Charles Marcus - Motivational Speaker, Keynote Speaker and Best-Selling Author

Vol12, Number 1 January 2012

webedit — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:27:02 +0000

In this Edition

1. Practice

2. Monthly Inspirational Quote

3. Recommended Reading

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Practice

I often laugh when I think of the infamous rant by former NBA basketball star Allan Iverson in 2002 when he was asked in a press conference, about his coach Larry Brown, who had questioned his work ethic for missing team practice sessions. It became a You Tube sensation. He ranted on and on about practice and differentiated the importance of the game over practice. We can all form our own opinion about what he was trying to say, but I believe Iverson was saying that he was above practice, that he was a superstar in his own mind who did not need to do what all the other players on the team he played for needed to do…practice.

Well, it should come as no surprise that I believe Iverson is dead wrong. To me in any profession or vocation, practice is the key to success. Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest NBA player to play the game of basketball, practiced religiously. He attributed this to his success, spending all those extra hours in the gym, shooting ball after ball in to the net, practicing his shot, building up his skill and stamina.

It does not matter if you are my 12 year old son practicing for a presentation at school, a highly successful actor honing your script, a sales person who wants to communicate with his prospects and clients better, or a professional musician, practice is the key. Of course this comes with the discipline and commitment to practice as well.

Speaking personally, I have taken the discipline of practice seriously. This applies to overcoming my stuttering, getting better as a sales professional, or preparing a new presentation as a professional speaker. Striving to get better through practice is about perfecting your art or craft, being the best you can be, challenging yourself, keeping on raising the bar.

Your task: Write down one thing you can practice this month that will help you improve. Focus on that one thing and practice, practice, practice!!! I am sounding like Allan Iverson now so, better stop!______________________________________________________

MONTHLY INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

“Dad, you don’t have to be big to think big”

My (almost) 10 year old daughter Rachel

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Vol 11, Number 10 November 2011

webedit — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:36:54 +0000

In this Edition

1. The Tale of the Missing Coat – A story of exceptional customer commitment

2. Monthly Inspirational Quote

3. Recommended Reading

The Tale of the Missing Coat – A story of exceptional customer commitment

I recently spent some time in England. Primarily the south, London, Oxford and some surrounding areas, even a visit to the famous historical and heritage site at Stonehenge. It likely comes as no surprise to many of you that England gets its fair share of rain. Because of this, I invested in a new trench coat for the trip. I bought it at one of my favorite men’s stores in the US and brought it back from a recent trip to California.

I, of course, made good use of the coat during my trip, and guarded it like a hawk on trains, restaurants, etc. It is a great coat. Despite this, I left it in the Air Canada departure lounge at London Heathrow airport, and I did not even notice it was missing until the plane landed in Toronto. I found out later, that an attendant in the departure area had even brought the coat on board to see if they could find an owner prior to the flight leaving, I did not pick up on it being busy with my headphones on and listening to music and reading.

Well here I was, in Toronto, distressed about the missing coat and feeling foolish for losing it especially as I had guarded so well during my entire trip. Well, this is when an example of going above and beyond kicked in.

The flight attendant, Joanna, to whom I had spoken about the coat, introduced me to Renata who was the senior flight director on the Air Canada flight. Renata immediately showed empathy and concern. She could see I was upset (mostly at myself), and told me she would do everything in her power to help me try to get my coat back. I knew she meant it.

Upon leaving the plane Renata accompanied me personally to the area where I would have to fill out the correct forms to try and trace my coat, which to me seemed like a long shot and a stretch at best. Renata gave me her business card and then wrote her personal cell phone number for me to contact her, all above and beyond the call of duty.

Exceptional service provider number two was Daniel, who manned the desk that Renata had taken me too. Right away he showed empathy to me and helped me in filling out the forms as I was upset. He then searched his directory and gave me the direct telephone number at Heathrow for the Air Canada lost and found dept.

Enter exceptional service provider number three, Matthew, whom I connected with at the Air Canada Heathrow lost and found the next morning. He quickly informed me that he had my coat! Keep in mind, it was in London and I was in Toronto. He advised me he would pack it up for me and put it on one of the next day’s flight’s back to Toronto. “No problem, Mr. Marcus, all part of the service and no charge.” He even called me back to give me a tracking number and told me when to pick it up at Toronto airport, after it cleared customs.

I got the call and picked it up, and amazingly the person who had helped me two days earlier, Daniel, was on duty that night and was the one who gave me my coat back. But that is not where the story ends.

Firstly, Renata called me twice to check on my progress with the coat. Secondly, and even more surprisingly, just as I was finishing this story for the newsletter yesterday, the telephone rang, and it was Joanna, the flight attendant. She was calling me at home on her own time to see if I had gotten my coat (a full two weeks later), as she was heading back to London next week, and if I hadn’t gotten it yet, she was going to bring it back with her!!

Now I will tell you that the day I lost the coat had not started off well. I was faced with a surly Air Canada ticket counter attendant at Heathrow who was having a bad day and was not going to let me check in at the business class counter for my flight and with whom I was furious with, I demanded to see a supervisor as I knew my rights as a Air Canada star alliance gold card holder that I can check in at any counter even if not flying business class, he relented after the superviser told him so but never apologised to me at all.

However there are a few lessons that this day of events with Air Canada tell us:

Don’t let one bad apple in a company ruin your opinion of the whole company
Systems and structures in place work when people care
It always pays to be nice to people. People are far more willing to help you and go the extra mile
Customer service, creating an experience for your customers, and showing empathy will, even more today, stand you out from the crowd.
Never underestimate the power of personal follow-up. Most people don’t bother. Email is good, a phone call is better.
Care about what is important to your customers. They do remember and will spread the word. I will alone share this story with many thousands of people.

To Renata, Daniel, Matthew, and Joanna at Air Canada, thank you for reinforcing my faith in true customer commitment and representing your company so well. In the big picture of things, one coat isn’t a big deal, but to me it was.
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MONTHLY INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

“Lead from behind and put others in front”
Nelson Mandela
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RECOMMENDED READING

Steve Jobs By Walter Issacson

It’s not often I review a book without finishing it but at over 600 pages this book is going to take me a while to read. I am about a quarter away though the book and enjoying every word.

Before he passed away, Steve Jobs gave the author unprecedented access to him and shared many personal things both good and bad. To Jobs credit he did not want this to be a touchy feel book, he wanted the world to know warts and all about this so private person.

My recommendation to you is if you read one book, read this one. I’m a big Apple fan, but even if you are not, you cannot deny the impact Steve Jobs had in the world of technology. You will be reading about a genius and also a human being who was flawed in many ways, and you will learn much.

A very well written and fascinating book.

Vol 11, Number 9 October 2011

webedit — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:38:33 +0000

Exciting News! My new, updated website is now live and available at www.cmarcus.com. Please check it out. It is easy to navigate, to find information, view videos and link to my blog, facebook and twitter feeds.

Let me know what you think of it please.

I still have some available dates in South Africa during my visit in April 2012. If interested in possibly combining my trip to speak to your group or organization, no international air fares from Canada to pay, please contact me directly for more information at charles@cmarcus.com

Have a fantastic month!!

To Your Success

In this Edition

Burn the Boats
Monthly Inspirational Quote
Recommended Action (this month)

Burn the Boats

There are many different variations of this story but whatever the real truth is, the lessons and message of this great story are so important that I feel they outweigh the clouded and conflicting facts.

Legend has it that in1519 famed Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes left Cuba and landed on the inhospitable shores of Veracruz, Mexico to claim the gold and treasure of the Aztec population as part of the colonization of the Americas for Spain. The Aztec Empire had withstood and staved off all enemy attacks for hundreds of years.

Cortes had at his disposal 11 ships with 100 sailors, 530 elite soldiers, some mercenaries and slaves, a medical team, carpenters and some heavy armory. They landed, set up camp, gained intelligence,, paid local informers for information, formed local tribal alliance’s and waited for the right time to attack. Cortes was a patient military strategist. However after months of waiting, his soldiers grew impatient, disease was setting in, motivation and morale was getting low, the climate was unforgiving and taking its toll. Cortes knew, ready or not, it was time to attack.

The night before he had chosen to attack he sent his trusted and loyal lieutenants back to the harbor with one simple instruction: “Burn the Boats.”

He gathered all his troops and told them what had been done. When they asked him how they were going get home, he replied, “We will leave in the enemy’s boats with the gold and treasure after we have defeated them.” Cortez and his army despite overwhelming odds fought a ferocious battle with the Aztec warriors. Many soldiers were lost on both sides, but the Spanish invaders won the battle, took the treasure and went home in the enemy’s boats.

I often think of this story when facing challenges in my own life or as I prepare for a presentation. If we did not have any Plan B, if there was no retreat, no way of going back, how much harder would we try?, would we work? Failure becomes not an option.

Next time you are facing a challenge and your back is up against the wall and the odds seemingly impossible, remember Cortez story and “Burn Your Boats”

Inspirational Quote of the Month

“Talent wins games, teamwork wins championships”

Michael Jordan

Recommended Action (a different strategy this month)

This month is not a book recommendation, although the person has many. This month I am recommending that you do yourself a favor. Search Jim Rohn on the internet or go to his website at www.jimrohn.com. There you will find many quotes, ideas and resources to make you think and challenge you to get better at what you do and who you are.

Jim Rohn passed away in 2009, but what an influence he has been on my life and those of millions of other’s, a philosopher, speaker and genius whose legacy continues to inspire motivate and change people every day.

Get rid of negative people

webedit — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:57:16 +0000

I did a posting on one of my social media feeds recently about negative people and getting them out of your life. I had a huge response. It hit a nerve and certainly resonated with people. For me personally, I had to do that in my life a long time ago, it is not always easy but I have never regretted the decision, in fact, it is one of the best things I ever did and still do today. Life is tough enough, negative people suck the life out of you. They bring you down, are toxic. You cant allow yourself to be influenced that way. Hang out with people who will bring you up, not who will bring you down.

Interesting Approach

webedit — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:50:34 +0000

I went to a bank I deal with this morning, it is not my main bank anymore but I keep a small account with them and make transactions from time to time. This morning I went in to do a deposit and the cashier told me I would have to wait five business days for the check to clear. That had never happended before to me. I asked why and was informed I was not a regular customer these days. Interesting I would be penalised for that. I was then asked which bank I dealt with the most, when I told her, the answer was why dont you do this transaction at that bank then. I told her I would, asked to speak to the manager and closed my account. You would have thought the person would have tried to win my business back instead of treating me like she did. Now they have lost what little buiness I did with them. the manager was not much help either. I say good riddance but shabby to treat people that way. Value everybody you do business with, big or small.

Taking Responsibility

webedit — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:22:33 +0000

I recently ordered some business cards from a supplier. I felt they were not done satisfactory. I was disappoined and I contacted the company who did the cards to tell them so. A strange thing happened that surprised me. The person I spoke too was receptive, showed empathy and was genuinly interested in my situation. He cared about what had transpired and when I explained it in detail, he agreed with me that they had made a mistake and gave me some options for putting it right at no expense to me. How sad it is, in this day and age that somebody taking responsibility and having a willlingness to put it right should be the exception rather than the rule and get you excited.

Usually one has to scream and shout, threaten legal or social media action to get a company to take action. It seems just common sense and good business to help the customer to be satisfied but as the old saying goes “what’s common sense is not always common anymore”

One Word Goes a Long Way

webedit — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:28:38 +0000

Consistency is a word I don’t see often enough in my day to day activities. I see people delivering it fantastically well like when we hired someone to do our deck last year in our backyard but did not see it when we followed up last week to obtain a quote to do more work from the same person. The person did not even show up for an apt. I see it sometimes with great hotels, airlines, stores, restaurants, airports but that is the exception not the norm. Sadly again it is very much hit and miss, hot and cold. It truly baffles me. The truth is the world is surrounded by lack of consistency, service at best is truly average, people having good days then not so good, sales professionals being on one day and off the next. In my work I like to think that I am a consistent performer, one of the characteristics I have found with sucessful companies and people is consistency.

An Issue of Sour Grapes

webedit — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:30:14 +0000

I recently updated my website. I had five venders completing for the task, I choose who I considered the best company in the end for the job and am delighted and very pleased with the work and results. I let the other companies know of my decision, thanked them for their interest in working with me and wished them well in the future, something I always do. One of the companies had expressed an interest to see my site after it was up and running so I sent them a link. Response was nice design and then a tirade of what in their opinion was not right with the search engine optimization on my site and in block capitals, the words I would NEVER have sent a site out like this. In England where I am from we would call this sour grapes or being a poor loser. In business today, always take the high ride, never diss the competition. If this would have been me, a better response, Hi Charles, great site, thanks for sharing, a few suggestions re your SEO, if interested please let me know, maybe I can be of service and help to you in this regard. Again great site…..This way, maybe we would have done business together, the door was open, the way it was sent to me, we will never do business, I have lost all respect for that person. The irony was some of their comments were valid, some not as we were still in the testing stage at that time, but will now use someone else to help us where we feel we need it.

Vol 11, Number 8 September 2011

admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:37:15 +0000

Greetings,

I am back after my summer break and ready to go for the busy fall season. Lots of travel planned and some local dates too. I am very excited to tell you that my new updated website is just about to launch .Please visit it at www.cmarcus.com it will go live around the second week of September. Let me know what you think of the re-branding and new look?. You will also see lots changes and new stuff like a Facebook fan page, regular Twitter feeds linked to the site, a You Tube Channel, a blog, easy downloads of articles, newsletters, speaker kit and much more. Hopefully all to serve you better.

Looking for a top class motivational or impactful business speaker for your upcoming important event this year or next?, please give me a call at 1-800-837-0629 or international at 1-905-847-2323. You can also email me personally at charles@cmarcus.com. Tell me about your event and lets discuss how we could work together.

I will be in South Africa late April 2012, if you would like to take advantage of me being in your country and saving on expensive international air fares to combine my trip to speak for your organization, please let me know. I will be also in the United Kingdom from October 31- Nov 4, 2011 if you would like to take advantage with limited dates available too..

Have a terrific month!
To Your Success

In this Edition
1. Summer Musings
2. Monthly Inspirational Quote
3. Recommended Reading
4. Services
5. Privacy Policy

Summer Musings
Please indulge me this month after the summer break here in North America as I have reflected, and experienced many different things, so I want to deviate from my usual article and make it a little more personal. Hope you will take something from it. October will see me back to my usual article column. The more I travel all over the world, the more I enjoy coming home to my little part of Canada here in Southern Ontario. It is a truly great country with wonderful welcoming people and I am proud to call it home.

I am reminded, wherever I go, that most people are good people wherever in the world you visit or live, and a smile and good manners still go a long way. I keep reminding myself that negative toxic people suck your energy and you just have to get them out of your life. I continue to do that. I’ve had a couple of health issues this year, and while these have been minor, this time last year I was in the best shape of my life training for my first marathon race but this year it is a different story. Don’t take anything for granted. Good friends are priceless. I have lots of wonderful acquaintances, but can count my true friends on the fingers of my hands.

Belief + Passion + Courage + Follow-up = the characteristics of a champion sales person. Remember, however, that one way or another we are all in sales. Think about it. Every one of us is selling something to someone in some shape or form.

I have entrusted the building my new website and creating power point slides for upcoming presentations to experts in their particular field. I have done my homework well, learned from my mistakes from the last update of my website, and realize that you can get great people, who give great service, who do great work and provide good value for what you are paying them. You just have to do your homework and due diligence.

I love my work and am so blessed to do what I do. It is a privilege. However spending more time with my family this month has been fantastic. It’s all about finding balance. I lost a dear wonderful brave friend to cancer last week here in Toronto where I live. His name was John Steinberg, a nicer person you could not meet. John hired me as a young hairdresser, new to Toronto, 38 years ago. We drifted in and out of touch for many years after that but had reconnected in the last few years. I spent a day with him about 3 months ago, just me and John. He showed so much courage, I am so happy we had that time together. RIP dear John.
Thank you for letting me ramble this month. Hope you enjoyed it, back to normal next month.

MONTHLY INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE
The quote below is thanks to my good speaking buddy, Geno Stampora.

“When I was 5 years old my mother told me happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them ‘happy’. They told me I did not understand the assignment. I told them they did not understand life” – John Lennon

RECOMMENDED READING

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
This is a fantastic book from the CEO of Zappos. Zappos is an incredibly innovative company that really gets the concepts of service and their value proposition and is top of their game. You will learn much, about finding and figuring out the right balance of profits, passion and purpose in business and in life. Not bad for starters. There are lots of golden nuggets.

To order Charles’ national best selling and impactful book, Success is Not a Spectator Sport, and to check out his other learning resources including DVD’s and Audio CD’s please visit his website: www.cmarcus.com/online-store/
or call toll-free in North America 1-800-837-0629, or 905-847-2323 outside North America
or in the local Toronto area.

The book is also available through Amazon (www.amazon.com/) and Chapters (www.chapters.ca)

The Nine Definitive Laws of Customer Service Excellence

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:03:45 +0000

We all know it takes more to get a new client than to keep an existing one, but today it takes a lot to win the heart, mind and loyalty of that customer. The consumer is savvy. You have to build trust, nurture a relationship where the customer thinks their needs are more important than making the sale or making a profit. Then, and only then, will they go beyond just buying your product or service to recommending you to others as well.

Download The Nine Definitive Laws of Customer Service Excellence (pdf) »