promises

The Thing About Promises

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Businesses sometimes refrain from using the word “promise.” It’s risky to promise an outcome that might fail to be delivered due to some unforeseen variable. So if no promise is explicitly made, then the risk of failure is reduced.  But in a world where customers have many options available to them, “promising” a result can be a differentiator. A promise is a commitment, that when fulfilled, creates value for the customer, reinforcing trust and building loyalty. Without risking …

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Relationships Deliver Results

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“You cannot continuously improve interdependent systems and processes until you progressively perfect interdependent, interpersonal relationships.” ~Stephen Covey  A leader’s ability to improve results depends on the strength of her or his relationships. Organizations are living entities and relationships are their lifeblood.  Building strong relationships is not about the amount of interaction but rather the quality of it. Leaders earn their right to lead through these interactions. A leader’s commitment, credibility and authenticity are constantly assessed. Are promises kept? …

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Moment of Truth

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In every customer relationship, there is the moment of truth – the moment when something goes wrong.  It’s in that moment, when your promise has been broken, that your customer experiences the real nature of your business. What your company truly values is exposed.  When a business is young, every customer relationship is precious. Promises made to customers reflect a personal commitment and depth of caring that adds value to an offering and cultivates a customer’s trust.  As …

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Benefits from Promises

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Delivering promised benefits to a new customer communicates that you respect and value the business shared with you, and that your commitments are reliable. The customer’s confidence and trust grows, earning you consideration when the next opportunity arises. Consistently producing promised benefits, time after time, builds customer loyalty. And when your solutions do more than resolve short term needs, when they also contribute to the customer’s progress and goal achievement, an …

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3 Questions Your People Ask About You

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Leaders rely on feedback from their teams as one metric to gauge their effectiveness. Asking each team member what’s going well and what can improve produces some insight, but empathetic leaders seek a more comprehensive perspective that explores how their credibility and intentions are perceived by their teams. To gain this perspective, these leaders suppose that their personnel are asking 3 questions about them: 1. “Do you care about me?” Does …

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Pulling the Fire Alarm

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet As sales leader, you encourage your team to develop strong customer relationships. Because this takes time, you counsel them about perseverance, commitment and accountability, and enlighten them that they will know that preference has been earned when they are invited to participate in more strategic discussions like new product development meetings. Like most sales professionals, your team is highly self-motivated, with each member consistently demonstrating initiative. They understand that the …

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