Derrick Watts

The product offerings of the acquired company appealed to only one industry. The Covid pandemic severely limited activity within the company’s core real-estate customer base, intensifying the need for change. Expanding the service line and appealing to a wider range of prospects required extensive reprogramming of the website, which presented a significant challenge to the firm’s small IT staff.

Initial attempts to diversify by upgrading the existing platform yielded no value or sense of company pride. Changed the strategy to a triangulated approach: 1) Focused the internal staff on simply recoding the current site; 2) initiated a redesign of the company’s marketing plan and messaging to present a broader digital service offering; 3) commissioned a third party to create new tools promoting a distinctly different brand.

While the real-estate customer count declined, the number of new users from the insurance industry blossomed until the category represented 33% of total volume. As activity in both segments returned to pre-pandemic levels, the insurance sector held firm at 25% of sales.

A big-box retailer approached the company with the idea of growing pharmaceutical sales by holding in-store health fairs offering free screenings four Saturday mornings a year. Conducting the events required approximately 4,000 qualified phlebotomists and backups which the company’s network of independent collection contractors could not guarantee.

Made multiple visits to the retailer’s home office to explain the challenges involved in executing the concept as envisioned. Succeeded in gaining agreement to a revised plan that substituted fingersticks for traditional blood draw allowing the substitution of non-medical staff for the phlebotomists which expanded the workforce and lowered personnel costs for the pharmaceutical companies paying the bills. Convinced the client to supply, set up, and take down the tables and chairs in each location. Set up a command center staffed by three communications groups that maintained logistics control and resolved any issues.

The four-year tenure of the unique partnership increased company sales 8% and provided added value to the retailer’s shoppers.

The corporation had acquired a Brazilian agricultural equipment manufacturer doing business under the same brand name and needed the company’s operating processes evaluated and any necessary changes recommended. The initial assumption of commonality between design and production procedures proved inaccurate. The two assigned translators lacked knowledge of the products and the factory’s operation and significant differences existed in the plant’s culture and climate.

Responsible principals resided in Atlanta, Coventry, England, and Porta Alegre, Brazil. Without the availability of international email and mobile-phone capabilities, substituted a daily three-way update call that minimized confusion and streamlined communications. Eliminated one of the translators to standardize information gathering and transfer processes. Added a Brazilian plant supervisor to the team as a means of nurturing trust and comfort among local workers. Partnered with the acquired firm’s financial staff in devising locale-specific operating routines that boosted efficiency and effectiveness.

Sincere efforts to gain a clear understanding of operations in a different social and climatic environment bred strong, productive relationships with the Brazilian division.

Faced with absorption of its small cottage-industry company by a larger competitor, ownership presented to a national company specializing in laboratory testing the idea of innovating a new industry by combining specimen collection and analysis. To make the idea work, the collection side of the venture needed to generate a large customer base but had no field team in place.

Recognized a franchise model as the most efficient way to develop the production network needed. Initiated a crusade to convince local collection firms servicing the insurance industry to sign on. Promoted the reliability, accuracy, and prominence of the laboratory partner as a competitive advantage gained through membership. Expanded the product line to increase revenue opportunities. Framed individual incentives and negotiated specialized agreements throughout a ten-year offensive.

The new enterprise registered a decade of consistent double-digit growth, becoming the country’s largest provider of insurance testing services.

The customer-attrition rate hovered around 16%, which exceeded industry standards. Tracking data showed a high correlation between service cancellation and the low percentage of new users failing to complete a website design. The CRM database lacked the analytics necessary to reveal the causes of customers not following through.

Instituted several new processes to acquire the insights needed to lower churn. Established a feedback loop that captured client reasons for cancellation and provided insight for strengthening relationships. Introduced a program that assessed a new customer’s digital-marketing expertise leading to customized onboarding procedures attuned to the individual needs unveiled. Included in the startup routine a series of easy tasks that aided in launching sites. Conducted initial interactions face-to-face which aided mutual understanding and established an open, comfortable environment for continuing discussions. Expanded communications with a periodic newsletter and multiple, personal contacts during the first year.

The cancellation rate shrunk to 4% as the customer base became more digitally savvy.

During the 2019 holiday season, the server storing images used by customer websites suffered a security breach, resulting in the loss of all images and logos for 30% of the client base. January is a critical month for real estate agents, so the company needed to repair the damage promptly, which posed a significant challenge with much of the IT staff away on Christmas vacation and the full extent of the problem undetermined.

Started the reclamation campaign by developing an algorithm that prioritized the order of restitution based on a customer’s tenure, number of stored images, and products purchased. Offered affected clients a variety of incentives and pricing-relief contingencies. Designed forms that simplified the resubmittal of missing materials. Managers personally contacted each involved agent to apologize for the situation and express a commitment to rapid repair. Hired temporary workers to respond immediately when receiving replacement visuals. Conducted frequent internal meetings to ensure the staff provided fair and appropriate treatment.

While the loss of confidence and trust caused some customers to cancel, many others voiced appreciation for the extent of the effort and recurrent updates and in short order purchased enough additional services to offset the revenue decline. The retained group also served as excellent references and helped attract new users.