You Want Bad News....

So the waiter comes to your table and says "is everything good" you automatically say yes, thanks! That is not what the chef wants to hear.

Nobody likes to say the food is bad because that is being rude....However if you have bad food, it could be that you are one of many that have had that same bad meal and will not come back, or worse tell others how bad it was.

As a business owner you want to find out the things that you did not do well. Questions like: what could be better, what wasn't a 10, what does my competitor do better, why would you not come back, if this was your place what would you do different.....getting answers to questions like this is much better than trying to boost your ego by all your customers doing the normal and saying things are good!

Tracking your advertising: When someone asks you to fill out a form about "what brought you into the store", do you take 100% effort??? Also if they asked you that same question, do you tell them "well, two years ago i saw a billboard, then i heard your radio spot about 15 months ago, then i saw you in the church bulletin, then i saw a commercial for you a few months ago, then i went to google and searched you and then i called you..... think about it, all your past and current marketing brands you then gets you in their mental "category" for your services, then when they are in the market for your services all the past marketing gets you a good chance at their business. Judge your marketing by the cash register, not someone saying "I'm here because your advertising was so strong it persuaded me to spend my heard earned money with you!"
Think about it: Nobody likes to say advertising worked on them...we are all too strong to have someone else influence us....right???

Take 38 seconds to read this...if you don't like it...you will recieve a full refund

OK, no rhyme or reason for these thoughts...

People buy the benefit not the feature, sell the benefit of your product/service... remember...F.A.B. Feature Advantage Benefit...
People don't care that you have 24 years experience...what is the benefit of that?
Don't tell people you have good service...you should!
People don't come into your store or call you because you are family owned, been doing it a long time, and treat you right....they come in because of price, selection, or you are solving a problem they have! You prove how great you are when they shop you....get them into you
If you try to be known for everything you become known for nothing
Do one thing and do it better than anyone else (Orville redenbacher)
It is better to be top of mind with half instead of back of mind with all.
You have to spend money to make money...this is also true in advertising
Invite the Today customer to do business with you...Plant a seed in the Tomorrow Customer
The cost of an advertisement has NOTHING to do with success...think about it, I can buy a Mercedes or I can buy a KIA...both cars, why would I spend anymore....Can someone buy your product/service cheaper? Does it make it better????
Find a professional and listen to their advice...I wouldn't try and perform a surgery on myself....so why do so many business owners do the same with their marketing?

Sorry to ramble, but that this is my therapy (thanks for letting me sit on your couch)

Who dis representing your company?

Who is representing your company? You may have the best price, product, service...however if I come into your store and your employee is rude, having a bad day, or doesn't know their product... your company just lost a sale....

When I walk into Best Buy...that employee waiting on me is BEST BUY...you may have the best everything, but if that employee doesn't represent your brand you will lose me as a customer...

What are you doing to ensure your brand/image is staying consistent with the message you want to portray??? One way is secret shoppers, secret phone calls.... this may seem simple and archaic but it will keep your employees on their toes and not "take a play off". It will also help you keep the image you want.

Also if you are taking surveys of your customers...of course ask what we do good, but more importantly ask what we did bad...that is where you can make the biggest improvements....

Remember if I get bad service I will tell 10 people, if you treat me well I will tell only 2-3 people...

Steve Ballmer going crazy

How do you start your sales presentations? Mine go something like this...

Epic and Honest Mobile Home Commercial

This is what I mean about knowing and relating to your audience.
Also, speak the way your customers speak, you would be amazed how different you will be, just by being "normal".

Take this example:
You recently bought some farm land and for the last 6 months you tilled the soil, fertilized the soil, planted seeds, and watered during the entire growing process.
When it came time to harvest the crop, your results weren't as great as you had hoped for.
So do you sell the land? Or do you learn from this year and make next years harvest even better?
Hopefully you learn from this year and make next year's that much better from the work you have already done.
Why you care: I see many business owners throw away all their equity because they did not get instantly rich from a advertising promotion. I recommend, learn from this experience and continue to "grow the seeds you have already planted"
Please note: Just like you can't grow corn in a parking lot, you can't expect to grow new business if you are using the wrong media with the wrong strategy..... Call me and I'll show you how to become a profitable farmer!

This is the first day of the rest of your life

I went to a full day of motivational seminars yesterday that included Lou Holtz, Colin Powell, Zig Ziegler, and Rudolph Giuliani. Since I am a nice guy I will save you the 8 hours of your time and give you the top points from yesterday:

These will be in total random order, but you should be able to take a few things from this:

People don't go to the store for a 1/4" drill bit, they come for a 1/4" hole, make sure you sell the hole, not the drill bit
Don't forget to re-sell your previous customers, it is much much cheaper to keep them than acquire a new one
You can get everything you want in life if you give others what they want first
encouragement is the fuel that hope runs on
Opposites attract,.....then attack
Your either growing or your dying
If you raced a pregnant woman, the best you would finish would be third
Focus on what you have, not what you don't have
This is a true story I made up
Have meaningful relationship with people
If you get knocked down, only you can pick yourself up
Don't hate people
Turn the TV off
You get what you give
It's not the big things, it's the hundreds of small things that make the difference
Be honest and do the right thing!

Pick just one of the above and do it TODAY! SERIOUSLY...TODAY!

OK, now since I motivated you, feel free to send me a check for $149! (insert smile here)