Science of CX

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE. An international speaker, coach and consultant, he specializes in applying the science of influence in everyday business situations. 

Brian spent more than 30 years in the insurance industry and is one of only a dozen individuals in the world who currently holds the Cialdini Method Certified Trainer designation. 

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the Top 100 Influence Books of All Time by BookAuthority. His second book, Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents was an Amazon new release bestseller. 

Key Takeaways.

• Brian breaks down what precisely The Cialdini method certified trainer designation is
• Influence and persuasion; how these two can be used interchangeably to modify or change human behavior
• Examples of areas where influence and persuasion can be applied to get people to say yes more aside from sales and the customer side of things
• The intricacies of culture in organizations and the many things that go into changing an organization's culture to a more customer-centric strategy
• The human psychology and where it applies in sales from a lead generation point of view 
• The step-by-step process from research to outreach up to establishing a relationship through authority, social proof, and scarcity
• Having a better and more creative opening statement to catch people off guard and catch people's attention
• How does one learn to be more persuasive and start to influence behavior?

Connect With Brian

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfahearn/ 

Website - https://www.influencepeople.biz/ 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrianAhearn 

Email - [email protected] 

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Brian-Ahearn/e/B07W4S51Q4

Eli Schwartz is an SEO expert and consultant with more than a decade of experience working for leading B2B and B2C companies. 

His ability to demystify and navigate the SEO process has generated billions of dollars in revenue for some of the internet's top websites, including such clients as Shutterstock, WordPress, Blue Nile, Quora, and Zendesk.

As head of SurveyMonkey's SEO team, Schwartz oversaw the company's global operations, helped launch the first Asia-Pacific office, and grew the company's organic search from just 1 percent of revenue to a key driver of global revenue. 

His work has been featured by TechCrunch, Entrepreneur.com, and Y Combinator, and he has given talks at business schools and keynote conferences around the world. 

Key Takeaways. 

• Understanding what SEO is and why it matters 
• Forecasting search traffic using bottoms up metrics
• SEO is an amazing marketing channel: And how you can best positioned yourself to reach your desired audience
• Types of industries that Eli recommends are best suited for SEO 
• Eli’s take on strategies used by google and other search engines. He shares why it’s important to focus on the users as opposed to obsessing over a search engine’s algorithm and system of ranking. 
• Why local sites and businesses should not be doing SEO
• How Eli helps different businesses and companies that reach to him for help. And why two thirds of his interested clients end up being the wrong fit for SEO. 
• Prioritization of content
• An exercise for interested parties looking to venture into SEO

Connect with Eli

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/ 

Website - https://www.elischwartz.co/ 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/5le 

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Eli-Schwartz/e/B091G2SQXB%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share 

Tom Kereszti is an industry influencer, coach, speaker, educator, and mentor. His approach to leadership comes from a lifetime of international experience, and his servant leadership principles are time proven and based on biblical foundations. 

Tom is down to earth and able to strike a balance between business challenges and common-sense solutions. 

His motivational and engaging style will leave you with practical and applicable solutions that you can put into practice.

Key Takeaways 

• Tom’s journey leading to the servant leadership path he’s on. 
• Understanding the four keys to leadership success
• The Importance of having foundational values that help build not just the culture in an organization, but your character as an individual
• Elements to consider when developing a good business plan
• Differentiating between culture and vision
• Tom’s growth strategy that has led him to success
• Why Tom is a big advocate of diversity of thought (And how it helps in providing different solutions for various challenges)
• How managing international teams has helped Tom become a better leader
• Making a connection with your audience via the three levels of communication
• Finding a common ground to connect, communicate and negotiate with a customer

Connect with Tom

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaskereszti/ 

Website - https://www.leadershipdisciples.com/ 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tom_kereszti 

Adam is the Co-Founder and CEO of UPshow. UPshow is the customizable engagement platform that capitalizes on businesses’ existing screens to deliver better audience experiences. 

Prior to UPshow, Adam was CEO and co-founder of SparkReel, the social media technology agency that evolved into what UPshow is today.  Prior to SparkReel, Adam was a VP at Sterling Partners, a Chicago venture capital firm. 

Adam’s first entrepreneurial venture was the creation of TextAway, a mobile messaging startup.  He is also an avid pilot who enjoys traveling across the country with his family.

Key Takeaways. 

• The psychology and the evolution of how screens have inspired our behaviors and experience for the better
• The movement from a static less interconnected signage in messaging into more digital signage in the commercial business world. 
• The philosophy behind motion, dynamism, and interactivity
• How screens are bridging the physical and the digital to create a more personalized and memorable immersive experience 
• How did covid drive the brick and mortar businesses towards a more digitized contactless customer and employee experience?
• The analytical side of things and how we can use the data we get back to make more informed decisions in this day and age
• Showcasing different educational content to market to an audience that appeals to your business. 
• The effort involved to transform a business into a more digitized setup
• Why businesses and organizations are suffering in terms of workforce and what they need to do to ensure better employee experience

Connect with Adam

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahirsen/ 

Website - https://www.upshow.tv/ 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ahirsen

Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections, where he works to empower entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals around the country to become more successful through networking. He is also a sought after speaker and consultant to companies and organizations on topics related to professional networking and business relationship development.

Frank has written numerous articles on professional networking and is the author of several books, some of which include; Foundational Networking, The Champion: Finding the Most Valuable Person In Your Network, and Chase Greatness: Life Lessons Revealed Through Sports. 

He is also the host of the weekly Networking Rx podcast, which provides insights and advice for becoming more successful through networking as well as the host of the daily micro podcast Networking Rx Minute, which provides short messages of inspiration and recommended action.

Frank lives with his wife in Blacklick, Ohio and together they have three children. As community involvement, he is active with The Charitable Roundtable, an organization that helps small nonprofits and social initiatives become more successful through networking.

Key Takeaways. 

• Professional networking and the development of business relationships.
• How Frank’s company changed their marketing plan to cope with the lockdown during the pandemic. 
• Why networking is an inevitable component in the marketing mix. 
• Understanding more about building relationships with people you can trust. 
• Adding value in business relationships. 
• The networking model Frank works with. 
• Tips on how to  build a strong relationship with your customer. 
• Frank's overview on networking; strong relationships that are  built over time. 

Connect with Frank

LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankagin/ 

Website - http://www.frankagin.com/ 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/frankagin

As CEO of Axis, Sarah is a fearless, strategic, and creative leader with over 15 years of strategic experience in public relations and marketing within the Tech, Entertainment, Sports & Lifestyle Industry.

Her extensive expertise and success in leading an award-winning experiential agency combined with her in-depth creative & strategic public & media relations and experiential events have helped launch numerous start-up’s and notable brands alike. 

Sarah leads successful nationwide PR & Marketing launch campaigns for public companies as well as early stage start-ups. She has successfully taken many early stage tech companies from launch to M&A stage. 

Sarah is also the Founder & Producer of the Media Excellence Awards, one of the most prestigious and influential awards in the mobile technology, entertainment & media industry.

Key Takeaways

• ​Understanding what experiential activities/events are. 
• How startups and small businesses can also implement low level experiential marketing events. 
• How a  good experience allows consumers to have a “feel good feeling” attached to your brand
• Different ways to leverage technology in creating an immersive experience with the customers without the high cost. 
• Allowing the consumer to understand your brand by bringing them into your backstory; giving your loyal customers a behind the scene experience.
• How good a good experience helps to achieve the three goals of a brand; attract new customers, retain an existing market and maximize  exposure in the marketplace.
• How  B2B/B2C  technology companies can create an immersive experience. 
• Why personalization is always critical to the consumers.
• Benefits of collaborating with other like-minded brands with the same kind of  DNA when it comes to experiential engagement. 

Connect with Sarah

Website -  https://www.axis-entertainment.com/   

LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmillerla/

Jimmy St. Louis is an entrepreneur, competitive athlete, and businessman. He is currently an operating partner of Ayon Capital, Franchise Accelerators, and the founder of Franchise123.

As the founder of Franchise123, his focus is on creating simple, open market connections between franchise buyers and sellers, to advance and improve the success of franchisees and franchisors. 

In addition to his business endeavors, Jimmy played football professionally for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans as a tight end and most recently was a member of the 2016 United States Rowing Team. His accomplishments include four national medals as well as a third-place finish in the 2016 Olympic trials.   

Key Takeaways

• Recognizing issues in the franchise business that needed to be solved; i.e. enabling entrepreneurs in franchise business to have access to information in a good, simple, and consolidated manner. 
• How Jimmy's company is able to provide the best and most qualified leads for its clients. 
• Familiarizing with the process franchisees undergo when navigating through the buying process and what the experience is like for them on Jimmy’s platform. 
• Efforts that Jimmy and his team are putting to ensure the  franchisors stay highly engaged on the platform. 
• How Jimmy and his team are working to achieve a long term objective to track and maintain data in their company. 
• Recognizing the gap and problem in the franchising market  and what Jimmy’s platform has done to ensure they match up good buyers and sellers. 
• Jimmy's recommended approaches and processes for entrepreneurs in franchising discovery phase to help them have the best opportunity for success
• How Jimmy’s platform is monetized

Connect with Jimmy

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-st-louis/ 

Website - https://franchise123.com/ 

Jimmy’s book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.in/Your-Comprehensive-Guide-Franchise-Success-ebook/dp/B0999R4D1N 

As the founder and leader of 3C Comms, Bryan Rutberg guides and inspires corporate leaders and organizations on how to demonstrate love, understanding, and appreciation to their customers as a clear path to deeper loyalty, greater market share, and way more fun for everyone.  

As a consultant, Bryan helps companies and nonprofits create the right messages for their unique audiences and improve their business communications skills. His clients have ranged from authors preparing speeches for book tours to non-profit executives who want to tell their organizations’ stories better.

His consulting work has included interim CMO engagements; leading customer, partner, employee, and investor messaging initiatives; developing programs and culture to capture customer voices for better business planning; training sales, marketing, and customer support professionals in communications and relationship-building.

Key Takeaways

• Bryan reminisces about what it was like going to school in Beverly Hills High. 
• Finding out what really differentiates a customer from a lustomer. 
• 3 Reasons why lustomers are the perfect business utopia; increased profits, referrals they make, and long-term partnerships you form with them. 
• Understanding why firing customers is an essential step in business growth. 
• Identifying customers that are perfect for your business; those who appreciate your services and are willing to build a successful long term relationship. 
• Communicating to your audience in ways that are meaningful to them during the evaluation phase. 
• Why it’s important to get everybody in a business organization on the same page. 
• Making your existing customer base more engaged and treasured at every step of growth in your business. 
• Being able to defend your value successfully in the midst of competitors who do the same things you do, but for free. 

Connect wit Bryan 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanrutberg/ 

Website - https://3ccomms.com/ (To download the free pdf covering the 10 tips for transforming Customers into Lustomers)

Twitter - https://twitter.com/3CComms

Roy Osing is a former president, CMO and entrepreneur with over 40 years of successful and unmatched executive leadership experience in every aspect of business.

As President of a major data and internet company, his leadership and audacious ‘unheard-of ways’ took the company from its early stage to $1 Billion in annual sales.

He is a blogger, content marketer and mentor to young professionals. As an accomplished business advisor, he is the author of the no-nonsense book series ‘BE DiFFERENT or be dead’, with ‘The Audacious Unheard-of Ways I took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES’ as his seventh.

Key Takeaways. 

• How Roy came up with the concept of his book Be different or be dead. 
• Being different in the corporate world makes sense but how different is too different and is there a limit to it?
• We learn how to be different out of necessity and every step of the process is strategic. 
• Roy dives into how he came to be known as the service guy all the while doing things differently. 
• The ‘killing the dumb rules’ strategy and why it worked for Roy at his company. 
• Roy explains what he meant when he talked about most organizations being mediocre at best these days in his book, alongside the antidote to this problem. 
• Do organizations need to go back to some of the old world values in customer experience that have lost their meaning amidst all the tactical strategies?
• Why businesses need to find a balance between the digital transformation that happens and the human connections and interactions. 
• Roy’s Advice for people who are looking to startup, build, or grow their brand. 
• Why businesses and companies should find the differentiator and capitalize on standing out. 

Connect with Roy

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/royosing/?originalSubdomain=ca 

Website - https://www.bedifferentorbedead.com/ 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/RoyOsing 

Peter Iansek is the co-founder and CEO of Operative Intelligence, an organization focused on helping contact centers identify the reality of why their customers are contacting; thus leading to consistently better decision making and customer outcomes at scale.

As business leaders, we have a very good grasp of the work we do for customers ‘the what’ but what is far more challenging to unearth is ‘the why’. 

The Why allows us to understand the true root cause drivers of our customers’ contacts, enabling us to enact preventative measures to address avoidable customer interactions and be far more proactive in our service delivery. 

Lack of a reliable and easy way to analyze contact center data and discover actionable insights, was the motivation behind why Peter built Operative Intelligence to solve the problem.

Key Takeaways. 

• How to accurately pinpoint the drivers for friction in service delivery. 
• Unearthing seasonal customer data as a way of better understanding the market in order to create better business processes and systems. 
• How internal business changes + broader market changes influence and catalyze consumer behavior. 
• Shifting your business from being reactive to proactive when handling customer needs. 
• Re-architecting the customer journey so that it can clearly address the insights gained from customer data. 
• Using customer data as a tool to measure your business performance. 

Connect with Peter

Website - https://www.operativeintelligence.com/ 

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peteriansek/ 

Email - [email protected]