Golden Rules for Dealing with Asian Businesses, part 1 of 3

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Today, more Americans than ever are doing business in China, Japan, Korea and other parts of Asia. Below is advice explaining what Western business people need to know about national traits and customs in those countries if they want to succeed.

1. Speech is to promote harmony
In the West the primary purpose of speech is to exchange information. In Asian cultures, what is actually said is of less importance than how and when it is said and who says it. Platitudes are trotted out in profusion in Japan; flattery is also included. Westerners consider it as time wasting and pointless; in the Asian view, the longer this harmonious exchange is maintained, the more likely it is that successful business will ensue.

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About the Authors

Kai Hammerich received his M.B.A. from Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management and his M.Sc. in economics from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. Based in London, he is a consultant with the international search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. Kai has conducted numerous CEO and board-level assignments for major global companies. He has in-depth experience advising clients on how to align a company’s talent portfolio with its overall business strategy and company culture. Kai has been nominated by BusinessWeek as one of the most influential search experts worldwide.

Richard D. Lewis is a renowned British linguist and founder of Richard Lewis Communications – a language school for executives as well as a company that advises on cross-cultural business issues. He is the creator of the Lewis Model of Cross-Cultural Communication and author of many books including the bestselling When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures.

Are your sales historical or hysterical?

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Summer’s over. Back to school.

Boy, there are some memories. High school. College. Subjects you loved, subjects you hated. Teachers you loved, teachers you hated.

THE QUESTION IS: What did you learn in school? What lessons are you still using?

I have 2.5 major, early and later school-learned lessons I am grateful for:
1. Grammar from 9th and 10th grade. It’s the basis of my writing and communication. In today’s world, misuse of the words they’re, their, their, your, and you’re create lasting (bad) first impressions.
2. In college (Temple University in 1964), my modern European history professor said, “It’s not the date of what happened that matters. It’s what happened in response to the date (events, outcomes) that creates history.”
2.5 Later in life I came to the realization that algebra was not about math, it was about learning how to solve problems logically. I wish my algebra teacher could have put it that way when I started.

And how about sales and business? What lessons have you learned? What lessons are you still using?

I have 2.5 major, early sales lessons I am grateful for:
1. Questions control conversations. The person that’s asking is in control.
2. Relax, find common ground, and be friendly with the prospect BEFORE you start the sales conversation.
2.5 Find out why they want to buy BEFORE you start to sell.

Here are 11.5 lessons you can use to start this school year off with a bang – and a bunch of sales:
1. Study your (or your company’s) last 100 sales. The history of where your last 100 sales came from will predict and help you complete your next 100 sales.
2. Videotape the buying motives of your top ten customers. Call your top ten customers and meet with them for a short, casual conversation about WHY they buy from you. Video the conversation.
3. Meet one customer a day for morning coffee. Just talk personally. In a year this will give you the personal insight of 250 customers.
4. Study service issues. Find out what issues customers have. Study how (and how fast) they were resolved.
5. Study backorders. Why did the back order occur? How was it dealt with? How was it resolved?
6. Talk to users, not just buyers. Go to your customers and talk to the people that USE your product or service. Find out what they love and what’s missing. Video the interviews. SECRET: Get purchasing people to be at the meeting with the people that USE your product, so they can understand the difference between price, productivity, value, and profit.
7. Talk to your loyal customers that don’t buy price. Find out the true non-price buying motive(s) for dealing with you.
8. Get involved on a deeper, hands-on level. Make a few deliveries yourself. Take a few service calls yourself. Work in accounting for a day. Find out what’s really happening with and to your customers.
9. Get short meetings with executives. Talk about the issues they value the most – loyalty, productivity, morale, and profit. Maybe ask a question or two about their vision or leadership philosophy, and leave. DO NOT ASK FOR BUSINESS. Just make an impression. IDEA: create a blog around executive leadership philosophies.
10. Start your own value messaging in social media. Post your ideas and thoughts on all social media outlets. Then email the links to all your customers and prospects so they can follow you.
11. Post customer testimonials on YouTube. Then email and tweet the links to all your customers and prospects.
11.5 Create a customer “reasons” book. List all the reasons why they buy, say no, stay loyal, or leave you. As you write, answers and actions will become evident.

KEY POINT OF UNDERSTANDING: The lessons you have learned from your history of doing business with customers is very valuable, BUT not as valuable as your customer’s history of doing business with you. A subtle but powerful difference. Both are valuable, but your customer’s input from their perspective can teach you how to achieve and maintain loyalty.

KEY TO IMPLEMENTATION: Re-construct your sales presentation around customer’s responses and perceived values.

WINNING NEW BUSINESS: Where is your new business coming from? The best way to find new business is to talk to old business, learn the lessons, and refine your practices and presentation to be in harmony with their needs and expectations.

Those are lessons you can learn from and earn from.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Using Instagram is not an option; it’s an opportunity!

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QUESTION: Why did Facebook pay one billion dollars for Instagram?
ANSWER: So that instead of worrying about how many people joined Instagram (and abandoned Facebook), they could brag about it.

Are you on Instagram? I am. All of my family is. ALL of my family is. Daughters, granddaughters, in-laws, outlaws. All of them. All of my close friends are too. And a few hundred other people I don’t know, who looked me up or found me through a hash tag. Are you on?

Do you post on Instagram? I do. Almost every day. Why? Because I take pictures on my iPhone that I believe are worth sharing. That’s what Instagram is all about.

With more that 130 million ‘users’ Instagram is what’s new and what’s next. If you doubt it, ask yourself why Facebook bought a company – that never made a dime of profit – for a billion dollars.

I’m certain that in a Facebook research-marketing lab someplace in Silicone Valley they’re talking about Instaface or Facegram.

Instagram is an app of the future. It’s really only usable on mobile and tablet devices. But it makes sense because mobile is where you take pictures.

Take a look at mine @jeffreygitomer

Here’s what Instagram offers to your social media mix:

  • It’s instant. Shoot the photo, minor edit, short description, add the people you’re with and or the location the photo was taken, and post it.
  • It takes less time than other social media. Not just for you, but for everyone else you’re connected to.
  • People typically post positive things. They ‘like’ it, and they can say a few words.
  • No drama. Facebook is a soap opera. Instagram is a happy place.
  • It’s a document of your daily life. In a light and non-time-consuming way.
  • It’s personal. Family sees family. Friends see friends. And you are able to stay in touch with family friends in a personal way. KEY: Invite your family and friends to join you.
  • It’s available to others. Your business friends and close customers can get a glimpse of your personal side without all the Facebook crap and your past life.
  • You don’t have to be a writer, just a smartphone user. Very few words are needed – just photos and short videos.
  • There’s a chance to be ‘liked.’ For your photos, your travels, your creativity, your career, your achievements, your cute kids, your passions, and your family.
  • There’s a chance to comment. And you can send words of praise to those you follow.
  • There’s a chance to acknowledge others. When you appear in a photo with others or want to send them a message.
  • It’s fun. It is by far, my favorite of the social media options.

YOU MUST: Get your parents, kids, close relatives, and friends involved to ‘share’ the spirit of Instagram.

IT’S NOT A TREND, IT’S A MOVEMENT: Kids are ON IT, and ALL OVER IT. My grandchildren have all but abandoned Facebook in favor of Instagram.

NOTE: I just texted Morgan, my 15-year-old granddaughter, and asked her when her last post on Facebook was. ‘September 16, 2012’ (Almost a year ago – and she was on it every hour before then). Last post on Instagram? ‘Yesterday.’ Morgan has 447 followers (knows most of them), is following 272 people, and has posted 584 photos. She is the future of Instagram – and Facebook knows it.

WAKE UP – Microsoft Word still thinks the word Instagram is a misspelling. Sad.

WANT MORE FOLLOWERS? Besides your inner circle of people and family, if you want more followers, take great photos and #hashtag key words and places of interest when you post a photo or video. Others go searching for those words and places, find you, and (some) will follow you.

Here are a few more things about Instagram that will help you learn more and take full advantage of the opportunity:

  • Hashtag (#) search for a few things you love, and find a few people to follow that have similar interests. I follow people who photograph Paris. It has led me to other amazing photographers.
  • Be authentic – post your own photos.
  • Study the experts. There are hundreds of them on Instagram.

Do it. If you’re already doing it, improve and expand your doing. It’s an easy way to share joy, memories, and passions. Oh, and it’s FREE.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Like me! Why should I like you? Eh, I have no idea!

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If you can remember that far back in Facebook history (2007), it started as a ‘fan’ page. Then one day (way back in 2010), out of the blue, Facebook decided to change it to a ‘like’ page.

Why did they change it? Here’s their reason: “To improve your experience and promote consistency across the site, we’ve changed the language for Pages from ‘Fan’ to ‘Like.’ We believe this change offers you a more light-weight and standard way to connect with people, things and topics in which you are interested.”

Huh? Oh, that’s corporate-speak. What it really means is to create a business page where your customers or fans can go and interact. Kind of like what it was.

REALITY: It’s hard to make fun of the third largest country in the world, so everyone went along – me included.

And then the begging began. PLEASE LIKE ME! Or LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! The signs were everywhere. Still are.

And many people did:
Zappos – 833,000 likes
Elvis – 8.5 million likes
Lady Gagam – 53.5 million likes
Chevrolet – 1.9 million likes
Tesla – 234,000 likes
Jeffrey Gitomer – 35,451 likes (Not bad. But not as many as I would like. I try to give people a reason to like me, rather than just ask.)

What about your business? Who is liking you? And why? What’s the reason customers would like you beyond the beg?

Want more ‘likes’? Consider the process, not just the ask. Asking for a like gives me or anyone else little or no incentive to do so. Can you imagine this conversation, “Honey, as soon as we get home, let’s like them.” No, not gonna happen.

Here are a few thoughts to get your mind wrapped around the “like” process and help you understand how to attract and earn more of them:

  • Maybe remind people WHY they like you. If you love our service, share the love on Facebook. Facebook.com/yourbusiness THANK YOU!
  • What’s to like? Ask yourself WHY people like you and talk about that.
  • Where’s the value? Like me – and my 10 best ideas for summer weekend getaways will be yours!
  • Where’s the one on one? Interacting with customers one-on-one will get people talking about you on THEIR Facebook page, and liking you.
  • Maybe if you LOVE me, then you’ll be more likely to like me. Your passionate customers are the ones who will like you.
  • Maybe if you’re LOYAL to me, then you’ll be more likely to like me. The customers who buy from you over and over are the ones who will like you.

STRATEGY: Instant like in your store or place of business. DO IT NOW! Where’s your iPad? Why aren’t you asking people to sign in at your cash register or welcome counter and like you on the spot? I mean really, do you think your customers head home and say: “I really gotta ‘like’ the dry cleaner as soon as I walk in the door.” Not likely.
STRATEGY: Smartphones can improve like. Ask customers to like you at the register. Give a coupon.

Okay, so they like you. THEN WHAT?
Like is a one-time click, what’s my reason to post, interact, and return?

STRATEGY: Instead of just asking people to like you, ask them to tell you WHAT they like – or WHY they like it. Or better, why they like YOU. Get people to post something, not just click a button. Expand the like so that others can see your value and your reality.

The value of like is undeniable. Lots of people liking you gives peace of mind to new and prospective customers. Like is proof – social proof that you are ‘safe’ to do business with.

Like is a vote of confidence to the business, not just other customers.
Like is a source of pride and affirmation of self-worth.
Like is reputation building.

PLAN A STRATEGY. You now have some additional awareness of both the value and the strategy of ‘like.’

If you invest a few hours with your team, and maybe an outside professional (we use www.onesocialmedia.com)…
1. You’ll attract more people
2. You’ll become interactive with them
3. You’ll make more sales.

That I guarantee you’ll like.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

The Emerging Strategy of Innovative Service

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The world of the customer has dramatically changed. The tough economy has made customers more value conscious, demonstrating far more caution in how they spend their hard-earned dollar. The proliferation of self-service (while a blessing when it works) has made customers more frustrated when they feel trapped in a process with no live person to help. And the Internet, with its social media reach, has empowered customers with strong influence over other customers and the reputation of companies.

Such a plethora of challenges has required all organizations to rethink their strategy. Since revenue from customers and the power of their advocacy dramatically impacts organizational growth and profits, assuming “we know what’s best for our customers” is akin to a death knell.

But, the largest challenge today is not the changing expectations of the new, normal picky, fickle, vocal and wired customer. It is their requirement for an experience that heightens their emotional connection and ramps up their affinity. Customers are bored and want their hearts to race and their spirits to soar. And, here is the backstory.

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About the Author

Chip R. Bell is a customer loyalty consultant and the author of several national best-selling books. His last three books include The 9 ½ Principles of Innovative Service, Managers as Mentors (with Marshall Goldsmith) and Wired and Dangerous (with John Patterson). He can be reached at www.chipbell.com