2. Connect: The key to connecting is listening
deeply with your eyes and ears. Listen to what your customers say and observe their emotions.
There are things they are passionate about. Look for common ground here. When you truly connect
with someone, you take rapport to the next level. You begin to move from a business relationship
to a friendship. Connecting tears down walls that tend to get in the way of real communication
and understanding. When people feel connected with you they feel more comfortable telling you
their real problems. With this information in hand, you have the opportunity to solve problems
that really matter. This ability provides real value and engenders true loyalty. Strong
connections are hard to break and are the foundation of truly prosperous, long-term
business relationships.

3. Solve Problems: One of the immutable laws of the universe is that when you give to others,
you are rewarded ten-fold. Problem solvers are the champions of the business world. However,
it is impossible to solve problems you do not know about, which is why connecting is so
critical. The essence of business is one person solving another person’s problem. A solved
problem is the value that buyers pay for. It is the most important lever in the People Buy
You philosophy. The most successful business people take problem solving to the next level.
These individuals are constantly on the look-out for problems they can solve-even if it
has no direct impact on their business. They live by the motto, “By helping others get
what they want, I will get what I want.”

4. Build Trust:Trust is the glue that holds
relationships together and the foundation on which all long-term relationships rest. Trust
is developed with tangible evidence that you do what you say you will do, that you keep
promises, and that you maintain a consistent commitment to excellence. It means going the
extra mile in everything you do. In a world in which most people are doing just enough
to get by, those business professionals who consistently do more than they have to, will
stand out. Buyers appreciate and reward this commitment to excellence with repeat business,
referrals, and ultimately with trust.

5. Create Positive Emotional Experiences:
Learn to make dealing with you fun, relaxing, and rewarding. You always want to leave your
customers and prospects thinking about you and remembering you positively so it is
imperative that you find ways to create positive emotional experiences for your
customers. The key is to focus on the little things. Remember birthdays, send handwritten
notes, do the unexpected. Just as an anchor is used to hold a ship in place against
currents, wind, tide, and storm,; positive emotional experiences anchor your relationships.
They leave people wanting more of you.

When we give without intention of a pay back, the natural progression of things brings positive results. We feel that we have contributed to others which provides a warmth in our hearts and is a great way to get others to join in. If we volunteer, donate or offer our time to others we will meet people that add to our own lives and businesses. Many networks based on philanthropic interests build strong alliances they are bussiness owners that serve the community and take interest in it.

Take conventional business wisdom and stir with collaborators from complementary industries that have an equal interest. Target others who have the same charitable goal that do not compete with your own. Maximize the fusion between social networks and search  engines with well known high quality rewards and incentives to motivate donors.  Learn how to use branding and marketing software to retain and build momentum.

Some ideas to to increase donations:

• Upscale attractive and create brown bag lunch auction
• Mentor hours offered to help other entrepreneur
• Weekend cruises
• Virtual shopping mall offering their choice of incentive
• Fundraising competition between industries for free advertising
• Host a chocolate party with prizes
• Free office rent
• Mini golf fundraiser interesting all participants

Particularly in this economy, people feel more inclined to give back.  People are grateful for what they have and want to help others.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

ll as extravagant prizes like cars and cruise vacations–which have sold for as much as $250,000. Other auctions have included education internships, gourmet dinners with top chefs and vineyard vacations

Charitybuzz auctions upscale merchandise as we

ll as extravagant prizes like cars and cruise vacations–which have sold for as much as $250,000. Other auctions have included education internships, gourmet dinners with top chefs and vineyard vacations

If we look back to September 11th, one of the most dramatic events in our recent history, we will discovered companies that continued to invest in themselves reaped the rewards of increased business.  They stayed in front of their customers and demonstrated their true belief in our country and in their business.  Their investment softened the long term effects of the economic downturn and created success.

Recently, some business owners got spoiled with rapid growth and high dollar receipts. They did not spend time training employees on cross selling, customer service or enhancing their technical skills.  Educated and happy employee are less stressed, more effective and motivated to support their companies.

Look to your Customer Service Department. Your customer service staff receives and delivers valuable information to your customers every single day. Why not teach them to sell and keep them motivated to act as sale representatives. Incoming calls are much easier to convert into a sale than a cold call. Invite your customer service representives to marketing and sales meetings to develop their sales skills. When the phones are not ringing, discuss call trends. What are your customers saying? Are they suggesting new products or services. When customers have a complaint what are customer services representatives doing to change the customers mind about your company? What seems to motivate your customers to call in? What incentive do you offer your customers to continue to do business with you?

Cutting back on your marketing budget and overallimage will not only get tongues wagging,  it will not provide you withcontinued exposure. If you move to a cheaper location you will be less visible and the your existing customers will get the impression that you may be edging closer to going out of business.  Your employees must believe that you firmly believe in your business and are striving for success. The more positive your customer’s and employee’s experience is withyour company,  the more word of mouth marketing you will receive.  As our economy begins to become more positive you will find yourself ahead of the competition.

Lipstick Tips:

• What is new in your industry?
• What seems to be working for your competitors and those in complementary industries?
• Who can you collaborate with to create a non-competitive canpaign?
• Do you have an interesting story?
• Is your website easy and fun to use?
• Do your employees survey their customers?
• Do your employees really know about your products and services?
• When was your last positive all hands meeting?
• Do you have a customer and employee incentive program?
• Have you considered moving to a better location taking advantage of lower rent?
• Have you taken advantage of a marketing interns?
• Do you reach out to your community? Do you host open houses and fun events?
• Do you post interesting and informative blogs each week?
• Do you research current and effective keywords?

Put some lipstick on your business and go out there and make them take notice!

Most departments that carry dual responsibilities of customer service and sales are doing so with little to no sales training, without recruiting for sales skills and with no incentive program. Goals are often not clear and the “what is in it for me” question is left unanswered for both the customer and the employee.

Call Centers today still primarily focus on Average Speed of Answer (ASA) and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) getting people on and off the phone in record time. The mindset of call center solutions is changing with developments of software on the horizon to incorporate the sales piece into the equation.

Call Center Trends

Decentralized structuring provide the greatest use of people.

The use of email and self-service has provided ease of service but can circumvent the opportunity to sell.

There has been a spot light shined on quality and resources without compromising costs. 

Complexity of products and services continue to grow.

Customers are becoming more demanding.

“Home shoring” with work from home representatives.

Regardless of the type of Call Center that you manage, Morale is paramount. Merriam-Webster defines morale  as “the mental and emotional condition (as of enthusiasm, confidence or loyalty) with regard to the task at hand.”

Recognition and rewards are an important key to any successful Call Center but finding the right incentive can be tough. Ages and interest of course vary. The best incentive is really their choice of incentive. A one size that truly fits all are   internet based reward programs offer all the same merchandise, travel and sporting events that we all love on online today!  

Highlights of the Points Rewards Programs:

• Seamless incentives page that continually brands your organization
• Each participant’s email tracks accumulated points and balances
• Send broadcast emails to announce a new promotion or call for action
• Select your choice of online retailers by locations, products or services
• Set a point reward calendar for birthdays or company anniversaries
• Maintain a personal touch with a personalized communication
• Learn what promotions and incentives were a success using provided reports

Organizations that attach any loyalty significance to such an interaction is going to obtain their goals and create an environment that communicates quality service and builds customer loyalty. Sales will increase and employees will feel that they are benefiting their company.

The story is not all bad for Las Vegas though. People are starting to venture out this spring! Although there is still some concern over the economy, people still want to enjoy and experience.  Kids want to have fun and parents want to provide a vacation. What better place than Las Vegas to forget your problems for a while and get the most of your vacation dollar! The hotels are still impressive, shopping and food are some of the best in the country if not in the world.

So how can Las Vegas bring more visitors to the city? By returning their focus to families once again! Over the past two years or more, Las Vegas seemed to concentrate on advertising to those looking for the adult experience with their ”What happens in  Vegas Stays in Vegas” campaign. Changing how some families view of Las Vegas.

Families still that want a spring and/or summer vacation should look at see what Las Vegas has to offer. Hotels such as the Mandalay Bay Hotel, New York New York and Excalibur are a wonderland of fun for families. What family does not love big wave pools for body surfing, roller coasters, shows and games?

Small children love the M&M and Coca-Cola store where they can sample Coca-Cola from around the world. The Big Top circus presents circus acts with the world’s largest permanent circus that are free 7 days a week. Are your kids animal lovers? The white tiger open air exhibit, lion habitat and dolphin habitat is perfect experience for them. 

For teens, the Adventure Dome is one of America’s largest indoor theme parks and the Manhattan Express that soars up to 203 feet. For the rollercoaster and NASCAR lovers there is ”Speed -The Ride” at 70 mph. For the entire family experience the shows at the Bellagio, Treasure Island and Fremont Street all offer no cost entertainment with ease access right on the strip.

Casinos would be smart to consider a point reward program for their guests. Much like other programs, if food, entertainment or other services are used within their hotel they earn points during their stay to shop online at over 300 online retailers. This will encourage their hotel guests to stay in their hotels for most meals and for some types of entertainment.

Point reward incentives provide hotels branded benefits with no set up or monthly fee.

Highlights of Most Point Rewards:

• Seamless incentives page that continually brands your organization
• Each participant’s email tracks accumulated points and balances
• Send broadcast emails to announce a new promotion or call for action
• Select your choice of online retailers by locations, products or services
• Set a point reward calendar for birthdays or company anniversaries
• Maintain a personal touch with a personalized communication
• Learn what promotions and incentives were a success using provided reports

An incentives broker’s relationships allow them to share discounted incentives that hotels and casinos can use to thank and motivate clients and employees. Incentives include travel, sport, music, and point rewards. For more information contact www.strategicconcepts-ca.com.

As I matured, I begin to place a higher value on people. As I made this transition, I noticed a fascinating development: the more I gave to relationships, the more I seemed to gain from relationships. In my book, Winning With People, I named this phenomenon The Boomerang Principle. What you put into relationships has a way of coming back to you.

During my time in leadership, I’ve noticed that people fall into three broad categories with regards to how they view relationships.

1) Takers

Takers receive and never give. They are the people in life who have a me-first mentality. They try to extract as much as they can from the relationships in their lives, and they rarely, if ever, consider giving back.

2) Traders

Traders receive and then give. Traders will only send you a Christmas card, if you’ve mailed one to them. They picture relationships as an equation in need of balance. If someone helps them, they feel a debt of gratitude. If they aid another person, they expect a favor in return.

3) Investors

Investors give and then receive. These are the people who give purely for the joy of giving. They add value to others, not as part of a cold calculation, but as a habit. Although doing so may not earn them an instant return, in the long run they reap the gratitude and goodwill of those they have helped.

Investment Strategies for Relationships

Instead of viewing relationships as a slot machine, picture them like the stock market. To get rich, make regular deposits in people over an extended period of time. At first, you may feel like the value of what you’re putting in isn’t worth the investment. However, like the stock market, in the long run, you’ll reap dividends and earn rewards.

1) Think “Others First”

Human nature tends to focus us on personal needs, but investing in relationships requires us to prioritize others. Instead of self-advancement, think others-enhancement. Like a responsible investor, resist the temptation to “time” the relational market, using someone only for short-term gain. That’s a strategy doomed to fail. On the contrary, make a habit of adding value in relationships and trust that the long-term results will be in your favor.

2) Focus on the Investment, Not the Return

If you’ve ever purchased stocks personally, then you know the agony of watching the vicissitudes of the market. Like a roller coaster, your portfolio climbs up one day only to lurch down the next day. Instead of agonizing over returns, a shrewd investor focuses on making the investment. The same principle holds true in relationships. Don’t expect specific and immediate benefit from your relational inputs. Through time, you’ll be taken care of as long as you’re willing to invest.

3) Make Educated Investments

Not all investments yield the same interest, and not all relationships produce the same reward. As a leader, make investing in others a general principle, but be deliberate about putting energy into low-risk, high-reward relationships. Seek out talented people with teachable dispositions, and offer your relational capital to those who will make the most of it.

4) Initiate the investment

A stockbroker won’t hack into your bank account and invest money on your behalf. You have to be willing to take the first step. Don’t be stingy with your relational investments, giving only to those who’ve first given to you. Rather, take responsibility for setting the tone of adding value in your relationships.

Often people will ask me how I get so much done in my life. They wonder at how I am able to accomplish so many things. The answer is found not in what a great person I am, but in an equation I came up with a few years ago and remind myself of on almost a daily basis. And when I live this equation out, it produces big results. What people don’t seem to grasp is that this equation will work for anybody! Anyone can see results in their life if they will live it out!

This little equation, when it is understood, and acted upon, is perhaps the most powerful equation there is in regard to long-term achievement and accomplishment. Yet, this is not a complex equation. In fact, it is rather simple. So what is it?

Your short-term actions multiplied by time equal your long-term accomplishments.

If you want to see change in your life, see big results, the first thing you must do is change your current actions. Otherwise the old saying becomes a reality: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got!” But if we change our actions, we will see different results!

Most people want to accomplish a lot in their lives. Yet very few actually do. Why is this? It is because what they believe will equal their long-term accomplishments is wrong. Here are some of the things that people believe will create great accomplishments for them:

Beliefs
Vision
Big dreams
Ideas
Ideals
Values
Desire

The truth is that while these things are very important, they are not enough in and of themselves. We need to have the above underlying all that we do, but we need to actually do something! And this is where most people stop. We need to take action on our dreams and beliefs every day.

Here are some examples of how this works.

Who loses weight? The one who knows all about the benefits of exercise or the one who walks three miles a day?

Who retires early? The one who dreams of a house on the beach, or the one who invests $300 a month?

Who writes books? The one who desires to become a best-selling author, or the one who gets up early and writes for half an hour a day?

Who has the best marital relationship? The one who knows how much spending time with their spouse can improve their relationship, or the one who sits down and talks with their spouse every night?

Who makes the most sales? The one who believes they can become a great salesperson, or the one who makes 10 sales calls a day?

I think you get the point. When it all comes down to it, we must act upon our vision, beliefs, and ideals or we won’t see them come to fruition. I see too many people who know what is right, but don’t ever do anything about it. Imagine what a difference we could make in our own lives and the lives of others if we would simply begin to act upon on our beliefs!

When I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I have done all that I can to make this world a better place and to enhance the lives of those around me. I want to know that I gave it my best shot. And I am sure that you do to.

I remember reading an interview with an author who has written numerous books that have sold in the tens of millions. They asked him how he did it. His answer was that he got up every morning before anyone else in his family and wrote, long hand, with a pencil, for an hour. Then he quit and went about his day. But his short-term actions piled up. 7 hours a week. 30 hours a month. 365 hours a year. After a while, he had lots of books!

Some questions as we leave:

What long-term accomplishments do you want to see come to pass?
What short-term actions will you need to do over time to see them come to pass?
What will you do today to begin seeing your dreams come true?
What will you do this week to see them come true?

You can have an awesome future, filled with great achievements and results if you begin today to take action and make it a reality!

One more time, so you can plug it in, memorize it, and live it.

Your short-term actions multiplied by time equal your long-term accomplishments.