A Program Manager, a Hardware Engineer and a Software Engineer were in a car heading down a hill when the brakes failed. The driver managed to get it stopped by using the gears and a convenient dirt track.
All three jumped out and after peering under the car the Hardware Engineer said, "I see what the problem is and technically with this handy roll of duct tape I think I can fix it good enough to get us to the next town".
The Program Manager quickly interrupted, "No, no, no. Before we do anything we need to decide on a Gantt Chart, vision for our future, figure out a plan and assign individual deliverables".
At which point the Software Engineer said, "You know what, I think we should re-boot by pushing the car back up to the top of the hill and see if it happens again".
Program Management words of wisdom: "If everything seems to be going well, you obviously don't know what's going on"- Edward Murphy.
Points to ponder 1. Helping a prospect solve a business problem creates a "win-win" relationship and closes more sales than you think.
2. Remember – nothing adds more to your credibility than a referral from a satisfied prospect.
3. Selling is a numbers game, and you need to learn your "selling ratios." ============================================================
You may call it's Spring Cleaning Time or time for an annual checkup, our business needs to undergo a reality checkup each year. No matter how large or small our business is, we cannot gauge the effectiveness of any changes we've made without analyzing the benefits and bottom line.
Here are 10 questions to get started:
* How do your year-to-date sales compare to the last couple of years?
Don't be satisfied if you managed to match them because if sales stayed the same then you've achieved zero growth. With inflation, this flat growth line is a warning sign for more trouble down the road.
* What percentage of your business is from repeat customers? This is important to know because if it's too low, then it needs to be improved. The estimated cost of getting a new customer versus retaining an existing one can be as much as five to one in terms of dollars spent. Keeping customers is more cost-effective than constantly seeking new ones.
* How long has it been since you offered a new product or service?
Loyal customers like to see you innovate, changing and progressing with the times for cost down and quality improvement. If you're stuck for an idea, ask your customers what they need.
* Do you consider marketing and advertising expenses or investments?
How you look at the money spent in these areas affects your willingness to spend money at all. Would you look at marketing as a waste of money? Marketing is really investing in your business, your vision, and your company. The old adage that you must spend money to make money is true, but you must spend it wisely. Spend it on sales promotion that are pulling responses and orders, and if they're not maybe you need to change methods.
* Do you know what Public Relation is and how to use it to positively position your business in the media?
I'll bet that at least one of your competitors does. Nearly every company or business in the newspapers and magazines is a direct result of publicity efforts. Being quoted or featured in an article speaks volumes to your clients and readers who are your potentialprospects. A good PR consultant can do that for you and show you ways to extend the shelf life of that article beyond its publication.
* Are you listed in the web listing? If you only have a line listing, consider including a small ad in the web pages. If you can afford it, it will pay dividends throughout the year.
* Do you treat your regular customers better than your drop-ins?
You should. If your customers don't feel special when coming to you for products of services, why should they remain loyal to you? Have a customer VIP treatment when when they visit your company or a special invitation to visit you (they loves to travel too!). Send occasional post cards or greeting cards for special events or just to keep in touch. Learn to recognize them on sight and greet them by name when they visit you. You may take photos of them and write their names on it if have problems recalling names or have a large name card on the table where they sit.
* How long has it been since you really talked to other staffs of your customers?
Just as you appreciate when your Doctor takes time to talk to you, your customers will appreciate you if you take an interest in their needs. If you have a service business, have lunch or coffee periodically with some regulars – even if they only contact you once or twice a year. The personal touch in an impersonal world will be remembered.
* How is your business doing compared to your competition? Every company, no matter what the size, has competition – even home-based businesses. Is their business growing or downsizing? Is their pricing or service better than yours? If so, what can you tell potential customers about the price difference? Think about how you can improve your service to meet or exceed your customer's expectations.
* Are your employees happy?
Don't ask them directly, but observe them throughout the day. Watch, listen and learn. Employees who like their jobs don't watch the clock for quitting time, aren't habitually late, don't have poor body language, don't spend time on personal phone calls, anddon't look like they never smiled. Observe how they interact with customers. Not everyone is a match for direct contact with the public, so make sure you don't have an employee who isdriving business away!
Program words of wisdom: "Meetings are events in which minutes are kept and hours are lost.................if nobody is assign to execute the activities" _____________________________________________________________________________________ If a company's practises this kind of communication channel, the end result will be very strange. In a meeting room, team members should be present, everybody should be treated as equal and with equal respect.
Production Engineer to RFP/RFQ Executive: "This is not possible. **Impossible**. It will involve design change and no body in our team knows the full design of the product. And above that nobody in our company knows the language in which this software has been written by another company. So even if somebody wants to work on it, they can't. If you ask my personal opinion the company should never take these type of business."
RFP/RFQ Executive to Program Manager: "This Project will involve design change. Currently we don't have people who have experience in this type of work. Also the obsolete IC Chip replacement is unknown so we will have to arrange for some training if we take this business. In my personal opinion, we should avoid taking this Project."
Program Manager to Program Director: "This Project involves design change in the system and we don't have much experience in that area. Also not many people are trained in this area. In my personal opinion we can take the business but we should ask for some more time to invest in a new Design Department and employ required expertise."
Program Director to Sales Vice President "This Project involves design re-engineering. We have some people who have worked in this area and some who know the language. So they can train other people. In my personal opinion we should take this business but with caution."
Sales VP to CEO: "This Project will show the industry our capabilities in remodeling the design of a complete system. We will have all the necessary skills and people to execute this Program successfully. Some people have already given in-house training in this area to other people. In my personal opinion we should not let this business go by under any circumstance."
CEO to Client: "These are the type of Business in which our company specialize. We have executed many Projects of the same nature for many big clients. Trust me when I say that you are in the safest hand in the Industry. In my personal opinion we can execute this business successfully and that too well with in the given time frame."
Business Management words of wisdom:- Evolve with time or be a dinosaur.
I started working in the Program & Business Management environment since 1990 while we were still using faxes and transparencies. I had to carry very heavy luggage during any oversea business trips as the communications and files are in hardcopy papers with several transparencies for each company that I visited.
For those younger generations, faxes were received at a centralised fax machine for in-bound and outbound letters where an operator will be required to read the content. If the fax attentioned to me have 3 other names to be cc to, the operator will photocopy 3 sets and placed it into the respective pigeon hole for the respective department to collect. The amount of A4 papers used was fantastic and keeps piling up in my office as we have to file these hardcopy document.
Transparencies are A4 sized transparent plastic sheets used for placing our presentation materials which are later placed on a powerful light source that project the image/ information onto a screen.
We can travel very light now on a PC notebook.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2009 when...
1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave. Password is also required for office photocopier machines nowadays.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years. In fact , many had been playing alone against the computers.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3, but you do not memories all the phone numbers.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you. Skype chat or MSNMessager is the favorite here.
5. With web's help, you can communicate in any languages to the foreign person who sits at the desk next to you.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries. Door bells becomes obsolete.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen. Any company that does not have website are fake.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee. You have to go on line before going to sleep too.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly how to write foul rude words without being foul like ^&#$%^&*+_)(*.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses. Greetings cards are sent on softcopies only.
16. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list
Program words of wisdom:- If Project/Program content is allowed to change freely the rate of change will exceed the rate of progress.
Manufacturing Agreements (MA) are legally binding agreements between two or more parties. MA are pervasive and used in many aspects of life such as they form the cornerstone of commerce in the modern economy. Outsourcing terms are enforceable by the legal system and courts of any modern state. Effective outsourcing management before the MA is an important function in many businesses.
Outsourcing Process There are four stages in the outsourcing process: 1) Requisition process: Internally at this stage, specifications of the work are determined, and qualified manufacturers are identified. 2) Solicitation process: This entails asking for bids or proposals. Various EMS or service providers will be asked to participate in this process. When purchasing commodities, price might be the deciding factor, but when buying a specific service or product various factors such as competence, quality and warranties are taken into account in accepting a bid or proposal. 3) Award process: At this stage, a manufacturer is selected and a MA contract is negotiated and signed. 4) Manufacturing process: Finally the manufacturing is actually carried out. The manufacturer and purchaser follow the terms of the MA, organize the work and monitor progress.
Some common types of MA are as follows: 1) Fixed price or lump sum: In this type of contract there is an agreed price for the performance of work. It provides a degree of certainty for both parties because the MA clearly defines what is involved and at what price. 2) Unit rate: Here the pay is directly proportional to the volume and range of work. An example is supply of electronics products where the monetary amount would be defined by the volume of units supplied. 3) Reimbursable or cost plus: There is an upfront payment to the manufacturer. These types of agreement are used when the scope of the work is a one off activity like Non Recurring Expenses for tooling, jigs and fixtures. 4) Project/program management: Here the manufacturer agrees to manage a turnkey project for a specific duration of time, from ground zero blank sheet of paper to actual realisation of the final box build product.
Structure Generally a MA should contain the following headings: 1) Definition of MA terms: This section defined terms and field-specific word. 2) Project scope: This section provides information on the whole project to give context to the services that the MA is going to provide. 3) The services and work to be performed. 4) Facilities that should be provided by the client (e.g. testers, tooling....). 5) Warranties and guarantees of the services provided. 6) Definition of fee base i.e. cost of the project. 7) Terms of payment: Time of payments and conditions that should be met for the payment are clarified. 8) Taxes (e.g. sales and use tax). 9) Insurance coverage and freight terms 10) Other contractual provisions based on the nature of the program. 11) Miscellaneous provisions like "excess material liability should the program ends"
Program words of wisdom:- Program Managers ability to reason through many different manufacturing & business issues was aided by the ability to relax under pressure and see the lighter side of life.
Humor can change the attitude of individuals and provide a healthy, productive atmosphere when used properly. Business situations, however, often lend themselves to humor that changes the way a person looks at the environment.
Humor in the work place can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a program/business team when used appropriately and people can laugh at themselves. Humor can be used to defuse tense situations and to suggest correction to behavior that is counter to the team’s goals. Demeaning or vicious humor can, however, destroy the unity of a team and isolate individuals because of perceived criticism.
During a Business trip to China, one Chinese man humor to question the credentials of a woman in the company because of the manner in which she was conducting herself. He stated, “Her resume says ‘doctor of philosophy,’ I think there is a mistake.” I responded to the statement, “No, she has a Ph.D. in management science.” The Chinese interpreter came back with the statement, “Oh no, I think that she is doctor of complexity.” Of course we laughed, which meant that I agreed with him. Through humor, the Chinese interpreter and I had achieved a common understanding to criticize about this person’s competence.
Humor plays an important role in getting team members to relax and not dwell on the negative side of management challenges. A team member cannot laugh and still be angry or have negative feelings about what is happening. Obtaining a laugh should be a goal to change how a situation looks.
The Chinese are masters at criticism with humor, which causes the person to recognize the bad situation without losing face. In all cultures, perhaps, humor at the right time and right place can lead to better relationships among team members as long as the humor is not demeaning or off color.
Properly used humor can build on relationships in programs, smooth over rough edges, and promote productivity. The wrong type of humor, however, can work to the detriment of the project/program team by isolating an individual through criticism. Humor should not be used as a substitute for coaching or mentoring, but as a way of getting individuals to look at challenges through a different prism.
Program words of wisdom:- "Good Program Managers know when not to manage a Program. If there were no problem people there'd be no need for people who solve problems". _________________________________________________________________
1. Set a personal and an organizational vision for long-term sustainable success because we tend to create what we focus on. Focus on failure, and that is what we will get. Focus on people, and even in turbulent times, we have a better chance of being able to make a huge difference.
2. Create our own "school" of what it is we need and want to learn so we can be and become an effective contributor to other people and to our organization's success. Seek out opportunities to do our own formal and informal learning. For example, you can take the Project Management Professional study.
3. Develop a “can do, we will prevail” attitude, and bring those around us up with our thirst for knowledge and your enviable Program Management capabilities.
4. Join the Program or Project Management Institute as an individual and as a corporate member. Participating in this professional trade association helps both individuals and corporations better self-identify with doing good Program Management and that, in and of itself, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
5. Diversify and don't put all our eggs in one basket. This is true whether we are an individual relying on one industry or one company to meet all our financial needs or whether we are an organization that relies on one customer, or one product, to sustain our economic well-being.
6. Develop a safety net that will let us take appropriate risks in our career, and in our projects, so that we can weather whatever comes along. It’s just like the flight attendants tell us on their pre-flight safety instructions: "You need to secure your own mask before helping others".
7. Don't fall prey to those around us (and especially the media) with “the sky is falling” mentality. Do a risk management reality check on our projects and current events to develop our own risk management plan to handle the legitimate risks facing our life and our programs.
8. Create a change management plan for our life. When new opportunities arise (and sometimes these come disguised as difficulties), assess how these will impact us achieving our overall goals, and develop a strategy that incorporates change into our reality.
9. Drop commitments that are no longer serving us. We need to “cut bait” on the programs and commitments that are like the infamous bridge to nowhere. Look at these programs that are going nowhere and ask yourself, “If I had to make the decision today to start this project, would I?” If the answer is no, stop wasting our valuable resources on it.
10. Find the path of least resistance where we can make the biggest contribution for the least amount of effort. Every individual and organization has unique talents that when used effectively, in the right environments, can have significant impact. If something has become too hard for us to do, maybe, just maybe, we should not be doing it. Seek out other opportunities where we can have more fun and make more of a difference. My personal motto is "What is meant to be, happens easily."
So, don’t buy into the Doomsday mentality. Use our Program Management skills to make our own world and to make the most of every project, every day. It’s our time to take center stage and be at the forefront of meeting the challenges in our life, at work, at home or wherever we may find them.
"If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck".
_______________________________________________________________________________ Often times I was ask how this happen, and it's a very long story. For a child, we may start as "Once upon a time.....". To a working adult, we need another approach in the adult way. This is the consequence if there are communication roadblocks where we are strictly allow to communicate to our immediate superior only in the heirarchy.
In the beginning was THE PLAN. And then came The Assumptions. And The Plan was without substance. And The Assumptions were without form.
And darkness was upon the face of the Workers. And they spoke among themselves, saying, "It is a crock of S H - T, it stinks."
And the workers went unto their Supervisors, and said, "It is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odor thereof."
And the Supervisors went unto their Managers, saying "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it."
And the Managers went unto their Directors, saying, "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."
And the Directors spoke among themselves saying one to another, we have to clue-in nice words. "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."
And the Directors went to the Vice-Presidents, saying unto them, "It promotes growth, and it is very powerful."
And the Sales Vice-Presidents went to the President, saying unto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigor of the company, with powerful effects."
And the President looked upon The Plan, and saw that it was good. And The Plan became POLICY.
Program Management words of wisdom:
"A verbal contract isn't worth the evidence it's written on".
____________________________________________________________________
In any relationship, business, or daily live we does negotiation. That includes buying food as we want the best, fastest & cheapest. Though I was an Engineering graduate, I had once worked for an Electronics Manufacturing company that assigned me to screen all the company's contracts and agreement for its main essence and facts in protecting the company's interest. This also requires close collaboration with the Drew & Napier law firm to review its legality and verbiages.
3 main things to achieve are as follows 1. Buyer and seller come to agreement 2. Develop good relationship with seller 3. Negotiate items can include: a) Fair and reasonable price b) responsibilities and authority c) technical and management approaches d) contract financing e) schedule and payment plans.
To achieve the above objective, often time either one of negotiation tactics are deployed
a) Deadline: Imposing deadline to reach agreement
b) Surprise: Surprising the other party with new information
c) Limited authority: Claiming inability to decide
d) Strategic delays: Request for a recess to divert attention
e) Missing man: Claiming that the right person is not available
f) Faitaccompli: Claiming that a topic of dispute has already been decided and is no longer an issue.
Please click this to see how we understand is often much different to what a customer needed. <-What customer want->
Leadership Program managers should be able to communicate complex issues and help gain consensus through the various levels of organizations, whether internally or externally, in order to accomplish what needs be done.
Industry experience Program managers should have experience working with OEM-contract manufacturing relationships. The program manager must understand OEM customer-related demands and have a keen sense for urgency.
Ability to read engineering schematics Program managers should be able to read engineering drawings, technical documents, and schematics and, should be able to relate any important changes to engineering and other functional groups.
Materials and supply chain understanding Program managers should understand how materials demand is driven; organized, and the systematic management of materials...relative to manufacturing. Understanding of supply chain manufacturing concepts; materials and enterprise resources planning, vendor-managed inventory (VMI) systems and, regional hub distributions is also important.
Conflict resolution capabilities Program managers are the central focal point between the contract manufacturer and the OEM and program managers often find themselves as mediators, in between different functional groups. Program managers should be able to handle conflict. Understanding how to balance multiple customer demands, with multiple personalities, for multiple OEM customer programs can be complex and conflicts will surface.
'How' conflict is handled is extremely important to the health of the OEM and contract manufacturing relationship. And, with conflict comes criticism...program managers are most effective when they are able to not take criticism personally.
Program Management words of wisdom:
Good control reveals problems early - which only means you'll have longer to worry about them.
___________________________________________________________________
8. Name your product or service. One of the best ways to differentiate your products or services from all the rest is to give them distinctive names. A building contractor with expertise in remodeling during off-hours calls himself the
"stealth" remodeler. A fuel oil dealer doesn't talk about service--he emphasizes "ComfortCare Service." The idea is to imbue ordinary ideas with new meaning thereby separating your com-pany from your competitors. Make sure, however, that the name appeals to your customers and not just to you.
9. Be relentless. Persistence is power in marketing and sales. Far too many firms fail in their efforts because they don't follow through long enough to produce proper results. Marketing momentum comes from a consistent effort. Once you start a newsletter, issue it on schedule. It takes time for customers to comprehend what you are doing and for prospects to get acquainted--and comfortable--with a business.
10. Get rid of the self-serving nonsense. Most company publications, ads, letters, brochures, and other sales materials are filled with words, photographs and information that do nothing more than toot the company's horn. No one cares that the
business says it is the "best," "oldest" or the "biggest." Pictures of the staff are only interesting to the staff. A better approach is to ask prospects what they want to know about your company. We doubt anyone will be anxious to see pictures of the CEO, chairman of the board or the executive vice president.
11. Tell them everything you know. Spill the beans, so to speak. Since today's customers want information, knowledge and helpful ideas, do everything you can to share everything you know. This is the only way to become a valued resource to your customers. When people use your ideas, they will buy what you sell.
12. Be generous. No one wants to do business with firms operating on a one-way street. Buy a new car and the dealer hands you a 20-cent plastic key holder! It sends a message that this dealer doesn't under-stand his customers. You may forget the car, but you will never forget the lousy key ring! Another auto dealer delivers the new car to your office. What a difference. This dealer sends a powerful message--our customers are important.
13. Make prospect identification your mission. The single most important daily activity in any business is prospect identification. By making prospecting a continuing process, companies produce a steady flow of new sales leads. They never stop asking, "Who do we want to do business with if we have the chance?" Then make sure all prospects are entered into a database so they can be cultivated over a period of time.
14. Scrutinize your corporate identity. Yes, how a company presents itself makes a difference. Is the logo appropriate? Is it dated? Does it communicate the right message and the correct image? Is the president the only one who understands it? What about the company colors? Are they reminiscent of the late '50s? Do the letterhead, mailing labels and business cards convey a strong, positive message? Or, are they dull and ordinary looking? If you don't think this is important, your competitors will be thrilled. Corporate identity is the face you put on your company.
15. Write customer-centered letters. Most business letters have cold, impersonal words. "As per our conversation..." "Pursuant to our agreement..." When was the last time you heard anyone talk this way at lunch (other than perhaps a lawyer)? Yet, give the same executives a pen and they become stilted. There is no reason why
business letters should not be warm, friendly, conversational, interesting--and customer-centered. Write as if you were the one reading it. Should a letter end at the bottom of the first page? Yes, if that's what it takes to tell the story? But it may take two, four or six pages. A letter should be as long as necessary
and always interesting to the reader.
There you have it! 15 ways you can use to super-charge your
business right now.
A Program Manager (PM) arrives at work in an Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) company at 8:15 am. Before he even gets his coat off, he takes a phone call from an angry customer (12 hours difference across the globe) whose new assemblies do not work. After calming her down and convincing her to let him fix the problem, PM calls an emergency meeting with the staffs of Production, Engineering and Quality Control to go over the process and determine what went wrong. Next, he figures with Production Planner out how to adjust the production schedule so that he can refill the order as soon possible, but still meet his other obligations on time. He also figures out how much the reproduction will cost.
Later that morning, he meets with the Program Director to review the sales plan for the next quarter.
For lunch, he meets with another customer who needs to change out semiconductors on an existing order. During the conversation, he is asked to explain if and how the change will affect delivery and pricing. Upon returning from lunch, he examines his purchase orders and existing inventory of semiconductors to determine what he will need in order to fulfill the customer's requested change.
Next, he sits down with the heads of the Production Department and Quality Control to resolve a dispute as to why a certain assembly has not been released for shipment. PM's last task before he leaves is to call back across the globe the angry customer from the morning and give her a status report on her replacement order. Usually, a PM's work for the day end about 9:00pm.
What was the most important skills an EMS Program Manager need to make it through the day? Is it customer service skills, to help save a business relationship? Or is it technical expertise, needed to determine why the assemblies had failed? Or is it the ability to juggle the production schedules and still meet company obligations? Or is it financial aptitude to estimate the impact of changing semiconductors? How about managerial skills, which helped the manager take charge and direct teams? Don't forget problem solving skills, which are needed to find solutions to numerous challenges.
The answer is obvious. All of these skills need to be woven together in the course of the day as an EMS Program Manager. Program management is based on the concept of providing centralized management authority over all business and technical aspects of a project. By definition, the EMS Program Manager is multi-functional.
* Entrepreneurial leaders do not have a mindset that adapts to failure. * Realize that you will make mistakes, so make them as quickly as you can in order to learn from them. * As a leader, you have to set standards and higher standards for your own behavior. =================================================
The following are the "15 Best" ideas for super charging your business, no matter what kind of business you are in.
1. "Same-Old" is out -- Getting attention with something new is in. To get new business, you must strive to be innovative and dramatic. For example, an insurance agency, offered "the biggest steak dinner in town" if it couldn't save any person money on their car insurance. This challenge was enough to make the telephone start ringing off the hook for days at a time. The customer flow was "absolutely crazy" for days. The bottom line: dozens of new insurance buyers and tons of new cash flow -- and all they had to do was fork out the cost for a half dozen steak dinners!
2. Tight target marketing. The big job in marketing and sales is getting to the right people inside another company. Addressing mail to "Facilities Manager" or printing a "routing slip" on the outside of the envelope is ineffective. Hitting the target is the challenge. Scoring a bull's eye means making contact with the right individuals and is the only way to make the sale. Taking time to be highly targeted in business communication is essential.
3. Be more creative. Pushing direct-mail pieces out the door or sending the newsletter to the mail room isn't doing the job. Ask yourself: "Will anyone be intrigued enough to read the mailer--before tossing it in the wastebasket?" Ask the same question about the company newsletter. A highly creative approach is necessary to be different and distinctive. Creativity costs money. But, if more people read the ad, take time with the newsletter or decide that the offer in a mailer makes sense, you have accomplished the goal.
4. Focus on what customers care about. After listening to the admissions director talk about what should be shown in the school's new recruiting video, the marketing consultant asked, "Is this what parents and prospective students are interested in knowing?" Suddenly, everyone became less confident. Someone suggested asking the student tour guides what questions the visiting parents and kids asked? Whether creating an ad, a brochure, or a sales presentation, knowing what the customer wants, needs and expects is what works.
5. Tell customers how to think about your company. We come to conclusions by making comparisons. If you don't let customers and prospects know why it is in their best interests to do business with you or buy your product, they won't. The rating of life insurance companies makes an impact on customers. The J.D. Powers' customer-satisfaction survey on cars and personal computer manufacturers influences buying behavior. Wise companies spend time and effort consciously influencing the way they are perceived by customers, prospects, bankers and stockholders.
6. Make your offers outstanding. Customers are cautious. They don't like being put on the spot; they don't want to make a mistake. This is why offers are essential. "Try it for 30 days...free." "We won't deposit your credit card slip for a month." "Your satisfaction is guaranteed." "Take the car for the weekend and drive it all you want." The goal is to overcome the customer's reluctance.
7. Be in the right place at the right time. "Why didn't I think of you last week when we bought the new..." Some salespeople simply shrug off such comments. Oh, well. I can't be in the right place every time." Wrong. Being in front of the customer is today's assignment. Developing a consistent program for staying in front of customers regularly is the challenge. A mix of seminars, newsletters, bulletins, fact sheets, special events and informative articles will keep you in the customers' minds.
Ponder these tips for a week, and next week I'll give you the remaining 8. Your business should shine after that!
