The Right Way Works! - jeff korhan

Relationship Selling - Plant the Right Seeds!

How often do you tell your colleagues what they do well?  This is probably one of their unique qualities that makes the relationship valuable.  When you recognize their unique contributions to your business relationship, you validate, reinforce, and most importantly, value what they bring to the relationship.

I recently had a client thank me for following up - as requested -  on our ongoing dialogue to bring a relationship selling program to his organization.  It was a simple, even off-hand comment that I appreciated.  It made me ask myself how often I recognize the contributions others make to my work.  How often do I plant those seeds that grow into sustainable relationships? When we do this it shows the right kind of leadership.

This past weekend I saw the film "Smart People."  I'm not sure if I got all of the subtle messages in this 'think piece,' but I'm fairly certain one of them was to make a connection with people in a personal way.  Get to know the people you are engaged with.  In my opinion, this is the Right Way to operate a business.  All of our intellectual knowledge is meaningless if there isn't a personal connection.  This is what  builds relationships!  So, thanks Jason for your kind words about what I do well in our business relationship.  I appreciate it, and will carry that with me in my work with other clients.

The True Nature of Mastery

Last week I was watching Jay Leno on the Tonight Show.  Normally, I just watch the monologue.  For one thing, it's always nice to end the day with a few good laughs.  Though, as a professional speaker, I also enjoy watching to learn how a master like Jay presents and responds to the audience.

On this particular evening, I stayed up a while longer as Bill Cosby was going to be the first guest.  I figured, why not?  Let's see how another master works his craft.  I was not disappointed - the timing, the facial expressions, he makes it all look so effortless.  But  we know he has practiced, and practiced, and practiced.  After his short bit, Mr. Cosby moved over to the couch to chat with Jay.  They relived some of their experiences from the 'old days' when they were both doing stand-up.  This is when Bill revealed the true nature of mastering your craft as a comedian, which also applies to virtually any other profession, whether you are in sales, marketing, or customer service.

Mr Cosby described a particular evening when he was to do two 30 minute performances at a jazz club here in Chicago.  It was a venue that he had eagerly anticipated getting booked for.  He was all charged up and ready to go, but as the first performance grew closer, some doubts about his abilities crept into his self-talk.  He then proceeded to give a 34 minute performance in 18 minutes.   He bombed!  He told the producer he wasn't coming back for the second performance, to which the man replied, Good! -  we don't want you back.  But could you do me a favor, he asked?  Please make sure BILL COSBY shows up for the 2nd performance - because he's good!  And that's what happened.  The real Bill Cosby showed up, relaxed and engaging, and displayed the mastery that he's known for.  What a great lesson - just show up and be yourself!  Now, that's the right way to do it.  And if it works for the masters, then I'm certainly going to give it a try.  How about you?    

Is Done Better Than Perfect? - You Decide

A friend of mine is well-known in our industry for saying that 'done is better than perfect.'  He recognizes that there are perfectionists out there --- moi?!!  - that get so caught up in doing things right that they don't get things done at all. 

Regardless, I still applaud Starbucks recent ads, no doubt inspired by founder Howard Schultz stepping in to resurrect the brand he created - which of late has been tarnished by a series of missteps that have eroded the culture that made for such an exceptional - dare I say - PERFECT experience during the chains formative years.  The new slogan is simply...."Make it perfect, please."  No apologies.  If it isn't to your satisfaction, it will be.  All you have to do is ask.

In a world where quality has become a punchline, I am encouraged by Starbucks attention to getting back on track - to...well, as my friend Mark had implied...to just get it done.  Done doesn't have to be perfect, but these days, getting it done usually suggests getting it done right.  Why?  We have the resources in front of us.  All we have to do is discern, discriminate, and decide!

Green Industry Selling the Right Way

Today I gave a presentation to a group of down-to-earth green industry professionals at the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association Winter Seminar.  It's always fun to help people grow their business, but it was an especially enjoyable day for me because it was an ILCA event just like this one nearly 20 years ago where my eyes were opened to the professionalism shared by other peers when I started my landscape business.  Not many of those folks were here today, but the next generation is moving up, and that is exciting to see the enthusiasm continue to grow.

Now that the 'going green' thing - or whatever we are calling this wave of green awareness over the last few years is reaching a crescendo, I'm already hearing talk that ... this too will pass.  That may be true to some extent, but not as far as this industry is concerned.  I received an education myself today that the quality and caliber of green industry individuals, as well as the quality of projects they are producing, is continuing to rise to new levels -- including sound eco-systems that are evidently de-rigeur in certain municipalities.

The topic for the day was Selling The Right Way.  Interesting to me to work together on this with a group of ecologists, arborists, and landscape architects.  And why not?  As we discussed today, sales is only helping people to get exactly what they want - the best overall complement of value - as defined by a whole new set of parameters in our increasingly professional industry.  I wish them all well!

I Hear You AT&T, and I Like It!

AT&T recently announced their 4th quarter earnings are up 62%.  I'm not surprised because my recent experience with them was quite favorable.  I'm impressed with the new AT&T.  They've shown me they care! Best of all, AT&T seems to understand that customers do indeed take into account the OVERALL experience of working with a company. 

I was restructuring our land-line service and the representative went out of his way to show me ways to save money and simplify our package.  When I didn't opt-in to the recommended package, he still continued to work with me to accommodate my needs so that when the time comes and we're ready, we'll make the right changes for us.  It was all about me, the customer - and we all know that when we work to understand the needs of our customers we will serve them better - and retain them.   Simple, isn't it?  That's how to increase your sales - which is always good business.

So, I ask you, do you think its too late to change your sales and marketing  approach to rebuild your reputation in the marketplace?  Think again.  If mega-corporations like AT&T can pull it off with a simple, customer-centric approach, then it can also work for your business and mine.  I wish I could say I had a similar experience with my cellular service.  They don't seem to get it, but maybe they will when competitors step in and take a better approach.  Maybe that competitor will be AT@T.

Get Real Sales by Blogging

I'm a sales and marketing expert, though my expertise in two specific areas seem to be merging to create a unique niche.  For nearly fifteen years I have worked with the Chopra Center for Well Being, becoming a Certified Meditation Instructor as a result of my incredible experience.  Lately, I'm teaching more as interest in meditation is on the rise, especially with business people. There are a few reasons for this, which include reducing stress, improving productivity, though the most common one is to connect with what we intuitively know as real - our true nature.  In fact, most of the stress we experience is due to the fact that our attention is scattered all over the planet!  Reconnecting through meditation grounds you and gives you great stability and strength to accomplish your goals.

What does this have to do with blogging?  If meditation helps to understand your true nature, then blogging is one of the best tools to get that unique and personal message of yours out to your market to then attract the right clients.  Last week I gave a presentation on blogging to very attentive members of the Illinois Chapter of the National Speakers Association.  We barely scratched the surface in the 90 minutes we had together, but several new blogs have been launched as a result of that meeting, including www.pureandsimplemarketing.com, by past president Al Lautenslager.  He kindly shared that "Everything I know about blogging I learned from Jeff Korhan."  Thanks Al!  My view is blogging is one of the best ways to connect with your clients - your audience if you are a professional speaker - because they get your real, unvarnished, and therefore, credible perspective.  In fact, web and SEO expert Kurt Scholle of Web Asylum recently informed me about a study in which the identical text was placed on a blog and a website, with the blog testing as far more credible, by something like 47%.  Interesting! This only supports my belief that blogs may well usurp some of the territory currently held by websites.  Either that or the lines between the two will become blurred as we merge the two technologies.

So how do you get more sales - GET REAL!  That's what I tell my clients.  We're living in a reality based society.  If there was ever a time to cut through the b.s., now is that time.  You'll feel better, your customers will appreciate your forthrightness, and best of all, you'll sell more of your products and services.

Right Actions - Get Out of the (Twilight) Zone

I remember this Twilight Zone episode where a box is delivered to a couple that lives in cramped, one bedroom apartment.  A note explains that if they unlock the box and push the button, someone they don’t know will die and they will receive $200,000. (I guess that was a lot of money back then!)  Anyway, they anguish over this for days until finally, they push the button.  Sure enough, a man delivers $200,000 and takes the box back.  What now happens to the box, they ask?  The man calmly responds that it will be reprogrammed and the same offer will be made to another couple. -- Oops!

Imagine if we made choices based upon complete information about the consequences of our actions?  How could you possibly make the wrong choice?  The environmental issues we face today, as an example, would not exist.  The best part of taking the high road is your actions are sustainable.  You don't need to worry - like the couple that pushed the button probably did!  That's how life works.  There is an energy that works to sustain those actions that are in the best interest of everyone.  It's a simple formula to comprehend.  We just have to challenge ourselves - to remind ourselves - to listen to that voice inside that helps us with the proper execution.

 

 

Selling The Right Way is Transparent

Yesterday I gave my Selling the Right Way! presentation at the annual Green Industry Conference sponsored by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET).  The audience was more than receptive - they get it! We really had a great time.   We learned that selling today has to be very transparent.  Why?  Because we are living in a reality-based world.  Nobody is fooled by the old sales and marketing tricks that used to work. We are conditioned to size up a situation very quickly - the sales professional - their company - and their product and service.  Customers want results and they want them now. 

This is good news !  Now we all get what we want sooner if we know how to deliver.  Customers are demanding that we shorten our sell cycles - get to the point - cut to the chase!  If we can do that, and they can show us the money, then everyone wins.  A great deal of our Q and A discussion centered on this point - getting customers to make a commitment quickly.  Virtually all are very willing to do this if we can get out of our own way and make the right things happen. It just takes a repeatable process where we take control of the situation and clearly demonstrate we care about that customer.  That's what I think of as the right way - everyone wins -everyone gets what they want when the sales professional and their organization have their act together.  We just have to be as transparent (i.e. honest and genuine) as possible - because everything we do has a ripple effect that not only sells the customer in front of us, but often leads to the referral of their friends!  The Right Way does Work.

Teamwork - Play Well with Others!

Today I was reading about business school rankings in the Wall Street Journal.  I'm especially tuned in to this topic because my daughter Alison will be a freshman in college next year -- and her intent is to study - that's right -  business.  I think that was what Tom Cruise said in the film Risky Business, didn't he?  Anyway, we are considering most of the top Midwestern business schools such as those at Indiana University, Michigan, and Illinois, among others.  Having grown up in Columbus, Ohio, I'm pleased to see Ohio State moving up in the business school rankings.  Hey, I'm always going to root for the Buckeye football teams, so it's nice to know they are a winner on and off the field!

Back to that article.  It notes that the top ranked MBA program this year is Dartmouth.  It seems Michigan was No. 1 last year, but now they've taken a plunge to No. 7 - just as their football program recently plunged in the rankings by opening with two losses!  O.K., take it easy - please understand you have to be from Columbus or Ann Arbor to appreciate that it is acceptable to bash the other side in the Ohio State - Michigan rivalry.  It's all just in good (competitive) fun.  So how did Dartmouth's Tuck school achieve the top ranking?  Here's the quote:  "Tuck students live and breathe teamwork."  ..interesting.  Why did some schools drop in the rankings.  Predominantly because the students had an attitude - whether it was one of overconfidence, "what's in it for me," or to be more direct - pompousness!  Ouch!  These don't sound like team players to me.

As a small business owner who doesn't have a say in such matters, I'm pleased to hear the corporate recruiters honestly speaking their minds.  This is such a great segue to Ken Blanchard's comments in my previous post (paraphrasing) -- "that you just don't let people into your company that don't share your values."  I would hope Ken would agree that teamwork - while not necessarily a value - is one of the table stakes in operating a successful business, regardless of whether it's a corporation that can afford to hire these top MBA's - or just a noble venture like my own.  Once again, it looks like we just have to remember the basics.  Teamwork - or as they taught most of us when we were very young - "play well with others!"