Yesterday I was in New York at the National Speakers Association Convention.  While I was in town, I called the office of a sales coaching client who is a retail financial advisor for a large bank.  This bank has about fifty offices spread over seven states from coast to coast.  I provide sales coaching for their advisors, and thought I would stop by and say hello to this particular person.  I called the advisor’s office and asked “Do you know which branch [advisor] is covering today?”  The answer was short and to the point.

“No,” was the reply, followed by silence.  No offer to find out the answer or find someone who could assist me; just a simple no.

First impressions make or break sales.  If I had wanted to discuss opening a new account, I would have chosen not to dig any deeper.  Were I an existing client, I may have considered moving my account.  Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is one of America’s top customer service experts.  In an article titled “First Impressions”, Shep states that “Most of the statistics range between eight to twelve good things to make up for a Moment of Misery.” 

Solution: Make certain your staff and colleagues are trained on proper telephone technique.  Script them, and leave nothing to chance.  In today’s world, tolerance is preached on every corner, but never be tolerant of poor or rude telephone technique.  Believe this; your clients won’t be tolerant if they are treated poorly.  Conversely, if people are trained and expected to deliver exceptional client service in every way, people will want to do business with you, and refer you to others.

Good selling!

Technorati Tags: sales coaching, financial advisor, refer

Last week I went to one of my favorite places in the world – a fishing camp in Canada with my boys. While I love my role as a professional speaker and business strategist, it is good to have seven straight free days with no calls and no email. It was bliss.

This camp provides customer service beyond the exceptional. Every detail is focused on the guest. But no business is perfect - mine included. One morning I noticed my boat battery charger was unplugged, so I assumed the on-duty dock attendant (average age for this role is about 19) had forgotten to plug it in the night before. A different attendant was on duty than the night before, so I commented that there might have been an oversight. His comment was, “I wasn’t working last night. My co-worker was on the dock. ” The implication was clear – he was suggesting it wasn’t his fault.

The proper response would have been something like “I’m sorry if your boat wasn’t charged. I’ll ask my coworker about it. Would you have a few minutes for me to charge it now?

I can easily forgive a teenager for this response, but this incident reminded me that too often we don’t take responsibility in our business. If a colleague or the service department fails to deliver, you are the company to the customer - it is your responsibility to see that the problem is fixed. So when a customer encounters a problem, step up, say you are sorry, and do your best to fix it or accommodate the customer – even if it isn’t your fault. Even if the customer isn’t appreciative, you will know you did the right thing, and that always pays off in the long run.

Good selling!

Technorati Tags: professional speaker, business strategist, customer service

When we speak of being “over-served” normally we are referring to something that has to do with adult beverages. Not always, however. Tony Pappas represents the best of professional salespeople, and has been a consistent sales leader over a career that spans four decades. Tony wholesales insured investment products for John Hancock, calling upon independent financial advisors. Recently he spoke with one of his best clients, an advisor in Michigan, and Tony asked his client for the secret to his success. The advisor said that one factor in his success was that he consistently over-served his clients. This advisor’s clients received such a high level of service that these clients consistently told their family, friends, business associates, and neighbors about the advisor’s exceptional service.

Tony gave me another example of exceptional service. He took his wife, Judy, to the Capital Grill in Troy, MI for dinner. Capital Grill is a high-end chain restaurant known for exceptional food and premier service. When Tony and Judy arrived for dinner, the server asked if this was a special occasion. Tony responded by telling the server they were celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary. The server returned with complementary champagne. In short order a photographer arrived to take a photograph of the Pappas’. The head waiter and general manager soon arrived with greetings and congratulations. When they left the restaurant, the maître d’ presented them with the photograph – framed! Two days later they received a congratulatory card from the restaurant.

Do you think they will go back? Might they recommend Capital Grill to others? I suggest they are enthusiastic customers – for life.

How do you make your clients feel special? What client service touches demonstrate your appreciation for their business and relationship? Would they say you are their only advisor - their advisor of choice? Over-serve your clients, and you will increase your business through repeat sales and non-stop referrals.

Good selling!

Technorati Tags: professional salespeople, sales leader, client service

Today I spent my lunch hour with one of my favorite people, author and professional speaker Ross Bernstein. Ross writes some of the absolute best sports books on the market, and his new book, The Code: Baseball’s Unwritten Rules is fantastic. If you like baseball, you have to have to get this book. Ross has written nearly forty books, with titles on every major sport. In addition, Ross rates as one of the best speakers anywhere. With an incredible number of relationships in and stories from college and professional sports, his presentations are always a hit, and he uses his experience to teach powerful business concepts. Check out his website at http://www.bernsteinbooks.com.

Today we as we discussed marketing, I was so impressed by the way Ross is always willing to help his clients by going the extra mile. He always gives more than he is paid for, and the result is a continuous stream of new business. On top of that, Ross contributes significantly to many worthwhile causes that result from his speaking engagements.

When delivering your services, what do you provide over and above your clients’ expectations? Limitless opportunities exist for us to provide service that is exceptional by doing just a little bit more than our clients pay for. Examples of value-added services include:

• Customized portfolio reviews
• Provide books on financial topics
• Shareholder update seminars
• Speaking on financial topics for groups of interest to a client

Examine those little extras you provide to your clients – and think about how you can do even more. This extra effort always produces repeat business and referrals. What makes your service special? Answer that question, and your business will grow as a result of your efforts.

Good selling!

Technorati Tags: author, professional speaker, Ross Bernstein, The Code: Baseball’s Unwritten Rules

In February 2008 Starbucks closed for three hours to retrain more than 135,000 employees in an effort to create “a renewed focus on espresso standards.” Starbucks’ mission statement includes a point that states the company wants to “Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.” Howard Shultz, legendary founder of the coffee giant, said in a news release that the shutdown was a way to energize its employees and provide some barista re-education in the “art of espresso” at its 7,100 U.S. locations. Some said this training activity was a publicity stunt. If so, it worked. News sources from major networks to online news services to sales and marketing journals all picked up on the story. (Hey, this writer is guilty as well!)

A couple of days after this training was delivered, I stopped in a Starbucks in Chicago O’Hare Airport on the way to Tampa. Guess what - the training didn’t work. I received service that was uninspired at best. Don’t get me wrong – I like Starbucks. But the person who was supposedly trained to serve enthusiastically satisfied customers like me didn’t come through.

On the other hand, there is a barista named Rose that works at a Starbucks in Eden Prairie, MN that gets it. I don’t know Rose other than as her customer – don’t even know her last name or if she is a manager. I do know this – she is a service pro. She always has a smile on her face, gives exceptional service, and would make Howard Schultz proud! She greets customers as if they were old friends, with great eye contact and personality.

The moral of the story is simple – some people get it and some people don’t when it comes to delivering exceptional customer service. In other words, training is wasted if you don’t start by hiring the right people. So whenever you hire someone for your sales team, ask yourself if they seem to embrace the service standard that you desire for your customers and clients. If you don’t feel it immediately it probably isn’t there. After you hire someone who is enthusiastic and personal, then train them to become even better!

One last tip; for a great cup of coffee and fantastic service, try Dunn Brothers on Preserve Center Drive in Eden Prairie, MN. Dianne and Dan have built a great atmosphere that feels like friends and family.

Good selling!

Anyone else remember when the Holiday Season wasn’t hectic? Actually, I think it has always been hectic, but hectic in different ways. Everyone is drawn between professional, personal, and social responsibilities, not to speak of holiday shopping. How do you shop and still have time to enjoy gift giving?

For me, this is where the internet comes into the picture. We travel for a couple of weeks in late December seeing family, and we simply don’t have time to shop from store to store, and then haul the gifts 800 miles. A trailer would be needed – we have grandkids! The Internet provides me what I need.

• The internet is convenient, and saves me time.
• I can go to a number of virtual stores to find exactly what I want to buy from the comfort of my home or office.
• I can compare prices.
• Merchants ship the gifts to the proper location.

There are two morals to this story, and one may not be what you expect.

1. Make it easy for your customers to do business with you. Examine the ways you are a vendor of choice, and write them down. At the same time, ask yourself, “How can I provide even better quality to my customers, and continue to make it easier?” Going through this exercise and writing down the answers helps to crystallize your thoughts and turn them into action.
2. Ease, (like price), is not the only factor that determines customer and client behavior. Believe it or not, many people like the experience of shopping the day after Thanksgiving, to the point of staying out all night in line to be among the first to shop. Do not discount the experience you provide. People still buy based on feeling and emotions, and the experience you create is a big factor in determining your sales success. Over the holidays, give yourself the gift of spending some time working on your business to create a bigger vision for 2008.

Happy Holidays - and good selling!

This morning I received an email from a long-term sales coaching client. He is in his mid thirties and has built a wonderful financial advisory business. His is client-service and long-term focused. Here is a portion of his message:

“Good morning, just got to work to catch up on some things. I checked the 15th pay run and the office is at $607,000 in gross commissions YTD!!! Last year we hit $505,000. I couldn’t have ever hit those numbers without your mentorship….I’m thankful for you.”

———————————–

What follows is my response, which I believe is appropriate for any salesperson, or for that matter, any business.

———————————–

Congratulations! You are a star because of your willingness to learn from many people, and there are many who have helped you down the path. But at the end of the day you were the one who had to do the work, so you can take satisfaction in the fact that YOU are the one ultimately responsible. The chef uses ingredients from a variety of sources that were not a result of his or her own work. However, without the chef, it is just stuff. Because you choose humility, it makes your work special, as you have acknowledged others and because your clients come first.

This is the trap. When you look at the commissions it would be easy to become absorbed in “look at what I did.” Take a look at the $600K and then look at the sales blotter for the year. Spend an hour looking at each transaction and ask yourself, ‘How did this benefit this client, their family, and their business?” Spending this hour, or however long it takes, will keep you grounded.

This is the secret. By focusing on what you do for your clients, and the benefits you provide them, it gives you the ability and the privilege to ask yourself important questions, such as:

• If I do $750,000 in commissions in 2008 (or for that matter $1,000,000; the choice on how big to dream is up to you), how many more people will I serve?
• In what ways could I provide better value and better service to my existing clients?
• What can I do to make it easier for my clients to tell my story, and thereby help them grow my business?
• Exactly how will I find more clients, and where will they come from?
• By hitting my sales number what would it mean to my family?
• What kind of opportunities can I provide them?
• How would our free time be better spent?
• What kind of vacations would we take?
• What kind of experiences would I be able to share with my children?
• How would I make certain that my wife still knows she is also my girlfriend?
• What would I do for my parents?
• What would the effect be on the charities and causes I hold close to my heart?
• How can I help my clients enjoy and discover the same types of experiences?

If you live in the questions, then you will find the answers. There is no limit on what you can accomplish, if you do it in the spirit of service above self. So my questions for you are:

• What’s next?
• Where do you go from here?
• How can I help?

Your move.

———————————–

As you enter this holiday season and plan for 2008, put together a list of questions for yourself that empower you to take the next steps to exponential growth in your business.

Happy Holidays - and Good Selling!

Technorati Tags: sales coaching

Investment Centers of America (ICA) is a broker/dealer based in Bismarck, ND. This weekend they hosted their annual Sales Assistant Conference in Minneapolis. Assistants from their branches across the country participated in workshops, heard professional speakers[/tag/, and networked with their peers to improve their skill sets. Allianz Life sponsored me as a [tag]facilitator and keynote speaker for two days of the three day conference.

This type of sales training pays off for ICA. These assistants come away with new skills and procedures to improve the marketing, client service, and administration in their branches. In addition, they have VERY low turnover. What type of training do YOU provide for those who help you sell and service your customers? I suggest a two tier system that supplements your standard training program. The second tier is a “Continuing Education Account” where you help sales assistants by paying 50% of the expenses of outside training (subject to approval; the training must help them within your business.) This system gives the sales assistant a say in selecting training, but it also require that they have some skin in the game. If an assistant does not take advantage of this opportunity to broaden their knowledge and skills…well, you need to know that as well.

Attracting and retaining talent is a perpetual challenge. By providing additional training and treating your staff as the professionals they are is a great investment in your business.

Technorati Tags: professional speakers[/tag/, and networked with their peers to improve their skill sets. Allianz Life sponsored me as a [tag]facilitator, keynote speaker, sales training, marketing, client service

It happens all the time…a company spends more time selling than servicing after the sale. Customers begin to expect vendors to over-promise and under-perform. However, there are firms that still believe that to grow a business, you service at least as passionately as you sell.

A company called eSpeakers offers a business management program for the professional speaker called EventPro. When I saw their presentation I was “wowed.” The salesperson, Debbie, promised me that eSpeaker would follow up with exceptional training. I thought, “Sure, we will see…”

Within 48 hours we received an email and follow up phone call from Kathy to schedule the training that was to be delivered over the phone, along with a computer link so we could SEE the training. Not only were the software and business system robust, but the phone and online training the absolute best I have ever experienced! The frosting on the cake is they are rolling out a new CRM system that is fully integrated with EventPro!

In my business I have used the same CRM software for about ten years (I won’t name them, but their name includes two of the first three letters of the alphabet.) Their service has deteriorated to some of the worst imaginable, and each new version seems to hatch more bugs than it fixes. I had to spend TWICE the cost of the upgrade to get one of their “Certified Consultants” to install it! To say I am excited about EventPro and my customer experience would be the understatement of the year!

What is the point? To create rabid customers that refer you to others, you must 1) be technically competent, 2) keep your promises, and 3) service what you sell. If this happens, your customers and clients will give you referrals, and tell everyone they know how good you are. After all…what do you think I am doing now?!

Good selling!

Technorati Tags: professional speaker

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