BACKGROUND

What is the magic of Disney? How can you duplicate it? Doug’s leadership experience at the Walt Disney University provides the backdrop for fascinating stories, unique insights and invaluable lessons. Learn how certain skills, attitudes and behaviors contribute to exceptional performance to build, win, and keep market share. Legendary service is a delicate balance that attends to both the art and science needs of your employees and customers. Market leaders realize this, yet even the best and the brightest make mistakes. The hallmark of an outstanding organization is the ability to deal with setbacks, then bounce back in even stronger form.

“Doing the ordinary in an extraordinary fashion” isn’t rocket science – customer service excellence should be ingrained in the culture of every company. In this ever-changing economy, more companies than ever before are realizing the strategic importance of transforming their service into a market differentiator. There has been a huge demand for Doug’s message from those in the legal, healthcare, public accounting and service professions.

Doug, who is famous for his learn-by-doing approach, will accomplish these objectives by combining a combination of experiential exercises, participant-centered activities and some eye-opening "behind the scenes" stories from his career at Disney and as a consultant to Fortune 500 corporations. This keynote speech is a great choice for an opening session at your conference, creating a high-energy and memorable kick-off message. Equally effective as a closing keynote speech, Doug studies conference curriculum and breakouts, then masterfully incorporates vital learning themes into his wrap-up keynotes. Doug’s unique and engaging story-telling presentation style will examine how to build and keep market share through service excellence.

PROGRAM

Doug customizes all presentations. Needs-assessment time with Doug is included with every project. Doug gives great attention to organizational challenges and/or mission when designing all clients’ programs. Presentations may be a 1-hour keynote or up to 3 hours in a workshop format. Using a variety of activities and approaches, Doug keeps the attendees energized and engaged by including individual and group exercises that encourage participants to return to their job and share these best practices. Customer Service, Communication and Motivation programs may contain any of the following learning modules.

• What is Your Magic?

  How do you find, then hold onto the magic in your organization? Here's a hint: it's all about balancing art and science! Answering this question will unlock your service differentiator and clarify: why should customers come to you?

• Customers for Life - Keeping it Simple!

  This segment highlights Disney's four, non-negotiable, rules for success. Following these over the decades has ensured a huge family of fiercely loyal and over-the-top enthusiastic employees and customers. You'll agree, simpler is better.

• Branding, Disney Style

  So, you don’t have a famous mouse, duck or tiger? So what! Anyone can build a durable brand. Do you have what it takes? Here’s a hint, budget is the least of your concerns.

• R.A.P.S. Active Listening Strategy

  This communication tool introduces proven techniques for solving problems, building relationships, and handling those “unpleasant confrontations.”

• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

  Doug explores the role of the leader and employees in tearing down the departmental silos that can destroy teamwork, communication and effectiveness. Doug shares some legendary examples of how Disney and other world-class organizations get it done … strategies that anyone can use to excel.

• Creativity – Disney Style

  Do you understand what truly excites your customers? What is the best way to hold onto your top-performing employees? How is it possible to motivate “short timers” in a seasonal business? Most companies don’t really know. Does yours?

• Lights, camera, action!

  Really – all business  is show-business! Learn how Disney encourages employees to put on their best “show” in front of the “guest” with show business language and concepts, including terms “on-stage and off-stage behavior”, “cast member”, and “costumes”.

• Body language – what’s more important? Words or tone?

  Words such as "please" and "thank you" are meaningless when tone and body language aren’t in synch. Everything your customer sees, hears or touches impacts their experience. Delivering world-class service requires careful orchestration of the entire customer experience from spoken to unspoken messages.

•  SCSE Comprehensive Service Philosophy

  Doug shares Disney’s “SCSE” comprehensive service philosophy to illustrate how Disney achieves and maintains service excellence. The key? Absolute transparency and consistency of objectives!

• The Parking Lot Principle

  The parking lots at Disney theme parks are huge assets used to create customer service differentiators. How? At what cost? Doug will share some great examples of how the best leaders turn operational “musts” into their competitive edge. What is the equivalent of the parking lot principle in your company? 

• Walk in Their Shoes – What Time is the 3:00 Parade?

  Yes, we all get them … the "stupid" questions! How do you and your team handle them? What can you learn from them? This segment will give you lots of  laughs and ideas!

• Life as Tigger

  This hilarious story animates how employees can positively address inter-departmental strife. Doug shares his experience as a costumed character and the power of job-sharing.

• Attitude – and Keeping it Alive

  What truly excites your customers? What is the best way to hold onto your top performing associates … now and also after this economy rebounds? How can you take your service to unprecedented levels? Just listen to how Disney brilliantly handled common customer challenges to help motivate employees and create service magic. It’s all about attitude.

• Popcorn Empowerment

  This communication tool introduces proven techniques for solving problems, building relationships, and handling those “unpleasant confrontations.”

• Mental Toughness in a Challenging Economy

  “Do more with less." "Cut budgets, improve service." These are current realities … and can lead to catastrophic burnout and turnover. How do you and your team cope? What can you do to take your creativity, energy and brand to the next level?

Want more? Check out Doug’s other speech topic pages for additional learning modules

TESTIMONIALS
"Wow! Wow! and Wow!……pretty much sums up your presentation at the Tony Robbins’ Personal Power Seminar. You were sensational! I especially appreciated the fact that you customized a program to fit the needs of our audience. You did your homework and it showed! The audience loved your storytelling, unmistakable depth of knowledge and quick wit. You held their attention throughout the entire program. In short, Doug, you made us look good!!"        Tony Robbins’ Personal Power Seminar 

“Thank you for the two presentations you gave last year. You skillfully blended your presentation with small group discussions, enabling all participants an opportunity to get actively involved. Your pre-program interviews of ADAC employees and customers really kept the focus on our specific goals. The topics you facilitated created such a high level of interest that we invited you back to present again to help us analyze our resolution strategies in more detail. Each team left that meeting with clear actin on how to further enhance customer service successes. As a recipient of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, we realize that our efforts to ensure highest quality products and services in never-ending. Your presentations and real-life examples helped us to remember this!”         ADAC Laboratories  (now Philips Laboratories)

“I am glad to hear from you as I wanted to follow-up and let you know how much we appreciated your speech, particularly the customization of your messages. We had tremendous feedback from the participants. Your speech provided an important context for our messages. It was very good to work with you and I appreciate the time you spent upfront preparing for the session. I will certainly keep you in mind when working with other clients!”         Scotia Bank

“I wanted to touch base with you, Doug, to let you know that after you left, our CEO began his presentation, he said (for the first time that I can remember) what a great speaker we just heard and how he really liked and related to the presentation.  Kudos to you! I've received many, many other positive comments. Thanks you again for a thoughtful and really fine presentation.”          BlueCross BlueShield

“You did something not a lot of professionals do: you listened, and incorporated the unique needs of our law firm into your program. Because you are a professional, you would have been good without customization. By being flexible and client focused, you were great. We are a tough crowd to please and you are probably the best speaker we’ve ever had! I just sent your name to a firm this morning that was looking for a speaker.”          McGuireWoods Law, LLP

“You have given over 40 presentations to our clients. You consistently provided them with substantiv, content-rich material in a presentation style that is always upbeat and entertaining. In essence, we got a motivational speaker and a business consultant wrapped into one package!”           Merrill Lynch

“I want to say a very sincere thank you for your time and presentations at this week’s Spirit lunch and breakfast! We’ve received numerous messages from attendees reinforcing how much they enjoyed your presentation! You captured the spirit perfectly and engaged all of us with messages that were relevant, tangible and do-able! You’ll be a hard act to follow! I hope you had a safe trip home and we look forward to working with you in future!”           Whistler Chamber of Commerce

“In all my years of event planning, I've never seen a speaker do such an excellent job integrating our strategy and messaging into their presentation. It's typically an after-thought. You clearly had our best interest at heart.”           Allstate Insurance