John R. DiJulius – The Relationship Economy : Building Stronger Customer Connections in the Digital Age

In The Relationship Economy, author and consultant John Robert DiJulius argues that our inner circle – the people we trust the most – is much smaller than in the past. We miss out on opportunities to make a deeper connection that can potentially enrich lives. Due to the dark side of technological disruptions, we are now relationship disadvantaged. For anyone and any business to thrive in the future, they will have to master the art of relationship building. DiJulius teaches us the importance of being authentic, obsessively curious, a great listener having incredible empathy, and loving people.

The Relationship Economy is about building a culture that recognizes the importance of each individual and making everyone a part of a community that is working toward something bigger – a community that makes them feel cared for. Seven traits are key to effective interactions: compassion and empathy, engagement and warmth, a drive to serve, ownership, charitable assumption, presence, and a desire to exceed expectations.

Your customer-facing employees may not understand the true value of the services and products they are selling to the customer. What they perceive is going to be projected on your customers. It is rational for customers to be irrational. Once employees understand there is a good probability of a customer reacting emotionally instead of rationally, they won’t take it personally and will be better able to make a brilliant comeback. DiJulius’ takeaways are really useful to improve your relationships, both private, and in business.

About the author
As the authority on world-class customer experience, John Robert DiJulius is sought by organizations across the world wanting to use his philosophies and methodology for creating world-class service. He has worked with companies such as The Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, Starbucks, Nestlé, Marriott Hotel, PWC, Celebrity Cruises, Progressive Insurance, Chick-fil-A, and many more to help them continue to raise the bar and set the standard in service that consistently exceeds customer expectations.

John is the president of The DiJulius Group, a customer service consulting firm whose purpose is to change the world by creating a customer service revolution. He founded his first business in 1993 – John Robert’s Spa, an upscale chain (with more than 150 employees) – which has been named one of the top 20 salons in America. John is also the founder of Believe in Dreams, a nonprofit that fulfills dreams of economically disadvantaged youth who suffer from severe hardship. John resides in Aurora, Ohio, with his three boys, Johnni, Cal, and Bo.

I received a free copy from Greenleaf Book Group through Netgalley in exchange for my personal, unbiased review upon reading.