Brave New Sales

Sales & The Power of Apology

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

It was so early in my career that the fax machine was still the business medium of choice.

We had pitched a potential partner on an exciting marketing platform, and they liked it. We were now negotiating deliverables and returns.

A cantankerous lawyer on the other side of the table fired a shot at our team. "You guys were supposed to fax us the payment schedule. We never received it!"

A thousand negative impulses went through my body and mind in a split second. I had drafted the fax for my boss, but due to travel schedules, a stressed-out personal assistant and plain ol' high work loads, it never got sent.

 

Would this turn into finger-pointing?

Would this slow us down?

Before the next split second could start, my boss shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sorry. That was my fault. I saw it on my desk but didn't act on it. Let me call the office right now and see if my assistant can dig it out."

You could almost hear the pressure in the room drop.

My young head was telling me to shut up and play it safe, but my gut told me otherwise. So I leaned forward.

"I have it," I said. "Sorry, I should have followed-up to see if it got sent."

My boss smiled and said, "No, no. You left it with me and I dropped the ball. Shit happens." 

There were chuckles around the room as everyone focused on the payment schedule that I was passing out.

 

The Future Is More Important Than The Past

It wasn't about the payment schedule, really. It was about everyone moving forward, not staying stuck in the proverbial shit that had happened.

If we hadn't apologized, if we would have made up some stupid excuse, the mud would most likely have risen above everybody's knees and soon covered the meeting room table.

Our prospects would have been looking at us as though we were either incompetent, unreliable or both. Instead we seemingly formed a bond with them, that we're all imperfectly human, and little shit happens every day. Onward and upward.

 

Easy, right?

Indeed, to some.

But to many, sorry seems to be the hardest word, thank you, Elton John.

"Sorry" shouldn't be the hardest word. It should be one of the easiest words, because you win when you use it genuinely.

"Sorry" doesn't mean "I'm wrong, you're right." It doesn't mean "I should be penalized, you should win the point." If you're stuck in that mindset, then you'll aplogize too infrequently, especially in business, and especially in front of prospective customers.

You can tailor "Sorry" to mean what you want it to mean, because the spirit and tone in which you say it counts, too.

"Oops. Too bad this has happened. I'm BIG enough to admit I had a role in it; I'm excellent enough to focus on accomplishing something big here; Let's move on."

 

A Little Competitive Advantage Doesn't Hurt Either

And here's what I really (and a bit selfishly) love about apology: It often puts you in a stronger position.

When you deflect or over-explain, the tension usually rises in the room. Defenses go up. Bonds are broken. Trust is lost, and if you'e the seller, you're the loser.

When you apologize, tension usually drops. Defenses go down. Bonds are built. Trust is gained, and you're the winner.

Apologize quickly, and others not only let you off the hook, they often give you the benefit of the next doubt.

The Sooner The Easier

The sooner you apologize, the easier it is to do so. It's that simple.

Think of any situation in your professional or personal life when it really was incumbent upon you to apologize, but you delayed. I'll bet you my last buck that it would have been easier to do so shortly after the incident, or even immediately.

All that negative energy is a drain on your karma, and damaging to your relationship.

The sooner you say, "Oops, sorry," the less collateral damage is done. Not only will you move on sooner, you will leave less wreckage in your wake. You'll have good karma.

Go easy on yourself. Be secure in your imperfections.

Sure, customers want to deal with competent people, but they also want to deal with secure people. If you never admit to even the smallest mistakes, they will admit them for you.

If you apologize and move on, they'll admire you, like you and trust you more. You'll experience less pain in your sales cycle, and probably more sales, to boot.

If you don't believe me, well, I'm happy to leave it and move on, sorry.

Now where were we?

 

Photo by butupa: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25792994@N04/

 

Pour Your Soul Into It

What do presenting and DJ-ing have in common?

As I recently discovered... a lot.

If you love your content, want to give it generously to the audience, and you arrive prepared, presenting and DJ-ing are both a blast!

A Little Background

Two months before the Toastmasters Fall European Conference (D59), the Basel organizers bought into my pitch: let me be the DJ for the post-gala dinner dance party.

Yep, DJ Jacko would spin the tunes.

Over the years, I had taken over the turntables and stereo equipment at many a party. But in Basel, this wasn't just a party. This was 250 people wanting to let it all hang out after a day-and-a-half of workshops, competitions, a gala dinner and award ceremony.

 

Outcome?

In my own view, it went great. A few things to improve upon, but overall a big success.

You may chuckle and say, "Come on, Jacko. A little more self-awareness." But I have three reasons for believing it went well.

1. It felt good.  Be as analytical as you want, but your own gut is something to be contemplated, too.
2. The dance floor was filled from the third song right through to the end.  (The first two songs were mood setters by design.)
3. The feedback was positive... and some of my fellow Toastmasters just couldn't believe an old guy me could rock the house! 

That doesn't sound very humble, I know. But back to Point 1. I had a tremendous buzz from beginning to end and, yeah I admit, from the feedback and comraderie afterwards.

And that's one of the great things about Toastmasters: the more you give, the more you get. I not only got compliments, I got great memories and a first DJ job in my CV. Yeah, look out DJ Bobo. DJ Jacko's on the rise!

So what are the similarities between a good presentation and a successful night of DJ-ing?

Content Is King

Yep. This has been my big focus as a Toastmaster specifically and as a presenter generally in recent years. Delivery is important, but it's my belief that great content is what puts you over the edge.

It's the same thing in DJ-ing. You could play it safe and just bang out cookie-cutter club music. You could boom-boom-boom the same beats and similar rhythms all night so that the masses just keep on keepin' on. Or you could inspire people with music, and content, that pulls at the heart and soul.

I went with music that has inspired me over the years and even over the recent weeks. And I didn't play it safe.

 

Sequence & Organization

A great presentation takes the audience on a journey. Why shouldn't a DJ's repertoire do the same thing?

I put a lot of preparation into selecting the music, and I put even more into sequencing it.

As soon as the award ceremony was over, I didn't want to force the dancing on everyone... at least not in the first two songs. The segue should be easy and unpretentious. So I started with a bit of loungy pieces with the type of rhythms that, I believe, built an expectation that something big was coming.

By Song 3, the train had left the station... and my fellow Toastmasters had left their chairs... for the dance floor. Fun, upbeat tunes to express one's self on the dance floor, a bit of Latin, a bit of funk, there was no turning back. We were partying.

But you can't hold that pace all night. So toward the middle, the journey had a sensuous, slow section so that humans could do what we long to do.

And then it was time to build toward the finale... a crescendo that had the place screaming past the moon, with no hope of earth's gravity holding them down.

Houston, we have a problem. We just passed Pluto!

 

Preparation

I alluded to this above, but I can't emphasize this enough. For a presentation, a pitch, or spinnin' music to inspire people to shake their booties and party like there's no tomorrow... preparation is critical.

If I would've shown up with a bunch of good songs and then started to assemble my playlist and sequence on the fly, it would've been a disaster. I had all of this prepared, including the cues -- the points at which you cut into and out of each song.

We had a few challenges just before "going live." But because I was prepared, I didn't have to worry about the actual presentation of the music at that point; I could focus wholly on solving the problem.

It's the same thing in a presentation or a sales pitch. Improvise at your own peril.

Pour Your Soul Into It

I'm sure you've noticed passion in a presentation or pitch. There are those who just go through the motions of getting the job done, and those who love their content so much that they want you, the audience, to love it, too.

Well, it's the same thing in DJ-ing. I love music. I love to dance, and I have so many dear friends and inspiring colleagues within Toastmasters District 59, that I gave this every ounce of my soul.

By the fifth song, I was enjoying it so much that I often went out and danced with everyone. I was inspired... and I couldn't hold back.

 

Don't Obsess Over a Mistake. They'll Forgive You!

I made a few errors. Early on, I wasn't happy with my fading/transitions between songs. No one seemed to notice, and I got better by that fifth song. And twice, while cueing up the next song in my headphones, I abruptly crashed away from the heart of the live song in progress into the middle of the cued up song.

What do you do in this situation? What else can you do? Push on.

Yep, when you're presenting and something doesn't go perfectly, don't belabor it. If it's minor, just push on. If it's major, acknowledge it with good humor and... yep, push on!

And so it was when I miscued. I looked up and saw an entire dance floor with startled looks and some even a bit disappointed because they were just finding their own groove with the previous song.

I just looked at everybody, laughed, shrugged my shoulders and yelled, "Oops!"

Within a few seconds, the next song had found its way into their souls and the journey continued, speed bump forgotten!

If your delivery is solid and your content is inspiring, your audience will forgive the small stuff and appreciate the big stuff.

 

It's a Virtuous Cycle

And that's just one more thing I love about Toastmasters. We're all there to bring out the best in each other. It's therefore inspiring to just keep giving.

So thank you Basel organizers again. Thank you District 59, Euro Toastmasters. And thank you fellow Toastmasters.

I poured my soul into it, and I felt your friendship and warm support every second of it.

And I have to admit, it was a blast watching everyone shake their booties, too!

 

Photo taken spontaneously by friend and Fellow Toastmaster Douglas MacKevett. Damn, I wish I would have thought to take a photo to show my view of all that booty shakin'.

 

"Honor Thy Competitor" - Rafa and Roger Style

 

It Didn't Go Five Sets... 

... but yesterday's men's final at Roland Garros was beautiful.

Nadal and Federer, on clay, in early summer, in Paris.  Poetry.

We're witnessing legends.

But you know what I like most when I watch Nadal and Federer battle it out?

Knowing that, off the court, these two guys love each other.

Sure, on the court, they want to crush the other guy as viciously as possible.  But off the court, in and around their busy schedules, Rafa and Roger hang out.

They also know -- and appreciate -- that they each bring value to the other.  Yep, real, live commercial value!

Why should your business be any different?  After all, business and sports are all about performance and winning.

And get this...

 

Business Is A Deeply Human Endeavor

Spiritual teachings have been saying it for millennia: "Honor Thy Enemy."

Entrepreneurs should take heed: "Honor Thy Competitor."

This doesn't mean that you should tell your competitors your trade secrets any more than you would tell your battlefield enemy your ambush tactics... any more than Nadal would tell Federer that he was going to hang out on the baseline and fire forehand shots right and left.

This is competition, so... compete... and do so viciously!

But hating your competitors is just plain stupid.

• For one thing, and most tactically, it can cloud your judgment as to their capabilities.  Why have an inaccurate competitive analysis?  You might get beat by a backhand that everyone else admires.
• For another thing, you can learn from your competition.  (Hello?  You can learn from everybody in your marketplace and industry.)  Observe your competition with an open mind, and you can learn stuff.  You don't have to tell your clients they're better just because you know something today that they knew before you.  You're good!
• Thirdly, you never know when your competitor will try to hire you over, or when you might want to make an offer to your competitor to work for you.  Why have a crappy relationship?  This is the age of Co-opetition, open source and social networking.  Be professional.  Be competitive.  But be reasonably nice!
• And finally, your competitors may even be opening up the marketplace for you.   Imagine that!  Maybe they're too big for some sector of the marketplace.  Maybe they're too small.  Maybe they're too expensive, or too cheap.  Maybe, they're a first-mover and they're building awareness for stuff that you can provide.  As a second-mover, the road has been plowed for you.  If you've got a good relationship with a given competitor, maybe they'll even refer you if they're not right for a given client!

 

It's Easy To Create Sports Cliches In Business

It's also easy to dismiss them.

Over the years, I have had many good laughs with my competitors at bars, at events, at conferences, even in reception at prospects' offices!

And I've materially, yes, materially, benefitted from some of these relationships.  I'm not alone.

You're more likely to get a phone call from a former competitor than you are from some unknown prospect reading a trade journal listing... provided you haven't been an asshole, of course.

 

Honor Thy Competitor

They have chosen the same line of work as you.  They can't be that bad!

They might actually like you, too!

Successful Entrepreneurs Think Beyond Closing Deals

"If you want to build a long-term successful enterprise, you don't close
a sale, you open a relationship."

- Patricia Fripp

 

I've seen Patricia Fripp's quote expressed in various ways from different sources, like, "Don't celebrate closing a sale.  Celebrate opening a relationship."

In the intensely competitive Brave New World, this is the only way to survive... and thrive!

If prospective clients sense that you're simply after a sale, they'll pull a 180 and run.  They need to feel that their vendor-partners are there to help them solve a problem, exploit an opportunity, or fulfill a need.

"Trust" is the biggest word in sales today.  This implies being there for the long-haul... long after the deal-making is done.

  

Post Script:  I've just learned that Patricia Fripp is a fellow Toastmaster and is active internationally.  But it gets even better.  Her brother, Robert Fripp, was the guitarist for English progressive rock group, King Crimson.  I vividly remember "I Talk To The Wind" from their 1969 album, "In The Court of the Crimson King."  Couldn't resist including it here!

 

 

Photo by www.fripp.com

A Leader With Cojones!

I've got a very special place in my heart for King Juan Carlos of Spain.

That's where leaders touch us the most, in the heart.

Sometimes they have to resort to other areas of the human anatomy to earn their way into our hearts.  One February night, half a lifetime ago, Juan Carlos showed me, and most everyone in Spain at the time, that he had a serious set of cojones!

Thirty years ago today, Western Europe had its last coup d'etat.  It was Spain, 23 February, 1981.  I had the good fortune to be living there and witness one of the greatest acts of leadership of our time, although I was more than a little nervous as the events unfolded.

Spain's young democracy was suffering growing pains.  Parliament was attempting to elect its next Prime Minister.  While the process was not smooth, no one could anticipate what a test this democracy was about to face.

 

A wild-ass Lieutenant Colonel named Antonio Tejero stormed the Lower House of Deputies with 200 Guardia Civil and a pistol in his right hand.  Loosely translated, he shouted, "We're going back to the good ol' days."

Tejero longed for days gone by, the days of El Generalisimo Francisco Franco, the Spanish dictator who ruled Spain for 40 long years and shielded the country from the rest of Europe. 

Paint fell from the ceiling as bullets were fired into the air.  Tejero had everyone's attention.  He and his hombres secuestered the ministers in the Parliament, and Spain came to a stand still.

I remember wondering if I should flee the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona and head to the French border, but a Spanish train didn't seem like anything to bet on.  Some of my neighbors had far bigger worries than I -- prison among them -- and they weren't running for cover.  Instead, they were filling the bars for a good debate.

So I decided to hunker down and join the lines of housewives and students buying rice, flour and whatever other staples were left on the shelves, before stopping by a bar to listen to what the hombres were saying.

It was apparent, at least in this working class neighborhood, that Tejero's vision was not that of the people.  Spaniards thought democracy was pretty cool, and dictatorship was so... un-Western-European.

The late afternoon went into the evening, and uncertainty gave way to fear.  How was this going to end?  Would it end?  TV's were on around the nation as Spaniards had their late dinners with eyes glued to national television.

At 1 a.m., the Spanish national anthem played.  King Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon was introduced.

 

Dressed in the highest military uniform as Capitan General de los Ejercitos (Armed Forces), the King spoke seriously and deliberately.  In a nutshell, he said, "La corona, the crown, does not recognize this outlaw officer, and it fully supports Spain's democratic process."

Perfectly timed.  The country breathed a collective sigh of relief.

In the world of power and social conflict, El Rey essentially said, "Spain will go back to military dictatorship only over my dead body.  Good night, fellow countrymen.  Sleep tight."

Barcelona's Gothic Quarter is usually noisy well into the night.  But right then, you couldn't hear anything.  No motorbikes.  No juke box.  No partiers having their penultimate glass of brandy.  Could the entire country have been speechless?

 

Here we are, thirty years later.  February 2011.  

There are still a few dictators around, and they're on the run.  Why?  Because they don't love the people they're leading.

I watch as these cowards hide behind their armies and kill their own people.

King Juan Carlos stood up to the military, for the people.

Juan Carlos had cojones.  And Spain has been a democracy ever since.

 

 

Do Your Customers Feel The Love?

This is a story about Alex.

I love Alex.  No, not in the biblical sense.  First of all, he's too masculine for me.  I love him in a lot of other ways, though.

I love Alex so much, I'm not even using his real name.  Nor the other character in this story.

But Alex is real.

Alex took good care of me once at a major sports event.  He takes care of everybody.

Alex was the senior-most sales guy at, shall I say, mega sports property.  It was the second to last day of this multi-week event.  We were sitting in the shade, on a terrace overlooking the VIP hospitality village, with Grant who was heading up Sponsor Servicing.  The beer was cold.  Life was good.

Naturally the conversation touched on the event sponsors who, by the way, were people.

One-by-one, Grant lambasted just about every sponsor who came up.  "He's an idiot."  "She's a nag."  "If they renew, they ought to fire him."

At first I went along.  But it became painful after 15 minutes.  I hoped I wouldn't offend Alex when I quipped at his colleague.  "You don't love your customers, do ya', Grant?"

"Oh, come on, Jack," Grant snickered back.  "You believe all that management crap you read?"

"No.  Just what I want to believe.  And I'm in business for myself.  I love my customers, imperfect though they are."

"Exactly.  You're in business for yourself.  Without them, you don't survive.  You're just kissing ass in another form."

I had no reason to defend myself to this negativity.

But Alex did.  "You don't either," he shot at Grant.  "You don't survive without these sponsors.  What do you think, this job is your birthright?"

Grant apparently believes that the best defense is a stupid offense.  "Well, mate.  You get us into these ridiculous contracts.  You give everything to these sponsors, and you leave the headaches to me."  Grant tried to get me on his side with a wink.

"Headaches?" Alex laughed.  "Look around you, mate.  Life is good.  And we're here because of the sponsors.  I'm with Jack.  I love these sponsors.  Yeah, they can be pains in the royal arse sometimes, but so is my daughter.  And I love her."

Grant took a swallow of beer.  "Maybe I just to need to start reading those management books."

Later that night, Alex was dancing like nobody was watching.  With sponsors.  With organizers.  With anybody.  Alex loves people.

Alex loves his customers.

Happy Valentines Day.

Play It Again, Salesman Sam

I was at a client's company offsite recently, with over 200 employees brought in from around the world.

The first two days of the offsite started with hard work and serious breakout sessions.  Problems were being identified; solutions were being proposed; commitment was being secured.

Then, in the course of one late afternoon drink at the hotel bar, the attention shifted from serious work to outdoor activities... and serious partying.

The transition was highlighted by a gala dinner, and the dinner was concluded by a live DJ who was cranking up the music in the adjacent room.

I made my way in to the bar with people from my dinner table.  Some had been quite vocal: they were going to dance like there was no tomorrow.  Apparently, the expectation had been set by previous years' offsites... and, personally, I couldn't wait to see this group let its collective hair down.

 

But there was one small problem.  The music wasn't quite up our street.  The DJ was guilty of a not-so-near miss.

Just because the crowd was professional, and just because the ages ranged from late-20's to early 60's, didn't mean we didn't like to party.  What it did mean was... Lady Gaga didn't align with "customer needs."

But that wasn't the core of the problem.  What was happening here was that the DJ didn't even notice, didn't once look up... didn't even care.

At worst, he was self-absorbed in his head phones and playlist.  At best, he was too busy managing his product.

Yep, as a businessperson, DJ Kiddo was unaware of the needs of his Brave New World customer.  He was product-focused, not customer-focused.

 

So I approached him with my iPod and a forced smile.  "Hey, man.  I know this crowd's a bit older than your Saturday night crowd.  Do you think you could play a few songs from this playlist?"

He looked at my white hair as though I was the most uncool person he's had a conversation with this century.  (Probably true, I know, but...).  He then looked at my playlist as though it was from Mars.  (Imagine, no Gaga.)

So I hit him with, "Hey, dude.  You weren't at Woodstock, were ya'?"

It took him a few seconds, but he got my point.  Baby Boomers want to be cool, too.  And the dancing wasn't going to be too long-lived if the music missed its own beat.

DJ Kiddo not only took a few of my songs, but he flipped to another index, and, sure enough, had some stuff that even a white-haired guy from Woodstock gave the thumbs up to.

A few songs later, half the company was shaking its proverbial booty.

The balance of Kool & The Gang and Gaga's Bench actually worked really well.  (Too bad it required a negotiation right next to the dance floor.)

 

Compare this to a piece I saw recently about a piano player at an upscale hotel lobby bar.

Let's call him Sam, yep, of Casablanca fame -- even though this Sam plays in a New York hotel, and it's 2011.

Not only is Sam a great pianist, he defines customer-focus.

As Sam plays, he scans the lobby bar and its patrons.  He picks out an individual, or a group.  Perhaps a couple catches his eye.

Sam gues-timates the couple's age.  He then adds and subtracts to determine what year would they have been 18-years-old.  Sam then selects a popular song from that year, and plays it, with a little boost in the volume.

 

"Nine out of ten times," Sam says, "you'll see their eyes light up.  It's a great feeling.  I can feel how I've made their day, or added something to their evening."

Sam knows, intuitively or consciously, that it's all about the customer experience.  As such, Sam is a "value-add"... to the customer and to his employer.

I hope DJ Kiddo learns this.  He'll get more gigs if he focuses on the user experience, and not on his own playlist.

- Do you agree that it's all too easy to become product focused, even outside of your typical B2B sales environment?
- Got any good examples?

DJ Photo by Aalyela http://www.flickr.com/photos/aalyela/26883684/

Lobby Piano Photo by Universal Travelers http://www.flickr.com/photos/31040019@N08/2921822920/sizes/m/in/photostream/ 

 

 

International Bridges To Justice at WEF, Davos 2011

I had the the good fortune of facilitating a short workshop at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos over the weekend, for a private event hosted by International Bridges To Justice that also included a panel discussion of thought leaders and influencers.

The theme for the IBJ session was "Doable," reflecting the optimism of CEO, Karen Tse, in spite of the staggering challenges the NGO faces to stop torture and ensure fair trials worldwide.  Participants sang Art Garfunkel's version of "Woyaya" at the end of the session, and I managed to capture it on video.

The main chorus, "We will get there," reinforced the "can do" attitude of Tse and everyone involved at IBJ.  (Post continues below video.)

 

The panel was led by David Kirkpatrick of "The Daily Beast" and author of "The Facebook Effect."  It included Olivier Schwab, Head of Technology Pioneers at WEF; Gregory Dees, Professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and thought leader in the area of Social Entrepreneurship; Sandy Climan, President of Entertainment Media Ventures; and Matthew Bishop, New York Bureau Chief of "The Economist."

Now that's a list of heavyweights, and the discussion was a substantive as the panelists themselves.  The audience was made up of influencers and thought leaders, as well.  So we put a question out to them regarding a five-year vision.  The feedback was insightful, to say the least.

What was most inspiring to me about the morning was the IBJ cause itself, along with the energy of its fearless leader.

Going into the session, panelist Matthew Bishop tweeted that IBJ is "one of (his) favorite NGOs."  He then tweeted that IBJ's "strategy of supporting public defense lawyers around world is high return on investment giving."

I'm volunteering some of my time to IBJ because I'm a believer.  Will this help me in Selling in the Brave New World?  I'm not sure, but I am a believer in karma, too, and feeling good inside about giving helps me project good vibes outside.  I can only suggest to all entrepreneurs that you find some way to give to something good.  We're all busy, I know, but...

Perhaps Winston Churchill said it best.  "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give."

- Are you giving to a worthy cause?
- How does it make you feel?

Four Action Points For Achieving Big Goals in 2011

Happy New Year!

I'm going to write great things this year, because I'm a writer.

What are you going to achieve in 2011?  What are you... now?

This all relates to what I've read so much of leading up to the new year... on friend's Facebook entries, on colleague's LinkedIn updates, on Tweets, on blogs...

It's the product of personal conversations.

It's the outcome of a lot of reflection.

It's all about achieving big things in 2011, not by planning, but by being.

And, most importantly, it's simple.

1. Visualize what you want to be.
2. Believe that's what you are now.
3. Describe yourself as that to your networks now.
4. Do those things now.

Visualize.  Believe.  Describe.  Do.  (Now.)

I was at a conference in December and I said to an acquaintance, "... I use to be a writer, and I'm getting back into it."

She replied, "Why 'used to be' a writer?  Why 'getting back into it'?  You are a writer!  You write!"

At first I thought, "Yeah, yeah.  Rah, rah."

But so many people that I consider high-achievers are having this conversation now, that I've been bitten by the bug.

I don't care if I'm a first-mover or not.  I want to achieve something specific in 2011.  Probably a good idea to start believing it.

The fact is, I have a Bachelor of Science in Magazine Journalism from Newhouse School of Publications at Syracuse University.  I edited newspapers and regional magazines for a couple of years and then, two decades ago, I "strayed" in to international sales and marketing.  No regrets.  In fact, I believe my writing has helped me a lot in business.

Over a year ago, I started blogging and, as you've probably noticed, I'm doing that now.  I'm close to finishing my first book.  Toastmasters Magazine has accepted two of my articles for publication later this year, one of them has been submitted and I'm working on the second.  I'm guest-posting with more frequency.

So, yes!  I'm a writer.

I'm now calling myself that.

I'm doing what writers do.

I'm also a speaker. 

I'm still a sales and marketing advisor.  In fact, that's what I write and speak on.

But this is no longer about what I want to be, or what I might be next year.  This is about what I am... now.  2011 is here.  The present is always here!

And this is also about you.  So... what do you want to be by the end of 2011?  Can you start believing that you are it now?

Perhaps you've always wanted to be an actor, and you've made a resolution to join a theatre club.  Well, then, start saying, "I'm an actor," and start doing the things that actors do!  Even when they're in between jobs, actors do certain things.  What are they?

Perhaps you've resolved to change your business offer?  Well, then, you are a consultant in intellectual property rights (or whatever).  Start saying it, start doing it... and start selling it!

Sure, in the Brave New World you should be ready to follow-up with your specific value statement:  "I'm a sales and marketing advisor.  I help companies sell better."

But that's not the point here.  The point is that you visualize what you've been aspiring to be, and that you start believing it.  This will open the mental and emotional doors to start being it and acting on it.  Now.

If you're like many people, you've probably been visualizing.  Now start believing.  Start describing.  Start achieving.

- What projects are you working on in 2011? 
- What can you be you this year?
- What are you doing now?



Post Script:  I will continue to post every Friday morning, with a significant piece on selling.  But I will also post pieces of varying lengths throughout the week.  These could be simple quotes, or thoughts on leadership for start-ups in the Brave New World.

I will not send out e-shots for most of them, so make a point to visit a few times a week, or sign up for the RSS feed.  Thanks and... here's to a great new year!

Photo by Imagination.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/27904422@N02/2798404430/ 

What are you doing in 2011?  What are you... now?

This is all related to what I've read so much of over the new year... on other people's Facebook entries, LinkedIn updates, Tweets, blogs.

 

What are you doing in 2011?  What are you... now?

This is all related to what I've read so much of over the new year... on other people's Facebook entries, LinkedIn updates, Tweets, blogs.

 

What are you going to achieve in 2011?  What are you... now?

This all relates to what I've read so much of over the new year... on other people's Facebook entries, LinkedIn updates, Tweets, blogs.

Sales Advice to Retailers: Take The Money and (Let Me) Run!

It happens every day, especially before Christmas.

Customers stand in line waiting to pay, as the cashier organizes his life, the life of his colleague, or even that of another customer who's asleep at the proverbial wheel.

My advice to retailers: Take my money and let me run!

I'll be more satisfied, and you'll make more money -- not just in the long-term, but in the immediate term, too.

Decades ago, my brothers and I would call all those friends eager to make a few extra bucks at Christmas to help out at my father's wine and spirits retail shop.

My father, now a retired attorney and entrepreneur extraordinnaire, started The Wine Cellar from scratch in the 1960's, and by the mid-70's it was the largest wine and spirits store in a 40-kilometer radius.

Leading up to Christmas, the place would always be swamped with shoppers.  The parking lot would be swamped.  The street out front would be jammed.

My father would continually remind us.  "Our job is to get the customers out of here as fast as possible."

Is my father not customer-focused?

Therein lies the paradox.  He is among the most customer-focused entrepreneurs I've ever known.

"It's Christmas Eve.  Everybody's in a hurry," he would often say.

Then he'd point to the parking lot and the traffic.  "And so are they.  Some of them are trying to get in here, and the rest are trying to get somewhere else. 

"Our job today is to help them get in and out of here smoothly.  Help them get what they want, pay for it, and get it out to the car."

Then he himself wouldn't miss a beat.  He'd walk up to a customer and smile, "What can I help you with today, young man?"

We were never pushy.  We put customer service first.  While the store had a "crowded and hectic" buzz about it, it also had vibe of "swift and efficient."

A by-product of this was that the cash register continually rang.  Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka... for 14 hours straight!

Think about it.

If your sales window is finite and your "Rate of Ka-Ching" is 120 kph, you will generate significantly more revenue during that window than if your Rate of Ka-Ching is 80 kph.  Fifty percent more!!!

Now as customers today, we often stand in line and watch as clerks look for scissors, check inventories, stop and ponder the most standard of customer questions as though they couldn't have anticipated them.

"Will you get delivery of this in large before Christmas?" can back up the cashier for five minutes.

That's five minutes of non-ka-ching!

I've actually leaned around frustrated customers in front of me and said to oblivious store managers, "Please, take my money!"

I understand, Mr. or Ms. Retailer, that you need to take care of another customer's enquiry, so... hire somebody to do that!  Pass enquiries on to a re-deployed fitting room assistant, and train your cashiers to swiftly (and cordially) take the money from the customer who wants to give it to you and get on to the next!

This extends to a lot of businesses, but I'll stay with retail for a moment.  I was in a pub a few weeks ago watching a band perform.  By my calculation, this pub had a three-hour window of opportunity, a "three-hour ka-ching window."

Imagine!  Thirsty customers would approach the bar and wait an average of 10 minutes to get served.  There were only two bartenders who didn't have a clue about swift (or cordial) service.

One patron among a party of six let the bartender know this, although it didn't help him get served any faster.  He was neither a satisfied customer, a frequently served customer, nor a high-spending customer.  Although he could've been.

I kept my on his table.  Over the next two hours, they ordered only one more round.  They'd occasionally look at the bar, shrug their shoulders, delay their next purchase and go on talking.

Retailers, are you missing the plot?

A customer who is served swiftly is a customer who is satisfied.  And meanwhile, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching... 

Take the money and (let the customer) run!

This applies in the B2B world, as well.  Some periods are high-volume windows.  You will not disappoint customers by helping them transact!

At the Wine Cellar, we kept customers happy, among other things, by making their shopping experience swift in those high-traffic periods.  We weren't pushy.

They wanted to buy and, quite simply, it was our job to satisfy them.  Ka-ching...

 

- Are there high-volume windows in B2B businesses you've observed, where Rate of Ka-Ching is not maximized?
- What are your thoughts on customers in a hurry?
- Leave a comment here.  I'd love to hear your point-of-view!

Photo by Peter Hilton.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterhilton/357995293/sizes/z/in/photostream/