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

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.

Coffee as a Sales Tool; how increased caffeine levels can help the persuasion process

In the old days of selling, it used to be the martini that a sales rep would employ to loosen the tongue of the prospective client, but today’s martini seems to be a good old cup of Joe.

Researchers from the University of Queensland conducted a study (read more here) published in 2005 that shows people are more easily persuaded away from their previously held views when they have consumed more caffeine. And it seems to be better mental function than better mood that actually eases persuasion. So bring on the coffee and let’s have more productive sales.

What a great argument for holding more sales calls at Starbucks.

Cheers

Steve

Thoughts Are Things, when we are thinking bad thoughts about our customers, somehow they know it.

A client I was consulting once said to me: "Thoughts are things. When we are thinking bad thoughts about customers, somehow they know it." He was describing a staff member who viewed the customer as an interruption of her day. Even though she was outwardly pleasant to the customers, many of them then reacted in a negative manner to her and she never knew why.

It started innocently enough for her. When she was working on something else and the customer would open the door, she would audibly sigh, not loud enough for the customer to hear but just a little display of exasperation. She would then

Are You Taking Your Customers For Granted?

This is an article by Dr. John Self

A too common assumption made in the service industry is that your customers will want to come back after visiting once. In other words, you're assuming that they will be repeat customers. This is a dangerous and risky assumption.

I remember vividly when I was with a national restaurant chain. I had a typical just-open-it-and-they- will-come mentality. We were busy most days and evenings, but especially Friday and Saturday evenings, when a long wait was virtually guaranteed. I just knew that people were always going to want to wait to eat at the restaurant. It was inevitable. Of course customers would be there. Why wouldn't they?

Little did I know that same....

Positive Attitude Review Exercises

Want your reps to improve their service attitude? David Freemantle, author of The Buzz, a book on "little things that make a big difference in custome service," offers these end-of-day review practices.

• "At the end of every day, spend five minutes with your colleagues and share stories about how each of you has cared for customers in the last 24 hours."
• "Sit down for five minutes or so every evening to reflect on the positive choices you make at work that day. List them if it helps, and revie them with your teammates the next morning."
• "Be curious about things you don't know and don't understand. Ask 10 new questions every day and put the answers to good use."

Contact: David Freemantle, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, www.nbrealey-books.com

This is from the ICSA Fun Facts website http://www.icsa.com/news/FunFacts.cfm as is this tidbit:

What Demotivates Service Staff

There are a number of ways in which you can demotivate your customer service staff without even realizing it, says Peggy Morrow, author of Customer Service: How to Do It Right! (Southern Mountain Press). They include:

• Rewarding the wrong things. For instance, when you say you want behavior that pleases customers, yet give promotions and bonuses to those who push through the greatest number of customers regardless of service.
• Signaling right and turning left. That is, when you say you want to put the customer first and then create workplace rules and procedures that make it difficult to follow precept.
• Implementing unnecessary rules, processes, and procedures. In general, when a service rep doesn't understand why a rule is in place, it will get in the way of good service to customers.
• Introducing constant change. If there's constant downsizing, reorganization, or reengineering, reps will quickly turn off their discretionary effort and begin to deliver the minimum performance to do their jobs.

Contact: Peggy Morrow, Peggy Morrow & Associates, www.peggymorrow.com

It's Always Something

Michele Miller of "Wonder Branding" blog fame: writes this excellent article about the idiocy of making assumptions.

"I've done everything possible to create good relationships with my female clients," a doctor announced to me during a recent seminar, with just a hint of smugness.  "I've decorated my office with soothing colors and have a fountain in the waiting room to ease any nervousness.  There are a variety of magazines on the coffee table that appeal to different personalities... I even have a cappucino corner where patients can make themselves a beverage.  I've covered all the bases - there's nothing left."

I let his statement hang like Air Jordan for a few ticks of the clock, then asked him,

"How long do your patients have to wait in the waiting room before they're escorted in to see you?"

It was like hitting him with a two-by-four.  One of the most important aspects of the patient experience, yet he was so far inside the bottle he couldn't see it.  How much simpler it would have been to focus on the biggest complaint that most patients have these days - interminable waits without explanation - instead of interior decorating or refreshments.

When approaching the topic of marketing to women, stop thinking feminine.  Instead, focus on the logical:

1.  Use that bad rap to your advantage.  Nearly every business category or industry suffers from some kind of stigma.  What is the biggest complaint about your colleagues?  Find it, then fix it.  There's a reason for all of those lawyer jokes - wouldn't it be refreshing to find an attorney who gives it to you straight and treats you with respect?  Many companies have customer service departments - do you really have to be put on hold for more than 30 minutes?

2.  Put up or shut up.  Sometimes, boasting about what you do for female consumers is meaningless if you're not focused on what the customer wants or needs.  It's like Mike Vrabel doing a victory dance in the end zone without actually making a touchdown.  Sure, Best Buy is testing female-oriented and concept stores but what if, as Peter says, there are 35 people standing in line with only two flustered clerks at checkout?  Sorry fellas... saving time beats nice carpeting any day.

3.  You don't have to be a mind reader.  Your loyal customers are there for a reason, and it isn't just to give you their hard-earned money.  There's a reason they do business with you... and they'll like you even more if you ask their opinion.  No business is perfect; there's always room for improvement.  Brain configuration and heightened sensory awareness help women notice the finest of details - their suggestion of a subtle change in the way you do business can mean the difference between ordinary profit and miraculous growth.

Get your head out... of the bottle.  What is one thing you can do, today, to enhance the customer experience and get people talking?

"A Pro."

This article is from Wizard of Ads Partner Tim Miles on his blog "some Sound Thinking." He captured the essence this interview with Morgan Freeman beautifully and I share it with you here and now:

Arrived wired in Marion, Illinois, last night at around 11:00pm ... here to give two one-day workshops ... back in the land where I cut my teeth in this business.

Couldn't sleep so I flipped on PBS and caught Morgan Freeman being interviewed by Charlie Rose, and they were talking about how damned difficult it was to make it as an actor.  It particularly caught my interest because an old friend - the son of another old (and really dear) friend - has finally reached his tipping point in the business after eight years of hard work.  You may have seen Ben Falcone as Howard, the odd neighbor, on NBC's Joey.  He's also in a new Bud Light spot, playing a football referee, that features Leon.

Rose was asking Freeman about lessons learned in his early years of struggle.  He told a story about finally getting a break and being cast in a Broadway production of "Hello, Dolly!" starring Pearl Bailey.  Rose asked him what Bailey was like.

"A Pro," Freeman said simply, and Rose pushed him to elaborate.

Then he told a story of how, at curtain call, after the cast took their bows, Bailey would playfully bring a few members of the audience up on stage and have her fun with them for a while.

Each audience ... eight shows a week ... week after week.

Freeman said his fellow cast members grew frustrated and snippy:  "We've already done our job.  We worked hard and did what we were paid to do.  We don't want to stand out here and mess around with the audience.  We've done our job. "

And Freeman just thought to himself, "You're going to be unemployed again in about six weeks, and you're complaining?  Ms. Bailey never has to work again, doesn't need to work now, but she's doing something extra - something unexpected - every damn night.  Eight shows a week she reaches through and does that something extra."

"A Pro," he said again quietly.

Are you giving something extra?  Freely offering some additional delight factor to those who pay you for your talents?  Leaving them with something they'll never forget ... and tell all their friends about?

Or are you simply doing your job?

A Simple Greeting That Will Increase Retail Sales Today!

From The E-MYTH Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

www.e-myth.com

 

In Fact some of the more powerful Innovations have required little more than a change of a few words, a gesture, a color of clothing.

For example, what does the salesperson in a retail store invariably say tothe incoming customer? He says, "May I help you?" Have you heard that one before?

And how does the customer invariably respond? He says, "No thanks, just looking." Have you ever said that one before?

Of course you have!

In fact, it’s a universal phenomenon...