THE TWO ESSENTIALS FOR REPEATED SUCCESS

Success is a science more than an "art." Hope, intuition,
luck or random chance may certainly play a role--who am I
to discount that possibility? But from my experience as a
coach and student of success, achievement usually results
from specific plans and focused effort.
The good news is that the skills of success are easily
mastered if--but only if--we are sufficiently motivated.
Every one of us has achieved extraordinary success over and
over again when we were sufficiently motivated to do so.
At some point, you learned to ride a bike, to date, to get
through school, or buy a home. Perhaps you've become a
pretty good poker player, a great cook or skilled musician.
Some of us have successfully organized a family vacation or
corporate outing. Many have mastered the intricacies of an
iPhone or learned a second language.
Each of us has a history of specific, methodical success.
We have achieved long lists of goals that were important to
us, and mostly, we did it on time and on budget.
And yet when it comes to our biggest and most important
goals, many of us remain stuck and frustrated.
We want to change our behavior, start a business, or go
back to school, but make little progress. From year to
year, our health and fitness levels remain frustratingly
the same. We say we want to up-grade our home, but never
hire a contractor. We want to earn more money or change the
quality of our lives, but find it frustrating and elusive.
What's going on?
The science of success says the likely culprits are an
inadequate plan, or weak desire. And (this is vital!)
desire always comes first.
Over time, we usually get what we expect and desire most in
life. If we long for stability or security, we make few
changes, settle for a familiar routine, cling to what we
know, and watch others pass us by. We wonder what's going
on, but the truth is, we always get what we desire above
all else. If you desire stability and a familiar routine,
that's what you'll likely get.
But that's very different than pursuing a desire for
adventure, excitement, unusual success, fame or wealth.
These things are not associated with a quiet, retiring
lifestyle and the avoidance of risk.
Success begins with a dream that becomes an all-consuming
desire. When you have a goal that consumes you, something
you think about and work for, something you read about and
talk about every single day, your ultimate success is
virtually assured.
But to speed up the process you'll also need a plan.
Whatever the goal, you'll want a plan that has a high
probability of success. Adequate plans include a list of
skills to be mastered, and mentors to teach us. Good plans
include a budget for time, effort, money and some "extra"
for any mistakes along the way.
Here is a story of a woman in Wisconsin. For most of
her life she's dreamed of becoming a science teacher. She's
attended a few workshops, listened to audio programs, and
even started a MasterMind group, "although it quickly
became a ladies chat group." And over the years, little has
changed.
She's spent time and money on a dream, but has no strategy
for success. She has no budget, and has not investigated
scholarships or aid programs. She isn't taking courses
even though there's a university only minutes from her
home. Her actions are unfocused and inadequate to
her goal.
No wonder it isn't happening for her! 

Compare that to a guy named Michael Kheen, who knocked on
a door several years ago, introduced himself, and announced
he was going to build a series of McMansions on 27 acres
across the road. He pointed out where the roads would be.
He knew the number and size of the lots, how to get the
permits and the funding he needed. He had a plan! And, in
about 18 months, he pulled it off. I estimate he made about
3 million dollars on that project.
Success begins with a dream or a hunch that becomes an
obsession. Then, when passion and determination are paired
with a realistic, high-probability plan, your success is
assured. Successful people have plans, budgets, schedules
and benchmarks for every new project they take on. So
should you.

8 UNDENIABLE TIPS TO KEEP CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE

If you asked your customers to rate their satisfaction with your service, would they give you wonderful reviews?

A direct sale to a customer today can cost more than $400 in terms of time, travel, advertising, lead generation, and other expenses. Acquiring a customer at this cost can put a company out of business unless that customer buys again and again.

The best salespeople and the best companies implement strategies to acquire customers and to keep them for life.

Your goal must be to develop long-term customer relationships and then hold on to them in the face of ever more aggressive competition.

When you install a customer acquisition and retention strategy, you must do more to build and maintain long-term customer relationships than ever before.

By continually thinking in terms of “customers for life,” your success in sales will be assured.

I want to share eight of my favorite tips with you, so you can increase customer satisfaction and keep customers for life.

1) Always Focus on the Second Sale

The first sale with any customer is always the hardest and most expensive. But, it is the second that is the most important…

The second sale is the proof that you have delivered on the promises you made during the first sale.

In reality, you actually go out each day and you sell your promises to people in exchange for their money. You promise that your product or service will give them certain benefits that they are not currently enjoying.

When they come back and buy from you again, they are putting their stamp of approval on your offerings and confirming that you did deliver on your promises.

2) Resales and Referrals Are Almost Free

Resales to satisfied customers are ten times easier than new sales to new customers. A resale only requires one-tenth of the time and effort to achieve.

This is why most successful companies measure their success by how often their customers buy again.

A referral from a satisfied customer is fifteen times easier to sell to than a cold call. Selling to a referral requires only one-fifteenth of the time, cost, and effort to make. In fact, if you have a good referral, the sale is 90% made before you walk in the door.

3) Create a Golden Chain of Satisfaction and Referrals

Once you have made the sale and the customer is happy, develop a “golden chain of referrals” by asking everyone to refer you to other interested prospects.

Ask confidently. Ask expectantly. Ask courteously, but always ask customers and even non-customers if they can refer someone else to you.

When asking people for a referral, assure them that you will put no pressure on the person whose name they are providing. People are hesitant about sharing referrals until they are convinced that the friend or associate that they are referring will not be unhappy or angry with them for giving you their name.

4) Generate Word-of-Mouth Advertising

The most powerful method for you to generate referrals in today’s competitive marketplace is by triggering word-of-mouth on the part of your happy customers.

Your aim is to make your customers part of your sales force by getting them to actually sell for you when they talk to other prospective customers.

Do you want to know how to motivate them to do this?

The way that you motivate your customers to sell for you is by giving them outstanding customer service.

The most important element of outstanding customer service is always speed. Speedy response to questions, concerns, and inquiries is a key measure of how many referrals you are likely to get.

Fast, continuous customer care are essential tools for getting referrals.

Practice the golden rule of selling…

Serve your customers the way you would like your suppliers to serve you. Serve your customers the way you would serve your spouse, your mother, or your closest friend.

Go the extra mile.

Always do more then is expected.

5) Ask The Ultimate Question

Fred Reichheld of Bain & Company studied the elements of excellent customer service for many years before finally concluding that there was one single question that was more indicative of customer satisfaction and referral business than any other single question.

He called it the ultimate question:

“Based on your experience with us, would you recommend us to others?”

The willingness of a customer to recommend you to others is the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Very often, if you form a good relationship with noncustomers, they will like and trust you so much that they will recommend you to others even if they do not buy themselves.

6) Always Ask For a Review

At the end of the sales conversation, you can ask this question:

“On a scale of one to ten, would you recommend us to others?”

Of course, your goal is to get a ten.

When your customers give you a ten:

• They will become a “raving fan.”
• They will become a customer and brand advocate.
• They will tell all of their friends to buy from you as well.

But, what if you receive a grade of less than ten – say a seven or eight?

You say, “Thank you for your answer,” then immediately ask, “What would would we have to do to earn a ten from you next time?”

Keep asking your customers, “How are we doing?” and “How could we do better next time?”

The highest-paid and most successful salespeople are those who develop a series of satisfied customers who buy from them again and again, provide faster and easier sales, are less price sensitive, and form the basis for the growth of any business.

7) Improve Your Customer Service Strategy

Develop a customer sales and service strategy that enables you to get and keep customers for life.

This customer service approach does not happen by accident. It requires careful planning, discussion, and training of everyone who deals with your customers.

All successful salespeople and businesses are known for how well they treat their customers. All successful salespeople and businesses are known for how well they treat their customers.

This must be your goal always.

8) Take Action

What one action can you take with every customer and prospective customer that will cause them to want to refer other prospects to you?

Determine the one action or behavior on the part of anyone in your company that might reduce customer satisfaction and referral business. How could you eliminate it, and how fast?

One action you can take is to participate in a 37-second sales skills assessment that will help you identify exactly what it is you need to do to increase your sales and customer satisfaction.

ADVERTISING VERSUS SALES

This week I had a conversation with a client about three
vital distinctions to grow her business. She's spent lots
of money on advertising that has not paid off, and she was
trying to figure out what went wrong. It turned out she was
confused about advertising, marketing and sales.
I encouraged her to define advertising as "letting people
know you exist." Advertising is designed to let lots of
people know about your business and give them some
information about what you do, where you're located, and
the value you provide. Advertising is getting your message
"out there." It's a one-way communication from you to a
large audience often via radio, newspaper or other media.
Marketing is slightly more intimate and hopefully begins a
two-way dialogue. Marketing at a conference or at a
luncheon allows potential customers to ask questions or
express their concerns. It lets you to address specific
needs or talk about your unique benefits. But make no
mistake, you can "market" all day long and never make a
sale!
Sales only come from one thing: Selling! People may know
you exist, they may even trust and believe that you provide
good value, but until you ask them to "sign on the dotted
line" no money will change hands. Only when you encourage
your potential customers to become ACTUAL customers will
your business grow.
As long-time subscribers know, for most service and
professional organizations, I'm not a fan of advertising. I
think it's often shallow and fleeting. For most people,
hiring a professional is simply too personal.
We hire our doctors, lawyers and accountants based on their
marketing dialogue and on their sales style. We buy from
people we know and like and trust, and from the ones who
have asked for the sale!

GETTING THE RESULTS YOU'VE EARNED

One of my mentors gave me an essential life
lesson. He said "we rarely get what we deserve in life, but
we always get what we've earned."
At the time, I didn't believe him. I thought life ought to
give us what we deserve! I felt that hard work, honesty and
fairness ought to be rewarded with a just and fair result.
And secondly, I felt I had "earned" far more than I was
being paid and I was not at all happy to hear what he had
to say.
Years later, however, I am convinced he was
correct.
Life is not always fair, but the law of "cause and effect"
is reliable. In life, our results DO reflect our actions.
I believe that every human being fully deserves a rich and
happy life. We deserve to be healthy, to do work we enjoy,
and to be well rewarded. Being human is the only
requirement to deserve a "World Class Life." But it doesn't
always work out that way.
Recently, a friend put it this way. I think he is doing
very well. He's healthy, has a great family, and he makes a
ton of money. His life looks pretty good to me! But he
wants to grow his business and achieve more, so he decided
to take action. Here's how he described it.
He named a mutual acquaintance of ours who runs a huge
business and is making far more money than the two of us
combined. Rather than be jealous or frustrated, my friend
said, "He obviously uses his time differently than I do, so
I've made arrangements to spend a few days with him. I want
to pick his brain and see what he does differently than
me."
The difference in results is NOT luck or talent. The
difference is NOT in family history, education or the
economy. The difference in results is "in how he uses his
time!"
You can use your time differently! If you do different
things, you will get different results. That's a pretty
simple truth, but how many of us really leverage it to our
advantage?
Simple question: "What do you DO with your time that would
help me get more and better results?"
The answer involved hiring the right people, effective
communication and strong leadership skills, and a couple
months later the "differences" are showing up in
measurable, tangible results. Doing different things may
not be "easy" but it is "simple!"
You can do this!
Life is not fair, but it is predictable. People who get
better results simply do things differently than people who
get mediocre, less satisfying results. If you do the right
things, you will absolutely get better results.
Winners invest in themselves. Winners hang out with
winners. They read and study, they experiment, they learn
new techniques, they attend the conferences and they keep
on trying until they get the results they desire. You can,
too!