Thursday, June 14, 2007

Tim Sanders Rocks TEXCHANGE - "The Likeability Factor"


"When my dog loses his ability to wag his tail - he becomes a cat!"
--Tim Sanders


Austin's premier technology entrepreneur's group, TEXCHANGE, was captivated on Wednesday night by one of the world's leading authors and professional speakers. Each year one of TEXCHANGE's monthly meetings features a national business guru (past events have included Harvey Mackay and Guy Kawasaki) as a special opportunity for members and guests.

Tim Sanders, author of "Love Is The Killer App" and "The Likeability Factor" took the audience on an exciting journey, asking the question "What is your EVP?" (Emotional Value Proposition). Below is a sample of his words of wisdom.

Sanders shared stories from his career with Broadcast.com and Yahoo!, as well as information that he has collected in his years of researching human potential and success. No longer can a company just motivate employees with money and stock options. Today's employees want emotional compensation. While baby-boomers view financial freedom as having a home, a 401K and a steady income....Generation Y sees financial freedom as "freedom NOT to work for a jerk!". It is a whole new day in corporate America, and curmudgeons need not apply.

Tim admits to once believing that it is a "dog eat dog world", but as the father of a poodle, he has learned that dogs do not eat each other.....instead they sniff each other's butts! He says dogs love people and other dogs; "Dogs have friends....Cats have direct reports!". However, likability does not just mean that you are friendly, it reflects your personal capability to make others feel good. People forget what you do for them, and instead remember how you make them feel. Thus companies and bosses in the 21st century need to make themselves emotionally attractive to employees if they want to succeed.

His advice for technology companies seeking excellence included:

*Stop motivating employees with cash alone.

*Instill a culture of abundance. Scarcity thinking is a disease that will cripple your business.

*Stop hiring Terrell Owens. No matter how many footballs someone can catch, if they are a jerk they will hurt your team.

*Hire people for their fit, not their talent. Get off the resume crack!

*Cut back your hours and outlaw overtime.

*Manage the mood of your employees as closely as you manage the P&L.

*Let the sunshine in! Build nature into the workplace, as it will stimulate creativity and productivity.

In closing, Tim had one more powerful point for his audience: "Promises Made/Promises Kept". People will remember the promises you fail to keep. To succeed you must be crazy about keeping your promises to everyone.....consistently. It is all about execution and accountability to keep it real!

If you ever get the opportunity to see Mr. Sanders speak in person, run....do not walk...to the auditorium. He has the ability to delight and educate the audience, while making the laugh along the way.

Thank you, Tim, for coming to the Austin Chapter of TEXCHANGE to share your message.

Have A Great Day.

thom
www.thomsinger.com

PS- Here is a picture of me with Tim Sanders. And YES, I did give him a copy of my new book, The ABC's of Networking. I hope he will read it on his flight home!!!

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