February 2010
Strategies for Success Newsletter February 2010 Issue 50
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Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2010 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.
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In this February 2010 issue:
Thoughts from road
Thoughts from others
Thoughts from the office
On the road in 2010
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NOW AVAILABLE! Great Service Sells
CSR Development Program is ready to use in your agency staff meetings!
Great Service Sells – How Great CSRs Turn Service into Sales – book and audio CDs
Designed for CSR group learning in staff meetings using both the print book and accompanying audio CDs. Presented in 21, five-minute chapters, the tips, techniques, real-life stories and personal challenges offer a year’s worth of training sessions. For a complete list of chapters and facilitation tips, go to www.sellingstrategies.com. Newsletter readers receive a 20% discount by using coupon code NEWS11 at checkout.
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1. Thoughts from the road
Looking for change of heart? Just keep going.
Visiting my mom has spoiled me. Not because she has all of my favorite foods (which she does) or our conversations stimulate my mind (which they do), but because she in lives Sun City, Arizona, where it’s always warm and sunny. Well almost always. I awoke to an uncharacteristically cold and rainy morning. I was tempted to roll over and stay snug and warm, but knew I needed to take my morning walk. So I dragged myself out of bed to walk my regular three mile loop which heads south from my mom’s door, then east, north, west and back south.
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The air was damp and drizzly, but the wind made the temperature even colder. OK, not really cold, but Arizona cold. I headed south feeling gloomy like the day. I passed a few dogs, owners attached, both dressed in comical-looking rain gear. My frown started an upturn. By the time I reached the eight-minute point of my walk when I turn to head east, the sun was just starting to appear. The raindrops were resting in the crevices of the cactus plants that adorn almost all the yards. My smile grew. Making the turn to head north, optimistic golfers were driving their golf cars for their early morning tee time, each one waving to me as they passed. My dad always said, “It never rains on a golf course.” Now I had a spring in my step. As I made the last turn to get back on my mom’s street with only ten minutes left on my journey, I didn’t want it to end. What started as a half-hearted effort changed with every step, every waving person and dog, and every touch of nature.
Moral to the story: We all have things in life we resist. If we press ourselves to take the first step, then another step, amazing things can happen.
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Engagement enables enjoyment. EH
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2. Thoughts from others
Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times’ No. 1 best seller “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” Here are some pithy and meaningful thoughts from his syndicated column that are worth sharing.
“Control yourself: Remember anger is just one letter short of danger.”
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others lasts forever.”
“How people play the game shows something of their character. How they lose shows all of it.”
“Love your competitors. They are the only ones who make you as good as you can be.”
“A person without a sense of humor is like a car without shock absorbers – jolted by every pothole in the road.”
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The Energizer Minute
This month, in honor of Groundhog’s Day, tune in to hear Until we get it right… Go to the www.sellingstrategies.com home page and click on the Energizer Minute.
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3. Thoughts from the office
How important is this call?
It was Sunday morning at 10:00 AM and John was calling a technical help desk at the suggestion of an auto-reply e-mail response to a customer service issue. This is what he heard. “Thank you for calling Dell customer support. Our office hours are 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Central Time, seven days a week. Thank you for your call. Goodbye.” Click.
The only thing you can do to keep your sanity with a message like that is to laugh. And we did. We also wondered what we should do next since customer service was void of service.
Most people prefer a live person answering a business phone. If possible, ditch the automated system. If that’s not possible, here are some questions to ponder about your company’s phone answering system:
Is the automated reception they receive consistent with your brand of service?
What do your customers hear when they call you?
Does the system make it easy to connect with a live person (who is friendly) at any time?
Is the customer being served? Are options available after hours?
Have your office staff and customers weigh-in on the reception your callers hear. What, if any, changes should be made?
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Consulting, coaching, and workshops to stay up to date with current business trends and approaches
Phone consulting to Create an Effective Marketing, Sales, and Service Plan for agencies with fewer than eight people. Learn more on the website consulting information page.
Strategy planning consulting and facilitation Professional facilitation and guidance enable owners and managers to agree on goals, strategy, and implementation. Establishing priorities, creating action plans, timelines, accountability and follow through generate results.
New producer development and sales coaching Customized personal guidance for new producers. Includes sales plan creation, structured curriculum and phone coaching,
Workshops – Turning Service to Sales for CSRs and Client Based Selling for Producers
In-house workshops for agency sales and service staff. These sessions fast forward individual skill building resulting in improved customer retention and new business growth.
Presentations Speaking topics include Lean and Mean Management, Selling from the Inside, and Kick Your “But” to name a few. Additional topics on the website information page.
For more information, www.sellingstrategies.com or emily@sellingstrategies.com or 888-309-8802.
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On the road
Early 2010 business travel is taking to me these places. Please give me a call if you’d like to connect when I’m in your area.
Speaking engagement in Albuquerque, NM – private client – February 19, 2010
Speaking engagement in Scottsdale, AZ – private client – February 23-24, 2010
Speaking engagement in Denver, CO – private client – February 25, 2010
NAPSLO Mid-Year Conference, Scottsdale, AZ March 3-6, 2010 (attending)
Independent Agents and Brokers of SC spring conference, Columbia, SC March 17, 2010
Agency Management CIC, Louisville, KY March 18-19, 2010
AMS Users’ Group Annual Conference, Nashville, TN March 25-27, 2010
Consulting engagement in Charlotte, NC – private client – April 7-8, 2010
Speaking engagement in Des Moines, IA – private client – April 11-13, 2010
Speaking engagement in Appleton, WI – private client – April 14, 2010
Agency Management CIC, Edison, NJ May 14, 2010
Consulting engagement in Charlotte, NC – private client – May 18-19, 2010
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Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.
© 2010 Emily Huling. All rights reserved. Feel free to share our newsletter if copyright and credit are always included.