John Cleese Training Videos: Laugh Out-Loud Learning
John Cleese Training Videos: Laugh Out-Loud Learning
John Cleese brought his comic viewpoint to business training over three decades ago with the company Video Arts. Over the years John Cleese has continued to illustrate many business concepts with humor AND seriousness. One of my favorite training video moments from John Cleese is in ALL CHANGE, PART 2: THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME. John plays H. G. Wells who travels in his time machine. He pops in on some people on his way to the Kabul Olympics where he announces he’s going to see the Chicken Juggling Event. I don’t think this video is even available any more, but I still chuckle each time I think of time travel and the Olympics.
In the early days, John Cleese performed in many training classics, but now often takes a producer’s role, while he brings in others to act. Often these “new actors” read like a Who’s Who of British television. Hugh Laurie and Dawn French are two excellent examples. Hugh Laurie starred in the mini-series “Jeeves and Wooster” and the series “Black Adder”. He has also appeared in feature films like “101 Dalmatians.” Currently, most Americans know Hugh Laurie as a serious actor from the popular “House” medical examiner mystery show. Laurie is anything but serious in most of his TV appearances and the same goes for his starring roles in business training. He usually plays the inept person who must learn the “better” way of doing things.
Dawn French (“French and Saunders,” “Vicar of Dibley,” and “Murder Most Horrid”) plays characters similar to Hugh Laurie in business training videos. Like Laurie she plays “bad” well.
In the world of business training products, John Cleese training videos are not in-expensive. Generally, they run about $870.00 for purchase in VHS or DVD. They rent for $250.00 (seven day rentals). What’s great about the videos, however is they usually produce results . . . almost instantly. One of my favorite programs is called Customers From Hell (which sells for about a third of the standard Cleese products). It’s less expensive because it’s merely a compilation of early John Cleese training videos centered around Customers. I recommend it for sales meetings, and customer service training sessions. Although there are usually training “bullets” involved in this and other titles in the From Hell videos, I find them best suited as a discussion starter. When sales staff and customer service professionals see the over-the-top behavior customers in Customers From Hell, they instantly have their own stories to tell, “I had that guy last week!” When people laugh and recognize examples from their own experiences, they are anxious to share. This gives a facilitator an opportunity to ask questions and explore situations and outcomes.
The Video Arts products featuring John Cleese and/or his cronies usually come with a facilitator’s guide to help you get the most out of each session and many of his productions are available in self-directed DVD (lowering the price even further than the compilation tapes). It’s possible to access John Cleese training products via the internet and intranet from your own business.
John Cleese training videos are classy with high production values, actors, and scripting. What’s even better is that they can improve your workforce . . . and you can use them time and time, again . . . and laugh out-loud each time.
John Cleese Training Videos Laugh OutLoud Learning - To learn more about this author, visit Don Doman's Website.
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When most people hear or see the name John Cleese they think of silliness, mayhem, and tons of laughter, but what many people don’t realize is that he has been a major part of business training for well over thirty years.
John Cleese brought his comic viewpoint to business training over three decades ago with the company Video Arts. Over the years John Cleese has continued to illustrate many business concepts with humor AND seriousness. One of my favorite training video moments from John Cleese is in ALL CHANGE, PART 2: THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME. John plays H. G. Wells who travels in his time machine. He pops in on some people on his way to the Kabul Olympics where he announces he’s going to see the Chicken Juggling Event. I don’t think this video is even available any more, but I still chuckle each time I think of time travel and the Olympics.
In the early days, John Cleese performed in many training classics, but now often takes a producer’s role, while he brings in others to act. Often these “new actors” read like a Who’s Who of British television. Hugh Laurie and Dawn French are two excellent examples. Hugh Laurie starred in the mini-series “Jeeves and Wooster” and the series “Black Adder”. He has also appeared in feature films like “101 Dalmatians.” Currently, most Americans know Hugh Laurie as a serious actor from the popular “House” medical examiner mystery show. Laurie is anything but serious in most of his TV appearances and the same goes for his starring roles in business training. He usually plays the inept person who must learn the “better” way of doing things.
Dawn French (“French and Saunders,” “Vicar of Dibley,” and “Murder Most Horrid”) plays characters similar to Hugh Laurie in business training videos. Like Laurie she plays “bad” well.
In the world of business training products, John Cleese training videos are not in-expensive. Generally, they run about $870.00 for purchase in VHS or DVD. They rent for $250.00 (seven day rentals). What’s great about the videos, however is they usually produce results . . . almost instantly. One of my favorite programs is called Customers From Hell (which sells for about a third of the standard Cleese products). It’s less expensive because it’s merely a compilation of early John Cleese training videos centered around Customers. I recommend it for sales meetings, and customer service training sessions. Although there are usually training “bullets” involved in this and other titles in the From Hell videos, I find them best suited as a discussion starter. When sales staff and customer service professionals see the over-the-top behavior customers in Customers From Hell, they instantly have their own stories to tell, “I had that guy last week!” When people laugh and recognize examples from their own experiences, they are anxious to share. This gives a facilitator an opportunity to ask questions and explore situations and outcomes.
The Video Arts products featuring John Cleese and/or his cronies usually come with a facilitator’s guide to help you get the most out of each session and many of his productions are available in self-directed DVD (lowering the price even further than the compilation tapes). It’s possible to access John Cleese training products via the internet and intranet from your own business.
John Cleese training videos are classy with high production values, actors, and scripting. What’s even better is that they can improve your workforce . . . and you can use them time and time, again . . . and laugh out-loud each time.
John Cleese Training Videos Laugh OutLoud Learning - To learn more about this author, visit Don Doman's Website.
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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