Sales is more than just a numbers game...

BMW dealer’s vehicle “porter” turns into frontline salesperson

As I eased into the service parking at Leith BMW and shut the car off, the “porter” (a.k.a., a service greeter) offers a cheerful greeting and asks me for my appointment information. It’s in the 20s and he’s bundled up to face a cold morning. The place is busy, so he encourages me to wait in the service lobby until the service advisor is available.

As I peruse a BMW Performance brochure, soon the porter is asking me for the keys to move my car. He also seizes the opportunity to talk about the new arrivals and recites some of the high points of a couple of models, while emphasizing the design of the new 7 Series. His enthusiasm is contagious and we exchange some highlights from what I had read previously in the BMW Magazine; I also shared with him that I’d welcome the chance to take the new BMW Hydrogen 7 for a drive – sadly, I don’t think the tour is due anytime soon in Raleigh.

Turning the person responsible for getting vehicles in and around the service area into a sales resource makes good sense. Beyond the quality customer service aspect, this brief encounter can plant a seed for a customer to consider purchases or other related services. It can build customer loyalty, too.

Since I recently read that BMW will have nearly 100,000 vehicles coming off lease (circa 2005/2006), many of these will become CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) vehicles. As a purchaser of a CPO vehicle, it’s been a very positive experience for me. Using this experience as an example, the porter’s encounter can become the catalyst for an automotive service customer to look around the showroom and consider a new or previously owned vehicle.

My experience with the porter didn’t end with turning over the keys to him. While I waited in the customer lobby - working on a laptop and wireless connection - the porter came back some time later and asked me if I had any questions about today’s service (that was being performed on my vehicle).

The picture I am attempting to portray is that Leith BMW has invested time in training their staff in behavior that helps the sales effort. It’s as much about attention to the customer as it is offering subtle, but appropriate information on products and services. I never felt pressured and it all seemed genuine.

As I await the traditional follow-up survey, beyond the quality of service performed on my car, I will have a positive outlook from my visit. My mistake was not asking the porter’s name to better reflect the staff in the survey.

We all have choices when it comes to service or a purchase (of any kind); in a tough economy, the customer expects more for less money. However, I would place my bet that a customer treated well by more than one person in the company will likely favor that company, even if that includes a premium to be paid in pricing.

What about your company? How many levels of employee are being trained to help the sales effort of your products or services? What areas are not being looked at that this example brings to mind? Beyond marketing and sales, who is being given the opportunity to become a sales resource?

Taking your company center stage with affordable online video advertising

Companies are catching the wave of online video as a means to communicate to employees, customers, and the investment community. Beyond the obvious advertising value or television commercial, there is an emerging trend to use video for annual reports. Video offers a more vibrant presentation and a significant cost savings over the more traditional print and mail of annual reports.  To get a feel for this trend, click on this link to visit California Pizza Kitchen’s past reports.

But for the small to medium size company, high quality video has been seen as cost-prohibitive. Not anymore. You can take your company to center stage with services from online video production companies at minimal cost.  Two companies I have kept my eye on are PixelFish and SpotRunner.  Although they provide similar services, your advertising and promotion needs may favor one or the other.

John McIntyre, CEO of PixelFish, puts an emphasis on affordable creativity. In our conversation he said, “Lower costs of production combined with new distribution options have finally made video ads worth the investment for SMBs (small to medium businesses). Most SMBs don’t have experience creating and distributing video ads so we have to make the process easy, affordable, and fast.”

Beyond their creative templates, i.e., pre-produced/do-it-yourself video solutions, you can leverage their network of professional videographers to come to your location and create original work.  PixelFish calls this style of video, a Documentary-style where they send a videographer to the business’s location and capture the owner, customers or other spokespeople on camera talking about the business. 

John went on to say , “Although affordable options for TV ads such as Google TV are emerging, we believe online directories and search currently offer the best value for SMBs.” They even offer Yellow Page (online) distribution as an option. In a short time segment of five minutes or less, you will be able to include recognizable examples for the viewer, a reflection of your company and employees, and an integrated message of how you serve your customers needs better than anyone else.

SpotRunner takes an all-encompassing approach; they provide a fully integrated advertising solution that includes creative production, media planning and media buying. Not only can they serve your production needs for video, but they can help you book the airtime on local stations.  When I talked to Keith Wiley, Manager of Corporate Communications at SpotRunner, he said, “We can help create and execute integrated effective, multi-media campaigns for TV, online, radio and print.”

This translates to a highly targeted local advertising and marketing campaign from a single source. Wiley explained it like this, “The Spot Runner Production Network can be quickly deployed to shoot onsite footage of a client's business...whether it be their store front, famous dishes, customer testimonials or interviews with the store's owners." If your production needs include print and mail, as part of a larger marketing campaign, they can help with that, too. SpotRunner has a full complement of in-house services, or they will partner with your advertising agency, to ensure a consistent message and brand recognition.

Video offers you a medium that can reinforce your brand while connecting with the audience. In our conversation, Wiley said, "Video advertising, whether TV or online, is extremely important for SMBs. It's the most powerful form of communication out there -- nothing else combines sight, sound and motion to engage consumers and deliver a message, so it's really important for SMBs to consider the best ways of leveraging it." Adding text to the video can reinforce your message.

How can you put this to use? Beyond the earlier mention of annual reports and online advertising, other applications of online video include press releases, sales and marketing collateral, human resources (HR) and recruiting, meetings and presentations, training, and more. With your newfound ability to serve a wider and more diverse audience, at an affordable price, this can translate into creating a virtual tradeshow for any number of events or market segments. There’s a viral marketing aspect to all this, too.

Here’s a parting thought. By reducing printed materials , you are demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility through “Reduce, reuse, and recycle”. Just one more reason to go video for your next ad campaign.

Sales Barriers blog - Top Five Categories and Posts for 2008

Before we close out the year, here are the Top Five Categories and Posts for 2008. The list was compiled based on the most views, and click-through and back-links to the referenced content.
 
The Podcast category that features the One Goal - Revenue Generation ® series of episodes was not included in this list due to its popularity that stands on its own with additional distribution and subscribers from iTunes, Odeo, and Podcast Alley.

If you have a favorite Category, Podcast, or Post that is not in this list, please add it to the Comments, here.

Business Development

Sales & Marketing - Break the ties that bind you

Brand Building

Promotional Items can build customer loyalty

Innovation

Product Review: ScumBuster Xtreme (S700E) from Black & Decker

Management

Looking for business in all the wrong places

Marketing

In the next GoToMeeting, turn on the record button

p.s. Thank you for your support of the blog. Please take advantage of the ShareThis widget to share this with others; I appreciate your helping us spread the word about the Sales Barriers blog.

How many is too much? “over 120 coffeemakers – Visit Lowes.com”

As I went through the Lowe’s advertising supplement in this morning’s newspaper, I came across a page with five coffeemakers that were priced from $49.99 to $169.99 USD. As for me, I recently purchased one from another store that was $16 after store coupons, sale pricing, and a manufacturer’s rebate. I’m not sure I could justify spending $169.99 just for making coffee.

But, it wasn’t the pricing that caught my attention. It was the notion that you could go online at Lowes.com/SmallAppliances and (attempt to) select from 120 choices in coffeemakers. If you selected an in-stock item from the store, they were offering a limited time 20% discount. So, what’s a consumer to do? Go to the store - gas consumed and time lost – or forego the discount and shop a wider selection online?

Is it any wonder our Economy, so heavily dependent on consumer spending, is in trouble? In this simple example, where does the consumer begin. Really, how many choices does one need in the way of a coffeemaker? I wouldn’t use a built-in clock as a choice since there are now five clocks in my kitchen across various appliances; I guess there is no excuse for being late anymore.

With each model claiming features, capacity, capability, and appearance that are different than another, where would you start? My guess is, you’d probably begin with a price range. Ah, but if you have brand preference in mind, then you’d go another direction to narrow your choices. Assuming you are a savvy shopper, and have been watching other ads for models and price, the choice in retailer may come to bear in your decision. In today’s retrenchment (in spending by consumers), how would you attempt to capture today’s buyer as a retailer?

Getting back to Lowe’s, how do you capture this sale? Using this Web address in the circular does not directly go to coffeemakers. Does this impact the buyer’s experience in a negative way (by adding additional steps to get started)? Once you do choose coffeemakers, Lowe’s helps you by offering sort options like: Price Low - High | Brand A - Z | Name A – Z.

When you, as the consumer, go about the process of purchasing a small appliance like this, what are the steps you follow to be happy with your decision? Where do you start; is it with the notion of a coffeemaker (purchase), or do you begin with the idea of buying a small appliance, and the ad or Web site takes you to coffeemakers?

As a manufacturer, assuming you are in many retail (or wholesale) channels of sale and distribution, how do you come to the forefront and separate your product or model from the rest of the pack? Do rebates work (in the buyer’s mind)? Is the retailer’s own brand important to getting your products in the hands of consumers?

Promotional Items can build customer loyalty

When I think of all the imprinted items I have in my office, the first thing that comes to mind is a trade show. Somewhere along the line, I have visited a booth, workshop, or product display, and walked away with an imprinted item from the vendor. Over the years I have reduced the number of items I receive so that I can maintain a minimal luggage requirement for the trip. Good for me, but not so good for those who would like to keep their brand alive after the show.

It wasn’t until a recent telephone conversation that I began to see promotional items in a new light. While talking to a business associate, he made mention of promotional items being used as a tool to increase customer loyalty. We went on to talk about Maritz Inc. - a company we know in common - a leader in the field of customer loyalty and employee recognition programs.

Where I thought of rewards programs from credit card companies as customer loyalty programs, he pointed out the branding of small items can have a lasting impression on customers and employees, too. So, how would a customer loyalty program like this work for the average size company?

I stumbled upon the answer while talking to my son, Kyle Kusterer, a newly appointed account executive for Think Promotional Group (formerly Capital Promotion Partners of Raleigh, NC). Where I described the need for a three voicemail script for lasting impressions in making sales calls, he described using promotional items in a sequence of mailings to stay “Top Of Mind” (awareness) with salespeople.

He showed me a program they provide to their customers – in this case, their customer is a supplier of goods, or services – that sends one, new promotional item each month to the salespeople at the vendor’s customer. Each item is imprinted with a logo or contact information of the vendor. The items vary, but most are simple and useful, e.g., a flash drive, or cellular phone headset.

It’s the lasting effect these items have on the salespeople that caught my interest; when the sequence of items is finished, the salespeople want to know why the items have stopped. A positive and lasting impression is the foundation of customer loyalty and brand awareness. A program like this sounds like a positive branding experience, and one that far outlasts a trade show.

Another company in my area, Brand Fuel Promotions, showed me a wealth of creative promotional items. In visiting their showroom, I was quickly lost in the vast inventory of items and possibilities. However, what I found more effective than creativity in the item design or use, was Brand Fuel’s desire to match an item to the customer’s business and increasing brand awareness. Spending adequate time working with the promotional items company to drive customer loyalty is more important than finding a clever item to give away.

Beyond customer or employee loyalty programs, promotional items can serve as an incentive to attend an upcoming workshop or seminar. As an example, I was recently offered a flash drive as an incentive to attend a local conference with the flash drive serving as an enticement for early registration.

Do you have stories of using promotional items to build customer loyalty beyond the traditional giveaway at a trade show? As a recipient of promotional items, which ones have left you with the most lasting impression, or branding experience? What kind of items do you find useful, and why?

BusinessWeek Business Exchange experience stumbles on first click-through

I had put aside the September 22nd edition of BusinessWeek magazine in hopes of getting back to the story “How to use our new Business Exchange”. Although they introduced it as “a free online information hub”, Stephen Adler (Editor-in-chief of BusinessWeek magazine) went on to talk about “the social underpinning of this platform” and comments like, “Collaborating, commenting, and sharing…” To me it boiled down to offering-up another social networking site.

The story by Shirley Brady opens with the header of: “Our ambitious new knowledge network lets you explore a vast range of topics, share news, and add your own expertise”. Reading on, it was enough for me to go out and poke around a bit and see what the excitement was all about.

The opening screen was mostly plain vanilla and not much to look at; I expected it to look more like the screen captures in the article. I decided the only way to get a better look was to Register. That was painless, since I could use my LinkedIn profile. But, I had to wait for a confirmation email to get started.

When the email arrived (it seems the subject line put it in my AntiSpam folder), I clicked-through from the embedded link to the Business Exchange. That necessitated another logon sequence to get started – I would have thought it would automatically log me in. Once inside the site, I began to look around – which wasn’t anymore exciting than the first glance. I decided to Browse Topics when none of the Most Active Topics caught my interest. The Browse Topics were an alpha letter selection at the bottom of the page, like an index, to which I chose “S” in hopes of Sales-related topics.

From the list, I went on to choose “Sales Training”. Once there, I saw a topic/story titled, “How Older Pros Can Transition to Digital - With the Right Training and Resources, Their Expertise Will Win Out”. There’s even a link to “add a comment” before you read – sounds like what’s happening in our current election campaigns and the candidates.

Clicking on the link (are you tired of all these clicks; me, too!) , I am greeted with an Advertising Age logon page to “Register on our Web Site”. What? Are you kidding me? To read the article I need to register? See ya! That was the end of the cruise. I docked this ship and said it’s time to get some work done.

BusinessWeek says this is “…a Web 2.0 initiative that’s been in development over the past two years.” They also go on to say, “…the Exchange is still evolving, and new features will be introduced every few weeks.” Okay; I’ll come back later.

HP “Touch” is neither “Personal” nor helpful

HP (Hewlett-Packard) is touting its latest notion of bringing a new face to personal computing in the form of TouchSmart PCs. They suggest you should “Let one into your life today and get a feel for what it can do.” Prior to the TouchSmart campaign, is was all about HP’s “The Computer is Personal Again.”

Well, I have had HP – and Compaq – PCs in my home and business for years; one could say I may even fall into the loyal customer category with add-ons from HP like scanners and internal drives (including the lightScribe DVD drive). Until recently, I was considering one of their new Mini-Note PCs.

It never ceases to amaze me how one bad customer service experience can sour an otherwise loyal customer; in this case, it was me. Recovering from a wealth of BSOD errors on a HP laptop, I was down to non-functioning USB ports on the HP xb2000 Expansion Base. Up until this time, the expansion base – works like a docking station – was an integral part of this computing environment.

Wireless keyboard and mouse, along with plenty of ports in all shapes, size, and purpose, the expansion base was an excellent landing zone for the laptop. One detachable power and utility connector - from the expansion base to the laptop - would bring everything to life. And, the tilt feature would put the laptop screen at just the right eye level for ease of use and comfort.

I was determined to get it back into service. So much so, I spent countless hours of troubleshooting, reloading drivers, adjusting configurations, and the list goes on. Some of it was with the help of HP’s online chat support, but most of it was on my own (with the help of the Web and various forums). In the end, it was declared to be a “hardware issue” with the expansion base.

Finally succumbing to the bad news, I decided to pursue repair or replacement options. With HP, this had always worked well in the past and I had no reason to believe it wouldn’t work this time. What a waste of time; I can sum it up like this. I spent over 40 minutes in a never-ending loop with the HP Parts Store, each person saying I was being transferred to tech support or customer service. Finally breaking the loop, and 20 additional minutes later, I was informed this unit is “obsolete” and there were no repair options or parts available.

Unwilling to accept this outcome – I am a tenacious spirit in that regard – I sent a letter to a manager within HP’s Personal Systems Group – Americas. Giving it ample time for some level of response – in the letter I encouraged the recipient to delegate it to someone else – I ended up sending another copy by email after calling the manager’s office. Even after talking to someone, the issue has gone without a response.

What to do? I could part with some money and buy the newer HP Expansion Base xb3000. Well, that presents another issue. According to the HP Store, it’s no longer available from HP (but, it is available on the open market), and its replacement, the xb4, doesn’t work with my model of notebook. Now that’s what I call a short product cycle in the channel – it wasn’t that long ago I saw an xb3000 product review at CNET.com.

Enter the state of nothingness. I’m out of options for what will soon become either a very large paperweight, or food for the Think Green recycling program of computer gear. What’s been you experience? How far will you pursue resolution when it comes to something like my expansion base example?

Pondering this for a moment, how much computer gear ends up without resolution in the hands of individuals and companies? Looking back on companies I have worked for, I can remember closets and storage cabinets full of ‘out of service’ gear. With today’s economic conditions, are you more or less likely to pursue fixing older gear?

Podcast: Deliver your message in 30 seconds.

When faced with a chance encounter, and asked about your company or profession, you find it difficult to describe it in a short and concise way. Often this will happen while traveling, or at a social gathering. You find your response is usually long-winded and you quickly lose the interest of those around you. In this episode of the One Goal - Revenue Generation ® series, Peter Kusterer of NvestNtech walks you through the process of developing a 30-second elevator pitch to introduce you, and your business. Download this episode - “Deliver your message in 30 seconds.”

Click on this link for the Podcast directory that includes the One Goal - Revenue Generation ® series, as well as additional Podcast episodes and related topics. Our podcasts are featured on iTunes, Odeo, and Podcast Alley.

Could LG Electronics MPH technology for DTV deal another blow to newspapers?

I recently came across the local demonstration for LG’s MPH (Mobile Pedestrian Handheld) technology on a cell phone; the technology can deliver local digital TV (DTV) broadcasts while connected to your mobile phone, in-car display, personal handheld TV, or PC/laptop (via a USB dongle). At first glance, I said, “Oh, no. Not another little screen (device) to grab my attention.”

Like we don’t have enough of them already. I have one in the form of a portable GPS (I am now on my fourth brand and style across as many vehicles), one serving as a personal DVD player, a dashboard monitor in the car, and I guess you could consider my cell phone yet another. You could stretch this to include my laptop, too. And, I am considering moving to the new mini-notebook in an effort to reduce the size and weight of what I carry onboard an airplane. But, in the case of LG Electronics, it’s the technology (MPH in-band mobile DTV system), not the device. So, at some point, I may be able to use MPH across all of them.

With all these devices to distract us, I often wonder what’s happening to productivity. Where companies are concerned about online video on desktops via the Internet, they’ll now be faced with employees watching TV from the comfort of their handheld, or other device. And, if you think “smoke breaks” cost employers lost time, this could certainly burn a hole in the workday.

Once I got beyond the point of do we really need another device, I began to think of who would be impacted by this from a revenue perspective. One of our local television stations, WRAL, the local CBS affiliate, recently demonstrated MPH connected to a cell phone. As part of their cbc New Media Group, and News Over Wireless (NOW) division, the business opportunity comes down to broadcasting’s primary target; more “eyeballs”. This same group of people is aggressively delivering software applications to deliver “news over wireless” to your cell phone in your local television market. It’s all about advertising and another platform to deliver it.

As local television broadcasters thrive on delivering local news, what about newspapers? In Raleigh there is but one, The News & Observer (part of The McClatchy Company) – oh, how I miss the San Francisco/Bay Area newspapers. And, if it were not for my subscription to The Wall Street Journal, delivered at the same time, it would take me less than 15 minutes to read the newspaper in the morning. National news? Already read it online. Local news? Same thing; I picked it up from the local television Web site before the paper arrived. Favorite local journalists and reporters? Yep; I have a couple, and that’s what takes the 15 minutes; if it weren’t for them, I could do without the daily edition altogether. And, I certainly don’t need it for the ad sections; I can access all those flyers online, too.

What about newspapers delivering more local, community content? Good point; The News & Observer makes an effort to do just that. But, here again, television is entering into that space. WNCN, our local NBC affiliate, delivers localized news and content under the umbrella of MyNC.com. They begin at the County level, and get Citizen Journalism to deliver news at the street level. But, I think there will be some competition for them, too. As EveryBlock (“A news feed for your block”) grows their list of cities – the closest to me is Charlotte – they will encroach on all the traditional local content providers. I have kept in touch with my old neighborhood in Chicago through EveryBlock; it’s more curiosity than need, but demonstrates the reach.

So, I am left wondering; where is the future for newspapers and how will they survive? In our case, who reads the stock tables in the morning (IMHO - wasted space; serious investors are online)? Classifieds? Sorry, there is craigslist and others to choose from that are much better. A sense of community? No, I don't think so. That seems to be falling away to social networks – not to mention the business hit from social media marketing. More in-depth journalism? Well, the likes of Sony’s eReader and Amazon’s Kindle have a good chance to disrupt that notion (in the form of a delivery platform of newsprint vs. digital).

What do you think? Is LG’s MPH just another gadget? Are you a candidate for mobile, handheld TV? What will be the impact to business; not just in lost revenue across media competition, but in terms of employee productivity, too. Is this another “canary in the coal mine” that gives a warning to (the demise of) newspapers, as we know them today?

Innovation – Swisher ATV QuickSwitch™ System expands ATV function and usefulness

With gas prices at an all-time high, recreational vehicles will probably see a continued decline in use. ATVs may begin collecting dust by sitting idle in the garage or storage shed waiting for hunting season. But, what if you could put more use into this vehicle year-round and make it a bigger helper around the homestead?

In talking to one of our readers, he told me the folks at Swisher have done just that. Known for their lawn and garden power equipment, they have a full product line of accessories that operate as the Swisher ATV QuickSwitch™ System. The universal-fit mounting system is based on a frame under the ATV; the operator can choose from eight attachment options that are mounted to the front or rear of the vehicle. 

For those of us who have spent any time working on a farm – I worked summers in Wisconsin on a dairy farm – you can appreciate the advantage of the attachment changeover is accomplished by pulling on a single pin; no tools are required. And, the attachments can be raised and lowered with a front or rear-mounted winch by simply attaching a single cable. Check out this link to a video by ATV Magazine showing the ATV QuickSwitch™ System in action.

Front Attachments

• Dump Bucket – heavy-duty 14-gauge steel construction with scoring teeth for penetration of compacted soil
• Plow Blade – robust 50-inch blade with built-in downward pressure delivers snow clearing and terrain leveling action
• Fork Lift – 1 ¾-inch square tube forks are ideal for moving materials on the farm, ranch or construction site
• Front-Mount Mower – 50-inch, side-discharge cutting deck with three blades for excellent cut quality

Rear Attachments

• Box Scraper – 10-gauge steel with 6 individual, replaceable, scarifier teeth that etch and break up surfaces
• Box Scraper without Scarifier Teeth – heavy construction ideal for grading, leveling and back filling large areas
• Disc Harrow – Eight 13-inch diameter serrated discs perfect for gardens, grounds maintenance and soil tillage
• Grader Blade – great for scraping and leveling yards, blade can be angled into 5 positions for maneuverability

p.s. ATV Magazine, the industry’s largest ATV consumer publication, named Swisher’s QuickSwitch System to their Product Innovation Award winners.