Gary Silverman Articles

Your CUSTOMER Satisfaction Is Tied To Your EMPLOYEE Satisfaction - Click To Read Article
WHAT DO YOUR CUSTOMERS REALLY THINK ABOUT YOU? We constantly endeavor to achieve 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. We invest our time and money developing surveys and devising ways to improve our rate of return on those surveys. We empower the information gathered to correct individual problems and micromanage our way to solutions. In fact, much of the comments we act upon don’t really reflect upon the way our business is actually being conducted. These knee jerk reactions create more problems than they solve. The most important feedback never makes its way to our “gatherers”. Our BEST customers don’t respond to surveys and the truly DISSATISFIED customers will never give us a second chance.

You Like Me...You Really, Really Like Me - Click To Read Article
Sometimes in the rush to judgement we forget how important it is for our sales force to build rapport and gain the trust of their prospects. This is particularly true given the current business climate. People have become suspicious, cautious, and protective. Everyone is playing defense. Many salespeople I’ve come in contact with recently have been more assertive in qualifying and jump immediately into product presentations rather than spending quality time to get to know the personal side of their prospect or determine their specific needs. Let finance determine whether your potential customer can buy while you focus on their buying motives. You will be better equipped to match the specific attributes of your product to the specific needs of your customer.

Why Can't We All Just Get Along - Click To Read Article
I have spent the better part of this year consulting with the Real Estate industry and I have had my eyes opened to the inherent problems of an untrained, inexperienced, unsupervised sales force let loose in the marketplace. Agents are independent contractors and left on their own to generate sales, find prospects, and close deals. Some are resale agents, others sell in new home communities. Usually during difficult times people bond and look to each other for strength and empathy, more like a team. What I have found is quite the contrary.

When Was The Last Time You Measured The Effectiveness Of Your Small Business - Click To Read Article
YOUR PERCEPTION VERSUS REALITY In today’s complex business environment there are too many demands on our time. New technology is available to streamline procedures and information gathering yet we have become a slave to this technology. As we become familiar with the new hardware and software, we rely on the information they make available and consider it the best approach to analyzing our business. Less and less time is dedicated to hands on, real world analysis of our business. Although the technology provides us with quantitative information and trend analysis, it cannot sense a decline in the way we are actually conducting business. We have a snapshot of today’s reality with no looking glass into the future. Is your VISION of the company being diluted once it reaches the frontline of your company?

When the Fed Bails Out the BIG 3...Who Bails Out the Dealers? - Click To Read Article
The Senate and House got a jolt this week while debating whether to bail out the Big 3 when it was learned that we shed over 500,000 jobs in November. The possibility of additional job losses from the domestic auto industry became the main reason for rushing to approve a bail out. Weʼll call it “Job 1”, coining a phrase from Ford. During the wonder years of post 911 rebates, 0% financing, and high margin sales of pick-ups and large SUVʼs the domestic manufacturers started adding new dealership locations like drunken sailors, diluting the value of the existing locations, lowering their sales, raising their marketing expenses for a share of voice in the over crowded print and electronic media, while forcing additional inventory on all of the locations.

Wasted Away in Businessville - Click To Read Article
These are lean times, at least according to the media. Whether they are or not still poses an opportunity to do a little belt tightening in areas of your business that are often overlooked. Do you have a supply closet? This is the place where someone in your organization stores all of the office supplies that people feel they need to have.

We Have To Stop Meeting Like This - Click To Read Article
This goes out to all of you who have sat through a mind numbing Powerpoint presentation for hours including travel time and the hotel coffee shop lunch buffet. “We have to stop meeting like this” sends an urgent plea out to management to infuse your meetings with powerful information designed to insight, motivate, inspire, and energize. You must also come to grips with the fact that some people are hardwired to write the best material and make the best presentation, and it may NOT be YOU. Park the ego at the door and enlist the best person for the job, that in itself can motivate the troops to commit to continuous improvement.

Trade Shows Versus “Afraid” Shows - Click To Read Article
What is your level of participation in your industry’s trade shows? Either you work for a company who writes the check and controls the exhibit, do you send a few representatives of your sales staff to “work the floor”, or do you send your sales staff to “attend” the show, learn and observe? Regardless, your team members will require a specific skill set in order to perform effectively at the show.

The "Customer Experience" versus "Customer Satisfaction" - Click To Read Article
Customer Satisfaction was the mantra of the 90's. You had to insure your customer was completely satisfied to guarantee repeat business. Compensation was tied to it, additional franchises, factory bonuses, and incentives. The world revolved around "Customer Satisfaction". Eventually the process mutated into a web of deceit, manipulation and fraud. Customers were coerced into returning their surveys with only a completely satisfied score. There were bribes of free products or services if you personally brought the survey in. But these surveys only measured prospects who bought, not the majority of your prospects who DID NOT. I believe you can learn more from this silent majority.

The Customer Hidden Inside - Click To Read Article
There’s a customer hidden inside each of your prospects. Are you able to find them? Salespeople got spoiled during the super-heated market of just a few years ago. The demand exceeded the supply, money was cheap and readily available, and there were more prospects than we were physically capable of handling. This was particularly true of Realtors and Car salesmen.

The Best of Times...The Worst of Times? - Click To Read Article
Today is March 12, 2009. I am identifying this day so you can get a perspective of where we are in the world. I don’t know about you but I am getting a little tired of what the media is exposing us to. Every statement seems to start with “during these tough times”, even commercials are getting on board with the negative jargon. Every statistic is peppered with “the worst since”, “highest since”, or “lowest since”. I question the mechanism for such quotes and who really cares? Even the weather has become “severe” weather with it’s corresponding lowest or highest recorded stats. I may regret saying this but I’m ready to hear more about Iraq, that has been pushed to the back page.

The Best of Times...The Worst of Times? Part 2 - Click To Read Article
Do you get the impression that everyone is missing the point to our current economic climate (I prefer “climate” to “crisis”). All common sense solutions first identify the “root cause” of the problem. There are plenty of examples in our daily lives. Want to avoid a hangover?...DON’T drink, care to avoid lung cancer?...DON’T smoke, indigestion?...avoid spicy foods. When you go to the doctor seeking help with your cholesterol or blood pressure the doctor will prescribe medicine and a regimen of diet and exercise that will work towards solving the root cause of the problem. Why haven’t we taken the same approach to solving the root cause of our current “climate”?

Talkin' Trash - Click To Read Article
Anyone who has read any of my “vignettes knows how critical I have become of everyday “customer service”. Here’s a different spin on the mundane. Every so often you have an experience so memorable that you can’t help but tell everyone about it; something that will stick with you your entire life, or at least the near term.

Strategic Selling - Click To Read Article
All of us preach the basics of selling and encourage all sales people to go “Back to the Basics” of building value in yourself and your product. That’s a given particularly in today’s competitive environment. Much time and effort is invested in training your sales force on product knowledge, features, benefits, and closing tools. Little time is invested in training on the “Strategy of Selling”. This is what I am referring to.

Show Me the Money - Click To Read Article
Welcome to the end of the year for your business. Many of you have already visited with accounting to determine how to best position 2008 for your tax liability. If you haven’t...get on the stick. Decisions you make today will determine what kind of check you’ll write next April, or, what you can save. 2008 was challenging so I don’t believe many of you are running to the store to buy business assets. Cash is “KING” and you have probably been hoarding cash all year to cover payroll and operating expenses. If you aren’t; than good for you, buy an Escalade-it’s heavy enough to be considered “equipment”. But this articles speaks to the majority of us.

Social Disease - Click To Read Article
I have always subscribed to the philosophy of “work hard - play hard”. But I always separated my play FROM my work. What I am referring to is my resistance to socialize with my employees or management peer groups as I worked my way up the corporate ladder. There is an inherent danger in creating a social environment within the workspace that spreads to the after work space. This almost ALWAYS ends badly. Here is my list of No-No’s:

Re-Organizational Chart - Click To Read Article
Most small businesses start with a good idea, an individual with a skill set who turns the idea into a revenue producing business, some investors or personal savings, and patience and perseverance. The founding father or mother wore many hats at the beginning and over time handed these hats to individuals who were hired to help as the business grew. Sometimes growth came so quickly that there was a rush to judgement as to how many and who to hire as well as their areas of responsibility. This was a good problem to have because sales were increasing and the dream of growth was coming true.

Realtors Only...Vocation, Vocation, Vocation - Click To Read Article
Over the past eight months I have been observing and consulting in the Real Estate industry. I have the utmost compassion for their state of affairs and the struggle that many have had during the ongoing downturn in the industry.

Prospecting, Follow-up and Solving "Around" the Problem - Click To Read Article
Do you solve problems by “solving around the problem?” This is what I mean. Manager “Ken” is frustrated because his sales force isnʼt prospecting because they are relying on the companyʼs expensive advertising budget to drive the traffic. Even though personal prospecting is the least expensive form of advertising and has the highest success rate in closing customers. Because the sales force hasnʼt been trained or managed properly they are “rewarded” by manager “Ken” who increases his ad budget. Kenʼs defense is that he canʼt get his salesmen to prospect. A classic case of the tail wagging the dog.

Ready to Grow Again? - Click To Read Article
As I have predicted in a number of my previous articles, prosperity is right around the corner, and for some of you it may already be here. I have been preaching that business needed to prepare themselves for the rebound and if you haven’t it isn’t too late. The bad news came with a big sucking sound. Like the aftermath of a devastating tornado many of you have poked your head out from the rubble only to find yourself alive and somewhat well.

Oil, Water, and Teamwork - Click To Read Article
Did you ever wonder why a professional sports team that seems to have so many outstanding players, never wins the championship? Often times they don’t even make it to the playoffs. Perhaps you live in a city plagued by this team. Frustrating isn’t it? The same malfunction occurs in many businesses today. You have an all star team, but you are getting a sub par performance. Does top management do more refereeing than managing?

Managing Growth - Click To Read Article
When we look back at the excesses of a few short years ago the risk of rapid expansion becomes apparent. We are now paying it back. It didn’t take an astute businessman to question the seemingly endless development of cookie cutter strip malls that made any drive seem like the movie “Groundhog Day”. It wasn’t de javu but rather redundant development.

Leverage Your Strengths Fire your Weakness - Click To Read Article
Now is the time for your New Year’s resolutions. We can easily rattle off the personal changes we will attempt to make for the new year. Things like, I’m going to exercise more, eat healthy, drink less, quit smoking, allow for more family time, make better use of my time, etc. Have you taken the time to set objectives or “resolutions” for your business? We are entering the age of efficiency. Banks and credit card companies are cutting off risky business, secondary finance companies are rethinking their business model, car manufacturers are cutting dealers and products, airlines are cutting routes, and on and on. What is your plan for 2009?

It’s Time For The Small Business Owner To Get Back In The Game - Click To Read Article
There is no doubt that market conditions have deteriorated over the past few months regardless of the industry. Business leaders and owners have acted quickly to cut unnecessary personnel and expenses to protect the bottom line. That’s a good thing for the survival of the company even though it doesn’t do much for the overall economy. There is an important bi-product of this activity. It forces the owner or executive to get more involved in the day to day activities of the business and in the case of a small company, forces them to “go back to work”.

I Want To Hold Your Hand - Click To Read Article
I talk with many sales people who have expressed frustration about their prospect’s current state of mind. We have all agreed that there are buyers out there, although fewer than in the past. They also aren’t acting like “buyers”. Prospects are faced with a degree of fear, either real or perceived, about the state of the economy. Although they have a real need, have the resources, and the job security to commit to a purchase, their interest quickly wanes.

How Current are your Training Programs? - Click To Read Article
It's no mystery that companies are downsizing. How much knowledge are you letting out your door when you lay people off? What happens when jobs are combined? Are the employees who remain fully trained on their job requirements? Is there still a trainer 100% dedicated to training on a regular basis? What about your training materials? Are they still relevant. The business climate has changed and you have new challenges that perhaps you never faced before. Is anyone addressing these issues with a program that will teach your sales personnel how to sell to the new mentality of your customers?

How Does Your Business Stack Up to your Competition? - Click To Read Article
Recently we have been hearing more and more about business failures like Circuit City and Linens and Things. These “Big Box” retailers showed tremendous growth over the past years. The concept rolled into town in earnest over a decade ago and was instantly embraced by consumers. Their creation facilitated the birth of the “Power Center” and wreaked havoc on locally owned small businesses. Wall Street applauded the growth curve of these concepts and rewarded the stock price with each announcement of new store openings. Once they hit maturation, the same store sales “boogey man” kicked in.

House Arrest - Click To Read Article
More and more companies are sub-contracting their work. You’ve probably heard about people being laid off from their employer only to be hired back as a sub. These are interesting times. This can be a win win. Employers may have individuals who are only 70% productive yet they are paying for 40 hours of work. Many talented individuals are wasting their time sitting around an office cubicle with nothing to do. Once they are free to work from their home they can prospect for business from other companies, something they could not do while working full time. This may actually improve their income. The company benefits because now they can react to the cycle of business better controlling their expenses and profitability. Don’t you wish you could do that with excess inventory?

Here’s........Johnny - Click To Read Article
As a business owner or upper level manager you are at risk of losing touch with the realities of the frontline of your operation. I am referring to the personal contact between your company and your customers. I am confident that you have a very capable sales organization. Is the information from the front line reaching you quickly and accurately? These are the facts you need to effectively make decisions for your company.

Goals Versus Resolutions - Click To Read Article
It’s mid February and I waited to present this topic to allow all of your New Year’s resolutions to die their natural death. Are you still exercising, how about that healthy diet, did you contact those long lost friends and relatives, have you become kinder and gentler? With all of that kicked to the curb we can focus on the real meat and potatoes of change-GOAL SETTING.

Gather Your Own Information - Click To Read Article
We have become a society terrorized by information overload. There are no longer any mysteries in our surroundings. We are kept aware of everything at the speed of 24 hour news, internet sites, breaking news, severe weather, along with the minutiae of the subtle changes that occur thousands of times per day. Everything in real time. It’s George Orwell's 1984 on steroids. “Big Brother “ is not only watching but he’s reporting. What we have today pales in comparison to the fear instilled in us by that classic novel.

From The Ashes Rose The Phoenix - Click To Read Article
Many businesses are playing defense to protect themselves from the downturn in the economy. How many of you are cutting muscle and not fat? Are you being too nearsighted about where your company is positioned and not looking for opportunities to increase market share? Is your team prepared to take on the business of failed competitors? Would you be able to handle that business if the opportunity should arise? Does the condition of your balance sheet and credit lines put you in a position to "buy out" a competitor for cents on the dollar? Get out your binoculars and start looking ahead and set a goal for where you want to be once this shakes out.

Find The Good - Click To Read Article
We are constantly inundated with a barrage of “news” from the media. It is complete and total overkill. Our daily lives are being bombarded with the daily stew of bad economic news served up by so called “experts” who all seem to have emerged “after the fact” giving us their interpretation of how things are bad and how they will get worse before they’ll get better. Who says? Where were these oracles when we needed them, ahead of the trend versus monday morning quarterbacking?

Expansion Plans - Click To Read Article
If you have a service or product based business you have the opportunity to expand sales within your customer base without adding new customers. Many times customers seek a supplier for a specific product or service and are completely unaware of other offerings from your company. There is also a chance that your customers are buying products from your competitors that you can provide them.

FEE Fi Fo - Click To Read Article
If you have flown recently you have been bombarded with the airline’s new pricing strategy, a mutating “ala carte” menu of unbundled services in an age of bundling. I prefer to call it “un-bungling”. The published fares on the web seem reasonable and enticing but that’s where the fun begins and ends. Once you click to buy, enter the “Fee Demons”. The official names are the Federal Segment Tax, Airport Facilities Charge, and September 11 Security Fee. Obviously this is a form of government taxation that if included in the fare would make it less attractive to the potential flyer. Your airline ticket now resembles your phone bill with it’s array of “after the facts tax”.

Everyone SHOULD BE a Salesman - Click To Read Article
In most businesses a small percentage of the staff is actually responsible for generating sales. Did you realize that you can leverage the strength of all of your employees to “sell” for your company? Sales is the life blood of any business and as sales go so goes profits. All of your employees need to understand that their job security and the viability of their company is tied to the revenue stream.

Do You have a "Sales Prevention Department?" - Click To Read Article
When was the last time you met with your sales prevention department? Did you listen closely to what they had to say, the excuses they had, and their plan to mishandle customers in the future? Sales Prevention Departments can masquerade as your advertising, marketing, frontline sales, customer service, phone technology, or any department including accounting.

Creative Avoidance - Click To Read Article
How many of you procrastinate when it comes to contacting leads, calling customers, prospecting, or following up? Have I hit a nerve? You are not alone, it is in our nature to avoid confrontation because of our fear of rejection. Our primary job as salespeople is to attack that fear head on and convert “NO’s” into “YES’s”.

Control - Alt - Delete - Click To Read Article
Walk through any cubicle farm and you will find everyone diligently staring at their (your) computer monitor, tapping the keyboard and fiddling with the mouse like some kind of rodent ouija board helping them find answers. What percentage is really working? What percentage is taking their break on the corporate hard drive?

Casual Friday - Casual Attitude - Click To Read Article
Who came up with this idea? The level of professional appearance of our employees has deteriorated over the years. A relaxed standard of appearance can lead to a relaxed standard of performance. DRESS FOR SUCCESS is not an antiquated concept. What damage is being done to the self esteem and confidence of your employees? Does this create the possibility that your customer has the ability to intimidate your employees?

Can't Touch dis - Click To Read Article
Every so often I run into a challenge so daunting that there is no place to hide. I was recently hired to develop a fairly simplistic pilot program that could easily be exportable to other areas of the country.

Are Your Pay Plans “Pay Scams” - Click To Read Article
When was the last time you reviewed or changed your pay plans? If it was more than a year ago than now is the time to act, particularly because it is the end of the year and what better time to make a change than now? Most people are adverse to change, particularly when it comes to pay but given the rise in unemployment this is a good time to slide in a change coupled with a commitment that their job is secure and you shouldn’t have a problem getting a buy in.

A Crisis of Confidence and Attitude - Click To Read Article
There is no avoiding hearing about the plight of Home Builders and the Automotive Industry in today’s headlines. Even Toyota and Honda sales were down as much as 30% in November. So it is no longer a fact that American consumers are just avoiding the offerings of the domestic automaker. They are avoiding ANY big ticket commitment. Granted the October “shock to the system” was monumental. Customer’s have headed for the hills...or have they? I do consulting work in the Home Building industry and found that our traffic hasn’t been off as much as our sales over the past 60 days. We have prospects who select a new home, pick it apart (which in the past was a buying signal), make offers and then “freeze up”. All objections and excuses have been overcome but they cannot “pull the trigger”. Why is this?


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