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

Vol 12, Number 3 March 2012

webedit — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:29:39 +0000

In this Edition

1. The Courage to Stand Up
2. Monthly Inspirational Quote
3. Recommended Reading

The Courage to Stand Up

As many of you, who have followed me for a while or have heard me speak will know, I spent the majority of the first 30 years of my life with a stutter, or stammer as it is called in the UK where I grew up, that had a major impact on my ability to communicate. Words did not come easily for me. For this reason, you will understand why this story resonated with me.

In October 2011, the New York Times ran a story about a young man named Philip, who was attending college in Randolph, N.J. The story tells of the young, enthusiastic student who was eager to answer a question in class, and raised his hand. For most of the 75 minutes of the class, he kept his hand up, only to be ignored by the teacher. Why? Philip had a stutter.

In fact, early in the semester, the teacher had sent an email asking him not to participate in class, and to communicate with her via email before and after the class if he had any questions!!

As this became front and center at the college, several of his classmates spoke about the relevance of his comments in class and how this added to their learning. Yes, it took him longer to get the point across, but so what.

In addition to putting his hand up in class and holding it there for 75 minutes, he chose to bring it to the attention of the college dean. The Dean’s solution was to put him into a new class, where he has been able to contribute actively. To me, this is passing the buck, not addressing the issue. But that’s a whole other topic for another day.

This story gives me reason to pause on more fronts than just the stuttering front.

How often do we miss the opportunity to learn something because the person sharing the lesson takes a bit more effort to listen to?
How often do we judge people because they do not fit into a “norm” we understand or have learned about and dismiss them and their opinion?
How often do we squelch potential because embracing it and developing it takes energy and patience?

Anecdotally, I had the opportunity to meet Philip before this college experience. Several years ago I was asked to participate in a forum the National Stuttering Association were having at their annual conference. Philip, back then, was a confident 14 year old young man who manned a camera and acted as official videographer at the conference with his jazzy hats.

I remember speaking to Philip and his mother, and what stood out for me was that although he had a very visible stutter at that time, it did not stop him from wanting to communicate and lead a normal life. When I was growing up with my stuttering I did not have half the courage and confidence this young man had.

To Philip Gerber Jnr, I admire you for sticking to your principles and rights, for bringing the very misunderstood and uncomfortable subject of stuttering for many people,to the forefront. My hat is off to you young man. You will go far in life with that attitude and courage.!!!!!
______________________________________________________________________ MONTHLY INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected”
Steve Jobs
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RECOMMENDED READING

The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business by Charles Duhigg

A fascinating read on our habits. The author’s research and terrific stories reveal how habits are part of us and shape our lives. The book is complex in parts, but stay with it as it really brings to light an important aspect of our own success. The author is certainly an expert on his topic and I will find myself using this book not only as a research tool but to take a look at my own life. It has been said once you have read this book you will never look at yourself, your organization or your world quite the same. I would not disagree with that statement one bit.

Vol 12, Number 2 February 2012

webedit — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:40:27 +0000

In this Edition

5 Game Changers
Monthly Inspirational Quote
Recommended Reading

5 Game Changers

I am going to South Africa at the end of April for business and pleasure, and I am very excited. It will be my first time to that beautiful country.

In doing my research I came across the term: “The Big 5”, which was coined many years ago by hunters related to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt, based on the degree of danger and for the difficulty in hunting them on foot.

It got me thinking, what are “The Big 5” in business? From my perspective, here they are.

Impact: Everything we do and say, has an impact on people. People are judging us all the time, weighing us up, and making a decision as to whether we are worth listening to. Impact, is a statement about you and what you are all about. There is only one chance to make a great first impression. With impact you can influence people as well as to impress them. One is short term, the other can last a lifetime.

Connectibility: I have said this many times, “relationships are the key to success in any business or other endeavor.” My first boss in sales, Joe, used to say,“Who are you breaking bread with”. What he meant was, who are you were spending your time and connecting with from a business perspective? this will have much bearing on your success. Build relationships based on trust, mutual respect and win win situations. Always be looking for opportunities to connect with people.

Clarity: Clarity makes crystal clear to people what your message is. Too many people speak in what I call “gobblety goop.” Their message is not clear. It is not succinct, and the outcome is not guaranteed. Clarity is power…it lets people truly understand what you are saying to them, there are no misunderstandings.

Sustainability: Sustainability refers to staying power. To have longevity in business, you have to evolve, stay current, know the future trends influencing your business…where it is going, continue to grow your capability, and be willing to reinvent yourself if necessary. It’s about innovating and renovating what you do and delivering world class service and value for your clients.

Resilience: This concept means bouncing back and staying the distance… hanging in. I call it “guts”. The ability to endure and persist. In any sales related business it includes making those phone calls, sending introductions out and sending follow-up thank you notes. It means not wimping out with an email when a call or face to face meeting is needed. Risking rejection and disappointment. Great business people are truly gutsy.

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MONTHLY INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

“You always pass failure on the way to success”
Mickey Rooney
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RECOMMENDED READING

How to Drive Your Competition Crazy By Guy Kawasaki

One of the beautiful things about books is you can put them on your bookshelf for weeks, months or even years and then discover them again.. This is exactly what I have done with this book. It has been around a long time, but after re-reading this book I now realize why I enjoyed it so much. The message, lessons and information ring true today as they did years ago. It is perfect for anybody in business, especially in entrepreneurs or sales and marketing professionals. A truly informative read.

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.