As a sales person we are always setting the expectations of those around us. Like it or not, it is just part of our job as a professional communicator.

When we set expectations unconsciously we set those around us and ourselves up for disappointment. When we consciously set good expectations, we create an environment where the people we interact with are satisfied.

Sales people strive to satisfy their customers. It is hard for any salesperson to give their customers news that will disappoint or upset them. I have always found that it is good to set proper expectations from the very beginning. When I first interact with a potential customer, I always have a conversation about the topic of things in my control and things out of my control. It is helpful to let the prospect know that it is my personal goal to not ever disappoint them on anything under my control. They then know that when I give an estimate on price or timing, I will strive to be accurate. If there are variables involved, I will provide the most conservative answer. This means price estimates will be a little high and time estimates will be a little long. I repeat this topic often. This sets the stage for me to over deliver.

The conversation on things out of my control is similar. Using the construction of a new home is an great example. I tell each of my future homeowners that building a new home is an imperfect event. Homes are made from imperfect natural materials and built by dozens of imperfect humans. Weather, product delivery schedules, subcontractor mistakes, are all by their nature directly out of my control. We then put together a plan to deal with the unknown when it happens. (This is an important step.) I put a system in place that revolves around a written communication trail. This again gives the prospect the peace of mind knowing that there is a system in place to handle their concerns. When almost none of what I laid out for them actually happens, the customer now feels that they have had a great building experience.

When you set and manage customers expectations you relieve the stress on them and yourself. To sum it up in one line… Always under promise and over deliver!

A few big companies have started using viral marketing. Production costs are minimal and reach is exponential. Here are a few examples that I really like:

1. When MBNA merged with Bank of America merged two employees sang a song at a company meeting. Someone posted the video on YouTube.

2. The Indiana Pacers basketball team created a unique viral video to generate excitement for their opening game of the 2007-2008 season.

As we grow the URBaCS brand we have asked our closest friends and family to offer suggestions along the way. Rob and I are so immersed in URBaCS that sometimes we don’t see the forest for all the trees.

Last week I got a phone call from my mother telling me that the tour on the URBaCS site had a grammar problem. Apparently, I had typed ‘there’ instead of ‘their.’ I told her that it was a work in process and that I was planning to fix it soon.

Two days ago, she calls to remind me that I still haven’t changed it. At first I was somewhat frustrated because of all of the things that have to be done…this seemed very insignificant. Then I realized that this is exactly why we’ve enlisted help from our closest allies. I would have probably kept ignoring this change and forgot about it indefinitely. But because my mother took 30 seconds out of her day to remind me of my lack of follow up, I took 30 seconds out of mine and fixed the problem. And who knows, maybe this intangible item will lead to a future sale.  At least we know we don’t have to hire copy editors.

Thanks mom!

Author: John G. Miller Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group Pagecount: 128

This was an easy read. John Miller’s writing style is conversational and compelling and the short length makes it a single-sitting read. The Question Behind the Question (QBQ) defines what you should be asking yourself every time you get the desire to place blame, procrastinate or help the world make you feel like a victim. This book is not about taking control of your environment but rather taking personal responsibility for how you react to your environment.

How many times have you heard/thought: “It’s not my fault” or “That’s not my job”

The QBQ aids in shifting our focus to that of personal accountability. To be a true leader we must accept responsibility for decisions we make.

I strongly recommend reading this book. Especially if you aren’t in control of the decisions made at your company. It can be easy to start asking, “Why can’t we get more support from the marketing department?” or “Why can’t we lower our prices to become more competitive?” But the QBQ reminds us that if we focus our actions on things inside of our control we will increase our productivity, sales and happiness.

You can buy QBQ at Amazon.com

On my way to my Aunt & Uncle’s lake house yesterday I noticed a big manufacturing facility that was out of business. Swingsets, Inc. was a swingset manufacturer that sold its products online. 300 pound swingsets delivered to your door. The only problem: $750 shipping & handling on a $250 product.

I have been to many seminars over the years. Some lasting for days, some lasting for only hours but seemed like days. The one outstanding sales trainer I have seen many times is Bob Schultz. Every time I’ve been to one of his seminars, I have come away with something useful. Bob Schultz is one of the leading sales trainers in the new home building industry. In 2006 Bob was named to BUILDER Magazine’s Power on 50 list: a list of the 50 most influential people in home building.

As sales people we hear the word ‘NO’ more often than we hear the word ‘YES’.’ Bob teaches my very favorite way to turn a ‘NO’ into a ‘YES.’ The next time you feel uncertain about asking for the sale try this, “Do you have any other questions before we start the paperwork?” It’s genius! No becomes yes, and yes brings out hidden objections. Either answer gets you closer to the sale.

Try it sometime, it really works.

As we continue to put the finishing touches on our Ultimate Referral Builder and Customer Satisfaction software, I have started making cold calls on Home Builder’s sales people. After engaging in a mix of successful and not so successful conversations, I remembered a sales tool from Dr. Tony Alessandra. He calls it the Platinum Rule. The golden rule tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated. The Platinum Rule says we should “Treat others the way that they want to be treated. After remembering Dr. Tony Alessandra’s advice I made my next few calls focusing on my prospects needs and communication style and not my own. Those calls were more enjoyable and productive. No matter who you are talking to, a prospect, wife, boss, or your Kids, using the Platinum Rule can make you more effective.

I was recently at a morning seminar on sales skills. The moderator brought up a great point. How do we break our prospective customers out of their natural pattern. The natural pattern he was referring to is a pattern that society has programmed into us. How many times have we gone into a retail store and been asked by the clerk “May I help you?” What is the most common response? “No I’m just looking.” I’m not the type of person that ‘looks’ for anything. When I go to a store I am there to buy. And yet, I find myself giving the same lame “No I’m just looking” response when I’m asked the same lame “May I help you question.”

How can we engage our prospective customers in a way that breaks them out of the normal ‘just looking’ pattern?

When I was a young lad selling running shoes, without any sales training, I came up with a way to break the pattern. When people came into my store, I would say “Hi!” Far from clever, but as I said, I was young and untrained. The interesting thing is that a few people would still respond with, “I’m just looking.” These individuals had fallen into a certain comfort level with that phrase and probably believed that I would just go away because ‘why would he bother me if I don’t plan to buy anything?’

I would respond with “That’s OK, I’m just saying hi and I’m here for you if you have any questions.” Again…not original, but it was enough to break many customers out of their pattern and also to break the ice. It helped me transition from ‘just looking’ into an engaged conversation.

As a professional salesperson my job is to engage people in conversation. In new home sales, prospective buyers are preprogrammed with three ‘leave-me-alone’ objections:

1. We are just looking at decorating ideas.
2. We just wanted to see the model.
3. (Still an old stand by) We are just looking.

How many people drive around on weekends from neighborhood to neighborhood to look at decorating ideas? And how fascinating could a model home be that I would take time away from my already cluttered schedule to visit? As a salesperson you have to assume the sale. They are there because they are looking for a new home. So how do you engage these standoffish prospects?

A strategy to engage:

1. Greet with a simple hello.
2. Acknowledge their desire to be left alone.
3. Let them know you want to help them accomplish this goal but that you want to make sure that they get the most out of their visit.
4. An easy question, “What else are trying to accomplish on your visit today?”

It’s amazing how much valuable information you can gather by breaking them out of their pattern, and changing the emphasis of their visit from your goals to their goals. At URBaCS we’re always interested in learning. If you have an effective way to engage customers please let us know.

The Harvard Business School recently posted a working paper outlining how customers that receive emailed grocery coupons will actually spend more money on groceries that they didn’t intend to buy. They go with a budget and then buy items that they normally wouldn’t buy otherwise.

Read it here: Mental Accounting and Small Windfalls: Evidence from an Online Grocer

We’ve seen this same play on human psychology work for homebuilders. ‘Buy today and get $20,000 in free options.’

How effective would this type of campaign be if paired with a personal referral? What if you received an email from your friend, John Smith, that said:

Sally,
I absolutely loved my homebuilding experience with Portman Homes. I know that you and Jim have talked about building a new home and I think you should consider them. If you are interested see the note below.

—
As a valued friend of John Smith you are entitled to $20,000 in free options on your next Portman Home. Simply bring in this referral code: #JSMITH02 and begin building your dream home today!
—

Sincerely,
John

Seth Godin has posted some interesting remarks comparing Viral Marketing and Word of Mouth.

Viral marketing [does not equal] word of mouth. Here’s why:

Word of mouth is a decaying function. A marketer does something and a consumer tells five or ten friends. And that’s it.

Viral marketing is a compounding function. A marketer does something and then a consumer tells five or ten people. Then then they tell five or ten people. And it repeats. And grows and grows. Like a virus spreading through a population.

Read Seth’s Blog: Is viral marketing the same as word of mouth?

The power of the Internet makes viral marketing easier than ever. Have you ever seen the Evolution of Dance video? Were you randomly googling a ‘man dancing’ or did someone send you a link or tell you to check it out? The video has been viewed roughly 100,000,000 times and has become a social pop-culture phenomenon.

Wouldn’t it be nice if growing your business was this easy?