"Espresso Shot - Upon entering the Holiday Gift Giving Season, remember, it's not about what you like, it's about what the person receiving the gift likes."
I posted this on my Sales Barista Facebook Page (it's where I post all of my Espresso Shots) shortly after a conversation I had regarding Christmas presents. I won't name them because it's not worth the added family holiday drama - you all know what I mean.
I was engaged in a conversation regarding what I knew a certain female friend wanted as a gift for Christmas. The person I was talking with had already purchased an item and was asking for my opinion on whether she would like it. It went a little something like this:
Me: "Oh she will love it! Is it pink?"
Anonymous: "No."
Me: "Wait, it doesn't have any pink on it? She really liked the one I have and I know she wants one with pink."
Anonymous: "No. I didn't get that, I didn't like any of those."
After I wrapped up the conversation (no pun intended), I yelled to my fiancé, John, “Dude, he just doesn't get it. It's not about what he likes, it's about what she likes and what she wants.” So the espresso shot was born.
But as I started to think more deeply - I mean I really just couldn't understand this as I am someone who tries to find the perfect present for each person according to their likes, style, and wants - I realized that there is a business lesson in gift giving.
When you are engaging with your customers and trying to offer service or a product, it's all about their wants and likes, not yours. The best business people find out what their customers like, dislike, want, and need and provide their service and products based on this information.
Are you one of these best business people?
Or are you the businessperson who projects your likes and wants and needs onto your customers?
In the hurriedness of this economic season, it's easy to skip the formalities of doing business, to not really get to know your customers, and to not find out what the best gift you could give is.
Take heed and slow down.
Suppress your own opinions and get to know your customers.
Here are few steps you can follow to uncover the gift your customers really want:
1. Court them. Take the time to really get to know your customer. Research them on Google and social networking sites. Take them on multiple dates before you deliver what you think they want. Prepare for your meetings and prepare to become a friend, not just a person they do business with.
2. Ask them. The easiest and fastest way to get to know what they really want or what will be most helpful is to just ask them. It seems so simple, but so many people skip the asking questions portion and just go right to the, "Let me tell you all about me" portion. Guess what? They probably don't care about you, unless you know what they want, need, and how what you can provide fits into that. Prepare for your meetings by writing down intelligent, powerful, and creative questions that will help you identify their likes, dislikes, wants, and needs. Then ASK them, listen, and take notes.
3. Ask their trusted advisors. These are the people they trust and who know them best. Maybe it's their assistant, office manager, partner, or colleague. Everyone has someone that knows the person you are courting well enough to be able to advise you on their wants and needs. Think about my story, I knew what the receiver of the non-pink gift wanted. I knew because she told me. What's better than that?
Once you know what they really want, you can deliver the perfect present, a gift of understanding, listening, and truly knowing them. And that, my friends, is the greatest business gift of all.
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Fan Friendly
I wore fur (faux of course!) to a Nascar race.
That's beside the point.
Have you been to a Nascar race?
Have you had a pit pass?
Hot or cold?
A few weeks ago, I was able to attend the Bank of America 500 race in Concord, North Carolina with a hot pass (THANK YOU Red Bull Racing and Brian Vickers!) and it was amazing. I never thought I would associate the word amazing with Nascar, but there is really no other way to explain the experience of a race - in the pits. Well maybe you could say exhilarating, loud, hot, entertaining, or friendly, OVERLY friendly.
That's right. Nascar is overly friendly. Not driver-to-driver (no, they want to leave skid marks on each other) but driver/race team to fan = overly friendly.
What does it take to be overly fan friendly?
It boils down to one KEY trait: Accessibility.
As I was walking out of the racetrack, I thought to myself (literally) that Nascar was the most fan friendly sport I have been to. And I have been to professional football, basketball, hockey, tennis, wrestling, wait - not wrestling, and baseball events. And while they are all great events, none of them top the fan friendliness of a hot pass for Nascar. The accessibility that a hot pass allows is to let a fan to be down in the pits through the entire race, to stand by the spare tires they so feverishly change during the pit stops. I touched the tires. I stood alongside the pit crew, the staff, and the girlfriend(s), as I watched in amazement at how, to them, a fan was a friend. There were no looks of annoyance, only looks of smiles and acceptance, allowing me to feel like I belonged, where so clearly, I did not. Duh - I do not know how to change tires!
How much access do you allow your fans (this would be your customers)?
How close do you let them get to the inter-workings of your business?
Do you let them revel in your success?
Do you allow them the right to look behind the curtain?
Are you fan friendly or fan unfavorable?
What does being accessible allow your customers to feel?
1. Important. When you allow your customers access to the inner workings of your business, it allows them to feel most important. It makes them feel trusted. And when a customer feels important and trusted by the people and business where they spend their money, they are going to spend more. They are going to remain loyal. They are going to tell others. Just like I did.
2. Connected. I felt connected, like I was part of the team, by simply being allowed to watch them work. How often do you allow your customers to see how your company works? Do you allow them to see you at your best? When you do, they feel connected to your business. Connection is nearly as important as feeling important, when a customer feels connected, or a connection, they will want to share this connection with others. What are you doing to connect with your customers?
3. Amazed. Amazement is often lost in the world these days. The only people who have amazement in their life on a regular basis are children. Why shouldn't you and your customers feel this way? Now, while your company may not be as exciting and amazing as watching a ten second pit stop, I bet there is something that you are doing that is amazing and exciting, why wouldn't you allow your customers in on it?
Isn't this how you want all of your fans to feel? Important? Connected? Amazed?
YES!
So, begin taking steps to be more fan friendly for your customers. They will more than appreciate it - they will be a fan for life, your fan for life.
Want to see a picture of me at the race (fur and all)? Visit my Sales Barista Facebook Page.
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
That's beside the point.
Have you been to a Nascar race?
Have you had a pit pass?
Hot or cold?
A few weeks ago, I was able to attend the Bank of America 500 race in Concord, North Carolina with a hot pass (THANK YOU Red Bull Racing and Brian Vickers!) and it was amazing. I never thought I would associate the word amazing with Nascar, but there is really no other way to explain the experience of a race - in the pits. Well maybe you could say exhilarating, loud, hot, entertaining, or friendly, OVERLY friendly.
That's right. Nascar is overly friendly. Not driver-to-driver (no, they want to leave skid marks on each other) but driver/race team to fan = overly friendly.
What does it take to be overly fan friendly?
It boils down to one KEY trait: Accessibility.
As I was walking out of the racetrack, I thought to myself (literally) that Nascar was the most fan friendly sport I have been to. And I have been to professional football, basketball, hockey, tennis, wrestling, wait - not wrestling, and baseball events. And while they are all great events, none of them top the fan friendliness of a hot pass for Nascar. The accessibility that a hot pass allows is to let a fan to be down in the pits through the entire race, to stand by the spare tires they so feverishly change during the pit stops. I touched the tires. I stood alongside the pit crew, the staff, and the girlfriend(s), as I watched in amazement at how, to them, a fan was a friend. There were no looks of annoyance, only looks of smiles and acceptance, allowing me to feel like I belonged, where so clearly, I did not. Duh - I do not know how to change tires!
How much access do you allow your fans (this would be your customers)?
How close do you let them get to the inter-workings of your business?
Do you let them revel in your success?
Do you allow them the right to look behind the curtain?
Are you fan friendly or fan unfavorable?
What does being accessible allow your customers to feel?
1. Important. When you allow your customers access to the inner workings of your business, it allows them to feel most important. It makes them feel trusted. And when a customer feels important and trusted by the people and business where they spend their money, they are going to spend more. They are going to remain loyal. They are going to tell others. Just like I did.
2. Connected. I felt connected, like I was part of the team, by simply being allowed to watch them work. How often do you allow your customers to see how your company works? Do you allow them to see you at your best? When you do, they feel connected to your business. Connection is nearly as important as feeling important, when a customer feels connected, or a connection, they will want to share this connection with others. What are you doing to connect with your customers?
3. Amazed. Amazement is often lost in the world these days. The only people who have amazement in their life on a regular basis are children. Why shouldn't you and your customers feel this way? Now, while your company may not be as exciting and amazing as watching a ten second pit stop, I bet there is something that you are doing that is amazing and exciting, why wouldn't you allow your customers in on it?
Isn't this how you want all of your fans to feel? Important? Connected? Amazed?
YES!
So, begin taking steps to be more fan friendly for your customers. They will more than appreciate it - they will be a fan for life, your fan for life.
Want to see a picture of me at the race (fur and all)? Visit my Sales Barista Facebook Page.
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Brand to Become
Brands are not for companies. Brands are for people. Brands are for you.
What's your brand?
What are you known for?
What are you known as?
What do you want to be known as?
I met a gentleman who is a fellow speaker and I asked him what he speaks on. He started to stammer and said, "I get that question a lot. Do you want to know what I do speak on or what I want to speak on?"
FAIL. Major fail.
How can you be a speaker and not be prepared to answer the most common question you most likely get asked? And how can you stammer when you are a professional speaker?
But his response got me thinking, at least talking to him was good for something (thanks for the article, buddy!).
How many people are doing something now but have something else they would rather be doing?
How many people are stuck with no hope to get out?
How many people think they can't change who they are?
"When I was young I didn't know what I wanted to be, but I always knew the kind of woman I wanted to become." Diane von Furstenburg said this in an interview. It's powerful and it's eye-opening. Who do you want to become?
You can be catapulted from who you are now to who you want to become through branding. So, I ask again, what's your brand?
Don't have one? Make one. Create one. Build one.
It's easy. You only need these four items:
1. Power Title. Or a logo, or a blog, or a motto, or anything different that represents who you are. Mine happens to be my title. My brand started through my title. When Gitomer hired me to work for him, I had free rein to create my title. I like to be creative and I thought long and hard before I struck a chord on the Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. This title has received more compliments and notoriety than any other title I could have come up with. It's created my brand and I've ran with it. I'm known as the Sales Barista. People know me. People who I don't know, know me. You know me. I have a brand. A coffee-centric, unique, creative, professional, and friendly brand. What's your brand?
2. Network. Beyond a great title, you have to have a great network. This network has to be full of successful people who are willing to help YOU become more successful (thank you Jeffrey!). Your network is essential to helping your brand become known. People learn about me through other people talking about me, sharing my blog and articles, and re-tweeting me. There are three types of networks: personal, professional, and social media. You must have people helping you on all three levels to truly excel. Who's in your network? Who's willing to help you become who you want to be?
3. Platform. Your platform and network work together. The network is the people who help you, the platform is the tools that you use. I'm a writer, so I use Sales Caffeine and my blog to get my words out in the world. And sometimes people like what I write, they like my philosophies, and so they share them. My platform is my blog, my social media channels (Facebook business page, Twitter, LinkedIn), Ace of Sales, and my job. All of these tools help build my brand and make me more known. What's your platform?
4. A bigger picture. Furstenburg's quote sums this up perfectly. The bigger picture is what you want to become. The bigger picture encapsulates three things: how do you want to be known, what and who do you want to influence, and what image do you want to portray? What's your bigger picture?
I'm a Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. That's my brand and it all started with a title, a conversation starting, brand making title. Thankfully I love the brand I stumbled upon. I never dreamed it would become as big of a brand as it has and I am drinking it up. Here's the good news, you are here from the beginning. You can say, "I knew her back when," when I've become who I want to become.
Your brand can become whatever you want it to be.
Start small. Create your creative power title, start using Ace of Sales to immediately brand yourself (get 45 days free by using my special promocode: barista45), create a social media presence, and use your network to spread your brand.
Start now.
Start being who you want to become.
Start the brand you want to be.
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
What's your brand?
What are you known for?
What are you known as?
What do you want to be known as?
I met a gentleman who is a fellow speaker and I asked him what he speaks on. He started to stammer and said, "I get that question a lot. Do you want to know what I do speak on or what I want to speak on?"
FAIL. Major fail.
How can you be a speaker and not be prepared to answer the most common question you most likely get asked? And how can you stammer when you are a professional speaker?
But his response got me thinking, at least talking to him was good for something (thanks for the article, buddy!).
How many people are doing something now but have something else they would rather be doing?
How many people are stuck with no hope to get out?
How many people think they can't change who they are?
"When I was young I didn't know what I wanted to be, but I always knew the kind of woman I wanted to become." Diane von Furstenburg said this in an interview. It's powerful and it's eye-opening. Who do you want to become?
You can be catapulted from who you are now to who you want to become through branding. So, I ask again, what's your brand?
Don't have one? Make one. Create one. Build one.
It's easy. You only need these four items:
1. Power Title. Or a logo, or a blog, or a motto, or anything different that represents who you are. Mine happens to be my title. My brand started through my title. When Gitomer hired me to work for him, I had free rein to create my title. I like to be creative and I thought long and hard before I struck a chord on the Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. This title has received more compliments and notoriety than any other title I could have come up with. It's created my brand and I've ran with it. I'm known as the Sales Barista. People know me. People who I don't know, know me. You know me. I have a brand. A coffee-centric, unique, creative, professional, and friendly brand. What's your brand?
2. Network. Beyond a great title, you have to have a great network. This network has to be full of successful people who are willing to help YOU become more successful (thank you Jeffrey!). Your network is essential to helping your brand become known. People learn about me through other people talking about me, sharing my blog and articles, and re-tweeting me. There are three types of networks: personal, professional, and social media. You must have people helping you on all three levels to truly excel. Who's in your network? Who's willing to help you become who you want to be?
3. Platform. Your platform and network work together. The network is the people who help you, the platform is the tools that you use. I'm a writer, so I use Sales Caffeine and my blog to get my words out in the world. And sometimes people like what I write, they like my philosophies, and so they share them. My platform is my blog, my social media channels (Facebook business page, Twitter, LinkedIn), Ace of Sales, and my job. All of these tools help build my brand and make me more known. What's your platform?
4. A bigger picture. Furstenburg's quote sums this up perfectly. The bigger picture is what you want to become. The bigger picture encapsulates three things: how do you want to be known, what and who do you want to influence, and what image do you want to portray? What's your bigger picture?
I'm a Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. That's my brand and it all started with a title, a conversation starting, brand making title. Thankfully I love the brand I stumbled upon. I never dreamed it would become as big of a brand as it has and I am drinking it up. Here's the good news, you are here from the beginning. You can say, "I knew her back when," when I've become who I want to become.
Your brand can become whatever you want it to be.
Start small. Create your creative power title, start using Ace of Sales to immediately brand yourself (get 45 days free by using my special promocode: barista45), create a social media presence, and use your network to spread your brand.
Start now.
Start being who you want to become.
Start the brand you want to be.
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
Monday, October 10, 2011
I Want Super, Not Visor
"Tell the customers to hold on, I need you to go to gate 28."
That's what I heard come across the walkie-talkie as I stood there in disbelief, across the gate counter, while attempting to board an earlier flight from San Francisco to Charlotte. And then she ran away!
Pauline, the supervisor for US Airways, just ran away. No words, no motions, no acknowledgement. No nothing. She just ran off to gate 28, leaving me to ponder: How was Pauline a supervisor?
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior employees.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior positive attitude.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior customer service.
Pauline was not super.
Pauline was only a visor.
I had just facilitated three full-day YES! Attitude trainings earlier that week, so my sense of YES! was at full force. From the moment I walked into SFO, I was greeted with US Airways employees (Nora, Jean, and Pauline) who were full of won't, can't, will not, don't wanna, don't care.
In the YES! course I teach how to start with what CAN be done, not what you can't.
Newsflash - customers don't want to hear about all the ways you can't help them, or your company policies (which, by the way, only tick us off more), or anything else that you are trained to say that ISN'T about being friendly and helpful.
Newsflash - customers want people who understand how to be human and treat them as they would want to be treated. Yes, everything we ever needed to learn about being a good person, a positive person, a helpful person, we gleaned from our mothers and kindergarten.
Newsflash - when a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, they are most likely not happy (when was the last time you asked for a supervisor to praise their employee?). If I'm seeking out a supervisor it's probably because the employee I was working with wasn't too super and I'm hoping you will be superior and super.
What does it take to be a superior supervisor?
1. Focus On The Super. The definition of super is to be very good or pleasant; excellent. I love that the word pleasant is in the definition. So infrequently people realize that friendly trumps nearly anything. Be nice to me and you win. Be helpful with me and you win. Be accommodating instead of combative and YOU WIN. To focus on the super, you have to be excellent in attitude, friendly, service, and communicating.
2. Avoid The Visor. The definition of a visor is a shield or protection of the face and eyes. Most supervisors focus solely on the visor part of their title. They are a shield or protector of their company, NOT the customer. They are the person who follows all policies that are not helpful. They are masterful at telling you can't and won't instead of being 'can do'. Personally, I've never like visors, they aren't a good fashion accessory. And I definitely don't think that a visor is a good leadership accessory.
3. Teach What's Right. Sounds so easy, yet many companies and leaders, struggle to convey and empower their employees to simply do what's right. Our day at SFO started out at a ticket counter where Nora refused to check me into an earlier flight because it was 10:29 and the flight was at 11:05. HOWEVER, their company policy is that it can't be less than thirty minutes to take off. Math may not have been my favorite subject, but I would say I had a good SIX minutes left before the cut-off. Nora didn't care. She didn't care about policy or the customer. Her supervisor struck out. Maybe Nora had not been taught to be nice, to care, or to understand that the company’s policy was thirty minutes, not thirty-six minutes before take off.
What would Nora and Pauline's mothers say about their actions?
What would your mother say about your actions and interactions with your customers? Would she say you are super? Would she say you are a visor?
I'm betting she would say you are super (that's what mothers do), but would your customers?
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
That's what I heard come across the walkie-talkie as I stood there in disbelief, across the gate counter, while attempting to board an earlier flight from San Francisco to Charlotte. And then she ran away!
Pauline, the supervisor for US Airways, just ran away. No words, no motions, no acknowledgement. No nothing. She just ran off to gate 28, leaving me to ponder: How was Pauline a supervisor?
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior employees.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior positive attitude.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior customer service.
Pauline was not super.
Pauline was only a visor.
I had just facilitated three full-day YES! Attitude trainings earlier that week, so my sense of YES! was at full force. From the moment I walked into SFO, I was greeted with US Airways employees (Nora, Jean, and Pauline) who were full of won't, can't, will not, don't wanna, don't care.
In the YES! course I teach how to start with what CAN be done, not what you can't.
Newsflash - customers don't want to hear about all the ways you can't help them, or your company policies (which, by the way, only tick us off more), or anything else that you are trained to say that ISN'T about being friendly and helpful.
Newsflash - customers want people who understand how to be human and treat them as they would want to be treated. Yes, everything we ever needed to learn about being a good person, a positive person, a helpful person, we gleaned from our mothers and kindergarten.
Newsflash - when a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, they are most likely not happy (when was the last time you asked for a supervisor to praise their employee?). If I'm seeking out a supervisor it's probably because the employee I was working with wasn't too super and I'm hoping you will be superior and super.
What does it take to be a superior supervisor?
1. Focus On The Super. The definition of super is to be very good or pleasant; excellent. I love that the word pleasant is in the definition. So infrequently people realize that friendly trumps nearly anything. Be nice to me and you win. Be helpful with me and you win. Be accommodating instead of combative and YOU WIN. To focus on the super, you have to be excellent in attitude, friendly, service, and communicating.
2. Avoid The Visor. The definition of a visor is a shield or protection of the face and eyes. Most supervisors focus solely on the visor part of their title. They are a shield or protector of their company, NOT the customer. They are the person who follows all policies that are not helpful. They are masterful at telling you can't and won't instead of being 'can do'. Personally, I've never like visors, they aren't a good fashion accessory. And I definitely don't think that a visor is a good leadership accessory.
3. Teach What's Right. Sounds so easy, yet many companies and leaders, struggle to convey and empower their employees to simply do what's right. Our day at SFO started out at a ticket counter where Nora refused to check me into an earlier flight because it was 10:29 and the flight was at 11:05. HOWEVER, their company policy is that it can't be less than thirty minutes to take off. Math may not have been my favorite subject, but I would say I had a good SIX minutes left before the cut-off. Nora didn't care. She didn't care about policy or the customer. Her supervisor struck out. Maybe Nora had not been taught to be nice, to care, or to understand that the company’s policy was thirty minutes, not thirty-six minutes before take off.
What would Nora and Pauline's mothers say about their actions?
What would your mother say about your actions and interactions with your customers? Would she say you are super? Would she say you are a visor?
I'm betting she would say you are super (that's what mothers do), but would your customers?
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
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