Touch Points

A Slowdown or a Shutdown

Do you want to sell me something or not?

In this land of so called economic slowdown, I think one of the main culprits may be the apathy of retail salespeople.

My wife and I want to purchase a compact sized washer and dryer for our cottage. We’d love to put in a full sized set, but there isn’t the space. You’d think that we were lepers or something. We’re willing to spend whatever it takes to get the best we can find which is probably about $2000 but we can’t find anyone who is deserving to take our money.

We have been to 4 stores so far, 5 if you count the store that was a minute or two from closing time and the sales lady said to my wife “We’re closed.” When asked if she could answer a quick question the sales lady said, “What about?” “Compact washers and dryers.” “No” she said and SHOOED my wife out the door. Whenever we mention that we need a compact set, the look of abject disappointment from every sales rep is palpable. Not one of them has questioned us about why, about our requirements, the reasoning behind our motivation or anything at all.

We have been the recipients of the half-hearted, “They’re over there.” Or when led to the machines on display, “Here they are, I guess they work okay.” No product knowledge, no evidence of anything resembling a pulse from any sales person.

What gives?

We feel like we’ve been shutdown by these salespeople but I’ll be damned if I’m going to reward some lazy ass slob with the commission on $2000. I can’t be the only person in the world who feels this.

So, if you are in the retail business and you catch yourself or one of your sales staff treating customers with the kind of apathy we’ve been treated to, slap yourself (or because I’m not condoning violence, figuratively speaking, your staff) and stop complaining about how bad business is. If you can’t shake yourself or your staff out of this funk, there is a remedy in the name of Steve Clark of New School Selling. He writes: “During the economic boom of the nineties, business was easy and few salespeople were really “put to the test.” Because the nineties were one of the most prosperous decades in our history most salespeople that have less than ten years experience have never experienced selling in a recession.”

You have a great opportunity ahead of you, go ahead and grasp it simply by showing you care.

Cheers

Steve

Good Ole Vess

One of the most interesting characters you’re ever likely to meet at Wizard Academy in Austin Texas is Vess Barnes. He was the one who once drove his old Corvette from his home in Amarillo Texas to Austin for a class and encountered a few problems on the drive down, so on a break from class Vess disappears for a couple of hours. He shows up later with a brand new ‘Vette, kind of a spur of the moment thing. He later told me that within two months he had to replace all the tires due to excessive wear. He likes to go fast, very fast! Vess Barnes says hello.

Just Imagine The Savings! Specificity is a Good Thing.

In our part of the world, the water is hard with lots of minerals so water softeners are commonly found in houses. They cost a couple of hundred bucks, sit in the basement, every couple of months you fill them with salt and mostly you forget about them. The only reason you remember to fill the salt barrel is because the drinking glasses start coming out of the dishwasher spotted and dirty. I tell you this to give you some background on an ad that I heard on the radio that really got me thinking.

The guy in the ad started explaining their new water softening system doesn’t use electricity to soften the water, it’s just a flow through system yada, yada, yada. Then he says, "JUST IMAGINE THE SAVINGS." I about fell off my chair.

Wow! Could I save enough to take my family on that long dreamed of Mediterranean cruise? Or maybe pay off my new car? Or maybe I could save enough to pay for a building to be built in my name at the Wizard Academy. I’m getting really excited now! What could I save from this guy’s water softener?

I asked my wife, "How much do we pay for our water softener?"

She replies, "I don’t know, we own it."

"So how much do you think it might cost us to run it?"

"Not a clue," came her answer.

As much as the guy in the ad thinks it might be easy for anyone to imagine, in fact, it’s rather difficult. I can’t even imagine a time when I would normally care enough to do the math, but this guy’s got me all revved up. Just imagine the savings!

Maybe I can retire the mortgage on my house, or buy an island in the Caribbean to spend my winters. Maybe

I still don’t know what the savings could be and I’ve been thinking about it for days now.

If you’re writing advertising, BE SPECIFIC! It’s more persuasive than generalities. "Just imagine the savings" is a generality that when it comes to advertising means squat.

He could have said, "Every day, my water softener will save you enough money to buy a cup of coffee and there might even be enough for a cup for your spouse too." I might have felt it was worth it and it probably would have kept my expectations in check, although a new Porsche still sounds pretty darn good.

Cheers

Steve

Good Things Come To Brands That Give

More from the “Giving is becoming Cool” files. SR by Kenneth Hein Brandweek - March 19, 2007 In Kenya , Coca-Cola is helping teach children how to test drinking water for contamination. The company also is providing water-purification systems for some of the country's most poverty-stricken areas. In India , Starbucks is addressing sanitation-related health problems by donating $1 million to WaterAid. On World Water Day (March 22), Coca-Cola and Starbucks took the opportunity to illustrate the good they are doing for the 1.1 billion people who lack access to clean drinking water. Such efforts are applauded not only from a humanitarian standpoint, but also from a branding perspective. Sixty percent of U.S. adults over the age of 18 said "knowing a company is mindful of its impact on the environment and society makes me more likely to buy their products and services," according to findings in the Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability (LOHAS) Consumer Trends Database released this week by the Natural Marketing Institute, Harleysville, Pa. The company surveyed 2,000 adults via the Web to gauge their perceptions of how companies are dealing with social and environmental issues as well as how those perceptions impact their buying decisions. Fifty-seven percent of consumers said they feel more loyal to companies that are socially responsible and about half (52%) said they were more likely to talk to their friends and families about such mindful corporations. More than a third (38%) said they'd be willing to pay extra for products produced by socially responsible companies and 35% said they were more likely to buy stock in such corporations. "Consumers are more likely to be brand loyal and less likely to be price sensitive," said Steve French, managing partner at the Natural Marketing Institute, which was founded in 1990. Despite that, the study found that many companies who do good, do a bad job of promoting the fact. "There's a big disconnect between what companies are doing and what consumer perceptions are," said French. The NMI combined its findings with investment analyst rankings, provided by KLD, Boston , to create the inaugural LOHAS Index of top 50 companies that are both socially responsible and do a good job communicating it. Of the companies they were familiar with, 50% of consumers surveyed weren't aware of their social or environmental practices. Wal-Mart fared the worst as 62% of respondents were unaware of its recent green initiatives. The mass retailer, which came in at No. 40, has done a poor job touting its green efforts while also battling past workplace diversity and human rights issues, said French. Microsoft topped the rankings, thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's efforts to enhance healthcare and reduce poverty. No. 4 was McDonald's. Said global CMO Mary Dillon: "We have a long history of social responsibility. It's part of our corporate DNA." The index divides the top companies into three tiers. At No. 15, Target rounds out the first tier of companies. The second begins with Ford at No. 16 and ends with Avon at No 29. Dell, which ranked No. 18, could do better in terms of creating more environmentally friendly products, said French. General Electric (No. 25), despite its green-tinged "Ecomagination" campaign, is suffering the ills of its environmental legacy—like the "issue they had with PCBs in the Hudson River ," said French. No. 39 Intel, meanwhile, "has the right elements for a corporate responsibility story; the challenge is to relate it in some sort of meaningful fashion."

What's My Fork?

Baby Crying Behind You on a Jet? Turn a Negative into a Positive
I like this fellow’s choice of attitude. S.R. Written by David J. Pollay   The plane was full. My seat was 22C. To my surprise there was no one beside me and no one behind me. I felt like I had won the lottery of seating charts. You know the feeling. You can spread out. You can recline without bothering anyone. You can even use two tray tables! I was flying to Chicago to run a workshop. I needed to concentrate on editing my presentation. The peace and quiet would be great. The flight attendants were getting ready to close the doors when I started working. And then it happened. I heard a flight attendant say, “You’re in 23C.” And just as I looked up I heard the increasingly loud sound of a baby crying. An upset baby girl and her mother were coming my way. Right behind me was the seat 23C. Five minutes later the baby’s cry turned into a wail and her little legs were kicking my seat. I couldn't work with such distraction. There were no answers to my questions: “Why does the little girl have to kick my seat? Isn’t there a way to stop the baby from crying? And why of all places on the plane do they have to sit right behind me!?” I started searching for what I could say, or what I should do. There was nowhere for me to go. When Your Road Turns Negative Create a Fork in the Path Then I smiled. I realized I actually had a choice. I could either see the situation as a dead-end negative, or I could see the situation in another way. I could find another road out and take it. And I did. In that moment I found another way to look at the situation. I now call it “my fork.” I thought of my own children. I started laughing thinking that Eliana, 4, and Ariela, 3, had done their share of crying and seat kicking in airplanes, as hard as we tried to stop it! So I turned the baby’s crying and seat-kicking into a reminder that I have two wonderful little girls of my own. Each time the little girl cried or kicked my seat, I felt grateful for my two girls. Sure I would have preferred the flight to be quieter, but guess what? I was able to work because I became quieter inside. I replaced the negative emotion I was feeling with gratitude for my own children. Psychologist Barbara Frederickson at the University of North Carolina observed how inducing positive emotions in people following a negative experience loosens the vice grip that the negative event holds psychologically. She also found that people bounced back faster physiologically — their cardiovascular activity slowed. When we landed in Chicago I stood up and turned to look at the mother and her child. She smiled a little nervously at me and started to apologize for her daughter’s crying. I stopped her. I pulled my wallet out of my pocket, opened it, and handed it to her. I pointed to the picture of my two little red-headed daughters. I said, “These are my little girls. They’re wonderful. And they cry too. Your daughter is beautiful. Congratulations.” She smiled and said thank you. I smiled and left the plane feeling good (something I wouldn't have thought possible after the crying began). So the next time a situation seems to be a frustrating dead-end, ask yourself, “What’s my fork?” There’s almost always another road you can take.   David J. Pollay is an internationally sought-after speaker and teacher, a syndicated columnist, and is the founder and president of The Momentum Project. Mr. Pollay holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an Economics Degree from Yale University. E-mail him your thoughts and stories at david@themomentumproject.com.

Indifference- The Killer of Business

From the book “How To Talk To Customers,” according to a study conducted by the Rockefeller Corporation of Pittsburgh . They asked 450 business executives to identify the most common reasons why a customer stopped doing business with them. -            Death    - 1 percent -            A move or relocation - 2 percent -            A relationship with a salesperson - 4 percent -            Price and other relevant costs - 11 percent -            Dissatisfaction with the product - 14 percent -            Attitude of indifference from someone representing the company - 68 percent Does that attitude of indifference ever creep into your workplace? If it does, you’re losing customers because of it. I was gobsmacked when I saw that figure. Almost 70 percent of business is lost because of a lack of interest being exhibited by someone. Wow! Time to do something about it. Immediately! How To Talk To Customers by Dianne Berenbaum and Tom Larkin presents a systematic approach to dealing with customers with empathy, honesty and integrity. If everyone used their system, this world would be a much more pleasant place.

Take the Bite Out of the Fight

7 steps to resolve workplace conflicts
Workplace conflict is one of the most debilitating and demoralizing occurrences around the office. It zaps so much energy from the participants and sucks the life out of their co-workers as well. "The Customer Communicator" suggests the following seven-step process for stopping conflict in its tracks: 1. Deal with the conflict promptly. Whether it's a mountain or a molehill, all work-related conflicts must be dealt with right away or your molehill may grow into a mountain. 2. Arrange to discuss the conflict in a private, neutral place. 3. Speak calmly and politely. Focus on the situation and facts and avoid personal attacks. 4. Watch your body language. Be careful not to express hostility in your posture or expressions. 5. Use your active listening skills to be sure you understand the other person's position. 6. Offer suggestions. Just as you would offer a customer several options for resolving a problem with your company, offer your coworker several options for resolving the conflict. 7. Finally, if people are unable to resolve a workplace conflict on their own. It's time to seek advice and counsel from a supervisor or manager. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s often the mediation abilities of the manager or supervisor and the outside, unbiased view of the situation they can provide that gets you over the hump and back on the right track.

5 Ways to Expand Your Horizons

1. Break free from routine. If you have performed a task for any length of time, it is bound to become stale. Find a different way to do it. For example, if you drive to work the same route every day, vary it and make a list of 5 new things you don’t see on your usual trek.

2. Read more good books. If you usually read mysteries, then change genres and read biographies, or if you usually read non-fiction then switch to historical fiction. Allow your imagination to be taken to new places with great books.

3. Smash the comfort zone. Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations that stretch your thinking will help you grow. If you usually go to movies for entertainment, take in an opera and if you find it uncomfortable, analyze why you feel that way and what others enjoy about it.

4. Volunteer to help someone less fortunate than you. Whether you help out at a soup kitchen, knit woollen mittens or join a service club, helping others will pay you back in countless ways.

5. Challenge stereotypes. Stereotypical prejudices form in all of us whether we like it or not. What stereotype has developed in your life that you can challenge? Is there a person you deal with on a regular basis who you have not given the benefit of your broadened perspective to? Re-evaluate all of your personal interactions to see where you can understand more of what they live with.

Cheers

Steve

Earning Respect; Allowing a person to save face will always help you earn it.

I just sat through an excruciating meeting. Not because it was long or boring but because of the actions of one of the participants. During the meeting this business manager ripped into one of his staff while that person was in attendance and in front of everyone else at the meeting. Not only was the staff member clearly upset by the reprimand (earned or not), but she was also incredibly embarrassed at the public flailing. She had no where to hide with no opportunity to save face and her discomfort derailed the productivity of the rest of the meeting. Plus it undermined her position of authority in the eyes of the rest of the meeting participants. If you find yourself in the position of handing out reprimands, show some sensitivity, do it privately. Not only will your staff member appreciate it, but you will earn their respect and your clients won't think you're such a pompous ass. cheers Steve

How To Write More Powerful Ads (and letters, brochures or just about anything you write)

Clay Campbell wrote in his Canadian Small Business post Unrealistic Expectations, that it’s "what the ad says, that determines the success of the campaign." Here’s a simple technique that you can use to improve your writing. It applies to ad copy, but also to letters and brochures as well as anything you write.

Ask your client to describe how people use their product or service. Write down all the verbs they use in their descriptions. Then using your imagination, a thesaurus or a dictionary, substitute the verbs with more powerful ones. You now possess a list of exciting and engaging verbs with which to craft your ads. For letters or brochures, after writing the first draft, pick out the verbs and apply the same technique.

You’ll discover very quickly that instead of laying flat, your writing will start to jump off the page with it’s own energy and verve.

Cheers

Steve