I’m doing a speaking engagement tomorrow in Orlando at the Convention Center inside Disney World.
Every time I stay here, I’m reminded of the service legacy of the great Walt Disney. He was one of the first people ever attributed with the saying, “Long after people forget what you did for them, they will remember how you made them feel.” He’s right. He’s always been right, but today he’s more correct than ever.
Today we spend almost twenty percent of our money to feel good: entertainment, medication, relaxation and escape. We only save a few percent for the future. So why the over-emphasis on being financially attractive to customers or potential employees?
Here’s my takeaway:
1. Be a host, not a provider. You don’t have customers, you have guests. Your job is to make them happy, using your products as the props or your services as the stage to do so. Take on that role. If you are a leader, play greeter for a day.
2. Cast team members, don’t hire employees. The difference is like calamari versus squid. Draw up a description, comprised of adjectives, of what the perfect cast member on your team is made of. Hire against those attributes like a movie director casts a film. Resist the temptation to hire on the resume.
If you do these two things, you’ll build an experience instead of a company. And you’ll see superior customer delight and loyalty as a side benefit. Really, would you want to compete against that?
