Posted: August 19, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Sales, Self-Improvement

“Good manners are made of petty sacrifices”

-Henry David Thoreau

One of the most time-worn expressions we hear is “go the extra mile”.  I think it is time we all take a step back and go deeper in to the extra mile concept and how we benefit when we incorporate this mantra into our daily experience.

I recently experienced a sterling example of this:  It began nearly 10 years ago when I won a raffle prize at a marketing event.  My prize was two $25 gift cards to a local auto service shop.  Since I already had a place to service my car, my wife and I set the cards aside. The years went by and a couple months ago we decided we would try out the gift cards rather than just throw them away.  When we arrived at the shop, the owner greeted us with a hearty smile and cheerfully agreed to honor the gift cards.  We used one of the cards and got some new wiper blades.

A couple months later I had some used motor oil I wanted to dispose of.  I went to the same place.  The owner saw me in the parking lot and eagerly came out to greet me and accept the oil.  This was the second time that fellow went the “extra mile”, and this time I was hooked.

This week I needed to purchase a new set of tires.  I headed straight to the friendly shop and they had me fixed up in an hour.  As a drive away, I was a happy customer and committed to stay that way.  We respect and appreciate those who go the extra mile for us, and they earn our loyalty. (And get our money)

Posted: July 12, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Management, Sales

World War II hero Eddie Rickenbacker became CEO of Eastern Airlines in the early 50’s.  He believed that a critical factor in managing customer relationships and motivating staff was the way we manage ‘moments of truth”.  He defined such moments as, “any opportunity a customer (or potential customer) has to form an impression about a company, product, or service”.

A couple   weeks ago I had such a moment as a customer.  I had purchased a pair of casual pants from a well-known retailer in the area.  One day, when putting on my pants my toe caught an adjustor strap right at the cuff.  The cuff tightened, and when I tried to loosen it, I couldn’t.

A couple days later we took the garment to the service desk of the store where we made the purchase.  We explained the problem to the person behind the desk.  We could quickly see that she had no idea of how to help us, and she went to the back room and brought the store manager back with her.  As soon as the manager saw us, she smiled and quickly diagnosed our problem.  There was a special button that needs to be pressed and she demonstrated it to us as she released the tension on the strap.  The problem was solved!  We had a good laugh and before we left we spent over $100 on additional items.  We had just experienced a moment of truth that was managed successfully with tangible results.  Take the number of employees you have times the customer interactions each one has per day, and you have the moments of truth.  If you learn to consistently manage these instances well, your efforts will pay off royally.

Posted: April 17, 2024 | Categories: Presentation skills, Sales

A friend of mine is a marketing specialist.  We were talking about what makes businesses rise above the crowd and it brought to mind an experience I had 30 years ago when looking for a family photographer:

It was in the fall, and our family consisted of my wife and two boys, ages 6 & 8.  We wanted to have a picture of our family that we could enjoy in our den every day.  There were many vendors to choose from, and we were starting to get overwhelmed.  We were anxious to get something scheduled, and I decided to start asking the question, “What makes your work special?”  Some struggled with that question.  Then we met Jane and Jim, a couple who owned their own studio and seemed to love what they do.  To my question, they replied, “Other photographers take a picture of where you are at.  We take a picture of who you are”.  WOW!  That was just what we wanted!  Sold!

Jane and Jim did take our picture in a park setting among the colored fallen leaves.  We have this picture in our den and we enjoy it every day.  It is our favorite.

Jane and Jim were a part of a common profession.  Their work and the way they sold it was uncommon.  They were passionate about their work and they were able to communicate why.

Think of your product or service:  What do you do that makes you stand out above your competition?  How well do you  communicate it?  The loyalty and enthusiasm of our customers starts with us!

Posted: February 15, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Sales, Self-Improvement

This message is only taught to sales professionals, but it applies to all of us.  If we want to be in step with someone, always check our assumptions to see if they are correct.

Here is a painful example:  Many years ago I was facilitating a sales training session and we were covering the part of the sales process that included “check questions”.  Check questions are asked when we need to check the correctness of our assumptions.  One of our class participants was a car salesman and shared a conversation he had with a potential buyer.  The prospect was considering buying a new Corvette as a college graduation present for his daughter.  The customer asked, “Is this car fast?”.  Immediately the salesperson enthusiastically replied, “Absolutely!  This car will go up to 180mph!” As soon as he said that, the expression on the customer’s face went from happy to scared.  He did not want to give his daughter a car that went that fast.  The deal was off.  It cost the salesperson a $1700 commission.  He learned his lesson.  He said the next time he will ask a question first before he answered like, “Is speed important to you?”  This question would have allowed him to stay in step.

This story carries a lesson for all of us to remember:  Before we assume, check our assumption with a good “check question”. By doing this we will save ourselves unecessary stress, and maybe even a friendship!

Posted: November 17, 2023 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

“Success comes in cans”

-Fortune Cookie

Many people know the story of Sir Roger Bannister.  The legendary runner from the UK achieved something that physiologists said could never happen:  In 1954, he broke the 4-minute mile.  He believed he could do it, and he did.  Since that event, the 4-minute mile has been broken hundreds of times.  Bannister led the way.

This is a great story we all love to hear.  It reminds us that many of the barriers to success are in our thinking.  Bannister thought big!

My question is, “Where can we think bigger?”  About 20 years ago I was working for a company that did an excellent job of tracking sales goals.  Among the chatter throughout the sales team, the most common topic was the record revenue goal for one month:  $320K.  Many of us would come fairly close, but we always fell short.  Like breaking the 4-minute mile, the $320K record was a barrier in our minds.

Then one day a new kid came to town.  Hi name was Dan and for some reason he wasn’t aware of the 320K mark.  He fervently dug in to his work and within three months he broke the 320K barrier by nearly 40K.  It wasn’t a fluke.  For the next several months he kept breaking the threshold.  In less than a year he left to start his own company.  We all loved Dan and were sorry to see him go.  We missed him but we knew he left us with a gift of wisdom we could never forget:  We challenged ourselves to think bigger and put our goals in a “can”!