We have a new Account Executive starting after the first of the year and as I begin to put together their training I realized that maybe I have been remiss with keeping my team up to date as well.
We all get caught up in the day-to-day happenings of business. It doesn’t matter if we are in-office customer service, face-to-face sales or management, we seem at times to have our heads down trudging through the week.
As we all start a new year it’s important to make sure that you and all your team members are on the same page. Do they understand their roles in the organization? Are they all talking the right/same talk? Are they not only brand ambassadors for your clients but for you as well?
Are your Team Members Ambassadors of First Impression?
We have one client that calls their front desk team the “Ambassadors of First Impression”. They even have a name plate on the desk stating that that’s what they are (and they have many buildings and many front desks!). It always makes me smile when I see them because I know that no matter what, they are going to try and steer me in the right direction. It gives these “ambassadors” a little extra confidence and understanding of the importance their role is to the company.
Remember that old saying from Will Rogers (some say Oscar Wilde), “you never get a second chance to make a first impression!” It has also been said you create a first impression within the first 30 seconds of greeting someone.
A Well Prepared Team Makes a Good Impression
So, it’s important that your team is well prepared and can make a good impression each and every time they interact not only with your customers and vendors but also with each other.
Do they have a thorough understanding of the business and understand the client’s business as well? For instance, I have a client that doesn’t allow alcohol related products to represent them, so obviously we never make that a suggestion. And we make sure everyone on the team knows that!
Does everyone on the team understand your basic rules, for instance, never make a promise you can’t keep or it is better to under promise and over deliver?
Are Team Members Empowered?
Another part of our philosophy is that every team member has the power to make things happen, always. If I’m not here and a decision needs to be made, then they have the power to make their best judgement call and make the decision. Granted there are times where that decision may be too big to make, but 90% of the time, I know I can trust them to make a wise call.
We also train everyone that they need to always be courtesy and nice to everyone. We aren’t out to be your best friend, but there is no reason to be rude or discourteous. Granted, we all have bad days but try to hide it. Just the other day, one of our account executives was having just one of those days. She asked if she could take a walk for 20 minutes. Absolutely. She came back refreshed and renewed and a better representative of our team.
Taking a Moment Can Save You from Disaster
It makes a difference. For instance I sat across from the desk when a client had to take a call (they apologized and said they’d been chasing this person for days). And I was shocked to be able to hear the exchange. The person was basically yelling on the other end of the phone. And my further shock was to find out it was a vendor for that company and not only that, but actually a competitor of mine! My client apologized profusely and blurted out that it was one of my competitors complaining about a deadline they had promised to make and now could not. Needless to say, they no longer work with that company. Granted most of us would never work that way and I don’t know the whole story for sure, but sometimes it is best just to be silent.
And the courtesy needs to be extended to all your vendor-partners. I have heard many stories over the years about how some companies treat them. Literally berating employees in most cases for their own error and wanting the vendor-partner to fix it at their expense.
Vendor-Partners are Integral to Team
We try our best to treat our vendor-partners an integral part of our team. Because they are the ones that make us look like a star by turning around rush orders in hours! Our vendor-partners are helping out on pricing when it’s really needed and offering suggestions that will help our clients.
So, as we start the New Year, I’m re-evaluating all that is available to our team. I want to make sure they are aware of any new training programs available about industry trends and products. And as a team we’re going to sit down and discuss our goals for 2018. Because only as a cohesive team can we exceed those goals!
What about your team?
Danette Gossett is the founder of Gossett Marketing, co-founder of Promotions Rescource LLC and co-author of the best-selling book “Transform” with Brian Tracy. Danette utilizes her more than 30 years of advertising agency and corporate marketing experience to develop effective promotional campaigns and products for her clients. Visit GossettMktg.com or SalesPromo.org and follow us on twitter @MarketngTidbits.