Memories: Are you Making Them With Clients?

Did you ever wonder why the phone does not ring? Do you ever panic when prospective individuals ask you what you do and your struggle with your delivery? There are reasons why many struggle with what to say to prospective clients:

They are uncertain what to say
They have not practiced the proper approach
They try to say something different each time
There is no consistency with the brand

There is a solution to this issue and it is called the MEME (sounds like team). So what is this incredible tool?

A meme is an idea, behavior, style or message else that enters into your community and creates additional community and interest. Different from the way it is spelled a MEME does not create anything about you, however it does create output based messages that illustrate the value and benefits clients get from doing business with you.

If you follow a template I will share with you, you can use it to generate eye opening and memorable methods for clients to become attracted to you.

A meme can be used for:
Introduction to verbal conversations
Developed into a value proposition for your website
Developed into a tagline for marketing collateral
Used to introduce products and services
Incorporated into presentations and articles/tip sheets

Because your MEME illustrates the value you will need to use it to help communicate your brand and create the allure you desire for your business. Yet the best part of this is once it is developed you can use it throughout your integrated marketing communications.

So what does a MEME sound like?

Here is a MEME from one of my clients. “Hi nice to meet you. I am Dr. Ron and I work with men and women aged 37 to 55 who suffer from the ill effects of stress. I provide a unique process that reduces stress and provides increased mobility and flexibility!” Naturally the next statement you will hear is, “My Gosh how do you do that?”

Now how does that sound versus the rote, “Hi I’m Ron, I’m A Doctor.” Or , “Hi I’m Ron, I’m in Insurance.” Or , “Hi I’m Ron. I’m and Electrician.” Not to say there is anything wrong with these professions but there is something wrong in the delivery. One they’re boring. Two you sound like everyone else. Three it is stereotyped so that people instantly dismiss you and four, it is inward focused and says nothing of what you provide to the client.

Here are 7 things you can to do help develop a MEME:

Focus on the clients you want to provide and most importantly your perfect client. Who is the demographic and what do they value and benefit from? What are the solutions that you provide congruent with those desires.
Write down a list of benefits that you provide clients. Think about how you help them. Review your testimonials to help you here. When you come up with the list prioritize it so that you develop the best one.
Think of the three to four issues your clients have to say before you helped them. What do you typically hear before you develop solutions.
When you work with clients what are you processes, methods, steps etc that can be used to explain how you help. For example do you have a 7 step strategy or a 4 step proprietary choke hold, you get the picture.
Now look at your notes and write out your statement using the following, Target Demographic + Issue + Solution. Develop a few drafts so that eventually it rolls of your tongue. And to assist you make it two to three short sentences.
Practice this on friends and family as well as some other clients to see what they have to say.
Once you have this developed then I want you to think about two things 1) what you will say after they say tell me more and 2) develop a call to action.

I like to teach by example, so let me my MEME and others I have created. Contact me for a FREE NO OBLIGATION MEME session and in 30 minutes we will create a message that drops most jaws.

Creating a compelling a MEME is a vital part of the Business Acceleration System. How is yours coming along?

Hear me weekly on my renowned Podcast – Business Acceleration:
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One of the Top 50 Sales Management Bloggers in the World as Ranked by Blog Rank and Sales Crunch

Overcoming Sales Hurdles

Through trial and error we understand that the more issues remain the same the more they must change. Research in a myriad of periodicals mentions numerous challenges for organizations especially in the selling process. New issues abound daily impacting how selling professionals meet buyer’s needs.

What we know are the following:

➢ Decision Makers are hard to find. There are so many responsibilities for people that trying to find the time for discussion is difficult. Additionally, since organizations tend to focus on lean, more people are making decisions rather than management. A recent Wall Street Journal Report states that personnel without authority to purchase a laptop can plan a regional meeting with a budget of $500,000!
➢ Competitive Neutrality. The proliferation of the Internet and information is challenging. Buyers comprehend more of your organization than your own sales force!
➢ Organizational labyrinthine. Globalization, rightsizing, mergers and multitudes of organizational transformation are as perplexing as discovering the DaVinci Code. Reporting lines and decision processes are difficult.
➢ Financial Planning. The one constant is decreasing divisional funds. Agreement is reached only to discover the unavailability of funds.
➢ The best defense is unclear. 15 years ago, training your sales force was mandatory. With tightening budgets and productivity issues, selling professionals are sent into battle without armaments.
➢ CRM. The sales tool offered to assist selling professionals is underutilized and mis-understood.
➢ No Teamwork. Sales require more collaboration with the marketing department.

With over 27 years of research and analysis with numerous organizations we constantly hear about sales excuses- no return calls to numerous voice mails. I have made return calls to interested parties only to never hear from them again. The world has become more complex and navigationally difficult.

Read any present newspaper or periodical and you will begin to acquire the phraseology of the “knowledge economy”. This is defined as an economy based on creating, evaluating, and trading knowledge. In a knowledge economy, labor costs become progressively less important as opposed to the amount of knowledge acquired by individuals and organizations to become more effective. Simply put, the more information one has the more knowledge one gains. Content is king! This is the key differentiator.

Selling professionals similar to your clients must be content experts. Clients desire trust and respect and they desire intellectual conversation. Drop the features and benefit discussion- these left when public seminars did. Your clients crave illustrious council. Selling professionals must be advisors, consultants and experts. This is vital to your business success.

There are some rules about sales:

1. There are simply four techniques of selling that are vital. One does not need numerous methods and training. Learn the four simple steps and you will sell more than you realize.
2. There is no basic selling rule or principle that has been discovered in the last hundred years.
3. One needs to take these principles and use them daily. Practicing these rules and making them a habit in your daily life will make you better.
4. Do not rush learning. Rome was not built in a day. You must learn daily and practice daily but without haste and impatience.
5. Evaluate yourself. Be critical and learn by what you are doing and not doing to become better. Be honest in your assessment.

The one issue of selling never expressed in training or research is that it is not event based or linear. Selling is a process, it takes time, it takes effort and it takes patience!

Original sales article published here.

To thy Ownself Be TruGreen

Like many individuals that suffer from time and talent, my green thumb lacks color so I prefer to use the services of a lawn care company. It is one thing to use a lawn care firm to save time but another to waste time for poor service.

During the past two years, the organization delivers services I did not request. Within 72 hours of application the company hands off to a Call Center that repeatedly calls my home seeking payment! . Worse yet the firm has my private cell number and has contacted with me during business meetings to obtain payment for services I did not order.

Although I explain the concerns of fees- their sole purpose is to get the money. They are very aggressive.

For the third time in two years my wife and I terminated the service of TruGreen. In early April 2010, I returned from a business meeting to find a technician once again applying chemicals to my lawn even though services were cancelled. Once again I called to cancel. Suffice to say it is easier to catch a taxicab in New York City on a rainy day then get a manager to return a call.

With the inherent lack of customer service and leadership from my local office I wrote a brief note to the President and CEO of TruGreen to have my issues immediately corrected. He never called or wrote. He had a manager in the local office call me five days later to amend the issue.

The reason why service today in many firms like TruGreen is so poor is because leadership is poor. Leaders in many organizations do not serve as exemplars. Organizations exist for one reason- acquisition and retention of clients. When there is little or no service there are few customers.

Companies wonder why there is no loyalty and why brand suffers. Organizations do not create allure when poor management places a pall on culture.

More ironic is that ServiceMaster owns TruGreen. Ironic when the sister organization cannot extol the company name. Service Blaster is more suitable.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report 7 Secrets to Selling Success

Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on business development and customer satisfaction. Drew is the author of the successful sales process book Split Second Selling. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness. To discover how Dr. Drew can assist your organization to increase their business development skills visit him at www.stevensconsultinggroup.com

Simple Rules of Customer Service

In the last several weeks I have solicited over 20 vendors for a variety of reasons; restaurants to home improvement centers. There is a stark contrast in treatment from one establishment to the next. Most bewildering is the general lack of focus and respect for customer service. The simplest issue for any business is retaining clients by treating them well. Research over many years proves that it is less expensive to maintain your current client base rather than acquire new.

As a business development and customer service consultant I am more sensitive to the issues. However let me offer some free advice that will save organizations money, time, stress and most of all, customers.

• When a customer walks into an establishment or walks to a cashier please have your staff smile and say hello. The world’s icebreaker is an empathetic smile.
• Remember customer’s names. The sweetest sound customers hear is the name of their name, do not screw it up, repeat it the name if needed.
• Have nametags available for all employees. Nothing is more bothersome than to not know the name of staff.
• Eliminate the ready, fire, aim approach to service. Start having employees listen and question. Nothing can be heard when both sides are speaking.
• Check the baggage. Consumers do not care if employees received a ticket before work; have a toothache or the myriad of other excuses. It is about the customer not the worker. Bad attitudes are to be left at home.
• When possible have all employees wear ubiquitous uniforms especially in service establishments such as doctors, specialists, etc. It is helpful to know staff from vendors or perhaps other customers.
• Have staff address me formally unless told otherwise. Respect is the better part of valor no matter the generational differences.
• Inform staff that cell phones and the rude act of text messaging are off limits during work hours. Attention must be given to the customer not the evening date.
• Ensure background checks on delivery personnel. In the last several weeks I have noticed seven traffic infractions. The most notable – Stop sign avoidance!
• Stop the banter. When clients arrive undivided attention is to be given to them. Refrain from rumor mongering and speaking ill of the previous client.
• Offer frequent customers some type of VIP service. The most treasured become your greatest marketing avatars.
• Create a customer culture all hired need to be focused on your greatest asset- customers.
• People remember the first thing they hear and see and the last. Make a positive first impression and a memorable last.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report 7 Secrets to Selling Success

Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on business development and customer service. Drew is the author of the successful sales process book Split Second Selling. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness. To discover how Dr. Drew dramatically accelerate your business development and sales skills visit his sales and marketing website.

How Selling Professionals Avoid Failure

A common travesty that underpins sales success is fear. Selling professionals fear picking up the phone, they fear asking for referrals, they fear asking for the agreement. Sellers fear because they do not know what to do if something does not go their way. They have failed. Not true, failure is the best teacher in the world. Stop looking at failure as a negative. A terrific mentor, author and king of the consulting world Alan Weiss states, “If you are not failing you are not trying”.

First, selling professionals are constantly immersed in rejection. Yet it all begins with confidence. Sellers must believe in the products and services they represent. If you do not believe it you will not sell it! How do you expect buyers to believe you if you cannot believe it? Avoid failure with passion and conviction for the company you represent.

Second, regular readers of this column know my thoughts on cold calling- I abhor it. There are times when it is necessary. More importantly, there are times when friends, peers and colleagues might provide sellers with a referral. Research in this area illustrates that over 78% of individuals procrastinate making these calls because of rejection. Refrain from preconceptions and pick up the phone! What you are really saying is that you do not know what to say after hello! Rejections diminish with proper preparation, provocative questions and action steps.

It is important to remember that buyers do not reject you personally, they reject the offer simply because there is a lack of trust and value. Therefore, sellers must find methods that counteract these issues.

“Failure is not an option” originated from the issues of Apollo 13. Unfortunately many selling professionals use the cliché for all their efforts. With so many organizations lacking investment in their sales teams and with less individuals investing in themselves, failure is the best educational tool. Keep trying, continue failing, stop looking for short term results but long term strategies of self-mastery. Failure is the key to your economic selling future!

Additional Quote for the Day

“Why don’t you want to do what you know you should do? The reason you don’t is that you’re in conflict with yourself.” – Tom Hopkins (The Art of Selling)

Limited beliefs also withhold your success, Click Here for a Free Report on Overcoming Limited Beliefs

Drew Stevens PhD is one of the world’s leading authorities on business development and practice management success. Dr. Drew is the author of the successful sales process book Split Second Selling and the upcoming book Ultimate Business Bible – 10 Strategies for Achieving Ultimate Business Success. Click to receive a free chapter of Ultimate Business Bible. Dr. Drew is one of the founders of the Sales Leadership Program at St. Louis University and operates Sales Fitness and Business Expert Radio one of the Internet’s highly successful podcasts and radio programs. To discover how Drew Stevens can dramatically accelerate your revenue contact him through his website.

Effective Selling Skills

Are you a good selling or business development professional? What distinguishes you from the remainder of the pack?

With over 27 years of experience working with those that develop business and sell for a living I find the following characteristics:

1- Those that seek relationships not a commission check

2- Do not procrastinate, using the hours in the day wisely to be with prospective and current clients

3- Do not waste “windshield time” on wasteful things or nothing

4- Reads voraciously to understand competitive intelligence that aids the client

5- Establishes a strategic account profile to understand prospective client opportunities and limitations

6- Knows the economic buyer in their accounts and does not waste time with gatekeepers

7- Think strategically not tactically to engage buyers

8- Learning the client’s business and discovering methods to assist them now and in the future

9- Prepare provocative questions that engage and enlighten

10- Knows when to listen and when to speak

11- Networks constantly to meet new buyers

12- Engages a sales process

13- Creates emotion and has a passion for the sales process

14- Believes in what they are selling

15- Nurtures relationships with proper customer service, returning all calls and emails in a timely manner

16- Uses and respects the relevance of CRM reporting useful data to upper management

17- Understands the importance of customer to customer influences on account management

18- Thinks in terms of client outcomes, not units sold

19- Dresses professionally and is ready to engage with every client

20- Has poise and flexibility to engage gatekeeper and buyer ethically

Use the following as a checklist for your selling professionals if you are a manager or for you personally if you sell for a living. Check back periodically to determine methods to make you a more effective seller to alleviate time and develop more business.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report 7 Secrets to Selling Success

Sales Managers Require Accountability

As a sales manager or a director did you ever wonder why your selling professionals are not meeting quota? Is the ability to create outstanding client value withholding your team from reaching its audacious goals?

There might be a simple answer to this question and it just might shock you! The issue might be you – the manager.

In the last several weeks I am seeing a recurring issue that all sales managers must be aware, accountability is crucial to meeting quota. Managers must know what the leads in the pipeline are. Managers must know whether selling professionals critically understand the difference in a suspect, a prospect and a customer. Not many I recently surveyed clearly do. And, most importantly sales professionals must be held to a specific number of calls, appointments, proposals, conversations etc.

Sales professionals fail when accountability lacks. Selling professionals must have quantifiable goals clearly outlined by management with timeframes. Managers that meet regularly with staff and convey strengths and limitations are exemplars to others. Key Performance Indicators allow representatives to understand where they are and where they need to be. Similar to the GPS that is fully charged, accountability provides a roadmap to the final destination.

Albeit there are some obstacles in the path, accountability allows representatives to circumnavigate around environmental issues that affect the accounts and revenues. Without proper accountability, sales representatives are no different than a sailboat caught in a violent storm with no port in sight.

Create the ray of light that guides selling professionals so that they achieve higher levels of success.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report for the 7 Secrets to Selling Success Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on sales and customer service. Drew is the author or the successful sales techniques book Split Second Selling. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness. To book Dr. Drew for a workshop or keynote or to obtain his Secrets of Ultimate Business Success visit his website www.stevensconsultinggroup.com

Sales Skills To Live By

With all the folly placed into selling, one must understand that through the banter, there are only four simple steps to help you sell. However, 92% of most individuals selling do not know of these steps, nor do they comprehend how to integrate into a process.

Selling requires that you have a path that begins with customer introductions and interactions and end with customer involvement. Unless selling professionals follow the path in a linear manner, their future sales will falter. Each requires the other to understand client’s wants and needs

Prepare to Present
Uncover the needs
Manage Rapport and Objections
Provide Closure

I have used these principles for well over 27 years and they work. I have trained over 100,000 selling professionals and have helped them achieve over a billion dollars in gross revenues! These principles work for them and they will work for you.

Here is a just a brief synopsis of each.

1. Read current journals, periodicals and annual reports to comprehend the issues of the prospective organization and have strategic conversations with key decision makers.

2The ability to prepare well creates the ability to prepare proper and provocative questions aimed at the clients business needs and improving their competitive position.

3. Asking questions, remaining confident, knowing your products and services and controlling the conversation with value are keys to success. You must understand how to move forward to create further interest so they trust you!

4. The most fascinating yet most daunting part of any sale is closure. Procrastination and indecision are a part of like. Moreover, many professionals are afraid to ask for the business. The best way to make money and get more members is to ask. Never forget to ask the secret question, “How do we proceed?”

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report for the 7 Secrets to Selling Success

Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on sales and customer service. Drew is the author or the successful sales techniques book Split Second Selling. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness. To book Dr. Drew for a workshop or keynote or to obtain his Secrets of Ultimate Business Success visit his website www.stevensconsultinggroup.com

Sales Techniques with Dr. Drew

If you or one of your selling staff where pulled over by a police officer and arrested for being a selling professional, would there be enough evidence to convict you or the others?

The purpose of selling is meant to create relationships. Selling requires building trust and asking provocative questions that instill dialogue to gain customer understanding. So why then are there so many floundering, failing and simply annoying many. Too many selling professionals today fail to do the required homework to have any intellectual discussion. It is criminally negligent to not conduct the necessary detective work and discover information to assist conversation.

In two recent and hellacious examples one seller was an SEO firm seeking to assist me my web efforts. However he knew nothing of my Google ranking. In the other, one sales professional did not get past hello because of the rote script she was reading from. This folly conveys ignorance and most of all laziness. Selling requires research and knowledge before engaging conversation. Anything less results in rejection.

Before you pick up the phone to say hello, make certain that the actions you take can convict you of being a professional, ethical and knowledgeable selling professional.

Quote of the day

To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge. – Benjamin Disraeli

Keys to Sales Success

One of the most common trivialities amongst business professionals is the inane desire to conduct thousands of things but do nothing well. Traction is not gained by conducting a plethora of things without focus. Developing business requires focus on two things- customer acquisition and retention. Doing so requires focus on sales, marketing and customer service. Beyond that not much else is required. Look around you and review items that withhold you from business development. Your labor can be severely decreased by conducting a few things well.

Quote of the week – Every organization is on business for one reason- the customer. – Peter Drucker

If you want to know how to obtain 7 ways to become more productive in less time, click here for a free report.

Drew Stevens PhD is one of the worlds leading experts in business development. Dr. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible. With over 25 years of sales experience and business leader, Dr. Drew has extensive experience in assisting both entrepreneurs and sales professionals to experience higher efficiency and effectiveness. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness offering tips and techniques that immediately improve selling performance.

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