The Business Buddy Work Less Make More Report Volume Nine

This final volume of this report will show you a simple idea or strategy you can use immediately to make more sales and profits in your business without working harder.

I invite you to invest a couple of minutes to read this idea and then try what we cover in your own business. You will be delighted with the results.

Use the contrast principle to make more sales:

The contrast principle says: You can change how a person perceives something by changing the event that precedes it. Since prospects' perceptions are their reality, when you change their perception, you change what they believe is true.

Here is how the contrast principle works: (Yes, you can try this at home):

Prepare three buckets of water. One with cold water. One with hot water. And one with water at room temperature. Place one hand in the cold water and your other hand in the hot water. Then at the same time, place both hands into the room temperature water.

Your surprise illustrates the contrast principle. The hand that was first in cold water now feels like it is in hot water. And the hand that was in hot water now feels like it is in cold water. Yet, you can plainly see both hands are in the same water.

How each hand perceives the room-temperature water depends on the event that preceded it, namely whether your hand was first placed into water that was cold or hot.

Another example: A man goes into a fashionable clothing store and tells the sales person he wants to buy a three-piece suit and a sweater. If you were the salesperson, which would you show him first?

The contrast principle says always sell the more costly item first. Because after the man buys the suit, the cost of a sweater -- even an expensive sweater -- will seem small by comparison.

If the sales person first showed the man a $300 sweater, the man might hesitate because that sounds expensive for a sweater. But if the man had just purchased a $1500 custom-tailored suit, $300 for a sweater does not seem out of line.

How the man perceives the price of the sweater changes depending on whether
it is the first item he considers, or whether he first buys the expensive suit.

Action Exercise:

In all your selling, always show the expensive item first and then a less expensive one.

By contrast, the less expensive item will seem far cheaper in comparison.

Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. 
Warren Buffett 

Astill Hawke & Associates Limited | Chartered Accountants
| P O Box 58 359, Botany, Manukau 2163 | Phone: (09) 985 9791 | Fax: (09) 985 9792 | www.astillhawke.co.nz | office@astillhawke.co.nz |

The Work Less Make More Report - Volume Eight

Each volume of this report will show you a simple idea or strategy you can use immediately to make more sales and profits in your business without working harder.

I invite you to invest a couple of minutes to read this idea and then try what we cover in your own business. You will be delighted with the results.

Use "Golden Silence" to make more sales:

One of the best ways to learn about your prospect or customer is to use "Golden Silence".

This is nothing more than using a pause at two points in your questioning; after you've asked a question, and after the listener has answered.

Not just a brief pause, but a 2-3 second pause. 

 Here are the benefits of this:

1. You won't feel compelled to continue talking after asking the question if you force yourself to pause. People don't always immediately answer, and pausing gives them the opportunity to think a bit.

2. The number and length of your responses will increase.  People feel more comfortable when you have given them time to frame their answers, which will more likely be comprehensive.

3. The amount of unsolicited information will increase.  By not jumping in immediately after they have answered, they are given a little time to contemplate what they've just said which can prompt additional responses.

4. You'll have more time to understand what they've said.  Since you know you are going to pause, you can spend all of your listening time focussed on the message, and not what you will say next.

5. You'll have more time to formulate your next comment.  You can use your pause time to develop your next question or statement, which will be more meaningful, since you'll have more relevant information.

Action Exercise:

Use "Golden Silence" several times this week with your customers and prospects.  Notice the result.

"If speaking is silver, then listening is gold." Turkish proverb

Astill Hawke & Associates Limited | Chartered Accountants
| P O Box 58 359, Botany, Manukau 2163 | Phone: (09) 985 9791 | Fax: (09) 985 9792 | www.astillhawke.co.nz | office@astillhawke.co.nz |

The Business Buddy Work Less Make More Report Volume Seven

Each volume of this report will show you a simple idea or strategy you can use immediately to make more sales and profits in your business without working harder.

I invite you to invest a couple of minutes to read this idea and then try what we cover in your own business. You will be delighted with the results.

Choose the words you use with customers:

Often by changing one or two words we use with customer we can make customers feel important and special. In any business words are tools that we use. Let's use the right tools and create customer delight in all our customers.

Four Magic Phrases: 

Here are four magic phrases that customers love to hear and make them feel they are receiving outstanding service. When the people in an organisation begin using these words they also feel more like providing outstanding service. 

1. "I'll take care of that for you" This is a wonderful phrase that is simple and direct. Employees who use this phrase feel empowered to act. Customers who hear it feel they are being looked after well. 

2. "We want your business". We should never assume that customers know we want and value their business unless we tell them. Many businesses act as if the customer was an inconvenience or nuisance. When someone hears "We want your business", it is clear that the customer counts. 

3. "Thank you for thinking of us". This short phrase is what business is all about. When you buy from any business you are in a very real sense paying a compliment to that business. When employees say "thank you for thinking of us" everyone feels good. The person saying it and the customer hearing it. 

4. "Consider it done". These are magic words in business. They keep customers coming back and set you apart from the competition. "Consider it done" makes the person saying it feel in charge and the person hearing it feel like they are in good hands. 

Action Exercise:

Use several of these phrases with your customers this week. Notice what happens when you do.

"The greatest need of every human being is the need for appreciation" 

 

Astill Hawke & Associates Limited | Chartered Accountants
| P O Box 58 359, Botany, Manukau 2163 | Phone: (09) 985 9791 | Fax: (09) 985 9792 | www.astillhawke.co.nz | office@astillhawke.co.nz |

The Work Less Make More Report Volume 6

Each volume of this report will show you a simple idea or strategy you can use immediately to make more sales and profits in your business without working harder.

I invite you to invest a couple of minutes to read this idea and then try what we cover in your own business. You will be delighted with the results.

 Create a Statement of Competitive Advantage:

How can you expect prospects and customers to give you time and attention if they do not

understand; clearly  and concisely what you can do for them that no one else can do?

Suppose someone walks up to you at a business conference and asks you what you do

for a living. Exactly what would you say? Did you stumble? Did you have any trouble coming up

with a response? Do you know what sets you apart from your competitors? If this was hard for you,

you're not alone. If you were to ask the average business person what they do for a living they

would probably say "I sell computers, advertising, office supplies etc."

And what does every other business person say? Exactly the same thing!

So what should the business person who understands his competitive advantage say?

How about this for the Advertising person:

"My name is Mike and I work with ABC Company. We've found today that a lot of business people

are wasting money on their advertising every week. We've put together a short report called '11

ways to double the effectiveness of all your advertising' and it's free to anyone who wants a copy."

Mike has given his prospect a Statement of Competitive Advantage, a 30 second statement which

differentiates you in the marketplace.  It has four components:

1. Your name  2. Your company 3. A statement about a problem in your market

4. How you and your service solve that problem

Action Exercise:

Develop a statement of competitive advantage for your primary target market.

Target Market                                                 Your name                              Your Company

What is a typical problem experienced in this market?

What is an intriguing statement about how you and your service solve that problem?

"There's a way to do it better-find it." Thomas Edison

Kind regards

Kirsten Hawke

Astill Hawke & Associates Limited | Chartered Accountants
| P O Box 58 359, Botany, Manukau 2163 | Phone: (09) 985 9791 | Fax: (09) 985 9792 | www.astillhawke.co.nz | office@astillhawke.co.nz |