Like This Job (Book), some free offers and a few articles.
First, your big news. If you deal with customers -- particular
customers who act difficult and get upset, take advantage of our huge
discount on our book "If It Wasn't For The Customers, I'd Really Like
This Job: Stop Angry, Hostile Customers COLD While Remaining
Professional, Stress Free, Efficient and Cool As A Cucumber." About
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and strategies to deal with difficult customer situations.
What's the discount? The price? List priced is $16.95 but will
increase after our introductory pricing. We are offering you, as
work911 newsletter readers, a 50% discount, but only for a limited
time, if you order through createspace (owned by amazon). I believe
they offer a money back guarantee just like amazon, so there is no
risk. YOUR PRICE: 8.47 HOW? Your discount code is VANFLNKL. Here's
your link to order: https://www.createspace.com/3446368 This offer
will end without further notice and probably within 4 days, so if you
want this book get it now. Prices will NEVER be lower.
Neat, Useful Offers of the Day
So, do we have free stuff for learning, or what? Well, yes. Or rather
some of our partners have some good publications, depending on your
interests. Some are still running from our last issue, and there's a
few new ones to check out.
Training Magazine Free Subscriptions
Great publication, great offer. Free subscriptions if you live in the
USA. If you are involved in training, development, workplace learning
or HR this is highly recommended, and its free. Your link is:
http://work911.tradepub.com/free/tran/
"The Facebook Marketing Guide" (I grabbed this one, since frankly, I
don't get how to benefit from Facebook for business)
This 26 page guide will help you understand the tools available, how
they're used, best practices and how to set the tools up, but that's
just the start.
Facebook is fast becoming a powerhouse of marketing activity due to
the sheer numbers of engaged users on the site and the simplicity of
connecting with them directly. If you're promoting a business,
product, band or some other public figure, you have probably been
advised at some point or other to "get a Facebook presence" because
"Facebook is huge".
In order to make the best of Facebook for marketing, you'll need to
understand the tools available, how they're used, best practices and
how to set the tools up. But that's just the start. Once you start
piecing together this puzzle you'll be able to manage your marketing
efforts across multiple Facebook products with ease and style. Also
with this free guide you will also receive daily updates on new cool
websites and programs in your email for free courtesy of MakeUseOf.
http://work911.tradepub.com/free/w_make29/
Free Books Summaries
Access this page to download a number of nifty book summaries free of
charge. The sponsor sells subscriptions but you can get these
summaries at no cost as part of their promotional efforts. Take a
look, browse, and grab as many as you want.
http://work911.tradepub.com/c/search.mpl?keyword=summaries&x=0&y=0
Web 2.0: Engaging Customer Passion"
By selecting the right tools for your company's particular product,
brand or campaign, your organization can fulfill the desire and
expectations that customers now have for interaction.
This white paper examines the ways in which organizations can tap into
Web 2.0 interaction as part of the marketing strategy and tactics to
create customer engagement by matching visitors' passion and to figure
out the "best fit" for the new opportunities that present themselves.
In doing so, you can address online visitors in each phase of their
buying cycle including awareness, interest, desire, action and
satisfaction.
http://work911.tradepub.com/c/pubRD.mpl?sr=oc&_t=oc:&pc=w_sdlt02
"Angry to Evangelist – Six Steps to Flip the Switch from Angry
Customer to Loyal Fan"
As you read through these six steps, think about prior experiences
you've had with your customers. Take the time to think through those
situations and come up with ways you could have made them better. You
may be practicing some of these steps already, but that doesn't mean
you can't improve. This eBook will provide you with some examples of
what you can say/write, but please don't consider them a script. Throw
your scripts away. Your attitude, sincerity, and a well thought out
strategy are all you need.
There's nothing groundbreaking here, but that's kind of the point.
Getting back to the basics of customer service is what you need to do.
Expanding on those basics and applying them to real-world situations
is what makes them work. Take what you learn here and apply it to your
business. Remember, customer service is the new marketing; your
customers can sell for you or they can sell against you.
With this free eBook you will also receive periodic email updates,
tips, and best practices relating to customer experience, customer
service, leadership, and word-of-mouth strategies.
http://work911.tradepub.com/c/pubRD.mpl?sr=oc&_t=oc:&pc=w_deli01
Finally, for those of you who are perplexed about the whole social
media/business thing, here's something that will explain the current
thinking about using social media for business. I'd caution you,
though, that much of the current thinking is a product of hype and
hope. Read this with a critical eye, and keep asking yourself, "How do
they know that?"
Using Social Media to Connect With Your Customers Online -Free 93 Page
eBook"
Social media isn't just a list of destinations. It's a new standard of
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will.
MarketingSavant historically published their Guide to Emerging
Marketing Technology and Social Media eBook which acted as an
invaluable eBook to guide marketers through the most practical, useful
and marketing-friendly technology tools like blogs, email, widgets and
video. This eBook takes that one step further and offers more than 90
insight-drenched pages covering the following topics:
Social Media – What is it?
Social Media Strategies & Channels for Sales and Marketing
Why you should care
What to do next
What's Possible?
http://work911.tradepub.com/c/pubRD.mpl?sr=oc&_t=oc:&pc=w_mard01
Feature Article
I came across this lost article as I was revamping our articles area
on work911.com (http://work911.com/articles.htm), and it reminds me
that in every profession, including training and development, there
are a fair number of fools trying to bilk customers. That's a serious
issue, but sometimes it all turns into some very funny stuff. The link
to the web based article is: http://work911.com/articles/goofytrainers.htm
(By the way, you can now comment and interact on all our articles in
the revamped area)
The Educated Training Consumer
Trainers are From Mars, or Is That Pluto, or, Maybe Just Goofy
Unfortunately for consumers of training, while there are some
excellent trainers, and a lot of good trainers, there's a fair number
of "goofy" trainers, trainers who are incompetent, and even worse, not
aware of their own limitations. This is a fairly serious issue for
both individuals and companies who want to maximize the "bang for the
buck" for their training investments. As part of our Educated Training
Consumer series, let's start by identifying some of the potential
pitfalls associated with attending or purchasing training.
Some Background
Here's the thing. Unlike professions like Law, Medicine and
Accounting, anyone can simply call themself a "trainer" (or a coach).
No qualifications are required. No education is required. No expertise
is required. And, no experience either. Some trainers enter the field
through rigorous study in areas like Psychology, or Education, or move
into the field from other fields where they may have been involved
with training delivery, or acquired valuable experience. Some
perfectly fine trainers enter the field in other ways that help them
develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge that will help them
deliver effective training.
And then there are the goofy ones, the inept and incompetent. There
tends to be a pattern associated with goofy trainers, and that is that
they tend to have little interest in theories, or disciplined study,
and tend to get their expertise from superficial and fadish pop
psychology books, or from what they call "life experience". It's not
always clear why their life experience, so valuable and powerful that
it qualifies them to teach others, is somehow better than YOUR life
experience, but that's a detail goofy trainers don't usually concern
themselves with.
The goofy position is "I can see that method x (or instrument y) works
with my own eyes, and it works for me, so therefore I'm going to
conclude that it will work for everyone else". This philosophy is
identical to saying: "I can see with my own eyes that the world is
flat, and so I'm going to teach it to everyone". That's not good.
The truth is that not everyone can train well, and not everyone is cut
out for training. Training requires skill and knowledge for it to work
well.
Here's an real life example, taken from a message posted by someone
who does sales training (name removed to protect the goofy). It
appeared on a discussion list with over 3,000 "trainers" and "coaches"
in virtual attendence.:
"There are key traits (physical features) in the face that one can
identify that relate to an individuals buying style. For example: A
convex (Greek nose) looks for the bargain.
How much does is cost and is it worth it? Whereas the ski jump nose
will look for how the product or service will benefit them. Exposed
(hooded) eyelids just needs the basic information to make a decision.
If you waffle on with these people they will either interrupt or loose
interest.
The narrow face will be hesitant in taking on new situations. Offer
them the support and it will take the anxiety out of their
decisions....
The face reading system I use has been well researched to be 92%
accurate.
There's no way of knowing where and how this person adopted the belief
that one could predict behavior on the basis of the shape of someone's
nose, but there's no doubt that this trainer believes in this, and is
attempting to make a living teaching others about this magnificent
system. Note the final sentence referring to the "research", which is
never referenced of cited so this "proof" can be examined. It's
typical of goofy trainers to hint at research or studies supporting
whatever hair-brained ideas they have. Usually they haven't actually
read that research directly, and have come across it tenth hand.
One can only sit back and have profound sympathy for anyone having to
sit through "training" offered by this person. What is perhaps even
more shocking that there was not a single response questioning this
person's beliefs from any of the "professionals" on that list.
Here's another example, which is probably more amusing than anything
else, again written by a trainer.
I remember Pluto onced asked his teacher, Which way is the best way to
teach - "By asking questions..." If you tell them they could argue,
but if you asked them, whatever they say reveals their thoughts and
makes teaching easier for you.
Now, Pluto may be a character from Disneyworld, along with Mickey and
Goofy, and it's certainly the name of a planet, but it might behoove
this particular trainer/coach to track down the "quote", since Pluto
is not Plato, and it probably does come from Plato. Still that
requires effort, and one of the characteristics of goofy trainers is
to never read a primary or direct source. Actually READ Plato (or
Pluto)? Nah. In all seriousness, the goofy trainer seems not to feel a
strong need to verify his or her knowledge, information and skills,
and that's really the point. Goofy trainers really do "make up" a lot
of stuff, and present that stuff as fact. And that's not good either.
Do you want a trainer that confused Pluto and Plato? Or doesn't bother
to check a source, or verify the information he or she uses?
Why Do Some Trainers Get Goofy
There are countless examples of trainers who have no clue what they
are doing, and put training attendees through useless exercises and
activities that most informed and rational people would conclude are a
waste of time and energy. But how does this happen? Well, part of it
has to do with a growing anti-intellectualism in training (and some
other fields), and that, in turn ties into the ease of entrance into
the field. So, let's look at a few more messages to understand why
some trainers get goofy.
From the same list where nose shapes are promoted as predictors of
behavior, and Pluto is quoted, here's a short excerpt from a message
on what constitutes "proof".
I have noticed a curious tendency among some members of this list
(only some!) to seek to have things proven, as if it is possible to
prove them beyond all doubt. This seems to be a symptom of using
reason too exclusively...
Certainly, there are other ways of knowing and experiencing the world
besides "reason". But one has to wonder whether many of us would say
the same thing about an accountant, or a medical doctor or even a
plumber. Personally, I want a plumber who can "reason". I also want
and expect trainers to be able to reason. Silly me.
And another comment from another trainer/coach explaining why science
and the scientific method is something worth ignoring.
And in the meantime with the urgency to scientifically prove the
outcome we loose humaness such as love, caring, understanding loyalty
and compassion.
We can't be absolutely sure what the writer meant here, but it's a bit
perplexing as to how the desire to validate what trainers do
necessarily has to result in situations where "we loose humaness". But
we can guess that this individual (and perhaps a number of others who
exhibit this kind of anti-intellectualism) have very little first-hand
experience with scientific inquiry. And probably don't care whether
what they are saying is "rational" or not.
And finally, here's a quote taken from a message which urges other
trainers to be more careful, and apply more critical thinking about
the claims made by colleagues (and that's good). But what's
interesting is the belief expressed below:
What is truth? Truth is in the eye/mind/heart of the beholder and it's
constantly changing. Each of us has our own truth.
This is a common perspective, that facts, truth, knowledge and so on
are so personal and relative that there is no body of truth that
crosses across individuals. It's the ultimate if self-centeredness
driven to extreme. My truth is my truth. Which is fine until the
person expressing this position is being paid to teach and train
others, while at the same time believing that truth and knowledge is
"relative" and constantly changing. Because what they teach is "their
truth", and since any old truth is as equally valid as any other old
truth, they don't tend to make the effort to look outside of
themselves to check to see if "their truth" has any applicability
beyond their very small patch of turf.
This is one reason why some trainers use pop psych. personality
inventories in their training...because their favorite inventory
confirms their "truth". And the "trainer's truth" is somehow different
from the truths of everyone else...it's well...better, more universal.
So while truth may be in the eye of the beholder for most people, the
trainer's truth is somehow worth imposing on everyone else's truth in
training. Following that? If that doesn't quite ring right, perhaps
what you want is a trainer who is a little more rational, logical and
intellectually disciplined.
Innoculate Against Goofy Trainers
Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering hiring/choosing
a trainer.
1) Talk to the trainer if you can. If you hear a lot of buzz words, or
empty phrases, back away. A competent trainer will be able to explain
to you why s/he does what s/he does in clear English that makes sense
to you. If the trainer sounds even remotely like a fortune cookie, or
can only explain a training method by saying "It works", then that's a
good tip off that the person doesn't have the depth of understanding
that you want a trainer to have.
2) Here's a key goofy warning sign. A competent trainer will spend
much more time getting information about what you need compared to
telling you what s/he can offer you. Excellent trainers customize what
they do for each client. Poor trainers tend to use the exact same
training tools no matter what kind of subject matter is involved and
no matter what YOUR needs are. One common example is a trainer who is
convinced of the usefulness of some specific personality type
instrument, and uses it for every training situation he or she is
involved in. The problem is that these "one-trick ponies" will only be
effective if the pet technique accidentally happens to be something
that will address your needs. Training success should never be an
accident.
3) Don't buy into the notion that a trainer only needs "some"
knowledge about the topic on which he or she is providing training.
That's nonsense. Even basic training on relatively simple topics
requires the trainer understand way more about the topic than what's
going to be covered. That's because the trainer should be able to
answer learner questions that may go beyond the basics. The more a
trainer knows and understands about the topic, the better he or she
will be able to explain even the simple things. Deep understanding is
important when teaching, because it supplies the why's of what's being
taught.
4) Finally, if a trainer doesn't ask WHY you want to do the training
you have in mind, that's a major warning sign. Part of the trainer's
responsibility should be to help you ensure that the training actually
meets your needs. Without knowing why you want the training, there's
no way a trainer can take on that responsibility. Good trainers will
ask why, and evaluate whether their offerings will get you where you
want to go. They will refuse to provide training that will fail.
Goofy trainers tend to ride on the surface of the wave, and will
rarely tell you when their offerings will be a waste of your time and
money. That's because a) they believe what they offer is a gift from
on high and believe what they have will help everyone and b) they tend
to be more interested in riding their pet ponies around the arena in
front of people than actually helping you.
We've just scratched the surface here, and in further parts to this
series we'll provide you with more tips on getting the most of
training, whether you are looking to hire a trainer to deliver courses
to your staff, or whether you are trying to choose training seminars
to attend.
So...thhhat's all, folks, for now.
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