Today’s focus is on presidential candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders but this is not a political rant or an endorsement. Leaders need to know WHY they have become national phenomenons…in spite of the fact that Trump insults everybody and Sanders is a socialist. Why does this matter to you? Because you would love for your products and services to become as popular as they have. So the let’s see what we can learn from these two men.
This week I want to talk about how about a simple question. Do you make it easy for people to buy from you…or do you make it hard? Look, I know you have demands coming at you from all sides because, as leaders, we’re expected to drive growth, manage people, and cut costs. If revenue is lagging – or costs are escalating, we call a meeting and strategize, we buy industry research, and we hire third-party companies to compile Big Data.
So, today’s lesson is this: Is it really possible to achieve a culture of customer greatness in just 30 seconds? Let me put it to you this way. When you meet someone new how long does it take for you to size up that person? 15 seconds? 30 seconds? Or how about the reverse, how long does it take other people to form an opinion about you in 30 seconds? For those of you who say, “I don’t care what people think about me” then I’d urge you to consider the value of 30 seconds.
I created the Relevant Leader’s Club is to keep you relevant, as a leader. Being relevant is very different from just being current. Current is being aware that your business is changing…but being relevant is making sure that you matter to your team and your customers. If you don’t matter they will leave you and nobody will care. Staying relevant (as a leader) is where I know we can have some fun.
Here’s How Altitude Improves Your Attitude By Michael Burger I recently flew from Minneapolis back home to Los Angeles. I spoke to 180 small business owners in the HVAC business on staying “Absolutely Necessary” to the their customers and each other. There’s a book published by the same name, I co-wrote it, but I digress.…
Behave Like a Startup By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer Has Your Company Felt Complacency Creeping in? When your company first launched, did you shake the world with something new and groundbreaking? Were you the unlikely underdog that unseated the industry leaders? Over time, have you had so much success that you’ve slowly…
Business Building By Periscope By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer The Periscope APP has allowed Twitter account holders to do live business broadcasts from interesting places and events. And I do mean interesting! Think of Periscoping as an ADVENTURE. You are our PERSONAL TOUR GUIDE. You are taking your audience into a world…
Cure for “Needle Phobia” Rocks Healthcare By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer Are you afraid of needles? Turns out there an actual recognized medical condition called “needle phobia” and about 30 million people in the US suffer from it. Doctors deal with it every day because many fearful patients don’t follow through with…
I pulled into this bank and was so appalled to see this sign I had to share it with you. I’m sure Wells Fargo didn’t intentionally mean to hurry you along – but the message they are sending to their customers is, “Don’t spend any longer than an hour with us or we will tow your car.” I…
Could you run a company if the serious threat of bankruptcy were looming? C’mon, it’s much easier for a leader to run a company when business is bright and rosy…but you need to be a leader who can face reality, jump into an unexpected firestorm, and rescue your company from market obliteration. A leader like…