Sales tips, leadership communication skills insight and more from Steve Giglio, sales training professional for more than 25 years.
Most likely in your business, there are skills that are intuitive and there are those that are hard won. The latter are the most challenging yet, they are critical to your success. Whitney Johnson tackles this issue in her latest blog entry on HBR.com. And I posted my thoughts on the relevancy of her writing to the work I do.
Take a look by clicking HERE.
Even in paradise, consistency of message matters…
I just spent several great days with clients at The Grace Bay Club in Turks and Caicos. In speaking with the Chief Operating Officer, we got into the importance of everyone who works for and represents the property to be in one-voice when presenting it to guests or clients. We’ll be working together on synthesizing their value proposition then coaching their teams in the conversational delivery of it.
The fashion world is a mercurial one where you need to understand people’s desires well before you recommend any products. I’ve just worked with a team of very savvy retail salespeople who represent high end jeans and other upscale garments. Their clients are Buyers and the actual designers. It is essential with jaded Buyers (clients) to control each meeting.
An agenda, often an overlooked or thought-of-at-the-last-minute too, can put you in control and help gain you the results you want. Get agreement on the agenda. This puts you in control of the meeting and avoids the “meet-the-press”/”firing line” environment that so many meetings turn into.
I just returned from my Singapore Training with American Express refreshed and possessing as vibrant a pace as Singapore itself!
The vibe there is one of collaboration and deal creation versus recession and doubt. Three’s a great “Buzz” there that is infectious. It is really a powerful hub of Asia/International commerce.
My clients were motivated by partnering with their clients in a refreshing, “out-of-the-box” fashion. Their passion for driving cooperative conversation before presenting their recommendations was laudable and the right solution for today’s business world everywhere.
Just completed the Client Development/Situational Presentation Program in Singapore with American Express. Fascinating news/discovery…
…one of the participating clients was a Vice President who manages client relationships in Japan for AX, a very switched on professional executive.
Upon being videotaped and coached on his physical delivery he realized the importance of holding his eye contact on his key listeners and increasing his physical involved in his communication.
My view from the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore.
Greetings from China:
Just picked up my luggage in Singapore…I meet my driver and he tells me that Singapore is very busy due to the APEC mtg. I ask “gee, will it be hard to get a taxi tomorrow…Monday?”
He says it’s Saturday today.
I ask AGAIN, “Is it Saturday or Sunday?”
Today I’m taking off for Singapore!
I’ll be working with American Express executives who meet with banks throughout Asia to offer the Amex Card to their high net-worth customers.
Blog to you from the Orient!
Marvelous, tough medicine for you and me.
In my work in Executive Development and Sales Training, I have needed to self-correct and listen to the objective evidence to grow and develop. I always will. I encounter many different professionals with many different challenges. To advance in their companies, each faces specific developmental challenges to succeed. The success-link running through all my coaching interactions is a person’s trust in themselves to adapt and change when the objective evidence says so. This says easy, does hard.
My 2009 year-end newsletter stressed meeting face-to-face with clients soon in the new year. But once you’ve done that, you still have to stay in touch and regularly communicate with them. I firmly believe you can gauge your customer’s reaction far better over the phone than the internet! However, should you need to send an e-mail message, consider these tips from the Wall Street Journal:
