April 2018 View as Webpage

In this issue Be prepared to pivot 22 ways to make the right reputation What’s it take to be an effective sales manager? Presentation is everything Goal: Getting on with your life The wrong way to make the news Are you ready when it's time to pivot?

Be prepared to pivot Marketers and salespeople are natural optimists. The sun shines even when it’s storming, the cup is always full, and the next quarter will be out of the park.   Such thinking explains why so many are surprised when initiatives flop, responses are less than expected, and sales don’t close. Even though such things happen, it’s not in the optimists’ nature to see them coming.   Takeaway: Be prepared to pivot and know what needs to be done when plans go awry. It takes more than a sunny outlook. It takes the ability to anticipate challenges, evaluate situations objectively, and the self-confidence to offer alternative actions.

This month's article 22 ways to make the right reputation When it comes to your reputation, hoping for the best isn’t good enough. It leaves it in the hands of others. Your reputation needs to be shaped and managed so it reflects the way you want to be viewed. Here are 22 ways to deliberately shape how others see you. Read more.

What’s it take to be an effective sales manager? Jeff Short is VP of Sales at K&W Tire, a wholesaler covering 13 states, based in Lancaster, PA. We asked him to share his thoughts.   When someone wants to get to know you, what do you tell them? I grew up in south central Pennsylvania, and after high school, I joined the U.S. Air Force to see the world and I sure did. My wife Sarah and I have two sons, Daniel and Stephen.   How did you get in the tire business and how long have you been in it? I was managing a furniture store and noticed the factory reps that called on us seemed to be living a great life and driving cool luxury cars, so I thought hmmm, I could do that. But I needed outside sales experience. Soon, I saw a position selling tires in a help wanted ad. Always loved tires (really), so I took the job with the intention of staying for two years to get that experience. But I got to know this company and the family that owns it and the rest is 29.5 years of history.   How would you describe your mission?  We figured out the best way we could guarantee our success was to help our dealers sell more tires. So that became our mission. We help them with their marketing needs. We're lucky enough to have a team here that includes a graphic artist. We make logos, ads, banners, direct mail pieces, websites and many more things. Last year, our marketing team assisted 85 of our dealers with projects. Nothing brings us more satisfaction.    You work with a lot of dealers. Some are more successful than others, what do the top dealers do that sets them apart? Some of our dealers are not content with the status quo. You can spot them a mile away. They have the clean stores and the winning attitudes. Their radar always seems to be up searching for better ways to do things. I call them "strivers." They're the ones you want to associate with. They're here for the long haul.    What do you do to help others become more successful?  I'm always looking for good information to share with our dealers. One of the things I like to do is write an email newsletter to push some of this information out so others can benefit from it.     Your company sells what many consider a commodity. How do you differentiate your product line from the competition? We don't just deliver a tire and send a bill. We're just getting started where everyone else stops. We actually help our dealers understand the lines we supply. They know the stories behind the brands and can speak with confidence about them. But our biggest differentiator is our dealer marketing team. They make my job so much easier. Our company is also well known for our embrace of technology. We have an incredible amount of data available to help our dealers.     What are the essential characteristics of an effective salesperson in your business and a competent sales manager? To be effective I think you have to be passionate. You definitely have to be passionate about wanting to serve your customers. You better care enough to want to stay on top of the industry trends. You've got to provide extra value in your relationship with your customers. They can buy product from 10 other sources but if you're the one that can help them be more successful, you'll do well. As far as managing other people, I feel a big part of my job is to give our reps the tools to do their jobs. I love researching the best ways to present our products and come up with the processes to introduce new lines. A good sales manager is part cheerleader and part coach. You've got to celebrate the wins and hold people accountable when it goes the other way.

Presentation is everything

From the time he was a kid, the image of the iconic 1941 Lincoln Continental captured his imagination. The years passed and finally he ordered a brand spanking new 1986 Lincoln Continental. He was giddy with excitement as it appeared. Then, the dealer handed him the keys—on an 18¢ plastic key chain. The image of the car has faded, but not the key chain.   Recently, he and his wife were at a lawyer’s office signing documents. To take this important step, they were handed 18¢ plastic pens. When the lawyer left the room, the husband asked, “Can I tell her the 18¢ key chain story?” She agreed. When the lawyer returned, he said, “Can I tell you a story?” A few weeks later, four impressive pens arrived in the mail.   Takeaway: “Presentation is everything, meaning how you present something makes all the difference in the world,” says graphic designer Paul Sanderson.

Goal: getting on with your life Every business has a customer focus. Much of it is some type of generalized “We love our customers” approach that’s largely ineffective. Even so, there are some that take customer experience seriously. Their carefully-timed and highly-targeted messaging aims at having customers say, “They really know me.”   The W.R. Berkley, an insurance company that’s targeting high-net-worth consumers, puts it all together for its customers. According to SourceMedia editor Nathan Golia, a Berkley executive said, “We want their insurance experience to be quick and accessible. They’re thinking about wanting to get on with their life.”   Customers expect the right product or service and a quick and accessible experience. But what drives those objectives is our understanding of what they want: To get on with their life. They need to know we get it.

The wrong way to make the news

Why don’t more businesses prepare for the worst? When offered Business Interruption protection, many take their chances.   Businesses don’t like bad news and they find themselves unprepared when it occurs. A major cruise line left an elderly couple on the dock as the ship pulled away. By mistake, they left their passports in their luggage. A puppy dies in an overhead compartment during a flight. A tech CEO's response came too late. Although there are more embarrassing and bad news stories every week, here are ways to prevent them from occurring:

1. Don’t dismiss complaints. Take them seriously and make an effort to understand them. 2. Identify the one person who is authorized to speak for the company and let everyone know who it is. 3. Dissipate negative reactions by telling the truth. Never attempt a cover up because that’s what escalates the problem. 4. If the company is at fault, take responsibility, and be clear what you’re doing about it.

Sales, Marketing and Business Ideas  John Graham  GrahamComm Marketing |PR | Advertising | Writing |Consultation [email protected] www.johnrgraham.com  Cell 617-774-9759

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