Do Your Managers & Employees “Get It”? 19 Jul 2010 | 02:20 pm

Don’t Go It Alone 15 Jul 2010 | 02:48 pm

My company’s July edition of our newsletter just went out this week. And I’m really happy with it. Actually I’m pretty much always “really happy” with it. What I’m really pleased with is the main art...

Thomas Jefferson says, “Take A Walk!” 11 Jul 2010 | 07:42 am

I came across this letter by Thomas Jefferson to his favorite nephew, Peter Carr. Carr was beginning his university studies and Uncle Thomas gave him a bit of advice. The date was August 19, 1785. T...

What’s So Wrong About the Wrong Customer? 27 May 2010 | 03:01 pm

You know when you take on the wrong customer. Don’t you? Founders and CEOs know. Operations and technical support staffs know. Sales professionals know too. Still we do it. And in these days of eco...

OMG - They Get Me! 26 May 2010 | 03:01 pm

“Oh my God, they GET me!” That’s the answer to the question; “how does a business know they’ve found spot-on customer relevance?” You know when customers can’t help but exclaim, “oh my God, they GET...

Praise Progress, Please! 24 May 2010 | 02:43 pm

“I have never been praised for my work at any job.” The young professional who told me this wasn’t complaining. He was “just” reporting the facts of his career to date. He had heard me make the poin...

Stories Connect 20 May 2010 | 02:57 pm

Stories connect people. Even the smallest portion of your story has the power to connect. 3 weeks ago I was conducting leadership training at an Iowa community college. At break one of the participa...

What is Gavin Heaton Up To? 26 Apr 2010 | 03:56 pm

Not long ago Gavin Heaton came to Des Moines, Iowa. This was a rather remarkable event…for me at least. Having read Gavin’s blog for a long time and benefited a great deal, it was for me like meeting...

Gotta Serve Somebody! 24 Apr 2010 | 08:28 am

Tweeted this today: “You can’t give what you don’t have: if you’re not clear on right customer/right customer experience, no one else will be!” I see so many people who expect colleagues, coworkers, ...

Make a Sale or Create a Customer? 21 Apr 2010 | 03:39 pm

“What’s the difference between creating a customer and making a sale?” When I take questions after a keynote or breakout session, some form of that question comes up 80% of the time. It’s a good ques...