Bill Guertin | 800 Pound Gorilla Blog on SalesGravy.com

Do you remember your “Lunch Ladies”?

That’s the universal term for the ladies behind the counter preparing and serving the food you had in school. Everybody called them “lunch ladies”, and some even had names.

At Bishop McNamara High School, I remember my lunch ladies, especially Mrs. Hart. She and the others in the kitchen at McNamara were always there with a smile for us, even if we didn’t always stop and chat. Mrs. Hart and her co-workers just seemed genuinely glad to be there to help us, and I was glad she and the others were there.

I was reminded of Mrs. Hart and the “lunch ladies” just last week.

I was hired to be a speaker on providing great customer service at the Illinois School Nutrition Association convention in Peoria. Eight months earlier, I had seen a front-page article in The Daily Journal about Limestone Grade School’s “lunch ladies,” and how they dress up for Halloween, decorate the cafeteria for holidays, and even perform skits for kids.

During the presentation, I showed the group a copy of the Journal’s front-page “lunch lady” coverage. I then suggested that this would be a worthy goal for every one of the school lunch programs represented in the room.

“What could you and your foodservice team do this year that would be so cool that it would make the front page of your local paper?” I asked.

It was an intriguing question. Many were mesmerized in thought for several seconds; others took notes, preparing to take the question back to their teams once the school year had begun.

It was such a good question, I’d like to ask you, too.

What have YOU done that’s worthy of front-page coverage of your local paper?

I’m not talking about disasters or bad news. I’m talking about a story that’s so compelling, so interesting, and so unique that it merits at least a look from the local media as a story.
While there’s never a guarantee that a story will be picked up and run as a front-page feature, here’s a list of some of the things businesses might consider doing:

- Get behind a great cause. T.D. Pete’s Citgo stations received front-page coverage for their record-setting sales of shamrocks for Muscular Dystrophy in their convenience stores. The hundreds of shamrocks taped onto every surface in each store made for a great photo opportunity.

- Create an outrageous event or contest. WKAN Radio had an unusual contest that involved a giant rock on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Ten contestants had to “kiss” (put their lips on) the giant rock (the “Blarney Stone”), and the one that kept their lips on the longest won a big prize package. The host business received dozens of onlookers to the event, and the radio station received good newspaper coverage… and of course, 10 people kissing a rock made for a great photo opportunity too.

If you can’t think of anything yourself, pick up a Guinness Book of World Records and read some of the outrageous things that people are doing. You don’t have to do those things exactly, but the examples may spark your creativity.

- Create a list of helpful hints for consumers. If you’re a garden center, for example, you might write up a list of the best times to plant tomatoes to avoid frost. If you’re a body shop, perhaps you could create a list of things to do to avoid the sun’s glare in the summer while driving.

Be sure your list is timely, helpful, and most of all, credible. Put it in the form of a press release, and send it to the local media. (If you’d like to see the proper format of a Press Release, go to www.The800PoundGorilla.com and click on “Tools”.)

- Do a survey and send in the results. A local employment agency does a survey of local Human Resources departments twice a year regarding their local hiring plans in the coming months. They publish the results, and they receive wonderful coverage each time it comes out.
It’s credible, it’s newsworthy, and it’s very local.

One caution here, however; make sure it’s a well-done survey, with a solid number of credible responses, and your methodology is clearly spelled out. You can find help in How To Conduct Your Own Survey, by Priscilla Salant and Don Dillman. There are also some excellent survey templates available at www.surveyshare.com.

- Be a little controversial. A car wash recently decided to boost business by hiring gorgeous young women in bikinis to towel dry their customers’ cars. (Yes, it worked.) Controversy sells, but not always favorably, so use your better judgment.

- Do something nice for no reason at all. It’s good for the community, and you never know who’s watching.

It’s important to note that not all of these examples received coverage on the front page. Every one, however, did receive exposure because of their news value, as determined by each media’s management.

What will you do that’s “front-page” good? Even if you don’t get the front page, just the act of focusing your energies and doing something worthy of that kind of coverage is an excellent goal.

There are no guarantees that any of these ideas will generate the publicity you want, but the journey can be as good as the destination… and sometimes just as profitable.

“Hold on! Explain to me EXACTLY what’s wrong with my ads!”

The friend looked down at the ground and gave a heavy sigh. “Are you sure you want me to do that?” she said, looking up through the top of her sunglasses.

“You’ve been doing this advertising thing practically all your life,” the business owner said. “My ads aren’t working, and I bet you know why.”

“I think I have an idea,” she said, smiling and turning away.

The crowd cheered as the home team’s batter lined a single into left field. This was an odd place to do business, he thought, but maybe there was a method to her madness. She was, after all, one of the best consultants in the country in helping businesses turn their fortunes around. And he was in need of a turnaround.

“So what is it? What am I missing?”

She paused a few moments before she began. “Take a look around, Frank. Look at the people here in the crowd. Why do you suppose people come to this ballpark?”

He tilted his head and looked at her like he hadn’t quite heard her correctly. “What?”

“Look at everyone here. Take a good look.” She motioned with her hand from left to right to include the thousands of people seated in front of them. “Why are they here?”

He was visibly annoyed at her question, but decided to play along anyway. “I don’t know… I suppose to get away from the office for a few hours?”

“For a few of them, maybe. Look around. What else do you see?”

Directly in front of them was a father with his two sons, each probably about 10 years old. “OK, it looks like this guy’s here to get away with his kids for a day.”

“Good. What else?”

Not too far away was a group of teenage girls and boys from a suburban YMCA. “Those kids are here as part of a group activity or something.”

“OK. Keep looking.”

“Those guys down near the dugout look like they’re doing some casual business deal.” He was starting to get into this. “Those older ladies with the big hats are probably here just to get out of their apartment complex for a few hours. This old man over here with the scorecard and binoculars looks like he’s here for every game, so he’s a real fan.”

“Do you think all those people are here for the same reasons?”

“Well, no. They’re all here for different reasons. What’s your point?”

“My point is that baseball is a product, just like your product. The team sells tickets, but tickets are not actually what people buy. What people really buy is what the game means to them.”
She could see he was getting there.

“If the product is baseball, then the PRODUCT of that product is the experience of the game, and it’s different for everyone here. It could be a memorable time with family and friends… or a business relationship… or the sheer enjoyment of watching professionals play… or any of a hundred other things. It’s not the game itself. It’s the product of the game that people buy.”

His face began to change.

“I know why your ads aren’t working, Frank. You’re not telling people what the product of your product is. All you’re doing is telling them about you and what you carry, and that’s not enough. With all due respect, nobody cares about you. You must spell out what your product or service can do for them… the product of your product.”

“If you sell lawnmowers, can your mower cut a larger path so that the customer can be done mowing sooner? Can it sharpen itself so that you have less regular maintenance to worry about? Does it have a self-propel feature so that you can push it easier?”

“It isn’t enough to say, ‘This mower has a wide cutting path, self-propel and self-sharpen features.’ You must explain why it’s important to the lifestyle of the potential buyer, in ways that create desire, are easy for them to relate to, and that they can understand.”

“Advertise the PRODUCT of your product, Frank. Leave your ego at the door, and start thinking about what your customers really want.”

The crowd stood up around them and roared as a long fly ball sailed over the right field fence.
She watched the light bulb go on in Frank’s mind, and she smiled. She knew she had hit a home run too.

What’s the #1 thing that people are most afraid of?

Public speaking ranks higher on the fright list than seeing the dentist, going to a funeral, or even being audited by the IRS. It is the most terrifying thing most people in business are faced with regularly.

Whether you’re speaking to a group of 10, or 10,000, the experience doesn’t have to be hair-raising. Here are ten tips to help you get over your fears and do the best possible job on the platform:

Use Notes

Some people believe that you should memorize the speeches you give. I don’t believe that’s true. Use notes, but don’t graft yourself to them. Look up often, and know the material so well that you can pick up where you left off easily when your eyes go back to the page.

Don’t Read Your Slides

Many presenters that use PowerPoint pack an enormous amount of verbiage on each slide, and simply stand up in front of people and read what’s there. ARRRRGH! Why do you do that? Audiences can read your slides just like you can! Use bullets or numbers with fewer words on your visuals, and elaborate on each one verbally. You will come across as much more learned on your subject, and you’ll still be able to use your slides as visual cues.

Know Your Audience

Get to know what your audience is interested in, and what they want to know from you. Some presenters only focus on what they want to tell, and can miss the mark completely. Do a little research beforehand, and even schmooze with a few people just before your talk. You may learn something very topical that you can reference during your presentation.

Use Props or Visuals

Most talks can be made more interesting by using large diagrams, charts, photos, or a prop of some kind. They help tell your story visually to those who are better visual learners, and draw a portion of the focus away from the single-dimensional view of you talking. Good props or visuals can also help to clarify a point you’re making in a memorable way.

Eliminate “Um”s, “Y’Know”s, etc.

Some people are “Um”ers. Some people are “Y’Know”ers. My 16-year-old son is a “Like”r. It can be VERY distracting to an audience. Know what you are, and practice avoiding that word or phrase. If you must, speak slightly slower or put brief pauses in certain places, which is better than repeating your “word” over and over.

The best way to improve on this is to tape every speech you do. Pocket digital recorders are now available for very little money. Turn it on just before you start, and listen to yourself afterward. It’s a great investment in your career, and gives you a digital dose of reality.

Connect With Your Eyes

Most people who are nervous have little or no eye contact with their audience. Make it a point to scan the audience at several points throughout your talk, and lock eyes with people as you do, spending a few moments with each one if you can. People trust others that have good eye contact, and your speech will go over better if your audience trusts you.

Involve Your Audience At Every Opportunity

Find places in your talk where you can make them an active participant. Ask a trivia question, point out a quality of an audience member that relates to the point you’re making, recognize someone’s past accomplishments that the entire room is aware of, or something else that gets them involved. Take every opportunity to do this, and your impact will go through the roof.

Use Testimonials, References, and Quotes

There’s a saying that goes something like this: “If you say it, it’s bragging… if someone else says it, it’s true.” Don’t be afraid to reference sources, testimonials, and quotes from others in your speech, while still keeping it your own.

Be Brief

The #1 audience complaint of most every speaker is the length of the talk. Look for places to cut out long-winded, lengthy material. Your impact will be measured in the quality of your speech, not in the length of time you spend on the platform.

Practice

Before you do your speech, find a fearless truth-teller in your life that will give you honest feedback, and practice in front of him or her. Take the feedback willingly, and adjust if necessary. This may be the single most important tip I can give. I have learned more about my material speaking in front of my wife, Sherri, than any audience could ever give me, and her honest comments have allowed me to improve immeasurably.

Two more thoughts on public speaking you may find helpful: Good speaking is good salesmanship. Long term, if you want to become better at speaking, become better at sales. Speaking is just sales done to a whole group of people instead of one.

And lastly, most people say that they get nervous right before they begin a speech. Even after many years of public speaking, I get nervous too. What I’ve learned is that the more I’m prepared, the less nervous I am. The antidote for being nervous is to be prepared. If something goes wrong, it’s no big deal… if you’re ready.

Good luck… and good speaking!

The cast members at Walt Disney World in Florida are asked thousands of questions each day. “Which rides have longer wait times in the afternoons?” “When does the park open tomorrow?” “Where’s the bathroom?” and others.

Some of them are a little bit strange. One of the most frequently-asked questions at Disney is, “What time is the 3:00 parade?”

Now, if you were a Disney employee, how would you be tempted to answer that?
“Duuuh! I’m going out on a limb here, but I think the 3 o’clock parade starts at 3.”

Of course, Walt Disney’s crew is trained to answer it a little differently: “Well, the parade usually starts on time, but it’s best to get a seat about 20 minutes early. Would you like to know where some of the best spots are to watch the parade?”

By answering in this way, the Disney cast member added value to the guest’s visit. In fact, he or she made them feel like their question was a very intelligent thing to ask! Not only do they now know what time the parade begins, they also know how they can make the most of their parade experience.

What would happen at your company if someone were to ask a question like that?
Would your team members roll their eyes? Would they laugh and give some snide remark? Would they huff and puff like they were being bothered?

It’s important to train your people that anytime someone asks a question, it’s mainly because they honestly need the information. We can’t afford to make anyone feel stupid, no matter
how odd their question is.

Here’s a valuable exercise you can do with your team: Ask them to pair off into groups of two, and ask each twosome to write down their most frequently-asked questions, either from customers or co-workers. Once their list is completed, read each of the answers out loud to the entire group.

Their answers may surprise you.

Some of the questions may have to do with processes that need to change. Some may be about things that are confusing to others, like how to read your invoices. Still others are wayfinding questions, like where a certain item can be found.

Talk with your team about why someone might have that question, and what would need to change in order to help make that question go away.

For the others, come up with “value-added” answers that the entire team can learn and use. If someone asks for a particular item, perhaps your team could be trained to show them where it is, and along the way ask the customer “What will you be needing it for?”

Never, ever make someone feel badly for asking a question. Regardless of how it’s asked, your kindergarten teacher was right: There is no such thing as a stupid question.

There are only stupid answers.

Bill Guertin is Chief Enthusiasm Officer of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a training and business development firm in Bourbonnais specializing in sales performance, customer service, and marketing. He can be reached at bill@The800PoundGorilla.com.

Benny speaks a little slower than he used to. The stroke has taken a little bit of quickness from him, but he’s still got it upstairs. It just doesn’t come out as fast as it used to.

The “it” is the wit and personality of a sales professional 79 years young, an entrepreneur enjoying his retirement years traveling and seeing the world.
I met Benny on a recent flight from Chicago to San Diego. I was going on business. Benny was going for fun.

“So what do you do in Chicago?” Benny asked, smiling. He’s always the first to start a conversation. He’s never met a stranger.

“I work in market development for a major hospital health system in Kankakee.” I said. “I’m on my way to a big conference.”
“Oh, that’s great!” he said with genuine enthusiasm. “Those conferences are fantastic. There’s so much to learn. I went to plenty of them myself.”
And then I began to ask about Benny.

For 30 years Benny Rae was the floor covering king of Rochester, NY. His single store did incredible volumes from 1965 until he gave the business to his son in 1995.
He began in business by going door-to-door selling commercial accounts during the day, and selling carpeting to families in their homes in the evenings. He worked tirelessly to get the business started, and eventually had many people working for him.

“That’s fascinating,” I said. “I do some sales training myself. From all your experience, what would be your best advice to a new salesperson today?”

He stared right at me, and I could almost hear his mind whirring, looking for exactly the right words. Slowly and deliberately, one word at a time, he said, “Ask for the order.”

“Salespeople need to learn to always ask for the order. From the day you begin, you’re closing every minute.”  You could see him light up as he talked about the subject. “By closing, I don’t mean to be pushy. Some people learn all these fancy, pushy lines and think that’s closing.”

”When I was selling, people told me over and over again that one of the reasons they bought from me was because I didn’t pressure them. The thing is, I actually did use pressure, but they just didn’t know it. The words I chose and the way I said them helped to persuade them to say yes. I was just persistent in a nice way.”
One of the things Benny learned early on was the importance of listening.
“My partner in the business was the best salesman I ever knew. He taught me everything I needed to know to get started. I was willing to listen to him. And while I was listening, I wasn’t talking.”
Many times Benny would hear the word “No.” It didn’t stop him from continuing on.  “When a customer said no, I took it as a sign that said, ‘Tell me more.’ I gave people more reasons why they should buy my product.”
Throughout his career, he taught the fundamentals of selling to dozens of his employees. He found that not everyone was willing to work as hard as he did.
“Lots of salespeople today are lazy. They don’t take the time to learn what people want, or how much they’re willing to spend. They’re order takers.”
“True salespeople help people to figure out what it is they have, and what it is they need. To do that, you have to ask questions and be willing to listen. That takes time and effort, and many people today don’t seem to want to put in the effort.”

He also talked about the importance of a spotless reputation.  “My reputation was everything,” he said. “When I bought flooring directly from the mills, my word was all they needed. I never once let anyone down. My word was my bond, and it was golden to everyone I dealt with. If a salesperson today can build a reputation like that—to always do what you say—it’s better than money in the bank.”
He should know. Benny and his family had plenty in the bank, as well as a lavish home in the city and a summer home with several boats, jet skis, and other toys.
“Everybody accused me of being lucky in life,” Benny says, a smile crossing his expressive Italian face. “The truth is I was always going, going, going. I never stopped trying, even when the chips were down. When you stop trying, you’re out of business.”
New salespeople, take note: Benny wasn’t expecting to give a sales lesson on the plane. For the very best in any profession, however, if it’s what you love, it just comes naturally.

As an account rep, sales manager, and general manager for several small-market radio stations for more than 25 years, I learned firsthand what worked for business owners—and what didn’t. I’ve put together, sold, and implemented hundreds of media plans, marketing programs, and commercial campaigns. And I’ve learned that when it comes to sales, you don‘t have to be the biggest one in the jungle to command 800-Pound Gorilla status with customers and suppliers.

I took the expertise that I’ve developed in media and created an independent sales training company that specializes in assisting professional sports teams‘ ticket sales departments. In working for many of the most successful sports franchises in the world, I’ve seen from the inside what makes their organizations the 800-Pound Gorillas of their sport— whether it be the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, or any of the dozens of other professional sports organizations throughout the country.

This expertise can help you achieve dominant status in your own business, no matter what it is you do.

It’s five years from today. Five years into the future.

On that morning five years from now, you‘ll wake up with the help of an ear implant that doesn’t disturb anyone else; take a shower with an antiterrorist body wash that wards off microbes of mass destruction; get into your 100 percent electric, nonpolluting car; and pull into your office or workplace drinking coffee from a reusable cup that knows how many times you’ve reused it and credits you automatically at the convenience mart the next time you stop in.

Pretty cool, eh?

What’s happened in the future is that the 800-Pound Gorillas of the world have taken action to make these new products successful. They were the companies that created the innovations, saw the market potential, and did what needed to be done to bring them to life. They were the salespeople in those companies who took the products, identified the markets, created the sales plans, and went out and made it happen. By their efforts, they made our lives a little easier, our planet a little more livable; and they made a few dollars doing it.

Will you be one of them?

From the book: The 800 Pound Gorilla of Sales – How To Dominate Your Market by Bill Guertin, the 800PoundGorilla. Copies available at Amazon.com by clicking here.