Andy calls them The Cavalry. They call themselves Wizzes. I usually refer to them as goshdang GENIUSES! They are Sixthman’s new IT department.

While we’ve had several computer gurus working at Sixthman throughout the years (big ups to Adam B. who only gets calls from us when something breaks!), this is our first time having a team of four permanent employees whose sole responsibility is to watch over our website and booking system, and to find new and awe-inspiring ways to improve efficiency, research abilities, and most importantly guest services.

As more and more guests are coming on Sixthman cruises, we need our technology to grow and evolve just as quickly. We want your reservation experience to be just as smooth as your cruise. Although our call center ninjas love speaking with everyone on the phone, we know that you’re busy and don’t always have the time to call in and wait for us to help you with something that you could do online. We’re going to make it happen, and this is the year.

Geoff and Jason have already made great strides with our websites and internal software. Our retreat last week was the first time I’d had the pleasure of hearing ideas from our new IT guys Brian and Matt – they are ready to help Sixthman improve in every area of our business and contributed ideas that blew my mind as if it were no big deal. I can’t wait to see what the next 12 months bring in the Sixthman technosphere.

So Geoff, Jason, Matt, and Brian – thanks for joining the team – you guys rock! We would be nothing without you. Everyone else, find an IT guy or gal and give him or her a hug today.

Blurred by my inbox, voice mails and a dense calendar, I may never know what it is I actually do.  What am I going to say when my kids ask me about my work?  (They currently think I go on the cruises to turn on the water slides and ice cream machines.)

Howie Mandel has a line in his act where he asks an audience member their name and what they do for a living.  When they stumble thru the answer, he says what has to happen at your work so that people go “Oh shit, you better get Andy?”

We just finished our annual company retreat last week and I was overwhelmed with the caliber of people on our team.  These folks would make any organization better and they are growing as leaders right in front of my eyes.  With the new opportunities we are earning, there is more work to go around.  Plus the fact that I aspire to be a contestant on the “Survivor” reality show next season, which would mean me being gone for at least 39 days (I am not planning on being voted off early), I have been trying to figure out how to communicate my responsibilities so our team can cover while I am starving on an island somewhere in the world making alliances and competing in cool challenges.

So I am making my, “Oh shit, you better get Andy list?”

The goal is to write down a set of tasks to be performed by your Evil Twin over a 30-day period (because we all think only a clone of ourselves could do our job and have an instinctually hard time believing anyone else could survive).  In addition to thinking forward about upcoming responsibilities and deadlines, I reviewed my calendar, call log, inbox and sent items from the past 30 days to discover patterns of efficiency and inefficiency.

Then, I made a list of the top 3 things that I do that have the largest impact on the organization and put them in Bold and in a LARGE FONT for my Evil Twin.  I included the other items in a font half the size as well as a “Watch out for these distractions” list to warn my Evil Twin.

It’s been a fun experiment and since I likely won’t get my chance to be on Survivor, I will just use my list to ask people at Sixthman to join me in taking on some of these responsibilities.

Do you have the courage to document what it is you actually do?

Andy

In the history of Sixthman, we haven’t always gotten an overwhelming response from sponsorships.  Why is that?  I can tell you the reason we get most often, but I can also tell you why they should reconsider.

Sponsor: How many people are going to be on a Sixthman event?
Sixthman: Just over 2000.
Sponsor: Ok then, why would be spend money on such a secluded audience?  We can certainly use our promotional dollars somewhere else – somewhere where we’ll have more than 2000 pairs of eyes getting to see or experience our product.

That’s usually about the gist of it, but here’s what I think.  I touched on this a bit last year in another blog – It’s A Feelings Thing!

I would argue that when customers (or in our case, guests) experience your product for the first time, they are going to be much more receptive to it if they are feeling good at the time.  When people are feeling good when the experience your product or service, they are going to connect that good feeling with your brand.  Seems simple enough, but how often can you really perfect your timing with someone’s good mood?

Well, have you ever been on a Sixthman event?  Since most of our business comes form word of mouth recommendations and repeat customers guests, I think it’s safe to say that the audience is “feeling good” while they’re on the ship.  What better time to get your product or service out there?  Not only do you have a captive audience of over 2000 people, but they’re feeling good too!

Think of a brand you’re passionate about and really think about why you like it.  Where were you when you first experienced it?  Might be a good time to get your brand in front of a group that’s feeling good, not just in front of the largest one.

-Mike

I have been trying to figure out why it feels so weird to me to refer to the people that come on our cruises as “Customers”.  It’s seems so impersonal.  I am a customer of At&t & Wachovia and it’s completely “Transactional”.  I don’t spend time with these organizations and I only call them when they screw something up.  I certainly don’t look forward  to working with them.

My solution has been to use the word “Guest” in lieu of “Customer” and it feels much better.  We have always called them “Guests” on board, but during the year our vernacular has been “Customer”.  In arriving at this place, I am happy to share the differences that I noted.

Customers purchase your product with little emotional engagement…Guests are emotionally connected to your product.

Customers have anxiety about interacting with you…Guests look forward to getting to know you better.

Focus on Customer experience usually declines after purchase…Focus on Guest experience increases after purchase of product.

Customers rarely rave about your product…Guests look for opportunities to talk about your product with their colleagues.

Customers may never meet you…Guests look forward to opportunities to spend time with you and develop deep connections.

Customers stay with you until they have a better offer…Guests anticipate a long healthy relationship.

Customers shake hands….Guests hug!

So do you have “Customers” or “Guests”?

Odds are that you have an opportunity to convert your “Customers” into “Guests” if you approach it differently.

Andy

Recently, there have been some changes here at Sixthman.  As you may know, some people have moved on, and we have gained a few newbies here in the office.  And I think that every time we make a change, Andy hurts a little inside.  (Of course, you can never tell him I said that).  Because as it turns out, Andy feels like we are one giant family.  He has even mentioned before how those that are leaving can rest assured that we are still a family and we are still here for them.

So, this got me to thinking.  Do other companies feel like family?  Is it a safe business practice to get this close to your co-workers and associates?  Is Andy just a little bit delusional?  So, to answer these questions I of course asked my research partner, Google.

First, I asked Google for synonyms of the word co-worker where I found: colleague, associate, and accomplice.  And next, I searched for co-worker, associate, accomplice like family.  Surprisingly my search took me through a wave of little information to a plethora of intriguing ideas.

I found blogs where people said, “don’t go there.”  I found blogs where people said that they found lifetime friends at their place of work.  I found news stories, about how he or she (the coworker) “seemed completely normal, like family,” before committing horrendous crimes.  I even found a Facebook page dedicated solely to the idea of co-workers being like family.

What I learned from researching, is that most people spend a lot of their lives with co-workers.  I mean really, it’s 40 hours a week and a lot of the time, it’s even more.  Especially when you work at a company that takes several weekend cruises together a year.  I learned that yes, there are disadvantages to becoming close to the people you work with, that sometimes business gets in the way and feelings are hurt.  Sometimes it’s surprising when your buddy has to now be critical of a project that you worked very hard on.

But, if you feel a human connection with another person, is it really something that you can put boundaries on?  Maybe, but then I’d really like to think if Jill or Joy or May or even Andy were in need of a kidney and I had an extra, I’d be willing to give it up.  A kidney? You say with surprise.  Yes, a kidney.

Because when it comes down to it, as much as I love my mom and dad,  I only see them a few times a year.  But I see these mugs at Sixthman five days a week.  We plan happy hours together.  We go to see each other at bouts, or concerts, or ball games.  We go on retreats together.  We even take care of each other’s children and pets.  Some of us even live together.  So yes, even if some people think it’s silly or untrue, we here at Sixthman are like one, big happy family.  Whether other companies feel that way, or if it is the safest route, or if Andy is a little bit delusional (that’s what makes him so creative) or not, we still find comfort in one another.  And that, my friends, is what makes a family, a family.

-Lisa

There is a story about two guys walking thru the woods when a Grizzly Bear appears thru the trees ahead of them.  One of the men opens up his backpack, removes his hiking sandals and puts on his running shoes.  The other man notices this and say’s “What are you thinking, you can’t outrun that bear” to which the man responded, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you!”

So let’s pretend that the “Recession” is the Grizzly Bear for a moment and talk about how ticket sales for summer concerts are alarmingly low.

There are a million theories as to why, but the most common is that it’s the economy.

I won’t argue that the economy is not contributing, however, I would bet it has more to do with a few of the following.

1) Class System

The first 10 rows of concerts were once filled with people who camped out to get tickets and they provided a bit of the entertainment during the show for the others.  It kind of made you feel better about being there because you saw a group of people so excited right in front of you.  Now those people are sitting behind rows of executives with their kids who spend the whole time texting and talking.  At some point, even the most passionate people’s enthusiasm will dampen if they are separated from their musical heroes by a wall of ungrateful privileged people.  Kind of like having the children sit on the couch while their parents surround the tree and open presents on Christmas morning. The people who are the most excited and appreciative should be in the front.  By the way, artists I have spoken with find it harder to put on a great show when the energy in the front rows is not there.

What if we offered the best seats to people based on how many shows they had attended and music they had purchased?

2) Groundhog Day Show

Have you ever gone to a show and seen the band play the identical set list and say the same “genuine” things between songs?  It’s one of the biggest “buzz kills” in the music business.  I bet 15-25% of every audience comes to more than one show.

If you knew you could please that many people by rehearsing a couple different songs at sound check and giving some thought to what you say between songs, you probably would.

3) Just like the CD

No one goes home from a concert and emails all their friends to say that the band sounded just like the album.  If people rave about the show, it’s probably because the artist did something “Spontaneous” or “Collaborated” with the opener.  The Barenaked Ladies used to make up a song for each town and played it each night.  People went nuts!  It was usually a mess with a couple moments of genius but it was real.  Brandi Carlile puts down her guitar and walks to the front of the stage and sings a song without any amplification.

That’s what people go home and tell their friends about.

4) Movie Theater Pricing

The reason popcorn and drinks are so expensive at movie theatres is because the film companies take most of the gate receipts.  The same thing happens at concerts.  Some artists demand 115% of the gross receipts from a show so the promoter has no choice but to charge $8 for a beer.  We all have our threshold and I have to think that people are having a hard time prioritizing $8 for a beer.

How about we align interests and look at the ticket price, parking fees & concessions as one economy and negotiate a split between the artist & promoter based on overall success?

We will never be able to outrun the bear but we can certainly outrun the competition.

Andy

As Sixthman expands and we start to take on more events, a few things have changed with our internal dynamics.  I won’t bore you with all of the little things that have been reshaped, but the most heart-breaking is that we all don’t get to go on every cruise anymore

We now have a “Home Team” and an “Away Team” so that our customer service (something we pride ourselves on) doesn’t lack.

It’s definitely been an adjustment for all of us.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to go on every cruise?  Kappy has been having the hardest time with this.  When he found himself in the Sixthman office Thursday morning as the “Away Team” set sail on the Malt Shop Memories Cruise, he actually thought he was on the ship…

“Why numbers?” you ask.  They can definitely make things more interesting – maybe even create some friendly competition?  I was reading Chris Guillebeau’s blog, Why Focus on the Numbers, and it got me thinking about, you guessed it, numbers, and how they are important to us.

Sixthman has Ninjas.

If you have ever called into our office for questions regarding your cruise reservation, or maybe you just wanted to tell us how awesome the newest line-up additions were to your event, then you’ve talked to one of our customer service Ninjas.  That’s right, Ninjas!  Not the kind that wears all black and slices you with swords, but the kind that helps create kick-ass experiences for you on board.

In order to be the best we can be, we strive to know you beforehand as well.  To accomplish this, we ALL have call center shifts during the week so that we can get to know our guests a little bit better each day.  But, this tends to create some competition.

Call center shift competition?  Sounds pretty ruthless, right!   At the end of the day we send an email out to the entire company letting everyone know how many calls each ninja took, their average talk time, how many calls they placed on hold, if any calls were missed… you get the point.  It’s fun!  We take pride in it.  We strive to do better.  Most importantly, these numbers give us milestones to reach.

Sixthman has Warriors.

When we’re on the phones we’re called Ninjas, but when we get back into experience creation mode we’re called Warriors.  Yeah, something like this.  Again, a chance for some friendly competition.  Not like how many kills you had (we are friendly), but more like, what are your cabins sales looking like?  We’ve got numbers we look at for this – the Revenue Management Quotient being one.  This number helps us track the sales of an event and see where we stand on a 7-day trend and also on a 30-day trend.  Sounds boring, but it helps motivate us and makes us ask questions (a lot of times to y’all) in order to find out if there something we could be doing to make events kick more butt, or if there something that we haven’t done to will bring it to the next level.

Did I mention that Sixthman is competitive?

Have you heard about the bell?  Every time we sell 100 cabins for any cruise, there is usually a scramble to ring the bell.  Not sure where or how that got started, I only know that someone’s hair is being pulled or you’re getting tripped to ring that bell first.  All in the name of cabin sales – ha!  Let’s not get started on our competitive tendencies.

Bottom line – numbers gives us something to celebrate, a goal to work for, more milestones to help motivate (no matter how big or small they may be), and the drive to send 55,000 more guests on 255,000 more days of vacation.

What numbers motivate you?

-Mike



Hello Sixthman Followers!

Instead of Andy’s regular Monday post, I thought I would take a second to reintroduce myself.  You may have seen some of my blogs in the past.  You may have noticed I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from the blogs in general, but luckily, I’m back in action.

Sadly, I’m retrieving blog responsibility from our friend Steve.  I say sadly, because of course we didn’t want him to go.  However, I happily hear he’s already doing amazing out there in the world, and now you happily get to hear the ramblings of a crazy woman more often!

I’ll be making sure you get your weekly Sixthman videos, your weekly inspiring Andyisms, and your Wednesday staff blog.  So, tell me what you want, what you don’t want, and hopefully we can make this transition not only easy, but very, very interesting.  A new, better, and different tomorrow!

-Lisa

(This is a post by new Sixthman staffer Jen Wedick’s dog, Shags!)

Hi! Shags here!

Yep – I’m the new dog in the office. That’s because my mom (Jen) just got a job here at Sixthman. For those of you on the past few Sixthman cruises, she was there, too! She was one of the people wearing a gray shirt and was running around working like a crazy person. Not that I saw her do that, but she told me about it. Anyway, I’m glad she did that, because now she works at Sixthman all the time and I get to work there, too!

My new life here at the office is pretty sweet. I mean, there’s lots of other dogs to hang out with, and they all bring their toys and we play. Then there’s this one rug that everyone pees on (humans excluded, of course), and on my first day, that’s where I hung out so I could meet all of my new k-9 co-workers.

For now, I spend most of my time in the Call Center with Minnie – we keep those ninjas in line and make sure they tell all of you the most up-to-date information about the cruises. That’s where my mom works right now.  Speaking of her…I guess I should tell you more about her. The reason they actually let me write this blog was so I could introduce her to all of you.

Her name is Jen, and she’s pretty awesome. She gives me treats, takes me on walks, scratches my belly…but I’m guessing you don’t care about that stuff if you’re a human. As I told you earlier, she worked on a few cruises and got to know the Sixthman team, so when they needed a little extra help in the office, they called her up!  If you didn’t see her working (on Simple Man, Cayamo, Best Cruise Ever, Kid Rock and Malt Shop), you might recognize her from the Rock Boat. She’s been going on that since 2004. Don’t worry- she leaves me with some REALLY cool friends when she goes on these crazy trips. And then when she comes back she has that weird boat smell – my favorite!

We just moved to Atlanta from Orlando, where we both worked at SeaWorld. It was so much fun. I starred in the pet show (yep, fur-real), and she worked in the marketing office and did a bunch of creative advertising stuff. When we’re not at the Sixthman office, my mom usually spends her time painting and doing artsy things. She likes to go hiking (and sometimes she takes me!), and she’s always going to really fun concerts.

Anyway, I think I hear Danger and Pistol playing with a ball in the hallway – gotta go!

Oh, and I hope you all have AMAZING vacations on your Sixthman cruises! (Honestly, I just don’t get cruises. I mean, there’s not even grass there…)