If you have a particular objective to achieve in speaking to someone are you ready for that conversation? So whether you are going to a network event or talking to one of your customers, suppliers here are some of my tips on getting the most out of those conversations:

- Always have your research done on the person, company you are going to approach. Look at their website, talk to others in same industry, similar role.  Find out about the industry, whats driving the industry, whats changing the industry. Who are their competitors, what are they doing.

- Listen out for tones in the voice of the person you are speaking to. Are they interested, busy, bored, engaged? React to their tone . For instance if they sound busy then ask them is there a better time to talk? If they sound bored then you need to engage them more. Ask more questions about themselves & their business & the challenges they face.

- Check your own tone of voice, is it energetic, interested, happy?

- Use same language as they are using , use their speak. If you do not understand the words they are using then ask what that word means e.g. “It was interesting”  Question back “What specifically was interesting about it?”  “Why was that interesting for you”? This helos you better understand specifically what was interesting for them.

- Check who is doing the most talking. If you are doing most of it then how does other person feel & if you are trying to find out information about them why are you doing the most talking?

- Empathise where appropriate. If a person is telling you something negative about their business then symapathise, share a similar story with them, showing them that you understand.

- Summarise back to the person to ensure you understand. “Just to clarify my understanding………is that correct”.

- Gain agreement from the other person on your understanding being correct plus on the next actions.

If you do all this then conversations for you & your customers will become more meaningful. It was also enable you to move closer to that person & build stronger relationships. Remember if you are really listening to what they are saying you will follow up on the actions that have come out from that conversation.

I recently delivered a customer service programme to group of individuals.  As part of the programme we reflected on a number of questions.

• Who are your customers? Do you segment or categorise them?
• What do they do exactly? What is their business about?
• What are their challenges? In their specific role, in their business, in their industry?
• Are you reactive or proactive with them?
• How do you sound,  speak to your customers?
• Who does most of talking?
• Do you know what they say about you & your company to other companies?
• Do they recommend your company to their customers, suppliers?
• Do you keep your promises?
• Do you say Thank You for your business? Do you say sorry if you make a mistake?
• Do you go beyond your competitors in service? How do you WOW them?
• Do they consider you to be an expert/leader in your field?

This is a pro active customer service strategy. If you have answered yes to most of these questions then you have excellent customer service & I would love to hear how you got there.

For as long as anyone could remember, the current owner and previous generations of owners were extremely positive happy people.

Most folk assumed it was because they ran a successful business.

In fact it was the other way around…

A tradition in the business was that the owner always wore a big lapel badge, saying Business Is Great!

The business was indeed generally great, although it went through tough times like any other. What never changed however was the owner’s attitude, and the badge saying Business Is Great!

Everyone who saw the badge for the first time invariably asked, “What’s so great about business?” Sometimes people would also comment that their own business was miserable, or even that they personally were miserable or stressed.

Anyhow, the Business Is Great! badge always tended to start a conversation, which typically involved the owner talking about lots of positive aspects of business and work, for example:

• the pleasure of meeting and talking with different people every day
• the reward that comes from helping staff take on new challenges and experiences
• the fun and laughter in a relaxed and healthy work environment
• the fascination in the work itself, and in the other people’s work and businesses
• the great feeling when you finish a job and do it to the best of your capabilities
• the new things you learn every day – even without looking to do so
• and the thought that everyone in business is blessed – because there are many millions of people who would swap their own situation to have the same opportunities of doing a productive meaningful job, in a civilized well-fed country, where we have no real worries.

And so the list went on. And no matter how miserable a person was, they’d usually end up feeling a lot happier after just a couple of minutes listening to all this infectious enthusiasm and positivity.

It is impossible to quantify or measure attitude like this, but to one extent or another it’s probably a self-fulfilling prophecy, on which point, if asked about the badge in a quiet moment, the business owner would confide:

“The badge came first. The great business followed.”

Invigorating as it lead me to think about all of those enterprising people who are trying to tame the wind & waves, using it to produce energy, leading one of our greatest natural resources into the future.

In the face of our customers or potential customers, isn’t this what we should be doing also. Leading our customers , not just responding to their needs. By showing our customers that you will go 200% for them  & more, they will come back for more. Customers don’t just want a standard product or service anymore they want to know how you can help them drive their business forward, save costs, take them to new markets, help them to be a leader to their customers.

Oren Harari discusses widely this concept of entrepreneurship in his book “Break from the Pack”. If you can get your hands on a copy its very interesting reading.

To enjoy the western seaboard at Easter be prepared. Bring your wetsuit, fleece, wet gear, gloves & most importantly a hat! To enjoy your customers be prepared with how you can help them to achieve what you want to achieve – success & survival into the distant future.

Our discussion led to developing partnerships with companies,  people who have a similar view to quality, how they sell themselves , how they treat their customers.  Should you compromise yourself  & your product/service to get it to market as quickly as possible or to get that extra margin?.  What are your values as a salesperson, manager, company owner? How do you like to do business?   Will having a clear defined set of values reap you business in the future? Here is an article from an entrepreneur who has something to say on this subject.

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/15684/

For me one of the first indicators of someone really listening & interested in finding out what are your needs , is whether they ask you questions.  I wasn’t asked one question of what I was looking for, did I have children,  a dog, or why did I need a large booth? He did ask me one question about my current mileage.  I am interested in a diesel car (as my travelling is increasing) but he tried to persuade me that I didn’t need a diesel car.  I am actively searching & open to other models but the sales person did not take advantage of that at all.  He focused on the one car that I enquired about on walking into forecourt. He assumed alot.

For me, listening is actively engaging with the customer to hear what s/he is saying & asking relevant questions to find out what they are not saying. Next time you think you are listening, check if you really are listening to what the other person is saying  or are you just waiting for your turn to talk.

I came across this clip in relation to this subject & thought it was worthwhile sharing with you. Magic of storytelling in business.

We need to figure out this path when dealing with our customers or engaging with someone whom we are trying to influence. To ask the customer outright for the order without having done some form of warming up or relationship building is very likely to lead to failure for now & for the future. Don’t know about you, but when someones asks me for my order , straight out, without having checked with me what it is that I  really need, I get all annoyed with them.

Think about what are your tactics to find paths of least resistance with your customers or your boss? How do you find their path of least resistance?

Oh how our world has changed. Back then , we sat in our nice cars, picked up the phone every now & then & waited for the orders to come in.  Good customer service was not in fashion, we didn’t need to be nice to them.  Sales were good so there was no need to make a ‘real effort’ to get our product out the door.  Now the customer is not spending so we need to change our tactics.  Or our costs have to to be shaved (again) & we are being asked, those of us that are in contact in any shape or form with customers to start ‘selling’ .  Its the time of ‘lean’ selling – selling as much as you can at minimal cost.

A big change for most of us. A big learning experience for most of us if we can embrace the change.

We’ve got to talk to customers, win them over, influence them, sell to them!! Convince them that they need our product vs the competition. And we need to find their least path of resistance whilst doing all of that. Well that’s what the experts say.

This type of selling I am used to & I like. I am not an aggressive seller, never was. I was never the gal who would kill for the sale . I was the one who was building the pipeline , the leads for the future by building the relationships, getting to know my customers. Then , yes , if there was a big push for the year end or some attractive incentive for that quarter, then I had the relationship to be able to say  ‘Hey, John, any chance we could get that order signed by end of next month. Why? Well that big trip is on (or my manager is pushing us to get all orders in before year end) & I would love to have your order in, it will help me.”  Sometimes it worked , sometimes it didn’t.  But trying is important  & for me , honesty is the best policy & usually works. Whats your policies for reaching those targets or getting what you want from your customer?

This type of selling for me has always enabled me to meet my targets & make it more enjoyable. Isn’t that what we all want , the seller & the customer. In particular for the customer, obviously. As we want them to come back again & again or we will need them in the future to sell the updated version, new product or complimentary products.

Before I began the study of human relations, I would have told this man that if he refused to give the bank this information , we would have to refuse to accept this account. I resolved this morning to use a bit of sense. I resolved not to talk about what the bank wanted but about whathe,  the customer wanted. And above all else I was determined to get him saying ‘yes, yes’ from the very start. So I agreed with him. I told him the information he refused to give was not absolutely necessary. “However”, I said,  “suppose you have money in this bank at your death.  Wouldn’t you like to have the bank transfer it to your next of kin?”

“Yes, of course” he replied. “Don’t you think”, I continued, “that it would be a good idea to give us the name of your next of kin so that , in the event of your death we could carry out your wishes without delay?” Again he said  “yes”.

“The young man’s attitude softened & changed when he realised that we weren’t asking for this information for our sake but for his sake. Before leaving the bank, this young man not only gave me complete information about himself but he opened, at my suggestion, a trust account , naming his mother as the beneficiary for this account”.

I found that by getting him to “yes, yes” from the outset , he forgot the issue at stake & was more than happy to do all the things I suggested.”