Would Your Tip Jar be Full?

What do you do to ensure that you are creating a relationship with your customers? I recently went to my local car wash when I saw this tip jar. Apparently “car wash attendant” was as personal as it gets. (I chose not to leave a tip to the generic “attendant.”) On the flip side, one of my favorite coffee shops always has dueling tip jars, like, “Seinfeld or Friends,” “The Simpsons or The Family Guy,” “PB&J or Fluffer-nutter,” and “Batman or Superman?” It may be a simple thing, but the rivalries engage customers, spark conversations and, subsequently, both tip jars always see some action. How engaged are the people in your sales and customer service departments, management team, etc., when …

Who You’re Being May Be the Problem

http://youtu.be/lBmlfhMuZ2c You cannot be one thing while you’re focusing on trying not to be someone else. Too often, people focus on being “not pushy” or “not mean.” The end result is not what you are looking for. Rather, look at all situations through the filter of who you actually need to be to create the ultimate outcome for you. By doing this, you are able to show up in a much stronger way and become the person who creates the sustainable results you are seeking.

Creating Balance

Are you looking for more balance in your life? In order to create a life that is balanced, you first need to have clarity about what life balance ultimately looks like for you. What components must be in place for you to truly feel balance in your life? Once you have clarity on what balance looks like, feels like, etc., your quest is not in just keeping it, but also how to regain it when it’s lost. I learned in Sanchin-Ryu Karate that closing the gap from when we lose balance to where we regain it is where our work lies. Losing balance in life is inevitable. Once we have mastered regaining balance, we can be in that space more …

Is Your Team Good Enough to Keep Customers Coming Back?

Whether you sell goods or services, very few things will trump your customer’s experience. When I work with clients, I often ask them how they improve the caliber of the experience they provide to their customers. The answers I usually get are the results of satisfaction surveys and the number of complaints filed in the customer service department. These may be valid data points, but they really don’t provide the true pulse of what is happening. The most optimal way to improve the experience you provide your clients is to first define what that means to you and your organization. For a service-driven company, the definition should include all the touch points that exist between your customer and you for …

Three Critical Ingredients for Hiring a Successful Coach or Consultant

I’ve worked with coaches, both professionally and personally, and have had some pretty amazing experiences. That said, I’m often asked about my process for hiring a coach. The question reminds me of an illustration a friend of mine (who is a leading Allergist & Immunologist in the Greater Boston Area) uses: What do you call a someone who barely graduated from Medical School? DOCTOR. Makes you kind of wonder, are all doctors created equal? And really, how does one typically go about selecting someone as a doctor? When it comes to coaches, consultants, and mentors, the waters get even murkier. Today, these titles can be used without any particular standards or requirements in place to practice. Yes, there are programs …