Calling lost clients: Why you should

This video from Jeffrey Gitomer reminds us that, if we are trying to rebuild our business, the best people to call are the clients who you lost. I found the reference in this Contractortalk.com thread.

You can gain some additional insights in this earlier posting (with a rather gross image) when Gitomer visited Ottawa.

Casanova's story

I enjoyed this "Help Required" piece by Robin Seiger on Jeffrey Gitomer's site. You will, too.

From the past and present to the future

Jeffrey Gitomer provides a tantalizing primer on effective sales call preparation in Predicting the outcome of a sale is easy. Sort of. I think what he suggests works best if you add an extra item (you can see the other points by reading the original story).

.5: Put your sales machine aside and understand -- really understand -- your clients' industry, and your own business.

I see far too many salespeople thinking purely in terms of the sales process, and not the environment in which that process operates. They tactically manage -- manipulate -- the situation, often so effectively they get the sale, once, twice or even more often -- but ultimately damage their business and its reputation.

The wiser approach, I believe, is to see selling in context of the entire business relationship we have with our clients and potential clients. This larger, more challenging, cultural approach may create an environment of receptiveness and repeat business where it seems that the salespeople are mere 'order takers' but, done right, they are much more than that. For want of a better phrase, they are brand ambassadors, communicating and respecting their business's relationship with current and future clients, and the community at large.

Boring and banal, or stable and secure

Installation art? "Playing the building?" Hmm, maybe this material from http://www.davidbyrne.com/ might be useful if you want to try something different. Then again, maybe experimentation with extreme creativity is not the way to go with your marketing strategies.

Sure, many mission statements (like the ones -- including our own business -- cited in yesterday's posting) are boring. So are 'standard' voice mail greetings, business letters, cards, presentation formats, and marketing brochures. Yawn, we say. But should we really inject humor and change our voice mail greetings every day? Should we, as Jeffery Gitomer does, change our business cards for a "business coin". And should we get fancy with our wording in our mission statements; breaking the bonds of normalcy with something really jazzy. Should we bring plastic puke to our presentations?

I'm sure, if you are like me, you will answer a loud and clear 'no' to many of these possibilities. A business card coin might be a nifty novelty item, but your current and potential clients could either find it awkward to handle, or if they've seen Jeffery Gitomer, say " Oh, you've been to one of Gitomer's presentations."

And on the weekend I looked up on the web for examples of creative and innovative voice mail greeting presentations. Searching high and low, I could find few if any references that gave me assurance that getting creative with voice mail wouldn't land me in the painful place of bad humor -- the joke that just doesn't work.

Banal and boring, of course, in marketing, of course, have a corollary -- stable and secure. When we observe the conventions of business practice, we don't set off any flashbulbs of marketing insight and adventure, but we also don't blow the wad on an embarrassing mistake. In any case, these ideas really only work if they flow naturally with your identity and style -- I'm sure you might shock people with wild and wacky stuff, but if you aren't somewhat wild and wacky by nature yourself, would any of it seem true, or just artificial. (Kind of like watching out-of-age 'hipsters' trying to be someone from a later generation. Its pathetic to watch.)

Within these frameworks, of course, you can observe trends and issues. Gitomer advocates e-letters and effective Internet use -- and I agree 100 per cent. Great marketers overall advocate giving generously of your insights, spirit, and expertise without worrying about the 'get' -- in other words, they don't practice conditional giving; where you read marketing materials and can only gain value by paying something to conclude the story. And everyone agrees that the way you relate to current clients handle your current projects counts far more than any adventure in outbound marketing, no matter how creative.

Does this mean you shouldn't consider some of the more off-the-wall marketing models and resources? Of course, they can have a place in your picture -- but a hearty smile, respectful sharing, and innovative recognition of your employees will probably do you a whole lot more than finding and purchasing a business card coin or creating a funny yet meaningful voice mail greeting.

Marketing and selling across the (construction) divide

This image is from a free screen shot series from Agilent Technologies, "The World Without Engineers". Here, Agilent combines logic with humour to communicate to its intended engineering audience.

On Friday, Jeffery Gitomer answered a question with a surprising response. "How do you sell to engineers?" someone wanted to know. Gitomer observed that indeed engineers are different -- while most people let their emotions determine their desire and interest, and then use logic to justify their decisions, "engineers are logical". In other words, he indicated, if the person you are selling to is an engineer, build your relationship through respect for facts and logical thinking.

This gets me thinking. Would an engineering consulting business marketing services to an architectural firm get very far with a logical focus, and how would either of these enterprises relate to a general contractor or, even better, the sub trades who actually do most of the 'real work' on the job sites?

In conversations about projects and initiatives which went well, everyone expressed their pride in the co-operation and excellent communication at all levels -- in other words, the projects had a wonderful harmony and spirit -- through creativity, logic, and mutual respect (and excellent interpersonal relationships at all levels) any problems were resolved effectively and in good spirit -- about the only profession or trade not to gain from this harmony is law.

So, how can you gain from these insights in your marketing your construction-related service or professional practice? First, as Gitomer and other gurus make it clear, be yourself. If you are an engineer and you are not logical, I think most of us would run for the hills to avoid you. Second, and this is a challenge, but it certainly can be done, respect and appreciate the individuals around you, and do everything you can to see things from their perspective.

Third and most importantly, get rid of the class distinction of superiority/inferiority. Gitomer does this well by dressing in a red "maintenance" uniform -- not a formal suit and tie. At the highest level, for example, the architect appreciates that someone who has built a successful sub trade business really knows the trade -- and how to manage and integrate its speciality on the job site. Respect and recognition result in co-operation, good job spirit, lower overall costs and referrals, of course.

Jeffery Gitomer and puke

This is probably the least flattering picture I will ever have the opportunity to post in this blog. But Jeffrey Gitomer is using the plastic puke intentionally to remind us that most of what we consider 'normal' in business and sales practice is, well, puke. We need to think with imagination, creativity, and distinction -- and have fun while we are doing our work.

Sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer visited Ottawa today with his plastic puke. His message: Most of the standard stuff salespeople do in their work -- and businesses practice in day-to-day life, is, well, puke. Boring, irritating, garbage. Brochures, 'marketing department trash', thoughtless cold calls, "customer satisfaction" and all that standard jargon of business -- including the typical dry recital voice mail messages most of us (including myself) leave is . . puke.

So how does Gitomer do things differently? He markets himself effectively, practically, with visibility and imagination -- and that causes people to call him, and people to pay him for his services.


He came to Ottawa at the behest of a headhunting business seeking to develop its niche within the technology sales sector. Smart move. Set up a not-for-profit organization (The Sales Leadership Initiative) to create networking and business development opportunities, bring in the big name speaker, and ride on the coattails of his publicly recognized name reputation and identification.

I paid for my $179 seat with my Amex card. A query to Gitomer's office for a media interview resulted in his standard truly effective put-off response. He is available, but you will need to pay him $500. Sorry, I don't pay anyone to be interviewed.

So how can you escape from the puke? Build your personal brand with imagination, creativity, publicity, and a great website. Start an e-letter, affiliate yourself with big names (presumably like Gitomer), and fix your voice message to make it distinctive and interesting. Trash your conventional 'mission statement' and make it something you remember and identify with (something I need to think about, now). Create genuine value and give this away -- you'll get it in return multi-fold. Most importantly, have fun doing what you love doing -- you must not be in the work for the money, but the money will arrive if you enjoy your work.

So, with this blog, I have the opportunity to show Gitomer at his best -- with his plastic puke. Do you get the message?

Gitomer and pricing

My weekly e-letter distribution coincides this week with Jeffrey Gitomer's. His posting, "If you REALLY want it, I'll drop my price" is a reminder that too many of us think that price is the key issue in decision-making, and we tend to cut our own throats in "negotiating" a deal when the client is ready to pay the full price -- and with effective marketing and branding, we can actually earn a higher p rice.

Pricing and value are complex -- we all know that the real cost of manufacturing so-called luxury brands has little correlation with their retail price; but many contractors and sub-trades are trapped in the negative bidding war environment, wondering how they can even hope to win the business unless they (gulp) lower their prices below their actual cost of doing business (bad move!)

I realize the marketplace is competitive now; in many areas in the U.S. and now in parts of Ontario, recessionary conditions prevail, and real purchasers with cash on hand are relatively scarce. You need to be cautious about your expenses and fixed costs and not throw good money after bad -- but thoughtful attention to how you market and promote your business can help you escape from "low bid wins the job (and loses money) tyranny."

Jeffrey Gitomer's weekly newsletter is free, by the way; and you can purchase his books on the used book market for little money (or pay full retail, if you wish, and still get great value.)

Forgetting the details: the cost

This afternoon, driving at the speed limit, I noticed a police car in the next lane. I thought nothing of it, until a few blocks later I noticed the flashing lights behind me. Turns out, I had been driving the car illegally for, get this, seven months. My license tags had expired in May 2007!
There are moments when one has a truly sinking feeling, and this moment could have gone from bad to worse very quickly -- because I had left the insurance renewal papers at home. So, effectively, I was driving without proper license plates, and without proper insurance documentation.
Clearly, one of my weaknesses (see previous posting about Marcus Buckingham's argument to focus on strengths) is attention to detail. Last May, I must have 'assumed' that I had renewed my license properly and blithely just driven the car for more than a half year.
Fortunately, one of my compensating strengths is a solid crisis response attitude. I knew right away to accept responsibility for the problem; the police were doing their job, I had erred, and now the challenge would be to make things right, as quickly as possible.
The police issued $220 in fines. I asked the officer if I could safely drive the car to the motor vehicle licensing office to fix things. The officer, in a stern "police type" response, said: "You are not supposed to be driving this car until it is properly licensed, but I am 'clearing' the area and leaving the scene." I took the message clearly that he wouldn't charge me again if I drove off!
So, I drove straight to the licensing office, only to face another problem. The licensing bureau will not renew the license without insurance documentation, and that material is at home, about two miles away. Somehow, driving home to fetch the documentation did not seem to be a good idea under the circumstances. My wife was away, and I was supposed to pick up my son from winter camp in a couple of hours. So calling taxis and going back and forth to the home to get the paperwork seemed rather a bad answer. The solution: I called my insurance broker. The broker's agent said she could fax temporary insurance paperwork to me. And the licensing bureau clerk gave me the licensing office fax number!
So, as I stood in line waiting for my turn for service, I heard my name called, and received the fax with the paperwork needed to renew things. Problem fixed, in under an hour. I quickly affixed the new sticker on the car, and went off for some vigorous exercise.
These experiences reminded me of principals of attitude and responsibility.

• As the crisis unfolded, I put things into perspective. Outside of the error in driving without proper tags, had I committed a major crime? Not really (the car had proper insurance). I would pay the fine, accept responsibility, and move on.
• Do people have discretion and the ability to develop creative solutions in situations which are all-too-common? Certainly. Insurance brokers can issue temporary paperwork by fax, and at least some motor vehicle licensing offices are reasonable and will give out their fax numbers!
• Should people play their 'roles' in situations? Certainly. If you expect a police traffic officer to be jocular and friendly when he is issuing a ticket, you are living in another world. The best you can do in these situations is to behave courteously and with respect. The officer could have thrown the book at me -- instead he charged me $220.

Finally, you should appreciate that the other person's crisis is your opportunity to show respect and care -- and when you do, you have a perfect 'sweet spot' for marketing. I'm not sure if the reference is correct (I think it is in a book by Jeffrey Gitomer), but the marketer recalls seeing someone at the airport struggling with an ATM. Seems the machine wouldn't accept the guy's bank card, and he desperately needed a little cash to complete his travels. The marketer preoffered $100 and invited the other person to repay when he could. Turns out the businessman at the ATM was in the market for the saviour's services -- and, with trust firmly implanted, did more than $100,000 in business with the representative who saved his skin.

P.S. A note about branding success: I am not sure 100 per cent if the positive story described above is indeed Jeffrey Gitomer's tale (I read many business books). But he gets credit and recognition here. That is the nature of great branding. If you ingrain a positive and relevant perspective in people around you, you may be able to take credit for good things that possibly have nothing to do with you!

Who is right? Jeffrey Gitomer or Paul Cherry?

In his latest newsletter, sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer takes direct aim at the advice offered in the article "When sales call stall" by Paul Cherry. It is rare to see one guru take a shot at another. Gitomer doesn't name Cherry in his newsletter article, "I'd rather have no advice than bad advice", but the direct context similarity between his reference and this article suggests indeed it is one and the same. (Google is an amazing resource to check out things like this.)

In his newsletter, Gitomer writes:

Sales techniques are increasingly becoming passé.
So are the people that stress using them, rather than emphasizing the softer side.
I grew up selling, and I grew out of it.
If you have lost a connection, or if a hot prospect evaporates, or refuses to call you back or respond to you, the WORST thing you can do is try a sales technique. Why don't you try something new? Try being honest. No, not with the customer -- with yourself.

Gitomer of course is correct in saying that arbitrary and forceful application of 'sales techniques' is a recipe for disaster, but equally, I think you need to know the techniques to get beyond them. You will be effective at selling if you understand "Stalls", "Closes", and "Overcoming Objections" -- and then appreciate that humility and honesty go further than slickness and manipulation. But I don't think it hurts to understand the 'techniques' -- if only to appreciate their limitations.

A really good philosophy

Sales and marketing guru Jeffrey Gitomer sums up his sales and life philosophy in his Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude:

I give value first.

I help other people.

I strive to be the best at what I love to do.

I establish long-term relationships with everyone.

I have fun.

. . . and I do that every day.

He suggests you set out your own philosophy.

Why passion is important

I think this newsletter article, Success vs. fulfillment. Which is it for you? by Jeffrey Gitomer explains the importance of passion for true success better than anything I've read in a while.

Gitomer's writing effectively elaborates on one of what I think are the three pillars of real achievement outlined in my earlier piece: Passion, Sincerity and Respect: The Foundation of Construction Marketing Success