Archives for Marketing

Optometrist clearly see Charisma as the Ultimate Marketing Tool

Intelligent, good looking, and very personable.  The conversation with this Doctor of Optometry is instructional. “When I graduated, you had a couple of choices.  Start your own office, or buy an existing optometrists practice.   If you did the later, you had to be aware of Personality Practices.   These are those optometrists who, based on their personality had more successful businesses.  The fear was, you buy the practice and your personality wasn”t magnetic enough for the customers  . . . and they left.” Business Charisma has this kind of impact on the business AND the competitors.  Six Flags competing with Disney? 
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What is Hindering Your Business'' "Bedside Manner"? How to Adjust the Emphasis on the Right-Way-To-Do-Things . . . and Instead Develop a Charismatic Customer Relationship

“Their Emergency Room scores for patient satisfaction was rated one of the best of hospitals across the country.  And yet if they focused on controlling quality, they might be undermining patient trust and respect.” “How is that,” I ask?  My conversations are with Todd, a medical resident who recently returned from a rotation of various departments in this distant and admired hospital.  “When an 8 year old comes into the ER, his diagnosis might immediately indicate administering an anti-inflammatory like Tylenol or Ibuprofen.    Normally we doctors, who get our value from knowing all the answers might prescribe and be done
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Who Defines Charisma? The secret is. . .

For personal and business charisma which is better . . . extravert or introvert? I have a client who is a extremely successful in their market of machining, rolling and forming steel.  Because of their fierce desire to stay off the radar screen of their competitors , they DO NOT want general publicity. Al Williams, a previous partner/boss was the same.  When we were rolling out No-Name Generics to the retail grocery stores in the late 1970”s he specifically told me to “stay quiet”.   “You will want to brag and show off, but we want others to know about what
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Charisma starts with Mission . . . and it is probably not yours

“You know if you take off your glasses you will do better.” “What?” Mario, my good friend and I had picked up ping pong paddles in the clubhouse of the Hilton Head resort we were staying at.  After missing several returns, he suggested that I take OFF my glasses, that they were hindering my perceptions. Off they came and whamo, I started to connect with every volley.  Aren”t glasses supposed to help?  But what if your learned basics are different than your altered world (with glasses)? The first element in creating Business Charisma is to reconsider your Mission.  Oh sure,
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Charisma is Going Past Customer Wow . . . Birthdays for 102 year olds at Wendy'' Hamburgers . . . and a Banjo Too

This particular chain of Wendy”s Hamburger restaurants are consistently the most profitable, and productive in the country (actually they are the top . . .but for confidentiality I need to keep their identity secret.) In a few weeks I will be working with a group of their key managers.  In preparation I take a provided lunch coupon to one of their locations for some “research”.  I mean . . . this is a Wendy”s.  How can you make French fries special.As I pull into the parking lot, every space is full.  Finally, w-a-y in the back I find an empty
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Exits and Enters – What do you do when you have a 88% chance of failure

Two days left in the year.  Time to look back, learn from success and set-backs and make plans for climbing that next big challenge. New Years resolutions have a 88% failure rate.  So why even make them? The problem is not with the resolutions, but putting enough meat into them to make them work. “I am going to lose weight” becomes a fight against will power.  If I just have enough tenacity, drive, and motivation . . .then I can white knuckle it . . . to the new me. But willpower is not enough.  Especially with the speed and
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Charisma . . . Is it learned or are you born with it?

JFK, Eva Peron, Marilyn Monroe had it.  That charisma that attracts others.  In the case of Monroe, she seemed to be able to turn it on or off at will. There is evidence that companies too have “charisma”.  Is it the difference between Sam””””s Club and Costco?  Of In & Out Burger and McDonalds? So is it something that is learned or are you born with it? I personally believe you can learn it.  Just like an employee of Disney, who is taught how to respond to others.  There are things you (and your business) can do to get this
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If you are a hotel and providing fresh cookes . . . is that enough? In Pursuit of Hotel "Je Ne Sais Quoi" (the special something that guests are looking for)

I pulled into the Ritz Carlton only to have my car descended upon by a crack team of Bell Captains.  By the time I was walking down the hall to my room I had been accosted by at least 8 trained professionals who all had the mad plot of making my customer experience “needle” pin against the “wow” part of the scale. It took me the rest of my three day stay to figure out how they provided an off the chart guest experience.  I thought I would discover some secret technology that allowed them to communicate between themselves about
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Gaping Headwound and Amish SnickerDoodle Cookies – Motivate your customers? Thank you . . . I think I will.

I didn””t see the nail poking out, until after the board hit the ceiling and the business end burrowed itself into my forehead.  There is something cool about opening the door and your wife seeing blood running down your face.  (not to worry, it looked a lot worse than it really was).  A few years ago I was speaking to 600 Amish businessmen.  It was lunch and 6 of us were surrounding a table, eating the box lunches and talking.  I pulled out the cellophane wrapped Snicker Doodle cookie and commented on it being labeled “Homemade Snicker Doodle”.    I pointed
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How make a Stand Out Voicemail . . . Making a Dent In YOUR Universe – (for those who want more customers, increased sales, and more influence)

It has been said that 80% of all conversations now occur with one person communicating with another, with some sort of technology acting as the go-between. Voice mail! That technology monster that buffers us from those who we can help. Is there a formula for leaving voice mail?  If I left you a voice mail on the value of quick drying paint, you probably are going to delete it in record time.  Even if it is short and to the point.  But if I leave you a message on proven methods to make your vacation twice as fun, without additional
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