Conrey is for Closers

Some conversations at Integrum reminded me of the story of the Netscape Hockey game (story here at Rands in Repose):

This is chill hockey. We don’t keep score. There is bumping and nudging, but rarely a fight, and the rules few:

1. Offsides are enforced.
2. If the puck leaves the surface, whoever gets it, gets to play it.
3. Don’t be a jerk.

Hockey has a slew of other rules regarding tripping, high sticking, and cross-checking, but in the pick-up game, those rules fall under #3 — don’t be a jerk. When new individual players arrive and they deviate from these rules, they are quickly and efficiently educated. Yeah, we don’t play that way.

We often take for granted the power of what the author there calls “social momentum”. How often has something been explained as “it’s the way we’ve always done it”. When you bring new people into an organization, be they new employees or clients, they don’t know about the whole system of things that are “just the way you’ve always done it”. They are reflexive actions for you, they are an unknown world for them.

Take the time to explain why and how you do things, and maybe they’ll make themselves a part of your culture instead of fighting it.

Are your clients happy enough?

Happy enough to not call you when there is a minor annoyance?
Happy enough to not call you when you miss a delivery date?
Happy enough to not refer you to their colleagues?
Happy enough to not automatically think of you for new opportunities internally?
Happy enough to take 2-3 days to get back to you?

Or are they excited to be working with you and willing to tell everyone about it?

Many times we focus on getting the sale, getting it closed, and then getting it done. Anyone can do that. It takes a real salesman to nurture that relationship though. When I was selling cars one of the guys I learned from would say “I don’t want to sell you a car. I want to be your car guy so that whenever you or anyone you know needs a car, you call me even if its not “. Is that the attitude you are taking? Or are you settling for making them happy?

I recommend reading Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless
by Jeffrey Gitomer for 256 pages of this line of thinking and how to get better at it.

Yeah its been a while, I was recharging my batteries, resting my brain, and dealing with some reality. But expect more Conrey is for Closers this week.