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Sales
Tips
Making
an Impression
You
have seven seconds to make a first impression. In the first
few seconds, your customer makes their decision about you
based on appearance, body stance, facial expression and
overall demeanor. The first time you open your mouth, you
either confirm their impression, or cause them to reconsider.
You
have seven seconds. Make them count.
Baldwin's
Retail Kiss of Death
Quick
- what's the #1 answer to "May I help you?"
"Just
looking." And right there, you're dead in the
water. Find something better to say, even if it's
just "Hi, how are you today?"
Not
My Problem
Your
customer doesn't care about your problems. They
care about their own. If your customer asks how
you are and you're having a bad day, don't tell
them!
Binary
Solution Set
You
have two choices: serve your customers, or lose
them. Your customer has a need. You need
to fill it. If you don't, they'll find someone else
who will.
The
Most Important Sales Skills
The
most important sales skill is a positive, helpful
attitude.
The
second most important sales skill is to look the
part.
The
Golden Rule of Customer Service
Treat
customers as you would be treated. That's all there
is to it.
Baldwin's
Extension of the Golden Rule
Want
to provide the finest customer service possible?
Do what my father taught me to do: Treat customers
the way you'd want your grandmother to be treated.
Baldwin's
Corollary to the Golden Rule
Customers
who have been treated poorly will no longer be your
customers.
Friends
or Sales?
Make
a sale and you make money once. Make a friend and
you make money for life.
It's
always easier to work with people you like, right?
It's the same for your customers. Get to know them;
let them get to know you and your company.
Don't
Force It
Arm
twisting works twice. Once when it gets you the
sale, and again when it loses you all the other
sales you could have made.
Put
People First
A
recent article on MSN's career center offered six
tips for being a better manager. The first four
focused on additional training and education for
new managers. The last two focused on management
skills. Saving the best tip for last, the article
noted:
The
bottom line about being a good manager is this:
If your employees don't perform well, you don't
perform well. Every good manager must learn how
to train, support and motivate his or her employees.
If you don't take the time to support your staff
and ensure their needs are being met, all of your
work will be useless. After all, says Moore, "If
you don't develop your people, you have nothing."
Clean
Up Your Act!
There
are far too many desks in the business world masquerading
as disaster areas. The major problem is the time
wasted by all this mess. Think about: How much time
do you spend looking for files, notes and forms
that you need? If your desk is a mess, chances are
you're wasting several hours every week. If you
lose just one hour per week, that's more than a
full (40-hour) workweek you've lost. Stop it! Take
two hours to go through every piece of paper on
your desk and either 1) recycle it (or throw it
away) 2) file it where you can find it or 3) pass
it along to the person that really needs it. You'll
be glad you did.
Be
Sure
Follow
up important phone calls with an e-mail, letter
or fax summarizing the discussion. Identify every
commitment, change of scope or other important point
as you understand it. This helps both parties
make sure everyone is on the same page.
Ask
Questions
The
only way to fill your client's needs is to first
understand those needs. Although the questions will
differ, they all boil down to the same thing: finding
out everything you can that will help you fill the
customer's need.
Admit
Ignorance - Then Address It
The
worst thing you can do if you aren't sure is to
bluff. Most people respond positively to "I'm
not sure, but I can find out." Then, find the
answer as quickly as possible - and remember
it for next time.
Walk
Like a Turtle
In
a crunch, people often begin to rush, dashing madly
from one thing to the next. This can be stressful
not only to you, but to anyone who comes in contact
with that energy. Whenever I catch myself rushing
about, I consciously walk a few steps in s-l-o-w
m-o-t-i-o-n before resuming at a relaxed pace. It
almost always brings smiles to faces in the room,
further helping to ease the tension.
Put
Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Managers
- once in a while, buy lunch for your crew out of
your own pocket, not petty cash. Show them in no
uncertain terms that you appreciate their hard work.
And, yes, it does mean more when you pay
for it.
Flower
Power
Try
to always keep a fresh flower on your desk. When
things get tough, take a minute to inhale its fragrance
deeply. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in
a field of fresh flowers on a sunny day. Take several
controlled, relaxed breaths. This pause definitely
refreshes.
Paper
First
One
of the first things that our team does when performing
a complete audit of a small company, is to put everything
on paper. If it doesn't work out on paper, no computer
will help. But a computer can hide things without
you ever realizing it.
Save
on printing costs
Create
a basic letterhead in your word processing program.
Put your company name and contact info in the header
&/or footer. Embed a graphic if you choose.
When you save it, choose template for your file
type. MS Word (and most other WP programs) will
then display your template along with all the others.
Get fancy and do envelopes, too, if you're ambitious.
Keep
Your Clients Advised
This
may seem obvious, but you've no idea how many people
in the business world don't follow this simple rule.
Yet, it's one of the easiest ways to impress a client,
even when calling with bad news. If an order is
going to be late, don't wait for the client to call.
Instead, tell them as soon as you're aware of the
problem. This allows the client to adjust their
plans to accommodate the change.
Don't
make your client look bad by keeping them in the
dark. Help them look good by keeping them informed
in a timely manner.
Stop
Using Non-Words
Uhm,
uh, well… Stop it! You're all grown up now,
and shouldn't talk like a teenager, at least during
working hours. This is especially true on the phone
- one of the worst, uhm, times for most people -
because all you have is your voice and your words.
If you need time to think before responding, take
it. Give a quick initial response - "That's
an interesting point…" - to give yourself
time to put together a complete sentence. Practice
responses if need be. Do you whatever you uhm, have
to, to uh, stop using non-words.
Knowing
Right From Wrong
There
are no wrong ways to solve a problem.
There
are no right ways to damage a relationship.
Smile!
A
bright, engaged smile is the first step to resolving
any issue.
Don't
Be a Criminal
Making
a mistake is not a crime. Hiding it is.
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