Own Your Clients' Experiences
Own Your Clients' Experiences
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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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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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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