I often comment that technology is just a tool. It’s not magic, nor mysterious, it is just a tool. I do admit that some aspects can be complicated, and if one adds together all the technology we face in life,…
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Get the Most From Employees by Relating to Them in Their Styles
Practicing The Platinum Rule–treating others the way they want to be treated by adapting to their behavioral style–can quickly make you a more sensitive, effective leader. Indeed, this rule can have a positive effect on every aspect of managing and…
I am a Great Manager – Just Ask Me
When I was 19 years of age, I was promoted to Passenger Service Manager at Midway Airport in Chicago for Capital Airlines. I had no college, I had no supervisory or managerial training and there I was in charge of…
Tagged with: Howard Putnam leadership management
Power Partnerships: Working with Bureaus
There are more than 300 speakers bureaus across the country, with close to 450 agents working hard to secure appropriate speakers for their clients. These are powerful marketing and distribution channels for professional speakers looking to grow their businesses. What…
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…
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,…
Want a promotion? Give more social support
The greatest metric for predicting job satisfaction and engagement is the social support perceived by the employee. And job satisfaction and engagement directly correlate with productivity. So the best and fastest way to feel more connected and therefore more productive…
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…
6 Ways to Stay Motivated
Not everyone can remain “up,” optimistic, and energetic all the time. We all wax and wane in our moods, outlook, and energy levels. That’s normal. People who are “up” most of the time have many methods to their madness. Adopt…
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…
Tagged with: profitability
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…
Tagged with: customer experience
11 Great Sales Tips to Bolster Your Year
(Excerpted from Relationship Selling: The 8 Competencies of Top Sales Producers) 1. Prepare Yourself To Excel not just to Sell. Use a checklist to prepare your mind, appearance, customer information, company and product information and the selling environment, so you can…
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…
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…
Tagged with: marketing strategy
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…
Tagged with: Scott Klososky
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…