Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .
IN OUR WORLD
This week started off with a quick trip to San Francisco. Again, the Repeatable Successful Acts platform is leading the way for my strategic input into a wide variety of businesses allowing me to impact the sales process with fresh, new behavior ideas based on key actions already in play by million dollar producers from 5 different industries.
Returning to Dallas I was faced with a number of projects that needed attention.
- A new client has engaged me in developing a program to lead a massive change initiative in their advertising agency. I have designed a three part plan that encompasses a real understanding of the nature of change, then connecting to the their detailed change plan, followed up by a new communication strategy that puts change teams in constant communication.
- Adding all the move- in touches to my new office.
- Launching a completely new computer system and all the nightmares involved with something as critical as that.
- Creating the final preparations for a 4 day large scale meeting in Las Vegas.
- Designing two custom facilitation processes to help two different clients with their strategic planning meetings.
So, I just took a deep breath and jumped in!
I love the challenge that a variety of industries presents to my approach. I am always kept on my toes!
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AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
I just started a project that will develop the client experience for the “elite” client, their highest and best customers. This niche offers very unique challenges, challenges that go beyond the simple transaction of business.
When you attack a unique niche with any type of strategy you need to have a new way of seeing your traditional methods, you need to create a new frame of understanding. Here are a couple of steps to think about:
THE ELITE MESSAGE: If you were to say; “Nothing compares with your experience here.” What would that mean? Could you define an experience that would result in someone saying that? Did you know the core ELITE MESSAGE that drives one of the number one luxury hotel chains? “The higher price relates to an UNFORGETABLE experience.” The story can set direction.
AN ELITE TOOL: Can you create a level of service that relates ONLY to your elite niche? Can this service reach a level unsurpassed by anyone else in the industry? This is the philosophy followed by service companies such as American Airlines and their Aadvantage program or American Express Gold and Platinum cards. Due to the insanity of my travel schedule I am an Executive Platinum member at American Airlines, this is their highest and most elite clientele. I have a private phone line where all my info is stored. They can reschedule a flight or get me a hotel in the blink of an eye. That’s a great elite client program.
THE ELITE INVITATION: Can you create a program that would make this sentence have deep emotional meaning and create a previously unavailable level of value? “Your success has granted you access to a level of services previously unavailable to individuals.” Can you create an invitation that could live up to that statement?
These are the ways to change your frame of reference when attacking an elite client niche.
ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIES: The Way Back. This is in limited release and might not be in a theater near you, but it’s the latest film from fantastic director Peter Weir about a group of Russian prisoners that escape and trek over 4,000 miles to freedom.
NetFlix Fans: Justified – Season 1: This was by far my favorite TV show of last year. A fantastic character with a movie level script every week!
TV: I have been watching most of the Australian Open so my time has been filled with DVR tennis matches as the time difference makes watching live tennis tough.
BOOKS: Workarounds That Work – Bishop: Procedures and processes always lag behind workplace reality. How you frame the problem IS the problem. This is a good read on how opportunities are available for those that look for them.
MUSIC: On the flight home from San Francisco I was listening to one of my favorite all time Austin singer songwriter Bob Schneider. This is one of his sad story songs but I couldn’t resist putting a live song in the blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Uh68FEVY8
WEB SITES: Struggling with how to do something? Check this site out.
SOUTH OF NORMAL
South Korean director Park Chan Wook who gave us the incredibly bad ass revenge movie Old Boy decided to do a little experiment with the iPhone 4. He shot a short subject movie, a horror film using on the iPhone 4 video camera. He made it for about $133,000 and used 4 iPhones. The iPhone provides a wide variety of angles and edits providing a ton of creativity that he brought to the film. As yet unnamed he plans to open the 35 minute movie the first week of February in South Korea. He said; “The iPhone 4 is so light and easy to use soon there will be many movies where it is the only camera used.”
Drop me a note with your comments at steve@creativeventures.com
Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.
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