Tag: prepare

Today’s remark – every day, all the time

– Posted on Apr 24, 2012 by Margie Albert

OK, it’s tough out there. Your owners (shareholders) are demanding improved bottom lines; your General Managers are feeling the heat from above and transferring it below. And we all know what rolls downhill, right? Everyone is feeling it every day, all the time.

Well, guess what? Your advertisers don’t care. They have their own problems! And they are looking to you to help them.

Here are some basic suggestions (frequently violated when under pressure):

  1. Stop assuming a “no” before you really “know”
  2. Be prepared, knowledgeable and eager to learn
  3. Stop talking and start listening
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask researched questions
  5. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something
  6. Never cut corners – do your very best on every call, proposal, email

Be honest with yourself –

  • Are you spending time preparing for each call? How much?
  • Are your questions thought-provoking or blah, blah, blah?
  • Are your proposals about you and your station or about them (remember, they only care about themselves)?
  • What do you do daily to grow your capabilities and knowledge?
  • How valuable are YOU (not your station’s audiences) to your advertisers? Would they be affected if you went away?

Introspection isn’t a fun exercise but we can all improve. Excuses are easy – our advertisers need and deserve the best we can give them every day, all the time. Providing that will make each of us remark-able.

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People Buy Because They Feel Understood

– Posted on Mar 23, 2010 by Margie Albert

Read a blog recently about building rapport by Jeffrey Gitomer. In it he insists rapport is not chit chat and I couldn’t agree more. Ever had a sales rep bring up the weather or some other dribble and then launch into his/her pitch? Worse yet, have you ever done that? That is NOT building rapport!

It’s all in the questions you ask. It’s about learning about them, their base, and their values.  It’s getting to a common ground. It’s about discovery. Seldom does the weather enter in but many talk about it! Your meeting with them is not to “tell” but to “share” because people buy when they feel understood. First “personal rapport” and then “business rapport” and do not get them confused. That takes preparation and research before the call.

To read Gitomer’s blog click here.  Hope you like it – let me know!

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10 Little Known Facts

– Posted on Jun 26, 2009 by Margie Albert

Did you know?
1. Wilma Flintstone’s maiden name was Wilma Slaghoopal and Betty Rubble’s maiden name was Betty Jean McBricker
2. Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors
3. Every time you lick a stamp you are consuming 1/10th of a calories
4. No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple
5. If you toss a penny 10,000 times it will not be “heads” 5000 times but more like 4,950. The “heads” picture weighs more than “tails” so it ends up on the bottom more frequently.
6. 12 or more cows are called a “flink”
7. The only nation whose name begins with “A” but doesn’t end with “a” is Afghanistan
8. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
9. “Stewardesses” is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand
10. An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain

Are you asking why I’m writing about this?

If I can find this obscure stuff on the internet think what you can find out about your customer, your donor, your volunteer, and/or your client. Knowledge and facts give you the ability to get customer’s attention and speak to them in their language to ensure success. Isn’t that what we all crave?

Now that I am a business owner I am amazed at how often I meet people who immediately want to talk about themselves and the wonders of their product. Oh, they may ask me some polite questions to make me think they care but their intentions are so clear. Trust me, insincerity and desperation is easy to spot!! Most have never been to my website or understand what I do but they sure want my business!

Show your customer you care, prove you’ve done some preparation, come up with interesting questions about their business needs and offer creative solutions to solve them.

Back again to asking why I’m writing about this? If it were that easy more people would be doing it. Do you or your team need some help? I’d like to get to know you. I will FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SUCCESS!

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