“I book 350 speakers a year,” says the meeting planner.  The salad suddenly becomes less important, with this nourishing new conversation. As the lunch conversation continues, I ask the question that all speakers want a real answer to, “what do you look for in a speaker?” The smile is wry, the answer thought of beforehand. “One.   I want a speaker who will customize their materials to my group.”   With the downturn of the great recession, there was a winnowing of the inventory of speakers.  Said one meeting planner, “Speakers who used to command five figures, now will gladly take the
Continue Reading

The owner of the shop had the cutest little black puppy. “May I hold her?” I asked. There is a change that happens to your heart when you hold a puppy.  They are so accepting, lavishing licks and kisses.  They only know optimism and friendship. When you watch others respond to puppies they too go through the same interaction.  Acceptance, love, caring, fun, and affection. So too is the customer relationship.  At first it is filled with the same emotions.  Over time the hope and caring fade.  First on one side, then on the other. Those people/organizations that continue to
Continue Reading

I am a soap stealer.   There, I said it.  If I am going to pay $200 dollars for the hotel room, then I am taking the unopened soap.  That was until my wife revolted at my effort to corner the hotel soap market.  “Don””t bring home any more until you do something with those,” she said pointing to a box of beige and white wrapped packages. As I was walking past the box I realized one my thievery victims knew that I would take their soap.  They planned on it.  They wanted me to think about my stay at their
Continue Reading

It is called The Residence.  For eight hours you get a living room, shower, private bathroom, a double bed with a flat panel screen, and your own butler.  The price?  $20,000. On Etihad Airlines, the flight from London to Abu Dhabi can be taken in the nose of a new A380 with your own Residence experience . . . all contained in 125 square feet. Before their first flight, the first month is already sold out. Does that kind of high end experience qualify as charismatic?  Not necessarily.  The butler/chef might be able to cook.  But when their ability to
Continue Reading

Not only did Andrew Luck set passing records in his first few seasons with the Indianapolis Colts . . .but his secret weapon has to be the playing head-games with the competition. When a defensive player sacks Luck, or puts a particularly hard hit on him, instead of getting mad, or complaining to the referee in an effort to get a penalty, he instead  . . . wait for it . . . compliments the opposing player. Who does that? According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, when New England pass rusher Rob Ninkovich slammed Luck in their
Continue Reading

The Greek God Janus is depicted with two faces.  One faces left, the other a 180 degree right look.  Janus is the God of doors, windows, and locks.  He sees the past and the future. Dr. Morris Beverage, a charismatic for sure, points to the nature of most educators.  They want to study, index and have control over known information.  Their face is looking toward the past.  But when the unknown, the bold strategic direction is needed . . . they often wilt.  My conversation with the head of one of the largest university libraries in the country was a
Continue Reading

Oprah, JFK, Clinton, Tom Hanks, Ghandi, Marilyn Monroe and the list could go on and on.   These are a few of those household names that people associate with charisma.   They have a special something that makes them magnetic.   People are drawn to them.  Some may disagree that a particular person has this charisma, but that is not the point.  It doesn””t negate the fact that people fell special when around theses people. Why? They listen . . and without guile.  A genuine, sincere hearing.  As someone said of Bill Clinton, “he makes you feel like you are the only person
Continue Reading