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Category: Personal Development

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Growth Management Personal Development

C-Suite Network Advisor Summit and Conference—A Unique Experience!

C-Suite Network Chairman and Co-Founder, Jeffrey Hayzlett, kicked off the program.

I had the tremendous honor to attend the C-Suite Network Advisor Summit and Conference in Dallas, Texas on May 22 and 23. I accepted the invitation to become a C-Suite Network Advisor after the December 2016 meeting held in New York, New York where the program was unveiled. So, this was my first opportunity to attend an official C-Suite Network event. I have talked about this unique experience incessantly since leaving. It is unbelievable how timely the content was and how beneficial it is to share some of the gems I took away with clients and friends.

C-Suite Network Chairman and Co-Founder, Jeffery Hayzlett kicked off the C-Suite Network Advisor Summit on May 22 with a rousing introduction. To put things in perspective, he reminded us of the fact there are over 28 million businesses in North America and that our target is businesses with revenues of $5 Million or more. Within this target, we are interested in small business owners, senior level executives (typically with the title of VP and above) and any of the 30 CxO roles (CEO, CFO, COO, etc.).

The C-Suite Network was started because there was nothing that provided what Jeffrey and his co-founders wanted for themselves. Therefore, inside the C-Suite Network there are 4 C’s they deliver which we should remember when explaining the unique value proposition of this network:
• Community: vetted network of peers.
• Content: curated content uniquely tailored for this elite group of leaders.
• Conferences: opportunities for private networking with executives from different communities to share perspectives and gain new insights.
• Concierge: services to support this elite group of leaders.

Jeffrey Hayzlett reminded us that the same services designed to support the C-Level executive’s members are available to the network of Advisors. I found this review and reminder extremely helpful.

C-Suite Network Advisor, Lou Diamond explained his C-Suite TV experience during the Summit and later signed copies of his book at the Author signing session.

I was encouraged to hear about the power C-Suite TV and the C-Suite Book club are having for those with content on those channels. The story Lou Diamond and Diane DiResta told about people recognizing them from across the country and the reaction to being in the elevator with someone while your content is being displayed is priceless. The distribution reaches over one million high end hotels and the top 50 airports across the U.S. and growing! More that 80 million people are viewing the C-Suite TV content every month! This is more motivation for me to do what it takes to get my content on both of these channels.

C-Suite Network Advisor, Diane DiResta explained her C-Suite TV experience during the Summit and later signed copies of her book at the Author signing session.

We had a couple of table exercises to share best processes we follow in our daily work and exchange tools we find most helpful. This was a very useful part of the Summit and we all walked away with something new to try, validation for something we were already using or a new way to leverage an existing tool in ways we were not doing before.

One of my biggest takeaways from this conference is the definition of “expert” and how to position my expertise. I had my own definition and understanding of what an expert is. The panel discussion on this topic stressed that we all are in the room as C-Suite Network Advisors because we are Experts! Steve Gallegos, whose career includes experience as a Board-Certified Trial Lawyer in California, amplified the reason each Advisor is an expert. He explained: “the courts were very clear that there is no “set standard” for someone to serve as an expert. A person can be deemed an expert if they can establish sufficient training, research or study in the particular field of expertise. How much training, the quality and/or the quantity goes to how much credibility the expert is to be given, but that is a subjective standard.” That was a very nice point of reference to use and further reason for confidence in each of our ability to be viewed as experts.

The day ended with marketing strategy, Advisor updates and action items incumbent upon all of us to take. It was an extraordinary day of community and content at an amazing summit of elite advisors!

C-Suite Network Advisors (L-R) Sheila Moore Anderson and Eddie Turner along with C-Suite Network General Manager, Lindsey Hayzlett and C-Suite Radio Headliner Connie Pheiff, pose for a photo during the C-Suite Network Advisor Summit.

May 23, 2017 was the actual C-Suite Network Conference where the 4C’s of the network were personified. I truly got to see first-hand just how special this group really is and I value my membership all the more.

The content of the conference centered around market needs for the C-Level leader.

Highlights:
• To Franchise or Not to Franchise? Advantages and disadvantages were discussed by C-Suite leaders for C-Suite leaders.
• Direct selling was the original gig economy! A panel discussed why direct selling is still relevant and the most effective ways of utilizing this model in the 21st century economy.
• The Power of Social! Facebook Messenger, What’s App and We Chat are messenger services. These 3 are out-performing the top 4 social media platforms COMBINED! Messaging applications is where it is at now. 80 billion messages per day are sent inside these cl
osed systems.
• The Digital Revolution: Many companies realize “software has eaten the world” and therefore they MUST be software companies. Domino’s Pizza does not call itself a pizza company any more—they say they are a software company that sells pizzas’. More business need to understand and act on this premise.

We discussed the power of media and its changing landscape and new ways to reach audiences like the new C-Suite Network partnership with ReachMe TV. Along with table exercises where we brainstormed best practices and exchanged ideas we also learned about effective methods for networking and interacting with C-Suite Leaders.

I left my first C-Suite Network conference with a deep sense of appreciation, a stronger allegiance to the mission and vision of being a member of “the worlds most trusted network for C-Suite Leaders and a renewed sense of zeal for the unique value I bring. This is a unique group that delivered a unique experience and I can’t wait for the next one!

C-Suite Network CEO and Co-Founder, Thomas White led a panel discussion on networking.

Eddie Turner is a C-Suite Network Advisor ™ and a change agent who has worked for several of the world’s “most admired companies.” Eddie is a professional speaker who has appeared on CNN LIVE and spoken internationally. He is certified as an executive coach, trainer and facilitator. He is a member of the Forbes® Coaches Council, a global workshop and program facilitator for the Association for Talent Development and for Harvard Business School Publishing. He has studied at Harvard and Northwestern Universities. Eddie “works with leaders to accelerate performance and drive impact!”™
Contact Eddie at (312) 287-9800 or eddie@eddieturnerllc.com

Categories
Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness Management

Friendly Rivalry

On June 1st the Cleveland Cavaliers will face off against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year. This is the first time the same two opponents have met three straight times in the championship series in the over 70 year history of the league.

 

While the recent success of these two clubs has pitted each team against one another for the championship title, many sports fans, analysts and historians wouldn’t consider Cleveland-Golden State a heated rivalry — certainly not on the same tier as other sports rivalries like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, or even the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. In fact, a recent news article described the upcoming series as a ‘friendly rivalry’.

 

I was recently at a conference attended by many of my “competitors”. And while one could think that a conference filled with so many competitors could have created an environment that is hostile, guarded, secretive, and filled with an “unwillingness to share” attitude — it was exactly the opposite.

 

The whole event was overflowing with best practices, helpful and creative ideas and a focus of everyone wanting to help one another be EVEN better.

 

I’d argue that those I considered my closest competitors have become trusted advisors and, even, some of my closest confidants.

 

A little competition is healthy, and having friendly rivals can actually make you stronger and wiser.

 

As for the Cavs and Warriors, while they’ll be battling it out over the next few weeks and be fierce competitors, their underlying respect and appreciation of one another will raise their game to a higher level.

 

**
Lou Diamond is the Founder & CEO of Thrive – a leading consulting and coaching company helping the best people and companies become even more amazing. He is also the author of the newly released international best-selling book “Master the Art of Connecting“ and podcast host of “Thrive LOUD with Lou Diamond”

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Personal Development Women In Business

Networking with Confidence and Purpose (i.e. Why Networking Doesn’t Have to Suck)

I am constantly surprised by how often I’m working with clients and the issue of networking comes up. In all the coaching – and group training – I’ve done around this issue, I’ve noticed that, broadly, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who generally enjoy networking and those who loathe it. But there is one thing both groups have in common: most people don’t feel like they get true much out of the experience beyond a glass of wine or beer and a handful of business cards from people they’ll probably never see again.

One of the key reasons for this frustration is that most people fail to bring one thing into the networking event: a purpose.

When you attend a networking event, why do you go? Maybe you enjoy the social interaction, or you’re just following the conference schedule, or maybe a colleague dragged you along as a “wingman.” Ultimately, none of these approaches have an underlying purpose that would make networking valuable. So how can you make networking a useful and positive experience with actual ROI… and do it with comfort and confidence?

Networking with Purpose

A purpose should be specific, but can also be simple. For example, I might know that an HR exec I want to meet will be there, so my goal is to have two minutes of face time with her to be able to introduce myself in person, and get her to agree to setting up a follow-up conversation a few days later. Once I’ve accomplished that mission, everything else is gravy and I’ve networked with purpose.

If you don’t have something that laser-focused as your reason for going, here’s a simple rule of thumb: Networking is simply planting the seeds for a new relationship. It doesn’t have to result in an immediate financial transaction, but the purpose is to meet someone that you can then build a relationship with.

Ultimately, whether or not you become each other’s client is not the issue. The key is that you never know when there will be a reason for you to contact them – or for them to contact you. Maybe you’ll read an article that you think they’ll appreciate and you send them a link. Maybe you’ll look through their contact list on LinkedIn and see someone you’d like them to introduce you to. Or maybe they are chatting with someone else at another networking event a month later who just so happens to need your services, and they can make the introduction.

There’s a terrific book called The Go-Giver that epitomizes this perspective. It’s an easy read in parable form that you can skim in a weekend, and will clarify both how to do it and why.

Networking with Confidence

Interestingly enough, one of the biggest stumbling blocks people face is not why they should talk to someone, but simply the mechanics of how to start the conversation, much less how to sustain it.

First, it’s important to distinguish the difference between networking and small talk.
“Small talk” is simply a communication tool used to break the ice, and initiate conversation with someone new. It can be something as mundane as the weather or how slow the elevator is to a more organic offering like a compliment or asking a question about what you’re looking at on the buffet.

I’ve struck up great conversations with other women by saying, “Just wanted to tell you – I love your shoes!” With guys, tech is always an easy in-road: if he’s looking at his smartphone, try, “Hey, is that the new iPhone? What do you think, worth the upgrade?” Or, while in line at the bar, it’s an easy cause to talk about what someone drinking. “Arrogant Bastard Ale (or Cupcake Chardonnay)… that’s an interesting name! Any good?” Then it’s easy to segue with, “By the way, I’m Laura.”

Natural next-steps for the conversation include asking if it’s someone’s first time at a particular event or what prompted them to come, what they thought of the keynote speaker, what organization they’re with and what kind of work they do. It doesn’t have to be rocket science, so don’t over think it. It’s about finding common ground, and/or showing a genuine interest in knowing more about the person, and the above topics are easy and “safe” for any networking event.

Simply put, enter any networking event with purpose and the mindset of discovering some interesting new people who have the potential to create a mutually valuable relationship – of any sort. When you take this perspective, you’ll realize how valuable and easy networking can be, and you might even learn to enjoy yourself in the process!

Categories
Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development

Why We Must Make Hand-Offs Excellent

I recently had a pair of shoes re-soled. I always take my shoes to this one little repair shop in the west side of town. The gentleman there is detail oriented, very friendly, and prides himself in providing high quality services, excellent explanations, and exceptional customer service. I picked up the shoes and they looked so good (almost new) that I immediately packed them for a trip the very next day.

While making a presentation at a client I noticed a weird feeling of being off balance. The heal of my left shoe was missing. The client noticed me looking for it and exclaimed, “it’s under your table,” pointing to this black object. I was embarrassed. I tried to fix the heal but it just would not stay. I needed to buy a new pair of shoes that evening to avoid further embarrassment and possible injury walking on uneven shoes.

The shoe maker had no knowledge of my problems. With the best of intentions, he did his work and it was not nearly up to the usual standard of care I had been used to seeing from him. His poor-quality workmanship (or mistake) cost me embarrassment, inconvenience, and money. Poor hand-offs cause problems for customers in ways that we often never come to know.

One story of tragedy involving poor hand-offs concerns the Titanic. We all know the story of the great ship which hit the iceberg. Although the lookouts that evening saw the iceberg, the size of the ship, it’s lack of maneuverability, and its speed all contributed to the inability of the crew to turn the ship in time to avoid the disaster. The lookouts were without binoculars that evening.

The person responsible for the binoculars had forgotten to leave the keys to the cabinet where the binoculars were locked up. The crew could not access the binoculars and so the lookouts were told to do their important job without them. The hand-off of the keys to their proper place might have played a key factor in the demise of the ship that night. If the lookouts had seen the iceberg sooner, could the great ship been turned in time? We will never know.

As leaders, one of our responsibilities must be to consistently communicate the importance of delivering hand-offs exactly how the customer (internal and external) needs them, exactly when needed, and with the proper quantity and quality. Furthermore, leaders must create the environment that optimizes the probability all employees can and will manage their hand-offs with these results.

Toyota provides a notable example of an organization that does this well. One of their tools is the “Four Rules”. (Bowen, 1999) The rules provide one of the practical applications of Toyota’s philosophy which can be described in one sentence: “The right process will produce the right results”. (Glauser, 2005) The theory is that processes deliver results where as many leaders still focus on how individuals deliver results (80-90% of organizations have pay-for-performance policies which reward top performers). Toyota (and Dr. W. Edwards Deming) recognizes that processes, along with cooperation to improve processes, deliver results.

Thus, the Four Rules help everyone manage the quality of their individual hand-offs. The Rules are:

  1. All work shall be highly specified as to content, sequence, timing, and outcome.
  2. Every customer-supplier connection must be direct, and there must be an unambiguous yes-or-no way to send requests and receive responses.
  3. The pathway for every product and service must be simple and direct.
  4. Any improvement must be made in accordance with the scientific method, under the guidance of a teacher, at the lowest possible level in the organization. (Bowen, 1999)

These rules enable any organization to empower all employees to be responsible for the continuous improvement of their hand-offs. Setting this up requires optimum leadership. It requires a shift in thinking to results by process not results by individuals. It requires leaders to remove barriers instead of evaluating individual performance. It requires a creation of an environment with trust and a reduction of fear.
Focusing on improving hand-offs can avoid everything from embarrassment to hitting an iceberg.

Dr. Wally Hauck, CSP helps leaders boost profit by unleashing the genius of every employee. By showing leaders how to get the best from their teams, with proven methods and by avoiding morale-busting mistakes, leaders can achieve their strategic goals more quickly and with less waste.

For more than 20 years Wally has worked with nearly 200 organizations, hundreds of leaders, and thousands of employees to optimize engagement and customer experience. Many have achieved significant transformational improvements.

Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP. As a professor of Organizational Change and Development at the University of New Haven in Connecticut Wally received the highest ratings of all professors in 2012.

Wally is a proud member of the C-Suite Advisors Network

Bowen, S. S. (1999). Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System. Harvard Business Review.

Glauser, E. C. (2005, April 1). The Toyota Phenomenon. Retrieved from The Swiss Deming Institute: http://deming.org

Categories
Growth Leadership Operations Personal Development

Could You Own CustomerService.com?

Would you like to own a really cool website?

Since my life’s mission is to help companies create a customer service experience that their customers would think is amazing, I thought that could be demonstrated well if I owned the domain name CustomerService.com. But then I also thought that certainly some company totally focused on their customers would already own it. So, I typed the URL into an Internet browser, and do you know what I found? The site was for sale! Nobody was currently using this domain.

I thought that it would be neat for my brand to be the owner of this domain. But how much of an investment would that require? Well, I found out that the investment would be substantial, at least by my standards. I would love to have an asset that would brand me to customer service forever. However, budget is an issue for me, and domain names like these sell for really big dollars.

Well, if I can’t own it, which other brands can you think of who would love to have their name associated with CustomerService.com? The first ones that came to my mind were the obvious shining stars in the world of customer experience: American Express, Amazon, Ace Hardware, Nordstrom, Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, Zappos … The brands you know and trust for providing amazing service.

But what about a brand … like Comcast? Just a few years ago, a phone call from a customer to their support center was handled poorly and it ended up going viral across the Internet. Since then, Comcast has been working hard to improve their reputation. So, would owning CustomerSerivce.com help them along this path? If so, they better hurry before one of their competitors, like AT&T or Sprint, beats them to it.

Whomever does decide to buy the name should be prepared to pay quite a hefty price for it. The present owners will likely eventually sell the domain name, but for more than seven figures. For the right brand, though, it may be well worth the price. For example, who better to own Toys.com than Toys ‘R’ Us? In 2009 they paid $5.1 million for the site. And if you’re in the mortgage business, it seems like Loans.com would be a natural fit. In 2000 Bank of America bought the domain name for $3 million. Just imagine owning a URL that could help define who you are.

So, which brand do you think should own CustomerService.com? Why not you?
Hypothetically (or even maybe not), what if you did own the URL? To be authentic, that would mean you would also need to live up to “owning” customer service. Do you believe you are worthy of owning it? More importantly, do you believe that your customers would agree that you are worthy of owning it? If you did own the site, would you do anything differently than you’re doing now to live up to the expectation of a brand that owned CustomerService.com?

These are good questions. So, pretend you do own the URL. Take a few moments to answer the above questions as though you do own the name. Your answers may give you a few ideas on how to deliver to your customers an even better experience. The point is, whether you own CustomerService.com or not, treat your customers as though you do.

Categories
Marketing Personal Development Technology

How Can CMOs Be Ready for Big Data?

Many will tell you that we are already in the age of Big Data, and maybe we are. But the truth is that whatever pile of data we have today will look puny in just a few short years. Big Data keeps getting bigger, so whether you think we have already arrived or Big Data is around the corner, how can CMOs be ready for what comes next?

It’s not that complicated, actually. The most important step any CMO can take is to move to a data-driven decision-making process. What that means is no more “golden gut.” What that means is that we don’t ask the CMO what to do–we ask the data what to do. It doesn’t matter whether the data we have now is big or medium-sized. The truth is that most companies do a crappy job with small data.

How would your job be different if every time someone asked you to decide something, you asked what the data shows? And if there is no data, you asked how we could get some? And if no one knows how to get the data, you ask what kind of experiment can we run to get the data?

For some CMOs, that’s very threatening. They believe that their job, like any good executive, is to make the tough decisions. And that’s true. But what if the toughest decision you will ever have to make is to give up your own personal control and seek the data to make the decisions?

Data-driven decision-making is a culture change. It says that instead of believing in our own opinions, that we will focus on our customers’ opinions. When we focus on data that tells us what our customers want, it’s amazing what geniuses we become.

It feels like data-driven marketing is a loss of control. But what we need to accept is that depending on our own opinions is the most out of control we can be. Each decision that we make personal might feel under control, but competing against companies that decide based on data will quickly make us extremely uncomfortable–because they are making better decisions than we are. And in just a few years, we won’t be making decisions based on data–we will be providing rules for computers to make decisions based on data. We’ll do that because people can’t decide fast enough.

Have you reconsidered your reliance on data for decisions? Moving to data-driven processes prepares you for the onslaught of data that is coming for all of us.

Categories
Entrepreneurship Marketing Personal Development Women In Business

How to Position Yourself as The Go-To Expert in Your Niche Market

Accelerate Your Market Positioning to Gain More Credibility, More Clients and More Sales

Quickly accelerate your brand awareness and expertise by effectively marketing yourself as the go-to expert within your niche market or industry. Learn how to become recognized as the authority and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

During this inspiring presentation, you will learn how to expand your value, increase your fees, and multiply your income streams to create more sales and profits.

Learn How To:

  • Quickly accelerate your brand to become known as the go-to
    expert in your niche market.
  • Stand out, get noticed and gain more high-paying clients.
  • Dominate your competition.
  • Create multiple income streams around your expertise to dramatically increase your income.

Categories
Best Practices Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development Women In Business

How to Engage Listeners With the Surprising Pause

Power Speaking Skills: Strategies to Engage Listeners With the “Surprising” Pause:

In this video, Maria demonstrates how to engage your business listeners with the power of the Surprising Pause and make your delivery truly compelling.

The Successful Speaker, Inc. video series provides speaking strategies that will help you enhance your credibility and leadership presence during meetings, sales presentations, conversations with senior management, networking events, and even by phone.

The video series addresses every aspect of successful speaking, including how to sound authoritative, speak with credibility, master active listening, and engage your listeners. The videos also provide speaking strategies rooted in theatrical performance, providing tips on how to build belief and captivate your business listeners.

The Successful Speaker, Inc. videos will help you get more YES’s whenever you speak for business. Learn how to enhance your credibility and speak with passion, persuasion, and pizzazz.