Businesses aren't successful by chance.  Someone, who may be you, has to focus and have the vision for what it takes to thrive in today's economy and to continue to provide exceptional service to a demanding consumer market who has high expectations.  Might sound complicated, but let's make it easy and go back to "base camp."  How about you simply embrace and teach our "FOCUS" concept, which is a simple method that truly focuses on successfully serving your customers?  It always comes back to paying attention to service and delivery when you want to move your needle of success and increase your sales.  Right?

"FOCUS" is a very simple concept that applies to all businesses and all types of employees, whether it be an operator or a president.  It's an instructional guide that tells you exactly what key skills are important when interacting with your customers.  By "focusing" on first impressions, the offer to assist, mastering of communication skills, understanding the customer's needs, and selling with confidence, you will leave very few opportunities on the table for disappointing your customers or not satisfying their needs.

What can happen when you and the rest of your company don't focus on using FOCUS? Here are some examples:

• First Impressions- I visited a local vacuum cleaner store in the hopes of getting great advice on the best vacuum to purchase since I am obsessed with maintaining clean floors, which is quite the challenge having a dog who sheds like crazy.  I walked in to the store, and I was appalled by the amount of dust bunnies, lint, hair, and trash all over the carpet in the store.  Is this setting the stage for doing a vacuum demo?  No, just dirty.  On top of that, the salesman's title should have instead been "Indifferent Seat Warmer" because he did not get up to greet me (in fact, he stayed seated the whole time) nor did he show any enthusiasm about assisting me with my need to buy a vacuum at a vacuum store.  Yep, I walked right out and never plan to return.
• Offering to Assist- My husband and I were shopping on Park Avenue here in Winter Park, Florida (for those of you who don't know, it's a premier, upscale shopping area), and we were looking for a masculine ring for my husband (no diamonds for me!).  As we perused through the big selection of options at one store, not one of the three "jewelry specialists" offered to assist.  Nope, instead they thought it was better to talk amongst themselves.  We of course quickly lost trust in them and definitely did not want spend our hard earned money fattening their pockets.
• Communication Skills- We have all been here before- you have to call your local internet provider because you are not online.  After countless transfers and obnoxious hold times (mine have been >45 mins on more than a couple of occasions!), you get connected to a person who sounds like they are on the other side of the globe, reads straight from a script, and puts no inflection or passion into their delivery.  Then, after you finally get help, they close with a very stale, "It was a pleasure helping you today."  There was nothing genuine in that statement.  These very poor exchanges combined with bad communication skills give these companies a bad, bad service reputation and goodness knows buying decisions are made because of it.
• Understanding the Customer's Needs and Selling Knowledgeably & With Confidence- I was planning a very important party, and I thought that I had the perfect venue in mind.  I called the restaurant and was transferred to their "Event Coordinator," who quickly made it obvious that she was in a hurry to get off the phone.  I told her my basic need (rent space for a private party), and she did not ask me a single question.  Instead, I had to tell her what I needed so I could determine if their could be a "fit."  Also, I had to drive the conversation by asking what menu options they had, what space could be reserved, how decor could be customized, etc.  Had I not planned countless events in the past, I would have hung up with no information.  The manager said she would send me more information via email, which arrived one week later.  At that point, I had already chosen a different location for our event.  While it was not as pretty of a setting, there was a much better feeling and "fit" during the sales' process. 
  

It would have been so easy for each of the above customer experiences to be better.  We aren't trying to teach concepts that require a huge investment in training time and money.  All it takes is a company-wide buy-in and a quick 5-minute education on the FOCUS principles.  Let us help you get started- download our free FOCUS training resource.