In this Edition
1. First Impressions
2. Standing Out From The Crowd
3. Quotes
4. Recommended Reading
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Any of you who have heard me speak know that I talk in all my presentations about first impressions and how it is much easier to create an impression than it is to try and change one. They say you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. People judge us and sometimes make up their minds about us in the first 10-30 seconds of meeting us or speaking to us on telephone. They decide if they like us, if they trust us, and most importantly, if they want to build a relationship or do business with us.
Let me ask you to be brutally honest with yourself for a moment. What kind of first impression are you making with your customers, clients, or contacts? Do you have a good opening introduction about yourself that you can somebody in under 30 seconds about what you do, who you are, or what you stand for? Are people receptive to you when you meet them or you call them?
Here is the tip: The best first impression you can make with someone is to briefly introduce yourself (30 seconds is key), tell them a little about yourself and then SHUT UP and LISTEN to what they tell you. Ask open ended intelligent questions about the other person and their business and then practice the art listening.
A good talker will come away from a meeting thinking they have covered everything they wanted to talk about, spoken about their product or service, and covered all the features and benefit’s, but alas come away from the meeting maybe not making that great an impression on the prospective client and they definitely will not have made a sale, basically because they have covered THEIR agenda.
A great listener on the other hand will appear more interested in what the prospect is interested in by asking intelligent questions about their needs and objectives, and then talking about solutions to that particular problem. This approach invariably leaves a wonderful first impression and positions you as the front runner in building the relationship and to eventually making the sale. Trust me on this one!!
Next time you are speaking to someone either in person or on the telephone ask yourself: “What kind of first impression do I want to make today?” or “How would I feel in I were on the other end of this conversation?” and assess the amount of time you are talking versus listening.
Dale Carnegie said “You will make more friends in two weeks by being interested in other people than you will in two years by trying to get other people interested in you”..
A final note: Remember…..The quality of your questions will determine the quality of the answers you will receive, so choose your questions wisely.
STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD
I stay in a lot of hotels in my travels as a professional speaker, some are good, most are average at best. I guess because service is a passion of mine and what I talk about a lot to organizations, maybe I am expecting more than the average customer. It takes a lot to WOW me these days, but let me share a story with you of what happened to me recently that I believe stand’s out from the crowd.
I was in Orlando, Florida to speak for a client and staying at a Hotel in North Orlando. It was a beautiful hotel, well run, great friendly service at check-in. When I checked in my actual room there was the usual note that you see in a lot of hotels these days from the manager welcoming you to the hotel and hoping you enjoy your stay. No big deal.
This note, however, caught my attention. The heading was ”Service Culture Pledge” and the starting words proceeded to tell me all the usual stuff, but what stood out for me was the message from the general manger that said “I would like you to call me in the event that we have been unable to meet your expectations.” It listed the telephone number in business hours which was not unusual, but it went on to say, “If I have left the property for the day and the manager on duty has been unable to resolve a concern or issue, I have instructed my staff to place you in contact with me at my home number. I do not want one single guest to leave this hotel unsatisfied.”
Intrigued, I followed up with the General Manager who advised me that the home telephone number wasn’t standard policy at this hotel, just something this general manager took upon to do himself.
This showed me two things right away. One was that he cared very much about his guests at the hotel and secondly by making this policy and by setting an example to his staff it showed that everybody was accountable for the welfare of the guests at the hotel.
What are you doing to make sure that your customer or client knows that you truly care about them and their business?
How are you standing out from the crowd and differentiating yourself in today’ highly competitive market place?
QUOTES
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” Wayne Dyer
“The desire to win is meaningless without the will to prepare” Sir Winston Churchill
“It is much more important to know your customer than to know the product and all the promotional stuff from the brochure.” Charles Marcus
RECOMMENDED READING
You Don’t Have To Die To Go To Heaven by Derrick Sweet
There are so many lessons and gems of wisdom in this latest book by Derrick Sweet. It will nourish your soul with a steady diet of kindness, compassion, love, generosity and contribution. It is a very easy read and you will keep coming back to it. A great book from a man of integrity who lives his words every day. You can also visit Derrick’s website at www.healthywealthyandwise.com where you will find lot’s of great stuff. Excellent site.
How To Become A Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox
In today’s business culture sales is one of the most competitive fields. There are more products and services available than ever before. The choices are overwhelming. According to author Jeffrey J. Fox, to be successful, to succeed, to be a star in your field, you must make it “rain.” A play on the Indian rainmaker legend, the rainmaker in sales is person everybody wants to be. Interesting title and a different slant on being successful in sales.
The 100 Simple Secrets of Great Relationships by David Niven
What are the essential qualities of a great relationship? Scientists and academics have spent entire careers investigating the nature of relationships, dating, and marriage. This book has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand studies on relationships, and spells out the key findings in story book form and in plain English!!.
