As a result of the shelter-in-place rules, many people have set up areas where they can participate in online meetings that go beyond just activating their laptop’s camera. In fact, it has become quite common for inane conversation about the weather to be replaced by questions about the books, knick-knacks or awards that happen to […]
Tag Archives: effective communication
You Must Get Automated Communication Right!
A couple of months ago, I took my 2013 Ford Expedition into Joe Cooper Ford in Oklahoma City. My check engine light was on and my windshield washer reservoir was cracked, so I figured I would get those items fixed. I had purchased my Expedition from a different Ford dealership, and I had never been […]
C’Mon, Pay Attention to Contact Us, People!
If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you will know that I highlight individuals and companies that standout for their digital user experience—good or bad. One of my pet peeves is when a company fails to respond to an inquiry made through the “Contact Us” form on their website. Isn’t that […]
Taking Innovation Too Far
I am a big Douglas Adams fan. For those of you who don’t immediately recognize that name, perhaps you have heard of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. If you haven’t, you need to check it out. HGG originated in 1978, the same year I graduated from high school, and combined an incredibly inventive premise […]
Innovation Needed – Marriott Are You Listening?
It seems I have a never-ending supply of stories from mainline companies who just can’t get their customer service act together. Here’s my reasoning for sharing them: since I try to highlight the good and innovative things companies do, it’s only appropriate that when there is a customer service failure, I call that out, as […]
Preparing for the Worst
I attended the American Bankers Association’s Annual Conference in October in New York City. One of the sessions on the opening night was a vendor showcase, where seven presenters were each given five minutes to present their solution. There was an open bar and the session was standing room only. Now, as a professional speaker, […]
Can We Really Trust Our Memory?
Current events have placed old memories into our watercooler conversations, and it just so happens that I have been binge listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast series called Revisionist History. In season 3, he provides a series of episodes on memory. In these, he documents, in his unique professorial style, every detail fully researched yet with […]
Prepare and Launch
Recently I spoke a keynote on Grounded, at the campus of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville TN. This keynote a part of their executive presenter series for the Business School. Dr. Thomas Payne is the Dean of the Business School, and he knew about me from my speaking for the Tennessee Bankers Association. He was […]
Effective Communication Makes All the Difference
I was recently on a Southwest Airlines flight from Minneapolis, MN, to Atlanta, GA. We left the gate and taxied out, but wound up waiting on the tarmac for ten minutes or so. Then the plane’s engines revved up, and we all thought we would be taking off. But instead, we returned to the gate. Uh […]