Leadership is fundamentally about serving others, fostering trust and loyalty through a commitment to the greater good. I think the true essence of leadership lies in service, self-discovery, and self-esteem. And in my experience I have found that effective leaders begin with a deep understanding of themselves, recognising their strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Healthy self-esteem also plays a vital role, bolstering a leader's confidence and ability to inspire and motivate others. Therefore, understanding oneself by mastering one's own thoughts and actions is essential and ultimately leads to an effective and influential leadership style which benefits both executives and organisations.
Three wise men
I think there are certain people who are meant to serve and others that are not and it is your job to work as hard as possible to find people who you are meant to serve. And I believe you will find them when you show up fully self-expressed. Most marketing books are tactical, so they focus on quick solution, for example, just do this or do that. This is OK if you are looking for a quick fix, but this does not teach you how to build trust and credibility, or how to price your products or how to have simple sales conversations which is required if you are doing pay per click advertising.
Give good service
There is no substitute for good customer service! The real work begins after you have made the sale, now is the time to render good service. I have found that excellent service leads to multiple sales as one good customer properly taken care of, will open doors for you, you can’t open by yourself. Take care of all the details: Sales, service, follow up, contact, etc. Ensure that you keep in contact after you have made the sale as this will make a tremendous difference in your results.
Be of service
It’s only through understanding people’s holistic experiences that we can ever hope to design something that works within the parameters of what matters to them and the best way to understand what really matters to people is to speak to them. Speaking with your clients is the principal way to understand the rich, messy nuances of their multi-layered experiences. It is through a deep engagement with customers’ experiences that we can begin the process of designing meaningful solutions, for example, a digital e-commerce platform. With this in mind, anthropological expertise becomes especially helpful, because it brings together academic rigour and cultural understanding in order to build a detailed picture of customers’ experiences. This is achieved through discussions with customers that strike a balance between natural and honest, while still remaining focused and insightful. In practice, this usually means asking people about their lives, listening carefully to how they make sense of the situations they experience, and then seamlessly steering conversation topics toward your key areas of focus.
This idea may initially feel obscure and vague, and it may seem more foundational than actionable. I am just trying to serve with what I have been given and I am coming from the place of good intentions. I think it’s essential to build a coherent understanding around the different ways customers experience your organisation. Interested? Contact me via e-mail and let’s schedule a meeting about your customer experience.
Learn to sell
The ability to get along with others and show an interest in the world around them is essential for sales professionals. If you can find someone with a problem and they will pay you money to solve the problem, you will never have a financial problem and you will be of service to people. Sounds easy! Would you like to learn to sell?
Here’s a simple formula to follow:
- Here's what this product or service is.
- Here's what it does.
- Here's how it can help you.
- Here's why I think it's worth it.
- Here's why you should take action right now.
Resilience is also vital if you want to succeed as you are likely to get knocked back a fair few times on the road to success. Just because one person isn’t interested, you just have to keep going. And that resilience, that refusal to give up in the face of adversity, is another lesson we can all take forward into our lives, no matter how old we are. Contact me via e-mail for sales training and workshops.
Empathy can drive a lot of value
Customer retention is so important if you want repeat business and growth. Every successful company, without exception is obsessed with taking good care of their customer experience once they get them. Very few methodologies sell better than offering excelling professional services, but just as importantly you’ll need to provide a great customer service experience. Making your customers so happy at the beginning and end of their interaction with your product or service will ensure that customers keep coming back.
I recently had a terrible experience with British Gas, who sent a letter to my deceased mother, asking her to renew an insurance policy for the boiler in my parents’ house. I spent almost 45 minutes waiting to speak to a human, listening to awful music and even though the recorded voice had prepared me to wait for 35 minutes, the worst was still to come. The young lady (who was human) declared that I could not cancel the direct debit as I was not the person named on the letter - my mother died in June. “You have to speak to the Probate Department., please hang on a minute and I will transfer you.” Another 8 minutes of waiting and more of that awful music, the first question the young man asked me was the date of my mother’s death… This young man solved my problem and was extremely apologetic.
I just wanted to cancel the direct debit and it took almost one hour with awful music and only 3 minutes of human conversation. This customer service was not good enough if British Gas are to survive in these turbulent times.
The big picture
I won the dream and aspiration lottery a long time ago. Would you like to be someone who is lucky enough to do almost everything you want to do? I think if I was in that position this is what I want to do:
- I want to be a teacher
- I want to be of service
- I want to be a person that “turns on the lights” and helps people - not everybody - see things
I really want to live in this positive cycle as I think this is what makes culture matter.
Have a super Easter Sunday and use this opportunity to really think about the kind of life you want to lead and the impact you want to make in this world.
Value based living
Growing up in London meant that were raised to be polite. Back in the days when we tripped on the pavement or kicked a stone, we apologised. Intelligence to me meant emotional intelligence, and I think that this is being able to have a conversation with any human being using common sense and being street smart.
I always wanted to experience success and significance. I wanted to fully understand about what I learned and more importantly acknowledged the understanding in the way that I actualised it in my life. I think that you have to prepare yourself to be extraordinary in what you do if you want to experience success and significance.
The old Chinese proverb says, “I hear, and I forget, I see, and I may remember, I do, and I understand.”
Don't do it alone
Image via Shutterstock
It’s a good idea to have the map before you enter the woods! Don't try to become a coach, an online trainer or monetise content without a roadmap because you'll struggle needlessly, when there are proven strategies you could have implemented right away.
Don't try to build a huge fanbase and truly inspire millions of people without knowing what really works, what business models will sustain you, how to scale and serve well. In order to reach as many people as you deserve, it would be advisable to seek guidance from a marketing/branding expert.
Don't try to get brand deals or work with the big names until you know what the industry is like and how to truly make online marketing work for you 24/7. I think that it’s important for both your loved ones and yourself to get the training you need to win. You deserve it!
I am at your service
What do I do?
I have built up a rather unique combination of skills, knowledge and experience. I have been an owner, director, senior leader and commercial executive, with experience of running teams and have a proven track record of exceeding results in highly demanding environments from start-ups to corporates.
Why do I do it?
I have been fortunate to have worked with some outstanding professionals which has enabled me to understand organisational dynamics through people, process and technology. These skills have been proven to be invaluable as I engage stakeholders, explore ideas and opportunities in line with your business priorities. If you want to experience significance and success, I am now in the position to share this valuable knowledge of how to become extraordinary in what you do.
How do I do it?
I currently help organisations, teams, leaders, and front-line employees identify and remove barriers to success. I specialise in addressing issues involving people, processes, and technology - especially where consumers are affected. As part of this focus I examine strategy, culture, interaction design, customer service, branding and leadership practices. I am passionate about spotting emerging best practices and guiding companies to master them. I also speak about these topics in keynotes and lecturing engagements.
Service
What are the fundamental capabilities of a human system that are crucial to its capacity to execute flawlessly and innovate consistently?
““We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the secret sits in the middle and knows.” - Robert Frost”
The words you use to frame your current situation will change your mindset and elevate your mood. A positive mindset allows you to stay open to new possibilities where others see barriers, and a positive mood will lift your spirits and attract people in your life who will help, support or hire you.
Successful individuals in any field used positive words to frame an outcome. It's an imperfect world and despite hours of practice and years of experience, the ball won't always bounce your way. Now and again you will be dealt a bad hand or an unprecedented pandemic, and by default this will change your plans.
I think the important thing is the path you travel and the people who accompany you, not the destination to which it takes you.
