7 Rules for Dealing with Difficult People

7 Rules for Dealing with Difficult People

A simple, yet demanding, approach

A few years ago someone bought me a book about the art of dealing with difficult people. I think it’s still around here somewhere. In it, the author writes about how to understand the personality of the difficult person, how to manage challenging situations, and so on. As I read it, I remember thinking, “This is all about how I need to change and be understanding of the other person.”

Each of us has to bite our lip from time to time. We make every effort to do business in an honorable way but sometimes the other person just seems to enjoy being abrasive. Have you ever had that happen?

Back in 2006, when I started Brand Acceleration, I promised myself that I would only work with and for people I like. After a long working career I had had my fill of kissing up to rude and inconsiderate people. I told myself, “No More Jerks!”

That promise comes with a responsibility to not be one of those people. It meant that I, and my team, would have to operate with a very high set of standards. I have a very high regard for honorable and professional people and will not tolerate less than honorable behavior from others. Who I am influences what I do and how I do it. Below is a list of principles that our staff, vendors, and even clients, are expected to honor:

1. Always operate with total honesty. Never lie and never tolerate liars.

2. Treat every person with respect and demand respect from others.

3. Set very high standards and raise them often.

4. Always over-deliver, even when you would rather cut and run.

5. Strive to be the best and never cease to grow, learn, and improve.

6. Be the best in our chosen industries.

7. Price our services fairly. We are not the cheapest, and we don’t want to be.

We’re certainly not perfect. I would never make that claim. However, by following the above principles, we can look in the mirror each day and know that we are looking at someone who is a person of honesty, integrity, and very demanding standards.

We’ve been very fortunate. We have an incredible team of professionals who love to do great work, always striving to generate great results for our clients. Beautiful marketing pieces are nice, but beautiful work that results in growing brands and economic activity are what we’re all about.

Our clients are a daily blessing. They know we will always offer great work and our best counsel. They place their trust in us and work side by side with us toward a common goal. They’re more that clients; they are our friends.

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences below.

Have a great week,

Jim Walton

CEO

Brand Acceleration, Inc.

Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations

Indianapolis: 317.536.6255

Charlotte: 704:230:0394

Atlanta: 404.474.7980

Fax: 317.222.1425

Cell: 317.523.7380

jim@brandaccel.com

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Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

Who Owns the Jobs, Anyway?

Who Owns the Jobs, Anyway?

It’s a simple trade relationship

By Jim Walton

CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.

Indianapolis and Charlotte

Recently, I met a young man who, for the first time in his life, is self-employed. A custom cabinet maker, he specializes in high-end cabinetry for homes, offices and commercial buildings. Curious, I asked, “How did you come to be self-employed?” “I was fired,” he told me. “Because of the economy?” I asked. “No, it was because of my laziness and bad attitude, but I’ve learned a lot since being on my own.” “Really,” I asked, “like what?”

He told me that he had been employed by another cabinet company for several years and that he had become overconfident, self-absorbed and arrogant about his own value. When his employer didn’t place him on the pedestal he felt he deserved, above his co-workers, he became sullen, angry and lazy. After several months and a few heart-to-heart talks, his employer asked his to leave.

“So, what was the biggest lesson you learned from being fired?” I asked. “I learned that the job didn’t belong to me,” he said. “It belonged to my employer.”

He explained that, as an employee, he failed to understand the terms of his employment, or anyone else’s employment. Here’s how he explained it: “When anyone accepts a job, it’s not something that is given to him or her, it’s a trade arrangement. The employee is expected to show up every day, on time, work hard and do great work. The employer will then provide a pay check and competitive benefits in return. If each party honors the terms of the agreement, all will be well. When one party underperforms, breaking the promise, the deal is subject to termination.”

I was thoroughly impressed. This young man had had a revelation, but I was curious about his sudden awakening. When fired for lack of performance, employees usually just go away mad and blame the boss. “What was your moment of clarity?” I asked. “What made you suddenly see that you were the problem?”

“Because I couldn’t find another job,” he said, “I decided to take on some cabinetry work on my own. I had the tools and skills, so I decided to go for it. It was a very scary endeavor. I was fortunate that my wife had a job and we had saved a few dollars. We risked it all. Things went well and I eventually had to hire an employee. Having to deal with payroll, benefits, vacations, customer expectations, taxes, two trucks and a wife and child, I learned what it was like on the other side of the employee-employer equation.”

“Looking back,” I asked, “how do you now view your previous employer?” “I would have fired me, too,” he said. “The job didn’t belong to me. It belonged to him and I disrespected my agreement with him. I broke the promise. If I had been a better employee, I would probably still be there.”

Over the past few months, I’ve attended several economic development conferences where workforce has been a presentation topic. A common theme at each conference has been about worker skills and work ethic. Even though education and training are sometimes lacking, employers are frustrated by employees who are just unwilling to show up and do the work. “In addition to laziness,” an owner of a placement firm, said, “there’s a very significant sense of entitlement out there. People expect high wages and extensive benefits from day one, and then they might consider giving the employer a day’s work. The real world just doesn’t work that way. People need to wise up.”

What I heard at these conferences was that there are numerous jobs out there for skilled workers who are willing to show up (on time), work hard and become a valuable asset to their employee.

So, back to my cabinet maker friend, here’s what I asked next. “What advice would you give someone looking for, or in, a job?” After a few moments of pondering, he said, “Without getting into the employers responsibilities to employees, which are significant, I’d make these recommendations:

1. Understand that it’s a mutually agreed upon trade relationship.

2. Clearly understand the expectations of your employer.

3. Show up on time, every day. Be completely reliable.

4. Work your butt off (His words).

5. Always, always, always over-delivered.

6. Get better. Take classes or find other ways to bring more value to the relationship.

7. Be a positive force rather than a whiner

8. Be a problem solver, not a problem.”

This guy amazed me. His experiences have transformed him. He has gone from a lazy (his word), complaining malcontent to a self-employed, happy, hard-working employer, service provider, husband and father. He takes great pride in his work, even though the hours are long and the demands are great. I found his respect for the “trade relationship” to be very refreshing. If each of us were to remember that and follow his recommendations, I’m sure workplace contentment and productivity would soar.

Have a great week,

Jim Walton

jim@brandaccel.com

www.brandaccel.com 

Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction.

Customer (Dis) Service and Your Brand

Customer (Dis) Service and Your Brand
Your actions speak louder than words

It seems there is a serious disconnect between advertising messages and reality when it comes to the way customers are treated. In their ads, companies love to tout how much they love their customers, implying that they really do care about them. The reality however, is often radically different. Their employees are often not trained in the ever-important art of making customers feel loved.

I was recently in a line of over 20 customers at an airport car rental facility where there were only three agents on duty, and two of them were talking on the telephone. Customers were especially irritated by the fact that there were about twelve computers where no agents were working. Like most travelers, I was in a hurry to get on the road and get to my first meeting of the day. I didn’t appreciate being ignored and neither did the guy behind me. After grumbling to me about the serious lack of service, he shouted, “Does anyone work here?” The other customers were shocked at his brazenness, but a spontaneous round of applause broke out, telling the agents that their customers were not happy. I’m not going to say which rental car company it was but I will say that no one was “trying harder” to make customers happy.

In another recent experience, due to a change in our Customer Service Management (CRM) software, my company was forced to swap out some of our cell phones because they wouldn’t interface with the new software. After a short discussion with a store representative who was not empowered to make customers happy, we ended up on the phone with one of their reps who made it clear that they were not going to waive the rather expensive buyout of our phones….period! We tried to stay with this company and reminded the representative that we had been a loyal customer for more than 23 years and just needed to make a few equipment changes. The answer was unequivocal. No!

From there, we went to one of their competitors and met with Tawana, a wonderful young lady who listened to our needs and meticulously switched over our entire company account and set up each and every phone. It took several hours, but when we left, every new device worked perfectly. Wow, was that refreshing!

In his most recent book, Collapse of Distinction, my good friend, Scott McKain, an outstanding speaker, trainer and author, states, "If you cannot find it within yourself to become emotional, committed, engaged, and yes, fervent about differentiation, then you had better be prepared to take your place among that vast throng of the mediocre who are judged by their customers solely on the basis of price. It is the singularly worst place to be in all of business. If you aren't willing to create distinction for yourself in your profession--and for your organization in the marketplace--then prepare to take your seat in the back, with the substantial swarm of the similar, where tedium reigns supreme." I recently heard Scott speak at the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) conference and, as usual, he thrilled the audience and left them inspired to be even better than they already are. After several months, I still hear attendees quoting him.

I especially enjoyed a story that Scott shared about an experience that musician Dave Carroll had with United Airlines. In his video, “United Breaks Guitars,” Carroll openly protests the poor customer service experience he and his band had on a United flight. For people who don’t have the ability to create great videos like this, there are company web sites and public sites such as Yelp.com where customers, both happy and unhappy, can voice their opinions.

In the hotel industry, the clear leader in outstanding customer service is The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. It is common knowledge throughout the industry that their customer service is stellar and that the reason for their well-deserved reputation is the training of their employees. Their motto, “Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen,” sets the tone for the empowerment given each and every employee, allowing them to do anything required to make customers happy. In his book, “The New Gold Standard,” Joseph A. Michelli describes the leadership principles of this great company. We can all learn from the example set by this market leader.

As a branding, marketing communications and public relations firm, we are often contacted by companies or communities requesting a “new brand.” From experience, we know that what they usually mean is that they want a new logo. In my opinion, your brand and your reputation are one and the same. If you treat customers well, meet or exceed their expectations and show them some appreciation, your brand will be strong. If not, you will have a serious problem that a new logo or slogan cannot change.

I could go on and on, sharing countless customer service experiences, both good and bad, but I’d like to hear from you. Feel free to share your experiences and stories about how you deliver outstanding service, allowing others to learn and improve. Thank you.

Have a great week,

Jim Walton

CEO

jim@brandaccel.com

www.brandaccel.com  

Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC).

Outrageous Customer Service
The devil is in the details

By Jim Walton
CEO, Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Indianapolis and Charlotte

Have you ever had one of those customer service experiences that just make you say “Wow?” You know what I’m talking about. The ones you can’t wait to tell the whole world about. Good or bad, customer service experiences are memorable moments. They shape your opinions and forever impact a company’s brand.

In my presentation, “Whole Brand Thinking,” I explore several examples of how everyday activities impact your brand. From the coffee served to the way your office phone is answered, a sloppy approach to seemingly minor details can do great harm to an otherwise spotless reputation. Managed well, they can impress clients, creating a “wow” moment.

Ritz-Carlton Hotels
In the hospitality industry, it’s an accepted fact that Ritz-Carlton is the hands-down leader when it comes to outstanding customer service. In fact, companies in other industries attempt to emulate the Ritz-Carlton model.

What’s their secret? Their employees and leadership are very much aligned. The Ritz-Carlton gold standards of service are reinforced by a daily line-up that occurs at the beginning of every shift, for every team, at every Ritz-Carlton hotel in the world. Employees everywhere are encouraged to ‘break away’ to serve customers. Each employee has a card containing the twenty ‘basics’ and the mantra, “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” For example, using guest names and saying ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’ rather than ‘hi’ supports the Ritz-Carleton brand image.

Ultimate Economic Developer Site Visit
A friend of mine is a site selection consultant. This is a person who is contracted by companies to find a new home for a company headquarters of expansion. On assignment for a company seeking a location for a new distribution center, he arranged three site visits for this client. Along with the company President and two other company representatives, they all hit the road to visit the three cities. The company had been through the process before and their pattern was to expand their sales area, build a distribution center and create 500 to 600 good paying jobs.

At city number one, the group was met at the economic development office where they were offered cookies and institutional coffee before loading into minivans for a tour of the city and a visit to the industrial park. Nothing new. Nothing outstanding.

The next day, when they arrived at city number two, their experience was much different. At the airport, they were greeted by the economic developer and Mayor who escorted the group to two stretch limousines. In the limos, they were offered freshly brewed premium coffee while being driven to the site being proposed for their new building.

At the location, the executives were greeted by a group of community leaders who were gathered under a tent where a catered lunch was served. Among the group were representatives of the city and county, promising a streamlined process, and utility companies who promised plenty of capacity. Also present was a local construction contractor, who had staked out the footprint of their most recent building, showing how the building would sit on the property. Local officials also presented a plan for a job fair, showing how they would assist with the process of hiring qualified employees.

Needless to say, company execs were blown away. So much so that they cancelled their visit to city number three and stayed another day to begin the process of making city number two the site of their next distribution center. This had clearly been a “Wow” moment for them.

Details matter
Whether it’s a big event such as a major site visit or other details such as a new brochure, stationery or web site, it’s important to manage each touch point wisely. With so much at risk, why would you risk so much by cutting corners on details that could put you at a serious disadvantage?

As a good friend and client once said to me, “Never give them a reason to diminish you.”

Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction, real estate and motorsports.