David Stillman Speaking Topics

• Customer Service & the Generations

  The best customer service providers understand what "service" means to each generation. Whether on the phone, online, or face to face, attitudes and biases can be reflected in what you say and how you say it, as common courtesies often are interpreted differently by different generations. An organization's strategies must reflect the changing face of a multigenerational customer base.

  Gain a distinct competitive edge by teaching your customer service reps who the four generations of customers are and how to communicate more effectively with each one. Learn through humorous sketches and real-life examples how to avoid patronizing behaviors and capitalize on emotional connections to make every customer's experience a positive one.

• Attracting & Retaining Four Generations of Association Members

  Associations exist primarily to serve their members. But serving is tougher today as key resources are shrinking and the government has taken a diminished role in funding programs. In addition to these challenges, today's associations are made up of four diverse and outspoken generations. While Traditionalists and Baby Boomers have been loyal attendees for a long time, Gen X-ers and now Millennials are proving tougher to attract and retain. Putting on a great conference or convention is no longer enough.

  The key is figuring out the right scale and combination of services needed to satisfy each generation. How do the expectations of each generation differ on working relationships, time commitments, and returns they should expect from association membership? The ability to capitalize on each generation's energy, expertise, and leadership potential has never been more critical.

Getting to Give

Foundations and other nonprofit organizations suffer the same frustrations and face the same workplace problems as profit-making companies. To be effective, nonprofits need good leadership, strong management systems, marketing savvy, and an ongoing commitment to excellence. They also need to understand what motivates four generations of staff, volunteers, and donors to give their time and their money.

Awareness of generational differences is crucial to organizations that must compete for well-qualified and loyal workers when resources are limited. What messages will attract skilled workers to the nonprofit world? What does it take to make connections with Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen X-ers, and Millennials so that they not only donate but also keep giving? How does acknowledging donors of each generation differ? Board members, staff, and hands-on service providers will learn to reach across generation gaps and build lasting bridges.

Make Way for Millennials

American business is in the early stages of being rocked by the arrival of a new and powerful generation. Who are these kids? Millennials (born 1982 to 2000), the first generation to rival Baby Boomers in population size, are showing up at work with their own set of attitudes, expectations, and values. Techno savvy, demanding, and ambitious, they're bringing with them an entirely new way of doing business. How prepared will Gen X-ers, Baby Boomers, and Traditionalists be to manage them?

"Make Way for Millennials" offers strategies for recruiting, retaining, and motivating this influential new workforce. Companies that are forewarned and forearmed will reap the rewards of the millennial generation's talents and creative and pragmatic approach to the world of work.

Leadership: Bringing Out the Best in Every Generation

Leading today is more complicated than ever. Besides greater employee diversity, factors such as rapidly changing technology, an uncertain economy, mergers, closings, and layoffs have made today's workplace more challenging than in the past. Leadership is not necessarily determined by one's position on an organization chart or by what's on a resume. With roles constantly changing, being a leader can simply mean being reliable and responsible, regardless of age or rung on the corporate ladder.

From attitudes about loyalty to staying on the cutting edge, each generation brings unique leadership traits to work. While some try to figure out which generation's way of leading is best, the reality is that no generation is better or worse than another. "Leadership: Bringing Out the Best in Every Generation" will help you identify the obstacles and opportunities for leadership within each generation and understand the potential impact everyone can make as a leader.

Selling and Marketing to the Generations.

Markets are becoming increasingly segmented and one size no longer fits all clients and customers. This presentation reveals the hot buttons and preferences of Traditionalists, Boomers, Xers, and Millennials that marketers and sales people need to know to connect. This isn’t about inventing a new selling system—it’s about adding a generational lens to your already successful approach. Learn…

What should sales people do to customize their message to each generation they sell to? 
What should managers know to coach all the generations on their sales team?
How can marketers target campaigns to one generation without turning off another?
How can you put a generational lens on your company’s selling system to make it even more impactful?