| In our age of being constantly electronically | | | | Sauce Event. |
| connected to our Blackberrys, iPhones, social | | | | DON'T DISMISS SOMEONE AS UNIMPORTANT. |
| media sites and more...let's stop and revisit what | | | | Or not qualified to buy. You never know who |
| really makes a memorable difference in sales, and | | | | you're talking to. Especially on incoming calls. I've |
| all of life for that matter: the personal touch, and | | | | seen plenty of sales reps mentally disqualify a |
| the little things that mean a lot. | | | | prospect by just looking at a name on a reply |
| One example that sticks out in my mind | | | | card or computer screen. When I was waiting for |
| happened a few years ago while I was waiting for | | | | the takeout order I might have looked like I was |
| my order in the take-out area of a Famous | | | | applying for a busboy job, but still received VIP |
| Dave's barbeque. (By the way, I cook barbeque | | | | treatment. |
| competitively and have won in contests, and I can | | | | THE LAW OF RECIPROCATION. In the book I |
| say that for a chain, Famous Dave's puts out an | | | | consider the "bible" of persuasion, "Influence: The |
| outstanding product). | | | | Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini, |
| While waiting, I noticed the owner of this franchise | | | | the author spends an entire chapter talking about |
| location meeting and greeting customers. Now, | | | | the Reciprocation Rule that our culture follows, |
| this was no regular restaurant owner; he's Willie | | | | which states, "We should repay, in kind, what |
| Thiesen, founder of the Godfather's Pizza chain. | | | | another person has provided us." |
| He cashed out of that for several hundred mill a | | | | He further says "that because there is a general |
| number of years ago, at one time owned the | | | | societal distaste for people who take and make |
| largest home in Omaha, and was again dabbling in | | | | no effort to give in return, we will often go to |
| the food business. He's somewhat of a legend. | | | | great lengths to avoid being considered a |
| So I'm sitting there, looking very unimportant in | | | | moocher, ingrate, or welsher." After all, who hasn't |
| my beat-up sweatshirt, jeans, pulled-down faded | | | | sent holiday cards to someone because you |
| ballcap, sporting three-day beard stubble, and he | | | | received one from them? Or have you ever |
| sits down next to me on the bench. | | | | bought something in a grocery store simply |
| "Waiting for your takeout order?" | | | | because you tried the sample from the nice lady |
| "Yeah, haven't been here long. No problem." | | | | handing it out and felt obligated to stick one in |
| Then we chatted for several minutes about the | | | | your cart? |
| fine art and science of smoking a succulent, | | | | GIVE A LITTLE AND MAYBE GET A LOT. I don't |
| melt-in-your-mouth brisket. I related that I owned | | | | advocate lowering price to sweeten a deal, but |
| multiple smokers and have competed in a number | | | | how about giving away something that is low cost |
| of national competitions. | | | | to you, but high value for someone else? Little |
| He then jumped up, reached over the counter, | | | | things mean a lot. Extending the terms on |
| grabbed a bottle of Famous Dave's Devil's Spit | | | | someone's warranty or subscription, giving |
| spicy sauce and said, | | | | valuable printed how-to information... anything with |
| "Here, let me give you this. I think you'll love it." | | | | a high profit margin that could have tremendous |
| Wow. He GAVE me a bottle of sauce. | | | | impact. It can get customers, and keep them |
| That's the basis for this week's Tip. | | | | buying. |
| Now, you might be saying to yourself, "Is this | | | | BE CARE-FULL. Or, full of care. You need to |
| crazy? I'm wasting time reading about a guy | | | | CARE about a prospect or customer to truly |
| giving another guy a $3 bottle of barbeque sauce." | | | | make an impact. I was giving some instruction to |
| Oh, but it's much more than that. | | | | an underperforming sales rep after a call, and he |
| Do you realize how much mileage Famous Dave's | | | | told me, "You're assuming I care about them." No |
| and Willie Thiesen got from that $3 bottle of | | | | coaching will help that attitude. In my example, I |
| sauce (which probably cost about 50 cents to | | | | watched Willie care about all the customers he |
| produce)? | | | | talked to. I personally saw it in his eyes and felt it |
| Well, for one, over 21,000 people worldwide at | | | | in his voice. Think he needs the money? There's a |
| the time I first wrote about it read it here several | | | | different motivator there. On the phone, your |
| years ago. And now, about 65,000 or so. And | | | | care must come through in your voice. |
| what the heck, here's Famous Dave's website: | | | | Yes sir, a nice investment of about 50 cents and |
| Maybe someone will buy a franchise. Or some | | | | your personal touch, Willie. Lots of people got a |
| stock (they're on the NASDAQ). | | | | return on that one. And there was not a smart |
| And of course I related that story in person | | | | phone or laptop involved. It was the ultimate in |
| many times since then. And who knows how | | | | "social media"--talking to and caring about a |
| many times that was retold? | | | | customer. |
| Yes, the human touch, and little things. They still | | | | The human touch, and little things STILL mean a |
| mean a lot. | | | | lot. |
| Here are a few other sales points at work in this | | | | |