By Mike Dandridge

It was a joke, really. A sheet of eight and a half by eleven paper, probably a photocopy made at a customer’s office, that hung behind the sales counter for years. You’ve probably seen it. It’s a black-and-white sketch of three generic cartoon characters, their mouths wide open, doubled over, expressing hysterical comic-book-style laughter. Below the trio of chuckleheads the caption reads, You want it when?

Then one day, an overheard casual remark made by a customer waiting for his order, changed everything. He said, to anyone listening, “Did you ever notice, the places that have those signs that joke about the service, are the same places where the service is a joke?”

I took the sign down, crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. Maybe that sounds extreme. I mean I know that a comment by one customer doesn’t speak for all customers.  And I also know those so-called jokes are supposed to be a light-hearted jab at procrastinating customers, a figurative wink and a nod to over demanding clients who expect a supplier to have everything in stock. After all, failure to plan on their part doesn’t constitute an emergency on our part. Yes, I get it. It’s funny. But the implications run much deeper. It’s as if we’re saying to the customer, You want us to do what? Did you just wake up this morning and decide you had to have this part? What do you think we are – magicians? Are we supposed to drop what we’re doing because you’re in a hurry?”

“Well, yes,” replies the customer. “Yes, you are.”

First Impressions Last
Fifteen seconds. That’s all you get to make your first impression. According to Jan Carlzon, president of Scandinavian Airlines, those precious first seconds are your moment of truth – the length of time it takes for a customer to read a sign, or to form an image of you and your company. That decisive moment may remain in your client’s mind forever. It’s difficult for customers to believe a company that claims, “Our customers are our top priority,” when the first thing they see is a sign that says otherwise.

Of course, a sign isn’t always literally a sign. But, there’s a simple sign you can keep in front of you that’s a paraphrase of the Golden Rule and it’s the foundation for providing great customer service: Treat the customer as you want to be treated when you’re the customer.

Of course, we’re not just talking about a placard with a clever saying or funny picture that hangs on the wall. There are other “signs” that communicate to the customer how you feel about their business. Your appearance, your voice, your language, and even your vehicle transmit “signs” to your customer about whether or not the words you speak are in alignment with the actions you take. What are the signs your customer first sees in at the beginning of a business transaction with you or your company?

Mike Dandridge is author of the book, “One-Year Business Turnaround.” He is a professional speaker and consultant to the electrical equipment industry. Sign up for his blog at www.wonderselling.com.

 This Blog post is from a Target Training International newsletter. Permission granted.

Hiring managers have all recounted this story or a similar version over and over again: “Our new hire had all the right experience, good references, and interviewed like a champ!  But here it is, six weeks later, and he’s just not working out.  We can’t ignore the fact that he’s simply wrong for the job, and we made yet another hiring mistake.  Now, we have to start all over again!”

Better luck next time? 

Not necessarily.  If you continue to select talent the way you always have, you’re just hoping that you’ll be luckier next time.  Today, with intangible assets accounting for much of a business’s market value, something has to change.

So, what are the options to remedy ineffective hiring practices?  And, which is the logical one?    

1. Interview more people, faster!

2. Throw all your resources at recruitment!

3. Find and implement a more effective process!

If you chose number three, you are on the right track. You are beginning to realize that continuing to hire as you always have will not move your business forward.  A new emphasis on identifying and retaining top talent is far overdue.

So, are you willing to invest in a new, logical approach? Or are you going to test your luck against the odds? 

Want to Know More?

Good Selling

Steve

PS Want a FREE copy of Prospecting To Fill the Pipeline?

PPS If you know someone who could benefit from this message or the FREE CD please forward this  message to them. It could change their life.