By now you’ve probably created your wish lists and sent them to the boss with a note about how good you’ve been all year. I’m talking about your IT wish list, of course - the one that lists the technology you want in the new year. What list did you think I was talking about? Now that you mention it, I guess there are some similarities between IT pros and jolly ol’ Saint Nick. Besides their affinity for neck beards and wearing the same thing every day, both Santa and IT pros have a bit of magic about them. Here are some other ways your IT pro is just like Saint Nick. They know if you’ve been naughty or nice. Better hide those illegally downloaded TV shows on your desktop and run your anti-virus software, because your IT pro has a monitoring tool with customized alerts and Santa Claus is coming to town. They’re used to squeezing into tight spaces. Your IT pro feels right at home sliding under your desk where they can access the wires and ports needed to get the job done. But Santa wins this one, because he sneaks down the chimney while you’re sleeping, avoiding any awkward small talk about your weekend and holiday plans.  Both are led by bright lights. Your IT pro knows there’s a problem when red lights shine on their diagnostic dashboards, and Santa has Rudolph’s nose to lead the way. They are the kings of their respective domains. Everyone knows humans aren’t allowed in the North Pole (except for the Buddy the elf), and don’t you dare enter the server room. They always get the job done just in the nick of time. It’s amazing what Santa accomplishes in one night each year, always delivering just before the sun comes up, just like your IT pro, who gets your PC, Mac or mobile device back in action right before your important meeting or deadline! You kind of forget about both until certain times of the workday and year. Both are great gift givers, especially when it comes to tech gifts. They’re used to working on holidays.  Both accept cookies as thanks for their hard work (but wouldn’t mind stock options for a change.) They zip around the world at superhuman speeds. Your IT pro wins this one, because while Santa makes his way around the world in a single night, your IT pro is solving problems all over the globe from the comfort of their home (or anywhere else) thanks to GoToAssist. How else is your IT pro like Saint Nick? Thanks to Spiceworks users, Don Whitehead, The Data Master, Nic, Bermanistan, Glenn3837, JerryPerk, Ashbot 2.0, Bob 169, C_J and others for contributing ideas for this blog post. Be magical like Santa with remote support from GoToAssist. Start your free 30-day trial just in time for the holidays. To learn more, download the white paper Anatomy of Support Desk 2.0. Photo credit: joriel

The holidays are a time for reflection, and with that in mind, I’ve been looking back over some of the topics we’ve discussed this year to pull out my top 5 tips for people with an interest in remote working. Simplify your decision-making process. We make so many decisions on a daily basis that it’s impossible to get every single one right. We should try to follow President Barack Obama’s lead and ensure we don’t make any unnecessary decisions. This allows us to focus on the crucial choices - where to work from and how to be more productive. Get the basics right. It’s no good developing fancy pitches or shiny, new business tricks if your core services are not right. We should never be afraid to revisit these basics and make sure they’re functioning as effectively as they can be. The same applies to personal success: if you need a refresher in a certain area, then go for it - don’t neglect your core skills. Don’t be afraid of competition. Competition is something companies and employees should relish - we better ourselves by ensuring we are greater than our business rivals in every area that’s important. Competition also helps breed innovation. Why settle for doing the same thing your rivals are when you could be taking new approaches? Put your headphones on. If you really, really need to get a piece of work done then and there, don’t be afraid to put your headphones on and drown out the distractions. Each of us has a different taste in music, but research has shown we perform better when listening to our favorite songs. Keep a to-do list. We all need a little help from time to time keeping track of what must get done and in what order. That’s why I always make sure I have a to-do list at hand for tracking my essential tasks and other daily duties. Some of you may prefer digital, and some paper, but the most important thing is to find a method that works for you. Photo credit: Werner Kunz

"Merely satisfying customers will not be enough to earn their loyalty. Instead, they must experience exceptional service worthy of their repeat business and referral. Understand the factors that drive this customer revolution." — Rick Tate, Author The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: Earning customer loyalty takes time, patience and honesty. If you approach each customer with the intent to create a customer for life, this will alter how you address customer service. You’ll start to treat each customer interaction as an opportunity for engagement and relationship building—rather than as a routine transaction. Furthermore, as you engage with customers, you’ll begin to not only meet their needs, but you can take it a step further by anticipating your customers’ needs. Organizations that provide anticipatory service differentiate themselves from the competition—while earning customer loyalty. At The Ritz-Carlton, one of our Service Values is "I build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life." Our leaders established an organizational culture that prioritizes and values authentic guest engagement. Our employees—known as Ladies and Gentlemen—are encouraged and empowered to express genuine care and creativity. What else could your organization do to build and reinforce every customer relationship? ∞ The Blog Post Inspired Thinking: Customer Relationship & Loyalty appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Tuesday marks the start of the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where companies will convene in Las Vegas to show off the very newest in technology. CES can be overwhelming: there are meetings to go to, taxis to clamor for, gadgets to demo, parties to attend. The trick is making sure you’re ready to tackle it all by packing appropriately. Here are a few things we suggest arming yourself with before you head to Las Vegas: GoToMyPC - Why lug a laptop on the plane when you can rely on your mobile device? With GoToMyPC you can access your Mac or PC files, network, email and programs from anywhere. Whether you’re on the show floor or catching up on mail from your hotel room, you can stay productive and work the flexible hours you choose with the GoToMyPC apps for iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire and Android. Comfortable shoes - With hundreds of thousands of people descending on the city, there’s simply not enough taxis for everyone. Be prepared to walk, and take advantage of the monorails whenever you can. Water bottle - Not only is CES mentally and physically draining, it’s in the desert. Stay hydrated. Battery chargers - You don’t want to miss a Tweet opportunity because your device ran out of power. Make sure you’ve got chargers for all your devices so you can stay connected throughout the show. The key is sticking to the essentials that keep you comfortable and connected so you can fully experience CES. And with remote access to your office computer from your mobile device, you may just choose to extend your stay in Vegas a bit longer. Photo credit: Tech Cocktail

Dear Ritz-Carlton: How do you give a unique, memorable experience when you have 20,000 guests at once? The above question is from an attendee at "Symposium: Your Journey to Service Excellence" in April. Answer from John Cashion, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: Our Credo states very eloquently: "The Ritz-Carlton is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission." At The Ritz-Carlton, we cannot focus on the amount of guests we need to serve because that would make our guests an obstacle to success—as we are clearly outnumbered. Instead we focus on creating a rich and substantial dialogue during each interaction.  When you are delivering service, it is about the person in front of you and ensuring that our employees—known as Ladies and Gentlemen—are "staying in the moment." We must listen to our guests and get to know more about them than they know about us. We do this by using words like "tell me more" and asking open-ended questions such as "How was your tour?" or "Which store did you enjoy the most during your shopping excursion?" This allows us to be focused on the details and ensures every interaction is natural and culminates into a positive, memorable experience. We feel that by providing an individual experience our Ritz-Carlton Mystique will be strengthened. If each Lady and Gentleman is delivering genuine care at every opportunity, then we are creating 35,000 unique memories every day. ∞ Join us for a one-day symposium, "Your Journey to Service Excellence." The day includes a keynote speaker, a Q&A session with The Ritz-Carlton executive panel, an optional networking reception and presentations about legendary service, employee engagement and a customer-centric culture. The Blog Post Dear Ritz-Carlton: Unique, Memorable Experiences for All? appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

It’s that time of year again. After all the holiday festivities, you try to commit to a New Year’s resolution in January. But before you decide, have you thought about how your resolution could benefit your work life? Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Be creative. All of us want to be more creative in the workplace, and New Year’s is the ideal time to do something about it. It can be something as simple as having a weekly brainstorm for each project or taking up a new hobby. Work somewhere different. A different seat in the office, a coffee shop, a coworking space, the car park, the kitchen table! Finding a new workspace will help you refresh your working habits and perform at your best. In fact, why limit yourself to just one spot? Different tasks require different surroundings, so use January to experiment and see what works for you. Adopt flexible working hours. Terrible at getting anything done until 10 AM? Instead of wasting your and your employer’s time sitting there doing nothing,  come in an hour later, stay an hour later and watch your productivity skyrocket. Make sure you ask your employer if flexible working is an option, and remember to present the benefits if not. Get the right gear. Make sure you have the right kit to work effectively wherever you are. A good mouse and keyboard, a decent notebook and pen and a reliable phone will make your workday so much easier. You don’t need to spend tons on something fancy just because it looks good in the ads. Work out what tools you need to do your job and plan your workspace accordingly. Sort out your broadband. For people looking to work regularly from home, the biggest headache can be issues with remote connections to servers, meetings or email. The vast majority of these can be addressed by giving your broadband connection a boost. The time you invest in January shopping for the best, most reliable deal will be returned several times over throughout the course of the year. What are your resolutions for the work year ahead? Are you aiming for a better work-life balance or to be more efficient in the way you handle work? Photo credit: Stuck in Customs

Real estate has always been a competitive field, but with the arrival of online services such as Redfin and housing search sites like Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com, real estate professionals are under more pressure than ever to show their worth and build long-lasting customer relationships. Offering exceptional customer service is a great way for real estate agents to earn trust and customer loyalty. By applying the Service Values of The Ritz-Carlton to the real estate industry, we have compiled the following list of customer service tips: 1) At The Ritz-Carlton, we "build strong relationships and create guests for life." As real estate agents, you are also building relationships. Your end goal may be to make a sale or sign a lease, but you should not treat your client as simply another transaction. When you express genuine care to your clients, you’re opening the door to repeat business and referral business. We live in a very connected world. When people ask your past clients, "Is there a real estate agent you would recommend?"—you want the answer to be a resounding, "YES!" You can express genuine care by acting respectfully: Value your client’s time. Don’t show up late for appointments. Actively listen to your clients. Don’t multi-task when clients are talking. Communicate regularly and manage your clients’ expectations. For example, if a client asks a question or an offer is made, you should tell your client when you expect to have an answer. If an answer is not found within that time frame, you should tell your client that you’re still working on it. Proactive communication builds trust. 2) At The Ritz-Carlton, we are "responsive to the expressed and unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests." Real estate agents must meet the expressed and unexpressed wishes of their clients as well. People don’t buy homes on a regular basis—so even if they’ve purchased a home in the past, they tend to forget what it is all about. Think of their ignorance as their unexpressed needs. It is your job to act as their real estate "Sherpa" and guide them through the process—pointing out all the important steps. You also have to be responsive to their expressed needs. You have to listen to what your clients want—and you have to be patient if they need help figuring out what they want. For example, if you show your clients the type of homes they asked to see but they don’t like any of them, pay close attention to their comments and feedback. Ask leading questions that will help unearth more specific information such as, "When you say the kitchen is drab, are you referring to the lighting, the cabinet color or the flooring?" When you better understand your clients’ preferences, you set yourself up for greater success. 3) At The Ritz-Carlton, we are "empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests." Real estate agents should also create unique, memorable and personal experiences for their clients. In order to do this, you must engage with your clients. Learn about their hobbies, their children and their pets. Small acts of kindness can make a big difference: While house hunting on a hot day, bring a cooler of cold water bottles for clients. Send a birthday card to their pet. Point out where the local dance studio is located if their child is a budding ballerina. After you make a sale, consider giving a personalized closing gift. One real estate agent gave clients a glass box with their new home etched into the top. 4) At The Ritz-Carlton, we "own and immediately resolve guest problems." Real estate agents want to make the process as seamless as possible for clients. If your client has questions, try not to give a pat answer like "That’s the market right now" or "It’s all about location." Try to offer actionable suggestions and solutions such as how to improve curb appeal. You might have to say tough things that your clients will not want to hear, and you won’t be able to solve all your customer’s problems; i.e., you can’t make a home sell for $2 million if it’s only worth $200,000. However, you can respond to your clients’ concerns with helpfulness, tact and compassion. 5) At The Ritz-Carlton, we are "involved in the planning of the work that affects [us.]" Real estate agents need to keep clients informed through every step of the process. Let your clients know what you are doing to sell, lease or find a property. Don’t make your clients track you down and ask for an update. By communicating regularly, you can circumvent frustration and build trust. You should also base your communication on your clients’ preferences. Would your client appreciate a weekly email, or would a quick phone call work better for them? You and your client are in this together, and communication will be appreciated. 6) At The Ritz-Carlton, we are "proud of [our] professional appearance, language, and behavior." Real estate agents make a good or bad first impression depending on their professionalism. When you meet with clients, you should dress for a business appointment, and you should be prepared. If you’re not organized and you can’t find your listing sheets—you will not instill confidence in your customers. If you’re driving clients around, your car should be clean and you should know where you are going. Getting lost will not instill confidence. You should also be knowledgeable about the real estate market in your area. When you appear engaged, competent and efficient—your clients will feel more comfortable and safe. 7) At The Ritz-Carlton, we "protect the privacy and security of our guests…." When you build relationships with clients, you become privy to confidential information. You may even have celebrity clients. Although it may be tempting to name drop or even gossip, you need to practice discretion. When you share private details about your past clients, you lose the trust of your current customers. Building client relationships takes time. You have to earn trust through consistency and reliability, and you have to demonstrate your commitment to the client by offering excellent customer service. When you make the extra effort to truly engage with your clients, you’ll not only see how this impacts your sales—but you may also make some life-long friends in the process. ∞ On Thursday, November 12, 2015, The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center presents "Your Journey to Service Excellence" at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner near Washington, DC. Herve Humler, President & Chief Operations Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., is a panelist along with other senior executives. Early-bird pricing is available through August 1, 2015. The Blog Post Customer Service Tips for Real Estate Agents appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Today we have a guest post from Trey Clark, Senior Copywriter at Citrix Online. I recently got married in Huatulco, Mexico, and I have to say that almost everything about having a January destination wedding near the equator is awesome. The weather is warmer, your budget stretches further and the experience lasts longer. The "almost" caveat? It’s tough to plan a wedding somewhere you’ve never been before. But GoToMeeting made it a lot easier. My then-fiancée and I communicated with a Huatulco-based wedding coordinator mostly via email. But with a couple weeks remaining before the big day, there were too many details that weren’t being communicated clearly: What kind of audio and video cables did we need? What was the hair and makeup plan for the bride and bridesmaids? How exactly did transportation to and from the airport work? I asked the coordinator if we could have a quick GoToMeeting session to get everything straight. She was hesitant because she had tried a free video conferencing solution in the past, but her laptop could not handle it. But I insisted, so I sent her a GoToMeeting invitation for the next day. Meeting time arrived, and our coordinator was online and on-screen right on time. The face-to-face conversation made all the difference - I could show her the A/V cables I had and confirm they would be compatible with the equipment on site. She could see my fiancée "in real life" and make a better plan for hair and makeup. Conversations about transportation and lodging went much more smoothly. And, perhaps most important of all, our more-natural conversation led to some extra advice regarding the ceremony and reception, including this gem of wisdom: For maximum impact, hold off the mariachi band until husband and wife are pronounced. The ceremony will feel like something right out of a movie. Photo credit:  Caucas’

Today’s post is from Gihan Perera, a consultant, speaker and author who helps professional speakers, trainers, thought leaders and other business professionals develop their online strategy. He is also the author of the books Secrets of Internet Business Success and Webinar Smarts, among many others. Find out more at www.WebinarSmarts.com. Although webinars are very efficient for participants, they can be very time-consuming for presenters. It takes time to prepare the material, organize it into a slide deck and rehearse for impact and timing. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution. When an architect designs a new building, he/she has some ideas in mind, even if it’s a new, unique design. When a songwriter writes a song, he/she follows a certain structure - words, rhyme, rhythm and chord progressions. When a sports team takes the field, it plans certain strategies, plays and tactics to execute. This doesn’t mean the architect, songwriter and sports teams can’t be creative, different and innovative. They can - it’s just that they work within standard structures. You should do the same when designing the slide deck for a webinar. Don’t start with a blank slide deck. Don’t start with a blank PowerPoint file and start building the slides one by one. That’s the most difficult way to build a slide deck, because you’re starting from nothing and trying to construct the structure at the same time as creating the content. Of course, you do have to fill in some slides with the unique content for this webinar. But you can save yourself a lot of time and effort by starting with a standard template, which puts most of the structure in place for you. Using a template offers a number of benefits: You focus on the most important slides - those with the unique content for this webinar. You have a structure in place already, rather than trying to design the structure at the same time as the content. You can reuse some "standard" slides - for example, running a poll, introducing the presenter, stopping for questions and so on. It’s much faster to create your slide deck, which is especially important if you present a lot of webinars. When you become familiar with the template, you spend less time rehearsing and preparing each webinar. Everybody in your organization can use the same template, which means a consistent approach to all your webinars. If you don’t already have a template for your webinars, a simple way to get started is to strip back a slide deck from an earlier webinar. Even if this isn’t perfect, it’s still better than starting with a blank slide deck! Here are two templates for you to use. An even better option is to start with a well-designed template, crafted to suit the typical sort of webinar you present. To make this easier for you, we have provided two PowerPoint templates, especially designed for webinar presenters. One template is for a marketing webinar, and the other is for internal communications: Get the marketing template here: http://www.slideshare.net/GoToWebinar/webinar-template-for-marketing-professionals Get the internal communication template here: http://www.slideshare.net/GoToWebinar/webinar-template-for-internal-communication-template Both templates include standard slides, template slides (for you to complete) and instructions on how to use them. You have our permission to download and use the templates yourself. Modify them to suit your organization’s needs and use them as the starting point for your next webinar!   Photo Credit: casey.marshall via Compfight cc

"The purpose of a business is to create a mutually beneficial relationship between itself and those that it serves. When it does that well, it will be around tomorrow to do it some more." — John Woods, Author The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: Every organization is made up of people, and in order to thrive, those people need to build strong relationships. This includes relationships with customers or patients as well as relationships with employees. When an organization doesn’t prioritize healthy relationship building, employees are not as equipped to engage with one another and with their clients. This results in a less fulfilling work experience for employees and disgruntled customers whose impression of your brand may be tarnished forever. Worse yet, an actively disengaged customer may share his or her disappointing experience on social media or other online venues. The Gold Standards of The Ritz-Carlton put people first because service is our number one priority. Our Credo states "the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission," and our Employee Promise notes, "our Ladies and Gentlemen [the employees] are the most important resource in our service commitment to our guests." When you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers or patients. When your customers and patients are happy, your organization can foster loyalty and engage your customers tomorrow, the next day and beyond. ∞ The Blog Post Inspired Thinking: Engage Your Customers appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.