Companies need to reinvent their value to the customer. A statement such as "Added Value" - the hypnotic mantra of strategic marketing for over a decade has run a ground. "Added Value" only puts a question mark in the mind of the customer - what have I been receiving, if not full value? Customers want and expect the best value now, for every transaction, regardless of what comes later. If you want to keep your customers' attention then you need to deliver a compelling experience of value at every transaction -- from the receptionist to the CEO.

Don't risk losing your customers' in a hyper fast economy. The craziness and drunken stupor of venture capitalist and immerging Internet start-ups only hyperventilated our economy with business models that plummeted - hopefully to never emerge again. Only now are we beginning to see what was lost and what was gained. However, the issue should be, what was gained and what we can learn from it?

One very obvious learning experience is that capacity for explosive growth will come to organizations, small or large, which adopt strategic learning, with a focus on critical skills, directly connected to their growth. Organizations need to embrace learning as a strategic choice along with their coveted financial markets and quarterly reports to stakeholders. Only then can your customer experience best value. When each and every employee is valued openly and supported with the capabilities that a learning organization provides - motivation explodes within your inner culture. Customers then experience a shared excitement and value through their interaction with your organization.

Learning happens in every organization regardless if is a strategic choice or chance happening. The predictable results of organizations that drive learning as a strategic choice, close communication gaps, reduced employee isolation and keep their people happy when the inner culture of a company is in an emotional spin cycle of change. Organizations that don't make learning a strategic choice risk losing their most crucial people, bad moral, lack of critical communications, reduced production, silence, fear, burn out, customer dissatisfaction, customer defection and a host of others.

David L. Robinson, Managing Editor for Mortgage Originator Magazine, gives a perfect illustrative example of how an industry with extremely high turnover has provided little direction to their staff and Loan Originators. An industry, that has a traditional reputation of hiring bodies to throw against the wall and hope a few good people stick. Frustration, disappointment and a "cry for help" is experienced because of the lack of strategic leaning provided by some mortgage brokerages and lenders. David's argument is that Loan Originators are not looking for a free ride or a hand out - they are looking for support, coaching and guidance, on developing critical skills and capabilities, especially through the rough spots in their careers. When learning is a strategic choices in an organization everyone wins down the chain.

Learning has to be embraced from the top down. Learning is a leadership decision. When you look at the paradigm shift in customers and how economies are changing, it's, more clear, than ever, that learning must become a strategic choice for growth and survival. Introducing learning, as a strategic choice, into your organization requires a new thought process of understanding capabilities, behaviors, skills and disciplines. Here are 5 paradigm shifts to help you embrace learning as an activity within your organization:

1. New rules of leadership: Traditional leadership roles consist of four (4) distinct types of managers in the corporate, entrepreneurial, and sales function world. a. Line Managers - (CEO, COO, Division Head) Responsibility: bottom line dollar results.

b. Staff Managers - (Finance, Marketing, Legal, HR, IT) Responsibility: Provides expertise that increases functions, values and influence in the organization.

c. Entrepreneurial Managers - (President of Small Business or Business Units) Responsibility: Hands-on bottom line dollar results.

d. National Account and Sales Force Manages - Responsibility: NAM, maintain direct responsibility for sales results for specific customers. SFM, staff the selling function, train and develop salespeople.

The new rules of leadership, is to banish obsolete minds-sets and assumptions that learning is not a real part of business. Traditional management roles must transform into leadership roles and embrace time-critical value of information, and create structured learning to avoid growing stupid.

1. Shatter isolation: Lack of time-critical communication within an organization breeds contempt, bad moral and isolation. It's the isolation that makes people feel something is wrong and brings on the roomer mills, stress, and lost productivity, which is disruptive, to any organizations bottom line. Learning organizations, structure communication systems that include top leader official, holding informal and informative brown bag luncheons and meetings.

2. Toss out lectures and ask questions: Learning solutions come from asking questions. Leaders of organizations, who embrace learning, as a way to drive change, have an after-action review for each marketing campaign, or new product launch - to ask what did we learn?

3. Create a structure for learning: Structure brings about clarity and opens up the organizations culture for people to be free to relate to one another. Excellent leaders understand that ego power relationships can block communications and keep people from open expression and trust.

4. Embrace emerging technologies: Distant learning, just-time learning, web enabled learning, interactive television learning and computerized learning will enable decision makers to find new ways to accommodate a more natural transition of learning critical skills. Shoring up their ability to compete in a "Hyper Fast Economy" and bring about growth within their organization tomorrow. "Secrets of Personal Marketing Power" Would You Benefit from Learning as a Strategic Choice?

Invite Don to speak at your next association, convention or company meeting. You will experience an action packed fun program and leave with "Increased Self-confidence and Problem Solving Skills" that will enrich your business and personal life E-mail me at: donprice@donpricepersmarketing.com or call me at: 800-4491539