Honesty, Here’s My Wallet
If I encounter a sales rep who even remotely sounds like he’s trying to feed me B.S., I’ll take my money elsewhere – simple as that. Once trust in the individual is broken, it makes you question the honesty of the company – and products.
If You Built Your Team with a Fantasy Football Strategy
There are many ways for a manager to pick a “dream team” for the upcoming season, from high-risk to top-dollar and everywhere in the middle. Some of the methods are great, while others leave you with less than you started with.
‘Bossypants’: The Art of Creatively Hiding Business Insight
At first glance, it looks like a regular ol’ memoir about a working-class person hustling her way to success in entertainment. Kind of like a Drake song with better prose. And, yeah, that’s the gist of “Bossypants,” but it’s a lot more than that. It’s about overcoming insecurity and kicking a$s in the male-dominated comedy business, all while dishing out some hard truth on leadership, growing a career, and work-life balance.
Where Did All the Good Customers Go?
Every 3,000 miles, I get to make a decision – where to take my car in for an oil change. Typically, I take it to my usual place, so it’s kind of a non-decision. But on my most recent visit, their customer service was particularly terrible.
The Best Choice for Whom?
I think it’s a safe assumption that I’m not the only customer who wants options, whether in terms of buying a new product or a solution to a problem. As a customer, you want to feel you have some say and/or power, a choice in how your business could be handled.
The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back
Unless you’re a one-man or -woman business, there are multiple people, touchpoints and experiences that connect your customers to your business. Any single mistake – which may not seem like that big of a deal at first – could just be the straw that breaks that customer’s back and sends that person running to your competition.
Alphabet Soup and Employee Engagement
In short, engaged employees give a damn about your company. They’re not working just for a paycheck; they’re working because they’re connected to your company’s values, committed to its goals, and feel responsible for its successes or failures. Not only are they valuable as employees, they’re valuable as recruiters, salesmen, and marketers.
Is That The Best You Can Do?
Selling value is easy once you’re in the habit. Here are some great ways to start (if you’re new, or a veteran who could use a tune-up)…
7 Ways to Onboard a Rockstar
When you hire a new guy or gal, your job isn’t done when they walk in the door. In fact, it’s just starting.
So how do we ensure the newest person on our sales crew is ready to be a rockstar for our customers? Here are 7 ways…
Elevate Yourself from Order-Taker to Salesperson
Every time you answer the phone, you have an opportunity and a choice.
The opportunity: Somebody is calling you because they need or want something.
The choice: You can give them information or you can give them a reason to buy from you.
Before you answer that next call, think “What’s my goal?” Hint: If your goal is to give them prompt, courteous information, you’re only a fraction of the way there.
“What Do I Do When the Phone is Ringing Off the Hook?”
This is article is part of a series of reader submissions, questions, and topic suggestions. I like answering your emails because they are real world and they may relate to your job, your life and your sales efforts. If you have more questions, my inbox is open.
Achieving Work-Family Balance
I recently flew from Milwaukee to Minneapolis and then on to Fargo, ND. Each time I landed, I felt my iPhone vibrating in my pocket, indicating that I had received a new voicemail, email or text message. When I pulled out my phone in Minneapolis, I had 17 new emails, 2 voicemails and 3 text messages. That flight was only about 90 minutes. I had a 45-minute layover, so I did my best to return calls and emails, but I didn’t get to them all.
