Laurie Guest

Keynote speaker and author Laurie Guest, CSP, teaches business leaders and teams how to attract and keep new customers.

Expert on

  • Customer Service
  • Motivation
  • Travel / Tourism
  • Medical / Dental
  • Humor
  • Communication

Fee Range

$10,000–$20,000

Travels from

IL, US

Laurie Guest, CSP, began her training as a customer service expert at the tender age of 9. As a Midwest farmer’s daughter, she learned to master the art of customer engagement to sell more sweet corn than the competition. Today, Laurie is a “go-to” resource for customer service excellence. For more than two decades, she has shared her practical point of view on customer service and staff development with audiences and companies across the country, blending real-life examples and proven action steps for improvement—a combination that results in over three-quarters of her clients asking for an encore appearance.

Prior to her life as a speaker, Laurie enjoyed more than 20 years of healthcare experience serving both a privately owned medical facility and a community hospital system. During her administrative career, she helped a multi-million dollar medical center become a regional leader of ophthalmic surgery. Because of her experience interacting directly with patients, she understands the challenges of working in a stressful, fast-paced environment.

Her latest book, The 10¢ Decision: How Small Change Pays Off Big, presents her most sought-after and impactful strategies to find and retain the best staff and highest-quality customers while delivering exceptional guest experiences. Laurie has been featured in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today on customer service, where she has shared her practical approach to getting service levels where they need to be in today’s economy.

She is a member of the National Speakers Association and is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by less than 12% of speakers worldwide. To earn this distinguished honor, Laurie speaks to thousands of people each year and consistently receives stellar ratings.

THE 10¢ DECISION®: HOW SMALL CHANGE PAYS OFF BIG – A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

Service is at the center of every business, whether you’re making widgets, providing healthcare, or serving gourmet cuisine. From company culture to guest interactions, the choices we make day in and day out add up to create exceptional experiences for everyone involved.

Sure, some decisions are big ones. But more often, it’s the “10¢ decisions”-the ones that barely cost a barely cost a dime (literally or figuratively) but have a massive impact-that can transform customer service from so-so to stellar.

With decades of firsthand experience to draw from, Laurie shares her insights into making smart, effective choices to improve guest encounters, staff satisfaction, and your business as a whole.This program, offered as a virtual experience, blends a variety of learning modalities to keep the event fun and fast-paced – even when attendees are gathered around a screen rather than a stage.

Attendees will discover:

  • How to turn things around “on a dime”
  • Ways to self-assess customer service levels
  • High-impact opportunities to shine that the competition is most likely missing
  • Ideas for improving the service level of every team member

Plus: Every attendee walks away with Laurie’s “Simple Six Pack,” a suite of exclusive resources designed to improve business interactions overnight.

LIFE IN THE ESPRESSO LANE: HOW TO BE SMOOTH, BOLD, AND BALANCED IN A FAST-PACED WORLD

What if you could give yourself an instant pick-me-up by a simple change of thinking – even in stressful times? If you find yourself zapped after encounters with customers or coworkers, this course offers simple yet powerful ways to instantly become engaged, motivated, and energized. You will learn practical mental “lattes” – ideas you can serve yourself any time you need to get your perk on!

This fast-paced, fun, interactive program will give you the tools to blend your own energizer. You will leave with new pep and excitement for the day. After you savor her “cup of sanity” once, Laurie’s humor and wisdom will make you want to drink in her ideas daily.

Attendees learn:

  • One action to become indispensable at work
  • Behaviors to positively stand out from the pack
  • The best way to build rapport with others
  • Ideas to achieve personal balance in life

COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS: SAYING WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID

Do you ever wish you had just the right words to handle situations at work? Whether you need the perfect words to handle difficult clients, language to deal with challenging staff, or simply the guts to say what the boss needs to hear, this session can help.  

Known as a courageous communicator, Laurie has spent more than 25 years teaching others how to use the right words and phrases to help achieve a desired result. During this highly interactive program, attendees will take common scenarios and learn how to phrase the communication in ways that increase their influence with others.  

  • How to swap words to create connection  
  • Ways to achieve desired results from others  
  • Practical approaches to deal with difficult people  
  • Secrets to making miserable moments tolerable  

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? COMMUNICATION AND TEAMWORK IS MORE THAN A GAME OF CHANCE

Communication and teamwork are more than a game of chance. 

Is your team overdue for a fun, laugh-while-learning experience? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could also get them reacquainted, reenergized, and recommitted to your organization’s goals? Heck, while we’re at it, why not throw in improved personal interactions and a morale boost? During this customized, game-style program, audience members work together to build better communication and teamwork skills. The session is both enjoyable and highly interactive.  

Attendee takeaways:  

  • Improve communication between all types of team members  
  • Build better internal and external rapport  
  • Create a fun environment and lasting workplace relationships  
  • Build a team that withstands myriad daily stressors  

In this fully customizable, game-based workshop, Laurie will get everyone up and moving for skill-building activities that are sure to reenergize the whole team. The program is a perfect match for small groups (under 100) seeking discussion and lots of interaction between audience and presenter. (A non-game version is also available.)