The Paradox Of Excellence: How Great Performance Can Kill Your Business

Are you striving for excellence yet find your efforts increasingly taken for granted and undervalued? You’re not alone. Many companies discover their improved performance doesn’t translate into higher perceived value. In fact, it simply shifts the customer’s expectations upward, causing the customer to take the new, improved performance for granted. High-performance companies unwittingly create unrealistic customer expectations that become impossible to meet. In this important book, the authors use a realistic story that illustrates the paradox of excellence¾the better you perform, the more invisible you become to everything but bad news¾shows the symptoms and causes, and provides clear guidance for overcoming this perplexing dilemma. The Paradox of Excellence introduces an entertaining story with characters that are easy to relate to, ideas that can be readily implemented, and a practical framework for achieving long-term success.

 

David Mosby is CEO of InterWorks Software, Inc., a software development firm that creates specialized customer retention and value reinforcement solutions and has built solutions for many companies, including DHL, Kaiser Permanente, and Link Logistics/Starbucks.

Michael Weissman, a leading expert in business growth strategies, is founder and president of Fresh Perspectives, a San Francisco Bay Area consulting firm. Michael has helped companies of all sizes, including Adobe, Apple Computer, Fidelity Investments, Hewlett Packard, and Intel, find new, practical ways to maximize their sales, profits, and value.

Introduction.

PART ONE: The Story.

The Crisis
Chapters 1-5.

“How Could This Happen?”
Chapters 6-12.

The Way Out
Chapters 13-18.

Victory
Chapter 19-Epilogue.

The Interviews.

PART TWO: The Models.

The Concept.

The Assessment.

The Roadmap for Success.

Acknowledgments.

About the Authors.