self development

Bigfoot Anyone?

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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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Up With Update, Updated, Updating

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Up With Update. Updated, Updating

I heard about a company a while back  that instructs its employees never to say that their computers are running slow.  Instead the representatives say “Our systems are updating….” or “We’re in the midst of updating our systems, it will just taking a moment longer…”  

Nice touch.  Smart too.

We all have system issues at times.  And usually yes, there’s some updating going on be it a new release or upgrades or what have you that slows things down. 

The point is the caller on the other end of the line is feels less tension, more confidence and more patience when they hear systems or computers are being “updated” rather than being “slow”.

The use the word “update” even in the On Hold process:

 “Let me put you on hold to get the most updated information.”

Way better than “Let me put you on hold to find out” or “to figure it out” or some other underwhelming phrase.  “Updated” shows how bleeding edge you are keeping up with things and striving for that up-to-the-minute accuracy. 

I suspect “update” has other uses in your world.  It sounds fresh, smart and on top of things.  Heck we live by the word with our smart phones and tablets as an incredibly necessary thing to be on top of those “updates”.

Have a look around.  Update your language a bit.  Don’t underestimate the value of your customers feeling a bit more comfortable and confident when working with you.   

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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The Perfect I’m Sorry

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The Perfect “I’m Sorry”

I was in awe and actually stunned last week.  Like the cool, slow motion, jaw dropping kind of stunned.   Really I was.

I had realized right then,  while sitting there next to Eric and listening to both he and the upset customer, that I had never ever heard it like that before.  And I have heard thousands and thousands of customer service calls over these last 25 years.  

Until last Wednesday I don’t think I’ve ever heard those two words said just like that and in that way. 

“I’m sorry”. 

But alas, here is how he said it!   He said “I’m sorry” and then said                nothing.  Nothing!  You know, the dead air kind of nothing, the “you can hear a  pin drop”  kind of nothingness.  

The two words “I’m sorry” weren’t rendered meaningless by adding moronic drivel like “…..that happened” or “…we did that” or ”…this happened to you” or  “…we made a mistake”  or “ …we won’t do it again” .   None of those polluted words were suffixed to the most perfect “I’m sorry” I’ve ever heard.

That’s it.  Two words.   “I’m sorry”.    And then, no more sounds.  No clickety clack keyboard sounds of moving on.   No blathering, babbling or god forbid – cross selling.   Not even a cough.  Nothing – just nothing.

Wait was important.   Wait for it to sink in is what I realized he was doing.   Wait for it to really mean something to the customer. 

And then, on the other end of the line, the soft voice of the customer finally, agonizingly and mercifully said “OK”. 

Perfect.  That’s all Eric needed to hear. 

Think about his choice of using those particular words.  There is so much personal lasting ownership in the two words “I’m sorry” when they are left the heck alone.   There is vulnerability and sincerity in just those two words and in exactly those two words. 

I suspect he already knew what I also had just realized sitting next to him.   That using an “I apologize” or any variation of that is just not the same when you compare.  I’ve heard it a million times and truth be told, it antiseptically washes over people.  “I apologize” rings emptily of what you did while “I’m sorry” rings importantly of how you feel. 

You (and I) have two words to practice now with the 3rd part being the perfect silence that follows.  I never expected to get taught such a wonderful service lesson on a late Wednesday afternoon from a guy I never met before named Eric who has been on the phones for only 4 precious months.    And over the years and maybe even in this blog, I’ve written inaccurately now it seems,  about how to apologize and make amends with customers in need.  For that I simply say

 

I’m sorry. 

 

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

 

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Nobody Good

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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

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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!

An Inspired 28 Minutes

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An Inspired 28 Minutes

You don’t need to know who Curtis Martin is.  You don’t even need to know football.

All you need is 28 minutes to watch his induction speech into the Football Hall of Fame this month.

It’s got nothing to do with football or winning or awards or records.

It has everything to do with a higher and nobler purpose in whatever it is you do.

And I promise you, it is one of the most inspiring, moving and worthwhile 28 minutes you’ll ever spend.

It may even change you.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Useless Vs. Priceless Phrases

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Useless Vs. Priceless Phrases

I have three Priceless Phrases that can make your life easier (and/or more successful) if you chose to use them immediately.

But before I get to those, let me share some favorite Useless Phrases so the distinction between the two types of phrases becomes very clear to you.

3 Useless Phrases 

  • I’m a big fan of shouting “Lords of Light!” when surprised.  ( Silly phrase – Just darn odd too)
  • Being of Irish Boston heritage I will say a whole lot of (when angry)    “ _______, Mary and Joseph!” (I left it blank because I swear my Mom still can hear me and she would not be happy).
  • If you are a faithful blog reader you know that lately I’m partial to randomly saying “That’s not a real puppy. That’s too small to be a real puppy”.    I use this phrase (stolen from a TV commercial) when I see people obsessed with social media.  

None of these phrases really do anything for me.  Nor certainly, will they do anything for you.

But now these next phrases – Have at em’ – They will set you free!

3 Priceless Phrases 

“OK, let’s talk a bit more and see what we can do”.  Is part of your job helping people?  My guess is yes.  Is part of your job getting requests or demands from colleagues or customers?  Then this phrase is for you.  Nobody likes to hear “no” right off the bat (and few of us like to say it).  This phrase takes requests or demands and gets you both a little time (critical for discovery) and focuses on what “can” be done vs.  what can’t.  Tension is therefore reduced and work can begin.  Make it your own – “talk” can become “meet”, “we” can become “I”.  You get it.

“Who besides yourself…”  So easy, but nobody says it.  Talking with customer, colleague or service provider no matter – this phrase gets you way more than you think.  Want to talk to the decision maker?  Presume the person you are talking to has some kind of influence and ask “Who besides yourself has a say in investing here?” Otherwise you risk disconnect or diversion.   Protect the pride and ego of the people you talk to- it helps you.

“Tell me more about that…”  Fantastic for a networking event, or easing the challenge of going to party with people you may not have ever met or simply doing some good discovery with a client.  We all love to talk about ourselves or what we do.  This phrase fuels that making you also perceived to be “such a great listener!” No harm in saying “Tell me more about that” a dozen times in an hour at a convention, conference or party.  Bonus:  You can make this phrase more effectively open up your clients, new friends or potential customers by narrowing the focus (vs. the broad word “more”).  Ask “Tell me the best part about that”.  It allows for often a faster focus point for the responder and better, it keeps that person focused on the positive – all good when they think back on talking with you.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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We Need More Boring Sales Stories

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We Need More Boring Sales Stories

We need more of these.  You know the boring Sales stories right?

 

 

  • Your Voicemail lights up.  “Hi Mark, I’d like to place a new order”. 
  • Your phone rings:  “Hi John, I need to buy a car for my daughter.”
  • Your door opens:  “Any way I can get a pool installed in 2 weeks?”
  • Your email pings: “Can you be the listing agent for my house?”

You never hear any of these sales stories around the water cooler or at the bar.   No war stories there.   Boring. Boring. Boring.     

Yet these things do happen to great sales reps.  You don’t hear about them though because as we’ve established, it’s um, boring – not much to see here.

Except that’s not really true.  

You see, in these sales stories, someone else did the selling.  Some customer was so moved by the experience with their sales rep, so amazed at the service, the follow up, the treatment, the wisdom and the sheer help,  that he/she inspired friends to call, visit or ping this sales rep with their open minds and wallets. 

No referral was asked for here – all the selling  was done behind the scenes, unknowable to the sales rep. Hard to tell a story in which you have no idea what really happened.   A real snoozer.

Best kind of sales though where the customers do the selling for you ain’t it?  Bring on the boring! – Zero to close in 30 seconds!

How many of these calls, visits or emails are you getting?  How many boring sales stories could you actually tell?  Not enough?

Get cracking then – do what you need to do to get your customers to sell for you.  Be boring all the way to the bank. 

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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“That’s Not a Real Puppy”

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“That’s Not a Real Puppy”

“What?  Thats not a real puppy. That’s too small to be a real puppy.”

I love this commercial on a lot of levels.   And I love that line about the puppy.   I quote it often when I see heads down  staring into the great smartphone abyss (and my family thinks I’m crazy because I say it).   Have a look at the commercial first and refresh your memory – I’m sure you’ve seen it.   Then, let’s talk about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUGmcb3mhLM

I get it’s about a car.  And about how this car ( the Toyota Venza) actually gets you somewhere to interact with people.

And I get it’s about how “younger” people may not quite understand what “being social” really means and Mom and Dad do.  OK cool.  Great message. 

But it says a lot more to me than that.    

It says that sitting at a computer or with your smartphone all day with your fans, friends and followers probably isn’t a good thing all an all.  And it is starting to show.  

  • Last week in USA today,  it was noted that driver’s license acquisitions across the US are way down over the last few years with many teenagers delaying the getting of a liscence till nearly 19.  A key factor attributed is the rise of social media and requisite devices we all have; that the need to hope in the car and physically “get together” is not there.
  • One of the hottest Training trends is Companies creating courses for new employees teaching them how to speak effectively in meetings and on the phone.  The courses also contain training about how to use proper eye contact.  All this because “conversation isn’t something folks are that good at anymore”.
  • It’s no surprise that in the developing worlds you are far likelier to see investment in wireless networks than in roads development first.  Makes sense on a competitive level but getting connected and getting around isn’t getting easier unless you have smart phone.   

Are we destined to in 5 years time be holed up in our basements, bedrooms and boardrooms connecting online and online only?

Technology at its best,  is disruptive and changes the status quo.   But when part of the status quo was a round of handshakes and a smile, a face to face lunch in in the cafe with a colleague,  attending a party or an outdoor cookout, or a backyard game of volleyball or going for a walk – what’s so wrong with that?  

I’m as guilty as anyone taking too much time online connecting with my Blogging. Twitter and the like and I can see how easily it can keep you in your chair.  I think we have to fight that and fight it hard.   I think that soon – digital isolation is not going to just hurt you at home (“687” friends isn’t really possible)  but at work too.  If you have only an all-digital relationship, how long before your prospects or customers say.. “What?  That’s not a real person.  That’s too small to be a real person..”..

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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I am Joe’s Lead

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I am Joe’s Lead

I am Joe’s Lead.

Here I  sit, in Joe’s queue.  And It’s way boring man.

All I can see sitting in this CRM is this big banner over my head that says “moc.ecrofselas”   That cursor thingy keeps swiping by me now and then,  but never quite lands on me.

It’s been 2 darn days.

Waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting.

And I am dying fast.  Way faster than anyone realizes, particularly, Joe.   He doesn’t get it.  I’m a Small Business Lead you see.  We don’t wait for anyone.  We are crazy busy.  If we ain’t moving – we’re dying.

I raised my my hand two whole days ago!  But I am dying so fast I am starting to lose my memory as to why I am here.  When Joe finally clicks on me and calls my business owner he’ll  probably flat out forget why the heck he made me.  He might even deny I exist at all because frankly  he can’t remember why he filled out the form, and dammit, he’s busy.

Joe has a bigger problem about me, Lead.  He doesn’t get me at all.   I’m not “his lead” or his “commission ammunition” or his  “meal ticket”.   That just ticks me off.  I am not something to burn thru, beg for, to be traded around or worse – to be ignored.  And don’t think I don’t hear Joe dissin’ me and my peeps when he occasionally says we are “weak” or a “joke” or “trash from corporate”.      If I could ( stupid glass!), I’d  reach out and slap Joe’s scowl and headset clear off his face when I hear that.

Nope, Joe doesn’t get me.  I raised my hand somehow, some way 2 days ago.   It doesn’t matter how high I raised it – I raised it!  And I am not a Lead, I am a Need of my business owner!  I’m a gap, an idea, a dream, a pain that won’t go away, a prayer to save a business, a chance to go big, a plea for some education because I just don’t understand, a fear of my competition, a hope for a few more sales per month or a chance to put a stop to all these customers leaving us.

I am all of those things and more.  I am a Need, not a Lead.

Hope this clears things up a bit.

So Joe do me a favor will ya? Click on me man.  Do it fast before I forget how you could help me.  God knows I needed something.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Surprisingly Attractive

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Suprisingly Attractive

It’s why we like to fish.  It’s why we like Bingo and love gambling.  It’s why some of us even like checking the mail ( any kind of mail I suppose).  It’s why we like looking for seashells or walking thru old cemeteries or even trolling for old friends on Facebook.

We like surprises.  We are wired that way.   There is a thrill and pleasure of seeking – yet not really knowing what you are going to get or find.   There is a ingrained yearning, a waiting and a hoping for good, interesting or just plain “cool” stuff to surprisingly appear.

I know people like that.  People on the “cool” end of things.  People like Mike who whenever you see him, you know he’s got something exciting to tell you, to teach you – heck – even his emails you don’t open right away cuz’ you have to be ready to take it all in. 

People like Mary, David and Walter who when you are talking with them face to face or on the phone,  are constantly surprising you with stuff or ideas to the point you walk away and write it down, google it or better – act upon it.

There are a handful of colleagues I roll the dice with often and on some days I land the  800 lb. Wicked Tuna of surprises talking with these folks.  Brilliant stuff that makes you want to cash in and celebrate on the spot.

Surprise attracts;  good surprises especially.   All of the people above are successful, are always surprising and have huge fan clubs or client lists  and are on the speed dial for more than a village of folks. 

Are you a constant pleasant surprise to your customers? To your employer? To your family?  Shouldn’t you be?

Are you offering valuable ideas, insight or selfless help to the point you attract people, prospects or those in need to you?  Shouldn’t you?

If not you, is your company, your division or your team constantly surprising in a good way?

Good Surprise is great.   We like it.  We yearn for it.  We manufacture entire industries around searching for it.  And those individuals who do surprise well, tend to be the accomplished  types who are magnets to those around them.

Surprise is, when you think about it, surprisingly attractive. 

Go do that.

 

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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