WHEN NETWORKING, THINK ABOUT GIVING INSTEAD OF RECEIVING

Posted on November 21, 2011 by petergwaction

by Rebeca Krones

As ActionCoach Bob Britz’s Market Development Manager, I go to a lot of networking events. It’s true that mixing with other business owners and influencers can grow your business- why would we all be going to these networking events if that weren’t the case, right?

Unfortunately, there’s an important component lacking in almost all the events I go to: Giving. That’s right, I often find myself in conversations where I’m just trying to be sold to. “All this person wants is to receive my business” I say to myself. “They’re not really listening to whether I need what they sell or not.”

It’s odd when you think about a room full of people in which nobody is planning on buying anything- they all just want to sell you something. When you think about it, if nobody came to the event with the intention of buying anything, then how will anything get sold?

I believe that instead of trying to push your agenda, you should listen to the person you are speaking with closely. In five or so minutes, get to know a little bit about who they are and what their business is. Interestingly, you may find that even though they may not need your service specifically, you know of someone who could help them with their particular dilemma. That’s right- instead of selling them your product or service, give them a referral to someone else.

This achieves many positive results: first of all, you create good-will. This perfect stranger will really appreciate your helping them, and the person you just referred will really appreciate the potential business. Secondly, it creates incentive on the part of the person you are speaking with to help you. What goes around comes around. When you create a positive halo around yourself, it’s amazing how others want to help you succeed. They remember you, they speak highly of you, and because they now have your and your business in the front of their minds, they will refer others to you.

It’s not a straight line to results, nor do you achieve them immediately like when you sell someone that same hour at a networking event. But this mindset has the potential to generate far-reaching and much more powerful results that benefit you. You just have to start first. Put your foot forward and the next time you meet someone at a networking event, think about what they truly need and if you can help them in any way.

If you change your focus from receiving to giving- that is, putting others’ interests above your own and adding value to their businesses- that networking event will have truly been worth it and you will get way more out of it that you ever thought possible.

Lake Wobegon Effect

Posted on November 14, 2011 by petergwaction

by Coach Karie Kaufmann kariekaufmann@actioncoach.com

A few weeks ago I visited a new dry cleaner, and in the short time I waited for the cashier to ring me up, I counted 8 signs they had posted on and around the counter. Various rules, things you can’t do, things they’re not responsible for, things they charge extra for, etc. It’s just dry cleaning – why so bossy?!

Here’s a fact:
The average person thinks they’re not.

Surveys show…

Students asked to rate themselves as to how well they got along with other students… 25% marked themselves in the top 1%.
93% of American drivers think they rank in the top 50% in driving skills.
Most men think they are good-looking.
Most business owners think their customer service sets them apart from the competition

There’s a name for all of this: The Lake Wobegon Effect.

Lake Wobegon is a fictitious place made famous by the Garrison Keillor radio program, where he ended each show with, “Goodbye from Lake Wobegon – where the women are strong, the men good looking and all the children are above-average.”

Wikipedia puts it like this: “’Illusory superiority’ is a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their positive qualities and abilities and to underestimate their negative qualities, relative to others.”

So where do you need to get real with yourself in your business? You might think your service is top notch, or that your customers need to be bossed around by all your silly signs, but it could be those little things that keep people from doing business with you.

Your Lake Wobegon might not be easy to identify.

Look around. It’s likely a “policy” that you’re used to, comfortable with, or maybe even like. If you’re not sure, try asking your employees, your customers, or the prospects that did not buy from you.

You’ll probably find that most people (especially if asked verbally) will respond politely, not wanting to hurt your feelings, or not having the guts tell you the truth. A good way to get around this is to sincerely give people permission to be 100% honest.

For example, if you ask a great customer what your business could be doing better and they say something like, “Oh nothing, you’re doing a great job.” Try responding with, “I’m glad to hear you’re happy with us, and I appreciate the kind words… but, can I just ask, if you HAD to pick ONE thing that we could be doing better – and I’m sure there’s at least one because nobody’s perfect, right? – what would that
be?”

It’s a great way to get some honest feedback and stop living in that fictitious land of Lake Wobegon.

Karie Kaufmann, MBA
Certified Business Coach
ActionCOACH
619.321.9262
www.kariekaufmann.com

Karie Kaufmann has successfully coached over 250 business owners in the areas of sales & marketing strategy, team training, systems
development and profitable growth. For more information, visit www.kariekaufmann.com, or connect with her on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Posted on October 6, 2011 by petergwaction

by Bob Britz (robertbritz@actioncoach.com)

In these times, so many sales teams are sitting on their laurels wondering what to do next. Not the case with Darren Starr of StarrForce. I’ve worked with Information Technology companies now for almost 20 years, watching them move in and out of technology, in and out of business, and merged into oblivion. StarrForce is an exclusive SalesForce.com service provider that’s destined to stay. Not only does their team design and implement, but they also provide online support in various formats.

Normally when a tracking software product like Salesforce is implemented, it’s clean and pristine. Everyone has the best intentions of entering and managing data per defined specifications, but alas, we are yet still human in our actions. As any Vice President of Sales knows, their ability to accurately forecast is directly linked to how the team views each opportunity or “deal” if you will. But what happens if you have an inept employee whose perceptions are off. Or how about when two or more people work on the same account, and enter the contact 2, 3 or 4 times, all with opportunities attached to them. And how do users with ‘view only’ rights find and correct systemic issues against a strong tide of building data? wouldn’t de-dup-ing the records be a helpful place to start?

It used to be the software manufacturer would come in with a team of expensive consultants to fix the ills of the client company. Today StarrForce not only prescribes solutions, but also implements them saving time and money in handfuls – much of it done remotely. Some clients enjoy the ability to put their toe in the correctional water by buying a single support incident. This allows the individual to use a personal business credit card to get the help they need without the hassle of purchase orders and such. It’s a great way to enter a relationship without the pre-nuptial arrangements usually present.

Darren Starr and his team at StarrForce are using remote service innovations along with a revolutionary single service support approach to support and attract new clients. StarrForce support has their clients perched to action in an economy that demands nothing less that excellence in sales.

Hat’s off to StarrForce.

www.starrforce.com

Bob Britz - Action Coach Business Coach

Bob Britz

2113 Alice Avenue
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
United States

925-984-6960
925-270-1790

View Website

robertbritz@actioncoach.com

You met WHERE?

Posted on June 2, 2011 by petergwaction

11 Close to Home, but Far from Ordinary Places to Meet with Clients

Meeting clients in business is natural, but where one meets can be, too! Here are some suggestions for getting out of your “space” and into places that allow you and your clients some breathing room.
Give them a Choice
Forget meeting in the office and hiding behind a desk. Instead, offer your clients a choice of unusual meeting places. You might learn something about them in their selection!
1. Let’s Walk
Meeting at a park or lake, or recreation area that has a walking path might be just the place to stretch the minds as well as the legs. It’s outdoors, natural, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. If your walk is around water; water is calming and allows you both room to think.
2. Bookstore
Many bookstores have cafes and all bookstores have resources! Talk about a favorite book and let the conversation lead you to a deeper connection. Turn over a new leaf.
3. A Charity Event
Feel good about helping out a charity. Remember, your client is choosing, so if he or she has chosen this venue to meet, it tells you a lot about them, where their heart is, and lets you both do something for the community while working on something together.
4. Golf (or any sporting event, but golf has a quieter arena in which to share ideas than, say, a noisy baseball game)
If you play, great! If you don’t, go along for the ride. Caddy! Get out and exercise your minds while building the relationship.
5. A Health Bar
Pick a natural and healthy setting that reflects your mindset. Health bars often have waterfalls and a calming atmosphere. De-stress while stressing a strong connection.
6. A musical event
If your client chooses this option, you’ll learn a lot about the style of music he or she likes and it will give you something to reflect on at future meetings.
7. A museum
Like a library, a museum has a certain air about it that lends itself to thoughtful contemplation. View the art, express opinions, and lace in business.
8. Fish
Whether the client has fished before or never fished in his or her life, fishing is a great way to relax, get outdoors, and a great place to share ideas. Even if the client is just fishing for compliments, who cares! Have fun. Make it reel.
9. Hike
Tell your client to take a hike – only mean it in a different way. Get out in the woods. Connect with nature. Let ideas run free. You’ve got a captive audience.
10. Library
Shhhh. Guess what. Most libraries have GREAT meeting rooms that are private, quiet, and away from interruptions. Libraries are another great place (besides bookstores) to talk books, resources, and to get down to business.
11. Your place of residence
An invitation to one’s home is very personal and says to the client, I know you, trust you, and like you. The client who accepts or chooses this option feels the same.
Make it Meaningful!
Wherever you and your client decide to meet, meeting outside the office gives you and the client a good look at each other. And with no office distractions, you’ll feel more comfortable and engaged. It is not always possible to meet outside the office—after all, convenience is a temptress—but if and when the opportunity presents itself, get outside your “box” and engage. Make the encounter meaningful for both of you. Important decisions rest on the connection you make. Where you and your client decide to hold the meeting will tell each of you a lot about the other, and isn’t that what building relationships is all about?

Your turn: Write us and let readers know of some unusual places you have met and how it all turned out.

Measuring and Testing for Profitable Growth

Posted on May 26, 2011 by petergwaction

When it comes to growing your business, whether it’s by increasing sales or improving productivity, there are two key concepts that need to be part of your growth plan every time: Measuring and Testing.

Why is measuring so important? The main reason is that we don’t want to change things in our business before we know how they are currently performing. For example, if you don’t know how well your yellow pages ad is performing, why would you want to change it? How will you know if your changes worked? All too often, when we want different results, we jump right into solutions without understanding what the problem is. Measuring both before and after an activity or change will help to ensure that problems are fixed, instead of symptoms being chased.

There is little point in going to the trouble of conducting a test in the first place unless one follows through with some type of analysis of the results. Imagine taking that new car out for a test drive and not paying any heed whatsoever to the quality of the ride, the noise levels and the engine performance. Not reasonable…is it? You would instantly compare this new car to your old one or other new cars you were considering… wouldn’t you? You would have your own form of measurement to compare the car with others. Your taste is a form of measurement when you try those samples in the supermarket. If you lost your ability to taste… why bother trying the sample at all? I believe you get my point!

Now, back to our business analogy… there is no point in testing the outcome of any type of marketing campaign with no measurement of the outcome. Careful measurement and analysis of the results of a test campaign will provide much needed information on which to base decisions. The results of the measurement will quantify the success of the test campaign. The results can then be extrapolated to test the soundness of the campaign. Example… a test mailing to 500 households yields 10 responses. Each response results in an average sale of $150 with a margin of 40% that adds $60 to the company’s profits which is $600 overall ($60 x 10 responses). Let us assume the overall cost of the mailing is $1 each or $500 in all. The company then made a net profit of $100 ($600 profit less costs of $500). This campaign appears to be a winner!

Why is testing important? We don’t realize it but we test everything in our daily lives. You always take a new car for a test drive before you sign on the dotted line. When you go shopping at the supermarket, clerks are standing in the aisles with samples for you to test before you buy. Waking up in the morning and checking the weather before selecting your clothing for the day is also a form of testing. See… we do it all the time… we just don’t think about it.

Yet businesses persist in embarking on expensive marketing campaigns with little or no idea of the outcome. These same businesses will spend thousands of dollars on an ad campaign and hope they get a response. Good business practices require that you test a new ad campaign before the majority of the budget is committed. It may be a whale of an idea… but, face it…no one knows with certainty, the outcome of a daring new campaign. I suggest that you commit 10 – 15% of the new campaign budget and test for the outcomes.

With thanks to Mark McNulty