Evergreen

September 8, 2014
In the course of working with hundreds of clients, strategic marketing expert Fleming has seen a lot of misguided customer service. One common mistake is a focus on customer acquisition to the detriment of existing customers. With this book, he’s out to debunk customer service myths and wean businesses off of the damaging “new customer addiction.” In place of the so-called Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) model, Fleming presents the “Three C’s of an Evergreen organization—character, community, and content.” In his estimation, readers of every stripe—sales professionals, small businesspeople, managers and CEOs—should consider essential questions, such as “What’s the character of your company?” and “Who are your customers and what are their needs?” Citing companies that have done well at creating high value, strong community, and customer happiness—CrossFit figures prominently—Fleming gives cogent, helpful advice on fostering growth, responding to complaints, recovering customers, and, finally, on finding those much-desired new customers—once your base is firmly established, that is. While the titular arboreal metaphor gets tired (leaves, branches, what have you), the lessons are solid and thought-provoking and should prove a genuine eye-opener for many business owners and managers. Agent: Esmond Harmsworth, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth LLC.

December 1, 2014

Fleming, strategic marketing expert and CEO of Fleming Consulting, writes that "A great business is like an evergreen." Evergreen companies work continually to "cultivate and nurture relationships with their customers.... Like the roots of an 800-year-old tree, this loyalty eventually becomes capable of supporting tremendous and continual growth." The author describes methods for a company to become Evergreen and explains the "Three Cs" of Evergreen organizations: character, community, and content. The book is divided into two parts. The first illustrates using case studies and gives examples of the principles. The second half discusses developing and building an effective customer loyalty program; new approaches to customer service, including the "firing" of bad customers; gathering data on customers; bringing back lost customers; and bringing in new ones. VERDICT Fleming presents a thought-provoking look at cultivating and promoting good customer relations and customer loyalty to a business. He also offers practical advice on the basics of promoting customer loyalty. Recommended to business practitioners, including entrepreneurs and managers of small, medium, and large enterprises, and to students of business.--Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens, NY

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