I hear it all the time… business is slow, times are changing and the economy is affecting my business.

When a client or a potential client utters these words, the first thing I tell them is great! Use this time to really get to know your customers. The often look at me in bewilderment.

If you want to sell more then you really need to get to know your customers. I can assure you that the reasons you think they are buying from you are very different from their reasons.

My two tips for today are:

1. Talk to Them – ask them what their problems are and what they are looking for. It is only then at you will be able to explain the benefits of what you do and how it can help make their lives better today.
2. Ownership – Let your clients feel what their live is like when they have your product/services. Wait a few minutes then take it away from them. Remind them they have to own it first.

The last one sounds cruel, but it is very effective.

Let me know how you get on and most importantly, what you learnt when you really got to know your customers.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of the Apprentice.  But last nights epsiode was a train crash and I for one will not be watching anymore epsiodes.  

When is  marketing going to get the same respect as the sales function in Sir Alan’s organisation.

The Apprentice makes good TV, but in the really business world a business built on sales alone will not survive, especially in this climate.  What most people would have picked up from last nights programme is get the sales right and nothing else matter!

So what about the customer and their experience of the product.  I am sure that anyone who bought the honey product, wouldn’t be running back to buy again!

The losing team, had a better product and ticked more marketing boxes i.e. promotion, packaging, place, people  and physical evidence, but the project manager was let down by the price.   They even got their sales strategy right.  

Ben was given the task of helping with costs and did absolutely nothing, but complain.  Which is what he normally does. He was clearly given a task and did absolutely nothing to contribute on the cost front.  Plus he is rude and doesn’t even shut up when told to by Sir Alan!  For this reason alone, he should have been fired.

The winning team’s project maanger, had no idea what he was doing.  I would be embrassed to be associated with such an awful product.  

But in the boardrooom that didn’t matter.  The winning team made the most money! The product was awful, they had no pricing structure, no plan for distribution and only won at the last minute because they were giving the product away.  If this was a really company, it would have been interesting to see how many complaints they would have received the following day/week about their product!

If I had bought their product in Camden I would have complained.

Yes the team that lost did really messy up on the costings and price. Costs are important, but they were working as a team and the Project Manager made it very clear that she need help… where was that help?  If it wasn’t for Nick no one would have known about the huge mistake they made with the oils.

There were other people in that Boardroom who should have been fired! 

What a twist it would have been if the winning team where called back in and asked to explain they mistakes and one of them was fired!

Business is about sales, but if you don’t get the marketing right where are the customers going to come from.  It isnt’ just about Sales.

Last nights episode was a train crash.  I can’t believe that some of the people who messed up on last nights task are still in with a chance to work for Sir Alan on a six figure salary.

This isn’t what being in business is about.