Pearl of the Day 
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Proud to be an American
March 5, 2010
If tomorrow all the things were gone
Above are lyrics from Lee Greenwood's song God Bless the USA.
Fifty short years ago life in America was very different. We had three channels on our television, a party line telephone which meant occasionally you would hear another person's telephone conversation on your phone, we also had telephone operators to whom you gave the number you wanted to call. Games for kids were limited, so our "play" time was spent outdoors. The movie theatre in town played one movie for a period of time. Families did a lot more things together, often just socializing with relatives. There were dances to go to, picnics to cook for, card games on a Friday night, church on Sunday, family dinners together every night . . . simple things. Face-to-face communication was important then, and it enabled our relationships to be close and meaningful.
One of the things I remember with both amazement and disheartenment is how my parents would leave their car on the street unlocked, with the windows open, and on warm summer nights our house would frequently be unlocked and only the screen door closed. We lived in a safe world back then, at least in our little town. I remember walking a mile across town at 15 years old to get from a friend's house to mine, often late at night.
I don't know if we'll ever see that kind of freedom again, but a free America is definitely worth fighting for. As Lee Greenwood's song reminds us, "I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me."
This is the second in a series of patriotic messages. If you enjoy them, write us and let us know.
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By Danny Bowling
Selling is about providing consistently good customer service, and building selling relationships. Outfluence is about thinking of the needs of another person first, and building a personal relationship which may lead to a business relationship, as part of an overall lifestyle. As a salesperson I was confused when supervisors counseled me that the focus of customer service was to exceed the customer’s expectation. With every customer’s need being different, that was hard to put into action. Outfluence teaches to listen for the needs of a person and then to respond thoughtfully, purposefully, and sincerely. Outfluence Fundamental Number 10 is to Listen more and speak less. But in my previous training I was taught to first push whatever the product of the day was to a customer. I always thought to myself if I don’t listen to the customer first, I may talk myself right out of business. At the direction of my employers, I went to see customers and my opening was prepared to synchronize with how long after you strike a match it takes before it burns down to your fingers. I would practice this “technique” over and over until I had it right. Only after I got my sales pitch delivered within the time period specified could I step back and listen to what the customer had to say. Outfluence Fundamental Number 10 leads into Outfluence Fundamental Number 7, which is Be the solution, not the problem. Customers want you as the salesperson to assist them to resolve their problems and to meet their needs. We are supposed to be the experts, right? Fundamental 13 should be obvious to a salesperson, but frequently it is not respected: Honor promises. Customers will respect you much more for the truth than for telling them what you think they want to hear. Using these three Fundamentals of Outfluence alone will energize customer service, strengthen relationships, and lead to a growing bottom line. The results are measurable in a very short amount of time. My sales teams have increased sales as individuals by 40% to 60%. I initiated the Outfluence program in the parts department of a company. Parts sales were averaging $45,000 to $50,000 per month. Within 6 months our team grew those numbers and was able to maintain them at $80,000 to $120,000 per month. Outfluence is not magic. However, the results are so extreme that it feels magical. The President of Men’s Warehouse says about his company’s high level of customer service, “I guarantee it!” I, too, can guarantee that the Outfluence fundamentals put into practice in any company will result in heightened customer service and improved corporate performance. I’ve seen it happen in my company. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        |
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