THE CARE AND KEEPING OF CUSTOMERS

The first question of any business is to understand WHAT
business you are in.
Most people think McDonald's is in the restaurant or
hamburger business, but many analysts through the years have
observed that they are actually in a variety of businesses.
They are in the real estate development business. They are
in the entertainment business. And most of all, they are in
the customer service business.
Every business is first, last, and always in the business of
providing superior service to its customers.
It costs a fortune to attract a new customer. The time,
money, energy, anxiety and effort to get a new first-time
customer in the door is a huge expense. No business has the
resources to attract and serve only new customers. The key
to profits is in keeping and serving the customers you
already have.
Some studies show that it costs up to 85 times more money to
get a new customer than to make an additional sale to an
existing customer.
No matter what other business you are in, your first
business is in keeping and serving and partnering with your
customers. It's called customer retention. Sometimes it's
called "up-selling." It goes by many names, but the
principle is the same: Nurture and keep your customers!
Customer service is about reliability and it's about
relationship. It's about trust. It's about the quality of
your product, but even more, it's about the quality of your
service before, during and long after the sale.

CONNECTING WITH THE SALES MEETING CURVEBALL

 

A Valid Business Reason (VBR) is a clear statement of why a customer would find it valuable to spend time meeting with you. As effective as this tool is for securing a meeting, it is an equally powerful way to begin a meeting because this reason can change between the setting of an appointment and the actual meeting, particularly if the appointment was set well in advance.
So it makes good sense to state your VBR again at the start of the meeting. Ask a Confirmation Question to validate the meeting’s purpose. This assures you that you’re starting the meeting on the same page.
When (and this is more common than you think) you get an unexpected “no” when verifying the meeting’s focus, you can either:

• Give the attendees their time back and reset the meeting when expectations are more in sync.
  Or,
• Stay in the meeting to uncover what has changed and what their new Concept is – what they’re trying to accomplish, fix or avoid.

The first option demonstrates that you’re respectful of their time and that you wish to put more thought into their current position. But who knows when or if you can get an appointment again?
Why not make use of the time already given to you? Do the “leg work” while you have your contacts in the room and ask questions that will give you a better handle on their situation. This will give you insights on whether your company can provide a solution to their problem. Ask specific questions that will resolve any unknowns, such as:

• What brought the shift in the project’s direction?
• Would you describe for me how you envision this problem being resolved?
• Who will oversee this new project?

The reason that brought you into the meeting may have changed, and that may throw you off momentarily. By asking good questions that spur open dialogues and uncover new information you can hit this curveball out of the park.

BRINGING BALANCE TO A CHAOTIC LIFE

If I had to make a composite question that gets at the heart of the question that I am asked most frequently, it would be this:How can I manage my time more effectively and bring balance to my life in regard to work, family, friends, and social obligations?
With this in mind, I want to give us some thoughts to focus us in on the answer to that question.
I am convinced that the most important thing we must do is to be acutely aware of the reasons I should manage my time and bring balance to my life. In fact, most of us really know "how" to do it, don't we? Then why don't we? I think it comes to the issue of having a powerful motivating factor or reason. Below are two of mine that keep me motivated:
A life of accomplishment. When I am old and unable to get out with the young folks anymore, I want to be able to look back on my life and say that I accomplished much and that my life benefited others. That is why I do what I do now. It is what drives me to pursue what I pursue with a passion and vigor. It is why I bring my life into balance is many areas so I can achieve much in many areas.
A legacy. Here is a powerful motivating image that I picture with regularity: Picture a family gathering five years after your death. What will it look like? What will the people be talking about? How will they remember you? What will be the quality of their lives and how will you have been instrumental in that? These are questions that we can for the most part, answer now by how we live our lives (for better or for worse). Our lives make a difference in the lives of others! This is a tremendous reason to bring my life into balance!
Once we answer the "Why" question, and root it firmly in our minds and hearts, we come to the "hows."
First, we sit down and prioritize. Have you ever taken a couple of hours and listed everything that you are involved in or could be involved in and then prioritized it by importance? You may come up with a hundred items but that is okay. You will want to separate them into some categories as well, such as Work, Family, Health, Friends, Hobbies, Spiritual, Financial, Intellectual, Emotional, etc.
Now you have something to look at and see what is important. This will help you in the process of eliminating areas from your life that you are spending time on that you shouldn't be. And that is an important part: Frustration comes when we get involved in something that isn't a priority and we kick ourselves the whole time we do it. If we stick to priorities, we eliminate much of that.
The next step is to learn the most powerful word in the human language: No. Just look in the mirror and practice saying that word with a smile on your face. This may be the most important part - learning to decline opportunity. It all depends on whether or not it fits in with our priorities.
Here is the principle that drives this:
Good is the enemy of the best.
There are lots of good things we can spend our time on. But because they replace those things that would be the best things we could spend our time on, they become our enemy. They become counter-productive to a successful and balanced life.
So ask yourself: Is this good? Or is it the best? Do the best you can to stick to the best!
Schedule your time. The more we fly by the seat of our pants, the more apt we are to lose control of our time. If we schedule out our time, we can become a bit more objective and bring our lives into balance. For example, you may make it your goal to be home by six o'clock every night. In your schedule book, you write in that you have an appointment at six. You schedule to leave the office at five-thirty. Now when a co-worker comes in with an "opportunity" for you to work on, you say, "Sorry, I have an appointment at six that I can't break. Let's get together on it first thing in the morning." Scheduling your time, coupled with saying "no," will do wonders for bringing your life into balance!
Another aspect for us to look at is the area of external pressure that causes us to be out of balance. For example, financial obligations may be what keep us working too much. So we should look at those obligations and see if we can eliminate or reduce them.
The last thing I would challenge you with is to give some thought as to what the secret pleasures of being out of balance may be. For example, sometimes we let ourselves over commit because we don't like conflict.
Peace is our secret pleasure.
Sometimes we allow ourselves to become out of balance because we like it when people say, "Boy, she sure is a dynamo. Look how busy she is." Admiration from others is our secret pleasure.
In review:
Find the right reasons
Set priorities
Learn to say "no"
Understand that the good is the enemy of the best
Schedule your time
Manage External pressures
Be aware of internal "secret pleasures"

10 SIMPLE WAYS TO GO GREEN

Climate change, pollution and rampant irresponsible energy usage are all things that should concern every person on this planet. Each of these major points can be influenced by the actions of individuals, so it is in everyone's best interests to begin practicing eco-friendly lifestyles. This is no longer something that we should consider optional--it should be a necessity. Here are ten helpful hints on green living that will make a positive effect on our natural environment.

1. Save Water
Water is vital: without it, we can't survive on this planet. Potable water must be conserved at all costs, and this can be done simply. Check around your home to ensure that any of your faucets aren't leaking, and practice saving water by developing good habits. Turn off the tap whilst brushing teeth, make showers quicker, take fewer baths, and install low-flow shower heads and toilet fixtures in every lavatory.

2. Reduce/Re-Use/Recycle
Our urban landfills are full of items that could have been re-used or recycled. By recycling items such as tin cans, paper, cardboard, and plastic bottles, we reduce the amount of rubbish in landfills and also reduce the amount of materials being used to manufacture new things. Make sure to keen a bin for recyclable materials handy in your home, so you don't forget!

3. Cut Down on Energy Consumption
Everyone knows that fossil fuels emit the majority of the carbon emissions, or greenhouse gases, and other pollutants. Fossil fuels power our society, so by reducing the usage of these dirty fuels, we reduce carbon and other emissions. Reduce your energy consumption by engaging in energy-saving practices, such as switching to compact fluorescent bulbs and setting your water heater, air conditioning and heating units to more energy-efficient temperatures.

4. Reduce Driving
Our love for our cars has become one of our biggest environmental problems: the carbon monoxide from the patrol burned by our vehicles accounts for more than half of all emissions of this dangerous gas. By taking public transport or carpooling, you can significantly reduce your petrol consumption and, therefore, carbon monoxide contribution. This also encourages more efficient fuel consumption, traffic, and less waste than simply driving yourself.

5. Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances
Buying an Energy-Star rated appliance, such as a refrigerator or washing machine, can dramatically reduce your home energy bill--and thus decrease the amount of fossil fuels burned to manufacture that energy. Not only do you do your pocketbook a favor, you do Mother Earth one, as well.

6. No More Plastic Grocery Bags
Those plastic bags they give you at the market take years and years to decompose in landfills, not to mention that some emit toxic chemicals as they decay--if they decay at all! Choose a more eco-friendly option by bringing your own canvas or net bag with you next time you go shopping.

7. Stop the Paper Trail
One very simple way to behave in a more environmentally-conscious manner is to reduce your "paper trail." Trees are one of the main ways that carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is reduced. Trees take CO2 and make it into oxygen, effectively scrubbing the air. When you stop using so much paper, you contribute less to the cutting down of these vital natural carbon reducers. It can be as simple as paying your bills online, rather than queuing up and getting a paper receipt.

8. Plant a Tree...Or Two!
As discussed in number 7, trees are extraordinarily important to a healthy Earth. By planting a few you will help improve the air quality and the aesthetic impact of your local environment.

9. Put Out the Butts...Permanently
Cigarettes are a source of pollution, one noxious puff at a time. Every exhalation of cigarette smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals which are not only bad for you, but are also bad for the environment. Reduce your chances of serious health complications and reduce the pollution of your immediate environs by quitting smoking, permanently. You'll also save a lot of money!

10. Go Rechargeable
Those batteries in your torch, TV remote control or other household appliances are horrible for the environment: they are full of toxic acid and trace heavy elements that pollute the soil and water when they decay. Switch to rechargeable batteries, which will also save some change in your pocket.

It's really not hard at all to become more environmentally-conscious. If we all do our part, every day, you will find that our world will be a cleaner, greener and safer place for us and us and future generations.