Tag Archives: trust

Basic Human Needs

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Warmth, Daylight, Love

Some years back I’ house and cat sat’ for friends.  As my cottage was due to be renovated at the time and let us say, conditions were fairly primitive, I leapt at the opportunity.  Having to light a stove to heat one room in my cottage simply to keep warm and have hot water is not something I wish on anyone for a prolonged period of time.

water and warmth !

water and warmth !

However, I digress.  One morning during this house sitting gig, I awoke to a winter wonderland and stood in front of the window, basking in the natural daylight which flooded the room and and warmed me to the core.  After an incredibly restorative night’s sleep, when for once I didn’t wake up with either water coming through the roof, or because of the freezing cold wind howling through my cottage, I made my way to the kitchen, luxuriating as I felt the warmth of the house underfoot,  no need to huddle and shiver here as I made my first coffee of the day.  The cats, rubbing gently around my legs, talking as if they too, were welcoming the new day. They’re great company, these cats, they never bother you for food, they’re good natured and love company.  They just like to know you’re there and they remind me that I am not alone.

What’s my point? Gratitude, for this short burst of comfort. Gratitude, for the trust that is bestowed on me.  Gratitude, for I know that even though my cottage is primitive now, it will, before too much longer, be a haven for me.  Gratitude, for the experience of hardship and all this long process of waiting for my home to take shape has taught me.   Gratitude too, for all the good that the hardship seems to have brought me. Gratitude, for the friendships housesitting has given me. Gratitude, for the opportunities for learning experiencing hardships I won’t go into here have taught me.  Gratitude, for the experience of humiliation of business failure and relaunching myself to do what I now do, something I believe I was always meant to do. Gratitude, for life itself.

Harbouring hurt hijacks..

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There’s plenty I don’t understand. Maybe because I am a slow learner.  I learn by doing.  I watch, I take notes (mental or otherwise) and have to put something into practice, then I remember.  Our minds filter out what we don’t need, or what we do not want to remember and may sometimes blind us to what is obvious, which brings me on to the hidden signs of communication.  Sometimes we can be so strong in our belief about something, that perhaps something has a great value to someone else, or an organisation.   The truth is, it may well do yet we get so caught up in what we believe is right, we can lose perspective and  find it hard to know when to pull out or let something go and there’s a tendency to hold on to a little, teeny weeny bit of a resentment if things don’t go the way we feel they should. [quote align=”left” color=”#999999″]Harbouring hurt hijacks our ability to move on[/quote]
Just because we think something has merit and is of value, the time may not be right. We might lose sight of the bigger pictur and then take umbrage, carrying hurt and resentment which distracts us from re-channelling useful energy to something else, where the effort will reap dividends.  So on this bright blue Dublin spring morning, my promise to myself is to find just one ‘teeny weeny’ to let go of. Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

Why is business eluding you?

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Why aren’t you getting more business?

This is probably one of the most difficult questions to answer… honestly.  We all make excuses and hindsight can be a great way to justify why something didn’t happen the way we wanted it to.  Hindsight too can be valuable.  Better still is to have ‘Invaluable Insights’ and by that I mean really looking at how things could have gone better and practical ways to re-visit something.  Particularly with a client who has chosen someone else to do business with. Maybe you just weren’t speaking their language.  Maybe it wasn’t about the price.  Maybe they just didn’t trust you enough to risk their reputation with you. Is your client relationship strong enough to ask WHY?

janie-saysTrust can underpin or undermine every relationship

Want to work on getting better business?  Click for details of my next 221:121 Workshop “Building Trust, Sustainable Sales and Customer Loyalty”. 

 

So you think you don’t Sell?

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Most of us don’t like to see ourselves as sales people, yet we all sell, all of the time, we just don’t realise it.  So here are a few PSST’s (that’s Professional Self Smarter Tips) as a quck reminder of what’s important for us all to remember….. and not just the person responsible for closing that sale….

Attitude Matters EVERYONE  is an ambassador for their company. For business leaders, creating the right environment for people to work in is only part of the brief, creating the right ‘culture’ and embodiment of this through the attitude conveyed is what keeps a company top of the list and one that people are proud to be part of. 

Professional Self Smarter Tip

Professional Self Smarter Tip

 

How We Make People Feel Matters… 

remember People tend to do business with people they like.  The most important reason someone does business with you, is because of YOU.  Then you have to give them a good reason, what’s in it for THEM.  The sales process is NOT about YOU. So check it out. Have you got what they WANT, if you have then the rest is down to you.  Why choose YOU?  Think about it, what sets you apart, what can you do that makes their buying and post sales experience better than anyone else can provide.  Build that loyalty, over-deliver and you’ll deserve their business.  Fall short and someone else will fill that gap…. Fast.

 

FACT:  You are only as good as the service you give your customers.Delivering a good service is only part of the unspoken Rule of Engagement. Ask yourself each time, whatever your role, how can I do this even better. Master the art of improvement and take control over the outcome.

FACT:  You Need to Reflect after your Sales Pitch .If you’ve done your pitch and they’re not willing to commit, there’s every likelihood, you’ve not convinced them you’re the right choice. Perhaps there is some fear or risk attached to your customer making that commitment. Some people don’t like to say no or perhaps, the person you’ve just presented to is NOT the decision maker.

Price, lack of trust or confidence, unsuitability of what you’re offering are all possible reasons for not buying from you.  All possible reasons that you could, if you had been listening or asking the right questions, have known before the end of your presentation. The real questions after an unsuccessful pitch are…….. Did I establish any level of rapport? Did I know what this customer is expecting out of my pitch? Did I ask enough to establish what their motive for buying and degree of urgency to buy before pitching? Did I make a real value proposal in light of this knowledge? If someone wants to think about your proposition, it’s usually because they want a better price, are not the decision maker, or think they can get a better deal elsewhere. IF you find yourself in this position and they want more time to ‘think about it’, ask how long do they think they need and agree a date to revisit. Ask too, what else can you do to help them decide. Assuming your product is what they want, remember, You need to be liked and trusted to secure the sale.

FACT:  The sale is only the beginning of the Relationship

Make the most of your day,  Janie