Andy Robert

The best CEO advice I received throughout my career: • customer service is not a department • sales is the hardest job in any company • our job is to educate and inspire • customer focus > competitor focus • always try to add value and be helpful • own it and never point fingers • learn and use people’s names • show up when it matters most to your customers • earn a seat next to your customer, not across from her • we are all in sales • stay accessible, curious and humble • people do business with people they trust, respect and like • if you are waiting for a title to lead, you are not ready to lead • the language of business is finance • there are no IT projects, only business projects • pay your best people the very best you can • hire people based on their good judgment and high rate of learning • in a celebration lead from the back, in a crisis lead from the front • you are not a team because you work together - you are a team because you trust, respect and care for each other • to improve the customer experience, start with the employee experience • you are not taller by making others look smaller • revenue growth ahead of expenses • remove bad apples quickly • leave your desk and spend time with customers • culture is what happens when the managers leave the room • tactics drive strategy • there is nothing more important than our customers • if you are waiting for a better title to lead, you are not ready to lead • business is personal - you can be decisive and also be kind, graceful and empathetic • recognize effort but reward outcomes • your company is only as good as the company you keep