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.

Posted: May 1, 2020 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

About 15 years ago I was working for a company with a close-knit staff of about 25.  On one bittersweet day, we had a surprise going away party for a departing co-worker who had been part of the team for many years.  Tom was loved by his teammates, and we wanted to show our appreciation in a special way.

Tom was an active baseball player and loved the game.  We decided to buy him a mitt that was signed by each of us.  Because the mitt was a memento and likely would never be used, you would think we would have bought an inexpensive one.  No.  We bought a Wilson A-2000.  This is one of the most common choices of Major League pitchers, and they are predictably expensive.  Tom was overwhelmed and became very emotional.  Later he shared that his joy went way beyond the signed mitt.  It meant a lot that we thought that much of him.  What we did is called a “jaw-dropper”, and when we do things like this, they strengthen relationships and are never forgotten.

Due to the Corona Virus crisis, many of us are finding that we have extra time on our hands.  Here’s one way we can use this time wisely.  Deepen our relationships with a “jaw-dropper”.  Here are a couple other examples to get your creativity going:

My birthday was last Tuesday, and two of the cards I received were hand made.  Much time and thought had been put in to both cards.  In one case, the person had included pictures they had uncovered from my high school and college yearbooks.   Most important, each card had a touching personal note saying how much they valued me as a life-long friend.  At 71, getting something like that is truly a “jaw-dropper”

Think of a relationship you have that you value highly.  Why are they so important?  What is something that you could say or do for them that radiates your thoughts with an exclamation point?  Go for the “jaw-dropper’!

Posted: April 16, 2020 | Categories: Leadership, Sales

“There are two reasons that people do something…The real reason and the one that sounds good”

-J.P Morgan

One of the most frustrating challenges a sales professional faces is getting to the real reason that prospects hesitate to commit.  Brace yourself for a harsh reality:  Prospects don’t always tell the truth.

Years ago I worked for a training company that specialized in leadership and communication skills.  Much of the training involved presenting in front of a group of 35 people – something that many adults fear.

One day I was meeting with a candidate for one of our extended courses, and we came to the point where it was time for this person to say “yes” and commit to the training.  We hit a stalemate.  Here is how the conversation went:

“So John, is this something you would like to go ahead with?”

(John) “Well, that class is on Tuesday evenings, and that is not a good night for me.”

“I can understand why you would want a night that works for you.  What night would be better?”

(John) “Thursdays are OK”

“So if we could find a class on Thursday evenings, that would work for you?”

(John)  “Well.  No”

“John, it sounds like there is something that is causing you to hesitate.  Can I ask what it is?”

(John) “Well, you said there was a lot of speaking in front of a group.  I am very uncomfortable with that”

Now I had the real objection, and I could deal with it.  I talked through the process of how the presentations are done, and when I got through explaining, he was comfortable going ahead.  If I had not kept “peeling the onion” and reach the real objection, he would not have gotten involved in the training, and that would have been a shame.

Remember, with gentle persistence, make sure you are addressing the right objection, and be prepared to defend your position.

Posted: February 27, 2020 | Categories: Customer service, Sales

The simplest and most accurate description of selling that I have seen is to “create and keep customers”.  That sounds nice.  We just need to be careful we don’t gloss over the second part of this statement…KEEPING CUSTOMERS.  I find that this part is often overlooked.  To keep a customer we need to build a comfort zone around them that is so powerful it cannot be penetrated.

I have a comfort zone story:  In the summer of 1974, I had just moved up to the Chicago area and was looking for a barber.  My current barber was outstanding, but he was in Kansas.  I was forced out of my comfort zone.  So, Mike and I began.  He was a great barber, and I now had a new comfort zone.  He was with me through the times of my life, including the haircut he gave me to look good for my wedding in June, 1978.  We were born the same year, so hi age was perfect.

The years rolled on, and in 1989 I moved to a suburb 40 miles away from Mike’s shop.  That’s OK.  I made the drive each month to get my haircut from Mike.  Then, one day I called for an appointment, and Mike had no openings.  I needed a haircut, and I was forced out of my comfort zone.  I went to another barber locally.  Scott took care of me, and did a good job.  He wasn’t Mike, but then again, Mike wasn’t him.  31 years later, Scott is still my barber.  I never went back to Mike, but I did give him a courtesy call and thanked him for the years of service. This experience taught me a lesson:  Comfort zones are very powerful, and if we don’t create them for our customers, they can easily be snatched away.  Do you have a strategy and specific action plan for keeping your valued customers, or do you take them for granted?  Remember the old dental commercial:  “Customers are like teeth…ignore them and they will go away!”

Posted: January 7, 2020 | Categories: Presentation skills, Sales, Self-Improvement

“You can get anything you want if you help enough other people get what they want”

–  Zig Ziglar

Mr. Ziglar shared his priceless secret.  As much sense as it makes, I still see so many folks trying to be persuasive by talking about what they want.  Sorry to burst your bubble…most people aren’t thinking about what you want:  They are thinking about what they want.

For example, many years ago I was working with a manager on her communication skills with her boss.  She wanted her boss to give her a raise, and when she approached him he wasn’t receptive.  We talked about her strategy, and changed it to a WIFM discussion.  (What’s in it for me?).  She talked in terms of what her boss wanted.  Here is what happened in her own words:

“On Tuesday of this week I met with my boss and asked for my promotion.  This has been a sore point for well over a year now, and this time I tried a different approach.  I laid out figures and talked about what he was interested in, and how I had helped meet some of his main corporate objectives,  Towards the end, he said, “Maybe it’s time we started paying you for the management job you are doing”.  It works! 

Some sales professionals need to learn from Barb.  Instead of saying, “I want to meet with you”, say something like, “I help people achieve more peace of mind with their financial future.  I may be able to do the same for you.  My goal in calling you is to set a time when we can get together, understand your situation and what you are looking to do, and see if we have some common ground.  Would you like to set a time?”

When selling yourself or your ideas, remember to talk in terms of the other person’s interest.  You will have more success!