CarusoBlog

The New President's Biggest Challenge

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan-

President-elect Barack Obama faces many daunting challenges, including the war in Iraq, the worst U.S. credit crunch in 80 years and a ticking bomb known as social security.  

But Obama's biggest challenge may be saying "goodbye" to his beloved Blackberry.  

United States President have been very careful about what they put in writing, mostly due to the Presidential Records Act, which makes all the Prez's official communication public record and subject to subpoena.  So far, no U.S. President has used e-mail.

The safe bet is that President Obama will be asked to surrender his beloved Blackberry just before he takes office.

Could you easily give up your PDA?  Would you?

Wanna Receive My Free 5 Cool Ideas Newsletter?

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan-

Every two weeks, I publish 5 Cool Ideas, an e-newsletter featuring an interesting array of topics, including communication strategies, money-saving tips, marketing ideas and funny anecdotes from my speaking tours.  Nearly 20,000 people receive this publication.  Go to http://www.EdisonHouse.com to sign up today!

The 15 Most Powerful Words

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan-

Professional communicators analyze speech so you don't have to.  Here's a photo of me and the great Tony Robbins when we spoke at the Opryland Hotel a few years ago.   

It's important to say the right thing when communicating with people.  There are over 500,000 words in the English language, so it can be hard to find the single best word, let alone the best combination of words. 

But communicating can be easier, if you frequently use the 15 words employees most want to hear.  Here are five of the words, then four, three, etc.  The 15 words are in bold:   

I am proud of you.  People absolutely love to receive this message. Nobody hears it enough, so when a manager says it, you can expect a smile.

What do you think?  Everyone likes to be asked for their opinion.  This solicitation is especially powerful when the manager is doing the asking.  Of course, a manager doesn't have to act on every opinion.  In most cases, just showing interest will improve the relationship.

Will you please . . .  Try this phrase instead of "do me a favor" and "I need you to."

Thank you.  Want to really make an impact with your next "thank you?"  Send it in a handwritten note.  Double the impact by sending the note to the person's home address.

A person's name is his/her favorite word.  Use the name at the beginning of the sentence for a paternal effect, i.e., "John, do you think you can have this done by Friday?"  Use the name at the end of the sentence to sound more fraternal, i.e., "Do you think you can have this done by Friday, John?"

Check out my video on this topic at www.MyManagersNetwork.com.  You'll have to surrender your e-mail address to see the video.  The site is run by Ragan communications, a quality company and trusted partner of my company, Edison House.

You can receive my complimentary 5 Cool Ideas newsletter by sending an e-mail to 5CoolIdeas@EdisonHouse.com.  Thanks, all!  Michael Angelo Caruso, www.EdisonHouse.com

Receive Michael's 5 Cool Ideas Newsletter Free!

It's the newsletter that's so popular, it became a book!  This bi-monthly message contains professional development tips on everything from being a better presenter to working with difficult people.  To receive complimentary issues of Michael Angelo Caruso's 5 Cool Ideas newsletter, simply send an e-mail to 5CoolIdeas@EdisonHouse.com.  You may also subscribe at www.EdisonHouse.com.  Your e-mail address will never be shared, traded or sold.  Take yourself off the list at any time. 

The Five Most Important Words

Composed in Warsaw, Indiana-

I reminded yesterday's luncheon audience they should use the five important words when at work and at home.  The words are, "I am proud of you."

The phrase is almost always well received because most people don't hear it enough from co-workers, the boss or even a spouse.

Saying, "I'm proud of you" really gets a person's attention and is especially powerful when used with people above you on the org chart. 

The Opposite of Luck Is . . .

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

When I was in the music business many years ago, I got in the habit of thinking in "song titles."  A good song title is a memorable and provocative word or combination of words that somehow triggers a deeper meaning. 

This skill comes in quite handy today as I now make a living thinking of and marketing titles for my audio programs and books. 

"The Opposite of Luck" sounds like it could be a song title or lyric, but I'm even more intrigued by the question, "What is the opposite of luck?"

Feel free to post your answer and I'll weigh in later.

Trustomer Service

Posted from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina--

Marriott is my hotel of choice.  Marriott runs a fantastic hotel business and I'm a big fan.  Every stay seems to generate a positive experience and many visits treat me to a customer service experience that I convert into a story for clients. 

Last fall, I stayed at a Marriott property in Rhode Island to deliver a keynote speech to a group of  sales professionals in the health care industry.  As I left my room to deliver the talk, the housekeeper greeted me in the hallway outside my room.

She asked if I would be needing my room serviced.   

I pointed to the "Do Not Disturb" sign I had displayed on the doorknob and said, "No, thanks."

Then, something odd happened.  The housekeeper asked me to sign a document stating that I didn't want my room cleaned. 

As I signed the form, I teasingly said, "I guess your manager doesn't trust you, eh?" 

"Oh, my manager trusts me," the woman innocently replied.  "But sometimes guests tell us that they don't  want their room cleaned and then later complain that we didn't clean their room."

So her manager trusts her, but doesn't trust me.  Oops.  I like how the Marriott documents customer requests, but the implied lack of trust left a bad taste in my mouth. 

The secret to remarkable customer service is trustomer service.  Your representatives can be taught how to better establish trust with customers.  More information is available in my FastLearnerAudio2 CD and e-book, Teaching Remarkable Customer Service.

How Not to Meet People

Composed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina--

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at a sales conference.  If you've ever attended one of my presentations, you know that I like to "work the room" before I begin my speech.

There are many benefits to shaking hands before a presentation, but it's a great opportunity to build rapport with audience members and I am religious about it.

Anyway, as I moved from table to table, I encountered a woman who was reading a book.  Imagine that!  We're at a conference to improve selling skills and meet other people with similar interests and this nice lady is sitting at a table by herself reading.

Here's the best part.  She was reading Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Taking the Conversation Where You Want It To Go

Composed at Slippery Rock State University in Pennsylvania--

A while back, I needed a way to explain and demonstrate success scripts in seminars and in articles so I invented "Predictive Dialog."  Predictive Dialog is the art of taking the conversation where you want it to go.

We engage in predictable conversation all day long about a variety of issues including sports, weather, traffic and personal health.  But Predictive Dialog is a more purposeful form of conversation.  If you've heard of Peter Drucker's "management by objective," it may be helpful to think of Predictive Dialog as "conversation by objective."

Predictive Dialog is not about manipulation---which involves deception---or control, often associated with domination.  Rather, Predictive Dialog is strategic.  It is not about controlling the conversation for your personal benefit as much as it is about influencing the conversation for the benefit of both parties.

A simple example of Predictive Dialog is known as the law of reciprocity.  For instance, if you say, “Good morning” to someone, that person will probably respond in kind.  If I ask you what you did over the weekend, you are likely to inquire about my weekend and so on.   

These types of interchanges are common. But what happens when a pro-active communicator initiates dialog in a more purposeful manner?

For example, a mother of a six year-old might find herself in an argument by insisting that the kid where a jacket when leaving the house.

Mom: Junior, wear your coat.

Junior:  I don't want to.

Mom: I said, "Wear your coat."

Junior: No!

By using Predictive Dialog, however, the conversation can go like this:

Mom: Junior, would you like to wear your jacket or carry it?

Son: Huh?  I, er . . . oh, I’ll wear it, I guess.

 
Predictive Dialog can be very effective as a selling tool.

Example #1--

Seller: Mr. Prospect, do you prefer the black model or the brown model?

(The question is phrased in such a way that the prospect is inclined to prefer one of these two models over no model.)

 

Example #2--

Salespeople are often in a position of having to win business from another vendor.  One of the best ways to do this is to identify the competition’s weakness and offer something better. Progress is made quickly when the prospect tells you the competition’s weakness.

Seller: What do you like least about your current vendor?

In the above example, the prospect may love their current vendor, but that isn’t the question, is it?  Such is the power of Predictive Dialog.

Learn more about Predictive Dialog and other forms of persuasion from my FastLearnerAudio (FLA) series on selling.  FLA3 consists of four one-hour audio CDs and four 30-page e-books on the subjects of:

- Selling More, Better, Faster
- Networking Like a Pro
- Negotiating for Fun and Profit
- 22 Sales Closes That Work

How To Get People To Play Nice

Posted from The Hyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago, Illinois--

Readers always write:

Dear Michael -

I have enjoyed and benefited from your class and books.  You have really helped me.  Specifically, I have taken your advice on communicating with others - looking people in the eye, keeping my hands out of my pockets, smiling through doorways, etc. 

I would like to think these practices are helping my professional and personal relationships and drawing  people closer, but I haven't really noticed results, yet.  It seems to me that many people are more likely to want to avoid conversation or eye contact, especially at work.

I am a positive person by nature, but am so curious how expert communicators like yourself can keep going at such a high level when most of the people you come into contact with are looking at the floor and walking around you.

Is there a book, CD or presentation you can suggest to help me understand the dynamics of this subject? area?   Thank you again for all that you do.

Sincerely,
Roger

 

I respond:    

Thanks, Roger.  I appreciate your kind words.  You're correct.  It can be difficult to keep the energy level high when people aren't responding.  I'm not sure how long you've been practicing, but perhaps you need to become more comfortable before others take your lead.

Keep in mind that no one bats 1.000 in this game.  For example, many people adjust their communication style to accommodate me, but most only do this for a short time before reverting back to their old selves.

The people who appreciate optimism and positive energy are drawn closer and the relationship improves over time.  Some people, however, never get it and I'm okay with that.

The truth is that I don't convert anyone into using being a better communicator.  I'm not really even looking for direct results with others.  I'm just trying to get through the day!  As I write in my booklet, Hmmm . . . Little Ideas With BIG Results," you can't change people.

If someone doesn't want to "play" with me, I can tell and usually disengage pretty quickly.   

No single book has helped me understand this.  I have, however, benefited from reading a wide assortment of authors including Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Stephen Covey, Harville Hendrix and Malcolm Gladwell.