Speed for Solopreneurs
Such a good conversation with Jeffrey Shaw on his Self-Employed Life podcast, talking about how sole proprietors can win with responsiveness.
Talking Business Growth on DuctTape Marketing
I have enormous respect for my friend John Jantsch. He's super smart, and a great guy. His DuctTape Marketing podcast is one of the best in the biz. We talked Time to Win and how small biz can use speed to gain customers.
The Psychology of Speed
Super fun episode of the THRIVE podcast, with Meridith Elliott Powell. We focused on the consumer psychology changes that make speed a winning business formula...."we interpret responsiveness as respect."
One Employee CAN Make a Difference
After 20 years and one million miles, I was down on Delta.
This whole year has been a bit shabby in terms of my relationship with my preferred airline:
- Prices to/from Indianapolis have soared, making Delta markedly more expensive than other carriers.
- Fewer direct flights, forcing me to go through Atlanta again, and again, and again. I have that entire airport memorized.
- A recent announcement that they are jacking up the threshold for Diamond status for the second year in a row, requiring some $25k worth of flights to even sniff it.
I try to be monogamous, but I've flirtily swiped right on United and American lately, just to see how we get along.
I even Googled "will American match Delta status?"
But then I met Captain Brian Wortham.
This card from Captain Brian was sitting on my seat when I plopped down on yet another Atlanta >>> Indianapolis flight. Looking around, every seat in the first five rows had a card.
Once we were seated, he appeared. Out of the flight deck came a wizened veteran. Gray and white hair poking out from his cap. A bit portly. A Captain Kangaroo vibe, but with more authority.
He introduced the first officer, and recited his entire resume, including military service, and held up an iPad to show a photo of his Navy plane.
He introduced himself, and talked about his 33 years as a Delta captain. Even showed a funny photo of a Wright Brothers aircraft, talking about his early days as a pilot.
Then used the iPad to show us the precise flight plan, and the weather forecast along the route.
Took a moment - with great sincerity - to thank the 75,000 Delta teammates we wouldn't see that day.
Before heading back to fly the actual plane, he acknowledged a couple people near me: "Mrs. Jones, nice to see you." "Mr. Franklin, thank you for being with us this evening."
I thought, "wow, these folks fly this route so often - even more than me - that the pilot recognizes them!"
Uneventful flight.
As we disembarked, he stood near the doorway and thanked EVERY first class passenger, BY NAME. No notes.
Wow! Captain Brian is evidently both a customer experience ace, and an amateur mentalist.
This is the Coveted Customer Experience I often talk about on stages: when you deliver an experience so beyond expectation that it buys your organization the benefit of the doubt.
Usually in business we assume that delivering knockout customer experiences requires a systemic approach: processes, training, software, metrics.
When in fact, it usually requires none of that, but instead ONE person who cares enough to go beyond the boundaries.
Captain Brian is that person.
Who is it in your organization?
And if you don't have someone who wakes up every day excited about blowing your customers' minds with an experience that far surpasses expectations, isn't it time you find that person?
In my very first book, The NOW Revolution, I wrote that the key to creating a winning culture is to hire for passion, and train for skills. It's maybe even more true today.
Certainly, I'm glad he actually knows how to fly a plane. But there are lots of pilots. There is only one Captain Brian Wortham.
And so, I remain in the sometimes unkind embrace of Delta, my cheating eyes closed for now.
The Books Report
More book recommendations coming in the next issue, but let's do something different this time?
I want to know YOUR favorite business book, ever.
Please reply with your recommendation, and I'll create a list for all readers of The Baer Facts to enjoy.
Thank you!
Jay's Faves
I recently got the Bev Ledge to maximize space on flights when I'm not up front.
It's very tricky to balance laptop + beverage on a tray table.
Enter....the Bev Ledge.
It folds flat. Weighs almost nothing. Unfolds and wedges into the window frame, and holds drinks, glasses, headphones and other airborne flotsam and jetsam.
I'm a window seat guy anyway, so this is a perfect solution. Doesn't fit every plane, and forbidden in exit row, FYI.
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