That was the sign in the American Terminal at LAX a few weeks ago. So I did. It cost me $7.00 and I'm pretty sure that's at or near the top that I've ever paid for a shine. I looked up from the paper I was reading while he was slapping on the polish at one point and asked, why he didn't post a price for the shine? "Well first of all," he began, "the free offer attracts attention, don't you think?" It certainly had gotten mine, I had to admit. "Second, most folks do what you just did, and ask why I say the shine is for free. And I tell 'em what I'll tell you now. If you think I've done a good job when I finish, pay me what it's worth to you."
I then asked this artiste (it was starting to look like this was going to be a killer shine) if he'd ever been stiffed? "Nah, not yet." When he finished he looked up and smiled as I went to the wallet and pulled out all the bills I had smaller than a twenty. That happened to come to $7.00. If I'd had another two singles I probably would have forked that over, as well. How great a businessman/seller is this guy? First he's a magical marketer. He's decided that his USP is free shoe shines. Hmmm. Talk about separating yourself from the competition. He's also figured out that "advertising that USP" would would "stop traffic," literally.
And how about his pricing strategy? The man's a genius! If he tried to lure customers in with under market pricing (a different USP), let's say $3.00, he'd get good traffic, and likely as not, a fair measure of $2.00 tips. Total $5.oo per shine. If he put a $5.00 price out there, it'd be about market for a major city air terminal so he would be undistinguished from his competition. No big deal unless he gets pretty busy in which case arriving passengers might continue walking toward "baggage" while looking for a less crowded shine parlor. Moreover, with a $5.00 cellar price he's probably psychologically capped his "tip" opportunity at $2.00, and more often than not, I suspect, the tip would be a buck.
His zero based pricing leaves the decision entirely in the hands of the customer. And I suspect the decisions made on payment include elements not even in the game in a normal shine transaction. For example, "This guy took a risk but worked hard to give me a great shine, and he did. He should be rewarded for that and even if I pay more than I normally would. What the heck, it's not going to change my retirement date." Or how about the "fun" or the "that was interesting" factors. That's worth a buck or two extra right there. "
So let's take a look at his selling business plan.
1. I will develop a unique selling proposition for my service: free shines
2. I will advertise my services
3. I will give great service and
4. Trust that I will be appropriately rewarded for my customer focus.
Where would you bet he ranked in gross income of his peers at LAX? Me too.
Great Selling!
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Serve, Don't Sell
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
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Teamwork
Available for Corporate and Individual Consultation and Training
RSherman@PilotGroup.biz
212-486-4446
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Learning From Aretha
"...Find out what it means to me." R-E-S-P-E-C-T. If you are ever to be a rare and remarkable seller, one of your calling cards will be a sincere and obvious respect for the customer you do, or would, serve. A clear communication of respect from seller to buyer goes a long way toward lowering the well-built barrier between buyers and sellers. It says, "I know you have concerns and I am here to help you sort them out and find solutions." It says, "You are a person of value and I am sincerely appreciative of the time you are spending with me and will do everything I can to reward you with valuable service." It says, "My work life is about doing everything I can to make yours even more rewarding."
Think for a moment about the all the obsequious, or disinterested, or arrogant (or pick any other number of distasteful adjectives) sales people you've come across recently. Was there anything in your contact with them that made you feel appreciated; respected; cared about? Of course not. And consequently, were you even interested in their expressions of enthusiasm about their product or service? I'd bet not. If there was any conversation at all with these average and all too typical sellers, it was about price. In fact, buyers are so used to being treated as personified wallets, most of the time they make "price" part of the introduction..."Nice to meet you Bob, how much?" or "What do you have for me today?"
When I meet a new prospect for the first time, I'm often greeted that way and my response is always along the following lines: "Ah, you want to discuss a special. I'll have someone get back to you very quickly on that. I thought you wanted to discuss how I might be able to help you grow your business." It's an honest response. I'm just not an average seller. I really am interested in helping people do and get more. I'm devoted to it. Yes, I have needs; personal interests and a family, dog and cat to support. But I have found over the years that taking care of, and respecting the needs of others will result the Shermans, and their pets, doing OK.
I never think of myself as smarter, more successful, more worthy or more anything than the people with whom I deal. The shop owner who spends ten hours a day, six days a week behind a counter to take care of his family is a worthy person, deserving of my attention and respect. And he gets it, naturally. And I'd like to think that because I communicate that respect with my words and body language, he little by little comes to trust me, and little by little the buyer-seller barrier is lowered. And if our work together results in a strategy and plan that includes my services, I am as devoted to him and the successful implementation of the plan as Charlie is to me. Sorry--Charlie is the dog.
A man that says, "Yes, let's do it. When can we start?" is owed every bit of my thinking and energy and attention. I owe him all of my R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Respectfully submitted.
Great Selling!
Serve Not Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for Corporate and Individual Consultation and Training
RSherman@PilotGroup.biz
Think for a moment about the all the obsequious, or disinterested, or arrogant (or pick any other number of distasteful adjectives) sales people you've come across recently. Was there anything in your contact with them that made you feel appreciated; respected; cared about? Of course not. And consequently, were you even interested in their expressions of enthusiasm about their product or service? I'd bet not. If there was any conversation at all with these average and all too typical sellers, it was about price. In fact, buyers are so used to being treated as personified wallets, most of the time they make "price" part of the introduction..."Nice to meet you Bob, how much?" or "What do you have for me today?"
When I meet a new prospect for the first time, I'm often greeted that way and my response is always along the following lines: "Ah, you want to discuss a special. I'll have someone get back to you very quickly on that. I thought you wanted to discuss how I might be able to help you grow your business." It's an honest response. I'm just not an average seller. I really am interested in helping people do and get more. I'm devoted to it. Yes, I have needs; personal interests and a family, dog and cat to support. But I have found over the years that taking care of, and respecting the needs of others will result the Shermans, and their pets, doing OK.
I never think of myself as smarter, more successful, more worthy or more anything than the people with whom I deal. The shop owner who spends ten hours a day, six days a week behind a counter to take care of his family is a worthy person, deserving of my attention and respect. And he gets it, naturally. And I'd like to think that because I communicate that respect with my words and body language, he little by little comes to trust me, and little by little the buyer-seller barrier is lowered. And if our work together results in a strategy and plan that includes my services, I am as devoted to him and the successful implementation of the plan as Charlie is to me. Sorry--Charlie is the dog.
A man that says, "Yes, let's do it. When can we start?" is owed every bit of my thinking and energy and attention. I owe him all of my R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Respectfully submitted.
Great Selling!
Serve Not Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for Corporate and Individual Consultation and Training
RSherman@PilotGroup.biz
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Hurricanes...What are They Good For?
In revolutionary times colonist-landowners with expanding families prayed for severe storms. That's because it was only when hurricane size winds toppled trees on their property, that the wood was theirs to use for home additions such as new nurseries. With the exception of these acts of nature the wood belonged to the King across the Atlantic. Thus the landowners waited with bated breath for the "windfall." The time honored tradition of waiting for the windfall continues to this very day.
Remarkable sales performers are hardly traditionalists. In some ways they exhibit all but revolutionary behavior and it is likely that it was their very ancestors who got fed up with weather watching and initiated the break with the Mother Country.
Exceptional sellers don't count on or worry about windfalls. They know that their success is a natural by-product of day after day service to others. Their contributions and the riches that come their way as a result of those contributions are not random acts of nature but rather the result of hard but fulfilling work.They love their work and work tirelessly at it. That starts with an appreciation for the product or service they represent, and a canvassing by way of disciplined and methodical prospecting of people or businesses whose growth can be facilitated in partnership with their product or service. They then combine their good will and honest communications with the learned and practiced art of salesmanship to motivate the customer to welcome help.
And then begins the process of struggling together, buyer and seller to find answers to the most important question: "How do we grow this business, together."
So how will you spend your day? With a barometer or the Yellow Pages?
Great Selling!
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Serve Don't Sell
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for Corporate and Individual Consultation and Training
RSherman@PilotGroup.biz
Remarkable sales performers are hardly traditionalists. In some ways they exhibit all but revolutionary behavior and it is likely that it was their very ancestors who got fed up with weather watching and initiated the break with the Mother Country.
Exceptional sellers don't count on or worry about windfalls. They know that their success is a natural by-product of day after day service to others. Their contributions and the riches that come their way as a result of those contributions are not random acts of nature but rather the result of hard but fulfilling work.They love their work and work tirelessly at it. That starts with an appreciation for the product or service they represent, and a canvassing by way of disciplined and methodical prospecting of people or businesses whose growth can be facilitated in partnership with their product or service. They then combine their good will and honest communications with the learned and practiced art of salesmanship to motivate the customer to welcome help.
And then begins the process of struggling together, buyer and seller to find answers to the most important question: "How do we grow this business, together."
So how will you spend your day? With a barometer or the Yellow Pages?
Great Selling!
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Serve Don't Sell
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for Corporate and Individual Consultation and Training
RSherman@PilotGroup.biz
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
What's So Special About You?
The headline above may be the most important professional question that you ask of yourself and your customers (present and prospective). Now you may be better off asking it (at least with your clients) in a more polite way, such as "What's the unique selling proposition your product or service offers?" Or, "What's the pain point that you address?" Or, "Why do people shop here?" Or, "Why don't people shop here?" Or, "Why do people come into your place to transact but often leave without doing so?" Or, "With whom do you compete and why do you win when you do, or lose when you do?" Or, "Where do your customers come from?" Or, "What is their expectation when they call or visit you?" Or, "Which of your products or services are the most sought?" Or, "Which of your line(s) moves the quickest?" Or, "Which has the highest margin?"
Or... If you're really exceptional at what you do, you'll think of many, many more before you get into the "How do you know that?" follow-up question to each of their responses. (At our company, we don't dress in the morning before calling our research partner to find out the weather). By the way, there isn't a business, in business, that wouldn't benefit from you provoking some brainstorming around some of the queries above, and trust me, I've just scratched the surface. And there are any number of businesses in both great and tough economic times that stop being in business because neither their executives nor their "vendors" force them to think about these issues.
I would submit that your customers would be a lot better off and you'd be a lot more successful if you walked into the meeting(s) with a host of provocative questions, rather than your sample bag.
Now here's the truth. Your customer likely doesn't know why he's not doing better because if he did, he would be. The exceptional, uncommon and remarkable salesman comes prepared to encourage a meaningful conversation that delves into all the imaginable elements that, if prioritized and shaped into a mosaic of "to do's" reasonably portend growth.
One new-to- market web site that I am pleased to advise, has a brilliant visionary as it's founding CEO. Yesterday, she and another adviser and I had one of our periodic calls during which she both updated us on her progress and tabled the three issues which she believed were impeding progress. In the course of the twenty minute conversation the three of us asked each other enough questions and follow-up questions to have found a fourth element that we all agreed superceded her other three and most needed to be solved for growth. That kind of focus on the needs of others (in this case how do we best help her?) offers the best shot at growth. In the case of the salesman it offers the answer to the question, "What's so special about you?" And if answered satisfactorily, earns the salesman the trust of the customer and the right to help/sell!
So...what is so special about you?
Great Selling!
Serve Don't Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for corporate and individual consultancy and training
RSherman1776@PilotGroup.biz
Or... If you're really exceptional at what you do, you'll think of many, many more before you get into the "How do you know that?" follow-up question to each of their responses. (At our company, we don't dress in the morning before calling our research partner to find out the weather). By the way, there isn't a business, in business, that wouldn't benefit from you provoking some brainstorming around some of the queries above, and trust me, I've just scratched the surface. And there are any number of businesses in both great and tough economic times that stop being in business because neither their executives nor their "vendors" force them to think about these issues.
I would submit that your customers would be a lot better off and you'd be a lot more successful if you walked into the meeting(s) with a host of provocative questions, rather than your sample bag.
Now here's the truth. Your customer likely doesn't know why he's not doing better because if he did, he would be. The exceptional, uncommon and remarkable salesman comes prepared to encourage a meaningful conversation that delves into all the imaginable elements that, if prioritized and shaped into a mosaic of "to do's" reasonably portend growth.
One new-to- market web site that I am pleased to advise, has a brilliant visionary as it's founding CEO. Yesterday, she and another adviser and I had one of our periodic calls during which she both updated us on her progress and tabled the three issues which she believed were impeding progress. In the course of the twenty minute conversation the three of us asked each other enough questions and follow-up questions to have found a fourth element that we all agreed superceded her other three and most needed to be solved for growth. That kind of focus on the needs of others (in this case how do we best help her?) offers the best shot at growth. In the case of the salesman it offers the answer to the question, "What's so special about you?" And if answered satisfactorily, earns the salesman the trust of the customer and the right to help/sell!
So...what is so special about you?
Great Selling!
Serve Don't Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for corporate and individual consultancy and training
RSherman1776@PilotGroup.biz
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Business Plan for Street Beggars
I think street beggars would maximize their daily "takes" if they displayed a suggested donation schedule. It might read something like this:
SUGGESTED DONATIONS
When contributing to my bowl if you say the following while making eye contact: $.25 per drop
1. "Have a nice day" or,
2. "I hope this helps" or,
3. anything along the lines of 1. or 2.
Saying 1., 2., or 3, without eye contact: $.50 per drop
Saying nothing with no eye contact while passing by at a leisurely pace: $1.00 per drop
Saying nothing, no eye contact and racing by: $5.00 per drop
I believe that making a personal contribution, rather than a "fly by," indicates a genuine concern for the other person. The not so down on his luck passer-by in this case, cares enough about helping the less fortunate, that he looks for signs that he has helped (like looking the beggar in the eye, for example), as well as recognizing the humanity of the "struggler" by communicating his good wishes. His contribution in this case helps feed the spirit as well as the belly, and so he is entitled to a deep discount. There's less of a discount when the motivations of the giver are a little more cloudy and by the time you get down to the "fly-by" it's clear Mr. Charity is doing this 100% for himself. It makes him feel better. Well, if the beggar has provided the value, it should cost the "giver" more for services received rather than rendered. Get it?
Here's the thing. I will bet you anything that less than one out of ten contributors will make the eye contact and verbally express good thoughts at a leisurely pace, because over 90 per cent of us donate in order to feel better about ourselves (especially in public); so that in that case, we are in our own service.
As for those who only have to fork over $.25, if they are in sales, they are off to heaven.
Great Selling!...and Serve Others!
Serve Don't Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for corporate and individual consultancy and training
Contact: RSherman1776@pilotgroup.biz
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Time...Friend or Foe?
"Ti-i-i ime is on my si-ide, yes it is..." a favorite of legions of average performers. The flip side of that classic, as a few of you know, is the yet to be written, "I Have no Enemy as Dangerous as Time," inspired by the realities of the life experiences of remarkable achievers. Here I am, says the average guy, the super proud representative of a wonderful product or service that can turn this troubled economic environment into the land of milk and honey for a multitude of prospective customers and...
"Tomorrow, I will make a list of them."
There are few things more gratifying that a "yes, I would be glad to meet with you," response from a prospective customer one thinks he can help...and almost a full day before the appointed meeting the average performer promises himself that..
"Tomorrow I'm going to do some research on that guy's industry."
Most sales folk believe in the concept of providing good customer service and most sales people promise that...
"Tomorrow I'm going to call Sherman's Auto Dealership and see how the campaign is working."
I have a friend in a B to B business in Atlanta who has enjoyed, and suffered, through both good and bad years. He's never had a worse year than this, though, and as the only rainmaker for his business, it's been particularly discouraging. He did have a great moment yesterday and he called me within minutes of his exciting event. It seems he'd been researching his lineage via the net for weeks and at 2:30 P.M. yesterday he made the discovery of the date and time his grandfather arrived in this country. He was as high as a kite, and right after he called me with the news he made some new business calls.
I have another friend in Atlanta who is truly an extraordinary salesman and am looking forward to catching up with him next Sunday.
Life's funny--love each of those guys alot but they have very little in common.
Great Selling!...and Collapse Time!
Serve Don't Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for Corporate and individual consultation and coaching; guest speaking
Contact: RSherman@PilotGroup.biz
"Tomorrow, I will make a list of them."
There are few things more gratifying that a "yes, I would be glad to meet with you," response from a prospective customer one thinks he can help...and almost a full day before the appointed meeting the average performer promises himself that..
"Tomorrow I'm going to do some research on that guy's industry."
Most sales folk believe in the concept of providing good customer service and most sales people promise that...
"Tomorrow I'm going to call Sherman's Auto Dealership and see how the campaign is working."
I have a friend in a B to B business in Atlanta who has enjoyed, and suffered, through both good and bad years. He's never had a worse year than this, though, and as the only rainmaker for his business, it's been particularly discouraging. He did have a great moment yesterday and he called me within minutes of his exciting event. It seems he'd been researching his lineage via the net for weeks and at 2:30 P.M. yesterday he made the discovery of the date and time his grandfather arrived in this country. He was as high as a kite, and right after he called me with the news he made some new business calls.
I have another friend in Atlanta who is truly an extraordinary salesman and am looking forward to catching up with him next Sunday.
Life's funny--love each of those guys alot but they have very little in common.
Great Selling!...and Collapse Time!
Serve Don't Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
Available for Corporate and individual consultation and coaching; guest speaking
Contact: RSherman@PilotGroup.biz
Thursday, October 29, 2009
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Together
What's the difference between finger pointing and finger painting? While they each are childish activities, finger painting is not destructive. We all hear and read that one of the understandable reactions to this "temporary" economic reversal is a great deal of angst among those not already "downsized." The "am I next?" syndrome. How executives react to this angst is an excellent metric of their skill and value, and perhaps a pretty good indicator of whether or not the organization will "make it.".
A survival of the fittest (the sharp elbows and finger pointing) culture does much more than make life miserable for everyone (even for the perpetrator, unless he's been waiting in great anticipation for this inning of the game--because he's either nuts or a bad guy). This culture also greatly weakens the company's chances for survival, much less success, during and following the down cycle. If a pretty good I.Q. is, let's say 125, and you have six influential executives, you can have each of them firing away at the others, (in which case they all run a pretty good chance of incurring mortal wounds) or 750 I.Q. points in the aggregate trying to turn problems into opportunities for all.
A partner and I met with an institutional banker yesterday. He manages his firm's media portfolio and you can guess the kind of a year this has been for him. He actually was visiting with us to see if there was opportunity to grow with us. At one point I expressed if not sympathy, a sensitivity to how stressful his work must have been since this time last year.
"Actually," Tim said, "this has been a great year. Our boss preaches that it doesn't matter how we got here, we need to put our heads together to forge where we're going. Our teams have been strategizing and planning; everyone is wearing elbow pads, so no one has to wear body armor, and as a result we have a very sensible path to success."
How'd you like to work for his boss?
Look, it's okay to be concerned. But be concerned about the right stuff. You have clients and prospects who need your help more than ever. Whether it be to get through this period or make hay during this period, they need help. And if you are the one dedicated to providing it, you will, and an automatic by-product of that behavior will be that you have nothing to worry about.
Great Selling!
Serve Don't Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
A survival of the fittest (the sharp elbows and finger pointing) culture does much more than make life miserable for everyone (even for the perpetrator, unless he's been waiting in great anticipation for this inning of the game--because he's either nuts or a bad guy). This culture also greatly weakens the company's chances for survival, much less success, during and following the down cycle. If a pretty good I.Q. is, let's say 125, and you have six influential executives, you can have each of them firing away at the others, (in which case they all run a pretty good chance of incurring mortal wounds) or 750 I.Q. points in the aggregate trying to turn problems into opportunities for all.
A partner and I met with an institutional banker yesterday. He manages his firm's media portfolio and you can guess the kind of a year this has been for him. He actually was visiting with us to see if there was opportunity to grow with us. At one point I expressed if not sympathy, a sensitivity to how stressful his work must have been since this time last year.
"Actually," Tim said, "this has been a great year. Our boss preaches that it doesn't matter how we got here, we need to put our heads together to forge where we're going. Our teams have been strategizing and planning; everyone is wearing elbow pads, so no one has to wear body armor, and as a result we have a very sensible path to success."
How'd you like to work for his boss?
Look, it's okay to be concerned. But be concerned about the right stuff. You have clients and prospects who need your help more than ever. Whether it be to get through this period or make hay during this period, they need help. And if you are the one dedicated to providing it, you will, and an automatic by-product of that behavior will be that you have nothing to worry about.
Great Selling!
Serve Don't Sell
Love Your Work and Work Tirelessly
Communicate Honestly and Fearlessly
Collapse Time
Teamwork
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