Deremiah *CPE Speaks Out On Donald Sterling scandal joining Spike Lee & Michael Jordan.

While most people who have not lived in the Black Community are not aware of how we SERVE one another they may be mislead by what they've heard on CNN as it relates to the recent interview with Donald Sterling. But I would like to add my voice to Spike Lee's and Michael Jordan's. 

While I can't speak for all Black Americans in business I can say that the methods I learned about Serving people in our Community and SERVING Customers actually was handed down to me by my blind Great Grandmother Mahalia Thomas whose Father was a slave. What she taught me was really quite remarkable. For someone who had no formal education at all just a long life of contributing to the black community. I remember her telling me often saying that we have an obligation to help all people in our community regardless of their color, race, gender or religion. She also taught me that all success has a far reaching impact not only into your community but even far beyond the next generation. For someone who had a life of ignorance forced upon her through the American legal system she was quite clear that the impact was much Greater than the material benefits it brings you alone.  

With what my Great Grandmother taught me I am honored to say that the multiple community awards I have won (American Red Cross Hometown Hero "Educator" Award and the "Acres of Diamonds" Lifetime Achievement Award by Nightingale Conant) are all a reflection that was anchored deep into my heart because of the Black American History given to me by Mahalia Thomas. But I've also won the highest Awards in the nation as a Customer Passion Evangelist for the companies I've worked for and this is because Serving was handed down to me as a tradition of the Black American experience. We not only believe in helping those in our community but we believe in helping All Cultures. We not only believe that it is our obligation to give back to our community but we believe it is our responsibility to give back to the world. 

Here's an example of the kinds of things we do in the black community. Last weekend I traveled out of town just to attend a College graduation by a young man I started mentoring in 2002 named Cody Jeralds. I left a well paying job in Corporate America as a leading Security Consultant for ADT and a Speaking Career. I even left my home just so I could go and live with this young man over seeing him as a father figure, houseparent and teacher when he was just in the fifth grade. I not only sacrificed an opportunity to make hundreds of thousands of dollars but I put on hold all of my desires to continue a very lucrative future as a successful speaker & trainer and for the next 12 years of his life I poured a lot of my time and energy into his. Over the 12 year period I've mentored over 1,131 children for a minimum wage life style just so I could see him walk across the stage of NIU (Northern Illinois University) and receive his degree in Business. Now that's what we do in the Black community...in a world where we often have to hear people spout off all kinds of negative things about the Black culture. I can tell you it get's old quick. Might I also mention that during that time period I cared for Cody just like he was one of my sons and he'll tell you the same. I really don't need to mention that Cody was white but a third of the children I mentored are white...the other third are hispanic & asian and the other third are black. Personally none of that makes a difference but it is important that you understand this so that you can see the story more accurately...the part that reflects that a black man leaves everything to mentor children not only from the black community but from all communities. Finally allow me to also say that I was raised that all people are my community and that this notion of community far transcends race.

So it appears that SERVING people in our Community is a strong part of our tradition in the Black culture.  We not only believe in helping people in our community but we are firm believers in helping all people in our community.  Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Jordan, and Lebron James are all living proof that when Black American's have an opportunity to make a difference in their community (like all normal people from all other cultures do) we not only help Black people we also help people of other cultures too! 

If you just examine what Martin Luther King did you can easily see how many other cultures benefited from what he did. Not only have people outside of the Black Community benefited but genders, ethnicities, religions and even countries have benefited from what Martin Luther King did. Unfortunately in Donald Sterling's Interview with Anderson Cooper he mis-referenced Magic Johnson as someone who has not done anything to help the Black community but that is far from the truth. Just GOOGLE Magic Johnson's Foundation and you'll see what I mean. 

I stand in agreement with Magic on the fact that we have to forgive Donald Sterling and I'll go one step further...we also have to Love him...that's what Martin Luther King would have did.

JC Penney #1 Mistake...Relationship!

I just read the "The 5 Big Mistakes That Led to Ron Johnson's Ouster at JC Penney" by Brad Tuttle, at Time Business and Money. There's only one mistake that JC Penney is making...it's losing relationship with it's Customers.  

It doesn't take 17 month's to realize you're losing your customer relationship. Buying a new house, painting it all white, adding all new furnishings by Martha Stewart doesn't improve a marriage.  It also doesn't improve your relationships with your existing customers. 

Putting your boy friend in a new skinny suit that doesn't improve a bad relationship either. But getting back to Evangelizing JC Penney Customers with Passion...now that's about improving relationships! 

Forgetting to ask a Customer "How may I SERVE You?"...that's the Mistake you don't want to ever make.

Myron Ullman has one Mistake he really needs to fix at JCPenney...Relationship.


Lovingly Deremiah *CPE


PS
How may I SERVE You?

#3 Are Your Customers Dead? Then Move them by doing something EXCITING or have a funeral!

Money Making Key #3 "Your customers aren't Dead...they're just waiting for you to do something EXCITING". You can have a funeral or You can finally Get-Up and Reconnect with your Customers by throwing a Party!

EVERY GREAT BUSINESS IS BUILT ONE CUSTOMER at a time but if your Customers are Dead you need to Move them to Excitement! 

There's no way in the world you're gonna change your bottomline if your customers aren't buying. So Why aren't they buying your products or services any longer?  It's because your stuff or your service isn't moving them anymore, which only means your customers are dead and now you've got to bring them back to life. That's right BRING THEM BACK TO LIFE!!!

There's nothing worse than a dead customer...well actually there is one thing worse than a dead customer...It's the company that made them that way. You heard me right. One thing worse than a Dead Customer is a company that made them that way. Let me tell you something...Dead customers don't die for nothing. They die because of something. Something you did or Something you didn't do. So which one was it? 

Most of the time it's because you're not moving them anymore with your Dead customer service techniques. Customers are tired of techniques, they want real, genuine down to earth Customer Experiences.  Now if you don't know how to SERVE a customer up some "Great Feel Good Experiences" you're in the wrong line of business. 

You're not in business to make one red dime BUT You are in business to evoke a Passionate, Deep sense of Emotional Relationship for your customer and it's not a one time experience.  It's a multiple, consecutive and consistent "I'm gonna Please You" Customer Attitude with a "Let me Make Your Day a GREAT DAY Experience!" If you can't do this every single time you're in front of your customer then FIRE YOURSELF and hire someone who can do this. The money you'll make because of your replacement will pay for themselves and put tremendous resources at your beck and call.

Remember:  People buy emotionally and then in a crazy one on one conversational monologue with themselves, logically Talk themselves into why the transaction makes sense (even when it doesn't make any logical sense). If you begin Today and start SERVING to the NEEDS of your customer's you'll be feeding their EMOTIONS with Far HAPPIER EXPERIENCES than they'll be getting ANYWHERE Else on this planet and I bet you they'll never forget that. KEEP SMILING...I love you. 

Lovingly loving you Deremiah *CPE

PS

Stay tuned for your next Key that will make it a GREAT ECONOMY for you!

Deremiah *CPE, Author of 52 GREAT WEEKS, has created a simple yet novel way for small business owners to expand the footprint of their business.