I was recently talking with a client of mine, Laura Betts – Owner of HyperbaricsRx (www.HyperbaricsRx.com). We were discussing how different business owners react when mentioning their competition. We agreed that these reactions vary from denying they even have competition to the rarely seen admiration. I believe the way a leader feels about their competitors is a true reflection of their integrity. Heck, even God has competition…poor guy has to go up against the Devil every day!
How do you respond when someone mentions your rivalry? Do you immediately dismiss their presence; or, do you find yourself defensive? Is your response quick and negative; or, respectful of their contributions to the marketplace? However you find yourself reacting, I guarantee it is being evaluated, judged and filed away in the memory of others.
I am not quite sure why more leaders choose an adverse attitude toward those who offer the same services. I can only think it stems from jealously and lack of self-confidence. Yet, we all have competition. And, if you use it correctly it can only enhance your status within your industry.
Take a moment and think about your top three competitors. Consider these questions:
What is one thing I do better than they do?
What is one thing they do better than me and how can I learn from it?
How can I replicate their best practices?
In order to be competitive today, you need to know your competitors. But, you do not need to belittle, degrade or be disrespectful of their offerings. Doing this is like taking out a mirror and seeing an ugly reflection.
Want to really compete? Be better than the other guy, offer greater value, exceed expectations, respond quicker, build loyalty and treat every customer like your only customer.
I bet this is just what God does.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Furthering Oprah’s Cause
I am sure many of you know of Oprah Winfrey’s mission to stop texting and driving. She seems to be single-handedly changing the habit of many Americans. As I support her efforts, I would like help further her cause and add: Stop Texting and Talking!
For so many years we have grown to pride ourselves on multi-tasking. In fact, it is often a skill set employers look for when hiring. Yet, we rarely search to employ someone that is a terrific listener and has the ability to stay present throughout an entire conversation.
Think about it…how many times do you allow yourself to be interrupted to see who is beeping on your phone? When was the last time you sat through an entire meeting and never looked at your blackberry? What about the last phone call you needed the caller to repeat what they were saying because you were busy finishing off a text message?
What about those kids today? I am frankly appalled at the number of parents that allow phones at the dinner table. Or, walk through a mall, grocery store or even Disney World with their son or daughter tailing behind because they can’t stop checking messages. Get into a car full of teens and you will experience silence. Each one of them will either have plugs in their ears or be completely absorbed reading the latest Facebook posting.
For the next 48 hours don’t just stop texting and driving…stop texting completely when you are in the presence of another human being! Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by the beeping or flashing of that small communication tool that is starting to take over your life. And, ask those around you to do the same. Try these behaviors instead:
• Leave your phone in your bag, pocket or room.
• Turn off the sound – no vibrating either!
• Take the time to actually look at people when they speak.
• Acknowledge others with a smile.
• Listen to the words they say and respond accordingly.
Together we can support Oprah’s cause and promise no texting while driving. We can then make a further commitment to live a life of personal interaction by staying present in each moment that we have with one another.
Please join me in my effort to bring back a society that places value on social interaction not just social media!
For so many years we have grown to pride ourselves on multi-tasking. In fact, it is often a skill set employers look for when hiring. Yet, we rarely search to employ someone that is a terrific listener and has the ability to stay present throughout an entire conversation.
Think about it…how many times do you allow yourself to be interrupted to see who is beeping on your phone? When was the last time you sat through an entire meeting and never looked at your blackberry? What about the last phone call you needed the caller to repeat what they were saying because you were busy finishing off a text message?
What about those kids today? I am frankly appalled at the number of parents that allow phones at the dinner table. Or, walk through a mall, grocery store or even Disney World with their son or daughter tailing behind because they can’t stop checking messages. Get into a car full of teens and you will experience silence. Each one of them will either have plugs in their ears or be completely absorbed reading the latest Facebook posting.
For the next 48 hours don’t just stop texting and driving…stop texting completely when you are in the presence of another human being! Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by the beeping or flashing of that small communication tool that is starting to take over your life. And, ask those around you to do the same. Try these behaviors instead:
• Leave your phone in your bag, pocket or room.
• Turn off the sound – no vibrating either!
• Take the time to actually look at people when they speak.
• Acknowledge others with a smile.
• Listen to the words they say and respond accordingly.
Together we can support Oprah’s cause and promise no texting while driving. We can then make a further commitment to live a life of personal interaction by staying present in each moment that we have with one another.
Please join me in my effort to bring back a society that places value on social interaction not just social media!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
What is Your Follow-up Process? Last of a 3 part series
If you have been following my blog, you know this is the last of three installments regarding Closing More Deals. Previous blogs covered:
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
2. What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
Today, I want to cover your follow up process by offering these suggestions:
Don’t let unanswered emails fall by the wayside.
In today’s world of electronic communication, we send emails instead of making a phone call. Our hope is the recipient will respond to it faster than calling us back. However, many times the receiver does not email back and the sender forgets about it or just lets it go. I suggest that you always send it a second time. Forward it to the recipient with an opening comment that you are concerned it was lost along the way on the first try. You will be surprised how many times you will receive a response on this second go around.
Send hand written notes whenever possible.
Again, in today’s world of electronic communication, one way to set yourself apart from your competition is to send a handwritten note. I recommend getting stationery that has your company name on the outside of the card and is blank inside along with blank envelopes. Send a thank you note after meeting with someone for the first time or after receiving your first order. Commit to sending 2-3 cards each week and do not enclose your business card. Just simply sign your name as it keeps the message personal. And hand write the envelope!
Stay in touch.
One more note about electronic communication…it is easy to stay in touch with your contacts. Take time each month to review your email address book and send out short messages that serve as a reminder of you and your company. Whether you are informing them of a new service offering or simply saying “Hello”, you will be surprised by the amount of business that can suddenly develop by staying in touch with your contact list.
As you look back over this 3 part series, please feel free to comment and share with me and my readers your tips and recommendations. We can all use new ideas and reminders of how we can build our business by Closing More Deals.
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
2. What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
Today, I want to cover your follow up process by offering these suggestions:
Don’t let unanswered emails fall by the wayside.
In today’s world of electronic communication, we send emails instead of making a phone call. Our hope is the recipient will respond to it faster than calling us back. However, many times the receiver does not email back and the sender forgets about it or just lets it go. I suggest that you always send it a second time. Forward it to the recipient with an opening comment that you are concerned it was lost along the way on the first try. You will be surprised how many times you will receive a response on this second go around.
Send hand written notes whenever possible.
Again, in today’s world of electronic communication, one way to set yourself apart from your competition is to send a handwritten note. I recommend getting stationery that has your company name on the outside of the card and is blank inside along with blank envelopes. Send a thank you note after meeting with someone for the first time or after receiving your first order. Commit to sending 2-3 cards each week and do not enclose your business card. Just simply sign your name as it keeps the message personal. And hand write the envelope!
Stay in touch.
One more note about electronic communication…it is easy to stay in touch with your contacts. Take time each month to review your email address book and send out short messages that serve as a reminder of you and your company. Whether you are informing them of a new service offering or simply saying “Hello”, you will be surprised by the amount of business that can suddenly develop by staying in touch with your contact list.
As you look back over this 3 part series, please feel free to comment and share with me and my readers your tips and recommendations. We can all use new ideas and reminders of how we can build our business by Closing More Deals.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Close More Deals – Part 2 of 3
In my last blog entitled: Close More Deals, I discussed the growing concern of business owners and sales people in closing the sale. I suggested anyone faced with this challenge ask themselves three questions:
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
2. What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
3. What is your follow up process?
I covered Question #1 in my July 9 blog. Today let me share my suggestions for the second question:
What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
At the end of every prospective sales meeting, you must give the buyer an assignment or call to action to keep them involved in the process. And, you must consider the buyer’s personality when doing so. Let me give you a few examples.
There are basically two types of buying styles: The kind that want to make a decision right away and move on; or, the individual that needs time to think about it. Let’s call them the Rabbit and the Turtle.
When dealing with the Rabbit, you need to be quick with your answers, stay on point, and ask for the sale. The Turtle, on the other hand, wants you to be thorough, allow for processing time, and not be rushed.
If I am with a Rabbit, I will try to close the deal right then by asking for it, assuming I got it, and moving to the next stage of the sale. If I were selling a product, I might say something like “Once I have your signature, I can go ahead and get all of the paperwork started, so won’t have to wait very long.”
Selling the same product to a Turtle, I would ask them if they would like time to read over the material before making a decision. In fact, I may even let them leave with it. Then I make sure I have their contact data and establish a time and date when I will be calling them to “answer any questions” they may have.
No matter what you sell: product or service, you must have some call to action to either close more deals or bring you closer to the sale.
In my next blog, I will cover #3: What is your follow up process?
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
2. What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
3. What is your follow up process?
I covered Question #1 in my July 9 blog. Today let me share my suggestions for the second question:
What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
At the end of every prospective sales meeting, you must give the buyer an assignment or call to action to keep them involved in the process. And, you must consider the buyer’s personality when doing so. Let me give you a few examples.
There are basically two types of buying styles: The kind that want to make a decision right away and move on; or, the individual that needs time to think about it. Let’s call them the Rabbit and the Turtle.
When dealing with the Rabbit, you need to be quick with your answers, stay on point, and ask for the sale. The Turtle, on the other hand, wants you to be thorough, allow for processing time, and not be rushed.
If I am with a Rabbit, I will try to close the deal right then by asking for it, assuming I got it, and moving to the next stage of the sale. If I were selling a product, I might say something like “Once I have your signature, I can go ahead and get all of the paperwork started, so won’t have to wait very long.”
Selling the same product to a Turtle, I would ask them if they would like time to read over the material before making a decision. In fact, I may even let them leave with it. Then I make sure I have their contact data and establish a time and date when I will be calling them to “answer any questions” they may have.
No matter what you sell: product or service, you must have some call to action to either close more deals or bring you closer to the sale.
In my next blog, I will cover #3: What is your follow up process?
Friday, July 9, 2010
Close More Deals
Over the past few weeks, I have had more and more conversations about the difficulty in closing business. Sales people and business owners alike have expressed concern in the lack of interest their prospect has to do business with them. They tell me the buyer just isn’t buying, the competition is too strong or indecision is running rampant.
After carefully listening to their dilemma, I ask questions like these:
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
2. What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
3. What is your follow up process?
Their answers clearly defined why they weren’t closing more deals. If you are struggling with your response to those three questions and also experiencing the challenge of building your business, let me give you some suggestions.
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
My husband was recently looking for a car for my daughter. In talking with dealers, he stated early in the conversation that price was a main factor. After speaking with a handful of sales people (and I use that term very loosely), not one asked him how much was he planning on spending. Not one!
In turning an inquiry into dollars you must pay attention to hot buttons and sell to them. This does not require negotiation skills, or the art of persuasiveness…it requires just the opposite…the ability to listen and sell to what the prospect wants to hear – not what you want to say.
Too often the person selling spends more time talking than listening. Think about the last couple of deals you lost. If we were looking at a video of the conversation, what would we see? Would you be explaining the features, benefits and the reason to buy? Or, would we observe you leading the conversation through a series of questions that uncover what is important to the buyer; and, then watch you sell to those buying signals?
I will cover Question 2 in my next blog – stay tuned.
After carefully listening to their dilemma, I ask questions like these:
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
2. What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?
3. What is your follow up process?
Their answers clearly defined why they weren’t closing more deals. If you are struggling with your response to those three questions and also experiencing the challenge of building your business, let me give you some suggestions.
1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
My husband was recently looking for a car for my daughter. In talking with dealers, he stated early in the conversation that price was a main factor. After speaking with a handful of sales people (and I use that term very loosely), not one asked him how much was he planning on spending. Not one!
In turning an inquiry into dollars you must pay attention to hot buttons and sell to them. This does not require negotiation skills, or the art of persuasiveness…it requires just the opposite…the ability to listen and sell to what the prospect wants to hear – not what you want to say.
Too often the person selling spends more time talking than listening. Think about the last couple of deals you lost. If we were looking at a video of the conversation, what would we see? Would you be explaining the features, benefits and the reason to buy? Or, would we observe you leading the conversation through a series of questions that uncover what is important to the buyer; and, then watch you sell to those buying signals?
I will cover Question 2 in my next blog – stay tuned.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Give yourself a call
Do you know what it is like to get a hold of you? Have you ever tried calling yourself at work? My guess is you haven’t in a very long time…if ever.
So when you finish reading this and have a few spare minutes, depending on the size of your company complete the following steps and then consider the questions I ask.
1. Call the main number for your business and follow the process of being transferred to your extension.
* Be aware of the number of rings it took to connect the call.
* If it is being answered by a live voice, are you proud of how their “sound and greeting” represents your company?
* If you were greeted by a recording, how easy are the menu options to follow?
Pet Peeve: Why is the most likely menu choice often the very last option? For example, when leaving a message you are taken through a series of prompts from marking it urgent, private, etc. with “send” as the last selection instead of the first. Or there are so many options, you actually have to either write them down or listen to them a second time to get it right.
2. Call your direct line.
* Again, note the number of rings and if answered by someone, did you like what you heard?
* If it went to a recording, how clear is the outgoing message and how current?
Pet Peeve: People that date their outgoing message and then don’t update it; i.e. a message that states “I will be out of the office Monday and Tuesday and back on Wednesday” is still playing on Friday. Live voices that sound miserable over the phone...why on earth does any business owner or department head allow people that have no personality be the first sound a caller hears is beyond me.
3. Call your cell phone.
* In addition to the amount of rings how was the tone of your voice during your outgoing message?
* Does the caller have enough time to leave a message or are they cut off midway?
Pet peeve: When people leave me a message and fire off their phone number so fast I have to play it back several times to get the whole thing. When leaving your number ALWAYS repeat is twice, slowly and distinctly.
Whether you are the business, own a business with people working for you or work in corporate America make sure the process of reaching you is painless and represents you in a positive manner.
So when you finish reading this and have a few spare minutes, depending on the size of your company complete the following steps and then consider the questions I ask.
1. Call the main number for your business and follow the process of being transferred to your extension.
* Be aware of the number of rings it took to connect the call.
* If it is being answered by a live voice, are you proud of how their “sound and greeting” represents your company?
* If you were greeted by a recording, how easy are the menu options to follow?
Pet Peeve: Why is the most likely menu choice often the very last option? For example, when leaving a message you are taken through a series of prompts from marking it urgent, private, etc. with “send” as the last selection instead of the first. Or there are so many options, you actually have to either write them down or listen to them a second time to get it right.
2. Call your direct line.
* Again, note the number of rings and if answered by someone, did you like what you heard?
* If it went to a recording, how clear is the outgoing message and how current?
Pet Peeve: People that date their outgoing message and then don’t update it; i.e. a message that states “I will be out of the office Monday and Tuesday and back on Wednesday” is still playing on Friday. Live voices that sound miserable over the phone...why on earth does any business owner or department head allow people that have no personality be the first sound a caller hears is beyond me.
3. Call your cell phone.
* In addition to the amount of rings how was the tone of your voice during your outgoing message?
* Does the caller have enough time to leave a message or are they cut off midway?
Pet peeve: When people leave me a message and fire off their phone number so fast I have to play it back several times to get the whole thing. When leaving your number ALWAYS repeat is twice, slowly and distinctly.
Whether you are the business, own a business with people working for you or work in corporate America make sure the process of reaching you is painless and represents you in a positive manner.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The thread that weaves through all successful people.
I was working with a group recently and we were discussing ethics and their overall impact in business. Because I have had the pleasure of helping so many organizations create and implement a culture customized by their leadership team, I believe I may have found a thread that weaves its way through all successful people.
It’s personal-pride. That’s it. Nothing more. Just personal-pride.
Let’s start with toddlers. The reaction to taking their first steps when encouraged by others drives them to pick themselves up when they fall and do it again and again.
Move on to dance or little league. A great performance or homerun can push a child to keep going for the gold.
Next comes grades in school, part time jobs, living on their own, and college degrees. Show me a young person that is proud of their accomplishments, and I will show you a level of success directly impacted by that pride.
This dedication in doing the best possible work, being the best possible person, transcends into adulthood. It turns into entrepreneurs that start with nothing and build empires, teachers that brag about students that surpass expectations and parents that raise responsible citizens who give back to their community.
It can be found daily in the workplace, whether it is a dental practice known for quality care, an art gallery focused on eliminating the intimidation of shopping for fine art or an attorney dedicated to creating a reputation of integrity and justice.
And, it is not just in business. Personal pride reveals itself in beautiful gardens, spotless kitchens, and organized closets. Behind every pristine car, immaculate landscape or a carefully chosen wardrobe you will find an owner beaming with delight.
Personal pride is accomplished by asking yourself these four questions:
1. Did I do the best job I could do?
2. Did I look my best for the situation I was in?
3. Did I treat others in the best way possible?
4. Did I leave a place better than I found it?
For the next 48 hours I challenge you to live a life of personal pride and then check to see how you feel at the end of the day. My guess is better than ever.
It’s personal-pride. That’s it. Nothing more. Just personal-pride.
Let’s start with toddlers. The reaction to taking their first steps when encouraged by others drives them to pick themselves up when they fall and do it again and again.
Move on to dance or little league. A great performance or homerun can push a child to keep going for the gold.
Next comes grades in school, part time jobs, living on their own, and college degrees. Show me a young person that is proud of their accomplishments, and I will show you a level of success directly impacted by that pride.
This dedication in doing the best possible work, being the best possible person, transcends into adulthood. It turns into entrepreneurs that start with nothing and build empires, teachers that brag about students that surpass expectations and parents that raise responsible citizens who give back to their community.
It can be found daily in the workplace, whether it is a dental practice known for quality care, an art gallery focused on eliminating the intimidation of shopping for fine art or an attorney dedicated to creating a reputation of integrity and justice.
And, it is not just in business. Personal pride reveals itself in beautiful gardens, spotless kitchens, and organized closets. Behind every pristine car, immaculate landscape or a carefully chosen wardrobe you will find an owner beaming with delight.
Personal pride is accomplished by asking yourself these four questions:
1. Did I do the best job I could do?
2. Did I look my best for the situation I was in?
3. Did I treat others in the best way possible?
4. Did I leave a place better than I found it?
For the next 48 hours I challenge you to live a life of personal pride and then check to see how you feel at the end of the day. My guess is better than ever.
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