Where there’s a will…

It was mid-December (2007) when I contacted Budget Rent-a-Car saying that I needed a car on Maui on Christmas Day. “No way,” or something like that was the response. I had to understand, since Christmas Day begins the busiest week of the year here in Hawaii.
One week later I was on a plane to Maui and got into a discussion with the guy next to me. He turned out to be a VP of National Car Rental. I explained my Christmas Day dilemma and he said, “If I can get you a car, can we have your business?” I said, “You can for that trip, for sure. Where we go from there we will have to see; I have been loyal to Budget for more than 25 years.”
He gave me his card saying, “E-mail me your flight information and I will see what I can do.” I did, and when I arrived on Maui on Christmas Day, there was a driver waiting for me with a brand new car.
Well that was four years ago, and I have not been back to Budget since.
It pays to be willing to go the extra mile to get (and or keep) business.

People Love It
Of course there are exceptions, and some e-mail is better received than others, but generally speaking, “You have mail” are welcome words when opening your e-mail program.

Yesterday’s Inbox
The same was true in times past when all mail came to your physical mail box. The more there was, the better you liked it.

“Thank You.”
When was the last time that you went shopping, came home and opened up your e-mail to find a simple “Thank you” e-mail from one of the stores where you shopped? Such e-mail would likely be well received, especially if it came from someone you did NOT buy from, and does NOT have a “sales pitch” as a part of it. A link to your web site is enough. Everyone likes being appreciated.

CRM’s
I talk with many companies that have Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) in place to gather e-mail addresses and other customer information, but in too many cases it stops there. Or, they go into a data base somewhere with good intent to send e-mail about upcoming sales, promotions or new merchandise. In some cases even that doesn’t happen.

Pick One!
A good way to get e-mail addresses is to have a weekly or monthly drawing of some sort with winners posted on your web site. Be sure that you do not ask for too much information on the drawing ticket; name and e-mail address is all you need. I dropped my business card in a fishbowl at a cafe recently and got a return e-mail telling me who the winner was (not me), but offering me a consolation prize of a free bowl of soup with my next purchase.

Get it Together!
The names in your data base are pure gold. Get creative; e-mail is free, and properly used can be the most effective and inexpensive marketing tool of all.

Ask For the Money
Everyone has heard the old adage that when you “assume” you make an ass out of you and me. In most cases that’s true, but there are times in selling when you must assume the sale and ask for the money.
Once you have overcome any objections and are certain your customer wants what you are selling, do not “ASSUME” that he or she will whip out the credit card and say, “I’ll take it.” Simply ask, “Will that be cash or check?” Your customers will not be shocked to hear that they need to pay for it.

Make Yours Sincere and  Effrective

When you smile at someone, be sure that it is it seen as sincere?
The best way to do that is to really mean it!

“To be persuasive you must be believable; to be believable you must be credible; to be credible you must be truthful.”
-Edward R. Murrow

Your smile is a huge part of the first impression that you make when you meet someone. First impressions are lasting impressions, and you only get one chance to make it.
Make the right one the first time.
Smile with your heart, not just your lips.

Get the Money Now
When the iPhone4 was about to be released I ordered mine on line and got it in the mail the day before the long lines formed at the stores. I wanted to do the same with the iPad2, but learned that I could not order it on line until they were on sale at the stores, and that the delivery time would be 4 to 6 weeks.
I didn’t want to wait that long and wasn’t about to stand in line for 9 hours, so I chose to hold off buying it. That was on Friday; 3/11. On Saturday I stopped in at the Waikiki store and was told that they sold out. I asked when they would get more and she said, “We never know.”

Cool Covers
I had a meeting at Ala Moana the following morning (Sunday) and was attracted to the store by their cool cover display. It was 8 AM and the store was full, but when I tried to enter I was told that they open at 9 AM and the people in there were taking a class. I asked if they have any iPad2’s left, and she said, “Yes, come back after 9.” I did, only to discover that all they had left was the 32G Verizon model. I wanted the 64G AT&T model. I passed, and he said, “Try us tomorrow, we get shipments every day.” I left thinking that if he had said, “We can take your order now and call you as soon as it arrives,” I would have handed him my credit card.

AT&T
On Monday I dropped in at the AT&T Store where my account is and was told that they don’t have any yet, but that they can order it for me and I’ll get it in the mail in 5 to 7 days. I said, “Okay, but I would like to se the covers to select the one I want.” He said that he needed to go in the back to see if they have any ready to show. When he returned I told him that I have to be at Ala Moana in the morning anyway, and I will wait to see if they have any in stock. He said, “That’s a good idea.” I arrived at the Apple Store at 8 AM on Tuesday and a long line had already formed outside the store. That gave me time to think about it and in doing so I came to the conclusion that I don’t even want it. With my MacBookAir and iPhone4 I have enough, and the iPad2 wasn’t going to allow me to do anything they don’t; in fact less, and I would have one more thing to haul around with me. In spite of my decision, part of me still wishes someone had taken my money on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday when I wanted to buy.

Empty It!
I conducted a role playing session recently with a major customer. We focused on “clienteling” and the importance of calling back past customers to be sure that all is well. One of the salespeople said, “What if I call them and it opens up a can of worms? Obviously she was referring to customers with a problem or concerns.

Better Than Before
A broken bone properly repaired becomes stronger than it was before the break.

Fixed!
The same is true with a customer that has a problem you take care of. An executive at this meeting commented that it’s the quiet customers he fears losing. They just get mad and go away without giving you the opportunity to fix the problem. When customers share their problem they give you the opportunity to cement your relationship even stronger than it was before the problem. Not only were you interested in making the sale, but to assure their satisfaction after the sale. And those without a problem are equally glad that you cared enough to follow up. That’s when the door opens up to make additional sales and get referrals.

By Curtis Wilson Cost

This is a re-print of a memo that Curtis Cost sent to his staff:

Many years ago, I had a tennis-lesson-from-hell at the Maui Country Club. Steve, the club pro, came up to the edge of the net and asked me to hit the one stroke I was absolutely certain I could return successfully within his reach every single time. He would hit it back to me and we would count how many hits we could accumulate before missing a ball. He fed me a ball and we started rallying and reached 10 or 15 before I missed one. Steve re-approached the net and said again, “Hit the one ball you know you can hit each and every time.”
The next rally got to 30 or so before I missed another. Steve once again approached the net but this time he raised his voice. “Hit the one ball YOU KNOW you can get back safely!” His tone was a little unnerving and I started to wonder what gave him the right to speak to me like that. After all, I was his client, not his subordinate. Our next rally got to about 35 hits before I hit another a little out of his reach. All of a sudden, Steve threw down his racket and marched up to the net and yelled at me. “CURTIS, HIT THE ONE YOU KNOW YOU CAN HIT BACK SAFELY EVERY SINGLE TIME!”

I stood there completely aghast as he walked back to pick up his racket. He turned and calmly fed me another ball. I was beside myself. I could not believe the nerve of this guy. I decided that I would report his abuse to the club’s board of directors. When the ball reached me I hit it so focused on not missing another one that I hit a safe little dink, just to make sure it went back to him. I did this again and again, focusing and concentrating on my footwork, bending my knees, stepping through the ball making absolutely sure I got it back to him. We reached well over a hundred hits. At that point Steve grabbed the ball out of the air. “Exactly! That is exactly what I’m after. That focused little dink you’re hitting is the one I’m looking for. You need to be aware that you possess it. That’s the shot you need to rely on. It’s the absolute minimum and essential shot that will get you out of trouble.”

I walked away intent upon reporting him to the club officials. He had clearly crossed the line. On the other hand I DID learn what he meant for me to learn. There is a place to go to, mentally, which has a different focus. I didn’t know that I possessed a shot which I can hit every time if I focused and concentrated on removing all the unnecessary variables. I would not have found it if Steve hadn’t taken it to such extremes. In my quiver of tennis strokes, this is the one on which my game is now based.

My motive in telling this story has to do with The Boss goals in the Morning Report. When you set your Boss goals, you need to use the same strategy.

The Boss is an instrument to HELP you, not demoralize you. If it is demoralizing you, the goals are not set right. Set your goal at something you KNOW you can daily attain. It’s okay for it to be low, but it MUST BE REACHED EVERY SINGLE MONTH. Remember, it’s an average. You might make up a few bad days with one good day. But it is vital that you commit to a number and maintain it.

It’s also equally important to use the diagnostics Ron Martin provides to improve your performance to higher levels, such as the Sales City Express.

Everything yields to focused concentration and attainable goals. It’s a proven system you can rely on. The charts are illuminating if you use them, but they must be used to do any good.

Ask others for tips and advice. Make Pro-active, No-Pressure Selling the focus of your time at work. Read a chapter in the book before starting each shift. Rehearse the steps with every customer.
Set reasonable and reachable goals and commit to them.
-Curtis

“Who Do You Know…?”
One of my “sermons” is “Asking for Referrals.” I was just confronted with the fact that I don’t always practice what I preach. When Shirley Pai Hilton, the owner of Pacific Imports International called on me recently to help her increase sales in her company, I asked her how she heard of me. She said that she originally found me on the Internet and that she gets my Daily Motivator. She then said that she noticed (on my website) that one of my clients is a good friend of hers, but that he did not mention me to her. When we met, we discovered that two other people she knows are on my client list. They had not referred me either.
There’s no better form of advertising than a good word from one of your existing customers, but you may have to ask for it. People know others that have needs similar to theirs, but like you, they are busy and may not think about you. So, think about yourself and ask, “Who do you know…?” It’s a “Win-Win” question.

Who Gets the Money?
A recent debate on this subject has caused me to dredge up this blog posting from the archives.  

Question: Should salespeople be on individual commission or work as one team?
Answer: My answer to this one varies depending upon the nature of the store or business. Generally speaking when only one person is involved in the sale, an individual commission makes sense. When other team members are required to complete the sale then a team based compensation makes more sense.

“Can’t We Just Get Along?”
Question: How do you best solve disagreements between salespeople as to whose sale it was?
Answer: When two (or more) salespeople are arguing over a sale and I am asked who is right, I say, “You are both wrong. The commission on any one sale is never more important than your relationship with each other. I wasn’t there, get together and work it out, and then tell me what you have decided is fair.”

Then What?
Question: So what’s the solution when they cannot come to a decision?
Answer: It’s Easy; Make it a “House Sale.”

Teams Work
Question: Why does teamwork work?
Answer: It’s Easy; Unless you are a “One Man Band” you can get much better results by working together towards a common goal. Regardless how your compensation program is structured, emphasizing and rewarding teamwork as a part of it will go a long way. We can help you with that on the Morning Report. If you do not get this tool in your store, give me a call. It’s a “team builder” like no other.

One Chance
A first impression IS indeed a lasting impression, and you only get one chance to make one. I was reminded of this archived posting yesterday and decided to refresh it. I had two interviews that made very poor first impressions and they stopped right there. The first one was 15 minutes late, full of piercings including two fresh cheek dimple piercings that were still bandaged. The other looked like she just got out of bed and pulled on her hooded sweatshirt and and baggy pants to go apply for the job. When people show up for a job interview like this, one must assume that it could even get less after getting the job. We get lucky when we can screen them at this point before exposing them to the customer. Those that get throught the interview will continue to make and be exposed to more “First Impressions.” Read On!
New salespeople show up on day one ready to succeed. Sometimes they even sell more than existing “old timers” are currently. What’s with that? How can a brand new person with very little product knowledge outsell a seasoned veteran that knows it all? It’s because the new person still thinks everyone is going to buy, that you have a great company, and that your way is the right way.

The Right Attitude!
That shiney new salesperson may not have the knowledge yet, but still has the enthusiasm it takes to make the right first impression on customers. That means more than knowledge alone. Answers to questions can be found, and sometimes just the honest admission that one doesn’t “know it all” can go a long way to making the sale.

“Water Cooler Training”
It’s important to shield your new salespeople from influences that can be harmful to their success. Too many times we see people get hired and then turned over to the existing staff to “train” them. A past partner of mine had a rule; “Live with them the first week.  Keep them by your side, have lunch with them, and even stand outside the restroom when they go in there.”

“Here’s how it really works.”
At the interview and in your initial meetings with new salespeople they hear how it is supposed to work. Then, when they get to work with your existing staff they find out how it really works. Unfortunately old timers pick up some bad habits along the way. They learn shortcuts that sometimes lead to short paychecks. They start accumulating excuses for missed sales. They gossip about company policies and decisions. Your shiney new salespeople can be influenced by these impressions, and before you know it the shine is gone.

You Cannot Train People!
Animals can be “trained” to do something, and once “trained” will always do it. One would assume that if you can train a dog to sit up, that you can train a human being to sell. I have a problem with the word “training.” Managers sometimes think that once a person has been “trained” that he or she will always behave in the way taught, and the learning stops. The reality is that “sales coaching” is an ongoing process whereas “training” is thought of as a one time event.

Hands on Coaching Works
“Coaching” is understood in athletics, it never stops. Top athletes continue to be coached on how to get better at their craft. I prefer the term “coaching” when teaching selling skills, and as with athletics, it must be an ongoing process. That’s just the way it is!