June 2015
Strategies for Success Newsletter June 2015 Issue 114
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2015 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In this June 2015 issue:
Thoughts from the office
Josmo’s Cafe
Thoughts from home
Stay energized
Emily Live
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thoughts from the office
Don’t air your dirty linen
Since the sale of American Airlines to USAirways was finalized, the two airlines have been integrating their ticketing systems, operations, and frequent flyer programs. Having gone through several other airline mergers and buyouts experiencing frustration and inconvenience, I’ve been delighted with how smoothly this one is going. At least I thought so until a US Airways telephone ticketing agent told me otherwise.
This month, John and I are going on a cruise to Alaska. We are flying to Vancouver, BC from Charlotte and returning from Anchorage. We booked an American Airlines ticket that uses both American and USAirways flights. Currently each airlines’ ticketing agents can see the others’ systems, but can’t make changes or assign seats.
Since we booked the tickets in January, there have been flight changes to our tickets requiring me to call both airlines to adjust flights and reassign seats. As an experienced traveler, I’m used to this and know that it just takes time and patience to sort things out. This was not the case for the USAirways ticketing agent I spoke with. I pleasantly and calmly explained what was going on and what changes were needed. The agent got extremely agitated and said, “This is so screwed up!” He proceeded to rant with details that I neither needed to know nor cared about. I actually had to calm him down and tactfully cut him off!
Moral of the story. Our clients do not need to know the behind the scenes challenges we face. It’s unprofessional and unproductive. Apologize for the inconvenience. Advise how and when the situation will be resolved. Whatever you do, don’t air your dirty linen.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Josmo’s Cafe
Can’t get to the beach this summer? Not to worry. You can bring a little bit of our beautiful eastern seaboard beaches to your home with Atlantic Beach Pie. It’s the PERFECT combination of cool and creamy citrus flavors in the filing with a crunchy and salty crust. It’s a great dessert to follow one of our favorite Josmo’s Cafe main dishes, Salmon Pesto Packets.
Visit our new and improved website recipe list. Josmo’s Cafe recipes are now in category order! We are placing the recipe of the month at the top of the page and also in its proper category. We hope this will help you easily find that recipe you read, liked, and can’t see seem to locate!
John and I are continually delighted by the mail we receive when you try our recipes. Keep those messages coming!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Could your staff benefit from a 4-minute weekly message that will increase new business and retention?
Service Selling Supercharge is a series of audio lessons to write, retain, and grow business.
It’s been a delight to hear from so many agents who have been listening to my weekly audio program Service Selling Supercharge.
Listen to excerpts from three episodes. Information page lists all 52 episode topics.
“Every week Emily’s Service Selling Supercharge offers a gem of advice. Our agency is able to center an entire lunch and learn around one week’s audio lesson. Thank you, Emily, for offering yet another great resource to help us improve!”
Sarah Kueffer, CIC, CWCA
Owner
Integrity Midwest Insurance, LLC
Lawrence, KS
Here’s how the program works:
1. You receive 52 service-selling lessons for PL, CL, and Benefits CSRs in three-to-six minute mp3 audio episodes delivered by e-mail on Tuesday mornings.
2. Listen on your own at any time. Provides pre-work for staff meeting discussion or listen together as a group.
3. Tracking form provided for easy note taking, reference, and follow up.
4. Join at any time and receive every past and future episode.
Affordable for any agency! $104.00 for all 52 episodes. Only one subscription needed per office location. Forward e-mail to all staff. Sign up now
Quantity discounts are available for multi-location agencies, company sponsorships, agency networks, clusters, and alliances. Please get in touch with me to discuss quantity pricing for your organization.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thoughts from home
Details, details
The Facebook post appeared multiple times on my newsfeed. At every sighting, my mouth started to water. My nose could smell the sugar and cinnamon. I had to try it! I had to taste it! What triggered my culinary appetite so strongly? Pillsbury Grands™ Cinnamon Roll Waffles. I read the short recipe. Buy the cinnamon rolls. Place one roll on a hot, well-oiled waffle iron for 3-4 minutes. Serve with the icing in the package, powdered sugar glaze, or maple syrup. So easy!
Two immediate challenges. We no longer owned a waffle iron and we didn’t have any Pillsbury Grand Cinnamon Rolls. John was equally keen on trying these sooner rather than later. We had to some other shopping to do that morning so we headed out. My 20% off Bed Bath & Beyond coupon in hand, we bought a small Cuisinart waffle iron that looked like the one pictured in the recipe. We stopped at the grocery store where I ran in to pick up the Pillsbury Grands™ Cinnamon Rolls while John waited in the car. Mission accomplished! We couldn’t wait to indulge in this decadent dish.
While I was putting our other purchases away, John got out our new waffle iron, washed it, turned it on, and sprayed it with cooking spray. He hit the poppin’ fresh canister on the edge of the kitchen counter and we heard that familiar happy poppin’ sound. (Don’t you just love that?) John took out the rolls. “Doggone it,” he said, “there’s no icing in here.” “What? No way!” I said and raced into the kitchen. We fished out the paper wrapping from the garbage can. The package label read, “Pillsbury Grand BISCUITS.” Big disappointing bummer. We didn’t feeling like venturing out again, so we grilled up the biscuits and served them with maple syrup. We wouldn’t recommend them, although the buttery and flaky biscuits did look pretty. The best part of the meal was laughing our way through it and knowing that next time I will read the label more closely!
Update: John and I made the cinnamon roll waffles the next weekend. I thought they were great. John not so much. If you do make them, use a teflon-coated waffle iron and spray well before each waffle. They will stick and make a mess of your waffle iron.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Meeting planners Convention and Meeting Topics and Descriptions provide program ideas to make your event a bigger success! These relevant, thought-provoking topics offer how-to strategies for participants to apply back at the office. Popular programs are:
Stop Selling! Essential Strategies to Help Buyers Buy
Modern-Day Management – Get Work Done and Develop People
Polishing the Message and the Messenger
Organic Growth – The Process and Practices of Sustained Success
Strengthening Agency-Company Relationships
How to Become the Agent of Choice
For more information, please get in touch.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Stay Energized!
June Energizer Minute – The High Cost of Not Paying Attention – Get supercharged with Energizer Minutes – one-to-two minute audio stories told by yours truly to energize, invigorate, and inspire!
Follow me on Twitter @EmilyHuling to read my weekday Energizer Moments.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Emily Live
· Independent Agents of Iowa – Young Agent Convention – Kick Your “But” 5 Proven Strategies to Earn More Money – Altoona, IA – June 17, 2015
· Midwest/Western Regional Farm Bureau Underwriting Conference – Putting Customers First While Protecting Profitability – Jackson, WY – July 14, 2015
· NAPSLO Annual Convention – San Diego, CA – September 9-12, 2015
· Agency Management CIC – Milwaukee, WI – September 23-24, 2015
· Agency Management CIC – Roanoke, VA – October 21-22, 2015
· Private Client – agency consulting and workshops – South Bend, IN – October 26-29, 2015
· Private Client – Building the Business – Madison, WI – November 9-12, 2015
· Private Client – Raising the BAR – Building Agent Relationships While Protecting Profitability – Fargo, ND – November 16-20, 2015
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Share any of my free stuff, articles, or newsletter content as long as proper credit is included.
Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.
© 2015 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.