Confession Time: As honest as I can be and with regret I have to inform you that I never read a book in high school. I passed every class, did quite well and wrote papers on books I never read. Yes, I was that kid who could talk and write for hours on a book I never read. I spent more time figuring out a way around the book than actually reading the book. While I did well and everything seemed to work out, I regret not putting the effort needed into reading.

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Every day I sit down with a cup of coffee or warm tea and let my imagination take control as I read for hours on a variety of subjects. Who knew that I would find delight in something I constantly tried to avoid through my school career? Oh yeah, my parents! They encouraged me to read every week, but their encouragement went in one ear and gradually trickled out the other side.

Francis Bacon is credited as saying,

“Read, not to contradict or confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”

(Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000). 656.)

Even the apostle Paul found importance in books. Consider his words during his imprisonment he asked for the books and the parchments! Of all things to ask for while sitting in prison he asked for books and  parchments. Not chocolate cake with a baked in metal file, but the books!

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”

The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001). 2 Ti 4:13.

My regrets in not reading have fueled my fire in trying to read as much as I can each day. Reading not only captures the mind, but it produces ideas for further study. As children, each of us had imaginations which kept us busy all day. Seldom in the summer were we in front of the television, the Atari, or in bed. Our parents forced us outside into the heat of the day and we let our imaginations take over.

As we have become adults, our imaginations fade with the stark reality of a world full of bills, work and chores. We have left the timeless imaginations of our youth and adopted a negativity that we loathed as children. We have become what we never said we would! We have eaten our words so fast, we never knew what we were eating. Are we reading to change? Are we ready to expand our imaginations once more?

Reading not only expands our minds but it creates a focus on learning. As we read, our minds are taken to the next level. Granted, we must move beyond the Dr. Seuss books into higher reading, but as we read we grow. As we read, we challenge ourselves, because not everyone thinks like we do.

Here are some Tips on Reading from a Reformed Non-Reader:

1. Schedule time for reading – If you do not make time, you will not find the time. Everyone complains about being too busy, but we always make time for what we enjoy. Make time for reading.
2. Read material you disagree with from time to time – Every now and then, read material that brings you out of your comfort zone. Let the words of the author challenge you to consider your opinion and defend your position. Challenging yourself is a step toward powerful growth.
3. Keep a notebook handy – As you read, ideas will flow through your mind, but do not let your ideas get you off-track. Write down your ideas or quotes from your reading in a notebook and then go back to reflect on them after you read.
4. Put your reading into practice – For everything we take into our minds, we must use it before it settles in the back corner and begins to develop cobwebs. After you read, share an idea with family, a friend or post it to the internet for others to comment on. Use your knowledge immediately.
5. Read Aloud – I know it will sound like you are reading to your imaginary friend, but it works. Each one of us thinks out loud sometimes and the words seem to come out clearer, why not read a portion out loud and see if you understand it better?
6. Read to Your Children – Schedule time to read to your children and do it! Do not read with boring monologue; instead, read with emotions, make up voices and sounds. Your children will grasp the words of the text more, and who knows, you may too.
7. Volunteer – If you have small children in school, talk to their teacher about coming in and reading to the children. You can also talk to the school and get in their reading mentoring program. Each week, you can spend one hour helping out a young person and see them grow throughout the year.
8. Establish a Reading Program in Your Congregation – I know of several congregations take the children in a classroom and spend 15 – 20 minutes before services reading to them then asking them what they just listened too. Expanding reading into our congregation will be a beneficial way to see our young people flourish.

Some of My Favorite Books:

• The Bible (of course)
• Various John Maxwell books:
  • Attitude 101
  • Failing Forward
  • Developing the Leaders Around You
  • Winning With People
  • Maxwell 3-in-1 Special Edition (The Winning Attitude / Developing the Leaders Around You / Becoming a Person of Influence)
  • Your Roadmap for Success
• Preaching with Freshness by Bruce Mawhinney
• Three John MacArthur Books:
  • Ashamed of the Gospel
  • Twelve Ordinary Men
  • Hard to Believe

There are many others I could mention, but the list would be extremely long. I encourage you to begin your own reading list and keep those books coming!

Consider this final thought,”

“Poor people have big TVs, rich people have libraries.” – Brian Tracy

Just some thoughts,

Chris

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 15th, 2009, I want to give you the opportunity to become a better public speaker. I will share with you 4 Key Points to achieving greatness as a public speaker each day! Simple tips in a simple way to becoming greater!

Here is the call information:

Time: 8:00 pm EST

Length of Call: 45 minutes

Phone Number: (712) 432-0850

Pass Code: 257505#

Stay Tuned for more information!

What can I say, I am a very list oriented person. Every now and then I sit down and begin making of list of something on my mind. This week I decided to begin making a list of simple public speaking tips I thought you might enjoy.

Here are “Gallagher’s Speaking Tips – Part #1":

1. Speak or do not speak – Do not go at it half-hearted! Go with your full heart and change lives! Desire Success!
2. Know what you are talking about! Delivering a lesson with no points is like taking a cruise to nowhere!
3. Give your audience your best! They will be one of the best audiences ever, if you give them your best!
4. Mistakes happen so you better learn to laugh. You will make mistakes speaking, laugh & move on! You are human.
5. Nervous? Remember, they are the ones asking you to speak, they have confidence in you and you should too!
6. Study your topic and prepare for greatness! Attitude is almost all the battle!
7. Grow your mind and you will grow your audience level!
8. Give to your audience what you would want given to you.
9. Develop your ability and lead others to develop theirs — one word at a time.
10. Remember, even the "small people" are great people too! Reach for everyone!
11. Ego tripping is not speaking. Humbling yourself to lift others up is speaking!
12. No one cares what you learn last week, they want to know how you will help them this week.
13. Read today for what you will speak about tomorrow.
14. If you do not have a speaking engagement, plan, plan plan! The opportunity will come, will you be ready.
15. Drink water when you speak!
16. Take a breath mint! People will talk to you afterwards, do not taint them with bad breath!
17. Be yourself! Do not fake it, people will see.
18. Be positive always! Positive messages stick longer and people act quicker.
19. If you have to be negative, be sincere and loving.
20. Smile!
21. Use your hands naturally! Do no gesture to gesture, gesture because it is who you are.
22. Ummmm……no! Do your best to get rid of the "um" of speech. Everyone does it, but stop filling space with "ums."
23. Preparation is the key to speaking…..prepare now for the message to come.
24. Concentrate on your best message and improve it weekly.
25. Study your audience. Note the makeup and share relevant information!
26. When you are done….QUIT!
27. As always KISS; Keep It Simple Stupid!
28. Speak to people like people, not as bondservants.
29. Watch your audience, feed off of their emotions. If they are falling asleep, you might need to change.
30. Do not speak on everything, speak on something!

I hope you have enjoyed!

Chris

By Christopher Gallagher

http://www.speak-better.com

From time to time we all experience bad customer service and even some will experience horrible customer service – what do you do then? Let me first describe four steps in making a Customer Service Call, then let me provide you with our steps on handling horrible customer service.

First Four Steps in Making a Customer Service Call

• Call the agent by name. Whenever they responded to your call, they provided their name, so call them by their name. There is nothing that most people like more than being call by their own name.

• Identify with the agent.  Ask them how their day is going and try to identify with the thoughts and emotions they are feeling. They may have had a horrible day, you are the 11th caller, and the first 10 have yelled obscenities at them. Be patient and identify.

• Take your time. In fact, do not seem to want an answer in the next 3 seconds. Give the representative time to provide you with an answer. I often tell the representative to take their time and I am all right to wait when I hear frustration in their voice. Also, take your time describing the problem. The agent needs to know the entire problem to be able to work it out.

• Be kind and considerate. Remember, they deal with some hateful people each day and their jobs have tremendous burnout, so be kind to each person you talk to.

Now you know the first four steps, what do you do if you have a hateful and complaining representative respond to your call? Here are four steps I have taken to get good results:

Four Steps to Handle Horrible Customer Service

• Journal your calls. Whenever you call, no matter what the problem, keep a journal of your calls, times, names of the representatives and other relevant information. This helps you to have the best memory recall possible to solve the problem. Go purchase a nice bound journal to help with your memory.
• Get a badge or representative ID number. Every customer service representative has an ID number or tag they are to give you the moment you ask. Some agents try to keep you from getting the number, because they know it means trouble for them if they are reported.
• Ask for a supervisor. Every agent has a supervisor and every supervisor has someone above them; everyone has someone to report to, even the highest position in the company! When you do get the supervisor, report the issue you are having before reporting the trouble with the agent. You can describe the problems with the agent later, just remember to pull your information from the notes you are created.
• File a formal complaint. Inform the company you are going to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and one other place. You can tell them you are making a complaint if the problem is not solved before the phone call is over. If you take this step, be ready to hold on the all for a usually long period. When you file your compliant send a copy of the complaint to the company as well as the Better Business Bureau. If I have paid for an item with my credit card, I will also call the credit card company and voice my complaint. You might consider calling the store where the item was purchased as well.

I hope that utilizing the first four steps will cause the last four steps never to happen; but we know disgruntled customer service agents are you there. Continue to pursue your goal of living well and treating others excellent.

**Special Note**

If you have a positive customer service experience, let the company know. Most companies are seeking to provide great customer service and they want to help you. When you get a great customer service agent and your problem is resolved, ask them for their ID number and tell them you are going to write a letter to the company and describe the great job of the agent. As soon as you hang up the phone, begin writing that letter. (Remember to note all the information and highlights from your Customer Service Call Log.)

Live better starts now!

I want to share with you four points to greater relationships with your customers and clients. These four points can bring your customer relationships to a different level and create an atmosphere for continual growth and improvement.

Towards the end of the call, I will share two additional points to help your business grow faster and more complete.

Note: There is no sales pitch during this call! This is material you can implement today to make a difference!

Host:  Speak-Better.com

Date:  Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Time:  8:30pm – 9:30pm

Email:  chris@speak-better.com

Conference Telephone # 1-270-696-1555 (East Coast)

Participant Code #118378

I cannot wait to see you there!

This Teleconference, brought to you by Speak-Better.com, will deal with the Four Powers of Customer Service.

These Four Powers can help you achieve greatness and strength in your business or organization.

(1) The Power of Acknowledgement
(2) The Power of a Smile
(3) The Power Behind Words
(4) The Power to Assist

We are putting a limit of 150 people on the call.

Here is the call information:

Scheduled Conference Date — Friday, May 8, 2009

Scheduled Start Time — 12:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

To join the call, just dial the number (270-696-1555) and enter the participant code (87415)

I encourage you to use a phone which does not charge long distance, like a cell phone.

You may check out the Speak-Better.com website to find out more about our organization. See you on the call.
Chris Gallagher

chris@speak-better.com

I am a subscriber to Annemarie Segaric’s email newsletter and I would encourage you to do the same. The information she provides is a great encouragement and motivation. She also challenges your mind to think differently than you have before. Enjoy this new article from Annemarie Segaric.

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* What You Need to Learn from Susan Boyle *

Ok, first watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Seriously, watch it first! 

Ok, so what are you thinking? What are you feeling?

What dream do you have sitting within your heart that you are not pursuing? What is your true life’s purpose that you are not expressing?
Here’s what Susan is here to share with you besides her AMAZING voice:

1. You are never too old to follow your dream. Enough said.

1. You don’t have to do things the way everyone else says you have to do them. You don’t have to look like anyone else. You don’t have to be like anyone else. For you to be successful you need to be YOU. Yes, you can model others but you ultimately need to make your dreams come true the way YOU are supposed to make them come true.

1. What we are looking for often comes packaged differently than we expected. Don’t let opportunities that sometimes look like obstacles trick you into turning them down. No one expected that voice to come out of the person they saw on stage. Imagine if Susan let that stop her…

When you uncover what your true purpose is in life—and really feel the meaning behind it—you ignite the fire to make that purpose a reality. You are constantly surrounded by opportunities to live your purpose but you turn them down without even realizing it. Often it’s because to take advantage of the opportunity it would force you to be uncomfortable, take a risk, or step out into the limelight in some fashion.

Is the discomfort of needing to stretch yourself so painful that your dream—your true life’s purpose—is not worth pursuing?

Let Susan Boyle be your model from now on.

Call To Action:

1. What are you being called to do with your life? It’s right in front of you. Name the things, opportunities, and “coincidences” that keep showing up in your life
2. Stop ignoring them! Start keeping track of the ways the Universe/Spirit/God/your intuition are guiding you.
3. Do that very next thing that frightens you but gets you one step close to your life’s dream.

You can do this. I believe in you.

And if you’re thinking, “I could do this so much easier with some support,” you’re absolutely right! According to author Caroline Myss, we grow at the rate of the people we surround ourselves with. Join The Career Changer Club™, an exclusive membership based community for professionals who want to uncover their purpose and career of their dreams. Join us and watch yourself leap into a new career this year! Visit www.careerchangerclub.com.

Annemarie Segaric is a nationally recognized career change coach, motivational speaker, and the author of the book, Step into the Right Career: 107 Tips for Changing Your Career While Still Paying the Bills. Ready to switch careers and don’t know where to begin? Visit http://www.thecareerchanger.com and download your own fr*ee career changer toolkit today

Copyright© 2009 Annemarie Segaric The Career Changer Company

In a few days, I will get to eat at my favorite fast food (possibly, my favorite of any restaurant). My family and I eat there every now and then, as we give Carrie a break from cooking at home. While the food is good at this restaurant, the service is better! After every order, the young person working behind the counter or even the manager who stepped up to help, smiles and says, “It is a pleasure serving you.” Note the word, “pleasure;” they do not say”joy” but a “pleasure serving you.” When is the last time you heard those words from a restaurant you dined?

The word “pleasure” means, “a state of gratification,” or “a source of delight or joy.” (Defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary)

As the young person or the manager stepping up to help, hands me my order those words are spoken as a smile appears and the words are jovial and inspiring. Those simple actions make the dining experience different than any other restaurant I have visited. I have not heard those words at any other restaurant; some will come close, but it is never duplicated.

The dining experience does not stop with the “handing-off” of the order, there is always a hostess or host to fill your cup or take your tray. At each turn, there is always someone there with a smile on their face and the words always follow, “It is a pleasure serving you.”

Does your company or restaurant serve your customers with pleasure?

Do your customers/clients know?

Want to know the restaurant? Chick-Fil-A!

I am hungry now. I may eat there tomorrow!

Just my thoughts,

Chris Gallagher

Several times a month, I will surf through the library of YouTube videos and watch a select few from my favorite speakers. Many of the videos I have seen countless times and some I almost know every word, but each time I hear them, the message is still powerful. The words still have an effect on my heart and in my actions. They will motivate me and inspire me for greater service. But where does the power reside? Is it in the speaker or the message? Take a moment and look at the six items below and see “Six Powers Behind a Powerful Message.”

1. The speaker believed the message – In each of my favorite speeches throughout the years, each speaker believe the message they were presenting. Their belief came through in their actions, words, emotions and gestures. The belief of the speaker was so strong, some of it, if not all of it, was transferred to the listeners on those different occasions. Without believing the words you are saying, your message will not fall on the listeners with power - it will just fall.
2. The speaker gave the audience time to think – Each famous speaker delivered the message in a way to give people time to think. The speaker presented words and offered solutions and even got personal, all the while, allowing the listeners to hear and digest the words.
3. The speaker used breaks and pauses in the message – While this point relies heavily on point #2 (and vice versa), the power in a pause or a break in the speech will help the listeners digest and concentrate on the message. Pauses and breaks in a message not only give the listeners time to think,they convey the serious matters of the message. Try pausing for a small amount of time and see how many people look at you, waiting for the next words.
4. The message challenged the listeners – Ever wonder why some people can fall asleep in a sermon or at a conference? There are many reasons, but I am convinced there is another – they are never challenged! You can attend seminar after seminar and never be challenged and you will have just been to “another seminar.” But challenge the people with a message that makes them move their feet and those people will tell everyone about the “event” they attended!
5. The message showed the listeners the future; whether good or bad – Remember the challenge of point #4 – point #5 is the thought process. Showing your audience the future, no matter good or bad, makes them act! If you are selling them a product, then show them the efficiency they will have in the future and the great sales they can make or the great lifestyle they will live. If you want them to take action on something that has been wrong, show them where the bad road will lead tin the future and challenge them to change the course because of the consequences to come. Take your audience into the future and begin changing tomorrow today!
6. The message was the motivation for the people – Close you message by motivating the people to take action today not tomorrow! The great messages of the past motivated the people to change at that very moment! Even in today’s society we are feeling the effects from people who took action hundreds of years ago because of their motivation to live better. Motivate your audience to achieve the next level- Leave them motivated!

These are just six points to get your mind racing toward becoming a greater speaker. Spend time this week and listen to those famous speeches of the past and see how these six points made a difference!

Enjoy your day!

Chris Gallagher

Tom Ziglar posted a great article on Twitter today entitled, “Creating a Five-Minute Speech.” Take a moment and read the beginning clip below and then click the link to read the rest of Tom’s article.

“I have a very special honor tonight. The first Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award is being given to Mike Huckabee. You can check out the details of the award right here www.zigziglaraward.com.

Because it is the first time the award is being given, they are also honoring Dad. How cool is it when your dad gets a Servant Leadership award named after him?!! I have been asked to say a few words about the award, the honor it is for the family and for Dad, and to talk about how we support Kingdom Education (Christian Education).

The event gets even cooler because my daughter Alexandra will be introducing Mom and Dad. (She is a little nervous because there will be over 1000 people there). For me, I am thrilled beyond belief – I get to be the proud son and the proud father all at the same time!”

Click here to read the rest of the article by Tom Ziglar!

(A special thanks to Tom for allowing me to post a small amount then linking to his site)

Enjoy the Day!

Chris Gallagher