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Articles from Craig Harrison | Selfgrowth.com
- Stop Slingin' Slang! Prospects And Clients Leary Of Loose Language - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2007 from Craig HarrisonDespite attention to four-color brochures, meticulous grooming and letter-perfect newsletters, consultants constantly undermine their hire-ability and employees hurt their promotability through sloppy language skills and inappropriate word choices in their communication. What point is shined ...
Views: 818 - From Told To Sold! Leverage Your Stories to Resonate With Prospects And Customers - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2007 from Craig HarrisonHave you ever heard a story that could have been about you? Ever heard a story that reminded you of another one? What about a story that sounded vaguely familiar? Welcome to the power of story. Unlike facts and figures, that often leave us cold, stories connect! And they connect deeply, ...
Views: 954 - Forget the Fockers…Meet Your Customers! - by Submitted on Sep 24, 2007 from Craig HarrisonHow much do you know about your customers? Do you know what makes them happy? Mad? Restless? Let's face it…you should! Businesses often operate in ignorance of what their customers like or dislike, ignore and abhor. To ensure retention, pay attention! The Basics: What Customers Love - When you ...
Views: 799 - SIGNS of Service: Master "Sign Language" to Communicate with your Customers - by Submitted on Sep 24, 2007 from Craig HarrisonI was visiting a client for the first time, the Union Sanitary District, 40 miles from my office in the San Francisco Bay Area, in an industrial part of Union City, bounded by swampland and factories. But I was far from lost. - As I exited the freeway onto a major thoroughfare, a giant sign ...
Views: 882 - Who's In Charge of Your Meeting? - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2007 from Craig HarrisonDo any of these things happen at your meetings? * People arrive late * people leave early * someone yells BINGO in mid-meeting * People are unprepared * A key person is absent * Someone asks for a pencil or pen * People mysteriously get paged midway through and leave in droves Before you ...
Views: 830 - Free for the Giving: The best things in service situations are often free - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2007 from Craig HarrisonYou may think customer service requires a huge capital outlay: expensive training, high-falutin' CRM software, and thousands of dollar in expenditures Nonsense! The most important parts of customer service are free. Here's my baker's dozen list of customer service components that are free: ...
Views: 830 - Tag Lines Tell A Tale of One's Occupations - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2007 from Craig Harrison"What do you do?" In our society this is the first question we’re asked, after "What is your name?" The real question is: “How do you answer this question?” Do you tell people your title: clerk, programmer, driver, teacher, sales rep or receptionist — or do you answer more descriptively? ...
Views: 1012 - Orchestrating Your Leadership - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2007 from Craig HarrisonRecently I had the opportunity to lead an orchestra. It’s an experience I recommend to all. Admittedly, I had my doubts. With no formal training I wondered: - Would I lead correctly? - Would others respond, and if so, how? - Would I look foolish? Follow My Lead I did look foolish — but ...
Views: 748 - Improve Customer Rapport with Improv! - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2007 from Craig HarrisonAs we look for ways to improve our rapport with customers, clients and prospects let’s cast our gaze to improv — improvisational behavior popularized by those whacky folks seen in drama classes, theatre troupes, on the entertaining television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? It might surprise you ...
Views: 830 - Play the Brain Game for Gain - by Submitted on May 14, 2007 from Craig HarrisonOur workgroup was in the middle of a spirited brainstorming session — a free form session where creativity is encouraged, judgment is suspended, and the best ideas often come after ten or more minutes. The ideas were flying fast and furious, as they should, when the group gets momentum. The ...
Views: 941 - Being Present is a Gift to All: The Real Meaning of Real Time - by Submitted on May 14, 2007 from Craig HarrisonThey say wherever you go, there you are. Yet how present are you at any given time and place you find yourself? Many professionals appear in body but little else. Don't get marked as missing in action. In the last week I encountered the following professionals missing in action: Out of ...
Views: 911 - How Inquisitive Are You? - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2007 from Craig HarrisonThree teen girls entered the subway in mid-conversation: "Is he in our school? " "Yes." "In our grade?" "Yes." "In our calculus class?" "Yes.” “Is he fine? "Yes!" "Steve? " "Noooo. " "Seth? " "Phillip? " "It’s Jeremy!" Indeed it was!!! These girls were playing the game 20-Questions. They were ...
Views: 1201 - What's Your Communication Quotient? Workpace Communication — Your Key to Success - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2007 from Craig HarrisonForget GQ! These days it's your CQ that matters...your Communication Quotient. Degrees and awards are fine, your bilingualism and knowledge of the latest programming languages are nice, but how good a communicator are you? In English? With co-workers and customers? Every job description ...
Views: 925 - The Characters of a Meeting: Which One are You? - by Submitted on Feb 18, 2007 from Craig HarrisonIn the Star Wars movie's famous bar scene you knew, by appearance, what zany character was sitting beside you. Each character had a distinctive look. Yet in meetings you may have no idea the constellation of characters that you're meeting with. That's because their normal outward appearances ...
Views: 2233 - Teaming With Success - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2007 from Craig HarrisonWe're surrounded by examples of great, and not-so-great, teamwork. Recently I flew to Los Angeles, visited relatives, took in a parade with floats, bands and street performers, saw a football game and attended an opera. Countless teams made it all possible, whether on stage or back stage, seen ...
Views: 716 - I'll Never Forget What's-Her-Name!- Winning the Name Game - by Submitted on Dec 13, 2006 from Craig HarrisonMy name is Craig. But I'll answer to Greg. Most Gregs I know answer to Craig. Of course we are not alone: there's Eva and Ava, Bill and Bob, Jeff and John, and many more. I can't complain. I often confuse and occasionally mangle others' names. Names are not my strong suit. My purpose is not to ...
Views: 861 - Laugh and the Work World Laughs With You - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2006 from Craig HarrisonMany of today's work environments are rife with moody bosses and co-workers, repetitive tasks and unpredictable market pressures. Stress abounds. Managers often tell me they can’t afford the time or cost for my humor workshops; how can they afford not to address workplace stress. We know ...
Views: 1091 - Jest Practices: Best Practices for Humor in the Workplace - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2006 from Craig HarrisonMost agree that humor in the workplace can have beneficial effects. Yet not all humor is good humor. The challenge: how to interject appropriate humor and fun into our serious jobs without hurting others or seriously undermining the company. When used appropriately, humor can work for ...
Views: 1121 - A "Bias to Action" Results In Stellar Service - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2006 from Craig HarrisonWhat do Olympians and Hall of Fame athletes all have in common? "Peak performers and high achievers have a bias to action." So says Bill Cole, MS, MA, known as America's Mental Game Coach. According to Cole, who coaches Davis Cup Tennis Players, Olympians and executive achievers: "high achievers ...
Views: 802 - How To Make "The Ask" - Effectively Recruiting Your Team - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2006 from Craig HarrisonMany times in your life you will make requests of others: to join a group, committee or team, to perform a task or to assist with a project. This month's question: How do you make the ask? Often the key to getting to "Yes" involves how you make your request. Whether you are: * Building a ...
Views: 818 - Saluting the Squawkers: Complaints Often Key to Improving Sales, Retention and Loyalty - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2006 from Craig HarrisonIt's said nobody likes a complainer. I beg to differ. In customer service a complainer is doing you a favor. They are the extension of your research, testing and quality assurance departments. Although essentially unpaid, they're providing you with invaluable, often real-time feedback on what ...
Views: 842 - Become a Credible Communicator: Make Honesty Your Policy! - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2006 from Craig HarrisonWhen you speak, do people listen? You don't have to be E.F. Hutton to command attention and respect in the workplace. But you do have to be credible. Credibility in the workplace means believability. Simply put, do people believe what you say? Is your reputation based on a track record of ...
Views: 1100 - Are You a Customer Service Ace? Take The Quiz and See! - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2006 from Craig HarrisonTest your customer service knowledge and learn how to be a service ace by picking the correct answer to each of these 10 questions. 1. A complaining customer is: A. Always right B. Almost right C. Often lying D. Always the customer 2. Customers who complain: A. Had unhappy childhoods B. Are ...
Views: 1549 - Sales Through Storytelling: Story Tell, Story Sell! - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2006 from Craig HarrisonNothing succeeds like success! And in sales nothing succeeds quite like success stories. Are you sharing yours? Why not? The secret is in how you share your successes. Learn to tell thirty-second "success stories." During sales calls a quick-hitting story can make or reinforce a point in ...
Views: 904 - Turning Customer Service Inside Out! How Poor Internal Customer Service Affects External Customers - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2006 from Craig HarrisonWhile companies focus thousands of dollars on external customer service in hopes of wooing and retaining customers, little attention is being paid to the effect poor internal customer service has on overall customer satisfaction. It all starts within your organization! Sooner or later the ripple ...
Views: 3264 - How to Avoid "A failure to Communicate" - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2006 from Craig HarrisonYou've seen it in every classified ad and most job descriptions: must have excellent communication skills. Even worse, once hired, it reappears annually each review period: Improve communication skills. What's a person to do? Communication skills don't require a graduate degree, just common ...
Views: 995 - The Voice of Customer Service - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2006 from Craig HarrisonCustomer relationship management tools abound, yet let's hear it for old technology. Your voice is the most multifaceted customer service tool in your toolkit. Your voice can convey concern, care and compassion. It can alternately convey boredom, neglect or contempt. Your challenge: to insure ...
Views: 944 - Getting Past Gatekeepers: Don't Get Left At the Gate When Calling on Decision Makers - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2006 from Craig HarrisonDOES IT SOMETIMES SEEM AS THOUGH DECISION MAKERS are residing in a gated community? Learn how to bypass gatekeepers (GK) — those professionals who “guard” the decision makers and often run interference for them — to get in front of decision makers (DM). Traditionally a secretary, ...
Views: 947