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SAVVY
SELLING - AUGUST
19, 2005
Giving
it Your Personal Best
By Michelle Nichols
Just about any human
need -- for praise, sympathy,
or mere convenience -- can become
the foundation of an enduring
client relationship
I met a banker who tried for
many months to win the business
of a large national organization.
As far as the account was concerned,
he just couldn't seem to get
a foothold. Then, one Friday
afternoon, he called up the
head of the organization and
asked him a simple question:
Do you need cash for the weekend?
As it turned out, he did, and
the banker happily hand-carried
the amount requested to the
executive. This practical but
powerful offer opened the door
for the banker to eventually
woo more than $50 million of
the outfit's financial business.
UNIVERSAL THEME. This salesman's
success started when he ceased
thinking of his prospect as
a representative of a big organization
and reframed him as just a busy
businessperson. It took an extraordinary
connection -- in this case,
for the banker to act as a human
ATM -- to break through his
prospective customer's barriers
and get the sales ball rolling.
The banker summed up his lesson:
"All business is personal."
This story demonstrates why
building connections carries
so much importance. I share
this anecdote because, as all
good preachers and teachers
know, sometimes a good story
makes a point better than any
Top 10 list of ideas or tips.
The banker's tale is just one
of the many examples I've seen
that underscore the power of
personal connections in business.
A neighbor of mine with an
8-year-old son wanted to develop
the boy's heart for charitable
works. She helped him choose
a local pet shelter for his
charity, and he began to gather
funds. He collected his father's
daily change and earned money
for doing extra chores and good
deeds, and even got 10 cents
apiece for push-ups.
FREE PUBLICITY. At the end
of the first month, the boy
had generated $30. When he presented
his money to the shelter, the
director fussed over him as
if he'd given enough to buy
a new building. She gave him
a detailed behind-the-scenes
tour, introduced him all around,
and took his picture holding
several of the cats and dogs
available for adoption.
The very next day, he received
a beautiful card signed by 10
of the shelter's workers. It
was filled with sweet notes:
"Thanks so much for your
hard work" and "Congratulations
on all those push-ups for the
animals." The boy enjoyed
the attention, and the parents
told the story far and wide.
The shelter knew that "all
donations are personal"
and, as the story reaches the
community, it will no doubt
inspire more donations. The
shelter employees definitely
set that little boy on the path
to becoming a lifelong contributor.
The resulting word-of-mouth
advertising was priceless. The
animal-lovers made a valuable
connection to the community
via their over-the-top response
to a little boy with a small
donation but a big heart.
HEARTFELT HELP. Another example
comes from reader Francie Lockwood,
who writes: "A very elderly
gentleman came into the home-improvement
store where I work, and he asked
me where the toolboxes were.
I asked him what kind of tools
he needed, so we could determine
the right size toolbox. He then
told me that he was buying it
because he wanted something
strong to bury his dying pet
poodle in."
She continued: "Since
I'm a lifelong animal-lover,
we began discussing size, shape,
and such. We connected as we
talked about how the dog would
be buried on his property. He
was concerned about water leakage,
didn't have a lot of money,
and didn't really like the newfangled
boxes with bright colors. We
looked at all the various rubber
storage bins and toolboxes.
We even went to the furniture
department to see if we had
something that would work.
"I felt like I was a part
of his family. I shared with
him that I had just lost one
of my dear dogs this past summer.
In the end, he settled on a
26-inch metal-and-plastic toolbox
that seemed to be the right
size. As he left, I silently
prayed that his encounter with
me made his situation a little
easier, and he thanked me profusely."
MORE THAN A SALE. "When
I shared this story with some
of my associates at the store,
they said they didn't know if
they could have dealt with this
gentleman's dilemma. I am so
thankful that I was the one
who spoke to him first, and
that I was in a position to
truly identify and understand
his need. That's what selling
is all about -- helping people
solve their problems and understanding
where they're coming from."
What a wonderful personal-connection
story. A sad story, yes. But
the sadness enabled the saleswoman
to connect with the customer.
I'm sure her caring sales approach
made the eventual passing of
his dear poodle a bit easier,
and he'll return to buy from
the store -- and from Francie
-- again. And he'll no doubt
tell his friends, making them
more likely to shop there too.
These three industries -- banking,
dog shelters, and home improvement
-- appear to have little in
common. That just proves my
point: All businesses have opportunities
for tremendous personal connections
with their customers.
LOOK FOR CONDUITS. How about
you? Are you set up to bond
with your customers on a personal
level at every transaction?
Where are opportunities for
you to connect at an extraordinary
level?
If all business is indeed personal,
search for ways to make your
selling more personal -- and
watch your revenues climb. And
if you routinely build connections
with your customers -- prospective
and ongoing -- write
me, and share your process
or strategy. I'd like to hear
your story, too. Happy selling!
Michelle Nichols is a professional
sales speaker and consultant
based in Reno, NV. She
welcomes your questions and
comments. You can visit her
web site at www.savvyselling.com
or contact her at michelle.nichols@savvyselling.com.
Her direct line is (281) 610-6307
and her
toll-free number is (877) 352-9684.
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