Author: Chris Westfall

Meet Chris Westfall
Helping people change the conversation, and change their results: Chris Westfall is one of the most sought-after business coaches in the world. He is a keynote speaker, consultant, and author who has helped launch over 60 businesses, raising over $100 Million in capital investment (and counting). He's a regular contributor to Forbes, and the publisher of seven books. His latest work is called Easier (Wiley, 2022).

Entrepreneurs, executives, and future leaders turn to Chris for guidance on peak performance, team building, business development, branding, and more. If you're curious to connect, you can send an email and see his online calendar by clicking here.

Powerful Credentials, Powerful Results
Recognized as the US National Elevator Pitch Champion, Chris is the publisher of seven books. His clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragons' Den in Canada, and Shark Tank Australia. A broadcast professional with multiple on-camera credits, he has appeared on NBC, ABC NEWS, and CNN. Recognized as a Top 10 Business Coach, Chris regularly works with Fortune 500 Companies and high-impact leaders, as well as top-tier universities, to deliver insights into powerful leadership communication strategies.
As a ghostwriter, he has written four books since the pandemic began. The last one was a Wall Street Journal best-seller in December of 2021. He is currently at work on another ghostwriting project, and continues to consult with authors, speakers and media personalities on how to increase impact through storytelling.

https://youtu.be/fRCdb79ugd0
An award-winning MBA instructor, Chris' books include easier, Leadership Language, Bulletproof Branding, and The NEW Elevator Pitch. His training programs have influenced organizations like HP, Cisco, The Jewish Federations of North America, Experian, DISCOVER, RE/MAX, Great American Insurance, Transwestern, The US Navy SEALS, and many more.
Chris Westfall is the US National Elevator Pitch Champion. A business coach for C-Suite leaders on four continents, he specializes in effective leadership strategies for high-growth businesses. A regular contributor to Forbes, his clients include entrepreneurs, executives, professional athletes, media personalities, and inventors. He is also a video producer with hundreds of corporate productions to his credit. He lives in Houston with his wife, and has two grown daughters.|Meet Chris Westfall
Helping people change the conversation, and change their results: Chris Westfall is one of the most sought-after business coaches in the world. He is a keynote speaker, consultant, and author who has helped launch over 60 businesses, raising over $100 Million in capital investment (and counting). He's a regular contributor to Forbes, and the publisher of seven books. His latest work is called Easier (Wiley, 2022).

Why Your Elevator Pitch Still Matters

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date May 15, 2018
No Comments on Why Your Elevator Pitch Still Matters

If you want to attract an investor, get a job, get a raise, or maybe even get a date: you’ve got to have an elevator pitch. Or, more accurately: The NEW Elevator Pitch.

Some might think of the elevator pitch as a throwback to a long-ago era, before technology became commonplace. And that’s true: the elevator platform has been replaced with the social platform.

While it’s true that you can swipe right to make a connection, that’s only the start of the conversation. An employer might be interested because of your LinkedIn profile. But sooner or later, someone is going to say,

So, tell me a little bit about yourself. What do you do?

The online conversation can only take you so far. According to this article in Harvard Business Review, over two-thirds of managers are uncomfortable communicating with employees. Are we losing the ability to have an effective conversation?

The need for a new kind of conversation has never been greater. The influx of technology is crippling our ability to interact, and that old-school “facetime” conversation is now stilted, awkward and uncomfortable. Why?

We still need to persuade others, and get them enrolled in new ideas
Investors still want to hear from you, personally, before they part with their money
Hiring the best and the brightest means being able to share your story quickly – clearly – concisely

When you want to persuade and influence the people that matter most (whether that’s your life partner or business partner), you’ve got to understand these key components of a new kind of conversation. That conversation is what I call the NEW Elevator Pitch.

If it doesn’t matter to your listener, it doesn’t matter: Have you ever met someone who can only talk about themselves? I know one guy who was out on a date and his conversation starter was, “So what have you heard about me?” Wow. Yikes. Ouch. And for entrepreneurs, the problem can be just as challenging: focusing on your business, without looking at the impact for the investor, is deadly. Sure, you’ve worked hard, and your life experiences make you who you are, but at the end of the day: what matters most? Is it your past…or your potential? Ultimately, you have to turn what you’ve done in the past into what you can do for others. Otherwise, what matters to you won’t matter much.
Create a “Tell Me More..”: If you want to know if you’ve got a great pitch, remember this: the best ‘pitch’ isn’t a pitch at all. It’s a conversation. A conversation that makes your listener say, “Tell me more.” Those three words – tell me more – let you know that you’ve started a dialogue. That’s how you know if someone is interested. And if you’re wondering, “What’s the opposite of ‘tell me more’?”, the answer is: “So what?”
Include an invitation: The NEW Elevator Pitch is a persuasive conversation. In other words, you want someone to take action. That means that just providing information isn’t enough. Information is everywhere. I know, because I just googled it. Information doesn’t always lead to action. Think about it: you know you shouldn’t eat that second donut. But there it is. Your knowledge can’t stop you from snarfing down that delicious chocolate covered donut. What is it that makes people want to take action? This video can tell you more, but basically: you’ve got to remember to include an invitation. An invitation that’s easy to say ‘yes’ to. An invitation that’s logical, simple and clear. If you don’t offer a next step, how can people know what action you hope to create? And more importantly, how can someone learn what kind of outcome you might be able to achieve, together?

You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to be in the market for a great pitch. You just have to have an idea worth sharing. All you need is a story to tell. You have ideas you want to share. The NEW Elevator Pitch can help you to deliver your message.

My question for you is: do you know how to bring your ideas to life?

For more resources that can help you to access your authentic story, take a look at my YouTube channel. And, if you would like some help with your pitch, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

New results could be just one conversation away.

About the Author

A coach to entrepreneurial leaders on four continents, Chris Westfall has helped transform brands across the globe. His clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragons Den in Canada and also Shark Tank – Australia. Recognized as the US NATIONAL ELEVATOR PITCH CHAMPION, he regularly provides guidance to C-Suite executives on powerful communication skills. Follow him on twitter or Instagram, and check out over 200 videos on effective communication, via his YouTube Channel.

Tags #sales, business development, customer service, elevator pitch, elevator speech, employee engagement, HR, sales leadership, training

Entrepreneurship Management Marketing Personal Development

The Sudden Death of Products and Services

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date May 9, 2018
No Comments on The Sudden Death of Products and Services

Your customer has spoken: products and services are dead.

Consumed by new marketing strategies, all products and services have been replaced.

The next next thing in marketing and branding?

“Experiences”.

Calling something a product or service just doesn’t make any sense in the new economy. The description is out of date. Those words don’t apply to today’s consumers or companies.

Marketing professionals and sales people need to understand:
Products and services are dead.

Every leader has to understand: every company, everywhere, is selling experiences.

Think about it: The things that we buy and consume, either as individuals or as a corporate entity, are not products. These things are not services.

We buy, acquire, endure and enjoy experiences.

Related: Four Ways to Overcome Your Blind Spot on Entrepreneur.com

Today, commerce trades on the experience you have, and the experience you provide.

Consider these experiential products:

A vacation in Hawai’i
Purchasing a new Porsche Panamera
Transitioning your organization to SAP CRM
Changing vendors for your outsourced call center

Which of these are products, and which are services? Answer: None, and all. The old words don’t work anymore; we need to choose new ones if we want to tell a story that’s authentic and complete. And all customers – all consumers – crave authenticity.

You see, no product exists in a vaccuum.

Even a vaccuum cleaner.

No service stands alone without products. These things are really events, or experiences, made up of a series of products, services and interactions.

And so many things are outside the scope of either products or services. For example: what if you donate to a non-profit? What about that last iPhone app, or a new piece of software – what is it exactly, product or service?

What we want, what we pay for and what we get can all be summed up in one way: experiences.

Today’s customer (whether a corporation or a person, and by the way they are NOT the same) wants an experience. Perhaps an experience that is fantastic (like visiting the most beautiful place on the planet, Hawai’i) or excruciating (transitioning to SAP CRM, for example, because your CFO chose the low-bidder on the job).

Even a traditional product purchase, like buying a new car, requires a series of events that create an experience that circumvents the “product” (whatever the hell that is, anyway). For example, when you buy a car, unless you have $108,433.00 cash (that’s a nice car! welcome to the C-Suite), you are going to need financing.

Maybe you will lease the vehicle. Maybe you will talk to the finance manager, or the sales manager, about your options. You go through a series of events and choices; this is all part of the experience of ownership. The most traditional “product” in America (the automobile) gives you an experience. The experience of the purchase, the experience of the service, and the experience of the brand. How does your car make you feel about yourself? Are you comfortable, and do you feel powerful behind the wheel? Those feelings are as real as the tires and the spark plugs – a very real experience, indeed.

Marketing Matters

“Product” and “service” are incomplete definitions. Consider the experience you want to have, as a consumer or a corporation. And, if you want to reach new customers in new ways, think long and hard about the total customer experience. Services and products alone just aren’t cutting it anymore.

More Information and Additional Resources:

Check out Bullet Proof Branding. Find out how Cisco, Cargill, the Huffington Post and other organizations are creating impact in the digital age.

With a foreword by Ted Rubin, this book takes a look at how the conversation is changing for companies and individuals, in the age of social media.

About the Author: Chris Westfall is the publisher of seven books, including BulletProof Branding. His latest book is called Leadership Language, coming from Wiley in the fall of 2018. A business coach to entrepreneurial leaders on four continents, Chris Westfall has reshaped brands around the globe – creating multi-million dollar results in the process. His clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragons’ Den in Canada and Shark Tank – Australia. Find out more on his website and follow him on twitter.

Photo credits: Texas Sunset by the author. Girl with laptop and vacuum cleaner: creative commons via flickr.

Tags #sales, branding, customer service, employee engagement, human resources, marketing, sales leadership

Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Personal Development

What CEOs and C-Suite Leaders Really Want

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date May 4, 2018
No Comments on What CEOs and C-Suite Leaders Really Want

What do leaders really want?
That’s the question that IBM asked over 1500 CEOs: what’s the number one quality you look for, in a leader?

From Dubai to Dubuque, and everywhere in between, CEOs weighed in on the most desired aspect of leadership.

Surprisingly, the most-desired quality or characteristic was not technical competence.

It wasn’t loyalty, or communication skills, or financial acumen.

The top characteristic wasn’t charisma. Or empathy.

The number-one most important characteristic for business leaders?

Creativity.

That characteristic is quite surprising, when you consider the traditional definition of creativity. Under careful consideration, “being creative” is not always a positive and encouraging description.

Related: Find out what Entrepreneur has to say, about Identifying Your Blind Spot

For financial professionals, project managers, executives and other task- or numbers-oriented individuals, the call for creativity seems quite contrary to the training and experiences that form the very foundation of the business world.

For example: Where do you find creative accountants?
Answer: Jail.

“Creative” skills are not commonplace in shipping, accounts payable, or operations. Or are they?

Creativity, in the context of business, means the power of creation. Creativity is the way that leaders harness imagination to disrupt the status quo, and find new solutions to the same old problems. The global leaders in the IBM survey are seeking creative solutions to business challenges. The leaders in the survey identify creativity as the antidote for the status quo.

For leaders, creativity is a vital disruption. Creativity is the birthplace of innovation.

Creativity can exist anywhere a process is created or improved. That means in shipping, accounts payable, or operations. And especially in the C-Suite.

Creativity means many things, but at its core, the process of creation begins with an idea.

Based on current information, “what if?” opens the door to imagination. New solutions can only come from within the realm of new ideas. As the economy continues to expand, the leaders of tomorrow are the ones who are open to new concepts, new perspectives and new solutions. Seeing things as they are is an important skill.

But, for C-Suite leaders: seeing things as they could be – and then making them that way? Well, that takes some creativity.

Do you agree? What does creativity mean to you, and to your organization?
How do you develop a workplace where creativity is allowed to thrive?
How is creativity linked to innovation for you?

About the Author:

Chris Westfall is the publisher of seven books, including the international best-seller, The NEW Elevator Pitch. His latest title is Leadership Language: Communication Skills for Changing Your Results, coming from Wiley in the fall of 2018. Find out more on his website, and follow him on twitter.

photo credit: Philadelphia Business Meeting image by the author

Tags business growth, entrepreneurship, human resources, innovation, leadership, leadership training

Best Practices Growth Management News and Politics Personal Development

Politics, Obstruction and REAL Leadership

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date May 2, 2018
No Comments on Politics, Obstruction and REAL Leadership

Doesn’t it seem like our political leaders specialize in obstruction, when that might just be the last thing anyone really needs?

No matter which side of the aisle you’re on, it seems that stopping things is the main focus of our representatives in Washington these days. Look, I’m not a political guy, but when it comes to leadership, shutting down the dialogue is the last thing you need. Seems to me that there’s a real misunderstanding going on.

Changing the conversation is about helping people to get to “yes”, not the opposite. Obstructing others from getting what they want might classify as political leadership – but, in business, those kinds of politics can kill your career.

Look for openings, not obstruction, if you want to create new results.

As Sam Shepard said to his friend, rockstar Patti Smith:

“When you hit a wall, kick it down.” – Sam Shepard, Author, Playwright and Actor

What would happen if you helped people to find doors, instead of blocking them with walls?

As you go through the week, take time to consider the folks that matter most to you: your stakeholders, your team and your customers.

What would change for you if you started to look at everyone around you … as your client?

What happens if the people around you became your clients as well? In my new book, Leadership Language, I talk about the value in seeing the people around you as clients – seeing that the service you provide is the key to the impact you create. It’s easy to see that your customers are those you serve – after all, that’s why they call it ‘customer service’.

I talked about how to create greater influence for your internal clients, in my latest article on Forbes – check it out right here: “How to Get Buy-In for Your Ideas”.

Common Ground, Uncommon Results

The idea of internal customers (or clients) is nothing new. But focusing on how you can help people to get where they want to go – instead of shutting them down – can be a powerful place for your attention.

If you find yourself being frustrated by other people, and other agendas, here are some useful questions that can make a difference:

What would have to change, outside of the people involved, for this situation to improve?
What assumptions are you making, about the people and processes involved, that are leading to your frustration?

When it’s time for a difficult conversation, ask yourself: what is the focus that’s going to be most useful? Is obstruction really the answer?

Then, get out of the “he said-she said” mode. Focus your team (and your client) on that thing that matters most.

Leadership Language Cover Mock-up — Coming from Wiley – Fall 2018

I’m not suggesting that you turn into Santa Claus, or start granting wishes. Sometimes what people want and what can realistically be delivered are two different things. That’s when you’ve got to ask yourself, “What’s this conversation really about?”

And, as a follow up: What does this conversation need to be about? Maybe the dialogue needs to be shut down. Incorrect initiatives must be stopped. A new beginning often starts with a fresh ending.

But understand where that decision is really coming from.

Is obstruction the kind of impact that you want to create?

Obstructing the Possibilities

Block the shot. Or take the shot. The choice is yours. (Decisions like that are why you’re in the C-Suite). But why you choose your shot is what matters.

Can you influence your team and the clients that matter most to you, by obstruction? What good comes from the absence of dialogue? What’s the real impact of shutting down the conversation?

There’s no need for a vote; new solutions don’t come from obstruction. Open up the conversation, if you want to discover new results.

Look in the direction of ‘yes’ – and guide your clients to the solution that fits, for everyone involved. Take time to look at your assumptions. In my experience, you will discover what changes when those assumptions aren’t written in stone. Because trying to block someone isn’t the best way to lead them to a new solution.

About the Author

Chris Westfall is the publisher of seven books, recognized as the US NATIONAL ELEVATOR PITCH CHAMPION. A keynote speaker to Fortune 100 companies and high-growth businesses across multiple sectors, he provides performance coaching for leaders and their teams. He’s appeared on CNN, ABC NEWS, NBC TV, and in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fortune and many other media publications. Find out more on his website and follow him on twitter.

Tags branding, communication skills, innovation, leadership, obstruction

Growth Management Personal Development

Leadership, Creativity…and Burt Reynolds

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date April 30, 2018
No Comments on Leadership, Creativity…and Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter in “The Last Movie Star”. Source: IMDB

As an independent film maker, Adam Rifkin is in the dream-making business. Come to think of it, if you’re a C-Suite leader, maybe you are too.

Leadership is about bringing your dreams to life – not only for yourself, but for your team… and your customers.

Here’s how a seven-year search for financing – and the patience of Burt Reynolds – brought Adam’s boyhood dream to the big screen. An excerpt from “Leadership Language” by Chris Westfall

As a kid, growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Rifkin was practicing for his career in Hollywood by making movies with his junior high pals.

Back in those days, if you could ride your bike to Adam’s house you could be in a movie.

Rifkin commandeered his father’s video camera and began producing middle-school masterpieces like MURDER CAN KILL YOU, PAPERBOY CRIMES and THE BURGLAR FROM OUT OF THE DISHWASHER.

Adam explained, “I didn’t realize it at the time, but out of necessity I was actually teaching myself the basic principles of leadership.” Even at an early age, he had a knack for getting his fellow middle schoolers excited about the next opus.

“My enthusiasm must’ve been infectious because each project began the same way: I’d tell my core company that I had a cool idea for a new movie. This was inevitably met with a chorus of ‘no thanks’, ‘not this time’ and ‘I’ve got soccer practice’. Yet somehow, after a few more minutes of colorful discussion, where I’d wax poetic about the glories of the new idea and the fun that was going to be had bringing it to life, everyone signed on yet again.”

The Secret to ‘YES’

“Here’s what I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt: if it were to cease to be fun, my team would disperse. As a leader, even when I didn’t really know what that word meant, I had to develop a unique set of skills that enabled me to be able to speak to each cast and crew member individually. I had to get the most out of them creatively, also keep them engaged.” And that conversation is where leadership and creativity came together.

From backyard movies to the backlot in Hollywood: cut to Rifkin’s latest project, The Last Movie Star, featuring his childhood idol, Burt Reynolds.

More Burtastic than Ever

“Burt Reynolds was my hero. Not only was he the biggest movie star in the world when I was a kid, he was funny and self-deprecating and approachable. He made being famous seem fun, and I dreamt that someday we’d not only be friends, but that we would work together,” Adam shared. A film buff from a very young age, Smokey and the Bandit made a lasting impression on Adam.

“I wanted to create a role that would remind movie fans just how great of an actor Burt Reynolds is. Selfishly, I also wanted to make good on my secret dream of getting to work with The Bandit. I didn’t know Burt but I felt it was worth rolling the dice. So after writing the script I submitted it to his manager. I shared my passion for all things Burt and asked him to please send Burt the script. I also told him to let Burt know that if he wasn’t interested in playing the role I wasn’t going to make the film. I wrote it solely for Burt. My impassioned pitch was apparently enough for Burt’s manager to agree to send over the screenplay that day.

Smokey and the Bandit and Leadership — Do you remember The Bandit?

“Much to my shock and delight, the next afternoon I got a call from none other than Burt Reynolds. Suddenly I was transported to that fateful day in 1977 when I was watching SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT for the first time, and dreaming of Burt and I becoming pals. And now, here I was, talking to the man himself.

“Little did I know in that instant, things were about to get a whole lot more Burtastic.

“Burt accepted the role and attached himself to play Vic Edwards.

“Now, the only thing left to do was everything.”

An initial success created a new vision: namely, how to get this project funded.

The Search

“When I approached Burt I didn’t have any of the money secured to make the film. I naively believed that with Burt attached to this particular script, in this particular role, finding the cash would be easy. I was wrong. It ultimately took more than seven years to finally find the money,” Adam explained.

A creative journey, indeed. How can you maintain your vision, even when it seems like you’re not getting closer to your goal?

“It had almost gotten green lit multiple times along the way, but each incarnation fell through. Every time the financing dropped out I had to call Burt and give him the bad news. I always expected him to use each disappointment as his opportunity to graciously bow out, but instead, each time the financing disappeared, Burt seemed more determined than ever to stick with the project and see it through to fruition. His enthusiasm inspired me just as I believe my enthusiasm inspired him.”

Enthusiasm?

“Each cast and crew member is required to focus on a particular task that services the whole. As the director, it’s my job to not only keep a focus on the individual components needed, but more importantly, keep an eye on the macro task of how all these countless pieces will fit together. From carpenters to fine artists to performers to financiers, a movie brings together a very disparate group of individuals who might otherwise never have a reason to interact. The director needs to not only understand how to best communicate with each as an individual, but also inspire this eclectic team to work well together to essentially create this temporary movie making bio-machine.”

Can you relate?

From childhood dream to reality: a lifetime of leadership lessons on contagious enthusiasm, and a seven-year journey to bring this project to the screen. From a place of understanding, Rifkin made it all fit together.

“Leading by example, and being passionate and enthusiastic about a project is fundamental to getting the very best out of your crew,” according to Adam.

Fun is what makes it functional, when it comes to making movies. What about in your industry? Rifkin points to loving his work, time and time again. From that place he found new results for himself, his crew and his actors. “The director needs to be well versed in how to talk to all manner of cast and crew member to get the very best out of him or her.”

Do you see the creative spirit inside of yourself? Whether you are making movies, or making gadgets, your creativity is what makes a difference.

In fact, that creative spirit is the foundation of leadership.

- Watch the trailer for The Last Movie Star on YouTube here
- Watch The Last Movie Start on Amazon, Google Play, DirectTV, or iTunes.
- An excerpt from Leadership Language by Chris Westfall, coming from Wiley in 2018.

Tags creativity, executive leadership, leadership, movies

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