Larry: Hello, this is Larry from ABC Bank and I’m calling about your small business account with us. Is this Brian M-M-Mikus…Maxius…?
Brian: This is Brian.
Larry: I’m a small business banker here at ABC Bank and this is a service call to see if things are going smoothly with your account.
Brian: Actually, I’m glad you called. One of the things I love about your bank is that I can do everything online. When I signed up for your business services, the banker told me I’d be able to access both my personal and business banking together online. However, I guess because I’m using my Social Security number for both my personal and business accounts, I’m unable to have both accounts accessible online. Is there anything I can do? Can you help me with that?
Larry: Oh. You’ll have to call our customer service line. Their number is online. They can help you with that.
Brian: Ok. Is there anything you can do to help me?
Larry: Unfortunately, not. They’re a separate department. I’m not able to fix any online issues. So, Brian, what kind of consulting do you do?
Brian: I help companies drive more revenue.
Larry: That sounds interesting. Can you give me an example?
Brian: Sure, Larry. I work to create a coaching culture from the top down by working with leadership, salespeople, and training teams to interact with clients in a way that creates loyalty. I often review calls with salespeople. Take our call for example. If I were reviewing this with you, I’d likely advise you to conference in customer service while you had me on the phone and see if we could fix my problem together. By doing that, you take an ordinary sales call and turn it into an extraordinary client experience for me. Ultimately, you make it far more likely for me to buy from you and become a loyal client.
Larry: That sounds great.
Brian: It is.
Larry: How’s your cash flow?
Brian: Fantastic.
Larry: I was just thinking if you were having any cash flow issues, maybe another one of our products could help.
Brian: I appreciate you thinking about me, Larry. I’m in great shape with cash flow.
Larry: Ok. Let me give you my number and that way you can call me if you need help with anything. Some bankers are hard to reach, but I want you to know I’m here to help. My number is 216…
What can we learn from Larry? Too much to cover here, but let’s go over the lowlights...
Have you ever heard anyone tell you that the sweetest sound to someone is hearing his or her own name? Not true when your name is being butchered all the time. Now, I’ve accepted that my last name is difficult for anyone who didn’t grow up with it. I actually expect people to mispronounce it. Those of you who have grown accustomed to hearing your names butchered will attest to this: If you want to differentiate yourself and endear yourself to us, say our names correctly.
Larry had a couple choices:
• He could have skipped my last name altogether and used my first name. “Brian” works just fine for me.
• He could have asked me how to pronounce it! Because I already have my money with them, he could have said: Hello, Brian.
This is Larry from ABC Bank. I’m calling about your small business account with us. You have a unique last name, and I want to learn how to say it correctly. Before I butcher it, would you mind saying it for me?
I would have loved that and liked him right out of the gate. Alternatively, I immediately perceived him as a low-level telemarketer instead of a savvy banker.
Next, I can appreciate his sales strategy. I’m a current client, and therefore, a warm call in terms of selling more services. However, if you’re going to call under the guise of wanting to “help” me, then be prepared to help me! Larry asked me if everything was going smoothly, and when I told him I needed his help, he made it immediately clear that really wasn’t the purpose of the call. Instead, he directed me somewhere else as if it was a different company I needed to speak with altogether.
The most hilarious part is I even tried to help Larry in an insanely obvious way. As he pivoted away from my problem to attempting to qualify me, I told him exactly what would make this an incredible experience for me. In an almost obnoxious way, I suggested Larry own my experience and conference me in with the customer service people. Did he change his approach? Nope. Instead he asked another stupid question and played all of his cards: I was just thinking if you were having any cash flow issues, maybe another one of our products could help.
What he actually meant was: I was hoping you were in bad shape so I could sell you a high-interest, non-secured loan. This is my 15th sales job and if I don’t sell some products, I’m going to be looking for my 16th sales job.
It was nice of Larry to offer his number to me in case I ever needed “help.”
Thanks, Larry. I needed your help, but you left me to deal with it on my own. It would have been more honest for hi to say, “If you’re interested in spending money with someone who’s provided you no value at all, give me a call. I’m your guy.”
Larry, if you were actually focused on helping me, you would have addressed my problem and created a raving, loyal fan. You might not have sold me anything today, but you would have opened the door to all kinds of possibilities: referrals, future business, or at the very least, kept me from taking all my money somewhere else. Instead, I’m telling your story to hundreds of people as an example of what not to do.
Clients want you to own their experience. If you work for the company, and I’m on the phone with you, you’re responsible. Own your clients’ experiences. Invest in helping. Invest in future business. Invest in making your current clients loyal.
Don’t be a Larry. Anyone can deliver incredible experiences. Start today. Take responsibility for every client.
Own Your Clients' Experiences - To learn more about this author, visit Brian Macias's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland Smith's Website |
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