Articles That You Just Must Read!!

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Click on Categories below for list of Articles
 

 

 
 















Sales

Preparation: Making Trade Shows Work for You

Identifying Your Care Level

Just make the call!

Adapt: What You Do When the Mandate Is Gone

What's In It For Me?

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Telephone

Identifying Your Care Level

Just Make the Call!

Customer Complaints Pay Dividends

Identifying Counterfeit Customer Service

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Leadership

Identifying Your Care Level

Adapt: What You Do When the Mandate Is Gone

Attitude Adjustment: Don't Let Negativity Sabotage Your Business

Sometimes You're Too Close to the Pain

Top Ten Tips On How To Hire

Coaching Your Team to Success

New Tricks for Old Dogs

Don’t Let Service Wilt When Business Blooms


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Customer Service

Customer Complaints Pay Dividends

Attitude Adjustment: Don't let Negativity Sabotage Your Business

Identifying Counterfeit Customer Service

Coaching Your Team to Success

New Tricks for Old Dogs

Don’t Let Service Wilt When Business Blooms

What's In It For Me?



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Facilitation

Sometimes You're Too Close to the Pain



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Human Resources

Working Next to Generation X

Top Ten Tips On How To Hire

Coaching Your Team to Success

New Tricks for Old Dogs

Don’t Let Service Wilt When Business Blooms

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Marketing

What's In It For Me?

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Networking

Preparation: Making Trade Shows Work for You

What's In It For Me?

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Preparation: Making Trade Shows Work for You

Imagine all the money that is spent marketing telephone equipment, computers, furniture, office space, pens, copiers and benefits. Newspaper, billboard, message waiting, radio, TV, and mass mailing all vie for your attention, yet you will seldom see a more compact arena for marketing than the trade show. Lined up end to end, hundreds of companies bring in their product or service and thousands of potential customers come in to view them.

While a company may like to think that its product sells itself, that is seldom the case. And for those occasions when the realized benefit is less than expected, it may be tempting to blame the lack of success on the visitors, the weather or the pre-show advertising. Your prospects will change when you get past all that. As nice as the display appears and as timely as your product is, you are placed in a “make it or break it” mode by the people you place there.

While networking at a recent trade show, I rounded a corner and stopped dead in my tracks. A prominent local employer had provided a colorful, well-stocked station. Registration for a door prize was planned to gather prospect information. Brochures and give always were designed to put the employer’s information in the hands of attendees. Yet in the corner, far away from the information table, was a circle of chairs. Occupying the chairs were the employees assigned to staff the exhibit. They were taking the opportunity to catch up on the office happenings, while visitors streamed by without the slightest acknowledgement or exchange.

Maybe there is something wrong with the standard trade show greeting. Sales associate, “Hi, how are you?” Prospect, “Fine. And you?” Associate, “Fine, fine.” Prospect, “Good. Good.” Associate smiles and stares into space while Prospect glances through brochures. What happens next?

In all fairness, it really is the associate’s duty to begin the conversation and the sales process. Here’s six steps to get you started.

1. Have a plan. Deborah R. Fischer, President of Fischer CRM Consultants in Greenville, exhibits at multiple trade shows a year all over the country. Recognizing that other exhibitors are often good prospects for her product, she plans her time with them. Deborah sends information to the other exhibitors two weeks prior to the show. She allows time to visit the other exhibits, while ensuring that her booth is properly staffed. She maximizes her contact by following up with mailings or email to determine need.

2. Be prepared to greet the prospect. You don’t have to look busy - you have to look interested. Have someone staff your booth while you eat somewhere else. Nobody wants to see you put down your hamburger, wipe your hands on a paper napkin and swallow before extending your hand in greeting.

3. Be prepared to start the conversation. What prompted you to come to the show today? Tell me what you do. Who do you do that for? How long have you done that?

4. Be prepared to introduce your product. Do you use widgets in your business? Have you seen the latest version of the allied-do-hickey?

5. Set realistic expectations. Meg Kessler, with Disaster1, a service of Enterprise Computer Systems, knows that several factors contribute to the number of solid leads you can expect from a trade show exhibit. Is there adequate advanced advertising? Does the show have a solid reputation of bringing in representatives from companies that are good prospects for you? A lack of attendees may be discouraging until you realize that three productive conversations are better than thirty business cards dropped in a jar in passing.

6. Be prepared to share your expertise. We’ve personalized our plan for realtors, water filter providers, and landscapers. Although we’re expanding into this area, we’ve been in business eight years.

You probably attend trade shows because, like Deborah, you recognize that many of the exhibitors are good prospects for your services or product. I am always collecting information about industries that I work with and have picked up ideas for seminar topics based on conversations at trade shows. And, of course, there are always examples of really good and really bad networking that can work their way into a book or seminar. Preparing for the show starts with identifying what it is not.

This is not trick-or-treat. Don’t grab a goody bag and run through the exhibits, picking up magnets, pens, pads, koozies, mirrors, jar openers or candy. These are displayed to attract your attention to the product or service! If you can’t give them your time and attention, pass.

This is not a race against the clock. You won’t work a trade show in an hour. Plan to spend the day and pace yourself. Many shows will require multiple dates.

This is not a brochure stand. Don’t just take the information. Ask questions. Decide if you have enough interest to follow up. Only then should you take a brochure. So many of us tell ourselves that we’ll look through the information when we get back to the office. When we get back, though, we have calls to return and emails awaiting responses and fires to put out. When there has been no interest expressed, it is so easy to leave the bag of brochures in the corner.

Trade shows can be great opportunities for businesses and individuals, matching products and needs. Your preparation makes all the difference.

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Identifying Your Care Level

Recently, I was referred to a pain management center. Calling four days in a row, I was subjected to the following voice mail messaging.

The appointment greeting stated that I should leave my name and message, but only once.

• If I called more than once, my call would not be returned.

• If I did not leave my phone number with this message, my call would not be returned.

• And I should not leave a message with another area, as my call would not be returned.

Following their instructions to the letter, my messages were not returned.

Finally, I spoke to an individual and was told that a phone line had been cut at another location that resulted in their system being down. How could I know their computer system was down? I asked if they were networked. “Yes.” You mean the other location can access your information? “Yes.” You mean they can see your calendar? “Yes.” They can print your calendar and fax it to you? You can see empty slots and simply write in appointments? “You would think so,” she said, “but, honestly, they’re lazier than we are!”

How do you respond to that? How can you direct a service provider toward quality or even mediocre service? How do you find their care level?

Employees are the life-blood of your organization. The interaction they have with your customers has a direct impact on your bottom line. If you only need one customer, their experience with you may not matter. If you require more than one, however, your referral pipeline will suffer with this type of care. And the care level of your employees is most often a result of your attitude and action toward them and/or your customers.

Appointment secured, I entered the facility and promptly encountered a traffic jam. Arriving patients were trying to sign in at the exact location where exiting patients were settling their accounts. Then I noticed the signs. On every wall, hand written posters restated their care level.

• Do NOT call asking the doctor for more medication. You will not get it.

• Do NOT call asking the nurse for more medication. You will not get it.

• Do NOT call saying that you’ve lost or run out of your medication. You will not get more. This is not an emergency.

• Do NOT call after hours. That is not an emergency.

Remember, I said this was a pain management facility. We understand that people in pain are often prescribed narcotics. We understand that service providers are often subjected to tales of woe when the pain is extreme. We even understand that some people abuse the system. But do they base their offer of service on the assumption that every patient is an abuser?

Imagine the bank who charges every customer $50 a month based on their belief that, on average, everyone bounces two checks a month. What about the broker who takes your mortgage application and immediately begins to explain the foreclosure process? Or the car salesman who says you can’t have your new car for three days because something is sure to go wrong?

How about in your business? Do you provide a service or product that is critical to the success of your customers? Is the absence of your service noticed in their ability to meet the demands of their customers? If they don’t have your product, do they experience pain? Do you have customers who abuse the system?

Imagine that you and your customers have the same expectations.

• their calls to be answered

• to be warmly greeted

• assistance to be offered

• a prompt response

• their needs to be identified

• your offer of service or product to meet their needs

• the process to be streamlined and painless

• to be treated as an asset to your company

What messages have to come from the owner/leader?

• the customer is valued

• the customer is the reason that we’re here

• our process must make it easy for the customer to do business with us

• our technology must make it easy for the customer to do business with us

• we must listen and be attentive to our customers’ needs

• if we can’t smile and make eye contact with our customer, we need to go home

• I must listen and be attentive to my employees’ needs

We can’t run a business centered on the mistakes that can happen anymore than we can live our lives waiting for a catastrophe. Our attitude toward our business, our customers and our families should be positive, cheerful and expectant. Yes, we may be disappointed. And we may be surprised! In the end, what happens is pretty much what we expected all along.

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Just make the call!

We spend almost every waking moment on the phone. We’re on the phone in the car and in the grocery store, sitting in meetings and standing in line, at ball games and concerts. We cannot tolerate being out of the loop or spending time quietly with ourselves. Yet the cry continues from small business owners, sales associates, and customer service representatives that they hate to make calls.

Here are a few of their reasons and a suggestion or two of how to overcome the fear.

#1 the fear of being rejected. With so many sales gurus out there, we really believe that the buyer has to say NO six times before he will buy. Their great plan is for us to make so many calls that we have to average a couple of Yes’s a day. Can your ego take that? Mine, neither.

I prefer to put my name, my face, my expertise in front of the decision maker several times, without asking for the business. Each time her peers mention my name, each time she hears about my programs, each time I meet her at a chamber event, the door is opened slightly. I live by networking and word-of-mouth advertising. Buyers want to know that you can deliver…every time. Make your calls count.

#2 the fear of being interrupted. Nothing has impacted how we treat sales calls more than the telemarketing industry. The number one complaint I hear is that they want to read the entire script, with appropriate pauses for emphasis, without taking a breath. Interrupting them will only make them start over.

So don’t read to your prospects! You don’t get interrupted in a conversation. Get the buyer involved in the dialogue early. And don’t think those cleverly crafted questions that can only be answered YES count. Identify the real decision maker, the need, the timing, and the budget by sharing information. Give your prospect permission to add to the conversation. When you aren’t doing all the talking, you may find time to listen. Remember, though, listening is more than waiting for your turn to talk.

#3 the fear of seeming unorganized. Do you dial a number without having the file open on your computer or on your desk? Have you taken a moment to familiarize yourself with the account, the last purchase, or the last requested action? If there was a previous misunderstanding or error, have you verified the outcome and the customer’s satisfaction?

The person who makes the call controls the call. Don’t ask prospects to call you back. They may catch you at an inopportune time when your mind is on something else. You may not be able to fight back the urge to put them on hold while you locate the information that you were calling about earlier. Or worse, you could confuse them with another buyer. Organize your thoughts and information before the contact is made.

#4 the fear of not knowing the answer. No one has to know everything about everything. Have you ever watched a computer genius? There is more button pushing and screen hopping and cable repositioning than one can bear to watch. Afterwards, I don’t have any idea what he did and I’m not sure that he does, either. But now it works.

You have permission to learn something new every day. How you stall for time is what separates the professionals from the fearfuls. “That’s a good question. Do you have a minute to hold while I verify that for you?” “I may need to research that. Are you able to hold or may I call you back?” “No one has ever asked me that before. Would you give me the opportunity to look into this on your behalf?” Prospects, customers, patients, and clients would much rather give you time to check on their questions than have you simply hazard a guess. Know It All - not at all.

#5 the fear of taking it personally. Do you think that problems go away if you ignore them? Recently, I arrived to view the proofs of our family photographs. The clerk greeted me with, “They’re not in, yet.” What do you mean they are not in? This is my appointed time. “Well, they were held up in Nashville yesterday and they’re not in, yet. It isn’t my fault.” When did you know the pictures were going to be late? “Yesterday, but I was still hoping they’d be here. Yours aren’t the only ones. Is there a number I can call when they get in?” Wouldn’t yesterday have been the appropriate time to make the call?

No one wants to be the bearer of bad news. However, letting the customer know what is happening and what you’re doing about it before it becomes an inconvenience gets you huge payback in loyalty. If you’ve heard my Radio Shack story, you remember that Mr. Shelby didn’t explain their return policy when I asked about it at the time of my purchase, because “You can’t tell everyone all the bad stuff. They won’t want to buy from you.” Take customer satisfaction personally and build customer loyalty in the process.

Prepare yourself. Sit up straight. Put a big smile on your face. Have your material in front of you. Take a moment. Take a breath. And make the call!

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Adapt: What You Do When the Mandate Is Gone

The company had been sleeping for years and the timing was perfect to wake up. She sat in the president's office as he described their processes. "I'm sick and tired of doing what we've always done, because I'm sick and tired of getting what we've always gotten. We need things shaken up. Can you do that?" Yes, she can. "Can you deliver education, motivation and inspiration?" Yes, she can! She had a mandate for change.

Several months later, she sat in the president's office. "If you don't like the way we do things around here, you know where the door is."

Shocked?! With all the resources available, didn't he know that change would be uncomfortable? She was so tempted to walk out. Tempting, but where would that have left them? Did she really have the ability, the expertise, the passion to make this work? She took a moment. She took a breath. She took a step back.

Did she know that change hurts? Of course, she did. Did she know that some would get hurt? Sure. Was she prepared for the resistance? Yes. Did she believe that she had a mandate for change? Oh, yes! Was she surprised that some tenured employees would threaten to leave? No.

Did he know that change hurts? Sure, he had read all the books. How much and whom would it hurt? Oh, a lot and everyone to some degree. Was he prepared for the outcry? Not at all. Did it effect his willpower? Oh, yeah.

Why does change hurt? If you really know your business, change erases your comfort zone. You aren't the expert anymore. You have to learn something new along with the rest of them. And you can find yourself having to reestablish a network of experts to assist you.

If you are just getting by, change erases the disguise you have created. It topples the network you've developed. Especially, if change is building on the knowledge base of the old way of doing things. If that isn't already cemented, change exposes your weaknesses.

"Let's try this." That isn't how we do it here. "Since we want to get different results now, can we look at this a different way?" I'm more comfortable doing it this way. "That really doesn't have a history of giving us the return we are hoping for today." It's worked fine for seventeen years. I don't see any reason to change it. And I'm going to the president on this!

The definition of insanity is doing something the same way you've always done it and expecting different results.

Her mandate disappeared like ice on the fourth of July. Afraid of a mutiny, the captain of the ship repealed the order. What he really wanted was for her to affect change without making anyone uncomfortable. Get their buy-in, preferably without their knowledge.

Preparing for change in the workplace, the home, your attitude or your education, you really must consider the mandate. Why is change desired? What is the reward if you succeed? What are the ramifications if you fail? Who has to be involved in your change? What is their level of buy-in? What expertise do you and/or they bring to the action of change?

In the area of her focus, the company has grown 100% in a two year period. Admittedly, some of the tenured employees have been dragged, kicking and screaming, into the new way of doing things. Others succumbed when they realized that it required less effort than did the fight. Many reluctantly tried it and were pleasantly surprised by the results. A few welcomed it. Fewer still left.

Adapt: What you do when the mandate is gone!

When you begin the change process, you may be uncomfortable. You may encounter resistance from unexpected areas. You may be tempted to revert to the old way of doing things. You may feel very much alone.

When you begin the change process, you may need assistance from experts. It’s critical to your success that you choose those whom you trust, those who have established a track record of the success that you seek, those who can shake things up.

Step back. Rethink. Refocus. But never give up.

Remember your mandate. If you want different results, adapt and change until you achieve it!

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Customer Complaints Pay Dividends

The right response can save a business relationship

I’d sent my steak back. I’ve lived in five states and two countries and often try foods I can’t even pronounce, but I’m particular about my steak. I grew up on a farm and steak is supposed to taste like meat.

With the first bite I thought it was marinated. Oh, well. A third of the way through it, I realized I was holding my breath to swallow. After one taste, my husband knew it was rancid. It had to go back.

The waitress seemed to take it all in stride and whisked my plate away. A short time later, the manager brought me another steak and apologized for the inconvenience. He said he’d gotten this one from another place so it should be fine. When the waitress stopped by to refill the tea glasses, she cheerfully commented, “I’m glad you complained. We’ve had two other complaints today about the meat and we weren’t sure. Now we know.”

How many customers never visit a business again because of one poor service experience? Studies indicate that an unhappy customer will not only take his or her business elsewhere, he or she will tell between 12 and 20 people about that single service experience. So what does it take to get your attention?

When customers complain, they are really saying, “I want to do business with you, however, I’m not happy at this moment.” This is the proverbial second chance. When you know that the relationship is riding on your response and you genuinely care about the business you represent, a little preparation can pay huge dividends.

When customers are unhappy about a real or perceived problem, frequently we are tempted to explain it away.

...It isn’t my fault, my turn, my job.

...I wasn’t trained properly, we didn’t cover that, I can’t know everything.

...They expect me to do everything, something, anything.

...I have a headache, a backache, a finger ache.



There are also times when we are tempted to explain how the customer is at fault.

...You didn’t read the directions, assemble it properly, tilt your head when turning it on.

...You didn’t understand what I said, you didn’t make yourself clear, you kept talking after I stopped listening.



What can we do differently? How do we earn those dividends?

Determine not to take it personally. If she’s angry, she’s angry at the situation. We are controllers by nature. If he’s cursing, it’s because he has lost control of the situation. This is not about you. It is a situation. While I wasn’t angry about my steak, I’ve observed many people completely lose control at the slightest error. Your employees can’t control how the customer responds, however, they can certainly prepare themselves to not take it personally.

Get past the emotion. Be very careful of your facial expressions, in person or over the phone. Be appropriately animated, make eye contact in person, give small agreements when possible. You’ve always heard that two wrongs don’t make a right. When a customer acts inappropriately, get past it by controlling your response instead of giving in to the emotion.

Get the facts. Concentrate on the situation. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?” “And then what?” “And...?” This is your time to listen. Don’t judge; listen. Don’t decide; listen. Listening is more than waiting for your turn to talk.

Find a solution. What needs to happen to make it right? Ask. When asked what was appropriate to correct the error, 83% of those polled suggested something reasonable and often valued at less than the company would have offered.

Deliver a WOW. You would have given much more. Knowing what will satisfy the customer gives you a starting point. Then you are able to meet the expectation and go beyond.

When you are prepared to offer exceptional service, when you have an interest in the success of the business, when you sincerely want to see the customer satisfied and the relationship maintained, you can deliver WOW customer service even when those uncomfortable situations arise.

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Attitude Adjustment:

Don't let negativity sabotage your business

Have you ever supervised or worked with a grouch? You probably have a mental picture of that person right now. We never seem to get away from them. I bet you made up your mind ages ago to never EVER ask how they are doing. Because they tell you! Can you come in with a smile on your face and a spring in your step and have this person burst your bubble in three seconds flat?

I’ve had a grouch in my life. This person spent considerable energy explaining to everyone why she was discriminated against, misunderstood, and unappreciated. I was reminded of this person recently. I have a Dr. Laura Schlessinger “Now Go Take On The Day” calendar. Dr. Laura is a very positive person and usually gets right to the point. A recent tip stated, “If you’re working overtime rationalizing why your behavior is right, it can’t be.” Wow!

Some people behave as if they are entitled to unhappiness, even in the office. They believe their health isn’t as good as others, their jobs aren’t as fulfilling, their children aren’t as respectful, their spouses don’t appreciate them, their paychecks aren’t big enough, their bosses don’t value them, they get all the unreasonable customers, and so on and so on. They are miserable and they want to be certain that we know it.

When these attitudes are prevalent in a company or a department, it effects the relationships of leaders and employees, employees and employees, employees and customers, and finally your bottom line. Unhappy people spend their time trying to justify why they are right...that’s our policy, we’ve always done it like that, we can’t do that. And they miss the opportunities to learn what the customer really wants...to be heard, to be thanked, to be appreciated.

Your attitude sets the tone for the workplace. You may believe that we are all grownups and responsible for our own actions, however, you must acknowledge that attitude and mood are contagious. While cheerful people will make every attempt to remain cheerful, negative people will feed on the negative attitude projected by the others, especially when it comes from the top down.

Don’t depend on your customers to tell you when the office attitude needs adjusting. When was the last time you left a store with the desired widget and vowed you would never shop there again? Maybe the employee stocking the shelf ignored your plea for assistance. Maybe the cashier continued talking to a coworker about plans for the weekend while ringing up your order. Maybe the manager was a little loud when explaining to another shopper why the company couldn’t proceed as requested. When we feel unappreciated, our inclination is to avoid that experience in the future.

How do you fight the tendency to be negative? In Dale Carnegie’s writings he talks about giving yourself a pep talk every day. Is that silly? childish? On the contrary. It is the very essence of sound psychology. “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Those words are just as true today as they were eighteen centuries ago when Marcus Aurelius wrote them in his book of Meditations. The trick comes in identifying what you want to be and working pointedly toward it. Imagine the type of department, division, or company that you want to have and watch it materialize with your efforts.

Is there someone in your office who always has the biggest smile and cheeriest greeting? Do you sometimes wonder what they are taking to feel so good all the time? Often we’ll find ourselves being pleasant when we’re around these people even when we didn’t intend to be. Their positive nature is contagious.

Try and remember the last time someone allowed you to merge into traffic or made eye contact, smiled, and thanked you for your business. Were you surprised? Thrilled? Did you realize five minutes later you were still smiling?

You may be wondering if any of this should matter to you. If you have customers and competition, it should. You’ve heard the adage, “If you don’t take care of your customers, someone else will.” The best location, the best widget, and the best price will not insure your prosperity. I have driven five miles out of my way and paid five dollars more for an item because of the service I know I’ll receive. If I’m paying for the service, I’ll choose one with a terrific attitude.

Case in point. I have a post office box at the Orchard Park branch in Greenville. I have moved three times, yet I won’t change my box. A box at any location would cost me the same amount. Stamps would be the same. I could purchase shipping supplies and pick up my mail 24 hours a day anywhere. I don’t keep my box because of the location, the price or the product. I stay because of the attitude! The line moves quickly because all the stations are staffed, I am recognized, greeted warmly, my business is completed promptly, and the jokes are in good taste. I have to do business with the United States Postal Service - I choose to do business with Orchard Park.

Make of list of why your customers do business with you. Make a list of why you do business with your vendors. Check out the attitude...it’s showing in the office!

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Sometimes You're Too Close to the Pain:

Dealing with gripe sessions in the everyday workplace

On Monday before the staff meeting, she called. This had been a transition year. There had been a lot of growth and some of it had been downright painful. She had done the best she could to hold the company together and, honestly, was looking forward to the arrival of the new manager in a month. Employees needed an opportunity to vent, yet she didn’t want a gripe session. She had thought about leading this herself and then had second thoughts. Maybe she was too close to the pain.

Was it possible to get the employees to recognize what was happening, to identify their involvement in it, and to get a commitment for change? Unimaginable service was within their grasp, if they’d only reach for it.

“No name calling and don’t use anyone’s name!” With that defining instruction, we began our three hour session of discovery, healing and focusing on the future.

At first there was a lot of finger pointing.

I can’t do my job because I haven’t been trained.

I don’t have a positive attitude because others are such grouches.

I can’t deliver excellent service because my customers are unreasonable.

I don’t get my work done because others are always interrupting me.

I’m not a team player because I don’t trust others to do their part.

I resent the time others have because the work isn’t distributed evenly.

An hour later, they had exhausted all the excuses and themselves. Was there anything else? No, that covered it. Three pages of situations beyond their control that got in the way of excellent service delivery. But were they really out of their control?

Time and again, the participants had to admit they contributed to the stressful situations. That horrible day at the office had started with an argument before getting the kids to school. Because of a previous experience, they assumed a customer would be difficult and braced for the confrontation. Those situations caused them to lose their tempers and hold their breath. Anger, tension and anxiety increased their bodies’ production of immune-weakening stress hormones. Their reaction often did more harm than the situation. They were actually making themselves sick. What an eye-opener!

Similar situations are confronted daily by businesses everywhere. Management assumes the rank-and-file understand and buy-in to the plan. Employees feel left out of the process and stop talking to management; they just complain to each other. And in the worst of times, they complain to the customers. How do we get them talking to each other again?

If you’ve ever been involved in a brain-storming session, you’ve witnessed how people get confused and off-track. You’ve probably wanted to shout the answers that eluded others for hours on end. Why couldn’t they get past their pettiness and address the problem? Why couldn’t they see what they needed to do? Why couldn’t they think like you?

For years, we’ve tried “parking lots,” huge charts where you write down the thoughts that need attention, just not right now. Perhaps it’s the frustration of focusing on the negatives in the workplace that causes participants to leap upon those distracters. We want to take just one thought and work it through to a solution. The brain-storming session isn’t the place for that.

Executives and corporate trainers often attempt to facilitate brain-storming sessions within their own companies. They bring their knowledge of the corporate mission and the preferred outcome with them. They skillfully maneuver the conversations toward that end. The participates go through a grueling time, locked away until they come up with the right answers, and often leave unconvinced that anyone even heard them. Those executives and corporate trainers are often too close to the pain.

I may know a ton about your business. You’ve given me reports and newsletters; maybe I’ve talked to some of your staff. You’ve probably shared your desired outcome with me. Yet it isn’t my pain.

When the session ended, they had pages filled with situations that were getting in the way of delivering unimaginable service and those situations that prevented them from performing their tasks as well as expected. They had analyzed how they personally contributed to those situations. They had identified their expectations of the incoming manager. They had laughed; they had agreed; they had shaken their heads in disbelief; they had almost cried. And to top it off, they had pages listing specific actions they could individually take to move their company to the next level of service delivery.

As they gathered their materials, caught their breath, and said their good-byes, one participant looked at the walls covered with pages of insight. “We really had all the answers, didn’t we?” Of course, you did. We just had to step back from the pain to see them.

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Working Next to Generation X

Successful businesses must adapt to generation gap

I have often been called a crisis manager. When things are screaming at me, they get my attention. Planning is THE most difficult activity for me. Perhaps that’s why the year end has arrived so quickly. Perhaps it’s my generation. We’ve always thought that we had plenty of time to realize our dreams. After all, we were never going to grow old. Now it seems that life is picking up speed with each passing year. Last year I was the youngest employee in the office; last month my children were toddling off to preschool; last week I changed my career and my life; yesterday I planned all the action steps to accomplish my resolutions; today I’m in a panic. Things are changing.

A popular list published annually by Beloit College in Wisconsin shows us how quickly our frame of reference changes. Consider those who started college this past fall, the same ones who work for you part time today or will send their resumes to you in the very near future, those who will one day accept the reins of your business that you have sweated and cried to create. They have had very different life experiences and therefore have a different frame of reference. If you will mentor them, if you will show them the way of business and the world, if you will one day hand the reins of your company to them, you must first understand from whence they come. Here is a partial list.

Most of this year’s college freshmen were born in 1981.



They were the first generation born into Luvs, Huggies, and Pampers.



John Lennon and John Belushi have always been dead.



There has always been a woman on the Supreme Court and women have always been traveling into space.



They have never heard Walter Cronkite suggest that “That’s the way it is.”



Yugoslavia has never existed.



Cats has been on Broadway all their lives.



Somebody named Dole has always been running for something.



They have always been able to get their news from USA Today and CNN.



President Kennedy’s assassination is as significant to them as that of Lincoln or Garfield.



They have never seen white smoke over the Vatican and do not know its significance.



They have no idea how big a breadbox is and have never dialed a phone.



They have never had to worry about the packaging of Tylenol.



They don’t understand why Solidarity is spelled with a capital “S.”



While they all know her children, they have no idea who “Ma Bell” was.

When this pool of workers comes knocking on your door, will you be prepared to share the work environment? If you are still trying to do business the same way it was done in 1981, you will find yourself as frustrated as your employees. Subtle changes in your expectations can help tap in to their creativity and set the stage for a new style of business.

This generation is highly sociable. Even while on the Internet, they spend an absorbent amount of time in chat rooms. Don’t think they’ll be productive in little cubicles.

They don’t read the paper (heaven forbid!). They’ve had MTV all their lives and they want information in sound bites. You won’t be able to hand them a procedure manual and expect them to read it. Tell them, show them, and stand back.

This group is made of risk takers. “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” will be neither accepted nor understood. Mistakes are not considered fatal and new ideas are welcomed, even encouraged.

This is the most divorced generation in history and, by nature, they are suspicious. They don’t see their careers as working for one employer, but as a series of challenges and opportunities.

These young adults are highly educated. They want solid information without fluff. Don’t tell them why; show them how.

The next few years will find us in a struggle. If we insist on running the show “because I said so,” we’ll find ourselves running out of time, ideas, and energy. Making room for the class of 2003 may just be the answer to never growing old.

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Top Ten Tips On How To Hire

You, too, can become an interview guru

Are you an interview guru? Some managers feel they can conduct them in their sleep. Yet many today struggle with the interview process, often going into it with little or no preparation. If you’re good at it, can you look back over your interviewing career and detect subtle changes in your approach?

I had my first interview 27 years ago this month and, yes, I was a child. The questions centered on my family connections (“who’s your daddy?”) and my willingness to work weekends (“how often do you date?”).

Ten years ago I was a credit union supervisor, interviewing between six and sixteen applicants a month. When I began, I thought it critical to adequately describe the function of the department and the skills needed to perform them. I looked for experience and education, assuming those qualities were the keys to success. With carefully prepared questions and score sheets laid out, I had the interview process down to a solid hour...with me doing most of the talking. I was so wrong.

Over the years, I’ve made some subtle changes to my approach. Do any of these sound familiar to you?

1. You can’t learn anything while you’re talking. Ask open-ended questions and be silent. I know a pause can be uncomfortable. Resist the urge to fill the gap yourself and allow the applicant to share information, inclinations, and insights. When I spent an hour describing the requirements of the job, I didn’t know anything more when he left than when he came in.

2. The second impression is as important as the first. Don’t be afraid to interview an individual more than once. Look for consistency in her attire, mannerisms, and responses. Remember, you’ll have to see this person approximately 240 days a year. Determine if this is a one time performance or a standard of excellence.

3. Hold the offer until you’ve slept on it. It’s called the “halo” effect. You decide six minutes into the interview that this is the perfect person for the job and then overlook those missing dates on her resume or skim over the “personality conflicts” he had with his previous coworkers. Withhold your judgment until you’ve completed the process.

4. Don’t feed the animals (or the applicants). Instead of telling him what you expect from the successful applicant, ask what skills he brings to the position. You don’t have to sit stone-faced and you shouldn’t exclaim “Yes! We need that!”. This process is designed to gather information and to judge the behavioral characteristics of the applicant. Don’t give information before you get it.

5. Keep your doodles unofficial. The resume is a legal document. Make a copy and use that when preparing for and when conducting the interview. You can color on it (with highlighters, of course), make notes, even doodle. It’s yours. Your personnel department will keep the resume on file until the rapture. If sued, do you really want to explain the markings that loosely resemble a dog eating a flower four years from now?

6. Nobody likes a bully. Regardless of what you’ve heard, you won’t learn anything about how he handles stress or his customer service attitude by being obnoxious in the interview. The friction you cause is totally unlike that which he’d experience from an unhappy customer. Unless he’s applying for the position of Bully’s Permanent Interviewee, talk through attitudes and scenarios while minimizing the natural uneasiness associated with an interview.

7. You can’t teach attitude. So many times we hire experience and education and assume we can convince the individual to value our customers, to have a strong work ethic, and to desire advancement. Experience is helpful when it’s directly related to the position. Education is necessary when certifications and licenses are required. Attitude is everything! Attitude drives them the extra mile. The appropriate appearance, the focused eight hours each day, the willingness to assume additional duties, the pride in their work is attributed to attitude. Hire attitude and teach skills.

8. Interrupt the interruptions. Of course you’re busy. For this one hour, though, you should be picturing this applicant in the midst of your operation. Advise associates that you are unavailable, except in the case of fire. Forward your calls to voice mail. Don’t allow the phone to ring six times before voice mail answers. That distraction is impossible to overlook and prevents a reasonable flow of conversation.

9. Decision makers make decisions. Be honest. Would you interview with three or more individuals for your position? Is there a real value in having three people form three first impressions? There’s a new trend toward interviewing up and down. The applicant meets with his potential superior and then with a potential subordinate. How can you determine consistency? How much time is invested in giving the subordinate adequate interviewing skills? Do you explain the taboo areas such as discrimination and ADA? Decide who the decision makers are and hand the process over to them.

10. Perfect practice makes perfect. If you only interview when you absolutely have to have someone today, you increase the likelihood of hiring mistakes. Instead, make interviewing as natural as networking. Talk up the business and the advantages of employment. Be aware of characteristics that would be a good fit with your organization. Solicit resumes when things are going great. And practice, practice, practice.

As a professional speaker and seminar leader, I am constantly interviewing with potential clients. What wakes them up at 3 in the morning? Can I provide an insight that will energize them and their staff? Are they having fun, yet? I interview at Chamber events, in airports, over coffee, in line at the highway department. Identifying the need and the fit is a shared experience. Be prepared to find the match by practicing your interview skills.

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Identifying Counterfeit Customer Service

During the 20 years I spent in banking, I was never given counterfeit money and told to study it. Instead, I learned the characteristics of the right stuff. I was so accustomed to seeing that which I knew, it was easy to spot the worthless item when one came across the counter.

As you walk the halls of your company, I imagine you often overhear one-sided telephone conversations. Callers are placing orders, requesting information, asking about services, or following up on requests and your employees are representing the company to them. Have you studied the characteristics of the right stuff? Do you expect to hear the words and phrases that tell customers they are valued, respected and appreciated? Do you recognize counterfeit customer service when you hear it? Are you hearing these customer service gems?

1) “Would you give me an opportunity to research that?” Employees really aren’t expected to know everything. Callers, however, want assurance that this person can and will be able to help them. Instead of hearing “I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” managers should listen for this phrase that assures the caller the correct answer is forthcoming.

2) “Are you able to hold?” Just because the caller found your number, dialed it, listened to the available options, and waited on hold for the next available representative, does not mean she doesn’t value her time. Callers are increasingly aware of extended hold periods and resent the abrupt “Hold please. (click)” Employees should be reminded to ask the caller if it’s convenient to hold and then to wait for the response.

3) “Thank you for holding. I apologize for the delay.” Employees who acknowledge the importance of the caller’s time defuse problems before they are verbalized. Taking responsibility for the delay, instead of placing blame on equipment or personnel, eliminates the possibility of conflict that begins with the feeling of being ignored.

4) “Yes. I understand. Certainly. Sure.” Employees should agree with callers as often as possible without sounding condescending. In the absence of visual feedback, the representative should assure the caller that he is being understood. The employee who tunes out of the conversation may go to auto-pilot. Without really listening, she may respond with an unenthusiastic “uh huh. uh huh. uh huh. uh huh.” Coach your employees to sound sincere when giving this positive reinforcement.

5) “Let me transfer you to Mary in Claims. Her extension is 4155. She’s an expert in that area and I’m certain will be able to answer all your questions.” On those rare occasions when the call needs to be transferred, employees should confidently give the name of the employee most capable of assisting the caller and the individual’s extension. Callers are interested in getting their problems solved, not in individual job descriptions. “That’s not my job” is never an appropriate response to a caller’s inquiry.

6.) “How can I help you today?” When customers have unresolved issues, they can be tempted to start at the beginning of the relationship instead of the beginning of the situation. When time doesn’t allow for the recanting of the 20 year history, the employee should take control of the conversation by steering it to the problem at hand. Unlike “What do you want?,” this helpful statement indicates the employee’s ability to assist in this situation.

7.) “What I can do is...” Be positive. When employees focus on resolving the issue, they begin to get ‘yes, yes’ responses from the customer. Don’t get pulled down by negative terminology such as “I can’t do that” or “That’s against our policy.”

8.) “If you will do _____, then I’ll be able to do _____.” Employees who ask for help receive faster action. No one wants to be directed. Customers stiffen when they feel someone is taking advantage of them. Whether it’s getting an acceptable co-signer, the return of merchandise, or a signature on a document, make it an opportunity to work together in order to accomplish the customer’s request.

9.) “Yes and ...” Employees who are agreeable, pleasant, and who offer options direct the process toward the better conclusion. Even if the customer’s statement is totally unacceptable, acknowledge the caller’s right to his perception. Then you can move quickly to an acceptable reality. Instead of “No, but...,” agree and proceed.

Subtle changes in word choice consistently produce agreement. As employees project confidence and caring, callers become less argumentative and more understanding. Expecting the proper responses will allow you to immediately recognize the counterfeit customer service when it enters your area. Know the right stuff.

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Coaching Your Team to Success:

Avoiding Striking Out In The Human Resources Area

A human resource manager of an established, enviable company called yesterday. With phenomenal growth in the past three years, they are bringing employees in right and left. Two weeks training and they are on the line. “We’re doing okay,” she said, “but we’ve strayed from the quality service that predicated our growth. Our customers are happy, but they’re happy if you just call them by name and smile. We’re missing out on so much. How do we get back on track?”

Is okay good enough? Is managing the crisis acceptable? Has reaction replaced preparation as your constant companion? I recently asked a corporate vice president how our labor market had affected his hiring process. His response was “I’ve simply lowered my expectations.”

As customers demand more, companies accept less. The reality is that companies today accept fewer proven skills in applicants and then shoulder the burden of bringing employees up to standards. If you are still running a three day training course before standing new employees in front of your valued customers, you are probably experiencing massive turnover, low morale, customer complaints, reduced profits, and excessive overtime. Don’t think you have to live with it!

It’s spring and all thoughts turn toward...baseball. When I hear that new employees need time to settle in and get to know their coworkers before they can be productive, I wonder how that would play in America’s favorite pastime.

Imagine, a player shows up for spring training with the Braves and the paycheck starts. He isn’t catching the ball and he complains that you hit it harder than his former teammate did. He isn’t hitting the ball and he complains that y’all throw it funny. He isn’t running the bases well and he complains that the ground is different than on his last field. Even your meetings aren’t at the right times. And the paycheck continues.

Does he get time to settle in? Is it important that he first bond with his new teammates? Or do you expect him to deliver?

All eyes are on the player. It is imperative that he knows the expectations of the coach, the owner, the team, and the fans. But GI Joe will tell you that knowing is only half the battle. The other half is delivery. Every time. Right down the middle. No pouting. No tantrums.

What about your front line? Do they know what is expected of them from all those involved? Showing up is only half of it.

When things don’t happen, a coach appears. The coach doesn’t wait for an engraved invitation; he appears. He doesn’t watch from the sideline hoping the player will get it; he appears. When the proven isn’t working, he appears.

Supervisors in your organization should know the strengths and weaknesses of their players and know how they relate to your fans. If it isn’t right down the middle, every time, send in the coaches.

Little league coaches often find it difficult to encourage young ones when the team is losing. High school coaches continue to play their best performers and let those who are just pretty good ride the bench. Universities are often plagued with accusations that physically talented students are assisted through their academic requirements. And businesses often allow ill-prepared employees to simply go through the motion of service under the guise of “that’s the best we can do.”

So who does the coaching in your organization? As you look around, do you find that those responsibilities rest solely on you? Wait a minute, though. Do you see just one coach on a baseball team?

Pitching coaches, batting coaches, third base coaches, fielding coaches... everyone has a specific interest. Someone is focused on offering an additional product or service; call that a double play. Someone is certain that the right position is covered at the right time. Someone else watches your technique or your physical ability to accomplish the task. Someone is noticing your attitude toward the play and toward your teammates.

Is everyone continually under a microscope? On the contrary. I believe everyone has a contribution to make and that everyone is necessary to the success of the venture. When new employees or new assignments are involved, coaches must be active in the process. If employees are left alone to sort through policies, procedures and priorities, you risk feelings of isolation and misinterpretation.

When you are proud of your work, you never mind signing it. Show your pride in the staff you hire by training them to be exceptional in their ability to deliver, every time, right down the middle!

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New tricks for old dogs:

Train yourself on business basics inspired by man's best friend

“I’ve been doing this for fifteen years and I don’t even have to think about it anymore.”

Every time I begin a training session, I hear this comment. The days of learning are long gone. We are now entrenched in the way it’s always been done. We seldom think about how we sound or whether there is a better way. We know what we have to do and that’s it. Somewhere in the grand scheme of building our careers, tenure has become a substitute for commitment.

Remember when it was all new and exciting? When what tie to wear or which color ink pen to use held significance? We used to be so eager to learn and, thereby, eager to please. Now we get to the office complaining about the requirements of the day.

I’m not suggesting for a moment that we have to relearn the basics of our position each day. When you are experienced at sales, driving nails into two by fours, or managing stock portfolios, one project begins to look just like the last one. And it is easy to go on auto pilot to get through the day. Have you considered what you may be missing as you cruise through your work? Perhaps there is something to be learned from others.

As a dog lover, please allow me to compare some of the traits of our lovable pets to our work environment. These are from a list published several years ago by an unknown author entitled “Dogs can teach us a lot if we’d just pay attention.” They continue to be very appropriate.

**Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Maybe it’s five minutes spent looking at pictures of a new baby or a trip down memory lane when a song comes on the radio. Be receptive to the joys of life. Don’t be too remote or serious. Seize the opportunity to share and smile.

**When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Do you let people know that they are appreciated? With every interaction, your customers give you the chance to be excited about serving them. Employees, coworkers, spouses, children and friends want to be valued. Don’t keep it a secret when you hold someone in high regard.

**When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience. I have long felt that, in life, one should pick one’s fights. If you disagree about everything, if you draw a line in the sand with each encounter, if compromise isn’t in your vocabulary, then you will miss those opportunities to exchange ideas and to learn from others. A simple apology can be one of life’s greatest lessons. Especially when you weren’t wrong.

**Never pretend to be something you’re not. This should not be confused with going on auto pilot and refusing to learn anything new. Neither is it a license to be a grouch day in and day out. Everything you do requires a service attitude. Whether you manufacture gas turbines, explain cell phone bills, deliver paper products, or harvest crops, you are in a service position when a customer, coworker or vendor requires information or assistance. You are never “just a teller, machinist, representative, clerk, truck driver, worker.” You are the link to the company! Never think differently.

**If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. Want that promotion? Are you committed to the time it will take to get the education or certification that is necessary? Are you ready to ask for additional responsibilities? Decide what is important to you and don’t stop until you get it.

**Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Have you ever given someone a compliment only to have them declare that it was nothing? When you do great work, let people compliment you! Take your place in the spotlight, your bow, the applause. Enjoy the moment, after all, you earned it.

I don’t sing my own praises. I chose not to enter a room and artificially draw attention to myself. I do allow those who know me and love me to greet me from across the room. I let my circle of influence introduce me to others and I have delighted in their perception of me and that which I deliver. This has often initiated new topics and material.

Learning enhances our life experience. Stretching outside our comfort zones produces new ideas and new abilities. You’re never too old to learn new tricks. You know, dogs really can teach us a lot if we’d just pay attention!

For a complete copy of this list, send an email to Becky@BeckyMcCrary.com with "Dogs" as the subject. Please include your name, title, company and email address.

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Don’t Let Service Wilt When Business Blooms

Keep Customers Well-tended By Preparing To Improvise Were those for me?

It was Monday, February 14th and perched on the counter before me were a dozen red roses. Just a dozen red roses.

Scott and I have been married for eight years and this had never happened before. Counting birthdays, anniversaries, valentine’s, our courtship and the occasional apology, I have received dozens of bouquets. Never just a dozen red roses, though. I knew it must be a mistake. That evening, I heard the rest of the story.

Scott had visited the florist shop the week before V day, placing an order for a dozen red and two white roses. He went there personally because he always signs the card.

Though a regular customer for five years, the clerk informed him that they were really busy at this time of year and had a certain way they were doing things. They didn’t have two white roses and they weren’t placing special orders.

After hearing the significance of the white roses and the importance of including them, the clerk made one suggestion. My husband could purchase a dozen white roses and “just stick two of them in the arrangement.” While he settled for the red roses, it certainly was the last purchase he will make from that florist.

While he shared this encounter with me in minute detail, he hadn’t expressed his view to the store owner. Few dissatisfied customers want to make a scene; we simply go away quietly.

In the weeks following, further proving the statistics, he told between 12 and 20 coworkers and friends of the deployable service he had received. As a professional speaker, I will have the occasion to tell thousands about his experience. Do you think the name and location of the florist is ever mentioned? Oh, yeah. Word gets around.

Did the florist or the assistant realize the ramifications of their service? They had a system. After all, they never said they were Burger King. “Have it your way,” wasn’t their slogan. And they were busy.

Do you experience particularly busy times in your life? Store owners may immediately think of Christmas. For the florist, it’s also Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. For the bank teller, it’s every Friday. For the student, it’s final exams. For me, it’s International Customer Service Week in October.

How can you ensure that your standard of excellence doesn’t slip during your busy times?

Choreograph your moves. As a dancer, you have to know ahead of time where your feet go. You don’t wake up one morning and find you can suddenly dance the tango. Likewise, it’s important to have a system. This allows the flow of work to proceed smoothly with a minimum of time lost due to questions and decision-making.

This can be the equivalent of a special offering with no substitutions. However, a good dancer must be able to improvise. When the tempo changes, when your partner stumbles, or when the customer really wants something special, ad lib. Learn the steps of exceptional customer service ahead of time and practice, practice, practice.

Choose your partners. Whether you hire additional staff during this time or simply bring in your spouse, grown children, and best friends, you are responsible for the service experiences received by your customers.

A spouse who is excellent at handling deliveries may not be the best choice to prepare the bank deposit. Your best friend may be phenomenal at creating memorable arrangements, but shouldn’t be entrusted with answering the phones.

The biggest mistake is in believing that, when you are busy, any body will do. Don’t assume they view your customers the same way as you do. Determine their strengths and weaknesses. Be certain your partners are well-suited to maintaining your standards of WOW customer service.

Calculate your progress. You’ve spent five years developing a relationship, but everything rests on your next move. Are you interested in making this one sale or in creating a relationship that could lead to dozens of sales and referrals? Are we filling an order or fulfilling a desire?

When we are extremely busy, it’s tempting to think only about the present transaction or presentation. Then the attitude of “if you don’t buy this, someone else will” may drift into our delivery.

If you can’t resist the temptation to view each customer as a dollar sign, think about this. What would a living billboard cost you? What would you pay to have your story told and retold with all the energy of complete satisfaction? Deliver the service that positions you for success. Look beyond the present and see the possibilities.

Every encounter can make or break your business. I don’t believe that practice makes perfect. Making the wrong decisions time and again doesn’t necessarily equate to perfect. Instead, perfect practice makes perfect. Be perfectly prepared and enjoy the dance.

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What's In It For Me?

Relationship begins when both parties get what they need

Are you tired of people telling you how wonderful their product is? WII-FM. Do those voice mail messages go unanswered? WII-FM. Do you delete e-mail messages based solely on the subject line? WII-FM.

Everybody’s favorite radio station, WII-FM. We’re always tuned to it; it flavors every decision we make. From caller ID to favorite web sites to books we read, every aspect of our lives is dialed into it. What does it stand for? What’s In It - For Me!

This station can be hazardous to the health of anyone who is attempting to persuade someone else. If you have something to offer, it’s value is determined by what others are willing to pay for it. You may believe that you have a fabulous widget or an incredible service, however, you still have to deal with the prospect’s desire to have a need met or a void filled. And tuning in to WII-FM for yourself can get in the way of determining the needs of your prospect.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wanting your own needs met. Unfortunately, while busy trying to sell our ideas, we sometimes fail to consider the needs of the listener. A relationship begins only when both parties get what they need.

Yesterday, I was at a business luncheon in the lower part of the state. While not the featured speaker, I stayed for 30 minutes after the program answering questions of other attendees, as well as those of the speaker. People know when their approach isn’t working and they are hungry for ideas to help them stand out from the masses.

One sales associate was so frustrated because prospects wouldn’t return her calls. She knew her product line like the back of her hand and was eager to share the features of the various offerings with anyone who would listen. I asked about her opening line. She began running through the list of products.

Whoa! I am not a qualified prospect and I don’t have time for your entire sales pitch. What options do I have?

Okay. If the prospect indicated he was in a hurry, she would offer to send a packet of information, illustrating how wonderful the products were. How large a packet? Seven brochures, two pages of testimonials, an application and a pamphlet from their regulatory agency. Then she’d call in two days to close the sale. Information overload!

Here’s what I suggested.

**Choose four to six benefits that your products provide the prospect.

**Word them from the perspective of the prospect.

**Create a one-sheet with these benefits and a brief history of the company.

**Practice saying these benefits in front of the mirror, varying your tone and inflection.

**Observe the difference when you are smiling, serious, thoughtful.

**Believe that these benefits are enticing an action.

**Determine to build interest with your conversation.

**Ask questions and listen.

“Do you offer ... as an employee benefit?”

“What would it mean to you if tomorrow you had ...?”

“How would ... impact your company, your customers, your strategic plan?”

“If you could ..., who would you want to share this with?”

Get the idea? Don’t download your entire file of information at the first sign that someone is listening. Prepare to make a connection that, with careful attention, may develop into a lasting relationship.

That same day, I received a brochure in the mail from a local computer service. Readers who are members of any chamber of commerce know that mass mailings are frequently utilized to advertise products and services. Companies are so excited about what they have to offer that they can’t resist sending it to everyone on the list.

The inside of the brochure had three columns. “Who we are...,” “What we do...,” and “Why use us....” It was apparent that they hadn’t taken the us versus them test. Taking a red pen, I circled every word that focused on the seller. We, our, and us was used a total of seventeen times. The brochure mentioned the buyer only twice.

With an eight-to-one ratio, where was the focus of the writer? When you know everything they do, are you intrigued? Hardly. I would suggest asking yourself these questions the next time you sit down to write out those benefits.

**What is important to your end user?

**How can you make their life easier?

**Why is it beneficial for them to recognize you as the expert?

**What specific need do they have that you are fully capable of meeting?

**When would they benefit from doing business with you?

Focus on the prospect’s needs. It allows you to get their attention by offering a product or service that is important to them. Instead of WII-FM, tune that dial toward a polished delivery. WALA-FM can be your new favorite. With Astute Listening Assure Flourishing Market! Sounds like a hit to me.

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