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Service value lives in the equitable exchange between server and served. -Chris Arlen, President, Service Performance We hope you enjoy these FREE articles for improving service value. They're insightful for readers on both sides of the buyer/contractor equation. Service & Contract Management
Proposals & Presentations
Selling |
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May 3, 2010 Vol. 032 |
We Are Forgettable... A fact of life for facility services is that they're rarely noticed when things go as they should. They're invisible. Until the inevitable failure or mistake occurs. Then services get too much of the wrong notice. This article has two practices to help combat the inherent invisibility when the inevitable occurs. ARTICLE : Printable Version 
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October 23, 2009 Vol. 031 |
Improving RFPs for Greater Value RFPs are supposed to help you make the best decision, but do they? To select the best supplier solution and begin a strong partner relationship requires some improvements to the average RFP process. Here's a look at what that might be. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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July 2, 2009 Vol. 030 |
The Service Ecosystem Making improvements in a facility or support service is not easy. Sometimes seeing what needs to be done is the hardest part. That's why stepping back and gaining a new understanding of the big picture helps. To that end the Service Ecosystem article takes a look at several service models. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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May 27, 2009 Vol. 029 |
Service Level Agreements The contractual tool for paying only for service delivered as promised is the Service Level Agreement (SLA). But SLAs are trickier than they appear. This article takes a look at SLAs and 3 common instances where SLAs are not SLAs. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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April 30, 2009 Vol. 028 |
Survey Results: Realizing Facility Service Value Value from facility services is realized over the term of its contract. This article presents results from a short survey. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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February 24, 2009 Vol. 026 |
Zero-Based Servicing Desperate times require desperate measures. Zero-based servicing is a radical concept for reducing facility spend. This is only for the strong of heart. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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December 18, 2008 Vol. 024 |
The Best of 2008 That time of the year again. Wrapping up the best Revenue-IQ articles and posts from 2008 into a single must read. Enjoy. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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December 2, 2008 Vol. 023 |
Continents of the Contract Service World Contract service in the 21st century is far more sophisticated and complex than traditional customer/contractors concepts used to understand it. It's time to chart the new concepts of contract service. Here are four continents to gain a better understanding. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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October 31, 2008 Vol. 022 |
Scenario-based RFPs: Time to Change the Game Today's RFP process is broken. Customers have lost focus on getting the best value available. They're stuck minimizing risk from non-compliance and seeking out lowest cost rather than best value. This month's article explores a new RFP model - a Scenario-based RFP process - to help customers get back on track towards selecting the contractor who can deliver the best value. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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September 30, 2008 Vol. 021 |
Assessing Service Engagements The "degree of engagement" may be a precursor to value received from a service. The more engaged the buyer/customer and seller/provider are, the more value they'll each receive. In this month's article we take a swing at an assessment for determining the level of service engagement. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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July 1, 2008 Vol. 020 |
Procurement Talks: An Interview with Expedia Understanding of, and knowledge about procurement. Absolutely essential if you buy. And absolutely essential if you sell. This month's Revenue-IQ article is an interview with Gary Kawasaki, Senior Director of Corporate Procurement for Expedia. Gary's interview provides insight into procurement's role, strategies and tactices. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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May 30, 2008 Vol. 019 |
Procurement Talks: An Interview with Microsoft Getting more from what you spend. Receiving more for what you provide. Maximizing the value exchanged. Everyone wants it because each side gets more by working together. This month's Revenue-IQ article is an interview with Tom Lencer, Procurement Manager for Microsoft in which he gives his perspective on contracting and outsourced vendor relationships. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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April 15, 2008 Vol. 018 |
The Service Contract Manifesto Dogs and cats, cats and dogs. Service customers and contractors often engage each other as mortal enemies. The adversarial relationship minimizes the value each receives. This article is a declaration of customer-contractor interdependence. By stating service contracting principles it's hoped to increase value both receive through more collaborative relationships. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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March 25, 2008 Vol. 017 |
Contract Performance Reviews Customers contract facility services to achieve their strategic objectives. With contractors on board, customers can focus on their core business. It's this implied trust that must be reconciled, formally. Otherwise, customers doubt contractors value. Performance reviews solve this. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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February 29, 2008 Vol. 016 |
Qualifying Sales Prospects There's a lot riding on contractors' selection of prospective customers. Choose wrong, and they've spent time and money for little to no return. Don't choose, but chase after every prospect, same result. Wasted time and money. This month's article provides a process and tool for making wise prospect choices. We've also provided an attribute list for download. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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January 30, 2008 Vol. 015 |
Proposal Best Practices - Self Assessment Improving proposal win rates means reaching sales goals faster, and then surpassing them. This article is a self-assessment tool for proposals. It's based on 10 best practices. Print it out and then check your answers and score. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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December 20, 2007 Vol. 014 |
Best of the Year These were our most widely read articles and blog postings in 2007. Written solely for contractors, these writings make sophisticated practices easy to understand. And more importantly, may give you the confidence to try them in your business, if you aren't already. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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November 6, 2007 Vol. 013 |
10 Tips for Great Presentations Presentations are unique opportunities to sell. However, they more often end up as mind numbing black holes in daily calendars. Here are 10 tips to make your presentations remarkable, noteworthy and even memorable. That's what you want isn't it? ARTICLE : Printable Version
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October 2, 2007 Vol. 012 |
Sales Plan-o-rama Sales planning is a mixed bag. Done right, it gives direction, focus and goals. Done wrong, it freezes action, confuses and wastes time. This is a "how-to" article along with a sales plan that can be downloaded. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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August 28, 2007 Vol. 011 |
Dear Customer...about your RFP Customers (buyers of contract services) and contractors can feel quite differently about the same thing. Take Request for Proposals for example. Contractors feel some customers use them insincerely, that they're just going through the RFP motions. This article is an open letter to customers expressing contractors frustration with hollow RFPs and recommending alternative processes instead. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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July 31, 2007 Vol. 010 |
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Customers want to feel confident they've received what they've paid for. The slippery nature of services makes that difficult. Contractors can tangibilize services in a way that customers understand - in numbers. That's the role Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) play. They make services real. ARTICLE : Printable Version |
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June 28 & July 17, 2007 Vol. 008 & 009 |
Benchmarking "Win Rates" This is a request for participants to join our benchmarking study of proposal "win rates". In exchange for quarterly data, participants receive a report where they'll see their company benchmarked to the participants' group. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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May 8, 2007 Vol. 007 |
Uneven Specifications: Apples Playing on a Field At bidding time specifications can be a worrisome burden. Are they current? Do they reflect extra work that's not charged? Does the customer hold contractors rigidly to the spec? The truth is service specifications rarely give the clarity they're intended to give. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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April 9, 2007 Vol. 006 |
The Leaning Tower - Part II Contractors need a full tool box, like stone masons, to build vertically true. In this last of a two-part article we look at the tools needed to build contractors' business to maximum height. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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Mar. 2007 Vol. 005 |
The Leaning Tower - Part I Every business has a foundation, just like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And like the tower, it's what the foundation is built on that ultimately determines how high you can build. Here's the first of a two-part article on building for maximum growth. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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Feb. 2007 Vol. 004 |
Quicksand Words & Phrases Some words and phrases are so overused, and abused, they've lost their power. When we use them our customers turn off - stop listenting. We've lost them in quicksand. Learn more about quicksand words and phrases. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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Jan. 2007 Vol. 003 |
The Revenue Monkey & Sales Stages We all have a Revenue Monkey. We've got to keep it fed, or our business is in trouble. But that chimp can be demanding. How do we keep him in sales bananas and happy year after year? ARTICLE : Printable Version
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Dec. 2006 Vol. 002 |
Plenty of Bids, Not Enough Wins? Move Up Scale Your proposal production may be losing you contracts. Learn about giving attractive bids the right balance of efficiency and effort. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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Nov. 2006 Vol. 001 |
Don't Wait for RFPs - Start Proposals Early Have more time to create winning proposals, instead of rushing around at the 11th hour. ARTICLE : Printable Version
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Most Popular Articles
Improving RFPs for Greater Value
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Continents of the Contract Service World
Scenario-based RFPs: Time to Change the Game
Procurement Talks: An Interview with Expedia
"One of the most productive weeks I have experienced in the past 14 years."
-Greg McGhee
Vice President, Professional Facilities Management, Inc.
-Greg McGhee
Vice President, Professional Facilities Management, Inc.
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