“Hey”, he says, “So, do you have a landscaper now?”  Before I can answer fully, he spits out – ” What would you change? What are the most important issues for you?  Timeliness?  Cost?”

I don’t know about you, but selling is hard enough without making it even more difficult.   If you’re going to ask a question,  please wait patiently for the answer.   Even if your potential client KNOWS you are going to pitch him, has spent more years using the same service than years you have been alive, and thinks he has heard it all – the odds are he will still have an opinion.   And if you can get someone to talk, you can get yourself a sale.

The thing is, as this rep was prattling questions off to me, I began to think about the one thing that DID vex me about my gardener.  The only day he has available is on my day off from work.  So, while I may have enjoyed sleeping in, instead I am awakened early by the buzz of the mower.  Instead of letting my dogs play in the yard in the mornings,  I keep them inside & they eat half my breakfast when I’m not looking.    Is this a small price to pay for superb greenery that requires no effort on my part?  Sure!  But still, it does cross my mind.  If this rep would have listened for a minute, I may have tried them out on a different day to see what it was like.  And I happen to be a very loyal customer, so who knows how many years of business that cost them?

HOT TIP for the day:  Don’t make the mistake of assuming you know what the prospect’s needs are. Let them tell you, rather than you telling them.   If you really want to begin differentiating yourself from your competitors, take the time to LISTEN & learn about your prospect’s situation.  By doing so, you’ll begin to give them a reason to do business with you instead of someone else.

(To my gardener – Should you read this – I deeply thank you for your incredible work & truly only took this call for entertainment purposes!  See you Sunday!)

Paul Nutt, author of Why Decisions Fail, studied 400 decisions made by senior executives in medium and large businesses.     Nutt’s research found that fully half of the decisions had failed. A decision “failure” was defined as a decision that either was not implemented or a decision that was not still in effect two years after it had been made.

The problem with most “decisions” is that they are made on paper – not in deed or action.  At least, not with a plan to remain consistently in action.

Professor Nutt also found that a primary reason for decision failure is that decision makers make a premature commitment. They “latch-on” to the first solution, the quick fix, and that many of the buying process activities occurring after that are actually only efforts to justify their ready-made solution. Decision makers become anchored by the first information they observe and give it more weight than information that arrives later on.

ACT can be a great resource for your business, because we have encountered 30 years worth of decision making, not just for ourselves, but for clients large & small.  More than that, we go far beyond helping you to MAKE a decision on what needs to be done.  We roll up our own sleeves & work alongside your staff to SHOW how to bring the decision to its goal – whether it be a more streamlined sales process, better management, higher profitability, or whatever your goals may be.   We stand behind our clients goals & work until they are reached.  This means when you make a decision about us, we bring every decision that follows to fruition.  100%.

Call us today or visit us online for more on how we can help!  www.CallActNow.com

More of a RAVE than a rant – this just my thought on customer loyalty.  Years ago (please don’t ask how many) a good  friend of mine bought up a number of domain names when the whole “.com” thing went nuts.   He’d heard of a few people who made millions selling great domains like real estate.  So I thought, “What the heck?”  and got a few of my own.  Mostly about vlogging – (blogging via online video.  I even bought youtubevlog.com before I realized the potential legal ramifications!)

In any case, I am still not a .com millionaire, but I did happen to buy all my domains through godaddy.com.  Not for any particular reason, just did.  During the time, my friend and I had about 100 questions per domain as we discovered how to forward, mask, optimize, privatize, and all the rest of it.   I am sure that we spoke to every single rep that works at godaddy within a 30 day time frame.   During that time & for years after, I’d like to give you the reasons I will NEVER leave godaddy, & how you can earn similar loyalty.

#1 First, I should begin by saying this company offers 24 hour phone customer support, which, I don’t need to tell you, is awesome.   Not everyone can (or should) offer this, but for the service they provide, it cannot be beat.

#2 I was never greeted by an automated maze – if they’re super busy you have the option of entering your customer number if you have one, but it’s not necessary, & someone answers the phone almost right away either way.

#3 Every rep not only answered our questions (no matter how repetitious or obvious), but walked us through how to do things in the future for our own benefit.  And, when we forgot (which we did), we called back & they did the same thing all over again without a hint of annoyance.  They were true professionals with great helpful ideas along the way.

#4. My favorite thing about godaddy is this – after every phone call, I was asked, “Did I answer all your questions today?”  and sometimes several similar follow up q’s just to make sure.  After THAT, I would be emailed a customer satisfaction survey so that I could anonymously give my feedback.  This is also the hallmark of a business that truly cares.

Needless to say, my reports have always been glowing & sincere.  I have been a godaddy customer for at least 10 years, & even though I suppose it may be possible to get one of their many services for less $ (although I don’t know HOW that would be possible, just Google “godaddy promo codes” for SUPER savings on whatever you need!) – I never would.   This company has EARNED my loyalty with it’s consistent, excellent service, and I simply would feel wrong about betraying that.

What’s more, if any of their employees are unhappy there, I have yet to hear about it.  They all seem well trained, pleasant, & truly a good fit for their position as customer care reps, in that, they are truly helpful & seem to enjoy it.

It doesn’t seem too much to ask, but for many companies today, it’s obvious that it is.  How does YOUR company stack up when it comes to loyalty?

ACT can give you a Free Analysis if you like – Click here to visit our site for details & see how others experience YOUR sales & customer care department!

Customer care takes calls.  Your sales people make calls.  Marketing is doing their thing – but not enough people are buying.   You’re thinking, “I know the economy is slow, but what the heck?”  Here are a few common issues that may be taking  money out of your pocket!

1.  Convenience People want instant gratification. If your sales process is not hassle-free, many customers will go elsewhere.   How long will it take to process the order itself?  Is there a mountain of information required or an easy checkout process or sales cycle?  Are there multiple payment options?  Phone & email support available?  Make sure each part of your customers relationship to you is convenient for THEM.

2.  Customer Service Customer trust breeds customer loyalty.   Do you provide true customer service?  Can your customers reach a sales representative when they need one or must the run through an hour long maze of dialing digits before speaking with a live person ? Do you reps provide information releveant to the customers needs or just try to upsell?

3.  Failing to Ask For the Sale A classic, & always one of my favorites.  Whether it be from a sales rep’s own mouth, or on your marketing materials or website itself – the message needs to be CLEAR as to what they buyer needs to do, TO BUY.  Don’t make it difficult for them to purchase online or in person, give clear instructions in several areas to ensure the client can buy.

If your company is experiencing a downturn in sales, or you would like a FREE ANALYSIS on how we can help your sales increase right now, please call or email us today!   760-521-1522 or info@callactnow.com

1. Poor Management. Want to find out why employees are dissatisfied with their jobs?   Look at their supervisor. Whether the boss is incompetent, or merely uninvolved with the employees, this relationship can often be the # 1 reason for employee dissatisfaction.  Gallup Poll states 80% of employees that leave their job actually only want to leave their direct supervisor, not the entire company.  But the company pays the heavy price.

2. Lack of Recognition. The importance of employee morale is crucial, particularly for sales people, who are often ego driven.  Recognizing a job well done in public or in private will make them feel like they are truly part of a team and that their contributions matter.  Nothing breeds water cooler conversation more than discontent.  Keep them happy with incentives, bonuses, & a “Great job Johnny!” where others can hear.  This benefits the managers as well as praise encourages more positive behaviors, turning their role into less “manager” and more “coach.”

3. Lack of  growth opportunities. Even if your reps don’t want to change departments or move up the ladder, employee development is key to keeping good workers because everyone wants an opportunity to grow in their jobs.  Try offering a new training or skill session, bring in an outside motivator, team building exercise, company wide goal to work towards with a reward, there are tons of ways to add dimension to your work life.
4. Work/Life balance issues. In every other country, balancing career & family life is no problem.  The US is the only environment that sets careers rigidly above all else.  With more options for flexibility such as working from home, and with the advancement of cell phones, lap tops & more, employees  no longer see the logic or feel the desire to be chained to a desk during times of family crisis or their child’s birthday party.   Sit down with your employees and find out what events or times you both can be more flexible with – the more  your employees feel HEARD, the more they will be happy to help cover when YOU need it!

5. No faith in upper management. Thanks to the many headlines of 2009 & back,  it’s more than easy to assume that senior managers of all kinds are automatically guilty and must be proven innocent.   From neglect & incompetence to corporate greed— they have every reason to distrust employers.  Mostly, employees are concerned about whether their leaders are being honest with them.   When some employees seem to have distinct advantages over others, for example, feelings of being treated unequally can lead to immediate distrust, difficult to regain.

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Mikes Notes: These are the main reasons an employee will leave a job, but often the damage does not stop there.  Once an employee leaves, management can be SURE that this employee did not leave quietly.  Every other employee will have had numerous conversations about the REAL reasons for their departure, & will be thinking about the validity of those reasons in relation to their own experience.  “What do mean they were giving more leads to the top reps?  I didn’t know that!……” and such begins their new adventures on Monster.com…

HOT TIP: To all Managers & HR personnel, be sure to not only interview the employee who is leaving, but ask other members of their team what they felt the reasons were, & how you as a caring employer, can help avoid those mistakes in the future.  Not only will you gain a wealth of inside information, you’ll also show your current reps that you care about them enough to consider their thoughts & implement change.

Visit us again for more hot tips, & if you want the REAL THING, call me at 760-521-1522 for a FREE ANALYSIS of how your sales people TRULY perform when you’re not looking!  It’s free, fast, & I promise, the results will surprise you!

- Mike

For A Free Analysis of Your Sales Team  Call 760-521-1522

www.CallActNow.com

Your top performers will always be your top performers, but just imagine how much more profitable you will be if you could just get another 20% productivity on a regular basis from the middle 60% or your sales people? They would be happy and YOU and YOUR boss would be extremely happy. But alas you still focus on the top 10%….Just try giving a bit more attention,  side by side coaching and positive reinforcement and motivation to that middle 60%!

Watch what happens……..

Happy Selling Gang!

Mike….

QUOTE FOR THE DAY: “If you don’t take control of your future, someone else will.”

-Peter Drucker