A Sale is Made Every Time

Either you will sell a customer on why they should do business with you or they sell you on why they are not. Many factors go into this. Over the last few weeks, I have noticed a disturbing trend. I'm finding that salespeople/businesses fall into a few different categories:

1. Field of dreams. I built it, they will come. I deserve their hard earned money and don't have to make the experience memorable for them. Think about most major airlines and the service that you receive. (How's that working?!)

2. They will come get me if they want something. Have you ever had to interrupt two or more employees talking to each other to ask them a simple question? What a pain in the butt! Many people don't understand that it is the customer who writes their paycheck, not the company.

3. Trusted adviser. We had a great experience last night. Shelly and I were guests in a women's clothing store and were greeted by a fantastic associate named Lisa. "I just wanted to let you know that everything on this wall is on sale. What outfits can I help you find?" she asked. Guess who earned our business?

The woman described above was not pushy or over the top. She acted in a way that made us feel comfortable by telling us about a special and asking us a yes/yes question. Note that she didn't ask us if we needed help. (We weren't trying to change a flat tire for gosh sakes! It's amazing how many salespeople try to offer pity to their customers!) She simply assumed that we were going to do business there and wanted to help us.

Think about it.....
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

Are You Saving Time...or Investing It?

Our city hosted the "Get Motivated" seminars by Peter Lowe come to town this past week. It is a fantastic deal. For a few bucks, you get to spend the day with some of the greatest opinion leaders on the subjects of leadership, wealth, spirituality, relationships, and motivation. This year Rudy Giuliani headlined it and was joined by Zig Ziglar, Phil Towne, and many others. The events also draw nearly 8000-12,000 people.

One of the interesting observation that I notice when I'm at an event is that the people who attend usually are high achievers. They take the bull by the horns and make things happen. They are also open to new possibilities and opportunities. They are also very "busy" people. Conversely, the people who could really benefit from attending an event never find the time to invest in themselves. Yet they can provide an accurate account of the hottest television programs on any given evening. When is the last time you received a check from a television station for watching their shows?

We have one commodity that we can never get more of...time. You spend your time on some activities and you invest it with others. Here are a few things that I have found to be great uses of time:
1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Time with family
4. Working out
5. Attending seminars
6. Prayer or meditation

Think about it...the clock is ticking!
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

In Times Like These...

I was reading an article this morning mentioning the craziness of people feeling some kind of doom. Let's think about this for a minute. If you are wanting to be successful in whatever endeavor, would it benefit you to begin by thinking, "If I fail at this..."? Of course not! If your young child is carrying a drinking glass into another room many parents say, "Don't spill!" Guess what happens next?

YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A NEGATIVE STATEMENT, ONLY POSITIVE! The child's mind heard "spill" so it did what it was commanded to do. The same statement is true for people who say, "I'm not a smoker" or "I'm not fat". You get the picture.

My challenge to you is to think on purpose and not to regurgitate whatever garbage you hear. If you want your business to succeed, do what it takes. If you want your family to be a tight knit family, do what it takes. After all, when is the last time that the government or the media encouraged you to do something? You are the only one in charge of your success.

Here are a few things to change the states of people who are negative:
1. If someone is ranting or moaning about ongoing problems, put a clown nose on and listen to them.
2. If they are in your office and not leaving, you leave.
3. Next time you visit the bank, ask if they are offering free samples today.

The reason why few people achieve their potential in life is that they are afraid to make decisions and take responsibility for those decisions. I challenge you to pursue something that you have been putting off, take action on something that you have been thinking about, and to celebrate your momentum!
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

Have Some Fun!

I really enjoy doing business with people who are...pleasant. Not that they have to bring out a marching band and do back flips everytime a customer walks in; but just enjoy what you are doing! Sometime I would love to take an air horn with me to recognize "Service Fouls". I don't know if blasting the air horn would improve service, but it sure would get their attention!

Here are a few of the things that Shelly and I observed last weekend while traveling:
1. 3 employees talking to each other while customers were waiting to pay for items.
2. An employee helping someone balance their cash drawer while we were waiting to sample their product.
3. No smile. Damn, that is a killer.
4. SSSSSSLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW service.

These are just a few. Don't get me wrong; I set out to find OUTSTANDING customer service everywhere I go. When I do, I jump to reward and compliment. We had a fantastic bartender on Friday night who was very nice. We were looking for an outfitter to drop us off so we could kayak. This young woman explained that her mom and dad were camping at the same campground we were and would be happy to shuttle us. By the time we had our salads, our rides were arranged!

When people are lamenting about a tough economy, people not spending money, or any other garbage; maybe they should look in the mirror. Are they happy and excited to welcome business, or do they look as if they just ate a big bowl of grumpy and can't wait to share it with the world?

Food for thought!

Shef
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

What Are Your Dream Daggers?

I was speaking to a great group this past weekend. We were discussing how some people seem to achieve more than others. I love the Larry Winget quote, "You can't dream yourself to success, attract yourself to success, you need to WORK your way to success." One of the most basic observations that I have found is that successful people live with different words than people who are not as fulfilled.

Here are a few "dream dagger" words: try, hope, might, should, wish....

In the program, I had an audience volunteer come up to the stage and "try" to pick up a set of keys. He bent down to pick them up but I stopped him. He WAS picking up car keys. You cannot "try" to do anything. Just do!

Do you have a dream that is in neutral? What are you feeding it with?
1. Surround yourself with people who encourage you.
2. Live with "can do" words.
3. Take some kind of action EVERY DAY to make your dream a reality.
4. Model someone who has accomplished what you are striving to accomplish.

Hope this gets you going on this 4th of July weekend!

Visit www.theshef.com
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.