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Will You Add? - On Entertaining Your Customers
After years of working as an administrative assistant, Susan finally broke into the ranks of management. Eventually she changed companies and continued on her career path.Over time, problems arose in her new position. Politics were ugly at the new company, and Susan didn’t believe she had the savvy to navigate such treacherous waters. To make matters worse, she was made the scapegoat for a project that went awry. When she was able to prove that it had not been her fault, she was perceived as “defensive.”Then an administrative assistant position opened up in an office near her home. The hours were perfect and the salary wasn’t that bad. It was a job she knew she could do, and it would be a lot less stress.Susan decided that she wasn’t management material after all, applied for the job, and got it.Three years later, she regrets the decision. She’
In my seminars, I liken the role of the relationship in selling to an oil can that is used to lubricate the gears of a sophisticated machine. It is possible to sell without good relationships with your customers; it is just much harder. Building powerful personal relationships with your customers is like oiling the gears. It just makes everything move that much smoother and easier.
In this time of high-tech communication, powerful personal relationships provide the high-touch that many people are subconsciously hungering for. Robert Putnam, in h
Candy is an amazing way to fundraise. When you think about fundraisers candy always is popular. Do you know why? People love to eat candy, it’s sweet, tasty and it allows tired adults to look back fondly on the days of there youth.Candy is an easy to sell item that lends itself perfectly to sports, churches, civic groups and schools. Organizations can easily sell candy with a high success rate allowing them to free up valuable time to plan there next fundraiser.When your fundraising group chooses candy as there fundraiser of choice keeping the following six tips in mind will help in your planning process.1. Your group can choose a special candy just for this particular fundraiser. You can specialize with chocolates or hard candies. You must simply look at who you will be selling these candies to and what they are likely to enjoy. 2. When selling
Good question. The world of the field salesperson is changing rapidly these days, and everything is in question. The practice of entertaining customers is one of those issues that needs to be rethought.
First, let's consider whether or not you should entertain your customers. In these days of e-commerce and Internet communication, is there a place for this age-old practice?
Consider this experience of mine. I had a high-potential account that did not respond to my efforts. Months went by, and I could get nowhere in this huge account.
My company owned four season tickets to the University of Michigan football games, and it was my turn to use them. I invited the head of the purchasing department from that account and her spouse to join my wife and I. We spent the afternoon together, first enjoying a traditional tail-gate meal, then a great college football game.
Immediately thereafter, however, I began to do business in that account. Business grew continually until it eventually became my largest account. The football game was the turning point in the relationship.
It wasn't that I gained "inside" information. We didn't even talk about business. But, my customer came to know me better, and, in so doing, became more comfortable with me as a person. And that made all the difference.
That was not the first, nor the last, time for that experience. I regularly treated two of my customers with their spouses to join my wife and I for a dinner at Greek town in Detroit, followed by a Tiger's game. We never talked business, but afterward, business always grew. Again, it wasn't that we exchanged business information, cut deals, or anything of that nature. What did happen, every time, was that my customers came to know me better and differently. We became friends instead of just buyers and sellers.
There is an important truth illustrated by these examples. People like to do business with people they know. The better they know you, the more likely it is that they'll do business with you. When they spend time with you out side of the business setting, they come to know you better. It really is that simple.
Now, this doesn't mean that you can charge 20% more than your competitors, nor does it mean that you can sell an inferior product, or that your company can get away with second-class service. But, when many of these things are viewed by the customer as about the same as what your competition offers, you are more likely to get to the business if you are the one who has the greater relationship with the customer. The relationship doesn't stand in place of quality, price and service, but it can provide a competitive edge.
In my seminars, I liken the role of the relationship in selling to an oil can that is used to lubricate the gears of a sophisticated machine. It is possible to sell without good relationships with your customers; it is just much harder. Building powerful personal relationships with your customers is like oiling the gears. It just makes everything move that much smoother and easier.
In this time of high-tech communication, powerful personal relationships provide the high-touch that many people are subconsciously hungering for. Robert Putnam, in hi
In today’s highly competitive business environment it is critical to find ways to separate yourself from the other companies who sell the same – or similar – product and/or service. Here are several strategies that can help you accomplish this:Help your clients achieve their goals. Virtually every business person has specific goals they are striving to achieve. These can include everything from increasing their market share and sales, to reducing operating expenses, to streamlining the business, to incorporating new business practices. Invest time learning the key objectives of each of your customers. Then determine how your products and services can help them achieve their targets. In some cases, you may not be able to help them but recommending someone who can assist them will be recognized and remembered. The more you can help them achieve their goals the more valued y
Immediately thereafter, however, I began to do business in that account. Business grew continually until it eventually became my largest account. The football game was the turning point in the relationship.
It wasn't that I gained "inside" information. We didn't even talk about business. But, my customer came to know me better, and, in so doing, became more comfortable with me as a person. And that made all the difference.
That was not the first, nor the last, time for that experience. I regularly treated two of my customers with their spouses to join my wife and I for a dinner at Greek town in Detroit, followed by a Tiger's game. We never talked business, but afterward, business always grew. Again, it wasn't that we exchanged business information, cut deals, or anything of that nature. What did happen, every time, was that my customers came to know me better and differently. We became friends instead of just buyers and sellers.
There is an important truth illustrated by these examples. People like to do business with people they know. The better they know you, the more likely it is that they'll do business with you. When they spend time with you out side of the business setting, they come to know you better. It really is that simple.
Now, this doesn't mean that you can charge 20% more than your competitors, nor does it mean that you can sell an inferior product, or that your company can get away with second-class service. But, when many of these things are viewed by the customer as about the same as what your competition offers, you are more likely to get to the business if you are the one who has the greater relationship with the customer. The relationship doesn't stand in place of quality, price and service, but it can provide a competitive edge.
In my seminars, I liken the role of the relationship in selling to an oil can that is used to lubricate the gears of a sophisticated machine. It is possible to sell without good relationships with your customers; it is just much harder. Building powerful personal relationships with your customers is like oiling the gears. It just makes everything move that much smoother and easier.
In this time of high-tech communication, powerful personal relationships provide the high-touch that many people are subconsciously hungering for. Robert Putnam, in h
All small businesses need good customer service and a photo processing lab especially needs an advantage over the competition considering everything is changing to digital. Likewise the competition from the big box stores like Wal-Mart with in-store photo processing labs make it tough to compete in the marketplace. How can someone increase customer service at a photo-processing lab? Well there are many ways actually.For instance, if someone's photos are done early they can have a person call the cell phone or the home of the person that owns the photos to alert them. And that's great service.But that is only one thing that can be done and all too often we find such businesses disrupted by new technologies that go out of business. However, a photo lab that also sells digital cameras may be able to make a smooth transition if they keep their customer base happy.rtable with me as a person. And that made all the difference.
That was not the first, nor the last, time for that experience. I regularly treated two of my customers with their spouses to join my wife and I for a dinner at Greek town in Detroit, followed by a Tiger's game. We never talked business, but afterward, business always grew. Again, it wasn't that we exchanged business information, cut deals, or anything of that nature. What did happen, every time, was that my customers came to know me better and differently. We became friends instead of just buyers and sellers.
There is an important truth illustrated by these examples. People like to do business with people they know. The better they know you, the more likely it is that they'll do business with you. When they spend time with you out side of the business setting, they come to know you better. It really is that simple.
Now, this doesn't mean that you can charge 20% more than your competitors, nor does it mean that you can sell an inferior product, or that your company can get away with second-class service. But, when many of these things are viewed by the customer as about the same as what your competition offers, you are more likely to get to the business if you are the one who has the greater relationship with the customer. The relationship doesn't stand in place of quality, price and service, but it can provide a competitive edge.
In my seminars, I liken the role of the relationship in selling to an oil can that is used to lubricate the gears of a sophisticated machine. It is possible to sell without good relationships with your customers; it is just much harder. Building powerful personal relationships with your customers is like oiling the gears. It just makes everything move that much smoother and easier.
In this time of high-tech communication, powerful personal relationships provide the high-touch that many people are subconsciously hungering for. Robert Putnam, in h
Raising money for a nonprofit organization can be very demanding. There are several sources from which you can seek funds for your nonprofit fundraising. This article will attempt to clear some of the cloud that hovers over this process.Te first thing that you must understand about nonprofit fundraising is the sources by which you will be receiving funding from.Individuals Are Your Greatest Source for Nonprofit FundraisingIndividuals offer the largest amount of giving to most organizations and charities each year. Nearly 200 million dollars is raised each year by nonprofit fundraising through individual contributions and gifts.The biggest problem with individual is that it takes a larger number of them to accumulate large funds. It can often be hard to generate wide spread interest. Individuals can be risky for the inexperienced.Large-Family Fo
Now, this doesn't mean that you can charge 20% more than your competitors, nor does it mean that you can sell an inferior product, or that your company can get away with second-class service. But, when many of these things are viewed by the customer as about the same as what your competition offers, you are more likely to get to the business if you are the one who has the greater relationship with the customer. The relationship doesn't stand in place of quality, price and service, but it can provide a competitive edge.
In my seminars, I liken the role of the relationship in selling to an oil can that is used to lubricate the gears of a sophisticated machine. It is possible to sell without good relationships with your customers; it is just much harder. Building powerful personal relationships with your customers is like oiling the gears. It just makes everything move that much smoother and easier.
In this time of high-tech communication, powerful personal relationships provide the high-touch that many people are subconsciously hungering for. Robert Putnam, in h
You have either started a new business, decided to get your financial information in order for your existing business or your tax preparer has announced that he/she won’t do your tax return anymore if you bring in one more year’s receipts in a shoebox or plastic bag. So on the recommendation of friends, business associates, accountant, or other professional in the know you have purchased QuickBooks. And if you are like most people you have installed it on your computer with great expectations. But you don’t have a clue about bookkeeping and so getting started is not so easy. What are items you ask. I am already part through my year – when and how do I start my beginning balances? Do I need inventory? So many questions and so little time.New owners of QuickBooks usually take one of several paths. The most common I have seen is to use only the checkbook and invoicing featur
In my seminars, I liken the role of the relationship in selling to an oil can that is used to lubricate the gears of a sophisticated machine. It is possible to sell without good relationships with your customers; it is just much harder. Building powerful personal relationships with your customers is like oiling the gears. It just makes everything move that much smoother and easier.
In this time of high-tech communication, powerful personal relationships provide the high-touch that many people are subconsciously hungering for. Robert Putnam, in his landmark book, Bowling Alone, quoted a study by an MIT researcher that concludes:
"Though some unimportant business relationships and casual social relationships will be established and maintained on a purely virtual basis, physical proximity will be needed to cement and reinforce the more important professional and social encounters."
Later, more directly to our point, the research concludes:
"widespread use of computer-mediated communication will actually require more frequent face-to-face encounters,' and extensive deep, robust, social infrastructure of relationships must exist so that those using the electronic media will truly understand what others are communicating to them."
In other words, even in this high-tech world characterized by voice mail, e-commerce and instant messaging, face-to-face relationships are necessary.
Is there, then, a place for entertaining your customers in this high tech sales environment? Absolutely! The question becomes not whether or not you ought to, but how to do it in such a way as to gain the greatest benefit. Here are some thoughts on how to entertain effectively.
Entertaining strategically
Having lunch every Tuesday with your buddy who happens to work for one of your customers is not entertaining strategically. That's a waste of time. Instead, do this. Make a list of all the individuals who could be instrumental in buying your products and services. Rank them in order of importance using criteria like how important they are to the sale, and how much business they control.
Then, start at the top and methodically work down through the list. Try to spend social time - not business time - with each. I have found evening or Saturday afternoon events work best. Sports events, concerts, and plays are excellent because they are attractive and appealing to a lot of people. To sit at the 40-yard line of a University of Michigan football game, for example, is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people.
Remember, the purpose is to get to know one another better as people - not as buyer and seller. So, don't talk business unless your customer brings it up. And no sales pitches, please. When you do that, you harden the buyer/seller roles that each of you play. That's exactly the opposite of what you want to have happen. Instead, search for personal common ground - things that you have in common with your customer. You are trying to get to know each other as people, not as role-players.
I've found it to always be more effective to invite the customer and his/her spouse or boyfriend /girlfriend to join my wife and m
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