Kelly McDonald

Learn how companies, brands and products struggling to differentiate themselves in a sea of sameness can foster long-term loyalty and brand preference with exceptional and customized customer service.

A “one-size fits all” approach to customer service is no longer viable. Businesses competing on service need to understand and cater to customers’ racial, ethnic, religious, generational, lifestyle and geographic differences in order to meet or exceed customers’ service expectations.

This session will cover core customer groups, including women, the five generations (Matures, Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z), racial and ethnic segments, such as Hispanics, Asians and African-Americans, as well as those who are defined by key lifestyle and life-stage attributes.  Includes consumer insights that will help you deliver a better business experience for every customer.

You cannot control the economy, the stock market or the costs of goods and labor. But you can control your organization’s customer experience. It’s an empowering thought. Customer service is 100% in your control at all times and it’s more important than ever in today’s competitive business environment.

And terrific customer service doesn’t have to break the bank:  it’s about understanding your customer’s values and catering to their priorities.

Our marketing environment has become more complex, and consumers have become more sophisticated. Diversity marketing is the new norm, and this doesn’t simply mean racial diversity. Diversity comes in many forms: gender, race, age, lifestage, language preference, sexuality, and hobbies or special interests are all ways in which people’s differences are recognized.

By recognizing these differences and tailoring your product, message or marketing efforts to reflect consumers’ uniqueness, you are validating the importance of a consumer group. It may seem counterintuitive to focus on differences rather than similarities, but this can really stretch your marketing muscles and bring incremental results.

Diversity in the workforce is a hot topic. Many employers are under pressure to make sure
their workforce and employee base is diverse, inclusive and representative of the customers
they serve. The most progressive organizations value diversity because they realize that a
diverse workforce has positive impact on the bottom line. Such a workforce doesn’t just lead to
better decisions and solutions and innovation – it has been proven to grow business and profits.
And a diverse workforce doesn’t just mean employees of different racial and ethnic
backgrounds; it can also mean diversity of thought.

There are numerous ways we can be “diverse”: A new mom is in a very different place than one
who is an empty nester. Someone with a master’s degree is very different than someone who
went to a vocational/technical college. Someone who is foreign-born is different than someone
who is U.S. born. “People not like you” takes away the baggage that is often associated with the
word diversity and frames the subject in a more relatable way. We are ALL dealing with people
“not like us”. Sometimes that can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be.

When working with people who are not like you, friction can arise. Different people may not
see eye-to-eye on an issue. They may have vastly different approaches to work. Their
communication styles may be very different. Their comfort in working with technology may be
miles apart. Cultural backgrounds and norms can differ. Even men and women can see
situations differently. How do you work alongside someone who may be quite different from
you, respect those differences and be effective in your role?

And what about leading a diverse team? Leaders face daily the challenges of inspiring,
communicating and executing strategy with their teams. Now imagine the challenges of leading
teams that may be incredibly diverse! How does one motivate and lead groups of people who
come from different backgrounds? How do you do that when people are motivated by different
values and view the world and work through different lenses?

This session takes the topic of work and leadership to a new place – one that is getting more
attention every day and will continue to do so.

Learner Outcomes:
• You’ll learn why diversity at work is important, but why it seems so hard to work with
people not like you. And why that makes you NORMAL, not a bad person. You’ll learn
why it often comes with stress, complex emotions and even fear for some people.
• Specific tactics will be shared for how employees can succeed in today’s diverse
workplace without losing their minds or becoming frustrated by approaches to work
that may differ from theirs.
• For those in leadership positions, or those who aspire to manage and lead others, three
key steps to make a diverse team work more cohesively, more productively and
enjoyably.
• The four key words that will transform how you interact with your colleagues and
associates in tough situations to get the best outcome. How to troubleshoot the
complex issues and address the “derailers” and naysayers that lurk within every
organization and threaten its success.

Corporate America is not very diverse; we're a long way off from having equal representation of
people of color in many organizations, especially in key executive and leadership positions.
Many leaders want to create change, but don't know how. How do you know where your blind
spots are that can create obstacles for diverse talent?

And how do you address the issues and comments that come up when employees feel nervous,
resentful or uncomfortable as you make headway on diversity, equity and inclusion in your
organization?

Your intentions may be sincere and heartfelt, but intentions aren’t enough. If you don’t know
how you come across to others and you don't know how to build bridges, people can be offended, jobs can be lost, and lawsuits can be filed. This session (and the book) does not approach this from the standpoint of social activism, political ideology or an HR perspective. This is the roadmap for how businesspeople can successfully create a fair and equitable workplace, one that recognizes diverse talent and fosters productive and constructive conversations across different perspectives that make business better – for everyone.

Not a bunch of theory, this session provides specific, actionable, no-cost tactics that you can implement immediately. When it comes to talking about race at work, attendees will move from “uncomfortable and unsure” to “confident and empowered”, using proven tools that get real results. And that’s language everyone values.

This session will illuminate:
• The well-intended things people say that are hurtful or offensive to others
• The excuses people use to avoid doing anything about diversity
• Why your diversity & inclusion efforts haven’t done the job

You’ll learn:
• How to talk about race in helpful and positive ways: do’s & don’ts
• Answers to tough employee questions or racist remarks
• Where to start when you don’t know where to start – an 8-step framework that will
show you, step-by-step, how to become a more diverse and inclusive company,
department or team.
• How to effectively recruit, interview and support diverse candidates
• How to build business relationships with people who are different from you
• For leaders, how to set the example, reduce tokenism, and deal with naysayers and
derailers. How to avoid “Launch & Abandon” with your diversity efforts.

Experience this IN-DEMAND topic! Global companies, associations and independent businesses are
RAVING about the insights and no-cost, actionable takeaways in this info-packed session.

SUMMARY:
Right now, your customers need you more than ever. But not in the usual way. What your customers
want and expect from you now is radically different because we’ve changed the way we work in some
fundamental ways. Now, more than ever, you must differentiate yourself and your company on the
experience that your customers have, rather than simply the products and services you offer.

You now have a unique opportunity to “wow” your customers, by demonstrating that you have their
back and that you’re here to help and serve them as they navigate whatever is around the next corner.

You can work with your customers in new ways by being “quietly helpful”. The work you do now, in this way, will position you for the WIN: how you, your company, brand, people and products will be seen long-term, not just when times are difficult or uncertain.

In this session, you’ll learn new approaches and mindsets that will make you better, smarter, and more effective in serving your customers – and you’ll cement the bond for increased sales and loyalty.

This session will cover:
• How to address the concerns your customers have right NOW – and how you can tie those into
exceptional sales and customer service
• How to stay visible without spamming your customers
• 5 low-cost, no-cost action items that you can apply immediately
• What to do – and NOT do – when things go wrong
• Consumer trends and insights to leverage to grow business now