Archives for May 2007
Give and get meaningful recommendations
Everybody loves getting referrals and recommendations but the more specific they are the more likely that there will be a ‘fit’.
So let’s take an example:
Suppose I know someone who is looking for someone to completely ‘make over’ her bathroom: New everything.
As it happens, we had ours done not long ago by a two-man team. We had strong ideas on the particular style of bath and, because the bathroom is quite small, were anxious that the space would be well used and keen that the natural light should be enhanced as much as possible so wanted a full sized mirror or mirror tiles to cover at least one wall. Other than that we were quite open minded.
My recommendation of this two-man team would be ‘warts and all’
- They were no more or less reliable on turning up on time and with the expected sanitary ware and the necessary tools to do the job of the day than we’d come to expect from tradesmen
- However, once they realised that we appreciated the work they were doing in the cramped space and summer heat, they started to be more forthcoming with helpful suggestions, such as:
- “Don’t go for the cheapest wall tiles - they’ll look okay for a couple of years, then you’ll need to replace them”
- “Don’t go for wall tiles that are too big or too small - they’ll look wrong in a bathroom this size”
- “We can source a wall mounted heated towel rack that’ll fit in just here…”
- “And if we put the new… here… there’ll be room for…”
- “I’ve just finished a job where I used slates for the floor, came up a treat…”
- “Don’t go for mirrored tiling on that wall - you won’t like it - we’ll get a mirror cut to fit the space…”
- We still had minor glitches, such as the fact that they glazed the wooden door before removing the thumb print smudges, but nothing that couldn’t be fairly easily rectified
- And they cleared up really well at the end of each day’s work, so we didn’t feel as if we were living in a construction site
Now my friend has a reasonable and realistic idea of what to expect if she decides to make contact.
Referrals and recommendations
This point may seem obvious, but I’ll make it anyway because, with the best will in the world, things do go wrong and people do get burnt:
It’s important to only give referrals and recommendations in the best of faith. For example I know a painter/ decorator/ carpenter whose work by all accounts is excellent. However, he’s notoriously unreliable. Would I use him? No. So I can’t recommend him. Would I refer him? No chance. I have my own reputation to protect.
Bear this in mind when you’re asking others for referrals and recommendations!
Linda
Linda Mattacks is the author of a series of training courses available at SellingForBusiness.co.uk developed to provide easily accessible training for small businesses who are not in a position (or may not want) to take time out to attend formal training sessions.
Just do it!
… is a line that appears in our Selling For Businesscourse because we think Nike have got it right.
You’ll always be able to think of a thousand reasons (excuses) why it’s not quite the right time for you to improve your sales and marketing skills:
- You’re too busy servicing (sometimes unprofitable) existing customers
- You have more quotes to get out to potential customers
- The payroll needs to be done
- The VAT needs to be done
The list is potentially endless. Then you wonder why, six months or a year down the line, you’re in much the same position as you were yet your competition, whom you believe in truth to be no better than you, is charging ahead.
Well, maybe your competition just got smart and decided to invest a little time learning how to better position itself so that it appears to understand its target market’s problems and pains and has the best solutions for them.
Unlike my partner’s son’s line of business, this isn’t rocket science. And you don’t need a high priced consultant to show you how to do it. Do you remember Portia Nelson?
You are the only impediment in your progress, not the demands of your customers, the quotes for potential customers, the payroll or the VAT man. If you’re not completely happy with your company’s performance isn’t it time you figured out how to fix it?
Once you start and see how it all fits neatly into place, you’ll wonder what on earth took you so long!
Linda Mattacks is the author of a series of training courses available at SellingForBusiness.co.uk developed to provide easily accessible training for small businesses who are not in a position (or may not want) to take time out to attend formal training sessions.
Selling and Commercial Awareness
If you are one of the many people who really don’t feel comfortable with the whole idea of selling yet need to contribute the growth of your business, how about substituting ’selling’ with ‘commercial awareness’.
If you think the two are miles apart you could try just looking at them from a slightly different angle. For example, is it selling or commercial awareness to ensure that:
- Your business phones are answered professionally and that the caller is dealt with knowledgeably and courteously?
- Your office answer machine and mobile have a brief, clear message that lets the caller confirm the number they’ve called and what’s likely to happen after they leave their message?
- Everyone in your company is aware that it’s a commercial business and what that implies?
- Understands their personal role and responsibilities in dealing with customers, suppliers and indeed each other in a way which is commercially beneficial to the business?
In case you think I’ve just dreamt these up as fodder for this blog, they are some of the issues I’m currently working with my clients on and they’re very real.
You couldn’t necessarily expect your Office Manager, Software Developer, Site Engineer or Delivery Driver to be sales people but you could and should expect and prepare them to be commercially aware.
Just a thought…
Linda Mattacks is the author of a series of training courses available at SellingForBusiness.co.uk developed to provide easily accessible training for small businesses who are not in a position (or may not want) to take time out to attend formal training sessions.
