134: Roger Dooley—Eliminating “Friction” So Your Organization Can Dominate Its Industry

 Roger Dooley explains how your business can run smoothly and more powerfully!

I brought Roger Dooley back to our podcast because he is publishing his next book, Friction: The Untapped Force that Can Be Your Most Powerful Advantage, which might just be your next “must read.” Think about it: In 2016, $4.6 trillion of merchandise was left in abandoned e-commerce shopping carts. Every year, the U.S. economy loses $3 trillion in productivity due to excess bureaucracy. Red tape and over-complicated licenses have enabled China’s GDP to exceed India’s by $82 trillion in just three decades. According to Roger, these statistics illustrate the real and growing threat of “friction,” which he defines as the unnecessary expenditure of time, effort or money in performing a task. There’s so much we can learn from him…be sure to listen in!

By understanding the impact “friction” can have, you can establish positive habits and eliminate negative ones.

We actually were speaking with a client recently who is transforming his own multi-cultural company to reduce the “friction” that was absorbing time and undermining his effectiveness—exactly what Roger is talking about. This friction is all around us. The question that Roger and I discuss is how to “lubricate” its edges so business can run smoothly.

In today’s high-speed, customer-empowered world, the levels of swiftness and efficiency of business transactions will determine ultimate success or failure. In our conversation and in his groundbreaking new book, Roger helps you spot the inevitable points of friction in your organization, then provides the tools and insight you need to eliminate them and lead your company to industry dominance. 

Roger’s new book takes you step-by-step through the process of:

• Empowering frank conversations
• Guiding individual and team behaviors
• Getting ahead of friction
• Optimizing the customer experience
• Building a frictionless corporate culture

Combining scientific research with real-life examples of leaders who have conquered business friction, Roger teaches us how to identify roadblocks, alter them for the benefit of both business and customer, and create positive, lasting change. As culture change experts, this is right in our wheelhouse.

If you’re in a leadership position, now is the time to declare war on friction—before your competitors do.

Stamp out ridiculous rules, pointless procedures and meaningless meetings. Instead, become a relentless advocate for the customer and for minimizing customer effort. Lubricate every point of friction and make your company run like a well-oiled machine.

Background on Roger

An author and international keynote speaker, Roger Dooley is a recognized expert in the use of brain and behavior research to improve marketing, sales, customer experience and corporate culture. He has worked with companies ranging from Fortune 500 firms to entrepreneurial startups to enhance their digital and conventional marketing.

As well as authoring Friction: The Untapped Force that Can Be Your Most Powerful Advantage, Roger has also written the best-selling Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing which has been translated into nine languages.

In addition, Roger writes the popular blog Neuromarketing and a column at Forbes.com. He founded Dooley Direct, a consultancy, and co-founded College Confidential, the leading college-bound website, which was acquired by Hobsons, a unit of UK-based DMGT, where Roger served as Vice President of Digital Marketing after the acquisition.

4 more podcasts on neuromarketing you might enjoy:

• Roger Dooley—Neuromarketing Made Easy
• Ask Andi series—Why Companies Have Got To Change Or They Will Not Thrive
• Holly Green—Tapping Into Your Brain to Build Better Relationships
• Alex Vorobieff—How To Replace Chaos With Clarity By Realigning Your Business