Cynthia Cheng

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Ellen Smith, a consulting/coaching expert who runs a company called En Course, a business consulting firm.   Prior to launching her business, Ellen worked in marketing and communications.  Then, in November 2005, she felt that it was time for a change.  Just months later, En Course was born.

Ellen’s business is not just a traditional business coaching service.  In addition to coaching, En Course also focuses on brand development, marketing and communications. Her company also deals with a wide range of different businesses, both in size and in scope. Some are even individuals. According to her website, her clients have included ConAgra Foods, LG, Expedia.com and Debbie Travis.

During my conversation with Ellen, I asked her what makes a business successful.

“Any business has the opportunity to survive if they’re willing to shift.  They need to understand their consumer and be aware of social trends.  The US auto industry has, unfortunately, failed that, which is why they’re now struggling.”   Relevance is, in fact, one of En Course’s philosophies.  In fact, En Course integrates the 7 C’s of Relevance and Sustainability to keep brands relevant.  The 7 C’s are:

• Have Conviction: Have a deep conviction at the core of your business with an unwavering commitment to its brand plus a system of values that are clearly spelled out and adhered to.
• Customer Needs, Your Commitment: Making it a point to understand customers’ core needs, consistently tuning in to what they value and delivering it.
• Communication: Strong communication affords you the opportunity to deepen your relationship with your customers or clients.
• Courtesy and Caring: Effective listening, empathy and human bonding will lead customers to your door and keep them coming back again and again.
• Crystal clarity: A brand should be not only authentic but also crystal clear in its promise and unfailing in it’s deliverables as well as unfailingly honest.
• Community: Businesses can and should look for ways to become participants in their communities and to “give back” or “pay it forward.” Your customers want to know what you stand for.
• Capture Cultural Shifts: Establish your business’s values and then to stick to them. Engage your employees as much as you engage your customers.

Ellen believes that organizations who follow the above points have an excellent chance of succeeding.

Over our conversation, we also discussed the importance of modern technology in business, specifically the website.  Some companies, particularly very small ones, often don’t feel that a good site is necessary as long as they have a web presence.  However, Ellen disagrees.  According to her, a good site is very critical as it gives the first impression to a prospective client.  The site must be modern, but at the same time, not out of scope with the industry.  There are always ways to create a good site without spending a great deal of money.  Staying with the scope of the Internet, Ellen feels that social networking is very important.  Again, it is about knowing your consumer.  The consumer isn’t always going to remain the same.  People grow old and cultures change.  The company must understand this and change along with them, or else become irrelevant.  That’s why Ellen never stops learning.  She feels that she won’t “get” things without such continuous learning.