3 Ways to Train Your Brain to be Happy
"I will be happy when..." This innocent comment is the very reason that happiness is so elusive for us in the modern world. We think: I will be happy when I have a successful relationship. I will be happy when…
New Book! Daring Greatly – by Dr. Brené Brown
I'm so excited to share it with you! The phrase Daring Greatly is from Theodore Roosevelt's speech, Citizenship in a Republic. This is the passage that made the speech famous: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man…
Dr. Brené Brown: Connection, Belonging and Being Enough
Dr. Brené Brown recently teamed up with Paper Coterie to create an inspirational video for their customers. In it, she discusses that humans are hard-wired for connection, how our "culture of scarcity" impacts us, and explains that vulnerability – often…
Four Strategies for Customer Service Leadership
The best customer service organizations have many things in common. I believe the most important is that leadership focuses on customer service and the customer experience. Check yourself and your leadership against these 4 strategies. 1. Leaders dedicate dollars, time…
10 Attributes of Successful Speakers
While there isn't any one "secret" that will work for everyone, I've observed successful speakers over 12 years in this industry and here are 10 attributes many of them have in common:1. Relevant experience in their area of expertise (business,…
Do Happy Employees Create Happy Customers?
Could it be so simple? I define a happy customer as one who is loyal and willing to refer you to others. Happy customers mean their problems were solved and their needs met. Statistics tell us that the service experience…
Customer (In)Visibility: The Choice is Yours
Allow me to share something that is staggering to me. I spend thousands of dollars a year with many companies that have no idea I exist - and so do you. As sophisticated as we probably think we are at…
4 Customer Service Stats to Improve your Bottom Line
There is plenty of great research on why customer service should be a differentiating strategy for organizations. Given that my business is helping companies improve their customer service experience, I love the statistics. Customers for years have been telling us…
What’s Your Net Promoter Score?
We all look for ways to measure the customer experience and customer satisfaction. We have learned over the years that a loyal customer will stick with you through the good times and through the turbulent times. A satisfied customer may…
Growth After Disaster: Going Beyond Resilience
A month after I visited my sister at her brand new home in Biloxi, Mississippi, hurricane Katrina hit. A month after my first lecture on Wall Street, the global economy collapsed. Shortly after I agreed to give a talk in…
Are Happy People Dumb?
"Happy people are not the smart people." I was talking to a stock trader shortly before giving a lecture at a large bank in New York. I think he thought I was a fellow trader, but I felt a little…
New Book: Paid to Speak: Introduction
The National Speakers Association’s first-ever book, Paid to Speak: Best Practices for Building a Successful Speaking Business, is a must-read for professional speakers–whether keynote speaker, motivator, coach, trainer, facilitator, or consultant–as well as those aspiring to a speaking career.The book covers…
Are You Paying Attention to What Works?
Recently, I spent several hours with Simon Sinek (www.sinekpartners.com) from New York, who is a marketing strategist and very creative. He has created the "Golden Circle" approach to understanding your business and focusing on what your strengths and course of action…
How to make social tech relevant to your business
Social media/networking and the collection of tools they have spawned have moved solidly into the strategy toolbox for organizations. If you want to be the Zen master of social tools, then first understand the need to implement elements of social…
7 Simple Ways to Create Loyal Customers
OK, here it comes, I am about to tell you something you know already -- Little stuff delivered well by your service team can create loyal customers. Whew, there I said it. Why? Because recent experiences reminded me of the…
10 Crucial Factors in Positioning Yourself for Success
Power positioning is presenting yourself to the right person, at the right time and place, in the right way, with the right message. If you can do that all day long, every day, you will be an incredibly successful professional…
Video: Dr. Tony Alessandra on How to Manage the 4 DISC Styles
Dr. Tony Alessandra has a street-wise, college-smart perspective on business, having been raised in the housing projects of NYC to eventually realizing success as a graduate professor of marketing, entrepreneur, business author, and hall-of-fame keynote speaker. His topics focus on sales…
4 Ways To Create Your Own Personal eCommunity
What is an eCommunity? It is a question I hear often, and it is usually followed by an answer that does not do more than scrape the surface of this powerful tool. The term eCommunity has been used to describe…
9 Tools for Nurturing a High Performance Team!
Desi Williamson has led a diverse career as a corporate sales and marketing executive, entrepreneur, motivational coach for the Minnesota Vikings, and now restaurant owner. In 2010, he opened three Dickey’s Barbecue restaurants in Minneapolis. Desi’s Impact!! Restaurant Group, LLC…
6 Techniques to Write Effectively
Peter Drucker claims that more than 60% of all management problems result from breakdowns in communications. A major study by the Rockefeller Foundation found that 68% of the customers who quit buying from their regular suppliers do so because employees fail…
