While you may be aghast at responses, you would be surprised at how many executives and corporate officers fall into at least one of these categories. I liken this scenario to parenthood. It is assumed that, if you’ve given birth to a child, you also know how to raise him/her. In corporate world, if you have been promoted to upper-management, it is assumed that you’ve been adequately trained for position at some point along your career path. This is not always case.

While executive coaches help to instill communication skills, improve confidence and better equip officers and executives for their ever-changing roles, they also lend an ear. According to Leviss, “You’d simply be amazed at depths of isolation there are at executive level. The phrase ‘lonely at top’ doesn’t even begin to approach how shut off upper-management can be. They are expected to know everything and need nothing. This is where executive coaches perform their most important duty… they lend an ear.”

Executive coaches also play a great role in offering encouragement and support to those in executive positions. While most employees have co-workers and supervisors to support them, officers are in a class by themselves. They are stopping point… final destination. Coaches fill gap.

As positive reports continue to role in from trenches, there is little doubt that executive coaches will continue to play a vital role in corporate life. In fact, many firms are now including executive coaching as part of officer and executive benefits packages. And why not? If coaches’ strategy of “taking it from top” causes a chain reaction of greater teamwork and loyalty all way down through ranks, it will offer a payoff well worth cost of initial investment.

4. Technology

- Consolidate all customer related data into one repository - Integrate key front-office, back office, and web office systems to interact with each other - Choose leading technology with capable vendors to assist in process

************************************************************************************************ To learn more about us, and how we can help you implement a Customer-Centric strategy, enabled by world's leading Mid-Market CRM software, visit us at http://www.initiumtech.com/index.html ************************************************************************************************

5. Training and Support

- Provide your staff with excellent training - Budget time and resources to make sure they are confident with new system - Adjust compensation incentives to encourage use of new systems, and transition sales focus from new customer acquisition to retention

"Being customer centric focuses your business decision-making processes on impact that those decisions will have on your customers. The real trick is making "right" decisions that result in a positive impact. In order to do that, organization needs to understand who its customers are, where they are going and how can customer's needs be met. That type of understanding requires information, and information comes from data." says Kevin Murtha of Greenbrier & Russel's, in an article in September, 2002 edition of DM Review. http://www.dmreview.com/

It is essential for your company to be able to have systems in place to be able to capture, analyze, and share information about your customers so that you can be more responsive to their needs, provide them with unparalelled service, and keep them as customers for life.

***************************************************************************************************** Initium Technology wants to help your organization become more customer centric. By establishing proper strategy, accompanied by a succinct vision and comprehensive business planning, we can implement best technology solutions on market today to increase value of your organization, and help you gain competitive advantage in today's challenging marketplace. *****************************************************************************************************

Please visit us at http://www.initiumtech.com or call us Toll Free at 1.800.250.5732 to learn more.

Wishing you overwhelming success in 2003,

Brian Vellmure Initium Technology bvellmure@initiumtech.com

Copyright 2003 Initium, LLC. All Rights Reserved

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