Thoughtful Thursdays - Is it okay to ask for more?

The other week I happened to catch a  few minutes of the 1948 version of Oliver Twist, enough to see the famous "Please sir, I want some more" scene.

At the risk of being perceived as unsympathetic to the grim situation Oliver found himself in, let me make myself clear that there is absolutely no disrespect intended.

It starts out innocently - a small revision here or a payment extension there. Some call it scope creep. We are happy to do the favour as it seems harmless enough and what the heck, it keeps the customer happy. You bet it does, wouldn't you be happy getting more for less?

Before you know it the requests become more frequent and the favours larger. By that time it can be too late. The concessions you have made in the past have gone unnoticed and the customer now expects that as routine behaviour.

Be like the brave Oliver Twist - it is your turn to ask for more. More respect for the way you conduct business. More dollars for the additional value you bring every day.

Go the extra mile and do the favours, but make sure your customer knows what you are doing. Sometimes it is advisable to toot your own horn if it gets you the right kind of attention.

Be mindful and respect your time and your customers will too.

Good selling,

Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Tipping the sales scale in your favour

Last week I talked about about levelling an uneven playing field. Today's thoughts are on tipping the scales and creating the uneven field that works in your favour.

The list of examples from last week's post about levelling the the playing field is a good place to start when thinking about ways to secure and maintain your advantage. Most speak to value beyond what the products and/or services offer to your customer.

In today's competitive marketplace one is constantly challenged to find ways of bringing additional value to the customer. When discussing the subject with my clients I ask them to put themselves in the shoes of the customer and think about what characteristics they appreciate in a supplier - what would tip the scales in the favour of one supplier versus another?

• Bringing new business to your customer
• Knowing your customers' customer wants and needs
• Being knowledgeable about the industry your customer participates in
• Offering to help your customer in all facets of their business - sharing best practices

Taking off the selling hat and wearing the customer hat can be good exercise for identifying ways to tip the scales in your favour.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Social media and customer service

Do you know what is being said about you online? I had an experience last week that I felt needed to be addressed and did not know exactly how to reach the right person - the who would care and be in a position to take action.

I have heard and read of several instances where people have been at their wits end when it comes to customer service only to be rewarded by using social media a the venue to express their dissatisfaction.

I am not sure of the numbers,but am inclined to believe that most large firms are tracking what is being said about their companies online. It makes good sense to to do it and better sense to have a team in place to address the complaints as they come up. We all know how fast news of a bad experience can travel, but do we really understand the sheer volume of people it can reach so quickly.

I had the good fortune to attend the home opening game of the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. In past seasons there was a team of ushers in place at each entrance to the arena seats. In  many cases the teams had been in place for years and knew the regulars my face if not by name as well. Part of their function is to keep people from entering the arena area while play is going on and guiding them to their seats if they do not know where they are located. They would also know if people were in the incorrect seats and quickly rectify the situation.

For what ever reason, this particular evening, their did not seem to be anyone in charge of the entrance. There was an usher present, but the level of service offered was obviously lacking. It was only a matter if time before people were entering the seating area while play was going on and adding to the congestion, they did not know where they were going. The long and short of was that people had to stand while other were finding their seats and in on instance, seats were already occupied. The end result is that sight lines are blocked for unreasonable lengths of time, making for a less than enjoyable experience.

I decided to voice my disatisfaction on a social media venue using the appropriate has tags and wondered if anything wouldcome of it. Two days later I recevied an email asking for some clarificaiton about my experience.

Here is the end result:
"... The manager of event personnel will actually be sharing your case at our ushers’ pre-shift meeting on Saturday and it will be a teaching point for our entire team about maintaining a winning experience for our fans going forward..."

As a customer, I am pleased with the outcome. As a sales professional I am encouraged to know that responsive customer service remains important.

Social media is one way you might be able to access the people you need to, if you use the right approach.

Putting the show on the other foot, is also a way for your customers to access you.
Good selling
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - The unhappy customer

You have probably found yourself in the unfortunate position of being the unhappy customer from time to time. If the degree of dissatisfaction was high enough you probably asked your supplier to resolve the situation. Do you recall how you were taken care of? If you are still dealing with that business, the resolution must have been more than satisfactory.

If you are still purchasing from that same supplier, they are to be congratulated for retaining your business.

Thinking back to that situation, how did your supplier react? If you put the show on the other foot, would you be as successful resolving the situation when one of your customers is not happy with you?

Here are a few tips that may be helpful when you encounter an unhappy customer.

1. Listen to them and be interested in what they are saying.
2. Do not interrupt, let them say what is on there mind.
3. Be sure they are finished before you respond.
4. Be empathetic, recall how you felt when you were the unhappy customer.
5. Do not take a defensive position when responding.
6. Try to quantify their loss.
7. Understand their position, and ask how the situation might be rectified.
8. Worth repeating is to listen and not interrupt.

Do not fear the unhappy customer. View it as an opportunity to review your processes with the end result being better service for all your customers. Be sure they know that as a result of bringing the situation to light, all your customers will benefit.

The unhappy customer is not the end of the world and does not mean you will loose them. In fact, depending on the way you handle the situation it might solidify your relationship with them.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - It's all about helping

Dealing with an unhappy customer is something every sales person will face from time to time and can bring feelings of apprehension to the most seasoned professional.
Lets face it, eventually something will go wrong and just as you are well prepared to address objections to sales, you will do well to be mindful of times when all does not go to plan.
Fears can develop when we begin to think about worst case scenarios. Not that it is not a good idea to be mindful of the worst that might happen, but don't put yourself there until all the facts are gathered. Arthur Conan Doyle said: "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Sensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

The fact is that your customer is unhappy and it is your responsibility to find out why. It is an opportunity to help someone who is in need of your assistance. Think in terms of helping and the task will become easier to accomplish. Employ your best sales tactics - listen and learn before offering any solutions. Be prepared to listen for quite a while as well.

One more suggestion: Contact your customer in real time. That means in person or by telephone, not email or similar. Personal service is the order of the day.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Damage control

Once in a while best laid plans go off the rails. In a worst case scenario the reputation of your business can be damaged and image re-building is the order of the day.

A recent group discussion based on an Moneyville article brought to light a situation where a business appears to be experiencing a loss of customer confidence.

Without knowing all the details, it looks like a promotion may not have considered the possibility of success beyond expectations, and as a result there are unhappy customers.

Today's thought focuses on how one might initiate damage control when something like this happens.

Although it may seem to be a good time to panic, don't. Many companies have experienced similar consequences of actions and survived to talk about it. In several cases they have come out of these situations with stronger customer confidence.

Being honest with your customer is the common theme in turning bad into good. Do your homework, assess the situation and tell them how you plan to fix it. Clearly communicate the action plan to your employees and then tell your customers. Don't keep anyone guessing. The success of repairing any damage will rest on the precise execution of the plan, so be involved and measure the results. Talk to your customers, be prepared to listen and show that you care.

Next week - how to avoid getting into this kind of situation.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Oh look, another shiny coin...

I agree with what Mark Evans recently wrote in the Toronto Globe and Mail about turning down work if you cannot deliver. He talked from personal experience and suggested that by being selective in the work you take on, it will allow you to focus on what you do best.

New businesses are often so eager to achieve sales they will take on almost anything, even if it takes them outside the scope of the original business plan. Not that this is bad, but you need to be aware of possible consequences. In many cases new business owners must do this to make ends meet.

Chasing all the shiny coins can dilute your product or service offering to the point where your business is no longer the best at anything. A Jack of all trades is not necessarily a bad position, but consider this. Will your business be more successful doing many things just okay or one or two things incredibly well?

This will also relate to the profitability of your enterprise. The 'sell to anybody' businesses normally operate at lower margins an in a more competitive market place than the specialized, targeted shops. Both options can be successful. 

If you are operating a small business, can you afford to be everything to everybody. Going back to Mark Evans article, it is often a better choice to be selective, take on what you know and excel at it. By focusing on what you do best it puts you in a stronger position to accept or decline business outside the scope of your normal offering and keeps you in control. You can choose to add to your business when the time is right for your business.

It is acceptable say no.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Is it getting warm in here?

When everything is running well, customer/supplier relationships are realtively easy to grow and maintain. After all, you are likely meeting or exceeding customer expectations, and getting paid almost on time.

In these halcyon days, what are you doing to insure the relationship will continue to flourish?  Perhaps there are customer events to attend, you probably check in frequently to see if there is anything you can take care of such as taking the next order or reporting on project or inventory status. It is all good... for now.

A few other things you might want to consider doing, there is no better time to grow and maintain your internal customer relationships. Your internal customers include your suppliers, staff and everyone else who has contributed to the high level of customer satisfaction you have achieved, because it is only a matter of time before something happens and your customer begins to turn up the wick and the equilibrium you and your team have worked so hard to attain will be upset

Run a few 'what if' scenarios to test your abilities to resolve concerns before they become issues. An important key to resolving issues is the ability to address them quickly. In order to do this, everyone on the team must be in sync and strong relationships help achieve this.

So don't get caught taking things for granted or resting on your laurels, pay attention to your internal customers and suppliers so when the heat begins to crank up and you need everyone to stay in the kitchen, they will.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - If you don't mean it, then don't say it.

You have probably shopped at one of the large chain stores and while checking out been politely asked: "Did you find everything you were looking for?"

Last week in that very situation my answer was "No I did not."

My expectations were running high that day and I eagerly awaited a response... "That will be $10.10 please"

We know what happened to the first question. They have to ask because it is company policy and if they get caught not asking, a disciplinary meeting may result. It is company policy because the ones in the know feel it serves their customers better by asking this question, and it most certainly will if the person asking the question really cares and is able to do something about it. Does anyone even measure the responses to the question?

What would happen if they responded by asking me what it was I couldn't find? May I take you contact information and let you know when we do have it? What would happen is the check out line would get longer and sales throughput might suffer, not to mention the number of disgruntled customers would increase due to the slow check out line.  Also not good, so what is the answer to this dilemma?

I do realize that it is impossible to please everyone and that all good business owners do their best to have as many happy customers as possible. If you are not measuring the results of your business activities, whatever they may be, that may be a good reason to stop doing it.

In the case of "Did you find everything you were looking for?" if you are not able to act, or if it might be perceived insincere as a result of inaction, then don't do it. It may cause more damage to your business than the good intent it was born from.

Do not promise what you can not deliver.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - Did you find everything you were looking for?

I was at a store early this morning and as expected was able to get what I needed and proceeded to the check out. When I walked in I noticed there was a staff team meeting going on, yay! They might be listening to the customers after all.

There was only one oversight, none of the check out lines were open. The self-serve was available, but no one in sight there either. I am not a fan of self serve check out, but as there were no options and I did not want to wait for the meeting to adjourn I did it. Luckily there were no hitches and away I went.

I found almost everything I was looking for today, everything but a customer service representative.

It is good to have the morning staff sessions to set the course for the day, but in the pursuit of excellence in customer service, don't forget the customer.

Image credit

Good Selling,
Richard