A funny thing happened while I was shopping at the mall over the weekend.

John needed to get a couple pairs of blue jeans, so we headed over to JCPenney. They were having a sale on his favorite brand, so we knew exactly where we were headed. I say this only to explain that we weren’t on a typical Traci “let’s look around” kind of mission. We went in with a plan, and we stuck to it.

In the short time between entering and exiting the store, we were greeted by no less than FIVE sales associates. I’m not talking about your standard, “can I help you find something?” that comes off fake and creepy — I’m talking about a genuine, look-you-in-the-eyes-and-smile greeting. There was something immediately different about the way in which they greeted us, and we immediately noticed.

I worked at JCPenney in high school and college — in fact, it was my very first “real job.” This was back in the day when James Cash Penney (for whom the chain is named) appeared in the training videos. Mind you, that has been MANY moons ago, but even so — I knew that there was something different here.

And it was really nice. In the eternal words of the late Billy Mays, “but wait! There’s more!”

We left the store and headed out into the food court for lunch. We decided to grab a quick sandwich at Chick-Fil-A. While placing our order, a food court attendant brushed past us to place a stack of trays on the counter for the CFA folks. The clerk taking our order apologized profusely for “the intrusion.” We laughed, replying that it would take more than that to offend us, and left the counter moments later with our order, and a slight smile still on our faces.

While we were enjoying our lunch, another Chick-Fil-A employee asked if we’d like for her to refill our beverages. Get out of Dodge! I couldn’t believe we were getting that level of service in a crowded mall food court.

Minutes later, we headed out of the mall, but the discussion as we headed to the car was all about the many examples of great service we’d received during our brief visit.

The Takeaways:

In a tough economy, price is often removed from the equation. The huge discount retailers will often match prices on popular items. If the product is identical from multiple retailers, and you’ve removed the price barrier — what’s left? Service. Focus on providing the customer with a better experience, better service, or a better value, and you’ll win their loyalty.

Create a better buying experience, and leave an impression on the customer. In tough times, customers hold tight to the wallet. If they are going to open the wallet to make a purchase, you want them to feel GOOD about it, not experience buyer’s remorse. In each of the examples I noted, we walked away having noted that it was a positive buying experience. We felt good about making the choice we made.

Yes, times are tough, and they may get worse before they get better. But, consumers will still have needs to fill. If you want to be the retailer they choose to fill those needs, start finding ways to make yourself the obvious choice. Offer value-added services. Offer superior service. Create a better experience.

Do that, and your customer walks away happy, comfortable and evangelizing your business. In the end, you’ll get more mileage out of that than a good pair of blue jeans.

Those who read this blog regularly know that I tend to find my marketing inspiration in unusual (and often unorthodox) ways. Consider this fair warning…today shall be no exception.

The single best piece of marketing advice I can offer you as we close out 2008 is this — if you aren’t yet using the social media phenomenon that is Twitter — get off your keister and start.

Right now.

Over the holidays, my husband and I were watching a marathon of reruns of NCIS. We really haven’t been fans of the show for very long, so this provided us an opportunity to catch up on the episodes we’d missed. My favorite character is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon. Harmon’s character is a no-nonsense, “just the facts” kind of guy, and is well-known for cutting his coworkers off mid-sentence, and, on occasion, hanging up on them when they get too verbose. Ouch.

A light went off in my head when I realized that many 21st-century prospects are a lot like Gibbs — if we want to hold their attention, we need to cut to the chase.

Twitter is an excellent tool to help you hone this precious skill. Twitter provides you just 140 precious characters to convey your message — something that Gibbs could certainly appreciate.

Legendary salesman Elmer Wheeler was a big fan of this concept, saying “Sometimes your first 10 words—or your first 10 seconds—are as important as the next 10,000!”

Social media has developed its own shorthand to help us keep our messages short. Here are a few of the more popular abbreviations:

LOL : laugh out loud
ROFL : roll on floor laughing
BRB : be right back
AFK : away from keyboard
THX : thanks / thank you
TTYL : talk to you later
YW : you’re welcome
GTG : go to go
SRY: sorry
NP : no problem
FWIW: for what it’s worth
IMHO: in my humble opinion
LMK: let me know

Don’t misunderstand me – I am not advocating you begin spamming the social media sites with endless sales pitches. Social media is first and foremost to establish relationships. We all know that folks will buy from people that they know, like and trust — focus on those goals, and the sales will surely follow.

Speaking of following, if you’d like to follow me, you can do so by clicking here, or on the link at the top of the column to your right. I will endeavor to keep my messages short, sweet, and entertaining.

Until next year!
Traci

The truth is, if objections are present, you are actually making progress toward closing the sale. Don’t be afraid of objections — it shows interest on the part of the prospect. In most cases, all that is required to overcome an objection is provide additional information to reassure the customer that they are making a sound purchasing decision.

Below are several methods you can use to counter objections. For the sake of our discussion, the four main types of objection countermeasures are:

Yet-But
This approach reinforces your agreement with the customer, then moves on to answer the objection.

The Counter Question
The counter question puts the ball back in the customer’s court. By asking “Why?” the real reason for the objection may become known.

Restating the Objection
By restating the objection, the customer may respond by saying, “No, I mean it just doesn’t look right on me,” or something of a similar nature. This approach tends to reduce the magnitude of the objection in the eyes of the customer.

Direct Response
Although offensive to some, this approach may be necessary if the customer is not going to buy unless the untruth can be corrected. Tact is important when using this approach.

There are many other methods that can be used to meet objections, and the veteran salesperson will know when it is best to employ a specific technique.

A salesperson gains confidence by knowing about the products and services he or she is selling. Knowing your product line also allows the salesperson to be better equipped to conveying features and benefits, as well as answering objections.

Involve the Customer in the Process
The best way to present many products is to get involvement. Want to sell dance lessons? Get the customer on the dance floor and let the fun of dancing do some of the selling. The same is true with clothes, perfume, sports equipment, and almost anything else. Product knowledge is important, but the salesperson must ultimately focus on what makes customers buy. A few ways to accomplish this:

Adapt the Message
Message adaptation involves deciding what information is needed to sell a particular customer and how that information should be presented to that customer. Canned sales presentations lack creativity. An effective sales person will make an effort to adjust the presentation to the customer. If the customer knows about gardens and lawns, the person selling a lawn service should adapt the sales presentation to the level of the customer’s expertise. Don’t bore the customer with information they already know.

Create Interest and Excitement
Be enthusiastic about the merchandise — but be genuine. If your product solves a common problem, draw attention to that. Let the customer know how much better off they will be as a result of using this product. Draw attention to the emotions that this solution will bring about — will they be happier, less stressed, feel more attractive, healthier, etc? Help them to visualize the end result.

Limiting Choices: The Rule of Three
Have you ever gone into a restaurant, and been overwhelmed by the number of choices on the menu? Scaling back on the choices is smart business. Offering less options allows you to make improvements on the choices you have, allows employees to become more knowledgeable and comfortable with the products you offer, and most importantly, it streamlines the selling process.

Unless there is a definite reason for an exception, the rule of three (never show more than three choices at one time) should be followed whenever purchase options are presented. Limited choices have been found to promote sales.

John and I share our home and our lives with three spoiled rotten Yorkshire terriers. And let me save you some time…I am one of “those” type pet owners that adores their pets, and treats them like kids. If we were living in the country, instead of one of those uptight subdivisions (which seemed like a good idea at the time), I’d probably have a couple more. It is because I am such a big softie that my sweet, but long-suffering husband has asked me to refrain from visiting any pet stores or breeders, lest I come home with another one (or two). So yes, I am a dog lover. If you find folks like me annoying, you may want to just skip today’s post.

Pets are a lot like people — they have distinct characteristics and personality traits that set them aside from everyone else.

Take Brinkley, for example. When he was a puppy, he had these large bat-like ears that were completely disproportionate from his body. I’m talking ears that could rival Dumbo. But there was something about his sweet little face that won me over instantly. The moment I saw him, I knew he was the one for me. And, even though we’d set out to get a female puppy, it was Brinkley that came home with us that day.

Eventually he grew into his ears, but were it not for that, we may not have noticed him. These days, Brink is a doberman trapped in a Yorkie’s body — one who thinks he is the neighborhood watch.

Then there’s Madison. She was in a kennel with a little chihuahua puppy. We’re not sure what he did to upset her, but she was giving him a good butt-kicking. She stood up on her hind legs, and had her front paws in the air — she looked a bit like a pint-sized Bigfoot. We watched this go on for several minutes, then asked to see her (if for no other reason than to give the chihuahua a well-deserved rest). We instantly fell in love with this little two-pound dynamo, and the rest is history.

There has never been a sweeter or more loving dog than our Maddie. Her tail can wag at the speed of sound, and she’s never met a stranger. Her favorite thing in the world is to be curled up underneath a fleece blankie.

Last, but not least, is Spencer. I bought him while I was away visiting John’s folks. He wasn’t a planned purchase like the other two pups were, though. I visited a breeder, and saw him there, along with several of his siblings. All of the puppies were sleeping in a big, furry pile…except for one. This lone little guy wanted space to spread out — he was sleeping on his back, with arms and legs going in all directions. No need to draw out the story…he was the one I chose.

Spencer is our wild child. He is not quite a year old, and is already longer and taller than the other two dogs. He is quite a little acrobat, and has been known to make attempts to jump up onto the countertop if there is something up there he wants. As of yet, he hasn’t achieved this, but I think it’s only a matter of time. He is nothing if not tenacious.

Each of my dogs were different from the other pets that were available when I selected them. Each of them stood out, in their own unique way. Were it not for those differences, I would have missed out on knowing them, and loving them — and having them enrich my life.

In a market where we’re all encouraged to follow the crowd and “fit in,” our individuality is often lost. In relationships, and in business, what makes us different is what makes us great.

It took three little puppies to reinforce that small truth in this old dog.

When I was in my early twenties, I purchased my very first new car. I was done with school, and was working in the marketing department of a large industrial manufacturer.

While I was excited at the thought of driving a new car (at the time, my existing beater was on its last leg), I didn’t really care all that much about what I ended up with. As long as it got me from point A to point B, and had the basic amenities, I would be satisfied. Certainly, I didn’t want to get raked over the coals, so I did some initial research, and, armed with this information, I began making the rounds at the dealerships.

Let me say this at the onset…the reception at the various dealerships ran the entire spectrum.

First, there was the salesman that wanted to know when I would be bringing my husband back with me (at the time, I was unmarried). Next, there was the salesman who couldn’t answer any of my questions, but made a point in showing me such bonus features as the “makeup mirror.”

Seriously, this really happened.

I test drove several cars over the next few weeks, and had a mixed bag of good and bad experiences. When I finally made my purchase, it was due to a number of factors:

• The vehicle had a long-standing reputation for being a good, solid, and reliable car
• The salesrep was polite, professional, and was able to answer my questions
• I didn’t waste time on a long negotiation process. Once I made it clear that I had done my homework, and knew what I intended to spend, the process was cut and dried.
• I received excellent customer service after the sale, including a follow-up call, postcard, and a number of free services (car washes, oil changes, etc).
• I received a $100 referral payment for sharing my experience with a coworker in my office, something I did not know I was going to receive. The check just showed up with a thank you card for sending the dealership a new customer.

By now, you are surely wondering…what is the point I am driving at? It’s simple, really. We are all customers at one point or another. In those instances when a customer doesn’t have a clear brand preference in mind, what types of things will affect their buying decision?

• Benefits
• Features
• Service
• Reliability
• Price

A customer can learn a great deal about your product or service by taking you out for a test drive. If your sales process doesn’t have an initial free trial in it, you should consider adding one. If a customer is impressed by the level of service, attention to detail, and quality you offer them before they ever hand over their money, they will have far less reservations to overcome when it comes time to purchase.

Customers, like cars, get much better mileage when they are properly cared for.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all want to belong to something. It’s only human nature to enthusiastically support being part of a group — whether it’s your family, your favorite sports team, political party, or even the Little Orphan Annie Club. Nobody wants to be on the outside looking in…we all want to be included in the “we.”

Knowing this, we can leverage that power in our marketing plans. If we look for ways to employ the we in our overall marketing plans, the customer feels important and appreciated. They also become vested in the process. Let’s look at a few examples:

• Encourage customer feedback, and employ the feedback on your website. Note it next to the product or service that is being praised. We all love to see our name in print!
• Institute a Product Review Board. When you are considering a new product launch, or expanding your line, send out a sample item to some of your best customers, and solicit their feedback. You might even offer them a spiffy looking graphic that they can place on their websites, designating their status. Ask that the graphic link to your website, and you’ve also just successfully added some inbound links.
• Implement a Customer Rewards Program. Set up a discount or reward program based upon customer’s purchases. Credit card companies do this all the time with great success. This will increase customer loyalty, and increase sales. Frame your program launch based upon the recent headlines of rising prices, pain at the pump, etc. – and you’ll also gain customers’ respect, and gratitude. You simply can’t put a pricetag on that.

With relatively little effort, even these small changes can yield big results. And, in a time when many small businesses are fighting for every dollar, that is a concept we can all get behind.