Customer Service Training, Tips, Articles & Videos with Myra Golden
Downtime: What I do Offline to Recharge
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Most of you know me from my online presence as a blogger, webinar host, eLearning producer or through social media. My online presence is so strong that it leads some people to think that my entire professional life is online. That’s not true, of course. My core business is actually delivering keynotes at conferences and conventions and conducting customer service training for some pretty cool clients. But still, I do spend a lot of time online.
So how do I spend my downtime? How do I recharge when I’m offline? Many ways actually. For starters, I limit my work hours. My workday ends at 2:15pm when I leave to pick up my son from school. Three times a week I break away mid-morning to go for a run. My runs energize me and jump-start my creativity. Several times a month I meet with girlfriends over breakfast or lunch just to reconnect and recharge.
After work hours I stay happily busy cooking for my family, helping my kids with homework and attending my kid’s football and basketball games. When I have downtime in the evenings, I love to sit down with a good book and a glass of merlot. Right now I’m reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and the Zappos Experience by Joseph Michelli.
I enjoy my time online, but I love my life offline. Work life balance is critically important to me. So I make a point to recharge in wonderfully refreshing ways. Now let me ask you the question I’ve just answered in this blog post: What do you do offline to recharge? How do you achieve work life balance?
This is Freedom to Me
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My daughter embracing her freedom
This morning I enjoyed a long leisurely breakfast at one of my favorite breakfast cafes with my girlfriend from junior high school. After the perfect spinach and tomato omelet and lots and lots of laughs, I said goodbye to my friend until next time and I came home and retreated to my patio. I picked up my iPad to finish the last few pages of “Freedom” a novel by Jonathan Franzen. As I finished Franzen’s masterpiece of a novel, I was reminded that freedom is truly mine.
I put my iPad down and walked barefoot through my lawn, thanking God for my freedom. Instead of being cooped up in a cubicle, stuck in a boring meeting, or jetting off on a plane, I had just spent the morning catching up with one of my closest friends and now I was soaking up sunshine, enjoying a breeze and barefoot in the grass. This is freedom to me.
When I left my Big Time corporate job 11 years ago, it wasn’t because I didn’t like the job. I actually loved it and I worked with some pretty amazing people. But I didn’t feel free. I worked an average of 45 hours a week, was on a plane a couple times a month and my 8lb laptop came home with me every night. I left my job because I wanted freedom. Of all of my accomplishments as an entrepreneur, my most prized achievement is gaining true freedom. Certainly I still work. But now I work lakeside, on my patio, and from my home office. And the best part is I control my calendar. My calendar doesn’t control me.
What is freedom to you? What choices might you make today to get you closer to your freedom?
A year from now you may wish you’d started today.
–Karen Lamb
Tags: Freedom, Jonathan Franzen, Myra Golden, work-life balance
How I Achieved My Goal of Running a Half Marathon
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On Sunday morning I crossed the finish line at the Disneyland Half Marathon, completing a 13.1 mile run. This time last year I couldn’t even imagine running a quarter of a mile, let alone running more than 13 miles. So how does a 43-year-old woman who couldn’t see herself running 1 mile a year ago complete a half marathon?
I used the old tried and true S.M.A.R.T. method for goal attainment and added to that accountability and FUN. You’ve probably heard of S.M.A.R.T. Goals. It’s simply setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bounded. Here’s how I made S.M.A.R.T. plus accountability and fun work for me.
For at least 20 years I’ve wanted to run, but it wasn’t until last year that I felt inspired to run. I watched a friend, a busy mother of 3, train for and successfully run a 15K. I remember thinking, “If she can do that with her busy schedule, I can too!” And exactly one week after my friend’s successful 15K run, I started a training program called Couch to 5K. Couch to 5K is designed to take people like me from the couch to running 5K (or 3.1 miles). With much sweat and exhilaration, I completed the 9-week Couch to 5K program. And then it hit me. Why not train for a half marathon?
I was S.M.A.R.T., Accountable and FUN in my endeavor to run a half marathon…
Specific. My goal was very specific. I wanted to run a half marathon. That’s 13.1 miles. I didn’t want to just run a few days a week, run 3 or 4 miles here and there or “someday run a marathon.” I didn’t want to run 13.1 miles on local trails. My goal was to run a half marathon in an organized race. Specificity draws us to our goals like a moth is drawn to a flame. Get specific with your goals.
Measurable. Measuring the success of this goal was easy. I’d either successfully run a half marathon or I wouldn’t. Whatever your goal is, have some sort of measuring stick to let you know your progress toward the goal.
Attainable. Achieving goals requires that the goal truly is realistic and doable. Because I’d completed the Couch to 5K program, I knew that I could already run 3.1 miles. I had developed the habit of running. Starting out from the couch and setting a goal to run a half marathon within 8 weeks may not have been attainable for me. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by setting outlandish goals. Be easy on yourself by setting goals that are realistic and doable for you at this point in your life.
Relevant. When goals are relevant with other goals in your life and support your short and long-term goals, it’s far easier to focus on and achieve your goals. Physical fitness was an important personal goal for me. I want more energy to be able to keep up with my 11-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son. I want vitality throughout my life. Running a half marathon was completely relevant to my overall goals.
Time-bounded. When I set out to run a half marathon, I chose a definite event and a definite date. I immediately paid my non-refundable registration fee. Having a definite date to work for and money on the line helped me to focus on the goal.
And I added accountability and fun to my S.M.A.R.T. goal
ACCOUNTABLE. I got my entire family involved in my training. They all knew that I ran every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and they knew the distance I was to cover in each run. Every Saturday during my 18 weeks of training, my 8-year-old son would meet me at the front door when I returned from my long runs and ask, “Did you do it mom?” With great expectation, he waited to hear me say, “Yes! Mommy did it!” When I’d feel like giving up on long runs, I’d always picture my son’s face. I never wanted to return home to report that I couldn’t finish a run. My son and my entire family held me accountable. Find someone to hold you accountable to your goals and if possible, put something on the line that will make it hard for you to give up on achieving your goal.
FUN. I made achieving my goal fun! I selected the Disneyland Half Marathon in Anaheim as the destination for my run. That way, the entire family would get to enjoy it. (This destination also kept me from backing out because my kids were so excited about going to Disneyland.) How might you make achieving your goal fun and exciting?
Try setting S.M.A.R.T., Accountable and FUN goals. When you do, you’re certain to achieve your goals. Good luck!
Tags: 13.1 miles, Goal setting, Half-Marathon Training, S.M.A.R.T. goal setting
This Note From a Satisfied Client Just Made My Day!
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Just got a note from one of my cool new clients. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of knowing you have met and exceeded a client’s expectations. 
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How I Build a Keynote Presentation for a Client
What a Myra Golden Training is Like
How I Build a Keynote Presentation
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One of my favorite things do in my work is to craft a custom keynote for a client. I love the building of a keynote almost as much as I love delivering the keynote. Here are the 6 steps I take to craft my dynamic keynote sessions.
1. I start with a launch discussion with my client. In the launch discussion I ask my client a ton of questions: What keeps you up at night about your current customer service position? Where do you need your customer experience to be 5 years from today? If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your company culture, what would that one thing be? My objective is to find out exactly what my client wants to accomplish by working with me.
2. Next, I go undercover as my client’s customer. This is often a lot of fun. For a specialty retail store chain, my client gave me $500 to go shopping at 3 of their stores. When I’m working with call centers I will listen to recordings of phone calls or call in and be the customer. I worked with a large church recently and my family and I were “undercover” visitors checking out the ushers, greeters, signage and worship experience. My favorite undercover assignment was for a salon and day spa. I spent 3 months visiting their spa to get massages, Caribbean pedicures, hair color and even days of beauty. I know, I live the life. My undercover experience gives me data I need to come back and report on what my client does well and to give them a strategy for improving the customer experience.
3. I’ll interview a handful of employees. I’m usually hired by management. To ensure my keynote is relevant to the audience, I always interview a handful of employees to learn what challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. These interviews are so insightful and often the meat of my presentation comes from what I learn from the employees. They tell me what the organization needs, what problems customers face and they give me ideas for process improvement. I love interviewing employees because the message I get from the interviews gives me credibility with the audience — because I’m speaking the audience’s language.
4. I gather stories and examples from the real world. The way to engage an audience is to present compelling stories, examples and analogies. After determining my client’s objectives and my strategy for improving their customer experience, I go out and find great companies that have mastered what I’m trying to help my clients accomplish. Sometimes, many times actually, I share stories from my own experiences as a customer. People tell me my stories are the most compelling part of my keynotes.
5. I find a way to make my keynotes interactive. Whether I’m speaking to an audience of 75 or 1,100, I get my participants involved in my presentation. In a recent keynote I divided my audience into small groups and had each group pull out their smartphones and iPads to quickly research a company and report back to the large group. To help a company with corporate change, I facilitated an activity where participants had to make 10 changes to their appearance within 30 seconds and they had to live with those changes for the duration of my keynote. I used this exercise to teach my audience that they could live with forced and immediate change, even though it may be uncomfortable. Making my keynotes interactive keeps audiences engaged and it makes the session fun.
6. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. I’ve been speaking professionally for almost 20 years and I still rehearse every speech I give. I rehearse my content, movement, gestures, pauses…everything. You can never practice too much.
Want me to speak at your next conference? Visit my website to explore my speaking topics and to contact my office. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you.
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Are you a corporate trainer who is looking for customer service training to deliver to your team?
What a Myra Golden Training is Like
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I am best known for my classroom customer service training – and it is amazing! If you poke your head into one of my training sessions, you know this training is different. Participant involvement is astonishing. People are having fun and they are completely engaged. Most importantly, my participants are learning real-world strategies that will absolutely empower them to deliver exceptional customer service. Take a peak inside one of my recent customer service training sessions below.
Every one of my customer service training sessions is custom designed to meet my client’s objectives and every session delivers a measurable return on investment. All training development starts with a “Launch Discussion” where I spend 2 hours or so exploring my client’s training objectives and I learn what keeps them up at night about their current customer service situation.
Training design and development continues with research. I ask for recordings of customer service phone calls and I listen to them so that I understand fully what my clients need. I work with my clients to design realistic case studies, role-plays and learning activities that are relevant. The result: A completely custom, objective driven training session that changes behavior.
Customer Service Training topics include:
- Beyond WOW! Customer Service
- Telephone Techniques
- How to Deal with Difficult Customers
- Empathy Training
- Social Customer Service
Read what my clients have to say about my customer service training. Why not explore my customer service training offerings?
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Myra Golden Interview with Emmy-Winning Journalist Cindy Morrison
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I had the great pleasure of speaking to the Oklahoma chapter of National Speaker’s Association. After the event, I did an interview with Emmy-Winning Journalist Cindy Morrison (@CindyWMorrison). Cindy and I have followed each other on Twitter for years. It’s great to tweet, but it was even better to meet!
Sit back and watch this short interview as Cindy and I discuss ways to run your business more efficiently. Enjoy!
Myra Golden speaks at Micsoft’s Dynamic Business Week
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Microsoft Hosts a Week of Online Interactive CRM Conversations.
Industry experts including Microsoft Dynamics executives will offer insights and information on emerging CRM trends.
When: June 14–18, 2010
What: Hosted by the Microsoft Dynamics CRM team, an online series of rich, interactive conversations about social CRM, sales performance management, marketing management and customer service operations.
Where: Online at http://www.dynamicbusinessweek.com.
Myra Golden’s Session details:
Friday, June 18, 2010, 9 a.m. PDT
| • | Myra Golden topic: — Making Your Contact Center a Strategic Goldmine for the Enterprise |
As a customer service and public relations consultant, Myra Golden helps brands build value by giving them systems for listening, engaging and better serving customers in daily interactions and across social media. Considered one of the pioneers for leveraging social media for customer service, she has helped hundreds of companies design and implement a comprehensive social media strategy for listening to and getting involved in online conversations about their brands. Golden has designed and implemented customer relations programs for such clients as Verizon Business, McDonald’s Corp., Coca-Cola Co., National Car Rental, Michelin and Frito-Lay.
How to view: Sign in with your Windows Live ID account or Facebook login information.
How to interact: Microsoft executives and select presenters will be available throughout the event and will respond to discussions taking place on popular social networks, such as Twitter, using the #dynbizweek hash tag. Attendees can also network with select speakers, as well as with one another, using the interactive event platform and through online social media.
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Q & A with Myra Golden
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The SOCAP Annual Conference will feature a Spotlight Session, “Leveraging Social Media to Monitor Consumer Feedback.” The moderator for this session, Myra Golden of Myra Golden Media, recently sat down for a short Question and Answer interview to talk about social media and the panel she will lead at the SOCAP Annual Conference.
Q: As a Spotlight Session presenter at this year’s SOCAP Annual Conference, what are some key messages or ideas you hope to convey to attendees?
A: My goal with this session is to equip customer care professionals with the ability to listen to online conversations, get involved in those social media discussions and use social media tools to engage customers and resolve problems. We are still in the early phases of social media’s influence in the customer care world, but we have also come a long way and learned a lot. I want to fast-track SOCAP members by helping them avoid the pitfalls I have experienced firsthand and sharing the methods it has taken professionals like me years to figure out.
Q: Social Media is clearly a hot issue within the customer care profession but can we expect this buzz to be a passing trend or will it become an integral part of the business approach to customer care?
A: Social media is a hot issue and I don’t think it’s a passing trend. A recent report from Nielsen found that Twitter is the fastest growing “member destination community” on the Web, with an annual growth rate measured at a staggering 1,382%! FaceBook also continues to more than triple its annual membership as consumers are turning to social media to gripe about brands, create trouble-shooting forums and reach out to companies directly. Cutting-edge organizations like Comcast, JetBlue Airlines, Starbucks, and Cox Communications realized this early on and are now reaping the benefits of well-developed social media contact channels. We can definitely expect more consumer-brand interaction on social media outlets and higher expectations from consumers on brand responsiveness through social media. I envision the day when social media’s use as a customer contact channel is as crucial to companies as email is today.
Q: What significance do you see for customer care professionals in having a Spotlight Session on this topic at this year’s SOCAP Annual Conference?
A: Even before the economy took a downturn at the end of 2008, social media was emerging as a leading tool for integrating multiple sectors of the customer care profession. But now, the need to cut costs, combine operational tasks and offer new customer services has made social media that much more important. This Spotlight Session will hone in on the power of social media to cut costs while still building, restoring and strengthening customer relationships.
Myra Golden’s Spotlight Session on “Leveraging Social Media to Monitor Consumer Feedback“ will also include insight from industry experts Richard Clancy, formerly of Sony Electronics and Frank Eliason of Comcast Corporation. Be sure to attend this exciting Spotlight Session and take advantage of all the other outstanding activities at this year’s Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona by registering today.
Join SOCAP International and our global community of customer care experts at our 2009 Annual Conference, October 11-14, at the JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson, Arizona.
http://www.socap.org/Events/2009annual/index.html
Fall Opportunities with Myra Golden
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HOW ZAPPOS DOES SERVICE – A CUSTOMER SERVICE COMPANY THAT ALSO SELLS
August 25, 2009 1:00 – 2:00pm ET
For Zappos customer service comes first, with the aim to acquire customers through word of mouth and retain existing customers through good service. In this program Myra Golden reveals what Zappos has done to not only build there image but how they retain their customers through exceptional service. Join us for a 60-minute audio conference where you and your colleagues will discover:
- How to surprise & delight customers and get them talking
- What it takes to build positive team and family style spirit
- How to reflect your corporate culture to the customer
- How to apply Zappos strategies to your customer service needs
http://www.pbconferences.com/Y9/0
SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE NEW CUSTOMER SERVICE
September 10, 2009 Omaha, NE – Society of Consumer Affairs Heartland Chapter
Omaha, NE
Myra will share all social networking communities brands need to be listening to and participating in and will walk participants through the process of exactly how to do it. Participants will walk away positioned to surprise and delight consumers who post gripes online.
THE CONFERENCE by Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce
October 6, 2009
Wilkes-Barre, PA
1 day mega business conference 5 tracks, 25 presenters, Keynote by Myra Golden –“Beyond WOW”
http://www.the-conference.biz/
LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA TO MONITOR CONSUMER FEEDBACK
October 13, 2009 Tuscon, AZ
Social media is a major buzz word in Consumer Affairs, but how do you leverage social media tools to track consumer feedback? Who should own this process? Are there “rules” for using social media to monitor consumer feedback? What works and what are the pitfalls to avoid? These questions and much more will be the focus of this Spotlight Session moderated by Myra Golden and including top social media and industry experts. You will hear firsthand insights about using social media tools to engage with consumers and participate in hands-on exercises to help you advance your overall understanding of social media.
http://www.socap.org/Events/2009annual/spotlight.html
I work with companies that are serious about delighting and keeping customers. My blog includes thoughts, articles, videos, and even rants about customer service. Thanks for stopping by. :)
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