As I was writing the last blog, I realized that there were more business lessons that need to be mentioned, so at the risk of alienating anyone out there who is unfamiliar with the Dave Matthews Band, here goes: Lesson 4: Be approachable, even as an owner You might hang out in a hard-to-reach corner office, you might have an assistant screen your calls, you can run, but you should never hide from your VALUED CLIENTS! Answer your own phone now and again, take a call from a client that someone else usually handles, pick up your phone and make
Becoming a DMB fan relatively “later” in life has given me an interesting perspective on fans, stars, business and relationships. So, now for something completely different… Lesson 1: Listen to your customers Yes, every person is the expert at their own job or career. However, everyone has clients, constituents, or others whom we depend on for our jobs. They might not know as much as you do about your job, but their opinion matters. SO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. Although touring across America every year with seven band members, a gaggle of technical staff, and a host
There’s an interesting book out called WHAT WOULD GOOGLE DO by Jeff Jarvis that is not really what one expects when reading the title. One basic, compelling idea in this book is the days of vendors staying inside their “ivory towers” and being unapproachable are way, way behind us now. Not only should customers’ view points be important to vendors, but they must be welcomed with open arms, listened to, considered and followed/enacted. The internet has provided a COMMUNITY for businesses and their customers to join together with the ultimate, honorable goal of producing a better product or service for