Good restaurants put a great deal of time, money, and energy into crafting their menu. While they may be successful in satisfying their customer's taste buds, it's the totality of the dining experience that brings back repeat patrons. This means that little things count, actually they count a lot. Customers have many dining options these days and frankly good food often isn't enough to bring them back. According to Restaurants and Institutions New American Diner Survey nearly 43% of diners take into account all the aspects of the restaurant to determine if they'll return. Of course that's just one sample of what's going on out there but haven't we all experienced a restaurant with good food and attractive prices but then they completely drop the ball when it comes to all the many touch points: an unfriendly server, a dirty table, a stoic hostess, dirty windows, empty condiments, a funky restroom with little soap and no paper towels. Every negative touch point will cancel out any positive effort accomplished by good food and prices.

But don't fret too soon if you think you may be in this situation. Weak spots in the touch point grid are easy to see and fix. Do all you can to hire people who believe strongly in hospitality, consider them investments they make a big impression in the customers mind. And that's the mind that will later be deciding if they should return. When problems arise let the customer know that you see their point and not only are you on their side but you're working to correct anything that's negative for them. The nice aspect about problems are that they are opportunities. Everyone knows that nothings perfect, things go wrong in every business sometimes, but let them see you shine as you take care of the negative no matter how little, because little is large in the customer's eyes. Remember everyone likes a problem solver.

Timothy Cavinder is a freelance copywriter working hard to save his clients time and money. For more information please visit http://www.cavinder.com

PowerPoint allows you to easily create and distribute photo albums, and you can add action to your electronic photo albums through the use of panning and zooming effects.

2007 Manual Missing Point Power12117

"My brain is fried."

"I'm exhausted."

"I can't take in another piece of information!"

Ever felt this way after a long day at a convention or meeting?

Of course you have. For most people, there comes a point when attending meetings or conferences when the brain becomes overloaded. Even if it is content that is interesting to you, there comes a point of saturation where you simply cannot take in anything else. You are fried! You need a break.

So why do so many people think that when it comes to meetings, trainings, and conventions that they must pack in content, content, content to the exclusion of anything else? We've all seen it at conferences: the person standing at the lectern, using PowerPoint, droning into the microphone: "And that concludes our analysis of the proposed multilateral trading initiatives. Now let's discuss these multilateral initiatives as they apply to penguins." Good gravy.

Television and the internet have lowered the attention span of the modern adult. In order to stay engaged, meeting attendees need variety and multi-sensory stimulation to have their mood uplifted and their concentration enhanced throughout the day.

Thankfully, there are many meeting professionals who understand the value in providing motivation and humor during their conferences and meetings.

Engage Your Attendees with Motivation and Humor

We live in an entertainment-based culture. It is not enough to simply present a "data-dump" of information and expect people to stay tuned in. To keep meeting attendees engaged throughout the day, many seasoned meeting planners use the following formula:

• Motivational or humorous speaker for morning general session to kick off the day with a bang.
• Content-rich breakout sessions in alignment with learning objectives that are led by presenters who are well-versed in adult learning principles.
• Motivational or business humor speaker after lunch to reenergize attendees for the afternoon breakout sessions.
• More content-rich breakout sessions in alignment with learning objectives that allow for learner application and interaction.
• High energy wrap-up to end the day on a positive note.

This format energizes, motivates, and connects people during the general sessions, so that they can refocus and reengage in significant learning throughout the day. Because attendees aren't suffering from information overload, they are more likely to be fully present in their learning experiences during the breakout sessions. According to Debbie Taylor, owner of Taylor Made Events and Speakers, there is great value in adding motivational humor to the general sessions of a conference: "Laughing and learning go hand in hand. Humor holds the audience's attention and helps them to think creatively. It releases stress and creates great memories. Find a way to add humor to your meeting and you will see an increase in the bottom line."

Build a Positive Community Through Humor

Besides creating educational opportunities, meetings and conventions are also occasions to build community. When people laugh together, they are bonded in a positive experience. These good feelings create a positive association with the organization in which they are members. It allows for deeper a connection among attendees.

Cara Tracy, CMP, meeting planner for the National Speakers Association, uses humor at their conferences throughout the year. "At our meetings we like to lighten up a content-filled program by kicking it off with humor. This raises the energy level in the room and engages the audience--setting the stage for a successful learning environment. I find that the use of humor in meetings can really help unite a group--giving them inside jokes to laugh about when they get back to the office or to carry a funny incident throughout the event."

When planning your meeting, in addition to assessing your learning objectives, also ask yourself, "What experience do I want to create?" Then, use the general sessions as the time to create those positive experiences. Additionally, make sure that you allow ample networking time for the attendees to share their insights and laughter in order to enhance the feeling of community.

Engagement + Community=ROI

Utilizing motivation and humor can increase attendee satisfaction. Furthermore, it can make learning stick because attendees are more alert and engaged throughout the meeting. When attendees are satisfied and learning, there is a greater chance that an improvement in behavior and results will follow, thus increasing your ROI. If your attendees are tuned out and overloaded, your ROI suffers.

Mark LeBlanc, President of the National Speakers Association adds: "Humor is one of those intangible elements of a presentation that is invaluable. Without it, even the best strategies and ideas can fall flat. It's the intangibles that drive the tangibles and make them stick. It turns a meeting into an experience."

A meeting without levity is like a joke without a punchline...it flops. However, a meeting that creates a positive experience while offering educational value is priceless.

Tim and Kris O'Shea of The O'Shea Report provide comic relief for meetings and conventions. As experts in business humor and corporate comedy, they are one of the most respected humor teams in the meetings industry. The O'Sheas travel from coast to coast, presenting to such organizations as Nordstrom, Hewlett Packard, Travelers Express/MoneyGram, and the American Payroll Association.

To learn how The O'Shea Report can wake up your meeting, visit http://www.theosheareport.com Copyright 2007 Tim and Kris O'Shea
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In this article, Microsoft writer Joy Miller demos how to use PowerPoint 2007 to create your own photo album slide show and download a free photo album or travel-related template from the main Office Online Templates page and customize it to meet your needs.

Microsoft Power Point Design Template