Scout for Success

Secret Service Systems for Successful Businesses

John R. DiJulius has written a book that I not only bought for myself, but have also gifted to a number of my own customers.  Secret Service is remarkable for both its common sense clarity and its numerous examples of real, household-name companies putting the principles defined in the book to work.  Sub-titled “Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service,” this is a book that delivers on its own promise, by providing ideas for ratcheting up the level of customer service that can be implemented by virtually every type of business.  DiJulius manages to be both informative and entertaining while he offers clear, concise descriptions of the actions successful businesses take to keep them number one with their customers.  You’ll be amazed at the simplicity of some of the policies and initiatives he describes. 

DiJulius is the president of a consulting firm specializing in customer service and marketing, and a longtime successful business owner himself.  In addition to addressing the needs of customers, he also goes the extra mile in recognizing the value of dedicated, engaged employees, providing sensible advice on training geared to encouraging teamwork and reducing turnover.  Highly recommended!

Panning For Gold in Your Marketplace

Just recently I came across a business-to-business sales seminar I had developed back in 2001, “Panning for Gold - The Internet as a Sales Tool.”  While some of the resource links were outdated, the basic premise of the presentation still holds true:  invest 15 minutes on the Internet learning about each prospect prior to making a call, and realize a mother lode of benefits and increased sales.

It’s true, knowledge is power…
but only when you leverage it properly.  One essential nugget to take away from this presentation summary:  Pre-call research is not about acquiring all the answers. It’s about being able to ask your prospective customer smart, relevant questions.

The other reality is that in order to be successful, this research process has to be fast, easy and effective.  Google is your friend in that respect.  Use brief, succinct search phrases and learn to separate the wheat from the chaff quickly in the search results.  Cut and paste relevant tidbits of information right into the Notes screen of your contact management program, or into a document if you like hard copies to review and make notes on.  No need for fancy formating - just cut, paste and move on.  If you don’t even have time for that, at minimum skim information about these four items for each prospect:

• The company website - Home, About and Career pages are good sources for quick prospect background info.
• Range of products or services - What they make or do, and who they make or do it for.
• The industry - See the “history of” below.
• The competition - Who else does what they do in their marketplace?

“History of…” Queries
My favorite search phrase of all, “history of _____________,” is likely all you’ll need to provide you with enough interesting background, jargon and trivia about your prospect’s industry to jumpstart any sales call.  For a call on a local produce processor, “history of pickling” returned a detailed Pickle History Timeline, starting back in the Dark Ages!  “History of bar coding” once provided me with the tidbit that the technology had advanced to the point that honeybees could be bar coded to track their migration paths.  “History of tires” will answer every question you ever had about how the rubber hits the road.  You get the point.

It’s Human Nature
The bottom line is a simple one.  We humans are a gregarious lot, and it’s in our nature to reciprocate.  Your smart, relevant questions and curiousity about your prospect’s business, service, or stock in trade makes that person aware that you cared enough about what he or she does for a living to invest your own time in some research.  At the very least that conveys your interest and diligence, and ideally it makes the prospect willing to reciprocate by sharing time and information with you.  Time and information, two of the key factors that help every good salesperson to close the sale!

Copyright © Kimberly Washetas - 2008

Customer Testimonials - The Treasure Hiding in Plain Sight!

If you are like many small business owners, you spend a good portion of your operating budget marketing your company. Common methods include placing ads in newspapers, magazines and phone books, developing websites and the strategies to drive customers to them, buying billboard space, sending direct mail and more. Billions of dollars are expended annually on these expensive marketing initiatives, with varying levels of success.

Yet even as small business owners dig deeper to find the dollars to deploy on high-priced advertising, they often neglect the golden marketing opportunities in the nearest file drawer or on the company bulletin board: unsolicited customer testimonials!

Handwritten notes from happy customers, flowery thank you cards - even glowing emails extolling the virtues of the company’s service, employees or products. Yes, these are read and smiled over, perhaps passed around the office or read out loud at the “go team” weekly staff meetings. After that, all too often they are relegated to the customer’s file or the wall of the break room, perhaps saved to a hard drive and forgotten.

What a shame. These are the kind of marketing opportunities that no amount of money can buy, the heartfelt appreciation of a satisfied customer who took his or her own time to acknowledge the value of your company’s products or services.

It’s time to take a few minutes of your own time and go digging for this gold. Challenge all staff to recollect those notes, those cards and emails from days gone by, and scavenge the office to locate them. At your next staff meeting read them out loud and enjoy them again, boosting pride in the business and employee morale in one fell swoop.

Now it’s time to put that treasure to work. First, select the comments and excerpts that best acknowledge the qualities you want your business to be known for. Then, decide on the best way to feature the testimonials prominently in various facets of your marketing. You could turn them into graphic drop-ins, with quote marks and attractive fonts, and add them to your website or next brochure. Insert some of them strategically in presentation slideshows - big and bold, each on its own separate slide for greater impact. Have your next newspaper or magazine advertisement showcase the quote, with your company’s website and number directly beneath it. Make that testimonial stand out and grab the attention of your next prospective customer!

However you use them, at minimum attribute testimonials with the customer’s initials, or first name and initial. Before using a customer’s full name and town or company name, get written permission. Many people are reluctant to have their full names displayed publically, or their companies may have strict policies about endorsements. Make copies of all testimonials and keep them in a secure place in the event you need to validate them; attach attribution permissions as appropriate.

Most of all, as you head into the future, be sure to celebrate each new testimonial and share it with your employees. If a specific staff member was praised or credited, acknowledge that stellar service to everyone who works for you. By making each thank you or “job well done” an event, you promote the value you place on high quality and premier service to every member of your organization.

Copyright © Kimberly Washetas - 2008