As you can see in the email, there’s no reason for the meeting, although by the service they provide, I have an idea what they are wanting.

The ‘YM’ reference is The Yorkshire Mafia.I have just copied and pasted it and the names have been changed to protect the innocent!

How would you respond?

Hi Danny

Hope your well!

I have noticed you do a lot with the YM!

Would it be possible for us to meet up for a coffee and a chat at some point next week.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards

NAME
COMPANY ETC

What I found so interesting was that many people took one look at the new ‘logo’ and decided it was too simple and rather than add value to the brand, actually took away from its messaging, which at present communicates the essence of the company – coffee.

Although I do think that the new branding is very simple, this is typical of a premium market place and synonymous of organisations which have global domination on their radar. The new brand is just one element of an entire marketing strategy and the first step to what we can presume will be a long, and I would predict, very interesting journey.

Chief executive of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, has confirmed that the updated brand is a result of the company seeking to expand further into the grocery market and who can blame them? In a world which seems to be dominated by bad news, doom and gloom and predictions of further job losses and economic downturns I personally wish them well.

The new brand is inoffensive, it’s simple and as far as I can see it is an obvious evolution of an image which has become a house hold name. Having a strategy in place which allows a company to evolve and progress, offering a greater range of products, to a market which is already receptive, seems to me to be good business sense.

Even if you don’t like the new branding, just look at the PR which has been generated as a result of the announcements – which have been strategically released two months before the new look will be revealed to its customers.

All you need to do is Google ‘Starbucks rebrand 2011‘ and the blogs and comments, opinions and articles come up in abundance.  Twitter was inundated with comments when the rebrand was announced and that is exactly what the company is hoping for, noise. Noise around its brand and comments about the business.

Interestingly the company did not want to disclose the cost of the rebrand – but then that’s not surprising. I would guess that they have already achieved a return on investment with the PR that has been generated as a result and for those who still need convincing that a marketing strategy really does encourage brand engagement – watch this space.

I expect that this is just phase one of a very detailed and methodical communications strategy, which will see Starbucks taking greater market share and reporting record breaking profits in the years to come. It remains to be seen but I think we will be hearing a a lot more from Starbucks, not just about its branding, but its extensive variety of products as they take to supermarket shelves throughout the globe.

So, anyone fancy a coffee?

Speaking to you as a recruiter with over 10 years experience of selling consultancy services, it took me a while to figure it out, but when I did, what a difference it made.

Matching candidates to job specs and companies is not enough!
Depending on the vertical market you operate in, some markets provide an over subscription of candidates and others don’t. With competition for jobs high and clients aware that some agencies will drop their fees for the opportunity to do business, its mission critical that agents, consultants, recruiters are equipped with the latest tools to really make sure that when they get a shot at filling a role, they get a return on the effort they put in to sourcing for that role.

Knowing a client and candidate ’strategies’ is THE road to placement success!
As human beings, we run individual sets of strategies – how we are motivated, how we make decisions, what our work preference is, whether we primarily agree to disagree or disagree to agree and many others. In a recruitment sales context, knowing the questions to ask that get the responses which enable ‘successful candidate and client management’.

Many recruiters ask the question, ‘What are you looking to achieve from your next role?’ as well as ‘What is important to you from your next position?’ If you are reading this and don’t, then in my opinion you are flying by the proverbial seat of one’s pants. These questions elicit a person’s ‘values’ – the triggers/hot buttons of a person’s make up, the things that they need to move, their criteria. Taking this a step further, it’s possible to find out how a person is motivated (towards objectives or away from the consequences of non-achievement) by asking ‘why’ the thing they have stated as important is important to that person. Still with me??

Let’s put it this way – telling someone what they will get from their next role, when their motivation strategy is ‘away from’ means that the communication offered is not in alignment with their personal make up. On the other hand, telling a person what they don’t want to have when their strategy focuses on attaining/achieving DOES NOT create the level of rapport a recruiter needs with candidate or client. In the same breath, focusing on the job tasks and ’specifics’ of a role to a ‘people orientated’ person means that candidates may deflect fantastic roles because you as a recruiter, failed to spot that this person is a ‘people person.’

You’ve got to ask these questions – if you don’t, others will!
Taking time out to learn what questions to ask and what responses you get when you ask them to determine what ‘type’ a client or candidate is yields massive results.

As the saying goes ‘People buy from People’ and it’s down to you to make sure you can profile a person to sell opportunities to those people as they prefer to be sold to. Fortunately, that’s what we do at Mr Presenter so you can do this easily.

www.mrpresenter.com

Or will they?

If used properly and maximised on, the two methods work well along-side each other. Research shows that 89% of decision makers will use Google first to find new suppliers. Then they turn to word of mouth referrals and social networking sites such as Twitter, and ask for recommendations from the people they follow, and those who are following them.

But isn’t that time consuming? And even after all that research they may not find the right supplier / product.

On the other hand, Mr Decision Maker could be sat at his desk, working away when the phone rings. The caller introduces themselves, they give their elevator pitch and pique the interest of Mr DM by mentioning that this product is in limited supply, a much reduced, time sensitive promotion. Whilst the telemarketer continues to sing the praises of their product, the buyer has looked at their website and has seen that this is indeed a brilliant money and time saving offer, and although they already have a current supplier he will not hesitate to change – it’s that damn good!

So the deal is done, but then the buyer is further impressed by his new supplier. Why? Because they have just asked if their new customer is on Twitter? Facebook? Can we connect on Linkedin? This company is clearly at the forefront of their industry, and a new relationship manifests itself, strengthening the customer – supplier chain.

Not to be under rated is the value of Linkedin. As every credible telesales company will tell you, the outcome of a call is influenced by the amount of research that is done before even picking up the phone. This is where Linkedin plays its part. Search for the buyers name and all of sudden you have their current position and responsibilities as well as their previous roles and experience. Take a look at the people they’re connected to – any cross over with your connections?

We’d love to hear what you think, do you agree with the above? What’s been your experience?

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CHAPTER 11

Cutting Ties

Trapped in a hellish prison of insomnia I battled through another night just tossing and turning. When I finally drifted into an exhausted coma resembling sleep, the same nightmare propelled me back into consciousness. I looked at the clock. Two hours had passed. That was hardly sufficient time to recharge my batteries. How much longer would this go on? It had got to the point where I didn’t even want to close my eyes because I’d only wake up in a cold sweat, weakened by the same anxious feelings pressing down on my chest.

Memories of the events leading up to this traumatised state replayed in my head, cruelly reigniting painful emotions and my darkest fears. Nothing could shift my thoughts away from the cause of my anguish. I lay awake contemplating the enormity of the mess I was in and considering all the options I could have taken, mentally kicking myself constantly. During the day I cried in frustration and disappointment and at night I lay awake. I was so tired… If only I could rewind my life by a year.

I didn’t regret doing Dragons’ Den; it had been a great oppor-tunity to gain investment. But the reason I did it was for help and moral support and the potential to leverage my product into their proven markets. I made it clear in my pitch that I only needed a modest amount of money and I certainly didn’t need a new business plan. I just wanted someone to help me make choices and decisions. More importantly, I craved encouragement and the knowledge that I wasn’t alone.

Let me be clear, the programme wasn’t the problem. The premise of this BBC series is that it offers participants a very real possi-bility of investment, guidance and support to take their product to the next level. Plus, in terms of advertising cost, the amount that would need to be spent to achieve the same amount of national exposure would run into tens of thousands. Viewers watch as the candidates stammer and sweat in the face of relentless scrutiny from a panel of investors because they know the rewards are worth it.

People who choose to enter the Dragons’ Den show, place their hopes and dreams openly on a plate and gamble with the chance of being publicly humiliated. They enter the den desperate for help, support and money. As for the promises that are made to the lucky few, it would be wonderful to think that the letdowns I have experienced are just a recent phenomenon and previous entrepreneurs have been more fortunate.

I reasoned that with such a large number of previous winners, the Dragons could no longer spare any time for their protégés in addition to running their own businesses and fulfilling their new roles as TV celebrities. Or perhaps the brutal truth was just that I had made a really bad choice. Whatever the reason, I had got myself into a huge mess and had to find a way out.

I requested a meeting with Kenny the following week. Just making that call gave me a sense of relief. At last, I’d made a commitment to address the issues that were destroying my passion, energy and will to continue. As I came off the phone I looked up at Pete who was working contently. He smiled sympathetically and asked, “Is that it?” He knew I had reached breaking point and things had to change. I could not pretend any more and told him how I felt.

A tale of personal strength and character, Mother of Invention is not to be missed! Visit http://motherofinventionbook.co.uk/

Here are four proven techniques that can double your customer base in four short weeks simply by generating leads and converting them into valued customers:

1) Cultivate Your Raving Fans

Raving fans are a tremendous source of new customers. If you make an effort to personalise every sale and give every customer the VIP treatment, you can build a customer base that become cheerleaders for your business. Raving fans can’t help but tell others about your service and products. These are your most prized customers and your investment in service should be based on the value they bring to your business, which can be exponential.

2) Create A Referral Program

Referrals are a natural way of growing your customer base, but do you go about generating referrals the right way? Aside from terrific value and customer service, do you offer customers who bring referrals to your business anything special for those referrals? It is important to always reward customer referrals. Most people wonder, “What’s in it for me?” when it comes to promoting someone else’s business, that’s why you have to make referring your business worth it to them. Gifts, closed door sales, special events or even discounts are all ways to keep the referrals coming.

3) Form Strategic Business Alliances

Partnering with other businesses that aren’t in direct competition with you is one of the easiest ways to grow your customer base. If you own a home decorating firm would partnering with someone who sells real estate make sense? Consider your business and other businesses that share your views and philosophies, but sell a different product. How could access to their customers grow your business? Customers trust businesses that have shown their loyalty and will be inclined to follow their recommendations. Why do you think corporate sponsorship is so big these days? When you build strong alliances with other businesses that share your philosophy, you create a win-win situation for everyone involved, including the customer.

4) Build a Trained and Skilled Workforce

A team that is empowered and has a sense of ownership can boost your customer base dramatically. Remember, your team comes into contact with people both in and out of work every day. Every one of those interactions can be a marketing opportunity for your business. Your responsibility is to teach your team the skills they need to promote your business to everybody they come in contact with. To do this, your team needs your attention, guidance, and training, and don’t forget about your team’s bottom line either. They will need to be incentivised to do the job properly.

If you make these investments, you’ll find your team will do a better job at converting prospects into sales, building your customer base.

Are you free on the evening of Tuesday 5th October? If so, don’t miss seeing the world’s number one business coach Brad Sugars who is presenting in Leeds that evening.

The event itself is free provided you use the following code YKLKACU008 which is good for you and 3 guests to attend.

Visit http://www.businessisboomingemea.com/ for more details and to book.

Networkers look for opportunities for those they LIKE, KNOW & TRUST.

Networkers don’t look out for people they think are idiots.

“I NEED bigger businesses”
No, no you don’t. When I hear that I, I ask the question, are you a bigger business? If the answer is no, then what right have you got to demand. At seminars I’ve said “will all the smaller businesses please piss off, so Mr X can network with the bigger business.” Empty rooms do not make for great networking opportunities.

“There is no one here I can sell to”
Well done, you are right, no one goes to a network to buy. But often networkers do…
The key here is BUY. Not sell.

It’s not just about the people you are sat in front of; it’s all the people they each know. How do you access someone’s personal network? By being trusted and you don’t build trust up in networking circles selling.

“There is already someone in my profession there, what’s the point”
Defeatist attitudes.. geez. This is like saying you have no USP. Nothing, that sets you apart from others in the same profession. . People buy from people before they buy products and services and you owe it to your business to know EXACTLY why someone should deal with you.

“I know everyone already”
That is a bit like saying I’ve read the newspapers. Things change. Think about that, one day to the next, each of those people “you know already” have met other people, encountered new opportunities, met new people since they last met. On top of that, I often find out new stuff about people that I’ve known for months or years. New stuff that can lead to opportunities for both of us.

“Can I see the attendees’ lists before I attend”
No, what possible advantage is there for all the attendees? None. People who ask this have preconceived ideas about the ‘value’ of each profession, business or trade. Everyone has value, everyone. Remember it’s not just the person sat in front of you but the people they know as well. The most successful networkers I know let people come to them, rather than choosing who they want to speak to. Don’t look at people with £notes over their heads, everyone has value.

“I don’t have enough time to network”
Really so why are you here now? Unless you are writing business every hour of the day, you have time to network. You’ll likely find more support if you admitted you are struggling in your business and the reality is that you can’t afford to. If that is, as i find it often the case, what is your alternative and more cost effective route to market?

“How can I help you?”
This is great when you know someone, but let’s be honest  you don’t ask people you trust “How can I help you?” You just do it. It pisses me off when you get divvy “trained networkers” as part of their ‘referral strategy’ asking this, one minute after they just met you.

You can help me by pissing off and stop asking daft disingenuous questions as part of your referral strategy, when you are not actually bothered about the answer.

The key message to this blog,  is when networking have an open mind. Seriously, I see so many people torpedo potential business and relationships by being idiots and saying daft things like those listed above.

If networking is not working for you. Ask yourself a question. Are you guilty of saying things like the above?

If after that, the next and probably most crucial question is “What bit of you talking to people, isn’t working?”

A basic cornerstone of successful networking is to avoid being the idiot that everyone avoids.

Networking doesn’t revolve around you, it revolves around people.

Brad Burton is Managing Director of 4Networking

www.4networking.biz

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M.R – “When it comes to something like business tips you want tools that you can easily learn and immediately use”

T.Q – “That’s really important that you can use these tips right away isn’t it.”

4). Get in rapport
The ability to create a ‘connection’ with another person and develop rapport heightens the strength of the relationship with the other person. Pay attention to the other person’s behaviours, movements, voice speed, tonality, hand gestures. By mirroring their ‘patterns’ you create an environment where a person accepts that you are ‘similar’ to them and ‘connects with you’.

5). Use pacing statements to create more ‘connection’
“As you’re reading these tips, (Yep), taking on board the information, (OK), digesting it in your mind, (aha), you might begin to think about the next meeting you are going to and how by using these techniques you might get a different result!”

By making statements that a person can’t disagree with you are plugging them into your communication. “Yep, OK, aha, mmm”

6). Use language that offers options
Could you be interested? Would you be interested if..? Might you be happy to move forwards….? I’m not telling you, I’m just asking if you might/could/would be?

Suggestive language gets you your true response as the decision is made by the person.

7). Heighten your level of ‘awareness‘
Did the other person just ‘move’ or frown or look as if they were about to say something? If you assess the non-verbal movements of your prospects whilst communicating to them you’ll get a good idea of whether or not your information was received as it was intended. Non-verbal movements from another can mean that they need clarification or have a question.

8). Matching of patterns
Ever been with someone who looks at you one minute, then looks away, then back again, and away again, then…… Are they rude? NO! It’s another pattern of theirs so ‘match’ it. It’s how they communicate and how they preferred to be communicated to!

9). Understand the other person’s needs and values
Whatever the statement made by the person, there’s a reason they’ve asked it and its important! Only by asking “Why is that important to you?” can you begin to understand the ‘driver’ behind the statement. This is the real reason they said what they said!

10). Re-cap, Re-cap & Re-cap
“So. You started reading at the top of the page, have taken in the information, learned or confirmed a few things and maybe now could be a good time to go out there and start using these tips to give you the edge in your meetings.” Just like ‘pacing statements’ re-capping not only re-confirms what has happened, it re-plugs the person back into your communication loop.

Their attention is now back on you.

These tips were brought to you by Nick Hill, Director and Trainer at Binary Vision, Leeds, UK.

nickhill (at) binaryvision-nlp (dot) co (dot) uk

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When in Sales:

Do:
•    find out what the customer wants and expects – LISTEN!
•    identify the key message you want to convey. This may change during the course of your conversation with the prospect
•    establish supporting points to anything you say and a logical reply to any objections/questions making sure that you address each point raised by the prospect in the order they were raised
•    make your key points three times – in the introduction, the body of the presentation and in the conclusion
•    prepare notes
•    rehearse and if possible, listen to yourself when ‘selling’
•    be confident in most importantly you and your knowledge of your company/product/service and the results the prospect will get from being involved in your company/product/service.

Don’t:
•    overcomplicate and confuse your offering
•    read directly from a script

Quick Reminders:

Basic Sales Tips:
•    A ‘No’ is only a ‘No not today’. Nothing is terminal in sales.
•    Become a consultative seller
•    Build long-term relationships
•    Don’t be an order taker
•    Questions, Questions, Questions!

Planning:
•    KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid
•    Invest in yourself – you are the greatest of all investments
•    Look, speak, act and most importantly think like a professional salesperson
•    Record and analyse your sales performance on a daily, weekly and monthly basis

Important Extras:
•    It is desire and not ability that determines success
•    Set your personal goals both in and out of the working environment
•    Plan your day before you come into work
•    Be enthusiastic!

Time Management:
•    Make a ‘To Do’ list every night and review it at the end of the day
•    DO IT (whatever it is) NOW!

Finding Business:
•    Referrals are excellent leads – “Do you know anyone else who may be interested in …..” (i.e. your company/product/service)

Getting Business:
•    Always have one goal in mind
•    People buy from people – it is the oldest adage but there is none more true: become a people expert
•    Get yourself accepted
•    Main rule – ASK QUESTIONS and make sure that they are one’s that lead to your company’s proposal/USP’s etc.
•    Link features to benefits and sell the benefits
•    Don’t just talk – show and demonstrate
•    Don’t knock any competition
•    Always assume that the prospect will buy
•    Be a good news carrier – always have some good news for your client
•    Sell with enthusiasm – it is infectious and irresistible

The Close:
•    Don’t be weak – develop a killer instinct. All clients have pride, or greed or fear of loss, or all three!
•    Begin with a close – “How would you like all of Yorkshire to know of your service?”
•    Understand the importance of the close – You either sell or get sold – either way, both win or both lose!
•    Go for a decision – Yes or No – never a maybe
•    Ask for the order – it will be expected of you by the prospect
•    Learn not to fear asking for the order – It is a “no” before you have asked
•    When you ask the right questions, closing is automatic
•    People actually like being sold to well and respect those who are passionate, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the product they are selling.

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Here’s some that came up whilst selling DreamStart and how we ‘overcame’ them’. Again, this was in the context of a conversation with a pre-selected prospect with whom we had spoke/met with previously in the process of offering them the opportunity to get involved with the Conference via sponsorship and or exhibiting:

“No budget.”
If you had the budget, would you be interested?
(Will determine if the budget is the main objection) If answers ‘No’, find out why they are not interested by re-questioning.

Do you mean no budget this month/quarter/year?
(Find out when what time frames you are looking at)

When does your new budget come into play?
(Can then plan in a way of invoicing when the budget is in force and thus can get a decision)

Discuss price, if the price is good then we can do business and invoice later (30 days etc.) when their budget comes in/starts.

“We have a sales team.”
How many sales people can get infront of hundreds of receptive decision-makers in one day? I know I can’t!

The attendees are all receptive because they have paid to attend this event with the intention of improving their business through Michael Gerber and using suppliers whom they feel have the same ethos as them and this will give your sales team loads of really hot, qualified leads to follow up.

“We’ve exhibited before and it’s not worked.”
Where have you exhibited before?

Why did you exhibit there?
(Find out what their buying motives are – price, audience, size of event, location)

As previous, find out where and link our USP’s to their weaknesses.

“As you know, the success of exhibiting is based on where you exhibit and more importantly, who you exhibit to (the audience).”
This event is solely by invite only MD’s and Company Directors.

“We rely solely on word-of-mouth for new business.”
Word of mouth is the best and worst from of marketing, as you know. By investing a relatively small sum in DreamStart you will increase you word of mouth immensely via the hundreds of delegates in attendance.

“We advertise.”

Who are you advertising with at present?
(Newspapers, local press, trade magazines)

Can I ask why you use them?
(Find out what their buying motives are – price, audience, distribution, frequency)

What are you paying at present and what are you getting for your money?
Can then highlight our USP’s with regard to who they are using at present and show our strengths over the other marketing vehicle’s weaknesses.

For example, if they are using a newspaper we can’t touch local press for readership, but for example 0.01% of the press readers will be their target market – 100% of our attendees are their target market.

“Exhibition is not for me.”
What part of the exhibition is not for you?
•    Theme?
•    Audience?
•    Location?

With this we can find out the core of the objection and overcome it.

“Theme”
If they are not interested in the theme of improving business models and ultimately profits then you have not unearthed the root of the objection as all businesses are interested in improvement.

What part of the theme doesn’t interest you?

“Audience.”
If their business is not selling to DM’s then you are dealing with someone who we cannot help!

What audience do you specifically sell to? We have seen that in SME’s the MD tends to be jack-of-all and master-of-none, hence their attendance at DreamStart.

“Location”
DreamStart ’08 is to be held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, within the Armouries and the newly purpose built Saviles Hall. The Royal Armouries holds over 500 events per year welcomes around 100,000 corporate clients annually. In addition to their existing in-house award winning catering, on the door-step 130 hotel bedrooms with a further 650+ bedrooms within 5 minutes walk, and a purpose built multi-storey car park, Royal Armouries really is the only place for DreamStart. So perfect, that due to demand in Yorkshire, DreamStart has been moved from the originally planned venue of Excel in London.

“Content.”
Which company cannot be interested in content that will improve their processes across the whole of their business delivered by recognised experts.

“Happy with our level of business.”
Nobody is ever happy with their level of business. No business can say that they would not like to be makin more profit.

Every business wants to grow, from Microsoft and Coca Cola to SME’s and ‘one-man-bands’. The whole theme of DreamStart is to flourish the attendees with tools to make their businesses more profitable and ultimately, to achieve their potential. By exhibiting within this and to our audience, this (more profit) will be the result for you.

Next post: Cardinal Rules.

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