Innovative Business Partners
 

 

Extreme Customer Service ® makes great business sense!

Since September IBP has introduced the business philosophy of Extreme Customer Service ® to more than a dozen new companies. We have shown that by adopting this unique business culture, companies can increase profit margins, sole source opportunities; create long term customers and great references! Faced with today’s economic challenges, we are teaching clients how to separate themselves from their competitors and win in the marketplace.

Extreme Customer Service ®:

“Just when you think you have met a customer’s expectations, take it to another level and
exceed their expectations!”

                                     Joseph E. Clouatre, IBP

 

The Folklore of IBP

 

    Sales and Marketing                                                                       


IBP was working with a client that wanted to enter a new vertical market but did not know how to choose a market or how to execute it. We went ahead and evaluated his region and identified a market that fit his business model. We then created a marketing plan that included marketing materials, events, and scripts for cold calling. We actually supplemented his staff with IBP employees to participate in the cold calls for prospects. The results were that our client was able to close four new customers very quickly in that vertical market, with one of those being a marquis account.
 

 Finance

IBP brought on a new client and when I sat with the President and CFO, I found out that they had never created a budget. Over the next few months, not only did we create a budget, but we broke it into class codes or business segments. By doing this, it allowed us to identify which segments of the business were most profitable. We put a plan into place to phase out the less profitable segments and focused on growing the profitable parts of the business. This was an eye-opening experience for both of them and it was nice to see the effect on the P&L. I have taken several customers through the same process and it is always rewarding. However, I continue to be amazed at how many companies do not have operating budgets, even with CFOs on staff.

 Customer Service

IBP was scheduled to give a workshop at an annual meeting for a company in Virginia. Our arrangements were made, including our flights. The day before the trip, New England had a record-breaking ice storm and no flights that were able to make it out in time. Additionally, we found water streaming in the basement of our house for the first time ever. It would have been easy to cancel the Virginia trip. In fact, the customer was surprised we did not. We enlisted our neighbor to handle the bucket brigade for a few days, we loaded the car, and drove to Virginia! The show had to go on. Although the customer thought we went above and beyond, the real hero was my neighbor, who emptied buckets around the clock until we drove back the day after the meeting.

 Saving Valuable Employees

IBP was working with a customer on a variety of issues, and we discovered that the same employee’s name kept coming up as an issue. At this point, the owner had given up on the employee and had basically written that person off. I asked if I could personally coach the employee. Over the next 60 days, I had the opportunity to dig deep and identify the reasons why the employee’s performance had dropped. The turnaround was dramatic and soon, the employee again received great performance reviews and productivity increased. Oftentimes companies lose people that they should not lose. Sometimes it is because the employees are put in a position to fail, their jobs become overloaded, or the expectations are not made crystal clear by their managers. Whatever the reason, if you can save an experienced employee, you will save a lot of time and money eliminating the process of hiring and training a new employee. This was not an isolated situation mentioned above. We have helped save several employees and improve the job performance of many others.

 Life Line-Phone a Friend

After I recently published my newsletter, I contacted several customers to ask them their opinions of it. I wanted to see if I captured the essence of what IBP does. Most agreed that I captured the mechanical process of the service that we provide, but I missed the most valuable service - the fact that I am available to our clients 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, is critical. When our clients are facing a crisis or they are trying to make a critical decision, they know that they can just pick up the phone and I will be at the other end to help them. In many cases, it is my job to calm them down, help them identify their options, and walk them through a creative solutions process. Recently, I listened to a client describe me to a group of people as his part-time psychiatrist . There are too many examples to list here, where I have received calls at night, on weekends, and even on holidays, where someone needed support or just another opinion. Because I am available to help, they feel it is just a little less lonely at the top!

We are more than a consulting firm, we are your strategic partner!

 

What customers say:

    

From Maine to Florida; IBP SHOWS STEADY GROWTH:

Innovative Business Partners Inc™. continues steady growth through the fall of 2008. Over the past several months IBP has continued to build our customer base up and down the east coast.  Currently we have customer’s stretching from Maine to Florida. With offices based in Boston and Charlotte making it easy to support the growth!

Services Provided

What customers say:

Joe Clouatre is a visionary with incredible insight into solutions to business roadblocks. Joe’s coaching has been extremely valuable.

Joe’s creative nature lends itself to enable others to turn business fears into a game plan for success. Whether you are trying to start a business or resurrect an existing one…. Joe will show you how to hit the ground running, turning dreams into reality.

Carolyn Tomlin

President

Executive Intellect

 

Innovative Business Partners Inc. gives back again!

Each year IBP, a Sturbridge based business, finds a way to give back to the community and 2008 wasn’t any different. Joe Clouatre, founder and CEO of IBP, believes that it is the responsibility of every business to give back and find away to make a difference in someone’s life.

IBP decided this year to help out the Head Start Program in Southbridge. Head Start is part of the Worcester Community Action Council and provides services to the local community. Cheryl Mawdsley, IBP Office Manager, spent time talking to this group to understand exactly what their needs were. IBP decided to donated equipment, toys and supplies to three classrooms for children from 3-5 years old.

On Monday December 15th, the Team from IBP – Cheryl, Terry, Betty and Joe, loaded up their vehicles and traveled to the Marcy Street location. It took about an hour to set everything up for the teachers. At 1pm the teachers came into the room and Cheryl explained what IBP had donated. There was a large TV and a DVD and VHS player that was mounted on an audio visual cart so that it could be shared by each classroom. In addition there were audio cassette hubs and headsets so that many children could listen simultaneously to the books on tape that were donated. There were also many DVD’s for the children to watch on the new TV in addition to bowling sets, kick balls, play dough, toy shopping carts and puzzles for each classroom!

As far as arts and craft supplies, there were over 1,000 individual items donated by this little group of IBP Angels. Cheryl, her mother Betty and her aunt were busy for months shopping, wrapping and getting ready for this special day. Cheryl and her family added money of their own because they knew how much of a difference it would make to the children. They also baked goodies for the teachers to have that day.

Finally, each child was left an individual gift from IBP. A few weeks later, IBP received numerous cards and photos of the children enjoying the donations. One of the cards stated it best “I hope you know the difference you have made for us and we wish you the best with your own hopes and dreams”.

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Innovative Business Partners
P.O. Box 202
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Ph. 508-347-2700
Toll Free: 866-375-8045
Fax 508-347-9700
Email:
ClouatreJ@contactibp.com

 
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