---

Guest post by: Bob Janet Become an Author

Tweet

---

---

I was doing a five-day sales training program for a company located in a very small town in South Carolina. One of those small quaint towns with a population of just over ten thousand, one road through the town with only a half dozen traffic lights. I was lodging at the In Town Hotel. The only hotel in the town. Each evening, as I had my dinner on a very lovely deck attached to the side of the hotel facing the main shopping area, I watched a dozen or so children ranging in age from six to twelve years old ride their bikes into town and go into a candy store across the street. The candy store on the right side of the cross street. There was also a candy store on the left side of the cross street, but they never went into that store. Each evening it was the same routine. They would ride up to the front of the candy store on the right side, park their bikes, go into the candy store and a few minutes later emerge with a white bag of candy.

On my third evening of observing them, I got curious as to why they never shopped at the candy store on the left side of the street. Well, my curiosity got the best of me, and on my final evening at the hotel I went across the street and asked one of them, “Why do you guys always buy your candy from this candy store and not the one across the street?” The young boy replied as he pointed to the candy store across the street, “They take our candy away from us.”

Now my curiosity was at an all-time high so I went into the candy store in front of me and ordered a half pound of dark chocolate. The lady behind the counter put on one of those plastic gloves and took a small scoop, and she scooped candy onto the scale until the dial went up to one half pound. She then lifted the scale dish and put my candy into a white bag.

I then went across the street to the candy store the young boy said takes their candy away. As I went up to the counter a nice lady asked if she could help me. I said, “Please give me a half pound of dark chocolate.” I noticed her price was a cent lower than the other store. She put on her plastic glove and took a large scoop, and she put a large amount of candy on the scale. Then, with her gloved hand, she began to take candy off the scale, taking candy away until the weight got down to one half pound.

Are your customers perceiving you as the one who adds to the value of their purchase or the one who takes the candy away?

Here is an exercise to determine how you are perceived:
First, have everyone in your business write down how you want to be perceived by your customers. Have everyone do it because you want to make sure you all want to be perceived the same way.

Then, survey your customers to discover how you are perceived. Hire others (college kids) to do the survey,
because your customers will tell you what you want to hear. Have your customers and non-customers surveyed. If you are not being perceived the way you want, do things to change the customer’s and prospect’s perception.

6 Perceptions customers react positively to:
1. Businesses that look successful - People like to do business with successful businesses. No one wants to take the chance of buying from a business that may not be there tomorrow.

2. Businesses that look busy - People like to buy from businesses that look busy. When we had sales in our retail businesses, we hired people (usually college students) to walk around the showroom to give the perception something really big was going on.

3. Businesses that look clean - People would rather buy from businesses and business people that look clean and neat. We gave customers the perception of quality in our retread tires by making sure our manufacturing plant was clean enough to eat off the floor.

4. Businesses that look like they care about their customers - ‘Be 100% Customer-Centered’ Everything you say and do is about your customer, not you or the business.
> Answer the telephone on the first or second ring
> Return telephone calls and messages quicker than promptly
> Greet everyone that comes into the business immediately
> Solve the customer’s problems, needs and wants even if it creates more work for you

5. Businesses that stay in touch with their Customers – “Stay in touch with your customers, and they will stay in touch with you when a buying decision is made.” It is estimated that your customers are inundated with 2500 to 3500 advertising messages a day. They become confused. If you are the seller that has been the constant in staying in touch with them, you will be their seller of choice. Stay in touch with your customers through advertisements, thank you cards, holiday cards, personal cards and letters, information that will improve their lives and/or business.

6. Businesses that take the FEAR out of buying – One of the 4 biggest fears a customer has that causes them NOT to make a purchase is the FEAR OF LOSS OF THEIR MONEY. And it is so simple to diminish the fear of loss of money. Give your buyers a money back GUARANTEE, not just the manufacturer’s guarantee on the products you sell. Your competitors are offering the manufacturer’s guarantee. Be different, be aggressive, be the one
that gets the sale by giving your personal and your business guarantee.

Related Articles

  The Fee Catalyst
  One Key to Strategic Planning is to Confront Your Assumptions
  Why I Cant Answer Your Email
  Keepers of the Truth
  Dealing With Your Mortgage after a Divorce
  Adding the Human Touch to Your Webinars
  Assumptions Anyone?
  The Drama of Assumptions
  Stop Being So Defensive!
  4 Steps to Set Your Mind for Success
  Problem Solving for Professionals
  Ten Major Reasons Why You Are Not Getting Referrals According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  The Grand Assumption
  3 Key Points Startups Need to Know about Government Financing
  Talent is Never Enough
  A False Assumption Made by Too Many Aspiring Entrepreneurs
  Average Performers Find Average Solutions - Sales and Marketing Training
  Public Speaking Part 4-I’ve Written my Speech. Now what?
  The State Of Happiness
  "Best Business Book 2008" (Hands Down)

Related Forum Posts

My entry
Exclusive: Interview with Results
Re: No money Down real estate Webinar
Re: Hi
Re: HOw to market a B2B consulting company

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Why Use an Advertising Agency

Join Conversations Politely, Part 1

Values! Is it really that simple

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.