Can you sell without telling lies? I’ve been invited down to London to explore the possibility of taking part in a TV series for Channel 4 where apparently sales teams will be split in two and one half will sell stuff ‘aggressively’ and the other more ‘ethically’ (my phrase, not theirs - I think it means being ‘totally’ honest). The results will then be compared.

I think it’s fascinating. My automatic reaction was that I could only sell ‘ethically’, particularly as I firmly beleive that a key role of a sales person is to get customers to come back - it’s about developing a ‘relationship’. It’s relatively easy to sell a ‘one off’, but developing repeat business and word of mouth takes more skill. Surely, there are times when you have to say, ‘you’re right, this isn’t for you’.

Or am I being too niaive?

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Andy has been asked to be the speaker at a series of business seminars throughout Yorkshire and Humberside organised by Business Link Yorkshire in July and September. Due to funding from Business Link there is no charge for these events.

Andy will be leading these interactive seminars for local business leaders aimed at helping them look at their own competitiveness, their sales and marketing and their approach to customer care. Not a list of do’s and dont’s, but practical ideas to help create and sustain real competitive advantage.

       At this FREE seminar you’ll:

• Identify the barriers to ‘remarkable’ customer service in your business
• Generate ideas to create and sustain real competitve advantage
• Discover how to generate massive ‘word of mouth’ by delivering ‘exceptional’ customer experiences
• Learn how to create a real passion for customers at every level of your business
• Be inspired to take practical actions to make a ‘dramatic difference’ back in your workplace

Seminars will be held in Doncaster, Wakefield, Brigg, Hull, Sheffield, Scarborough, Huddersfield and Ripon.

Click here to go to Andy’s upcoming events page to find out about dates and venues or choose one of the links above. Click on the seminar you would like to attend and there will be the link to the Business Link Booking System for that event. There will be a buffet after all the seminars and time for questions and networking!

Andy’s really looking forward to ’spreading the ‘3D’ word’ and meeting a few old faces as well as new ones! Feel free to bring colleagues and customers. We look forward to seeing you there!!!

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Andy’s first ‘podcast’ is now available for download here or via iTunes subscription here

Podcast #1contains: Personal notes ‘work’; Make time for training; The 4P’s RIP; A book worth reading - Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin; An interview with branding ‘guru’, John Lyle; 15 ideas for keeping ‘devoted’ customers.

Related links for this podcast:

Jesmond Dene House Hotel and their Trip Advisor entry

My 4P’s RIP? article published on international management website insightory.com

Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin

John Lyle’s blog

Andy’s CompeteStore!

 

 Andy Hanselman Podcast No 1 [23:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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I’ve set up a ‘Thinking in 3D’ Facebook Group. Absolutely no idea whether it’s a good move, or a complete waste of time, but here goes.

Feel free to join (and contribute!). The aim is to link like minded people interested in sharing ideas on improving sales and marketing, creating and sustaining competitive advantage, maximising customer relationships, and all that stuff.

If that’s you, click here.

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Attended a great event last night organised by Sheffield Technology Parks. Andrew Barke of Google UK gave us an interesting insight into the ‘new’ world of business. I say ‘new’. My take on it was it’s not ‘new’, it’s ‘now’. You used to hear people talking about ‘an internet’ business. Not anymore. It’s just ‘a business’.

Andrew highlighted 5 key opportunities thay we should all be taking advantage of:

1. The falling cost of technology - we can all compete now!

2. Customer acquisition is now easier due to lower costs

3. Super niche businesses can now be viable (Read The Long Tail by Chris Anderson for more on this)

4. Shelf space is now unlimited - maximise it!

5. The Democratisation of information means we can all get access to it - so use it!

His key message was this: ‘There’s more choice, more competition and, importantly, more opportunities’.

The challenge for all of us of course is to maximise those opportunities.

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Andy has been asked to speak at the Insurance Institute of Newcastle Upon Tyne Annual Dinner in November. The event takes place at the Civic Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne on the 28th.

Please click here for more details about the Institute.

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Here’s a nice fun way of engaging with customers and providing a highly impactive business solution at the same time!

The Uk’s number one milk brand, Cravendale have helped eliminate that age old office problem about who makes the tea in the office!

Makethetea.com is a simple website that allows you to enter everyone in your team’s drink preferences and then randomly picks someone from the group to brew up when it’s tea break time! You can even rate the brewer once you’ve had your cuppa!

It nicely reinforces the brand… and provides a really useful tool too!!!

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“There is no teaching to compare with example”

                                                                                 Lord Baden Powell

Leadership is about role modelling and being a role model. It’s about ‘doing the right thing’ and being seen to be doing it. Transparency, accountability and empathy help build credibility, trust and ‘enagement’.

The UK’s politicians, by voting to throw out a series of reforms on their personal expenses have failed completely to demonstrate any form of leadership to the general voting public.

In a time of increasing inflation, economic hardship, consistently depressing financial news and calls for us to tighten our belts, many even attempted to vote for increased pay! It looks like greed and self interest across the whole political spectrum.

The result from voters? Some anger and frustration, but mostly I supect, ’apathy’ and ‘disengagement’.

This is leadership at its lamest.

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The Savvy Partnership are a Manchester and Yorkshire based marketing support and project management business that help organisations implement their marketing. They’ve come up with a lovely and very powerful idea - FREE FRIDAYS.

On fridays they provide FREE consultancy advice and support to new clients, particularly small businesses, start ups, charities and volunteer organisations. It’s a fantatstic way of giving something back and, I’m sure, creating new opportunities. 

“The concept of ‘giving something back’ is a powerful one for all of us at The Savvy Partnership’ said Barry Bassnett. ‘We have all been involved on a personal and business level with Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives for many years and Free Friday is perhaps our version of this. It’s about giving something back to the next generation of entrepreneurs and young business men and women”.

They say immitation is the greatest the greatest form of flattery (others simply say ’steal with pride’!). I love the concept - expect something similar from here soon!

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What do you stand for? What does your business stand for?  I don’t mean what products or services do you make or sell. I’m talking about what your business actually does, how it does it and importantly who does it do it for?

The world is full of ‘same as’ businesses selling the same things, employing the same people, doing the same things the businesses that stand out are usually at one of two ends of a continuum. As customers when choosing we’re likely to go for either the cheapest or the one that’s ‘remarkable’, ‘outstanding’ or the ‘Best’ (Every now and then we get both together, but not very often). In other words we don’t choose the ‘average’ or the ‘not bad’ because there’s simply no need to put up with that in this day and age.

This means that in a world of excess and incredible choice, the ‘safe’ ground of being ‘average’ is no longer a viable one if you really want to compete. The challenge therefore is about being the ‘Best’ and being known as the Best (or at least ‘One of the Best’).

But ‘The Best’ at what? This is where many businesses get it so wrong. Winning businesses choose a ‘position’. They clearly target customer groups and aim to be ‘THE one’ for those customers. Too many businesses try to be all things to all people. They’re ‘ok’ but not ‘brilliant’. The result is ‘blanding’, not ‘branding’.

One business that does this well (and some of you aren’t going to like this!) is Hooters, the restaurant chain that describes itself as ‘deliciously tacky yet unrefined’.

Continue Reading »

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