No Bull Business Blog

No Bull Quote

"Don't find fault, find a remedy."
- Henry Ford

When the customer is a jerk!

You can't walk away from a customer - even if he's acting like a jerk.

So when you have to deal with a tough, demanding customer, try one of these tactics:

• Find common ground. Mention one area where you see eye-to-eye.
• Rush to the point. Ask, "What would you like me to do about this?"
• Play dumb. It was Columbo's tactic: "I’m confused. Can you explain why you feel that way?"
• Lay it on the line. First, explain what you can do, then say exactly what's not possible.

DIGGING DEEPER
Dealing with difficult customers isn't fun. The Executive Report: Handling Tough Customers: What Is and Isn't Working provides insight that can help employees turn difficult customers into loyal ones.

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

The biggest problem with most presentations: They're too long, have too many slides, and the type on those slides is so tiny that the people on the front row struggle to read it.

So try following Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. Guy's a brilliant thinker and a venture capitalist, who has had to listen to far too many bad presentations.

The rule: A PowerPoint presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes and contain no type font smaller than 30 point.

Only 10 slides? If it takes more than 10 slides to make your point, then you probably don't have a point to make.

20 minutes? Keep the presentation tight. You'll keep the audience's attention. And if you have an hour for your presentation, that leaves 40 minutes for questions and answers - which is where the real work gets done.

30-point type? Most folks cram too many words on a slide. Besides being too small to read, it also tells the listener that you really don't know the subject. Plus, older readers can't read small type. If 30-point doesn't work for you, then use this rule of thumb: Find out the age of the oldest person in  your audience and divide the age by two. That's your optimal font size.

Read Guy's blog to find out more.

Is your Web site doing its job?

How does your Web site (or blog) rate compared to others? There's no absolute answer, but you can get a good idea by using Website Grader, a free tool. Just plug in your URL, keywords, competitors, etc. It gives a very detailed look at how your Web site is seen online. It gives you a grade, but also tells what your Google rank is, how many pages are linking to your site, etc. Worth the few minutes it takes to plug in your data.

Why optimists sell 37% more!

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Conquering Cold Calling: What Is and Isn't Working:

Attitude drives behavior. That's why pessimists don't last long in sales.

Optimistic salespeople sell an average of 37% more products and services during cold calls than their negative counterparts. How do salespeople maintain a positive attitude while dealing with gatekeepers who won't let them through or prospects who hit them continuously with the "satisfied with present supplier" excuse?

Here are five tips that may help:

1. View success in the long term and failure in the short term. Success is the long-range goal. There'll be failures along the way. Failure is always short term. The best salespeople experience momentary setbacks. It's how you process those experiences that determines whether you learn or limit yourself.


2. Reframe what you hear and see. Perception is how you choose to interpret events. If prospects tell you they're happy with their present suppliers, do you place them in the "do not call category"? Or do you accept the statement as a challenge and vow to show why they should do business with you? Whenever you get a negative message during a cold call, ask yourself, "Is there another way to perceive this situation?"


3. Remain focused. Lock in on your goal and lock out distractions. Focus is positive tunnel vision. You may not be able to control the feelings and statements of prospects, but you can control your reaction to them. You may not be able to control the outcome of your presentations, but you can control your input. You may not be able to overcome all of the objections prospects may come up with during a cold call, but you can prove them wrong about their negative impressions with your own positive attitude and behavior.


4. Practice positive mental programming. This is how you talk to yourself and how you program your thinking. Concentrate on those things that will help, not hurt you. Does it really help to obsess on negative news about your industry or the economy? Or is it better to stay positive and go out and increase your cold calling efforts? One study shows salespeople reduce their cold calling efforts by 38% during tough times. They make cold calls at 62% of their "good times" calling rate. If you increase your cold calls by 25%, you have doubled your exposure in your industry. That's positive mental programming.


5. Read inspirational stories of others who have persisted in the face of failure. It helps to know that others have walked the path before you. Fuel yourself emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Surround yourself with motivational quotes and slogans. Paste them on the refrigerator. Keep copies in your briefcase.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
More than 40% of salespeople experience cold call reluctance at one time or another. To get help, you're invited to check out these two Executive Reports: Conquering Cold Calling: What Is and Isn't Working and Cold Calling: Cracking the Voicemail Barrier.