BY JP MARONEY
This is nuts…
I was scrolling through my email inbox this afternoon and ran across three “stupid” emails. They’re from a mailing list vendor I’ve spent money with in the past.
Here are the subjects of the three emails:
1) Why you may be interested in us 2) Why (XYZ) List Company? 3) The reason for our success
Take another look at those three email. Notice anything “wrong” with them?
Uh… yeah!
They’re totally self-centered for starters. They focus on the company — not on me… the reader… the buyer.
Plus, these three email subject lines failed the BIG test… they didn’t get me to open the message!
In fact, I was about to “click them into oblivion” with my delete key when the idea of writing an article about them struck me. That’s the only thing that gave them a stay of execution. At least for a few minutes.
So, what could the list broker have done?
Well, for one thing they should have given some thought as to what might be going on in my head. In other words, what might I be looking for and/or thinking about when I received these emails?
I recommend taking significant time crafting headlines, including email subjects. But, here are some quick ideas that crossed my mind.
Possible alternate email subjects:
1) Will this mailing list work for you? 2) Are these your prospects? 3) An additional prospect list… 4) 2 mistakes on your mailing list… 5) 10 more prospects for you 6) 6 names left off your list
They could take any of those subjects and write relevant tie-ins to an article and sales message. I would probably open any or all of them and at least see what they’re all about.
Give me a little more time and I could crank out even better subject lines.
My point is this…
If you’re going to take the time to enter the email in-box of your clients and prospects, do your best to present information in a way that is “customer-focused” not “you-focused.”
Take a look at your current and pending email promotions. If you were a buyer or prospect on the “receiving end,” would you open them?
(By the way, the body of each of the three email messages was just as bad as the subject. Completely self-centered — totally disconnected.)
Now, I gotta go delete those emails out of my in-box.
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JP Maroney a.k.a. “The Pitbull of Business” is a business growth strategist, best-selling author and award-winning speaker. Receive his FREE book, “5 Ways to Double or Triple Your Business” by visiting www.JPMaroney.com
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The choice is yours. Either keep your customers coming back, or waste tons of money constantly advertising and marketing to get new ones.
Here are 5 tips…
First, is to be reliable. Undoubtedly, consistent performance is what customers want. They don’t want surprises. They want you to do what you said you’d do, when you said you’d do it and they want it done right.
Next, Be Credible. Customers want to do business with people they feel they can trust. They want do business with people who have their best interest at heart. They want to buy from organizations that stand behind their products and services. That credibility is valuable, and can strengthen the customer’s loyalty.
Third, be attractive. When it comes to value, perception is everything. Take a look around your business and ask yourself a very simple question, “Is this a place you would want to do business with?” Is you workplace clean and orderly? Are your products and services presented in a positive, attractive manner? What sort of impression do customers get when they interact with your organization in person, over the phone or through the mail? Take a look at every area of your organization to ensure that you’re projecting the best possible image.
Fourth, be responsive. Many times we get the business, not because we’re the best, but simply because we’re the fastest. We’ve had an experience where we were looking for a particular product or service to meet our needs and we keep calling or visiting different organizations until our need was met. Being responsive to your customers will ensure that they continue to look to you for their future needs.
And finally, be empathetic. Every customer has his or her own unique set of needs. They each have their own expectations. And they each have their own problems that need to be solved. It is our responsibility to treat each person as someone special and try to grasp his or her point of view.
Try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and imagine what you might want if you were in their position. This requires listening attentively, asking the right questions, adjusting your personality to fit the customers, and being flexible enough to meet the customer’s specific needs.
JP Maroney a.k.a. “The Pitbull of Business” is a business growth strategist, best-selling author and award-winning speaker. Receive his FREE book, “5 Ways to Double or Triple Your Business” visiting www.JPMaroney.com
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Interested in publishing this article in your magazine, newsletter, blog, website or article directory? Send an email to info at jpmaroney dot com or call 1-800-304-5758.
It was the “Perfect Plan.” We gave them the complete details. And they shoved it back in our face!
Here’s what happened…
I had been consulting with a retail company for some time. We had trained the sales associates, created a growth strategy for the company, and implemented several results-producing, sales-building systems.
This time, we delivered to the sales team a guaranteed commission-builder… on a silver platter.
The program we designed was called, “Hint Cards.”
Simply put, when a client was in the store, the sales associate was to offer the customer an opportunity to choose several items they absolutely loved.
Then, the associate would gather the names of one or more people who might be soon buying gifts for the customer; spouse, children, etc. We happened to be introducing this program on the eve of the Christmas buying season - an ideal time to try it.
The associate was instructed to then contact the people listed to let them know about the gift ideas on the “Hint Card.” They would offer to make gift buying easy and worry-free for the buyer.
It was a win for the customer because they would get exactly what they wanted. It was a win for the “buyer” because they wouldn’t have to wonder whether or not they were buying something the other person wanted - they would know for a fact.
And, the sales associate would win because they could almost guarantee a sale. All they had to do was follow through on the system.
We gave them complete instructions on how to implement the system. We trained them on the approach - how to introduce it to shoppers. We gave them step-by-step instructions on how to complete the cards and how to follow through.
Oh, I almost forgot, we offered to buy “Dinner for Two” for the associate who turned in the most “Hint Cards” the first week - as long as they got at least 10… an average of just 2 a day.
Only one problem… When we “turned them loose” with this new system, the sales associates all did the unexpected… they did nothing. The most anyone got was two completed Hint Cards - in the entire first week.
When questioned about their lack of follow through, they came up with every excuse in the book - in fact they found some excuses not even in the book. Their number one excuse was that people didn’t want to take time to “fill out the cards.”
They had missed the point.
Of course nobody “wants” to fill out anything. But, they do want to get gifts - the exact gifts they have selected.
And the “buyers” they were supposed to contact would love to know exactly which gift(s) they can buy their spouse, mother, friend, etc.
I went so far as to prove that the system worked. I actually spent time in the store talking to clients about the program, and had no trouble getting customers to tell me what items they most wanted, and who I should contact to buy the items for them.
The owner/manager of the store did the same thing with similar results. In fact, customers seemed excited about it when he approached them with this idea.
The difference between the success experienced by the owner/manager and I - and the responses (or lack of responses) experienced by the employees was in how we approached it.
It was all about the difference between our attitudes and their’s.
They made up their mind about the program from the very beginning. They decided first that it sounded too much like work. These “clerks” had never been asked to doing anything proactive in terms of selling, and this was completely new to them.
They second decided that since they didn’t “like” the idea, customers wouldn’t like it either. They could not have been more wrong. But, because of their thoughts and feelings, clients reacted negatively in the few occasions they actually approached anyone with the idea.
Remember, whatever you want other people to think and feel, you must be thinking and feeling first. Since they didn’t feel positively about this program, it influences customers negatively as well.
What to do when employees refuse to follow guidelines and procedures
An employee who refuses to follow guidelines, systems and procedures is a blatant business buster. There are only two logical courses of action.
1) Inform them that you will not tolerate their lack of participation in “required” programs, and that they will be expected to contribute in the future or find other employment, or
2) Fire them on the spot.
If you have already seen a trend of a particular employee not following instructions and guidelines, it’s likely that they will not change in the future. Furthermore, when you bring additional people into the company the existing “business buster(s)” will infect their thinking with the same lack of concern.
You’re better off removing the source of problems now.
I have seen a few instances where a manager or owner was able to turn around the cooperation and commitment of employees. Usually this happens by clearly defining what’s expected, and providing rewards and consequences related to the expectations.
But, in most cases, people don’t change!
If you look closely, you’ll often find that the lack of participation is the result of one or two negative people - and those negative influences are causing other good and decent people to perform improperly.
Remove the negative influences. Do it quickly!
Remember, one negative person can pull down five positive people, but five positive people cannot pull up one negative person. Remove the problem, and you’ll see productivity, morale and cooperation soar.
By JP Maroney
Unless you’ve had your head in the sand you realize that we are living in a changing world, a changing universe, a changing marketplace. Change is everywhere.
You can’t avoid change. You can’t ignore change. You can’t prevent change. You just have to live with it!
And if you fight change you’ll ultimately end up the loser.
So how do you deal with change? And if you’re a leader, perhaps the more important question is, “How do you help your people deal with change?”
The truth is…
“People resist change with every fiber of their being!”
They would rather things stay the same than to risk change. They would prefer to go about business as usual. Perhaps brought on by fear of the unknown.
In the past, keep things the same was ok. But those days are over. Technology significantly and dramatically influences nearly every imaginable industry. In the last ten to twenty years, entire market segments have disappeared.
The phonograph, eight track tapes, and LPs have given way to CDs, DVDs and MP3s. As a result, companies find themselves forced to either change to keep up with the times, or simply go out of business.
No doubt, you’ve seen businesses right in your hometown ~ or in your industry ~ that have resisted change - and lost! In today’s world, businesses either move ahead, or get left behind!
Change leaves its mark on history. If no one were willing to embrace change, we would still ride horses to work and have outhouses. Lucky for us, our forefathers were not afraid to ask, “What if?” and to seek the answer.
Candlelight is romantic on occasion. However, I sure enjoy flipping the switch and being able to see. It’s more than a convenience - it’s a way of life.
Thank goodness, Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison were persistent in finding a better way. You can be sure the skeptics scorned and criticized these change agents because they did not understand the possibilities of electricity and light bulbs.
Much like electricity, automobiles, telephones and microwaves, some change can be positive. Sure, it may not be “the way we’ve always done it” but it just might produce better and faster results.
Ultimately, that is the kind of change we should embrace. That’s what our customers expect ~ in fact, it’s what consumers today demand.
Change is happening everywhere
Think about some changes that challenge us in business and in the workplace. What changes are we seeing, and what can we do to meet the challenge of those changes?
First, we’re seeing changes in customer mindset or expectations. Customer’s today have a microwave-mentality. They want their needs met and their problems solved, and they want it right now!
They don’t want to wait. They don’t want delays. They don’t want excuses. They want it now! And, if you can’t deliver what they want –when they want it — they’ll go somewhere else.
Have you ever been searching for a product or service, and called through the numbers in the yellow pages? What happens when you don’t find what you’re looking for at the first place you call? You call the next one right?
What does this mean for you and your organization?
Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.
The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company’s products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.
When people come in to your business, they shouldn’t feel as if they are intruding - but instead should feel like the most important person who has walked through the door all day. In other words, they need to know that everyone, and I do mean everyone, in the company is there to serve them.
Some people say, “Well, customer service is not what I do!” Wrong! Customer service is what everyone does.
I saw a sign the other day that said, “We don’t have a customer service department. We have a customer service company!” I love that. In fact, we turned that phrase into a FREE poster you can download from my website at www.JPMaroney.com.
We’re also seeing significant changes in technology!
A few years ago, my four-year-old daughter was with me in a popular copy shop and business center. I had just finished using one of their computers to print out a document when I heard her ask me, “Da Da, what’s this?”
I turned and realized she was looking at a typewriter. And it hit me just how much things are changing. Here she was, a preschooler who has her own computer, a binder full of computer games on CD, and she’s NEVER seen a typewriter.
Think for a minute how technological changes have affected people and companies who once depended on the sale and service of typewriters for their income. Pretty scary isn’t it?
The fact is…none of us are immune to the changes in technology. We must accept technology and learn to adapt and leverage it to fit our needs.
The other day, I was searching the Internet for a mailing list company. At one website, they had a button that said, “Click here for live support.”
I clicked and immediately someone from that company came online and began communicating with me using text-based Internet chat. What a great example of using technology to improve service. But it was an improvement brought about by… change!
Today, we’re seeing major changes in the workplace!
The new world of work has placed new demands on workers at all levels of the organization. In many cases they’re being expected to accept new responsibilities, expanded job functions, and increased workloads due to downsizing, restructuring and mergers.
These changes require a person who is flexible and willing to adapt with the times. It demands that individuals continuously upgrade knowledge and skills to meet the needs of customers and team members. We need people who are willing to change!
So what do the people in the organization need to do in order to compete and thrive in a changing marketplace? What actions are required by savvy employees and managers.
First, we need to get beyond business as usual. We cannot afford to become complacent and feel that our past successes will guarantee our future results.
Sometime back, I saw a movie, “Pirates of Silicon Valley” which is based on the early days of the personal computing industry, including the rise of Microsoft and Apple Computer. In the movie, the character of Bill Gates says, “Success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
That is just it. We cannot allow past successes to lull us into believing that we are invincible. We must consistently challenge status quo.
It suggests that we should question everything! Existing processes, existing methodologies, outdated products and services should all be subject to review in order to make sure we are still relevant in the marketplace.
How better it is to initiate change and revamp or update products and services than to find yourself forced to do it because of shifts in demand or more formidable competitors. Wait too long and you could find yourself reacting too late.
Second, we must keep open lines of communication throughout our organization. Teams, departments, branches and satellite offices should communicate with each other on a regular basis.
This creates a sharing of ideas, including: What’s working, what’s not, and where do we need to improve? Technology now gives virtually any size organization - even those spread across broad geography - to connect people and facilitate idea sharing through online message boards and forums.
That communication of information is vital for future successes. It ensures that everyone knows the specific direction of the company. It also keeps everyone focused on how the organization plans to get there. Everyone should very clearly know the mission of the company, and the strategic plan for achieving that mission. At every level, team members should know the goals of the company, and should know how they fit into the big picture with their own area of personal responsibility.
The second thing we must do as a company is focus on fundamentals. This includes delivering exceptional products and services that meet the needs of clients. It means providing customer service that exceeds expectations.
People only do business with an organization for one of two reasons: One, you make them feel good. And two, you solve their problems. Preferably both!
Focusing on fundamentals in a changing marketplace means getting down to the nitty-gritty of how to best solve client problems and make them feel good. It means going above and beyond what’s expected -doing the unexpected.
Michael Dell, Founder and Chairman of Dell Computer wrote about this in his book “Direct from Dell.” He said, “At Dell, we’ve always tried to exceed (our customers) expectations with our products and service. But when you go beyond just offering better products and services, and attempt to build a meaningful, memorable, total experience, you win customers for life.”
Focusing on fundamentals means listening to what customers and clients say about your products and services and being willing to adapt and change with the needs of the market. The climate of our times demands this kind of flexibility and adaptability. Ready or not, change is happening. It is happening everywhere -especially in the workplace.
For organizations to grow, evolve and keep up with the changing times, we must teach people in organizations the importance of flexibility. We must teach them how to adapt and change with the times. Ultimately, that is one of your primary roles as a leader.
