I believe that to be ultimately successful in business, one must always be looking downward to the lowest rung on the corporate ladder. This is particularly true of a service related business. I am constantly preaching the gospel that before you can be a good customer service provider, you must first be an aware customer…
One great benefit of doing sales training, and consulting, on a national basis is that I get the opportunity to observe a large and varied amount of sales staff in action. One glaring observation that I have arrived at is that most of these sales people need one thing that appears to be sadly lacking…
Each of us in the flooring business realize that customers today are used to seeing pricing promotions – many which often stretch credibility to the limit. If you are to compete in this market, you too will need to have promotionally priced products, special purchases, etc. to entice customers into your showroom. The emphasis for…
A common tendency among salespeople is to do too much talking and not enough listening. Successful salespeople realize it is only when they are focused on what the customer is both explaining and requesting that they are learning the information necessary to suggest solutions which will benefit all concerned. Too often weak salespeople rush to…
I was asked recently to name the most important trait that successful retail businesses exhibit. The answer to me is obvious – they manage first impressions at every point of contact with their customers. While there are several key points of contact during a typical interaction with a potential flooring customer, there is none more…
There is a saying that “the customer is always right”. I believe that there are exceptions to this theory. When a customer suggests that any flooring product be installed in a manner which would compromise the integrity of the installation, you are always best served by just saying no. Politely explain why doing so would…
Take a good, objective look at your firm’s sales staff. Now, take that same objective look at the majority of customers that walk thru your doorway. Do they look very similar? They should. Remember that an estimated 80% of communication is non-verbal. Our potential customers are sizing your staff up from the moment that they…
Common thought is that as much as 80% of initial impressions are formed by non-verbal communications. With this thought in mind, I am constantly amazed by how many sales personnel make their chances of success needlessly compromised. Poor grooming, soiled or ill-fitting clothing, less than fresh breath, facial hair and cheap cologne are but a…