Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Crucial-Questions-to-Superior-Sales.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Crucial-Questions-to-Superior-Sales.html When your customers aren’t sure which of your products or services they should buy, consider this handy tool that not only helps create clarity, but also positions you as a trusted advisor. I’m referring to a time-test sales tool known as SWOT. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. When I do customer service and sales seminars and speeches for groups, I often hear this is one of the most useful tools people learn. Here’s how to ask SWOT questions... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Boosting-your-Business-in-a-Slow-Economy.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Boosting-your-Business-in-a-Slow-Economy.html Question: what are two words that will become increasingly important to customers over the next decade? The answer, according to marketing guru Frank Luntz, is “hassle free”. Customers are fed up with being forced to jump through hoops. Yet bizarrely, even in a slow economy, companies are actually becoming more difficult for customers to do business with - before, during and after purchases. To see if your organization is creating these unnecessary hassles for your customers, take this mini-quiz. Then consider using the accompanying tips I talk about my customer service seminars and speeches. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Managing-Multiple-Customers.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Managing-Multiple-Customers.html You know the scenario… your workday is running smoothly and manageably when suddenly you find yourself dealing with one customer in front of you, another on the phone, while a third arrives with just a quick question. When organizations bring me to conduct customer service seminars, I find this is one of the most frequent challenges frontline employees ask me to address. While there are no absolute rules for juggling customers (you need to adapt to your workplace’s business realities) here are 5 tips that we find work well for our clients in reducing stress and boosting customer loyalty. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Motivating-your-Sales-Team--Making-more-sales-with-fewer-calls.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Motivating-your-Sales-Team--Making-more-sales-with-fewer-calls.html As a manager or sales professional interested in boosting revenues, you've no doubt heard the expression, 'selling is a numbers game'. The idea is that the more potential customers you contact, the more likely you are to make sales. Makes sense in theory but in the real world this belief often reduces revenues. Here's why... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Risky-Business--How-repeat-customers-may-jeopardize-your-future.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Risky-Business--How-repeat-customers-may-jeopardize-your-future.html When I speak at conferences and corporate meetings about customer service I often hear managers reminding their team members about the importance of repeat business. The assumption is that if customers keep spending their money with you, they must like you. But is that really true? Many business owners and managers are unaware of the harsh reality that some folks who spend their money with your organization may not enjoy doing business with you at all. The consequences of this can be staggering. Consider the example of my local video store... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/How-to-Work-Less-and-Get-More-Done.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/How-to-Work-Less-and-Get-More-Done.html In the days before email, the most pervasive interruption for the average manager was a ringing phone. Now that email is everywhere, including our PDAs, managers receive literally dozens if not hundreds of messages/interruptions/distractions every day. The problem gets worse as employees who are sending email messages within a company can easily send copies, no matter how trivial, to everyone else - including to other managers. The end result is that with the advent of email it's easy for a manager to spend an entire day reacting to other people's priorities. That's why I when it comes to a manager's productivity, email is the silent killer. The good news is some managers have learned to get past the clutter... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Buying-Trends--the-Shift-to-HassleFree.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Buying-Trends--the-Shift-to-HassleFree.html You may have noticed a shift in recent years in what it takes to satisfy customers. Customers are now making buying decisions less on the quality of an organization’s products and services, and more on the quality of the buying experience itself. If you’re a business owner or manager, this trend offers both risk and opportunity. To ensure that your organization profits from this shift in customer loyalty, consider a recent history of buying behaviors… http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Managing-Multiple-Priorities--How-to-juggle-customers-projects-and-admin--and-still-have-a-life.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Managing-Multiple-Priorities--How-to-juggle-customers-projects-and-admin--and-still-have-a-life.html It may be a popular advertising slogan - our customers are our number one priority. As a manager however, buying into that strategy will actually reduce your effectiveness and damage your business. I learned this the hard way... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Making-Attitude-Adjustments--Improving-customers-service-behaviors-other-than-replacing-people.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Making-Attitude-Adjustments--Improving-customers-service-behaviors-other-than-replacing-people.html Not long ago, if a customer service employee fouled-up, he or she was warned, then if improvements didn't happen, was shown the door. In today's workplace however, where it's so difficult just maintaining staffing levels, dismissal doesn't really fix the problem - it just changes the problem. That means it's more important than ever for managers to be able to confront unacceptable employee behaviors without causing the person to simply walk out and get a job elsewhere. Next time one of your frontline employees needs an attitude adjustment, consider these tips... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Staffing-Shortages--Maybe-Youre--the-Problem.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/415/Staffing-Shortages--Maybe-Youre--the-Problem.html Demographers are predicting that staffing shortages are only going to worsen in the coming years. Too many managers mistakenly assume the only way to keep people is to bite the bullet and pay more in salaries, benefits and perks. Unfortunately, those managers are often 'fixing' the wrong problem. Marcus Buckingham of the Gallop organization reported that the number one reason employees quit was their personal feelings about their immediate supervisor. Ask yourself if it's time your company took measures to fix the real problem when it comes to staff turnover - managers and supervisors are not equipped with the necessary skills to make their team members feel valued...