Investing in our staff and customers DOES work.

I often rant and rave a bit (just a bit) on companies who ignore their customers, spend more on advertising than on creating a worthwhile product, and manage their human capital to being 'deadwood'. 

Taking potshots is easy (and there's so much material to work with it seems).

The question is: Do we do more than take potshots at follies in business? Do we walk the walk of a different business model that's also successful?

And our third quarter results point to the success of a 'different route' to business success. Here's a couple of metrics:

* NET INCOME INCREASED 300+% for the quarter ending September 30, 2004 as compared to the same period ending 2003.

* GROSS REVENUE GREW. Gross revenues grew by 4% (modest, yes) while average retail prices dropped by 40% or more.

* Closing ratio increased from 55% to over 70%. The average closing ratio grew from 55% for prospects handled in 2003 to over 70% for prospects handled in 2004 year-to-date.

Being a privately-held company, we're not obligated to report our results. It's with trepidation that we do. On the other hand, I did want to show that in a small way, we talk the talk and we walk the walk for investing in our staff and our customers. And...this plan works.

We invest in our employees.

Create the right environment. We create an open, collegial, incentivized and respectful work place. 

Incentivize the staff. We share the wealth with our employees. All the staff, including our independent agents, are rewarded for achieving different goals in revenues and profits.

Hire over qualified people. We hire what some might considered overqualified people, give them the resources to do their job, then get out of their way. 

Respect our staff. We communicate openly about any and all decisions. And we solicit input on all decisions from text on our website to vendors we may want to use.  We encourage everyone to work efficiently, cooperatively...and go home at night. Come back rested, relaxed, refreshed.

Customer loyalty starts with employee loyalty. There's no way possible to communicate your care for your customers unless you first communicate your care for your staff to your staff.

We invest in our customers. 

Personal Attention. That starts with the very simple act of answering our phones live. We're not perfect. But if you get voice mail, we're quick about returning your call.  We followup with all new accounts from their first call through an initial survey to my calls as CEO to request their feedback.  We will do whatever it takes to make our customers happy.

Recogntion. We offer gift certificate and flowers to new customers, customers who send referrals, and their referrals.

More than a conference call.  We offer more than a conference call. And that means sponsoring our customers to attend business seminars with leading experts like Seth Godin, John Jantsch and Dr. Geoff Smart. And we'll be doing more.

We stopped investing in the success of outside ad agencies, Google and Yahoo search engines.  And instead we invest in our key assets: customers and staff.

The results over the past 12 months point to this being a successful approach.