I wore fur (faux of course!) to a Nascar race.
That's beside the point.
Have you been to a Nascar race?
Have you had a pit pass?
Hot or cold?
A few weeks ago, I was able to attend the Bank of America 500 race in Concord, North Carolina with a hot pass (THANK YOU Red Bull Racing and Brian Vickers!) and it was amazing. I never thought I would associate the word amazing with Nascar, but there is really no other way to explain the experience of a race - in the pits. Well maybe you could say exhilarating, loud, hot, entertaining, or friendly, OVERLY friendly.
That's right. Nascar is overly friendly. Not driver-to-driver (no, they want to leave skid marks on each other) but driver/race team to fan = overly friendly.
What does it take to be overly fan friendly?
It boils down to one KEY trait: Accessibility.
As I was walking out of the racetrack, I thought to myself (literally) that Nascar was the most fan friendly sport I have been to. And I have been to professional football, basketball, hockey, tennis, wrestling, wait - not wrestling, and baseball events. And while they are all great events, none of them top the fan friendliness of a hot pass for Nascar. The accessibility that a hot pass allows is to let a fan to be down in the pits through the entire race, to stand by the spare tires they so feverishly change during the pit stops. I touched the tires. I stood alongside the pit crew, the staff, and the girlfriend(s), as I watched in amazement at how, to them, a fan was a friend. There were no looks of annoyance, only looks of smiles and acceptance, allowing me to feel like I belonged, where so clearly, I did not. Duh - I do not know how to change tires!
How much access do you allow your fans (this would be your customers)?
How close do you let them get to the inter-workings of your business?
Do you let them revel in your success?
Do you allow them the right to look behind the curtain?
Are you fan friendly or fan unfavorable?
What does being accessible allow your customers to feel?
1. Important. When you allow your customers access to the inner workings of your business, it allows them to feel most important. It makes them feel trusted. And when a customer feels important and trusted by the people and business where they spend their money, they are going to spend more. They are going to remain loyal. They are going to tell others. Just like I did.
2. Connected. I felt connected, like I was part of the team, by simply being allowed to watch them work. How often do you allow your customers to see how your company works? Do you allow them to see you at your best? When you do, they feel connected to your business. Connection is nearly as important as feeling important, when a customer feels connected, or a connection, they will want to share this connection with others. What are you doing to connect with your customers?
3. Amazed. Amazement is often lost in the world these days. The only people who have amazement in their life on a regular basis are children. Why shouldn't you and your customers feel this way? Now, while your company may not be as exciting and amazing as watching a ten second pit stop, I bet there is something that you are doing that is amazing and exciting, why wouldn't you allow your customers in on it?
Isn't this how you want all of your fans to feel? Important? Connected? Amazed?
YES!
So, begin taking steps to be more fan friendly for your customers. They will more than appreciate it - they will be a fan for life, your fan for life.
Want to see a picture of me at the race (fur and all)? Visit my Sales Barista Facebook Page.
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
Showing posts with label YES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YES. Show all posts
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
I Want Super, Not Visor
"Tell the customers to hold on, I need you to go to gate 28."
That's what I heard come across the walkie-talkie as I stood there in disbelief, across the gate counter, while attempting to board an earlier flight from San Francisco to Charlotte. And then she ran away!
Pauline, the supervisor for US Airways, just ran away. No words, no motions, no acknowledgement. No nothing. She just ran off to gate 28, leaving me to ponder: How was Pauline a supervisor?
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior employees.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior positive attitude.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior customer service.
Pauline was not super.
Pauline was only a visor.
I had just facilitated three full-day YES! Attitude trainings earlier that week, so my sense of YES! was at full force. From the moment I walked into SFO, I was greeted with US Airways employees (Nora, Jean, and Pauline) who were full of won't, can't, will not, don't wanna, don't care.
In the YES! course I teach how to start with what CAN be done, not what you can't.
Newsflash - customers don't want to hear about all the ways you can't help them, or your company policies (which, by the way, only tick us off more), or anything else that you are trained to say that ISN'T about being friendly and helpful.
Newsflash - customers want people who understand how to be human and treat them as they would want to be treated. Yes, everything we ever needed to learn about being a good person, a positive person, a helpful person, we gleaned from our mothers and kindergarten.
Newsflash - when a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, they are most likely not happy (when was the last time you asked for a supervisor to praise their employee?). If I'm seeking out a supervisor it's probably because the employee I was working with wasn't too super and I'm hoping you will be superior and super.
What does it take to be a superior supervisor?
1. Focus On The Super. The definition of super is to be very good or pleasant; excellent. I love that the word pleasant is in the definition. So infrequently people realize that friendly trumps nearly anything. Be nice to me and you win. Be helpful with me and you win. Be accommodating instead of combative and YOU WIN. To focus on the super, you have to be excellent in attitude, friendly, service, and communicating.
2. Avoid The Visor. The definition of a visor is a shield or protection of the face and eyes. Most supervisors focus solely on the visor part of their title. They are a shield or protector of their company, NOT the customer. They are the person who follows all policies that are not helpful. They are masterful at telling you can't and won't instead of being 'can do'. Personally, I've never like visors, they aren't a good fashion accessory. And I definitely don't think that a visor is a good leadership accessory.
3. Teach What's Right. Sounds so easy, yet many companies and leaders, struggle to convey and empower their employees to simply do what's right. Our day at SFO started out at a ticket counter where Nora refused to check me into an earlier flight because it was 10:29 and the flight was at 11:05. HOWEVER, their company policy is that it can't be less than thirty minutes to take off. Math may not have been my favorite subject, but I would say I had a good SIX minutes left before the cut-off. Nora didn't care. She didn't care about policy or the customer. Her supervisor struck out. Maybe Nora had not been taught to be nice, to care, or to understand that the company’s policy was thirty minutes, not thirty-six minutes before take off.
What would Nora and Pauline's mothers say about their actions?
What would your mother say about your actions and interactions with your customers? Would she say you are super? Would she say you are a visor?
I'm betting she would say you are super (that's what mothers do), but would your customers?
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
That's what I heard come across the walkie-talkie as I stood there in disbelief, across the gate counter, while attempting to board an earlier flight from San Francisco to Charlotte. And then she ran away!
Pauline, the supervisor for US Airways, just ran away. No words, no motions, no acknowledgement. No nothing. She just ran off to gate 28, leaving me to ponder: How was Pauline a supervisor?
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior employees.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior positive attitude.
Pauline was not a supervisor of superior customer service.
Pauline was not super.
Pauline was only a visor.
I had just facilitated three full-day YES! Attitude trainings earlier that week, so my sense of YES! was at full force. From the moment I walked into SFO, I was greeted with US Airways employees (Nora, Jean, and Pauline) who were full of won't, can't, will not, don't wanna, don't care.
In the YES! course I teach how to start with what CAN be done, not what you can't.
Newsflash - customers don't want to hear about all the ways you can't help them, or your company policies (which, by the way, only tick us off more), or anything else that you are trained to say that ISN'T about being friendly and helpful.
Newsflash - customers want people who understand how to be human and treat them as they would want to be treated. Yes, everything we ever needed to learn about being a good person, a positive person, a helpful person, we gleaned from our mothers and kindergarten.
Newsflash - when a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, they are most likely not happy (when was the last time you asked for a supervisor to praise their employee?). If I'm seeking out a supervisor it's probably because the employee I was working with wasn't too super and I'm hoping you will be superior and super.
What does it take to be a superior supervisor?
1. Focus On The Super. The definition of super is to be very good or pleasant; excellent. I love that the word pleasant is in the definition. So infrequently people realize that friendly trumps nearly anything. Be nice to me and you win. Be helpful with me and you win. Be accommodating instead of combative and YOU WIN. To focus on the super, you have to be excellent in attitude, friendly, service, and communicating.
2. Avoid The Visor. The definition of a visor is a shield or protection of the face and eyes. Most supervisors focus solely on the visor part of their title. They are a shield or protector of their company, NOT the customer. They are the person who follows all policies that are not helpful. They are masterful at telling you can't and won't instead of being 'can do'. Personally, I've never like visors, they aren't a good fashion accessory. And I definitely don't think that a visor is a good leadership accessory.
3. Teach What's Right. Sounds so easy, yet many companies and leaders, struggle to convey and empower their employees to simply do what's right. Our day at SFO started out at a ticket counter where Nora refused to check me into an earlier flight because it was 10:29 and the flight was at 11:05. HOWEVER, their company policy is that it can't be less than thirty minutes to take off. Math may not have been my favorite subject, but I would say I had a good SIX minutes left before the cut-off. Nora didn't care. She didn't care about policy or the customer. Her supervisor struck out. Maybe Nora had not been taught to be nice, to care, or to understand that the company’s policy was thirty minutes, not thirty-six minutes before take off.
What would Nora and Pauline's mothers say about their actions?
What would your mother say about your actions and interactions with your customers? Would she say you are super? Would she say you are a visor?
I'm betting she would say you are super (that's what mothers do), but would your customers?
I'm your Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista. How may I help you help yourself?
Stephanie Melish, one of the few, hand-selected, Gitomer-Certified Speakers is the ONLY Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista in the world! Stephanie trains, sells, and speaks to companies and associations all over the country. To book Stephanie for your next event, please visit www.GitomerCertified.com or contact the friendly folks at Buy Gitomer via email or by calling 704-333-1112.
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