“$1,200” Lily snapped. “No way, too much” I retorted.
The four feet two pocket-rocket then snatched the calculator from me and punched in a counter offer… $1,000?! “No, no still too expensive” I scoffed. Back and forth went the calculator like a tennis ball fizzing over the net in a grand slam final.
Deep into the fifth set, Lily’s frustration became obvious, her friendly eyes morphing into a glare. I had barely moved in our negotiations, while she had discounted to 10% of her initial asking price. But that’s how the game is played in downtown Shanghai, China. This bustling market scaling up multiple stories high — replete with all the delights and junk a discount hungry tourist can buy.
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Tis the season alright!
That time of year when everyone temporarily puts aside their faculties of logic to indulge in mindless spending. We even spend money we don’t have, but hey, that’s ok, it’s all in the name of … hmmm … I’m not quite sure what it really means anymore.
Whatever the case may be, Christmas is a time for sharing and a time to spend with family. It’s also a period that retailers should be cashing in with a beaming grin.
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In 1988 I watched in horror as my childhood hero Carl Lewis was blown away by Ben Johnson in the men’s 100m final at the Seoul Olympic Games.
The ripped and bulging Canadian sprinter launched out of the blocks to blaze to a new world record time of 9.79 seconds. To my relief, three days later, Johnson was stripped of his gold medal and banned for testing positive to steroids. Lewis was then unceremoniously anointed as the Olympic champion, and faith was restored to my little world.
Not many records can endure the vacillation of time. Johnson’s drug assisted time was considered only possible because he used a banned substance. His time has since been broken on several occasions. Usain Bolt is the reigning Olympic champion and world recorder holder, clocking in a 9.58 seconds. May I be so bold as to suggest that one day a man of freakish ability will run it in eight seconds?
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Sales is a game. Though not a numbers game as some would suggest, it’s more a mental game.
Every year, I work with hundreds of sales and service people across industries. What strikes me most is the chasm between the high and low performers. This distinction is always a matter of mindset.
If you haven’t made a sale in weeks, or hit a target in months, you should be anxious. That state should transcend to frustration, and if that persists, then raw anger! By anger, I dont mean, slapping customers in the face until they sign the contract. I refer to a deep sense of injustice for not succeeding at what you do. This sensation is essential to all creatures that compete for survival in any jungle.
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There I stood three deep in a queue that seemed to be moving backwards compared to the other isles.
At the head of the line was an elderly woman laughing and conversing with the checkout chick. They appeared to be having a gay old time. I on the other hand was decomposing in my own anxiety, hot and noticeably bothered. Just let me pay for my stuff and get out of here, I scoffed under my breath.
The ash haired lady eventually paid for her groceries. She waved goodbye and then gleefully snatched her bags and wandered off. Finally we were moving. I quickly twitched my toes to make sure they were still there. I then skimmed through my iPhone, something I tend to do neurotically when I’m bored. With nowhere else to look, I slowly peered up… oh great…
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By Trent Leyshan - November 3, 2011 - Filed under:
Motivation
Flash point!
A micro slice of space and time where our lives change, forever. This is either a painful moment that haunts us, or a place where our wildest dreams are so vivid they become real.
A photo finish decided the 2011 Melbourne Cup. Only the benefit of technology could confirm the faintest speck of light between first and second place. This year’s winner Dunaden and connections pocketed $3.6 Million in prize money for their efforts. As for second place, well, it’s only a few days on and the name of that horse already escapes me.
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Last week I made a reservation to stay at the Novotel hotel in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
The booking was for this coming Friday. However, to my surprise last Sunday morning I received a survey email from the hotel’s parent company Accor asking to rate my stay. Perplexed by this, I rang Accor and quoted my membership number. I proceeded to query why this email had been sent given I was due to stay the following week? The response stunned me.
The customer support person told me the booking was complete. I explained the booking was for the following Friday. He disagreed. The customer support person then put me on hold and came back a minute or so later. He scoffed, ‘the booking was for the previous day and that had now passed, I’m sorry but there is nothing we can do as your credit card has been processed. He then suggested I call the hotel directly to see if they could resolve the matter.
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Unlike other performance athletes ― salespeople are expected to compete forty eight weeks or more every year. It’s no wonder most salespeople are bloody tired, if not utterly exhausted.
Nearly all performance sports are structured in a way so that the athlete actually competes at a small fraction of their time in comparison to the time spent developing strategy, refining skills and training and recovering.
Sales managers for some bizarre reason believe their salespeople needn’t subscribe to the same approach. This false belief limits their sales people’s success and ultimately leads to fatigue and underperformance.
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One of the most valuable asset’s you can create in business is called a ‘friendship with benefits’.
Not the touchy and feeling kind, rather an enduring relationship between a customer and vendor that contributes to both in a meaningful way. Acquaintances, we can take or leave. Typically surface level, these relationships hold little lasting value. Unfortunately, the majority of customers are treated this way because staff are not empowered habitually with the right knowledge and skills.
Its vital businesses get this right: how you treat people in a commercial situation shouldn’t differ that much to a social setting. The same essentials apply, such as; empathy, common courtesy, respect, keeping our word, and above all a genuine interest in the other party’s best interests. Think about the people we consider friends. What behaviours do they demonstrate? How long have we known them? Why are they so important to us? What really attracts us to them?
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By Trent Leyshan - September 28, 2011 - Filed under:
Motivation
You will struggle to find a better example of brand loyalty than from AFL supporters.
Year in and year out, fervent fans brave the winter chill to cheer on their favourite teams. Win, lose or draw we ride every bump, “booo!” every dicey umpire decision and lose ourselves in elation with every crucial goal.
Last Friday night, I cried myself to sleep after my beloved Hawks squandered a 3 goal lead to lose to the Pies in the final quarter of their AFL preliminary final. My emotions boiled from confusion and disbelief ―to rage ― and then grief stricken. I’m still hurting.
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