The Heartof the Matter · out a classic sales experience, assigning one staff member the role of...
9
Integrity selling is key to powerful, long-lasting success. by Katie Roberts The Heart The Heart of the Matter of the Matter page 54 VOWS: May/June 2015 Strategies: Selling A s long as bridal stores have been in business, customers have been talking about them. Before online reviews, message boards, chat rooms, and other ways to discuss and critique a shopping experi- ence became the norm, people relied upon sharing news (good or bad) in offline, traditional ways. And although the effect of a bride verbally telling her friends about a store’s lack of integrity could no doubt be powerful, it rarely had the exponential impact that such a remark could have today if posted online for her extended network of social-media friends – and virtually any- one else in the world – to see. So while integrity in sales has always been important, “today’s business brand is at the mercy of integrity selling,” says Chris Lott, a national sales team strate- gist, trainer and author of “Salesblog!” and the “totallysales™” playbook (http://www.lottspace.com). “You can advertise that you have a customer’s best interest in mind but, at the end of the day, it must be proven. Social media and Internet resources can root out quickly if integrity with employees and selling is actually happening. Your busi- ness brand representing integrity is everything for long-term success.” But what exactly does integrity sell- ing mean? In the simplest of terms, it’s selling by genuinely caring about your customers. It’s using your heart and honoring customers by committing to do right by them. It’s also goal-achieved through the practice of certain mindsets and habits that, rooted in good morals, cultivate healthy, honest relationships with your customers. At the same time, integrity selling is a personalized process that when expertly executed builds trust. This, as you know, is the key to securing solid connections with customers, par- ticularly those making emotionally charged purchasing decisions such as a wedding gown for their extraordinarily important day. With those connections made, how- ever, integrity selling must then go one “Today’s business brand is at the mercy of integrity selling.”
Transcript of The Heartof the Matter · out a classic sales experience, assigning one staff member the role of...
Integrity selling is key to powerful long-lasting success
by Katie Roberts
The HeartThe Heartof the Matterof the Matter
page 54 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling
As long as bridal stores have beenin business customers have beentalking about them
Before online reviews messageboards chat rooms and other ways todiscuss and critique a shopping experi-ence became the norm people reliedupon sharing news (good or bad) inoffline traditional ways And althoughthe effect of a bride verbally telling herfriends about a storersquos lack of integritycould no doubt be powerful it rarelyhad the exponential impact that such aremark could have today if postedonline for her extended network ofsocial-media friends ndash and virtually any-one else in the world ndash to see So while integrity in sales has alwaysbeen important ldquotodayrsquos business brandis at the mercy of integrity sellingrdquo says
Chris Lott a national sales team strate-gist trainer and author of ldquoSalesblogrdquoand the ldquototallysalestraderdquo playbook(httpwwwlottspacecom) ldquoYou canadvertise that you have a customerrsquosbest interest in mind but at the end ofthe day it must be proven Social mediaand Internet resources can root outquickly if integrity with employees andselling is actually happening Your busi-ness brand representing integrity iseverything for long-term successrdquo But what exactly does integrity sell-
ing mean In the simplest of terms itrsquosselling by genuinely caring about yourcustomers Itrsquos using your heart andhonoring customers by committing todo right by them Itrsquos also goal-achieved through thepractice of certain mindsets and habitsthat rooted in good morals cultivatehealthy honest relationships with yourcustomers At the same time integrityselling is a personalized process thatwhen expertly executed builds trustThis as you know is the key to securingsolid connections with customers par-ticularly those making emotionallycharged purchasing decisions such as awedding gown for their extraordinarilyimportant day With those connections made how-ever integrity selling must then go one
ldquoTodayrsquos business brandis at the mercy of integrity
sellingrdquo
step farther and be used to help some-one Because although people do buyfrom people they like ldquojust becausesomeone likes you doesnrsquot meantheyrsquore going to buy from yourdquo says PaulCherry foundermanaging partner ofsales training and management firmPerformance-Based Results(wwwpbresultscom) and author ofldquoQuestions That Get Resultsrdquo (Wiley2010) After all ldquoyou have friends you likebut that doesnrsquot mean yoursquore going tobuy something from themrdquo he says In todayrsquos world while researchshows that building relationships andemotional connections are essential toa positive selling experience itrsquos integri-ty selling that really drives the successhe says Integrity selling means yourbrand consistently provides authenticsupport and the right solutions whichmust be rooted in a genuine care forcustomers As a bridal retailer your goal assomeone who practices integrity sellingis to build fans not just in the shortterm but over the course of manyyears Itrsquos all part of establishing and sus-
taining a positive reputation and ensur-ing your peace of mind Here are sometips
Learn what your customer reallywants ldquoThe quickest easiest way to dothis is to ask good open-ended ques-tionsrdquo says personal development train-erspeaker Andrea Waltz who co-ownsCourage Crafters (wwwcourage-crafterscom) is the co-author of manybooks including ldquoGo for Nordquo Yes is theDestination No is How You Get Thererdquo(Courage Crafters 2007)
ldquoClarify anything that is confusing oris lacking in detailrdquo Waltz says ldquoForexample if the customer wants laceclarify that How much lace WhereThen the key is to link what the cus-tomer told you to what you are show-ing That demonstrates the integrity ofbeing a good sales consultant A sales-person can further that by offering theirown personal opinion when appropri-aterdquo
In addition this opens the door forthe consultant to demonstrate uniqueexpertise solutions ideas etc
Use good listening skills Itrsquos hard toknow what your customer wants ifyoursquore doing most of the talking A goodrule of thumb is to let the customer talk80 percent of the time while you askquestions or provide feedback or othertypes of conversation 20 percent of thetime Practice this incorporating this exer-cise into your weekly staff training Forexample ask your staff members to actout a classic sales experience assigningone staff member the role of the brideand another sales associate Donrsquot tellthem initially what the purpose of theexercise is so they act it out as naturallyas possible Video the role-playing thenplay it back to everyone and examinewhat percent of the time the sales asso-ciate talked versus the bride Use this todemonstrate that 8020 rule highlightgood listening skills and outline any cor-rective actions that could be taken
Keep the focus away from your needs
page 56 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Everything should remain
customer-focusedhelping to fill a need
As a business owner manager oremployee itrsquos important to rememberthat if integrity selling is about genuinecare for your customers then thatmeans not coming across to customersas if your time money energy or otherresources matter more than they do No doubt itrsquos true that your bottomline matters After all if you donrsquot meetyour basic business needs it will beimpossible to remain open to cus-tomers However itrsquos equally true that ifcustomers get a whiff of anything thatsmells like they donrsquot matter then theyrsquollgo elsewhere ndash and quite possiblyshare on their favorite social-media sitesor through online business reviews whythey did ldquoIf they feel yoursquore too caught upabout your needs versus their needs asa customer thatrsquos a killerrdquo Cherry says This includes communicating thatyour time energy or money (amongother things) means more which is thefastest way to turn a shopping experi-ence of remarkable value into onethatrsquos merely a commodity he says For example even if yoursquore ldquotoo will-ing to negotiate or drop a price that
demonstrates that yoursquove got nothingof real value to give share or convey tothe customer Then the customer willpick up that the purchase is really just atransaction just about price whichdestroys the integrity of the experi-encerdquo he says
Avoid a one-shoe-fits-all approachldquoSome retailers have programs thatarenrsquot inline with a consultative sellingapproachrdquo Waltz says ldquoFor example inthe shoe industry one retailer had alsquoshoe of the dayrsquo program Every consul-tant was expected to show the lsquoshoe ofthe dayrsquo If selling flats to an older femalethey would show the lsquoshoe of the dayrsquoeven if it was a black stiletto heel Thatrsquosall about the storersquos mission to sellproduct and not about helping a cus-tomer fill a need So the advice and thewarning is to avoid instituting programsthat are not a win-win and customer-focusedrdquo In the bridal arena that example
might translate to a retailer who offersspiffs to brides who sell a certain line ofhigh-margin gowns While that can bemotivating for staff whom does it trulybenefit Itrsquos something to carefully thinkthrough because such a spiff programcould create an environment in whichbrides may be repeatedly shown gownsthat arenrsquot dresses they want but whatthe consultants feel they must showAlso consider that if one consultantfeels that selling approach lacks integritywhile others have no issue with it thismotivational tactic could create dissentamong your team and even lead to lowmorale One solution might be to offervarious ways to give spiffs so consul-tants feel they have choices about whatthey offer their brides eliminating theneed to push any product on a bride
Practice regular honest communica-tion ldquoAfter the purchase whatever thetimeline is regarding alterations pick upetc that must be strictly adhered tordquoWaltz says Fulfilling commitments and keepingpromises can go a long way towardmaintaining integrity in sellingThat said
page 58 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling If something goes wrong
communicate the problemhonestly and instantly
sometimes problems with meeting atimeline arise ndash and therersquos nothing youcan do about it but be honest and quickabout whatrsquos going on and how yoursquoreaddressing it Usually ldquocustomers donrsquot lose confi-dence because things go wrong ndash theylose confidence when they donrsquotreceive open and honest communica-tion about those thingsrdquo she says ldquoSo ifa salon (owner) has an issue communi-cating to the customer as soon as pos-sible (ideally with a solution) is the wayto maintain the relationship and hisherown integrityrdquo
Establish expectations upfront Itrsquos eas-ier to maintain regular honest commu-nication if expectations about the sellingexperience are discussed at the begin-ning of the process While these rulesclearly set boundaries on behalf of theretailer they also protect the customeronce again demonstrating that thebrand is committed to supporting andcaring for customersrsquo needs
Cherry says these expectationsshould be communicated to demon-strate how you are ldquoensuring your cus-tomers get the right experience Itrsquosabout what you expect from customersand what the customers expect fromyou in terms of how you will meet theirneedsrdquo Such expectations can be communi-cated effectively professionally and tact-fully in person through written con-tracts and other paper records on in-store marketing materials or handoutsand certainly on your website
Push integrity down into the teamWhen it comes to integrity selling andmaking sure itrsquos upheld in your work-place culture ldquoyour team members areyour brand ambassadorsrdquo saysDarnyelle A Jervey CEO of the busi-ness and entrepreneur coaching firmIncredible One Enterprises(wwwincredibleoneenterprisescom)and author of seven books includingldquoBurn the Box 7 Breakthrough Strategiesfor Standing Up Stepping In and Igniting
wwwredcrossorg
1-800 help now
page 60 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Donrsquot promise something
you canrsquot deliver or try to besomeone yoursquore not
Successrdquo (Incredible Factor Publicationsreleasing July 2015) ldquoThey will eitherhelp or hinder your brand You shouldbe clear about the brand of your busi-ness and ensure each member exudesit dailyrdquo This includes making sure what yourpeople say and do in front of cus-tomers as well as when beyondearshot supports integrity at all timesItrsquos one thing to vent about a customeror talk about a problem thatrsquos come upwith someone but itrsquos another thing toallow gossip and other maliciousunprofessional types of talk about cus-tomers to infiltrate your workplaceOne careless slipup can wreak havocfor everyone and the brand
Of course the odds that your staffwill uphold integrity go up if you upholdit too Lott adds Yoursquove got to lead byexample setting and following the writ-ten and unwritten rules you want otherteam members to follow ldquoThe owner has the ultimateresponsibility for integrity sellingrdquo andneeds to be the example with cus-tomers and employees he says ldquoThebusiness owner needs to embody aclear message to all employees aboutintegrity Reinforcing an ongoing com-mitment to integrity selling (pre and
post sales) is not only necessary butcrucial to business survival in todayrsquoscompetitive environmentrdquo
Know your limits As nurturing andprofessional as you may be itrsquos not easyto maintain a sense of caring all thetime Even the most passionate businessowners have days when theyrsquore tiredstressed simply not on their game orfeel disenchanted by a particular cus-tomer Itrsquos OK ndash yoursquore human But yourbrand is not and it needs to uphold thatimage of extraordinary care for its cus-tomers
So come up with ways to managethings when yoursquore not able to care asmuch as yoursquod like or want This couldbe as simple as taking a three-minutebreak in the bathroom to deep breatheand regroup Or it may mean you find away to seamlessly reassign your cus-tomer to another consultant Part ofmanaging your business effectively isrecognizing and learning how to honoryour limits If you try to do somethingyou canrsquot or be someone you are notyou can uphold neither honest relation-ships nor selling integrity If you think about it integrity sellingcan come into play with practicallyevery selling move you make Prove youcare about your customer in how youmarket to her get to know her meetand fulfill her needs and even exceedexpectations long after her weddingday and yoursquoll have a fan ndash likely for life Whether or not yoursquove givenldquointegrity sellingrdquo much thought or cre-dence in the past realize therersquos noquestion that itrsquos a powerful aspect toyour business Not only can it differenti-ate your brand from others in yourmarket but it can also shape yourstorersquos success daily and over thecourse of many years to come As Lott sums up integrity sellingboils down to this ldquoI need to sleep atnight I am looking for the long-termrelationship not just the quick sale Iwant to know that when I meet a pre-vious customer in the grocery store Iwill not have to duck behind an aisleout of embarrassmentrdquo Integrity selling is genuinely caringabout your customers Most important-ly itrsquos about doing whatrsquos right
page 62 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Show that you truly care
about customers throughactions and words
step farther and be used to help some-one Because although people do buyfrom people they like ldquojust becausesomeone likes you doesnrsquot meantheyrsquore going to buy from yourdquo says PaulCherry foundermanaging partner ofsales training and management firmPerformance-Based Results(wwwpbresultscom) and author ofldquoQuestions That Get Resultsrdquo (Wiley2010) After all ldquoyou have friends you likebut that doesnrsquot mean yoursquore going tobuy something from themrdquo he says In todayrsquos world while researchshows that building relationships andemotional connections are essential toa positive selling experience itrsquos integri-ty selling that really drives the successhe says Integrity selling means yourbrand consistently provides authenticsupport and the right solutions whichmust be rooted in a genuine care forcustomers As a bridal retailer your goal assomeone who practices integrity sellingis to build fans not just in the shortterm but over the course of manyyears Itrsquos all part of establishing and sus-
taining a positive reputation and ensur-ing your peace of mind Here are sometips
Learn what your customer reallywants ldquoThe quickest easiest way to dothis is to ask good open-ended ques-tionsrdquo says personal development train-erspeaker Andrea Waltz who co-ownsCourage Crafters (wwwcourage-crafterscom) is the co-author of manybooks including ldquoGo for Nordquo Yes is theDestination No is How You Get Thererdquo(Courage Crafters 2007)
ldquoClarify anything that is confusing oris lacking in detailrdquo Waltz says ldquoForexample if the customer wants laceclarify that How much lace WhereThen the key is to link what the cus-tomer told you to what you are show-ing That demonstrates the integrity ofbeing a good sales consultant A sales-person can further that by offering theirown personal opinion when appropri-aterdquo
In addition this opens the door forthe consultant to demonstrate uniqueexpertise solutions ideas etc
Use good listening skills Itrsquos hard toknow what your customer wants ifyoursquore doing most of the talking A goodrule of thumb is to let the customer talk80 percent of the time while you askquestions or provide feedback or othertypes of conversation 20 percent of thetime Practice this incorporating this exer-cise into your weekly staff training Forexample ask your staff members to actout a classic sales experience assigningone staff member the role of the brideand another sales associate Donrsquot tellthem initially what the purpose of theexercise is so they act it out as naturallyas possible Video the role-playing thenplay it back to everyone and examinewhat percent of the time the sales asso-ciate talked versus the bride Use this todemonstrate that 8020 rule highlightgood listening skills and outline any cor-rective actions that could be taken
Keep the focus away from your needs
page 56 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Everything should remain
customer-focusedhelping to fill a need
As a business owner manager oremployee itrsquos important to rememberthat if integrity selling is about genuinecare for your customers then thatmeans not coming across to customersas if your time money energy or otherresources matter more than they do No doubt itrsquos true that your bottomline matters After all if you donrsquot meetyour basic business needs it will beimpossible to remain open to cus-tomers However itrsquos equally true that ifcustomers get a whiff of anything thatsmells like they donrsquot matter then theyrsquollgo elsewhere ndash and quite possiblyshare on their favorite social-media sitesor through online business reviews whythey did ldquoIf they feel yoursquore too caught upabout your needs versus their needs asa customer thatrsquos a killerrdquo Cherry says This includes communicating thatyour time energy or money (amongother things) means more which is thefastest way to turn a shopping experi-ence of remarkable value into onethatrsquos merely a commodity he says For example even if yoursquore ldquotoo will-ing to negotiate or drop a price that
demonstrates that yoursquove got nothingof real value to give share or convey tothe customer Then the customer willpick up that the purchase is really just atransaction just about price whichdestroys the integrity of the experi-encerdquo he says
Avoid a one-shoe-fits-all approachldquoSome retailers have programs thatarenrsquot inline with a consultative sellingapproachrdquo Waltz says ldquoFor example inthe shoe industry one retailer had alsquoshoe of the dayrsquo program Every consul-tant was expected to show the lsquoshoe ofthe dayrsquo If selling flats to an older femalethey would show the lsquoshoe of the dayrsquoeven if it was a black stiletto heel Thatrsquosall about the storersquos mission to sellproduct and not about helping a cus-tomer fill a need So the advice and thewarning is to avoid instituting programsthat are not a win-win and customer-focusedrdquo In the bridal arena that example
might translate to a retailer who offersspiffs to brides who sell a certain line ofhigh-margin gowns While that can bemotivating for staff whom does it trulybenefit Itrsquos something to carefully thinkthrough because such a spiff programcould create an environment in whichbrides may be repeatedly shown gownsthat arenrsquot dresses they want but whatthe consultants feel they must showAlso consider that if one consultantfeels that selling approach lacks integritywhile others have no issue with it thismotivational tactic could create dissentamong your team and even lead to lowmorale One solution might be to offervarious ways to give spiffs so consul-tants feel they have choices about whatthey offer their brides eliminating theneed to push any product on a bride
Practice regular honest communica-tion ldquoAfter the purchase whatever thetimeline is regarding alterations pick upetc that must be strictly adhered tordquoWaltz says Fulfilling commitments and keepingpromises can go a long way towardmaintaining integrity in sellingThat said
page 58 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling If something goes wrong
communicate the problemhonestly and instantly
sometimes problems with meeting atimeline arise ndash and therersquos nothing youcan do about it but be honest and quickabout whatrsquos going on and how yoursquoreaddressing it Usually ldquocustomers donrsquot lose confi-dence because things go wrong ndash theylose confidence when they donrsquotreceive open and honest communica-tion about those thingsrdquo she says ldquoSo ifa salon (owner) has an issue communi-cating to the customer as soon as pos-sible (ideally with a solution) is the wayto maintain the relationship and hisherown integrityrdquo
Establish expectations upfront Itrsquos eas-ier to maintain regular honest commu-nication if expectations about the sellingexperience are discussed at the begin-ning of the process While these rulesclearly set boundaries on behalf of theretailer they also protect the customeronce again demonstrating that thebrand is committed to supporting andcaring for customersrsquo needs
Cherry says these expectationsshould be communicated to demon-strate how you are ldquoensuring your cus-tomers get the right experience Itrsquosabout what you expect from customersand what the customers expect fromyou in terms of how you will meet theirneedsrdquo Such expectations can be communi-cated effectively professionally and tact-fully in person through written con-tracts and other paper records on in-store marketing materials or handoutsand certainly on your website
Push integrity down into the teamWhen it comes to integrity selling andmaking sure itrsquos upheld in your work-place culture ldquoyour team members areyour brand ambassadorsrdquo saysDarnyelle A Jervey CEO of the busi-ness and entrepreneur coaching firmIncredible One Enterprises(wwwincredibleoneenterprisescom)and author of seven books includingldquoBurn the Box 7 Breakthrough Strategiesfor Standing Up Stepping In and Igniting
wwwredcrossorg
1-800 help now
page 60 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Donrsquot promise something
you canrsquot deliver or try to besomeone yoursquore not
Successrdquo (Incredible Factor Publicationsreleasing July 2015) ldquoThey will eitherhelp or hinder your brand You shouldbe clear about the brand of your busi-ness and ensure each member exudesit dailyrdquo This includes making sure what yourpeople say and do in front of cus-tomers as well as when beyondearshot supports integrity at all timesItrsquos one thing to vent about a customeror talk about a problem thatrsquos come upwith someone but itrsquos another thing toallow gossip and other maliciousunprofessional types of talk about cus-tomers to infiltrate your workplaceOne careless slipup can wreak havocfor everyone and the brand
Of course the odds that your staffwill uphold integrity go up if you upholdit too Lott adds Yoursquove got to lead byexample setting and following the writ-ten and unwritten rules you want otherteam members to follow ldquoThe owner has the ultimateresponsibility for integrity sellingrdquo andneeds to be the example with cus-tomers and employees he says ldquoThebusiness owner needs to embody aclear message to all employees aboutintegrity Reinforcing an ongoing com-mitment to integrity selling (pre and
post sales) is not only necessary butcrucial to business survival in todayrsquoscompetitive environmentrdquo
Know your limits As nurturing andprofessional as you may be itrsquos not easyto maintain a sense of caring all thetime Even the most passionate businessowners have days when theyrsquore tiredstressed simply not on their game orfeel disenchanted by a particular cus-tomer Itrsquos OK ndash yoursquore human But yourbrand is not and it needs to uphold thatimage of extraordinary care for its cus-tomers
So come up with ways to managethings when yoursquore not able to care asmuch as yoursquod like or want This couldbe as simple as taking a three-minutebreak in the bathroom to deep breatheand regroup Or it may mean you find away to seamlessly reassign your cus-tomer to another consultant Part ofmanaging your business effectively isrecognizing and learning how to honoryour limits If you try to do somethingyou canrsquot or be someone you are notyou can uphold neither honest relation-ships nor selling integrity If you think about it integrity sellingcan come into play with practicallyevery selling move you make Prove youcare about your customer in how youmarket to her get to know her meetand fulfill her needs and even exceedexpectations long after her weddingday and yoursquoll have a fan ndash likely for life Whether or not yoursquove givenldquointegrity sellingrdquo much thought or cre-dence in the past realize therersquos noquestion that itrsquos a powerful aspect toyour business Not only can it differenti-ate your brand from others in yourmarket but it can also shape yourstorersquos success daily and over thecourse of many years to come As Lott sums up integrity sellingboils down to this ldquoI need to sleep atnight I am looking for the long-termrelationship not just the quick sale Iwant to know that when I meet a pre-vious customer in the grocery store Iwill not have to duck behind an aisleout of embarrassmentrdquo Integrity selling is genuinely caringabout your customers Most important-ly itrsquos about doing whatrsquos right
page 62 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Show that you truly care
about customers throughactions and words
As a business owner manager oremployee itrsquos important to rememberthat if integrity selling is about genuinecare for your customers then thatmeans not coming across to customersas if your time money energy or otherresources matter more than they do No doubt itrsquos true that your bottomline matters After all if you donrsquot meetyour basic business needs it will beimpossible to remain open to cus-tomers However itrsquos equally true that ifcustomers get a whiff of anything thatsmells like they donrsquot matter then theyrsquollgo elsewhere ndash and quite possiblyshare on their favorite social-media sitesor through online business reviews whythey did ldquoIf they feel yoursquore too caught upabout your needs versus their needs asa customer thatrsquos a killerrdquo Cherry says This includes communicating thatyour time energy or money (amongother things) means more which is thefastest way to turn a shopping experi-ence of remarkable value into onethatrsquos merely a commodity he says For example even if yoursquore ldquotoo will-ing to negotiate or drop a price that
demonstrates that yoursquove got nothingof real value to give share or convey tothe customer Then the customer willpick up that the purchase is really just atransaction just about price whichdestroys the integrity of the experi-encerdquo he says
Avoid a one-shoe-fits-all approachldquoSome retailers have programs thatarenrsquot inline with a consultative sellingapproachrdquo Waltz says ldquoFor example inthe shoe industry one retailer had alsquoshoe of the dayrsquo program Every consul-tant was expected to show the lsquoshoe ofthe dayrsquo If selling flats to an older femalethey would show the lsquoshoe of the dayrsquoeven if it was a black stiletto heel Thatrsquosall about the storersquos mission to sellproduct and not about helping a cus-tomer fill a need So the advice and thewarning is to avoid instituting programsthat are not a win-win and customer-focusedrdquo In the bridal arena that example
might translate to a retailer who offersspiffs to brides who sell a certain line ofhigh-margin gowns While that can bemotivating for staff whom does it trulybenefit Itrsquos something to carefully thinkthrough because such a spiff programcould create an environment in whichbrides may be repeatedly shown gownsthat arenrsquot dresses they want but whatthe consultants feel they must showAlso consider that if one consultantfeels that selling approach lacks integritywhile others have no issue with it thismotivational tactic could create dissentamong your team and even lead to lowmorale One solution might be to offervarious ways to give spiffs so consul-tants feel they have choices about whatthey offer their brides eliminating theneed to push any product on a bride
Practice regular honest communica-tion ldquoAfter the purchase whatever thetimeline is regarding alterations pick upetc that must be strictly adhered tordquoWaltz says Fulfilling commitments and keepingpromises can go a long way towardmaintaining integrity in sellingThat said
page 58 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling If something goes wrong
communicate the problemhonestly and instantly
sometimes problems with meeting atimeline arise ndash and therersquos nothing youcan do about it but be honest and quickabout whatrsquos going on and how yoursquoreaddressing it Usually ldquocustomers donrsquot lose confi-dence because things go wrong ndash theylose confidence when they donrsquotreceive open and honest communica-tion about those thingsrdquo she says ldquoSo ifa salon (owner) has an issue communi-cating to the customer as soon as pos-sible (ideally with a solution) is the wayto maintain the relationship and hisherown integrityrdquo
Establish expectations upfront Itrsquos eas-ier to maintain regular honest commu-nication if expectations about the sellingexperience are discussed at the begin-ning of the process While these rulesclearly set boundaries on behalf of theretailer they also protect the customeronce again demonstrating that thebrand is committed to supporting andcaring for customersrsquo needs
Cherry says these expectationsshould be communicated to demon-strate how you are ldquoensuring your cus-tomers get the right experience Itrsquosabout what you expect from customersand what the customers expect fromyou in terms of how you will meet theirneedsrdquo Such expectations can be communi-cated effectively professionally and tact-fully in person through written con-tracts and other paper records on in-store marketing materials or handoutsand certainly on your website
Push integrity down into the teamWhen it comes to integrity selling andmaking sure itrsquos upheld in your work-place culture ldquoyour team members areyour brand ambassadorsrdquo saysDarnyelle A Jervey CEO of the busi-ness and entrepreneur coaching firmIncredible One Enterprises(wwwincredibleoneenterprisescom)and author of seven books includingldquoBurn the Box 7 Breakthrough Strategiesfor Standing Up Stepping In and Igniting
wwwredcrossorg
1-800 help now
page 60 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Donrsquot promise something
you canrsquot deliver or try to besomeone yoursquore not
Successrdquo (Incredible Factor Publicationsreleasing July 2015) ldquoThey will eitherhelp or hinder your brand You shouldbe clear about the brand of your busi-ness and ensure each member exudesit dailyrdquo This includes making sure what yourpeople say and do in front of cus-tomers as well as when beyondearshot supports integrity at all timesItrsquos one thing to vent about a customeror talk about a problem thatrsquos come upwith someone but itrsquos another thing toallow gossip and other maliciousunprofessional types of talk about cus-tomers to infiltrate your workplaceOne careless slipup can wreak havocfor everyone and the brand
Of course the odds that your staffwill uphold integrity go up if you upholdit too Lott adds Yoursquove got to lead byexample setting and following the writ-ten and unwritten rules you want otherteam members to follow ldquoThe owner has the ultimateresponsibility for integrity sellingrdquo andneeds to be the example with cus-tomers and employees he says ldquoThebusiness owner needs to embody aclear message to all employees aboutintegrity Reinforcing an ongoing com-mitment to integrity selling (pre and
post sales) is not only necessary butcrucial to business survival in todayrsquoscompetitive environmentrdquo
Know your limits As nurturing andprofessional as you may be itrsquos not easyto maintain a sense of caring all thetime Even the most passionate businessowners have days when theyrsquore tiredstressed simply not on their game orfeel disenchanted by a particular cus-tomer Itrsquos OK ndash yoursquore human But yourbrand is not and it needs to uphold thatimage of extraordinary care for its cus-tomers
So come up with ways to managethings when yoursquore not able to care asmuch as yoursquod like or want This couldbe as simple as taking a three-minutebreak in the bathroom to deep breatheand regroup Or it may mean you find away to seamlessly reassign your cus-tomer to another consultant Part ofmanaging your business effectively isrecognizing and learning how to honoryour limits If you try to do somethingyou canrsquot or be someone you are notyou can uphold neither honest relation-ships nor selling integrity If you think about it integrity sellingcan come into play with practicallyevery selling move you make Prove youcare about your customer in how youmarket to her get to know her meetand fulfill her needs and even exceedexpectations long after her weddingday and yoursquoll have a fan ndash likely for life Whether or not yoursquove givenldquointegrity sellingrdquo much thought or cre-dence in the past realize therersquos noquestion that itrsquos a powerful aspect toyour business Not only can it differenti-ate your brand from others in yourmarket but it can also shape yourstorersquos success daily and over thecourse of many years to come As Lott sums up integrity sellingboils down to this ldquoI need to sleep atnight I am looking for the long-termrelationship not just the quick sale Iwant to know that when I meet a pre-vious customer in the grocery store Iwill not have to duck behind an aisleout of embarrassmentrdquo Integrity selling is genuinely caringabout your customers Most important-ly itrsquos about doing whatrsquos right
page 62 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Show that you truly care
about customers throughactions and words
sometimes problems with meeting atimeline arise ndash and therersquos nothing youcan do about it but be honest and quickabout whatrsquos going on and how yoursquoreaddressing it Usually ldquocustomers donrsquot lose confi-dence because things go wrong ndash theylose confidence when they donrsquotreceive open and honest communica-tion about those thingsrdquo she says ldquoSo ifa salon (owner) has an issue communi-cating to the customer as soon as pos-sible (ideally with a solution) is the wayto maintain the relationship and hisherown integrityrdquo
Establish expectations upfront Itrsquos eas-ier to maintain regular honest commu-nication if expectations about the sellingexperience are discussed at the begin-ning of the process While these rulesclearly set boundaries on behalf of theretailer they also protect the customeronce again demonstrating that thebrand is committed to supporting andcaring for customersrsquo needs
Cherry says these expectationsshould be communicated to demon-strate how you are ldquoensuring your cus-tomers get the right experience Itrsquosabout what you expect from customersand what the customers expect fromyou in terms of how you will meet theirneedsrdquo Such expectations can be communi-cated effectively professionally and tact-fully in person through written con-tracts and other paper records on in-store marketing materials or handoutsand certainly on your website
Push integrity down into the teamWhen it comes to integrity selling andmaking sure itrsquos upheld in your work-place culture ldquoyour team members areyour brand ambassadorsrdquo saysDarnyelle A Jervey CEO of the busi-ness and entrepreneur coaching firmIncredible One Enterprises(wwwincredibleoneenterprisescom)and author of seven books includingldquoBurn the Box 7 Breakthrough Strategiesfor Standing Up Stepping In and Igniting
wwwredcrossorg
1-800 help now
page 60 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Donrsquot promise something
you canrsquot deliver or try to besomeone yoursquore not
Successrdquo (Incredible Factor Publicationsreleasing July 2015) ldquoThey will eitherhelp or hinder your brand You shouldbe clear about the brand of your busi-ness and ensure each member exudesit dailyrdquo This includes making sure what yourpeople say and do in front of cus-tomers as well as when beyondearshot supports integrity at all timesItrsquos one thing to vent about a customeror talk about a problem thatrsquos come upwith someone but itrsquos another thing toallow gossip and other maliciousunprofessional types of talk about cus-tomers to infiltrate your workplaceOne careless slipup can wreak havocfor everyone and the brand
Of course the odds that your staffwill uphold integrity go up if you upholdit too Lott adds Yoursquove got to lead byexample setting and following the writ-ten and unwritten rules you want otherteam members to follow ldquoThe owner has the ultimateresponsibility for integrity sellingrdquo andneeds to be the example with cus-tomers and employees he says ldquoThebusiness owner needs to embody aclear message to all employees aboutintegrity Reinforcing an ongoing com-mitment to integrity selling (pre and
post sales) is not only necessary butcrucial to business survival in todayrsquoscompetitive environmentrdquo
Know your limits As nurturing andprofessional as you may be itrsquos not easyto maintain a sense of caring all thetime Even the most passionate businessowners have days when theyrsquore tiredstressed simply not on their game orfeel disenchanted by a particular cus-tomer Itrsquos OK ndash yoursquore human But yourbrand is not and it needs to uphold thatimage of extraordinary care for its cus-tomers
So come up with ways to managethings when yoursquore not able to care asmuch as yoursquod like or want This couldbe as simple as taking a three-minutebreak in the bathroom to deep breatheand regroup Or it may mean you find away to seamlessly reassign your cus-tomer to another consultant Part ofmanaging your business effectively isrecognizing and learning how to honoryour limits If you try to do somethingyou canrsquot or be someone you are notyou can uphold neither honest relation-ships nor selling integrity If you think about it integrity sellingcan come into play with practicallyevery selling move you make Prove youcare about your customer in how youmarket to her get to know her meetand fulfill her needs and even exceedexpectations long after her weddingday and yoursquoll have a fan ndash likely for life Whether or not yoursquove givenldquointegrity sellingrdquo much thought or cre-dence in the past realize therersquos noquestion that itrsquos a powerful aspect toyour business Not only can it differenti-ate your brand from others in yourmarket but it can also shape yourstorersquos success daily and over thecourse of many years to come As Lott sums up integrity sellingboils down to this ldquoI need to sleep atnight I am looking for the long-termrelationship not just the quick sale Iwant to know that when I meet a pre-vious customer in the grocery store Iwill not have to duck behind an aisleout of embarrassmentrdquo Integrity selling is genuinely caringabout your customers Most important-ly itrsquos about doing whatrsquos right
page 62 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Show that you truly care
about customers throughactions and words
Successrdquo (Incredible Factor Publicationsreleasing July 2015) ldquoThey will eitherhelp or hinder your brand You shouldbe clear about the brand of your busi-ness and ensure each member exudesit dailyrdquo This includes making sure what yourpeople say and do in front of cus-tomers as well as when beyondearshot supports integrity at all timesItrsquos one thing to vent about a customeror talk about a problem thatrsquos come upwith someone but itrsquos another thing toallow gossip and other maliciousunprofessional types of talk about cus-tomers to infiltrate your workplaceOne careless slipup can wreak havocfor everyone and the brand
Of course the odds that your staffwill uphold integrity go up if you upholdit too Lott adds Yoursquove got to lead byexample setting and following the writ-ten and unwritten rules you want otherteam members to follow ldquoThe owner has the ultimateresponsibility for integrity sellingrdquo andneeds to be the example with cus-tomers and employees he says ldquoThebusiness owner needs to embody aclear message to all employees aboutintegrity Reinforcing an ongoing com-mitment to integrity selling (pre and
post sales) is not only necessary butcrucial to business survival in todayrsquoscompetitive environmentrdquo
Know your limits As nurturing andprofessional as you may be itrsquos not easyto maintain a sense of caring all thetime Even the most passionate businessowners have days when theyrsquore tiredstressed simply not on their game orfeel disenchanted by a particular cus-tomer Itrsquos OK ndash yoursquore human But yourbrand is not and it needs to uphold thatimage of extraordinary care for its cus-tomers
So come up with ways to managethings when yoursquore not able to care asmuch as yoursquod like or want This couldbe as simple as taking a three-minutebreak in the bathroom to deep breatheand regroup Or it may mean you find away to seamlessly reassign your cus-tomer to another consultant Part ofmanaging your business effectively isrecognizing and learning how to honoryour limits If you try to do somethingyou canrsquot or be someone you are notyou can uphold neither honest relation-ships nor selling integrity If you think about it integrity sellingcan come into play with practicallyevery selling move you make Prove youcare about your customer in how youmarket to her get to know her meetand fulfill her needs and even exceedexpectations long after her weddingday and yoursquoll have a fan ndash likely for life Whether or not yoursquove givenldquointegrity sellingrdquo much thought or cre-dence in the past realize therersquos noquestion that itrsquos a powerful aspect toyour business Not only can it differenti-ate your brand from others in yourmarket but it can also shape yourstorersquos success daily and over thecourse of many years to come As Lott sums up integrity sellingboils down to this ldquoI need to sleep atnight I am looking for the long-termrelationship not just the quick sale Iwant to know that when I meet a pre-vious customer in the grocery store Iwill not have to duck behind an aisleout of embarrassmentrdquo Integrity selling is genuinely caringabout your customers Most important-ly itrsquos about doing whatrsquos right
page 62 VOWSMay
June
201
5Strategies S
elling Show that you truly care
about customers throughactions and words
