Moore Success

Success in Sales - if the shoe fits....

2009-05-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

As someone who has been involved for around 15 years in sales training, I constantly observe how sales people - whatever they are selling - engage in the sales process.

And I regularly see how, by making just a few simple changes to their approach, and by reading the signals sent by the customer they could achieve results which would be astounding ! And they may even be surprised themselves.

The more the sales person 'connects' with the customer - and does this quickly - the more effective the engagement will be and that leads to an 'easier' sale. But when it goes wrong, the sale walks out the door.

Here's an example. Yesterday, in need of a new pair of shoes, I walked into a menswear store which I could see had a range of shoes. At one of the stands displaying shoes, I began picking up and looking at...oh ..perhaps, 3 or 4 different styles of black shoes. The salesperson who had been standing nearby watching then stepped closer. He picked up a shoe and said "This is a really nice shoe."

I said "I'm sure it is but why would I be interested in that shoe?"

What this man had done was to watch me pick up three different black shoes - and then offer me a BROWN shoe.

Now, this might be an extreme comparison but if I was to go into McDonalds, I wouldn't expect to be asked if I would like a pizza. My behavior indicates what I want -and it ain't pizza !

Clearly, I had indicated that I was interested in a particular style of shoe. What the sales person did, in one sentence, was to indicate that he had no interest in my needs - there was no connection- that he was only interested in selling a particular product. I'd given him clear and positive clues, short of holding up a large sign saying "Black Shoes only".

He agreed with me when I said that brown shoes wouldn't look great with a blue suit.

I left the store - and he missed out on a potential sale.

The customer always sends out signals. Sometimes the signals are very obvious: "I want to buy those shoes - or that car - now."

Mostly, the signals are far less obvious - but they are there and the successful sales person reads and acts on those signals.

If you're in sales - or any interaction or relationship which involves a customer - how proficient are you at 'reading' the signals which the customer is sending out ?

Remember this: even if the customer isn't saying anything, they are communicating.

Now I'm off to find another shoe shop.

Coming Clean in Tough Times

2009-04-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

Just as many businesses are struggling during the economic downturn, some are thriving.

I've been coming to Dubai for regularly over 18 months and have observed the really good times here and, now, slower business activity.

Some time ago I discovered a really good laundry near where I stay. One of the many small shop fronts in a densly populated and largely Indian area, my laundry man charges 1 dirham (the local currency - equivalent to 27 US cents) to wash, iron and fold a shirt. For pants which are washable, such as jeans, the price goes up - it's 2 dirhams. Two days after I leave my shirts with him they are washed, ironed, folded and packed ready for me - or I could have them on hangers.

And his shelves are always filled with folded and packed clothes waiting for collection.

I walk past ...oh ...probably four or five other laundries to get to my man. In checking on places which may be closer to where I stay, I found out why I believe my man is so successful: others quoted me 2 and 3 times the price AND up to 4 days to do the work.

So by offering better prices and far better service, my laundry man is cleaning up.

The same success principle applies to small as well as larger businesses.

I don't believe we have to be the cheapest on the block - although volume in the case of businesses like my laundry man will benefit - but providing better value than our competition WILL improve our business.

In tough economic times, your customers are looking for VALUE.
Value in customer service delivery.
Value in quality of product.

By focussing on these two deliverables - which you have control over - you will improve your business, whatever business you are in.

Here's another thing which impressed me about my quiet (he smiles but he hardly ever says anything) Indian laundry man. Last year, having been to him at that stage probably only two or three times, it was then two months before I was next back in Dubai. With a slight smile of welcome, he wrote down the details of my laundry on his 'order' book.

Then he wrote GRAHAM - without asking or being reminded.

I was impressed. Wouldn't you be ?

And are you impressing your customers ?

Add value. Impress your customers.

To your success -

Graham

Try this

2009-01-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

Something unusual happened to me yesterday.

And yet it was something I've been encouraging others to do for years. Do you know about small courtesies and their impact?

Dubai is a city not known for it's considerate drivers, everyone seems to want to forge their own way through the congested traffic as if they, alone, have priority. That's just the way it is. And when you do get to your destination, the next issue is parking !

I'd parked my car and walked to the ticket dispensing machine, coin in hand, to take my ticket for the hour-long parking limit. Another driver was standing at the ticket machine and having deposited his coin, collected the ticket which was printed out.

He then turned to me - and gave me the ticket.

Small courtesy - so easily done and yet not often enough.

I've been suggesting in my presentations for years that if you arrive at a ticket dispensing machine (at the deli section of the supermarket, for instance) at the same time as someone else, take the ticket and give it to the other person.

And now this was happening to me, in a foreign country and by a man from a different culture to mine.

I thanked the man and gave him my coin so he could print a ticket for himself. I then shook his hand and we smiled.

How often do you make a genuine connection with a stranger ?

It's easy to do - and if we all did this regularly, we could change the world.

Customer Service - a 'hobby' ?

2008-11-27T01:52:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, I've been in Abu Dhabi for a number of weeks and have just spent 2 weeks in Dubai.

During my time in Dubai, I've been a regular at a coffee shop/ restaurant called The Grind. I'm such a regular that I call this place my office. Well, the coffee's good and they have free wifi internet access and for a traveller like me, that sure sounds like an office to me.

During the time I've been coming, one of the waiters has been really looking after me. So much so, that he often doesn't charge me for all the coffees I have. Like all the hospitality staff in Dubai, he's an expat, in this case, here from his native Sri Lanka.

Now, even though tipping isn't regarded as necessary or expected in this part of the world, I usually leave a small tip, maybe 10% of the bill.

Yesterday, when I was leaving for the last time - and may not be back for 3 or 4 months - I decided I should give my ever attentive waiter (and he certainly is that !) a slightly more generous tip. I know the salary these guys are on -and, believe me, it's not great - and given that I'd been so pleased with his service delivery, I wanted to say a special thanks.

"No - thank you," was his very polite response. I protested, insisting but I could see his response was genuine and to persist would have offended him.

"No sir, giving good service is my hobby. I want to do it really well. This is my hobby."

The dictionary defines a hobby as 'an activity engaged in for pleasure and enjoyment'.

If everyone involved in Customer Service regarded the way they helped customer with the same attitude as their hobby, what different results we would get ?

But then doesn't that apply to all that we do ?

How's your 'hobby' attitude to the things you do in your life ?

Not Eyeeore !!

2008-11-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned Tigger in the last two blogs on this site. Remember Tigger ? He was one of the characters from the Winnie the Pooh stories we enjoyed as a child and also enjoyed, maybe even more, when those of us who are fortunate enough to have read the story to our own children.

But what of the other character, Eyeeore? Eyeeore was steady and reliable. But he was a donkey, he was slow and inclined to take rather a contrary view to the others when it came to looking on the bright side.

Eyeeore is still alive today. He can be found in many offices and workplaces. I came across one such Eyeeore today. The main problem with this Eyeeore was that, like so many others, he had made up his mind and continued to reinforce his negative thinking about the situation by not listening to what I was saying.

The situation could have been handled much more effectively and his issue resolved quickly if he hadn’t been stuck with his own preconception and his inability to listen to what I was saying.

”But I’ve lost my tail.” I could hear Eyeeore saying.

Maybe that’s it. Maybe the Eyeeors of the world don’t listen.

Ahh…. I’d rather be a Tigger every time.

But then as the Tigger song from the Winnie-the Pooh book goes, “There’s only one Tigger.”

At least we can try.

Elevator Connection

2008-10-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know I'm currently working with a client in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Yesterday I got into the the elevator of the 5 star hotel I'm presenting in at the 15th floor. There were four others in the elevator when I got in and we all going down to the Ground floor. At the 3rd floor we stopped and three businessmen got in. As they did one of them asked "Going down?"

I guess it was because he noticed there were four others already in the elevator, that one of the three businessmen said "Well, as long as we don't get stuck !"

I immediately smiled and said - in what I hoped was a re-assuring tone - "The glass is half full."

One of his colleagues said "Well, we won't be bored!"

I smiled - and we made it safely (of course) to the Ground floor and all exited the elevator.

The man who said "We won't be bored" recognized that I -maybe - had a sense of humor.

But I was also making a 'connection' and a positive one.

What's the connection you are making with others ?

It's a bit like Tigger, really.

We are all on this planet together - so let's keep connecting, positively.

Graham

A New Start

2008-10-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining me here. I've decided to transfer everything to this new blog site and I hope the new blog has value for you, even more than the previous one.

Given the current economic turmoil on the global front, many people are hurting and many more will in the weeks and even months ahead. I hope you're not one of those suffering from this down turn in the financial - but I suspect there will be few people who will escape any negative effects.

Today I met two people who had very different approaches to what is happening.

One of them went to some length to tell me of the tough times he sees ahead. He sat with his shoulders slumped and seemed to have difficulty looking at me. He painted a very stark picture of what would happen to him and those close to him. Initially I empathized with him. And he went on ... and I soon realised that he was doing "poor me, it's all bad. It's going to get worse." He was so good at it, it almost seemed rehearsed.

Then I met another man. This man had a very different view. He told me his business may be as successful in the year ahead. "Sure, I might lose some money, my investments will be down. But you know what ?" he said to me, "Every down-turn brings great opportunity."

It's how you see it that counts. And that affects what you will do with it.

Remember 'Winnie the Pooh' ? I'm going with Tigger every time.

Here's Tiggers to you.

Graham