Why results are more important than relationships… - SpeakerSue

Archive for August, 2009

Why results are more important than relationships… August 26th, 2009

When all things are equal, we do business with the people we like best. This may be true…

but what’s equal today? Try depending less on the relationship and more on the proving results and demonstrating ROI and you’ll not only serve customers better, you’ll also sell more easily.

@AssociationHQ posted a great message when s/he wrote Sell the Value:

When I am working with a potential sponsor, I’m not just selling a booth or logo placement. The prospect doesn’t care how much I need that reception sponsored in order to hit budget. They want to know what’s in it for them. … Every dollar needs to be accounted for and every single cent needs to demonstrate ROI. They want to feel confident in their decision to sponsor or exhibit at your event. What are you doing to ensure your supporters are walking away having made strong new business development leads? Do they have a solid forum when showcasing new products and/or services? What is your “buyer/seller” ratio? Meaning, are there more sponsors/exhibitors than attendees? And how many of those attendees actually have purchasing power and decision-making authority?

Fascinating that the relationship word wasn’t even mentioned… just the results.

Ideally, of course, we provide results within the framework of a relationship. And maybe the relationship gives us the opportunity to pitch the results we can provide. I’m not saying don’t build relationships. Just build them around results.

Are you insulting your buyers without knowing… August 24th, 2009

When Nielson contacted me a few years ago to ask if I’d participate in rating TV programs, I was quite excited. I had heard about the Nielson ratings since I was a little girl and I was delighted to let them know what I watched and didn’t. I understood that it required keeping detailed notes on my viewing habits and that it was a significant time commitment.

But then I received the materials. It wasn’t the paperwork that bothered me. It was the 4 shiny quarters that fell out of the envelope, with the note that said, “To thank you for your time.” A buck for my time? This was a week’s commitment! I had agreed to note my TV viewing habits every 15 minutes for a full week and they thought one dollar was enough to thank me? I was so insulted that I threw away the materials and used the quarters at the first opportunity.

And it just happened again. J.D. Powers sent me a survey regarding the new car my husband and I just bought (which the dealer asked that I answer with all 5s.). I started the survey, but after about 5 mins, seeing that I was only a tiny way through, I opted out. So, yesterday, in the mail, I received a reminder to complete the survey, but this time, I was offered “motivation” to complete the survey. If I complete the survey, not only will I be entered in a raffle for a $40,000 prize and $10,000 gas card (that’s a lot of gas), but inside was a crisp $1.00 bill “To thank you for your time.” Is it just me? Does this type of offer (not the raffle) but the buck turn anyone else off? One dollar? I mean I’ll clip coupons to save $1.00 …

Which got me thinking… can we put a dollar amount on someone’s time? And am I insulting people too? I give American Express gift certificates when people refer me, but are they insulted by the amount? Do I belittle their friendship, enthusiasm and support? Is a thoughtful gift – any gift – more meaningful? Am I inadvertently insulting people who simply want to do a good deed or the right thing? Does the dollar amount make a difference? Would a donation to a good cause be more meaningful? What should I do?

I bought the book, Predictably Irrational, in the Hong Kong airport and haven’t had a chance to complete it. So I googled it, and found this great blog post, The Trouble with Cold Hard Cash, that seems to answer the questions. Turns out money, no matter what the amount, based on a Goodyear Tire research study, isn’t nearly as good an incentive as a tangible reward. But is that true for a thank you?

What do you think? Should I just use those gift cards for my own self…

Presentation Mastery: But they scheduled 45 mins… August 20th, 2009

If you’ve given more than three sales presentations, you probably already know that the time they say you’ll have and the time you’ll actually have may have nothing in common. What can you do to still get your message across professionally and persuasively?

Be prepared. Have 3 presentations ready to give: One presentation for the time expected. One presentation that takes about half that time. And, one presentation that takes less than three minutes.

Here’s how: Know what matters to the audience and be ready to tell them. Say: I’m here to talk with you about how you can save, achieve, grow, build, profit, eliminate… and here are the 1,2, 3 key points that are important to consider: boom, boom, boom. Thank you so much for your time and how would you like me to follow-up?

Whatever you do, don’t disrespect your listeners by telling them what they’re missing. Offer no apologies.

And, drum roll here, always leave time to ask for the next step. If the CEO walks up to you before you even begin to speak, apologizing because she has to leave early to catch a flight, thank her for being there and ask her how she’d like you to follow-up. Always ask for the next step.

Attract more customers: 4 must-apply ideas to improve your email August 17th, 2009

If you’re using email to prospect (and who isn’t these days?) or just to connect, consider if you’re (inadvertently) forcing them to reject your offer. Okay. Forcing may be too strong a word, but the way you communicate with them, specifically, the way you write, will either be a turn off or not. Here are 4 must-apply ideas to improve your email:

1. Plan your message. Think of it as a grocery checklist. I use an iPhone app called ShopShop to do my list. When you write, use this one:

What do I want to accomplish with this email?
Why am I really writing (to get them excited, give them info, motivate them to click on your website)?
What do I want the next step to be and why they should take/accept it?

2. Write your message. Think of this as putting all the groceries (from your checklist) into your cart. Just get your message out of you, keeping in mind the goals you have.

3. Check. Reread your checklist. Did you get everything on it? Make the corrections now so that you don’t have to get home and drive back to the store (or apologize for email, send a follow-up, or lose the sale). Make sure everything is correct, before sending.

4. Apply rules of email etiquette.

•Basics: No shouting, proper punctuation to make your ideas easy to follow, correct spelling so the incorrectly spelled word doesn’t become a distraction for the reader, all questions answered so they don’t have to write you again, no BCC (you can use BCC unless the intention is to be sneaky), no needless CC or RTA, all terms defined (RTA: Reply to all)

•Advanced stuff like: Am I writing to prove them wrong? (DELETE and yes, I shouted that!), Am I being disrespectful of their time by including everything I want them to know when I don’t even know what they need to know?, Am I being too pushy appearing like I care more about the deal than about them?, Have I said stuff just once?, Have I made links easy to use and given them information they can easily access, or have I hidden my phone number (etc) in my sig line?, Have I used a 12 mile long sig line which includes my personal philosophy of life, the environment and accolades from 1999?

You want to attract more customers? Honor them. Love them. And write good email.

What am I missing? Your thoughts?

Email Etiquette: Proverbs and Productivity August 13th, 2009

Proverbs are cool. No matter how cheesy they are, how can you argue with stuff like:

What soberness conceals, drunkeness reveals.

Every path has its puddle.

It is often the last key on the ring which opens the door.

So, as a leading authority on email etiquette and productivity (Power Sales Writing – McGraw Hill; How to Say It To Sell It! – Prentice Hall), I think it’s time to apply a couple to your inbox:

1. Practice what you preach.

I received an email from a client marked !!. To me, !! indicates the message is urgent to the writer and I tend to take those !! seriously. So, a few minutes after receiving !!, I wrote back asking for one more important detail (what time I’m speaking) so I could respond to her !! message. It’s now many hours later, and I’ve received no response.

Admittedly, I could pick up the phone to see if she is in her office and if I thought the question she asked was !!, I would. My goal is to be the easiest speaker to work with. But this is a test. (Only a test…had it been an actual emergency…) Is the message truly !! to her? Does she really need my answer by the end of the day? Will she even check her email to see if I responded? Does she routinely send !! messages, expecting that others will take her !! to heart, drop what they’re doing and give her !! priority? And if she does, does she offer the same type of responsiveness that she requests from others?

Ask yourself: Am I as responsive as I’d like others to be?

2. What we give out, we get back.

Are your emails friendly and respectful?

A friend received this email from her manager:

I need X by Friday.

Really? And I need a lube and oil. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I wonder what type of response the manager is wants. Probably he just wants what he wants. It makes sense though Treating her with a bit more respect, for instance, just adding, I appreciate your help, would make all the difference. Or, how about giving a reason for the request like: I need X by Friday. I’m compiling the results, Saturday. Or, maybe he could have combined a bit of politeness with a request: Please confirm that you can do X by Friday. I know it’s short notice and I appreciate your help.

Ask yourself: Would I be motivated by my email to give me the best outcome?

What are your favorite proverbs? How do they apply?

Does your subject line sell? Prospecting ideas and more August 10th, 2009

Have you looked through your trash file lately? It’s an easy way to determine which subject lines sell and which smell like a phish.

A quick look, and a few don’ts become apparent:

-Don’t misspell. (Importent message)

-Don’t use my name. (SUE, anything….)

-Don’t be dishonest. (About our dinner)

-Don’t leave out words. (Need talk about business)

And a list of do’s:

• Say what you’re email is about. Begin with words like:

Introducing, Announcing, Join us, You’re invited

• If it’s a limited time offer or a special sale, tell them right away:

Limited time event, Last day for…, Sale!, Save over XX%, Exclusive for Meeting Planners, Enjoy special rates..

• If you’re giving them valuable business information, tell them.

Prospecting ideas and more

2 ways to keep your sales funnel full

10 ideas to stay positive

A way to save money on F & B (sent to people who understand what F & B is [food & beverage])

• When prospecting, ask the question that matters:

Can we talk Thursday at 4p?

Looking for a speaker to energize your team?

Are your attendees registering for your next meeting?

What value proposition do you offer?

Do your subject lines sell for you?

Action request: May I phone you Wednesday at 1p?

• Be intriguing.

Position yourself for more sales…

Get ready for a better 2010…

Look like a hero to your executive team…

Note: If any of these suggestions, sound cheesy to you, don’t use them! Before you disregard them, think about what you want your email to do. If it has to break through the clutter of your prospect’s inbox and be compelling enough so she’ll voluntarily interrupt her work to see what you have to say , consider these ideas. (Almost makes a cold call look easy, doesn’t it?!)

Your comments?

The secret of making today great August 6th, 2009

The three women ranged in age from 18 – 23. They stood behind the cash register, in the small dress shop, clapping and singing. Because they were speaking Chinese, I had no clue what they were saying. But I had an idea what they were doing. My escort, oblivious to the singing because she had heard it in shops so often, asked one of the girls what they had said . It appears they were singing and clapping to the beat of: Be Your Best, Make the Effort, Perform Your Best Work.

Years ago in a motel in Long Beach, CA, I remember men gathering a few minutes before 7a. We had the sleeping room next to their meeting room (hey, it was what we could afford) and we’d hear the guys as they unenthusiastically greeted each other. Mostly they just grunted. But at the stroke of seven, they’d all be in their room next door (and I’d have the pillow over my head) and they’d start chanting: To be enthusiastic, you must be enthusiastic. I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about this and neither were they, at first. But as the “rally” continued, with each round of the forced chant, despite themselves, I’m sure, they’d get a little louder, a little more awake, a little more authentically enthusiastic. At 7:05a – on the dot- we’d hear a great shout, then laughter and poof, they were gone, headed to a day of selling.

Pretty corny? Yeah. Pretty powerful? Yeah. And it’s so much better than hitting the snooze alarm hopeful the day will go away, or getting out of bed thinking, how am I going to get through this day, or commuting to work thinking filling your head with negative thoughts….. (insert your favorite negative expression here)

What are you doing to face the day with confidence? What are you telling yourself to position yourself for success? What are you doing to ensure your attitude is enthusiastic and positive?

It’s what we say to ourselves and to others that determines our success. Success always starts with what we tell ourselves. So what do you say to you?

Maybe we should bring back the motivational “tape” to replace its biggest competitor, the mobile phone. Maybe a 5 minute pep rally with ourselves in the car would remind us to be our best, make the best effort and perform our best work. Because really, to be enthusiastic, you must be enthusiastic.

How to communicate without embarrassing yourself August 3rd, 2009

We stopped at the “7/11″ store on the dirt road here in Hainan Island, China and they’ve added entertainment: a trained bird. It’s a tiny little bird and when you wave your index and middle finger just so, it flys to you. So one of the guys with us says to the young Chinese woman showing us the bird… well, no, he doesn’t just say it, he pantomines it, slowly and loudly acting out his question: WHAT…. DO…. YOU (pointing at her)…. FEED (making hand motions close to his mouth)…THE… BIRD (pointing to the bird)…TO EAT (imaginary chewing). Quietly she says, Rice.

I’ll give him this. I never thought she spoke English either. But it got me thinking about some other stuff we assume about people.

We assume because we speak the same language, they understand us. We assume because they seem different, they are. We assume that because they seem happy with their current supplier, situation, supply, they are. We assume our price is going to be too high. We assume they want something we can’t offer and at less than we could. We assume they have more information than they have. We assume we have all the information we need. We assume they won’t change. We assume they know what we want even when we don’t ask.

We all know the “definition” of assume. Ass-u-me. That’s what it makes out of u and me.

My communication basic for today is to stop assuming. And to start asking.

What about you?

One simple way to build business August 2nd, 2009

The simplest way to grow business is also the easiest…

On a dirt road, currently in the middle of nowhere but directly across from the dirt road that leads to a new golf course development, in Hainan Island, China, an industrious and brilliant man built (literally by hand, and within a few days) a small “shop” that sells water, soda and snacks. And when you pull over to buy a bottle of water or an icy cold green tea, he pulls out a chair, puts on the fans, positions you near the best breeze and turns on music to ensure our comfort.

Now this guy doesn’t have to go to all this effort. We’d stop anyway because there is no where else to go (yet). But he wants his shop to be successful and the longer we stay, and the happier we are, the more we buy. The more we smile at each other. Another Coca-Cola, please.

Great customer service is such smart business. There is no easier way to grow a business.

Archive for August, 2009

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