Do you remember the last time you called a big company and got stuck in their voice mail system that left you feeling you were in the Twilight Zone? Just this morning, I spent at least 45 minutes on the phone with Dell, speaking to 4 different people on at least three different continents trying to figure out how to buy two notebooks. Alan Weiss, the famed consultant and speaker, always says “Make it easy for the customer to buy”. Geez! I found myself screaming at my phone begging to talk to a real person. The phone just kept telling me that wasn’t an option.
Last Friday, I went online to buy a notebook for me and one for my daughter, Mindy who is going away to college. I have a Dell Business account so I wanted to purchase them with that. The system didn’t recognize me because I wasn’t a “personal” customer, so I had to wait through the weekend to talk to the business office. Between the phone and the “real” people I talked to, I got transferred, switched and stymied all over the place until I reached a guy named Guy (really). The guy named Guy figured out that my orders needed to be re-built into the business section because, well I guess the “personal” and “business” side of Dell must have as hard a time communicating with each other as their customers do! Bottom line…Guy could fix the problem (I think. I haven’t heard back from him yet as I write this article). I guess Dell is lucky I have a business account with them or else I would have taken my business elsewhere.
This is a great lesson in communications and customer service. If you’re in the business world, make it easy for your customer to buy AND to talk to a real live person. Technology is great but the advent of convoluted answering services has really made personal communications much more difficult. In the end, that’s how we build relationships and sell more of our wares. This has made me look at my distribution system to make sure I’m client-friendly. Perhaps it’s a good time for you to look at yours, too.
P.S. Want to learn how adding humor to your business marketing and practices will make you more attractive to customers? Why don’t you sign up for my workshop with Sandra Kolb on Tuesday, October 23rd in Bremerton, WA? Click here to learn more. You can also buy the book Laugh and Get Rich by Darren LaCroix and Rick Segal. It’s a groundbreaking look at how humor will leave you laughing all the way to the bank while having fun yourself. What a concept! Click here to learn more.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Facts Tell, Stories Sell
If you are in sales and/or marketing, you may have heard this phrase before. It’s as true in any presentation as it is in sales and marketing. Stories have a unique way of connecting with people in a very personal way. Your stories used in a presentation or speech will likely invoke memories and feelings in your audience that you desire to help promote your message.
Have you ever been at the buying end of a sales pitch that just spent most of your time presenting facts and figures about a car, vacation plan, or some other major purchase? Did you feel disconnected from the “seller”? If you’re like me, you probably did. But, was there a time when someone presented you with a story that helped you to see the message they were conveying more clearly? If you were with me and my clients in an insurance agent’s office last month, you would have seen the power of storytelling.
As an insurance consultant, I frequently sit in on proposals given by agents to my clients. I had the opportunity to hear an agent very poignantly tell a story of a close friend who had been involved in a terrible car accident. His friend’s life had been permanently altered by the consequences of the accident. A once very active athlete, he was now physically wracked with pain and had huge medical costs. This chilling example hit home to my clients in making financial decisions on their insurance. The agent didn’t make up a story purely as a sales gimmick. It was a true and personally touching story meant to give a real-life scenario to an intangible product. In the end, it was a win-win for both parties.
Regardless of the message you are going to deliver, or the audiences you will deliver it to, stories are your key to success. Whether you are in the board room, the locker room, or your teenager’s room, your message will be best delivered with examples of true stories that happened to you.
Do you need help remembering stories? Create a document file in your computer and keep track of stories – humorous, sad, or dramatic – that you feel will help you “sell” an idea or message later. Use it as a resource as you plan your next presentation and it will help you connect with your audience.
P.S. My educational CD called Panic to Power: Swift and Simple Speaking Strategies Anyone Can Use will help you overcome any anxiety you have in communicating your message and give you valuable tools even if you are an experienced presenter. Take a look to your right and look for the giant CD to buy it today!
P.S.S. I have a new workshop called Panic to Power for Business: Turning Panic into $$$$. It's so new it's not even on my web site yet! Call me at (360) 271-1592 or send me an e-mail at dan@danweedin.com to find out more, including how to get my CD free!
Have you ever been at the buying end of a sales pitch that just spent most of your time presenting facts and figures about a car, vacation plan, or some other major purchase? Did you feel disconnected from the “seller”? If you’re like me, you probably did. But, was there a time when someone presented you with a story that helped you to see the message they were conveying more clearly? If you were with me and my clients in an insurance agent’s office last month, you would have seen the power of storytelling.
As an insurance consultant, I frequently sit in on proposals given by agents to my clients. I had the opportunity to hear an agent very poignantly tell a story of a close friend who had been involved in a terrible car accident. His friend’s life had been permanently altered by the consequences of the accident. A once very active athlete, he was now physically wracked with pain and had huge medical costs. This chilling example hit home to my clients in making financial decisions on their insurance. The agent didn’t make up a story purely as a sales gimmick. It was a true and personally touching story meant to give a real-life scenario to an intangible product. In the end, it was a win-win for both parties.
Regardless of the message you are going to deliver, or the audiences you will deliver it to, stories are your key to success. Whether you are in the board room, the locker room, or your teenager’s room, your message will be best delivered with examples of true stories that happened to you.
Do you need help remembering stories? Create a document file in your computer and keep track of stories – humorous, sad, or dramatic – that you feel will help you “sell” an idea or message later. Use it as a resource as you plan your next presentation and it will help you connect with your audience.
P.S. My educational CD called Panic to Power: Swift and Simple Speaking Strategies Anyone Can Use will help you overcome any anxiety you have in communicating your message and give you valuable tools even if you are an experienced presenter. Take a look to your right and look for the giant CD to buy it today!
P.S.S. I have a new workshop called Panic to Power for Business: Turning Panic into $$$$. It's so new it's not even on my web site yet! Call me at (360) 271-1592 or send me an e-mail at dan@danweedin.com to find out more, including how to get my CD free!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Shake On It!
FROM MY JULY NEWSLETTER - THE VOICE
Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you go to shake another person's hand, that their eyes are looking somewhere else? How does that make you feel? If you're like me, it probably makes you feel that you're not very important to that person. Just another hand in the line to shake, right?
Shaking hands is one of the oldest forms of communications. It originated by showing the person you are greeting that you come unarmed. It's a standard business and personal practice, particularly in the western world.
Too bad we are often thinking about something else when making that communication link. It might be about the sales presentation we are about to give. Or, if you're in a group of people, you might wonder if the other person is scanning the crowd to see who else's hand they need to shake instead of greeting you. Does this make you wonder where your eyes are when you shake? It did for me.
Why don't you take the same challenge I gave myself. Make a concerted effort to slow down and enjoy the greeting of the person who's attached to that hand. Making solid eye contact along with a firm hand shake and kind word not only is good for business, it's also good manners. It will make you memorable to that person.
The next time you're in a situation to meet and greet, think about your posture and the message you're sending. Remember, eye contact is a form of communication. I believe you will find the quality of this communication as well as your relationships will improve. They have for me.
Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you go to shake another person's hand, that their eyes are looking somewhere else? How does that make you feel? If you're like me, it probably makes you feel that you're not very important to that person. Just another hand in the line to shake, right?
Shaking hands is one of the oldest forms of communications. It originated by showing the person you are greeting that you come unarmed. It's a standard business and personal practice, particularly in the western world.
Too bad we are often thinking about something else when making that communication link. It might be about the sales presentation we are about to give. Or, if you're in a group of people, you might wonder if the other person is scanning the crowd to see who else's hand they need to shake instead of greeting you. Does this make you wonder where your eyes are when you shake? It did for me.
Why don't you take the same challenge I gave myself. Make a concerted effort to slow down and enjoy the greeting of the person who's attached to that hand. Making solid eye contact along with a firm hand shake and kind word not only is good for business, it's also good manners. It will make you memorable to that person.
The next time you're in a situation to meet and greet, think about your posture and the message you're sending. Remember, eye contact is a form of communication. I believe you will find the quality of this communication as well as your relationships will improve. They have for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
