“The little things in life make the biggest difference.”
— Sandy Gennaro
Rock and Roll drumming legend Sandy Gennaro says “every single business on this planet exists to bring value to other people. Your product [or service] must enhance other people’s lives.”
Gennaro speaks from experience gleaned over 52 years recording and performing in the intense and unpredictable music industry. “The biggest challenge for a business leader is maximizing the effort of her or his employees. That involves creating a thriving culture in business, relationships, and life,” he adds. “Leaders must energize, inspire, and motivate” in order to create and sustain value. “It’s about value. That’s how you achieve rockstar success in business and life.”
Gennarro, who has performed for over a billion audience members across the globe, is headlining the 2021 CLDA Final Mile Forum and Expo in Las Vegas June 23-25. His keynote address focuses on optimizing employee involvement, driving sales improvement, and elevating customer service levels by doing the little things that demonstrate an authentic desire for helping team members, clients, and channel partners achieve their loftiest goals and ambitions.
That message rings especially true in the logistics field, where impeccable timing and being fully attuned to client and customer demands are essential. According to MMS Courier President Stephanie Gerard, “establishing the perfect cadence for our clients is a necessary challenge. It involves harmonizing technology — the instruments of our trade — with human activity in dynamic ways. Many of our routes are scheduled sweeps, where there is greater control and predictability. But there are always urgent on-demand needs that require the ability to improvise and adjust on the fly. Our on-time performance necessitates that we are equally adept at both. It’s much like keeping the beat. It keeps everybody in sync.”
Gennaro’s appreciation of “the little things” stems from a life-changing event where rather than brush off an adoring fan he took the time to engage the person in a meaningful way. The interaction went much deeper than offering-up an autograph. It taught the musician the value of empathy and engagement. “Sometimes all you need to do is give people a chance,” Gennaro recounts. “That means doing things for other people without expecting anything in return. It’s not about wasting your time. But rather dropping your fear and ego in the interest of helping others.”
Gerard says accessibility is an important value for MMS Courier. “We consider making yourself available an endearing principle that fosters teamwork, elevates customer interactions and service, and enables the use of technology without dehumanizing the customer experience. A big part of that is loving what you do. Our culture begins and ends with a love of driving. Being on the road all day comes with its own unique set of challenges and frustrations. But if you truly love to drive those negative aspects of the profession are consumed by the joy and fulfillment our team members gain from serving others. We recognize the critical nature of the deliveries entrusted to us. The reward is in knowing we are making a difference in people’s lives.
“We also rely heavily on diversity of talent and skill sets that complement the team as a whole,” Ms. Gerard adds. “No one goes to a rock show to see a two-hour drum solo. Or an opera for a never-ending aria. The interplay of the musicians is the show. The blending of sounds that stir your emotions. We view team building in the same way. It starts with a love of driving — be it on the road or driving results in the day to day operations of the business. That drive for excellence is what inspires, energizes, and motivates our team. Just as musicians are driven by a love of music.”
In the logistics business pressure is a given. Whether transporting lab samples, medications, medical equipment, documents, technology products, small parcels, or other precious cargo, everything depends on perfect timing. Just as the rock band relies on a strong and consistent back beat, messengers and couriers count on precision timing in ensuring on-time pick-ups and deliveries. Advances in technology are making accuracy more and more exact.
Take for example e-courier, a web-based application for managing the delivery process from order entry to delivery confirmation to reporting and planning analytics. The software provides complete visibility of all messenger activity for both the logistics company and its clients — yielding greater accessibility, accuracy, and agility in the process. The power of the technology in the hands of well-trained and proficient users streamlines and elevates performance in every facet of the business.
“Much in the same way that musicians never play the same song the exact same way twice, a messenger route is never the same either. Traffic patterns, unforeseen delays and obstructions, ordering quantities, and special circumstances are always a major factor in achieving on-time, accurate deliveries. Not only does our technology provide increased insight and transparency, but it enables our account management, dispatch, and driving teams to adapt and improvise when and where necessary,” Ms. Gerard shared. “It really brings us and our clients closer together because collaboration is so much easier. Which enables us to focus on the people who are counting on us to get things right.”
Logistics are mission critical for business and industry in regaining normalcy and moving beyond what was and eclipsing what will be. Heraclitus observed that “a man never steps in the same rive twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” On the heels of a period characterized by instability, uncertainty, and change on a massive scale it is beneficial to take heed of Sandy Gennaro’s wisdom. The little things in life truly do make the biggest difference. And by focusing on what can be achieved for those we serve we not only vastly improve our own organizations, we bring extraordinary value to people we had no idea are depending on us.
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For more information on the CLDA 2021 Final Mile Forum and Expo visit: https://clda.org
To learn more about Sandy Gennaro visit: https:sandygennaro.com