Designing a Complete Sales Team: Acknowledgement and Appreciation

It is my belief that it is better and more economical for your business to keep the staff you have rather than train a new one. Your seasoned employees can help your company thrive during challenging times. Therefore it is your responsibility as a manager or owner to make certain they are consistently recognized, appreciated and motivated. Give them accolades in front of their peers at your staff meetings; set up a reward system no matter how small; never fail to tell them how very much you appreciate their hard work; get your vendors involved and offer new training when available; stay motivated and enthusiastic about your business—as my grandfather used to say, “Don’t open a shop unless you know how to smile.” Remember this: more than power, prestige or money what a person really wants is recognition.

Customer loyalty has never been more important. The customer experience will drive success in your business over the next few years like never before. Focus on the customer and they will remember your business when they need what you have to offer.

Here is my 15-point Service Success™ formula:

C is for Courtesy —Anticipate the customer’s needs even before they know they have them.

U is for Understanding —Listen to your customer.

S is for Smile! —The universal language!

T is for Tenacity —Is anyone really “just looking?”  Find a need and fill it!

O is for Open Minded —Be willing to think outside your policy.

M is for Make a Friend — Make a friend, not just a sale.

E is for Empathy — Agree with the disgruntled, diffuse the anger, and then give them everything they want.

R is for Resourcefulness — If your mission is service then do whatever it takes to help your customer achieve their goal.

S is for Serve — If you don’t have what the customer is looking for then don’t be afraid to tell them who does.

E is for Enthusiasm — It’s catching!

R is for Recognition — More than money, prestige, promotion, or power, what a person really wants is recognition.

V is for Value — The value of goods but also the value of service.

I is for Indulge — Pamper your customer!

C is for Commitment — Do what you say you’re going to do or don’t say it.

E is for Establish Integrity — Uphold your part of the relationship.  Be a genuinely nice person.

Investment Dressing is about building a work wardrobe with your hard-earned money that not only exemplifies your personal style but also gets you noticed in the right way at the office. By adding a clothing allowance into your monthly budget you continually modernize your appearance and never strap your financial resources. Here are a few tips to remember before you go shopping:

• Put together a simple clothing budget, perhaps $5 a day or $150 a month, and stick to it. When out in the stores earmark pieces that fit into your workplace collection. Give them a number from one to five, five being a perfect fit. If they are ideal, then pay full price for them. If not, then wait for them to go on sale.
  
  
• Choose two neutral colors and one statement color for the foundation of your wardrobe—such as camel, chocolate and ivory; charcoal, black and white; navy, white and red—and build upon these colors year after year.
  
  
• Never buy anything unless you have two things to wear with it.
  
  
• Don’t impulse shop.
  
  
• Spend 80% of your money on “hard pieces,” such as suits. Spend 20 % of your money on trends.
  
  
• When buying trends opt for less expensive pieces such as a scarf, belt or updated legwear. Buy a leopard print belt, not a leopard print suit!
  
  
• Just because it is in style does not mean that you should own it. Stick to your own personal style regardless of what’s trendy for the season.

Now let’s discuss your responsibilities to your employer. If your company has a dress code it is your duty to adhere to it. Look around your office. What do the managers and executives wear to work? If you’re in a service industry such as banking or mortgage lending, a brokerage, or an accounting or law firm, chances are you’ll see suits and ties. Assuming that your career goal is to advance, then wouldn’t it make sense to emulate those in charge? I doubt very seriously if the bank president is wearing a midriff and flip-flops, even on Casual Friday.

Always remember to dress for the job you want, not the job you have!

Santa Fe, New Mexico

I travel often to Santa Fe, New Mexico so I want to offer some tips on traveling to this beautiful town. Known for exquisite boutiques, superb restaurants, and some of the best sunsets in the world you should experience this spot.

One of my favorite ways to experience the heart of the city is to stay at a place just off the Plaza so one can walk anywhere. Here are my picks:

Inn of the Governors
101 West Alameda
505-982-4333
800-234-4534
Beautiful any time of year with window boxes bursting with seasonal foliage. Ask for a fireplace in your room! Sherry, tea and local Biscochitos cookies in the lobby each afternoon. A substantial breakfast buffet is free each morning of your stay.

Casitas de las Palomas
505-984-2270
www.twocasitas.com
Vacation rentals; studio, one, two and three bedroom adobe casitas scattered about town. A wonderful way to spend a few days and have a kitchen at your disposal.

DINING:

Photographer, Janice Smith ©

Hotel La Fonda
100 E. San Francisco St.
505-982-5511
Go to the bell tower for a drink and a view of an exceptional sunset.

The Shed
113 E. Palace Ave.
505-982-9030
The best New Mexican food in town.

Plaza Restaurant
54 Lincoln Ave.
505-982-1664
For the best granola or blue corn pinon pancakes; how about a New Mexican chopped salad or a bowl of green chili? And the desserts are world famous.

Il Piatto
95 W. Marcy St.
505-984-1091
The best Tuscan Italian fare. Reasonable prices and always good food.

Santacafe
231 Washington Ave.
505-984-1788
The best créme brulee I've ever eaten. An eclectic menu of wild game specials, fresh seafood, perfect beef, and unusual New Mexican dishes such as quinoa-stuffed rellenos. A very interesting bar.

Pasqual's
121 Don Gaspar Avenue
505-983-9340
Mayan, Oaxacan, New Mexican fare. Plantains on the side, jicama-orange salad, mole sauces, tamales wrapped in banana leaves. And then there's breakfast - stand in line for this one. Eat at the Community Table to get a seat quick. There's no telling who you'll meet!

SIDE TRIPS:

Chimayo
Legend has it that in 1810 a friar saw light bursting from a hillside where after digging in the spot a crucifix was found. The crucifix was moved three times and each time was found back at this same spot. So here it remained and a small chapel was built on the site. Then the miraculous healings began. These grew so numerous that the chapel had to be replaced by the larger, current Santuario de Chimayo in 1816. People pilgrimage from around the globe to visit this sacred spot and take a small bit of "healing dirt" from the place where the crucifix was found.

Allan Houser Sculpture Garden
505-471-9667
Allan Houser, a Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache, is the American master of soaring monumental sculpture. He created a renaissance in stone carving using such mediums as marble, alabaster, and limestone. Walk among these beautiful sculptures displayed in their natural New Mexican habitat where Mr. Houser lived and worked.

     

See previous tips, including travel destinations, here.

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