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Monday Morning Motivators – September 15, 2008
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Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“You achieve customer satisfaction when you sell merchandise that doesn’t come back to a customer who does.”-- Stanley Marcus
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Table of Contents
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1. 5S Review – Simplify - Linda Fayerweather
2. We Don’t Need No Stinking Marketing! – Part 2 of 4 - Rebecca Booth
3. Achievement - Pat Altvater
4. 5 Tips When Selling to a Referred Prospect - Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
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1. 5S Review - Simplify
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Did you know that the average person spends 2 weeks each year looking for misplaced items? Having spent last week sorting the messes we’ve created, this week we will concentrate on simplifying our systems so that we can find things when we need them and easily put them away.
“A Place for everything and everything in its place.” is an old adage from 1827 attributed to Reverend C. A. Goodrich. It is also the start of simplifying or setting order to your office life and here are some simple tips:
1. Begin with a plan for how you access your information and files before you start putting things away. Time spent thinking here will help you have a plan that works.
2. Create a map of where things belong or just a written legend.
3. Mirror your physical filing system with the same names and folders as your computer filing system or vice versa.
4. Monitor yourself. When a pile of stuff accumulates, ask yourself “why”. It may be that you need a new category or something got missed at the beginning. Don’t be afraid to call in an expert. Sometimes outside eyes will see a problem you continue to miss.
Creating a space that saves time in both starting work and finishing work is a work place where you will want to be.
If you would like a pocket guide to 5S, Please email your Name, Address, City, State, and Zip code to linda@changinglanes.biz
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
Storm the Barn with New Ideas
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
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2. Marketing? We Don’t Need No Stinking Marketing! – Part 2 of 4
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Last week, Cowboy Bob was thinking about axing his marketing budget. This is another excellent reason for him to keep it intact.
Retool your strategy. Make sure that your marketing systems are supporting one another. For instance, if you’re sending out a postcard and can only afford to send a small one – don’t jam it up with too much information. Instead, direct people to your website to find out more about you or give them a reason to call. Next monitor the web’s use as well as your incoming calls. Don’t be afraid to do the same with your advertising and your web copy. The goal always is to start a dialogue. Make it easy for people to get more information about you/your product or service. Then make it really easy for them to contact you. Once they’ve expressed interest, forget the email – pick up the phone and start getting to know that person! Relationships are built upon communication.
Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419.855.3399
Celebrating 10 years of delivering results for our clients.
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
www.marketinginabox.biz
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3. Achievement
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Did you watch the Olympics? How terrific to see the great stories of achievement and hear things like Michael Phelps comment about nothing being impossible. The Olympians are wonderful role models for us.
However, there are lessons in the stories of athletes that weren’t successful too. Did you see the relay race where the team was disqualified when the baton was dropped? Did the team fall down in defeat? NO! Even though they knew they had failed to win the race, the runner turned around, picked up the baton, and carried it across the finish line.
How many times in your business or career, have you failed to pick up the baton when you knew you were facing failure? I’ve seen so many people, quit, give up completely, sulk back to their comfort zone, when if they just picked the baton back up, they could have progressed themselves or at least learned something about persistence and their own character.
When you notice you’ve dropped the baton, carry on as if failure weren’t an option and you never know, it just might not be. “Nothing is impossible!”
Click the link below to watch a short one minute video based on the poem The Comfort Zone.
http://www.ignitethepowerwithinbook.com/movies.html
Pat Altvater
Author, Trainer, Coach
www.ignitethepowerwithinbook.com
www.patriciaaltvaterandassociates.com
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4. 5 Tips When Selling to a Referred Prospect
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If you are going to get good referrals, you must be able to close the referrals that you are given. Unfortunately most people believe that if they are networking and getting referrals they really do not have to sale. Nothing could be further from the truth. Part of making your referral partner look good is your ability to close a sale in the proper way.
Following are 5 Tips sent to me by Aaron Prickle of Lushin and Associates. Aaron is a Sandler Sales Trainer and a graduate of the Referral Dynamics Program.
1. Figure out why you were referred to them.
There were reasons why you were asked to call them, what were they? Ask the referee for this information before your call to help you understand their specific issues.
2. Strategize with your referral source.
Have the referral source give you as much information about the referral as possible. Like what is the decision making process, and the needs of the referral? Ask your referral source what information they may have conveyed to the referral.
3. Run your normal sales call.
Don't skip steps in your sales process since you think they are a "warm" lead. Most salespeople fail to realize positive prospects can be the most difficult prospects.
4. Discover their pain, budget and decision making process by setting clear expectations of the meeting. Now the meeting is set, make the most of it and make it a win-win for both parties.
5. Call your referral source to debrief and thank them for the opportunity. Not all referrals will be ready to purchase your product or service. Even if they don't purchase from you taking care of the post-sale activity will help ensure your chances for future referrals. Don't be embarrassed if it ended in a "no." Both parties should learn from it and move on!
Remember, it does not matter how much of your business come to you via referral, having a good sales system is vital to continuing to get referrals.
Copyright 2008 by Hazel M. Walker is an expert at referral marketing and networking. She is the owner of the Referral Insititute of Indiana as well as the Central and Southern Indiana BNI Franchises. Read her blog at www.networkingstrategist.wordpress.com .
Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. You can connect with Paula at paula@referralinstitute-va.com or paula@bniswva.com .
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5. To Do This Week
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Learn from Ike – Be Prepared, Have a Plan, Know your Limits.
