What Do Zig Ziglar, Harvey Mackay, and Dale Carnegie Have In Common – And How Can It Help YOU?

Zig , Harvey, and Dale contributed significantly to my professional development. How?

By telling stories to show the benefit of doing something a certain way.

Ziglar would talk about 'the Redhead' and 'Yazoo', Mississippi while weaving his lessons about listening and giving value.

Mackay would wrap his storytelling around applying the laws of human nature and making it easier to have a deep relationship with others.

Carnegie was the geek of the group and told 'why' stories – why, based on observation and research, doing it this way gets your desired result to happen smoothly.

These three gentlemen had a common theme: communication is about 80% listening, 10% talking, and 10% just being there quietly while the prospect connects the dots.

On the surface, their topic was about sales and the message was to learn and satisfy the buyer's needs. To see the true scope and range of their teachings, simply substitute 'relationship' for sales and 'friend' (or 'redhead') for buyer – these lessons work with people you care about at every level.

They each said it best in a quote captured for the ages:

• Zig Ziglar: You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.
• Harvey Mackay: A mediocre person tells. A good person explains. A superior person demonstrates. A great person inspires others to see for themselves.
• Dale Carnegie: You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in the other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.

I'm all done with the 10% talking – now it's time for the 80% listening part – please share your thoughts.

How will this point of view help you?

What Have I Done for You Lately?

With customers and relationships the question is: what had you done for me lately?

Good customers are approached often by other providers or discover interesting offerings on the internet. Good relationships are fouled by lack of attention. Thus the spoken or implied questions about what's recent.

I heard a story about an individual who hired into the lead sales position of a software organization with a 'huge book of business.' First priority on her mind was to personally contact all the major accounts to say hello. Shocked, she was, to learn that over 60% of these accounts had not heard from her new firm since the initial sale and more than half of these accounts has switched to different software.

This situation, more or less, is entirely too common in business.

Study after study shows the vast difference in resources to acquire rather than maintain customers. But a significant portion of managers (and to be fair, the sales staff too) press for acquisition over retention.

Why don't we ask the question: What have I done for You lately? and devote more time to our real customers.

Make contact – give something of value – demonstrate that a relationship does exist – show that you care!

This can be as simple as forwarding an article, document, or link to a blog which speaks to a known area of interest. It can be dynamic – checking in after x months to see how your product or service is meeting their needs – or even soliciting what features would make it meet their needs more broadly or deeply. Or it can be information about how other customers are using minor or undocumented features and other user-derived 'enhancements' for significant benefit.

Whatever you choose, make the contact with your customer worthwhile from their viewpoint. Keep in mind they are busy and not as focused on your products and services as you are. Always give value in every interaction with a customer.

Conversation and caring works for relationships as well.

It can change the conversation to that's what you've done for me lately! Music to our ears!

Your thoughts?

This is the topic for the next Rainmaker – a 300 second presentation before the featured speaker at the CTMH meeting. Join us February 22nd  for Sales Lab’s Rainmaker 12 - What Have I Done for You Lately? at the Capital Technology Management Hub on Wednesday, February 22^nd. The featured CTMH speaker will be Sean Crowley on the topic of The Open Source Web Content Management Platform, Drupal, and its Momentum. Get details here.

Customer Service – Is It An Attitude?

I recently took a road trip to the tip of Florida and stopped at several restaurants and stores along the way. It struck me how differently these retail organizations approached customer service.

At Cracker Barrel, there was always one of the staff in proximity to the front door who welcomed the visitors warmly; the hostess inquired about our trip and introduced the server; the server offered suggestions about the menu, was prompt and attentive to our needs, including delivering the check immediately when we were finished the meal; in parting the cashier addressed us by name wishing us a good trip.

At Publix Food Store there is a staffer just in front of the checkout stations who asks if we found everything during our visit, and walked us to the location of the item we could not find, thanked us for shopping with them, and guided us back to the fasted line for checkout; the clerk was equally as friendly and efficient while scanning the order.

At a roadside stripmall, when we entered a variety store, the cashier hollered “HI - HOW ARE YA!” from her fortress in the center of the store and then promptly ignored us for the remainder of the visit, including talking on her cell phone while ringing up the order - slowly.

In each instance, the staff was following an established customer service procedure of how to welcome and assist customers. In the first two examples, it yielded a positive reaction, in the last one a negative feeling.

The key ingredient in each is the attitude of the staff member – warm and welcoming, helpful and engaged, or loud and detached.

Good customer service is a sales tool, but is effectively delivered when sincere, with the intention of addressing the customer's immediate needs – like realizing wasted time is stressful for travelers. Good customer service in integrated into the business process, not hung on at the end for complaints – like offering a warm and sincere welcome. Good customer service is asking if the customer wants help - like the 'personal guide' into the labyrinth of grocery isles. From my experience, it is successful when the staff actively participates, embraces its goals, and has the right attitude.

Would I go back to Cracker Barrel and Publix? Absolutely! Did their customer service accomplish the goal – it won my future patronage.

Sales is a conversation which ends in a Yes. Customer service is sales. Good customer service is embodied in staff attitude. Attitude is non-verbal communication. This makes a complete circle – each element supporting the others!

What's your experience with customer service making a positive difference?

The Capital Technology Management Hub StartupChallenge is Tuesday, November 8, 6pm at GMU. At this event, audience rules! We need audience, startups, interested parties. Come investigate Sales Lab’s new business! See the future up close and personal.