Comments on: 9 Insane Strategies to Transform Your Business

By: Esteban Kolsky

Esteban Kolsky — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:20:24 +0000

Thanks for the giving me the push over the wall. been thinking about doing two or three of these things for some time now, your blog gave me the courage to try them… what’s the worse that could happen? learn a new lesson?

thanks
esteban

By: Trackback from Cath Lawson

Trackback from Cath Lawson — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:28:54 +0000

[...] Chris Guillebeau blogs about unconventional strategies for life, work and travel: 9 Insane Strategies To Transform Your Business. [...]

By: Jeff from Kwik Surveys

Jeff from Kwik Surveys — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:28:24 +0000

Hi,

You can create curveys for your customers for FREE at Kwik Surveys.
We have many clients gaining feedback that this is proving very effective.

Regards,

Jeff

By: Graphics Designer

Graphics Designer — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:24:55 +0000

Nice., This strategies are truly effective, and I totally agree with you. But I think outsourcing is cheap because of overused by almost all business enthusiast. If we move beyond outsourcing, we can achieve growth and agility.

By: Stephen Hopson

Stephen Hopson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:17:01 +0000

I haven’t “fired” any customers yet but I did when I was a stockbroker on Wall Street during the early 90′s. It was a cranky rich little old lady who was never happy with anything anyone did for her. It was never good enough. Yet she would take the information that was painstakingly researched and then given to her and take it elsewhere and use it as if it was her own idea. FIRED. Gave her to another rookie broker who was thrilled to have her only to find out what she was really like a few months later. She ended up getting the shuffle again.

Great tips here – all of them are applicable to my professional speaking and life coaching business. Thanks!

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:13:55 +0000

Great comments, guys. I arrived in Seoul early this morning (on my way home) and logged-in to see all of these insights from you all. We’re starting to turn into a real blog over here.

By: Nomadic Matt

Nomadic Matt — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:31:22 +0000

I agree. Sometimes you just need to let a customer go. Over the long run they just aren’t profitable so why keep them? Plus they can be a hassle? Many businesses now let underpreforming customers go so they can cultivate long term relationships with the more profitable ones.

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:41:55 +0000

Great article Chris. I’ve just started my coaching business and plan on using some of your techniques to create interest this summer. In the past, I’ve used raising prices and firing a customer. What I learned when I fired a customer is that more customers filled their place and my employees were happier.

By: Ari Koinuma

Ari Koinuma — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:28:08 +0000

Nice tip. The point about price does need some consideration. We live in a capitalist society, so we measure the value of things by price — if you price it high, but do deliver the value, then people take notice.

Along the line of #3 and #6, if you’re a blogger, you can go to the extreme of posting LOOONG prose (which still has to be good, not just fluff) and dare people to read it. Hey, it worked for Steve Pavlina.

ari

By: Tara

Tara — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:48:43 +0000

But the question remains: HOW do you write good questions? What are good questions that will get me the answers I really need?

Oh, and I really loved this post! I’ve both raised prices and created something ridiculous (which sold pretty quickly): a $50 skein of yarn (the kind people knit with, but someone bought it as “art”)