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Chris Lynam

Chris Lynam

Livermore, California

Chris Lynam is a father of five and the co-owner of seven of the top Arthur Murray Dance schools in the world. He's created the most successful ballroom dance blog online and was named a top writer on Quora in 2018. He is also an international speaker and writer with works published in Inc., Fatherly, Fast Company, and Sporting News. Aside from his family, he has a passion for teaching, communicating, and started beekeeping with his kids as an avenue to learn more about science and business.

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Success! The Choreography of Customer Service has already sold 2453 pre-orders , was pitched to 16 publishers , and will be published by Post Hill Press .
Post Hill Press logo

$20 Trainer's Workbook

3 readers

Learn how to implement the skills of this book with the exclusive trainers workbook.

Free shipping

$25 The Specialist

51 readers

+ You'll receive a signed copy of the book

1 copy

Free shipping

$40 The Training Bundle

5 readers

This pairing gives you a service training meeting in your back pocket.
1 Copy of the Book
1 Workbook

1 copy

Free shipping

$50 The Instructor

22 readers

+ You'll receive 2 signed copies of the book
+ Invitation to a private Facebook group to further the conversation

2 copies

Free shipping

$75 Line of Dance 3 Books + 2 Shirts

0 readers

Line of Dance fans, if you preorder 3 Books you'll get 2 Mystery Line of Dance T-shirts included.

3 copies

$10 shipping

$250 The Counselor

13 readers

+ 1 Hour Zoom meeting with Chris Lynam
+ 10 Signed copies of the book
* Private Facebook group

10 copies

Free shipping

137 of 150 left

$800 The Supervisor

1 reader

+ 4 Hour Zoom boot camp with Chris Lynam
+ Admission for 2 to the VIP launch party
+ Printed acknowledgements in the book
+ 25 Signed copies of the book
* Private Facebook group

25 copies

Free shipping

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$900 Coaching Day

2 readers

Book Chris Lynam for a single day of dance coaching or staff training.
Plus invites for 4 to the VIP book launch

35 copies

Free shipping

$1250 The Consultant

7 readers

+ A full day of training (live or digital) for training or dance coaching
+ Admission for 4 to the VIP launch party
+ Trainer's workbook to implement the book's information
+ 50 Signed copies of the book
* 4 Hour Zoom bootcamp
* Printed acknowledgements in the book
* Private Facebook group

50 copies

Free shipping

43 of 50 left

$2850 The Franchisee

3 readers

+ 3 Full coaching days
+ 3 Zoom meetings (1 Hour) for ongoing training
+ Admission for 8 to the VIP launch party
+ Interview on Chris Lynam's podcast, Off The Floor
+ 125 Signed copies of the book
* 4 Hour Zoom bootcamp
* Trainer's workbook
* Printed acknowledgements in the book
* Private Facebook group

125 copies

Free shipping

17 of 20 left

$4250 The Director

7 readers

+ 5 Full coaching days
+ 5 Zoom meetings (1 hour) for ongoing training
+ Admission for 12 to the VIP launch party
+ Featured interview on the podcast and a portion of your interview will be used in the book
+ 200 Signed copies of the book
* 4 Hour Zoom bootcamp
* Trainer's workbook
* Printed acknowledgements in the book
* Private Facebook group

200 copies

Free shipping

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The Choreography of Customer Service

High Touch Service for a Touch Free World

The Choreography of Customer Service is specifically designed to give you the tools used by the professionals in one of the most high-touch, service industry businesses in America.

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Communication Skills
55,000 words
25% complete
15 publishers interested

Synopsis

The US economy loses over $62 billion dollars a year. Not because of their products, the rising cost of real estate, or data hacking internet pirates. It's customer service. More specifically, bad customer service. To make matters worse, like billions of dollars worse, companies shell out even more money to "find the right people" to solve the problem, only to continue the cycle.

Imagine being able to make a great connection with a client, where communication is easy, and your solution hits the bullseye. To create a business that is as loved for its friendly atmosphere as it is for the products it sells. The Choreography of Communication is specifically designed to give you timeless people skills that can adapt to any industry. In this book, you'll learn the tools used by the professionals in one of the most high-touch, service industry businesses in America. This company has been around longer than the Ritz Carlton, Disneyland, and was able to deliver a premium experience to customers despite wars, The Great Depression, and even Covid-19.

That business is Arthur Murray Dance Studios, and hidden behind the glitz and glamour of ballroom dancing is a world of customer service delivering a product that most people are convinced they'd never be good at. Chris Lynam is an international trainer for the company and he and his wife are responsible for rebuilding the brand in Northern California and Salt Lake City. The tools you'll learn in this book are the same that turned one location from near closure to the number one Arthur Murray Dance school in the world.

Sales Arguments
-Foreword will be written by John G. Miller, Author of QBQ: The Question Behind the Question
-Chris Lynam has a large platform to market his book, including an email list of over 24K, Instagram 14-15K, and Facebook over 10K
-He is an international trainer and influencer for Arthur Murray Dance Studios, with built-in endorsers with Arthur Murray franchisees around the world.
-He has been published in Huffington Post, Inc, Fast Company, Success, Fatherly, and Sporting News.

Audience

Whether it's small business owners, frontline workers, or large corporations, the people industry is embedded in every market, hidden beneath every product, and this book will make you better at it..

Promotion

Email List & Social Media Following
Through our website/blog, we have an email list of 24,000, give or take. The majority of this list read the blog articles I’ve been writing since 2014. An important takeaway from this is that I did zero marketing to this list during my pre-order campaign on the Publishizer platform, focusing instead on other Arthur Murray franchisees, consultants, and business owners - a strictly B2B campaign. The result of this pure outbound strategy, we sold 2,453 copies worth $55,535 in funds in just the first 30 days. This means that once the book is finished, there’s an engaged subscriber base and readership that I can begin a B2C campaign with.

With the Publishizer campaign, I was able to achieve the final results only tapping into less than 10% of the Arthur Murray franchisees around the world. The early adopters that did large preorders are also influencers in their market areas and through speaking/training engagements, social media, and fear of missing out - there have already been several inquires about when/if there will be another preorder campaign.

You can see the campaign and brief video at: https://publishizer.com/the-choreography-of-customer-service
Aside from being a business owner, I’ve been a practitioner and speaker on content marketing. I’ll utilize Facebook ads, landing pages on our website, and multiple automated email marketing campaigns to build up the momentum for the upcoming release of the book. In addition, I’ll run a new B2B campaign focusing on large preorders combined with more speaking and training engagements.

Facebook Pages:
Arthur Murray Live: 10,876 followers
Line of Dance: 7,410 followers
Chris Lynam: Page (433) Profile (2080 friends)

Instagram:
Arthur Murray Live (formerly @arthurmurrayusa , my personal/business account: 14,100 followers
Personal profile: 216 followers
Quora: 8,203 followers
Twitter: 7,127 Followers

The Social Media Marketing Plan:
99% of my preorder campaign came directly from my personal Facebook profile and direct messages. This means that the majority of my social media following were not being pitched the book or special bonuses.

My social media strategy will be the tip of the B2C spear for book sales. This will begin with live streaming business skills and leadership training and interviews. A big part of my Instagram following was built on a daily live stream I’d do called the “Live at 9:09 Show” where I’d share insights, tips, and stories of motivation after I’d drop my kids off at school.

Combining platforms like Instagram and Facebook where I’ve already established a live stream audience, with the return of my podcast, Off The Floor, I’ll have a consistent vehicle for adding great exposure to the book, great long term connections for research and future reviews, and I’ll control the commercials being shown. I already have two episodes ready to roll out for the season 3 return of the show (had to stop due to some health issues with our youngest after she was born).

Endorsers:
I virtually eliminated my travel for consulting work once we started having kids in 2009. With a long track record, and is being considered a leader in our industry, making myself available for consulting again was a pivotal part in the preorder campaign success. My wife is a driving force behind this goal of mine and has given me the green light. That being said, there were still people attempting to order more books after the deadline in exchange for more days of me coming to train their staff and students.

I’m certain that many more bulk orders can be expected within the Arthur Murray organization around the world. In many cases, my colleagues wanted to do more but couldn’t as they are in the midst of partial or complete shutdowns in their businesses due to Covid. As my speaking and training engagements start kicking into full gear - I’ve started already but 1st quarter of 2021 is already slammed - then I’m sure there will be plenty of late adopters and reorders for time + books.

2021 Confirmed Speaking Engagements:
-Toronto, Canada
-Seattle
-Honolulu
-Houston
-Orlando
-Monterey, Ca.
-Stockton, Ca.
-Folsom, Ca.
-Ajax, Canada
-Cincinnati, Ohio
-Fort Wayne, Indiana
-Las Vegas, NV.
-Virginia Beach, VA.
-Columbia, VA.
-Milan, Italy

There are some pending trips that are in the works in:
-Portland, Or.
-Peru, South America
-Tokyo, Japan

In addition to these Arthur Murray speaking engagements, I also have endorsements, speaking experience, and future events with:
-The Alzheimer’s Association
-Beachbody Fitness
-State Farm Insurance
-A private wealth management company
-The Music Place (private music school)

Our Clients:
Who are your typical clients at Arthur Murray? Ballroom dancing is a hobby that draws in people from all different walks of life. Our clients are University professors, real estate professionals, Lawyers, doctors, nurses, politicians, and business owners.

Our client base, and subscriber list, would certainly be interested in supporting the book based on the years of service and experience they’ve had with me, my wife, and our schools. Many times, we’ve had our clients ask us about our training, have complimented us on the service they receive and would seek out some of the same methods.

In Bookstores:
How often have you heard a parent say “there isn’t an instruction manual for parenting”? Well, that’s exactly what most service-based employers and employees feel when it comes to improving their craft. They reach the back of the training manual, they skim through company policies, and are still stuck in survival mode.

The intention of The Choreography of Customer Service is to create a playbook for delivering a lasting customer experience. To continue where any employee training manual left off and to help service professionals at every level improve their communication, connecting, and problem-solving skills.

For every 100 books printed about how to find better employees, attract better leads, or conduct a better interview - there’s a huge gap when it comes to actually improving the employees you have, so they can deliver a better experience to your leads, and they won’t have to interview for a new job anytime soon.

A Gartner study in 2018 predicted that 89% of businesses will compete mainly on customer experience. In a similar study, it was revealed that 87% of organizations agree that traditional experiences no longer satisfy customers. That was before 2020. Customer service, and the ability to deliver it genuinely, has always been a commodity but 2020 has turned that into a necessity. This book is for everyone from small business owners wanting to win back their consumer base to large corporations hoping to create resonance with the people on the other end of their product.

Partner Opportunities:
Through my podcast “Off The Floor” I was able to make some great connections outside of the dance world and into the greater business community. Reengaging with my previous guests, and incorporating new guests into the show when I begin recording again early next year will be the best way to create some great ways to amplify the word and marketing campaign.

Advance Praise:
All three of these people have been guests on my podcast and are non-fiction authors.
-Brent Gleeson is a successful CEO, speaker, two-time author, and former Navy SEAL.
-Jonathan Raymond is the CEO of Refound, author of the book Good Authority.
-Dan McGinn is a senior editor at the Harvard Business Review and author of Psyched Up. *waiting for confirmation

The Foreword by John G. Miller:
The QBQ, by John G Miller, was published by Penguin Random House and has more than 1 million copies in print. His book gave me a “road to Damascus” moment when it came to personal accountability. I began recommending it to everyone and we incorporated the book into our staff leadership development training. John and I connected through social media a few years back, and then he was a guest on my podcast. He made me promise to reach out to him the moment I decided to write a book and I kept my word. I emailed him and asked if he’d like to write the foreword and his response, “I’d be honored.”

Aside from having an author of multiple books on board to write the foreword, it’s the context and shared beliefs that, I believe, deliver the most value. In both cases, it comes down to helping people fix something they may not feel is broken and making it easy enough for them to try it, and see improvement.

Links to Publications:
-What I Learned from My First Job Interview: https://www.inc.com/quora/what-i-learned-when-mcdonald-s-wouldn-t-hire-me.html. This was also published by Forbes and Huffington Post
-How to Take Your Parenting to the Next Level: https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/take-kids-passion-next-level/. This was also published by Apple News
-How I’m Using Junk Food to Make My Kids Better People: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-im-using-junk-food-to_b_11546980. This was also published by Fatherly.
-Here’s an interview I did that went to print and digital for Success Magazine: https://www.success.com/how-to-change-yourself-in-positive-ways/

Community:
In 2017, I became the Arthur Murray Ambassador creating and representing a partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. I was asked to speak at their National convention in New Orleans in 2018. While the pandemic has put those efforts on the back burner while we are working to bring our businesses back to functioning levels, we still have big plans to make up for lost time with our fundraising efforts.

Competition

-Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh - Grand Central Publishing, March 2013: - This book is fantastic and covers some of the overarching "macro" goals of running a customer-focused company. Where my book will be different is zooming in and equipping sales and customer success teams with more frontline, tactical improvements.

-How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie - Simon & Schuster, 1936 - It may seem blasphemous to invoke the name of this book in comparison to any other in the genre, let alone my own, but the story component along with actionable principles is definitely similar to my style of writing, but in the voice of the current generation.

-Start With Why by Simon Sinek - Portfolio, 2009 - Sinek's masterpiece is powerfully written and can course correct even the most wayward of business people. If his work were a funnel, then Start With Why is calibrated and fine tuned at the top. Whereas, my book will spend more time creating actionable steps so they aren't just agreeing with the feeling, but have things they can say and do immediately that can make a difference on their very next workday.

15 publishers interested
Post Hill Press logo Post Hill Press

500 copies • Partial manuscript • Looking for narrative, non-fiction self-help, business, and politics.

Post Hill Press was founded in 2013 by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and book industry professionals and has successfully published a wide spectrum of books, with a focus on the categories of pop culture, business, self-help, health, current events, Christian, and conservative political books. Our entrepreneurial spirit makes Post Hill Press a nimble publisher, willing and able to move quickly and take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace.

Our books have appeared on The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. A number of our authors have appeared on national media such as CNN, Fox News, The Doctors, Dr. Phil, and many others, as well as national radio and print outlets.

We publish across all formats and platforms, including eBooks, audiobooks, and print books, which are distributed by Simon and Schuster and available worldwide. We have ongoing collaborative relationships with national television networks as well as a strategic alliance with an innovative global literary agency.

Traditional publisher

Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Current Affairs, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Management & Leadership, Money & Investment, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Society & Culture

Worldwide

Skyhorse Publishing logo Skyhorse Publishing

2,000 copies • Partial manuscript • Looking for general nonfiction, history, politics, rural living, cooking, humor, and children’s books.
Skyhorse Publishing, one of the fastest-growing independent book publishers in the United States, was launched in September 2006 by Tony Lyons, former president and publisher of the Lyons Press. It has had forty-three titles on the New York Times bestseller list over the course of its ten-year history. With our fifteen imprints, including recently launched Hot Books and Racehorse, Skyhorse has a continually growing catalog of titles that mixes forgotten classics with new material that has yet to be brought to the reading public. We are always looking for books that will connect with and entertain readers.

Traditional publisher

Children Fiction, Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Romantic Fiction, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Business & Money, Career & Success, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, History, Journalism, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Science, Society & Culture, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Technology & the Future, Travel, Travel

Sunbury Press logo Sunbury Press

250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Sunbury Press, Inc., headquartered in Mechanicsburg, PA is a publisher of hardcover, trade paperback, and eBooks featuring established and emerging authors in many categories. Sunbury's books are sold through leading booksellers worldwide. We are a traditional royalty-paying trade publisher.

Traditional publisher

Literary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel

Pennsylvania

Agora Publishing logo Agora Publishing

Agora Publishing is a Canada-based not-for-profit organization, founded in 1997 with the aim of making book publishing accessible to all writers across Canada and internationally.

We are the only hybrid book publisher which is also a cable TV show producer; newspaper publisher; social media marketer and search engine marketing organization.

Do you have a Twitter following of at least 5000?

We will interview eligible authors for 15 minutes for our cable TV show broadcast.

If your raw interview footage generates at least 1000 views within a four day period, we will air your interview on our cable TV show.

Contact us for more information.

Applications are due Saturday, May 29, 2021.

#authors #bookmarketing #writers #tv

Hybrid publisher

All categories

Worldwide

Ballast Books logo Ballast Books

250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Ballast Books is a full-service hybrid publisher that handles all aspects of book creation, design, publishing, marketing, distribution, and platform building. We help our authors sell more books, secure more keynotes, do more consulting, earn more customers, and book more media appearances.

We want to work with the best of the best: Former Special Operations Forces, CEOs, big thinkers, industry-leading experts. Top-performing people with experiences worth sharing and skills that translate into a larger message and goal.

We've seen particular success with military memoirs, but we've also recently hired a children's book specialist, so we run the spectrum of genres. We're a small but growing team and take pride in dedicating more time and energy to all our authors than traditional publishers.

Hybrid publisher

All categories

, United States

Hybrid Global Publishing logo Hybrid Global Publishing

250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Hybrid Global Publishing is a full service Hybrid Publishing Company dedicated to helping authors, speakers, and entrepreneurs get their message out by writing and publishing a book. We offer developmental editing, publishing, distribution, and marketing services for independent authors who are interested in speaking on stage, becoming more visible in the media, and establishing more credibility. The team has a combined 80 years of experience in publishing and has held editorial, management and marketing positions at major publishing houses, including The Free Press, Crown, Random House, and Avon.

Hybrid publisher

Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Poetry, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Creativity, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Illustrated Books, Journalism, LGBT Non-Fiction, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Technology & the Future, Travel, Science Fiction & Humour

Worldwide

Isabella Media Inc logo Isabella Media Inc

250 copies • Completed manuscript.
Isabella Media Inc is a Rhode Island-based, family-owned, mainline publishing organization with a mission to discover unknown stories. We combine unknown or little known authors’ undiscovered potential with Isabella Media Inc’s unique approach to publishing to provide the highest quality books to readers about stories they may not find anywhere else. It’s our desire to find unique stories that drive us.

Hybrid publisher

Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Business & Money, Career & Success, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Illustrated Books, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Motivation & Inspiration, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences

Worldwide

Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press logo Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press

500 copies • Partial manuscript • Looking for business and entrepreneurship, personal development, and success psychology books.
Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press was founded by international best-selling author Jesse Krieger and focuses on personal development, healthy lifestyles, and entrepreneurship-focused titles. Our process starts with your nearly-finished manuscript, which we turn into a beautiful publish-ready book and launch up the best-seller charts. But it doesn't stop there, our most valuable work is in helping you use your book as a business development tool so you can build a thriving book-based business and brand.

Hybrid publisher

Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Crafts & Hobbies, Creativity, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Journalism, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel

Worldwide

Morgan James logo Morgan James

500 copies • Partial manuscript • Looking for entrepreneurship, business, self-help, and personal growth.

Morgan James Publishing has revolutionized book publishing—from the author’s standpoint, earning 29 NY Times and over 100 USA Today and Wall Street Journal best sellers. We teach authors strategies to leverage their books and grow their businesses—adding value while staying out of the way. Evidenced by more Major Media best sellers than most publishers our size. Regularly ranked by Publishers Weekly as the most recognized and one of the fastest-growing publishers in the nation, Morgan James is reported to be “the future of publishing.”

Hybrid publisher

All categories

United Kingdom, Canada

Something or Other Publishing logo Something or Other Publishing

250 copies • Completed manuscript.
SOOP is a small virtual publishing company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, with a core team based in the US and additional contractors around the world. SOOP currently focuses on curating a small number of volumes for publication each year to enable its team to dedicate a great deal of time to working with its authors directly - not just on the manuscript, but also on platform-building and promotion.

Hybrid publisher

Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT Fiction, Literary Essay, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mythology & Folk Tales, Poetry, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Art & Photography, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Crafts & Hobbies, Creativity, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Illustrated Books, Journalism, LGBT Non-Fiction, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel, YA Non-Fiction, Science Fiction & Humour

Worldwide

1106 Design, LLC logo 1106 Design, LLC

Dear Author,

You worked hard to write your manuscript; finally, it's ready to release. You know that expert assistance is needed, but perhaps you didn’t realize that working with a publisher is no longer necessary—especially publishers who charge fees to produce your book upfront and "share" more of your revenue whenever a book is sold.

1106 Design is an author services company. We offer all the editorial and design services you’d expect from a publisher, transforming your manuscript into a market-ready book. But here's the difference: we help you secure print-on-demand printing and worldwide distribution in your name. This means you earn several dollars more for every book sold instead of a meager “royalty.”

We understand that your book is not just a passion project but also a potential source of income. That's why we offer a range of services tailored to your needs at affordable prices. Depending on your manuscript's word count and complexity, our packages range from $4,000 to $10,000. And here's the best part: after this one-time investment, every penny of net revenue from book sales goes directly to you, never to us.

If this sounds like a better way to publish your book, I invite you to browse our services, design samples, no-surprises pricing, outstanding customer reviews, and educational articles at https://1106design.com. You can download a free PDF of my book, "Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing and an Insider's Look at a Misunderstood Industry," and request a free, no-obligation consultation.

1106 Design has been in business since 2001 and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. We are a “Highly Recommended Expert” at IngramSpark.com and rated "Excellent" at Alli, The Alliance for Independent Authors, at SelfPublishingAdvice.org, where you can find a "watchdog list" of the best and worst publishing services companies.

How can we serve you today?

Sincerely,
Michele DeFilippo, owner

Service publisher

Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Essay, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mythology & Folk Tales, Poetry, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Journalism, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel, YA Non-Fiction, Science Fiction & Humour

Worldwide

Authors Unite logo Authors Unite

250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Authors Unite helps you become a profitable author and make an impact. We take care of printing and distribution through major online retailers, developmental editing, and proofreading with unlimited revisions. We take care of the entire process for you from book cover design all the way to set up your backend so all your book royalties go straight to your bank account. We can also help with ghostwriting if you prefer not to have to figure out all the steps on how to write a book yourself.

With our book marketing services, you don’t need to worry about figuring out all the steps on how to market a book or how to become a bestselling author. We’ve helped hundreds of authors become bestselling authors on Amazon, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. We take care of the entire book launch process for you to help you sell thousands of copies of your book and become a bestselling author.


View case studies here: https://authorsunite.com

Service publisher

Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Mythology & Folk Tales, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Crafts & Hobbies, Creativity, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Journalism, LGBT Non-Fiction, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel, YA Non-Fiction, Science Fiction & Humour

Worldwide

Bright Communications LLC logo Bright Communications LLC

Looking for all types of books, including fiction, children's books, health, memoir, business books, and cookbooks
Bright Communications LLC is a woman- and veteran-owned custom publisher in Hellertown, PA. Founding CEO Jennifer Bright is a Book Doula, whose passion is helping authors bring their books to life. Our team of expert editorial, design, and marketing pros help authors go from idea to completed books and retain 100% of the rights to their work. We also offer four custom publishing packages and a $1900 self-publishing assist program.

Service publisher

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We believe in partnerships. This isn't our first rodeo (although, in full transparency, we've never been to an actual rodeo), and it is our privilege to guide our authors every step of the way. We are proud of our no-tears-or-panic-attacks policy.

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INTRODUCTION:

There’s a magical phrase that can turn normal grown men into grumpy walking hat stands, “I just want to go try a few things on.” That was me many years ago on the night of our anniversary. My wife Daisey hung all of her Earthly belongings on my limbs and bolted off through clothing store Disneyland. As a professional grumpy walking hat stand, I knew the drill. I found a comfy spot outside the fitting room and, as per the terms and services agreement outlined in every marriage, I proceeded to give feedback on the outfits as she modeled them for me.
This wasn’t a new activity, but it was a new store, so being that this was in the ancient times before the iPhone, I’m sure in between Daisey’s fashion shows, I looked bored out of my mind. Then a question changed everything, “Hey man, you want a beer or something while you’re waiting?”

It took me by surprise. Here was a store employee that I hadn’t seen when we walked in and he suddenly appears offering me a beer? Maybe this was a euphemism of some sort, or a trick wives play on their husbands to see just how disinterested they are in their little jaunts to clothing store Disneyland. Whatever it was, it sounded too good to be true. All of those thoughts were articulated when I responded with “huh?” He smiled, “you look like you could use a beer. We’ve got Heinekin in the back, is that okay?”

Heineken? That was my beer of choice. “Sure!” I blurted out. When he returned it to me I was no longer a grumpy walking hat stand of a guy, I was a guy, reclining in a chair, holding a Heineken, while his wife was shopping. Not bad. It was ice cold and maybe it was the setting, or the compete turnaround of the scene, but it was the best Heineken I’ve ever had.

Based on the clothing, Daisey was falling in love with the store, based on the beer, I couldn’t blame her. Then my customer service beer angel comes by to check in on me. He offers me another beer and mentions, “you know, with your tall and lean build, our menswear would fit you really well.” When you have the arms of a basketball player, finding dress shirts that fit, and look good, is about as easy as Indiana Jones finding the Arc of the Covenant. That’s pretty hard. He continued, “what are you about a 36/37 sleeve?” “Exactly” came my stunned, yet impressed, response. “Then this is going to be your new favorite store” was his excited and incredibly prophetic response.
Shopping at that store became a regular tradition for us for almost a decade afterwards. As great as the clothes were, and they sure did fit great, we kept returning for the service that we received.

To this day, I look back on that beer moment and can appreciate it not just as the consumer, but as someone who has been training customer service professionals for over two decades.
I work in the ballroom dance industry where our service desk is the space between our elbows, where we are literally holding our clients in our arms, and faking the connection we create is impossible. It’s close range, high touch service, and it takes a lot of hard work to make what we do look easy. In the case of our beer guy, he was smooth, the conversation flow was natural, and his service skills were most certainly the byproduct of great training. He made it look easy and could have worked in our industry without question.

Whatever the company invested in the beer, and their training program, they definitely had a great return on their investment.

Unfortunately, for every one story like this, there are countless interactions where the service is forced, impersonal, or nonexistent. The type of service that makes you want to put the word service in air quotes. The kind that makes you wonder where the manager is, what the hiring standards are, or question the culture of the organization as a whole. Studies show that even before the pandemic, bad customer service was responsible for over 60 billion dollars in lost revenue and increasing every year. In a similar study, over 80% of participating company executives stated that customer service was their number one priority. You don’t have to be a customer service conspiracy theorist to see the irony here.

For years, great service was a way to differentiate a business from its competition. Today, with competition coming from all over the world and a pandemic changing the business landscape as we know it, customer service skills might be the difference between the business keeping their doors open and closing for good.

The bottom line is this: Customer Service has never been more important than it is today.

About This Book

As a business owner, I felt like every book on sales, communication, leadership, and human behavior was extending my education so I could better equip my staff. I wanted to write the kind of book I would love to find and read on a work trip, to use as a catalyst for staff training, and to create a competitive advantage for my business.

As a father of five, and someone who loves to read to his kids, I want to tell you that I know how quickly attention spans can shift and so every chapter of this book will include a story to keep you engaged, entertained, and to help drive home a clear example of the teaching.

As a teacher, I want you to know that information is only as valuable as the application you put behind it. Some of the best advice I ever received in my career came from my old boss, Bobby Gonzalez, “if you want to be great at this job you just need two things: Good health and an open mind.” This book could be the catalyst that improves your business, or it could be a waste of space on your bookshelf. Good health and an open mind will determine how you see this book.

The late Zig Ziglar sold cookware before he became an author and speaker. John Maxwell was a preacher before he became an expert on leadership. While their industries may be different from yours, there is one common denominator: People. I will tell you right away that this book will include some stories that include dancing, but at the heart of it all is what author Brene Brown says, “it’s just people, people, people.”

This book will go through three stages:
The Choreography: This is where I’ll introduce the primary concepts of high touch service. We’ll cover the “Service Ammo” which can transpose over to any product or service and equip you or your team beyond the do’s and don’ts of a basic training manual.
The Connection: In this stage, you’ll learn how to add more depth to your service choreography, take the guesswork out of how to create a great experience, and make a more lasting impression with your clients.
The Commitment: In this final stage, we’ll explore how the choreography works when there are objections, misunderstandings, and other pressurized situations.
Final Thought

Every great monument, bridge, or building began with a bold idea, a builder willing to take on the challenge, and a blueprint. Whether it’s the Wright Brothers or Elon Musk, history is filled with stories where the skeptics far outnumbered the visionaries. In the world of dance instruction, we know a lot about skeptics. Our product is something that people love the idea of but are convinced they’re incapable of doing it. We deal with fears and phobias that have become affixed to people’s identities, only to see that all wash away when they allow us to teach them.

Fixing customer service is no different. The divide between the service we deliver and the service we want might be wide, so wide that people believe that reaching the other side is a fool’s errand. Who’s to say that you can’t be the visionary, the engineer that constructs the bridge that can change your skills, your career, and your industry? This is your blueprint and I’m so grateful to have a chance to teach it to you.

CHAPTER 1: SERVICE AMMO

Chapter 1
The doorbell chimed. It was dark enough, and rainy enough, to make anyone wonder: Who would be here at a time like this? I flipped on the porch light, and in front of me was a young boy, about ten years old, drenched and holding a bucket. My heart went out to him immediately, “Hey, can I help you?”  Instead of responding, he reached into his pocket and produced a laminated card. 
“Hello” he read, “my name is Joey, and I’m raising money to improve the lives of disadvantaged youth in our city.” Then, he lifted the lid on his bucket .  As someone who sold everything from chocolate bars to cookbooks for school fundraisers in grade school, I was hoping it would be more of the former, and not the latter.  The heavy duty lid to his fundraising treasure lifted away and I’m sure I heaved a sigh of relief to see an assortment of candy, chocolate bars, and all manner of things that will destroy a diet, but then I saw something and tuned everything else out:  Red Vines, my movie-watching treat of choice—I could eat them by the tub. At that point, I was Joey’s captive audience.  The only problem?  I was Joey’s captive audience.
Joey continued his presentation, maybe it was chapter two  script, but I was stuck between the distraction of the candy I wanted and, let’s just say, a very thorough presentation by a polite kid.  I tried smiling, nodding, giving every socially acceptable sign that I anything really to communicate that I was on his side and ready to purchase.  He kept reading, as steady as the rain pouring down behind him.  all I was thinking was, Get to the pitch. Just ask me if I want to buy some. But he continued reading for TK, until I finally jumped in: “Hey buddy, how much for the Red Vines?” 
“Five dollars” he said. My internal price point was far, far lower, but my affinity for the licorice, and teaching, took over. the fact that I’d gone through the entire presentation, prompted me to take some corrective action. 
I grabbed a pen and a small notebook and handed them to Joey. Right there, on the porch on a rainy winter’s night, I gave a ten-year-old kid a lesson on how to improve his presentation. I assured him that I’d be purchasing something if he could deliver this new and improved pitch.  We edited down his presentation to the bare essentials.  I knew he could read from a script and that this new, leaner edition would be a breeze in comparison. At first, he eyed me the way you would if you were expecting a prank.  I kept assuring him, kept teaching him, and Joey diligently wrote everything down.  “Now I’m going to close the door again,” I said, “You knock, I’ll answer, and then you say what we covered.” He knocked on the door, and began. 
“Hi, I’m Joey, and I know it’s late,” he said. I nodded my approval, and he opened up the bucket: “But maybe this will help. I could read you this long message,” he held up his script, “or I could just tell you that everything I sell will help me go to college. So, can you help me with that?”  
After he’d recited the new and improved pitch, I bought all the Red Vines he had.  

Whether or not you’re selling candy door to door, there’s something about Joey’s story that anyone in customer service can benefit from: a new point of view.  Like so many others, he was probably doing everything that was asked of him: visiting houses, reading his script, opening his candy bucket, and hoping that added up to more candy sold. When people said no, I’m sure he was trained to accept the rejection, wave goodbye, and move on. But where’s the improvement in all of that? 
I taught Joey something I call The Secret Mission, and it’s exactly what you’re going to learn next. It’s also important to note that, though this book is about customer service, service without sales is like a movie without Red Vines, at least for me anyway. Whether it’s being of service or delivering a service, service and sales are symbiotic partners. 
The Secret Mission is the best place to start in our journey through Service Choreography, because it’s how everyone I’ve trained learns to present ideas with confidence, to clarify a better path to the product, and to take ownership in the idea, even if they aren’t owners of the company.  

What is The Secret Mission? 

A plan that challenges the status quo and will leads to better results.  

3 Secret Mission Types

  1. 1. The Opportunity: 
  2. Acknowledge the normal option,status quo option for your product or service, then replacing it with a better one. This was the approach I taught Joey: “I could read you this long message, or I could tell you that everything I sell will help me go to college.”
  3. 2. The Challenge: Think of the expectations the public might have and how your idea will take them by surprise. Athletic coaches have an especially strong affinity for this one. “everyone out there doesn’t think you have what it takes to win, here’s how we’re going to shut them all up.” 

3. The Forecast: What type of response to your plan do you foresee? Think of the desired reactions to a surprise party, home show makeover, or wedding dress reveal. “This is going to bring them to tears!” 

As we proceed, you’ll learn how secret menu items are sometimes hidden in plain sight, the correlation your family dinners have with Harry Potter, and how maybe the best thing to happen to a team is the willful destruction of company property.  

Secret Mission: The Opportunity
The Secret Menu

“No one knows that the best dessert we serve isn’t really even on the menu,” the waiter said to a pair of women in business attire seated a few feet away from me, with the confident grin of an infomercial host. It was Friday, and I was picking up “date night to go” from our favorite steak house, a fancy meal we’d eat after the kids went to bed. As soon as I overheard him, I became a professional eavesdropper. I needed to know what this dessert was. His audience took the cue, and he continued as if a paid studio audience member had just asked, “well how do you do it?”  He flipped over the menu and pointed out the secret dessert, which was actually hidden in plain sight. “We take our sweet potato casserole hot out of the oven and add a scoop of vanilla Häagen-Dazs on top” There were plenty of guttural responses of approval, myself included.  

It wasn’t just the mystery of it all, or my insatiable love for sweet potato casserole—it was the departure from the norm and the confidence of his delivery. This guy was a real pro. What made this a Secret Mission was that he took the status quo (the menu) and presented an exclusive option, a unique opportunity. Whether anyone ordered it, or not, feeling let in on the secret gives resonance to the experience. 
How often have you heard the phrase “Would you like to hear about our specials?” then listened with rapt attention to a waiter reading a list of food items with as much enthusiasm as a forced apology? Using this version of The Secret Mission, you’re sharing an exclusive opportunity, like a VIP afterparty.  

Think of the Opportunity as an alternate route to your customers’ destination. “There’s this sweet potato casserole with ice cream on top.” Where the sales-hungry can lose sight of their service foundation is when that alternate route is presented as the only detour available.  “I’m sorry, but this is the only dessert we have on the menu now and my boss says, we needed your order 15 minutes ago.” There’s a good chance that if you had a friend who was constantly putting you under immense pressure and was prone to sudden outbursts with slideshows and sales presentations, you probably wouldn’t hang out very often. That might seem a little unfair, but high-touch service requires that you are engaged in conversation with your customers, not just planning what you want to present next. With The Secret Mission, you should always sound like a friend having a conversation (sharing an opportunity, some breaking news, or a way to lend support, for example), not reading from a script (or laminated card, in Joey’s case). 

Key Takeaways 
* Present the typical approach to create contrast to your elevated opportunity.
* Your Opportunity is an alternate route, not the only option. 
* A conversational approach is the key to high-touch service. 

Secret Mission: Challenging Expectations 

The Scottish countryside is filled with murmurs of concern while English soldiers march into position. As the scene unfolds, we see Scottish soldiers disband from their disheveled ranks. “I didn’t come to fight so they can own more lands,” says one.  
“I’m not dying for these bastards. Let’s go home,” says another.  Then, someone spots him: a man on horseback with a calm demeanor but with intensity in his eyes.  Each soldier he passes seems to spark a hushed response: “William Wallace.”    

He faces the ragged band of soldiers: “I am William Wallace, and I see a whole army of my countrymen, here, in defiance of tyranny. You’ve come to fight as free men.” 
Someone from the crowd interrupts: “Fight?  Against that?” He motions to the imposing English army: “We will run, and we will live.” 
Wallace continues, “Aye. Fight and you may die. Run and you’ll live, at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, for one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”

This scene in the movie Braveheart is one of the best examples of sharing the secret mission and challenging expectations. William Wallace was addressing a Scottish army that was inferior to the English in size, training, and equipment. The available information was daunting, but Wallace spoke to the advantages that they had beneath the surface, the motivation to protect their land, to fight and save their families, and to live a life afterward without regret.  

This version of the Secret Mission is powerful. It’s designed to rally your troops, acknowledge the challenge, amplify the purpose, and set the plan in motion.  Here’s another version of this “Braveheart Speech,” set in real life.  

Coach Lopez 

“We lost four of our best players to the varsity team. No one thinks you guys have what it takes to win.” Robert Lopez’s voice echoed throughout the breathless gymnasium. On the outside, this was a team with low expectations, but it wasn’t to coach Lopez. “So, we are going to outwork everyone.” As a member of his team, I can tell you that, when he said “everyone,” he wasn’t just referring to the other junior varsity teams in our league—he meant everyone, anywhere. Or at least it felt that way. I never worked as hard as we did on Coach Lopez’s team, in my second year of high school. What followed after was proof: we had an undefeated season.  


5 Keys to Challenging Expectations: “The Braveheart Speech” 

1. Acknowledge the Challenge: If you don’t respect your adversary or problem, you won’t feel the need to give extra effort. 
2. The Big Picture: What is the opportunity that is bigger than the fear?
3. What’s the Hidden Advantage? For Coach Lopez, it was our effort.  For William Wallace, it was fighting with a passion to defend their own land and eventually die without regret.  
4. Rally: Here’s what we’re going to do. This is where your problem and big picture combine to align your team with the message.  

Framing it Out: “I Know, and I also know.” 

Let’s take the challenge of #1 and combine it with the big picture of #2.  We’re going to swap them into a sentence using “I know, and I also know.”  

- “Mr Smith, I know that learning a new program can be tricky, but I also know that you’re closer to a breakthrough than you realize…” 
- “Kids, I know that attending school on Zoom is a little different, but the extra effort you make now will mean no summer school…”
- “Mrs. Johnson, I know you have some concerns but I also know that that’s my specialty, so let’s get things figured out together.” 

The Takeaway

It’s easy to shield someone from challenges. In the service industry, we want to make things as easy as possible, reduce any potential friction, and make sure that the customer leaves happy.  But what if that short term happiness plan leads to long term frustration and dissatisfaction?  Telling someone what they are capable of, even if it means it will require more effort, investment, or time is not for everyone. But anyone who trusts you as the professional deserves an opportunity to grow, learn, or achieve to their long-term fulfillment. 

Secret Mission:  The Forecast 

Proper Dosing for the Church Fishing Trip

What could go wrong when you mix deep sea fishing, a church congregation, and over the counter medication? I was a certified pre-teen, and my Mom had enlisted a friend of the family to take me to the father-son church deep sea fishing trip.  Chuck already had kids—two girls—so I was his rental son, and he was my rental dad. We were meeting the rest of the group at the docks just after sunrise, so I spent the night at his house. 
I was curled up in my sleeping bag when Chuck woke me. “Here, take this.”  
He handed me a small pill and a glass of water and delivered a secret mission for the ages. 
“Everyone takes Dramamine right before they get on the boat, but not us,” he said. Even in my bleary-eyed state, this got my attention. “The real trick is to get it in your system the night before, then take it again before you get on the boat.” We both took the pill, and as I folded back into my sleeping bag, he said, “Just watch tomorrow and you’ll see.” 
When we arrived at the dock, we greeted the rest of the group. The fathers and their sons made comments about catching dinner, playful bets on who would catch the most fish—and then something peculiar happened. Just before they stepped foot on the boat, I watched them all pop their Dramamine pill. It was like communion, but for motion sickness. Chuck looked over at me and nodded with eyes that said, You see what I mean? And I certainly did. Chuck wasn’t just my rental dad, he was a bona fide teller of the future.  
As part of our plan, Chuck and I took our second motion sickness pill as we boarded. I was very interested to see how well our plan would turn out. As we set off through the chilly air and choppy waters, I’d find out exactly the kind of expert my rental dad really was.  
I’ll spare you the explicit details, but let’s just say that he was right about it all. Every single member of the church fishing party, except the two of us, were, in his words, “feeding the fish.”  Each time it happened, it elevated Chuck’s plan, his expertise, and my respect for him, which is a little weird to say.  





Your forecast is communicating the confident expectation you have for your client with your product or service. Thinking these positive things is easy, sharing them is a little more challenging, but let’s look at some of the key takeaways from Chuck’s fishing trip forecast. 

* Typical Problem: What’s the average choice that leads to less than average results? 
* Unique Solution: What’s your tweak to the plan that makes it more effective? 
* Not Us: When comparing the typical problem to your unique one, a phrase like “not us” or “here’s what we are going to do different” clarifies the path and unifies the people taking it. 
* Forecast: Share the evidence of progress. What might they see, feel, hear or experience that would be a sign that this plan is working?  

Framing it Out: “Not Us”

The following are some ways you can take The Secret Mission: Forecasting and apply it to your work, social, or family life: 

* “Everyone looks at a messy house and gets overwhelmed, but not us. We’re going to start by piling everything on the couch to secure our first small cleaning victory.” 
* “A lot of people sign up for a seminar only to let all the information drift away as they go back to work, but not us. We’re going to create a follow-up group to keep the information fresh and relevant.”

Adding the Forecast: Providing Evidence of Progress
Think of this the same way we would have, in ancient times, given someone driving directions. How would they know if they took the right road? This final example should give you some tips on ways to provide that evidence for them to notice. 

* “Here’s how we’ll know this workout is effective, when you wake up tomorrow, if your legs feel like jelly, we’re on the right track.”
* “If, by this time tomorrow, we’ve doubled our outbound calls, we’ll know this new concept is working.” 
* “If they start rolling their eyes, sleeping in, and getting emotional, congratulations, you have a teenager.”

The Takeaway

Too often, we can withhold what’s possible. It’s as if, somewhere along the way, we’ve become convinced that the people we interact with most are just one card away from the full house of ego maniac, so we think of people’s potential, instead of sharing it. What we fail to realize is that we are missing an opportunity to create a stronger connection built around vision and not just current events. Imagine that someone’s confidence is like a tire. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never inflated a tire to the point that it exploded on me. It is, however, always in the back of my mind. Conversely, how often have you experienced a tire that is a little deflated, sluggish, or completely flattened? Plenty of times. Someone who has a heart for service won’t hesitate to fill up the tires around them; they’ll recognize that communicating belief is something that will rarely, if ever, backfire, and they’ll provide evidence and support so the plan doesn’t feel like a bunch of hot air either. 

Hogwarts and Other Places to Look

Your Secret Mission doesn’t need to revolutionize your product. In fact, your product may already be revolutionary. Your Secret Mission can be a simple adjustment to how the product is used, how to use it, where to keep it so it lasts longer, or the best way to see faster results. Need another example of how a minor adjustment can lead to a major improvement? Just ask Harry Potter.  

In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Harry comes into contact with a used book for his potions class. But potions really aren’t his thing. That is, until he reads the book. In it are hand-written notes and adjustments to certain potion recipes, which are so precise that Harry’s potion-making abilities skyrocket. While you may not be in the market to make the perfect potion, there are some great examples of slight modifications that are much closer to home. In fact, they might be in your pocket as you’re reading this. 

Every app on your smartphone is in a constant state of improvement. Your favorite game, social media hangout, or photo filter is the result of layers of Secret Missions. Most apps are meant to solve problems, even if the problem is as comical as “I really need something to make me look more like a puppy in my pictures, but there’s literally nothing out there.” At that point, the developers see the current app market as the status quo, and their new Puppy Licking Good Photo Filter app finds its audience.  

When the app runs into problems, or gets “buggy,” the current version is the status quo and the new update, or “patch,” is the Secret Mission. In your industry, consider how long it has been since there was a patch for how you deliver service. I like to look at it through the lens of tech and ask, “What kind of cell phone was available when this training was introduced?” If your answer is a brick cellular phone with an 80s Miami Vice suit, you might have a Secret Mission in your future.  

The pandemic of 2020 forced every business to rewire just about every business function. If 2020 were an app, it was as buggy as it could get. But just like in tech, it meant a lot of patches, updates, and tweaks. We may never have another chance to evaluate how we do business to that degree. In a way, 2020 was our Joey story, a chance to reset, recalibrate, and an excuse to mention Red Vines again.



Please log in to comment.

  • Patty Contenta
    on Oct. 14, 2020, 3:04 p.m.

    You have a fun and impactful way of telling stories! I’m excited to read how you provide valuable information during a this challenging time of touch-less lives 😊

    • Chris Lynam
      on Oct. 15, 2020, 6:10 p.m.

      Thank you so much Patty!!
      Looking forward to your feedback when the book is finished and also being on your show!! So cool! =)

  • Danette McCraw
    on Oct. 14, 2020, 3:20 p.m.

    I think you are the new Mastermind in our business, nothing seems to stand in your way! I am motivated by many people but you are the one my eyes and ears seem to gravitate towards. I have had many trainers in my 43 years with Arthur Murray’s and am still following their beliefs, it’s nice to be able to realize their is still more to learn from the younger dynamic Arthur Murray generation!
    Danette McCraw

  • Eric Winton
    on Oct. 14, 2020, 8:39 p.m.

    Chris, I have no doubt you will excel at this effort. Thanks for demonstrating the honesty / transparency that goes along with stepping outside your comfort zone to pursue a goal and a dream. All the best to you and the family! Blessings!

  • Jay Bluhm
    on Oct. 14, 2020, 10:30 p.m.

    Chris, you have been one of my favorite trainers and influencers over the years and I couldn't be happier to be on the earlier end of this venture! Kelly and I are looking forward to reading it!

  • Gabriela Young
    on Oct. 15, 2020, 12:35 a.m.

    Best of luck on this new venture you are a powerful contributor and an amazing trainer

  • Macaela Jensen
    on Oct. 15, 2020, 5:07 a.m.

    Pretty much all I learned about leadership, I learned from you at a very young ago. Now I run my own successful team with my company, and am excited to refresh and learn some new things! So excited and happy for you!

  • Dawn Smart
    on Oct. 15, 2020, 11:36 p.m.

    I am extremely excited about this. I try to do special training for my sales team every year. In a year where everything has changed, we have met huge challenges but it’s time to step it up!

  • Charity Tafoya
    on Oct. 16, 2020, 12:44 p.m.

    So excited for this book! This will be a must read for business people everywhere, I’m certain!

  • Carolina Bonilla
    on Oct. 18, 2020, 5:14 p.m.

    As the new manager at the Arthur Murray Alexandria, I’m really excited for this book to help my new team and I grow together and get our school back on its feet!

  • Aileen Aydelott
    on Oct. 19, 2020, 6:02 p.m.

    I’m so proud of all your accomplishments, especially while nurturing the love & joy for life in your family. Good luck!

    Love you,
    Aileen M. Aydelott

  • Mike Morris
    on Oct. 21, 2020, 12:04 a.m.

    I didn't have to -- but i did, Gladly!! Good luck. already shared in FB :-)

  • Matt Berryman
    on Oct. 21, 2020, 3:54 a.m.

    Chris, the 1 or 2 times I have had the privilege to experience your training it has made a big impact on me and how I understood where I was in my Arthur Murray journey at that time. Aside from that it was hilariously entertaining!!
    I look forward to getting to learn more from you through this book! Congratulations on pushing past your comfort zone and know that as it has undoubtedly expanded through this process, you will hit another wall at the edge of your new comfort zone (and another, and another). But I know that you will continue to conquer them and push through each wall to continuing impacting more people like myself; for both AM Team members and "civilians".

    Thanks,
    Matt Berryman

  • Jenny Gomez
    on Oct. 21, 2020, 6:04 a.m.

    Can’t wait for the book Chris! You’re the best.
    Jenny & CJ 🤗

  • Michelle Barry
    on Oct. 23, 2020, 7:13 p.m.

    Looking forward to reading it! My order is in Chris 🤗

  • Jean Dobre
    on Oct. 24, 2020, 6:44 a.m.

    Congratulations on your book! Can’t wait to read it!

  • Gabrielle Aguiar-Forrest
    on Oct. 26, 2020, 5:16 p.m.

    Congratulations on such a wonderful achievement! I’m so proud to know you and I wish you all the success with this book launch!

  • Edgar Reyes
    on Oct. 27, 2020, 1:46 p.m.

    Hey Chris, Congrats and Good Luck, thanks for supporting us in our endeavours.
    Much Love Mr &Mrs Ironman

  • Andrew Rodriguez
    on Nov. 1, 2020, 10:50 p.m.

    We are so excited to read this. Always love your and Daiseys great ideas.

  • Katherine Frey
    on Nov. 4, 2020, 7:16 p.m.

    Congrats Chris, super excited to read your book!
    Katherine:)

  • David Osterback
    on Nov. 8, 2020, 10:37 p.m.

    Chris Man, I've always respected and have been inspired by your brilliant work. Can't wait to read the book. It would be amazing to have you on a zoom call with the team sometime. Keep Rocking Rolling My Friend!

  • Daniel Seguin
    on Nov. 9, 2020, 8:08 a.m.

    I look forward to you insights in this book. Good luck with your launch.

  • Lisa Maclaggan
    on Nov. 9, 2020, 8:04 p.m.

    Great job Chris! Can't wait to read your book . I'm sure it will rock with tons of useful info! All the best!

  • Daniel Seguin
    on Nov. 9, 2020, 10:35 p.m.

    Could figure out how to cancel the previous purchase so just added the one with the book.
    Looking forward to the read.

  • Jenny Gomez
    on Nov. 10, 2020, 7:46 a.m.

    Looking forward to the coaching days and good luck with everything with the book.
    Love,
    CJ & Jenny

  • John Clark
    on Nov. 10, 2020, 7:50 p.m.

    Looking forward to reading your new book and best of luck with its success.

  • Mike & Janice Morris
    on Nov. 10, 2020, 8:49 p.m.

    Hey Chris, We are proud of your decision to move forward to pour out what God Himself has taught you through you hunger to learn, your diligence to write and your commitment to grow. May God sustain as you pursure this new venture and season of your life.
    Love always,
    Mom and Mike

  • Tiffany Higgins
    on Nov. 10, 2020, 10:29 p.m.

    Congrats Chris, this is so exciting! Can’t wait to read the book 🤩

  • Lania Berger
    on Nov. 12, 2020, 4:34 a.m.

    So proud of you, Chris! Congratulations and Best Wishes on a successful launch!!! It’s a pleasure to support your efforts, and I’m so excited to work with you and learn from you!!!

  • Katie Anderson
    on Nov. 12, 2020, 9:57 p.m.

    Thanks, Chris!
    Congratulations on the book. All the best to you, Daisy, and the kids!
    Katie & Dustin

  • Erin Holt
    on Nov. 13, 2020, 3:11 a.m.

    Looking forward to your book!

  • Marianne Myers
    on Nov. 13, 2020, 6:57 a.m.

    Chris, Richard and I will always follow and support anything you do. You’re an amazing leader, mentor, friend and god father to our son. We appreciate you. Congratulations on a huge success and milestones.

  • Julia Mrowiec
    on Nov. 13, 2020, 9:13 p.m.

    Congratulations Chris! We are excited to read your book and train on it in Orland Park!!!