Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Snow.
Hi Dennis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started working at Walt Disney World in 1979 as a ride operator on the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. By far the best job I’ve ever had! I was promoted into management in the early 1980s and supervised various operating areas in the parks. I also spent many years with Disney University which provided all of the training programs for the Walt Disney World cast. My last few years with Disney were with the Disney Institute, where we worked with other companies that wanted to benchmark Disney’s best practices.
After 20 years with Disney, I started my own speaking, training, and consulting business. I help organizations create customer loyalty by engaging their employees in delivering world-class customer experiences. I use my Disney background to provide the foundation for the principles I teach, while customizing the details to the individual client.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Starting my own company was a challenge. At Disney, there was a support structure that I could always fall back on when I needed help. With my own company, I quickly realized that I was my own support structure.
During the recession of 2008+, business dropped off quite a lot. I had never done much outbound marketing and realized that had to change. I hired a sales and marketing person whose responsibility was (and is) to keep my name in front of potential clients.
During the recent pandemic, ALL of the live speeches and training programs we had booked disappeared overnight. We had to quickly pivot to a virtual model which came with many challenges including marketing, pricing, technological capabilities, etc. We had to move fast to keep the business going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Snow & Associates, we help organizations create what I call “walk-through-fire” customer loyalty. While products and services are becoming more commoditized every day, outstanding customer experiences are pretty rare and are therefore a differentiator in the marketplace.
Using my Walt Disney World background as a foundation, I work with organizations to implement key customer experience principles that make them stand out from the competition. I provide training for frontline employees as well as management so that there is a consistent, relentless focus on improving the customer experience.
Clients are initially interested in my organization because of my Disney background. Repeat and referral business, however, comes from the work I do in customizing the message and content to the individual client. I also try very hard to make my speeches and training programs fun!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Starting my own company after a 20-year corporate career was definitely a risk. But it was one I had prepared for – I didn’t just decide to quit my job one day. I’m a believer in risk-taking, but not without putting thought into it first. What do I need to succeed? Who has taken similar (maybe not identical) risks and what did they do to succeed? Whose help and might I need? These don’t need to be long, drawn out questions. The point is to think through the risks and set yourself or your organization up for success.
Business today is full of risks due to how quickly the marketplace is changing. So, an organization should anticipate that new risks will show up pretty regularly. Leaders need to be on top of what’s happening in the world and what it will mean to the business, making sure the business is prepared to address those inevitable risks.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.snowassociates.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennissnowspeaks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DennisSnowSpeaking
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/snowdennis
