Reverend Robert Schuller is known to millions as the charismatic guiding light of the Crystal Cathedral, a monument to possibility thinking that has been the home of one of the most successful television ministries for decades.
Dr. Schuller is also a fine author and an engaging speaker, as well as a master marketer and a super salesman. Read him closely and you'll be amazed at how he succeeded in making his dream of building the Crystal Cathedral a reality.
Suffice it to say, that he has a few brilliant insights, paraphrased here, that we can all benefit from putting to use:
(1) People love grand undertakings and they long to be part of something big.
(2) We make a terrible mistake by asking for less than what we need to fulfill our dreams.
(3) If you build it, they will come. (Later popularized in the movie, "Field of Dreams.")
As salespeople, we tend to do the opposite. We propose a modest amount in our presentations, fail to ask for what we really want and need, and we wait for clients to order more, based on their perceived needs.
One of my most successful undertakings has been promoting the idea that corporations should train everyone to be better communicators, polished customer service purveyors, and salespeople. I urge them to "make a corporate commitment" to our programs, and to support training at all levels, from the president on down the line.
By necessity, such a commitment involves a substantial investment, but without a doubt, these mega-programs are the most satisfying to everyone.
Dr. Schuller says that small undertakings just don't have the sizzle to generate interest and unleash people's energies, and I've found this to be very true.
More important, it has been my experience that the surest path to creating high sales and high customer satisfaction is to promise big, and to deliver even bigger.
That way, everybody wins!
Dr. Gary S. Goodman © 2006
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. A frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide, Gary's programs are offered by UCLA Extension and by numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. Gary is headquartered in Glendale, California. He can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com. |
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