The power of Gut!

Very often within corporate corridors and in life, we dismiss the power of intuition, the power of gut oftentimes to our peril.

As a keynote business speaker, I argue that we should focus on developing this ability and that intuition is truly the entrepreneur's language.

On my many trips around the world, going with the flow and following my gut lead me to many powerful learning experiences.

"The movie “Notting Hill” had been enjoyable. Now, I needed to go to the toilet as a matter of urgency. One problem, the passenger on my right side was blocking my way and he was asleep. Not wanting to disturb his siesta time, I struggled with nature for another few minutes. Finally, I had no choice ... well actually I had but this was not a desirable option!

“Sorry” I gently shrieked.

“Can I get by you, I must go to the bathroom”. He politely moved aside. Nature had obviously called other people on the plane also, as a queue had developed. Never one to miss an opportunity I engaged the girl in front of me in conversation. She was going to work in Jerusalem for a few days. A taxi was waiting at the airport to collect her. My thoughts were to go to Tel Aviv, then travel to Jerusalem a.s.a.p. and station myself there. The more I spoke to her, the more obvious it became that a direct route to Jerusalem would be the most appropriate choice. This is what I chose to do, in the interesting company of the “Belfast girl”.

We arrived at her hotel in Jerusalem in the early hours of the morning. As there was no room at the Inn where she stayed I ended up, limited budget and all, staying at the American Colony Hotel, a well known landmark in Jerusalem. And why not, I was to learn that all the stars stayed there, Lauren Bacall, Alec Guinness and Peter Ustinov among others ... but they could afford it, and I wasn’t a star.

The next day I moved to my friends hotel, less than a third of the price, still too expensive! The staff were excellent, Bassam the Manager was articulate and informative. I explained my dilemma ... my objective was to interview people whose stories could teach and inspire others. The more angles to the story the better.Remember Bassam was the manager of a hotel, not the manager of the Jerusalem Post or any media outlet. Regardless I believe everyone can have an inside track!

“Would you like to interview one of the leaders of the Palestinian Prisoners who has just been released?” he asked me that afternoon.

“Yes”, I exclaimed, excitement oozing out of every atom in my body. The thought of interviewing a “terrorist” or “freedom fighter” pushed adrenaline through my cells.

This was a coup, wasn’t I happy that nature called at the appointed time ... or was it someone else? Yes, the magic of mission. The whole event reconfirmed in me the importance of trust. All I needed to do was turn up, trust and follow my intuition.

Can you remember the last time you were drawn to something that you hadn’t legislated for in your plans? As a keynote Business Speaker I advise you to look at honouring these promptings in the future and have no regrets. Intuition = pure connection.

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ASK your audience to gain a competitive edge

More and more companies are asking visitors to pitch them their ideas. For many this represents the ultimate dream! Many successful websites and online businesses have been built on the vibrancy of their audience providing content. Think eBay, YouTube, Wikipedia and the hundreds of thousands of blogs and forums on every topic under the sun! As a keynote Marketing speaker I am often asked the keys to generating ideas – certainly one of them is to ask the audience because it has been shown that People create profits.

Probably one of the great examples of this was cited in the book Wikiconomics.

Goldcorp, a US mining company posted all its proprietary information on the internet and invited the public’s interpretations (with cash incentives) of where the ore was located. The process brought the company from $100m in revenue to $9bn.

Transparency - trust not secrecy - is the way forward.

How can you ask?

Why not have your own RENTACROWD session to generate new ideas for your business? This involves inviting a small group from diverse backgrounds to brainstorm new ideas, potential improvements etc.

The rules of engagement are simple: every idea and opinion is noted and honoured regardless of how ridiculous it may seem.

This allows free flow and potential association.

Based on my own experience, I have found that the most creative ideas came from some weird and wonderful suggestions from my advisors.

Remember creativity happens where different ideas meet.

The Apple Genius Bar came from Steve Jobs’ question ‘how do we create a store that has the friendliness of a Four Seasons hotel?’ The Four Seasons had been identified by a focus group as a place where you get the best service. The answer was ‘put a bar in our shops, but not an alcohol bar - an advice bar!’

Business Week wrote this idea off before it even began and said ‘Sorry Steve, Here’s why Apple stores wont work’ but Jobs persisted with his vision of “a buying experience as good as our products,’ and in 2006 Apple had the highest annual sales per square foot ($4032) with Tiffany’s trailing behind at $2,666

At a basic level, every company should host an internal forum/blog where employees can share and co-create new ideas for the business.

If your search is for new product ideas, why not incentivise it by giving employees a share of the revenue if their idea is implemented?

Any modern thinking keynote marketing speaker will extol the virtues of thinking outside the book and coming up with creative ways of finding that killer idea – that killer incremental improvement that may give you the competitive edge within the marketplace.

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RECRUIT RIGHT!

The recruitment strategy should focus on attracting those with the right attitude, not just current ability. As a Professional Motivational speaker, now and again, I am asked to help in the recruiting of key staff. An applicant with a positive attitude and happy disposition is for me the right recruit.A review of 225 relevant studies in Psychological Bulletin, published by the American Psychological Association, found that it's actually happiness that makes you succeed and not the other way around.

The review found that happy people are more likely to attempt new challenges and to push themselves to strive for fresh goals. They are also more likely to be liked by their peers, and thus recruited to better jobs and promoted to higher positions."Our review provides strong support that happiness, in many cases, leads to successful outcomes, rather than merely following from them," said one of the report's authors.

“Happy individuals are more likely than their less happy peers to have fulfilling marriages and relationships, high incomes, superior work performance, community involvement, robust health and even a long life."Furthermore, brain researchers have found that activity in your prefrontal cortices — located behind your forehead - signifies idea generation and lively thought. Sadness decreases prefrontal cortical activity, while happiness increases it. If you tease that out, it means that happy people are more likely to have good ideas and think quickly, which often leads to success, and thus to increased wealth.More proof of the positive effect of happiness comes from research from the University of Michigan in 2005: experiencing positive emotions on an ongoing basis helps you see the big picture."Negative emotions create a tunnel vision," said U-M psychology researcher Kareem Johnson. "Negative emotions like fear or anger are useful for short-term survival when there's an immediate danger like being chased by a dangerous animal. Positive emotions like joy and happiness are for long-term survival and promote big picture thinking, make you more inclusive and notice more details, make you think in terms of 'us' instead of 'them.'" 

 

Furthermore, a person with the right attitude has the critical ability to attract teachers, circumstances and events to help them achieve any goals. They are also more authentic – the essential currency in the new business world.

Give me someone who would love to work with the company and has the right attitude – I will recruit on the spot regardless of current ability.Many top companies understand this:"We hire for attitude. We want people who like other people and are therefore motivated to serve them. Competence we can teach. Attitude is engrained." Isadore Sharp, Founder and CEO of the Four Seasons group speaking at the 2006 Great Place to Work Conference.As someone who in my role as a Professional Motivational Speaker has researched the area of motivation for the past two decades, I am a strong advocate of hiring for attitude as is the ethos of many top companies for example Low cost carrier, South West Airlines’ their philosophy is, ‘We hire for attitude. We train for skill.’

For more information regarding : Motivational Speaker Training and Keynote Marketing Speaker please visit : http://www.kevinkellyunlimited.com/

Get those ideas flowing!

More and more companies are finding that product life cycles are decreasing so it is critically important to have a flow of ideas that become the new generation of products for your organisation.

As a keynote business speaker more and more companies want you to inspire their audiences to unlock their innate creativity. As many studies have shown creativity is key in today’s world.

The lines of demarcation between the various sections in any organisation are becoming blurred. Forward-thinking companies have long recognised that every member of staff is actually a sales person. But what if every member of staff was also part of the Creative Team? How would your business change if every employee’s job description stipulated that they contribute one idea a month on how any aspect of their job could be improved?

To back up this initiative it would be imperative that a structure is in place to both harvest and develop the contributions. There is potential for a new role in an organisation - Ideas executive?

In late 2007, Phillips invited all 125,000 of its workers around the world to stop working and focus on thinking of ways to simplify the processes. The best ideas to come from this experiment would be implemented in all Phillips factories worldwide. This type of initiative would be a major internal Public Relations disaster if an implementation plan wasn’t in place.

Remember, even minor improvements over time can turn into a revolution, as asserted by Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota President.

‘There is no genius in our company. We just do whatever we believe is right, trying every day to improve every little bit and piece, but when 70 years of very small improvements accumulate, they become a revolution.’

Having overtaken General Motors, Toyota is now the largest car manufacturer in the world.

Another interesting piece of research highlights the importance of not overlooking the ordinary and on focusing continually on the extraordinary in the context of innovation. Professor Amar Bhide of Columbia University found that only 12% of growth company founders attribute their success to an unusual or extraordinary idea while 88% reported that their success was due to “exceptional execution of an ordinary idea.”

Einstein once said that you cannot solve problems with the level of thinking that created them. He also said that the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result! And he also said that imagination is more important than knowledge!

So in my capacity as a Keynote Business speaker I advise individuals and organisations to change your thinking and move from the way ‘things have always been done’ and you’ll get a different outcome. It is important that individuals are allowed the freedom to act and think differently.

For more information regarding : Motivational Speaker Training and Motivational Keynote Speaker please visit : http://www.kevinkellyunlimited.com/

Get those ideas flowing!

Everywhere we look we see God’s beauty. People everywhere are looking for ways to display God’s abundant love and show that one thing that sets them apart from others. Jesus tees are one way to show our commitment to Christ and our pledge to follow Him. Zealous personalities who are looking for individualism wear passionate clothing and strive to take up their armor of God daily. 

 

Jesus tees should be bold and daring just like Jesus and his disciples over 2,000 years ago. Edgy, strong Christians need edgy and strong apparel to present their aura of Christlikeness in the world today. When so many are searching for that “something” that will help them stand out and make their statement why wouldn’t Christians choose to show the world who they are and what they believe in?

Rather than just a plain shirt with a benign statement, devout Christians should shine their light and proclaim their faith that we can move mountains and that hope never dies. Wearing Jesus tees that have that one thing that makes us thirsty for God’s hope and God’s mercy is a way to directly affect those who see us in our daily walk. By donning Jesus tees we can give hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless. 

 

We, a generation of seekers, will find that in order to differentiate ourselves among our peers, it is essential to present our faith and devotion to our Creator in a way that shows that we have come awake! Serving others and striving to further the Kingdom of God is a responsibility that sincere Christians should take very seriously and apparel that states that fact is an excellent way to begin. 

 

Christian apparel is a very popular theme in the stores today. Anyone can put a cross on a shirt and call it good. Anyone can choose their favorite verse and print it on something and call it a day. But those who are sincere and dedicated to the perpetuation of God’s word wear those shirts that stand out in a crowd. Those that make the statement that We Are Christ Followers! Bold and crazy designs that make strong statements are the ones that get noticed, the ones that are remembered. Shine your light. Show your faith. Wear passionate Jesus tees and apparel that tells the whole story. 

 

Why would all Christians not choose to stand up and stand proud for the One who came, who fought, who died for us? Who wouldn’t want to be the one who makes a difference or who changes a life by showing them the real, the steadfast love of God?

For information regarding : Jesus t-shirts and Patriotic t shirts please visit : http://www.liveiteveryday.com/

Customers cannot lie successfully

An intimate connection exists between our physiology (the way we look) and our psychology (the way we think), so if you want to know whether someone is bored or exhilarated, a quick scan of their physiology will give you the answer.

As a Sales Motivational Speaker when addressing an audience my job is to be led by the crowds physiology rather than some prepared script!

Indeed sometimes a person’s words may say ‘yes’ but it will be crystal clear from their body language - poor eye contact, a change in posture or voice projection etc - that what they really meant to say was ‘no’. Words just got in the way!

Some time back I was a member of a panel interviewing people for a sales position. One particular candidate strode confidently into the room, pulled the chair right up to the table and placed his hands no more than a couple of inches away from mine and my colleagues.

How would you react to this?

When a stranger invades your personal space like that your first reaction is to withdraw, because at a subconscious level, you interpret this behaviour as an act of aggression.

His actions immediately put the entire interview panel into defence mode!

In the course of the interview, it emerged that this candidate had started a company that had failed. Even after careful questioning he was not prepared to take any responsibility for this failure and blamed other people, the economy, market forces and his competitors for his lack of success.

This spoke volumes to me and the other panel members and confirmed our first impression; this was an arrogant man and not suited to the position.

A person’s physiology rarely lies.

The important point is that you should pay more attention to body language - posture, gestures, the way people walk, blood circulation in their face, breathing patterns, voice projection - than you do to what a person says.

The information you glean from this analysis will dictate whether or not you should persist or leave the negotiating table. If I notice any consistent negative body language during a negotiation, regardless of whether or not it has taken weeks to get to meet the person, I immediately honour this and offer to leave. This strategy has had a major positive effect on my sales figures.

After noticing negative body language I normally will say “Dave/Mary/Madam President, I can see you have other things on your mind. Maybe we can leave it for now and reschedule at a better time for you in the future?”

There are a few possible outcomes (all positive):

The client apologises for their lack of attention and starts to focus on the negotiations – this is usually a good sign that a sale is imminent.

The client agrees to a reschedule in the future. This means that unlike many, many salespeople who persist regardless of the client’s non-verbal feedback, the door is open to future negotiations.

The client is impressed by your exit strategy and precipitates positive word of mouth within his business circles.

A sales motivational speaker knows when it is time to change the style – if there is a lack of energy, time for some interaction and fun. If they are engaged continue with the winning strategy!

Communication, it is definitely far more than words.

For more information regarding : Keynote Speakers and Exceptional Execution please visit : http://www.kevinkellyunlimited.com/

Giving is Getting

Over the past seven years, I have been involved in a fundraising drive to help build a Youth Venue in our area. Using all the skills I have as a keynote speaker; I decided to think laterally how we could build a Venue on limited income.
The first thing that came to mind was to invoke the spirit of Meitheal ( ask the community to help.) And we did resulting in all subcontractors dedicating their time and labour free to the project. The next challenge was to raise enough cash to meet the material costs. As a final part of this effort; we decided to run a Strictly Dance competition - obviously closely mirroring the TV show format.

It was a brilliant experience working with a small inspired team of fundraisers/dancers ending up with €20k more for the construction budget/ this coupled with monies raised to date, and the fact that all subcontractors were volunteering their talents meant that we were ready for off.A lot of my time and commitment was invested in the project but yet again as with past projects eg, fundraising for the construction of two schools in Africa, I got back so much more than I gave.It was genuinely humbling the reaction from the community. The night was a spectacular success not just in terms of money raised, but also in terms of production and entertainment and finally of most importance in term of building community spirit. 

One thing for sure I learned, is that there is a huge appetite for community events and positivity; and that if the event is executed properly, people will dig deep to help on so many levels. We managed to raise a huge sum of money when the general consensus was “there is no money out there.” We sold positivity and community and it worked.

Juxtapose this against the constant stream of negativity coming from the media and you can see the source of some of our problems. As the University of Amsterdam has established, there is a link between negative headlines and consumer confidence. It is time for the media to do some serious introspection about their role in the current challenging times without doubt.

On the other hand it is time for communities to realise their fate/destiny is in their own hands if they so choose. This is a mantra I have repeated for over 20 years as a Keynote speaker and it still rings true today.So the message is clear give back to your community – you will get it back in bucket loads – realise and appreciate the power of community, and how together we can change the current consciousness. 

Switch off the radio and start the community building process today.

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What do you do if there’s a bomb in the building?

Nothing excites me more than visiting a new country – in this case Argentina….little did I know just how exciting living the life of a leadership keynote speaker could be! Having arrived on Tuesday morning; my first pre programmed thought was to visit the venue in advance of the Opening Leadership keynote on Wednesday morning. This was to prove difficult as we were to learn that a bomb had been found in the Grand Rex theatre in Buenos Aires that day. A police bomb squad subsequently found and disarmed it – it was due to be detonated by mobile phone at 4.30 pm which would have been the start of ex President of Columbia, Alvaro Uribe’s contribution.

Apparently it would have killed anyone within a five foot radius. The story went viral around the world featuring on everything from the Telegraph in the UK to the New York Times. Bad news was big news so to speak! Also on the bill was Manuel Estiartes sharing the story of Pepe Guardiola and Guy Caron, ex creative Director of Cirque de Soleil.

Though the conference due to heightened security was delayed for over an hour the following day; I enjoyed working with a very receptive and warm Latin American audience. Indeed it reaffirmed in me my opinion of the great marketing opportunity in South America on the basis that the culture very much mirrored the Irish experience – people were warm and friendly. Probably an even greater insight I learned from the event was not for a micro second did I ever fear for my safety. One could consider this unusual considering what happened. It was very much a case of feel no fear and do it regardless!!

At the Leadership conference, my focus was on sharing how you could Xceptionalize your business. The following key points were shared: - You are the culture creator – a culture that empowers or disempowers. Start with developing yourself if you want to develop a winning culture. - Leaders need to be able to see clearly before they can solve the challenges of the day. - The secret to build rapport with internal and external customers is in our DNA – Do Need Attention. - A Vision underpinned by values is critical to unleashing your potential. - Smart perseverance is a winning strategy - Ensure that your moments of truth/ touch points with customers are World class. After the conference and my duties as a Leadership keynote speaker dispensed, I took time to wander through Recoleta and the amazing cemetery where you will find the remains of Eva Peron; the must visit Boca and Caminito, San Telmo and much much more in the Home of the Tango. For more information regarding: Motivational Speaker training , Motivational Conference Speaker and Leadership Keynote Speaker please visit: Keynote Speakers

Retail Excellence – do you make the grade?

As a Customer service speaker, I got the opportunity to address Ireland’s top retailers at the Retail Excellence Conference recently –here are some of the thoughts I shared:
The Leader is the culture creator – one that has the ability to empower or disempower internal or external customers – thus real progress starts at the top. In this circumstance “To know thyself is vanity” isn’t accurate ….”To know thyself” is essential! As highlighted in 2007 research highlighted by Stanford Business Advisory Committee; self awareness is the most important attribute a Leader should develop. In the current attention deficit society in which we reside, not forgetting of course the more challenging times; we need to move from the old transaction model of sales to an emotional interchange – make your message memorable or watch it get lost in space.Leaders need to think differently on how to build sustainable long term relationships pondering such questions as “How can I get business for my client?” The old model was clearly “I sell – you pay! Thanks and have a nice day.” The new model is "how do I convert my customer into a friend so they won’t leave my business. I need to go further than providing a good product or service – I need to exceed their expectations." One surefire way of doing this is if I send business their way.

There is no room for lack of engagement or passengers in the new selling organisation. In the retail environment, everyone within eye contact of a client should acknowledge their paymasters in a non invasive way that shows you are there and ready to help if called upon. Regardless of whether you are the busboy or the doorman, everyone should be primed to focus on creating a wow experience for the client. "Wow" of course means making the transaction as painless and as swift as possible also.

We need to be able to deal with a buyer’s best friend – their mobile phone! Leaders need to empower and convert their team into Sales ambassadors who have full knowledge of what’s happening online in terms of product information/reviews etc.

The secret to engagement is in a persons DNA – Do Need Attention. It is ironic how we spend so much money attracting clients to our premises and then underwhelm them with our levels of customer service while there. Seeing that you have invested heavily attracting the client ensure that your culture empowers people to buy! You don’t need to be a Customer service Speaker to remember my opening thoughts! The Culture Creator is the Owner/ Leader.

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