Connect WM - Connecting the West Midlands

Watching TV at times makes you think ...

by ConnectWM.com on 11/09/2011 - 10:43 am |

Watching TV at times makes you think that some customers are off their head.

Nearly all of us sit down and watch TV, perhaps there are some who would not like to admit they do instead giving the illusion that they’d rather read, or tinker a little on the old social media.

But never the less there is a fair few who do – TV programmes seem to be getting more factual and have started looking behind the workings of business operations – shows like under cover boss provide and insightful look into the workings of some UK’s best known companies.

There was a programme on recently that showed behind the scenes workings of Gatwick Airport, focusing on how it dealt with the many flight delays and cancellations during the worst whether we’d ever seen at the end of 2010.

It showed 150,000 people camped out in some way shape or form at the airport due to the bad snow conditions and it would seem that in many passengers eyes the airport staff could not do right from wrong.

Unbelievably passengers were looking straight into the camera and moaning that the airport could and should do more to get the planes into the air, moaning that airport staff could not tell them anything concrete despite the visible fact of heavy snow settling upon the many inches of snow which had already fell.

Customers are a funny breed and it would appear that they all like nothing more than a good old moan. Take the airport passengers moaning about the fact that more should be done to get the planes into the air. If Gatwick staff had done this and ignored all the reports, all the safety precautions and got the passengers into the skies and the plane crashed what would the outcome be?

A whole bunch of different people moaning about why on earth did the airport authorities allow the planes to fly…! That’s what..!

We all know as businesses we need customers, and yes the customer is always right but there are times when you as a business have to stand your ground, there’s only so much bending over backwards you can do.

Being totally blunt if a customer doesn’t value your businesses, its products or services why should you value that customer?

The Ryan Air airline depicts this best, its receives untold amounts of bad press for the fact of treating customers unfairly (in customers eyes we hasten to add), it outlines in advance what its charges are such as extra baggage, using the toilet and yet customers still buy the cheap tickets to fly and yet they still moan when their luggage is overweight and they need to spend a penny.

Is it fair and just, that the Ryan Airline business receives such bad press for elements where customers have shown a blatant disregard of the company’s rules? – All the customer see’s and wants at the time of booking is a cheap flight and it is at this point that they choose to try and blag it.

Customers are entitled to receive good service, they’re entitled to being li ...

Do you sing 'thanks bye' at the end o...

by ConnectWM.com on 08/09/2011 - 09:09 am |

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Tags: Business WM, Connect WM, Marketing WM, Sales WM, Training WM

Do you sing “thanks bye” at the end of your phone calls?

Have you ever caught yourself more or less singing “thanks bye” when finishing a sales call on the phone.

Yes of course you have…….but many of you will deny it or say I never sing “thanks bye” I just say it softer and with more inflection - either way the question would be the same which is “have you ever wondered why you do it”.

Could it be that subconsciously you felt the sales call went really well and excitement took over and was reflected at the end of the call with you speaking in a much warmer and friendly tone?

Perhaps it might be that you were mimicking the voice on the other end of the line, especially if it was one of those happy friendly receptionist ones, you know the ones who are always happy…..even if someone stole their sandwiches, they say “whose stolen my sandwiches!” in a really happy tone.

Or could it just be the fact that you are in full control of your senses and that you are being totally professional about it all - being fully aware of the environment of the sales call, experience kicks in and you adapt in order to conquer whether that’s in a sale or getting past the receptionist to the person you’re trying to speak with.

Unless you know the person really well, making contact via phone is a horrible task mainly because of all the abuse, rudeness and blatant disregard which can be awarded by the recipient of your phone call. So surly it is only natural to occasionally sing……okay…… speak in a warmer softer tone when saying goodbye.

Warmer and softer tones in your phone call is good – you shouldn’t save them until the end of the call, you should actively use them throughout the call, as that way the call will appear friendly and more natural. However be careful not to get too complacent with the friendliness on the first call by cracking jokes….well a tasteless one any way.

If your one of those who dread making sales calls, ask yourselves a question “do you dread answering a phone”… yes you might be in the first instance if new to business - but you quickly get used to it.

The same is said for making a sales call it’s all about confidence and a little preparation.

When your answering a sales call most of the time you’re not expecting it, so you answer it naturally whether that’s in a friendly manner of an offhand manner – you don’t know what the questions are going to be but after a few calls you’ll notice they all more or less flow the same route, so you’ll begin to know in your answers in advance, you’ll master what to say to end a sales call quickly such as the phone line sales calls… an example being

Caller: “Hi we have great call offers available and we notice that you have a BT line so you too can benefit”
...

Is being the best too much to handle?

by ConnectWM.com on 07/09/2011 - 10:02 am |

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Tags: Business WM, Marketing WM, Sales WM

It all depends on what your view on being the best is, or to put it another way what you’re led to believe by others.

To be a bestselling author, a term used by many can be achieved with a relatively low volume of books being sold - depending on what categories you’re talking, you’re looking at under 1,000 copies.

Most consumers would hold the view or are led to believe that you need to be the next JK Rowling to be considered a bestselling author – when in fact that would be incorrect.

To be a bestselling music artist again your talking a relativity low numbers of DVD’s or downloads sold - circa 40,000 copies to be in a number one position.

Again most consumers have an assumption that literally 100’s of 1,000’s of sales need be done to be number one, again they are wrong in their assumption. Although the required numbers have increased since downloads are now taken into the equation.

The word ‘best’ is used in everyday marketing messages, a ploy used to engage a potential customer in not thinking beyond the realms of possibility that someone or something could be even better than the best.

The definition of best is

Adjective: Of the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality: "the best player in the league"; "how to obtain the best results from your machine"; "her best black suit".
Adverb: To the highest degree; most: "the one we liked best".

Whilst the consumer may have their own thoughts and ideas on what ‘best’ means to them – very rarely does it match up to the same or come anywhere near as what is meant by the business or person selling the product or service – to them is just a word to use…!

On the flip side many businesses stand close to their morals and beliefs in what ‘best’ means to them and they endeavour to match the supply of provision and service to others to what they’d expect themselves. But when competing against others who do not hold the same values or beliefs in what ‘best’ is, could it all be just a total waste of time?

With the word ‘best’ being used so often and the end result not being what it says on the tin, it will not be long before it forms parts of normal everyday speech and holds not value…….just like the word ‘sorry’ how many time have you heard people say that ‘sorry’ is just a word and means nothing - Maybe not long to go until ‘best’ is……….just a word also…!

Some businesses try to be clever with the word ‘BEST’ by incorporating it in varying acronyms such as

Basic Education Study Team
Basic English Skills Test
Back-End Service Transaction

Again there are some who would applaud such use of acronyms, others would just read and would say - what are they thinking ...

In business is there such a thing as ...

by ConnectWM.com on 01/09/2011 - 10:07 am |

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Tags: Business WM, Connect WM, Sales WM

In business is there such a thing as Arley Barley?

Perhaps a term more known within Birmingham (rumour has it) Arley Barley, was as a kid achieved by crossing your fingers and saying out loud “I have Arley Barley” this effectively meant that you were immune to anything.

For instance if playing tig/tag and you was caught, so long as you had ‘Arley Barley’ you were still in the game, if playing hide and seek and you were seen - so long as you had ‘Arley Barley’ somehow they could not see you…..really amazing stuff the old crossing the fingers and the use of the ‘Arley Barley’ phrase.

Children in different areas of the region would do the same thing but used different phrases such as saying “I’ve got abs”.

Regardless of what phrase was used, it’s amazing to think that the action of crossing the fingers was just accepted, no questions asked…! The fact that you’re out, you’ve failed in the game was irrelevant…!

Now as a child you would become very flippant when playing games as you knew you could always use the crossing of the fingers trick and still be in the game - it was a way out of being a Larry and being forced in watching everyone from the sidelines.

Every child grows up, whether they like it or not and many will have a hankering to be their own boss and start their own company……for these people does their overuse in childhood of ‘Arley Barley’ give them a false sense of security in business?

We ask, because many local businesses it would seem thought and still think, even in these awkward trading times that they are immune to failure – instead relying on the supposed invisible immunity that Arley Barley offers to the effects that every other business suffers.

Let’s not confuse things here as the crossing of the fingers can also mean ‘luck’ as depicted in the National Lottery’s logo – it can also mean ‘hope’ as used in a medical situation “all we can do is cross our fingers and hope”……. However what we’re talking about here is something completely different…or is it?

As a business have you! Or do you cross your fingers for luck, hope or for immunity?

Does the action of crossing your fingers act as a comforter, again thinking back to childhood when you’d cry because you weren’t holding your favourite cuddly toy or blanket.

It’s hard to fathom out why the crossing of the fingers would work, yet many do it……in fact putting more reliance on that action alone than actually working on their business as opposed to working in their business.

There are those out there who will say of course it works because its related to positive thoughts and positive thoughts bring positive results…..well that may be the case and if it’s that which ...