The secrets of selling

If you’d like to be better at selling, whether products, services or yourself and your ideas, to others to further your career and influence, then I’d recommend reading Geoff King’s book The Secrets of Selling – How to win in any sales situation. The is also a website to go with the book which is well worth a look.

I have read the book twice and I got something out of it each time. It is the kind of book you could dip into now and again and still learn something new or try out a new technique. It is concise and jargon free which makes a refreshing change. Although it’s not a new book, I think it is worth my mentioning it now that’s it’s captured my attention again.

Expanding Your Business? Watch and Learn

With all the talk of doom and gloom over the past year I was surprised when, a few weeks ago, a local art gallery had a sign in the window saying, “Closed for Refurbishment”. ‘What a time to choose to spend your cash on a refurb – for an art gallery’, I thought to myself. Slowly but surely it dawned on me that it was not a refurb for the art gallery but one for the expansion of the neighbouring bistro/cafe. It got me thinking about what makes one business do so well it expands, in a recession, whilst others struggle or close down?

I went in the other day and all was revealed. I nearly fell over when a normally more reserved waiter announced, in excited tones, that the expansion was complete and would I like to go in and take a look. I duly obliged and, equally enthusiastically, said I thought it was great.

This bistro is busy (mostly full), quite literally, morning, noon and night. The clientele are from all life stages; local business owners, young mothers, retired seniors; men, women and children. It is in a leafy suburb with a village feel.

It opens in the morning for breakfast and, until recently, had a very expensive lunch menu. At the start of the downturn the owner acted quickly and started to open at night offering a special menu deal of two courses and a glass of wine for €20 per head. The menu offers enough choice to the customer but is narrow enough to be manageable to accommodate two sittings 7 nights a week. Recently, he added a special lunch offer thereby appealing to more customers and helping to pay for the expansion no doubt.

Meanwhile, over the road just a few streets away, another restaurant offers mediocre food, grumpy staff and higher prices. It’s empty most of the day and offers three courses for €30 but who wants three courses most of the time they go out especially during the week? I and a few friends have, independently I might add, given it one last chance ages ago! The last time I was there I complained about the food and they just shrugged. Verdict: Lovely surroundings, poor food, poor price point and poor service.

So why is the former business expanding without any marketing or website, whilst the latter (part of a small, well known group) is losing customers hand over fist?

Well, in my opinion it’s this (and it applies to any business, product or service). It offers:

• Superior and consistent customer service, delivery and presentation
• The right price point for the various clientele at the right time of day
• The right/most appropriate menus for the time of day
• The wisdom to invest in the business in a way that engages both the customers and the staff so that it feel like a pleasant, positive place to be

The customers will pay for the extension, whilst the staff is willing and happy to serve. The owner, meanwhile, seems to be behind the cash register less and out talking to his customers more. So it’s a win/win for everyone.

In your business or workplace you don’t necessarily need to build an extension or spend enormous amounts of your budget to make improvements that can have a long-term effect. Sometimes it can be as simple as standing back and looking at what you are cutting, spending and the impact it will have on your customers, staff and long-term prospects.

Wishing you all Season’s Greetings and a Peaceful and Prosperous 2010.

Great customer service as a retention and acquisition strategy

Offering superior customer service is the best way to sustain and grow your business or product and service lines. During the boom years it was often neglected in favour of chasing the dollar. Including it as part of your 2010 strategic and operational plans and implementation should be a key feature of your thinking.

I would say that it should be instilled in the mindset and actions of the organisation, whether large or small.

Watch this video to remind yourself of the importance of service and to cheer you up and get you in a postive frame of mind for your day.

Just how important is social media anyway?

If you were in any doubt as to whether you could ignore social media networks and blogging in an effort to promote your products and services, then this video will make you think again.

It doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect. Just put together your social media strategy and start to take steps to developing your presence online. Taking small steps is better than taking none at all.

Business and the community

I’ve been invited to the 3rd Edelman Goodpurpose Global Study and a discussion on why brands and companies that engage in social purpose have an opportunity to solidify relationships with their key consumers / stakeholders.

This seminar is a Marketing Institute of Ireland/ Edelman/ Business in the Community Ireland joint initiative which aims to highlight the importance of aligning your Corporate and Social Responsibility values to your brand.

In a recent Business in the Community Ireland/Ipsos MORI ‘Survey of Corporate Image and Corporate Responsibility 2009’, more than 80% of those surveyed said that a company’s commitment to social responsibility is important when buying a product or service. Just under a quarter of respondents were able to name a company they considered an ‘all-rounder’ i.e. providing excellent customer service, good employer and mindful of impact on environment, showing that consumers in Ireland are largely unaware of good corporate behavior.

Speakers include; Tomas Sercovich, Senior Corporate Responsibility Consultant, Business in the Community Ireland; Mitch Markson, President of Edelman Consumer & Global Creative Director and Joe Collum, Marketing Director, Glanbia Consumer Foods.

goodpurpose is Edelman’s brand of social purpose marketing. It is dedicated to helping brands develop and activate concepts and campaigns that trigger what we call “mutual social responsibility”—brands and consumers working together to effect positive social change, and “Return on Involvement”—a new metric that looks at participation and involvement as true brand loyalty builders.

Sounds interesting doesn’t it? See details below. It is by invitation only but if you ask, you might get one.

 

Dublin – Morning Seminar, Edelman Goodpurpose Global Study Launch

Mitch Markson, Joe Collum, Tomas Sercovich

Monday 9-Nov-09 7:45 AM to Monday 9-Nov-09 9:15 AM

How to think big for better results

It’s approaching that time of year when you need to start thinking about your plans for 2010. Nobody will be sorry to see the back of 2009 when all there seemed to be reported in the media was negativity and fearful thinking. It could be thought of as the year of hypnosis of the masses. Talk about latching onto the lowest common denominator thought patterns and running with it until everyone is paralysed by indecision and going nowhere fast.

It is awful that so many people have lost their jobs and the banking system is in the state it’s in, but reinforcing people’s fear and despair is not going to help anyone, least of all those who need help the most. Some leadership is needed in all areas: business, politics, and the media. It cannot be left up to the few brave mavericks who have never been afraid to question the status quo.

We are all leaders of ourselves so that is the best place to start. Once you make a start to improve your outlook, and take responsibility for yourself, others will follow as nobody wants to remain in misery for the next few years. The ‘pity party’ is over.

Now moving on to your strategic plan for next year, and the next three to five years, is a much better way for you to keep your eye on the bigger picture.

I’ve recently started to paint, admittedly very ‘naive art’. I have never really painted, well not since childhood when my mother took me to art classes at the local Presbyterian hall. The classes were given by a very kindly lady but all the other pupils seemed much older than I, and I was terrified. It must have been the autumn term because all I remember is being told to paint a witch for Hallowe’en. I started my picture, dead sure that it was going to be great. After a time, the teacher came over to inspect what I’d done. Well, I really learned a lesson that day which has stuck with me to this day.

She said, ‘Oh no my dear, don’t draw small things on the big page, use all the space.’ She was referring to my little people on broomsticks in the middle of a vast sheet of paper! I had been attempting to draw a scene but it was so small it was almost insignificant.

So it should be with your strategic plan for next year or the next few years, be it in your business, career or personal life. Detail has its place but, if you get too bogged down in it, you miss the bigger picture and all the potential opportunities around it.

As for my art, well I only went to the classes for a term or two and never tried it again, until now. I may be making a fool of myself but at least I am having fun, and it sure beats watching the news!

How to build a brand like U2

About a month ago or so now I went along to one of the U2 concerts, part of The U2 360° Tour. I am not a die-hard fan, like many who were there, but a friend had spare tickets so I went along. The support band, The Script, were very good and gave a good performance, however they were the aperitif and not the main attraction. When U2 came on stage, Bono praised them and their musical talent, stage presence etc. Then he said, ‘…unlike us, we set up the band first and then learned to play.’

It occurred to me that this could apply to anything you want to do in marketing, business or life. You too could live the dream. Try it, practice it, change it, experiment.

The main thing I recognised about U2 is that they had a clear vision; everything else was just a road/path that led them to the vision.

I once read of an interview with Bono where he’s been asked by a journalist about what U2’s mission was. Having pondered for a few moments, Bono replied ‘Not to be crap.’

An FT journalist, whose name escapes me now, wrote an article on mission statements and what they mean having had a very poor experience with a car rental company, who shall remain nameless. In the article he compared the lofty mission statement of the car rental company with the statement Bono had made about U2’s. Which one was more authentic, believable, and credible?

Back at the concert Bono thanked everyone: the event company, management, the fans for, as he put it, ‘Building their dream’. What struck me most about the above was not only the vision and drive of U2 as a band, but that without loyal fans it would never have come about.

U2 spent years building up a loyal fan base and gave them what they wanted, which it seems to me is not just the music, but an emotional connection, an identity of sorts. Some of the fans travel to all, or as many of the concerts as they can, on the same tour. I am amazed. Some fans drove from Slovenia to Berlin, on to Amsterdam and then to Dublin to go to all the concerts. I have met several fans of Bruce Springsteen who do the same, but I wondered about what inspires such loyalty, such persistence?

So it struck me that I could attempt to chart how you can go about building a brand like U2 yourself.

To my mind it is the following:
1. Have a strong vision/dream/destination
2. Come up with a strategy to get you there (to position yourself on the path)
3. Build a team of like-minded people who support your vision. Don’t go it alone. (these can be colleagues, mentors, customers AKA fans)
4. Have a set of tactics to implement (which is the journey itself) – these can change, keep trying to see what works

Bonus Tips to Get You There
1. Entertain no doubts
2. It is going to happen
3. It is happening
4. Practice, practice, practice

Now go do it…

Improving your sales technique

SavvySaleswoman

Julie Roman, AKA SavvySaleswoman, has just published her new book entitled, Selling With Heart in Just 5 Days. It is a book about selling the feminine way. I have had the privilege of reading an advanced review copy and can testify to its practicality and usefulness. It will help you to win new business and develop great relationships with your customers. What more could you want?

How to raise your profile by setting up a blog

We Magazine's 100 Women Bloggers to Watch for 2009

I have just found out that I have been listed in We Magazine’s list of 100 More Women Bloggers to Watch for 2009. I am naturally thrilled by this news as I have spent a lot of time and effort developing engaging, stimulating and most of all useful content for my readers.

It takes time to develop a blog and you need to put a lot of effort into it, especially at the beginning, when you often feel as though you are talking to yourself. However, I have attracted new clients as a direct result of it and I can track my traffic so I know how many people read my blog each day, week or month.

So I would just like to say a big thank you to all of you who read it, leave comments and continue to keep coming back to find out what’s new.

What factors make an entrepreneur?

Everyone wonders what makes one person an entrepreneur and another run a mile from such a challenge.

A new report, just published, called Anatomy of an Entrepreneur: Family Background and Motivation gives us some statistical evidence as to why that might be so.

Are they all young, rich and workaholics or are they something else entirely?

In fact the report abstract says that, “This research answers some of these questions. This is based on a survey of 549 company founders in 12 high-growth industries. It finds that most founders came from middle-class or upper-lower-class backgrounds, are well-educated and married with children. The strongest motivation for starting a company was to “build wealth”. Other popular motivators included capitalizing on a business idea; the appeal of a startup culture; a desire to own a company; and a lack of interest in working for someone else.”

You’ll have to download the report to get all the salient facts but the following article gives an interesting summary, The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur by Nick Leiber in Business Week.