The Salesby5 Blog

Do you have a red flag mechanism in your company?  A way for people to pick up the red phone for an important call or press the red button to shut off the pumps?  A red flag/phone/button or anything else is an interesting idea in that it signifies that an important idea, problem or issue needs to be brought to light - NOW.  Having such a mechanism with the right team will help ensure that you and your team are seeing pressing problems right now versus at the end of the year during a review.  Take a look at how Jim Collins, of Good to Great fame, describes his red flag mechanism from his classroom and how Graniterock taught him about shortpay; a way for the customer to deduct a line item of a bill without prior consent from them.

photo by acaben

Core values are critical to the positive growth of your company. We even suggest that you put them on your walls in large print for everyone to see – your team, your vendors, and even your clients. Unlike other things in your life, core values are not a “set it and forget it” type of thing. Core values are a living and breathing aspect of your work life. They are easy to stray from when you make decisions without looking at them on a regular basis. So what can you do about this? Have a person to whom you can be accountable in your organization, and have them do the same with you. When a tough decision is coming up and you’re having trouble, you have someone to depend upon. Another benefit to this process is having a fresh set of eyes on an issue. They can help see it from a different angle that may help you remain squarely within the boundaries of the core values. What’s the next step? When you have successfully lived the core values, talk to your team about it. Tell everyone how there was a struggle in the decision making process, how you came together with your core values partner, and how you came to a conclusion within the core values. These stories further enforce the importance of the core values and make your organization a place that you can be proud of. Do you have a story to share about how you or a person in your company really lived the core values? Share with us in the comments.

photo by msmail

Yesterday we talked about how smart phones are going to hurt the un-sellers! We get remarks all the time about the term un-selling. Today we had a unique project that required selling the decision makers in our office building to attend a grand opening of a tenant conference room/lounge. The rudeness we encountered and the negative faces were beyond belief. It was actually a positive experience for us to be exposed to this, as it reinforced a common problem. Gatekeepers think the guy that walks in selling copier supplies is the enemy! Get real! These are humans. They may annoy you, but they are still people. Keep in mind, if you have gate keepers, they may often be rude or extreme un-sellers! Those people walking in the door might be influential one day. Those sales people talk, and if they are good, they influence others to do or not do business with you!

photo by neonbubble

Yesterday I visited a restaurant at 11am with my family, and we were the first to enter. Seven employees were at a table having a meeting and quickly dispersed. A few minutes later I realized that no one had said “hello”, “welcome”, or even made eye contact with me.  Ten minutes later, I attempted to talk to a few of them, and again, no feeling from them that we should talk. Fifteen minutes into my visit, I emailed the owner of the restaurant and told him about my visit. This was not one of the SalesBy5 secret shops we do on all of our clients and their competitors.  It was not for hire, but because I care. Today, employees and less than great customer service cannot hide. The owner of this business is warm and lights up every room he enters! He wants the same out of his team.  Our smart phones are putting pressure on the slackers! For you business owners that care: put your email on the door or on your menus. My prediction is that in a few years, a guy or girl at table 22 will complain to a manager in seconds, and perhaps to corporate.  It is time to get your acts together, as technology is not on the un-sellers side!

photo by Sean Dreilinger

In the last couple of months, a new restaurant has opened up near my house, Roaring Fork. This restaurant is part of several around the country that have proven to be successful. It is packed everyday by 5 PM and reservations are a must, sometimes days in advance. Each time I visit, we order “The Big Ass Burger.” It is an exceptional burger in a world that’s never at a loss for burgers. Every time I have ordered it, my burger has been delivered to my table overdone or black. Once, I sent a note to Barbara, the general manager, about this reoccurring problem. Every time, they take great care of me and re-cook me a burger that is less done. During my visit last week I asked for Barbara, who had written me a nice e-mail back telling me to please ask for her the next time I was in. This time I ordered a burger medium and it arrived well done. I asked for Barbara and told her about the burger.  She promptly went to talk to the chefs and then returned to comp a meal for three people. Upon my surprise, her response shocked me further. She said, “I know you want to eat here and are one of our great customers. I want you to come back and I have made changes with the chefs to keep this from happening again.” Then she thanked me for my business.

Since then, I have sent many people to “The Fork” and will continue to do so. Why? People, companies, and organizations are going to make mistakes.  The dramatic difference is in how you handle the mistakes.

Footnote: I am a giant burger fan. The two best burgers I have had anywhere are the Americana Gourmet Burger at Papouli’s Greek Grill and the Roaring Fork’s Big Ass Burger.

If what you sell has a great scent, let your customers smell it.
If what you sell has a great feel, let them feel it.
If what you sell has a great taste, let them taste it.
If what you sell has a great sound, let us hear it.
If what you sell looks great, let me see it.
If what you sell is fun, let me play with it.
If what you sell is fast, let me see how fast.
If what you sell is safe, let me see how safe.

So if you have a service or a product, unwrap it and let your potential customers (fill in the blank) with it. If it is a service that cleans carpet better show me what it will do! If you have great food, let us sample while we are in line or while we wait so we know what to get when we come back! You want us to come back right?

Here’s a great example.  The items below look like a pair of doors.  In fact, these are the Magnepan MG 20.1 speakers that run $12,500.  Many note these as some of the best speakers in the world, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at them.  Your potential customers may be thinking the same about your products and services too.

A story’s competition is a sales pitch. A sales pitch might catch someone’s attention, and if the timing is right, they can be successful. But a sales pitch does not attach itself to someone’s soul, or relate to someone’s troubles.

Great stories have heart. When you share your story or your company’s story, you can reach someone on a personal level. Every great, true story has ups and downs, trials, and victories. When you let someone in on the human element of your company, you can reach them on a deeper level and you’ll be remembered. People like to relate to stories; in a song, a movie, or a book. Why not tell yours, too? Let a potential customer, a blog reader, or a journalist hear your story!

Try telling your story instead of a sales pitch and let us know the results!

Man cannot live without story any more than he can live without bread.
- Dr. Warren Bennis

photo by marklarson

Welcome back for the continuation and ending of Trey’s week at Salesby5.  Here’s how it wrapped up…

So as if this brilliant team of people who came together to complement each other and create an amazingly successful business weren’t enough, Erik also set me up with jobs working for Magi Real Estate, with Louis Pisano and Ryan Harrison (two other brilliant businessmen). Louis showed me the importance of tenant satisfaction and how your attitude can sometimes be the deciding factor on whether your business is profitable or not. He deals primarily with tenant relations and was dazzling with the way he handled his clients. Ryan dealt more with actually finding potential tenants, and is without a doubt a genius among salesmen. He spoke to me with an encouraging and supportive tone and actually offered me an internship for the next summer! Whether that works out or not, I was so pleased that one of the top real estate brokers in San Antonio would consider me for an internship. Observing these great guys and discussing concepts of business with them was an incredible experience in itself. Thanks guys for all of your help, you both were great mentors.

Now for my biggest influence, my uncle Erik Darmstetter, the man that made all of this possible. After living with him and his beautiful family for an entire week and working with him on critiquing my situation in life, he has definitely become a role model for me. I cherish the time I get to spend with him and still wish I had a little pocket bobblehead Erik to carry around for advice, which everyone needs from time to time. Anyone that has met him can understand what I’m talking about. His energy is contagious and he encourages using strengths to guide people through work and life. He seems to have it all, from a successful business to a loving family, and for the simple reason that he loves helping people in need, he decided to share it with me. That is what I determine to be a great man. I try to model some parts of my life from him and give him credit for my newly found ambition for college and success. So thank you, Uncle Erik, Nan, Kya, Q, Ryan, Louis, and the family (Bubba, Devyn and my amazing aunt Ann) for giving me one of the most productive weeks of my life. I hope to someday return the favor.

So what are my plans for the future? I simply want to… “inspire.”

Trey completed his week-long internship at SalesBy5 this past Friday.  Here is the story in his words.

Two weeks ago, my parents would ask me about my plans for the future, concerning college and possible professions, and I would not be able to generate any sort of legitimate response. I was not aware of or concerned with anything besides my present situation. College seemed to me to be a cliché and a pain, which I was considering avoiding… until I had the opportunity to have an inspiring conversation with my uncle, Erik. I’ve always had a relationship with him, due to our family interactions, but never really sat down to talk with him. Within minutes of discussing my life with Erik, he recognized the struggle I was having with taking my life seriously. He then presented me with the opportunity of a lifetime; to come and intern at SalesBy5 for a week. At first, I was concerned I would be wasting a week of my summer to go work for free but after a little debate, I decided I needed the practice.

Immediately after walking into the SalesBy5 office, I was greeted from all directions by Erik and his amazing co-workers, Nan and Kya. Their personalities alone delivered a comfort level cool enough to relax someone going through hell. I was put to work instantly, doing productive things for the company that was surprisingly not mindless busy work (for instance, I was revising and editing client proposals). For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely accepted into an adult environment and I loved every minute of it. Not to mention that Nan hooked me up with an awesome BlackBerry, which I did not want to return when the time came. The SalesBy5 team welcomed me with open arms when I was in a frightening new environment. They introduced me to the concept of following your strengths and how to apply that to my life. Nan, who basically is the coolest computer whiz I have ever met, and his advice—not only on sales and marketing, but also life itself—were an essential part of my learning experience. And Kya was a huge part of the reason I was able to wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work; something the majority of adults would kill to feel. I never saw Kya without a bright smile on her face and something intelligent to say. Sarah rocks too and was very helpful. I didn’t get a ton of time with Sarah, or Q, as they refer to her, but she was equally as appealing as the rest of the crew and a great person to talk to. The SalesBy5 team has the ultimate mix of abilities and personalities that all truly successful businesses should be modeling after.

Come back tomorrow for the rest of his adventures and his wrap up of the week.

Trey and his cousin, Dylan

This was an email that our phenomenal intern, Bobby Freeman, wrote to Erik and us on his last day of service at Salesby5.  He was an amazing asset and we’d be fortunate to have him back.  Bobbs, you are missed.

This summer has been an inspiration to me, and I feel like you and the rest of the Salesby5 team have helped me grow on so many levels. It is amazing the incredible cast of team members you have assembled, and I feel blessed to have been a part of it, even for only a summer. This summer I learned that work and fun can co-exist, and that you can actually be more productive because of it. It is difficult for me to explain to others, and for them to simply understand that I enjoyed working and going to work every day. I can’t remember a day in the office when I was counting the minutes until I could leave, but rather was so confused by how it was 6:30 and I was still in the office. It is an odd feeling to be packing my stuff up and realizing that I will no longer be working for Salesby5. While I know that graduate school is the next step for me, it doesn’t make it any easier to leave a great and dramatically different company.

My Last Week in the Office Thoughts:

• I never realized every shirt I own is a shade of blue, maybe I should test the waters.
• Everyone is so happy because they love what they are doing here, and so do I.
• Grad School is going to be really boring after this!
• How does Nan know all this stuff?
• Erik could sell an Eskimo a snow cone if he got him on a conference call.
• It’s 4:30 in the morning and I am downloading the new Viigo Beta 3.0.111 for my BlackBerry. Has my life become an RSS Feed?
• I’m really going to miss these guys

Thanks Bobby! You inspired us too! It’s amazing to see how much you can impact someone’s life over the course of only two months.  Don’t be afraid to pull people in and let them become a part of your team, even if only for a short time.  Remarkable people always leave a place better than they found it.