Want me to stop selling? Make a decision
Posted by Ron Ostroff in Columns, Sales and Marketing on January 13th, 2010
I had a disturbing phone call this week.
It was good news and bad news. Or maybe it was just confusing news.
In sales, I’ve always been taught that you want to reach the decision maker to ask for the sale.
That presents a couple of problems. First, you have to try to identify the decision maker, the person who can give you a yes or no answer about a sale.
Second, you have to find a way to get to that person so they can hear you out about why what your selling will benefit them.
So the selling process goes something like this.
You call or visit a business. Most likely, the person holding the purse strings isn’t in, isn’t available or just won’t see you. That means you are dealing with a protector – someone whose job it is to make life easier for the boss, or to shoo away anyone who comes in and doesn’t look like a buyer.
As a seller, my job is to reach that boss because I know I can help him. I know I can benefit his business. And I’ll keep trying until I know he’s seen or heard my offer. If he says, no thanks. Fine. If he’s not now, I’ll ask when I might try again and come back then. If he says, I’ll have to think about or I’ll get back to you, I’ll take him at his word and follow up.
But if I don’t get an answer, my assumption is that he hasn’t seen my proposal. Maybe the protector, the gatekeeper decided it wasn’t worth his time. Like the receptionist at an accounting firm who got my call when I wanted to talk about a special section for tax preparers to generate business before the April 15 tax deadline.
“He’s too busy now. Don’t you know it’s tax season?” she said. “Call him in May.”
I wonder if the boss knows how under-educated his gatekeeper is?
So that’s why I ask for the e-mail address of the boss. I figure in a relatively small or medium size firm, he’ll still read his own e-mail.
So how far do you go?
If you try to make contact a dozen times, with several different people, do you just give up?
I always thought you would keep coming back with new proposals on a regular basis.
Now, I’m told that isn’t the right way.
The disturbing phone call I got was from a key player specializing in marketing and public relations for things political. It was a Saturday night (I had said I could be called any time) and he was inquiring for his client about advertising.
But the inquiries came with an edge. He caught me off guard. I was cooking. I opened my computer and searched for my rate card. I found it.
Then he started asking questions about the newspaper. Then he started telling me his client said they had no money and that they had completed the media buy for this project. But he wanted to ask some questions.
I gave him some answers that seemed to make him think.
Then he asked the question: “How many times did you call my client?”
I try to keep a record of my phone calls and some of my e-mails. I want to know what was said and when. I guessed it had been two or three times. It might have been more.
“My client felt you called them too much. When they didn’t answer, when they didn’t get back to you, you should have stopped. Or else you could ruin it for next time.”
He was very kind about his comments and he said he would take my latest offer to his client. But I was still confused.
I had called his client. No one was sure who handled newspaper advertising. Eventually someone suggested I e-mail a certain woman. I did. No response. So I called her. When I finally got her on the phone, she explained that the media buy was complete, she hadn’t opened my e-mail and I could call a certain ad agency if I wanted to follow up.
So she was ignoring me. Yes, I know, she was busy.
We’re all busy. So don’t use it as an excuse for ignoring someone.
Was I supposed to make the assumption that she wasn’t interested because she didn’t call back? As it turns out, she didn’t even see the proposal.
Many times I’ve told the boss: “You pay my salary, but I work for the clients.”
I still feel that way. I will do almost anything for a client. I’ve written press releases, taken photographs, mailed letters, even taken one client – who is now a friend – to the airport.
When I approach a client, I believe I have something that will benefit that client. Otherwise, I don’t call. Yes, you heard it hear first: I won’t try to sell something to someone who can’t benefit from the product or service. That’s because I’m not looking for one sale. I’m seeking a relationship.
With that in mind, I’ve always believed that you go after a potential client until they make a decision. If they say “no,” I might ask why. I might even try months later or years later. But no is no – at least for now.
That’s the magic word. You make a decision and I’ll stop calling. You’ve given me the information I need to know.
Will I be calling too much? That’s a judgment call by the client. But there’s an easy way to stop the calls.
Treat me like a person. Better yet, treat me like the potential customer I am. Consider what I have to offer. And then make a decision.
Even if the answer is a considered “no,” I’ll feel better about you and your company. Because, rather than being evasive, you were honest.
Ron Ostroff is an editor, writer, advertising sales executive and marketing and public relations consultant.
Make it easy for people to reach you
Posted by Ron Ostroff in Columns, Sales and Marketing on January 13th, 2010
People who want to buy your product are like any other consumer. That want it to be easy to contact you.
These are the people who want to give you money. These are the people who will keep your business alive in this economy. So why are you frustrating them?
Despite all this 21st century technology of websites and Twitter and e-mail and text messages, many people still like to get on the phone and get a human voice. They like the interaction. They want to get all their potential objections to buying from you resolved in one contact. They don’t want to e-mail back and forth.
If it takes too long to remove their sales objections, they’ll give up on you and go someplace else.
So why do we make it so difficult to get in touch with you?
Here some examples?
A new retail food operation with a wonderful reputation moves into town. You think they are a great match with your business. You think both your business and their business can benefit. Maybe you think so much of the new operation that you might want to explore buying a franchise. So you go in and ask for the manager.
The manager makes it clear that they can tell you nothing about the company.
“Where is the corporate office?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Can I get a phone number for the corporate office?”
“We’re not allowed to give that out.”
“Where are your other stores and how many do you have?”
“I can’t provide that information.”
“What can you tell me about your company?”
“We sell great food.”
“How do I find out any more?”
“E-mail your questions to info@greatfoodcompany.com.”
Here’s a company that has a great reputation. It has so many reasons to brag about itself. But it has chosen to do none of that. In fact, it has chosen to restrict its employees from saying anything. The employees should be able to be cheerleaders for the business, but the corporate leaders have taken away their voices.
It’s frustrating.
Doing more research, you find the company has a very flashy website. On the upside, there’s a history of the company, a list of all its branches with phone numbers and a system for ordering online and sending their product anywhere. When you get to the contact information, there is no corporate headquarters listing and no phone numbers, just two e-mail addresses.
This view of the company is to make communication convenient and efficient for the company. In a very rough economy, this company has decided to be company friendly rather than customer friendly.
This isn’t unusual. Most websites make you hunt for a telephone number. Their view is: We created this website so it will answer all those pesky, time-consuming questions. We don’t want people to call us. So if we really need to list a phone number, we’ll hide it somewhere or we won’t list it at all.
Then there is the customer service line. That’s a misnamed department. They are not really providing much customer service. They are just making sure the sale sticks and whatever complaint you have stops with them.
So let’s say you have a great experience with a customer service. You want to tell someone in corporate that this lady is a keeper. You want to tell them: You’ve got to make sure she doesn’t leave your company.
“You’ve done a really great job. I’d like to call your corporate office and tell someone higher up about the good experience I had. Can you give me your full name?”
“I’m sorry I can’t do that. That’s against company policy.”
(This is after you’ve provided all sorts of personal information to her).
“I’d still like to see that they put something nice in your file. Can you give the number to your corporate office?”
“I’m sorry, we’re not allowed to do that.”
“OK. Can you tell me where your company is based and I’ll look up the number?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know where that is. And if I did know, I couldn’t tell you.”
“How about if I talk to a supervisor? At least I can let the supervisor know what a gem he has working in the company?”
“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t do that. Our supervisors are very busy people. They don’t have time to come to the phone.”
They’re busy? Excuse me. And I’m not? That’s just insulting.
They’ve already sold me on their product or service. Now they seem to do their best to unravel the sale and create a bad relationship.
Remember, this is when I want to say something nice. And they still won’t let me.
If I want to complain, they are just as friendly.
But be aware of their function: They are there to handle things. Whatever it takes, the call and the transaction stops with them so no one else is bothered.
The customer service department serves its function. But it also produces a lot of frustrated customers. Some will be so frustrated that they might take their business elsewhere.
(Note to self: Do you want a satisfied customer? Here’s an area where it’s easy to excel and create customer loyalty. It’s another opportunity for a positive customer interaction and most businesses are blowing it.)
Yes, it takes time to answer calls from consumers, potential vendors and potential franchisees. But look at that list again. All these people might want to give you money. Are you making so much money, are you bringing in so much revenue that you don’t want their money?
Talking to customers is part of business. These are the reason you are in business. No customers and you are doing something else. And every one of these people – including the potential vendor and potential franchisee – are potential customers. So you need to treat them with the respect you would treat a customer if they were standing right in front of you in your shop.
In most business interactions, many customers have a simple request: Treat me like a human being. Talk to me.
Take them up on their request and you could strengthen the relationship with the customer. Deny it and you could push them in the direction of your competition.
Ron Ostroff is an editor, writer, advertising sales executive and marketing and public relations consultant.
Customer Service: The price is wrong
Posted by Ron Ostroff in Columns, Sales and Marketing on January 13th, 2010
Is customer service dead?
No, it’s merely sleeping.
With so many choices for just about everything and so many businesses offering the same product or service, how a customer is treated becomes the deciding factor.
Treat me well and I’ll come back.
Treat me with contempt and not only will I never return. But I’ll also tell my friends about my rotten experience.
Exceed expectations or do something wonderful, and I’ll keep on talking about your business for months.
Customer service is not just something for managers and not just something for special occasions. Good customer is the responsibility of every employee all the time.
Every time an employee interacts with a customer, there’s an opportunity to make an impression.
When I go into a big box home improvement store, I’m usually baffled. I’m far from Mr. Fix It. But sometimes I do minor things around my house.
So I ask questions.
“Where can I find a surge protector with a very long cord?
“Over there,” the employee said, pointing to some far off region of the store.
Wrong answer.
The right answer: “Follow me. I’ll show you.”
Once in a supermarket, in the middle of a rainstorm, more like a monsoon, I was searching for a replacement for my umbrella which had blown inside out once too many times.
Aisle after aisle, I found no umbrellas. And no employees. There were busy cashiers, but no one else. Finally, I found a young woman taking inventory. She could have easily said she was busy. She didn’t. She stopped. After 15 minutes of walking the store, we found collapsible umbrellas.
I asked her to get her manager on the phone. I told him what an invaluable employee he had. And I meant it.
At a recent meal at a barbecue restaurant, the food was so bad it was memorable — for all the wrong reasons. A friend and I share barbecued beef, pulled chicken, pecan rice and some very sad looking vegetables.
By the time we’d given up on trying to eat our meal, there was a small mountain of fat by what remained of the beef. It is what we had cut off the beef we ate.
The pulled chicken was a collection of dried out strips topped with some barbecue sauce rather than soaked in it. And the rice turned into a game of find the pecans. We couldn’t find any, not even a sliver.
When the waitress asked how the meal was, we told her. She was concerned and got the assistant manager on duty. She asked about our meal and we told her in detail.
“I’m not looking to avoid paying for the meal. Fair is fair. We ate most of it. But we thought you’d want to know how bad this food is.”
She listened carefully, looking glum.
“Thanks for taking the time to tell me. And you’re right. It’s not up to our standards. But it is a lot better than when I got here eight weeks ago,” she said.
To thank us for our efforts, she presented us with a slice of special chocolate, chocolate fudge and more chocolate cake.
The thought was great. The cake was dry and tasteless. But she tried.
The customer isn’t always right. Sometimes the customer is an arrogant jerk.
But, please, just listen to us.
Where does bad customer service come from?
Arrogance. People who are sure they know it all. Lack of training, lack of concern for customers and a complete lack of interest in their job.
Where does good customer service come from?
Company executives who lead by example and put into place procedures that treat customers like guests. And letting employees know how vital it is to treat customers well. And having managers who hire people who want to do the job and do it well.
Within 24 hours, I saw vivid examples of both.
At the end of a long ride home, I stopped at a convenience store for a half gallon of non-fat milk. On the shelf it was marked $2.19. I noticed the price had gone up a few cents.
It was still cheap and probably fresher than anything else. So I took it to the counter where the clerk swiped the bar code. It registered $2.29.
“That price is wrong,” I told the clerk.
“That’s the price in the computer,” he said.
“But on the shelf, it’s $2.19.”
Another employee walked with me to the shelf.
“See, it’s $2.19,” I said.
“I see,” the clerk said. “But the price is $2.29.
“No. For me, right now, in this container, it’s $2.19. It’s what you advertised on the shelf.”
“Didn’t you ever make a mistake?” the clerk asked.
“Yes, plenty of times. But I corrected it immediately and made sure I justly compensated anyone injured by my error.”
“Well, it’s $2.29, take it or leave it,” said the clerk.
I took the milk and asked for the number for the convenience store’s corporate customer service office.
As I was walking out, the clerks were still at the counter. No effort had been made to correct the price.
The next morning, I called the convenience store’s corporate office and told them my story. A lady listened and took notes. She agreed with me. It was wrong. She said a manager would call me.
A few days later, a customer service manager called me, asked for details and apologized. He sent me some coupons for some things I’d never buy or eat. But it was a nice gesture.
The next few times I went back to the store, the incorrect price was still on the shelf. Eventually, it was taken down. The last time I looked, it had not been replaced.
The night I talked to customer service, I was at a supermarket near my house.
I did some light shopping. Up at the register, some whole wheat pasta rang up as $2.99. I noticed it after I paid. I told the cashier the price was marked $2.69.
So I went to customer service. They walked with me to the shelf and checked the price.
The woman quietly filled out a form. She reached in her cash register and handed me $2.99.
At that supermarket, when it rings up wrong the item is free.
“I’m sorry for your trouble,” she said.
“Thank you.”
When it comes to economics, I vote with my dollars.
The next time I need milk, I think I’ll drive by the convenience store and go to the supermarket. It’s a little more expensive. But I’d rather deal with people who know the importance of good customer service and have respect for me and the other people who shop there.
Ron Ostroff is an editor, writer, advertising sales executive and marketing and public relations consultant.
‘This is the Cleavers. We’re not home.’
Posted by Ron Ostroff in Columns on December 26th, 2009
Mrs. Cleaver doesn’t stay home any more.
In fact, the Beaver’s mom has nice job, thank you very much.
But most large companies still think they’ll be finding her at home during the day. Which is why they love to schedule repairs from 8-12 or 1-5 or 10-2. Because they’re sure “the little woman” will be home to let the serviceman in.
Hello corporate America. Here’s a newsflash: The 60s have been over for nearly 40 years. Many families have only one parent and that parent works during the day. In many two adult households, both adults work during the day. And don’t forget that many people are living single and, all together now, working during the day.
Have a problem with an appliance or anything in your home and you’ll realize this news had not reached most in the business world.
So here’s what we have: Companies that are making their schedules for THEIR convenience. These are service arms of companies and they are setting their schedules based on what is best for them.
And if you mention that taking off four hours in the middle of the week so an appliance manufacturer can fulfill it’s warranty that you paid extra for is not convenient, they react as if you were talking Klingon. How dare you suggest that that a repair person visit you when you are going to be there. They have a schedule. They have set hours. Either take the appointment we give you or “Are you available in early October 2011?”
Wake up American business! We’re in the worst economic state since the 1930s. And consumers have choices. That means you have to finally wake up and work for our business and continue to work for it every day.
That means you actually have to learn two very foreign words. Now, I know they’ll be hard to say. So let’s do it gradually so you don’t go into shock.
OK, here goes: “Cust-o-mer Ser-vice.”
Strange words, huh?
Wikipedia cites Efriam Turban’s “Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Prespective” for a definition: “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation.”
Here’s how that works in real life. I buy a product. I expect it to work properly. If something goes wrong, I expect the seller and the manufacturer to stand by the product. I do not expect the seller to say: “That’s not my problem.”
Hey, I just gave you a bathtub full of money for this thing. It IS your problem.
I also expect the manufacturer to fix the thing – especially if I purchased one of their extended warranties.
Not only do I expect a repair, I expect it on my terms.
That means a change of attitude. Mr. Businessperson: We customers are not here for your benefit. You exist for our benefit.
So when you are thinking of how you’ll be scheduling repairs, remember that Mrs. Cleaver will be at work during the day. Although some of her girlfriends are still at home. However, for the rest of us, you should be offering weekend hours and nights. Remember: For the customer’s convenience.
One more thing: Repair people love to give you a four hour window. OK, I can see the point. You never know how long a repair will take. And they do need some flexibility. But why do they ever need an eight hour window? Why does a consumer need to sit home for eight hours? Why not have flexibility for the consumer?
And maybe if you’re good, Mrs. Cleaver will get home early enough to have some home-baked cookies waiting.
Ron Ostroff is an editor, writer, advertising sales executive and marketing and public relations consultant.
We Are All In Sales
Posted by Ron Ostroff in Columns, Sales and Marketing on December 26th, 2009
No matter what your company does, no matter what each of your employees does, no matter what their title, they are all in sales.
Let me repeat that: Everyone in your company is a sales rep.
Unless each employee thinks of themselves as a sales rep, you are losing more sales than you even know about.
The other side of that equation is that everyone, and I mean, everyone, your employees come in contact with is a potential buyer.
With that knowledge, you might want to change the way everybody on your staff deals with everyone they come in contact with.
Let me give you an example: You are an accounting firm. I call to try to sell you newspaper advertising. The young, inexperienced person, probably getting minimum wage, answers the phone. She’s abrupt, maybe even rude. She believes her job is to screen calls and protect her boss. Without even consulting anyone, she tells me that her firm is not interesting in advertising right before tax season. She says the firm is too busy. When I press on, she suggests that I call after tax season.
But hold on. I was offering a special section to run before tax season, to try to drive business to accounting firms before April 15. But she was rude and told me the firm was “too busy.”
This is wrong on so many counts.
First, if she’s arrogant and nasty to me now, how would she treat me if I were a client? I probably would not be interested in finding out. If I need accounting services or even if someone in editorial asks me to suggest someone they can quote in a story, this firm will not be on my list. So already, they’ve lost out twice – once with a potential a client and a second time on free publicity.
Second, there are few businesses that really have “too much business” – especially in this economy. If her boss heard the conversation, his eyes would roll. “Too much business?”
OK, there are a few instances, where a company actually has “too much business.”
Take the example of the deli that does special meals or platters for Rosh Hashana or Thanksgiving. They have a limited staff, limited capacity and limited time. Unless they hire on additional staff, they can only produce a certain amount of meals that meet their high standards. If they take more than that, there’s a chance that their quality might drop or they might make mistakes. In that case, there is a real limit to what they can handle. And they indeed might have to turn away orders that come in too late to accommodate them.
But the accounting firm isn’t that way.
If the firm all of sudden got an additional wave of business, they have other options. In many cases, they can get the clients extensions. All of a sudden, there is more time to do the work. In the additional time, they could also bring in more employees to do the work. So your sales person/receptionist lost the sale and she didn’t even know it.
Here’s another. One of your junior accountants is at a cocktail party. Someone asks what she does. She explains her job. But then she starts talking about how the firm really messed up the taxes for a big account.
Here we go again. One of your sales people who didn’t really she’s in sale did everything she could to scare business away.
Do I really want a firm to handle my business when they just made a mess out of someone else’s problems? I doubt it.
Let’s try for another.
The UPS is making a pick up at the accounting firm. Meanwhile, the boss has spotted some really dumb work by one of the more junior accountants. The boss has had it and starts yelling at the top of his lungs. But he doesn’t realize or doesn’t care that he has an audience of more than his employees. The UPS man is listening to and watching everything.
The UPS man is a taxpayer. Maybe he is thinking of starting a small business. He’s going to need an account. You can be sure, after this performance, he’ll find his accounting expertise some place else.
Now you know that we’ll all in sales, how do you make sure that your employees are selling your firm rather than unselling it?
- · Make sure they understand what you do.
- · Make sure they treat everyone as if they were the firm’s largest client – with kindness and respect. That includes that kid who delivers your takeout lunches.
- · Make sure they know enough to know what they don’t know. And have the intelligence to ask questions.
- · Make sure they know they can tell a caller or a visitor: “I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll find out and get right back to you.”
- · Make sure if they have problems with the business, they talk to a supervisor to solve them in the business.
- · Be sure you communicate well to your employees. Let them know what’s really going on so facts are not replaced by wild rumors like “sales are down. It looks like they’ll have to lay off half the staff.”
- · Make sure they understand the concept that in addition to everything else they do, they are selling or unselling the company in everything they do.
Ron Ostroff is an editor, writer, advertising sales executive and marketing and public relations consultant.
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