Posted: September 25, 2020 | Categories: Customer service

There are many rules on good time management.  Block time, prioritize, plan, have a vision, etc.   These are all important.  I would like to put the spotlight on one time management tool that is often overlooked:  Building trust.  When we build trust, our customers, employees, and associates see us as a friend, consultant, and teacher.  This means we often spend for less time selling them our ideas.  They are quick to jump on board.  They trust us.  Consider the consequences when we have not built trust:

Once I was working with a client who owned a successful service business.  One day he shared with me a confrontation he had had with a customer.  This owner – we’ll call him Roger, was trying to work through a concern that a particular customer was having.  At one point, the customer said, “Oh you are just saying that.  All you care about is making a buck”.  That wasn’t true.  Roger was a caring person of good character.  Nonetheless, what the customer said concerned him.  Roger said, “From what you just said, I sense that you do not have full trust in me and the work that I am performing.  That is OK.  It is my responsibility to build that trust.  My advice to you is to find someone you trust.  You need to be confident in the person who is doing your work.”  As soon as Roger said this, the customer backed down, and said she was just having a bad day.  She actually apologized.  She was open now, and they could have a good problem-solving discussion.  Roger knew that he needed to have trust to get others to listen, and listening saves time!

Posted: September 18, 2020 | Categories: Customer service, Self-Improvement

Last week I received a letter from the Illinois Tollway Authority.  What could it possibly be about?  I opened the envelope and was dismayed to find that I was charged $24.60.  That included $5.80 for tolls and $18.80 in fees and fines.  How could that be?  I had more than enough in my I-Pass account to cover that amount.

The next day I called the Tollway number.  I was connected with Donna, and I gave her all the information about my account.  When she looked it up, she found that the license numbers given on the notice didn’t match the ones on my account.  Of course they didn’t.  I know you are always supposed to document any changes in license numbers.  In the past 20 years I have bought a car or two, and usually get a new plate.  I never registered the new plates.  I figured if the toll booths missed the transponder signal, they would have my license plate, and could look it up.  Donna informed me that is was my responsibility to keep license information current, and they know longer looked up the number.  If the tag number does not relate to a specific I-Pass account, it goes as a skipped toll.  When I asked if I still owed the fees and fines, she said “Yes.  It was your responsibility to keep your license information current, and you didn’t do it”.  I paused, then said, “You know something Donna, I am going to get that money back.  It will cost them double.  I will curtail my tollway use, and it won’t be long before I have all the money back.  I look forward to taking the backroads and enjoying the scenery.”  Donna laughed, then replied, ‘I don’t blame you.  I don’t like the tollways either.  I have a convertible, and I like the backroads.”  We then got into a conversation about her summer and her convertible.  When the conversation was over, I still owed the money, but had the satisfaction of possibly putting a little spark into someones day.  Before the conversation was over, she did not represent the tollway.  The tollway was “they!”

Posted: June 26, 2020 | Categories: Customer service, Sales

Two years ago I received a call from a client who was in a dilemma.  He had just been informed by his company accountant that some equipment he had sold several months ago had not been paid for.  The equipment was expensive and the unpaid balance was hefty.

Jack thought about his options:  He could go the legal route and take the heavy-handed approach.  This would burn the relationship.  He didn’t want to do that.  The other option was to set up a video conference with himself, his boss, and the two owners that owed them.  They set the meeting up.

Next, we talked about preparation for the meeting.  The most seasoned negotiators are very aware of these two fundamentals:

• Know your position of strength going into the meeting.
• Clearly define these three different categories:
  • The ideal outcome of the meeting
  • The acceptable outcome
  • The “walk away”

The meeting began on a friendly tone that enabled everyone to relax.  Jack’s boss is an excellent listener and he let the owners talk first.  He then paraphrased and affirmed what they said, and they nodded in agreement.  Throughout the meeting, Jack and his boss were able were able to clearly communicate their negotiables and non-negotiables.  The meeting went well, and they were pleased with the plan that was agreed upon.

When I think about this situation I realize there are so many ways this situation could have gone bad with shouting matches and the destruction of a relationship.

We are all in the midst of recovering from the Pandemic.  It is likely that you are holding someone’s inventory and have a balance that is overdue.  If you value the relationship, consider having a meeting with them to find a common ground.  Once again, here are the key fundamentals:

1. Know your position of strength (and theirs)
2. Define your ideal, acceptable, and walk-away outcomes.
3. Begin in a friendly way.

And remember the “4 F’s”

1. Firm
2. Friendly
3. Frank
4. Fair

Posted: May 29, 2020 | Categories: Customer service, Sales

Yesterday, following a doctor appointment, I was waiting for the elevator to come to my floor.  When the door opened, a man standing a few feet away from me politely asked, “Is there room for two?”  I quickly responded, “Yes. Absolutely”, and thanked him for asking.  The elevator carried us to our destination, and we then went our separate paths.

Afterwards I was reflecting on the exchange.  If I were a merchant, and he was a vendor, I would probably be very comfortable doing business with him.  He thought of me and my world, and he valued it.  Such unselfish acts go a long way in displaying our character.

During this current Covid-19 Crisis, I am frequently asked by my clients, “How do I manage my customer relationships during this time?”  Most folks are very distracted now, and the last thing they want to do is talk to a salesperson.  They need support, friends, and people who give them confidence in the future. They need us. 

Successful salespeople are good friends.  Surveys have consistently shown that those who are most loyal to their suppliers describe their rep most often with these three words: Friend, consultant, and teacher.  When we are struggling through tough times, we count on friends, people who will listen, and those who can help us gain a more favorable perspective.  That’s you!

If you haven’t already, make a list of all the people who have counted on you to serve them.  Give them a call.  Get in to their world.  Ask “how” and “what” questions.  Listen to understand.  Show you understand.  If you can do this, you will help them out and strengthen the relationship.  If they need something, they will ask.

Posted: May 11, 2020 | Categories: Customer service, Networking, Sales

“Cast your bread upon the waters…”

To succeed in business, we need to be fair, friendly, and do the job right the first time.  At the same time, we can’t afford to “give away the store”.  Today I was talking to a HVAC tech who had successfully been in business for over 40 years.  He shared a story with me that I will long remember.  Here is what happened…

It was the heart of winter, and Roger responded to a service call regarding no heat.  He inspected the furnace, and discovered the heat exchanger was in pieces.  It was not safe to operate the furnace.  It had to be replaced.  The owner of the home lived alone.  Her husband was in the service serving as an intern.  She had no money.   Roger said, “Let me work on this and get back to you”.  He called his supplier and told them the story. They immediately picked up on it, and agreed to supply the materials if Roger would do the labor.  They thought this would be a nice story for their newsletter.  It was a deal.  The homeowner was eternally grateful.  It was one of those feel good moments.

Several months later the husband returned from the service and began his practice.  He never forgot the kindness that Roger had shown, and Roger says that he has received more referrals from this person than any other single source over the years.  We know the beauty of this:  Roger did this expecting nothing in return.  For him, it was just the right thing to do.  He was thinking of the other person.  When we give, it is amazing what comes back to us.  This is just another example to illustrate this fundament of business.