Ask Yourself In Entertainment

Culture Soup Seminar - Top Take Aways

 

The Culture Soup Seminar last weekend turned out to be an energetic and interactive success. Since this was the first times I shared this information outside of my own projects, I had no clue what to expect. Here are some of the top hot topics that seemed to charge my guests the most!:

#1) Use "&" - In improvisation, the word AND is used to propel a scene into unexpected and creative directions. Why don't you use AND when interacting with guests? Ask yourself, "What 1 Extra thing can I add to this interaction to make it memorable?".

#2) Just Be A Person - Just because our predissoesors(s) and the guy sitting next to you sounds so "Corporate" doesn't mean you have to. Remember H2H? Keep it human. You are talking to a human, treat them like a human. Don't say it if you wouldn't say it to your crazy grandma. 

#3) Use Catapult Phrases - Which sounds better to you? A) Please hold while I transfer you Vs. B) I'd love to transfer you to the expert on that topic, would you mind holding? - Sets a very different tone, eh?  

#4) The Three Acts of Guest Experiences - Don't forget that loyalty is built in the first act and third act (of service).  The time BEFORE people intact with your product or service and the time AFTER they interact with your product or service are just as important as the product or service itself. 

#5) You Don't Need Permission -  You don't need permission to start treating your customers and guests better. Just start. You are not going to lose the customer. Your not getting fired for being nicer. It takes no additional time or money to set a positive tone. 

Thank you to the 20 passionate people who come to the seminar despite the only snow storm in NYC this year! It makes me feel pretty damn awesome knowing there are others who are just as excited about remarkable care and service as I am. 

Let's keep evoking passion in others through remarkable service!

Project Postmortem

We work in entertainment like monkeys swinging from vine to vine in a jungle. Instead we swing from Project to project. And, If you are not working on multiple projects then chances are you are working in a company that has repeating cycles.

To make “art” or to generate income you have to create something and to ship it. The idea, I would like to think, is to be better in each incarnation of your work.

Doing a postmortem can excel your ability to evolve to be a better “artist”. Or atleast a more sustainable one.

Example: At StarQuest, we are about to finish the buying and manufacturing process for the 2012 traveling Merchandise System. Once those massive 300 SKU bad boys are on the trucks to their respective city, the person acting as the buyer, the warehouse manager, some vendors, and I will have a good ol’ web-ex conference to do an autopsy on this year’s design process.

Do I have the time for it? Probably not. We are about to launch three tours. But… I don’t have the time not to… If I don’t take the time now, then all our minds will be focused on other attributes of the show.

Your always busy, I get it, I know. But are you to busy to be way better the next time through?

Take time when you finish a major cycle in a projects, talk through it; what went well; what could go better. Take notes, put benchmarks on a calendar, make the tweeks to the templates now! Even if its just you. Do it.

Gotta “Ask Yourself” the questions if you want to grow

 

Etsy Is Smarter Than Your Store Clerk.

 

The expectation your guests have from you is higher than ever. Before they get to your website, they now expect you to know who you are buying for, what you will want to get them, and give you a few recommendations for things you didn’t think about.

Check out this remarkable service by the amazing website Etsy. With your permission, it connects to your Facebook page and recommends gifts for your friends based upon their interests.

http://www.etsy.com/gifts/ - Share this link!

Trippy, right? The internet is watching you… Even when buying your friends some trinkets.

Whether you like it or not, the need for speed, accuracy, intimacy, and customization is here and it is not going anywhere! The people who buy from you do indeed want their minds to be read. You can complain that your customers are lazy; you can whine that they want you to understand them more, but if you are not taking steps now to do so, your competitors are.

Way to go Etsy for making it possible for artists to share their work in an ‘iArt’ world!

Now… How do we make H2H just as intimate?

 

 

Simple Apps to Increase Productivity

Announcing the Ask Yourself Production favorite Apps!

I love when technology helps me create and ship more. I am passionate about inspiring people, and when I can achieve more in less time, I can offer more memories and more inspiration to others. Here are some apps that have increase my ability to organize and do more. Enjoy!

Evernote

 I don’t have a good memory, I don’t pretend to have a good memory, but man oh man, Evernote helps me remember everything. I have it on my Mac, my iPad, and my iPhone. All three devises sync together so I share information across all platforms. If I take a photo of a menu at a restaurant, it turns the words on the page into text and all I have to do is a search for the name of the entre I loved and it pops up. If I see a piece of furniture that inspires me to create a show, SNAP! This program is like crack for the inspiration junky who sees something and wants to take notes through text, photo, audio, web clippings, you name it. And best of all, its FREE!

 Skitch

I just learned about this one. It’s by the same people that made Evernote. Ever see something,  you want to take a photo it and make notes for your staff or friends right on the photo? Well this puppy does it. Fast and easy. Check out the video here. Again… FREE!

Hootsuite:

I use social media for my own brand and at StarQuest. Hootsuite keeps it all in one place. I never have to open up facebook or twitter  and switch from account to account to see what is going on. Best of all, I can customize the screen to present me with information I deem to be most important. Basic version is FREE!

 Flipboard:

I am not one to watch the news. The news is a problem-oriented platform. I want a solution-oriented platform. I also want to be up to speed on what is going on in the world. Flipboard does it for me. I get to choose what type of content I want to digest and from what publications and news feeds. I puts all the content I want to read in an amazing layout. Its intuitive, its pretty, it knows my habits, and it knows what I want to fill my brain with. It is on my iPhone and iPad AND… Its freakin Free!

iCloud:

Ok, Ok, this one is not an App, however it is a function of all these fun productivity generating toys. The fact that my Mac, iPad, iPhone, and .me account all sync together makes my jaw drop. If I add something to my calendar or address book it automatically syncs up to all my other devices. No more having to remember to sync my phone or write a date down in multiple places. Also, if I lose my iPhone under the couch somewhere I can unlock it from my computer to make noise even when it is in silent mode. Wow! What was that you say.. Yes its FREE too…

 So… I showed you mine, why don’t you show me yours!

 

WhyX3 - Resolutions on Speed

 

Now that you have set your goals, drank your Champaign, and kissed your true love… Have you asked yourself WhyX3? What am I talking about? Please let me explain...

Lets take a hypothetical New Years goal for an actor:

My Goal is To be in a Broadway Show

Now…. Lets ask Why 3 Times:

ROUND #1
Q: Why do I want to be in a Broadway Show?
A: Because I want to make audiences excited and Broadway creates the most excitement.

ROUND #2
Q: Why do I want to make audiences excited?
A: Because when people get excited they forget about their current anxieties, when people lose their anxieties they are more open to change.

ROUND #3
Q: Why do I want more people open to change?
A: Because if more people were open to change, then we would be able to achieve more as a species.

Now here is the kicker… Once you have your third answer redirect your question:

Q: What other ways can I use my talents to help the human race achieve more as a species?

Who knows where your mind will take you. This little exercise may give you one more nugget to finding additional places where fulfillment can come from. You may even get to know yourself a little better.

Everyone’s answer is going to be different. I believe everyone on the planet has a purpose. It’s up to you to filter through the noise and keep yourself on target. Ask yourself “Why”.

Enjoy. Create Art. 

 

The Three Acts of The Audience Experience

Act 1 - Your audience's experience with your product/event before they interact with it (Preparing).

Act 2 - Your audience's direct experience with the product/event (Attending).

Act 3 - Your audience's experience after the product/event (Follow Through). 

If you fudge any of the acts, you compromise your guest's perceived value of their experience. Most importantly if you fudge the third act, you miss out on some major loyalty-building opportunities with your audience. 

Luckily for you and me, most of of our competitors forgot about the 3rd act all together. 

Score!

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Join me at the first ever CULTURE SOUP seminar in Janauary! All about building outstanding relationshsips with your customers!

The First Ever - Culture Soup Seminar

Over the last few months, the Concierge program at StarQuest was the strongest it ever has been. Our concierge program is designed to maintain loyal relationships with our guests in the dance competition industry.

In a world with a lot of noise, our concierge team did a fanatical job at getting in touch with our guest base and building stronger and sincere rapport with our following.

I built the concierge program at StarQuest, and it is constantly evolving. It was exciting this year to put together the most solid training program we had yet. This system allowed for StarQuest to increase its marketing through loyalty based initiatives.

Giving great service is in my DNA. As I mentioned earlier, H2H is an important element in the ultimate event experience, and it seems to be the part that I am strongest at.

If you are a reader of this blog, you are like me and have a hankerin’ for new ways to grow as a sales/service representative!

I invite you to join me at the public premeir of my Culture Soup Seminar!

This program is an abridged version of what I do at StarQuest. It is designed for the entertainment professional to gain stronger incite on how to build stronger relationships with their guests.

The best part is, the tickets cost the same price as a dinner during happy hour!

$35.00 if you come by yourself
and
$29.00 per ticket if you bring more than yourself

Here is video being released to the AYiE blog readers here! I am not posting anywhere else until Wenesday, so first availability to yall!

 

For more information about this seminar visit

www.ItsInTheSoup.com

 

 

Congratulations = Your Art

I was heading to buy an iPad the other day for work. 

I told a friend that I was going to pick one up, they said "Congratulations!". 
I mentioned it to a sales clerk at clothing store, "Congratulations!" they replied sincerely. 
I bought the iPad at the store, "Congratulations!" the man who sold it to me said. 

Wow. Why is it three different types of people said congratulations to me? I didn't buy a home, I didn't win a race. 

You hear "Congratulations!" when you have your Bar-Mitzvah, or get married, or when you receive your drivers license. You have created a moment in your life that excels you as a human, you are adding additional value to your journey. 

How amazing is it that Steve Jobs and Apple created a product that is worthy of a "congratulations". People perceive the iPad as a device offers value. 

Isn't that what good art is supposed to do? Add value to our day and help us grow as humans?

When people interact with my products, I want to hear others say "congratulations" to the recipient.

Art can be:
A newly designed spreadsheet to simplify your office's work process. 
An amazing new script designed to tell a story through a new lens. 
A new marketing plan dedicated to delivering valuable content to potential buyers. 
A home cooked meal for friends intended to stimulate the sense. 
A way to light a show so the audience gets lost in the performance. 

You get to pick your art. 

Ask yourself: is what I am doing adding value? If the answer is no, then look for what steps you can take to make it art. 

Congratulations! 

The Mission Vs. The Project

 

I want to be on Broadway

Vs.

I want to give people the opportunity to lose themselves through laughter.

 

I want to be a Producer

Vs.

I want to force people to look at the world though different lenses.

 

I want to write a best selling Novel

Vs.

I want to show the world that true love exists.

 

I want to be a TV game show host

Vs.

I want to make ordinary people do extraordinary things to realize they are not ordinary at all.

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The mission is more important than the project.
What are you REALLY trying to do?
Knowing what your mission is makes it a lot harder to fail.  

You're Not Perfect And That is Perfect Enough

Who says you need to be perfect?

Who says your spelling has to be the best?

Who says everyone needs to like you?

Who says you need the graduate degree?

 Who says you need to be the best manager?

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Forget what they told you in high school. Do you have a vision that is worth following or don’t you?

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-Steve Jobs was known to not shower.

-Michael Jackson was known for being insecure.

-Martha Stuart is known for being domineering.

-Jeffrey Katzenberg  is known for being an ogre.

None of them are/were even close to perfect, but all of them have something massive to leave behind.

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Be the best you and what you want to be the best at.
You get to select your legacy, imperfections and all.