The Immeasurable Things That Make a Measurable Difference

Making Connections through Networking Part II

2010-03-11T13:27:00Z

In my last post on the subject, I shared several ideas on how the non-networker could become more comfortable at a networking event . We get prepared by:
-   Knowing who we want to meet
-   How we will introduce ourselves
-   How we will create a few moments of connection by having some prepared questions that are not “salesy”.

In this post, I want to share how we can deepen these connections so that the people you meet will become friendly towards you and want to help you.

Many people are afraid of networking events because they feel like they are “drive-by’s. That is, people are just moving through the crowd scanning badges and handing out cards. Yet there are a number of ways to make meaningful and mutually rewarding connections here.

The first one is to resist the impulse to sell even if invited. Stick to your short elevator story or variation there on and request a time and date for a follow up.

Next, ask the people you are meeting what you can do for them. If they don’t compete with you ask how you can help them. Why, you ask, because it invokes the law of reciprocity. We are wired to reciprocate. Robert Cialdini has extensive research on this in his book, “Influence. ”Even if you cannot help him or her now, they remember that you were willing to help. Now when they hear something that crosses their radar they may think of you and provide you a referral.

Now if you are actually able to connect them with a referral your value goes way up. Now they begin to consciously, look for ways they can help you. I had a great example of this last year. I was in a meeting with colleagues in Dallas. Our buyer shared an initiative that we were unable to help him with. We didn’t provide this service. I knew someone from this space and offered to make a connection.

After my colleague made his presentation he reciprocated not by introducing me by telephone but by inviting me to lunch with his customer who had expressed a need in our space! We now have our mutual ears open for opportunities like this. Talk about a powerful connection and way to leverage trust.

What about the potential customers that you meet; how do you establish trust and credibility here? One great question is, “what are the three key initiatives you have to get done this year?” This will provide you with information as to how big a priority your services might be to them and it will give you an idea of how you or someone you know might be able to help them.

As business owners, we have to leverage all of the tools available to engage us with our customers. That can include, advertising, social media, internet marketing, cold calling and networking.

What are some of your favorite ways to connect with your marketplace?

Making Connections at a networking Event Part I

2010-03-06T13:24:00Z

You are a small business owner and you know you need more customers. You have heard that Networking Events can be a good place to meet people and acquire leads for your business. The only problem is; you are uncomfortable around people. Maybe you don’t think you can have meaningful conversations or perhaps you are afraid you have to sell.

Here are some ideas that I have gathered from over the years that may be of some help.

First, prepare for the event:
-   Try to find out who will be there so you know whom you want to meet.
-   Prepare a 15 to 30 second introduction to tell people who you are and why they may want to know more. This is sometimes called the elevator speech. An example might be, “Hi I’m John with XYZ corporation; I help Healthcare providers reduce operating expenses and improve cash flow while improving patient relationships.”
-
Prepare and practice a few questions to help you get to know others comfortably.
o   How is the meeting or show working for you?
o   What have you thought of the presenter/s
o   Have you been to one of these meetings before
o   How are you affiliated with the event, (Chamber, Association, etc.)?

Prepare for how you will respond when they ask you what you do. My suggestion is to keep it very brief and not make it into a sales pitch. Instead, ask for a card and see if you can schedule a follow up for the next week or even the next day if you are at a convention and you can break away for coffee or a meal.

It is also important to keep moving. Make sure that once you have made a connection you are able to move on. So you can say things like, “It was great meeting you Cindy; I will call you next week."

There are some other things we can do to ensure that these connections are deeper and more engaging; I will share those in the next Post.

Take good care and make good connections.

They Get It

2010-03-01T00:25:00Z

An example of how one company leverages the Immeasurable Things That make a Measurable Difference.

My mother is no longer able to walk very far unassisted. Yet one of her great joys is shopping. I learned today that she can walk into Nordstrom, they will have her sit down and then the sales professionals will bring her items to look at and or to try on. Now Nordstrom is famous for their customer service policy and they way they service their clientele.

Now that Mom has reduced mobility, where do you think she is spending her money, where they take care of her as a customer.

Is it efficient to have sales people going back and forth to the racks in disparate parts of the store or department? NO! However, it is effective. When people feel cared for and they feel like your organization is willing to go out of its way to provide service (even if you don’t buy every time you visit) you will gain over the long term.

Nordstrom’s clearly gets the immeasurable things that make a measurable difference.

Keep up the good work Nordstrom’s

Expert Advice for FREE!

2010-02-27T14:44:00Z

I was able to gain over thirty great ideas in 90 minutes yesterday from business and thought leaders for FREE!

Yesterday I participated in two MeetUps’ yesterday. I had been watching them for a while and this week was the first Friday in months I was able to attend. I am so glad I did.

The IDEA cafe is the Brian Child of John Wren, a local small business consultant and adult educator. The concept of the cafe is, you come prepared to 1) Freely share your creative mind in generating ideas to help others with a product, service, or a problem. 2) Bring a product, service or problem that you want help with.

Here is how it went. Mark Lake, PhD presented the idea behind his new book The Inventors Puzzle. He addresses how do inventors (large and small) move from the idea and the invention into the marketplace and acceptance. We then opened up to anyone who wanted ideas.

The process a brainstorming session focused on idea generation not idea evaluation. You share your issue (product, service or problem). Then John and the others take just a few minutes to clarify your goal or desired outcome. And then with the individual taking notes we generate ideas.

Now let me tell you who was in the room:
-   Author consultant to business on moving from idea to market
-   Marketing and Branding consultant
-   Consultant to business on unleashing innovation in their organizations
-   Small business consultant
-   Business and Leadership Coach
-   Sales Professional
-   A serial entrepreneur
-   I think the final was an engineer (he came late and I did not catch his role)

Most of us have twenty plus years experience in the world both in the corporate and small business settings. And, they are willing to share their ideas for FREE! The other benefit is that they don’t really know you and they are not in your business so they are as one person put it, so deep in the frame they can’t see the larger picture.”

I received 36 ideas on how to attract more readers to by blog. I will generate several more as I work through these and I will be able to boost readership.

The Business Coach received 40 or 50 good ideas on how to attract a new segment of clientele that will also help her study leadership in a new way.

The serial entrepreneur got dozens of ideas that he can use to help improve his referral rate from others.

John is obviously a lover of ideas. How do I know this? Because the IDEA café is followed by, the Franklin Circle, which is modeled on the Junto that Ben Franklin created over 200 years ago to help generate ideas. And that is followed by Socrates Café where individuals gather to explore the big ideas, the meaning of life and so on.

I stayed for the Franklin Circle, which delivered an interesting and valuable set of actionable items. But I’m out of time. Stay tuned.

For more information on the Idea Circle and John Wren you can find him on Facebook, Linked in and at the links below.

Take Good Care,

http://wrensjournal.blogspot.com/

http://www.meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

Business Leaders make a Difference

2010-02-24T15:27:00Z

I was driving home last night and heard a brief interview with Jack Hanna on the radio. That’s right the wild animal guy talking about the Hope for Rwanda 2010 Gala being held here in Denver tonight. Jack reminded us of where this country has been, and the incredible strides it has made to become 2009’s Top Business Reformer according to the World Bank’s “Doing Business report”.

A brief refresher; in 1994 there was another uprising and conflict in Rwanda and between 800,000 and 1.0 million people were killed in 100 days. That represented about one tenth of the population.

The new President Paul Kagame set about with an audacious goal to transform the country into a stable, free market economy and to lift his people from poverty and build a sustainable economy and political climate.

Through connections from two financial leaders in Chicago Joe Ritchie and Dan Cooper, business and world leaders were introduced to Rwanda. As a result, today, companies like Costco, Google and Starbucks have made big investments in business in Rwanda. Rwanda also has infrastructure investments in place, building a Telco, a railroad and hospitals and schools.

-   The Average income has tripled since the genocide.
-   In 2009, Rwanda joined the Commonwealth of Nations the second country without British colonial ties to do so.
-   Women Serve in its Parliament

How does this happen?

-   Thank you Joe Ritchie and Dan Cooper for noticing and shining a light in a place most of the world would rather forget.
-   Thank you to business leaders from Costco, Google, Starbucks and Burlington Northern for making an investment.
-   Companies from around the world, China, Canada, Britain, and Germany are all creating companies and wealth in Rwanda.
-   Rwandans are now making money reinvesting in their communities and building wealth that has the potential to sustain.

Rwanda has the potential to serve as a role model on a continent that has seen war and corruption dim the hopes of so many.

As business leaders, we have the ability to change the world and people’s lives in ways great and small. We spend half of our waking life working in business, we interact daily with business and business creates the future every day.

We can step back as we are making our strategic plans for the year and ask ourselves, “where can I invest to make a difference; in my employees, in my community, in my suppliers, or in a part of the world that shows potential like Rwanda?

The reality is we make a difference each and every day. The question is what difference do you want to make?

If you are interested in Rwanda the gala that I heard about is raising funds to build a school fully equipped with computers, books and the tools to deliver a great education. Their website is www.hopeforrwanda2010.org/Hope_for_Rwanda_Gala_2010.html

When I heard about the story I had to do some research for myself and went to Wikipedia, Fast Company and Fortune, the links are below.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/07/17/zakaria.rwanda/index.html

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/134/special-report-rwanda-rising.html?page=0%2C0&%24Version=0&%24Path=/&%24Domain=.fastcompany.com%2C+%24Version%3D0

http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/28/news/companies/pluggedin_Gunther_Rwanda.fortune/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda

Is the Trust Offensive... Offensive?

2010-02-10T23:54:00Z

I cleaned up some files this week and found the notes on a post I was working on back in October. (Need to drive a better desk). The post was based on an article in Business Week magazine titled The Great Trust Offensive.     The article starts with the comment “Companies …are revamping their marketing efforts to win back that most valuable of corporate assets [trust].”

Is it, really, that simple? Change your marketing message and you can regain trust? The article goes on to describe how companies are attempting to regain trust by changing their messaging and by attempting to become more transparent.

Can you have trust without trustworthy intent? That is can I just change my messaging to emphasize trust in order to sell more without actually being more trustworthy? I don’t believe so. I believe trust, is earned and real trust is earned over time.

Dictionary.com has 24 definitions of trust. They all boil down to the reliance upon another to deliver upon a promise.

The first time we trust it really is based on an act of faith. We don’t have the experience to back up our decision to trust. Most business relationships start on this leap of faith. We do our due diligence, ask questions, and check references and so on. But until the product or service is delivered, it is still just a promise.

As an example, I have been with my Financial Advisory firm now for several years. The original Advisor took the time to discover my needs, fears, goals and dreams. This took place over the course of, I think, four meetings. So, I invested a piece. As time progressed and our investments performed, we invested more. Then John retired!

We were assigned one of the partners (who looked very young). We gave him the benefit of the doubt (we let him ride on the trust that John had built) for a few months. He delivered on his promises so we continued to invest.

It is no longer benefit of the doubt or faith that keeps us with Paul. He has earned our trust and we continue to invest to our mutual benefit.

So for companies wanting to go on a trust offensive that is not offensive let me offer some thoughts:

1.   Listen – This is different than hearing. It is intentional with the goal of understanding.
2.   Deliver on your promises big and small. I like the idea of under promise and over deliver.
3.   Make trust more than just a message it has to be your intention.
4.   Trust others, it is contagious

Take good care,

What is the value of an Aplogy? Apparently $57.0 million

2010-02-10T13:56:00Z

In an article from Hospital Impact we learn that the University of Michigan has reduced Malpractice Costs by $57.0 million be being transparent and open about mistakes AND apologizing where appropriate.

This is not a new concept. I wrote about this in a post fromOctober 2009 . What is encouraging to me is that the idea seems to be catching on. In spite of the Scandal and Greed that makes the headlines, business people and leaders are every day making decisions that may seem “soft” like whether or not to apologize for a mistake. And as you can see there is a monetary value to this kind of decision making.

See the article here

Take Good Care

Buyers are liars, so they say.

2010-02-03T13:16:00Z

Buyers are liars, so they say.

I participated in some sales training last year. One of the trainer’s big points was that buyers lie to you. In fact, his whole approach was very aggressive and even a little combative “in a nice way”.

I am not sure that is the best way to approach a relationship. My experience has been that if I move through the world trusting others, they typically repay me in kind. On those occasions where I run into a buyer that is not trustworthy, it is usually up to me to determine if I chose to go along with the deception or not.

If we are self aware, (and most professionals, I have met, are) we know when someone is not telling the truth. We can then choose, whether or not, to call them on the deception or to go along with it. I have observed many professionals chose to accept the lie (perhaps a stall or delay) in order to avoid hearing “NO”. They just move on or they keep the deal alive for something to do. This is waste of everyone’s time. I think it is much better to ask the direct question and get the direct answer.

More importantly, we want to go into the transaction with the right mindset. Your mindset, your thinking, your beliefs will all affect the way the buyer (or anyone else) responds to you. We all have been through the courses in Consulting Selling, where we learned how to ask questions to “lead” the buyer to a decision. Buyers can sense your intent very quickly and if they feel they are being “sold” as opposed to being helped to buy; you will see more sales lost than won.

How are you approaching the relationship? Are you helping them make a decision or are you selling them?

Take Good Care,

If We Both Win It's Not Selling!??

2010-01-24T16:19:00Z

I came across this Dilbert comic strip the other day. I had to laugh out loud and then cry, because it represents the views of many sales professionals. In the strip the sales executive says, "If we both win, it's not selling."

I strongly disagree. You have heard me say this before in other ways but look at how many sales executives talk; “I eat what I kill,” “I am a hunter,”“we have to be aggressive.” All of that language has a Win/Lose mindset behind it.

A good sales professional in my mind, goes into the world approaching buyers with value. Engaging those whose attention he or she can capture and then helping them discover their needs, and then how their solution fits. I don’t believe we have to trick them into buying. My job and yours as good sales professional is to communicate clearly the value of your product or service and demonstrate how it meets your buyer’s needs. Remember communication is two ways it’s listening as well as presenting.

It has been my experience that when I approach the sale with the idea that I am not so much focused on winning but upon identifying and delivering real value,my success rate goes up.

I believe we both win in a good sales transaction.

Take Good Care

Discovery in the Sales Process

2010-01-20T00:36:00Z

In order to enhance our success at making a sale we want to make sure we understand what the buyer is seeking. I know, it sounds obvious. How many times have you gone into the store looking for something and the seller tries to sell you what they want to sell.

Before we can present the best solution, we need to understand more about the buyer’s situation:
-   Where they see the need
-   The impact of that need on him/her personally
-   Impact on their organization and
-   How they will make a buying decision.
-   We will want to know if others are involved in the process.
-   We need to know who can say yes.

They may see a need. However, it might be a “nice to have” as opposed to a requirement or a burning need. We need to identify that. And in some cases, we want to remember that the need may be bigger than they realize or it may have a value they haven’t quantified. That is why we do discovery. To help the buyer uncover their needs and quantify the value of filling that need to them and to their organization.

There are a number of steps to Discovery. We can think of it as a Physician going through the diagnostic phase of an examination. We would not want to go in to the doctor, feeling bad and have them just say, “Here, let me open up and perform exploratory surgery.” No, we want them to take some time trying to find out what’s going on before they open us up.

So first, we want to gain permission to ask questions. Then we want to explore their situation. We begin by asking general questions and then move to specific questions. So for a basement remodel, I might ask:

•   How do you plan to use the space?
•   What are your thoughts on layout?
•   How many rooms do you envision?
•   What have you considered?

Then
•   What colors did you have in mind for the walls?
•   What are your thoughts on flooring carpet or tile?
•   When did you want to be complete
•   Do you have a budget? How much?

Where possible we want to ask open-ended questions to gain an understanding of what they are thinking and to get them talking. The more they talk in the sales process the better our chances of success. Instead of, “do you want it in red or green,” we might ask, “what colors are you looking for?”

Impact

Once we get a sense of what the buyer is thinking, we want to see, and we want them to see what the impact of their need is. Often times buyers think that things are good enough and they don’t realize that there really is a better way so we want to draw out the cost, (economic or opportunity cost) of the status quo. Here we are asking things like:

•   How much do you spend per month re-working those widgets?
•   What would happen if you could attract another seating at your restaurant?
•   How much money can you save if you are able cut your cycle times by 15 minutes per unit?
•   Does cash flow affect the cost of capital when leasing new equipment?
•   How is your sales department, impacted by production times?
•   Once that remodel is complete how will things be different in the way you use the house?

What we are doing here is getting back to the value proposition, and where our proposal will impact the buyer. By identifying the current state of affairs and the cost or impact that the current state of affairs has on the business and the other players in the business; the buyer is now more likely to consider a solution. Our biggest competitor is not the other company offering what we do. Our biggest competition is often the status quo.

It has been my experience that if I conduct Discovery properly my chance of making a sale goes up radically. Take the time to develop questions that your buyer wants the answers to. Like our basement remodel example, they may want to finish the basement but they do not have the vision of what is possible. A good designer can make the difference between ho hum and wow. A good discovery process and the appropriate targeted solution, makes the difference between a satisfied buyer and an advocate.

It is Not a Moral Decision it is a Financial Decision.

2010-01-13T13:31:00Z

I was reading in the recent issue of Business Week about how lenders have started to negotiate on principal in some of the mortgages that are under water. It spoke of their fear of the precedent this would set, apparently with good reason.

There was a short story about a salesman who was able to make his payments. However, because his neighbor’s house has declined in value he wanted to renegotiate his loan or he would walk away. His comment; “it’s not a moral decision it’s a financial decision.” Did you catch that?!

When did financial considerations take precedent over moral ones? Have we forgotten the pursuit of virtue and morality in life that was considered the high life in ancient Greece? I hear my friends and colleagues decry bailouts etc. saying that we are fostering a culture that does not take responsibility. I tend to lean to the side that says help those that are sincere and that need help. Yet it is people like this guy that make me want to take a hard line.

What do you think? Can you separate moral from financial decisions? What takes precedent?

Interita

2010-01-03T19:46:00Z

I saw a book today by Richard Bach. Knowing how much I like and have learned from his previous books, I considered buying it. Then I thought of all the books I have bought that did not lead to change. Why? The answer is inertia.

www.dictionary.com defines it as; the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force.

How many of us are stuck where we are in our lives due to inertia? Perhaps we have gotten into the habit of watching 6 hours of TV per day while dreaming of a new job or work. Maybe we’ve wanted to lose weight but because we are tired, we don’t exercise? Maybe we are in a career that no longer serves us but we don’t know what to do. These are all examples of inertia from real people. Some people call these ruts.

The definition above says we remain in state until acted upon by an external force. Is that true? It has been my observation that until we act upon ourselves we stay in state. I have seen many individuals get knocked off course, get right back up, and go back into state. You may know people like this. Charlie just divorced his third wife that looked and acted a lot like his second wife. His new girlfriend… yep she is cut from the same cloth.

Until we bring our internal force, our intent if you will into play, lasting change is difficult. I know. I was a smoker for years. I had the scares and the Physicians that had the “Talk” with me. Now I took extra Logic in college because I wanted to have the perfect syllogism, which is the perfect argument. So why did it take years to quit?

Inertia

It wasn’t until I decided inside of me to quit that I was able to quit.

This also happens in our professional lives. I read a while back about buyers that had the “hangs” when a sales rep called on them. This was where they just hung there limp and slack because they were not engaged. We also know of people we work with that aren’t engaged because they have gotten into a rut, now they have inertia, and they may not see a way out.

So step back and take the time to inventory your life and your career, determine if you are suffering from inertia and decide to improve your state. Do you need to put in some extra time to get a different result? Do you need to step back and create a plan for success? Maybe it’s time to talk about your relationship. You get the idea.

Take good care,

Who do You Trust?

2009-12-20T17:18:00Z

Marketers over the last few years seem to have rediscovered the value of word of mouth in terms of generating long-term profitable business relationships. As is often the case when we discover something good we sometimes over do it, by going too far.

I recently joined Twitter. For those of you unfamiliar with this, it is a micro blogging site limited to 140 characters. I decided I needed to dive into social networking so I don’t get left behind.

In addition to meeting lots of interesting people from around the world and learning all sorts of interesting things I might not have been exposed to, there is also a lot of what I consider to be Noise. Many of the Tweople (People who Tweet) are obviously Affiliate Marketers. These individuals are paid to drive web traffic and or transactions to other web sites. Wikipedia describes this trend in great detail.

Many of these individuals will make an intriguing post that when you follow the link to read more and investigate, you are lead to a website to purchase a juice product, to get your colon cleansed or to join the latest MLM program. These are all valid products BUT the way you get there is often misleading. “The latest consciousness raising break through,” can lead you to a cleanse, for example.

What I observe in myself is that when someone refers me to a product, a service, or an information source because they have found it beneficial and they are being generous I learn to trust them and they gain credibility. When it is a blatant attempt to get me to visit a site or to buy a product, I learn not to trust them and by extension the products or services that they are selling.

So if this is the case for many, as I suspect; what are the implications for this growing phenomenon? How can business engage their customer in meaningful trust building vs. trust diminishing ways?

How to Recapture Some Time

2009-12-20T16:22:00Z

I have recently begun working with an organization where much of the communication is conducted via email. People are expected to be on, and connected. As I look around this is increasingly a challenge. Many of us have multiple accounts where we interact with the world electronically; Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Linked In, company email, private email, and that is just scratching the surface of how many get and share information.

I have a colleague that likes to have his smart phone ring when he gets an email, while he is with his colleagues because, “It shows them how busy I am.” His phone alerts him to an email every few moments. When I travel with him, it is very distracting.

I think all of this communication is distracting for many of us. If we are always responding to emails or Twittering our Tweets, when are we creating value? Many of my friends complain of always having to react to emails. Life is more productive when we are proactive vs. reactive.

Some steps we can take to regain control of our time from the electronic machine are to (and these are not secrets)
1.   Schedule time – Schedule email breaks, Social Media time and value time.
2.   Stick to your schedule.
3.   Turn of the email notifiers so you aren’t distracted when a new one comes in.

These small simple steps can make a big difference in your ability to focus and deliver value.

PS
For you multi-taskers out there, it really doesn’t work. Studies have recently shown that multi-tasking actually has long-term negative effects on our cognitive abilities.

Computing in the Palm of your hand...literally

2009-12-12T15:04:00Z

Over the last few days I have had several conversations with people, remembering when we had to look for a pay phone to make a call. And how if we needed a computer we had to go into a special room to share one. Today many of us have two cell phone, a desktop and a laptop and perhaps a notebook. This video from TED talks that was shared with me by Dr. Mercola shows that TODAY...RIGHT NOW! we can compute, take pictures and make a phone call with the palm of our hands. You have to see this video

Computing from the palm of your hand video

Take good care

Everyone Wins

2009-12-06T16:36:00Z

Everybody Wins,
The following is a true story. And it demonstrates how everyone can win when you do the right thing; even competitors in the same game. I am inspired by two out this film. One the story and two that the story is getting play on the web. It demonstrates that their is a shift in the way we are thinking. Have a great day

see the film

Is Your Employees Attitude a Competitive Advantage?

2009-12-04T13:25:00Z

I recently shared my experience on American Airlines and how the attitude of their employees, made a large difference in the quality of that trip and my attitude. (I know I am working on maintaining control over my attitude).

I have also observed how a surly attitude can forever change the perception of a Brand. My Dad is one of those guys that give a restaurant one chance (maybe two if Mom really likes it). If the service or food is bad, he will never come back. Here is the shocker his standards are not that high. McDonalds for Sunday Brunch works for him.

Mom and Dad went to a restaurant the other night in the Twin Cities. They had to flag the waiter down for the check. He replied, “Oh yeah you are the ones with the tiny check”. Think they get another chance?

Let’s quantify the cost of that attitude. My folks eat out at least four meals per week, some at the same restaurant. They do like their routines. So let’s be conservative and say this restaurant lost twenty-five visits. Average price for the two of them, (no alcohol and sometimes split portions) $20.00. That is $500 per year. Again being conservative let us, assume the waiter had eight tables that turned four times that night. Again $20 per table that adds up to (8 * 4 * $20) $640. Multiply that by twenty-five visits per year and we get a $16,000 potential impact that this employee’s attitude can have.

Marcus Buckingham and the Gallup Group brought us the term employee engagement several years ago. Their studies show that engaged employees improve sales, earnings and market-share. An article in Business Week from the August 24 and 31, 2009 issue called “Optimism a Competitive Advantage”, reported that the retailer Best Buy has found that a two percent increase in employee engagement translates into $100,000 increase in sales at one of their locations. Multiply that by the number of locations and we are now talking millions of dollars!

So how do we as leaders influence our employee’s attitude for the better?

1.   Manage our attitudes studies have shown they are contagious.
2.   Show that you care about your employees, (know their names, their families, what they are excited about etc.)
3.   Demonstrate gratitude
a.   Donuts and bagels
b.   Starbucks gift cards ( I regularly send these to people in other branches as a thank you)
c.   Thank you notes
4.   Create an environment where friendship between employees is encouraged and fostered

These four little inexpensive steps can make a very large difference. If you have engaged me as an employee, I am no longer working for a faceless company but I am working and making a difference for friends and colleagues.

What things do you do to engage your team?

How versus Technology and Price: And the winner is...

2009-11-29T21:03:00Z

I was reading from the Blog,"Trust Matters" The other day. A line caught my attention. It was one I had heard before and one that holds value still. “Take care of your customers and competition will take care of itself.”

I work in an industry with 6,000 competitors. We compete on a national, regional and at the local levels. (I should add I have worked with some of the very best in the industry, game changers). Over the years, I have watched companies react in different ways to the competition some with more success than others. Success in this case is defined by profit margin and satisfied customers.

The prices in my industry today are 40% of what they were when I started. Rates have declined dramatically in the face of rising labor and postage costs and declining technology and telephone costs. Why, because companies reacted to competitive pressure by being lazy and dropping their price. Their competitors did the same. Over the last 5-years, it has looked like a race to the bottom.

For a long time I was under the impression that if we could gain a technological advantage we could capture and hold market share. What I have learned is that technology and process will give you an advantage short term. If it is a valuable game changer, your competitors will have it or something very similar within 18-months.

So if price is not the answer, (Shrinking margins will not lead to long-term gain) and if technology isn’t the answer, how do we gain and sustain a competitive edge? I believe it is in the how of what we do. Customers remember how we work with them in addition to what we did for them or what they bought from us.

1.   Remember to smile at your customers, you will find that it is catching.
2.   Make it easy to do business with you. Don’t make the customer work to do business with you.
3.   Be open and transparent. A business relationship is like any other; we value those that are open and honest.
4.   I am still a firm believer in the adage if you give more, you will receive more.

Take Good Care,

Selling Principles

2009-11-25T21:13:00Z

Every Once and awhile I encounter someone who has a voice that resonates with me. One of those is Charles Green who has a blog The Trusted Advisor. He recently posted this on Selling from Principle on his blog and I highly encourage you to read it. It is a refreshing take on sales that professional sales people and business people should listen closely to. He reminds us of the need for a focus on the customer for the customers sake not ours. He reminds us that collaboration, a longer term perspective and transparency all build to the trust the in turn leads to business, and repeat business.

Thanks Charles,

An Approach to Success

2009-11-20T16:07:00Z

I am convinced that most of us understand our business and our value proposition well enough that if given the chance we can attract customers when given an opportunity to present. The challenge is that buyers are getting hundreds of calls a week and hundreds of messages a week trying to sell them something. Additionally, they are busy trying to manage their business. So how do we engage them in a conversation that may uncover an opportunity? It is all in the approach.

There are essentially two ways to approach a buyer. We can be passive and use advertising, a website, or maybe buy some keywords in hopes that they will come. On the other hand, we can take a more active role in networking, building relationships and, yes, perhaps even cold calling.

I read a study earlier this year by McCord Training; it said that 39% of those surveyed reported making a purchase from someone they had never done business with before, as a result, of a meeting, where they met at a conference or event. The result for a cold call was less than 4%. This would seem to indicate that Networking has a higher probability for success.

Many hate networking events. Some liken them to “Drive-bys”. You know the event people are running around the room handing you their card or brochure and telling you what they do for business and how they, can help you. Or, there are those “leads” clubs where everyone gets to stand up and tell you what they do and how they can help. They get their 120 seconds of fame. What do you think others are thinking when you are giving the 2-minute elevator pitch? They are thinking about what they are going to say.

You can be different and it involves being Generous and the Law of Reciprocity. The next time you go to a Chamber event, or other networking event, Don’t Sell. That does not mean you are there just to socialize, we are here to develop business after all. However, make it your goal to develop relationships that may turn into opportunities or perhaps may lead to new relationships.

I recently went to a luncheon, where I sat with someone I did not know. Turns out, she was a manager with an organization I had been trying to crack. We spent some time getting to know each other and when her colleague sat down (The buyer I had been trying to reach), she introduced me, and explained what my company did and actually asked if they should consider looking into our services! That is a pretty valuable introduction.

Here is how you can do it:

1.   Ask questions. Dale Carnegie said it years ago, “The sweetest sound is our own name.” People that are considered great at conversation are great questioners. Some questions to get started:
a.   What brings you here?
b.   How long have you been in the business?
c.   How did you start that?
d.   What do you like about that?
e.   What problems does that present?
f.   What does a good customer look like to you?
g.   How can I help you?

If we ask, enough questions about them and their business, if we are generous with our attention and good will, the Law of Reciprocity kicks in and they will ask you “What do you do?” Now you are not selling - you are answering a question!

2.   Connect others – Often I meet people at networking events that cannot use my services. But, they mention a need, which I know a colleague can fill. Make that introduction and connection. Be generous with your resources. The result is, again, that Law of Reciprocity. People like to help people that have helped them. I have found that, when I connect people, they in turn will connect me.
If you can implement these two strategies, you will find that your opportunities to present your solutions will go up.

-   Networking to build relationships
-   Becoming a connector

What is your best networking question?