Sales using Drip Irrigation Sales Technique

Drip irrigation. ... Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of many different plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters

Sorry I am not interested. Sorry, I am not looking to change. Sorry, I am happy where I am. Sorry, it is too much effort.…..anyone in sales has probably heard these phrases.

The technique of the old sprinkler style, spray everywhere, and hope all the trees, plants shrubs etc. get enough water to grow is constantly used. When you have high sales goal this technique may feel like the best and only way to make your goals. I recommend including drip irrigation sales with sprinkler style sales and having two lists. One list for your Sprinkler prospects and a second for your Drip Irrigation prospects.

Your drip irrigation list, is the ‘cream of the crop’ businesses you are looking to assist. The drip irrigation list is your long term prospects, where patience and dedication is a prerequisite. It may take years for you to win the business, however when they eventually choose to go with you, they will be clients for life.

I recently heard a sermon which resonated with me. He spoke about parents only bringing their children to their Place of Worship on the High Holidays. He emphasized that it is information overload for the children which could have a negative outcome.

His suggestion: Look to bring your children once a week, or once a month (whatever works for you) for an hour service and use the drip effect. The children will get more out of the experience, will have a more positive outlook on going to services, and not see it as a chore. (High Holiday services can be over 4 hrs.).

Remember not to overload your prospect with too much information, do not look to sell to them, do more listening than talking, and build rapport and trust. Sales is a relationship. Your prospect is going to have to like you if they are going to do business with you. (Character is very important) You are looking to build a long term relationship with the Drip Irrigation Technique, and not have a one night stand.

With your drip irrigation list you need to be patient yet consistent. Send relevant articles, invite them to events, wish them happy birthday etc. . Your goal is to make sure you are the first  call they make when they are ready to move/work with someone who has their interest at heart. Drip slowly to the roots, and don’t leave the water on the top of the soil.

Good luck with your Drip Irrigation List.

 "Constant dropping wears away stone."

Organizing a Golf Day

What we learnt in organizing our first Golf Day for our Networking Group.

My Co-Founder and I had been talking about putting a golf day together since we started our networking group, and this year we pulled the ‘trigger’ and hosted our First Annual Golf Day.

I do not think either of us realized the amount of work that it would take, and the saying, “I will build it they will come” was not going to work.

Our enthusiasm, belief in our group, people we knew and what we were looking to achieve drove us forward. We were excited to assist our community in making new connections and raising funds for a Non-for-Profit of our choosing.

Steps we took:

• Choose a course
• Decide on format
• Choose a day of the week
• Choose a non for profit
• Do a budget
• Get Players
• Get Sponsors
• Get silent auction items donated
• Get a caterer going with the theme (we decided not to use the course as had a 'theme')
• Get wine tasting at the 19th hole
• Did not get a committee to assist
• Get goodies for giveaway bags
• Get prizes for winners of competitions
• Make the day fun
• Competitions Explained  – side note pink ball competition a lot of fun

We did a good job with the Budget, as we knew what the golf would cost + all the additional costs and then worked backwards on how much we would like to charge. (Cost – charge = donation). We had also decided that we would like to keep the day affordable, which does reduce the amount you can raise. On the flip side, we had a company to sponsor the printing of the signs, thus all funds raised were going straight to the donations.

We used our resources in  getting hole sponsorship's, prizes for winners, goodies for the give away bag and most important a sponsorship for a Beer Keg  which was enjoyed by all participants.
In hindsight we would have done two things differently.  We would not have the event on a Friday, and we would ask our members to be part of a committee early in the process.

We had decided to have it  on a Friday, thinking we would get some out of Towners to play and spend the weekend in Chicago which did not materialize. We learnt that if people are going to take off early on a Friday, they generally would like to go home to their family and start their weekend. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are generally good days. (Don’t have it at the end of the month)
As we did not get a committee to assist from the start, all the above tasks fell to us to do which at times became daunting. Overall I believe we did very well, and we received very positive feedback with most participants informing us they will be back next year.

 A committee is a definite must. With a team you will be able to delegate responsibility for each committee member to get players, hole sponsorship's, items for goodie bags, prizes and silent auction items which would have taken lot of stress away. As one of our members stated while we were contacting our lists , “You guys are relentless!”

We both enjoy helping our community grow, and by being able to raise funds made the ups and downs of organizing the Golf Day extremely rewarding. Being our first Golf Day I can confidently say we both enjoyed the experience, and had a great time putting it together.

“This crowd has gone deadly silent, a Cinderella story outa nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become the masters champion”-Spackler

A very big thank you to all our sponsors and attendees. Without your support and encouragement the day would have not been such a success. Thank you.

We are already looking forward to next year.

Road Blocks, Set-Backs and Happiness

If you are like the rest of us, you probably have had many roadblocks and set-backs to overcome in your personal and business life.
During the process of overcoming the roadblocks and set-backs what did you do to keep yourself happy, and moving forward?! It is easy to digress into depression when things do not go the way you had planned or envisioned.
Each obstacle I believe should be looked at as a lesson, and what can be learnt from it. If you do not learn from each set-back, and hopefully spin it into a positive you have lost an opportunity.
Don’t get me wrong we are all human (some of us at least) and will get upset and maybe a little depressed. However, the people who succeed are the ones who get out of the ‘funk’ the quickest, and keep moving forward.
In your career you may not even know that you are unhappy, yet your better half will (or close friends). My wife new before I did that it was time to move on from a specific company, as she saw my demeanor change which I was unaware of. My work unhappiness had crept into my home life, without me even realizing it. So I kept moving forward, and found a new opportunity which made me happy. I looked to learn from the experience, and hopefully won’t make the same mistakes again.

• Roadblock: Look for an alternative route. Have a mentor you can speak with, and bounce ideas off
• Set- Back: What can you learn from the situation? How can you turn the set-back into a win? Look at the bigger picture
• Always look to better yourself, and move forward
• Ask for help
• Don’t be afraid of two letters ……NO. If you do not ask, you will never know what could have been
• What makes you happy? (e.g. family, going for a walk, eating good food, travelling, working, gardening, golf etc.)
• Never lose sight that Family and Friends are very important
• Learn to ‘switch off’

I have thankfully reached happiness in my family life which I am always grateful for. This helps me in continuing to look to move forward* and better myself.

What makes you want to move forward?!

"If you want to go fast, go alone. IF you want to go far, go with others" African Proverb

*moving forward –For me it means bettering yourself and not giving up.

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way” Babe Ruth

Join us in Supporting Els For Autism Foundation

 

Join us in Celebrating South Africans in Illinois Networking Groups Golf Day Supporting the Els For Autism Foundation

Friday, August 26, 2016

Deerfield Golf Club & Learning Center

 

1201 Saunders, Riverwoods IL  60015 

 

Foursome - $540

Includes bucket of balls, golf, lunch, a traditional South African Braai/ BBQ dinner 

 

Individual - $145

Includes bucket of balls, golf, lunch, a traditional South African Braai/ BBQ dinner

 

 Dinner - $50

Includes traditional South African Braai/ BBQ dinner

 

 Schedule

 Registration:  11:00 am *Driving range/putting green open

  11:30 am (Box Lunch Available)

Shotgun Start:  1:00 pm SHARP!

 

Dinner/Silent Auction & Awards:  Immediately following 

CLICK TO REGISTER:

 

Questions: southafricansinillinois@gmail.com

Open to all Nationalities.

Bring Back Common Courtesy

Courtesy - excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior. A courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.

I have had the conversation on too many occasions lately, "Has common courtesy disappeared?"  I have been too and hosted events where more than150 people were invited to the event and less than 30 % responded.

From the discussions we came to the conclusion that common courtesy has taken a backseat.   Today, when you email someone internally or externally from your company it’s a 50/50 chance they will respond in a timely manner or at all. The same seems to be the case when leaving a voice message, and the odds drop I would say to less than 30 % response rate when sending someone an Evite. Has technology been slowly eating away at our common courtesy?

Put common courtesy back on your to do list, and hopefully it will have the butterfly effect.  I am positive that if we show each other respect/courtesy, our colleagues, our prospects, our friends and our current clients will be happier and business service internally and externally will improve.
 Courtesy goals:

1. Return voice messages within 24 hrs (do not respond ALL when it is not necessary)
2. Respond to ALL email requests within 24 hrs (48 hrs max)
3. Respond to all invitations prior to the RSVP date (even if not going). If you say attending and then cannot, let the host(s) know asap don't just be a no show. (Hosts put time in putting events together, and have invited you for a reason. Have the courtesy to respond)
4. Say thank you and please (if you have children teach them early of benefits of showing respect)
5. If you are on vacation, have an out of office message on your voicemail and email
6. Don’t have your phone 'out' while having a conversation (definitely no texting)
7. Turn off your phone ‘ringer’ when in meetings
8. Be on time to your meetings (aim to be 10 minutes early)
9. If you are running late (sometimes unavoidable), let whomever you are meeting know
10. If you have someone coming to your office, and your current appointment  is running long let your next appointment know (e.g.would it not be nice if your doctor's office called/ text you to let you know they are running late and please come 30 min later) Treat everyone's time with respect.
11. Don't play pokemon when you are with others
12. Check your emails for spelling errors prior to sending (been guilty)
13. If you say you are going get 'something' done by a certain date or time make sure it gets done. If you cannot complete by promised day/time let the person who is expecting the 'something' know. (under-promise over-deliver)

I am sure you have many additional courtesies that you miss. What is important to you to  you? Please feel free to add in comments.

"The true greatness of a person, in my view, is evident in the way he or she treats those with whom courtesy and kindness are not required." Joseph B. Wirthlin

May common courtesy once again raise its head, and become the norm.

Thank you for taking the time in reading the article.

Driving in Traffic- What can we learn about you?

 


If you live in a big city you continuously have to deal with traffic, and I am sure you have encountered the type of driver listed below. Yesterday for me was no exception. The big difference  was I decided not to get upset and instead pay attention to how different people drive in traffic.

During my observation I decided what type of person they were, and the characteristics they may have. I am positive you will be able to add many more, and I encourage you to list them in the comment section.

Please also feel free to state what type of person you may think the person I have listed is, and their characteristics.

1. The driver that drives on the side of the road and then cuts in. (the cars I saw mostly do this were higher end and young drivers): This is a person I probably would be least likely to hire. They believe they are more important than others, and rules do not apply to them. They have no consideration or respect for others
2. When they see a vehicle indicating to get into their lane, and they then speed up to prevent the car getting in front of them: This person is less likely to assist someone in the office, or provide a helping hand
3. The driver who does not thank the driver behind them for letting them in: This person may be slow to thank people generally, and could be rude to others. (I am a believer in thanking people for ‘big’ things and ‘little’ things alike.)
4. The driver who does thank the car behind them for letting them in: They are generally polite, and I believe would thank people in their day to day life
5. The driver that sees a vehicle indicating to get into their lane, they slow down and let the car change into their lane: This person I believe would be more willing to assist others in life, and at work
6. The driver who keeps changing lanes (speeds up, then has to pump on the brakes-then changes lanes-then has to pump on the brakes etc. etc.) This person has no patience and will be difficult to give direction too. Will make a lot of mistakes in their assignments.
7. The driver who picks a lane and only occasionally will change lanes (majority of the time in the same lane) – They know that they can’t do anything about the traffic, and will get to their destination in the same time either way. This person is calmer under pressure, understands they cannot control everything, and has patience.

If I was a hiring manager and saw the candidate drive in the manner outlined above prior to coming into the interview I may have some preconceived ideas about the candidate. Rightly or wrongly they may have an additional hurdle to overcome during the interview.
I would like to emphasize I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist and this was a fun exercise I did while in traffic to keep myself busy.

Believe in yourself: 5000/1 *

What can be learnt by Leicester’s FC (pronounced Lester) climb from bottom of the pile to the peak? Starting the season as 5000/1 to win the league, their rise to the top is very unexpected. It would be as if a School Football Team beat the 1986 Winning NFL Bears Team. To put it another way the odds of Simon Cowell to become the next Prime Minister was 500/1, for Hugh Hefner to admit he's a virgin 1000/1, Andy Murray to name his first born Novak 500/1.

When Leicester FC play some of the larger clubs in the League the cost of their 11 players is less than one player in the other Team. Yet, they keep on winning!

There are clubs that have been re-building for years and spent hundreds of millions on high profile players that have not seen the success of this Leicester team.

Some lessons which I believe can be learnt. (You could add a hundred more)

• Leave the Ego at the door- No one is bigger than the Team or Club
• They play as a Team and work as a Team. - No one player is more important than another. When a team mate misses a tackle, makes an error their teammate is right there cheering them on and assisting. Are you helping your Team be better, and coaching for success?
• Sometimes you need to take a chance – When Ranieri became the Manager the pundits could not understand the club owner’s choice, and thought he would be one of the first manager of the year to lose his job. The owner now looks like a genius. When was the last time you took a chance?
• Never Give Up - Leicester’s FC always play until they hear that final whistle. Going for that big account, looking to set an appointment –keep following up
• Leadership – Ranieri as the coach installs confidence in his players, and gives direction. He keeps his Team focused and has all their goals for the year outlined. Have clear, concise and attainable goals.
• All Players know what their job/goal is and are prepared– Each game Ranieri will have outlined what each players ‘job’ is for that game. They will know who to mark, where to run etc. Know what you are looking to achieve, and the strengths of your colleagues.
• Are not distracted – The Team has not been distracted by the media, and have kept their focus. In business do not be distracted by others, and stick to your game plan
• Be Prepared and Play to your strength – Leicester study their opposition, however will always play to their strengths and not be caught up in their oppositions style of play. Know who your competition is, and play to your strengths to overcome them.
• Ranieri never complains or blames anyone about decisions that have gone against his team. He is extremely grateful for what his team has achieved. (he was seen crying with pride after a game)

 "This is a small club that is showing the world what can be achieved through spirit and determination. Twenty-six players. Twenty-six different brains. But one heart."-Claudio Ranieri 

Congratulations to Leicester FC on their success in 2016. May you have as a successful year as them.

Feel free to add in the comment section what you have taken away from the success of Leicester FC 

in 2015/16.

 *since writing this Leicester have been crowned Champions. Congratulations to the Team and all their supporters!

What can we learn from a Football Coach Transforming a Team and Supporters into Believers

Watching Liverpool’s transformation by one man (and his coaching team) is quite extraordinary. Does the TEAM still have a long way to go? Are the fans getting a bit carried away? The answer is a resounding YES. However what one man (and his team)  has done with a squad that many had said was the weakest squad ever assembled by Liverpool is remarkable.

After Liverpool had lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace at Anfield in November our new coach was taken aback at supporters leaving early, saying “ It made him feel alone “ and adding, “we decide when it’s over!”

So what can we learn from this transformation of a side languishing in 8th position in the Premier league?

• You can’t do it alone. You need your supporters -If you do not have a mentor find one
• Don’t let others decide when it is over – Simply put, never give up
• Have a strong coach – The CEO/ Boss should be someone people can look up to,  can inspire and be proud to work for. (every player on the Liverpool squad will run through a Brick wall for their Coach)
• Do not believe all the negative talk – Put your head down and get the work done.
• Be a Believer – Back your skills and expertise
• Grow/ Improve – Always look for ways to improve your skill set
• Give Back– Remember to thank people
• You can't wave a magic wand - to become the best it takes time and a lot of hard work
• You are not alone – Do not be afraid to ask for help
• The Coach needs to have their players ‘back’ (when the crowd gave their keeper some slack, he told them during the game to be quiet, which gave his player more confidence) – You need to show your CEO/Boss why they should support you
• Confidence/ Belief – Believe in yourself

I am sure no LIVERPOOL supporter will ever leave a game until the FINAL WHISTLE after watching the heroics of Liverpool on 4/14/16.

YNWA

Lessons learnt in the first Year of Starting a Networking Group:

Creating a networking group can be a lot of work, throw up many roadblocks, yet can also be very rewarding.

A friend and I have been working on creating a stronger South African Business Community in Illinois and across the States/Canada. South Africans generally still have a lot to learn from other Nationalities when it comes to Networking amongst their community.

As a Nationality we currently do not take advantage of contacts and mobility through our ‘ethnic communities” in the US where other entrepreneurs from other countries have done so for many years very successfully.

I still often receive the email “I do not have the time or interest. Please remove me from your list.” Or no response at all when looking to connect with a South African Business Professional or inviting them to an organized event.

When receiving such an email (or no response at all) when setting up your group do not take it to heart. There will be others who will be thankful and appreciate what you are looking to achieve for your community/ group.

There are many Business Professionals who live by one of my favorite quotes, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill.

These are the professionals you want to be associated with.

As our Networking Group has grown, we have been ‘attracting’ more of the Professionals who believe in the Winston Churchill quote than the email, “I do not have the time or interest. Please remove me from your list.”

So let me thank you, the CEO, CFO, COO and high flying Professional who attend Events not because you are looking to get something for yourself but because you are looking to see what you can give back to others. (We are lucky to have a few of these Business Professionals in our Networking Group, and we all thank you)

Lessons learnt in the first Year of Starting a Networking Group:

• It takes more time than you may think
• You are going to get a lot of No’s
• Be Consistent with events
• Find a Niche Group you are looking to attract (e.g. Nationality, Profession; Sport Interest etc.)
• Aim Big
• People do appreciate what you are doing
• Take the little wins
• Do not take things personally
• Curve balls will be thrown at you. (e.g. Our Breakfast Location is not serving Buffets anymore-we quickly had to find a new location)
• Be Professional. (Create a Brand)
• Take Credit Cards (get attendees to pay prior to event- more likely they will attend and gives everyone more time in making new connections)
• People do not respond to Invitations. Do not be afraid in sending multiple reminders.
• Use LinkedIn and Facebook
• Advertise your Events on Social Platforms
• Have evening and morning Events
• Have the event at different locations as it will bring different business professionals (we generally have 3 in the Suburbs and then one in Chicago)
• Make it beneficial for the attendees (have your members speak on topics of interest that they have the knowledge in)
• Use the resources within your group (e.g. See if your members will let you use their office/ building for events)
• Thank the people who come
• Everything takes time
• Know what you are looking to achieve (What is your mission statement)
• The reward is seeing new connections being made
• Get your members involved.
• Plan Fun Events (e.g. Wine Tasting/ Art Show-get your members involved)
• Advertise your members.
• It takes time to get it off the ground (we are still working on getting consistent attendance and attracting new members)
• Never Give Up!

Thank you to everyone who attends networking events and looks to give back. May you make an excellent new connection at your next function.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” – African Proverb

We bring together and connect South Africans living in The States and Canada

We have created the South Africans in Illinois Group and South African Business Professionals in the United States (open Canadian South Africans) on LinkedIn so like-minded people can create relationships that support each others goals and visions through social and business connections.

As members we are looking to build long-term, trusting relationships within our community.
We have hundreds of people visiting our LinkedIn page and Facebook Group (South Africans in Illinois Networking Group) and South African Business Professionals in the United States on a monthly basis who are looking for your business or profession to work with.

JOIN NOW:
PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR SOUTH AFRICAN CONTACTS: (links to join)
South Africans in Illinois Networking Group
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/x2Op7m
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/zYBMiH

South African Business Professionals in the United States (open to South African Canadians)
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/uQHIEQ
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/Wq5Zw6

Plus, here are some additional benefits for our members:
MEET DOZENS OF CONNECTORS
BUILD LONG-TERM, VALUABLE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
ADVERTISE YOURSELF/ BUSINESS FOR FREE ON OUR LINKEDIN AND FACEBOOK GROUP
POST JOB OPPORTUNITIES
CREATE MANY ADVOCATES FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT YOURSELF AND BUSINESS
MAKE BUSINESS HAPPEN MEET LIKE MINDED BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROFESSIONALS
GET TO ENJOY EVENING  EVENTS CONNECTING/ SOCIALIZING
EVENTS HELD IN CHICAGO AND SUBURBS
GET TO SPEAK ABOUT RUGBY, SOCCER, CRICKET, Mrs. BALLS Chutney etc.
GET TO MEET A DIVERSE GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS
COMBINED INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Sound interesting? I hope so. We invite you to get engaged in discussions, ask questions and share your thoughts. Best of all it does not cost you a penny to join.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN:
South Africans in Illinois Networking Group
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/x2Op7m
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/zYBMiH

South African Business Professionals in the United States (open to Sotuh African Canadians)
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/uQHIEQ
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/Wq5Zw6

We encourage you to advertise yourself, your business and to make new Business Connections across the States.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

News show for South Africans Living Abroad --- Advertising Opportunities --Large International Audience

We are in the process of launching an Internet based show that will be broadcast once a week directed at South Africans living abroad. The show will focus on stories of interest to South Africans abroad and will include an interview segment featuring personalities from entertainment, business, theatre and other areas of interest.

We are thrilled to say we have had a huge interest from South Africans living in South Africa and Abroad to be part of the show and have already lined up some great people to be interviewed.

We are going to be starting with 15 shows, and will be looking for feedback from our audience on what is working and what you would like to see more of.

For Business Owners and Business Professionals:

For the first 15 shows we are looking for 15 Advertisers for Thirty second spots. If you do not have an advert produced, no worries, our presenter will be able to read one for you while your logo is Proudly Displayed. We are also in talks with an Advertising Agency who would be able to assist you if you decide you would like to produce your own advert.

As we are looking for 15 Businesses to Advertise (at a reduced cost) we have added some additional incentives for you.

 Benefits of being the first 15:

1. Your Advert will be on the first 15 shows (which works out to be less than $220/show) . Priceless
2. One Episode will show your logo as being the Sponsor of the show. The presenter will state your company has sponsored the show and your company will get the prime advertising spot.
3. For the first 15 Shows we are only allowing ONE Business from each Industry to be a sponsor (e.g. If you are an emigration lawyer and are a sponsor, we will not have a second emigration lawyer as a Sponsor)
4. Audience will be able to watch the show at anytime
5. A Built in Demographic
6. You will be known as the First 15

If you are interested in being one of the First Advertisers please email us at SABPinUSA@gmail.com or call Ryan (773 225 5500) or Dani (312 2874216).

 “I think the Internet is going to effect the most profound change on the entertainment industries combined. And we are all going to be tuning into the most popular Internet show in the world, which will be coming from some place in Des Moines. We’re all gonna lose our jobs. We’re all gonna be on the Internet trying to find an audience.” – Steven Spielberg

Is the art of conversation being lost through technology and causing bad service?

What has happening to customer service and common courtesy?

Courtesy - excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior. A courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.

Customer service -is the process of ensuring customer satisfaction with a product or service. Often, customer service takes place while performing a transaction for the customer, such as making a sale or returning an item. Customer service can take the form of an in-person interaction, a phone call, self-service systems, or by other means. 

I am sure you can attest that you can easily receive 20 – 50 (or more) emails per day, and may only read a quarter of them well and skim the rest. By the end of the day you probably have missed a few important emails which should have been read and responded too.

I have been known to be guilty of emailing a colleague sitting three desks down, instead of getting off my…. and going to speak to them directly. (I have improved since I  started tracking my steps per day –changing of my mindset).

How many emails could be a quick phone call or a walk to colleague’s desk? How many misunderstandings could be avoided? Emotions cannot be expressed in emails (one sentence can be read with different inflections which in turn makes it have multiple meanings).

The art of conversation is being lost. The loss of this important skill amongst homosapiens I believe is one of the reasons service is slowly deteriorating.

We are losing the capabilities of being able to read body language and tone of voice as there are fewer conversations happening on a daily basis. This in turn is leading to an extremely politically correct society, as we cannot distinguish what is a joke or not. It is very easy to offend someone now a days because I believe this skill is lacking. Which in turn can hurt service within and outside of your office.

Service in large organizations are also moving more and more to an automated service on the telephone and in their stores.

There seem to be more self-service machines than employees at many  locations. I am not against self-service but getting the right balance is the trick.

Corporations need to realize quickly that consumers have choices and with social media word of good service or bad service is spread quickly. Consumers are starting to place more and more emphasis on service and I believe are willing to pay a little more for it.

When a consumer makes the ‘effort’ to walk into a store they are generally looking for human interaction and a conversation.

Little things can make a big difference in the mindset of a consumer. I recently received excellent customer service from Turkish Airlines who definitely go the extra mile. Some of the ‘extra’ little things they did:   They had special treats for the children, gave bottles of water to the passengers when they switched off the lights (not just filling up a small cup), all passengers received a hot towel when boarding (not just business class), all passengers received a piece of Turkish Delight, and the most important part…All the Stewards will friendly.

I have since shared my experience with my friends, and will look to fly with them again. I have also had an opposite experience with an airline and have not flown with them for over 10 years, and have never referred them business.

What are the answers? If I had them I would be writing books and not an article, however I do have a few suggestions. Good service starts with common courtesy (with your colleagues and clients) and appreciating your clients.

Suggestions:

• Have more conversations and fewer emails
• Return voice messages within 24 hrs.(max 2 days)
• Respond to ALL email requests within 24 hrs. (max 2 days) -DO NOT REPLY TO ALL if multiple people on email
• Respond to all invitations prior to the RSVP date (even if not going)

• Say thank you and please

• Don’t have your phone 'out' while having a conversation (definitely no texting)
• Turn off your phone ‘ringer’ when in meetings
• If you have someone coming to your office, and your current appointment is running long let your next appointment know (e.g. would it not be nice if your doctor's office called/ text you to let you know they are running late and please come 30 min later) Treat everyone's time with respect.
• If you are on vacation, have an out of office message on your voicemail and email
• Be on time to your meetings (aim to be 10 minutes early)
• Staff correctly (you will lose more business if you do not)
• When interacting with someone: Relate/ Listen/ Check-in
• Sometimes you got to spend money to make money
• Technology is great, but don’t let it take over. Most ‘things’ can be done online. If a consumer walks into a branch/ shop etc. they are looking for the human ‘touch’
• Hand write a thank you note
• Say Hello and have a nice day (with a smile)
• Customer Service: no gum, no drinks on counters, no rolled up sleeves, answer phone 2 rings (2 ring policy) Customer Service Customer Service
• Teach your children early about the art of conversation (no technology at the dinner table)
• Train Train Train your people
• Keep improving.

“Choose to deliver amazing service to your customers. You’ll stand out because they don’t get it anywhere else.” –Kevin Stirtz

“No one is more insufferable than he who lacks basic courtesy.” - Bryant H. McGill