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Learning to talk their talk helps you walk your walk!

Guest post by: Joe Dager

Article Overview: Understanding Customers - Why don’t we ask more questions? Taking is a step further, why don’t we concentrate more on their problems. A quick way to evaluate your efforts is look at where you are spending your own money. Are you improving your problem solving skills as an organization?

Learning to talk their talk helps you walk your walk!

Understanding Customers - Why don’t we ask more questions? Taking is a step further, why don’t we concentrate more on their problems. A quick way to evaluate your efforts is look at where you are spending your own money. Are you improving your problem solving skills as an organization?

Dr. Deming always said, "The customer is the most important link in the chain." However, how many of us spend our resources developing that link? If you look at the Balanced Scorecard for a well-known example, you will find the successful companies that are using it are not balanced at all. The numbers I have seen usually depict internal processes weighing in around 35%. The other three areas: Financial, Customer and Innovation (Learning) are all relatively even at a little more than 20%. I think these numbers with or without an implemented Balance Scorecard would not differ all that much. I would also venture to say that the Innovation (Learning) phase take a hit in recessionary times. If you think for second, with the rapid increase in internet sales for commodity products the ability to diagnose a customer problem is one of the major advantages left for off-line sales. In a recent podcast, I discussed with Joan Friedlander, the ability for introverts to be good salespeople in today's climate. There is a lesson to be learned. Joan commented on these advantages:

The reason that I say that is if you think of the business climate today, there's a bit of mistrust out there. And there's also an incredibly high volume of marketing noise that we all have to contend with. So, I think that the introvert's preference for more meaningful connections and private conversations can actually be to their advantage and one that can be employed for positive results.shoes

So I'm going to make some generalizations, but I think these are things that everybody can think about in terms of their own preferences; what they are, and what they are not. Introverts, I don't think, are all that manipulative. The advantage is, a lot of introverts are very good listeners. The reason their good listeners, is because they prefer to ask questions and listen to people than be in the spotlight.

Don't run off and start hiring a bunch of introverts. However, do investigate how your staff is being trained. One of the things that I do to improve my skills is to participate in my customers' training. Many times by attending the workshop on their products or developing skills that they are seeking can add some great benefits. Sometimes just learning to talk their talk helps you walk your walk!

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Article Tags: money, problem solving skills



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Re: Essential Leadership skills - integrity walk the talk dedication perseverance drive
Prospecting for the new guys! - Hello all, I have read and read and I still don't have a good idea how to sale. Everyone tells me that I have the perfect personality and I can talk to anyone. My problem is I don't know if I should just walk into the clients office unannounced or should I try and "cold call" and see if that gets me anywhere. I own a service company. This is my biggest obstacle because I don't know how to sale a service and not an item that they can see and put in their hand. I think I could be a good salesman but I just need some direction. How do I get the prospects to sale to? Any help would be great.
Daily Routine - Hi Jen - being a mostly online business I also end up spending most of my day in front of the computer. I find that a quick walk mid-day helps and the fresh air gives me the energy back to tackle the rest of the day. What personal time do you take during the day?
Re: Office or Home - That Is The Question! - Personally, I don't feel a huge need to have human contact while I'm working. In fact, I find that having friendly colleagues around you can be quite distracting. For example, I've had the opportunity of working in a small office space with other entrepreneurs, and I felt guilty every time I was making small talk because there would be at least person working quietly in a corner. Moreover, there's a loss of privacy because whenever someone got an important call, the person would have to leave his/her desk, and then either walk into another room or sit outside on the sidewalk. I mean, who wants their private or important conversation broadcasted to everyone?
Simple Networking How-to - While networking I find the following very helpful. When you walk in don't look around to find someone to talk to. Act like you belong and are comfortable by just walking straight in and into a conversation within 10 seconds of walking into the room (or at least after you register). Ask people some simple questions: 1. Can you tell me about your business? 2. What do you plan on accomplishing at todays event? 3. If there was someone I could introduce you to in this room who would that person be and what can they offer you? These three questions is all I've ever needed to deliver a lot of value to people I meet. I focus on delivering value at the events by focusing on them and hoping that someone I bump into will be a match for someone I've already met. Does anyone do something similar or better that's worked for them?


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