Before Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle there was the Sir Christopher Wren story. Have you discovered and clarified your team’s purpose? If not, you’re missing a big factor in employee engagement. To explore your purpose, use our free worksheet. We would love your questions and comments for future episodes: Email Mike and Mark. Listen here, subscribe on Spotify or …
“Why should I care?”
If Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle is a bit too abstract for you, this might help. It’s from Carmine Gallo, author of “The Storyteller’s Secret,” in Inc. magazine: “Steve Jobs Was the World’s Greatest Salesman Because He Answered The 1 Question on Everyone’s Mind.” We are all selling something. How might Gallo’s question help you with your customers? Your coworkers? Your …
What customer loyalty looks like
Businesses and individuals, how will you know when you have won over your customers? When they are truly loyal? It’s not when they buy from you. It’s not even necessarily when they return to you. It’s when they advocate for you. Swedish band fans Years ago I used the file-sharing service Napster. We felt like we were riding the wave …
The one skill you must have to sell
I had just closed a car dealer on working with me for a second year. In the work I do, there are no salaries or benefits. You work gig to gig, retainer to retainer. Every gig was a big deal for my wife and me–nothing, including income, is guaranteed. (Actually, nothing is guaranteed even for the salaried. We all work …
Meme watch: We’re getting rough on retail employees (again)
Over the last few months, society has changed, yet again, its expectations on retail customer service. I base that statement on three things: Conversations with clients Observations while I’m shopping Recent memes. Memes only tell us how people who are online and are willing to post and express themselves feel about life. (Never get tricked into thinking that online opinions …
The shift to ordering your car: questions for any industry
I’ve been musing if this is the new normal: Is custom ordering the future of car sales (8-minute Automotive News video). The dealership mentioned, Pat Milliken Ford, is a founding member of Ford’s Consumer Experience Movement, an initiative I’m proud to serve. They are no slouches at CX–customer experience–and bring some questions to mind for any industry: How do you …
McKinsey & Co. on unexpected coronavirus impacts
A plethora of resources in this McKinsey update. Many of my clients are car dealers … I have to say that some of these unexpected impacts were very much expected by them.
What getting scammed taught me about trust
“Mr. Ramsay, this is American Express. Did you just spend $600 at the Levi’s outlet store in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania?” In case you are wondering, that was NOT what I wanted to hear while standing in a client’s conference room getting ready to start a meeting. Here is how it happened: The night before, I arrived at a hotel …
Going back to work: stress, or GOOD stress?
The Wall Street Journal says people are stressed about returning to work. We were also stressed about the pandemic. And about working from home. There’s just a lot of stress out there, I guess. And Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal says that can be a good thing. Wired to protect A few years back I was talking to someone at a …
Three car salesmen, three unbelievable stories
This is just neat. An Indian engineer who fled Sikh persecution became a car salesman in Canada. He became so good at it that he ended up running a dealership, then owning multiple dealerships. Now a millionaire, he’s the only NBA fan ever to receive a championship ring and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. RELATED: I learned …