Sheryl Driggers, recognized keynote speaker and leadership coach, is one of more than 20 authors featured in a new book, “Influence and Impact,” alongside Chris Voss, former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator, best-selling author, and The Black Swan Group CEO.

“My chapter talks about my leadership journey,” Driggers told Repairer Driven News. “When I was a young entrepreneur, we opened our first shop… and I was not the kind of leader that I am today, Unfortunately, [I was] very much of a top-down type of a leader — very controlling, ‘it’s my way or no way.'”

Over the years, and in part through the mentorship of Voss’ books, Driggers said she became a leader with positive influence including as a coach, facilitator, and speaker for Collision Advice.

Driggers will speak as part of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education (RDE) at the SEMA Show in November.

“Creating an Extraordinary Customer Experience” will be held Nov. 5 from 9:30-11 a.m. Early bird registration for the class by Sept. 27 costs $75. After Sept. 27, the cost goes up to $100.

Driggers will discuss best practices to create an extraordinary customer experience, both internally with team members and externally with customers.

She said part of what she will teach is DISC theory. Attendees will learn what the four communication styles are and which is theirs then how to identify customers’ communication styles to adapt how they communicate with them for more effective conversations.

Participants will discover practical methods to improve processes, integrate technology for efficiency, implement employee training techniques for outstanding results, and engage in collaborative brainstorming sessions to address industry-specific challenges.

In her chapter of “Influence and Impact,” Driggers digs into what it takes to be an effective leader.

“Leadership is about the influence that you have on other people, the impact that you’re making,” she said. “If you don’t build relationships, if you don’t value people around you, you’re not going to have a positive influence.”

She added that as she learned, she thought about her impact on everyone in her life, including her family. The key is becoming self-aware.

“Inner focus for outer impact of reflecting on how am I impacting the people around me? …if we weren’t breaching KPIs or goals or whatever the case might be, I think my previous tactic was just to apply more pressure or make more demands versus… coming alongside people and coaching them; providing the resources that they need to get better, and creating that positive work environment.”

It’s important as well to create a team culture where there’s space to be productive, creative, and make better decisions, Driggers added.

Driggers often quotes, “What gets talked about gets prioritized and what gets celebrated gets repeated.” She said it’s her favorite because, in business, celebrating wins with your team and celebrating those people creates unity and clarity.

“My hope is that cultures will change — that there will be an awakening to the impact that we have on the people around us, no matter what your position; whether you’re in leadership, whether you have a title or not,” Drigger said. “A title doesn’t make you a leader. We all have impact on people no matter what we do… Let’s create those cultures where people get up and they want to come to work.”

“Influence and Impact” is available for purchase on Amazon.

Collision Advice President Owner Mike Anderson will also hold an RDE class on Nov. 5 titled “Negotiation Best Practices, with Inspiration from ‘Never Split The Difference'” from 12-1:30 p.m.

The newly revised Negotiation Best Practices session will draw inspiration and outlook from the book “Never Split the Difference” by Voss. Attendees will learn how to understand and employ empathy and assess the negatives during negotiations when faced with “no one else charges me for that.”

Images

Featured image of Sheryl Driggers provided by SCRS and SEMA