Why do you stand in line to spend more money to buy a product you already own?
Double line at Apple Store
Retail craziness
Over the weekend my husband and I walked around NorthPark Mall in Dallas and witnessed this long line, really two lines (!), of Apple customers waiting, ONE BY ONE, to enter the store.
Not every store in this mall has lines forming out the door.
The secrets of Apple’s magnetic spell
Selling Rule #1: Communicate Value
You buy products that excel in the marketplace. You buy what works – professionally and personally (preferably both), what’s dependable, and what makes your life easier. And you’ll keep buying what continues to propel these attributes.
Selling Rule #2: Communicate Customer Service
You provide excellent after care for your products/services. “Apple Care” costs extra (another genius upsell!) and it’s worth it. Why? Because it works, it’s dependable and it makes your life easier.
Selling Rule #3: Communicate Loyalty
See Selling Rules #1 and #2! IF you provide value and excellent customer service you will achieve Customer Loyalty.
My clients are successful because they have achieved loyalty in their various industries.
How can you cash in on this type of momentum?
Know your Value Proposition. Keep it simple and memorable. Share it widely. Ex: Walmart – ‘Save Money. Live Better’. You see this on their trucks, on the front of their stores, and on their shopping sacks.
Take care of your customers… and they’ll take care of you.
Appreciate your buyers. Let them know how much you value their loyalty.
To sell well you must communicate well.
Author: Karen Cortell Reisman is Founder of Speak For Yourself®, a communication consulting firm, and the author of 2 books on how to communicate. She lives in Dallas, Texas and … full disclosure: Karen is typing this blog on a MacBook Air, while multi-tasking on her Apple iPhone mini 13, and looking forward to a book she’s reading on her Apple iPad.
“What makes for a bad client… and a good client”, I asked Kevin, my travel agent.
Kevin and I had just spent a chunk of time sifting through the confusing and varied options for my flight to Israel next month where I will give a presentation and be part of a press conference at Hebrew University.
Kevin and I started our relationship begrudgingly on my part. I don’t like working with travel agents! But, a national association client required that we use Kevin and his agency. “Great,” I grumbled, “He’ll probably book my flight from Dallas to Orlando with a stop in Alaska, if it makes the ticket cheaper.”
No. That didn’t happen. Kevin impressed me with his knowledge, attention to detail, and quick follow through. He’s been my travel agent ever since. It is not easier to figure this travel maze myself, as I originally thought.
Back to this flight to Israel. After we finally got the ticket booked we discussed client relationships and here are Kevin’s answers on what makes for a good and a bad client…. after working with many professionals from a variety of industries.
Good Clients understand the lingo. That means, we need to meet service providers (travel agents, AT&T phone operators, financial planners, the real estate broker…) halfway. It’s our responsibility to grasp some knowledge of their respective industries.
Good Clients know and appreciate the service and time that the service provider is giving to us.
Conversely, Bad Clients assume (“assume” is my least favorite word when it comes to communicating) the provider is not ever doing enough.
Bad Clients think that when something goes awry, it’s always the service provider’s fault.
“One time”, Kevin laughingly said, “A CEO called me and shouted, ‘Kevin – call the airline and hold the plane! I’m running late! Tell them I’m a VIP.’” Kevin retorted – laying this relationship on the line, “You mean I should tell them you’re a Very Important Pr__k (rhymes with brick)?”
Well…. I don’t think I would have the guts to do that but Kevin told me, “That CEO got it! From that moment on he transformed from a Bad Client to a good one. In fact we have now worked together for many years.”
How you communicate creates good and/or bad will with your service providers. Be aware of your voice, tone and nature. And never miss an opportunity to say “thanks”.
Thank you, Kevin Lawrence, for making my travels easy to manage.
What to learn how to cook filet mignon? There’s an app for that. Looking for good places to go mountain biking? Yep. There’s an app for that, too. There are apps for every iphone/ipad user. Here are 3 excellent iphone and ipad apps for public speakers:
Speaker APP 1 – mPrompt: mPrompt is a “teleprompter” app that allows you to use your iphone (or ipad) screen as a teleprompter. You can download and edit the speeches directly to the app and change fonts and colors of words to remind you to emphasize certain points. The speed of text flow is also customizable. It can be used with an LCD projector or on its own! At a low price of just $1.99, this app is perfect for those who want to regulate speech flow and speed.
Speaker APP 2 – Infonet Presenter: Infonet presenter is an all in one presentation displayer that can download many types of files. It is perfect for organizing a presentation, copy and pasting photos and videos, and the slides can be used as a whiteboard. This app is perfect for teachers and presenters trying to educate through this medium (appadvice.com)
Speaker APP 3 – KeyNote: Every Keynote speaker should own this app! It is the single most comprehensive and elegant slide presentation creator in the App store. The app comes with built in start-up slides for slide that feature clear, crisp designs. This app makes flawless charts and is compatible with other similar apps. The sophisticated design and animated transitions will have your audiences enthralled.
Thank you to Drs. Kevin Harrison and Dianna Montoya for inviting me to speak; and for putting together a great group of dental offices. We had a really fun morning learning about how to communicate trust and grow your dental practices.
Dr. Kevin Harrison and Dr. Dianna Montoya with Karen
Dr. Frank Montoya and Dr. Dianna Montoya with Karen
At least that’s what Randy Gage says. In his new book, Risky is the New Safe, Gage outlines a strong theory that there has never been a better time to be alive. And that’s because there will be more cataclysmic change in the next 15 years than in the past 1000.
We can take advantage of this shift and make millions; or lose millions. It all depends on the questions we ask – given today’s realities.
Here are snippets from his conversation this morning with the National Speakers Association – North Texas Chapter:
• 5 million people have a smart phone today. In the future our smart phone screen will follow us everywhere – from our cars to our homes to our offices. It’s electronic tethering.
• The Euro will collapse within 3 years.
• The only free cheese is in the mousetrap.
• Be a critical thinker. Question authority. Titles/Degrees mean zip.
• We process more info in one day than our grandparents did in 5 years.
• By no later than 2022 Artificial Intelligence will exceed human intelligence.
• Mobile Apps change everything.
• WW III in the business world – the battle to control streaming video.
• Look at successful systems and ask what can I learn from Cirque de Soleil? What can I learn from Jimmy Buffet? What can I learn from the Eagles? All three have shifted modalities to be on top of this new market.
What are the critical questions to ask not only to stay in business but also to soar?
“What makes for a bad client… and a good client”, I asked Kevin, my travel agent.
