about us
expert help for your ebusiness
a front-office focus
We work to improve the income side of your business, the people and parts that talk to customers. It’d be incomplete to say we’re a marketing firm. We believe your next order may just as likely come from an existing customer rather than a new prospect. Or it ought to!
So we also prioritize customer service, the relationship that extends after the purchase. Some call this ‘CX’ for Customer Experience. Regardless, we’ve learned costs go down, and profit goes up, when you build a long-term customer relationship.
To make this work, you’ll need reliable people and systems. Today you may need more automation and self-service, too. Yep, let’s do it.
our professional guarantee
After 20 years, we know where we can make a positive impact in companies like yours. We’re believers in the 80 / 20 principle that a fraction of what gets done actually yields the most results. But which fraction? We promise to only recommend and implement changes we believe to be of real value. If we do not ourselves trust in the value of what’s being proposed, we will withdraw and refer you to others. Let’s do what matters.
how we work with your team
Our engagements pair 1, 2 or more of our experts with 1 or 2 of your employees. For a period of weeks or months, we’ll come alongside and understand your objectives. We’ll set up new systems or processes, listening and optimizing with your input. Your team will then carry on to sustain what we built together. We may return later to refine and iterate again, climbing up to the next level of results.
what we don't do
We’re not a resource for marketplace development (Amazon, etc.) nor social media (Instagram, etc.). If paid traffic (Google, etc.) is what you most need, we can refer you to trusted friends elsewhere.
We care about improving marketing and customer service through channels you own directly, like email and phone. Trust in the direct connection! We don’t prioritize customer relationships that are mediated by Big Tech, i.e. third parties that control the relationship to their disproportionate benefit.
We do not touch your back-office, the cost side of a business: not admin, warehouse, factory, production, sourcing, shipping, nor logistics.
our team's history as ebusiness coach
In 2020, Patrick Pitman created ebusiness pros as a division of ebusiness coach, the firm he founded in 2000. The team he’d built up over the prior decade had exceeded the ‘coach’ role, and represented a capable team of professionals. The ‘pros’ name reflects our expertise as planners and doers. We do more than coach, we also help you implement changes now.
ATTUNED
A concept, a principle, that informs our interactions with prospects and customers. It means we aim to be in harmony in a responsive, two-way relationship.
'ATT' for attention
Let’s attend. Let’s bring our presence and focus to this specific situation, this relationship here.
'U' for understanding
Let’s be curious and aim to understand the other and what they’re needing? How did we get to this point now?
'N' for now
Let’s not get ahead of this moment, not rely on a script or formula, nor imagine what might go right or wrong. Let’s stay here and notice.
'E' for empathy
Let’s connect in a felt, energetic way, something more than a thought in our heads, more than the written word.
'D' for dignity
Let’s acknowledge the other’s personhood, respecting both their sovereignty and our larger connection as fellow humans.
Two forthcoming certifications help marketers and customer service professionals level up.
Our ideas about marketing and customer service have evolved since we were founded in 2000. At that time we shifted from marketing as printed ‘direct mail’ catalogs into a web shopper dynamic spurred by email. Customer service was mostly by phone.
The 2020’s ask more of us as we navigate societal changes, instant expectations, and screens everywhere. We’re exploring ways of communicating for these transitional times. Attunement is our core principle.
patrick pitman
president & founder
In 2020, Patrick created ebusiness pros as a division of ebusiness coach, the firm he founded in 2000. In 2002 he developed a turnkey, ecommerce hosting SaaS product that attracted mail order catalog companies transitioning to the web. After a blow-out PCI security event, Patrick steered merchants and his team to a soft crash landing in 2009. Then he shifted in 2010 to focus on building a marketing training product. This led to extended consulting gigs for independent merchants in the US and UK.
Patrick relocated to Austin from Bozeman in 2011, anticipating the next phase of ebusiness coach. There he rebuilt a supporting team of developers, analysts, and marketers. This core group evolved into ebusiness pros today.
Our team in Austin is supported by remote colleagues across the USA, Europe, and Asia. We’re excited to bring our experience to your solvable problems. Let’s begin!
how we’ve managed the last 20 years serving our clients
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preparation
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luck
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