Statistics show 93% of customers will pay more if they receive high quality customer service when making a purchase.
While we all recognise Customer Service to be a major aspect of Customer attraction, Customer retention and Customer Satisfaction, how regularly do we recognise the people who make it all happen? Probably not as frequently as we should.
Early next month is a perfect opportunity to rectify that. The first week of October each year is Customer Service Week and it provides us with the chance to not only recognise the great work our Staff do for us on a daily basis but to also thank our loyal and devoted Customers.
Customer Service Week is an international event devoted to recognising the importance of Customer Service and honouring the people who work on the frontlines serving and supporting Customers.
The International Customer Service Association began Customer Service Week in 1988.
Since 1991, the Customer Service Group has sponsored the week and provided how-to information, celebration materials imprinted with the official Customer Service Week logo, and inspiration from the hundreds of service and support professionals who share their celebration stories.
Each year thousands of companies around the world celebrate Customer Service Week. They represent leading financial, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, retailing, hospitality, communications, not-for-profit and educational organisations, as well as government agencies and others. What unites us all is our profound commitment to quality Customer Service. Join us in celebrating Customer Service Week!
Enjoy this issue,
Jason Wren
Each year Customer Service Week brings to the fore-front the importance of the quality of the service we provide our Customers.
While recognising this special week, your organisation can:
Let your Customers — and your team — know how you can "Be the Difference" to your Customers by celebrating National Customer Service Week 2010!
Customer Service Institute of Australia is holding, for the 9th year Australia's National Customer Service Week during 4th - 10th October, 2010.
How can you get your team involved and focussed on Customer Service?
If you would like any information on Customer Service monitoring products or Customer Service training packages please contact our friendly Staff on 1300 766 545 or email us at enquiry@focusplus.net.au or visit our website at www.focusplus.net.au and we will provide a program and strategy to suit your needs.
Welcome to the fourth question in the series; “How much loyalty do you create?”
Before we get to the nitty gritty, a word to team leaders; when you’re considering promoting people. Consider their ability to inspire and maintain loyalty over and above their skill levels or experience where the criteria for promotion is concerned. Will and skill (two thirds of the necessary trifecta for excellence) aren’t enough. In the absence of a conscience (the other third) will and skill are actually amplified. Before you start thinking of this as a good thing, consider what the ramifications are of Will without conscience. Suddenly, instead of thinking win/win where a third alternative is possible which may suit both opposing original perspectives, win at all costs becomes the order of the day.
Bombastic massive egos or “my way or the highway” managers turn their staff entrances into turnstiles.
Skill in the absence of conscience is what being a bully is all about. Hardly ideal in a team environment. The culprit is often like the candle that burns twice as bright; they burn half as long. I call it the Darth Vader Syndrome. “The force” is about power and power is seductive. Will and skill are moderated by conscience. The dark side of the force is about power (will and skill) without the constraint of conscience. A balance of will, skill and conscience is what makes loyalty possible. People want to do well for leaders who understand this balance. Today question comes under the will/conscience banner.
Question 4 is; what level of service are you prepared to offer every time?
Considering that the vast majority of the Australian workforce is engaged in sales, service and hospitality, no one really learned much about what’s required at school as preparation. The score you assign yourself should take into account, how consistent you are, your ability to empathise with people and attitudes that may irritate you, how open minded you are and your willingness to compromise and learn. A thick skin doesn’t go astray either. Now assign yourself a score and bear in mind that the operative word in the question is “every”.
1 2 3 4 5
POOR FAIR GOOD V GOOD EXCELLENT
Next month will be the half way point in this exercise. What we’ll do is provide you with some suggestions on how to improve the scores in the five categories to date. See you then!
Steve Wren
Early this month I had the honour of being asked to provide a workshop presentation and keynote speech on Customer Service on behalf of one of the world's most highly recognised and leading brands - Schwarzkopf. It was without a doubt one of the greatest experiences I have been involved with in my professional career. The Schwarzkopf Professional PH Convention was held in Shanghai over a week in early August and although my official commitments were fulfilled on the opening day the team at Schwarzkopf invited me to stay and partake in all the activities with the owners and employees of these elite salons for the remainder of the convention.
During this time I had the privilege of interacting with some of Australia's and New Zealand's leading business owners and some the hairdressing industry's leading stylists. This extra time was valuable as it gave us the opportunity to discuss Customer Service issues at an individual business level and to tailor solutions that could be implemented immediately upon returning home. Admittedly the glamour and entertainment at many of the events we were taken to were quite distracting but we were all able to find time to collaborate on the core issues and find positive outcomes.
During the convention it was easy for me to see why so many of the attendees had such successful businesses and it was because of the high emphasis they put on quality Customer Service and providing their Customers with an unforgettable experience. As a group their 'Point of Difference' was their willingness to work together to find solutions and share their experience with everyone for the betterment of their business and the Customer.
The back drop of Shanghai was possibly the ideal destination for me to discuss Customer Service protocols. We were lucky enough to witness some of the highest Customer Service standards you would see anywhere in the world (which made my job easier as we watched the locals do their thing). The Schwarzkopf Professional PH Club Awards Gala event at the Hyatt was a perfect example. The evening went like clock work and all guests wanted for nothing.
Last but certainly not least I would like to thank Kellianne Newell, Bianca Panozzo and Stefan Mund for their hospitality and organising such a wonderful event. I would also like to thank all who attended for being so accommodating and involving me in your agenda. I am sure along with the destination and the invaluable information offered by other guest speakers and presenters that this convention is one that will not be forgotten easily.
The Schwarzkopf Professional PH Club convention gave me a great insight into the culture of one of the world's most demanding Customer Service focussed industries. I hope to be able to pass on what I have learnt from my experience over the coming issues.
Enjoy this issue,
Jason Wren
I recently heard an interview with Barry Urquhart one of Australia's leading Customer Service consultants stating that Australia (along with Britain) have been given the unwanted distinction of having the worst Customer Service in the world. After my recent trip to China and Shanghai in particular I would have to agree. I had not been overseas (other than to laze on beaches) for sometime until recently and I think it is complacency and possibly isolation that has left us as consumers just accepting the poor standard of Customer Service we are given.
There have been many programs in the media of late showing the poor state of our Customer Service and Sales industry when it comes to delivering adequate service. In particular many investigative journalists are highlighting shopping centres and once high traffic retail areas now as ghost towns, and this many months after the worst of the GFC has apparently passed us by. It's hard to believe that as Sales and Service Professionals, and evidently being visited by less and less Customers, they would deliver such poor service, but as they say the camera never lies!
It still baffles me long after seeing it for myself that any Sales Professional would believe they are doing a good job by greeting the Customer first with a cough and then a "Hey bro." as shown on Today Tonight (Seven Network). The upside for me seeing this is that I know our clients don't have much to compete with to deliver a 'Point of Difference' to their Customers.
It has been of interest to me to see how well documentary style programs such as 'Undercover Boss' (Ten network) and the like rate so well. For me I think it is because being able to go undercover in our own business is something we would all like to be able to do. Those of us who interact personally on a day-to-day basis with our teams will find it nearly impossible to discreetly or anonymously explore the frontline experience of our businesses without being exposed by either our Customers or employees and therefore diluting the valuable outcome. That's where our team can help.
We provide honest, unbiased and independent feedback of the Customer Service and Sales experience delivered by your team. We also provide solutions from our findings with Sales and Service Training, Seminars, Team Building, Coaching and Development all tailored to your business needs.
If you would like an obligation free quote and proposal on how we can highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your team and provide solutions for improvement please contact our friendly Staff on 1300 766 545 or email us at enquiry@focusplus.net.au or visit our website at www.focusplus.net.au and we will provide a program and strategy to suit your needs.
Thank you to our many subscribers for the great feedback on our series on creating loyalty; particularly in relation to the first question about proactive friendliness. It’s amazing how we can take fundamentals like this issue for granted. Often when professionals fail, it’s not the higher skills that let them down; rather it’s the basics that become blunt as they are taken for granted. Anything taken for granted eventually abandons the culprit.
This issue, we examine the third vital component of an assessment tool that determines one’s loyalty skills. If you’re a new subscriber, please let us know and we’ll send you the last two issues; as loyalty, your agents’ abilities to create it and sustain it, are your most cost effective marketing tools. Your ability to be vigilant about it will determine how much you drive a focus on it. Then it will have an impact on your team, your customer satisfaction index and of course, your business. This exercise, over 10 issues, is a means to assess their skills and attitudes in this most important field. In the meantime, assess your own by taking the test yourself. Loyalty starts at the top and is most powerful when initiated by a proactive desire to provide a mutually satisfying partnership.
Reconsider your advertising budgets and think about how much you throw at the media versus how much you invest in the skills of your people who deal with the customers your marketing strategies create.
It’s time for the third question which is more a skills issue than attitudinal and it goes like this;
How affective is your choice of words and tone?
The most effective account managers (and that’s what your people are) understand and invest in the power of the spoken word. The things they say and the way they say them need to be more than just the truth. They need to be laden with belief, be compelling, memorable, unique (or at least different from your rivals) interactive and do justice to the quality of the product or service you provide. In scoring this question, consider how much you’ve evolved your word power in recent times. How different is the way you verbally portray your product or service to others in your field. Also consider your ability to prevent and/or overcome objections and while you’re at it, decide whether you engage in dialogue (worthy) or monologue (not so worthy)?
Now assign a score
1 2 3 4 5
POOR FAIR GOOD V GOOD EXCELLENT
As Jim Collins says; “Good is the enemy of great!” Vigilance is the difference. See you next month!
Steve Wr
The team at Focus Plus would like to forward a sincere and enduring thank you to David Lederer, Ian McMah and BMW Group Australia for inviting us to exclusively facilitate their Management Conference in Melbourne last month! It was yet another highly successful event and all the feedback to date from those attending has been extremely positive. The theme of the conference was 'vigilance' and coincided with the release of the new BMW 5 Series perfectly. The topics for the day focussed on Sales and Customer Service issues at the core of both the brand and the premise of the conference, and guaranteed everyone involved returned to their respective 'ports' with a renewed view of the fundaments and key values required and enthusiasm to empower their Staff.
Key components of the agenda included Education versus Training, Change and Protocols for dealing with it, the Chemistry of Selling and its applications to your team, Customers Service and creating and maintaining loyalty, and Leadership Initiatives that balance Customer Service with profitability. As a group we looked intently at the '10 greatest hurdles confronting Salespeople' and the top 10 reasons 'Why Customers stop doing business with us'. These topics generated a buzz and encouraged involvement and discussion with those who attended to ensure we all identified areas of strength and solutions to improve weaknesses to take back to our businesses.
A special mention should also be given to Ashlea Devereaux of BMW Group Australia for her hospitality and arranging a fantastic event. Ashlea's efforts ensured every attendee had premium access to all the information offered and personal correspondence with the facilitators to help provide solutions for their own individual objectives.
Should you require our services to facilitate your conference, seminar or event as either a keynote speaker or work shop facilitator on all topics Customer Service and Sales related please contact the team at Focus Plus on 1300 766 545 or email us at info@focusplus.net.au. Our team also offer personalised training packages for all our clients and each program is tailored to your individual needs and requirements. Give us a call to establish how we can help your team today!
The Focus Plus Team
POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE HIGHLIGHTED.....AGAIN!
Are you being served? It can be hard to get good service these days.
It seems everywhere we look many of the nation’s top media broadcasters and current affairs programs are highlighting the poor standard of Customer Service delivered by so called Customer Service Assistants. Not only is this a blight on our industry but unfortunately we are then all 'tarnished with the same brush'.
What these telecasts highlighted was the inexperience and lack of skill (and definitely training) in the Customer Service element of being a professional. Recently the A Current Affair program focussed on how many Customer Service Assistants made the wrong assumption that 'some Customers are not good enough'. These were the opening words of host Tracy Grimshaw as she headlined yet another poor Customer Service story.
Using the term 'retail snobbery' Customers described how angry and disappointed they felt about being treated with such disrespect. They all described the action they would take due to such poor service as either 'just walking out' to the more severe 'I would never buy from them'. One of the images repeated during the story was footage of a Customer standing in the store with a product in her hand ready to purchase for over five minutes without being served. I think we would all agree this is just not good enough. Some Assistants barely raised their heads from the service counter or desk to see who was entering the store.
A story a short time later on Today Tonight (Undercover Billionaire) featured Gerry Harvey, owner of one the greatest retail business in the world, secretly entering his own stores to get a real snap shot of the Customer Service within his own retail domain. What he quickly identified was the need and ongoing requirement of Customer Service and Sales Training. He recognised that when he arrived incognito he saw a different Harvey Norman than the one he was used to. Something I am sure we can all relate to.
Two of his best tips were “You have to be honest with yourself about the service your Staff deliver” and “Your reputation is everything and is gained by the quality of the people you employ”. His main gripe after the experience was that Staff don't engage with Customers.
It was interesting to see the lengths one of Australia's premier business men, Gerry Harvey, would go to in order to identify such a critical component of his retail empire. What will be even more fascinating to see is if the service many of us receive from his 160+ outlets improves and how many other high profile organisations follow his lead.
Gerry Harvey's point of view is "It's a never ending vision, a dream to be able to give the best customer service in the country. You just keep striving and never let you guard down" and I could not agree more.
The message after this story to all Staff should be 'The boss will go to any lengths in pursuit of excellent Customer Service."
Both articles reaffirmed the importance of Customer Service and the monetary impact (positive and negative) it has on profit lines of our balance sheets. While the reported news is not great the upside is it provides all of us with an opportunity to surprise our Customers, who now have a very low expectation, by offering more than they expect. This opportunity allows us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors where our stock doesn't. Sure in many cases our Customers can get exactly the same product from another supplier but what they can't get from your competitors is exceptional Customer Service which will keep them feeling valued and returning time and time again to be served by your friendly and helpful Staff.
Should you require assistance in setting up a Customer Service Monitoring Program, please call our friendly Staff on 1300 766 545 or email us at enquiry@focusplus.net.au and we will provide a program and stagey to suit your needs. We can also provide training and solutions to any identified Customer Service and Sales issues.
Last month we kicked off the self assessment questionnaire on the vital subject of loyalty and loyalty creation. We asked the question, “How friendly are you?”
Make no mistake – this is THE money issue in your business. Your ability to create and maintain (and assess others’ skills to create and maintain) loyalty will either save you an enormous amount of money or cost you likewise. Consider the issues that are affected by loyalty creation or the lack of it;
- Staff retention (HR is a nightmare at the best of times)
- Customer retention (finding them is costlier than retaining them)
- Gross profit per sale (the happiest Customers are the ones that pay or spend the most and they chose to because of you or somebody who works for you.)
- Referral business (word of mouth)
- Your relationship with your supplier or factory (allows for premium consideration when you may need it)
- Your standing in the community (reputation) and
- Your career and thus your family (or any shareholder in what you do and the way you do it).
Remember that we asked you to read the entire section before assigning a score. This month’s IN FOCUS will ask the question;
“What’s your attitude like?”
1 2 3 4 5
POOR FAIR AVERAGE GOOD EXCELLENT
Having a positive attitude really simplifies how you respond to people. “You are the way you think” in other words. Are you positive all the time? The key word is “all”. Not many of us are. Before you assign a score consider these issues;
- What sort of a winner/loser are you? Competitive people make great salespeople but are also pretty high maintenance. When they become leaders they are often typified as ‘my way or the highway’ types. A strong will to win can cause you to crash and burn when you lose. Recovery time is slow and collateral damage is high.
- How thick skinned are you? This is vital in minimising harm and reducing recovery time after adversity.
- When your attitude cycle is on a negative, are you able to turn it around.
Self assessment is an honest way to prevent things being worse than they need to be when your results aren’t ideal. Denial is the opposite and erodes self esteem over time. Low self esteem makes self assessment uncomfortable. It is therefore avoided. Then the blame game kicks in and before you know it, you belong to the ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ club.
The ‘devolution’ goes like this;
complacency – scepticism – denial – cynicism – hopelessness.
Attitude is merely a choice. You choose today what you become tomorrow and the change (for better or worse) is subtle enough that you don’t even notice. If the change is for the worse, when you finally do notice, it’s too late and you experience the only failure that can’t be recovered from.......regret.
On the other hand, if change is for the better, what you notice is your results. Suddenly you seem luckier. This is because your attitude conditions your subconscious mind.
The good news is that luck has nothing to do with it. You are now attracting positive outcomes. Cynics call it luck because they don’t understand it.
Now give yourself a score and stay well until next month and remember that the best professionals are primarily good people first!
Steve Wren
Many of our partners have declared their concerns about rising interest rates and the impact such trends have on their businesses. Just where casualties may occur bears thinking about.
Certainly WANTS are the first. The instant economic trends impact consumers, the sale of want items tend to suffer. Those in hospitality and who sell high ticket want items like boats and motor cycles will testify to that. Retailers of prestige brands are more vunerable than their colleagues who supply mainstream alternatives. Retailers of the ‘staples’ aren’t impacted as much either.
Bear these thoughts in mind though;
The instant a subject is referred to using an acronym is the instant it’s become accepted. Such is the case with the Global Financial Crisis which has become the GFC. Our greatest fear should be fear itself. Changing course from tried and true methods, looking to the horizon when the answers are in front of us or ignoring the ‘temperature’ of your sales or service team; are examples.
We are a society addicted to consumption. Modern families have never experienced an economic depression. Recessions are skirmishes compared to a depression. At the height of the GFC and now in its wake, we’ll pay $200 a ticket to see Lady Gaga and then moan about the price of petrol. Back in 1929 when Wall Street crashed, want items weren’t a factor in consumer consciousness. Now it’s fashion and lifestyle that keeps economies afloat.
The bottom line is that people will go without the things they need to find a way to buy the things they want. As team leaders, retailers and providers of services, that is your answer. Invest in skills and protocols to create want in the hearts of your customers rather than relying on need in their heads.
There are four kinds of customers. First time inquirers, comebacks, referrals and repeats. This is in the order of their merit. The bulk of salespeople spend the bulk of their time dealing with first timers. Guess which category dries up first during tough times? In our sales corner this month, we are commencing the first of 10 segments designed to assist you and your team to assess your skills where creating loyalty is concerned. Let’s tip the scales our way. Our best bet to be GFC proof is to retain our customers. The revenues are higher and the cost of sale is lower. It has been said that “the price of freedom is vigilance”. We believe that the price of excellence is too.
Stephen Wren
Enjoy this issue!
Thank you to the Queensland State Manager for Honda Australia, Mr Ian Meyers for inviting us to speak at the Sales Managers Conference this month. It was fantastic to feel the positive atmosphere in the room which reflects the general culture of the Honda Brand. We welcome new subscribers, Mr. Tom Jager from Bayside Honda Cleveland, Mr Jason Wood from Von Bibra Honda at Southport, Mr Phil Spataro from the Norris Group at Nundah, Mr Gavin Grant from Caloundra Honda, Mr Peter Cropp from Blue Ribbon Honda at Ipswich and Ms Caroline McNamara from Highway Honda at Springwood. We look forward to seeing you all again.
CHANGE
One of our favourite axioms is “The best way to handle change is to cause it!” Soichiro Honda once said, “We only have one future, and it will be made of our dreams, if we have the courage to challenge convention.” Certainly, this is the essence of causing change and the opposite to “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
Our advice; run to the nearest exit if someone says something to you like, “be realistic.” They’re about to tell you why you’ll fail. Mr. Honda says, “What we learn through failure becomes a precious part of us, strengthening us in everything we do. So let the tough things make you tougher.”
How about this final gem from Mr Honda; "When Congress passes new emission standards, we hire 50 more engineers and GM hires 50 more lawyers."
Last month we promised our INFOCUS subscribers that we would roll out some of the fundamental components of our loyalty creation tools as this is a major factor in our partners’ business plans. Certainly, the cost of a sale is massively reduced when agents are skilled and disciplined about their roles as account managers.
Incidentally, if you’ve never considered your sales or service personnel as ‘account managers’, we advise you do so from now on. Human nature/perception overrides reality and one untucked shirt, body piercing, or casual remark can undo the last $10,000 worth of marketing you spent; whether the victim thinks it’s fair or not.
Therefore, welcome to the first in a series of 10 assessment aspects that you can use to either gauge your staff’s individual potential to generate and perpetuate loyalty or for that matter, your own. The ability to generate loyalty is at the core of leadership.
With each question, we’ll explain the reasoning behind it, the depths that each concept can be explored (which should allow you to interpret it to your own needs) as well as some applications and remedies. Any participant should score themselves from 1 to 5 as follows;
1 2 3 4 5
POOR FAIR AVERAGE GOOD EXCELLENT
Notice that 1 is ‘poor’ not hopeless and that 5 is ‘excellent’ not perfect. There are no absolutes in self assessment because there would be no room for evolution or learning – only room for complacency and we know where that leads!
Our lead article this month refers to fear of the times or the uncertainties of economic trends. Let us say that complacency is an ever present spectre which hangs over our industry. Engaging in evaluation of your present situation is the first step to creating change.
Additionally we can expect accountability too once a score (especially a high score) has been committed to; which is always advantageous to business owners. The questions are simple in their wording but multifaceted in their implications. We suggest the “background” be read and understood before a score is offered.
Question 1: “How friendly are you?”
1 2 3 4 5
POOR FAIR AVERAGE GOOD EXCELLENT
Background:
Most people are friendly when offered a friendly gesture. This is NOT the meaning of the question and does not constitute any sort of an advantage for sales or service personnel. That sort of friendliness is not distinctive. It is reactive friendliness and barely memorable. We’re talking about being “proactively friendly”. The first to offer a gesture or a genuine compliment, the first to speak, being socially flexible and fitting into any company. It’s incredible how many unfriendly people serve on the frontline of multi-million dollar Australian businesses. A confronting question to ask oneself is, “How would I feel if I just met me?” Issues that contribute to first impressions include body language, carriage, grooming, eye contact and facial expressions followed by tone of voice and word choice. All of which are contributed to by one’s attitude and conditioning that attitude causes over time.
The worst possible outcome is contempt. Tone of voice is the most obvious symptom. If you believe “all buyers are liars,” regardless of the truth of it or otherwise, contempt could be flavouring your game plan. Suddenly you’re judging your customers rather than understanding them.
The great conditioning coach Ken Boothroyd once said of a young Wendell Sailor, “He’s not a footballer yet – he’s an athlete but you give me an athlete and I’ll give you back a footballer.” We feel the same about the trait of proactive friendliness. You give us a person who is likeable and we’ll give you back a customer service professional. It’s that important.
Customers often sense an unhappy team when they walk into your premises. The building blocks of morale start with this fundamental question. The difference a focus on skills in this area makes to a company’s bottom line is staggering. For more information on our customer service/loyalty creation seminars, contact us on 1300 766 545 anytime.
Steve Wren
Hi and welcome to the next edition of ‘In Focus’. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, feedback and general comments and questions over the past few months – it is great to hear from you all.
Before the year rolls on and gets away from us too much I would like to welcome two new partners to our readers – Paul Sadler Swimland and Fort Knox Self Storage. We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership of mutual success. Our new partners add to the new and diverse range of clients we service and ensure our Team are always thinking of new and evolving ways to better serve our clients.
On that note, I would like to inform all our readers of a new program that we have worked on vigorously over recent times and is now available to all our clients – our Quality Assurance Program. While we have always offered Customer Satisfaction packages, this new program takes it to the next level of excellence in Customer Service. We collect data received from genuine prospects of your business and analyse trends that form from both buyers and non buyers. This data has been very beneficial to our partners already using this program.
For more information on this program and how it can benefit you, please contact our friendly Staff on 1300 766 545 who will be more than happy to help.
Until next time - enjoy this issue and have a happy and safe Easter break!
Jason Wren
Jason Wren
Managing Director
Theories abound but it’s Business Solutions that pay the bills.
From February, we are excited to be offering the first in a series of instalments
of just that - solutions. This one is aimed at the Motor Trade. It takes the form
of a document/module we will be offering for sale which was 6 months in the making.
WHAT IS IT?
It’s called “10 – 1 Hurdles facing Motor Vehicle Salespeople – a leader’s aid”.
BACKGROUND
During 2009, we researched a wide variety of motor dealership personnel across
3 states plus the NT; simply asking them what they saw as the greatest hurdles
they face on a daily basis. The result, whilst not surprising, was confronting.
It was confronting in the sense that the issues are chronic and represent diminished
profitability and unfulfilled ambitions mutual to the agent and the company. The
solutions to them revolve around leadership, training, measurement, accountability
and foresight.
There is no doubt that the modern shopper is more shrewd (and the poetic similarity to ‘rude’ is ironically true too) has more choice, is better informed and less loyal provides the core of the issues that were offered. This research would not have been possible without the cooperation of many of our fantastic partners. A big thank you to Mr Scott Carse (general manager of the Sunshine Audi Centre at Caloundra) whose knowledge and application are quite exceptional. His team was pivotal in our research. He already has his copy.
Other notable contributors who deserve thanks were;
- Mr Mark Miller and Mr David Russell (A P Eagers - Darwin)
- Mr Tim Hore, Mr Colin Goodwin, Mr. Tod Mardel (Inchcape - Sydney)
- Ms Lisa Stallard (Blue Ribbon Motors Qld)
- Mr Alan Parry and Mr John Doolan (The Parry Group in Townsville)
- Mr Bruce Chard (Collins Honda Sydney).
The finished product is a 52 page manual. It tables the top 10 hurdles and all a sales team will need to prevent, rectify or maintain a sales standard that reflects the quality of their brands and facilities. Dealer Principals deserve a receipt for the money they spend to generate business.
WHAT IT OFFERS
“If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” is the motto of the complacent and a recipe for inaction; so said General Colin Powell. We agree. This package will cover solutions in the form of training, prevention, maintenance and staff development on issues like;
- Handling objections including the price shopper, procrastinators and difficult people.
- Maintaining morale including recruiting and motivation analysis
- Leadership issues that generate revenues including, communication, involvement in the sales process and handling change.
- Sales tactics, word paths, scripts and issues that will improve the ‘chemistry’ of your sales team.
- Relationship management and tactics.
- Additionally, each of our customers will receive a CD containing pdf files that they can print off as exercises, handouts etc.
- Non motor trade teams would also benefit as the issues raised revolve around customers, customer service, attitudes and gross profit retention.
WHO SHOULD USE IT?
- General Sales Managers and Sales Managers.
- Any small sales team where the cost of external consultants may be prohibitive.
- Any team that relies on internal training
- Any professional who wants to improve their skills through the application of leading edge tactical dialogue or leadership protocols.
- Anyone responsible for the development of their subordinates ‘skills.
WHEN AND HOW MUCH?
This module is available for shipping to our customers now. Orders may be placed or any questions about the product inquired about by contacting us via email info@focusplus.net.au or on our 1300 766 545 phone number.
The investment is $699.00 plus gst. The price of inaction cannot be calculated.
HOW MUCH “LEAKAGE” IS THERE IN YOUR TEAM’S SALES STRATEGIES?
In my efforts to obtain ‘the best price’ (sound familiar salespeople?) on a new washing machine, I rang Clive Peters and The Good Guys for a quote on an 8kg Simpson. The branches shall remain anonymous. This was my phone experience with Clive Peters;
“Hi, my wife and I have decided on the 8kg Simpson washing machine. What’s your best price on one?”
The salesperson replied, “They’re on special at the moment for $849.00 and that’s delivered…..” I said, “Thanks for that mate.” He thanked me too and we signed off.
My “Good Guys experience” was better. On making the same inquiry, the rep replied (with some enthusiasm) “We’ve got a special price for today only…it’s $755 and that’s delivered, installed and we’ll take your old machine away if need be.”
“Sounds good” I said. “Ask for Jeff when you come in and I’ll look after you” he continued. We exchanged mutual thanks and hung up. So, guess where we purchased the washing machine. You guessed it….....David Jones.
There’s no other store like them so we’re told. The reality is that despite the chandeliers and the black suits, they will get down and dirty with their cheapest competitors. Now before this starts to sound like an advertisement for DJ’s, the point is that the other two set them up for the sale by ‘serving’ rather than selling. What I got was a hunting licence without any expectation of having to pay for it. No one was prepared to engage me or obtain a commitment from me prior to making one.
There is nothing subservient about service! Service is about partnerships and the best partnerships are about equality.
If this scenario sounds familiar or you suspect your team could be guilty of similar sales behaviour, run this scenario past them at your next sales meeting and ask them to nominate how they would have handled the inquiry using “Jeff’s example”. Can you imagine how much revenue slips between the corporate fingers of sales organisations by virtue of the simple fact that salespeople aren’t armed with dialogue and strategies geared to do their advertising budgets justice?
Good guys will always finish second to clever guys.
It’s about being prepared and having options. Our most fundamental training modules are geared to minimise leakage to your rivals. The cost of engaging us to empower your sales team is insignificant compared to the cost of relying on a price point.
Steve Wren
Well, 2010 is flying past at a great rate already! We hope you all enjoyed your Christmas break as I am sure the next one will be upon us just as quickly.
Now is certainly the time to ensure you have your carefully crafted plan for the coming year to enable every possible success in 2010. Our last few editions have focussed on just that with some information on creating cultures and service standards and planning for the everyday - and the unexpected.
This year we have a lot of exciting projects building and over the next few months we will be introducing those to you as they roll out. So stay tuned!
Enjoy this issue!
Theories abound but it’s Business Solutions that pay the bills.
For February, we are excited to be offering the first in a series of instalments
of just that - solutions. This one is aimed at the Motor Trade. It takes the form
of a document/module we will be offering for sale which was 6 months in the making.
WHAT IS IT?
It’s called “10 – 1 Hurdles facing Motor Vehicle Salespeople – a leader’s aid”.
BACKGROUND
During 2009, we researched a wide variety of motor dealership personnel across
3 states plus the NT; simply asking them what they saw as the greatest hurdles
they face on a daily basis. The result, whilst not surprising, was confronting.
It was confronting in the sense that the issues are chronic and represent diminished
profitability and unfulfilled ambitions mutual to the agent and the company. The
solutions to them revolve around leadership, training, measurement, accountability
and foresight.
There is no doubt that the modern shopper is more shrewd (and the poetic similarity to ‘rude’ is ironically true too) has more choice, is better informed and less loyal provides the core of the issues that were offered. This research would not have been possible without the cooperation of many of our fantastic partners. A big thank you to Mr Scott Carse (general manager of the Sunshine Audi Centre at Caloundra) whose knowledge and application are quite exceptional. His team was pivotal in our research. He already has his copy.
Other notable contributors who deserve thanks were;
- Mr Mark Miller and Mr David Russell (A P Eagers - Darwin)
- Mr Tim Hore, Mr Colin Goodwin, Mr. Tod Mardel (Inchcape - Sydney)
- Ms Lisa Stallard (Blue Ribbon Motors Qld)
- Mr Alan Parry and Mr John Doolan (The Parry Group in Townsville)
- Mr Bruce Chard (Collins Honda Sydney).
The finished product is a 52 page manual. It tables the top 10 hurdles and all a sales team will need to prevent, rectify or maintain a sales standard that reflects the quality of their brands and facilities. Dealer Principals deserve a receipt for the money they spend to generate business.
WHAT IT OFFERS
“If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” is the motto of the complacent and a recipe for inaction; so said General Colin Powell. We agree. This package will cover solutions in the form of training, prevention, maintenance and staff development on issues like;
- Handling objections including the price shopper, procrastinators and difficult people.
- Maintaining morale including recruiting and motivation analysis
- Leadership issues that generate revenues including, communication, involvement in the sales process and handling change.
- Sales tactics, word paths, scripts and issues that will improve the ‘chemistry’ of your sales team.
- Relationship management and tactics.
- Additionally, each of our customers will receive a CD containing pdf files that they can print off as exercises, handouts etc.
- Non motor trade teams would also benefit as the issues raised revolve around customers, customer service, attitudes and gross profit retention.
WHO SHOULD USE IT?
- General Sales Managers and Sales Managers.
- Any small sales team where the cost of external consultants may be prohibitive.
- Any team that relies on internal training
- Any professional who wants to improve their skills through the application of leading edge tactical dialogue or leadership protocols.
- Anyone responsible for the development of their subordinates ‘skills.
WHEN AND HOW MUCH?
This module will be available for shipping to our customers by mid February. Advanced orders may be placed or any questions about the product inquired about by contacting us via email info@focusplus.net.au or on our 1300 766 545 phone number.
The investment is $699.00 plus gst. The price of inaction cannot be calculated.
Tis the season for resolutions. Most will be broken before February. I would like to share some of my favourite quotations with you in the spirit of inspiration. I would argue that inspiration is what we all need once in a while to keep us on track with the goals we all have. So here they are with a few notes for relevance sake and I hope they mean something to you as they do to me.
“Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is the only cash you have; so spend it wisely.” Kay Lyons
This I believe is the original quote we’ve all heard variations of. This one is about giving priority to the NOW. Your now. We lament over the past and worry over the future; both of which have little to do with what we are actually doing. Remember that NOW is about choices and what you choose NOW will determine what you become. Don’t waste the opportunity.
“Life is an echo – what you send out comes back.”Anon
A very “Buddhist notion” this one. Sounds like Karma or just plain justice. The bestselling book, “The Secret” is based on this law which is as sound as anything Newton ever devised. The Universe is a very balanced equation from galactic to microscopic. It’s all about energy and obeying nature’s laws. There’s personal karma and professional karma; goodwill, the power of a gesture, customer service, staff development – you name it. Disobey these laws at your peril.
“If you’re going to do something tonight you’ll be sorry for tomorrow morning.... sleep late.”Henny Youngman
A bit tongue in cheek but you’ve got to appreciate the comic relief after the last one.
“If you can dream it, you can do it!” Walt Disney
I’d listen to this guy. Did anyone in the 20th Century have a bigger impact on popular culture than Walt? His beginnings were humble and his empire was built on his determination as well as his imagination.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Milton Berle
In other words; take control and take ownership. Stop waiting for a handout and create it yourself!
Steve Wren
As we rapidly approach the end of the year and we start to think ahead of spending some much hard earned time with our friends and family, it is easy to forget the true meaning of the festive season. As we get frustrated trying to get those last minute things to cap off the perfect Christmas we may forget how we treat others at this unnecessarily stressful time. Take a moment and step back and realise that people will say and do things they normally wouldn't out of pure frustration.
As the pressure of creating the perfect Christmas for our families (either out of guilt or desire) mounts up on us spare a moment to consider those less fortunate, and the real meaning of the festive season will come through.
Customer service is about improving your Customers experience at every opportunity. What better time to try and strive for this than right now when your Customers could really use a smile and a friendly helping hand.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
From the whole team at Focus Plus.
P.S. Thanks to everybody who donated to the cause last month for Movember. We raised funds and some much needed awareness for men's health issues. Jason is back to normal and has removed the fuzzy caterpillar from his face in preparation for next year. Your participation by donating is greatly appreciated!
With Christmas rapidly approaching I’m sure your "To Do" list is endless.
If so, it’s time to adopt the Moscow Principle. Taken from the letters M-S-C-W, the Moscow Principle is a quick five second motivator that will assist in prioritising your work flow into four categories:
M for what I must do?
S for what I should do?
C for what I could do?
W for what I would do?
Next time you are confronted with an overwhelming mountain of tasks pause and take a breath and think of MOSCOW.
Given the time frames and circumstances, what must I do? Let’s identify the critical tasks and get them done first. Then what things should I do? What tasks are important but not urgent? What could I do, and lastly what would I do if I had nothing else to do?
It might not substitute for your personal organiser but it is a brilliant five second motivator to keep you focussed on what is important for your business to succeed!
Source: www.smallbusiness.yahoo.com.au
The season of resolutions is upon us!
It’s a time for reflection, renewal, focus, thanksgiving and planning.
REFLECTION
In our training seminars, I often make the statement that; “to be living and working in Australia in the 21st century is like winning lotto 10 times over”. On our worst day, it still beats London during the Black Death or Europe during the Spanish Inquisition or even many parts of the world today. In reflection, let’s understand what we have, not lament about what we do not have. Let’s respect it and attach as much significance to each opportunity that every new day presents us with.
RENEWAL
On reflection, let’s renew our commitment to these issues. This will affect our attitude, align our priorities and ultimately impact our results.
FOCUS
Our very company name suggests a notion that needs to be maintained to be effective. Discipline borne from respect, open communication, transparency of intent and the dignity of providing people with quality service is our benchmark and offered here in the spirit of the season.
THANKSGIVING
Is about taking nothing for granted. The instant anything is taken for granted it initially depletes and ultimately abandons the culprit. In business these days, we see many things taken for granted as anyone who has ever been a customer will testify. Our tip; in your business, create an atmosphere for buying – not for selling. Happy staff (often taken for granted) a welcoming environment (very often overlooked completely) and a respect for the opportunity your customer is giving you (reliant on the first two) will ensure your business stands out.
PLANNING
One thing we’ve learned; if you have no plan, you are not entitled to an expectation. Whilst theories abound on the best way to initiate (most people’s downfall) the best business theory is the much overlooked S.W.O.T.* analysis. It works because it is its own action plan. By doing one, you are initiating. The rest is easy. If you need assistance in this or any area, please let us know.
To all our customers and associates, have a safe and Happy Christmas. We look forward to sharing our views with you in the New Year and working together to make the most of our wonderful industry.
Steve Wren
*Strengths - Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats
Jason is growing a moustache for Movember this year and is willing to make himself look silly (with one of the worst mo’s) for a great and worthy cause! Jason has been invited to join the ‘Mo Mongrels’ by one of our valued clients and is slowly steaming along with his itchy 'tache'!
If you see one of your Customers sporting an obviously new moustache chances are they are supporting this cause because they have a mate or family member effected by one of these health issues. What better way to provide a fun and happy first impression and deliver friendly Customer Service than to congratulate them on their efforts for supporting a very worthy cause. The light-heartedness of your interaction may even get you an extra sale or two and will definitely level that positive lasting impression that good Customer service can provide.
Movember is about raising much needed funds and awareness for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. Important when you learn that close to 3,000 men die of prostate cancer each year in Australia and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime - many of whom don’t seek help.
If you are able to donate to this great men’s awareness campaign please click on this link to the ‘Mo Mongrels’
https://www.movember.com/au/donate/your-details/team_id/46973
The more people that get onboard, the more awareness and money will be raised and so we are asking you to join and either grow a moustache as a Mo Bro, or sign on as a Mo Sista and help out with raising funds, or just make a donation to the team.
To join the 'Mo Mongrels' team and get in on the action go to http://au.movember.com/register/46973 and follow the steps. Once registered you’ll be sent all the information you need to get donations and get growing as part of the team.
Hope you can get involved!
Enjoy this issue!
MANAGING THE SERVICE CULTURE
Following is more on our series on Customer Service Culture. Managing the culture that you create is an ongoing part of your business and is vital in building successful relationships with all your current and future Clients.
To put it most simply – Staff don’t create the service provided by a company, they deliver it.
In fact, about 80% of the service delivered from a business stems directly from the company’s processes, systems and policies. Put another way, poor customer service policies will ensure the Staff have very little capacity to influence the overall service quality, as much of what they can and can’t do is effectively dictated by management.
Good service can only occur where the management culture brings together a service environment that integrates the Staff with processes, systems and policies that are focussed on servicing the Customer.
Much has been written and spoken about service attitude and behaviour. In practice, good customer service comes from what the business is doing. The best management and Staff “service attitude” in the world means nothing if it is not put into practice with what it actually does. It is what they do – their behaviour – that matters. Having a customer-focussed attitude is important but it is only converted to service when someone actually does something for customers.
Therefore, responsibility for managing the service cultures clearly lies with management. It is management’s role to ensure that what their business and Staff actively do is focussed on providing excellent customer service.
Source: www.business.gov.au
If you work in this capacity, have you ever stopped to consider your own style? Or what about the percentage of your day that is spent on each side of the fine lines that separate this vital role that you play?
I say “style” because leaders have style which is an individual notion as opposed to “knowledge” which whilst important, doesn’t differentiate one manager from another if both have it. Style always will. Often, what separates truly effective teams is the style by which they are lead. Even the word “effective” has a less charismatic cousin; it’s “efficient”.
Consider the implied meaning of “manage”.
- Did you manage to get that done?
- Are you managing with that new system?
- Do you think you could manage to be on time for once?
The implication is a barely passable ability to cope. The celestial title of General Manager loses its gloss if he or she “generally manages to get by”.
Managers tend to be efficient at best whereas Leaders tend to be effective at worst.
Managers do things efficiently whereas Leaders handle people effectively. These definitions of “manage” imply a depersonalisation within the role which will always diminish the long term outcomes of sales teams. This is because morale within the team is the casualty when the team is “managed.”
POINTS TO CONSIDER
- Good managers know the rules. Good leaders make the rules.
- Does your team look up to you or look toward you?
- When things go wrong, do you blame your people or do you train them.
- Nothing is more important than your team’s morale. If your spreadsheets are in the red, look to the way your team is lead, not managed.
- Knowledge can only accomplish so much. The “X Factor” that makes for truly memorable long term results relies on charisma, guts and a willingness to take a bullet for the team once in a while.
- Is your staff entrance a revolving door? If you’ve ever worked in such an environment, look to the culture of those in charge for the reason.
QUESTION TO CONSIDER.
Jack Welch (former CEO of GE) once posed the question; would you rather work for a bad boss in a good company or a good boss in a bad company?
We’d be interested in your thoughts. Let us know at swren@focusplus.net.au or info@focusplus.net.au
FOCUS PLUS conduct leadership seminars based on creating loyalty, generating profit through decent morale and ethical process and understanding that the best way to handle change is to cause it!
If these seminars are of interest to you and your Staff, please give the team at Focus Plus a call on 1300 766 545 and we will put you in touch with our training facilitators who will put together your personal program.
Steve Wren
FOCUS PLUS SEMINARS – HALF DAY AND FULL DAY
COMING SOON TO A CAPITAL CITY NEAR YOU!
Any increase in market share is easy to achieve when satisfied customers become walking billboards for our brand and our business!
We are conducting Half Day and Full Day seminars focussing on issues that evolve our business away from the uncertainty of dealing with strangers. These seminars will include topics covering ‘Creating Loyalty’, Human Resource issues, Customer Service issues, Cost of Sale and Profitability.
Forward expressions of interest to info@focusplus.net.au titling your email ‘Seminars’ and you will be notified of the upcoming dates and venues in your area. Get in early as priority will be given to our existing clients and their partners!
SERVICE MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST!
Following is Part 2 of our Service Management checklist which you can adapt to help your business create your own Customer Service Culture. The items supplied can be stylised to meet your business needs and provide a great platform if you and your Staff do not have a Customer Service Charter. Combined with the tips supplied in Part 1 last month you will be well on your way to building successful relationships with all your current and future Clients.
A motto that has always stood me in good stead and one I share with our partners is; “Never Make a Commitment without One”. It’s fair to say that at first glance it doesn’t sit well with everyone in sales and service industries. I’ve often heard reticence in the form of, “Yeah but customer service is about making commitments.” In a one on one discussion I would never be so blunt as to say “WRONG” but in this forum I will. “WRONG.”
Any amateur can make a commitment. Many do in the absence of skills or ethics. Customer service is about seeing commitments through. Commitments that were made mutually which formed the basis of the relationship that allowed business to be done in the first place.
Any partnership is doomed where only one partner makes commitment to it.
Consider the key words; the ones in italics.
- Commitment
- Mutually
- Relationship and
- Business.
Mutuality is the key to commitment. Commitment is the key to a relationship. A relationship is the key to business and the profitability necessary to sustain the relationship.
Many businesses have gone broke with a motto similar to ‘we deliver’. You need to be profitable and the most profitable businesspeople are the ones capable of extracting a commitment prior to making one. The good news? By the time you see your customers; they have already made a commitment. They’ve validated your brand and your outlet by showing up or calling. You reciprocate by;
- Acknowledgement
- Being welcoming and
- Providing solutions.
Asking questions provides the necessary control which extracts commitment. It’s also consultative, shows you’re interested and it’s good protocol.
Ironically, there is an undeniable truth in sales. The lower the gross profit retention, the more dissatisfied the customer seems to be. Thankfully the opposite is also true. The chemistry the agent taps into to create or retain profit is the same chemistry that creates satisfied customers AND understanding it keeps your agents on the right side of the fine line that exists between SERVICE and SERVANT.
Steve Wren
As bosses we all complain sometimes about how poorly our Staff perform the tasks we ask them to complete.
But what do we do when we find excellent Staff that deliver great Customer Service, exceed not only our Customers expectations but also our own? What do we do for Staff who represent our company and business culture to the public exactly how we want it and excel at it?
It is important to appreciate these Staff who do a great job or risk losing them to someone else who will appreciate them. Like Customers, good Staff will leave if they do not feel valued. It is hard for them pass on this culture to your Customers if they themselves do not feel valued by Management. It is important that we as Leaders do exactly that and lead by example.
We all know how costly recruiting, training and placing Staff can be but most good Staff would stay if shown some appreciation by Management. Not only do you save money and resources on unnecessary training to bring new Staff up to speed and in re-training Staff in policy and procedures, you also improve morale and most importantly productivity.
In my experience, usually the smallest gesture is more than enough to keep excellent Staff happy and continuing to do great work for you.
May I suggest coming in to the busy holiday and Christmas period, that as bosses we all show our good Staff we appreciate them to ensure we have great Staff to look after our clients and most importantly keep them working for us and not against us.
Until next time - enjoy this issue!
Jason Wren
Jason Wren
Managing Director
Over the next couple of issues of In Focus we will be providing you with a Service Management checklist which you can adapt to help your business create your own Customer Service Culture. The items supplied can be attapted to meet your business needs and provide a great platform to begin if you and your Staff do not have a Customer Service Charter.
Key Management areas include:
- Creating a Customer Service environment across your whole business that is specifically aligned with your Customers’ needs and focuses on Customer Retention.
- Having and actively following a Customer Service Charter which clearly sets out the quality of service your Customers can expect from you.
- Integrating your Customer Service strategy into your overall business approach and business plans.
- Ensuring that your business’ policies, practices, systems, rules, facilities and Staff actively provide excellent Customer Service delivery.
To be continued next month....
Source: www.business.gov.au
THE ADVANTAGE OF STAYING PUT.
From time to time I make it my business to provide personal coaching and feedback to key people that I work with. The criteria I use are based on my humble estimations of the worth of the character, the potential of the professional and the integrity of the company.
The Partnership.
Most Australian companies provide many things that constitute a worthy partner; often great family heritages and profiles that extend over a continent or internationally. Even the weaknesses they experience (chiefly HR issues such as the transiency of staff) provides opportunity for loyal and worthwhile individuals to stand out and carve a career. I’ve yet to encounter the perfect work environment but challenges that face any company are always opportunities for smart people within those companies to make a difference and as a result; get themselves noticed.
The Professional
Where potential is concerned, the only limits are those we place on ourselves. Whether it’s the imagination, the will or the attitudes we choose, it’s worth remembering that we are free to choose. The rest of the world is then free to judge us based on those choices. The thing you need to guard jealously is your reputation. Always be choosy about the scruples of the people you deal with and the agenda of the companies you align yourself with. This brings me to the character bit.
The Character
The finest qualities in business people are all based on loyalty. Your ability to show it, create it and inspire it will supersede all you know and whom you know as catalysts to ensure you reach your potential as a professional and leader if such is your goal. Your ambition must always be tempered by this thought. The term “win at all costs” all too often characterises business people. More of them have short life spans than not and are typified by moving from company to company based on the lure of short term outcomes. Some believe the grass to be greener elsewhere. I can’t recall many that have gone on to be respected and successful leaders. My advice? Cultivate the grass in the paddock you’re in. Create a reputation for loyalty and attention to detail. These are the benchmarks. I’ll say it again; these are the benchmarks – loyalty and attention to detail. Celebrate the strengths of your company and its brands and identify its weaknesses as priorities for your attention. These weaknesses are your opportunities and will show you instant results. Look to the skills of the people under your control. They will contribute to your success. Their expertise and morale are everything.
Chip away and there is no doubt you will fast track your career without the risk of the devil you don’t know.
Stephen Wren
"Staring at recession and possibly out of business you would think retailers would make Customer Service a priority but for many it leaves a lot to be desired."
These are not my words but the opening comments from a report aired on Today Tonight on Tuesday 7th July. While many business operators would not agree with this statement or believe this happens at their stores, what should be taken from the Today Tonight report is what is expected from the Customer.
Whether or not you agree with Barry Urquart, the Marketing expert interviewed by Today Tonight, he highlights and correlates the important aspects of Customer Service as expresses by the Customer. He goes on to say that "Customer Service standards in Australia have fallen in the last three years (I possibly think it has been longer than that) and Customer Satisfaction has fallen with it."
Barry Urquhart's comments based on the five second service test, suggests the Customer must be acknowledged within five second or they feel unloved, unwanted, mentally turn off and will often physically remove themselves from the premises. The Customer must be spoken to within thirty second and served within two minutes or the sale is lost. While I think this time line is a little unrealistic it does emphasise the Customers thought patterns and the importance they place on being valued.
What is reasonable is for the Customer to expect to be at the very least acknowledged within thirty seconds of entering the store. This is a simple "Hi, how are you?" ... or a glance and a smile not pouncing or 'badgering' as expressed by Scott Driscol, National Executive Director of the Retailers Association. What Barry Urquart did say about the acknowledgement process was this allows the Customer to express how they want to be treated and if they need service immediately or want to be allowed to browse the store before being offered assistance. Acknowledgement of the Customer is the single most important part of Customer Service and I could not agree more.
The Today Tonight program accurately depicted the poor service encountered by Customers on the whole. The final words of the Mystery Shopper saying "They didn't stack up" put if fairly mildly when you see the lack of service given. Barry Urquhart's final comments were "There are more sales lost because of poor Customer Service than the Global Financial Crisis" and from the examples shown on Today Tonight and what I myself experience recently (see Volume 12 of In Focus) this could not be more true.
I hope you all got to see this article on Today Tonight but if not I'm sure it could be found on their website. I strongly urge everyone to have a look as it is very interesting viewing and shows first-hand what many of our Customers are experiencing on a daily basis. As always if you have any Customer Service or Sales issues that need attention we have many products suited to improving Customer Service within your business. Give the team at Focus Plus Service Auditors a call or email your details to info@focusplus.net.au and one of our friendly Staff will happily discuss and tailor a program that suits your needs.
Until next time - enjoy this issue!
Jason Wren
Jason Wren
Managing Director
CONGRATULATIONS HIDDEN VALLEY FORD!
A big congratulations to Hidden Valley Ford in the Northern Territory who won our Focus on End Of Financial Year Competition.
The Team at Hidden Valley Ford have won 50% off a Customer Service Monitoring Package for the next three months. The prize is valued up to $1,000 of free Customer Service Monitoring.
Due to the overwhelming response we will be running a similar competition soon. So keep your eyes out in future editions of In Focus for more details.
Thank you to everyone that entered our competition and we wish you all the best of luck in our next competition!
Sales Corner!
ON ATTITUDE
If you're interviewing prospective employees or about to entrust someone with something important, be wary if that person says something like;
"You can count on me. I will give 110%!"
Three things to consider here:
1. It's impossible to do anything in excess of 100% therefore
2. The promise is doomed to be broken
3. The promiser will fail and the higher the number in excess of 100 that was promised, the higher the height to fall from.
There will be collateral damage everywhere. Spirit, trust and morale being the major factors.
If you attach a value to each letter of the word "attitude" consistent with its place in the alphabet (A=1, B=2 etc) look what happens....
A T T I T U D E
1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100
All that is needed or requested is a 'can do attitude' summarised perfectly as follows;
"Nothing more than your best is expected.
Therefore nothing less than your best is expected".
Steve Wren
That's right - Win your own tailored Program for HALF PRICE for three months! Enter the Focus Plus EOFY Competition and you could be enjoying half price Service Monitoring for your business! Enter before June 30th for your chance to win this amazing prize. Just in time for the new financial year!
Prize drawn on 1st July 2009 and winners contacted by 5pm. ENTER NOW!
If you are not the lucky winner of our first prize, then you have another chance to win in our competition...
Second Prize - 10% off your own personalised Customer Service Monitoring Program.
To Enter Click HERE!
*For Competition Terms & Conditions click here.
CUSTOMER SERVICE - IS IT STILL OUT THERE?
A CHALLENGE TO ALL
TRY THIS EXPERIMENT - THE RESULTS WILL AMAZE YOU!
I pose this question for all of us to ponder: Have Customer Service Representatives and Sales Staff forgotten how to provide Customer Service or have they chosen NOT to provide it at all?
The recent recession has opened all our eyes to the difficulties of running a profitable and successful business. The long economic boom which saw people willingly part with their money had Customer Service Representatives and Sales Staff having to do very little as Customers freely spent on items they possibly did not need.
I as recently as a couple of weeks ago conducted an experiment I would like you all to try. I walked into a store to see how long it would take before I received any form of Customer Service. To my complete amazement not only was I not acknowledged, greeted or attended to in this store, I received the same dismal Customer Service in the next four stores. Yes, believe it or not, I visited a total of five various stores before I even received an acknowledgment.
Even more surprising is that none of the stores I visited were busy. Most had two, three or four Customers (not many more) with one or mostly two Staff. I started to feel self-conscious that maybe it was me (did I smell, look intimidating, have something on my shoe) but as I looked around each store none of the Customers were being served. I witnessed so called Customer Service Assistants talking to other Staff, stocking shelves, talking on the phone, walking in and out of store rooms, reading magazines and order forms at the service counter and generally doing anything other than offer Customer Service.
At a time when many businesses are struggling to survive and people are struggling to hold onto their jobs how is what I experienced even possible? I asked myself 'Is the trade of the Customer Service Representative dying and have we lost the art of delivering exceptional Customer Service or has the laziness that was possibly acceptable during the boom resulted in a lethargic hangover that our Staff cannot pull themselves clear of?' Sure Customers are more discerning with where they spend their money, but they are still spending! They are simply wanting to be valued as they know how important their purchase is to a business in this economy. Customers are now rewarding good Customer Service with a purchase!
I went the next step and looked around the shopping centre. There were plenty of people around walking in and out of stores all carrying evidence of their willingness to spend by the numerous bags of goodies they had purchased. The more I looked the more I thought to myself 'What recession?' and that is not to make light of what the world is up against at the moment.
What it did make me realise is that there are many Customers out there wanting to spend. More importantly it is even easier to pinpoint a genuine buyer now because those who can afford to buy are out shopping and those who are in financial trouble are steering clear of any temptation.
I urge you to try this experiment next time you are out shopping and pay particular attention to the Customer Service you receive. Now consider is this happening in your Store, Restaurant, Sales Office, Car Dealership or Hotel? If so how much business have you lost? How is it effecting the livelihood of you and your Staff.
To improve Customer Service, Staff need to be made aware of their strengths and weaknesses and then trained to improve the Customer's experience. Out team at Focus Plus Service Auditors can help by supplying Customer Service Audits and Training to enhance the most important part of your business - Customer Service.
Contact our friendly team on 1300 766 545 or info@focus.net.au for a no obligation quote.
I hope you have all entered our competition which could see you win 50% off a Customer Service Monitoring Program drawn 30th June!
Enjoy this issue!
Jason Wren
Managing Director
Sales Corner!
Something a little different this week.
EXCELLENCE.
Where professions and professionals are concerned, there are three primary factors that inhibit excellence. They are;
Ignorance is the easiest to remedy. You remedy it by learning.
Laziness is an attitude that is chosen. You remedy it by choosing otherwise. Ignorance contributes to it and fear restricts a desire to cause change.
Being fearful does more harm than the thing you fear. Ancient peoples knew this.
A Old Cherokee Proverb - "The Two Wolves"
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people! He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' who dwell inside us".
"One is Evil. It is FEAR, anger, envy, jealousy, IGNORANCE, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and LAZINESS.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it and then asked his grandfather:
'Which wolf wins?' The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed"
Steve Wren
Have your Staff now been 'wired' by the media to deliver a lesser standard of Customer Service? Have they sub consciously decided not to adhere to sales process because they assume that nobody is spending money? This is very dangerous as your Customers would not enter your business if they were not wanting to purchase!
The media have said enough. Now is the time for business to act and combat any decline or downward movement in profits and Customer base due to the recession!
Along with the improved level of your Customer Service comes increased profits! It's not new - it's not just something that we are saying - It's a fact!
If you want to be one of those growing businesses, (as our clients already are) then act today with a living Customer Service Monitoring Program that changes with your business.
It cannot be stressed strongly enough the importance of your Customer's opinion of you and your business. It determines whether they will ever come back! Your small investment will not compare to the benefit of a long term Customer base established on the delivery of sound Customer Service!
It never surprises us to see the number of businesses spending large amounts of their budget on advertising only to deliver substandard service to their Customers. This only equates to more people out there relaying their poor Service experience. Get your Customer Service right first and then you will find you need to spend less on advertising as your Customers will do it for you! We can all improve and we can help you.....
Your Customers are still out there and they are still shopping, but are they still shopping with you!!
Contact our team at FPSA for a no obligation quote and information on how our services can help you and you business grow and even flourish during this economic climate. Click here.
Enjoy this issue!
Focus on End of Financial Year Competition!
WIN A HALF PRICE CUSTOMER SERVICE MONITORING PROGRAM!
That's right - Win your own tailored Program for HALF PRICE for three months! Enter the Focus Plus EOFY Competition and you could be enjoying half price Service Monitoring for your business! Enter before June 30th for your chance to win this amazing prize. Just in time for the new financial year!
Prize drawn on 1st July 2009 and winners contacted by 5pm. ENTER NOW!
If you are not the lucky winner of our first prize, then you have another chance to win in our competition...
Second Prize - 10% off your own personalised Customer Service Monitoring Program.
To Enter Click HERE!
*For Competition Terms & Conditions click here.
Sales Corner!
ASK STEVE
This one is from JRL who is in direct sales in the ACT.
Hi Stephen,
I am writing to you in regards to my results lately. This month has been hard for me with Customers only buying on price and not caring about the value at all. I have made six sales this month and to me that is absolutely disgusting. I am competing against someone who will always have 'be back' Customers on any given day and that is no disrespect to him, he deserves it. I am finding it to be difficult to get high numbers. Do you have any suggestions on how I can combat this problem?
Kind Regards; JRL
My reply was as follows;
Hi J,
Thanks for your note. I'll cover your issues as I see them one at a time. I've copied your letter as follows to allow points to be made that you can reference later. I suggest you print this off and digest the thoughts over some time, perhaps with someone else; better on paper than looking at a screen. Also, make your own notes and seek suggestions or feedback from your Manager.
Point 1. "This month has been hard for me with Customers only buying on price and not caring about the value at all."
It's up to you to show the value. You must not expect Customers to automatically feel desire to buy. It's your job to create it.
This relies on how you feel. If you feel good, you'll think good. You'll then say good things and this will impact the way you make the Customer feel.
Customers mostly know the price before they meet you.
You are a likeable young man which is all you need. Even product knowledge is useless if you're not likeable. You wear your heart on your sleeve as most likeable people do. This can hurt you if you're not feeling good because you show it. If you show it, people pick up on it and it is harder to transfer your feelings to create WANT. Want = value. Need = price. No one haggles when they want!
Maximising your potential to do this; you need to give yourself a 'check from the neck up' every day.
Make sure you leave nothing to chance. Even things you do right; do them better. It affects your personal discipline which impacts how you feel. Then nothing bites you. Do it in this order.
Personal grooming/hygiene. Check!
Have a decent breakfast and take 15 minutes (maybe over breakfast) to watch an inspiring video or two on YouTube. There are plenty that feature selling skills, goal setting etc. Try Zig Ziglar for a start. He is entertaining as well as informative and will kick your day off with the right mood. From his videos there are links to many other fantastic people with great ideas on attitude, sales and generally maximising the quality of what you do. Check!
Point 2: "I have made six sales this month and to me that is absolutely disgusting"
Good. It's important that you can pause and smell the roses. BUT it's making you feel bad, and guess what that does? Refocus on the above and the very act of doing it will take away the negativity.
Point 3: "I am competing against someone who will always have 'be back" Customers on any given day and that is no disrespect to him, he deserves it"
No you're not. You must not think that you are competing against your work mate. I know that this is tough to do as it's human nature (especially for salespeople) to feel that way but it will hurt you more than help you as it obviously is for you to have mentioned it. The fact that you covered yourself by saying "no disrespect to him, he deserves it" shows that it is affecting you negatively. It means that subconsciously, you may be professionally jealous; just a tad. Focussing on his results takes the focus off your preparation and process and the attention to detail that always adds spark to any method.
Consider this;
Point 4: "I am finding it difficult to get high numbers"
That's because your focus is on outcome and not process. Forget the high numbers. One at a time. Get the preparation right which will impact each opportunity and then collect opportunities.
In between opportunities, work on your business. Maintain the shine on the shoes which will maintain the shine on your attitude.
Also consider;
Conclusion: "....on combating this problem."
It's not a problem anymore J; it's just life. Treat it as an opportunity to learn and grow. You have everything on your side and willingness too as evidenced by your requesting assistance.
Keep your presentations interactive and close to the buying motives you discover when you're getting to know your Customers. Seek commitment as you go. The instant you don't secure commitment, pause and ensure you get back on track before proceeding. Best advice mate; keep smiling!
Best regards,
Steve Wren
FOCUS ON END OF FINANCIAL YEAR COMPETITION
COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Competition closes 5pm Tuesday 30 June 2009. Only one entry per business will be accepted. Competition entry is open to all new Clients or returning Clients who have not had any Customer Service Monitoring Programs with Focus Plus Service Auditors during 2009.
Winners will be contacted by phone and email after 11am Thursday 2 July 2009. The first entrant drawn will receive a 50% (half price) Customer Service Monitoring Program for three months created by Focus Plus Service Auditors up to the value of $1,000AUD; the second entrant drawn will receive 10% off Customer Service Monitoring Program for three months created by Focus Plus Service Auditors up to the value of $500AUD. All winners must sign the Focus Plus Service Auditors Engagement Agreement for Privacy, Confidentiality, and Intellectual Property legalities to protect both the winner and Focus Plus. All intellectual property remains the property of Focus Plus Service Auditors. PLEASE NOTE: All entrants will be added to the Focus Plus - In Focus Newsletter email database. Participants can choose to unsubscribe at any time.
PRIZE INCLUSIONS: Each prize (two in total) includes a personalised and tailor made Customer Service Monitoring Program for their business (owned or employee) for the period of three months maximum. The Program can continue after this time at the full cost of the Program which is the responsibility of the winner. Prize must be redeemed before 30th September 2009 and completed by 31 December 2009. Prizes are non transferable, non redeemable for cash and cannot be on-sold to a third party. Please note availability must be agreed to by Focus Plus Service Auditors in accordance with all requirements to provide a quality Program to the winner.
The Team at Focus Plus would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody a Safe and Happy Easter and we hope you all enjoy the break. Remember Easter is a notoriously dangerous time on our roads all around Australia as everybody tries to make the most of the short break. To all those heading away (or staying at home) please take care when driving and enjoy this well earned break.
THE STIMULUS PACKAGE
# Up to $900 to all tax payers during the 07/08 financial year
Whether or not you concur with the way Kevin Rudd is spending the previous Government's accrued surplus, we can all agree on one thing; at least he is trying something. Governments generate a surplus when times are good for spending on a rainy day and let's face it, globally it's pouring. But lately here in Australia things may be starting to improve. Recent data tends to show while the economy is still contracting, some consumer confidence is returning to the market and NOW we need to capitalise on the second stimulus package implemented by the Government.
To get through this economic slow down and to save jobs in Australia we all need to do our bit.
It is up to all Sales Professionals and Customer Service Staff to encourage consumers to spend this extra money in your stores and not your competitors. It is the responsibility of all Staff in contact with the consumer to ensure they deliver the best possible Customer Service and provide the Customer with a professional Sales Process so the consumer wants to spend their money with you.
How do we do that?
Ask yourself these two questions:
1) Are all enquiries to your business given 100% attention and followed through to the end?
2) Are all Customers dealing with your business receiving quality Customer Service?
If you even slightly hesitate answering 'Yes' to either of these questions we can help you.
Your current Customer base and any future leads must be given nothing less than the very best Customer Service to ensure they spend their Stimulus Bonus and continue doing business with you (and not your competitors).
To find out how we can improve your Customer Service and Sales potential, just call our friendly Staff on 1300 766 545 to obtain a free quote on Customer Service Monitoring, Service Training and Sales Training.
For a no obligation appraisal of how the Focus Plus Team can help your business,
give us a call on 1300 766 545 or email us at info@focusplus.net.au
Happy Easter and enjoy this issue!
Effective Follow Up!
There may be many situations where you need to provide some form of Follow-Up information to the Customer.
This can be initiated as a request from the Customer, or it can be something initiated by you where you need to send something to the Customer such as confirming arrangements, providing quotes, sending information, providing a progress report, or requesting clarification.
Many of the same Customer Service Guidelines from "Product & Service Information" also apply here.
The key phases in this activity include:
- Ensuring and confirming that you know exactly what is required for the Customer
- Sending out the information quickly and in the time requested by the Customer; and
- Following up to see if it has met the Customer's needs and expectations.
Customers value things being personalised rather than just the standard 'form' or 'letter' and they rely on you to make sure all the necessary and relevant information is included.
The speed of the response is very important, as often the requested information will be important to the Customer. The thing to remember is that if you take too long to fulfil the Customers request they will go elsewhere to satisfy the enquiry which will arm your competitors with an immediate advantage. This advantage may be all your competitor needs to secure the Customer's business which you have now lost.
Another thing to remember is that the Customer may be testing to see if they can trust you with their business. How punctual you are in delivering what you have promised to the Customer will be your biggest test. The Standard to which you follow through with what you tell your Customer and the quality of the Follow Up Service you deliver will determine the relationship you have with your Customers.
In essence, any further information that is sent to the Customer must be relevant and timely and exceed their expectations.
Source: www.business.gov.au
Sales Corner!
Something different this month. Instead of a question, here is a note we received which perfectly illustrates the reason why the skills of your agents are so critical to your sales and service outcomes.
You may recall from a previous IN FOCUS that I reported on the mediocrity currently rife in various selling environments where quality presentation sequences are concerned. This therefore is refreshing and is reprinted here with John's kind permission;
Hi Steve,
I just had a call from some Customers who purchased an X-Trail from Beau today. He has been dealing with them since before Xmas.
The gentleman said that he would not normally buy out of town because he too is in sales.
However Beau kept in touch every week as promised and was the only Salesman to offer a test drive (5 brands in total) and the only one to send a properly prepared quote on letter head. The Customer was really impressed with Beau and said he has a big future ahead of him; which we all know.
This really highlights what you found on the shop around recently with the sales guys, NO ONE is following the road to a sale, and with the way the market is, it's stupidity.
John Doolan
Sales Manager
Parry Nissan, Renault & Suzuki
Townsville Qld
Fact: The majority of Customers who purchase at their first choice outlet say the Salesperson was the chief reason.
Fact: The vast majority of Customers who look elsewhere claim they did so due to being put off by the original Salesperson.
Conclusion: Either way, your agents constitute the most significant component in the decision your Customers make.
Footnote: The Salesperson referred to above is Beau Kennedy. He is 18 years old and knows no other way but the right way. This author has never seen a sales team so devoted to decency, ethics and an agenda to succeed. The Parry Bros. (Alan & John) and John Doolan have created this culture. John is an example of the harmony that should exist between the notions of Leader and Manager.
Steve Wren
STOP YOUR CUSTOMER'S WALKING!
;
I think everyone will agree that all your Customer's shop with their feet!
Today's Customers are more discerning than ever before, and when they come across something they don't like they shop with their feet. Customers will shop around and soon find somebody that sells a comparative product that looks after them better. During these difficult economic times this is one thing that none of us can afford!
There is no better time than now to have a Customer Service Audit conducted on your business. These Customer Service Audits can be tailored to suit your individual business needs and include Walk-In, Phone or Internet Mystery Shops. Through Market Research, our Post Purchase or Customer Satisfaction Surveys will find out exactly what your Customer thinks of you!
After performing a Customer Service and Sales Process Audit, Focus Plus Service Auditors will provide you with a comprehensive needs analysis. Armed with this valuable information you can control and fix the leakage caused by poor Customer Service standards and inferior Sales Process.
For a no obligation appraisal of how the Focus Plus Team can help your business,
give us a call on 1300 766 545 or email us at info@focusplus.net.au
Enjoy this issue!
At the risk of stating the obvious - Customer Service IS important.
In today's competitive market, it would be hard to find business people and Staff that say the concept of Customer Service is not important - although their action may not match their words. Certainly Customers are becoming increasingly vocal about the high priority they place on Customer Service, and businesses are feeling this pressure.
The importance of Customer Service is also reflected by business managers who consistently place Customer Satisfaction at the top of the list of factors they believe directly affects their business success.
Why then is there a lack of any significant sustained improvement in service in Australia? At best it could be claimed business is just keeping up with Customers' expectations, at worst that service levels are in fact declining.
The lack of any notable improvement in service in Australia is in part associated with three key factors:
- Businesses' inability to know how to define service in a way that means something to Customers and is capable of practical action.
- Businesses are also suffering from not knowing how to deliver such Customer focused service
- Too many Managers are not acknowledging that they could improve their business' service.
And all this is operating along with a strong emphasis on cost reduction. Hardly the environment for improved Customer Service.
Source: www.business.gov.au
Sales Corner!
ASK STEVE
This week's ASK STEVE is jammed pack full of great sales tips and ideas on how to handle the 'price shopper' and still be true to your business....
Hey Steve,
Thank you so much for you mini coaching session on the phone this morning!
Some bullet point's for you about my customer-
- Classic 'Director' and a local café proprietor
- Says he's not fussed on which car he owns. Just wants the 'best deal'
- Is well known is town and knows people who have bought from me.
- Very, very stand offish. I've been dealing with him for a while now including quotes and model variants. He's settled on one but won't commit.
- He's expecting me to follow up again today with a 'better deal' but I'm not sure what else I can say.
Thanks for your help mate.
BR
Hi BR,
OK, you've nailed his profile and the question as to why he's a director is also the answer as to what to do to secure a closed sale.
My gut feeling is that he has either had a nasty prior experience/s or this typifies the way he does business. Either way, he has probably seldom been impressed by his agents so is fairly dismissive of your time and feelings. He wants your car though otherwise he would have made a purchase by now; especially if you gave him a quote. Dangerous by the way.
The second worst thing you can do is to create an argument with him. He expects it and probably wants it. The worst thing you can do also is win it. His ego will exact revenge even against his better judgement.
Your course is simple enough. Engage him through empathy and earn the right to solve. The way you need to do it should come out of 'left field.' He's a local café owner, so go see him (don't phone) and tell him you'd like to shout him a coffee and a scone whilst you share some news with him. Breaking bread is about fellowship. Create the relationship his previous agents could not. You've already earned the right to do this. Sharing "news' validates his time.
He knows other business people you've sold to. This is a bonus. Tell him that because of this you took his situation straight to your GM as the relationship you'd like to have is even more important than the sale. You're both local businesses and the potential for networking is excellent.
Procrastination falls into the category of "not convinced" objections. You need to eliminate the reasons (there are only 4) that he hasn't purchased, isolate the real issue and then solve it. The reasons are; the product, the company, you and the price. In your customer's case I think he's just making you sweat but the way to uncover this is to ask him. Usually it's in the order I just listed but your guy has persevered enough for me to know that this isn't the case. We need to close. Here's what to say,
"Steve, we've spent a fair bit of time together and I'm feeling that there may be something about me that's made you either uncomfortable or reluctant to do business with us. I'm hoping this isn't the case but you'd be doing me a massive service if you let me know?" Be silent and allow him to soak in the feeling of what you said. Trust me; said this way, this will be new to him.
Then have a conversation with him. Empathy is your key. Worst case scenario? Yes, it's you. You'll learn something that may prevent future issues if your ego can take it. Best case scenario? He'll regret that he made you feel that way, give you some latitude which opens the door for closure. Isn't that an ironic remark? Let me know how you go.
Best regards,
Steve
The team at Focus Plus would like to send our thoughts and warm wishes to those affected by the Victorian bushfires and North Queensland floods that have devastated so many lives this past week.
In the industry of Customer Service it can be easy to take a Customer at face value only. When we make Customer contact, we really know nothing more than what we see in front of us. We have the power and opportunity to change a Customer's day or make their day with the way we conduct ourselves professionally! It could be quite likely that the person you serve today may have had their lives impacted directly or indirectly by these events. By delivering sincere and care-driven Service to all our Customers, it may be all it takes to put a smile on someone's face at a time when it is needed the most.
Good quality Customer Service can often bring more joy to the Customer than the product itself!
Enjoy this issue!
Write to Steve at info@focusplus.net.au with your question on sales or service issues.
Good Morning Stephen
I have just had my best month ever at Ford. I have got a lot of confidence in myself at the moment but lately I am starting to slip a bit. I think I am getting over confident in myself. I am not qualifying enough.
Like today I have had a gentlemen ask me what prices are on our Falcons. He was looking to spend around the $35,000.00 mark. Holden is doing their SS and SV6 (as he said) for $31,000.00 and I could not get him the Falcon that he wanted at that price. But he wouldn't spend any more and I lost him. How can I stop this from happening again?
Thank you very much Stephen.
JB
New Car Specialist
Hi JB
The fact that you are able to see yourself slipping a little is a good sign. To not be aware would only make you bitter about the Customers.
Let's address the rival brand thing.
Sometimes rival brands get the better of us and sometimes they don't. Where a situation like the Holden v Ford thing is concerned, there are a few things to consider;
Qualifying is, as you said, the most important thing. If a Customer says that they are comparing brands, try something like this. "Mr Smith there are so many quality products for sale these days, I think it's terrific that it's such a buyers' market. The reason I choose to sell Fords is that I'm really proud of the advantages we have over some of our main rivals at present....if you have some time, let me show you what I mean..." Then get away from the price and talk value! Do it interactively!
Both cars are race bred with awesome Bathurst heritage BUT did the Holden salesman think to say that?
Note how you signed this letter; J. B. - New Car Specialist. Being a specialist means that you need to understand the rival as much as you do your own brands. This allows you to differentiate them and justify being dearer when you occasionally are.
When Customers are tossing up brands try;
"Mr Smith, thank you for putting (my company) on your shopping list. Interest and demand on the Falcon range at present has been incredible. "
What exactly is it about the Falcon that you like the most?"
"Our Customers tell us that sometimes it's worse to pay too little than to pay too much."
People will accept dialogue like this when it's feedback from other Customers rather than your own opinion.
Straight away "Mr. Smith, in fairness, I should tell you that my product is a touch dearer than the Holden at present. Will your decision on what to purchase be based solely on price?"
This is very effective as most people will answer "no" as they don't want to appear cheap. Here's your chance to digress away from price and back to value.
From your own perspective;
Don't put too much pressure on yourself
Treat each Customer as if he could be your last. In other words; value them. Don't rush. Make a friend. Don't worry if you fail. Success can make you complacent but failure is always a wakeup call if you let it be.
Sell yourself and the dealership as a partner to him. Long after they have forgotten price, they'll worry about who cares if they have a drama.
Don't forget you are part of (Company name) and the resources you have. Tell them.
I don't think you are over confident. If you were, you wouldn't have considered writing this letter. Qualify more, don't rush, have some fun with your people and make sure you give them an urgent story every time. People (me too) can't help themselves and will respond to an opportunity every time.
Make sure you 'double open' if you qualify a price shopper.
Thanks again JB for writing me.
Steve
***********************************************************************************************Keys to an Effective Demonstration
These days, the spin has more potential to be a differentiating factor than the product. The quality of it is your choice.
Stephen Wren
WELCOME 2009!
Happy New Year to all!
If you are anything like me you have probably over- indulged during the Christmas break and have possibly set yourself some quite ambitious New Year's Resolutions.
Ambitious - Yes, Unobtainable - No.
While the economic news of late has not been the brightest, the upside is that it has provided us with the need to re-assess our business and personal goals and the opportunity to take control of the outcomes. There would be nothing greater than to succeed when everything is against you.
It's the challenges that make life exciting.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I hope you achieve your goals in 2009. Remember: Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator!
Enjoy this issue!
Help with Sales Issues from Steve and great Customer Service anecdotes.
In 2009 we would like to introduce a new 'Forum Style' component to our future newsletters. Stephen, who since the conception of our newsletter has provided valuable Sales Tips through our Sales Corner is here to help. He has many years experience in the Sales Industry and is now a Sales Trainer providing clients Australia wide with the techniques that made him a successful Salesperson. This forum will give you the opportunity to 'Ask Steve' any questions about those nagging Sales Issues you or your team may need help with and have them answered personally by an experienced and highly regarded Sales Professional. We also invite you via this forum to tell us about any great Customer Service stories from your business that you would like to share with us. Alternatively, you may have experienced a Customer Service disaster that we can all learn from.
We look forward to receiving your questions for Steve and your Customer Service tales at info@focusplus.net.au .
Stay tuned for some great Customer Service accounts in 'Ask Steve'!
************************************************************************************************Sales Corner!
I take no joy in reporting this selling experience to you. There is no better profession than the sales, service and hospitality industries. Nor are there better people than the elite of each. It is my passion that causes me to be infuriated by mediocrity of effort and the extent that it exists across the sales landscape.
As recently as two days ago, this author attended a prestige motor Dealership in the Brisbane CBD and inquired as to the price and specifications on a new model. My buyer's profile was;
This would constitute a valuable prospect in any selling environment.
Whilst the Salesperson was friendly and welcoming (itself not as common as we'd like) the following factors summarise the outcome. There was;
I left the Dealership with the understanding that there were only two units available in Australia in the model variant I was interested in and that the Salesperson would get back to me with a price.
The result; the Sales Manager called me and offered me a cool $15,000 discount with absolutely zero commitment from myself.
I am now armed and dangerous, at liberty to haggle at my leisure and my starting price will be $15,000 less than it should be. Only two in Australia! This ripped up a car that deserved a better effort. John Cordogan would be laughing.
Consider what a prestige Dealership might spend on marketing only to have the opportunities it generates sacrificed by poorly trained Salespeople. Times are such that no Sales Team in any industry can afford such a luxury.
Whilst it's imperative to provide great Customer Service, there is a fine line between offering service and being seen as a servant.
There is an alternative. Look to the "Ask Steve" section of future editions for the best way to handle the 'price shopper'. I'm sure we'll be swamped with scenarios like this one.
Take care for now,
Stephen Wren
From the Team at Focus Plus Service Auditors, we would like to sincerely wish you and your family a safe, happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2009.
We thank you for all your continued support throughout 2008 and look forward to working with you in 2009.
The office will be closed from Friday 19th December till Monday January 5th 2009. If you need to contact us during this time there will be skeleton Staff checking in so please feel free to make contact and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Enjoy this issue!
SPECIAL LIMITED OFFER!
To all those past and present clients who have already taken advantage of this great offer - "Welcome Aboard or Welcome Back!"
And for those who have not yet taken advantage of this great offer - It's not too late!
Simply call us or email your details before the 19th of December and regardless of when your Program commences, you will receive
25 Complimentary Customer Satisfaction Surveys!
READ ON.....
Focus Plus Service Auditors is offering a great incentive to ACT NOW and get your Customer Service Monitoring Program started TODAY! Turn those enquiries into Sales and return business!
Until the 19th December 08, you can take advantage of this great offer and receive 25 Complimentary Customer Satisfaction Surveys!
When you sign a twelve month Customer Service Monitoring Program Agreement with Focus Plus Service Auditors you will receive 25 complimentary Post Purchase Audits or Customer Satisfaction Audits per site nominated on yourAgreement.
If you refer a client to Focus Plus Service Auditors who signs a twelve month Customer Service Monitoring Program Agreement you will receive 25 complimentary Post Purchase Audits or Customer Satisfaction Audits for your business!
These surveys will provide you with an insight into the Customer Satisfaction ratings and invaluable feedback from your existing clients.This essential information can be used for Advertising and Marketingcampaigns, and Staff Training Sessions.
To take advantage of this great offer, call the Focus Plus Team on 1300 766545 or Click here to email your details.
************************************************************************************************
Sales Corner!
Tis the season for resolutions so why not get in early. Get a running startfor 2009 by committing to your personal and business goals now!
Our lives and careers are too important to ad lib our way through them.
Living and working in Australia in the 21st century is a gift beyond measure.
Here are a few tips for 2009 that might see your resolution last beyond February.
* Make sure your goals and your ethics are in harmony. No one likes a 'winner at all costs'.
* Don't subscribe to trends or benchmarks. They are mostly records of other people's mediocrities. Be the benchmark that others aspire to.
* Invest in your people and fund it from the advertising dollars you don't spend. Advertising is a murkier area than the people you already trust with your business's name. Don't hire them and sit back to watch them fail.
* Understand the difference between 'training' and 'education'. Training teaches you how but education teaches you why. The guy who knows how will always have a job but the guy who knows why will always be his boss!
A very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all of our partners!
Steve Wren
NOW IS THE TIME!
In the current economic climate, now more than ever you need to ask yourself - Are your Customers getting the best Customer Service from your Staff? Do you know what level of Customer Service your Staff deliver and how is this impacting your Business?
Today's media networks are clogged with the same thing - bad news about the economy!
You shouldn't do this and you must do that, it's all very gloomy. One thing is for sure - Customers will be fewer and farther between!
Taking advantage of every opportunity and every sale will be vital for the survival of your business.
Every Customer contact needs to be personal and made a priority.
Our Customer Service Monitoring Programs illustrate exactly what your Customer's experience when they attend your business. When implemented regularly, Service standards improve and Staff maintain a high level of Service Excellence and Customer appreciation thus generating improved Customer Loyalty.
Now that opportunities may be less than previously experienced, it is more reason to maximise your sales off those Customers that do come through your door.
When you consider all the funds spent on attracting the Customer in the first place it is only sensible to ensure they are receiving only the best Customer Service or they will go to your competitors. Don't give them a reason to look elsewhere! You don't want to lose your Customers after you have done all the hard work and expended all the resources on initially attracting them to your business.
Each Staff Member on your team must be offering that 'Customer Service point of difference' in every encounter they have with your existing and potential Customers. If not, they will purchase elsewhere.
It is as simple as that. Think about it - don't you go elsewhere when you're not satisfied?
Enjoy this issue!
************************************************************************************************
Focus Plus Service Auditors is offering a great incentive to ACT NOW and get your Customer Service Monitoring Program started TODAY! Turn those enquiries into Sales and return business!
Until the 19th December 08, you can take advantage of this great offer and receive 25 Complimentary Customer Satisfaction Surveys!
When you sign a twelve month Customer Service Monitoring Program Agreement with Focus Plus Service Auditors you will receive 25 complimentary Post Purchase Audits or Customer Satisfaction Audits per site nominated on your Agreement.
If you refer a client to Focus Plus Service Auditors who signs a twelve month Customer Service Monitoring Program Agreement you will receive 25 complimentary Post Purchase Audits or Customer Satisfaction Audits for your business!
These surveys will provide you with an insight into the Customer Satisfaction ratings and invaluable feedback from your existing clients.
This essential information can be used for Advertising and Marketing campaigns, and Staff Training Sessions.
To take advantage of this great offer, call the Focus Plus Team on 1300 766 545 or Click here to email your details.
************************************************************************************************
Sales Corner!
Sometimes an insignificant incident has the power to illustrate a much larger issue and teach an even bigger lesson.
Such was the case for me recently.
I have stayed in the same hotel for 4-5 nights per month over the last four years. Each time I checked in, there would be a chocolate covered hazel nut, a bottle of water, a newspaper and a "with compliments" card on the writing desk. Nice.
This time there was none. I noticed the car park was only half full and the lobby wasn't the usual hustle and bustle.
I rang the desk clerk and asked about the absence of the goodies and was told; "Sorry Sir, we don't do that anymore..."
OK that's cool, times are tough. An accountant looked at a spreadsheet, worked a formula and saved a buck.
Twice that week (and for the first time I can recollect) my room was not made up. On the second occasion I needed towels. I called housekeeping, spoke to a harried manager who insisted the "do not disturb' sign must have been on my door but reluctantly agreed to send someone up. I waited half an hour, expecting the bell to ring before I gave up and decided to leave for dinner. As I opened the door, there were the towels on the carpet at my feet.
If I've learned anything in my time in business it's that; "you can't gear down for success"
The "no more chocolates" initiative was a precursor to a general down turn in morale, Customer Focus and the very culture of the company. I started to notice that the receptionists weren't acknowledging guests as they made their way to the elevators, the general tidiness of the lobby had declined, and the mood had changed. I made these observations not as a disgruntled Customer but as a consultant.
Reinvesting in our agents at the expense of questionable resources (like the print media) is a far better approach than trimming the very factors that provided our point of difference originally.
Personally, I think the press has a lot to answer for where 'the times' is concerned. I would be challenging any print media that I use to advertise (I think their value is questionable) wherever possible. They're happy to slug us for the full page ads we run and then vilify industries at the drop of a hat to satisfy the frenzied "save a buck" mentality they have themselves caused through fear of 'the times'.
Trends are merely records of other people's standards. Let's create our own trends rather than following them!
Source: Steve Wren
SERVICE & PRODUCT INFORMATION - Are you out there?
Being noticed and being seen by your Customers is vital to your business success!
Once you have their attention you need to capitalise on every opportunity.
So how do you get your Products noticed? Ensuring your Staff are clearly informing your Customers of all the Services and Products that your business offers is the first step. Information, as we all know, is a very powerful tool in business. How can your Customers buy what they don't know you sell?
Staff must be successfully qualifying each and every Customer to determine their needs and interests in your Products and Services. When Staff offer an in depth and comprehensive Customer Service Experience, these answers easily come to light and only then can you truly take advantage of every Customer contact you encounter.
We at Focus Plus Service Auditors believe in the accountability of those representing your business to the public. Only they can provide individual and personalised Customer Service that every Customer deserves and indeed expects when they enter you business.
Our Customer Service Audits are the perfect tool to ensure your Staff are informing clientele of what your business can offer them. Are your Sales Staff qualifying every Customer, and providing the Customer Service that will maximise every potential opportunity?
For an obligation free quote on any of our Services, please call the Focus Plus Team on 1300 766 545 or Click here for more information.
Enjoy this issue!
SERVICE & PRODUCT INFORMATION -
Clearly explaining what you offer to your Customers.
Clear, concise information will tell your Customer what you want them to know, and what they want to know. No matter what the information is about, clearly establishing it at the outset avoids any problems down the track.
Providing clear information that the Customer can understand avoids misunderstandings, and in turn, any subsequent conflicts that may arise.
The old phrase, 'When all else fails, read the instructions' is not something a business should rely on, as it has fundamentally set the Customer on a potential collision course with you. You need to do everything possible so the information guides the Customer, and is not an afterthought.
Much of the information produced by businesses is about products, with the most important things valued by Customers being availability, clarity and relevance.
Information becomes especially critical for Services, as it is often more difficult to communicate intangible offers clearly. Experience has shown Services are easier to misunderstand than products. For Services, the information itself becomes the only tangible or real element and therefore is essential to get right.
Information about your Service and Products must be:
The initial information you provide about your business is critical to all ongoing aspects of your relationship with Customers. In essence, it can make or break whether they will continue to deal with you.
Regardless of its 'form', the information is all about clearly explaining what you offer.
Source: www.business.gov.au
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Sales Corner!
How do you establish which product to present to the Customer? You need to use information gathered when qualifying the Customer to determine the best product to best suit their needs.
Present your Services and Products displaying as many of the 'needs' and 'wants' of the Customer as possible. This will show how well suited the product is to their needs.
Display your product with a pre-determined presentation plan, highlighting the benefits from the competition's products. Know your stock and sell from it. If the Customer can see and touch the product it maintains the passion for the product. Talk about all relevant features which creates a high level of perceived value, and thus ensures we don't overlook any opportunity to build value in our product.
If you fail to present - you fail to prosper!
During the presentation, use the FBI Principle.
F - Features
B - Benefits
I - Information.
Drawing attention to the features and benefits that your competition may be remiss in mentioning will create an environment that makes it hard for the Customer to say 'No'.
Source: Steve Wren
BRAND LOYALTY
In this issue we follow on from our Customer Retention issue and discuss Brand Loyalty. What are the most popular and trusted brands in Australia? Below are the category winners qualified from an independent survey conducted earlier this year.
The category winners:
Interesting to note that the only Australian company on this list is Bunnings (Qantas is only partly Australian owned).
What do your Customers think of you? Do you have the processes in place to be on next year's list? The most cost effective way to keep your Customer Service, Sales Processes and Customer Satisfaction in check is with a Customer Service Monitoring Program!
Statistics prove that 93% of Customers indicated that quality Customer Service was vital to maintaining brand loyalty. 68% of Customers stopped doing business with a company due to poor service. Yet 95% of dissatisfied Customers would continue to do business with a company if their problem was fixed quickly and satisfactorily.
This proves that Customers will remain loyal to a brand, product or service if they feel valued by those serving them and are offered good Customer Service.
Our Mystery Shopping Programs monitor and help improve Customer Service levels and our Customer Satisfaction Audits pinpoint most importantly why your Customers are remaining loyal or defecting to your competitors. Click here for more information.
Enjoy this issue!
It has been repeatedly shown that good service leads directly to increased Customer retention rates (Oliver, Nett Effect surveys). The emphasis here is on ‘good'. You can't expect Customers to stay simply because the service wasn't bad. In other words, their service has to be of a high standard to genuinely keep Customers.
One estimate suggested 95% of Customers that experienced no problems will remain loyal, and another suggested that over 90% said they would buy from the supplier again if they had no problems (SOCAP).
STRONGER POSITION IN THE COMPETITIVE MARKET PLACE
Studies have shown that companies identified as being good service providers tended to have revenue growth at twice the rate of their poor service competitors (De Vrye survey). A related finding was that the good service companies market share increased by around 6%, while poor service companies lost approximately 2% market share per year.
It has also been shown that good service businesses have a greater ability to hold market share during a recession (Lyons survey).
Source: www.business.gov.au
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Sales Corner!
What causes 'word of mouth' which is the cheapest (and most effective) form of advertising?
When your encounter with your customer is complete, he or she will say one of five things about the experience with you behind your back;
Ultimately, it's up to us as Salespeople to determine what that is. In Australia, most of the time it will gravitate between nothing at all (most frequently) something really bad and if we're lucky; something good. Rarely is it something great!
What are your Customers saying behind your back?
We need to be aware of this at all times because it will determine not only the fate of that relationship but the fate of other potential relationships with prospects in your Customer's circle of influence. Remember the six degrees of separation.
We need to aim at something great!
So how do we achieve it?
The single most important word in your game plan needs to be MEMORABLE.
Being creative, causing the occasional WOW in the hearts and minds of the client and passing the benchmark of what the competition does.
How many companies' mission statements say things like, "we want to be the No 1 company" or "we want to exceed our customers' expectations" without a dedicated plan or idea of how to go about it? Plenty; that's how many.
Here are a few tips on creating that point of difference:
Source: Steve Wren - Kingsway Training
CUSTOMER RETENTION
In this issue we discuss the importance of good Customer Service in our article Good Service is Good Business. This article highlights how important it is for your Customers to receive high quality Service and why it is such an effective business tool.
Our Sales Corner this month looks at creating Customer Loyalty and generating a valuable client retention base. This return patronage is the 'bread and butter' of your business and the referrals they offer are priceless.
The best way to manage and keep abreast of Customer Service issues is to use our Customer Service Monitoring Programs. These Programs allow you to deal with any Customer Service problems that may arise before they escalate into an irresolvable issue potentially costing more than just a financial downturn - most importantly your reputation!
Enjoy this issue!
GOOD SERVICE IS GOOD BUSINESS
Customers, and Customer Service. Both go hand-in-hand, and both are essential to the success of your business.
In today's competitive marketplace, if you don't provide good Service you won't attract Customers. And without Customers , you don't have a business.
Customer Service is real, it matters, and most importantly, it is achievable.
Providing good Customer Service is not as hard as it sounds.
Despite all the talk, there are only four simple things you need to know:
What is good Service?
Good Service is always doing the right things the right way for Customers.
Why should you do it?
Good Service leads to increased Customer Satisfaction. This satisfaction builds Customer loyalty, and in turn contributes to improved business profits. Good Service is good business!
What's in it for my Customers?
It makes it easier for them to deal with you, they are more satisfied with you and they will want to do more business with you.
How will you know when you are doing it right?
Your current Customers will keep coming back, new Customers will be referred to you from your existing Customers, and your business will show the returns!
Source: www.business.gov.au
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Sales Corner!
Source: Steve Wren - Kingsway Training
The Team at Focus Plus Service Auditors are excited to announce the arrival of our new monthly Newsletter 'IN Focus'.
In the coming months we will be providing you with up to date information, articles and statistics across different retail sectors on the standards of Customer Service in Australia.
We will also raise and discuss current affairs, points of interest and Customer Service issues relative to the Service industry.
A regular feature of our Newsletter will be the Sales Corner, providing Sales Tips and an insight into the world of Selling.
We welcome your feedback on any of the topics raised in our Newsletter and invite you to forward your comments to info@focusplus.net.au
We hope you find 'IN Focus' enjoyable and informative and we look forward to the next edition!
The Bottom Line Impact of Customer Service
Service is important, but it is not just about satisfying the Customer. There must be a ‘pay off' for the effort, and there is!
Research and case study experience has repeatedly shown that there are many business benefits achieved by providing Customers with high quality Service (Harvard Business Review).
The benefits are certainly there to be gained but can also be quickly lost as the reverse is also true. Customers are becoming increasingly intolerant of long suffered poor Service. There are now serious business implications if you deliver poor quality Service to your Customers.
From a business perspective, the benefits of good Service are many, as it leads to greater revenue from Customers, reduces your operating costs and in turn provides for a healthier business.
BENEFITS OF GOOD SERVICE:
Source: www.business.gov.au
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Sales Corner!
Your Real Point of Difference; Your Sales Team!
Why do we measure the performance of the agents we entrust our Customers to? The question answers itself; or does it?
On deeper reflection, the answer is more multi-faceted.
In business we often walk a fine line. The "chemistry of selling" is on one side and your process is on the other. Process alone lacks the 'x factor' that often differentiates your company.
Your agents' ability to personify your vision relies on something a little harder to quantify and a lot rarer to find.
It is our contention that agent's skills sets need to include 5 areas that contribute to good 'chemistry'. They are;
Historically, the agents' applications or shortcomings in the 5 categories mentioned above will be consistent with data you will gain through your Service Audits.
Much of my consultancy work revolves around unlearning old sales axioms that pollute an agent's willingness or ability to be on the offensive without being offensive.
This is an example of one of those fine lines we walk.
When our agents cross these lines it costs us money.
The perception and loyalty our customers have is totally related to our profitability. Happily, this is something that if we're prepared to monitor, we can control.
Goodbye for now and remember; when you're good, getting paid is incidental.
Source: Steve Wren - Kingsway Training