I really like the distinction between inspiration and motivation. While one comes from within (you can only motivate yourself), the other comes from everywhere and any where. We can be inspired by the environments we choose to surround ourselves in, the art we are exposed to and the words that flow from those we admire.
Inspiration can make you look at things differently. It can stop you in your tracks and make you rethink how you look at the world or it can push a moment of clarity that tweaks a current strategy. I try to be very aware of those that have knowledge to share, and since I’ll be involved in the Customer Contact Week in Vegas coming up, I thought that would be a great place to mine. And it’s certainly not hard.
So I collected some inspirational quotes the CCW speakers have said that might be of value to you as you work to build those employee and customer relationships.
Magic Johnson – “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.”
Ambassador Nancy Brinker – “The very first step toward giving to others is grateful recognition of our own assets.”
Sasha Chatani Lucas, Head of Digital for Verizon Fios – “People are going to stop coming to brands; brands are going to need to come to them.”
Lance Gruner, EVP of Global Customer Care for Mastercard – “CX can’t be a one-time thing, or a flavour of the month. The focus on customer experience has to be a fundamental part of your DNA as a company.”
Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO – “Key ingredient in strong relationships is to develop emotional connections. It’s important to always act with integrity in your relationships, to be compassionate, friendly, loyal, and to make sure that you do the right thing and treat your relationships well.”
Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer and CCW Influencer – “Don’t focus on the sale. Focus on the person.”
Reality Canty, Experience Researcher for AirBnB – “A company that imagines innovation while cultivating doubt in new ideas and direction is a body of freshwater promising life while inviting stagnation and death”
Meghan Borsic, Head of UX Research and Design – Consumer Electronics for Amazon – “Innovation is giving the customer what they need before they know they need it.”
Kristy Traill, VP Customer for Hootsuite – “Map the employee experience to the customer journey. It’s really important to emphasize being a customer-centric organization at every step of the employee experience.”
Jeanne Bliss, President of Customer Bliss – “Customers vote with their feet and decide if they will stay or leave based on their perception of how much we value them and how we treat them.”
Charles Ryan Minton, Author and CCW Influencer – “Employees who feel like they matter make customers feel like they matter.”
Full disclosure, I’m also going to be speaking at the event as a Customer Contact Week Influencer and part of that includes sharing a bit about the conference. As you look over some of the speakers at the event, are there any there that have inspired you? Or any quotes you love and have had a hug impact? Share in the comments. I’d love to hear them.
