Unparalleled Customer Service

When was the last time you sat down with your customers and asked them how they were doing? When was the last time you asked them how YOU were doing in providing unmatched products or services? What could you be doing differently-or better-than you are right now?

It is reasonable to expect to lose up to 10% of your customer base each and every year.

Customer retention, then, should be one of the goals of any organization. Yet, too many organizations spend precious resources trying to gain new customers while letting existing ones slip away. It is far less costly to keep what you have than to go fishing for what you don't.

One way to ensure customers don't go looking elsewhere is to provide them with unparalleled customer service. A friendly, eloquent, helpful voice answering the phone makes a good first impression. Sales professionals who treat each customer the way they would treat a family member instills loyalty. Owners and managers taking a personal interest in those who work for them takes time; but builds better cohesive teams. These actions build a business dedicated to providing service that is above and beyond the call of duty.

To ensure your business makes customer service a priority, consider drafting merit-based goals that reflect the actions desired from each staff member. Tying compensation to the expected behavior increases the likelihood that the goal will be met. Each goal should also meet the criteria of being SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time sensitive). Revisiting these goals on a quarterly basis also helps to ensure they are met, or if needed, revised to reflect any changes in your business environment.

We would welcome you comments or questions on this or any topic relating to your job. Email Kristen@teamatworkcoaching.com

Sales Point: Going Above the Call of Duty (part 2)

From Coach Kristen:

In Dale Carnegie's famous book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" he espouses many great habits for sales professionals. If utilized, two of these easy actions will help you go above the call of duty and be remembered by the referral sources/customers on which you call. Being remembered will help to build relationships and great relationships can translate to sales.

Action #1: "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."

You already know the name of the referral source, but do you know the names of all the people in his or her office? I had a sales rep who referred to the office staff as the "little people". To him, they simply weren't important. They were another obstacle to getting to the physician. What a disservice! If you can't take the time to even learn and use the receptionist's name, why would she go out of her way to help you see the physician? Most people wear name tags, so make note of their name and USE IT. If name tags aren't present-ASK. Then make sure to write it down. Keep track of such information in your customer call notes (where you would also have notes on the best time/day, office hours, sales data, and any other pre-call and post-call data). Then the next time you are in the office, flash your dazzling smile and greet everyone BY NAME.

Action #2 "Become genuinely interested in other people."

Common ground builds bridges between strangers. To find common ground, ask questions, be observant, show genuine interest in the customer. (And this includes all the "little people"!) This interest can be professional and personal.

On the professional side: become familiar with the challenges your referral source faces. Are there products or services that your company offers that can help alleviate some of these challenges? What have you observed in other offices that might be of interest to a customer? One best practice I observed was a unique system of sample storage and organization. I was able to share it with an office manager who implemented it in one of their satellite offices. My genuine interest in an office's challenge led to a solution.

On the personal side: when you take a genuine personal interest in someone, the business relationship can become a friendship. Friends take care of friends. Enough said.

Going above the call of duty is easy. You simply have to want to do it.

We would welcome you comments or questions on this or any topic relating to your job. Email Kristen@teamatworkcoaching.com

Has anyone seen my....

True story:
At the end of an interview with Albert Einstein the reporter asked:

"Mr. Einstein, would it be possible to take your phone number in case I have any further questions?"
"Certainly" replied Einstein. He picked up the phone directory and looked up his phone number, then wrote it on a slip of paper and handed it to the reporter. Dumbfounded, the reporter said...
"You are considered to be the smartest man in the world and you can't remember your own phone number?"
Einstein replied, "Why should I memorize something when I know where to find it?"

Looking at this picture-do you think Professor Einstein can find his telephone book?Too often people equate “organization” with tidiness; and there is something to be said for that person who has reduced the clutter in their lives. But you can live in clutter and still be organized-look at Einstein!

According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, the average American spends 55 minutes a day (or roughly two weeks a year) looking for things they own but can't find.

What is one quick way to ensure you can be more organized? The 30-second rule:

Change your habits one at a time. Start with the 30-second Rule-If it takes 30 seconds or less to do a job-do it immediately. This includes sorting through your snail mail to rid the pile of junk-right from the mailbox to the trashcan. This also applies to putting things back where they belong immediately after you’re done with them-keys, stapler, files, reference materials, books, cell phone, etc. Thirty seconds now can potentially save 55 minutes later. Seems like a good idea to me!

We would welcome you comments or questions on this or any topic relating to your job. Email Kristen@teamatworkcoaching.com

Friday Funny! Dude, where's my car?

This post is a day early, but hope you still find it funny!

In my days as a sales rep, I was fortunate enough to have a company vehicle provided for me. My company used PH&H; a large fleet management company that also serviced many, many other similar companies. Our vehicle selection was, therefore, limited to the offerings that every other company had. It was no surprise, then, that at one time there were countless Taurus's, Grand Prix's, and Intrepid's with sales literature and samples piled in the trunks, littering physician office parking lots.

With only so many color choices, it was no surprise that another female rep (who also looked a lot like me-we were accused of being "twins") had the exact same car I did-down to the color of the interior and similar license plate number. One rainy day, I discovered we also had the same lock and key pattern. As I was running to get to my car, I was frantically pushing the key fob to get the car to beep. Finding a car that responded, I proceeded to get in, throw my wet gear on the seat, and start the car. It was only when I was pulling out of the parking space that I looked at the backseat and discovered boxes of sales literature on products I didn't sell.

I had inadvertently gotten in my friend (and competitor) Laura's car by mistake. My car was on the other side of the lot! We had a good laugh over our "twin" cars and made a point to put some unique markers on our vehicles so the mix-up wouldn't happen again.

Differentiate Yourself: Creative Solutions for Sales

From Coach Kristen Bissontz:

This topic came out of a conversation during a teleconference with some HME sales professionals on the topic of “How to Sell to a Friend”. When competitor’s product offerings and pricing are compatible, how can you entice your physicians, hospitals, rehab facilities, sleep centers, etc. to refer patients to your HME/DME business?

I first must preface this by stating that above all-maintain all ethical standards. If your industry or company prohibits certain activities, DON’T DO THEM. I can’t stress enough the importance of taking the high road in any business situation. Regardless of what your competition is doing-illegal, unethical, or otherwise, don’t engage in activities that won’t pass the “red face test” just because you feel this is the only way to compete.

That being said-what can you do, then, to set yourself apart from everybody else?

1) Know your customer. Seems obvious, but too often we tend to treat everyone the same way. Do you know your customer’s “hot buttons”? For example, there are physicians out there who are information junkies. They want to see the latest data, the most recent studies, or the cutting-edge science that is coming in your field. If appropriate-do the research for them and share what you find. If you are clever, you can find ways to bridge the conversation from the latest, greatest to your products and services.

2) Provide something for their business that no one else is providing. Everyone has pens, mugs, sticky notes, golf balls, you name it. And yes, they are a “valuable” resource for any office. But what does your referral source NEED? In my sales experience, I found that most offices relish patient education materials. I’ve used such companies as Krames Communications (http://www.krames.com/) who provide print and video patient education pieces on hundreds of topics and disease states. I’ve also bought a great deal from the Anatomical Chart Company (http://www.anatomical.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1243816482) who provides models and wall-mounted charts on body systems, disease states, and more. These are just 2 of the hundreds of companies that offer great products for your referral source’s offices or facilities. Instead of spending your marketing budget on an office lunch or new mouse pads, consider leveraging these resources instead. When you can help the end user (the patient) or help the referral source provide better service to their customer, you stand out.

3) Give them a reason to use your product or service over the competition. I can’t tell you the number of times I overheard another sales rep say something like, “Hey, if you just buy X amount of my product, I’ll be that much closer to winning my company’s sales contest. I’m trying to win a trip to Tahiti.” PLEASE! This simply reeks of unprofessionalism. And what kind-hearted referral source won’t want to “help”? Guilt is the wrong motivator. Instead, show how your company offers a better product, better service to the end consumer; how you bring value to the referral source by keeping them abreast of the latest news, how you’ve provided them with unique resources (like patient ed material), how you are willing to go the extra mile for them-versus asking them to go the extra mile for you.

4) Go above the call of duty. You notice that the office you’re calling on is especially hectic this morning because the roof leaked last night and all the files are getting soaked. The staff is frantically trying to relocate them, clean up the mess, and take care of the patients who are piling up in the waiting room. What do you do? Most sales reps would chalk it up as a bad day to make a call and leave. But you can go above the call of duty. Take off your jacket and tie, roll up your sleeves and grab a mop. Your offer of assistance will be a refreshing surprise. Yes, it does mean you sacrifice time where you could be calling on another prospect. Yes, you’ll get your shoes dirty. Yes, you’ll be remembered. I once helped a “no see” office pack and relocate one weekend. It was 2 hours away from my home, I had to spend another night in a hotel, and it was dirty work. But the physician, who NEVER saw reps, would allow me access to his office and gave me time to discuss my products. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to personally go above the call of duty.

Again, these are just a few suggestions to differentiate yourself from everyone else. When you can build a strong relationship with your referral sources, you earn the right to ask for their business. Set your expectations high: if you treat them “right”, you can (and should) feel comfortable asking for all of it!

We would welcome you comments or questions on this or any topic relating to your job. Email Kristen@teamatworkcoaching.com