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The Yes! Network is one of America’s leading seminar training companies. President Michael Jeffreys offers complimentary workshops that can take place at your business, networking group or association meeting. For more information, visit YesMidwest.com.
July 19, 2011 – Novi, Michigan. This month’s Yes! Network event began with economist and international bestselling author Mark Sanborn’s seminar, “Up, Down or Sideways: How to Win When Times are Good, Bad or In Between,” followed by Shep Hyken’s customer service seminar, “Moments of Magic: Ten Strategies to Create an Awesome Customer Experience.”
In case you missed either of the sessions or would simply enjoy a recap, below are highlights from both seminars.
AFTERNOON SESSION: HOW TO WIN
Mark Sanborn's seminar featured methods and mindsets from his upcoming book "Up, Down or Sideways: How to Win When Times are Good, Bad or In Between." By discussing the economy of “I” – the ability to choose our own perceptions and attitudes in order to achieve success – Mark explained how each of us can become powerful agents despite the world’s economic climate.
Mark’s Story
Mark began with his personal story of survival. Not only did Mark’s own business take a hard hit during the rescission, but Mark also had to battle cancer. In the summer of 2008 when the U.S. stock market plummeted, Mark was lying in bed watching the news unfold. At the time he had no idea if he was going to recover from recent cancer surgery.
However, Mark kept a positive attitude. His business was shaken during the economic downturn, but he had prepared himself financial by conserving his finances. His life was threatened, but he had taken care of his body by exercising regularly and eating healthy. Fortunately, Mark’s business and his body regained strength. His cancer is in remission and he is continuing to work hard and share his wisdom.
Mindsets and Methods to keep in Mind
After pulling through such a difficult period, Mark spent that summer reflecting on what helps people prepare for such difficult periods in life. In his seminar, Mark outlines three mindsets that are essential to success. He points out that we must have a “scorekeeper’s secret,” a way to measure our success and construct our worldview. He claims we must always have a positive outlook in order to become successful. He also insists we must have “learner’s leverage.” In other words, in a constantly changing world we must continue to challenge ourselves to learn and grow as an individual.
Mark offers six methods we should challenge ourselves to perform: produce value, create and keep connections, innovate continuously, build reserves in advanced (financial, physical, psychological, and spiritual), practice gratitude, and practice discipline. His overall message is to remind ourselves that it is necessary to prepare: since we can’t always predict what’s going to happen, we should prepare for anything.
Building Strong Teams
After focusing on preparation, Mark then looks beyond how we can take care of ourselves and the economy of “I” to look at how we can prepare ourselves and our coworkers to collaborate in a team setting. Mark points out that teamwork is essential for survival in the business world. He defines a team as a diverse group of people working for a common goal. When teams experience synergy, more gets done in less time with more creatively and more fun.
Mark defines six skills that are necessary for teamwork:
- Locate: find the right people
- Educate: make sure they have the necessary tools
- Cooperate: encourage them to work together
- Communicate: facilitate effective and clear communication
- Motivate: help motivate the team
- Celebrate: this, Mark says, is the most overlooked
Every team member must be motivated and committed to the success of the team. Teams must allow feedback to flow freely in order to foster collaboration. Mark explains how having a positive mindset in a collaborative environment can be helpful: we can’t control the negative things people say to us, but we can control the positive things we say in response. Good team members know how to give and take feedback in the right spirit.
Mark concludes by reminding us to take time to celebrate. Rewards help us achieve success by making the work worthwhile. He reminds us to focus on ourselves – the economy of “I” – while also fostering teamwork and collaboration, because “You can always accomplish more when you cooperate with people than when you compete with them.”
For more information about Mark Sanborn, visit www.MarkSanborn.com.
EVENING SESSION: CUSTOMER SERVICE
Shep Hyken’s seminar titled “Moments of Magic: Ten Strategies to Create an Awesome Customer Experience” offered valuable insights into the parallels between selling and service. Specifically, Shep touched on the value of lifelong customer loyalty and techniques for inspiring your audience to tell others about you. Shep’s presentation highlighted different types of customer experiences, which he broke down into moments of truth, magic and misery.
A moment of truth, according to Jan Carlzon of Scandinavian Airlines, is “anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, however remote, and has an opportunity to form an impression.” Shep built on top of Carlzon’s definition by saying that “Moments of Magic are the above average Moments of Truth, and include great experiences that keep customers coming back for more.” He further added that “Average Moments of Truth are generally satisfactory. They are not bad, but do not exceed expectations. The goal is to make every Moment of Truth a Moment of Magic.”
Moments of Misery, on the other hand, are essentially Moments of Truth gone bad. They are the cases in which a customer has a negative experience. Shep described Moments of Misery as “Judgement Time,” explaining that every Moment of Truth, even Moments of Misery are opportunities to regain the customer’s confidence.
Shep’s Ten Strategies to Create an Awesome Customer Experience
1. Manage the First Impression
The first impression isn’t just about the way you greet somebody. It’s also about the way you walk and carry yourself. Simply using a warm smile can be the difference between creating a Moment of Misery or a Moment of Magic.
2. Be Knowledgeable
Having knowledge is a great way to create confidence. When people have confidence in you they’re more likely to be loyal because they trust you. The key is to know where to look for the answers when you are unsure and then how to properly share the knowledge.
3. Build rapport
Building rapport is a key element of communication. When interacting with your customers, you need to be able to communicate on a level beyond just business. Shep says this can be as simple as discussing the headlines from today’s newspaper. He also notes that the topic people are most interested in talking about is themselves and their kids.
4. Show Enthusiasm
To create an awesome customer experience, you have to be excited about what you do. Shep reminds us that believe it or not, “enthusiasm is contagious.”
5. Communicate Fully
Make sure to always ask the extra question. For example, if a customer requests that something be done quickly, ask them “how quickly.” Asking the extra question clears up confusion and will help you better manage the situation.
6. Transform Moments of Misery
Making no mistakes is a goal, not a reality. Shep revealed that customers will judge you the most during Moments of Misery. Here are his three steps for successfully transforming a Moment of Misery into a Moment of Magic:
- Fix what needs to be fixed
- Do it with the right attitude
- Do it with urgency
7. Deliver Quality
No matter how great your service is, if your product doesn’t deliver what is promised, your customer will eventually go elsewhere. Creating an awesome customer experience requires delivering quality at every turn.
8. Under Promise, Over Deliver
Set the right expectation. Be very clear about what the expectation is and then exceed it. Shep suggests that over delivering can sometimes be as simple as how fast you return a phone call.
9. Maintain Consistency
Every time a customer does business with you they need to consistently have a great experience. Therefore, it is critical that we aim to make every Moment of Truth a Moment of Magic. Shep reiterated that “even your worst day has to be your best effort.”
10. Show Appreciation
One of the simplest yet most vital elements of creating an awesome customer experience, Shep reminds us, is to make sure to say “thank you” over and over again.
How to deal with Moments of Misery
Shep closed by discussing three ways to deal with complaints and confrontations. He pointed out that, during Moments of Misery, you can choose to resolve the conflict in one of the following ways:
- Be defensive
- Be offensive and exhibit aggression
- Be helpful
For those who choose to be helpful, Shep offered a technique called the “That’s Right” principle. In other words, ask questions that position you as being helpful. Specifically, ask customers questions that allow them to respond with “That’s right!”
For more information about Shep Hyken, visit www.hyken.com.
Your comments and feedback on these seminar reviews are welcomed and appreciated.
Sincerely,
Amanda, Casey and Clarity
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
www.SunnyMediaGroup.com
