Competing With Superior Customer Service
Business have always complained about competition. But now that you can buy products and services more conveniently and cheaply on the web, how can a brick-and-mortar business compete? The same way they always have — by providing customers with a superior experience they can’t get anywhere else.
Scott Listed as #1 Motivational Speaker in San Diego
Just got listed as “#1 Motivational Speaker in San Diego” on Thumbtack.com . Not bad, especially considering I live in Los Angeles! There’s an interview with me, as well.
Wait For It: A Lesson in Success From “The Carrot Seed”
Yesterday I read my daughter the oldest book on her bookshelf, Ruth Krauss’ The Carrot Seed. This 99-word story brilliantly tells the tale of a little boy who plants a carrot seed and continues to care for it, even though everyone in his family tells him it won’t come up. In the end (spoiler alert!), […]
Do Motivatonal Speakers Make People Happier?
Recently someone emailed me the following question: “Do you think motivational speakers help people find happiness?” It’s an interesting question. My answer is no. I don’t believe most motivational speakers help people live more happily. And usually that’s not why organizations bring in motivational speakers. They’re not concerned about their group being happy. They concerned […]
Using “Social Proof” to Motivate Teens
I’ll never forget my first junior high dance. Loud music, flashing lights and 300 kids standing around the perimeter of the multi-purpose room, nervously staring at the empty dance floor. That is, until the DJ played “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash. This was my friend, Denise Evans’ favorite song. Unable […]
Conducting the Experiment of Your Life
I’m the farthest thing from a scientist, but I have tremendous respect for those who can work that side of the brain. What I admire about scientists is how they draw conclusions. They don’t work much with feelings. They work with facts. I recently spoke at a large university and talked with the students about […]
The Fear of Transition
The morning of my wedding I wept like a child. I remember waking up alone in my apartment, walking into my bathroom and staring at my tearful, red eyes in the mirror. It wasn’t the jitters. I knew Rachel was the one. I had no qualms about marriage. What scared me was adulthood. When I […]
It’s Not About Earning; It’s About Learning
This time of year college students swarm back to campus. As a motivational college speaker, this is a busy time for me as I get invited to present back-to-school programs and new student welcomes. For the third time I’ll be presenting to 6000 incoming freshmen at UCLA, my alma mater. According to the UCLA Undergraduate […]
Letting Loved Ones Fail
I was interviewed recently for an article on the topic ofgoal setting. I was asked how to help people set realistic goals. In a prior blog (In Defiance of Doubt: The Wrongness of Naysayers) I talked about how naysayers have a false claim on reality. They’re always happy to tell us what’s realistic. In this […]
In Defiance of Doubt: The Wrongness of Naysayers
A few months back I was hired to present a motivational speech at a high school outside of Chicago. After my program, an assistant principal asked for my help. “Scott, we have a paraplegic student who always says he wants to play football someday. After your speech, he came to us and said, ‘You see? […]
