Sales and Marketing with Bill Doerr15 Second Speed Read
"Service Matters!". It sounds good, doesn't it? But often it's NOT what people feel they're getting from many companies. Less-than-desired 'service' is more often the rule than the exception. But "Good News" - by practicing a few 'basics' of providing good service you will position your business very favorably against your competitors.
"What Do You Want From Me?" Customers don't want a lot. Most of the time. But they definitely expect that what you say you'll do is what they'll get from you. Seems simple. It is, too. But it's uncommon.
Recently, my wife and I decided to have some 'serious landscaping' done around our home. That decision made us painfully aware of some 'trim issues' that needed to be done to our home before the landscapers started working on the grounds.
I said to my wife, "I know the head of a good home remodeling company. He just joined a business organization I belong to and he seems like a nice guy . . . let's invite him over and see what he says". We made an appointment for Saturday morning. 30 minutes after he was to arrive, I called him. "Oh, was it today? You sure?" This was not starting out on a good foot. "Well, I could come over today but not until later . . . say 5 PM?" OK, we arranged our Saturday to be home in the morning and now the end of the day was being committed to . . . there went our drive to the CT shore and a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant (where everyone does know our name!). Long story short, this gentleman came to our home and we agreed to have him do the work . . . "just get us a contract as soon as you can." He and I had two business meetings coming up on the following Tuesday. "I'll have it for you by Tuesday . . .". OK. Fair enough.
Tuesday morning's meeting didn't go well. I asked for the contract and was told, "Uh, gee . . . I haven't gotten to it . . . but I'll have it for you by tonight (the next meeting we were both attending)". That evening, at the meeting, I was told, "I didn't get around to it but I will get on it first thing tomorrow (Wednesday)". On Friday, having not heard anything else, my wife (who takes no ____ from anyone - she teaches high school!) says, "That's it. He blew Saturday AM, Tuesday twice and now it's been 3 more days and nothing . . . it's over. Let's call Mr. __________". Mr. _________ is another contractor we know and, frankly, I'd forgotten about. But years ago, when we first moved in, he was very helpful and that 'experience' never left my wife's memory. Nor mine. So he came over.
He assessed the job and committed to bring his foreman by the next day to assess the job and promised to give us a proposal and contract to do the work. True to his word, our 'second thought' contractor became our 'first-class' contractor. His proposal was hand-delivered as promised in a beautiful folder that was customized for his company, it contained a number of items - including the contract - as well as copies of his licenses and insurance coverages. Needless to say, this gentleman got the job - and a couple of grand to begin the project.
Fast forward to the next week. I get a call from the first contractor saying that he'd like to "stop by for another look at the job before quoting it". Guess what we said? "No, thank you. We've made other arrangements". He isn't a bad guy. Actually, he's nice. But the experience he created for us was far less than what Mr. _________ gave us.
5 Key Lessons I Learned From All This
Good Enough . . . Is Not In an overcrowded, highly competitive field, your competition is providing prospects with a readily available option for anything you want someone to buy from you. So, remember the 'good enough' standard is never that. You have to be 'great' to be 'good enough' . . . to be considered worthy of a second look.
The Experience Matters! Doing what you promise is critical. It's better to under-promise and over-perform than the other way around. The contractor we didn't hire actually had a "Customer Bill of Rights" prominently featured on his website. One of the 'rights' was to have a 'timely response' to requests for information. That would have been better NOT to put in the public view if he wasn't willing or able to deliver on it. It cost him our regard and his revenue.
The Little Things Are Huge I don't usually put an undue amount of faith in printed collateral pieces. But in this case, the very professionally printed, graphic, aesthetically designed folder into which went what looked like a legal file that was preparing an attorney for trial . . . really impressed the heck out of my wife and I. Maybe that wasn't so important by itself. But coupled with the winning contractor's 'Promises and Performances' . . . he won us over.
Impressions Form Perceptions and Perception Is Reality Every 'touchpoint' your prospect has with your company - from a mailing you send, an advertisement you place, the way your vehicle is maintained or your phone is answered is giving your prospect an 'impression'. Psychologists tell us that it takes three (3) impressions to form a perception - a belief about you that is subjectively true for the person who believes it is true . . . about you.
What's good to know about that is that if you know what 'impresses' someone about you, you can learn how to behave in a way that will help the person form a perception about you. And that perception may be the ONLY thing that a person who is buying what you're selling will have . . . or need . . . to prefer you over any other firm!
Keep In Touch! Mr. ___________ turned out to be a great contractor. But we'd completely forgotten about him when the 'need-to-know' developed. Sure he came to mind. Eventually. But only after someone else had an 'at bat' and 'struck out'. Cultivate prospects . . . sooner or later they will become clients. And if you're not cultivating them, they will be clients of your competitors. Guaranteed!
EPILOGUE
Managing the experience a prospective client has with your firm is so important. Often, it's the only thing a prospect can understand and use to differentiate your firm from your competitors.
'Impression Management' is something you can learn. And once you do, you can use it to 'stand out' from the crowd of your competitors and enjoy more revenues!
Cultivate . . . Cultivate . . . Cultivate! Being the 'best there is' is of no use to you if people don't think of you . . . first and foremost . . . when a need arises for the benefits you offer.
Next Month . . . I'll be introducing you to an incredible couple of modern communication tools that will help you generate more referrals and traffic for your business . . . stay tuned!
*******
Bill Doerr is CCO of SellMore Marketing. He helps professionals and other service providers to market their problem-solving expertise simply, effectively and affordably. You can reach him at www.sellmoremarketing.com, or by phone at 860-798-6964.
For more information, please visit Bill's TNNW Bio.
The National Networker Companies™ and TNNWC Group, LLC™
“Empowering Emerging Enterprises”
Membership in TNNWC’s Global Interactive Cooperative Business Community is free of charge and entitles you to receive both The National Networker Newsletter and The BLUE TUESDAY Report, as well as access to our unparalleled Suite of Business Services.
Visit our website at http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com
Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:
No comments:
Post a Comment