Would you like to know the secret of getting great customer service all the time? Be a great customer!

One of my friends recently asked me why everywhere we go, the person serving us always seems to know my name. The answer is easy, I love to make new friends everywhere I go. I have learned that the customer controls customer service as well as the service provider.

Try this experiment. For one day, everywhere you go decide to be a great customer. Ask the lady at the gas station or the checkout clerk how her day is going. Take time to give a special thank you to the kid that bags your groceries. Take time to go up to the meeting planner after a meeting and thank the person for providing such an outstanding meeting. Send a thank you card at least every day. I even give out cards with free bowling, free roller skating or a free chick-fil-a sandwich to those who serve me as a thank you. (These businesses gladly offer these free to get new customers.) Take time to listen to those who serve and make mental note so that next time you can ask about the outcome. Ask their name and use it! Soon they’ll ask you your name.

I guarantee, if you try this for just one day, you’ll be amazed at the incredible customer service that you’ll receive!

It finally happened. The lady at the Gas station called me Dan. Now I know that doesn’t seem like a big deal except I’ve been going to the gas station for several years and the same lady has worked there. I call her by name every time, but I’m always “sir” to her. Having taught customer service for years, the sound of a person’s name is a sweet sound and I alway encourage my students to learn the customer’s name, especially the names of their regulars. Taking the time to learn and remember someone’s name is a form of respect. Any today, Lisa showed that respect. Not a big deal in the scheme of things, just thought it deserved mentioning and might serve as a lesson to others.

Someone said to me a few days ago, there sure are a lot of coaches in our city. I just smiled. I could count on one hand, the number of Master Life and Business Coaches that I know. My coach recently asked in an article, “What will happen when we have one million master coaches?” My response is – I can’t wait! There are over 150 specialties that professional coaches can choose as their niche. There are generalists who do life and business mentoring. There are coaches who specialize in just sales and marketing and others who specialize in just one aspect of that field such as prospecting or phone call techniques.  And the amazing part is that the better you define that niche or specialty, the more successful you’ll become.

There are coaches who specialize in single moms, recently divorced or recently retired in the life arena. There are coaches who deal with young people who have no idea where they want to go in life. There are Christian Coaches and God forbid, probably Atheist Coaches. Anywhere there is a problem, there’s probably a coaching specialty to help solve that problem.

Plus, coaching is one of the most powerful forces for change on the planet. So I look forward to the day when there are a million coaches. Unlike other fields, we welcome the competition. Then others will realize how valuable a well trained mentor-coach actually is. They can help you change your life. Even if they don’t understand your business or have never lived through the trauma that you have, they have the tools and training to help you move ahead. It’s a great profession and I’m anxious and willing to help many get involved!

As 2012 approaches, this would be a great time to spend some thought defining who you are and who you can become. Others are already defining you and they take the lead from how you define yourself. Looking inward at your own definition can make a huge difference in the future.

As an example, we could define Jesus as a man who led a group of 12 other men through the countryside staying with others, never owned anything, only took baths when they could and told other people how to live their lives. If 13 unshaven, burley men showed up at your house, what would you do? (After you called the police!) We worry when 2 men show up trying to give us a magazine and talk religion.

Yet, Christ defined himself as the Son of God. He knew exactly who He was and what his purpose was. He had the confidence and ability to show His definition to all around him. Had He not known this definition, you probably wouldn’t even know His name.

How do you define yourself?

Are you comfortable financially or broke?

Are you a hard worker or are you lazy?

Are you a good father and husband or are you missing in action?

Are people happy to see you or do they scatter when you walk in?

Can you be trusted or are you untrustworthy?

Are you a wandering generality or a meaningful specific?

My list could go on and on. Only you can answer these questions, although the world will be constantly trying to answer them for you. Make your own list of alternate questions and then spend some time honestly answering them. Make 2012 the year that you, like Christ, define who you really are.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

I’ve had several discussions lately about networking. I hear the same excuses over and over. “It’s the same people that go to these events.” “Everyone is there trying to sell you something.” “I never sell anything when I go to those events!” “Groups are always competing for members.” I’m sure you’ve heard all the excuses. That’s why I want to share why I like to attend these events. In my city, we are fortunate that there are so many choices of networking groups to attend.

1. It gets me out of the office meeting new people. Even if many of the same people attend, there are always a few new attendees.
2. I get to make new friends that can become resourses that I trust when I need something done. If I become friends with a realtor, guess who I’ll call when I need one or get asked who is a good realtor.
3. I understand that it’s what happens after the meeting that’s important. I invite new folks to coffee and conversation. Never a sales pitch, just the opportunity to get to know that person better.
4. It keeps me in the public eye. Someone made the comment recently, “You must know everyone in town!” Well, not everyone, but an awful lot. Networking has played a large part in that.
5. It keeps my prospect funnel full. No, I don’t pounce on someone when they attend the same group. You can use the slow-cooker approach or the fast microwave approach. I prefer building the relationship, while at the same time, letting the new attendee know what it is that I do.

Is it worth it? Yes and no. It’s worth it if this is just one way that I use to build my business. To those who use this as the only way to build your business, it’s rare. Some have built their business using only networking, but it needs to be one of many tools that you use. In our city, you could attend 2 networking meetings a day and kid yourself into thinking you are working hard. It doesn’t work that way. Pick wisely and then become loyal to that group! What are your thoughts, fellow networkers?

A young guy from Wisconsin moves to Florida and goes to a big ‘everything-under-one-roof’ department store looking for a job.
The Manager says, ‘Do you have any sales experience?’
The kid says ‘Yeah, I was a salesman back in Wisconsin …’
Well, the boss liked the kid and gave him the job. ‘You start tomorrow. I’ll come down after we close and see how you did.’
His first day on the job was rough, but he got through it.
After the store was locked up, the boss came down. ‘Son, how many customers bought something from you today?’
The kid says, ‘One.’
The boss says, ‘Just one? Our sales people average 20 to 30 customers a day. How much was the sale for?’
The kid says, ‘$101,237.65.’
The boss says, ‘$101,237.65? What the heck did you sell?’
The kid says, ‘First, I sold him a small fish hook. Then I sold him a medium fishhook. Then I sold him a larger fishhook. Then I sold him a new fishing rod. Then I asked him where he was going fishing, and he said down off the coast, so I told him he was going to need a boat, so we went down to the boat department, and I sold him a twin engine Chris Craft Cabin Cruiser. When he said he didn’t think his Honda Civic could pull it, I took him down to the automotive department and sold him that 4×4 Hummer that could.’
The boss said ‘A guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a new BOAT and a HUMMER?’
The kid said ‘No sir, the guy came in here to buy Tampons for his wife, and I said, ‘Dude, your weekend’s shot, you should go fishing.

One of the most insidious maladies of our time (is); the tendency in most of us to observe rather than act, avoid rather than participate, not do rather than do; the tendency to give in to the sly, negative, cautionary voices that constantly counsel us to be careful, to be controlled, to be wary and prudent and hesitant and guarded in our approach of this complicated thing called living.     Arthur Gordon,  A Touch of Wonder

“Here’s a test to see if your mission on earth is complete: If you’re alive, it isn’t.”
by Richard Bach

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve coached or counseled who are still searching for their real mission on earth. They have their careers and jobs, but have this uneasy feeling that there is more to their life. It took me a great many years to find my mission and at times, I still have some doubts. Maybe you are at that time in your life.

According to Tony Robbins in his Strategic Intervention series, there are 6 human needs that must be met. These can be met in a positive or negative way.

The need for certainty
The need for variety Uncertainty
Significance
Connection/Love
The need for Growth
Contribution

Many I coach, especially when doing Christian Coaching, tell me they want to help others when I ask the standard coaching question, “What would you do if money were no object?”

So the solution sounds like you need to find a mission that will meet your six needs and will involve being of service to others in order to feel like you are finding your mission. Finding that mission is not so much of a search, but rather a series of asking yourself the tough personal questions that will lead to discovery. Prayer and confidence that you will find those answers help. A coach or counselor can help take a shortcut to those questions and help you find the answers. Or… you can let that uneasy feeling keep gnawing at you and maybe someday,   a magic genie will appear with the answers. The journey and the quest is up to you.

One of my favorite acts on America’s Got Talent this season is the Kinetic King. He has spent 36 hours building a Rube Goldberg like device out of popsicle sticks, trash cans and all other kinds of materials each falling in a domino fashion when he starts the chain reaction. He has built some fancy setups and one even failed, but America voted him through anyway.  He has the Robin Williams look and humor and America seems to love him.

As I was watching him do his magic, it remined me of the way many of us build our businesses. We work so hard to get it all set up the way we want it, and then something comes along (like a slow economy) and down it goes. Then we clean up the mess and start all over again.  Two things come to mind to prevent this redundancy.  Loyal Customers and Residual Income.

Loyal customers are the ones who will drive across town past several of your competitors to get to you. They may cut back from time to time, but will be there when you need them to rebuild.

Residual Income is money that comes in even when you are not working. Ask an insurance agent and she’ll tell you about it. Ask many in network marketing and they’ll tell you that is what they are building for the future.  Not all businesses can be set up for residual income, but nothing is harder than making a sale and then starting all over to make another one. If one sale leads into another,  if nothing else but through referrals, it gets so much easier.

So enjoy the Kinetic King. Just don’t use that as your business model.