Many times that I meet with business associates it will be over a cup of coffee at a cafe. The environment then tends to be fairly casual in many respects, but still allows for quite in depth discussion. I can even remember another couple at a nearby table praying for each other - they were simply looking at each other and around the cafe and it was only if you were close enough to hear them that you realised that their "conversation" wasn't specifically with each other!
I know I'm not alone in using cafes for business meetings and I'm sure many others who do would find these meetings can often run for over half an hour, perhaps even longer than a full hour.
But how many times do we simply have the one coffee?
Since I noticed this phenomenon every time I've been in a cafe for a business meeting I've seen the same thing. Regardless of how many tables are being used the cafe staff don't ask one question which would significantly boost their revenue:
"Would you like another cup of coffee?"
It would be simple to ask and I then have two choices - either I get another cup of coffee, or we wrap up our meeting and move on (and free up a table for another customer to buy a coffee). Even if the cafe is not particularly full, in many cases if I was approached in this manner I probably would buy the coffee, plus one for my guest. So it's an extra $6 - 10 for the cafe for us just to keep sitting there as we would have if they had not Just asked the question!
Aside from the extra revenue, it also is great service - looking after the customers' needs.
How in your business could your staff boost revenue and profitability by just asking the question?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
When Sales = Service
In my personal time I absolutely love gardening. Getting out in the sunshine to grow our own produce is very satisfying, but also provides a lot of time for thinking. While we're heading into winter shortly, and all our summer crops have finished it is time for planting the few plants that will survive winter.
As such, this morning I took a trip to our local nursery. While it's a little more expensive than the big box hardware stores we have a short distance down the road, I knew which plants I needed specifically and that it would be simpler to get the seedlings here.
Even with my 3 year old son in tow, it was a quick trip. Straight to the seedlings, a quick bee-line to the seeds and then to the front counter. And a quick lesson in customer service.
The first question from the assistant as I put my plants on the counter was "Sorry, what was your name again? And your son's?" While I've not been in there for around 6 months (and I doubt that he would have remembered my name in that time even if he did know it earlier), he asked in such a way to show that he was interested in ME!
And the second question wasn't really a question the way he asked, but could have lead to a great question: "Make sure you put some *** product on the seedlings to keep the moths off them, there are still a few caterpillars around at the moment... " I can't remember the exact product name, but if I notice any caterpillars I'll be back there to ask him about it.
So the question he should have asked is along the lines of "Would you like to take it with you today?"
He got me thinking less of the garden and more about service. By selling me a product, he would have provided even better service than just simply having a nice smile and having my transaction completed quickly. But also, he wasn't just selling me anything - he was selling a product that clearly met my needs, and in a way that he was telling me about a need that I didn't even know about!
How in your business could you offer great service to your clients by actually selling them something?
As such, this morning I took a trip to our local nursery. While it's a little more expensive than the big box hardware stores we have a short distance down the road, I knew which plants I needed specifically and that it would be simpler to get the seedlings here.
Even with my 3 year old son in tow, it was a quick trip. Straight to the seedlings, a quick bee-line to the seeds and then to the front counter. And a quick lesson in customer service.
The first question from the assistant as I put my plants on the counter was "Sorry, what was your name again? And your son's?" While I've not been in there for around 6 months (and I doubt that he would have remembered my name in that time even if he did know it earlier), he asked in such a way to show that he was interested in ME!
And the second question wasn't really a question the way he asked, but could have lead to a great question: "Make sure you put some *** product on the seedlings to keep the moths off them, there are still a few caterpillars around at the moment... " I can't remember the exact product name, but if I notice any caterpillars I'll be back there to ask him about it.
So the question he should have asked is along the lines of "Would you like to take it with you today?"
He got me thinking less of the garden and more about service. By selling me a product, he would have provided even better service than just simply having a nice smile and having my transaction completed quickly. But also, he wasn't just selling me anything - he was selling a product that clearly met my needs, and in a way that he was telling me about a need that I didn't even know about!
How in your business could you offer great service to your clients by actually selling them something?
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