The Humility Advantage - How Less Ego Creates More Sales

See if this applies to you or your team members in your organization: You've been working in your industry for several years. Your responses to requests from customers, prospects and co-workers are fast and accurate. You know your stuff and your product knowledge is one of your greatest strengths. If this is the case, then the bad news is that your extensive knowledge may also be one of your greatest weaknesses. The reason - you may be inadvertently coming across as being arrogant and insensitive. I'm not suggesting that you have a holier-than-thou attitude or that you are unfriendly. It's just that you are so quick with your answers and recommendations that others feel like you haven't really been listening to their needs (even though you have). In other words, the greater your expertise, the more likely it is that you are unintentionally rubbing people the wrong way. The good news is that there's an easy way to prevent this misconception that I call The Humility Advantage©. Working with over a hundred sales and service teams over the years, I've found there are at least seven key opportunities where a little employee humility pays-off substantially. Here are three that I often share in my Influence with Ease® speeches and seminars.
1. Mention your Homework Several years ago, a couple of branding consultants approached me about enlisting their services. My first thought was that these folks knew nothing about my company or my industry, so why on earth should I pay their sizable fees. I only agreed to meet with them because a colleague said they'd done good work for his firm. When I sat down with the consultants, they did not start asking me lots of questions about me and my industry. (That would have confirmed to me that they really didn't know my business world and would have ended their chances of selling me their services). Instead, they began the meeting explaining that, by way of preparation, they'd been chatting with some of my colleagues and customers to find out their impressions of my company's services. Then, they asked if I would like to hear the word-on-the-street. As you can imagine, that got my attention. And the ensuing conversation led me to engage their services. When you talk with potential customers, do you begin the conversation by mentioning the homework you've done on their company? If not, you're missing an opportunity to let them know that you are truly interested in them. Rather than starting a sales conversation by asking about their needs, try commenting on something you saw on their website or read about them in an industry journal. It's a powerful way to confirm to others that you're knowledgeable without coming across as one who brags. It's one of the first steps in applying the humility advantage. 2. Confirm your Understanding If you've participated as an audience member in one of my live presentations, you might have seen me step off the stage pretending to be a waiter taking food orders from several audience members as if they're at a restaurant. During this skit, rather than order directly from a menu, each patron has a special request such as, “I'll have the salad with the meal.” or “I'd like to have fruit instead of fries,” etc. As the waiter, I don't write any of this down, and as you've likely guessed, when I walk away, the patrons assume that there is no way I'm going to get all the orders straight. There's the problem. I may have listened accurately to each request, but the emotions I left with my customers are worry and lack of confidence in my service. As an experienced professional in your industry, you may be a great listener, but are you perceived as such? Being regarded as a poor listener is a surefire way to kill a sale or curtail your career. Fortunately, by using a little humility, this is easy to correct. In the waiter demonstration, I redo the same order-taking scenario, except the second time after taking the orders, I say, “Let me make sure I've got this straight. You would like yours with fruit instead of fries...” (I then confirm everyone's special request accurately). Suddenly, the restaurant patrons feel good about the quality of my service. Here's the key; I repeated my understanding of their needs with the phrase, “Let me make sure I've got this straight.” Fact is, I knew I had it straight, but the customer didn't. The catch is, if my ego were running my life I'd never say, “Let me make sure I've got this straight.” Hence the Humility Advantage. Here's one more application: 3. Ask Permission to Present You've probably heard the expression that people don't like to be sold-to, but they love to buy. That means that before you present the benefits of your products or services, remember to ask for permission. When you thread all these techniques together, a sales conversation might start by pointing out the homework you've done on the other person. Then ask about their needs, confirming your understanding with, “Let me make sure I've got this straight…” Later, ask permission to present with, “Based on what you've told me, I do have some thoughts. Would you like to hear a couple of options that I think would fit for you?” Once the other person agrees, they'll feel less like they are being forced, and more like they are being helped.

About The Author
This article is based on the critically acclaimed book, Becoming a Service Icon in 90 Minutes a Month, by business strategist and international speaker Jeff Mowatt. To obtain your own copy of his book or to inquire about engaging Jeff for your team, visit http://www.jeffmowatt.com or call 1-800-JMowatt (566-9288).

Read More......

Wish You Could Quit Your Day Job? Do It the Smart Way!

It doesn’t take long to realize that you’ll have a hard time accumulating any significant wealth by working for someone else. Your check looks kind of puny after taxes take a big bite. Your expenses seem to grow in direct proportion to your salary. Your retirement fund… well, actually, you haven’t gotten around to funding it yet.
You’ve also got to deal with all the other downsides of having a full-time job – a demanding boss, difficult co-workers, a bumper-to-bumper commute. It’s enough to make anyone dream of self-employment. That dream leaves you with lots of questions – and if you don’t answer them wisely, you’ll find yourself crawling back to the world of employment.
What Are Your Skills?
In all your years as an employee, you’ve developed some skills that you can use in your own business. It may take some creative thinking to nail down a business that matches your skills. One way to start narrowing the field is to make a list of your skills – list everything, including things you haven’t done in years. Then, ask a few people to make similar lists about you. Finally, compare these lists to see which skills come up most often.
With those skills in mind, brainstorm about businesses that use them. Think outside of the employee realm. For instance, a teacher could start a tutoring business, become a consultant to educational publishers, or open an after-school program.
You’ll probably end up with a list of exciting options. Your best option is one you can start doing while you’re still employed. Your job will serve as training wheels, and help keep you from stressing out while you build your business. Your best bet is one that’s simple, that’s got a fairly short path from startup to profit, and that’s not heavy on initial expenses.
Think Things Through
Once you’ve decided on a business, you’ve got a long list of other decisions to tackle. You’ll need a business plan, a name, a tax entity structure, a business bank account, some marketing strategies, goals, and tactics.
As the business owner, you also get to cast the vision for your business. What do you want your business to offer its clients? This question goes way past the actual product or service you’ll provide to the benefit your business will bring to people. Answering this question thoughtfully will lead right into your marketing plan.
For example, the teacher who decides to start a tutoring business may want to give families peace of mind, and peace at home. A struggling student means worried parents, which often leads to dinnertime struggles. Students who receive the academic help they need experience success in school, and are better able to complete their homework independently.
So, this would be the teacher’s vision for her tutoring business – giving her clients a more peaceful family life. The marketing materials for the business should reflect this key benefit, meeting prospective clients’ needs as they see them.
You Don’t Have to Do It All Yourself
Many of the other particulars surrounding the business plan can be handled by professionals – a CPA to advise on business entities, a copywriter to develop marketing materials, and a banker to assist in opening accounts and credit lines.
Part of developing a business plan is revenue modeling. This is determining several different income streams for the business, developing strategies to bring that business in, and projecting how much income will come into the business.
Take Action
Once your business plan is in place, the next step is taking action. It takes boldness, energy, and dedication to get your new business up and running. You’ll need to learn all the different aspects of business ownership: marketing, sales, customer service, record keeping, budgeting, and management.
As money starts trickling in, it’s pretty exciting. But don’t quit your day job yet! Wait until your business consistently pulls in at least as much as you bring home from your job. You’ll have higher expenses (health insurance, especially), but they’ll come out of your revenue before taxes. Once your income’s steady and high enough to live on, you can take that long-awaited walk into your bosses office and say, “I quit!”

By Sue LaPointe

Read More......