Thanksgiving - More Than Just Turkey

Chuck Terry
Executive Vice President & CSO
Carew International, Inc.

We all know the origins of Thanksgiving Day as a harvest festival celebrated in the U.S. and Canada for centuries. In modern times it has become a day in which we take time to give thanks for the blessings of family and friends over a traditional turkey dinner. We have added such accoutrements as football, floats, and Friday shopping to the mix; but for the most part, it is still a holiday to reflect upon our reasons to be thankful.

In most businesses the Thanksgiving Holiday is also viewed as a short week where not much work gets done. For those of us who travel extensively for business, it often translates into a bonus week at home with the family -- something to be thankful for in itself! From a business perspective, what should sales professionals be most thankful for? Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to say thanks to our customers?

This year I vow to start a new tradition during Thanksgiving week of reaching out to every single person and business I have worked with, just to say thanks. Thanks for the loyalty. Thanks for the referrals. Thanks for the support and the trust. Thanks for the opportunity to be a resource. I am going to spend all day Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week reaching out to as many customers as possible, to personally say “thank-you.” I am not talking about an e-mail blast or even voice mail, but a personal thanks to as many people as I can reach.

Certainly, the timing could not be better. For many businesses, 2009 has been one of the most demanding and challenging years in history. Many of our friends, and perhaps even colleagues, have lost their jobs as companies reeling from the economic downturn struggled to survive. Reaching out to thank the loyal customers who have stood by us during these trying times certainly seems like a no-brainer to me.

And even as I contemplate my new Thanksgiving tradition, the glaring question arises… “why should we wait for one week of the year to say thanks?” The simple answer is, “we shouldn’t.” Here are a few ways to keep saying thank-you all year in 2010.

1) Hand written thank-you cards- While this is common knowledge, it certainly isn’t common practice anymore. Get some cards printed and look for opportunities to say thank-you throughout the year to your customers and colleagues.

2) Send a card at less obvious holidays- Of course everyone sends Holiday/Christmas cards, but when was the last time you got a card for July Fourth or Arbor Day? Be creative and make it fun.

3) Send a birthday card- I suggest keeping a calendar of your customers and business contacts and record significant dates such as their birthday, wedding or professional anniversary, etc. It is amazing how often these things are revealed in the course of conversation, if only we would take the time to capture the data and act on it in the future.

4) Send a fun gift- It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to be sincere. If a client refers you for business, send a little something to say “thanks.” Of course, you need to be careful with this one, as many companies prohibit any gesture that could be considered compensation.

5) Take a client to lunch- Over the last several years the pace of our work day has become more frenetic, with work hours feeling more and more compressed. How often do you skip lunch to return e-mails or “get caught up?” We aren’t even taking time to recharge ourselves with lunch, let alone taking customers out for lunch. Yet, I can think of few better opportunities to cultivate a relationship with valued clients. By my own assessment, I believe my client lunches have dropped by at least 50% in recent years. If you’ve let client lunches slide and you’re feeling out of practice, check out this great blog on avoiding business lunch blunders.

As we approach the official holiday of giving thanks for our personal blessings, the timing is perfect to re-assess how we give thanks for our business blessings as well. Happy Thanksgiving and have a prosperous year end!

Customer Care... It Takes a Village

Chuck Terry
Executive Vice President & CSO
Carew International, Inc.

Many companies give their sales representatives titles such as “Account Manager” to convey a responsibility that extends beyond converting prospects into customers. In fact, sales representatives in most organizations continue to retain overall management of the accounts they sell beyond the closing of the initial deal. While that continuity certainly serves a purpose, the reality is that sales reps can’t be the entire customer care solution for existing accounts and still have time to develop new business. Moreover, the sales rep isn’t always the most efficient or logical contact to meet specific, day to day customer needs.

So, if not the sales professional, who is maintaining the customer relationship while the sales rep is out closing new business? In most organizations, it is a combination from any number of functional areas -- customer service, technical, administrative and logistical support. From the receptionist to accounts payable personnel to delivery drivers, countless members of the organization impact each customer’s experience and overall satisfaction. In fact, if you add up the time that your typical customer spends in personal interaction with someone from your firm each month, the sales representative may actually come in last, in terms of interaction time with existing customers.

But what happens when sales professionals are the only members of your team genuinely prepared to interface with customers? Are you comfortable placing your company’s reputation and your customer’s satisfaction in the hands of team members inside your firm who may have little or no formal training in sales, customer service or even basic communications?

Professional training firms like Carew International are finding more and more astute businesses realize the tremendous opportunity that comes with training every customer facing person in their organization. Regardless of the functional area, training begins with basic communication skills – the foundation upon which sales, customer service and even negotiation skills are built. These companies are making sure that the employees that deal with their customers are skilled communicators, fully prepared to participate in customer service and, yes, the fine art of selling (including up selling and add-on selling).

I am not talking about the annoying experience of calling the cable company to report a problem only to have them try to “sell you” something totally unrelated. No consumer likes that tactic. However, when my mechanic, who has been working on my engine, tells me the part I need is $100, but for $150 he can put in a high end part that will significantly improve my performance, I am all ears. Why? Because he is offering me something directly related to my need, which I value, but probably wouldn’t have thought of on my own. And he is speaking from a point of expertise that gives him credibility. That example, my friends, is both good customer service AND effective sales.

Think of how much customer contact time is spent each month by employees of your firm who could be trained to look for opportunities such as the one I just described. Each team member is an expert in their respective area. How can they use that expertise to add value to customers? Add sales for your firm? Improve customer satisfaction? I am not advocating that everyone in the company become a card carrying sales professional, but in the final analysis, aren’t we all selling ourselves and our companies every time we interact with a customer? Take a good look at the training you are providing all of your customer facing people, not just your front line sales reps. In the end, customer care really does take a village.

Talent Management Key to Victory in the Field

Ed Albertson
Vice President - National Accounts
Carew International, Inc.

"Of every one hundred men in battle, ten should not even be there, eighty are nothing but targets, nine are real fighters, we are lucky to have them...for they make the battle. Ah, but one, one of them is a WARRIOR... and he will bring the others home.” -Heraclitus, Roman General, 400 B.C.

Overlooking the obvious gender bias reflected by the times in the statement above, there is still merit reflected in the general assessment of an ancient fighting force and a possible parallel to today’s sales force. Given the successes of Heraclitus and his Roman Legions, it is ironic that victories were achieved with what amounts to a fighting force that was 90% ineffective (the eighty “targets” added to the ten “who should not be there”) and relied on the top 10% who were “real fighters” and among them, the 1% of its “warriors,” to carry the day and secure victory.

While in 400 BC there may have been some strategic value in having 80% of the field force serving the function of “targets,” perhaps protecting the 10% “real fighters,” today’s sales leaders can ill afford a field force that is only 10% effective. However, without a real Talent Management effort, many of today’s sales leaders are fighting their competitive battles with no clear understanding of their sales capacity. How many are in danger of losing the competitive edge when their most effective “fighters” move along to serve another company?

Research reported by Dave Hoffmeister, Director of Corporate Relations, DePaul University indicated:

-Over 2/3 of companies don’t know the cost of hiring their new talent

-Only 43% of companies have formal training processes

-25% of companies have a turnover rate greater than 20%

These statistics suggest a significant vulnerability in most companies’ approaches to acquiring, developing and managing talent -- the same talent companies depend upon to differentiate themselves in their markets and provide their future leadership. Considered in this light, it is almost unthinkable that Talent Management would be anything but the highest priority. Rarely is that the case. And when the statistics above are applied to a company’s sales force, the resulting vulnerability can be magnified due to the strategic value of the sales force in positioning products and services while creating value for customers in the process.

It may be time for companies to reconsider how Talent Management is handled and for companies to adopt a more structured process for acquiring, developing and managing a strategic sales force. Not only can Talent Management solutions reduce turnover by an average of 30%, but productivity can be expected to increase between 30 and 35%. There is no mystery to this wonderful rate of return. It is the result of effective candidate pre-screening, followed by an in-depth and comprehensive job competency assessment, and a targeted developmental plan through which high potential achievers can be identified and retained. With improved job fit, more-focused training and coaching, and continual support, a company can produce and maintain a higher ratio of “real fighters,” assuring more victories in the future.