The Selling Sherpa

Sales Tip of the Day: TELEPHONE LINE

Whenever I call a business and get the “to serve you better, please select from our menu of options” routine, I wonder if it is really to serve me better or if it is just so they can keep payroll costs down.

What about your customers?  When they call you, are they herded into the telephone line to wait through a seemingly endless list of options?  Or do you put them in the “next available representative” holding pattern?

Surveys have shown that approximately 94% of people say they are “very frustrated” when the call is not answered by someone who can answer their questions.

Have a live person answer all customer calls during regular business hours, and you’ll outshine most of your competitors.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS

Actually, I am fine with Mondays.  I enjoy the energy that a new week brings.  The potential for new business and the promise of being able to serve others gets me going.

I have gone into stores, restaurants and other locations on a Monday morning where it was obvious that the people working there were not thrilled about the situation.  Their attitude put a damper on the entire morning, not to mention the willingness of customers to buy.

But once in awhile, I get to experience something joyful.

Not long ago, I walked into one of the finer coffee shops in the Pacific Northwest: Olympic Crest Coffee Roasters.  The young ladies behind the counter were absolutely animated!  They were joking with customers and with each other, and their enjoyment made the environment warm and welcoming.  Looking around the place, everyone was smiling and joining in the camaraderie.  They suggested a new drink which I tried, and another customer overheard the suggestion and ordered another drink.  Up-sells and add-sells were happening left and right, and it was all because those girls were just plain having FUN! 

It’s your choice.  You can cry, “I don’t like Mondays” or you can delight in the opportunity to serve others.

Guess which one is more fun?  And more profitable?

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: GIVE A LITTLE BIT

If you have a Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop in the area, you probably heard about their “eCONEomic Relief” promotion earlier this week.

On the designated day, everyone who brought in a non-perishable food item as a donation was permitted to buy a cone or cup for just a dollar, and each person who did also received a coupon for a dollar off a future purchase.

All of the food collected was then donated by Ben & Jerry’s to a food bank operating in the same market as each of the individual scoop shops.

They increased customer traffic on an otherwise slower day, invested in return visits by handing out the coupons, and they made a sizeable impact in the community.

What about your business?  Could you do something similar?  Can you give a little bit to make a difference for those less fortunate?

If you can, you’ll earn some tremendous goodwill, perhaps a little positive media coverage, and more loyalty from your customers.

Give it a shot and let me know how it works out for you.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: PHOTOGRAPH

Just the other day I was in a client’s building waiting for a meeting.  I was very early for my appointment so I had a little time to explore the lobby area.

The usual amenities were there: nice chairs, a video monitor, a desk with a computer, and a narrow table where coffee was available.

Above the table was a large black and white photograph of a family taken in front of their home.  The father had a rake in his hand, the mother was sitting on the porch steps and the children were being children, probably having fun teasing the photographer when the image was captured.

Around the corner was a similar “environmental portrait” of a different family.  Down the hall was another, and then another.

Each had a nameplate below with something like “The Smith Family” engraved on it.  None of the names matched those of the C-level executives in charge, or the people who started the firm years ago, so I asked the receptionist who these families are.

She tells me they are photos of their customers!

As it turns out, portraits are hung on every wall of every floor in the building, so the employees are constantly reminded who they really work for.

Maybe you could do something similar.  Work a deal with a photographer to have customer portraits created for your office.  Have them nicely matted, framed with engraved nameplates, and hung with care.

And remember to give one to the family that posed so they can proudly display it in their home.

Who knows?  They might even talk about you to visiting family and friends

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: ONE STEP AHEAD

When I was managing the top revenue-generating radio station in the market, we worked hard to stay one step ahead of our competitors.

They copied our promotions, replicated some of our programming, and continuously attempted to poach our clients.  They tried everything they could think of, honorable or not, to steal our thunder, our listeners, and our advertisers and sponsors

One day, a junior salesperson came into the office absolutely livid because another radio station finally realized that our annual Super Bowl Party was a great way to generate non-traditional revenue.  Now they were going to do the same thing we’d been doing for three years.  I reminded him that we did it first and we’d do it best because we already new how.

While they did fine with their promotion, ours still rocked.  Maybe it was because we gave away a trip to Hawaii and tickets to the ProBowl, while the competing station gave away t-shirts.

You should keep track of the competition.  Be aware of everything they do.  But continue to innovate new and exciting ways to engage and serve your customers.

And remember this: when other companies copy what you do, it becomes easy for everyone to see who the market leader really is.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

Every business owner knows the best advertising in the world is the evangelism of their top customers.  

Nothing is more effective than loyal, sometimes fanatical, customers telling friends, family, and colleagues about their experience and encouraging others to become customers.

The same thing applies for sales professionals.  

When prospects come to you saying, “I heard it through the grapevine that you are the person to call about (fill in the blank),” the sale has already been made and the only thing you have to do is help the customer makes decisions about quantity, size, and color.

Your challenge is to find new and exciting ways to “wow” your customers every day.  

Become the salesperson that every customer talks about to their friends, family, and colleagues, and you will be #1 in your market.

Sales Tip of the Day: THE STORY IN YOUR EYES

You must absolutely believe in the product or service you sell.  So much so that you not only buy it and use it yourself, but you actually get excited each and every time you talk about it.

If you appear bored or uninterested about what you are selling, prospects may think you are just hawking a product to get a paycheck.  But if they see genuine enthusiasm, they become enthusiastic as well and will be much more interested in what you are offering.

Believe it or not, customers can read the story in your eyes.  

Make sure the story they tell is one of genuine excitement, adventure, or prosperity.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: ROLL WITH IT

One of the best times to make a sale is immediately after you’ve just made one.

At that moment, you are upbeat, positive, with maybe even a little adrenalin rush going on.  Your charisma and charm will be at an all time high, and your confidence is compelling.

So immediately following a successful sale, don’t go running back to the office.  Stay out there and sell.  Keep getting in front of people who can say ‘yes’ to you and ride that wave for as long as you can.

You can handle the non-selling activities later.

But when you find yourself on a selling streak, roll with it!

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: WHO DO YOU LOVE?

Most of the time, we take whatever business comes out way and in that crapshoot of customers, we end up with scenarios of all kinds:  win-win, win-lose, lose-win, and even some lose-lose.

That is because we are rarely discriminate in our sales and marketing efforts.  Instead, we cast out the largest net we can and bring in as many prospects as we are able, whether or not they are right for our company.

If you could choose your customers, who would you choose?  Which prospects would make the perfect clients?  Who do you love?

Decide who you want to be in business with and develop a deliberate, focused strategy to make that happen.  Concentrate your efforts on bringing in the best customers and two things will happen: most of your customer service issues will disappear and your profits will soar.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

Sales Tip of the Day: YOUNG BOY

You may have heard this story before.  I know I have, but I heard it again earlier this week when Marshall Macy, a Dale Carnegie representative, shared it at a lunchtime presentation on networking.

As best I recall, the tale goes like this:

A young boy walks into a store, goes to the payphone and makes a call.  The store owner overhears him asking the woman who answered the phone if he can mow her lawn.  But it sounds like she is very happy with whoever is already doing the job.

The boy asks, “are you satisfied with how he cuts your lawn?”  He listens to her response.

“Does he do the edging and trimming just the way you like it?”  Again, a pause for the answer.

“Does he put everything away properly?”  Another pause.

‘So, there’s no way you will let me do the job instead?”  A final response.

“Okay,” he says.  “Well, thank you anyway.”

As the boy hangs up the phone, the impressed shop-keeper tells the boy to keep at it because he is bound to get that job eventually.

“Oh no sir, you don’t understand,” says the lad.  “I already have that job.  I’m just checking to see how I am doing!”

That’s a smart young boy.

How long has it been since you checked in to see how you are doing?  Are competitors checking in with your customers to see how you are doing?

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications