Kirt Manecke is a an award-winning author and sales, marketing, fundraising, and business development specialist with over 30 years of experience surprising and delighting customers. A proven “natural” salesman, Kirt helps companies build lasting, profitable relationships with clients through strategic marketing and expert customer service.
The Essential Crash Course
Smile and Succeed for Teens is based on Kirt’s award-winning book Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service, (winner of 8 awards) promoting and teaching the simple premise that good service is good business – that if you treat your customers well, you will be rewarded in return. A crash course – it’s quick and easy to implement.
Kirt Manecke’s passion for customer service and sales began years ago, when he co-founded an award-winning start-up – a specialty retail business in Michigan. Having worked at other businesses during college, Kirt wanted his own company to be different and better; to train its employees in ways that would result in more sales and profits.
This desire led to the development of an extensive and innovative six-week training program for new employees, where they were introduced to proven techniques and had to pass a test before joining the sales floor.
The program worked. Kirt watched as confidence – and customer satisfaction and sales – soared. The tenets taught in this first training program provided the basis of his best-seller, Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service.
Smile and Succeed for Teens is based on Kirt’s first book, Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service, customized for teens and with new chapters on getting a job, overcoming stress, and volunteering. With the addition of 50 informative images, educational captions, and an even more condensed format to keep teens’ attention, this book is a game-changer for teens.
Buying Local and Other Interests
Kirt is a strong proponent of buying local to create thriving downtowns and supports the The 3/50 Project. He is also passionate about supporting local farmer’s markets along with dog and cat animal rescue groups.
Land conservation and sustainable development are also passions. One of Kirt’s favorite places is Tryon Farm, a conservation design neighborhood in Indiana that permanently protects 120 of the 170-acres as working farmland and natural areas.
Boosting Nonprofit Impact
Kirt increased membership tenfold as executive director of a northern MI nonprofit land trust using many of the methods in his books. He is passionate about getting his books in the hands of nonprofit staff and volunteers to help them delight donors and raise more money faster to make a greater impact quicker.
Volunteering
Kirt is a member of Birmingham Toastmasters. He is also a volunteer judge at DECA conferences to help high school and college students become our next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.
A former owner of a public relations company, he volunteers his time and skills to help groups saving natural lands, and working to end animal cruelty.
He is the chair of the Animals Asia Michigan Volunteer Group, a group devoted to supporting the nonprofit Animals Asia effort to end bear farming and rescue animals from cruelty, raise awareness and funds, and improve public policy that affects animals. 1% of the proceeds from Kirt’s books are donated to animal welfare.
