The Customer Service Experience

The Customer Service Experience

 

In June 2004 I joined Wipro Technologies as a CRM trainer i.e. Customer Relationship Management. Being a Sales & Marketing alumni this came naturally to me. By early 2000s CRM had become a buzz word across the world and thanks to the internet and greater connectivity thanks to improved technologies. Companies had realized that while getting new customers may be a challenge but keeping them was a greater challenge. They also realized one more thing that unlike in the days gone by not all customers were important as the need to retain only those customers who contributed positively to the bottom line was where the focus should be. Or at least where the signs and financials clearly indicated a potential of positive contribution.

 

For two years from 2004 – 06 I trained across the country and globally on CRM as a part of the then Business Skills Group of Talent Transformation. I soon realized one thing that CRM should actually be termed CEM or Customer Experience Management as all important relationships between a company and its customers are primarily based on what is the experience that the customer derives in the given relationship.

Now all of us at the end of the day are customers for various products and services and if we ask ourselves what is it that makes us happy or keeps our satisfaction levels high, the facts become very clear. Every customer and remember that a corporate is just a sum total of many individuals want our needs met and to treated in an emotionally fulfilling way. Hence our experience is based on two things in the main. They are as under:

• Our Emotional Needs
• Our Material Needs

Emotional needs is all about our experience with the organization in terms of how we were treated and made to feel before the deal, during the purchase and then post purchase. Did the organization give us that warm feeling every time we interacted with anyone from the company?

I clearly remember even today almost ten years after it happened of one experience that I had personally with a telecom service provider. I had an issue with my phone and had called up their customer service number. The rep on the other side patiently heard me out to understand the issues that I had and then went about trying to fix them. He guided me step by step on what and how to do with my phone but nothing seemed to fix the problem. This did not deter him and it was only when we ended our call without success, that I realized we had been going at it for almost forty five minutes and not once did he show any impatience, what so ever. My problem had not been solved but guess what – I had nothing but respect and admiration for the rep and indirectly for the service provider. My material needs which was fixing the problem was not met but my emotional needs were fulfilled 100%.

It’s another thing that that he called me back later that night and actually fixed my problem. It is people like this who make you an apostle or evangelist of the organization.

 

What is customer satisfaction nothing but when your needs and expectations are met / fulfilled by the business in question. Hence what is customer delight? Simply when your needs and expectations are surpassed in the process of your overall experience. Worldwide research is showing today that customer satisfaction is just not enough to ensure loyalty but customer delight just might. Hence going the full Monty or all the way is the least we can do to ensure some sort of loyalty going forward. Because we are all part of a global technology led eco system, we are spoilt for choice and information is available at our finger tips. To ensure true loyalty in today’s day and age is the one true challenge for most no all businesses.

 

According to Ron Kaufman an SME and a global expert on Customer Service there are 6 levels of service from criminal at the bottom to unbelievable at the top. Rightly as he claims it is not achieving the unbelievable that is the biggest challenge but keeping your service at that level which is the biggest challenge facing all businesses today. This is because once you deliver an unbelievable level of service a couple of times that becomes the new expected or desired as the case may be and one has to keep raising the bar to maintain the highest level.

 

In 1987 the then SAS airlines CEO, Jan Carlzon wrote a book entitled “Moments of Truth” in which he wrote that in a year around 10 million of SAS customers interact with on the average of 5 SAS employees. That is 50 million interactions and if each interaction lasted for just half a minute on the average that is 25 million minutes of interactions. Carlzon went on to say that these 25 million minutes of interactions was an opportunity for SAS to reposition or strengthen their Brand image in the eyes of their customers. After every interaction does the customer have a better opinion of your service, does it remain the same or does it actually fall as compared to their perception held till date. The challenge for all professional businesses is to work towards improving the perception after each interaction.

Michael Porter a marketing guru had once said that superior and knock your socks off service can be a business differentiator and that is very true even today. However what is really sad is that most companies only talk of great service but fall abysmally short when it comes to delivery. These companies that fall short need to reflect and do some serious introspection. In a best case scenario great and consistent service will give you a cutting edge in business. In the worst case scenario it will keep you abreast of competition. Either way it’s a win-win.

 

Ranjith Lall

The Screen Age

The Screen Age

Twenty five years ago it was unthinkable for someone below the age of forty five or fifty to have a heart attack. Today I know of people who have died due to a cardiac arrest, between the ages of 28 and 30. Forget about a QUALITY life ….. Is this the life that we want for ourselves and the next generation? Wake up and smell the coffee, please. Get away from it all whenever you can and make yourself less dependent on these three technology gadgets the computer, the TV and the mobile. Pre 1995 we had no internet and no mobiles and just one channel on the TV and life was beautiful ….. We ate and slept well, worked hard, played harder and networking meant actually going up to someone and saying “HELLO”. Life was definitely better and people actually smiled and laughed a lot. We did not need “Laughter Clubs”

Technology they say is an enabler and no doubts to a large extent it is. It has changed the way we do business, network, share experiences and socialize, making the world a much smaller place, in real time. It has facilitated the age of information since there is so much of information that is readily available at our fingertips on the click of a button, courtesy our laptops, mobile phones and touch pads.

However what we also need to understand is that while technology is all of the above it is also the cause of great modern day stress, illness resulting from this stress and not to mention poor eyesight as well. I know of cases in the IT industry where 28 – 30 year olds have died of cardiac arrest caused by stress.  My friends today we live in the age of the screen. Let me explain what I mean, by this…

In the mornings from 9 am to evenings 6 pm depending on what time you get into office on week days, you are staring at your computer screen. After you go home and let’s say you reach home by 7 pm you are then staring at your TV screen, thanks to Cable TV and DTH, from 7pm to 10 pm and sometimes even longer. After that you go to sleep and the cycle continues again the next morning. Of course through-out the day you are intermittently staring at your mobile / Blackberry screen …making and receiving calls or sending / receiving messages etc…

Consider the fact that in a day of 24 hours, a Corporate Executive spends approximately 7-8 hours sleeping, if possible. For about 14 of the remaining 16 hours that one is awake, one is staring at one of the three screens afore mentioned. Pause for a moment and think about what I just said.

Is it any wonder that long working hours, a sedentary life style, eating wrong (junk food) e.g.  Potato Chips, Burgers and Pizzas accompanied with Colas and other sodas and sometimes not eating, lack of sleep and becoming a couch potato (lack of exercise and social activities) is contributing to a booming medical and health services business, world-wide.

The solutions to this Screen Syndrome are pretty much obvious and imply cutting down on the hours that you spend in front of the three screens and substituting that with other enriching day to day activities, like reading, talking face to face, listening to music, swimming, walking etc.( Exercise for your mouth, ears, hands, legs and pretty much the whole body.)

The computer screen is pretty much unavoidable considering the way we work today, but the important point is to take frequent breaks from the screen to refocus your eyes. Ensure that you give your eyes some respite from the glare of the screen whenever possible for 10 -15 minutes at a time, every one or two hours.

The mobile should be used very sparingly and official calls should be made by using the office landline and VOIP increasingly.

Television viewing should be cut down to watch programs very selectively and the hours saved thus especially on weekends should be spent in physical activities, reading, hobbies and quality time with family and friends.

Please start smiling more and ration your screen time… you will find that the benefits of the same far outweigh your dependence on the screen.

Thanks for reading.

Ranjith Kumar Lall

Wipro Technologies

 

Overcoming the Pre- Presentation Hiccups ..

Overcoming the Pre- Presentation Hiccups ..

Introduction:

How many times have you sat through a boring and insipid presentation and wondered as to when will the agony cease and you can get on with your life? But did you ever wonder as to what would be the scenario if the roles were reversed and you were suddenly asked to present and the shoe was truly on the other foot? Hmm……… I can guess that some of you must be thinking that the scenario would not be very different really if that were to happen..right?

 Ever watched a Steve Job’s extravaganza and wondered if you could do something even remotely close to that or Bill Clinton the ex  President of the USA making a speech and wondering how he did it with such elan ?  Or any of the very many Corporate Honchos whose Presentation Skills that you admired and wondered how they never seemed to suffer the nerves? Getting over  your Starting Nerves or the Pre-Presentation Nervous Syndrome is very SIMPLE if you actually knew how. If you are one of those who have suffered from or continue to suffer from this nervousness syndrome then I might be able to help you sort your problems out.

Read on to find out how …………..

The pre-presentation “Nervous Syndrome” that has been prevalent since the day man walked this earth,and the biggest cause of great presentations falling apart , which I would like to term as “ Speakitis “ and continues to prevail till this day or as we speak. This epidemic however is not to be confused with the other medical conditions, such as gastritis, colitis, meningitis or encephalitis. The good news for everyone reading this is that …………this particular epidemic is totally curable, once you set your mind to it.

“Speakitis”

So what exactly is Speakitis and what are the symptoms? How do we know that we have contracted it or suffer from it? Is there any medical test that can conclusively prove that we have it? The answer is a resounding yes and no. Yes, there are clearly discernible symptoms of Speakitis but no, there are no medical tests that can conclusively prove this condition. Well then let us take a look at the so called symptoms of this mystery ailment called Speakitis ………………………. The symptoms of being afflicted by this mystery disease are as under and are many and varied as you will see:

• Tightening of your chest
• Trembling and shaking of your legs
• Unsteadiness
• Sweat beads on your forehead in an air-conditioned room
• Sudden urge to drink water due to your throat running dry
• Sudden urge to visit the wash-room
• Not able to maintain eye contact with the audience
• Temporary amnesia

If any of you reading this article have suffered from any or a mix of the above symptoms at the time of starting a presentation or address, you will know what I mean. Basically we are then all on the same page. These symptoms are magnified when we address a group we have never addressed before. Think about it!! You agree …right??

In the corporate world the vast majority of executives and managers have suffered from this affliction, if your role happens to demand your need to make presentations. For all of you who think that this affliction is only for others and not for you just because you have never made a presentation till date, think again. You might just be the next victim of Speakitis also known as The Speaker’s Nerves and Anxiety Syndrome, the first time you are asked or forced to make a presentation.

Solution

As I told you earlier, the good news is that this ailment can be cured. But for this you need to apply yourself and practice the following, till the cows come home. Remember in the Real Estate business they say the three factors that determine SUCCESS are location, location and location. In the world of High Impact Presentations the three factors that determine SUCCESS are preparation, preparation and preparation. To use an old worn out cliché “ If you fail to prepare you are preparing to fail” This is true in most walks of life but never more true than in the world of Presentations.

A back of the hand calculation for preparation is that for every one minute of presentation you need one hour of preparation.

Remember …………….Good solid preparation is the key.

However even if you are very well prepared, you could  still suffer from Speakitis on the big day or night!! So, then what is the cure for this. Relax and read on ………………………………

Inspite of being totally prepared you still end up with butterflies in your stomach on the BIG DAY …………………………..Speakitis has just claimed another victim……..Fear not because help is at hand. Read on…………..

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing before your presentation has started is one of the sure fire ways of calming your nerves and yourself and putting you into the relaxed state of mind which is so essential for a really good presentation. How does it work? Very simple, because when you deep breathe you are taking in a lot of oxygen and utilizing your lung capacity to a maximum. Normal breathing is shallow breathing and utilizes only between 35% to 40% of your lung capacity. Deep breathing has been advocated for years to relax ones mind and free ones body from tension and stress. Ask any expert on Yoga, meditation, Art of Living or one who practices the Pranayama etc……

Now, the point is how does it work? Well to answer that question it is like this. When you breathe in a lot of oxygen, it fills your lungs and from your lungs it enters the blood stream where it then attacks your stressors in the circulatory system. When your stressors are defeated and lose steam your entire body becomes relaxed and more focused and as a result you become more confident.

Success Cards

International research has shown that Success breeds Success and Failure breeds Failure. So if you have conditioned / programmed your mind to think failure then that is exactly what you are going to get. You think to yourself that today is my day of reckoning and I am going to cop out. Well cop out you surely will, because that is what you have programmed your mind to think and act out.

However on the other hand if you go in to a program/workshop or presentation with a totally positive mind-set then you are programming your brain to only think positive ………….. think SUCCESS!! You can do this by recalling all the successes you have enjoyed over the past six months to a year. It could be in the Business or Work space, Personal or Home space, in sports or even in your social space. Write down these successes on slips of 3” X 4” note pads and keep them in your pocket or handbag. Take them out and read and re-read them to yourself, half an hour or fifteen minutes before a presentation. Ensure that you read them repeatedly, again and again. This way you are writing the SUCCESS code or inputting a success program in your brain.

When you actually step on to the stage or presentation area, from where you are going to present, you will feel more confident and much more in control, of proceedings and the there are strong chances that your presentation will be equally strong and persuasive, since you are now operating from a paradigm of success. This method is all about programming your brain for SUCCESS and believe you me it can be done!!

Physical Activity

Another trick of the trade, where it comes to making confident presentations is to indulge in some form of mild physical activity, before the presentation. Remember the operative word here is “MILD” ……………….. Hence it does not mean running 10 laps of an Olympic track or turning cartwheels and jumping through hoops. It means indulging in some brisk pacing up and down, perhaps some 20 paces or so for about 5 – 10  minutes, before a presentation.

This actually works the same way as in the “Deep Breathing” method, mentioned earlier. When you indulge in some brisk physical activity, you speed up the rate of your heart beat and the heart starts to pump more blood, since the body needs more oxygen to sustain. This makes you breathe faster and deeper, so that more lung capacity is utilized and more oxygen enters your blood stream and helps to de-stress by attacking the stressors in your system.

Remember, if you are not physically fit or in the best of condition, this may not be the ideal tactic for you to adopt.

Water

Whenever you present, be it for 15 minutes, half an hour or even a couple of hours, you will be using your vocal chords and the longer you speak the drier they become. You will hence feel the need to drink some water in the course of your presentation. Ideally hence if you have a couple of glasses of water before you begin your presentation, you would be better placed to last out the duration of your presentation, without a drink of water.

Having said that, please understand that there is nothing wrong with keeping a glass, a jug or a bottle of water handy, near the presentation area to have a quick swallow as and when the need arises. It is a totally accepted practice, world-wide.

Conclusion

Now that you know what to do to prevent the pre-presentation nerves or the SPEAKITIS syndrome as I call it, you need never be afraid of making a presentation ever again in your life. Butterflies in your stomach might still be there at the start of a presentation, but it would be mild and fleeting and within minutes you will be in total control of your presentation and generally accepted as a confident presenter, going forward.

However, one word of caution before I sign off …………………..all of the above would come to naught if you are not well prepared. There are no shortcuts with respect to preparation and taking any would most definitely be at your own risk!!!

Go forth and WOW the world …………………………………………………………………..

Ranjith Kr. Lall

Sr. Consultant – Wipro technologies

 

The Tailor Vs The Fashion Designer

All of us, at least those born pre 1980s, I’m sure have been to a tailor at some point in our life but perhaps never to a big time fashion designer. Now both stitch clothes and create items of dress that we wear. Tailor made as opposed to ready-made. So is there a difference between the approaches of the two? Tailor made was the in thing before convenience and the time factor combined to make ready made a big hit.

So first let us look at what happens when we go a tailor. For our story’s sake let’s call him Pappu Tailors. Let’s assume that you have bought a piece of shirt material approx. 2.5 meters in length and want to stitch a shirt. You go to the tailor and tell him so and then the tailor takes your measurements and jots it down in his notebook after assigning a new number to you. He also probably cuts a piece of the material from the end and staples it to his note book. He then asks you a few questions regarding the style and the fit. You state your preferences which he makes a note of and then tells you it will be done.

Once these formalities are done the tailor then asks you to come in after a week or so and collect your shirt. If that is fine with you then you leave or else you start to bargain with him to give it to you earlier. You may also haggle about the tailoring expenses and payment. Finally on the given day you go to the tailor, make the payment and collect your shirt.

Now let’s cut to what happens with a fashion designer and here your experience could border between scary and nerve wracking. Here’s why.

When you place the material in front of the FD he/ she might ask you as to why did you purchase this material which has a low thread count and hence will not fall properly. Until this point in time you did not even know what a thread count is. Then the FD proceeds to pillory you on the colour of the cloth saying that it would not suit you and that you would look like a peacock in it. You then ask the FD as to which colour does he / she propose and then with a finger on the chin the FD suggests a couple of colours. With your confidence already at low ebb the FD then tells you to not waste his time but come back with a proper material and colour which he could work with. You leave the place sheepishly wondering what the fuss was all about.

Anyways you return a few days later and the FD emerges after a while with the halo shining even brighter after you realise that you are in the FD’s hallowed presence. You show the new material that you have purchased and after a close scrutiny you are told, yes this seems to be okay and this is something he / she can actually work with. The FD then asks you what kind of style are you looking for and you by now do not have the temerity to suggest any style but instead ask for the FD’s suggestion and advice.

The FD then sketches something on the pad interspersing looks at you and then at the sketch on the pad and finally asks you what do you think. Not really a question at all since the FD is not even expecting you to answer that.

Finally delivery and price are areas you don’t even want to touch but the FD firmly tells you that you could check with him in a month’s time. The price for the services is obviously 100 times that of Pappu Tailors.

Finally D-Day arrives and you go to the FD and collect your shirt and exit much lighter financially. That evening when you wear the shirt and enter the party heads turn and everyone complements you on how nice you look. You now begin to think that perhaps it was all worth it. Even though you ended up paying through your nose it is value for money because you have paid for the FD’s knowledge, expertise and skill in bringing out the best in you. The FD has focused on the outcome and not the output which is the sole focus of Pappu Tailors.

So what is the connection between this story and our world i.e. the IT industry? Well in the IT industry too we have tailors and fashion designers. For years we have been trying to make it to the L3 and L4 quadrants without much success. We hence remain the tailors of the IT industry and are seen as a good delivery engine. PWC, Accenture, Deloittes and IBM are the Fashion Designers who design the solution and then we are called in to execute. This is also the reason why our, per hour charges are lower and cannot compare with the likes of the afore mentioned companies at this point in time. While I am not for one moment suggesting that we forfeit our bread and butter work which is delivery, we need to complement this with solutioning and consultancy to go up the value chain and be seen as on par with the bigger players in the IT firmament.

It is all a matter of perception which is played in the mind of customers and a battle in which we are the minnows at this point in time. Perceptions do change and we can improve our L3 and L4 share of the market but in order to achieve that a lot needs to be done. We need to improve our domain, industry and market knowledge by leaps and bounds without which we shall be continuing to fight a losing battle vis a vis the big guns. We also need to understand well key customer processes because only then will we be able to recommend the right solution at the right time and at the right price and thus build credibility. Unless we shift from focus on output to one on outcomes we shall remain primarily L1 & L2 players.

The gaps need to be plugged now as there is not a moment to lose if we are to regain our pride of place and aspire to become one in the league of IT Designers in the days to come. In sporting parlance we would then be a first division team.

 

Successful Networking

Building a Successful Network

A common networking myth is that to be a good net-worker you need to be an extrovert or have an outgoing personality. Nothing can be further from the truth since some of the best net-workers were found to be more introverted and not the typical social butterfly you would imagine.

Having been one of the lead facilitators for the Harvard Business School module on Networking in the program entitled ACE for senior managers and currently conducting it as one part of the PGMA program, there are a few key things that I have been able to take away on this subject and am now penning it down for all to benefit.

So how do you begin building your network? Start by understanding the core premise of networking and that is mutual benefit. To forge bonds with colleagues, partners, vendors, organizations, you need to achieve a balance between the reality of competing for resources, project opportunities, and promotions and the need to collaborate. In fact, to remove internal concerns about competition, some managers ask for advice about especially difficult problems only from peers in other parts of the organization or in other corporations.
Those who are most successful at building networks also think about how they can ensure that their networking relationships are mutually beneficial. That means looking for ways to give back as much as they receive from their network members. For example, if someone helped you recently by locating a needed resource quickly, check back with that person in the next month or two to see what problems you might provide assistance with. Networking it is said is based on the theory of reciprocity.

Taking the initiative

It’s easy to form bonds with others who are like you. To ensure that you reap the benefits of a diverse network, it’s important to actively shape its membership. Consider these approaches:
• Join a task force—these provide excellent opportunities for you to encounter co-workers who work in different functional areas from yours.
• Invite candid feedback from others—especially those who may not be your biggest fans. Ask them to tell you honestly how they feel about your performance as a manager. Ask their opinions on what you have accomplished (or not accomplished) so far, how have you gone about your work, and how others in your organization feel about your leadership style. Request specific examples of your behaviors that are not working.
• Work to understand other people’s biggest challenges and concerns, and identify ways to help them.
• Be sure to forge bonds with those who “make things happen” in your organization, with individuals to whom others go for advice and support, and with colleagues who can influence others.

Demonstrating integrity and discipline

In addition to initiating connections with potential peer-network members, strengthen your network bonds with new and existing network members by demonstrating integrity and discipline. Consider these practices:
• Discuss, in respectful, productive ways, any sensitive issues that arise owing to differences between you and your peers. Networking relationships in which members embrace their differences and productively talk about difficult or awkward issues are more successful than those in which the partners ignore tough topics or copy one another’s styles.
• Win your colleagues’ trust and respect by showing your willingness to work hard. Follow through with promises you have made, and demonstrate honesty.
• Dedicate a specific amount of time each day or week to building your peer network. For example, commit to having lunch each Friday with a different manager inside or outside your organization whom you don’t know well but who may play an important role in a project you’ll be leading.
• Remember that it is “Relationship Power” and not “Positional Power” or “Situational Power” that helps one to obtain support from people outside of your function, domain and organization.

It is said that the opposite of “Networking” is “Not Working” and believe it or not a Harvard Business School study found that nearly 90% of successful senior managers globally, spent almost 50-60% of their time in networking or networking related activities. At the end of the day it is the size of your network that will determine your net worth. Interesting fact to ponder.

Paradigm Shift

Change Your Point of View

Imagine you’re in London’s Heathrow Airport. While you’re waiting for your flight, you notice a kiosk selling shortbread cookies. You buy a box, put them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for an available seat so you can sit down and enjoy your cookies. Finally you find a seat next to a gentleman. You reach down into your traveling bag and pull out your box of shortbread cookies.   As you do so, you notice that the gentleman starts watching you intensely. He stares as you open the box and his eyes follow your hand as you pick up the cookie and bring it to your mouth. Just then he reaches over and takes one of your cookies from the box, and eats it! You’re more than a little surprised at this. Actually, you’re at a loss for words. Not only does he take one cookie, but he alternates with you. For every one cookie you take, he takes one.   Now, what’s your immediate impression of this guy? Crazy? Greedy? He’s got some nerve?! Can you imagine the words you might use to describe this man to your associates back at the office? Meanwhile, you both continue eating the cookies until there’s just one left. To your surprise, the man reaches over and takes it. But then he does something unexpected. He breaks it in half, and gives half to you. After he’s finished with his half he gets up, and without a word, he leaves. You think to yourself, “Did this really happen?” You’re left sitting there dumbfounded and still hungry. So you go back to the kiosk and buy another box of cookies. You then return to your seat and begin opening your new box of cookies when you glance down into your traveling bag. Sitting there in your bag is your original box of cookies — still unopened.   Only then do you realize that when you reached down earlier, you had reached into the other man’s bag, and grabbed his box of cookies by mistake. Now what do you think of the man? Generous? Tolerant? You’ve just experienced a profound paradigm shift. You’re seeing things from a new point of view. Is it time to change your point of view? Now, think of this story as it relates to your life. Seeing things from a new point of view can be very enlightening. Think outside the box. Don’t settle for the status quo. Be open to suggestions. Things may not be what they seem.

The Leadership Primer

These were the 18 tenets that Colin Powell had shared a few years ago. A now retired four star general in the U.S  Army and who subsequently served as the Secretary of State under George Bush from 2001 to 2005.

These tenets made imminent sense to me since they echo common sense and bring the simple facts of Leadership to the forefront …………..

 

A Leadership Primer

India in England 2014

Being an ardent cricket lover and follower and having played the game for many years through school, college and after, it is indeed saddening to see the way the Indian cricket team has disintegrated over the past two test matches in England.

It is not so much the defeat but the manner in which they were defeated that rankles. Agreed that Ishant Sharma the hero of the Lord’s test match was unavailable for both the third and fourth test matches but India lost the plot more in the mind then on the field of play. Otherwise someone please explain how a team widely regarded as one of the strongest line-ups on paper failed miserably in the last four innings and specifically in the last three where they did not even reach 200 once.

The openers are not firing in tandem and both Virat Kohli and Cheteswar Pujara seem to have left their batting skills at home in India. Neither the wickets or the bowlers were so difficult as to make them unplayable as demonstrated by the likes of Bhubaneswar Kumar and R. Ashwin.

To be bowled out on the third day in one session of a test match is pathetic not to say ridiculous if we see who did the damage in the second innings of both the third and fourth test matches. Moen Ali would have found it difficult to ensure his place in any of the top Ranji Trophy teams in India on the strength of his bowling, but surprise surprise he was our wrecker in chief. Imagine England was one bowler short thanks to Varun Aaron rendering Broad out of combat in the second innings. The Indian batsmen are actually inventing ways of getting out each time. 

Finally if India had only batted through two sessions of play on the third day they would have actually drawn the test match since a hurricane hit Manchester on Sunday and would have washed out play on days four and five.Tigers at home and pussy cats abroad is a label that fits them well in test matches.

Another thrashing awaits the Indian team at the Oval if they do not pull up their socks.

Customer Delight – A true story

By Ranjith Kr. Lall …….article on Customer Delight:

This is a true story of an experience one of my father’s friends went through many years ago and is a shining example of what we call today “Customer Delight”

  

My dad’s friend, Mr. Kapoor, went to London on business many years ago. Being fond of the occasional smoke, he went and bought himself a Ronson lighter which was in those days one of the top of the line lighters and an exclusive Brand in the category of lighters worldwide.

He returned to India as the proud owner of a Ronson  but a few days after returning, while trying to refill gas in the same he accidentally dropped the screw at the bottom end of the lighter. The danger was that gas would leak and the lighter may never work as smoothly as before. He was aghast and did not know what to do since all search for the missing screw was to no avail.

Finally he gave up the search but took one last chance at recovery by writing a letter to the Marketing Director of Ronson plc U.K., stating the facts and enquiring whether there was a dealer in the Asia Pacific region where from, he could obtain the missing part. Alternatively if they could send him the screw for which he was willing to pay along with the cost of couriering the same to India.

Mr. Kapoor, posted the letter and in time forgot about it since he was sure that nothing would come of it, as it was a long shot by any standards.

One day, some weeks on, when he returned home, his wife informed him that a letter along with a parcel had come for him and it looked like an international courier.

Wondering what it could be, he took the envelope and opened it and started reading the contents therein. It was a letter from the Marketing Director of Ronson plc thanking him for his letter and for having bought a Ronson lighter on his trip to the UK. The letter went on to say that they were indeed deeply disappointed on his having misplaced a part and to make good his loss, Ronson plc UK, Had decided to send him two nos. of the missing parts along with the letter and an additional lighter as compliments of Ronson – UK.

 Needless to mention Mr.Kapoor’s joy knew no bounds and he became a Ronson evangelist from that day on. He spoke about this experience to anyone who he could have got hold of or come across. The power of “Word of Mouth” cannot be further exemplified than from the fact that it is now almost thirty years since the incident occurred and people in the know are still talking about it. As will many of you after reading this amazing true story of  Customer Delight, that will forever remain etched in my memory and is an integral part of my CRM training even today

The 5 Sales Fallacies of IT Sales

Selling technology is a premeditated sport. Like any pro athlete, you need to be able to read the other team’s moves to help you win. Like athletes, sometimes IT prospects say one thing ……and do another.

Here are five IT sales fallacies that you should be aware of. Like reading an opposing offense in a football game, you need to know when your prospect’s moves are real or misdirected clues to their next step.

1. Customers Always Tell The Truth

   Not always. Just as we are concerned by IT salespeople who do not tell the truth, concurrently we are also worried about clients who do not tell the truth. Words are important, but actions are better. Prospects may not be trying to misrepresent the facts; they may just be misinformed about their self-importance in their firm’s decision process.

   But, day in and day out they give misinformation to IT salespeople and we are expected to make our living based on this data.

   Look for positive sales cycle steps that parallel the prospect’s words.

   Have you had a client say to you, “I’ll call you next week about your proposal,” and then not call?

   Or has any prospect ever told you that they are the decision maker, then after six months of sales calls they tell you “that their boss has to review your proposal?”

   Listen to what they say. believe what they do.

2. Price Doesn’t Matter

   Or course price matters. Yes, it matters to some more than others, but nobody wants to pay more than your IT product or professional service is worth. Price issues should be dealt with early in the sales cycle. Clients talk price but buy value! If the client is talking price, then you need to meet with them immediately and validate your value. To reduce price issue discussions, sell to vice presidents and above. One price management technique in IT selling is: the higher you go in the organizational chart, the less is price an issue.

3. Customers Check References

   I wish. Never give a client more than three references; you’ll be lucky if they call two. Clients assume that, if you give them a customer name, you and your customers must be happy.

   The fact is, you probably know direct competitors who keep selling but have hordes of existing clients that are unhappy. Why? Because their IT prospects don’t call references. Customers are lazy when it comes to checking references.

4. Customers Don’t Buy Brand

   Of course IT prospects buy brand. Buying brand is the easy way of approving IT vendors. Like references, prospects that buy brand are assuming that the corporate name carries strength and technical validation. But, into today’s economic instability, big company brands are not necessarily stable. If you’re selling by brand, become an IT specialist instead of a brand generalist. If you’re not selling by brand, don’t start. Brand selling in B2B IT has too many opportunities to be misperceived by the IT prospects. In today’s economy, sell your specialization, not a brand.

5. Relationships Don’t Matter

   Yes, relationships do matter. But, how long does it take to build a business relationship? With catastrophes like Enron, it will take longer than it has in the past. But, do not calculate relationships with qualified IT buyers based just on the number of months you have been courting them or the number of your prospect meetings.

   Relationships with prospects are based on the business respect you show them as a professional salesperson and the business expertise you demonstrate about their business pain.

   Do you need to know a surgeon for two years before you allow him to fix your physical pain?

   No, you don’t. As soon as a surgeon validates his expertise, you allow him to operate on you. Simultaneously, to develop a long-term relationship with a qualified IT prospect in a shorter time slice, show them how your technology or service can increase their profitability or reduce their expenses. Help them, and they will buy from you. now!

So, those are the five fallacies of IT sales. Believe in them and you will sell less; manage them…….and you will sell more.