You might be thinking “I don’t need to read this; my company’s performance is not mediocre.” If so, let me ask you a question, “Will you be satisfied with your company’s performance if it continues to stay exactly where it is for the next ten years?” If you answered “yes” to that question, stop reading this paper. However, if you would like to see your company continue to grow and increase in profitability, keep reading.

In order to “bridge the gap” between where your company is now and where you would like it to be you must first have a goal. Why? How will you know the path to take if you don’t know where you are going? This goal should be as specific as possible. The reason it is important to be specific when setting goals is that research shows it increases our chances of reaching them.

NBRI Analysis Shows Cost Differences of $90 to $380 Per Month for

Leading Weight Loss Programs

Dallas, TX, July 22, 2008 — As consumers tighten their belts on spending, a new study indicates major differences in the costs of the nation’s leading weight loss programs. An independent cost analysis conducted by National Business Research Institute, Inc. (“NBRI”) studied the overall cost to consumers of seven (7) leading programs: Alli, Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss Centers, NutriSystem, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers (Center and Online) and The Zone.

Paper, online, telephone, or in-person interviews?

Now is the time to consider your deployment options. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Often, deciding upon the method of deployment is easy since you may be constrained by such obstacles as the number of email addresses you have available to you, the languages required, cost, your company’s infrastructure, etc. For instance, translating a survey into multiple languages and distributing it to your customers via email is probably more cost effective than hiring people to telephone each customer in their own language to administer the survey.

Company A was the best of companies; Company B was the worst of companies. Both Company A and Company B recently conducted employee engagement surveys. These surveys enabled executives at each business to put their fingers on the pulse of their companies. Employee surveys are critical to business success. Research has shown repeatedly that the attitudes and behaviors of employees influence the attitudes and behaviors of customers. Executives from each company received two very different reports at the completion of the surveys.

Conducting customer surveys is a common business practice. Within the last two weeks alone, I have been asked to complete at least five customer surveys.

Q: Why is surveying customers such a common practice?

A: Because of the belief that customer surveys pay off with increased profits.

Is this belief correct or is the practice of surveying customers one that simply gives companies a false sense of empowerment? Social scientists all over the world have conducted much research across a broad range of industries (including e-businesses) in order to answer this question.