Anne Miller | February 2010

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Character Trumps Algebra

Character Trumps Algebra

My stepdaughter’s schoolmaster has a wonderful philosophy towards kids and education: Character trumps algebra. The underlying principle to his approach to kids applies in business as well. At the end of the day, unless you are offering the cure for cancer, who you are and how you are regarded by others transcends your product or service. People will deal with people they respect, trust, and like. Embedded in your impact on others is how you live your life: your values, your personal philosophy, your principles. What does that mean? Check out this short movie. Which one(s) says/say) it all for you?

Recommendation The Nurture Institute, an organization I have come to know well over the last two years and which I respect enormously, has developed a really unique e-Mail Marketing System, that is worth taking a look at. They have a video that explains the product. Or, feel free to contact Eric directly at 732 636-1001 x27 to find out more.

P.S. These are the same people whose white paper, The Cure for the Common Cold Call,I recommended to you recently.

People’s time is limited: Make What You Say Pay!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

You Don't Get What You Don't Ask For

How do you respond after a client asks for more services for the same amount of money on your proposal after you changed the proposal once already to accommodate their budget?

1. You deny the client’s request, saying your offer is as it stands.

2. You revise the proposal, taking out other components of the offer to accommodate the client’s new request at the same fee level.

3. You ask for more money to accommodate the new requests.

Any of these could work depending on the situation. However, let me advocate for the third option first. Ask for more money. Remind them of the value of what they’re getting (justifies the investment); the fact that you have already adjusted the proposal to earlier requests (introduces an element of fairness); that making any more changes would compromise the solution and tell them, that for the added services, the incremental cost is worth the investment (helps them justify the higher cost).

And, then, be quiet.

Very often, they will recognize that if they want more, they will have to pay more, and agree. If that does not happen, you can always decide to go with options 1 or 2. But, if you skip option 3 first, you are shooting yourself in the foot:: leaving money on the table that could have been yours.

Time is limited: Make What You Say Pay!

As my 13 year-old would say,OMG! Be dazzled by this video

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Reminder from Aristotle

I had an uncle who until he died was always telling great jokes, not one-liners, but stories that drew you in to the characters and situations until the story took an unexpected turn into punch lines that would double us over with laughter. Those stories were so much a part of who he was that at his funeral, appropriately, his sons each told one of his stories to honor their father.

My uncle relished telling those stories and, with each one, was always looking to improve his delivery—which leads me to a quote, given to me by a current coaching client: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle. What is one thing you do every day to ensure your continued excellence as a sales person, a manager, a parent, a friend or a spouse?

Must Read

The Cure for the Common Cold Call whitepaper (great title) one of several really useful whitepapers from The Nurture Institute, an excellent source for marketing effectively to your clients. If you don't know them, you should.

Time is limited: Make What You Say, Pay!