How to Lose a Customer in Ten Days or Less

There are plenty of ways to lose a customer. Marketing expert Tom Richard is here with his top ways to repel customers and profit. Many of these are easily fixable. If you see yourself in any of these, then work quickly to eradicate them from your selling habits.

Profit Repellant #1: Memorize your company's literature and prepare yourself to regurgitate information about your company, your products, and yourself. While it may seem that having the right answers to every question imaginable may just cause them to want to spend their money with you, it is actually the fastest way to flash freeze any rapport you may have accidentally created.

Profit Repellant #2: Remind your customers of how long your company has been in business, how powerful your local presence is, and how many trucks you have on the road. You may think that customers will find comfort and security knowing this information but, rest assured, offering them this useless information will remind them that you have nothing of substance to talk to them about.

Profit Repellant #3: Be the first person to always bring up the price and take it a step further by offering unsolicited advice on how to save money by cutting out services and options they do not need. Contrary to popular belief, customers are not as price sensitive as you think. Therefore, if you obsess over it, you have a surefire way to reaffirm that you do not feel the price is fair and reasonable.

Profit Repellant #4: Always agree with your customers because the customer is always right. If you disagree with your customer, they may accidentally get the impression that you know what you're talking about, or heaven forbid, that you are actually an expert in your field. By always agreeing with your customer, you are all but guaranteed to lose the customer the moment somebody demonstrates competence and expertise, even at the expense of telling the customer that they're wrong.

Tom Richard is a speaker, writer and trainer who has dedicated his life to spreading the joy that comes from selling and marketing in a natural and enjoyable way. He is a syndicated business columnist who conducts more than 50 seminars each year. Learn more at www.BoltFromBlue.com

Destined to Fail: The Truth Behind New Year's Resolutions

If you're like most people, you've either already broken one of your New Year's Resolutions, or will sometime soon. Don't worry - it's nothing to be ashamed of! "The failure of your resolution has nothing to do with a lack of resolve or discipline. The success or failure of your resolution is determined at the very moment it is born, when the idea for change first stirs in your mind," says sales trainer and speaker Tom Richard.

"True change happens in the blink of an eye. It stems from an emotional trigger that speaks to you, stirs something within you and opens your eyes to recognize that something must change. If a resolution does not carry with it this immediacy of action, it is destined to fail. Therefore, any resolution that can wait until the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve lacks the emotional power to have any lasting effect on your life."

"The only way to change an entire year is to change how you act within every single moment. How can you best spend, not a minute next week or next year, but this very minute?"

"As you begin 2008, embrace the strength and courage you have to see that every minute you have the power to act in such a way that will make that minute its very best. You don't need the burden of trying to change an entire year all at once. By focusing on the present moment, you will discover a refreshingly light way to conquer large and long-term goals. Then, when 2009 rolls around, you will look back on the year with a smile, knowing that your entire year was as complete, fulfilling and successful as every minute within it was."

What a great way to look at the New Year!

Tom Richard gives seminars, runs sales meetings, and provides coaching for salespeople nationwide. He is also an inspiring and educated speaker who will light a fire under your team. For more information, visit www.TomRichard.com, or email info@tomrichard.com.

The Power of a Hand-Written Note

Yesterday we started the week with a reminder to extend this season of thanks with gratitude to those who play a part in your sales success. Your customers certainly play a big part in your sales success - why they define it. Sending a hand-written note of thanks is an ideal way to express your gratitude.

"The true power of the handwritten note is that it is personal," says sales trainer Tom Richard. "Think of the people who send you handwritten notes. Mostly family and friends, right? Receiving a handwritten note from you is as comforting and pleasant for your customer as hearing from an old friend. It does more than just say 'thank you' for the meeting, lunch, phone call or referral. It sends an important message about you, and how you like to conduct business."

"If you think sending handwritten cards is a lot of work, you're right. That's why your competitors aren't doing it. In today's selling world, success depends on separating yourself from the competition every chance you get."

Just think: a few minutes and a stamp can help you grab your prospect's attention, maintain strong customer relationships, and make someone feel special. Why are you waiting?

This advice was excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets. Tom Richard is an author and sales trainer. Learn more about him at www.TomRichard.com