After a
recent seminar, I was asked to come up with three questions the organization
could ask internally that would help them understand what is necessary to drive
the delivery of an enhanced customer experience.
Tough question, right?
And, I admit, I have had to work on it for a bit. Here’s the best I can come up
with — and I’d appreciate if you have additional and/or better questions!
1) Do
customers want it?
Gourmet
quality lattes are certainly wonderful. But, would it add to the customer
experience to serve them if you’re running a funeral home? Doubt it. There are
other aspects that would probably be more desired by those at your business.
This
isn’t to suggest that we shouldn’t be innovative in what we deliver; however,
if there is a disconnection between our idea for the experience and our core
purpose, it’s not going to enhance the loyalty we desire from our customers.
2) Can
we provide it?
Note,
this isn’t necessarily “can we provide it” based upon our current team
or our current structure. However, we do have to ask ourselves if we
have the bandwidth to do what it takes to provide the experience that customers
are seeking. If we don’t have it immediately available, we should start thinking
of the specific steps that we will need to execute to make it happen in the
future.
3) Is
it worth it?
In my
first book, I wrote: “The purpose of any business is to profitably create
experiences so compelling to customers that their loyalty becomes assured.”
While
it’s reasonable to focus upon the importance of the word “experience,” it is
also easy to overlook the critical term, “profitably.”
There
are several aspects your organization must confront on a daily basis. This
simply asks, “Is it worth doing this instead of other
projects?” You only have a finite amount of time and scarce resources. The
question also insists that you project how the effort you’re making will
enhance the profitability of your organization in the future.
Just because it won’t drive immediate
income doesn’t mean it isn’t immensely important.
If you confront these three questions, you’re taking the right steps to develop what customers REALLY want in today’s hyper-competitive market in order to grow your business.
When we think of ancient humans, we often picture them around a campfire, telling stories.
When we were kids, we asked a parent to read us a bedtime story.
When we examine the fastest growing companies of the past decade, one at the top is Netflix – which enables us to view stories at any time, on demand.
So why would we ever presume that facts and figures about our products or services would be more compelling to a customer or colleague than a well-crafted story?
One aspect of my business that has rapidly expanded over the past year is helping organizations and professionals develop and relate stories. It enables them to illustrate their advantages and connect emotionally at a level that is deeper and more significant.
It occurred to me that I’m likely the only business author and professional speaker who has talked about how to write a story with Quentin Tarantino, how to develop characters with James Cameron, and how to move an audience emotionally with Oliver Stone.
And, therein lies one of our biggest challenges in creating our own stories: we don’t recognize our own uniqueness. Frankly, I failed to recognize how my work as a movie reviewer for a decade and the opportunities it brought me to study storytelling would have impact in a business environment.
We quickly grasp the stories that others should be telling – and fail to see it in our own lives and careers. We drop the ball when it comes to recognizing the stories in our own experiences, even when we are enthralled by the narrative others relate to us. I see it all the time.
An important point to remember is this: a story cannot be well told until it is first well written.
A great goal for this week is to develop a single story that you could tell. Start by jotting down the beginning of the story, which will describe the problem that had to be solved; the middle of the story, which relates the search for a solution; and the conclusion of the story, which is the satisfying ending.
Then, start telling your story to family and friends to get their feedback. Look for ways you can tighten the story to tell it more quickly and powerfully.
Finally, remember this: it’s been said forever that a confused prospect never becomes and customer.
Relating a powerful story enhances your ability to eliminate confusion, turn prospects into customers, and engage them so they are more connected to your customer experience.
“Social awareness selling” — using a good cause to move customers to buy from you — is growing. But, it is right for you and your business? Do customers buy your “why”?’
The answer may NOT be what you’re thinking — and it could be costing you and your business!
Watch the video to learn more — and don’t forget to visit Just10Speakers.com!
Every week, my posts for you have been about an observation
or an idea. Today – and only this week – I want to share an opportunity
with you.
More than ever, the ability to speak and communicate is a
highly valued skill.
For a few, it could mean achieving a goal to be a
professional speaker.
However, for many more of us, it is about discovering how to
create and deliver more compelling presentations to enable greater success in
everything from sales to a practice in financial services.
For some, it’s about
motivating prospects to become customers…or investors to become clients.
For others, it could
be about inspiring young people to achieve their potential…or gaining
commitment from individuals to volunteer for a worthy cause.
There is no doubt about it: those who can deliver
compelling presentations can make an impact upon their chosen audiences.
For many years, I’ve been asked if I would consider speech
coaching. Usually, my own professional speaking schedule prevented me from
making such a commitment. However, I was able to make a few exceptions.
The real-life Captain Phillips (of Tom Hanks’ movie fame)
has been a speech coaching client of mine. So, too, the author of the
mega-bestselling book, “Freakonomics,” the co-pilot of the “Miracle on the
Hudson,” the former President of the coffee mega-success Keurig, and a just few
more.
Now, I’d like to offer a unique and elite opportunity to
YOU.
Just 10 Speakers is YOUR opportunity to experience
comprehensive coaching and development in creating and delivering the message
that is important to you.
Class size is limited to just ten.
This means you’ll get the personal attention that you need
to grow as a speaker.
The program is a 180-day commitment.
This means it’s more than just a weekend “boot camp”
experience that touches on highlights and ends. Our program is short enough to
be impactful – long enough to truly develop your skill.
You can determine your level of engagement.
This means that you can decide how much personal attention
you receive – from video conferencing to in-person coaching with me.
To learn about our program, visit https://Just10Speakers.com – obviously, this
is a VERY limited and elite offer, so time is of the essence.
I would love to personally welcome you to our class of Just
10 Speakers!
(Next week, we’ll be back to ideas and observations as
usual!)
My mentor, the late Grady Nutt, wrote a chapter in a book of
verse called, “ThanksLiving.” I have always loved that play on a phrase. In
other words, it shouldn’t just be about giving thanks — it should be about
living thankfully.
Grady described “thanksliving” in part as: “An attitude that
finds treasure in the plowed field of routine.”
Isn’t it interesting that we primarily express our gratitude
for the big things in life — our family, our friends, our career success.
Seldom do we announce our application for the “plowed field of routine” in our
lives…even though that’s where we spend the vast majority of our time.
Here in the United States, the coming week brings our annual
Thanksgiving holiday. Even when our nation is so politically divided as it is
today, we will still stop to express our blessings. (As we should…)
Yet, every year at this time I’m also reminded of the wisdom
of my dear, departed friend who was the Obi-Wan-sage to my young, ambitious
Skywalker-speaker of long ago. Grady often remarked that I should slow down and
enjoy the journey to success. If you miss the small stuff in life, he used to
remind me, the big stuff will not have the meaning that it should.
We have all probably lost someone special in our lives. It
presents us with a unique understanding of the value of a single day, a moment
in time. As Warren Zevon was dying of cancer, he said to David Letterman,
“Enjoy every sandwich.” Seize the value and worth of every single moment. It’s
no coincidence that my friends in the band Diamond Rio had one of their biggest
hits with a song titled, “One More Day.”
As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this week, let’s do
it with the spirit of ThanksLiving. And, let’s not make it a one-day affair.
Why not try to live that way…every day?
As Grady Nutt wrote, ThanksLiving is an approach that, “holds a cup to the water of life…and drinks the mystery of ‘being’ with zest.”
Video reminder from Cabo to take care of yourself and take time to recharge for work ahead. It’s required for creativity needed to create distinction for the future!
Don’t be afraid to take a little time to unplug and I’ll see you here next week.
