It doesn’t matter if you’re a small business owner, department manager, or CEO of a large corporation, discipline is something that comes with the job. Unfortunately, too many leaders are untrained in how to provide discipline and unprepared for how often it is necessary. As a result, many weak leaders develop poor discipline practices that […]
As many of you know, I currently have 10 puppies living at my house. Now I will tell you, 10 puppies can be noisy, messy, and a bit of a pain sometimes. However, there’s nothing that brings an enthusiastic smile to someone’s face more quickly than puppies. Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone […]
Truman Capote once said, “A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. That’s why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet.” As someone who speaks for a living, I can talk . . . a lot . . . about a lot of things. However, the difference between […]
Gossip is one of the many things that can lower workplace productivity. It can also create an environment of mistrust and can damage working relationships. Even if we don’t start the gossip, listening to it, passing it on, or standing idly by while it’s happening, makes us part of the gossip and helps perpetuate it. When […]
This week, I thought I’d share a short video with you on the power of positive phrasing. It’s based on a segment in my “Customer Service Survival Skills” workshop where I always say, “Don’t tell people what you CAN’T do for them, just tell them what you CAN. Don’t tell customers they CAN’T do, offer […]
The other day I was sitting at lunch with a group of people, when a woman I just met asked for my business card. She glanced down at it, looked at me, and said, “Can I give you some FEEDBACK on your business card photo?” My response? “Hell no you can’t give me feedback on my photo!” […]
When you read what the most dangerous word in the world is, I’ll bet you’ll be surprised. When you saw the subject of this email, you probably thought about words like: Hate, no, or can’t, and I agree those are dangerous words. However, I think the most dangerous word in the world is SHOULD. Here’s […]
In my 22 years in the training and speaking business, I’ve presented A LOT of customer service and customer communication programs. In these programs, I teach many different skills that enhance the customer experience and make the customer service provider’s job easier and less stressful. However, before I take a customer service “gig” I always […]
Many people don’t realize that a simple, “seemingly” innocent comment, when said to an angry customer can turn a concern or complaint into a full-blown argument. When it comes to the words you choose, they can either be water or gasoline on the customer’s smoldering emotions. If you’d like to be a customer service fire […]
The other morning I was up early and hoping to catch some cute video of the 10 foster puppies who currently reside in my dining room, of all places. We all know puppy videos can be really cute, especially with older puppies who are up and about, running, and playing. However, I never thought the […]
