Hello,
Value, value, value….
Every company says it, but who really does it?
In today’s market, your prospect and customer must feel at a very deep level they are getting real value from you and your services.
How do you demonstrate value to a customer? Here are four overtly obvious ways to show your customer the value of your product so they may rightly justify the price you are charging for your service.
1. Create an outrageously blatant memorable experience. In this case, you may have to do what is absolutely unthinkable. One of my coaching clients sends his customers on a seven day cruise for two when they buy one of his custom homes. Make a really big deal out of your customer being your customer. Be so happy and thankful to them that they have no other option but to reciprocate the gratitude by telling everyone they know. Reward them for being your customer and they will reward you with referrals.
2. Establish your expertise way in advance of their purchase. People love to do business with “experts”. When you are considered an expert in your line of work, you will attract more discriminating customers…customers who wish to take advantage of your expertise. Accomplish this by writing articles, posting blogs, doing radio interviews or shows, contributing your services in the community, holding an office of leadership in your trade association, winning awards, obtaining certifications, or teaching classes in your area of expertise.
3. The devil is in the details. Be retentive with your customer. I always love an anal retentive customer, because when I have to, I can “out-anal-retentive” them. It’s a game. The more detailed and specific you are with them, the more the feel you are an expert. They also receive the message that you are going to be equally retentive with their project or product. Once you have built unbreakable rapport, move to the details and nuances of where their money is going. Every detail has a price, hence value is established. For the record, you only have to be one notch more retentive than your customer for them to feel they are getting real value.
4. Deliver, deliver, deliver. My gosh, deliver what you say and when you say you will. NO…WAIT. Deliver in advance. Deliver more. Even ten minutes early can exceed expectations. A simple phone call to double check, triple check, quadruple check on your customer demonstrates value. If you say you are going to provide a product in a certain manner, do one or two better. Then, make a big deal out of it with your customer by telling them how much you appreciate their business.
5. Bonus (to create more value for you, the reader)…Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. You have got to be so happy, so thankful, and so orgasmic about doing business with your customer that they sense how passionate you are about what you are doing for them. Don’t you, or your staff, bitch, moan and whine about the economy, the cost of doing business, your headache, your dog, or anything else for that matter. Eternal optimism will foster feelings of value in your customer.
Here are some free resources that I have created to give you even more value as a reader and customer…
Six week Builder Mastery e-Course.
Lessons come into your email box to help you build your business, create more customers, make more money and keep your life and business in balance.
How to Sell More New Homes in Any Market Condition.
Here is a free chapter from my e-Book. The chapter is called, "Earning the Right to Make the Sale".
Free articles for your company newsletter, association magazine or for your blog. 39 articles for you to choose from…all free and full of valuable content.
You have my full permission to pass along this blog article to your colleagues, your team, your peers, your boss, your enemies and your plastic surgeon…lol.
Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.
Paul
Ps. When your organization needs a huge dose of motivation mixed with real world solutions, I will show up with my A-game. Send me an email and let's visit. paul@paulmontelongo.com
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Special Powers
Hello,
The word "Power" is....well, powerful. Among the many definitions of power, Webster's includes this definition.... "great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force."
I have come to know many powerful people through the course of my life. Some are powerful in the societal sense of the word, in that they exercise influence in their positions of wealth, politics, entertainment, sports and even literature.
Yet I am reminded daily of the powers that each of us have in our own special capacity. What are your special powers? I firmly believe that each of us has "special" powers. Each of us has the ability to exercise our strength, might and force in a meaningful way to contribute to society and especially to our collective journey of life.
In order for us to exhibit true power, we must own it. It must be a conscious awareness. It must flow from our being, our soul, our very spirit.
Which brings me to an elevated discussion of the possession of power. The most powerful people on the planet have their might come through their very spirit, the electricity of their being. Interestingly, we rarely learn of these people. They move through the world in an almost clandestine manner.
They are the teachers, scientists, authors, computer programmers, neighborhood soccer coaches, chefs, and quite possibly the person who lives next door to you. By the way, the person living next door to you has a very powerful neighbor as well....YOU.
Here are a few examples of uncommonly powerful people and the special might, force and abilities they exhibit. I have crossed paths with these folks in recent months and they stand out in my mind as people who "own" their power and contribute a specialness to society.
1. I met with a group of philanthropists earlier this week to discuss how we can generate more charitable donations for their various causes. Every person in that room is donating their time free of charge to give kids school supplies, offer teens a chance to own their own business, reduce the high school drop out rate in my city and give away scholarships for kids who have challenging living conditions. Their spirit emanated through out the meeting. You could almost see a "glow" around their body. Their countenance was elevated and light. That is power.
2. I ate at a local sushi restaurant (the very best one in San Antonio) and the owner and his sidekick prepared all of the sushi and sashimi dishes. I sat at the bar and watched with admiration. It was a work of art, and the chef/owner relished in his ability to please his customers with his talent. He told me he makes about 200 sushi rolls each night and his partner chef does the same. They were in the sushi making zone...lol.
3. I had my first private yoga lesson recently and the lady who gave me the lesson is about half my size. She is a tiny lady that "carry's a big stick". If you have ever practiced yoga and tried to actually be good at it, you will understand what I mean. She spent thirty minutes (though it seemed like four hours) just adjusting my feet, ankles and knees for the proper foundation of my practice. Over the next sixty minutes she adjusted the rest of my body as well. What is so powerful about this is the minute details and intricacies of the adjustments. I mean literally centimeters or less. Yet those adjustments made a huge difference in the efficiency of my overall practice and balance. The power is in the details. This yogi teacher passed her passion for yoga onto me and inspired me to continue with my practice at this new level. Inspiration is power.
4. And now an example from the past. When I was a young boy, my father would take us to visit his aunts. They reared him and my uncle. We would visit during the holidays. They lived in a tiny tiny house. Beginning on Thanksgiving day and going to the New Year they would make tamales and buenuelos (a flat crispy sugar pastry). Each year I looked forward to these treats. They were very simple people, didn't speak English and were very old, even then. Yet, each holiday season they would make hundreds of these treats and give them away to family and friends. Even then, I knew something was special about them, though I did not know what. Eventually I understood the tremendous sacrifice and gesture of love they exhibited to take in two orphaned boys (my dad and uncle), rear them to turn into fine men. That is power, real power. That is spirit.
You have special talents, skills, abilities and areas of wisdom that make you powerful. Our job is to discover those; not diminish their significance, own them and then exude the spirit that is our power.
I would love to hear your comments. I would really love to hear what your power is and how you have owned it.
Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.
Paul
The word "Power" is....well, powerful. Among the many definitions of power, Webster's includes this definition.... "great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force."
I have come to know many powerful people through the course of my life. Some are powerful in the societal sense of the word, in that they exercise influence in their positions of wealth, politics, entertainment, sports and even literature.
Yet I am reminded daily of the powers that each of us have in our own special capacity. What are your special powers? I firmly believe that each of us has "special" powers. Each of us has the ability to exercise our strength, might and force in a meaningful way to contribute to society and especially to our collective journey of life.
In order for us to exhibit true power, we must own it. It must be a conscious awareness. It must flow from our being, our soul, our very spirit.
Which brings me to an elevated discussion of the possession of power. The most powerful people on the planet have their might come through their very spirit, the electricity of their being. Interestingly, we rarely learn of these people. They move through the world in an almost clandestine manner.
They are the teachers, scientists, authors, computer programmers, neighborhood soccer coaches, chefs, and quite possibly the person who lives next door to you. By the way, the person living next door to you has a very powerful neighbor as well....YOU.
Here are a few examples of uncommonly powerful people and the special might, force and abilities they exhibit. I have crossed paths with these folks in recent months and they stand out in my mind as people who "own" their power and contribute a specialness to society.
1. I met with a group of philanthropists earlier this week to discuss how we can generate more charitable donations for their various causes. Every person in that room is donating their time free of charge to give kids school supplies, offer teens a chance to own their own business, reduce the high school drop out rate in my city and give away scholarships for kids who have challenging living conditions. Their spirit emanated through out the meeting. You could almost see a "glow" around their body. Their countenance was elevated and light. That is power.
2. I ate at a local sushi restaurant (the very best one in San Antonio) and the owner and his sidekick prepared all of the sushi and sashimi dishes. I sat at the bar and watched with admiration. It was a work of art, and the chef/owner relished in his ability to please his customers with his talent. He told me he makes about 200 sushi rolls each night and his partner chef does the same. They were in the sushi making zone...lol.
3. I had my first private yoga lesson recently and the lady who gave me the lesson is about half my size. She is a tiny lady that "carry's a big stick". If you have ever practiced yoga and tried to actually be good at it, you will understand what I mean. She spent thirty minutes (though it seemed like four hours) just adjusting my feet, ankles and knees for the proper foundation of my practice. Over the next sixty minutes she adjusted the rest of my body as well. What is so powerful about this is the minute details and intricacies of the adjustments. I mean literally centimeters or less. Yet those adjustments made a huge difference in the efficiency of my overall practice and balance. The power is in the details. This yogi teacher passed her passion for yoga onto me and inspired me to continue with my practice at this new level. Inspiration is power.
4. And now an example from the past. When I was a young boy, my father would take us to visit his aunts. They reared him and my uncle. We would visit during the holidays. They lived in a tiny tiny house. Beginning on Thanksgiving day and going to the New Year they would make tamales and buenuelos (a flat crispy sugar pastry). Each year I looked forward to these treats. They were very simple people, didn't speak English and were very old, even then. Yet, each holiday season they would make hundreds of these treats and give them away to family and friends. Even then, I knew something was special about them, though I did not know what. Eventually I understood the tremendous sacrifice and gesture of love they exhibited to take in two orphaned boys (my dad and uncle), rear them to turn into fine men. That is power, real power. That is spirit.
You have special talents, skills, abilities and areas of wisdom that make you powerful. Our job is to discover those; not diminish their significance, own them and then exude the spirit that is our power.
I would love to hear your comments. I would really love to hear what your power is and how you have owned it.
Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.
Paul
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