Does a business always start with an idea and a plan? I think a business starts with an order and a customer. Like the weather, where everyone talks about it but nobody does much about it, customer service has been the catch phrase for generations. Are you doing enough in your business to serve your customers? In the current marketplace, you need to give your customers more than lip service.
Recently I took a call from someone who said, "I have an order for a very important customer." My response was, "every one of our customers is very important." The party to whom I was speaking laughed as she then told me the name of the celebrity she represented and, okay, it was a very important customer. But I assured her that we would take good care of them just as we do with all of our customers. She was relieved to hear that and we made her wishes happen.
In many ways, you must learn to think as your customers think. If you are able to do that, you will be better able to sell them what they want, no matter what you are selling. If you can picture the person at the other end of the phone as yourself, listening to your sales pitch or proposal or latest product offering, then listen to yourself. Would you buy this "whatever it is" from you?
Sales are only one part of customer service, but let's talk about it. The first part of selling comes from product knowledge. Know what you are selling. This brings strength and confidence. The second part comes from believing in what you are selling. If you don't believe in what you are selling, you will not be successful. That lack of enthusiasm will come through and while you may make some sales, you will miss many more opportunities.
The third part is motivation. Most sales people start in the business because they think it's easy, as almost everyone is doing it. Let's face it, how hard can it be to sell something? If it's so easy why are there hundreds and hundreds of books written to help teach people how to sell things? If you are in sales and are selling just to make a commission, get out of sales immediately. If you are not motivated and you do not have that passion for selling whatever it is, to whomever you can sell it to, you're missing a key ingredient to success.
We are all selling all the time, or at least we should be. I happily answer the phone at my business, and the other day I answered a call from a guy who wanted to sell me government bonds - a nuisance cold-call as they say. The caller ID said the name of a large brokerage house. I listened politely for a few moments and then said that I had all the bonds I needed from a family friend. I then mentioned the firm he called from and said that most of the brokers I get calling from there are calling me to buy a pinball machine. He said, "Huh?" In the next few minutes I explained my business to him and what we do and what we sell. I was put on hold and a minute later another guy who identified himself as the first person's manager was on the phone. He introduced himself. I figured the hard sell was now coming. But then, surprisingly, he said he was on my website and he started asking me about different games! We talked until he gave me his credit card number and I wrote his order. He then said he wished I were selling for him. I told him I already had enough jobs. Ah, selling, it's so natural. There's another happy customer.
You should learn to take every opportunity to market, promote and sell what you have, what your business has and what you as an individual have to offer. When you realize that we are all sales people at one time or another in the many roles we play in life and we are all customers at the same time, it should be very easy to sell anything if you are honest about it and know what you're doing.
There are a couple of simple rules about customers. The first rule you have always heard is the infamous, "The Customer is Always Right." We all know that's not true. Since we're all customers somewhere, we know we're not always right. So how do you defend your business against the thinking of the customer always being right? What do you tell your people, and how do you handle a sticky situation?
You learn that the customer is not always right but teach your people that "The Customer is Never Wrong!" This will give you and your employees the room to reason and realize that even though this customer is wrong, you must make the situation right with the customer. An employer must empower their employees to solve problems on a case-by-case basis. How many times have you been shopping somewhere and another customer had a problem? When I see that my ears perk up listening for how it will get solved. When you hear a customer yell: "Can I see the manager?" look out, because someone did not do their job correctly. It's even worse when that customer, not able to resolve a problem, asks for the manager and realizes they are already dealing.
Years ago, I owned a busy amusement center hosting over 200 birthday parties a month. It gave me a lot of experience in solving life's little problems. The philosophy of Fuzzy's Family Fun Factory was that people were coming to have a good time, not at the expense of the employees having a bad time either. I taught my employees how to deal with our customers and the simplest thing I could tell them was to treat the customers as you would want to be treated.
That simple statement was the guide that empowered my employees from the person that mopped the floor (sometimes me) to the managers to solve problems before they happened or got bigger and to be proactive. It also taught them patience, kindness, generosity (even if they were giving away something that was mine) and it was rewarding to see so many happy people having fun. That's what it was all about.
This leads us to my second rule on customers: "You Can Never Win an Argument With a Customer." Let's face it, even when a customer knows they are wrong but they just want to make a point, let them get their point across to you. Listen to them. Let them completely explain the problem and often they'll even help you by proposing a solution. Often times, their solution is much simpler and less costly than one you may suggest. In my next few articles, I'll get more into how you can build on those relationships.
As the year comes to a close, it's time to count and take stock of things in your business. Make time to count your blessings and take stock of your life too. Give it a review and see how you can do better next year. For yourself, your customers, your employees, your family, your community and your nation. Note what you are doing well that you can do more of. What are you doing poorly that can be changed or eliminated? What are you not doing that you should be doing? These questions should cross the barriers of business and personal and can lead to a happier life.
In this joyous time of the year when thoughts of peace and harmony are sung about, let us all take time to reflect on how we can be better people to each other. May God continue to Bless America, our beloved industry and its people. Peace.
Jack Guarnieri started fixing electro-mechanical pinball machines in 1975 and has been involved in every phase of the coin-op game business since then. He operated a substantial game route in Brooklyn, N.Y., developed amusement centers and was called in as a consultant to manage Mondial Distributing and State Sales in New Jersey. In 1999, he founded PinballSales.com to sell coin-op to the home market. In 2002, he founded ShuffleAlley.com and released the Parker Bohn III Pro Bowler game, reviving the shuffle alley. His positive attitude, honest insights and opinions have made him a popular figure in the trade. While managing and growing his businesses, he still consults inside and outside the industry, and his marketing, promotional and business management expertise are widely sought. He's very active in his church, community and charitable causes as well. You can learn more at his websites (http://www.pinballsales.com/ and http://www.shufflealley.com/) or by phoning him at 866/323-JACK. Email is Jack@Pinballsales.com.
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