| Perhaps it's only fitting to mark the
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| | successful gym, one would have to accept
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| passing of one of my professors, Peter F.
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| | these customers and make it possible for
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| Drucker, by meditating on one of his
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| | them to maintain their illusions, because
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| favorite, and I believe, most important
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| | these illusions are satisfactions to
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| questions.Whenever my classmates and I
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| | them. Illusions constitute "value," in
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| would boast about our products, our
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| | the Druckerian sense.He was fond of
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| technologies, our specialized experience,
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| | telling us how his young niece requested
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| or say anything at all self-serving, he'd
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| | a special gift for her birthday, which
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| swiftly bring us back to reality by
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| | provided no functional utility at the
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| noting: "All of that is fine, but what is
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| | time--her first brassiere. Instead of
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| value to your customers?"In other words,
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| | dismissing this request, he understood it
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| it didn't matter if we believed we beat
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| | as a desire to feel more grown-up, and he
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| the pants off our competitors by having
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| | honored her wish, giving her a truly
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| more branches in more places. If we
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| | valued gift, and great joy.Not only do we
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| couldn't argue convincingly to the
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| | have to ask the all-important value
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| internationally famous Father of Modern
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| | question. We need to re-ask it, if we
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| Management that our customers agreed with
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| | hope to keep pace with and to retain our
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| us, those branches, no matter how
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| | clientele.Realities change, sometimes
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| sparkling and expensive, were of no
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| | suddenly. GM's biggest SUV looks very
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| consequence, whatsoever.In fact, by
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| | different when the price of gasoline
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| focusing at all on our own opinions,
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| | spikes. Bally's has to stay on top of
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| instead of actively monitoring and
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| | trends, and offer Pilates or yoga
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| measuring our customers', we err in two
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| | classes, depending upon what seems to be
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| ways. We waste time and resources looking
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| | in demand. It can't say, "We've always
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| inward, which is decadent, and we
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| | run dance classes, and that's it!"Being
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| insulate ourselves more and more from the
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| | guided by customer sensibilities can be
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| only people who really matter in
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| | very scary to some businesspeople. It
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| business-customers-who pay our bills and
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| | requires us to challenge tradition and
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| provide opportunities.Value isn't always
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| | preconceptions, to open up, to ask
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| obvious, Drucker would point out. We may
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| | questions, and to renounce
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| think we're providing one satisfaction
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| | authoritarianism. We need to be willing
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| when the customer is really deriving
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| | to really understand the viewpoints of
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| another, more significant satisfaction to
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| | others, and to cater to them, to serve
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| him.Take a modern gym, such as Bally's or
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| | them the way they want to be served.We
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| 24-Hour Fitness.Their generally accepted
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| | need to be prepared to abandon our
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| purpose is to "get people into shape," if
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| | favorite products, the ones that have
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| you ask most of the people who work
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| | defined us and nurtured us, when there is
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| there. Certainly, many people buy
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| | the hint that they no longer deliver
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| memberships for that stated purpose. But
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| | value to the customer.That's tough, and
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| there are lots of other reasons people
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| | that is part of the legacy of Peter
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| sign-up.For some, it's a social outlet,
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| | Drucker.As former GE CEO Jack Welch said,
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| for others, a sanctuary where they can
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| | Professor Drucker had a knack for asking
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| set their own pace, relax, and escape the
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| | the right question, usually a deceptively
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| demands of family and co-workers. For a
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| | simple one, that could add tremendous
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| few, it's a chance to preen, to show-off
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| | clarity and value to one's business.Dr.
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| their abs or biceps or whatever the
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| | Gary S. Goodman is a popular keynote
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| muscle de jour happens to be.If you
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| | speaker, management consultant, and
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| observe most members, they're in no rush
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| | seminar leader and the best-selling
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| to move from station to station. They
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| | author of 12 books, including Monitoring,
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| linger, and their heartbeats seldom seem
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| | Measuring & Managing Customer Service.
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| to reach that magical aerobic moment when
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| | Gary's programs are offered by UCLA
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| calories happily burn away.If they're
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| | Extension and by numerous universities,
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| pushed by the staff or by other patrons
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| | trade associations, and other
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| to work harder or faster, they rebel, if
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| | organizations in the United States and
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| only silently.They want to get into shape
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| | abroad. He studied directly with Peter
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| their own way, which of course, isn't
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| | Drucker at Claremont Graduate University,
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| always technically feasible, but many
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| | for two and a half years, earning an MBA,
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| folks con themselves into thinking that
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| | in the process. When he isn't consulting,
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| they're progressing. Their victory is
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| | Gary can usually be found in Glendale,
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| walking through the gym's door, not in
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| | California, where he makes his home.
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| becoming an Adonis.To run a financially
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|
