Once upon a time there was a young boy who started a job in a hotel and just before his first day of work his manager told him:
Be here tomorrow at 7:00 am sharp. If I wanted you to come at 07:02, I would tell you so.
Many years later Mr. Horst Schulze fondly recalls these words and says they were pivotal for his formation as one of the world’s hospitality legends. His strive for excellence led him to be one of the founding members of the Ritz Carlton and Founder of the Capella Hotel Group, the author of Excellence Wins and a highly esteemed speaker in the business world.
But what about excellence? How do we pursue it, and do we ever achieve it? Mr. Schulze kindly agreed to join us at Present to Succeed 2022 to share with us his stories about decades of leadership and outstanding service.
Today’s re-cap article captures three of Horst Schulze’s principles for effective communication and high-quality service.
How to be a well-regarded presenter?
Prepare. Excellence is never an accident, says Mr. Schulze and to be valued as a presenter and communicator, you need to put in high intent and a lot of work. To him preparation involves knowing your audience because the better you know them and their expectations, the bigger the chance of making a positive impact.
What are the audience’s expectations of a service?
No matter the industry, service is about three major principles that define its quality.
1. Service has to be defect-free. You need to provide the customer/the audience with a product or a relationship that is as close to perfection as it can be.
2. Service has to be timely. Be on time just like Mr. Schulze’s never late for meetings. (His calendar is actually so meticulously planned that he joins meetings a few minutes before the start). Remember the hotel manager from the beginning of the article? He didn’t say 2 minutes to 7, nor 2 minutes past. He said 7 sharp. This punctuality lesson was much more than that, it was an ideal view of service and Mr. Schulze integrated this belief into his remarkable career.
3. Service has to show that you care. Treat each customer with respect and show them individual attention. In the case of presentations, you need to show that you care about the topic and above all, the audience. If you tailor your presentation to your audience, then we’re talking about personalisation which is the ultimate level of customer care.
Listen to the whole session to hear special guest’s story about the bank teller who failed to meet the above-mentioned criteria.
How to make an impact when presenting?
Horst Schulze makes it clear that presentations are specific acts of communication and the factor that holds them all together is storytelling. He emphasises that a presentation is about building a relationship with other human beings and the only thing that makes sense is to view a presentation as a story that people can relate to. When you’re telling a story that you deeply believe in and are emotionally connected with, it’s reflected in your talk and helps you to be seen as credible and trustworthy.
Mr. Schulze also shares how he responds to nay-sayers and authority figures in high-stake meetings and even some problem-solving techniques for treating disrespectful people. You can trust he’s full of interesting stories, he practices what he preaches after all. Hear it from the legend who knows how you can function to the best of your ability.
Feeling inspired already? We hear you. Now why don’t you check out the complete Storytelling track recordings and who knows, you might end up getting your ticket for the next edition of Present to Succeed 2023. We promise you nothing but excellence.
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organization or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and influencing them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Now is the best moment to get your ticket!
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organisation or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and learn how to influence them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Get your ticket now!
