More Sales Tips from a really good book. "The World's Best Sales Tips by Ciaran McGuigan is a quick toolkit for improving your sales techniques.
Ciaran talks about "Exploding your opportunities" on page 4. What he is referring to is using the contacts of existing customers as a base for future Suspects. All SMEs suffer from not enough sales funnel. We struggle looking for lists and other ways to get more contacts to approach.
This method involves looking at each of your customers in turn. Think about the suppliers and customers that this customer has. Try and write down six names associated with each customer.
This way you can quickly go from 6 customers to 6 customers and 36 suspects to contact.
Be sure to make sure you have permission from your customers to contact these new contacts. Also it is great to get a written referral from your customer on how you have helped them. Think about how your products and services can assist each of the new contacts and draft a letter to each introducing yourself and enclosing the referral from your existing customer.
Another twist on this is to look at the suppliers to your existing customer. They usually like to keep their customers happy so if your customer says that he would like to refer you to them, they will naturally have to at least take your call or see you.
Powerful?
the BizWiz
http://www.boulterassociates.com.au/
http://www.informgroup.com.au/
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Qantas: How to destroy customer loyalty
Qantas enjoys a higher than normal loyalty rate compared to other airlines.
Why is this?
Well, personally, I am proud to be Australian. After too many years travelling I know this is the best place to live.Qantas, through clever marketing over many years is an Aussie Icon. The Flying Kangaroo has strong brand presence, globally.
With no major accidents on record, this speaks strong and is clearly a differentiator. When hurtling through the air with 400 other people and tonnes of Jet-A1 I don't want to be thinking about maintenance standards.
I have been prepared to change schedules, deal with connections and pay a premium at times to not wonder about the maintenance schedules.
So whats been going wrong?
Well, for a number of years there has been a steady decline in the Spirit of Australia, there was a time when Qantas staff made all the difference. It was the smile. It was the pragmatism. It was going that extra mile. It was feeling like you were in Australia even before you arrived home.
That has gone.
Qantas staff are no longer proud to be Qantas.
This is clearly management's fault. Bringing efficiencies and driving out cost from a business are important. But it is easy to do that: design a spreadsheet and execute. Doing this while keeping the culture & the company spirit alive is hard.
Don't worry Qantas you are not alone. MBAs pore over case study after case study on this topic.
I don't profess to know the answers. But, I do know the symptoms. this is not about off-shoring the maintenance. Proper quality control and audits (which should be happening regardless of location) should ensure the maintenance standards. CASA's recent review has uncovered a number of shortcomings in process and control.
Another symptom is service during the flight. I think that the same number of staff are on board. They are there for our safety not just to get us meals. It used to be easy to get a drink or other items and now it is a case of having to tackle the person. They have mastered the art of seeing through your signal. Maybe that is part of our health management on the flight. My liver thanks you Qantas !
But more importantly it is the feel from the staff that is coming out. I would guess that the staff are not happy and their fears and feelings come out in body language. In every organisation some people could be unhappy, but an epidemic across staff means there has to be an influence from management.
All airlines have technical difficulties but there has been an "unlucky run for Qantas" according to CASA.
What does that mean?
400 people all incurring extra cost and aggro in changing bookings etc. Qantas is more than happy to charge penalties when we change our plans but what about the costs we incur in lost hotel bookings, re booking non Qantas flights & lost holiday days.
For me it has been two international flights in 3 months that have been cancelled. I cannot afford for it to happen again. Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are next for me !
Qantas has not lost me forever but they have lost my loyalty and my word of mouth advertising.
the BizWiz
http://www.boulterassociates.com.au/
http://www.informgroup.com.au/
Why is this?
Well, personally, I am proud to be Australian. After too many years travelling I know this is the best place to live.Qantas, through clever marketing over many years is an Aussie Icon. The Flying Kangaroo has strong brand presence, globally.
With no major accidents on record, this speaks strong and is clearly a differentiator. When hurtling through the air with 400 other people and tonnes of Jet-A1 I don't want to be thinking about maintenance standards.
I have been prepared to change schedules, deal with connections and pay a premium at times to not wonder about the maintenance schedules.
So whats been going wrong?
Well, for a number of years there has been a steady decline in the Spirit of Australia, there was a time when Qantas staff made all the difference. It was the smile. It was the pragmatism. It was going that extra mile. It was feeling like you were in Australia even before you arrived home.
That has gone.
Qantas staff are no longer proud to be Qantas.
This is clearly management's fault. Bringing efficiencies and driving out cost from a business are important. But it is easy to do that: design a spreadsheet and execute. Doing this while keeping the culture & the company spirit alive is hard.
Don't worry Qantas you are not alone. MBAs pore over case study after case study on this topic.
I don't profess to know the answers. But, I do know the symptoms. this is not about off-shoring the maintenance. Proper quality control and audits (which should be happening regardless of location) should ensure the maintenance standards. CASA's recent review has uncovered a number of shortcomings in process and control.
Another symptom is service during the flight. I think that the same number of staff are on board. They are there for our safety not just to get us meals. It used to be easy to get a drink or other items and now it is a case of having to tackle the person. They have mastered the art of seeing through your signal. Maybe that is part of our health management on the flight. My liver thanks you Qantas !
But more importantly it is the feel from the staff that is coming out. I would guess that the staff are not happy and their fears and feelings come out in body language. In every organisation some people could be unhappy, but an epidemic across staff means there has to be an influence from management.
All airlines have technical difficulties but there has been an "unlucky run for Qantas" according to CASA.
What does that mean?
400 people all incurring extra cost and aggro in changing bookings etc. Qantas is more than happy to charge penalties when we change our plans but what about the costs we incur in lost hotel bookings, re booking non Qantas flights & lost holiday days.
For me it has been two international flights in 3 months that have been cancelled. I cannot afford for it to happen again. Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are next for me !
Qantas has not lost me forever but they have lost my loyalty and my word of mouth advertising.
the BizWiz
http://www.boulterassociates.com.au/
http://www.informgroup.com.au/
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Generating Business by LinkedIn
It has been a busy week. I set out one week ago to increase my network on LinkedIn. At that time I had about 140+ connections and thought I was reasonably connected. A few weeks earlier I had been at a Conference where Stan Relihan spoke. He is Australia's most LinkedIn person with some 16,000+ connections. You can also see him noted on TopLinkedIn where others around the world are listed.
From this I felt a need to see where this would take me. Using Business Cards and my existing Outlook, I was able to generate another 100+ connections and I was past my original goal of 250+. Then I discovered there are groups which I joined and was able to find more people connected to me via our common connections to Associations, past companies etc.
Now I was on a role.....500+ was in my grasp. Why did I want 500+? Well when you look at Stan's profile you will see he has 500+ connections. I wanted that same tag. Compared to my profile, you will see I have a unique number noted .
Another thing I noticed along the journey was that some people did not want to Link. They would mark my Invitation as "Dont know him". This is a bad. If you get five of these you get blocked from directly linking and have to know the person's email address to Link.
Why do people do this? the reason you join something like Linked In is to build your connections and business network. Every connection is valuable . I had somebody even say they were "limiting their network at this time". That is an interesting concept. I would suggest FaceBook or MySpace is about that. You have a limited number of people you wish to be with.
So how is this helping Business?
Well one of my connections, Luke Harvey-Palmer, blogged this on Buzz Blog. He outlined 40 things you must do in LinkedIn to improve your Personal Brand.
What has been my experience? Well today at 470+ LinkedIn has noticed me. I have little box that was not there before. It says my profile has been viewed by 12 people in the last 4 days and I have been in search results 31 times in the last 3 days. Two weeks ago that was not happening.
What else? Well I have been contacted by Recruiters seeing if I know anybody for roles. I have been contacted by Recruiters wondering if I am interested in a role. That doesnt happen often. I have been contacted by people wondering if we can do business together. I have been contacted by people to see "what I am up to" and lastly I have had people contacting me to sell me a service.
The traffic to my website and to my InForm consulting website has quadrupled in the last two weeks. All the good SEO tips work.
As Luke would say I feel a "Buzz". All in all, this is good. Your Personal Brand is important. Any possible way you can raise your profile, legally, is a good thing.
Let me tell you how it is going in one months time. Just a blip?
What about your experience? Have you tried LinkedIn?
theBizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
From this I felt a need to see where this would take me. Using Business Cards and my existing Outlook, I was able to generate another 100+ connections and I was past my original goal of 250+. Then I discovered there are groups which I joined and was able to find more people connected to me via our common connections to Associations, past companies etc.
Now I was on a role.....500+ was in my grasp. Why did I want 500+? Well when you look at Stan's profile you will see he has 500+ connections. I wanted that same tag. Compared to my profile, you will see I have a unique number noted .
Another thing I noticed along the journey was that some people did not want to Link. They would mark my Invitation as "Dont know him". This is a bad. If you get five of these you get blocked from directly linking and have to know the person's email address to Link.
Why do people do this? the reason you join something like Linked In is to build your connections and business network. Every connection is valuable . I had somebody even say they were "limiting their network at this time". That is an interesting concept. I would suggest FaceBook or MySpace is about that. You have a limited number of people you wish to be with.
So how is this helping Business?
Well one of my connections, Luke Harvey-Palmer, blogged this on Buzz Blog. He outlined 40 things you must do in LinkedIn to improve your Personal Brand.
What has been my experience? Well today at 470+ LinkedIn has noticed me. I have little box that was not there before. It says my profile has been viewed by 12 people in the last 4 days and I have been in search results 31 times in the last 3 days. Two weeks ago that was not happening.
What else? Well I have been contacted by Recruiters seeing if I know anybody for roles. I have been contacted by Recruiters wondering if I am interested in a role. That doesnt happen often. I have been contacted by people wondering if we can do business together. I have been contacted by people to see "what I am up to" and lastly I have had people contacting me to sell me a service.
The traffic to my website and to my InForm consulting website has quadrupled in the last two weeks. All the good SEO tips work.
As Luke would say I feel a "Buzz". All in all, this is good. Your Personal Brand is important. Any possible way you can raise your profile, legally, is a good thing.
Let me tell you how it is going in one months time. Just a blip?
What about your experience? Have you tried LinkedIn?
theBizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
Saturday, August 30, 2008
How to sell more stuff and the Credit Crisis
So you have a website, whats next? Most likely you have a Web 1.0 site that is basically a Business Card and a Brochure cupboard with limited feedback via email forms. You could up the anti to a Web2.0 or even a Web3.0 when it comes or is it here now!). Later for more on that.
But you can sell more stuff via your website without setting up a shop. Have a look at Amazons Associates and EBay Affiliates programs.
See how easy it is to embed something on your website that, if clicked and purchased by somebody, earns you money.
How do you earn the money? Well you have to attract people to your sites. That requires marketing. You could try SEO, you could try Blogging (sound familiar) or you could purchase Adwords
Another way is to become a reseller of services and advertise that on your site. Unashamedly WeeklyBizWiz is a reseller of service from Netregistry
Have a look at reseller programs and affiliate programs. You will be surprised that it can be done so easily.
Oh, what has this got to do with the Credit Crisis? Selling more stuff pays the Credit Card. Using a title like this in your blog attracts people looking for information. They may even buy this book.
The BizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
But you can sell more stuff via your website without setting up a shop. Have a look at Amazons Associates and EBay Affiliates programs.
See how easy it is to embed something on your website that, if clicked and purchased by somebody, earns you money.
How do you earn the money? Well you have to attract people to your sites. That requires marketing. You could try SEO, you could try Blogging (sound familiar) or you could purchase Adwords
Another way is to become a reseller of services and advertise that on your site. Unashamedly WeeklyBizWiz is a reseller of service from Netregistry
Have a look at reseller programs and affiliate programs. You will be surprised that it can be done so easily.
Oh, what has this got to do with the Credit Crisis? Selling more stuff pays the Credit Card. Using a title like this in your blog attracts people looking for information. They may even buy this book.
The BizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
Friday, August 29, 2008
Worlds Best Sales Tips #2
Over the next few weeks I will add a few Sales Tips from a really good book. "The World's Best Sales Tips by Ciaran McGuigan is a quick toolkit for improving your sales techniques.
Back to the Cold Call, our long term friend. Once you have worked out you are speaking to the righter person what are you going to do? Are you going to say "the reason I cam calling you is to let you know....touch base.....was wondering....was in the area"
The reason for your call has to be a reason for THEM not you. The only way to do that is to tell them how you have helped similar businesses, tell them how you have reduced pain from problems and how you have increased the gains in their business.
Please dont ever say: " So tell me, what keeps you awake at night?" The answer is probably along the lines of ways to stop people asking that question !
So lets look at pain. If you havent figured it out yet, there is a lot of work to doing effective Cold Calling. You have to research the business before you call. Look for announcements, press releases, reorganisations and any other information you can get. You will find out who the people are you need to talk with. You will figure out what is happening and you can figure out how your products and services can help that company reduce pain and increase gain.
A good tool is Google Alerts. Just pug in the company name or any other criteria you want to search on and an email will be delivered each day with all references. Use this over a period of time to build a picture of the Suspects you have in your Pipeline and come up with ways to convert them to Prospects.
You wont waste time on dumb cold calls. You will bring more value and knowledge to your customer and your products and services should be a better fit.
TheBizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
Back to the Cold Call, our long term friend. Once you have worked out you are speaking to the righter person what are you going to do? Are you going to say "the reason I cam calling you is to let you know....touch base.....was wondering....was in the area"
The reason for your call has to be a reason for THEM not you. The only way to do that is to tell them how you have helped similar businesses, tell them how you have reduced pain from problems and how you have increased the gains in their business.
Please dont ever say: " So tell me, what keeps you awake at night?" The answer is probably along the lines of ways to stop people asking that question !
So lets look at pain. If you havent figured it out yet, there is a lot of work to doing effective Cold Calling. You have to research the business before you call. Look for announcements, press releases, reorganisations and any other information you can get. You will find out who the people are you need to talk with. You will figure out what is happening and you can figure out how your products and services can help that company reduce pain and increase gain.
A good tool is Google Alerts. Just pug in the company name or any other criteria you want to search on and an email will be delivered each day with all references. Use this over a period of time to build a picture of the Suspects you have in your Pipeline and come up with ways to convert them to Prospects.
You wont waste time on dumb cold calls. You will bring more value and knowledge to your customer and your products and services should be a better fit.
TheBizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Balloons and other advertising gadgets
What is it with balloons and Car Sale Yards?
I know I am a sad case, but today I noticed each car yard I went past had balloons tied to their cars. Was it balloon day for the cars? Obviously, the tactic worked. I saw the balloons moving all over the place and as I sat at traffic lights, I secretly hoped some would blow away in the strong wind. But the funny thing is I never noticed any of the cars for sale. I can see a session at the next Car Sales Manager Conference: "100 places to tie balloons to Cars".
At one yard, I noticed the now required balloons but then my eyes were taken to the giant "person" waving in the now stronger wind. Once again I never noticed the cars. Worse still I don't think I can tell you the name of the car yard.
This got me thinking about other promotional devices used in business. Ask any PA or Administrator in a business about conferences-events-promotional items and I can guarantee they will pull out at least one 50 page plus, full colour, catalogue of items that profess to keep the business name in front of mind.
A quick count on my desk shows four pens with obligatory website and phone contact details, one post it note pad with catchy logo and website(again) and one A4 notepad from another conference (with the sponsor's name and website). All of this things are very handy and I am more than happy to receive them. But do they make me come back to their website again or buy their products?
It is one of the conundrums of marketing, how to measure the response to a promotion or advertising campaign. Who knows, the subliminal message of using the pen each day may influence a purchase at some future time. More likely the pen will run out and I will be left with a remnant memory: " I used to have a pen with a website for that photocopier reseller, geez I wish I had it so I could buy a photocopier from them.......oh well fire up google again."
Next time I see the balloons, I promise to make a conscious decision to look at the car dealers name. I promise to pay more attention to the websites on the pens I use. And next time I write a note on my pad I will look at who the company was that kindly gave me the pad.
I hope you do as well.
the BizWiz
www.informgroup.com.au
www.boulterassociates.com.au
I know I am a sad case, but today I noticed each car yard I went past had balloons tied to their cars. Was it balloon day for the cars? Obviously, the tactic worked. I saw the balloons moving all over the place and as I sat at traffic lights, I secretly hoped some would blow away in the strong wind. But the funny thing is I never noticed any of the cars for sale. I can see a session at the next Car Sales Manager Conference: "100 places to tie balloons to Cars".
At one yard, I noticed the now required balloons but then my eyes were taken to the giant "person" waving in the now stronger wind. Once again I never noticed the cars. Worse still I don't think I can tell you the name of the car yard.
This got me thinking about other promotional devices used in business. Ask any PA or Administrator in a business about conferences-events-promotional items and I can guarantee they will pull out at least one 50 page plus, full colour, catalogue of items that profess to keep the business name in front of mind.
A quick count on my desk shows four pens with obligatory website and phone contact details, one post it note pad with catchy logo and website(again) and one A4 notepad from another conference (with the sponsor's name and website). All of this things are very handy and I am more than happy to receive them. But do they make me come back to their website again or buy their products?
It is one of the conundrums of marketing, how to measure the response to a promotion or advertising campaign. Who knows, the subliminal message of using the pen each day may influence a purchase at some future time. More likely the pen will run out and I will be left with a remnant memory: " I used to have a pen with a website for that photocopier reseller, geez I wish I had it so I could buy a photocopier from them.......oh well fire up google again."
Next time I see the balloons, I promise to make a conscious decision to look at the car dealers name. I promise to pay more attention to the websites on the pens I use. And next time I write a note on my pad I will look at who the company was that kindly gave me the pad.
I hope you do as well.
the BizWiz
www.informgroup.com.au
www.boulterassociates.com.au
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
World's Best Sales Tips #1
Over the next few weeks I will add a few Sales Tips from a really good book. "The World's Best Sales Tips by Ciaran McGuigan is a quick toolkit for improving your sales techniques.
One of the classic problems is Cold Calling. Let's face it nobody likes rejection and Cold Calling has quite a bit of this.
In Chapter 1 of this book Ciaran talks about the initial greeting. A BIG mistake is not qualifying that you are talking to the person you expect. Don't assume that the person answering is the person you expect to be talking to. You could have been put through to the wrong extension number or another person may be answering the phone for that person.
A really funny spin on this is: Show up & Throw Up from the SalesRoundup Podcast team. This is extreme but Ii think we have all seen elements of this.
What has been your experience? Heard any good stories?
TheBizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
One of the classic problems is Cold Calling. Let's face it nobody likes rejection and Cold Calling has quite a bit of this.
In Chapter 1 of this book Ciaran talks about the initial greeting. A BIG mistake is not qualifying that you are talking to the person you expect. Don't assume that the person answering is the person you expect to be talking to. You could have been put through to the wrong extension number or another person may be answering the phone for that person.
A really funny spin on this is: Show up & Throw Up from the SalesRoundup Podcast team. This is extreme but Ii think we have all seen elements of this.
What has been your experience? Heard any good stories?
TheBizWiz
www.boulterassociates.com.au
www.informgroup.com.au
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
