The Detroit International Automobile Show 2012. Among the hundred thousand square feet vendor booths, and the multimillion dollar backdrops complete with state of the art multimedia, and eye candy models . . . both male and beautifully coiffed women; sits the center of attention. It is all about the cars. There are cars. Each collection is often changed out each day for maximum exposure. Audi might have a new metallic paint the invites you to touch it’s too-strange-too-be-true finish. That is OK because some t-shirted youth, armed with polishing rags and dust wands wander incessantly to make sure nary a
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Archives for Branding
When Success is Not Enough – Why Reaching the Summit Only Makes You See So Much More
This is the world where success gives way to significance. It is why leadership takes precedence over managing, because an inspired Thermopylaeian army of hundreds can take on hundreds of thousands.
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Why Your Customers Want YOU Sneaky
In the case are four Apple fritters sequestered amongst powdered, Halloween sprinkles, and beautiful glazed doughnuts. I have heard about these legendary treats for years but have never been able to be here on Wednesday, the only day that they are made, to claim one for myself. Because George sells out of doughnuts, all of his inventory, every day by noon… You have to time your arrival on the exact date to get into Apple heaven.
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When shear smarts is Engaging
Sage Lewis is a awesome. The Cleveland Consultants SIG (a group of training and development consultants in NorthEast Ohio) meet this week and the speaker was Sage. He is the only non-professional speaker that I had speak to the Ohio Chapter of the National Speakers Association the year I was president. So I knew he could connect with a group. He arrived early to set up a projector and computer. When that didn’t work, we used the large sheet of paper (the screen) instead to graphically record his comments. Energy, enthusiasm and pure subject mater expertise on marketing and the
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To REALLY get a Promotion you have to transfer into this department
They are the best of the best. Handsome and beautiful in a honest, aw-shucks way. They are the troops of the Guest Services department at Disney. These young men and women have the honor of being the host and hostess for visiting dignitaries, for treasured guests. Recently I approached Sarah and Nathanel at Disneyland. They stood in front of a huge sign that posted waiting times for the major attractions. When I asked what it takes to get into the core of Guest Services they responded, “you cannot hire into this group. You must interview and get promoted from other
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The first one to blink will . . . . .
Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella were at the head of the respective lines waiting to perform their magic on the waiting masses of young lasses in Toon Town at Disneyland. It was clear that each “actor” had been chosen from thousands of applicants, since each was indeed an incarnate of their cartoon counterpart.
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When Cannibals Eat Chocolate instead of. . . .
Creating Customer Experiences with Lessons Learned from Chocolate
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“Excuse me. You have a French fry sticking out of your nose.”
Five Guys hamburgers. Visions of red and white checked decor, with peanuts in shells to distract you while your burger is customized in it’s assembly and you are assaulted with the French fry experience. Assaulted? By French fries? Experience? To the uninitiated. You can pay less to get a hamburger at almost every other fast food joint in town. But then you are not vacuumed into the experience of a Five Guys . . . “burger and fries” (I know the rhyming is too much). The added price is worth the price of admittance. There on the wall is the
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Your Satisfied Customers are Killing Your Business
Sales management is not enough anymore. The profitable businessperson needs to understand the discipline of producing a customer experience, just like a Steven Spielberg or a Disney. This is a battle of the Baskin & Robins ice cream cone versus the pageantry of a Cold Stone Creamery.
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The incision is healing.
Who cares if you can type 80+ wpm if you hands are hurting? Carpal Tunnel. I went in for the procedure on my drawing hand. Scary stuff if you make your living with magic markers and a lot of Strategic Planning. The interesting part is the Thank You Note that came in the mail last week from my operation room nurses and support staff. Can you imagine that? A thank you note for my business. Hospitals are looking down the throat of a coming judgment day that goes by the initials of HCAHPS. This is a fancy way of saying
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