We had another fun & insightful chat about the “Magic of Technology” & how it affects your small business marketing.  During the conversation, I spoke about blogging, writing & self-publishing.  There were even some ideas about how to write articles for your community newspapers.

I touched on some of the topics I’ll be presenting in my “The Magic Experience” seminar on 9/10 May 2009 in Cape Town.

How often have you phoned a supplier & been promised a return call … only to have to make that call yourself a few days later to find out what’s going on?  Does the thought of having to call a supplier again, to follow up on a commitment, make you want to tear out your hair?

Even with so many new tools available to businesses today, why is it that so many still forget that the fundamental reason for using these tools is to open up dialogue & listen to our customers?

Remember: your customers will leave you if they feel you are not listening to them.

How many complaints on getclosure! could have been prevented if the suppliers had effectively communicated with their customers the first time?

Ultimately, there are only 2 reasons why you lose customers: apathy & neglect.  If you fail to understand or ignore your customers’ needs, it’s just a matter of time before you lose those customers.

When talking to you customers today, consider this:

• Have I listened carefully to the conversation & agreed to take action based on my customer’s needs?
• Have I promised to return a telephone call & has that call been made yet?
• Does the caller know, before I finish this call, what the next action is & have I accepted responsibility for this action?

In order to prevent complaints, it is important that you listen to your customer & deliver on your promises, regardless of the technology you use.

Originally written by Marcel Oudejans for Get Closure! Blog – used with permission.

Even though the show ran until Saturday, I was only available in the afternoons for the first 2 days of the Expo (Thursday & Friday) due to prior engagements. I used the techniques of my mentor, Joel Bauer, that I had learnt during my ‘Infotainer’-training in Los Angeles in 2007.

Although Saturday proved to be the busiest day of the show, my  6 presentations assisted my clients in collecting, on average, 2½ times more leads than the day I was unable to appear. As you can see from the photographs, I managed to block the aisle as more & more prospects wanted to find out about the offer.  After each presentation, the prospects eagerly provided their contact details to receive further information at a later date, at which point many of them will make a purchase of the product.

One of my clients told me that the director of the Expo approached her after I had left; she was a little concerned, because the area we were in did get blocked during the presentation.  However, she was told by him: “We’ve never seen crowds like this before!”.  She was very pleased!

Here’s what one of my clients had to say, after the performance:

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(If this video does not visible, click here)

This weekend, I had the wonderful pleasure of spending time with one of the magic world’s living legends, Michael Ammar. Michael is one the most prolific authors & teachers of magic in the world, & his achievements are unequalled. As well as being only the 2nd American magician to win the Gold Medal for Close-Up Magic at the World Congress of Magic (FISM) in 1982, he has won 6 awards from the Academy of Magical Arts (the most that he is eligible for), and in a recent BBC ranking of the “10 greatest magic tricks of all time”, Michael’s rendition of “The Cups & Balls” placed him above Harry Houdini. In 1999, The Magic Magazine named him one of 100 most influential magicians of the century. His book, “The Magic of Michael Ammar”, became the fastest selling magic book in history; of course, I had my copy autographed! It was truly an honour & a privilege to learn & spend some time with him.

But here is some of Michael’s advice from his book that I want to share with you. In his chapter on “Making Magic Memorable – The Development of Style“, Principle Number 6 is:

Find one thing, and try to do it better than anyone. Becoming so good at that one thing, that whenever anyone, anywhere in the world talks about that one thing, they will say, “Yeah, but you should see Michael Ammar do that …”

So often, we get drawn into trying to be “the everyman”, or a “Jack of All Trades”, but what effect does that leave with your clients? It has been demonstrated time & time again, that working within a niche industry will provide far greater results than trying to serve everyone. Seth Godin & Michael Port are big advocates of finding & only working within your niche industry.

What is the service or product that you offer that is so fantastic & so undeniably ‘yours’, that when your clients talk about that subject, they say, “But you should really see how does it!”.

There are certain ‘tricks’ in my performance that I have worked on, rehearsed & performed so many times in my unique way, that when people watch another magician perform something similar, my name comes into the conversation. This is very disarming to the poor performer who has just performed the effect & is often standing right there!

So, perhaps from today, look at one part of your business or your industry that you make your own - it might be the way you answer the telephone, or the way you ‘wrap your package’, or the special notes you put on the bottom of a contract.

If you can consistently do that one thing, just one thing, in your own special & unique way, it is almost a certainty that your clients will talk about you over & over again – to their colleagues, friends & families.

While you’re here, why not watch Michael’s performance of “The Cups & Balls”?

Study shows up lack of sales people in SA

“South Africa has far too few salespeople, says Peter Finkelstein, MD of specialist sales consulting practise DaiSho Marketing.

Looking at the results of a nationwide research by DaiSho into sales and selling in SA, he says fewer than 6% of 1 812 respondents involved at various levels in the sales chain are called salespeople or sales representatives.

The rest go by an assortment of titles ranging from adviser or consultant to customers relationship manager or account manager.

… For some inexplicable reason,” says Finkelstein, “sales people don’t want to be recognised as salespeople.” This despite all respondents admitting their main function is some form of selling.

… managements agree with DaiSho that when sales personnel have low self-esteem – when the live in denial of their role or are so embarrassed by it that they need to disguise their function [my highlighting] – they cannot expect customers to show them real respect.

… Customers expect more from salespeople than they can afford to give.

… A high 72% of salespeople say their workload does not leave enough time to generate leads. What is more, few companies appear to invest in prospecting [my highlighting]. They seem to regard this as a part of a salesperson’s general duties.

Thank you to Mr Finkelstein for pointing out what should be seen as a serious problem for South African business. At time like this, when running expenses seem to be sky-rocketing, companies are under even more pressure to perform & turn a profit. Sadly, it seems most turn to cost-cutting exercises, with many of them thinking that by laying-off staff (or not replacing opening positions) is an acceptable way to save money.

Not the greatest solution – it’s cutting your nose off to spite your face.

Forgive my ignorance & naivete, but isn’t profit = sales – cost of sales? That’s one of the first things I learnt in high school accounting classes. What seems to be happening here is that with a decrease in sales (due to the economic climate), companies are not re-thinking their sales strategy – they’re trying to lower their expenses. Oh oh.

So where have all the salesmen gone?

If the salespeople themselves are embarrassed about their job function, how confident are their prospects about the company’s abilities to deliver on their promises? No wonder their customers don’t give them enough respect! They’re not expecting it of themselves, never mind demanding it.

Are people just not generally aware that you’re selling all of the time? If you’re going on a date, you’re selling. Getting dressed smartly for a meeting? You’re selling. Trying to convince your family to buy you that birthday present gift you’ve always wanted? You’re selling!

On my recent visit to India, I saw that everybody sold something: if you are able to walk to the street, plonk down some coconuts, bananas or magazines, you sell. It didn’t seem like people were thinking “Oh, dear me. I don’t have a job, I’ll wait for someone to give me some work”. Rubbish! They create their own work by buying something, anything, & finding out where people were willing to buy their products . And Kerala, where I was staying, is run by the local Communist Party, so you can’t exactly blame socialism.

What is even more disconcerting is that it seems that in South Africa,in an effort to get some sort of work out of their sales staff, management gives their salespeople even more work to do. Work that keeps them in the office – who are you going to sell to there? If almost 3/4 of the salespeople questioned say their workload does not leave them enough time to generate leads, who’s fault is that? You can’t consider investing in prospecting as part of a salesperson’s general duties AND expect them to increase sales.

Personally, I think the root of the issue is that South African business owner’s don’t know how to motivate, educate & appreciate their salespeople. By the same token, I don’t think there are enough “full-time professional” salespeople who consistently work on self-development of their skill sets.

There is obviously a urgent & desperate need for proper “I-am-proud-to-be-a-salesman” salesmen in South Africa. If you are one of them, this is best time to be searching for companies willing to pay serious money for someone that can effectively increase sales. Just put on your ‘marketing hat’ for a second here: isn’t finding a need & fulfilling it what selling & marketing is all about?

Do South African salespeople really know how to ’sell themselves’?

Do you think that South Africans generally negative towards selling?

Or just towards salespeople?

Recommended resources:

Anything by Jeffrey Gitomer : if you haven’t heard of him, then you know nothing ‘Sparky’!

Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource

Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness: How to Make Sales Forever

And my favourite:

Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Sales Answers: 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money

Don’t forget to sign-up to Jeffrey Gitomer’s ‘Sales Caffeine’ Newsletter:

As an added bonus: Jeffrey Gitomer & ‘The Little Salesman That Could’:

Marcel Oudejans, magician and corporate entertainer, has been invited to give a presentation at an international magic convention in India at the beginning of May. Marcel received a personal invitation from one of the top illusionists in India, Gopinath Muthukad, who will be hosting the convention. Vismayam 2008 will be held from 1 to 4 May at the Academy of Magical Sciences in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala.

Marcel will be speaking alongside notable presenters such as Jorge Blass, an illusionist from Spain who has appeared in a number of television shows, and Reed McClintock, a pioneering close-up and stand-up performer from the USA. The conference organisers have billed Marcel as a “new-generation magician” and a “leading figure in the corporate entertainment sector”.

At just 26, Marcel has made a solid name for himself in the events industry in South Africa. He has a host of satisfied clients, including the likes of Old Mutual, First National Bank, Woolworths and IBM. One detail that makes his style of business unique amongst magicians is that he offers a 100% money-back guarantee to any client who is not satisfied with the performance or service they receive – and so far not a single client has invoked this guarantee. He has been performing professionally for over 10 years, and his witty sense of humour, comic timing and evident enthusiasm have stood him in good stead.

Marcel’s speciality is close-up magic, which allows him to involve the audience in his performance. His performances to date have included corporate dinners, cocktail parties, wedding receptions, product launches, birthday parties, train trips and concept presentations, where he has amazed guests by bending forks before their eyes, causing bank-notes to hover in the air just above their hands and appearing to read their minds. The fact that his performances require no stage, sound equipment or special lighting makes them incredibly versatile.

Vismayam 2008 is expected to draw a large number of both international and local magicians – there are estimated to be around 6,500 magicians in India. The organisers promise that the festival will showcase a mix of traditional Indian street magic, ethnic magic and modern western magic. Being selected to speak at the convention is indeed a privilege – speakers will even be honoured with a special title by the Kerala Ministry of Culture.

For more information on the conference, visit www.vismayam2008.com.
For more information on Marcel Oudejans, visit www.corporatemagician.co.za.

Press release prepared by August Sun Projects

• Picked up by ‘The Times’ : ‘Oudejans to make magic in India’
• Picked up by ‘SA Rocks’ : ‘SA magician disappearing to India’
• Picked up by ‘MyPressportal‘: ‘South African Magician set to dazzle in India’

During a recent sales pitch that I had been hired to write & present for helloWorld, I offered each person in the audience a copy of my first book, “”, as a gift. One of the people in the audience was Meryl, who came to introduce herself afterwards & ask me questions. Of course, it was a pleasure to tell her the book she received was a gift from me!

Two days later, I received a “thank you” email from Meryl, telling me how much value she received from “Customers For Life” – with an added surprise. You see, what I didn’t know, is that Meryl is a freelance editor who regularly works for a very large & respected publishing company. Attached to her email was a list of spelling & grammar corrections in the first 3 chapters (she really has ‘eagle eyes’) that I had missed in the 3 months of proof reading that I had personally done. What an awesome ‘WOW’ surprise; she had given her time & knowledge to me without expecting anything in return. I immediately ‘phone her up & thanked her for the unexpected but valuable service – and hired her on the spot to edit & proof my entire book. Thanks to Meryl, “Customers For Life” is now even better than before.

Last night, my wife & I went for dinner at a local restaurant. I parked my car in a nearby parking garage (rather safe than sorry, even if it does cost more) & we had a wonderful evening. When we got back to the car about 2 hours later, I stopped dead as I was about to open my door – something was definitely different. That’s when I had another ‘WOW’ experience; my car was shining brilliantly. The security guard, who obviously wasn’t very busy, had washed & polished my car while we’d been eating.

I’ve been so busy travelling, I just didn’t have the time to wash my car – in fact, it was on my To-Do list for the next day. I’m sure if the guard had asked me before I left the car if he could wash it, I would have said “Yes, please!”. But he didn’t, and he didn’t even ask to be paid when I returned: he just stood there, smile on his face, as I was standing there in shock. It was only when I asked him if he was responsible, that he admitted it. I gave him a BIG tip; much, much more than I would have if he had asked before I left. His eagerness to solve my problem, without any expectation of a reward, resulted in some extra cash & a very happy customer.

These 2 experiences have reminded me of an important lesson that I’ve learnt & teach to other business owners – “Givers Get”. The more you give abundantly, without any expectation for reward or recognition, but purely because you feel it’s important to solve a problem or fulfil a need, the more you receive abundantly. This can seem counter-intuitive sometimes; we think, “If I keep giving away, I’ll have nothing for myself”, but as these two examples prove, the more you give, the greater reward you receive.

I’m working hard to find opportunities to give you more than you expected, so that you not only receive more value from us, but also because it’s fulfilling for me to hear how surprised you are – THAT is my reward!

It got to the point where the amount of paper lying around in the office started to reach epic proportions. Well, I was surprised to find out how easy it was to sort out.

First, I called Tracey Foulkes from ‘Get Organised’. Tracey is amazing at getting you to clear up clutter & make it disappear for good. If you ever get a chance to work personally with Tracey, grab the opportunity with both hands. Not only is she fun to work with, but if you’re like me, you need some powerful motivation to get started. Tracey can be quite insistent but I found that her assistance was exactly what I needed to get the job done properly.

(Find the Get Organised Newsletter Archive here)

Once all my important paperwork had been put away in folders, I wanted to get a filing cabinet. Not only are the big steel filing cabinets ugly, they’re big & difficult to move around. I found that they can be pretty expensive too.

Then I found the Orgafile website : not only was I immediately impressed with their products, but their interactive product tours are a great example of excellent & informative web design. The Orgafile filing system is modular, so it is very easy to move around, assemble & increase in size. They’re available in 12 colours, manufactured from steel & 90% recycled wood fiber, & have a lifetime guarantee. Well, I was convinced that the Orgafile was perfect for me!

I chatted to Arnold because I wanted a specific size cabinet. He’s really helpful & was able to assist me with dimensions & explain what each add-on kit contained.

A week later, my Orgafile was delivered – after 10 minutes of assembly, I was able to start putting my folders in. It fits neatly under a shelf & holds all my client information. Currently I have over 80 folders, each holding one client’s service history, with lot’s of room to spare. When I eventually need more drawers, it’s going to be really easy to add them.

I’m not only impressed by the product – Orgafile’s service was so helpful & friendly that it was a pleasure doing business with them! (Oh, here’s a secret: the Orgafile folders are very cheap … )

Thanks to Tracey & Arnold, we are now able to find the information we need at our fingertips – saving us time & helping us provide the efficient service our clients expect from us.

UPDATE – 4 JULY 2008

“Local designer files away Canadian Award”
(click the image to read the article)

Well, what a great way top officially open my blog!

This past weekend I performed for a global ’sales award’ gala dinner at the Zambezi Sun in Livingstone. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Dialogus crew – thanks for all your work guys! I had the pleasure of entertaining the guests between long, but enjoyable, awards presentation where the highest earning salespeople from around the world were present to receive recognition. It was great to meet & get to know people from every corner of the globe & the response from my client was exactly what I had been hoping for … fantastic!

The staff at the hotel were great, as ever, & I would like to thank all those at the Zambezi Sun for their hospitality. I certainly look forward to working with you again! Hopefully, I won’t be long before I go back again.

I flew with British Airways & am already considering using them permanently. The seats were large enough, the food was surprisingly good. There were no hassles or unnecessary delays …

The check-in counter at Livingstone Airport offered me a Business Class upgrade – my client was only able to arrange Economy Class due to limited seats – which I really enjoyed.  A fantastic 3-course meal & service with a smile definitely makes the flight feel shorter. I listened to some jazz on my iPod as I imagined sitting on my own private jet; with a glass of champagne

Since I arrived home yesterday, I’ve been planning on some regular communication with you. I hope you’ll subscribe to this blog, or subscribe via email.

I look forward to some fun together!

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I bought the Audible audio-book version of “Book Yourself Solid” so that I could listen to it on my flights to & from Los Angeles in June 2007.  Wow, I was absolutely blown away!  Michael has some amazing insight & experience with the Small Business service industry.  Not only does he provide excellent techniques, but he also offers them in different segments so that you can follow the path that you feel most comfortable with.

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