Working for the Tip
It must be the only hotel in New York City, nay, the world, that doesn’t have automatic doors.
But wait! It does have a doorman. Seems friendly enough when you pull up in a cab. Offers to take your bag.
But if you dare to reject his offer to carry your bag into the lobby… he lets you get the door yourself.
Protect Your Most Precious Business Asset
In business, your name is – at the most basic level – all you’ve got. So whenever you sell anything, you must make sure it is of the highest quality, it is backed up by top-notch customer service, and that you don’t just deliver on all the promises you make in your advertising… you over-deliver. When you do make a mistake (it happens), you must do everything you can, as quickly as you can, to make it right.
READ MOREThe Power of Pausing
Top salespeople ask good questions and listen carefully to the answers. One of the most important listening skills they develop is to simply pause before replying. When the prospect finishes talking, rather than jumping in with the first thing they can think of, they take three to five seconds to…
READ MORE9 Steps to Defeating Depression
Of all the many prescriptions for happiness that populate the media these days, the most popular one is also the stupidest. I’m talking about the idea that you can defeat depression by “paying attention to yourself.” The truth is that paying attention to yourself doesn’t make you happy at all.…
READ MORE7 Steps to Becoming the Best in Your Field
To make this year the year you successfully start a profitable business (or make the business you have already started more profitable than ever), resolve to be the smartest person you know about the business you are in.
It’s a bold objective, but it is possible. Here’s how to do it:
READ MOREEmotional Detachment and the Zen of Golf
About a month ago, I played golf for the first time with Number Three Son (N3S). I was looking forward to a pleasant afternoon. I imagined fresh air, healthy sunshine, and that father-son banter that women who don’t understand men categorize as superficial.
READ MOREDouble Your Personal Power by Mastering One Skill
Words are innocent and powerless in themselves, Nathaniel Hawthorne said, but they become immensely powerful in the mouth of someone who knows how to use them to persuade others to follow his lead.
READ MOREHow to Surprise and Delight Your Customers
Roy Flora, Group President of Microtel Inns & Suites, over-delivers by randomly giving away free stays at his hotels. Better yet, he encourages staff members to do the same. It’s one reason that Microtel has ranked at the top of the J.D. Power & Associates North America hotel guest satisfaction survey seven years in a row.
READ MOREDon’t Fall Victim to Office Gossip
Like so many things in life, office gossip is a temporary indulgence with long-lasting, undesirable side effects. For one thing, it damages team spirit. This is no small cost if you are concerned with team productivity. For another thing, it demeans your stature. Even your co-conspirators will think less of you for doing what they themselves know they shouldn’t do. If you consider the kinds of activities you can engage in at work, this falls into the lowest category. It’s not only unproductive, it’s destructive.
READ MOREHow to Encourage Customer Loyalty
An entourage is a group of devoted fans – in this context, an elite group of VIP customers who love your products (and buy them frequently), customers who appreciate your message, admire you, trust you, and want to be associated with you. Entourage Marketing is all about attracting these people to your online business and creating strong relationships with them.
READ MOREThe Most Powerful of All Success Skills
In any organization, power moves inexorably to those who have mastered the art of persuasion. Whether you express yourself online, on the phone, or in person doesn’t matter much. What counts is your ability to convince people that your ideas are worthwhile.
READ MOREWhy You Must Send a Confirmation E-mail
You see, an existing customer – someone who’s already pulled the trigger and made a purchase – is much more valuable to you than a no-name prospect. As marketing expert Clayton Makepeace says, “Making secondary sales to existing customers is one of the cheapest and lowest risk actions a company can take. Response on promotions sent to existing customers is usually six to eight times higher (sometimes more) than promotions sent to cold prospects. Average sale is substantially higher, too – sometimes as much as two to three times higher.”
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