Dr. Geoff Smart

Geoff Smart is the #1 thought leader on the #1 topic in business. He is the Chairman & Founder of ghSMART, a leadership consulting firm, and his purpose is to help leaders amplify their positive impact on the world.

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Successfully Convince a CEO in 3 Steps

Here is your chance. You don’t want to blow it.

You have a meeting scheduled with a CEO. Your goal is to convince her…

to spend $1m on your product or service, or to make a large donation to your cause.
to hire you, to promote you, or to give you your dream job.
to invest in your idea.

What are ineffective ways to convince a CEO?

Many people “show up and throw up” and push a lot of information at the CEO—either verbally, or by PowerPoint. I’m not sure what the reason is why many unpersuasive people follow this approach. Maybe it’s to “show you know what you are talking about.” But it does not make a CEO say yes. I recall when my firm was interviewing law firms. Two partners from one firm came to a lunch meeting at a restaurant with a thick glossy marketing brochure. I remember the ominous “thud” the document made as it hit the table. By the end of the lunch, I understood a lot about their firm and their goals, but they did not know much about mine. We did not select that firm.

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The 2 Secrets to World Class Service—It’s Not What You Think

Today, I watched over 100 of my colleagues crying.

Their.
Eyes.
Out.

The reason was that Nick Stoyer, Learning and Development Leader at Four Seasons Resort Orlando, was revealing some secrets to world class service.

And his stories were so compelling, so powerful, that many of us were overwhelmed with emotion. Nick was generous enough to stop a ghSMART summit to share some secrets to success. And he and his firm agreed to allow us to share them with you.

How does the Four Seasons deliver world-class service across the globe?

That was the central question. Below are some excerpts from the conversation. I hope you find the insights as powerful and as useful as we did.

Geoff: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is known as the gold standard for service worldwide. It has achieved more Forbes Five Star ratings than any other hotel and resort brand in the world, among a long list of “best of” awards. The experience is unique. And it’s consistently awesome. Any company in any industry can benefit from learning from your example. The question is HOW DO YOU DO THAT?”

Nick: Long before it was fashionable for CEOs to talk about doing good in the world, and treating “stakeholders” (also known as “people”) well, Four Seasons has been practicing the Golden Rule—to treat others as you wish to be treated. Our Founder Issy Sharp, son of Polish immigrants, started Four Seasons in 1961 in Toronto. It seemed to him that if you wanted to build the best hospitality company in the world, you had to treat your colleagues and guests the best.

Geoff: Easier said than done.

Nick: Right!

Geoff: So is it all about defining metrics and meticulously measuring your employees and holding people accountable, as so many companies do?

Nick: No.

Geoff: What do you mean, no? That’s management 101, right?

Nick: Yes. Maybe. But we have a different approach.

Geoff: What’s that?
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3 Reasons Why Recessions are Awesome for Great Companies

It may be jarring to read the word “recession” and “awesome” in the same sentence.

Recessions are bad for most people. I will not make light of how horrible recessions are for the vast majority of companies and their employees, (as well as for not-for-profit organizations, and governments).

For most companies, recessions mean increased stress at work, stalled career progression or even lay-offs, uncertainty, increased board and shareholder pressure, increased financial strain, and they put a feeling of looming danger in the pit of your stomach, which is no fun to wake up to every day!

But for great companies, recessions can be awesome.

What are great companies?

Great companies make great products or deliver great services to customers. They provide a wonderful work culture which attracts and retains talented people. And because they take great care of customers and employees, great companies don’t have a dangerous debt burden, they are profitable, and are able to pay their bills to suppliers and they deliver an attractive return to investors in dividends and equity appreciation.
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