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Digg it UP - Who Wants Customers Anyway?
Setting unreasonable financial goals for your business can make you crazy! You may think you are motivating yourself to achieve more by setting your expectations high, but the opposite is often true.Big businesses have systems and algorithms for projecting their financial goals, and so should you. Yours can be much less sophisticated and complicated and can yield the same result.When your business is new, setting your goals is kind-of a shot in the dark. Unless you have some data on which to base your projections, you will most likely be estimating. Talk to people in your same industry to find out what they earned in their first years, keeping in mind how your business differs from theirs.Otherwise, here are some exercises y
Think FOR the customer in anticipating their needs
Use the language of the consumer, not industry jargon
Can turn features into benefits
Winning seller attributes
Sells something then sells something ( offers more than the customer expects)
Promotes your brand
Top teams have relationships
The top sales teams form relationships; they don’t have customers, they have their own clients and those clients on-sell your business to potential new clients.
What secret do they hold? The general rule of the game is they ask three questions about you as a customer: your life, your hobbies or your plans, prior to moving into the consultant role. These team members instinctively know when it appropriate to do this, as some customers are purely ‘hunters’ and only want a simple transaction. These people are excellent at forming appropriate relationship with customers and their average performance is higher than anyone’s.
Remember the rules of the game: create an innovative business culture, recruit people with personality and then develop their skills. The key is really valuing your team and the role they have in your business, if you
Everyone loves a story. Listen to any conversation – especially in social situations – and at some point someone will tell a story. About something they’ve experienced, read about, heard or saw.That’s why newspapers sell; magazines sell; people watch TV programmes and newscasts; read books; listen to the radio. The ‘human interest’ captures our attention, our imagination and our curiosity to know ‘how things turned out’.YOU CAN USE THIS HUMAN TRAIT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE IN YOUR SALES LETTERS.When you tell a story – or explain a case study – your reader wants to know how it turns out; what was the result; how does it apply to them; how can they use any ‘lesson learnt’ in their situation?Tell a story about someone who had a
“This business would be so much tidier without customers! “
I am sure someone has whispered that in your organisation - but, out of ear-shot of management. But, let’s be honest, customers are a pain and they are expensive to attract; let’s eliminate them and make life easier for everyone.
You can’t afford to have customers– turn your customers into clients
Companies use interruption marketing techniques, such as newspaper adverts, TV commercials, billboards etc. to attract customers, some may be enticed into your door, you serve them and they go. You then repeat the whole process again. It is an expensive exhaustive way of making a living.
Is there an alternative? The answer is yes. You don’t have to have customers to grow your business and many businesses do not have customers, they cannot afford them.
Successful businesses have clients. Yes, they use interruption marketing techniques to get them in their front door, but then use permission marketing to change them from customers to clients. A customer buys a commodity; a client is in a caring relationship with your business. We are going from a process to a relationship.
With the above in mind, do remember the old slogan from South West Airlines? “Customers are not No. l, they are No. 2- our team members are No. 1”.
If you work on your business culture with your team you will stop having customers and you will start having clients. People who want to deal with people and enjoy the experience.
The way your employees feel is the way your customers are going to feel. - Karl Albrecht
Having a customer philosophy could also be the demise of your business. Big retailers can afford to have customers because they can drive their business on price. Medium to small business, not-for-profit or service industries often do not have the buying power or marketing dollar to compete at this level. A change in thinking is essential for many to grow their business.
How do you get clients?
Potential clients are already walking into your door, but often they remain in customer mode, due to the indifference of team members.
This is more common than we would like to admit. A recent headline in the ‘Strait Times’ newspaper in Singapore was entitled “Rudeness - It’s all part of the service”. This is not unique to Asia. In the USA the ‘Orlando Sentinel’ newspaper had a headline “Lousy service, get used to it”. We all have a rat-bag member of staff, someone who thinks they are doing the right thing but aren’t – someone who causes the team to cringe with embarrassment when they are on the desk. Sadly, it is often these staff members that the whole team is measured against.
This, along with research. indicates customers believe they are receiving worse customer service these days. Another reason to eliminate customers and get clients into your business.
Work with your team to improve your business culture, not only your processes and your team will start building a client-base that will grow your business. Hold a team meeting and use these rarely asked questions.
Are we recruiting for attitude and behaviour – or only skills?
How do we handle poor performers?
What type of business would we like to work in?
What can we do to grow our business?
How can we change what we do to have more fun?
How can we share that fun with our clients?
What can you do
Training the team has to be an essential part of your strategy to compete with the box stores. Someone once said to us that they don’t train their staff in case they left to work somewhere else. What scared us was the staff staying with the business as an untrained team. Investing in your team is essential for the success of any business.
The rules of the game
Firstly as a manager, you have to recruit staff with personality, provide technical knowledge to ensure they have confidence and then empower them to make decisions. Assuming you have the right team member and the right culture, you then have to introduce a consistent skills level that can be measured. The team member has to be much more than a sales person – they have to be a host, consultant and seller, it’s very complex.
Winning host attributes
Company wardrobe
Name badges
Positive body language
Pleasant tone of voice
Verbal welcome and farewell where appropriate
Winning consultant attributes
Is a good listener
Use open questions to start a conversation
Have technical knowledge
Paraphrase to confirm customer needs
Finalises transactions by asking customer if they require further information or help
Can communicate their knowledge
Think FOR the customer in anticipating their needs
Use the language of the consumer, not industry jargon
Can turn features into benefits
Winning seller attributes
Sells something then sells something ( offers more than the customer expects)
Promotes your brand
Top teams have relationships
The top sales teams form relationships; they don’t have customers, they have their own clients and those clients on-sell your business to potential new clients.
What secret do they hold? The general rule of the game is they ask three questions about you as a customer: your life, your hobbies or your plans, prior to moving into the consultant role. These team members instinctively know when it appropriate to do this, as some customers are purely ‘hunters’ and only want a simple transaction. These people are excellent at forming appropriate relationship with customers and their average performance is higher than anyone’s.
Remember the rules of the game: create an innovative business culture, recruit people with personality and then develop their skills. The key is really valuing your team and the role they have in your business, if you
If you are looking for a business venture to get into, then a cleaning business opportunity could be right up your street. In today’s busy world more and more people are turning to hiring house cleaners to take care of their homes. The cleaning business provides several options and opportunities to start and run a successful full or part time business, big or small.People want and need all types of cleaning, from regular full general house cleaners to laundry specialists, carpet and upholstery and janitorial services.The cleaning business is one business which provides a vast array of opportunities to get your foot into the door of the business world.Good general house cleaners are always in demand, with more people following ca
With the above in mind, do remember the old slogan from South West Airlines? “Customers are not No. l, they are No. 2- our team members are No. 1”.
If you work on your business culture with your team you will stop having customers and you will start having clients. People who want to deal with people and enjoy the experience.
The way your employees feel is the way your customers are going to feel. - Karl Albrecht
Having a customer philosophy could also be the demise of your business. Big retailers can afford to have customers because they can drive their business on price. Medium to small business, not-for-profit or service industries often do not have the buying power or marketing dollar to compete at this level. A change in thinking is essential for many to grow their business.
How do you get clients?
Potential clients are already walking into your door, but often they remain in customer mode, due to the indifference of team members.
This is more common than we would like to admit. A recent headline in the ‘Strait Times’ newspaper in Singapore was entitled “Rudeness - It’s all part of the service”. This is not unique to Asia. In the USA the ‘Orlando Sentinel’ newspaper had a headline “Lousy service, get used to it”. We all have a rat-bag member of staff, someone who thinks they are doing the right thing but aren’t – someone who causes the team to cringe with embarrassment when they are on the desk. Sadly, it is often these staff members that the whole team is measured against.
This, along with research. indicates customers believe they are receiving worse customer service these days. Another reason to eliminate customers and get clients into your business.
Work with your team to improve your business culture, not only your processes and your team will start building a client-base that will grow your business. Hold a team meeting and use these rarely asked questions.
Are we recruiting for attitude and behaviour – or only skills?
How do we handle poor performers?
What type of business would we like to work in?
What can we do to grow our business?
How can we change what we do to have more fun?
How can we share that fun with our clients?
What can you do
Training the team has to be an essential part of your strategy to compete with the box stores. Someone once said to us that they don’t train their staff in case they left to work somewhere else. What scared us was the staff staying with the business as an untrained team. Investing in your team is essential for the success of any business.
The rules of the game
Firstly as a manager, you have to recruit staff with personality, provide technical knowledge to ensure they have confidence and then empower them to make decisions. Assuming you have the right team member and the right culture, you then have to introduce a consistent skills level that can be measured. The team member has to be much more than a sales person – they have to be a host, consultant and seller, it’s very complex.
Winning host attributes
Company wardrobe
Name badges
Positive body language
Pleasant tone of voice
Verbal welcome and farewell where appropriate
Winning consultant attributes
Is a good listener
Use open questions to start a conversation
Have technical knowledge
Paraphrase to confirm customer needs
Finalises transactions by asking customer if they require further information or help
Can communicate their knowledge
Think FOR the customer in anticipating their needs
Use the language of the consumer, not industry jargon
Can turn features into benefits
Winning seller attributes
Sells something then sells something ( offers more than the customer expects)
Promotes your brand
Top teams have relationships
The top sales teams form relationships; they don’t have customers, they have their own clients and those clients on-sell your business to potential new clients.
What secret do they hold? The general rule of the game is they ask three questions about you as a customer: your life, your hobbies or your plans, prior to moving into the consultant role. These team members instinctively know when it appropriate to do this, as some customers are purely ‘hunters’ and only want a simple transaction. These people are excellent at forming appropriate relationship with customers and their average performance is higher than anyone’s.
Remember the rules of the game: create an innovative business culture, recruit people with personality and then develop their skills. The key is really valuing your team and the role they have in your business, if you
Locating the ideal angel investor is an important step in funding a start-up business. Angel-investor networks are considered to be the best place to begin a search for funding.These national and local groups of angel investors assemble formally or informally to deliberate on transactions and gain knowledge about the most suitable new business ideas.Every network functions in its own way. Fees for making presentations may be imposed by some, while others may charge a fee for submitting a plea for consideration.Some even make it mandatory for an angel member to introduce new people to the group, while others seek opinions through the group's Web site. In the US, there are several angel network groups that can be accessed for the
This, along with research. indicates customers believe they are receiving worse customer service these days. Another reason to eliminate customers and get clients into your business.
Work with your team to improve your business culture, not only your processes and your team will start building a client-base that will grow your business. Hold a team meeting and use these rarely asked questions.
Are we recruiting for attitude and behaviour – or only skills?
How do we handle poor performers?
What type of business would we like to work in?
What can we do to grow our business?
How can we change what we do to have more fun?
How can we share that fun with our clients?
What can you do
Training the team has to be an essential part of your strategy to compete with the box stores. Someone once said to us that they don’t train their staff in case they left to work somewhere else. What scared us was the staff staying with the business as an untrained team. Investing in your team is essential for the success of any business.
The rules of the game
Firstly as a manager, you have to recruit staff with personality, provide technical knowledge to ensure they have confidence and then empower them to make decisions. Assuming you have the right team member and the right culture, you then have to introduce a consistent skills level that can be measured. The team member has to be much more than a sales person – they have to be a host, consultant and seller, it’s very complex.
Winning host attributes
Company wardrobe
Name badges
Positive body language
Pleasant tone of voice
Verbal welcome and farewell where appropriate
Winning consultant attributes
Is a good listener
Use open questions to start a conversation
Have technical knowledge
Paraphrase to confirm customer needs
Finalises transactions by asking customer if they require further information or help
Can communicate their knowledge
Think FOR the customer in anticipating their needs
Use the language of the consumer, not industry jargon
Can turn features into benefits
Winning seller attributes
Sells something then sells something ( offers more than the customer expects)
Promotes your brand
Top teams have relationships
The top sales teams form relationships; they don’t have customers, they have their own clients and those clients on-sell your business to potential new clients.
What secret do they hold? The general rule of the game is they ask three questions about you as a customer: your life, your hobbies or your plans, prior to moving into the consultant role. These team members instinctively know when it appropriate to do this, as some customers are purely ‘hunters’ and only want a simple transaction. These people are excellent at forming appropriate relationship with customers and their average performance is higher than anyone’s.
Remember the rules of the game: create an innovative business culture, recruit people with personality and then develop their skills. The key is really valuing your team and the role they have in your business, if you
A day in the life of every businessperson is made up of a series of meetings and greetings. Whether you are making the initial contact with a client or a colleague, you want to get off on the right foot. Doing so will make the first encounter and subsequent ones go smoothly and easily. Getting off on the wrong foot can make for a difficult recovery. Save your energy for later and use these simple strategies for a successful start.Stand up when you meet someone. This allows you to engage the person on an equal level - eye to eye. By remaining seated, you send a message that you don't think the other person is important enough to warrant the effort it takes to stand. If you find yourself in a position where you can't stand up (su
The rules of the game
Firstly as a manager, you have to recruit staff with personality, provide technical knowledge to ensure they have confidence and then empower them to make decisions. Assuming you have the right team member and the right culture, you then have to introduce a consistent skills level that can be measured. The team member has to be much more than a sales person – they have to be a host, consultant and seller, it’s very complex.
Winning host attributes
Company wardrobe
Name badges
Positive body language
Pleasant tone of voice
Verbal welcome and farewell where appropriate
Winning consultant attributes
Is a good listener
Use open questions to start a conversation
Have technical knowledge
Paraphrase to confirm customer needs
Finalises transactions by asking customer if they require further information or help
Can communicate their knowledge
Think FOR the customer in anticipating their needs
Use the language of the consumer, not industry jargon
Can turn features into benefits
Winning seller attributes
Sells something then sells something ( offers more than the customer expects)
Promotes your brand
Top teams have relationships
The top sales teams form relationships; they don’t have customers, they have their own clients and those clients on-sell your business to potential new clients.
What secret do they hold? The general rule of the game is they ask three questions about you as a customer: your life, your hobbies or your plans, prior to moving into the consultant role. These team members instinctively know when it appropriate to do this, as some customers are purely ‘hunters’ and only want a simple transaction. These people are excellent at forming appropriate relationship with customers and their average performance is higher than anyone’s.
Remember the rules of the game: create an innovative business culture, recruit people with personality and then develop their skills. The key is really valuing your team and the role they have in your business, if you
Many entrepreneurs have preconceived notions about taking their company public, most of which are not accurate. Nine little known facts:1. You do not need a brokerage firm or investment banking firm to take your company public.Many companies opt to go public through a direct public offering. In these registered public offerings, a private company follows the same rules and regulations that are followed by companies who go public with an investment banking firm.2. You do not need to go public through a reverse merger.Many companies falsely believe that they are too small or are not interesting enough to go public so they decide to go public through a reverse merger transaction. The truth is that virtually any company can
Think FOR the customer in anticipating their needs
Use the language of the consumer, not industry jargon
Can turn features into benefits
Winning seller attributes
Sells something then sells something ( offers more than the customer expects)
Promotes your brand
Top teams have relationships
The top sales teams form relationships; they don’t have customers, they have their own clients and those clients on-sell your business to potential new clients.
What secret do they hold? The general rule of the game is they ask three questions about you as a customer: your life, your hobbies or your plans, prior to moving into the consultant role. These team members instinctively know when it appropriate to do this, as some customers are purely ‘hunters’ and only want a simple transaction. These people are excellent at forming appropriate relationship with customers and their average performance is higher than anyone’s.
Remember the rules of the game: create an innovative business culture, recruit people with personality and then develop their skills. The key is really valuing your team and the role they have in your business, if you don’t, they could be costing you dearly.
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