November 2018
Strategies for Success Newsletter November 2018 Issue 155
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2018 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In this November 2018 issue:
- Thoughts from the Office
- Thoughts from the Road
- Josmo’s Cafe
- Stay Energized
- Emily Live
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Thoughts from the Office
Find your gaps
Customers and clients don’t compare your business to your competitors. They compare you to the service, customization, and ease of doing business the rest of the world provides.
FedEx, Amazon, and Starbucks are among the top companies that have set our exceedingly high expectations. As customers, when what we anticipate isn’t met, we complain, write, post, tell the world about our experience, then take our business elsewhere.
Businesses can’t afford to wait until something negative happens to discover gaps in performance and customer satisfaction. It’s imperative to periodically assess your business practices. Here’s a short list of what to evaluate:
Employee satisfaction
Customer satisfaction
Recruiting and hiring process
Data – accuracy, usefulness
Office environment
Service standards, procedures, and measurement standards
Workflow, processes, and workloads
Quality of work
Staff competency and knowledge
Product relevance and competitiveness
Billing and payment process
Branding and marketing effectiveness
Distribution and delivery channels
Ongoing self-examination and continual improvements will assure future success. 2019 is right around the corner. Begin now to identify which areas should be on your list to evaluate next year.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Thoughts from the Road
It’s not (always) about the money
Washing my hands in an American Airlines Admiral Club ladies’ room, the striking woman next to me gave out a heavy sigh and bent down with squinted eyes to read the labels on the two ceramic pumps on the sink. “Finding the soap shouldn’t be so hard,” she complained to me. “You’re right,” I replied. I knew that one container was for soap and the other for hand lotion. She went on. “My eyes have become such a problem. I’m having to get new prescription lenses every six months. So, my doctor’s office decides to do me a favor. They sold me cheap lenses without asking me. The quality of the lenses is so poor that I can’t read small print. Why would he make that decision for me? Why didn’t he give me a choice?”
We chatted for a bit commiserating about people in all professions and trades including painters, printers, and auto mechanics who aim to save us money when what we want is quality.
Moral of the story. Never assume you know what your buyer wants or is willing to spend. Provide two or three options. Outline the pros and cons of each choice. Ask your buyer to make the decision. I’m sure you’ll find as I have, very few people choose the least expensive, low value option.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Josmo’s Cafe
Holiday entertaining is coming around the corner. Time again to feature my favorite make-ahead appetizer Goat Cheese, Ricotta, and Pesto Terrine. It’s not only great tasting, it’s makes an impressive presentation. Enjoy!
We hope you will try our other Josmo’s Cafe recipes posted on the website.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Stay Energized
Our Energizer Minute podcast message for November is The Ripple Effect.
Follow me on Twitter @EmilyHuling to read my weekday Energizer Moments.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Emily Live
- Private Client – Minneapolis, MN – Retention, Relationships, Referrals – November 8-9, 2018
- National Speakers Association CSP Summit – Minneapolis, MN – November 9-11, 2018
- Agency Management CIC – Richmond, VA – January 30, 2019
- Agency Management CIC – Louisville, KY – March 6, 2019
- Agency Management CIC – Central CT – June 26, 2019
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please share any of my free stuff, articles, or newsletter content when proper credit is included.
Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information, contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.
© 2018 Emily Huling Selling Strategies All rights reserved.