Unique Selling Proposition

McGraw-Hill is Happy to Announce My Book Hits Bookstores this Week – Leading The Starbucks Way

    By Joseph Michelli, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Starbucks Experience “An accessible and practical guide to corporate success.” Publishers Weekly “Organizational consultant Michelli serves up a new helping of the recipe for business success he offered in The Starbucks Experience.” Kirkus Reviews   The international success of Starbucks begins with a…

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Courting, Dating, & Loving – A Customer Experience Journey?

Somewhere in our lifetime, most of us have run across Maslows’ hierarchical theory on human motivation (physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem, and self-actualization). It is within this framework that Maslow introduced the concepts of people asking Am I safe? before asking Am I loved? Chip Conley in his book Peak took a deep dive…

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That Nonreplicable “Something Else”

We all know the saying: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” But, what does that actually mean for your company and the relationship you form with your customers? Well inevitably great business ideas will be duplicated, replicated and/or “borrowed.”  The upside of this reality is that overall products and services are improving as more…

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“Leading the Starbucks Way” – How they are doing it right & why YOU should follow

Starbucks has become one of the most successful businesses in the world.  If you need proof – simply look to their record breaking earnings numbers released this week!  The brand’s success isn’t only because of their triple vanilla latte (although that certainly hasn’t hurt the cause.) In fact, there is much more to the success…

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Guilty as Charged – Seeking Consistency

While I have never considered myself a social media expert – I do know something about the importance of consistent experiences.  That said, on the social media front I would rather not get a report card.  I am certain that in the comments section of a social media grade report I would see words scrawled…

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The Human Experience – Lessons from the ICU bedside

My vantage point on customer service and customer experience have certainly grown in the past 5 years. Much of that growth comes in the form of empathy gained from encountering complex healthcare delivery. In the past series of days, for example, I have run the all too familiar gauntlet of being with a close family…

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Can you handle the truth about social media hype?

Do you remember Jack Nicholson’s character in the 1992 movie, A Few Good Men, Colonel Jessep, delivering that powerful line “You can’t handle the truth”? Well, I suspect for some of you today’s post will carry a similar challenge as it relates to a hidden truth about success and social media.  That truth is brought…

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Connecting People to a Culture of Connection

In an interview recently, I was asked what is the biggest “small detail” business leaders overlook today.  How would you answer that question? For what it’s worth, here’s my response: “I think many business leaders fail to teach their staff that true success hinges on emotionally engaging and not merely satisfying customers.  Few leaders inspire their…

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Do you want return calls from sales prospects? Focus on the personal!

I’ve long championed a simple truth “all business is personal.”  That’s why I believe customer experience is as much about relationship building as it is about product and transactional excellence. A recent study conducted by Reachable powerfully demonstrates the criticality of relationship building when it comes to gaining access to make sales.  Here’s the big payoff…

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More to Business than Money!

My mother often exhorted me to appreciate that “if I couldn’t say something nice, I shouldn’t say anything at all.”  I typically adhere to that motherly wisdom and it has served me well.  On this occasion, however, I have to sidestep Mom’s sage input.  Spirit Airlines, a low-fare, no-frills, air carrier based out of Ft…

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FREE RESOURCES

The Starbucks Experience: Leadership Tips eBook
Elevating Care in Healthcare: Lessons from the UCLA Health System eBook
How to Win Every Customer, Every Time, No Excuses! Article