Bill Guertin | 800 Pound Gorilla Blog on SalesGravy.com

As a sports ticket sales rep, you’re used to hearing ridiculous and off-the-wall excuses from your customers as to why they’re not interested.  One of the most airtight and hard-to-fight objections, however, is the budget issue.

This objection takes several forms.  A prospect may say anything like, “It’s not in the budget,” “My budget’s been cut,” or “I just don’t have anything left in the budget”.

These are actually three VERY different objections, and need be handled differently!  Let’s take each one separately and break it down:

“It’s not in the budget.”

-          Here are some ways we can address this on a call:

o   “That’s all right.  No one budgets for ideas they don’t have yet.  That’s why I called today.”

o   “I hear that a lot… and once my customers get around the budget issue and see what positive things come from these seats, the budget is never an issue again.”

o   “Probably not.  A lot of companies haven’t figured out the value of seats like these, so they don’t budget ahead for them.  It’s a good thing we’re talking today!”

o   “That’s OK.  I’m sure you’ve had good ideas that have come up that weren’t in the budget that were able to get done somehow.  Right?”

“My budget’s been cut.”

-          Many budget cuts have been forced upon managers from their higher-ups, and they have to deal with the problems it has created all day long.  Here are some suggestions on how you can respond to a budget cut:

o   “Wow… I imagine that’s caused a lot of headaches for you.  What sorts of things have you had to do without?”  (Find out what has changed in their work life, and then address those things that your product can help them solve positively, cheaply, and effectively.)

o   “That’s tough.  Was it across the board, or did some things have to go completely?”  (Learn a little more about what had to go, and you’ll see where the company’s priorities lie.)

o   “That’s pretty common.  It sounds like more work for you!  Do you ever get out yourself to see a game?”  (If they’re the decision-maker, a well-placed comp game might overcome any budget issues if they enjoy themselves.)

“I just don’t have anything left in the budget.”

-          This means there’s money there, but it’s been apportioned to others.  All we have to do is figure out whether or not the money can be RE-apportioned:

o   “I understand.  When does your fiscal year start?”  (Find out when their 12-month calendar starts.  Some companies run on a “calendar year”, Jan-Dec; others start their fiscal year at different times.)

o   “So if there WERE budget left, you’d consider these seats?  Do I hear you correctly?”   (Get their buy-in on the “if” part!)

o   “Let me ask this: is your budget actually SPENT, or is it just sectioned off until the need comes up?  If something came up that was more cost-effective than what you originally budgeted, could you look at it?”  (You’re suggesting that what you have is more cost-effective and potentially a better buy than what they’re currently lined up to spend their money on.  Press on to see if the money’s actually gone, or just placed in different buckets waiting to be spent!)

Don’t let the budget be your arch-enemy!  Stick with it, keep the conversation alive, and you’ll have a much greater chance of success.

BONUS: There’s another objection we’re hearing a lot today, and it has to do with being able to justify buying our tickets after just laying off employees.  I’ve got several suggestions for answering that challenge in my latest Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter; just click this link to access it:   http://tinyurl.com/lbldtm

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market.  Subscribe to his Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com.

You’re going out on a date.  A first date.  You don’t know your new friend’s tastes, budget, or anything about them, but you do know that you’ve decided to start off your evening by going out to eat.

You hit “Restaurant Row” in your city, and as you approach the many choices for eating out, a hundred different things go through your mind:

-          What does he/she like to eat?

-          Do I have enough money to go to the expensive place?

-          Do I want to get messy?

-          What am I hungry for?

-          Will the atmosphere be right?   Will it be too loud to talk?

-          Are we appropriately dressed?

-          Am I going to run into someone I don’t want to see?

-          Do they have enough parking, or are we going to have to walk a long way?

It’s a little snapshot of time, but in that moment, you’ll make a mutual decision based on lots of little things… and all those influences add up to the choice you’ll make in that moment.

This scenario is just like what your customer goes through when you call them about your product or service for sale.  A hundred different influences are acting upon your customer’s thought process at that moment in time, bringing them to a “snap judgment” – a quick conclusion about your offer:

-          They may have just ushered a bad sales rep out of their building

-          They may have just learned that their best client has dumped them for a competitor

-          They may have bill payment problems, shipment problems, or personnel issues

-          They may just have ended a “gloom-and-doom” meeting, a “come-to-Jesus” meeting, an insufferable budget meeting, etc.

-          They may have personal issues at home that are weighing heavy on them

-          They may be overwhelmed by all they have to get done in their day

-          They may have someone in their office that’s out sick, and everyone has to cover

-          They may be hiring new people, training new people, or re-educating their current staff on new tasks, and it may be frustrating and time-consuming

-          They may have learned about something that the company is considering that could impact them negatively

Just because they react negatively to you doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in your product!  Depending on the way their day is going, your product could literally be the FURTHEST thing from their mind at that moment.  They may not want to tie up their brain for something like your product, but it may very well be something they WILL be interested in talking about at the right time.

Don’t give up.

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and his second book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market, will be published this fall by John Wiley & Sons.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla.

We’re terrified of cold calls.  Can we admit that?

There’s nothing that strikes fear in the hearts of men and women quite like the icy grip of the COLD CALL.  Even the name sounds like a bad B-movie: “You never know who’s on the end… of a COLD CALL!” (Cue terrifying shriek, bad music)  “Rated “R” for Run Toward Another Job Right Away.”

The reason we hate them so much is because we know how we feel when we RECEIVE them!

Think about your feelings when someone calls or visits you out of the blue looking for you to buy something.  You’re thinking about all the negative words that people use to describe salespeople, and don’t want to be thrown into that same category.  Right?

So here’s the secret:  Don’t sound like a salesperson!

Ask yourself:  What do salespeople say, do, and act like that turns you off?  Jot down a few of those things.  Then decide that you’re not going to do those things!

What can you do instead?  Here are a few ideas that I use in training sports ticket sales reps, but can be adapted for any selling situation.  Use these as idea-starters, inspiration, or read them right from the sheet, but make sure you understand the intent, and when you customize them, keep the intent intact:

-          “Hi… Sales department, please.”  (This is an indication that you’re a revenue-producing call, and the receptionist is almost always instructed to route MONEY calls to the sales department.  Be prepared to answer questions as to what you’re interested in ‘buying’, so the person can route you to the right desk!)

-          “I have the weirdest question you’ve had all day.”  (Choose your weird question from the several below, or make up your own)

o   If sales are down at your place, who’s the one that usually gets the maddest?   That’s who I need to talk to.

o   Who’s the biggest baseball (or your sport) fan in your office?  That’s who I need to talk to.  (When you reach that person, say: “If you thought Season Tickets would be a good idea for your company, who would you have to convince in order to get them?”)

o   When was the last time your company went out and did something FUN as a group?

o   Who’s in charge of smiles at your place?  The one who’s got to keep morale up, and keep employees happy.  Would that be you?

-          “Could you help out a starving salesperson today?”  (gets receptionist/gatekeeper smiling and on your side!)

-          “I have called all over, and I hope you finally have the answer I’m looking for.  Do you know who would handle (sales incentives/group outings/etc.) at your place?”

-          “Is the boss around?”  (informal, non-threatening, familiar tone)

-          “Hi… who’s in charge today?”  (wait for response) “Good!  Is he/she nearby?”

There are plenty more non-traditional ways to start a conversation, which I train in my 3-day Sales Dominance program for sports ticket sales teams.  These should get you going in the right direction.

Always remember that cold calling is a game – a serious, results-oriented kind of game — and if you inject more FUN into it, your voice will reflect that fun, and you’ll be more successful as a result.

Bill Guertin is CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a dynamic sales training and consulting company whose list of blue-chip clients includes the ticket sales departments of dozens of teams from the NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer.  He is the author of the Gold Medal-award-winning book Reality Sells, and his second book, The 800-Pound Gorilla of Sales: How to Dominate Your Market, will be published this fall by John Wiley & Sons.  Subscribe to his Sports Ticket Sales Newsletter at www.The800PoundGorilla.com, or follow Bill on Twitter at www.twitter.com/800poundgorilla.

Have you noticed, daddio? Retro is back, and it’s gaining momentum.

The American marketplace has always had a soft spot for nostalgia, but this is different. The neo-Retro movement is a hip, sophisticated, sometimes tongue-in-cheek adaptation of the pop culture and design of the past several decades.

Part of the reason for this trend is that those in their 20’s and 30’s are rebelling against the slick, polished marketing in today’s society, a response to the throwaway culture we’ve become. For the baby boom generation, it’s a way to relive some of their fondest memories.

For others, it’s just plain cool.

Millions of people are hooked on digital flea markets like eBay and Craiglist.org that allow people to find retro merchandise from all over the world. The most popular show on public television, “The Antiques Roadshow,” is a live on-camera treasure hunt for the most valuable items from days gone by.

Exclusive resale clothing and housewares stores have become the smart way to buy upscale for a downscale price. Unique, retro-styled bars, restaurants and stores are redefining “enjoyable atmosphere” in direct contrast to the cookie-cutter predictability and sameness of major franchises.

The Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300C and Chevrolet HHR are among the hottest-selling vehicles, newly redesigned cars with nostalgic lines. In clothing, Hush-Puppies, Lacoste, Converse and Puma are all retro labels that are back on store shelves and in demand.

Need more evidence? Drive-in movies, photo booths, roller derby, Nick At Nite, ESPN Classic, and the fashionable Martini with the long-stemmed glass are all in vogue.

As a business owner, how can you make this trend work for you? Take a piece of paper or a notebook and begin to brainstorm using these idea-starters:

• What was it like to do business with companies in your industry 20, 40, 50, or even 75 years ago? What did people experience, and how is it different today? For example, frozen foods were not nearly as prevalent in supermarket aisles as they are today, because time-starved families of today are in need of quick-to-prepare dinners. In contrast, the convenience of milk delivery to homes, which was very common 50 years ago, has all but disappeared. How
different is your business today than what people experienced a generation ago, and what would be worth revisiting today?

• What did advertisements from the past emphasize about the experience? What did marketers feel was important to the consumers of the day? When guitar amplifier manufacturers replaced vacuum tube amps with solid-state circuitry, they improved durability and made them cheaper to manufacture. Many guitarists, however, missed the rich, full-bodied sound of their old equipment. What about your products? As newer products and services were introduced, did people miss out on some of the benefits of the previous offerings?

• Years ago, what was the merchandise mix or the range of services provided to consumers in your business or industry? Was the list larger or smaller than it is today? For example, banks offered little more than savings accounts, checking accounts and loans; today most banks offer a dozen or more distinct financial services. The opposite can be said about gas stations; an attendant used to pump your gas, wipe down your windshield, and check your oil. Today’s gas stations are mainly do-it-yourself operations. Could there be advantages to specializing or widening your range of offerings to the way it was “in the good old days”?

• What could you do or add in a nostalgic way that would be fun, memorable and/or valuable to your current clients? Décor, music, aromas, and good old-fashioned service are just a few places to start.

• What could you do or add in a nostalgic way that would be attractive to an entirely new group of customers? If you don’t cater much to seniors, for example, what could you do to make the older generation feel more like invited guests?

• How could you partner with a non-competing business to add “nostalgic value” to what you do? Many years ago, theatergoers would stop at Johnson’s Homemade Candies on Schuyler Avenue next door to the Paramount Theatre for a box of fresh caramel corn before seeing a show. A place like Sweet Street might look into capitalizing on a combination like that with one of the local movie theatres or video stores.

By tying in your roots (or the roots of your industry) with today’s consumers, you’re engaging them in a unique way, and making their experience with you potentially more memorable and enjoyable.

One word of caution, however: be sure the customer understands the value of the old-time touch you’re adding, and can attribute it uniquely to you. If there’s no perceived value to the customer, and the benefit isn’t attributable to you, it may not be worth doing at all.

And that would be, like, so un-righteous, man.

“You’re fired,” he said to the group, matter-of-factly. “All of you are without employment as of right now.”

The stunned group of managers and supervisors looked at their new boss in shock. Surely they knew the new owners would make changes. Certainly some things needed changing. But fire all the managers? It couldn’t be.

“I’m also here to tell you that you’ll each be asked if you’d like to re-apply for your old jobs again.”

That did it. The group began talking and raising their voices to each other. One stood up and yelled, “Why would I do that? I wouldn’t work for you for all the tea in China!” Others chimed in with similar jabs of their own. The room had quickly spun into a dangerous place for the new boss to be.

His hands went up in the air to silence the crowd, and a strange smile crossed his face.
“Before you get out of hand,” he shouted, “you had better hear the whole story.”

It was a good 60 seconds before the room had calmed down enough for him to continue.
“Please forgive me for doing that. I can now tell you the truth. The truth is, nobody’s being fired. You all are still gainfully employed by the new company.”

Now the group was really angry. “Why are you pulling our chain?” “What kind of a sick joke is this?” You could cut the tension with a knife.

“I can assure you this is not a joke,” he said calmly but firmly. “This was a necessary part of our orientation. Please take a deep breath and calm down.”

The room slowly came back to order, and he began to explain.

“There’s a reason I had to begin our meeting in this way. I had to measure your gut feeling, and the only way to do that was to simulate an actual firing. I do deeply apologize, but now I need to ask you a few very important questions.

“When I announced that all of you would no longer work here, there were some of you in the room who were relieved. A weight had been lifted. You’ve been here far longer than you wanted to be, and this was now your opportunity to move on.

“If that was you, I an officially giving you permission to go and do whatever it is that you really want to do with your career. No grudges. No hard feelings. It’s time. Go.

“Likewise, when I asked how many of you wanted to re-apply for your old jobs, there was another percentage of you who were thinking that there was no way you wanted that job back. I’m giving you the same permission I gave the other group to pursue your dream. If it’s not here, I want you to find it. And I wish you well.

“Now, for the group that remains, I’d like to encourage you to apply and interview for your same jobs. But the actual interviewing and hiring will be done not by our Human Resources people, but by the current team of employees that you supervise.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

“And furthermore, here’s a sampling of the questions they’ll be asking you:

• What’s your philosophy of a successful department?
• What do you think motivates employees to work hard for their supervisor?
• How would you answer a customer if you knew their account was affected by a computer problem?

“Would your own team of employees hire you back?”

The question hung silently in the room.

Having made his point, the executive began speaking slowly and carefully:

“You see, as the new owners, we expect our managers to treat our front-line employees as if they were their best customers. Our philosophy is not to yell at anyone that works for us. On the contrary, we cater to them. We do all we can to make sure they’re taken care of.

“In our company, managers and supervisors help our front-line staff to get the tools and support they need to succeed. Managers are there to help remove anything that’s standing in the way of their employees’ success. They are there as someone they can come to for help, not run from because of fear of reprimand.

“As a result, our customer service scores are the envy of the industry. Our team members are happy, motivated, and willing to go the extra mile for our customers, because they know that their supervisor is going the extra mile for them. We have higher employee loyalty, lower turnover, and a work atmosphere that people enjoy.

“That’s the way we’ll be doing things from now on. If you can understand that and get behind it, welcome to the company of your future.”

The moral of the story? If you’re a manager or supervisor, and barking orders is your idea of leadership, think again. True leaders understand who their real customers are.

How about you?

It was around 7:25 am when I pulled into the small parking lot. The HR director of the company was scheduled to meet me at the front door to let me in at around 7:30, so I was the first one to arrive. I decided to organize my materials for the day, and needed my briefcase from the trunk.

As I stepped out of the car, I noticed something white on the pavement in the vacant space next to me on the driver’s side. I looked closer to see what it was, and instantly recognized it as something I didn’t want to touch.

It was a folded, soiled, and thoroughly soaked disposable diaper.

It had rained all night, and so the diaper was bloated with water to the point of exploding. The tape on the sides was about to let go, and there was gel beginning to ooze out of one of the bundled corners. It was disgusting, and definitely not something I wanted to come into contact with.

Part of the customer service training I do involves making sure that others realize that each employee is an unofficial custodian of their company. One of the things I emphasize is that everyone ought to pick up the trash they see in the parking lot on their way into the building from their cars each day.

I wanted to practice what I preached. But a dirty, water-filled diaper? I couldn’t possibly get rid of it gracefully. How would I pick it up? What would I put it in? Where was the nearest trash can? Would it drip on me and cause a stain on my clothes for the rest of the day? Would I smell bad? Would I need decontamination?

I had a million excuses not to touch that awful thing. But then I remembered that I had a plastic grocery-type bag in the back seat of my car. I looked around, and noticed an outside trash can not far away.

I was stuck. I had no excuse now. There were too many resources at hand.

I grabbed the plastic bag and inverted it, so that it fit onto my hand like a glove. I squatted down next to the blob and used the “gloved” hand to put the squeeze on it. I quickly lifted it up and swished the bag right side-out, so that the diaper was now inside the bag.

It felt like it weighed ten pounds. It didn’t explode, and miraculously, it all stayed inside the bag. It was disgusting, but at least it was contained. I tied it up tight, quickly walked over to the trash can, and dumped it in.

Just then, I heard a tap-tap-tapping of metal against glass. I looked up at the front door, and it was the president of the company motioning me to come inside. I hadn’t even noticed his car coming into the parking lot.

Come to find out, he had been watching me the whole time. There was a separate parking lot for employees, and he had come a little early too, but because he was in a separate lot, he had not seen the nasty diaper.

He was so impressed by my act of “heroism”, he decided to use the example of the diaper all day as he introduced me to the several different groups of people I was training. “He doesn’t even work here, but he did this because he understands how important it is for us to have a positive image for our customers. If he can do it, so can each of us.”

How far would you go to do something that would benefit your company’s appearance? How often do you walk right past things right now that you could pick up, fix, or make straight with a little bit of effort?

It’s everyone’s responsibility to take pride in their workplace by keeping it clean. From the employee break rooms and kitchen to heavily-traveled customer areas, if something needs to be picked up, everyone needs to be involved on an ongoing basis. It only takes a few moments, but it can mean everything to a customer.

Dirty environments are a reflection of everyone in the company. Clean, inviting environments are also a reflection of the company.

Is it possible that a customer might have seen that diaper in the parking lot and have been grossed out enough to shop somewhere else? Of course. What are you doing to help avoid a situation like that from happening at your business?

Don’t walk past something that could be taken care of quickly. Take a moment to improve your company’s image by keeping it tidy whenever and wherever you have an opportunity.
You never know who might be watching.

Has someone from a local business been surprisingly rude to you on the telephone lately?

You’re not alone.

Telephone etiquette is one the least understood and the most commonly abused form of customer service in existence today. A recent survey by the group Public Agenda found that 88% of people said they often or sometimes come across people who are rude or disrespectful. And many people who are guilty of it have no idea that they’re offending anyone.

I believe part of the problem is that thousands of employees have never been taught how to properly address others on the phone, or even shown how to use the company’s phone equipment properly. The results can be disastrous.

When I was Sales Manager of WKAN Radio, a particularly aggressive rep firm from Ohio called me to run some commercials on our station. Because of some past shady history with this company, I was not convinced that this rep would keep his word, and so I politely declined the business.

He called back again with another rationale, and I politely declined again.

He called back a third time, and this time he got my voice mail. He left a message pleading his case again, and instead of hitting the “disconnect” button, he accidentally activated his speakerphone. When I accessed my messages a short time later, I had a front-row seat to a swear-laced 3-minute rant to his buddy in the next cubicle about what a jerk I was.

Here are my questions to you: Are there things that are being said in your office that you would not want your customers to hear? And how much business do you think you’ve lost that could have been prevented with a little bit of training on phone skills?

If you don’t have a written set of standards, here are some starting points to consider:

• Make sure everyone knows the exact words to use when answering the phone, and everyone uses them automatically. If you have to initially tape the words to each phone, then do it.
• Make it a requirement that everyone SMILE when answering the phone. A company I’ve worked with actually has small mirrors next to each phone, so that they can see themselves while answering.
• Make sure everyone uses the HOLD button. Covering the phone with you hand is not a 100% filter.
• If you must place someone on hold, use the word “moment” rather than “minute” or “second”. Studies have shown that the word “moment” is more subconsciously acceptable as a period of time to wait, because it has no metric attached to it.
• Don’t keep anyone on hold for longer than 60 seconds, and for anything longer, it’s a good idea to encourage callers to leave a message.
• Understand that some of your people will be better on the phone than others, but the goal is for constant progress from everyone on your team.

You cannot control bad behavior from customers, but what you CAN control is the quality of your staff’s communication. And if your people become better on the phone, then your customers may have a reason to be a little less rude themselves.

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, or at (815) 932-5878.

The call comes in.

It’s an order for a lunch pick-up. Four sandwich combo meals.

No problem, the girl says. It’ll be ready when you get here.

The customer arrives at the right time. Yes, the sandwich order is ready. Yes, the customer is ready to pay. The bags are prepared and on the counter. So far, so good.

He hands her a $20 bill, along with a Free Lunch card that he happened to win from a local radio station.

Oops. She’s not expecting this. The customer service train wreck is about to begin.

“You can’t use this today. You have to tell us you have it on the phone when you place your order.”

The customer is confused. He isn’t aware of such a requirement. All he knows is that he has a $20 bill and a Free Lunch card.

“Sorry, you can’t use it today. Your total is $24.14.”

The customer has no other money. He has a $20 bill and a Free Lunch card. He asks her if there’s anything that can be done.

Heavy sigh of exasperation. “It’s our policy. Look, those are the rules. Your lunch will be $24.14.”

$20 bill. Free Lunch card. That’s all he’s got.

He tells her that he can either walk out with no lunch, a $20 bill and a Free Lunch card from their establishment, or, preferably, something can be worked out.

Heavy sigh #2. Rolling of the eyes. Cold stare for 3 full seconds. Response, with attitude: “Well, I guess I could void it out and start over.”

I would appreciate that, he says. What he’s really thinking is why she didn’t offer that option in the first place.

True story. Local business. Local customer. Local train wreck.

How quickly do you suppose our customer will want to return to this place?

The proper response to this situation, by the way, is to let the customer know that you don’t normally do this, but you can take their Free Lunch card today. In the future, when the customer has another one of these, you would simply ask that he let us know when he makes the call, so that you don’t ring it up incorrectly and inconvenience him on his next visit.

Notice the different tone. It actually shows the customer that you can fix the problem, and that you’ve set him up with information that will help to assure a more positive transaction on his next visit. Because, of course, we expect that our service and our product will be good enough for our customer to want to return again and again.

Have you ever been served by someone who didn’t seem to want you to come back again?
Every team member that works with the public, whether on the phone or in person, should understand these few simple principles of service:

• Paychecks don’t come from the owner. They come from customers.
• Customers are the ones that keep us fed. If something can be done within reason to make a customer happy, it should be done with a smile and appreciation.
• Customers are not an inconvenience. They are the reason we’re here.
• It should be obvious to customers that we enjoy serving them. We should do whatever we can do to show our enthusiasm for them and our ability to satisfy their needs.
• When a problem happens, we should do everything we can to fix the situation right away, because every one of our customers represents the future of our business.
• Without great service today, there will be no customers tomorrow.

What can you do as a team member to bring this kind of positive vibe to your workplace?

If you agree with the principles above, share them with your team. Cut this article out and discuss it with them. Decide as a team how you will serve others greatly with each and every opportunity. Avoid hiding behind things like “policies”, “the boss”, and “that’s the way we’ve always done it”.

Because that same customer is going to call YOU tomorrow.

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, or at (815) 932-5878.

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.