Matthew Miller

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Don’t let these blunders ruin your customer relationships. Poor customer service can have a big effect on a business’s ability to succeed. And while a smile and a helpful attitude can go a long way toward creating a positive experience for a customer, they aren’t the only aspects of customer service that need to be focused on. Whether it’s slow response times or even relying too heavily on customer self-help tools, there may be some practices you don’t even realize are hurting your relationships with your customers.  Pinpointing your company’s bad practices is essential if you want to improve your customer service efforts and, as a result, the overall happiness of your customers. To get started, consider this list of bad practices that could be derailing your company's customer service efforts, courtesy of Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders.

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Experimenting with a new product or service shouldn’t come at the expense of your core business. It can be said that all businesses are in the business of making money. Regardless of what product they sell or what service they provide, all businesses need to make money in order to survive and, hopefully, thrive. But there’s another component businesses need in order to thrive, at least in the long term: innovation. If businesses don’t innovate or improve upon their current offerings, they may not ever grow or reach their true potential. However, innovation can be risky, as not all ideas will be profitable or accepted by customers. To find that balance between making money in order to survive and making room for innovation, business leaders should consider the following eight tips from the experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Here, they discuss the key to balancing innovation with the financial need to stick with what works, ensuring business leaders can still pay the bills.

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To get customers excited about your event, you’ll have to think like them first. With the weather warming up and summer just getting started, people are eager to spend more time outdoors and attend various summer events and activities. But concerts and festivals aren’t the only events on the agenda — plenty of businesses host events in the summer, or year-round, to help promote their goods or services and to connect with their customers in fun, unique ways.  However, with so many other events taking place, it can be difficult for businesses to ensure theirs will be guaranteed a spot on customers’ calendars. Thankfully, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council have a few suggestions for how to resolve this dilemma. Below, they discuss seven actions businesses can take to ensure their event is not only well-attended but thoroughly enjoyed by all.

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Cut through the noise by amplifying your unique story. Today, it seems that nearly everyone is on social media — and that includes businesses. With the majority of small businesses using social media to reach their audience, there’s a lot of competition when it comes to earning the attention of potential customers. This is why it’s so vital to find a way to stand out and cut through the digital noise. However, beyond creating viral videos or following the latest social media trend, there are a number of other, more meaningful ways to set your business apart. Here, nine business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in on some of the steps a business can take to ensure their social media presence stands out from the competition and engages their followers in a meaningful way.

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Building the brand image you want starts with smart PR moves. In business — and especially the culture space — what the public thinks of your brand is everything. Do they find you trustworthy and reliable? Do they think of you as innovative, cool or luxurious? Controlling the narrative around your brand is key to ensuring you create the image you’re after — and to ensuring you’re reaching your desired target audience.  However, public relations is an art as much as it is a science, and many businesses that don’t have experience in this particular area can end up making mistakes that could damage their reputation in the short and long term. To avoid these same blunders, consider this list of common mistakes as outlined by the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Below, they detail why these mistakes can be detrimental to your brand goals and advise what actions you should take instead.

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Taking care of yourself first ensures you can take care of your company better. Leading a business can be exhausting, but part of being a leader is showing up and giving your all each day, even when things aren’t going how you planned. Finding ways to increase your efficiency without creating more mental work for yourself can be a helpful way of lessening the mental strain that comes with being the boss. When it comes to decision fatigue, for example, there are specific strategies you can use to ensure you never cross that line of exhaustion, even on a busy day. Below, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of those strategies, elaborating on how they go about making good decisions as leaders while protecting their mental well-being at the same time.

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The first step to reengaging a customer is to remember that they’re human. Whether it’s due to a lack of perceived value or just a lack of time and money, customers can often fall off the wagon when it comes to interacting with and purchasing from brands. And while some customers disengaging can be normal, companies may begin to worry once a pattern starts to emerge.  So what can they do to reengage those customers they seem to have lost? What’s the most effective method? Below, 10 business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their insights on the marketing “hacks” or strategies companies can use to boost engagement among disengaged customers and pique their interest once again.

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Building a successful brand means understanding who you are and staying true to it. In so many areas of culture, building a successful personal brand is key to getting ahead. Who you are, what you’re known for and what value you provide to others all play a role in creating your brand, and those who create positive ones are likely to find more opportunities coming their way. But creating a personal brand isn’t as simple as some may think. It requires intentionality and a deep understanding of self to get started. Here, 14 leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of the other steps you’ll need to take if you want to build a successful personal brand, in life and in business.