Archive for BillTolany SmartBlogs

According to Edelman’s 2012 Trust Barometer, 53% of the global public ages 25 to 64 (slide No. 7) do not trust business. This is neither surprising nor acceptable. What are the causes of this mistrust, and what can business leaders do to remedy the situation?

The usual culprit for mistrust is dishonesty. Lies small and large pervade business, whether it’s Ticketmaster calling their fees “convenience charges” or Enron’s core values stating “We work with customers and prospects openly, honestly and sincerely.”

So let’s not lie, OK?[…] Continue Reading »

We all like to think we are leading the way for our teams, but how do we know we aren’t only in the way? Ask yourself these questions.

If I weren’t here, would this meeting still happen?

Earlier in my career, I held a standing meeting with my direct reports. I valued the time to share progress on initiatives and to hear their opinions on ideas.[…] Continue Reading »

Responses to customer comments make up 85% of all the tweets sent out by Whole Foods Market stores, said Bill Tolany, the company’s integrated media, at the recent Corporate Social Media Summit in New York. Just 10% of the tweets are content-based and 5% are promotional.

That ratio is no accident. Customer interaction forms the core of the company’s social media efforts, because that’s what ultimately serves the company best, he says.[…] Continue Reading »