Recent Presentation Titles

Leading Renewal Efforts In The Digital Age
Maybe the toughest challenge today is to effectively manage today’s business while continually preparing to renew the organization to meet tomorrow’s challenges. The harsh reality is that our batting average at leading substantial change efforts is not as good as we might like. In this session, we explore the reasons why most efforts do not meet our expectations and how we might increase our abilities to reinvent ourselves more effectively in the future. Much of the information that can be helpful has been available to us for years. In many cases, doing less can be more.

e-Customers Are People Too
Einstein once said that our technology had surpassed our humanity. If he were living today, he could have been talking about e-commerce. For most doing business on the web (or using the web to support existing channels) implementing the technology has proved to be the easier than learning to build relationships with those of us they labeled e-customers.

With notable exceptions, (Amazon, Lands End et al) most companies have spent more time and resources on technology and marketing than on enhancing the customer experience. Too many have confused relationship marketing with relationship building. To be successful in the future, companies will have to become empathetic to the customer's total xperience. They will have to get to know the customer while protecting that customer's right to privacy. They will learn to value authenticity and customer choice. They will enable their customers to lead them into the future even though they know that the customer's view of the future is usually limited. Maybe most importantly, successful companies in the future will find new and creative ways to continually dialogue with those they serve. It is through these dialogues that most of us will be best able to learn our way into the future.

Customer Relationship Management: The Myths, The Challenges and The Opportunities
The promises of Customer Relationship Management are extraordinary. Only the foolish are not preparing to gather customer specific information in order to facilitate more intimate relationships with their best customers -- and then integrating that information with marketing, finance and operational databases. The challenges of gathering and effectively using this information in ways that differentiate our offerings (in an era where high quality alternatives abound) and help us build symmetry in our relationships is a daunting task that is far more difficult than making the technology work. Perhaps the best way to measure the effectiveness of our technology is the extent to which it enhances relational activity.

The Customers From Hell and What We Must Learn From Them
Customers are more demanding and more informed. They are more willing to express their views and demand higher levels of value. They want to talk to the companies they do business with and they often want to talk to other customers who share similar needs. When they are not afforded the opportunity to communicate their feelings directly, they will find a way to communicate – and that can spell trouble for even the best of companies. Learning to listen and react at a pace that just yesterday might have seemed impractical is today’s competitive advantage. The fact that most companies are hesitant to get intimately connected to their customers provides a great opportunity for those who are willing to make a commitment to be radically different.

Leadership and the Customer Revolution
Based on the results of numerous service quality assessments Gary has conducted in a wide range of companies, he explores the common attributes of those who have successfully improved the quality of service delivery and describes the pitfalls that render implementation ineffective.

One Size Does Not Fit All (Or Even a Few)
Today's challenge is to efficiently provide exceptional value to each customer. In an era where companies face a worldwide overcapacity of everything from jet engines to crackers, many companies are radically improving the value they deliver in an environment of mass customization. Companies hoping to grow and prosper just become flexible and dramatically more productive while creating a new service culture one customer at a time.

Customer Focused Quality - Re-engineering the Process from the Customer's Viewpoint
Most delivery processes are designed for internal efficiency and have not been designed for the efficient delivery of outstanding service. Incremental improvement is not enough. Gary describes the type of changes required to successfully re-engineer the process from the customerís point of view.

Beyond Customer Satisfaction - Making "Delighting Customers" a Company Policy
No one has to be convinced that loyal customers tend to be profitable customers.In fact, studies have shown that 50%-80% of all customers who switched vendors were satisfied with their old vendors. At moderate levels of customer satisfaction, there isnít a strong correlation with customer loyalty. In this session, Gary outlines the leaderís role in exceeding customer loyalty.

Beyond Empowerment - Creating a Sense of Ownership
Leaders often talk of getting to treat customers as if they owned the business. The concept of ownership is compelling. Unfortunately, the reality is not as impressive as the rhetoric. In this session, Gary focuses on how to overcome the inevitable resistance (organizational white blood cells) of change efforts.

What People Are Saying

"Your speech was the highlight of our entire three-day meeting. You drew the audience in and held their attention. The points you made inspired our management group to a higher commitment of customer satisfaction. Your enthusiasm help communicate this challenging and intangible content."
Marilu Deignan, Corporate Marketing Director, Del Webb Corporation

"People were particularly impressed by your powerful delivery and the clarity of your examples, as well as how well they related to their own customer satisfaction situations and issues."
David Crisp, Vice President, Hudsonís Bay Company

"Leadership, customer loyalty, front-line ownership, Gary Heil rises above the rhetoric on these issues. As a Baldrige Examiner and internationally recognized quality and service expert, he has had a significant impact on American Business."
Thomas J. Garvey, President, Chase Manhattan - PFS

"Gary delivers a call to action. He tells us we have to stop talking about change and start making it happen. Heís candid and tough, and filled with provocative ideas and smart suggestions."
Richard Thomas, Executive vice President, American Honda