Why would they buy (not buy) from you?

Serving and keeping our customers is a fairly simple task. Yet many businesses ignore basic customer service tasks.

Okay, here we go again, it’s time for another rant. I just can’t help myself, there’s just so much material that presents itself to me on a daily basis. The good news is that after you read this article, you will have identified some of the things people hate about buying in your industry and what you can do about it. Think for a minute about a business you have used in the past that you would NOT use again. Got one? Good, now I’ll tell you mine and you can compare notes.

I recently had one of the worst buying experience in my life. I was buying a car and when the dealer learned that I helped business owners build better businesses, he asked me what I thought the challenge was with his slow sales. The salesman was convinced that the location was the problem. Little did I know that his business challenges would become very clear to me and they are not related to location.

After agreeing on a fair price for a "pre-owned" car, I asked the dealer to fully service the car before I picked it up to have it checked out by a mechanic. I was promised they would take care of everything the car needed and there was "really no reason" to have someone else look it over. The day I arrived to pick up the car, the salesman was not at the dealership and another salesperson lead me to the car. I asked if the car was ready. The reply was "I think so but I’m not completely sure." (Note to self: Pay more attention to alarm bells ringing and whistles blowing, these are clues!)

I got into the car to leave and noticed the fuel level was below "empty." There was barely enough fuel to make it to the gas station four blocks away! I drove to my local repair shop asked the mechanic to check what actually was done to service the car. It turns out not very much. To properly service the car I would need to spend an additional eight hundred dollars. I returned to the dealership to drop off the car and a copy of the service estimate. Again, the salesman was not there and I was told he would "be in touch" with me. That was a year and a half ago.

To this day I have never actually received a follow up call, a letter in the mail, or an email from the dealership or salesman. If I had purchased the car do you think I would have received thanks for my business or a request for referrals? When customer service is bad from the start, it rarely improves. I'm certain this dealership ignores follow-on services like a customer satisfaction surveys, special announcements, calendars, birthday wishes, or notes marking the purchase anniversary.

Okay, here come the questions:

• Do you think this dealer’s location is the challenge with
  his Business?


• Did a few examples of your own come to mind about poor customer
  service experience?


• Did any light bulbs come on for you and what you could do to
  improve your systems in your Business?

Here is a quick exercise you can do to help you to market your Business more effectively and better serve your customers needs versus your wants. First, a simple premise:

People buy for only two reasons.

1. To decrease pain (problems)
   in their lives.


2. To increase pleasure in their lives.

Can you think of a Business where this doesn’t apply? I think you will have a hard time finding one.
Take the next few minutes now and give some thought to these questions. I believe this exercise could very well add the spark that’s missing in your Business and turn it around to being fun and profitable.

• List five pains people alleviate by buying your product or service.


• List five pleasures they enhance buy buying your product or
  service.


• List five things people hate about buying your product or service.

Now take this wisdom and review your marketing strategy. Set your Business apart from the competition by dealing directly with what people hate about buying in your industry. Build your marketing message around pain/pleasure solutions. Ask other people you know to answer these questions. The insight will be invaluable! Most importantly once you have this information, you must make the necessary adjustments to your Business that lets people know you’re not like all the rest. Show them you’re different and you not only care, but you will prove it to them by standing behind your product 110%.

-Paul Hajek


Paul specializes in strategic business development, marketing, finance, and product lifecycle management. He has owned three successful businesses and is a licensed professional business coach. Contact Paul directly at (208) 340-8482.

Three Steps to Better Leadership

Effective leaders are the people who can induce followers to see the group's interest as their own interest.

1. Be Proactive

Leadership is in some way a “call to action.” The action you select should be a reflection of your team, not an assertion of your authority. You and your team should have a shared understanding the specific action you want to achieve. Do you want to develop a successful product? Do you want others to change the way the organization works? Do you want a customer to buy your product? Advocate for actions where there is strong agreement.

Build a history of advocating for the group interest because real leadership is motivating people in situations where we know we don't agree.

2. When the going gets tough, Ask Questions

Begin every conversation, meeting, or presentation with questions that enhance the your understanding of the other person or group. Asking questions helps you understand the perspectives and priorities of the other person. If we want to consistently communicate in a way that’s relevant to others, we have to make sure that we truly understand their perspective.

Knowing your team helps you understand how to shape the group's norms and identify. Your questions should lead to a dialog about what the group stands for, how it should act, and who "we" are.

3. Let Leadership Flow

Being a "boss" isn't the same as being a leader. Leadership is not "being in charge" and imposing your mandate. Instead, leaders know how to give authority and responsibility to the people in the organization most able to solve the problem at hand. Leaders know how to advocate for a shared vision and then delegate authority to the people who have the expertise to help make this vision a reality. Laozi, the 6th Century Chinese philosopher put it this way:

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists... when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, we did this ourselves."

Ever been on a team when there was this kind of "flow?" An observer of such a team would see that at any given moment the person on the team who has the information, wisdom, or creativity to offer steps forward to assume the leadership position. After he has delivered his knowledge to the group, he then steps quietly back into the role of a follower, as the next person slips into the leadership position. The secret of high-functioning teams is their flow between leadership and followership roles.

-David Meyer, PhD

Galliard specializes in making teams work. Learn more about our hands-on tools for building better teams.

David specializes in all aspects of team performance including recruitment, selection, performance measurement and communication. Contact David directly at (208) 344-1954.

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