"You have to go through some tough times and fight through adversity in order to get to this kind of level and have these types of opportunities," Brees said. "Had you not gone through some of those things earlier in the history of this organization or in my own career, you wouldn't have learned the lessons you learned in order to get here, have that chip on your shoulder or have the motivation we had to be here and take part and win in the Super Bowl.

"I believe wholeheartedly the fact that everything happens for a reason. At times, life is going to put you in a position to wonder why this is happening to me or to us, and yet you know it's happening for a reason. It's there to make you stronger and to give the opportunity to accomplish something later on - and here we are."

Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints. 2010 Super Bowl Winner.

If there were an Oscar for
‘Customer Relationship Nurturing’,

Would you even be considered?
Would you be a nominee?

Would you Win?

WHY?

WHY NOT?

WHY NOT, INDEED?

I love to watch achievement celebrated on television. From the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the World Cup / World Series, to the Oscars or the Final 4 , all provide the opportunity to watch and celebrate the best of the best, often performing at their very best.
So if there is a Nurture OSCAR for the best and proven ideas in Nurturing Customer Relationships, how would nominees be evaluated?

I thought about the criteria that would go into such a measurement. So my Partner, Eric Rabinowitz and I have often spoken of having such an award from the Nurture Institute but it seems like now is better than later to begin to explore the actual steps taken, actual successes and hiccups enroute.

Ways results were measured, actual, verifiable statistics of results, lesions learned, residual benefits and plans going forward. So we are moving forward toward the launch of the first annual Nurture OSCAR to be awarded.

In preparation for some rules of research I have begun a list (additions welcomed and researched) of questions that I would ask a candidate

company for consideration.

1.   Define your CNN version of what you call Nurturing.

2.   How you came to adopt the nurturing philosophy?

3.   Identify and Describe/Profile your ideal Client,  Prospect, Center of Influence.

4.   Decide the number of relationships you will personally manage to nurture.

5.   I would ask them how they segmented their database.

6.    I would then ask for example action plans and campaigns followed by reliable statistics.

7.     How did they Identify, Individualize and Influence the targeted individuals

8.     How have they demonstrated “Helping Customers Succeed”?

9.     How has it changed your culture?

10.  What will you do differently in 2011?

That’s for starters. What questions would you add? Remove? Embellish?

Nurture OSCAR for 2010 is underway.

Good Nurturing

Jim