Dear Dr. Tunney,
“My wife and I were fortunate enough to meet with you after the Dealers Meeting in Monterey, California. We enjoyed speaking with you and proudly display our picture with you at our store. My wife suffers from extreme anxiety, but she put those fears aside and walked right up to you. This simple act may seem meaningless to you, but for her it was a big step.”
“Shortly after our return home, I noticed that she was quiet and spent a great deal of time in bed, unable to get up and face the pressures of everyday life. We have two great kids ages 5 and 7 that rely heavily on their mother as young children do. We realized she was cascading into deep depression. The doctors recommended a hospital stay and many tests, separating her from me and her children for 16 days. I would visit and talk with her daily. One of these visits she was very upset and felt as if she was a loser for not being home with her family. That's when I remembered a piece of wisdom you shared with us during your speech. ‘A winner isn’t someone who never falls down; a winner is one who gets back up!’”
“That simple piece of wisdom has meant a great deal to us both. I just had to write you to express my deep gratitude to you. It may not have been your intention to help us in our time of need, but you have made an important impact in our lives. Thank you!”
Mark Srager. Essco Company South Plainfield, NJ
Town & Gown of USC
Attendance: 200
“Thank you so much for your outstanding presentation at our general meeting. I continue to receive positive comments about your speech from many of our members and guests who attended the luncheon. In fact, I think everyone would be extremely pleased to hear you again at this month’s meeting – a real compliment to you.”
Carol C. Fox, President
Town and Gown of University of California
U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Association, Inc. Annual Meeting
Attendance: 200
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire membership of the U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Association, I am writing to thank you for the terrific keynote speech you presented in December at our Technical Meeting in La Jolla, California. I came away from that talk feeling that it was the finest I have heard in 20 years of attending meetings, and my thoughts were reinforced many times over the ensuing days by others members who felt the same. It combined entertainment, inspiration and motivation in an engaging manner, truly the elements of a good keynote speech.
The nugget I came away with was when you were talking about customer expectations and how so many people can meet those expectations. You said it can indeed be a crowded road. But the highway of the ‘extra mile’ is surprisingly uncrowded and that is where the best are separated from the rest. It is quite apparent that you are familiar with the landscape of that highway.”
David Marsden, Chairman
U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Association
National Association Of Decorative Fabric Distributors
Attendance:100
“We appreciate very much having you as our guest speaker at our NADFD Convention in Monterey. Your presentation was outstanding and everyone said it was the best we had ever had. Thank you again for being with us and for your helpful and informative presentation. We will certainly keep you in mind if any of our other associations need such a speaker.”
MaryAnn Crews, Executive Director
National Convention
Independent Cities Association 43rd Annual Seminar
Attendance 150
“Your preparation on Leadership and Team Building was an inspiration to all those who attended. As elected officials, we need to be reminded that we are in the ‘customer care’ business and that we are here to serve our constituents. We also need to remember that Together Everyone Accomplishes More and should do our best to work together as a team within our organizations.”
“I envy your ability to take a crowd from laughing and yelling to silence and tears. You are truly a fantastic speaker with an excellent message. Debbie tells me that ‘you’re a meeting planner’s dream!’”
Steve Napolitano
President/Seminar Chair
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC & ELECTRONICS
Attendance: 150
“Thank you for speaking at the Mitsubishi Electric Distributor Conference in Maui. You really helped provide the perfect summation to our message. Thank you especially for taking the time to learn about our business and weave us into your presentation.
You have helped us to set our customers', as well as our own expectations high. We will have quite the challenge meeting these expectations.”
Lorie Quillin-Bell
Director of Marketing, Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
Attendance: 600
“We wanted a ‘non-Rotary’" speaker, since we desired that these incoming leaders sense that this job as a Rotary Club President is big, important, not just for Rotary. Your reputation, your background assured us of that. But we got a bonus: You integrated your remarks with such knowledge of Rotary that these Presidents-elect know they are part of a grand movement.
Finally, we wanted a speaker who would entertainingly cap a busy day of classroom work. Wow. The 45 minutes seemed like ten. All of us in the room enjoyed the entire presentation and were sorry it ever had to end.”
John T. Blount, PDG, District 5130 General Chair
Far West P.E.T.S. Training Seminar
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
Attendance: 600
“Jim, I am aware that you are a professional speaker, and all that. And I fully understand that you extended a great courtesy to our group of incoming Rotary club presidents by agreeing to the arrangements to come to our training seminar. Really, I expected a terrific performance. But I didn’t expect all that you gave us. I should have seen it coming when we chatted briefly…I knew you were more than a traveling performer when I noticed the stack of hand written notes at your elbow. You were delightfully pleasant, but it was clear that you -- preparing a talk I presume you’ve done once or twice before – were preparing even more. Then I heard you speak. For us, you knew our beloved Rotary. You know it in detail. And you understand P.E.T.S. visions and goals. And your talk not only reflected that knowledge – your talk enabled some of our hopes and dreams for our P.E.T.S. So, your presentation wasn’t a mere reflection of our P.E.T.S. goals, it became a major part of the substance of our accomplishments. I think that you are more than a professional. ”
David V. Cresson, Program Director, Rotary P.E.T.S.
SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION
Attendance: 250
“Your presentation was one of the real highlights of the Conference. A real homerun! The audience genuinely appreciated the professionalism you brought to the opening session. Unlike most speakers, you went to great lengths to get acquainted with the industry and the people in the industry. These gestures made a significant impression with the SEMA staff and the members of TCAA. It is highly unusual in this industry to hear people talking about a speaker a week or more after the show, you have broken the silence.”
Kendall L. Pyle, Director Educational Services, Specialty Equipment Market Assn.
ASSOCIATION OF THE WALL AND CEILING INDUSTRIES
Attendance: 400
“I fully enjoyed your presentation at our recent convention and appreciate the extra preparation it takes to relate to the audience. Calling my room to let me know that you arrived and leaving your room number was a consideration not practiced by many speakers. Since I was not one of the coordinators to bring you to our group, you obviously took the time to find out my name and make the contact.”
Steven A. Etkin,
Executive Vice President
AWCI
ASSOCIATION OF THE WALL AND CEILING INDUSTRIES
Attendance: 400
“Your preliminary preparation for the opening session was evident! All your efforts and hard work directly contributed to the success of this annual event. We enjoyed having you as a speaker. Please feel free to use us as a reference.”
Lisa L. Dyson,
Director, Convention & Conferences
AWCI
