Take Notes: There is ALWAYS a Pop Quiz!

There once was a time, before the Internet, before overly accessible annoying pop idols and their exploits, when people used to employ this old contraption called a note pad. I can imagine that your minds eye immediately becomes populated with some form of laptop computer, but what I am referring to was even MORE convenient than that! Yes it was so!

These notepads were the weapon of choice for flat foots and gum shoes alike, no doubt recording some of the most crucial pieces of information in the 20th century! Clues to a murder, the crux of a news story.... a long as you could find a pen and a fountain in which to refill it (I'm pretty sure that's how they worked...). More importantly, as per my mantra, that information was ORGANISED then ANALYSED to identify an opportunity.

They [notepads] are almost redundant these days, (though ink has been conceptually superseded by battery power) with the introduction of smart phones, tablet PCs and the like. In fact these days, many things that people hoped could not be recorded, suddenly are being aired across the globe in a matter of minutes for all to see. Thanks Youtube, Wikileaks, Wikipedia and co.

There is so much information out there that if you really wanted to know something or find an opportunity, it would just be a matter of looking in the right place.

The same thing can be said for your business intelligence (No need to look sideways when I say that. It isn't all cloak and dagger subterfuge). Where ever you are, you should be able to access, review and update customer data, and, record potential opportunities.

Satisfying customer expectations is the essence of Quality Management, but, how can you meet expectations with out knowing what the customer wants? That is where things like the smart phone have become so essential. Every little detail that you learn, contributes to your understanding, and therefore, your ability to prepare for and meet, your customers expectations.

If Customer X calls your company and your customer relations representative is about to transfer them to your phone, you have roughly 20 seconds to reacquaint yourself with their history, before they start to think that perhaps their business is not that important to you.

If your quality management system is worth what you pay for it, you should be able to get to that information before interest wanes. Ready? Start flipping through that note pad... NOW! 20, 19, 18....

P.S. I recorded the notes for this piece, verbally on my smart phone.