01.24.16
Posted in Mopping the Floor with an Attitude at 5:44 am by Administrator
Checking into a hotel is a fairly routine experience. As I recently finished checking in, I walked down a small hall to look for the fitness area. Pausing momentarily as I looked for the exact location, an employee mopping the floor nearby approached me. With a wide smile, he asked, “Excuse me sir. Is there anything I can help you with.” I was immediately impressed with his awareness and his attitude.
This particular chain of hotels is known for having a culture among their staff of treating their customers like kings. From the person providing maintenance on the floors to the manager coordinating events and employees, there is an attitude of helpfulness and people who are glad to serve.
What a great reminder this was to me of keeping the basics of customer interactions and serving, the main things in business. A good attitude, having a servant heart and being aware and responding to your customer’s needs.
It is simple…but so often neglected. Keep it simple and be successful.
Permalink
11.23.15
Posted in Family & Thanks at 4:47 am by Administrator
This past week I received a handwritten Thanksgiving card from a sales representative that had these words, “My family and I thank you for your business and support….”
I usually take a quick look at these cards because they often include just a signature but this one caught my attention. She took the time to thank me specifically for something that impacted more than her own goals. Our business impacted her family. That is significant. It was a great reminder for me to thank all of you for your impact in my family’s life and also a great reminder to share my thanks with all of my clients. In the never ending demands of business and deadlines, being thankful to those who influence and support our businesses and personal lives should always be at the top of our list.
From my family to yours, have a safe, blessed and happy Thanksgiving.
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
10.26.15
Posted in Reset and Restart the Relationship at 12:13 am by Administrator
A sales manager realizes that one of his major clients has become a minor client. The purchases that used to flow in on a regular basis are now few and far between. What is he to do? He can either choose to hope things get better or he can work to reset and restart the relationship.
Most of us in sales have been in the uncomfortable situation of trying to figure out what went wrong. Resetting a relationship involves being able to have a face to face meeting with the principals involved, asking the hard questions, being prepared to accept responsibility and willing to change.
Here are some of the hard questions you might consider asking.
• Have I or my company dropped the ball…and please don’t sugar coat it?
•How do my employees treat you?
•What changes do we need to make?
•Who is getting the majority of your business now?
•How can I help you grow your business?
•Is there anything else?
Here is to resetting and restarting!
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
09.25.15
Posted in Power of the Vacuum Cleaner at 12:58 am by Administrator
Starting a career as a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman is no doubt a difficult one. A certain young vacuum cleaner salesman knocked on a door only to find that the woman who answered had no electricity and so she could not use the vacuum cleaner…or so she thought. The resourceful salesman knocked on her neighbor’s door and asked if he could run an extension cord from her house through the window to the other house for the demonstration. Both women watched the demonstration and before he left, he had convinced them to split the cost of the vacuum cleaner and they would share the vacuum cleaner and the electricity. That young salesman grew from his first job into real estate and ended up being one of San Diego’s more successful real estate developers.
Being resourceful and refusing to quit are traits that are at the top of the list for successful sales people and employees. Whether it’s a customer needing a solution or an internal process that needs correcting, look for the person that won’t stop until they find an answer that works.
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
08.29.15
Posted in The First Responder at 6:48 pm by Administrator
First responders to the scene of an emergency are critical to the treatment of the injured or stopping further damage from occurring. Sales representatives are the first responders of the sales process. Your customers call or email you for solutions to problems or answers to questions. The sales representative who is consistently the first on scene, the first to return the call or email, is often the one to reap the rewards of customer loyalty and customer business. Conversely, the sales representative who is the slowest to respond usually finds their sales suffering and then customers will eventually not contact them for the next question or opportunity.
These are basic observations but getting back to the basics of the sales process brings increased sales and strengthens business relationships.
Respond quickly and efficiently and great things will happen!
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
07.30.15
Posted in The Decider at 3:27 pm by Administrator
“I’m the decider and I decide what’s best…” was a statement made at a press conference by President George W Bush during his presidency that bore much criticism and was the brunt of many late night shows and comedians. While there is humor in how and when the comment was made, knowing who “The Decider” in the sales process is critical.
In the construction industry there are several processes used in how buildings are constructed. One is the building or property owner hires an architect to design the building and then the owner hires a general contractor to construct the building. Another process is the design build process. The building or property owner hires a general contractor to construct a building based on a design concept that the general contractor presents. The general contractor hires the architect for the design and creates and controls the construction budget while meeting the owner’s expectations. In the majority of design build projects, “The Decider” is the general contractor.
Failing to understand this process can lead a sales rep or company to lose and lose big. In one instance, a wholesale supplier had the potential for a million dollar sale. The supplier believed “The Decider” was the architect and failed to realize until it was too late that the general contractor ultimately controlled the dollars and thus the product selection. At that point, lines had been drawn and “The Decider” was no longer open to dialog.
The reminder for all of us is to ask those probing questions. Who is making the final decision? What is the criteria for making the decision? What is the most important factor- price, quality or value?
On your next sales call, verify that “The Decider” is actually who you think it is and the odds of closing the sale will increase dramatically.
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
06.29.15
Posted in The Ultimate CRM at 1:21 am by Administrator
You are probably aware that many industries use CRM software or cloud technology to assist in their sales process. The definition is quite lengthy. CRM is an approach to managing a company’s interactions with current and future customers. It often involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support.
Our company has assisted in the roll out and development of CRM for a few companies. Often the dream is that the new online CRM will magically develop sales leads and close deals but that can be short lived due to a cumbersome system or a team that does not update information in the software and fails to use its capabilities. It is a wonderful tool for the sales process yet it is only one in a long list of tools available to salespeople.
The Ultimate CRM begins not with a great technological piece of software, but begins and ends with a person. It begins with the sales rep building the relationship in the field and the sales manager assisting the sales rep in developing relationships and business. It begins with phone calls, client visits, emails and attending events with your clients. CRM can help you organize all of that information into one place and remind you of past, present and future items but CRM does not close deals- a person does.
If you are looking for the Ultimate CRM find the right sales person first, then find an online CRM tool that assists them in capturing the information that helps them be more effective.
Have a safe and Happy 4th!
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
05.27.15
Posted in Remember when... at 12:43 am by Administrator
Remembering the past, as we did this Memorial Day, is something that most nations have done throughout history. There is value in remembering and appreciating those who have gone on before us and made certain sacrifices. From a business perspective, there is also value in remembering. How did your business get to where it is at? Who were the people and what were the ideas that were instrumental in its success? As a business grows, the history and stories of the past can show employees the strength of the foundation of the company’s core values and also the importance of continuing to contribute to the success of the company.
If you haven’t told the story of your company lately, share it with your staff and you will see their interest grow. Remember when…
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
04.29.15
Posted in Proving Them Wrong or Proving Them Right? at 10:31 pm by Administrator
Season tickets for your local professional baseball team are always a great way to entertain clients. A manufacturer did just that. Yet when he showed up at the game with his clients, his representative, unbeknownst to him, had switched that day’s tickets. The representative was convinced he was right and did everything to prove his customer wrong. In the end, it became very obvious that the representative had made a very bad error and he lamely attempted to salvage the relationship.
Unlike this situation, there may be times when our customer is dead wrong and the temptation may be to prove to them how wrong they are. Most customers can be reasoned with but if our goal is to prove them wrong, we are missing the opportunity to strengthen a relationship, even though there may be adversity. Taking a strategy of finding a solution instead of proving who is wrong or right will show the customer that you care about their business. If they are wrong, it can be addressed diplomatically and in their embarrassment they often will be more receptive to alternatives that can solve the problem at hand.
Proving them right can lead to a deeper relationship and many more years of continued business.
Permalink
03.30.15
Posted in More than Flooring at 1:54 am by Administrator
The recent news report on 60 Minutes regarding formaldehyde in laminate and hardwood flooring has consumers, dealers, distributors and manufacturers concerned about product, image, quality, health and safety.
While we don’t know every side to the story, I think the larger picture is that, as business men and women, there is more to be concerned about the product or service we offer than the bottom line. We are in business to make money but not at the expense of causing harm to our customers. Offering services and products that represent our personal and company integrity leads to long term trust of our present and future customers.
Sometimes the lure of making a quick profit on sub-standard merchandise can be tempting to some but businesses that maintain firm control of their core values look beyond the quick profit and invest in relationships and companies that are committed to quality, safety and longevity.
Regards,
Brian
Permalink
« Previous Page — « Previous entries « Previous Page · Next Page » Next entries » — Next Page »
