Traveling

Gradine home today after another week traveling. The problem is - I love to travel. It really adds to my work load and I get even less sleep and most importantly I miss my family - but i love it. I have been asking myself why and think I know. Travel to me means learning new things (which I love to do) and something I love even more - meeting people. I love to meet new and build relationships with existing. That, to me, is what life is all about.
Well I need to get back to packing, then to the conference and then to the airport so i can get home. Have a great one!

ABC

Alway Be Closing!  This used to be the answer, and I guess it still could be, if you understand the game has changed.  It is not about screwing the customer and getting them to sign (see http://youtu.be/y-AXTx4PcKI which is the Alex Baldwin rant in Glengarry Glen Ross) to understand.  If you sell this way - you might get the steak knives :)!  But as one of my heros (Jeffrey Gitomer @gitomer) wrote about in one of his Sales Caffeine enewsletters - you need to engage and undestand what is motivating your client to buy.  As Jeffrey says - people don't want to be sold, they want to buy. 
I recently was in Chicago at some meetings for Ingram Micro (@IngramMicroInc) and had a little time between conferences (VTN and GovEd) so thought I would do a little shopping.  My wife was with me and took me to Nordstroms on East Grand Ave (@Nordstrom) .  I have never been there before and wasn't looking forward to it.  But they knew how to make the event almost fun and treated me like a king while doing it.  Are you doing this to your clients?  Do they enjoy working with you?  Or is it difficult and they work with you despite how they are treated?  Think about it and maybe analyze what is happens with each interaction.  It is easier to keep a client then to find a new prospect.
Just something to think about.

VTN Meeting

So Chicago for a full week with Ingram meetings.  First it was VTN and then GovEd.  Both meetings were full of great information, but more importantly connecting with people.  It was great reconnecting with old friends but it was also awesome to meet new.  The good things in life, to me, are the people that you meet along the way.  I love to sit and hear people's story - everyone has one and they are all interesting and a great way to connect with people.

Great Customer Service

I had lunch the other day at one of my favorite restaurants (Jimmy Johns - love that place).  When I went to pick up my order they had made the wrong sandwich.  When I said that was OK, I would eat whatever (I was hungry and wasting away) they grabbed it and remade it quickly, with smiles on their faces.  Is this what it is like at your company?  Or is more time spent on finding out who messed up and placing blame?  I am not saying that we shouldn't learn from our mistakes (I have learned A LOT) but what I am saying is make the customer happy and have the learning experience later.  You can trust that I will be back there again (OK would have been anyway, but I am blogging about it) and believe that customer service just isn't a motto for them, it is a way of life.