Page 57 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Understanding Higher Math

The television commercial first aired on a Friday
night during the local newscasts on all major net-

works. Almost immediately, industry peers and repre-
sentatives from advertising agencies objected to it,
citing the fact that there was no call to action.

United stood its ground. We believed that in our
agriculture-dominated market, local farming families
would connect with the message. They did. By Mon-
day morning, we were inundated with calls of sup-
port. Hundreds of letters soon followed. We run the

commercial every year because people call asking to
see it.
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Dr. Leonard Berry, whom I hold in high regard pro- =

fessionally, is a marketing expert on the topic of cus-
tomer service. The book Discovering the Soul of
Service is among his most highly regarded works
because it contains a comprehensive model that
reveals the soul beneath great service companies. Note

the reference to “soul” in the book’s title—it is a word
chosen wisely after years of research.
Dr. Berry’s findings reveal a common denominator

among world-class, people-centered organizations that
is inspiring and humbling. The best of the best under-
stand the creation of a service-oriented environment
is not necessarily delivered by a perceptive business