year colleges offer general education programs for students with a non-declared major. These practices give young people a chance to get a few years under their belt before they “have to” declare a major and “make up their minds.” We have met hundreds of professionals, entrepreneurs, and trades people whose livelihood today is far removed from their schooling, so maybe it is a good idea to hold off on major decisions.

There are many factors to consider for high school grads. In a lot of cases, the decision to go to college means moving away from home for the first time, maybe even to a new city or a new state. Then there is the cost. What to do? Borrow at high interest rates and face an ongoing liability that lasts for decades? Or take on a full or part-time job and still spend 20-30 hours per week in studies? And don’t forget the time and attention required by the car and the sweetheart!

Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California has asked us to speak to their graduating class on Career Day. This is Michael’s alma mater, and we want to give them some encouragement and direction based on our experience. We will tell them the process of going to college, all by itself, is a major skill builder. Here students will learn how to manage funds, classes, time, work, and social activities, the fundamental requirements for any career. Learning skills, including research, communication, and comprehension, can give them a distinct advantage, no matter what path they choose.

It’s OK to not declare a major right off. It’s OK to change your major. Liberal studies are the key to relationship building in any career involving sales, and benefit most management positions. And it’s a good idea to get working experience in the field you are interested in prior to deciding on your major.

What advice would you give a graduating high school student?

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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The 9 Essential Elements of Mentoring

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 03:04:27 +0000

We’ve all had mentors who, one way or another, have encouraged us to live up to our potentials. Perhaps they recognized a natural talent in us that they wanted to help elevate. Perhaps they wanted to see us get ahead. We may have lost touch with our mentors, but we can certainly show our appreciation by passing it on and helping others the way they helped us.

As the principals of a successful start-up that became a well-known national and international brand, we had the opportunity to mentor many wonderful people who worked with us. We also learned by the experience. We learned how to be better mentors.

Here are what we consider to be the 9 essential ingredients of successful mentoring:

1. Sincerity. You have to really want to help make a difference in someone’s career. It can be trying at times. To stick in there long term requires a sincere level of concern.

2. Qualification. The candidate you are mentoring has to be both receptive and willing to improve. They prove this by demonstrating steady improvement over time. They have to realize and appreciate that you have their best interests at heart.

3. Investment. You have to be willing to be patient and make a long-term investment in that person. Everyone says they are fast learners, but how many examples do they need to understand the concept and apply it to new situations? The time and attention required by you will differ with each person.

4. Permission. Your apprentice naturally looks to you as an authority figure. As such, you are in a unique position to grant them permission to experiment, discover, and yes, even make mistakes. We’ve found permission to be the most important ingredient in progress.

5. Encouragement. Look for them to “get it,” master a new skill or demonstrate a more sophisticated level of judgment, and when they do, congratulate them! Tell them you knew they could do it. And when they fail, ask them what they learned and how they are going to apply it next time.

6. Communication. When they ask a question, listen for the underlying question. They may have a serious conceptual misunderstanding. Take the time to explain the details behind the concept, even though they may not have asked about that in particular.

7. Seasoning. Some aspects of what you have to teach them they may already know, or learn quickly, but some aspects can take much longer for them to understand and apply. You have to be patient and hang in there. They may not get some of what you are trying to impart until after you have left, but maybe you laid the foundation for a later epiphany.

8. Examples. We’ve found that folks respond better to real life examples from which they can draw their own conclusions than they do from a more prescriptive, text book approach. Rather than repeating the lesson, give them more examples. One will finally resonate.

9. Validation. As a mentor and authority figure, your acknowledgement, approval and appreciation are probably the most powerful tools you have. Folks want to know that they did it right and that someone they respect confirmed their success. They will then repeat that success with confidence.

People ask us what we are the most proud of. We always point to the success of the people we’ve mentored. Nothing is quite as rewarding as seeing another person avoid the pain you’ve endured and capitalize on the experience you’ve imparted when you “pass it on!”

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Wine Industry Expo

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:51:02 +0000

Ideas, information and predictions will be presented by some of the most experienced members of the wine and grape industry at the Wine Industry Expo on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Stay current on the latest developments in production, sales, viticulture and marketing so you are ready for 2013 and the years ahead.

Michael Houlihan will join the line-up and present “The Pros and Cons of Social Media,” along with Paul Mabray and Ryan Thurman. If you’re in the wine industry, you won’t want to miss this one! Go here for more information and click here to register.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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7 Lessons Taught in College but not in the Curriculum

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 18:07:50 +0000

If you are thinking about running your own business, stay in school. Many of the skills learned surviving the college experience can be just as important as what they teach you in the classroom.

Just to get through 4 years of college requires disciplines and mindsets that are essential to self-employment and building your business. Yes, college is expensive and there’s no promise of a job. But just going through the process is an education you can’t get anywhere else. It forces you to learn how to learn on many levels.

Here is a list of what you learn outside the posted curriculum, and why it is critical to your entrepreneurial future:

1. Taking Notes. It’s virtually impossible to remember everything that is said in class. You must take good notes. You listen for, not just “to” what is being said. You have to organize your notes to clearly understand the lesson. These habits of writing it down, organizing, and making conclusions based on evidence are at the heart of any successful business.

2. Research. College projects inadvertently teach you the research skills you will need to create a well-documented business plan. Your writing skills will also improve, because you have to clearly communicate what you have discovered, organize the premises, and build on the conclusions. You learn the vast array of resources available to you. This is encouraging to overcoming any business challenge.

3. Accountability. Exams are the bane of any college education. They require great notes, good comprehension, and excellent retention. They teach a mindset of accountability, which is essential to business success. Whether it’s the bank, vendors, employees, government, or your customers, you are going to be held accountable. Instead of getting A’s or F’s, it will be credit or no credit, sales or no sales. The college exam process teaches you to prepare and deliver.

4. Delayed gratification. Studying for exams, hours of research, and forgoing fun times are necessary just to get through college. Making a four-year commitment and seeing it through is a lesson in sacrifice for a greater good. The amount of personal sacrifice in the start-up phase of a business can discourage many would-be entrepreneurs. College grads are used to it.

5. Social Skills. Unlike high school, college students often travel far from their familiar surroundings. Being exposed to different cultures and realizing what they all have in common are great advantages going into business. In college, you learn about different cultures through your study partners, roommates, and classmates. This understanding will teach you how to get along with a wide range of people.

6. Multi-tasking. In college, you learn quickly how to juggle classes, work, social, income and expenses. Giving attention to each, but not neglecting any, is a skill that will last a lifetime, and is absolutely required in business. Just covering the cost of college by itself is a lesson in cash flow management and accounting. Scheduling classes and allocating study and work time is a lesson in risk management.

7. Transition. Going from being dependent on your parents to becoming independent is a real wake-up call. Many students have to put themselves through college. That in itself can be a great education. Being independent and self-reliant will become the backbone of your business.

Years after you graduate, when you get out in the real world, you will look back and realize that you learned quite a bit they didn’t think they were teaching you in college. You learned many of the key skills required for a successful business. Most of all, you learned how to learn!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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7 Keys to Advice Management

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 21:32:20 +0000

We have always recommended seeking the advice of experts, but your approach will make it either affordable and effective, or expensive and unproductive. Most advisors work by the hour, so be careful you don’t run up the bill unnecessarily. Make sure you are paying for their expert advice and not for listening to your vague ideas. We call it “Advice Management” and it is made up of essential rules to follow if you want to get your money’s worth.

From our experience working with advisors of all types, we have developed a set of policies that helped us get the most from experts without wasting precious time – and money. Here are our seven keys to advice management:

1. Goals. Clearly state the outcome you want from your business idea or the actions you are contemplating. Write down your goal(s), what you intend to achieve, and your timelines. Be succinct. Practice communicating them. Don’t let your advisor make assumptions about your intentions.

2. Selection. Choose the right advisor for the job. Make sure you match the experience of your advisor with the skills you need. It’s a common mistake to ask a lawyer or accountant for business advice, for instance. They may not be qualified, but will try to research it at your expense. Don’t pay for your advisors’ education. Get someone who already knows.

3. Duration. Tell them the date by which you need the project complete. Before each meeting or telephone call, announce how long you want it to go. Get a bid for the job and limit their discussions with colleagues on your dime. Sometimes a monthly retainer buys you more than an hourly rate. If the retainer limits the hours covered, require notice to exceed.

4. Homework. Do your research on your own time, not in a meeting with them. Find out all you can before you have a meeting. Write an agenda for every meeting and deliver it in advance. Anticipate the questions your advisor might have and have the answers ready. You can keep phone calls brief by having your questions in writing ahead of time.

5. Roadmap. Prepare a graphic plan that identifies the options you see to achieve your goal. State your intended path. If you have an example of what you are looking for, make the required changes on it ahead of time. Put your thoughts and concerns in writing before your initial meeting.

6. Hurdles. State the obstacles you see in the way of your goal. There are a ton of websites out there offering a vast array of business advice and industry know-how. Check them out. Be clear about what you need from your advisor to overcome specific hurdles. Listen to their recommendations and consider seeking a second opinion. There may be more than one way to achieve your goal.

7. Control. Get frequent updates – don’t let your advisor get too far down the wrong road. Try to pay for outcome, finished products or milestones instead of time. Ask, “When will you be getting back to me on this?” and put it on your calendar. Don’t let them seek outside advice without your pre-approval. You could wind up unintentionally paying for multiple advisors.

Have respect for your advisors’ experience, but stay on top of them. They don’t know it all, so don’t ask them for advice outside the realm of their expertise. A little more work on your part will make all the difference in getting the right advice at the right price. After all, time is money and they’re on the clock!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Put Your People on the Same Team

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 00:29:36 +0000

No matter what kind of business you think you’re in, you quickly find out you are in the personnel management business. With careful hiring, mentoring, recognition, and compensation plans, your people can be your greatest asset.

Recurrent, personnel issues can be a distraction to you and your staff. Some react to personnel problems by firing the offending parties. Occasionally this may be necessary, however the issue may be a symptom of misunderstanding how your company works.

This is why it’s so important to address the main areas that can permit or actually cause personnel issues:

1. Hiring. Before you are dazzled by a stellar resume with the perfect skill set for your opening, consider the individual’s ethics, motives, and team outlook. Do they think they should be paid whether or not you are paid, or whether or not the company satisfies its customers? Are they bringing an agenda to work that has nothing to do with the job? Do they want to get paid for attendance or for production? Are they willing to take responsibility for their own behavior or are they looking to blame and complain?

2. Orientation. Don’t just show them the lunchroom and the bathroom. Show them where the funds come from that pay their salary, benefits, and bonuses. Give them an info graphic that traces the money from your customer, through your sales people, to cover your overhead and eventually pay them. Show them how their job affects the bottom line. Show them how everybody else’s job affects their paycheck. It’s easier to look beyond a co-worker’s personality when they know how everyone fits into the big picture.

3. Compensation. Most compensation plans are based on an hourly rate, which is paying for attendance, not necessarily production. Consider offering bonuses based on sales, cost reductions, and customer retention. Give them a financial reason to help the team perform. With the ideal compensation system, non-producers can’t afford to work for you and producers can’t afford to leave.

4. Mentoring. The time and attention you put into a new hire pays off. Listen to their questions. Clear up quickly any misconceptions about processes and interrelationships. Instead of narrowing down their focus, broaden their outlook to include their co-workers and the larger processes at work. Help them establish priorities. Seeing the big picture keeps the focus on their careers and performance rather than personnel issues.

5. Acknowledgement. A great way to build team spirit is to send out written acknowledgements or make an announcement when a person does something that positively affects business. We did this on each employee’s anniversary. Your people will gain more respect for their co-workers’ value as a team member. It is great when your employees can be friends, but respect and appreciation for their interdependence can be more effective in reducing personnel issues.

When your people know how their check gets to them, how they depend on their teammates, and how their bonuses are affected by the company’s performance, they are more likely to all pull together. Then you can focus on the journey and not the pebble in your shoe.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Your Business Can Improve by Admitting to Mistakes

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 23:12:18 +0000

You and your company are not judged by how well you do when you’re good, but by how well you do when you’re bad. To err is human, but denial can exacerbate and magnify an awkward situation. It can add an air of insincerity to an already regrettable occurrence. This can hurt your reputation much more than owning up in the first place.

In fact, admitting to the mistake may actually diffuse the matter. What people remember is how you handled it. Every mistake is an opportunity to demonstrate your integrity and improve your business.

We once had an employee who, every time he blew it would say, “I’m doing the best I can.” We’d answer, “Yes, but are you willing to improve?” And that is the real issue. It requires change. So it’s really not about the mistake so much as it is about improving. Why waste a perfectly good mistake?

Here are some suggestions we found to handle your next boo boo:

1. Cop to it. The sooner you admit to the error, the more you reduce the drama and the faster you can move on to the next, more important stage: what you are going to do about it. People actually like a little imperfection now and then. It demonstrates a level of authenticity, vulnerability and humanity with which we all can identify.

2. Recognize how it happened. Detrimental issues that are never discovered will reoccur. If it is just swept under the rug, like it never happened, what is there to investigate? Denial is far too common in large siloed organizations where you can be demoted, passed over, or even fired for a mistake. But real progress is often built on the back of those mistakes. That’s why progressive companies give their people permission to make mistakes (within reason, of course).

3. Aim, don’t blame. It’s easy to point your finger at the other guy, and it may well be his fault, but if it happened on your watch and you are accountable for the finished product, it is ultimately your responsibility. By taking personal responsibility, you make it impendent upon yourself to get to the bottom of the situation. Aim at what you and your company can do on your end to prevent it from reoccurring.

4. Write it down. Don’t just quickly solve the situation on a one-time basis, then rub your hands together and put them behind your back like, yes, it happened, but it’s all cleaned up now. If you don’t write it down, even you may make the same mistake again, and certainly others will as well. Write a new procedure, checklist, or sign off sheet. Draft a new clause in a contract. But write it down!

5. Resolve that it won’t reoccur. Along with your apology, assure the injured parties that it won’t happen again. Describe how it happened and what changes you are implementing to prevent its reoccurrence. Tell them how you and your company are going to make it right. Most people will appreciate your thoughtfulness, resolve, and the action you are taking.

Mistakes are bound to happen. Don’t miss out on a golden opportunity to show your integrity, reduce the drama and improve your business. Just say, “Oops, my bad,” and take action. The injured party will have more respect for your company, and your company will improve. That is how you make mistakes right.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Find Good People – Make Great People

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:30:23 +0000

People always ask us what we look for in a job applicant because we had such a great staff. Sure, we looked at qualifications, but we looked beyond that.

We wanted people who were not only qualified, but also had foundational qualities we could build upon. We wanted to see our staff achieve the highest and best use of their talents – many of which did not manifest for a year or so.

We looked for enthusiasm, confidence, honesty and integrity. We also looked for a willingness to learn. And, they had to be fun. It is much like finding a new friend, and we created great friends in the process.

The key to developing great people is to start with good people – and then provide the environment, encouragement, resources, and flexibility for them to become their best.

Culture. A positive company culture is essential to the nurturing people. Constructive attitudes toward mistakes and a policy of permission allow for greater creativity. Use positive language. Talk about what you want, not what you don’t want.

Compensation. Brian Tracy says most performance problems are caused by compensation systems. Reward for production and growth. Clearly state what you want in each phase of their training.

Encouragement. Catch your people doing something right. Tell them two things they did well for every one thing they can improve. As their “boss,” you become an authority figure they look to for validation.

Monitoring. Know what questions to ask of the data. Identify the metrics that best quantify performance. Make the reporting intervals as short as possible, especially during the first 90 days.

Mentoring. A person is worthy of your time when they quickly pick up on concepts and extrapolate principals to other applications. Put more energy into him or her. Your time and efforts will be rewarded when you start with the right people.

Acknowledgement. Give public acknowledgement, and tie it in to how it affects everybody’s salary, security, and potential. When you educate staff about what individual team members contribute, this encourages them to do even better.

Written Resources. Have a policy of documentation. The same mistakes will not be repeated, the nuances of a job can be passed on, and your new hire can study what is expected of her. To keep job descriptions current, ask everyone to update their own annually.

Training. Having written materials will reduce the training time. Stage this information so the new hire can focus on mastering one aspect at a time. Expect to spend three to six months in training before proficiency is achieved.

Conferences. People want to improve their skill set. Of course, this will add to their resumes. However, if you are paying them right, they won’t leave, and they will create the income for their own raises. So, yes, send them to training conferences.

Architecture. Natural and supplemental lighting, air conditioning, workspace, and noise levels all effect production and concentration.

Best IT. Probably the most frustrating part of any new job is learning the IT and protocols. Have an IT “guy” who can quickly “fix” problems. Make your systems intuitive and user friendly.

To get the best out of your people, find out what they excel at. Then, redesign their jobs to fit those skills. Ask others to pick up the aspects of the former job that still need to be done. You might be surprised at the positive response. Don’t put the square peg in the round hole. Build a square hole.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Kindred Spirits, Fellow Travelers, and Strategic Partners

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:27:19 +0000

One of the most effective and often over-looked resources to build and grow your business is strategic alliances. “Partnerships” with other businesses and organizations who benefit by your success can help you meet your bills, get the word out about your company, and improve your image.

Who succeeds if you succeed? As your business begins to grow and gain traction, you may find new allies you didn’t know you had. Being aware of who they are and constantly looking for new ones are great hallmarks of sustainable business success.

Here are a few types of strategic partners and how to best work with them to your mutual benefit:

Suppliers and Service Providers generally want to see you succeed because that results in greater sales of their products and services. They have at least two major concerns: First, if they give you extended credit; will you still be loyal once you get on your feet, or will you run off to their competitor? Second, will you pay on time, or will you be a beg pay? Allay these fears with a long-term contract that protects both your price and their future. Give them periodic progress reports to let them know how you are doing. When you first realize you can’t make a payment on time, call them well in advance, and give them your payment plan. Be a real partner.
Distributers and Wholesale Buyers want you to succeed because they are profiting from the sale of your product. Their goal is to sell more of your product. Help them with local grass roots promotions that send them customers. Assist them in merchandising your product. Offer quantitative discounts when you are in a cash flow bind. Increase their profitability and volume, making it possible for them to reduce the price to your end users. Your product is far from sold when you sell it to your distributer. By helping your distributors and their retailers sell your product, you will solidify this partnership.
The Media will help you get the word out. Find the press writer or blogger who will benefit from being the first to announce your company’s new offices, improved products, or other business news. By going to her on a regular basis with exclusive stories, she becomes the unofficial spokesperson for your company. She needs the latest scoops and hot news breaks to improve her reputation. She will be more likely to publish articles about your company if you go to her first with news worthy stories.
Nonprofit Organizations you support want you to grow. Your success will spread the word about their goals through your distribution channels, resulting in more dollars, man hours and donations to their cause.
Worthy Cause Marketing can be more effective and cost efficient than conventional advertising to acquire and retain new customers. Identify with a cause that resonates with you, your brand, or your business. Give the organization’s membership and supporters a social reason to buy your product. Make your business stand for more than the product it sells by getting involved in their goals.

As you set out on your journey, don’t overlook your fellow travelers. Look around you, and see who else is going your way. Then give them a lift. They will do the same for you.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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5 Ways to Increase Your Service Business

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:01:04 +0000

In this two part series we are addressing service businesses. Last time we identified a way of classifying your clients and customers. This time we will offer some ways to increase your business.

Your goal is to get more referrals. These are new customers who were sent to you by your existing customers. They will only do that for you if their first experience was beyond their expectations.

How then can you ensure that their first experience is a good one and establish a great reputation right from the start?

1. Stop before you start. They say that 5 minutes of excellence is proceeded by an hour of preparation. Don’t open your doors until all your people know how to make eye contact, provide personalized attention, and address folks by their name. Remember your clients buy you and your people as much as the services you provide. Reinforce your staff’s positive behavior with compensation that is based on return business.

2. Be “hustlative.” They say you can tell a lot about a person just by the way they move. Are your people moving with confidence, and a lively spring in their step? Or are they sluggish? Consider how they move before you hire them. Your clients’ and customers’ first impression is made long before your people even say hello. Opinions formed at the beginning tend to be reinforced by all ensuing events. So why not start off on the “good” foot with “hustlative” body language?

3. Develop a relationship. Your customer and clients need to feel important. More than the perfunctory, “How are you today,” they want to be personally acknowledged. Remember their names and something they told you last time (even if you have to write it down). Take an interest. Let them speak about themselves. If you are interested, they will be, and this will help build the relationship.

4. Don’t just give them their money back. When folks are unhappy with your service, show them you can still make them happy. Consider giving your complaining clients free services. If you just give them their money back, they will spend it elsewhere and not recommend your business. However, if you give them free services, you can make it right, and satisfy them. They will sing your praises to their friends, family, and associates.

5. Give them a Gift Certificate they can’t use. Only their friend, family or associate can use it. People love to give things away, especially when they don’t have to pay for them. This will not only bring in more business, but it requires your client or customer to recommend your business. This builds credibility in the mind of the new referred customer, and cements the relationship with your current customer. Free services can be less expensive than advertising and are much easier to track. .

So think about first impressions. All your new first time clients are shopping. That’s how they found you. Will they stay? That’s really up to you. The way you and your people treat them will form their first and strongest impressions. You can’t unring the bell. So make its first sound music to their ears.

There’s much more to be said about service business and we will address this important part of our economy again. We hope these simple and basic steps help you get more return customers.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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