How are you? ewww!

 

Starting off a b2b or b2c interaction with “How are you doing today?” is not a good idea. This is a question that is referred to as an automatic response question. Meaning you don’t do anything to differentiate yourself from every other person asking that question. When developing an opening where you are trying to gauge the prospects mood or break the ice, follow some simple guidelines.

1.       Be unique.

For reasons stated above you want to steer clear of the boring norm. Try something like “Are you having a productive day? You will notice a big difference in response using this. I did some work for a client based in Kansas City and we started calls with anything happening in the Kansas City Chiefs organization. If you are not sure how committed the fan base is for the chiefs you probably have never been to a chiefs game.

2.       Be humorous.

You want to avoid any serious talk in the beginning. Finding a way to be funny without being cheesy will work a lot better than an opening question.

3.       Match the tone and pitch of the prospect

The traditional way to build rapport with someone has been to find commonality. This screams salesman very loudly. Just remember that non-verbal rapport is always stronger then verbal rapport. If you are in person, match and mirror body language without being obvious. If you are just on the telephone, use your voice to match the prospects.

Destry Brink

www.stellarremix.com

Destry Brink is a motivational speaker, business consultant, sales and marketing trainer and coach. His business is based out of Jupiter, FL and Saint Paul, MN. His clients represent multiple industries but all desire to enhance the quantity and quality of their sales. He can be reached via e-mail at destry@live.com

Being too nice has gone too far.

Stop giving value! My skin cringes whenever I notice someone giving another person value when that person has not earned it. This morning at the gas station, three guys are walking across the front entrance from outside. A female pulled up and got out of her car heading towards the door. Two of the gentlemen walked past the front door blocking her entry. The third guy stopped and said “go ahead.” Now I know he is just being polite and blah blah blah. From my perspective he was non-verbally saying: “where I am heading or what I’m doing is not as important as you getting into the store 10 seconds sooner.”

Take up space in this world. Are you blazing a path, on your way up? If you were; nothing stands in your way, you are on a mission 24/7. I had recently had a home improvement client that started every script with “I know you’re busy, I’ll be brief.” That was the first thing I tore out of the script. Why? Do you really know if I am busy? What if I am sitting around doing nothing? Oh, you are just being polite and courteous? Well polite and courteous people usually get trampled on by those that know what they want and are good at communicating it. What else does that statement imply? That whatever it is that you have to say needs to be shortened up because someone you don’t know, and probably does not have any clue how to manage their time is….. busy? And do you really make it brief? No you are just trying to give some value to someone that hasn’t earned it because you need a lead that bad.

Try telling them that you are busy! Is that the best way to start off a customer interaction? Maybe, maybe not. I do know that I want nothing to do with someone that knows so much about my schedule without knowing me. If you have something important to say, then just say it.

Tune in tomorrow for how many times I puke when someone starts a call with:

“HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?”

Destry Brink
http://www.stellarremix.com/
destry@stellarremix.com

image from http://www.theboombox.com/

Problems & Solutions

From a sales and prospecting view there are 5 big concerns that impact production.

1. Low activity.
2. Low contacts.
3. Low presentations.
4. Low conversions.
5. Low clear ratio. (sit ratio for a call center employee)

These 5 concerns are the result of deficiencies of the 5 strategies that prevent them.

1. Motivation. (low activity)
2. Familiarity. (low contacts)
3. Proficiency. (low presentations)
4. Internalization. (low conversions)
5. Mastery. (low clear or sit ratios)

Each concern must have strategies in place that prevent or minimize the damage that they cause to production. For example: In my proficiency strategy I will use performance appraisals, for familiarity I will use monitoring. Each concern has a different strategy.

Using the wrong strategy in the wrong place or to the wrong individual affects results just as much. In a situation where the results are suffering you can detect symptoms which tell you exactly which strategy is  suffering. Then all that is needed is to put the strategy to work.

Destry Brink
http://www.stellarremix.com/
destry@stellarremix.com

Business Systems

In 1955 Ray Kroc introduced "McDonalds Systems Inc." to the world and hamburgers have never been the same. As a man that invested almost everything he had into a malt mixer, he recognized a good system when he saw McDonalds for the first time. The business had already grown to 4 branches and each store used 8 different malt mixers. Ray Kroc saw his opportunity, hidden is this little burger establishment. The most impressive aspect to Mr. Kroc was it's fast efficient and predicable service at each location. He brought a proposal to the owner's and became a partner. Later the origianl owner's sold their shares to Ray Kroc for 2.7 million dollars.

Ray Kroc began implementing his reapeatable system in franchise format. At the original public offering $2,240 dollars worth of stock in the company would now be worth over $3 Million dollars. Now McDonalds has over 36,000 stores across the globe, second only to Subway by a mere 6 or so stores. McDonalds is a big success today in large part to it's business systems. This allows for easily adapting to new menu changes and foster's creativity from Franchise owner's. Multiple owner's of the franchise have been responsible for new products that McDonalds offers. Such as the fillet o fish, and the mcfulrry among many others.

Any business owner begins with the best intentions for the company. The aspirations are high and the feeling is limitless. then the day to day reality of obstacles hit and we become dragged down in the drudgerly of the work. The only solution for this is business systems constantly in place that are repeatable, trainable, understandable, and flexible. When a system is used and followed it now becomes a matter of completing the cycle and innovating. The successful parts of the system are enhanced and the unsussessful parts are torn apart, analyzed, and changed.

The challenge most business owner's face is not the analyzing process of their current systems. Their trouble lies in not having the systems in the first place. Next comes the hapazard approach to systems. They have been thought out or put in tangible form, but this was done in the start up phase and those systems have been collecting dust ever since. Lastly there are the systems that are in place and used, however they are rigid and not set up to adapt to the changes in the business landscape. All of these scenarios lead to failure, frustration, and ultimately the demise of the company.

The most effective way to combat these epidemics is to utilize systems that are proven to produce results in your industry and or a similar industry. To stay abreast of the advances and utilize new technologies and ways to acquire customers, key people, and market share.

We have devoted a large part of the previous 12 years to testing, analyzing, recognizing and implementing business systems for proven results. To learn more of the importance of and availability of proven business systems, emial me for a free business analysis. For the first time in our companies history we have been able to provide small business owner's with proven business systems in place, for a very affordable cost. Our business systems have recently been implemented for home improvement contractors for as much as $70,000. It feels great to now be able to offer these systems at a fraction of the cost of a full time emplyee earning $10 per hour. If adding one person to a staff could mean the difference of success or failure, most business owner's would not hesitate. That is what our systems do, without the cost or management of a full time employee.

I look forward to hearing from the future success in business and showing you how I can help you get there.

Destry Brink
http://www.destrybrink.com/
destry@stellarremix.com

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