Building Hope Through Developing an Innovative Workforce Celebrating Transitions: Skill Sets for the New Economy Kay Lynn Tettleton, Ed.D, LSU AgCenter and Cynthia Pilcher, Ed.D., LSU Ag. Center In order to help workers enhance skills for transitioning into other jobs within a business or obtain employment in another business, LSU AgCenter Community Rural Development agents provide workshops to help individuals assume leadership roles and secure employment in times of transition. 10:45 - 12:15 - Monday July 27th 2009

1. Celebrating Transitions: Skill Sets
for the New Economy
Dr. Cynthia Pilcher
Dr. Kay Lynn Tettleton
LSU AgCenter

3. Goals for employees & employers
in transition
• Develop skills for coping with changing
economic environment
• Increase awareness of economic reality
• Understand trends in retail trade
• Explore technology as a business tool
• See business from a customer’s perspective
• Find ways to improve efficiency
• Manage stresses at home and on the job

4. What is the Real Economic Reality?
• Agri-tourism and Agri-tainment
• Geographic differences
• Global economy
• E-commerce
• Strip malls and shopping centers
• Major malls
• Gasoline prices
• Misconception about competition
• National name-recognition companies
• Small businesses & entrepreneurs
• Niche marketing & diverse merchandise
• Service, service, service

5. Coming or Going?

6. Businesses and communities
may need:
• Customer relations skills
• Marketing savvy
• Entrepreneurial know-how
• Knowledge of regional history

7. Staying in Business
• Research shows that service is more important than
price to 66% of consumers.
• 40% of consumers say service is poor, which reflects
a need for improved customer relations.
• Businesses spend 6 times as much time and money
on potential customers as they do on repeat sales,
even though established business makes long-term
profits possible.

8. The Bottom Line. . .
• Business creates revenue
• Revenue supports infrastructure
• Infrastructure attracts more business
• Attitude of cooperation and collaboration brings
success to the business community
• Quality of life for families improves
• Business retention, expansion, & entrepreneurship
contribute to rural economies

9. Current Trends in Retail Trade:
• Customers desire the authenticity of
experiences and service found in small
businesses.
• With trends towards e-commerce, customer
service skills become even more crucial for
brick and mortar businesses.

11. Six Characteristics of Businesses
That Work . . .
• 1-Look & act like a business
• 2-Maintain attractive appearance
• 3-Include local advertisement
• 4-Keep in touch with customers
• 5-Sponsor local events of interest
• 6-Include some type of link to technology

12. Employee Influence on
Business:
• Makes the first impression
• Seizes the opportunity to inform the visitor
• Shares the community amenities
• Promotes other businesses
• Develops community leadership
• Attracts visitors to return for business or
pleasure

14. A customer :
• is the most important person in our business.
• does not depend on us- we depend on them.
• does not interrupt our work, but is the purpose of it.
• is a person with feelings, emotions, likes and dislikes.
• is not someone with whom to argue or match wits.
• will bring us specific wants; it is our job to fulfill them.
• is deserving of the most courteous and attentive
service we can provide.
• is the life blood of our business.

15. Customer Relations:
• Definition – the art and practice of attracting and
retaining customers through successful human
relations
• Purpose: to increase shopping at home and retain
local businesses
• Impact: potential to increase tax base, improve
community communications, and promote tourism
and income from outside sources

16. What? When? Where? How?
• Know your community
• Remembering names
• Communication
• Handling complaints
• Ethics
• Marketing

17. Loyal Customers
• Over 65% of people who leave a business do
so because they encounter poor service or
perceive an attitude of indifference.

18. Customer Relations Workshop:
• Understanding tourism
• L.A.S.T. method of customer service
(Listen, Apologize, Solve, Thank)
Source: The Difficult Guest, Media Partners Corp.
• Team building
• Communication skills
• Community asset mapping

21. Feeling almost “trapped”?
• Information overload
• Different sources of information
• Different perspectives
• Different cultures
• Different expectations
• Different opinions
• Different personality types
• Different types of conflict

23. Time Savers. . .
Make Lists
Turn off phones
Organize
Begin today
Say “no”
Plan

27. It’s up to you.
• Become informed about the economy.
• Take an objective look at your business.
• Use trends in trade and marketing.
• Explore e-business and technology resources.
• Think like a customer and adjust practices.
• Get organized.
• Seek ways to cope constructively with stress.

28. Dr. Cynthia Pilcher
Area Agent
Community Rural Development
LSU AgCenter
Dr. Kay Tettleton
Area Agent
Community Rural Development
LSU AgCenter