Key Business Partners, LLC

I have the pleasure of interviewing Donna Cutting regarding her 1^st book, The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets for Delivering Red Carpet Customer Service. I hope you each will take the time to pick up this book as it has some very concrete ways to help every business owner really show their customer (I mean their celebrities) red carpet treatment.

Please give us a bit of background about you (where you grew up, where you were born, and if you have any siblings) I was born in Stoughton, MA but grew up in Westport, Massachusetts, a small community outside of Fall River and New Bedford, and just on the other side of Tiverton, Rhode Island. I have a sister named Julie and a half-sister named Melissa. Mom is a nurse, and Dad worked in construction and later owned a deli called Phil-a-deli (his name is Phil). The whole gang lives in Tampa Bay, Florida now – where I also live with my husband Jim and our Maltese, Snowball.

For those whom are beginning writers (or those whom wish to write but are apprehensive, what is your advice? The hardest part is sitting down. Just write – don’t worry about how well you’re writing, or what the outcome will be. Write first and edit later.

When did you start writing? To be honest, I didn’t start out as a writer. I have been speaking about customer service and employee engagement for years and as my career has developed I’ve published several articles on those topics. People seem to respond to my writing, so I guess I found a talent I didn’t know I had. I’m simply writing what I know – what I’ve experienced or learned from others.

Please let us know your inspiration for the book? It hit me one day that people who serve celebrities know how to deliver true red-carpet customer service. I wondered what we could learn from them about making non-famous people – our customers – feel like stars! One interviewed led into another, and the book took shape from there. People who read The Celebrity Experience are getting a real insiders’ view on how to make others feel like they’ve received the star treatment.

Can you share a few tips from the book?

Sure.

· Roll out the Red Carpet by finding creative ways to use your customer’s name – verbally, on signs, on menus, on your website.

· Be Unforgettable by remembering details about your customer and Wowing them with your recollection. Did they tell you they are expecting their first grandson any minute now? Send a Congrats to the new grandma card. Do they have pets? Send toys for their four legged friends as a thank you gift.

· Master the basics of customer service…and then some! It’s in the “and then some” that you are giving extraordinary service.

So, what is on the horizon for you and your writing? Nothing definite yet, but I anticipate my next book to be more about the process of managing The Celebrity Experience. The first book tells you what it is, and gives concrete ideas that readers can use. The second book will give you a step by step process to implement The Celebrity Experience in your company.

As a speaker, do you have advice for others who would like to get involved in a speaker career? Yes. Get involved in your local chapter of the National Speakers Association – http://www.nsaspeaker.org. If your state doesn’t have a chapter, or the chapter doesn’t allow guests to attend, get involved in the National Association by subscribing to their magazine, signing up for their Academy, and attending their conferences. Practice so you become a better speaker, grow your expertise, learn as much as you can about the speaking business – and apply what you learn. It’s not an easy career by any means – but it’s a wonderful career if you really work at it.

What do you like to do when you aren’t speaking or writing? Spend time with my husband Jim and our dog Snowball, as well as with my friends and other family. My husband and I love to travel, kayak and spend time outdoors. We hope to visit every National Park in the US someday. I love movies, theater, music, and I’m almost always up for a new adventure.

Here is a question just for fun—what is your favorite food and why?

The answer to that question is YES! LOL!

It’s hard to pick one favorite. I love clamboils, which were a tradition in the New England town I grew up in. Occasionally my Dad will order clams from up North and we’ll have one here. Steamers in a pot with onions, Portuguese sausage, corn on the cob, hot dogs….yum!

I love donuts from Butlers Donuts – a small donut shop in Westport, MA – you haven’t tasted heaven until you’ve had one.

When I visit different states or countries, I enjoy eating the food they are famous for. I like to immerse myself in the culture – especially the food!

How can others get in contact with you and purchase your book? You can reach me via my website at http://www.donnacutting.com.

This interview is part of a blog tour.

You can visit blogs on the tour from yesterday Sept 20th:
Michelle Waters / Watersweb Solutions
Terri / Pop Art Diva
Dawn Goldberg / Write Well Me

and Today

Dr. Sally Witt will conduct a book review on her blog.

And Tomorrow on the blog tour:
Betty Lynch / My Country Kitchen will showcase a book excerpt from Donna’s book.
Phil Gerbyshak / Make It Great who will run his own interview with Donna.
Becky Wyatt / Becky Wyatt Online where she will showcase Donna Cutting’s book.

The Celebrity Experience is available on Amazon.com and anywhere books are sold. If your bookstore has sold out of it, they can order a copy for you.