Trust Your Wince-tincts

Trust Your Wince-tincts

We Wince. And wincing is a big deal.

Think about the Wince: our eyes squint up, we squeeze our shoulders together and we wish just for that moment, that we weren’t there to see or hear whatever it is that is making us wince.

Wincing is not good. Not good at all. But it can help you figure out stuff for the better.

Sometimes bad acting will make you wince (Hugh Grant comes to mind). Some movies are 2 hours of a Wince fest (I’m still scarred by that kid movie Chicken Run a decade ago). Nick Jonas as Marius in Les Miserable 25^th anniversary show is probably this century’s greatest wince to date. But many times you wince in the marketplace or at work. That’s something we can fix.

In the marketplace you often sense in advance the wince is coming like when the store clerk says to the customer in front of you “ Do you have a rewards card?” then you wince and immediately drop your eyes to the ground. Why? Because you know what’s coming – the horrible cross sell -“Would you like to sign up for one..?” And the wincing isn’t over because its your turn now –you’re about to get the same WinceDom from the clerk. Ugh.

I wince when the waiter gets too familiar too soon and leans down and just about cuddles up next to me to share the day’s specials (just as he was trained to do I am sure). I Wince at the airport when I hear the gate agent say “And now we welcome our Delta Super Flyers, Northwest Perks Puppies, Frequent Flyer Super Dupers and Platinum Star Cadets” or whatever it is they say. It’s so rote and boring and there are just so many titles that it is meaningless and downright embarrassing. I also wince when I hear at the end of a phone call; “Have we met all of your needs and are you satisfied with your experience with me today?” This is a Wince slap no matter how I feel. Ugh. What do you think I’m gonna do if I’m not happy? Pick a fight? Just tell me “Thank you for your business” and let me go.

I’ve come to think that Wince is a very good word and tell for uncomfortable sales and service. It’s a great descriptor and is great for identifying those moments that need real help and that need to be fixed because wincing is very truthful. You have a hard time faking or making up a wince on the fly – It’s just the way it is. Those moments you wince in any experience are called Wince Points.

Wince Points are no fun. We should make them go away.

What about you? What are the Wince Points for you? When you listen to your colleagues over the wall or listen to client interactions remotely, or along side a sales rep in the field; what makes you wince?

I wince with my eyes squeezed shut when I hear stuff like “I’m calling just to check in…” or “We have 1/2 off anything new if want something”. I wince when I see vendor slides that begin with their credentials and not what they’ve learned about me first. I wince when I see 10 bullets on a WebEx, hear a dog barking in the background in a virtual meeting, see an unchanged automated invitation to me to connect on Linked in, read emails with suggested times to meet but no indication of time zone and I wince when someone tells me to consider then earth when deciding whether to print this document just to name a few more.

Wince Points are everywhere.

Focus on the winces. And trust your “Wince-tincts”. They are truthful and honest moments. Make a plan, create a process, get a training or get some coaching to help get rid of the winces.

If it makes you wince, there is something wrong with that moment. Don’t fight it, just go and fix it.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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1 Minute Helpful Videos Anyone?

I’m experimenting with a new media but with the same goal of giving you something to help. I’m a little addicted to it I admit this week while traveling. So two for you today.

3 Powerful Words and How to Avoid Sales Pain in the Shower. How can you resist?

If they help you grow your business even a little bit, that would be (as we say where I’m from), wicked awesome! Have a great day!

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Mark’s Blog

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-10 Under Par!

-10 Under Par!

I took great joy in beating the two 16 year olds Saturday. Crushed their souls I did.

But I took greater joy in beating up the golf course. 10 under par was my score – that had to be some kind of record!

At least for me it was. I am framing that pictured scorecard and it is going right downstairs in the Man Room on the wall where it belongs.

10 under! Some team of golf course architects sat in some design laboratory in Florida years ago when they designed this course figuring out that the hole called “Cliffhanger” was a par 3 and that so was “High Anxiety” and so was that monster hole “Bear Cave”. Heck, the Masters has names for their golf holes like “Magnolia” and “Golden Bell” and that is one tough course.

But these golf course gurus did not expect my 5 holes in one Saturday (including 4 in a row!) and nor did my son and his friend. “Go build your fragile self esteem and confidence somewhere else” I said, (like I literally did say that). I was on fire!

I knew my concentration and skill were better than the two teenagers and that I would win, but the best part was I was way better than the “standard” of good golf – by shooting a 34 on a par 44 mini-golf course. Expert mini golfer in the house! I’m a darn near pro! I will always have good feelings about Max’s Mini Golf.

Now when you think about it, par 44 is probably a bit liberal assessment of the course difficulty. And probably on purpose by said architects in my vision. But it made my day. Quenched my competitive spirit it did. It really did. Silly I know. But not really. There’s something about it that’s good. And smart.

I wonder if that “better than standard” thing has some value in the workplace and in business. – Actually, I know it does:

It’s the crux of the silver, gold and platinum airline classes as well as the credit cards. Everyone knows “most people” aren’t or don’t perform at these levels so already that kind of “achievement” and expertise ( think all the “professional traveler” commercials you see of late) taps into the emotional competitive attachment of individuals and to that of the company.
Gamification is huge in the world of learning today. In some businesses you log into “game portals” – play games (and learn), earn points, badges and medals advancing through levels and certifications of expertise. You know all the way along how you compare to “standards” and your peers ( where you rank) in oodles of categories. On purpose.
Pizza joints love the “Beat the Pizza-mageddon” where in the space of an hour two people must eat a pizza the size of a man-hole cover and win prizes and publicity in the local paper. “Nobody’s done it yet” the sign says. That’ll drive more than just 2 adults to dare- they’ll bring all their friends too and order up! Bring your competitive spirit and your emotional attachment to the joint like, forever.

So fun is good. Winning is good. Earning stuff is good. But having the chance to walk around town as the perceived professional mini golfer, the professional traveler, or even the pro eater is well, good for business too.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Piano Man is A Bad Song

Piano Man is A Bad Song

Who knew Billy Joel could teach us a key lesson about sales and marketing?

Lately I’ve been really into Billy Joel again. Not the late 80’s and 90’s Billy – Uptown Girl stuff, but the good stuff – The early stuff.

My son (who is downright amazing on the piano), was on YouTube last month and watched the Inside the Actor’s Guild 1999 Interview with Billy Joel. I (a piano player of a lower order) decided to check out that interview too.

And then I heard him say it. It was stunning.

“Piano Man is really not a good song”. He said this in reaction to James Lipton pointing out one of the most unusual things about the song – that it was in ¾ time. It’s essentially a waltz.

It’s a waltz but that’s not why the song is “not that good” Billy explained. He said that the song is “so simple” and really just “repeats itself over and over again like a Limerick” with even some “La da diddy da’s” thrown in.

He said some people know it’s bad. Whenever he enters a restaurant or bar with a piano player these days, the musician will make eye contact and invariably start playing “Piano Man” which is all nice and good until “he realizes the song just repeats itself” and then “repeats itself some more” and “then he looks me in the eye blankly and I just nod and say “See? Not much too it!”

I love that song. We all love that song. It’s a great song!

“If it’s so simple and bad, why is it so popular?” James Lipton asked.

“It’s got one hell of a story” Billy replied.

There is was. And there it is. There’s Paul – who’s a real estate novelist, there’s Davy who is still in the Navy and there’s the waitress who is practicing politics. All real people Billy explained (even Davy whose name is “Davy” and was in the Navy.)

The point is pretty clear. Great story makes up for a lot of things. Some of Billy’s music is compositionally brilliant and has good to great stories in them; New York State of Mind and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant come to mind.

But Piano Man is not a great song. It is simple. It does sound like Limerick. But the story. The Story. The Story. That makes it good. And makes it stick and well, makes it awesome.

You need stories. We all need them. Piano Man is a lesson about how a great story needs to be wrapped inside your business, your solutions, your brand and your pitches.

We know this. We hear it all the time. But we don’t always listen. Powerful stories work hard for movies, books, businesses and I realize, music. So all you marketers and sales people get out there and sing us that song, you’re the Piano Man!

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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If You’re Confused, What The Heck Do You Think Your Prospect Is?

If You’re Confused, What The Heck Do You Think Your Prospect Is?

I spend a lot of time looking at, and experiencing training these days. And sometimes it’s clear that the things we train our own employees, like some of the products and services we sell, can be …well …..confusing. Not every service or product as everyone well knows, is tangible or simple. Some, like financial products or online marketing products can feel particularly abstract and complex.

And if it’s confusing to my Trainers when they first start to learn the products and then later for the Sales and Service people who then have to present in front of customers, do ya think it might be that much more confusing for prospects and clients when they are first are approached or exposed to these things?

And if you’ve ever read anything in this blog before, you already know that confusion kills sales.

Here are 3 ways to alleviate that confusion when you represent a complex product or service:

Teach your Sales people to teach. Get past the idea that sales of complex or non tangible products / services begins with the pitch. It doesn’t. It begins with the teach. It’s OK to build teaching into your sales cycle despite the fear of lengthening the sales cycles. You aren’t lengthening the sales cycle – you are starting earlier – you have to. It’s OK to get all your sales people to a level where they become experts with online webinars under their belts, with killer LinkedIn pages and Twitter followers who look to them for as much insight as they do for what’s on sale.

3’s: Everything in 3’s: The mind is not wired to remember more than 5 numbers, let alone 5 points. If you have a service for example that manages your online marketing spend then even if it has 12 steps to get started, it should sound like “…Only 3 key steps to getting you started. In the first step we’ll interview you around 3 important areas like……. Then after that, we get to tackling 3 areas of your current website like…..” You get it. “3” sounds simple. Simple eases tension and sales can keep on moving.

Analogies: Nothing simplifies better. Are you a marketing consultant? Nope, you’re a marketing GPS that gets the business to the destination of 25% more customers. Are you a website developer? Nope; you are building an automated employee that works 24 hours a day taking orders and that never sleeps. Think hard about what you sell or service and find that perfect analogy that makes it click and stick.

This blog is not complex but I kept it to 3 points. More than that and it gets confusing who the heck wants to read that?

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Are You Scroll-Worthy?

Are You Scroll-Worthy?

I have a colleague, someone I also consider a friend, who said something recently that I just can’t shake.

“If I have to even scroll down a tiny bit to get to the end of a post, I usually won’t do it. I have other things to do.”

“What about my blogs?” I asked. “Are they Scroll -Worthy?”

“Not all of them.” he smirked.

Is this what we’ve come to? Is this Scroll thing (or lack thereof) the new thumbs up or down about the value and intrigue of your content?

Forget about views and impressions I guess, it takes almost no effort “scroll” but now it must be earned? Is being “Scroll-Worthy” now a measure of success?

My friend says he’s not alone; that others feel the same way about the scroll. What else does this mean?

That being on the first page of Google results is great – but you better be above the “scroll”???
That you’d better be more thoughtful about how large the picture is at the top of your blog post is because you may not get a single swipe??
That you need to march out there and protest the smaller IPAD mini and the death of PC’s and large monitors because your content needs more time to be seen and deemed Scroll Worthy?
That Eye tracking glasses are next for all and forget the scroll issue – just looking down and left to right will some day need be earned?

With this post at just 306 words, I’m praying it stays above that scroll line dear reader, so you needn’t pass judgement on the quality of this post. I used to think the fact that you just viewed the post was a sign of worthiness but alas if if I could get you to just scroll a bit….

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Mark’s Twitter

Horrid Phrases

Horrid Phrases

Don’t know if any of you fly a lot. I kind of do – at least of late. At the airport, there is one phrase gate agents of a certain airline sometimes say ( actually proclaim over the loudspeaker) that just crushes me. It’s horrid. It makes me instantly hang my head in depression. It ruins my flight, my day and my mood immediately.

“Our flight is completely full today..”

I’m not a small man; (thankfully not ready for the seatbelt extension just yet) but Lordy, when you hear that phrase, thinking about getting into and sitting in those seats and aisles built for middle schoolers, is now horrid on a grand scale.

I think there are some other horrid phrases agents of many industries say these days that can give that same kind of instant feel of dread and depression.

“OK, let’s see what they did here..”. Are you kidding me? As soon as your client with a question hears “they”, the horridness kicks in: Oh my, you are not in charge. Oh my, I’m gonna have to talk to someone else. Oh my, I’m talking to an idiot with no authority. Oh my, this place is so big, I’m never going to get the answer.

“Can I have your phone number in case we are disconnected?” It’s 2011! The only disconnections are when someone does it on purpose. Your client or prospect is in the horrid zone immediately: Oh please, you want my number to pester me at dinner or in a middle of a meeting to sell me something with your silly outbound program. Oh please, now I’m in your database and all I had was a darn question. Oh great, they have crappy phone systems with disconnect issues, can’t wait to do business with them.

“Mark”, “Mark” , “Mark” Yeah that’s right, my first name. You say my first name more than twice in a conversation on the phone or face to face and a horrid sickness overcomes me and your customers too: Oh I get it, someone trained you to use ” the customer’s first name” often in your calls- that feels genuine! Oh I get it, you are as slick a sale rep as I’ve ever seen – you make me wanna take a shower. Oh I get it, you think using my first name a lot makes us like family or brothers and I will buy your stuff- lol!

The thing about horrid phrases is the emotions they elicit have staying power. They linger. They stick. They can even leave a lasting impression about you or your company as a brand that is as uncomfortable as seat 28B.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Mark’s Twitter

Bigfoot Anyone?

Bigfoot Anyone?

Preparing for marriage, I hear that very smart couples often schedule time to talk about things like goals, finances, religion and planning for a family.

But what about other important things like whether Bigfoot exists?

Really, shouldn’t we talk about this?

Of course we should. Believe in Bigfoot? Well that’s a darn good sign you have the creativity gene, the adventure gene or the intangible wonderment of someone eternally optimistic that despite seemingly insurmountable odds, something so tall and hairy could indeed survive undetected in the mountains of the Northwest.

Don’t believe in Bigfoot? Well that’s a darn good sign you are have that realist gene, that smart analytical gene or that intangible honest ability to discern, dissect and derive what is or isn’t happening with the follicle King of the forest.

Maybe we need to discuss Bigfoot outside of the marriage thing too – Like when you are trying to hire your next employee or interviewing a potential consultant, interior designer or accountant, why not ask him or her “What are your feelings about Bigfoot ?” Don’t you think the way they answer is important?

I’m just sayin’, but I know Apple believes in the big guy. Every time you type his name in their stuff (like this blog I’m writing), they auto- correct it to one word with starting with a big ol’ capital “B”. (Why am I not surprised?)

So get your night vision goggles ready and that plaster footprint cast liquid stirred up ( or not) and go ahead and sit your significant other down for a talk, or add the question to the interview guide, or even add it to today’s meeting agenda cuz’ Bigfoot is a big deal.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Nobody Good

Nobody Good

It sticks with me; a glorious opportunity.

It was on a large conference call. The leader was talking.

“We asked hundreds of small business owners this same question about who they think of when faced with this challenge. And do you know what they said?”

(Long pause)

“Nobody”.

Wow. Nobody! That is wonderful!!

It grows wearisome to enter the market place and find that you are yet just another competitor.

It grows wearisome to plan, to process, to test, to test some more, to test yet one more time and then find out you are pretty much like the other guy.

It grows wearisome to follow the “shiny bright thing”, or to dig up “old tapes” from another company that didn’t get it right or to just chase the “short term gain”.

I don’t want to follow, dig up or chase anymore. I want to invent. I want to lead.

So when you ask an audience and the answer is “Nobody” or “I can’t think of anyone” or “No idea”, realize that that is the sound of glorious opportunity yet to be embraced.

Have at it.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Mark’s Blog

Mark’s Twitter

P.S. “Nobody” is opportunity on an individual level too. Ask your team, your boss, your colleagues “Who do you look to for __(fill in the blank)__ ?” If the answer is “I don’t know”; that space is yours for the taking!

Angela’s Assist

Angela’s Assist

“What are you buying it for?”

“Oh, that’s wonderful…”

“Let me do that for you…..”

“I think you should grab a couple more…”

“That looks beautiful on you…..”

“Oh, I don’t like that one on you so much, not conservative enough…”

“You know what would really make that look sharp…. is a belt..”

“A necklace will really tie it together and show your personality…”

“You may want to grab another blouse with the 50% off promotion and mix and match this.”

“Good luck, I know you’ll get the job”.

Yep. That’s pretty much verbatim what sales associate Angela said to my 23 year daughter 2 weeks ago as we shopped for her first real business suit as she was about to interview for a customer service role in one of the largest investment firms in the world.

It was a memorable almost “wow” service experience as her mother and I watched Angela guide her through the buying process. She wasn’t pushy; she wasn’t hovering as in fact, Angela was helping two other customers at the same time.

It was however, so smart. It started with the right question. Not just “What are you buying?” But, “What are you buying it for?”

The rest of her comments and questions make smart sense. They are honest. They are helpful. They are overtly credible and said with the tone and content that she has “totally been here before”. And it was in the end, not about the suit at all – but about the goal our daughter had in mind – landing that job.

She did land that job. [Today, in fact :)]

And while the business suit Angela helped pick out for our daughter probably wasn’t the reason she got the job, it sure didn’t hurt and better, what a great lesson in customer service Angela gave her to steal from for the interview. It works on a lot of levels.

You can steal shamelessly from Angela too. Read the comments she made and the questions she asked. Think about them. Apply accordingly.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

Mark’s Blog

Mark’s Twitter

PS: If you’d like to see Angela in action, head to the clothing store Ann Taylor at Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, NH. I’m sure she won’t mind that I sent you there. 🙂

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