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Doug Dvorak's Success Strategies
Helping Clients Enhance Business Performance and Leadership Success
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August 2006
- Vol 1, Issue 1
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In This Issue
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Greetings!
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Welcome to the first edition of Doug Dvorak’s
Success Strategies newsletter! Each month you will
be exposed to the most popular and relevant
business and success philosophies that will enable
you to grow personally and professionally. All
information will be presented in a concise, practical
format for easy reading and immediate
implementation. I highly encourage you to share this
newsletter with your friends and colleagues.
If you have any questions or comments
pertaining to the newsletter’s content, please call or
email me directly at
speaker@themastersofsuccess.biz
or
(847) 359-6969.
Continued success,
Doug Dvorak
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Avoid Absolutes and Empty Claims
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Real salespeople don’t tell lies, so be careful
about offering absolutes. Although Toyota is one of
my clients, I find it helpful to ask other audiences I
address the following question: “How many of
you have the number one Toyota dealership in the
country, located right in your town?”
Nearly all of the hands go up. “Isn’t that
amazing? You each have the number one Toyota
dealership in your town. How can that be?”
Then we discuss what being “number one” could
mean. Does it mean that the dealership has the:
* Greatest number of car units sold?
* Largest lot?
* Highest profitability?
* Most inventory?
* Most salespeople?
* Most customers?
Best or biggest Similarly, when
you see a claim Biggest Dealer in Ohio, this could
mean that the dealer sells the most cars, has the
highest sales volume, generates the most revenue or
after-tax revenue, or simply has the heaviest owner.
When you use an absolute term, back it up with
solid data. Otherwise, your claim can actually drive
away potential clients.
Avoid Expressing Opinion as
Fact – You could inform someone that you
have 55,000 employees, which makes you the largest
employer in the State. That is verifiable. If you claim
that customers prefer you 2 to 1 over the
competition, then you need to reference a
professionally administered, unbiased survey that
confirms your claim. If you don’t present evidence,
you’re blowing smoke with general statements.
When you express opinions as facts, you lose
trust, especially when you are dealing with a highly
conscientious person who relies on solid evidence.
Never express an opinion as fact.
- Reprint permission granted by Dennis Fox, The
Client Development Institute. 800-989-7355
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Delivering Great Customer Service
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The goals for delivering great customer service
starts with delivering a service-oriented attitude that
is genuine. You want to exceed the client’s
expectations and apply the service standards. It is
also important to measure your effectiveness in
delivering great customer service.
There are three service standards to keep in
mind when dealing with a client or customer. These
include using and giving personal attention to the
customer, teamwork, and taking personal
responsibility. There are a couple of ways you can
give personal attention to your customers. First, you
can anticipate their needs by recommending services
or ideas that would benefit them, as well as noticing
the clients' wants and needs before they have to
ask. Another way is to treat every client as a
“Very Important Person”. This can be
accomplished by treating each client as a unique
individual, using their name whenever possible, and
by making the clients feel as if they are your top
priority.
There are a number of ways to take
responsibility. Be sure to follow through (be timely
and responsive, keep promises, see a project through
until the end) with a client. You should check
customer satisfaction, offer alternatives, and show
appreciation as well. These service standards will
help you to exceed your client’s expectations, show
your positive attitude, and measure the level of
service you are delivering to your client.
Clients are worth more than a one-time
interaction. You should take several things into
consideration when dealing with a customer, such as
revenue from a single sale, the average number of
sales per year, and the average number of sales with
a client over his/her lifetime. And by providing
genuine service, you are giving your clients what
they expect, as well as setting yourself apart from all
other organizations. If you can go beyond what the
client expects and do more for the client than other
competing companies, this will lead to 100% client
satisfaction. Donald A. Adams said, "To give real
service, you must add something which cannot be
bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity
and integrity."
Another important aspect to delivering great
customer service is to develop a consulting
partnership with your clients. It is important to be
the one to make the opening move and take the
initiative. If you approach each interaction with a
positive, caring attitude and view it as an
opportunity to exceed their expectations, you will be
well on your way to developing a valuable and lasting
partnership. Three guidelines for creating a truly
memorable impression include smiling and warmth
with every interaction; presenting an "I'm here for
you" attitude (by seeming ready, eager,
attentive and caring); and finally by personalizing
every interaction.
Satisfying the client can be a tricky endeavor
when you are faced with multiple complaints and
angry clients. When faced with complaints, it is
necessary to listen to the client, apologize,
sympathize, and most importantly, to take action.
Angry clients are probably the biggest challenge
opportunity you can face. Make sure to remain calm
and not to take it personally. Kill ‘em with kindness,
and they won’t be able to resist you! It is a good
idea to remember the client’s names (and use them)
as well as referring to details about the clients.
This little bit of personal attention may be all
that is needed to win them over. Goethe once said,
"When we treat a man as he is, we make him
worse than he is. When we treat him as if he already
were what he potentially could be, we make him
what he should be."
There are many reasons customers quit returning
to a place of business.
- 4% of them move away (you can't do
anything about them).
- 5% change their habits (meaning they
want to try something new for a while, the novelty
factor).
- 9% of them quit because they're attracted to
your competition.
- 14% of your customers leave because they're
unhappy with your service.
- 68% of your customers will leave you
because they encounter an attitude of indifference.
Certainly there are precautionary measures you
can take to prevent some of your customers from
leaving if you are aware of factors like these.
Delivering great customer service will not happen
over night, but with a few well thought-out
strategies, you can achieve 100% client satisfaction.
If you are looking for a quick reference to great
customer service, here are the “Six Secrets of
Service”.
- If you don’t like people, you have no business
being in the people business.
- Serve them well, you keep them. Service them
poorly, you loose them.
- Give the client, not what he wants, but what he
really needs.
- Make your clients feel good about spending their
money.
- If you can’t get out of it, get into it!
- When you give great service, EVERYBODY
WINS!!!
For further information on delivering exceptional
customer service, please feel free to contact us.
Best of luck in WOW Service!
- Copyright permission granted by Jennifer
Selland, Well-Run Concepts. www.well-run.com
Success@well-run.com
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Doug Dvorak is the CEO of Dvorak Marketing Group,
Inc., a worldwide organization that assists clients
with productivity training and customer service and
sales excellence management workshops. Doug’s
clients are characterized as Fortune 1000 companies,
small to medium businesses, civic organizations, and
service businesses. Doug has earned an international
reputation for his powerful educational methods and
motivational techniques, as well as his experience in
all levels of business, corporate education, and
success training. His background in sales, leadership,
management, and customer loyalty has allowed him
to become one of world’s most sought-after
consultants, lecturers and teachers. This vast
experience has helped him shape and determine his
philosophies on success in business, which he now
shares annually with thousands of individuals through
keynote presentations, syndicated writing, television,
seminars, books, and tapes. If you would like Doug to
address your organization with a dynamic and
educational presentation, or if you would like to host
a workshop, please contact Doug at (847) 359-6969
or Doug@DougDvorak.com.
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Doug is a member of the
National Speakers
Association (NSA).
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Doug is a member of the
International Federation For
Professional Speakers (IFFPS).
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Don't miss our next issue.
FREE
(Normal Retail Value =12 issues for $97)
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Sincerely,
Doug Dvorak
Dvorak Marketing Group
phone:
847-359-6969
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