The power of the guy with the headset

There are few things more affirming to me than the voice on the other end of the Starbucks drive-through speaker system.  When I place my order for a tall black eye, and the voice in the speaker repeats my order back to me, “that’s a tall black eye, coffee with 2 shots, right?”, all of the sudden I feel a sense of peace come over me.  I breathe a little easier knowing that they heard what I wanted, and that they’re in control.  I think this happens because our minds have been trained by poor drive-through service experiences to approach that speaker with a sense of trepidation.

I used to think I was the only one who dealt with this, but I’ve started to realize that almost everyone suffers from DTSAS (drive-through speaker abuse syndrome).  You can observe the symptoms of this condition by simply rolling down your window, and listening to the person in the car ahead of you placing their order.  You’ll notice someone suffering from this condition usually yells at the speaker the entire time they’re ordering.  They also talk slowly and over annunciate, often interjecting ‘did you get that!?’ every few seconds.

Here’s the quintessential expression used by DTSAS sufferers: “Can you read the whole thing back to me? I just want to make sure you got it”

Why do we do this?

We just told them what we wanted, and they process orders like this hundreds of times a day, right?  Why all the stress?  I think it’s because we crave validation.  It just takes one experience of asking headset guy to hold the pickles, and then biting into that juicy burger moments later, only to be struck with that undeniable vinegar ridden flavor to develop cynicism toward all drive-through speaker people on the planet.  Spending money is emotional, no matter how little the amount.  We want to feel good about our purchase; we want to be confident we’re getting what we paid for.  I love it when the guy with the headset just volunteers to read my order back to me.

What’s your validation process?

If our emotions go through this cycle in the drive-through, then how much more important is it for us to affirm our customers when they give us their money for OUR product or service?  I make sure each of our customers receive immediate confirmation of their purchase with a follow up email detailing the transaction, and an explanation of the next step so they can begin to shift their emotions from slightly nervous to extremely excited.  This is especially important when we’re selling tickets to an event – we have their money, but they don’t receive the product for several months.

I think validation is underrated.  We enjoy buying good products, but we want proof that we bought so we can start getting excited about it.  If the guy at the drive-through doesn’t read my order back to me, I’m not completely sure they won’t hand me an order for the car behind me.  When I ordered my iPad, I received an email update every 2 days regarding the status of my order – I loved it – and I told my friends about it every time I received an update.

If you have a product or service that ships later than the payment is processed, how do you validate your customers to keep them emotionally engaged in the transaction?

There wasn’t a seventh grader in the world who wasn’t scared of Mr. Garcia.  If our memories are crystallized in direct proportion to our fear, then I must have been especially afraid the day I walked into his classroom for the first time.  I remember every poster on the wall, the layout of the room, the notes on the chalk board. I can almost smell the pencil shavings that seemed helplessly out of place below the broken, wall mount pencil sharpener in the back of the room.  I sat next to Rachel Wilson.  She was scared too.

Mr. Garcia’s reputation preceded him.  Not only was he our math teacher, but he was the Jr. High principle, and a marine to boot.  I remember crying when I went home that night because Mr. Garcia told me that I would need a red pen for his class, and all I had was a red pencil.  His persona just seemed to carry an intimidating amount of weight.  There are many things I remember about Mr. Garcia, but one thing I will never forget is the speech he gave that first day of class to a room full of budding, naive seventh graders.  He told us to listen very closely, because over the next hour he was going to give us everything we needed to know about how to succeed in the seventh grade.  He went on to give a series of speeches, well, actually it was all one speech, just rehashed about 40 times.  This was the message:

Students! Know where you are going. Have what you need. Be on time.

If you can do this, you’re going to be just fine.

Not just for seventh graders

Looking back now, I realize that Mr. Garcia was actually a very caring and compassionate man.  I suppose it is possible for a seventh grader to over dramatize the appropriate level of fear to experience when meeting a new math teacher.  Little did I know the nugget of advice Mr. Garcia gave me that day would become one of the most useful tools in my journey through life.  This mantra is simple enough for a seventh grader to understand.  Be in your seat when the bell rings isn’t really that complicated.  However, it’s amazing how many grown ups still haven’t ingested these simple truths into their approach to life.

1. Know where you’re going. You have to know where you’re going before you can get there.  I’ve always set goals.  I haven’t always hit them, but as long as I can remember I’ve set them in each area of my life.  I’m certain that if I skipped this step, I would have very few accomplishments to show for it. If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll still end up somewhere – you just won’t be the one driving.
2. Have what you need. Knowledge is everywhere for the taking.  In our world today, there are no excuse for being unprepared.  Telling the teacher you left your book in the locker might not have been that detrimental in the seventh grade, but you don’t get many second chances on legitimate opportunities when your 34 years old.
3. Be on time. Not just on time for work each day.  On time for life.  Wayne Gretzky spoke of his strategy to skate to where the puck was going to be, instead of where it is.  When opportunity arises, it’s too late to prepare.  In other words, you better know how long the walk is to the next class down the hall before you stop to chat with your friends.

Take a look at anyone who is consistently struggling to move forward in life, and chances are they’re missing the mark on at least one of these key pillars. I’m thankful for the Mr. Garcias in my life who took the time to mentor me, and teach me life lessons before I even understood what they were.  We can never fully appreciate the sacrifices people like this make, so that we can become something more than we ever would have on our own.

I once heard John Maxwell say,

We tend to over estimate the event, and under estimate the process.

Attending a business event doesn’t make you a better business leader any more than attending a wedding ceremony makes you a bride or groom.  We live in an event driven culture.  Many business leaders are on a continuous search for that one event that has the secret potion for their success.

Events fall short when…

Events fail when we put all of our stock in the event to do the work for us.  If the event that is being marketed to you promises to fix all of your problems, omitting every element of personal responsibility, run.

Here’s my promise: If you attend EntreLeadership Master Series, Dave Ramsey will give you all of the tools to win in your business.  If you choose to go home and set the tool box on the shelf, and continue driving nails into boards with your bare hands, maybe events are not for you.

I need your help.  Check out this video and tell me if I’m crazy for thinking that this might be Lara Johnson, Associate Producer for The Dave Ramsey show.  I’m trying to get to the bottom of why she might be sneaking around the conference center here at the Atlantis Resort:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11325827]Lessons from EntreLeadership:

Interview with Alex Charfen:

Alex has a real estate consulting firm in Austin, TX.  (You can tell I like getting interviews from Texans…they’re flat out awesome people!)  Check out what he has to say about the event so far (most importantly check out is ‘phat shoes’).

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11329810]

Lessons from EntreLeadership:

There are 3 basic pillars to our EntreLeadership material:

1. Working With People: Dreams, Vision & Goal Setting / Time Management & Organization / Personality Styles & Mission Statements / Communication / Building Unity & Loyalty / Compensation & Incentives / Team Math: Hiring & Firing / Delegation / Recognition & Inspiration
2. The Central Nervous System of Business: Financial Peace for the EntreLeader / Accounting / The Art of Outsourcing: Dealing With Vendors / Contract Negotiation
3. Gettin’ The Cash In! Personal Selling / Marketing & Advertising / Social Media / & everything else involved in getting your product or service out the door and raking the moola in.

Changing the oil in your business:

Today Dave is transitioning from the ‘team building pillar’ and diving head-long into the meat & potatoes of the administrative material.  Typically, as entrepreneurs, we tend to dread all of these tedious details in our business.  We don’t buy a car just because we love changing the oil, right?  Same thing in business.  However, if we don’t do these things well, eventually the engine blows up.

Notes on a couple of lessons from this morning:

The Art of Outsourcing – Vendors

This morning Dave has been teaching our attendees the importance of managing relationships with vendors.  In this video clip, Dave explains that we should always be willing to part ways with vendors when we outgrow their ability to serve our needs.  We have a tendency to feel too much loyalty to our vendors based on issues not related to the business transaction:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11326502]

Contracts

Here’s a few one-liners from the lesson on contracts:

• Contracts are not a guarantee of people doing what they say, what they should, or of their performance
• Contracts don’t make a person who’s a dufus become a non-dufus
• Attorneys call contracts a ‘meeting of the minds’
• If it’s not in writing it never happened
• A verbal contract is worth the paper it’s written on
• Contracts don’t make bad deals become good, or bad people become good
• Where no integrity exists, the whole process is useless

Stay tuned for more coverage from the Bahamas, and I’ll let you know if I get confirmation on THE Lara Johnson.

“Yesterday is when it clicked”.

That’s what one of our attendees told me over breakfast this morning.  They went on to explain that everything they’ve been hoping to understand about team building and culture really started to sink in.

Building A Unified Culture

Dave spent most of yesterday afternoon unpacking our playbook for building unity and loyalty in the organization.  Unity is our secret weapon.  We outperform teams twice our size when we work with a clear vision, and every player is united on purpose and core value.  One of the biggest contributing factors to building a unified team is the consistent behavior of the leader.  In leadership, you’ve got to be deadly consistent in your reactions so your team will know what to expect from you in any given situation.

Check out this video to watch Dave drive this point home for our attendees:

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/11293345]

Show Me The Money!

Compensation structure is another major pillar in the loyalty equation.  No one on our team receives a salary as their only form of income. Each team member (yes, even the guys shipping boxes) has an incentive tied into the profitability of our company.  The natural result that flows from setting up your compensation structure in this manner creates an entrepreneurial environment throughout the entire organization.

In this video, Greg Pare, talks about how he’s already considering new strategies for introducing a profit sharing program for his team when he returns home:

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/11282274]

Mission Control

I wanted to take an opportunity to let you know that this amazing event doesn’t happen without the amazing support team working diligently behind the scenes.  The diligent execution of each detail during this event truly makes the experience fabulous for our attendees.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/11295527]

Stay tuned…

Fishing Trip (We have to do it for the sales metaphors to work)

Brian Williams, Creative Director for Dave Ramsey getting 'creative'

The day started before dawn for those of us who decided to journey out into the deep blue sea in pursuit of some big fish…or at least some big fishing stories.  We have a running competition from event to event between Dave, myself and a few other guys on the team on who’s boat brings in the most fish.  I didn’t win this year, but I did beat Dave for the first time (and it’s a great feeling).

The weather was perfect as we trolled out of the harbor, and the company was great.  This is always a fun time to really get to know some of our attendees on a more personal level since there are just a few of us in each boat.  We landed a few Mahi-Mahi and the crew was kind enough to fillet them for us on the boat so we can cook ‘em up for dinner.

Today’s Lessons:

Dave is teaching some of our most powerful lessons this afternoon:

• Building Unity and Loyalty: Train yourself to be deadly consistent so your team knows what to expect.  Never cut pay when performance is there. Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’.  People will allow themselves to be led by someone who treats them with dignity.

• Compensation: If the leaders are only in it for the money, compensation will have a lot of ceilings….

Well, there’s a whole lot more but I gotta run help out with a Q&A Panel…

Stay Tuned.

We’ve just been put on notice that Dave Ramsey’s energy level is illegal in the Bahamas (so we have some people working with the local legislature on getting that changed).

This morning Dave is teaching:

• Dreams, Visions & Goal Setting: Without vision the people perish.  Goals are vision with work clothes on. If you aim at nothing you’ll hit it every time (Ziglar). You need goals in every area of your life.

This is the stuff we start with because we can’t help our attendees until we find out where they are and where they want to go.  Establishing goals gives us a framework to build off of.  Dave is a goal freak!  He requires each of us to have goals and evaluate them early and often.  I love working in an organization where everyone appreciates the value of goal setting.  It puts extra energy in the air.

• Time Management & Organization: Spending 15 minutes on your to do list could free up as much as 2 hours in your work day.  You must learn to manage time or the lack of it will manage you.  Most leaders use MBC (Management by Crisis)…don’t do this.  Have a plan.  Don’t have a meeting without an agenda.  Use the stand up technique when the meeting’s over.  Teach your team to respect your calendar.

Keeping track of your time is as important as keeping track of your money.  As a business leader, your personal time is the most valuable asset to the growth of your organization.  Dave is giving tons of great advice on how to get control of your calendar and increase efficiency.  Two of my favorite books on this subject are Time Traps, by Todd Duncan, and Death by Meeting, by Patrick Lincioni.

• Personality Styles and Mission Statements: Understanding how to speak the unique language of your team members will allow you to motivate them in a way that works for them.  Everyone is wired a little bit different and we each tend toward a certain communication style. We teach the DISC model: D = Dominant, Decisive, Doer, Driver, Bullet points and bottom line focused. I – Influencer, Outgoing, Fun, People Oriented, Playful, Party looking for a place to happen. S – Steady, Stable, Loyal, Reserved, Slow processors, Golden Retriever. C – Compliant, Detailed, Facts, Calculated, Task oriented.

We use the DISC model personality style assessment in our hiring process to make sure we’re putting people in the right position based on their natural strengths.  Each of our EntreLeadership attendees take this test before they come, and they each get a unique 20-30 page report on their own personality style.  In addition to covering personality style’s, Dave is giving our attendees solid information on the value of a personal mission statement, and a company mission statement that goes way beyond ‘brochure filler’ material.

• Communication: A winning culture of communication says “When in doubt, ask!”  Everyone on the team turns in a weekly report.  We have a mandatory staff meeting for the entire team every week.  When in doubt, over communicate.  The right hand needs to know what the left hand is doing.

Leaders must learn to communicate effectively.  Picture your team members at the bottom of the sea wearing scuba gear with an air hose leading from their gear to an air tank in the boat on top of the water.  You’re in the boat.  Communication is the air.  Your job is to make sure the air keeps flowing…when communication flow stops, the team dies.

JUST IN FROM LAST NIGHT:

Brian Williams is our Creative Director for Dave Ramsey.  He put together a stellar video that played last night between my welcome talk and Dave’s introduction.  It brought tons of of energy to the room to set Dave up for a great kick off!  Thanks Brian for all of your hard work on this project:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11225298]

All of our guests have arrived safe and sound.  There’s tons of energy in this place, and everyone I’ve talked to is amped up and ready for the week! I enjoyed finally getting to meet everyone that I’ve been working with over the phone/email for several months.  Here’s a quick interview at the registration desk with Lee and Traci Goudy from Indiana:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11222372]

Jumping in:

We kicked the event off with a reception where they were serving lots of fancy foods that I can’t pronounce the names of.  This was a fun time of networking, making introductions and learning each others stories.  Then we ate! (We’ll do that a lot this week).  Tonight’s fillet minion was quite possibly the best i’ve ever had…not what you expect from a pre-plated dinner.  These Bahamians do it right!

After dinner, Dave taught the first EntreLeadership lesson for the week, ‘EntreLeadership Defined’.  Here’s a few quotes from tonight’s session:

If business was easy, there would be no profit involved!

Organizations are never limited by their team, they’re limited by their leader.

The problem with my business is ME!  The good news is I’m also the solution.

If you help enough people you don’t have to worry about money.

Those who never make mistakes, work 4 those of us who have. – Henry Ford

Big Idea:

After each lesson Dave makes everyone take two full minutes to write down their big idea from that lesson.  I’m going to be catching people between lessons, and asking them what their big ideas are.  This first one is from Dr. Greg Weigler:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11223075]

Even more fun:

Get in on the action from Atlantis:

If you haven’t seen it already, be sure to check out the Cover It Live blog that Chris Mefford is running this week on www.daveramsey.com in the business section.

This is a fun way to see pictures, videos, audio streams from the event, share comments etc.

Grabbing some lunch with Mefford

EntreLeadership Master Series starts @ 5:00 pm with a reception for our attendees, dinner, and then an opening lesson from Dave Ramsey.

The day has been busy with getting our welcome table set up, finalizing flight manifest details for our arriving attendees, setting up rooms, checking lists twice 5 times, welcoming our attendees, shooting ‘b roll’, and I’ll spare you all the other minutia..

The most critical variable has been accomplished: Dave and Sharon Ramsey have arrived safely with plenty of time to spare.  We’re ready to rock!

Here’s a video from earlier this morning with the Director of Marketing for our Live Events Department, Chris Mefford:

(go easy on him, he’s Canadian)

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11213020]

One of the best things about our EntreLeadership Master Series event is the dynamic interaction.  We keep this event limited in attendance so the environment is set up for plenty of dialogue beyond the class room time. Several members of Dave Ramsey’s Leadership Council join us for the week, just to be available for 1-on-1 coaching.

Our leaders are the embodiment of the EntreLeadership content

Dave Ramsey never wanted employees.  In his mind, “Employees were just people who came in late, left early, and stole from you while they’re at work”.  Instead, Dave set up the organization to bring on team members, other entreprenuers who could come in and run profit centers as their own micro business within the company.  Today we have 14 different P & L leaders, and over 300 team members who are passionate about our mission, and to this day, we still don’t have a single ‘employee’.

I’m pumped that Debbie LoCurto’s here this week!

Debbie LoCurto runs one of the largest P & L departments in our company, Financial Peace University Church.  I caught her in the lobby last night on the way to dinner…she had about 7 seconds warning that I was doing this:

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/11201195]

During this event, our attendees get access to some of the sharpest business minds I’ve ever known.  Everyone’s business is different, so we do our best to spend time with them throughout the week to help tailor fit the content to tier particular business model.  It’s not uncommon for someone to tell us they received as much value from interacting with our team as they did from the general session time.