From RealSource... Glenn's Blog

When buying something, did you ever work with someone in sales that made you miserable? 

Or you saw how hard they made something that could have been much easier?

Now, step back.  Do your clients ever think the same about you?  Discuss it openly with yourself and BE HONEST, particularly about faults (after all, this will be a private discussion with just yourself, so you can't be wrong or look foolish to others).

I see so many people follow a system to the letter or simply do things because "that's how we've always done thing."  What?   Did you ride a mule to work this week (because that was how many people got to work for centuries)?   Things should change, including our approach.

More commonly, I see people that are BORING TO OTHERS in their approach.  They are not boring to themselves, but others are looking for an escape!

If you are talking to someone that does not have your common passion for your service or product, including houses, are you and your material REALLY INTERESTING AND REALLY VALUABLE?   Do you make the common uncommon?   Few honestly do.

Granted, most folks working to sell something are nice folks.  They have nice business cards, nice brochures, a nice website and nice fliers, nice signs, nice kids and even a nice dog or cat.  Guess what?  So do most of the other people your potential clients will talk to this week.  Nice is, well, nice.  But think of how many "nice" salespeople you've spoken to in the last year and already forgotten.

Now, this is not any suggestion to be rude or obnoxious.  Quite the opposite.  Be nice AND INTERESTING.  So interesting that strangers will call you because someone you met shared your contact information.

For Example:

I like to go to a hamburger restrauant near my office for lunch.  You order at the counter and the staff that work at the register are fantastic.

• They look and sound happy
• They have a REAL smile
• They look directly at you (not all at the register or around the room)
• They speak clearly and loud enough to hear
• They respond thoughtfully when you speak to them
• They know their products
• They are very patient with EACH customer
• They are thorough and still efficient
• They politely admit their mistakes
• They offer THOUGHTFUL suggestions
• They will laugh with you
• and they remember you! 

These people are nice, interesting and genuinely interested in the customer beyond the decision to add fries.  An interesting thing to me is that this has become UNCOMMON at hamburger restaurants.  But because it is uncommon, it is memorable, pleasant and builds my loyalty. 

I not only like the food, I like going there and I like bringing friends, clients and colleagues.   And it helps me remember the basics I see so many seasoned pros forget... smile, be friendly, be interested, be interactive, be thoughtful of all.  I went for the food but I enjoy coming back because of the "sales people."

Simple? Yes.  Important? VERY.

The Take Away from This:  Practice observing and learning everyday.  Realize, by being the customer, what is effective and what is a turn-off.  Then remember this when you work with your potential clients.

Do your advertisements and other marketing material work.. and by that I mean, does it produce real results?   Two simple tests for this:

1) Do you get measurable, actionable responses?

or

2) Are they memorable to people you don't know?

First off, forget what your friends and families say about your material.  They want to be encouraging AND they stopped to look at it because YOU ASKED... not because the material would have caught their eye in a newspaper, magazine, TV or billboard.

Actionable responses would be phone calls, emails, visits from a qualified potential consumer (or potential employee if you are advertising a job opportunity). 

• How many responses from qualified people do you get and for what cost?   Do the math... what is the cost per qualified lead?  
• What percent of the qualified leads produce revenue? 
• What was your goal number of qualified responses for each ad?
• Most Importantly... Do you know the answers above for every marketing piece you buy?

If you cannot answer these questions AND be very comfortable with the answers, you may want to reconsider your approach ASAP!

Regarding memorable ads.  We all remember our own ads.  The question as to whether it is really memorable is this... can you find someone you don't know well and ask them to tell you about any of your ads from more than 2 months ago?  

If not, it is not memorable.  Sorry.  And it is likely not even very noticeable either.

Now take the ad to the right from New York. Self-storage is inherently BORING, but the ad is memorable and is actionable! 

I submit that most people ignore most advertisements.  You see thousands every day and ignore most or all of them.  Guess what?  Same thing happens to your ads most of the time.

If you want to advertise, great.  Some people find success.  Just be sure you have a plan and way to measure.  Do NOT just "do what everyone else does" and expect to have better results than "everyone else."  Be better, whether it is with smarter marketing plans or a strong, active focus on relationships.

By reading this, you demonstrate an instinctive behavior you can understand to help your clients!

Permit me to explain...

When "selling" (even if you like to call it something else because you think "selling" is a bad word), most folks apply some type of pressure and push, even if that push may be nice, gentle and polite.  After all, we are trying to get someone else to do something, right?

At the very same time, when we feel we are being sold (even if interested in the product or service), we instinctively put up a defense that may even involve some push back or obstacles, however minor.  It's human nature.

So, how can you overcome this instinctive push back from a potential client? 

Well, first off, learn to recognize it. Second, stop pushing.  And lastly, give them room to be comfortable by pulling away appropriately.

For example, we often include in our discussions of services explicit opportunities where we grant permission for people to tell us "no."   If the potential client is interested, they will keep the discussion going and are more comfortable because they know they can stop the discussion without offending anyone.  If they are not interested, then we get to a "no" quick and we don't waste their time or ours.  If you would like more specific examples, let me know. 

This is not a trick, just better communication skills that benefit all involved.  It is about space, trust and clear communications.  It is typically very effective once you get the hang of it!

And this post?  My headline was encouraging you to pull away or avoid.. and yet you followed.  Human nature is a funny thing.

What is your Brand?

A dictionary will tell you that a brand is a collection of symbols, experiences and associations connected with a product, a service, a person or any other artifact or entity.

We all know the brand symbols such as the golden arches, the swoosh, and the red ribbon of the Coke label.  But these are not "the brand" as much as the visual representation of the brand. 

Together, this visual that associates with the product or service is what communicates the reputation of the brand.  You see a McDonald's golden arch and whether you like them or not, you know what kind of french fries you can get there without going inside and without even really thinking about it.

The brands I mentioned are leaders.  They are known.  They are reminders, not sales pitches.  They are concepts.  And they are shown to reinforce, not create, a communication with the customer and potential customer.

But a brand, even a world famous brand, does not necessarily mean automatic revenue generation nor automatic reputation protection.

One of the common mistakes I see people and businesses make is the assumption that they are branding themselves well and that the way THEY see the brand is how OTHERS (clients) see the brand. 

Usually, it is not the same and this assumption is where we fail to connect with the potential client.

We all see companies and individual that believe because the have a logo or tag line or website or brochure or mail outs or fancy office, then they have a known, respected brand that will be remembered.  NO, NO, NO! 

Just because YOU connect to the logo, tag line or brand does not mean anyone else will!

Most times a brand will not be remembered unless it is the business of family or friends or someone we already have a relationship with independent of the logo or tag line. The world if too crowded with advertising that yells at us all day, every day for us to process (much less remember) all these messages. 

For instance... I'm glad your logo is the best logo ever.  I likely won't remember it because it is one of literally thousands I saw today and there is no way I can process that.   Can you?   Do you remember all the logos you saw in the last 24 hours?   I didn't think so.

How many relative strangers does your marketing materialconvince to say, "What a great logo and tag line... I need to run over there and trust them with my money right now!!"

I submit that pushing your brand is just like pushing anything else that people are not looking for at the time... it just gets ignored.  It is nothing against you and your business, it is just part of the crowd of messages that we cannot possibly process each day.

Your brand and your reputation are built every day through your product and/or service.  Period.

Most of us do not have the millions nor decades of time to build and promote a brand like Nike or Coca-Cola or McDonald's.  But that is fine.  We are not selling to the masses either.

I suggest a smart goal is to get over being enamored with our logos and websites and tag lines... and BE the company we would love to do business with and be the company that inspire clients to tell others about us.  And that means work, often a lot of work!  But that is okay.  That will give you an advantage over the bulk of your competitors, competitors that likely still think a cute tag line or cool logo will inspire customers to come and bring their trust and money with them.

Excellence clearly above your competition that will inspire strangers to talk about your business is the best reputation and that in conjunction with your visual images, over time, is a brand.   A very good brand.  

How did you work to build your brand today?

I practice sales communication and customer service skills when I go to Waffle House... or Subway... or most any place to eat.

What?  I practice sales and service when I'm the customer? 

You bet!

Allow me to explain.  Perspective is so important in all we do.  We like being around those with a great, wide perspective.  And our own perspective can even be considered a skill that can be improved, broadened and sharpened.  Rapport is critical too in building honest, mutual trust.

You see, when you can see yourself through the eyes of others, you can use that to do your job better (and life too).  This is a bit vague, so let me give an example...

When I go to Waffle House I make a point to have an enjoyable visit, involve my waitress in the order without being a hassle. I give a genuine smile and speak pleasantly. 

When they take my order, I order eggs.  They always ask, "How would you like your eggs cooked?"

Without being a pain, I sincerely say something like, "However you think they will be best.  Really.  Whatever you think will be good will be fine."  

If they resist, then I tell them, "How about then, however the cook likes them." 

Some waitresses look puzzled. Some smile. Some even shake their head as they walk off.

But every time... Something Magical Happens.  

First, I get great eggs.  Every time!  Second, the waitress will come back at least 75% of the time and not say "How is everything?" to everyone at the table.  She'll come and look at me and say, "How are those eggs?" with a big smile.  Or, she'll say, "The cook wants to know how you like your eggs."  Again, with a big smile.

And I smile and tell her they are great (because they always are).  Now, perhaps you are more particular about how your eggs are cooked but I like a variety of foods and hey, let's be honest here, it's just eggs.

So what is my take away from this exercise?

* I get the best customer service in the place because I sincerely engaged the waitress in the process. 

* By involving the waitress, it meant I treated her as a trusted adviser and that trust built a relationship and rapport, even if it was only about an egg.

* This process meant I helped create an environment where the waitress and I saw each other as peers.  Neither was subservient to the other.  This is key to almost all successful sales and customer service experiences.  Shoot, it is key to good relationships all around!

* I get practice (that is still sincere) in quickly building honest rapport with a stranger.

* It makes the meal fun.

At Subway, I let them pick the bread (I don't know which bread is the freshest) and the cheese (they know what goes best with which sandwich).  

At fancier places, I narrow my choice to two entrees that I would be happy with, then ask the waiter or waitress to not tell me which but pick the one they think is best and just bring that one. 

I always get great food and even learn something new about the menu.  The waiter will even come back later to discuss how they chose, why and what other items are really the best on the menu.  Now they are my trusted adviser and will tell the truth about things they never would tell me if I just said, "Is this dish good?"

So, back to business... When I met with a potential client, I ask things of them as well.  Particularly things that they may be an expert on, even if that is just an expert on their own likes, goals, plans or concerns.   And the more I know about them, the better I can be of service.

With rapport, a peer-to-peer relationship and honest interest, we create a better, more productive (and more enjoyable) environment than "selling" ever does.