In this day and age, customer service is truly a "buzzword" in corporate America. I'd like to quote a couple of statements from the Executive Speechwriter Newsletter that say a great deal.

"Because the customer has a need, we have a job to do. Because the customer has a choice, we must be the better choice. Because the customer has sensibilities, we must be considerate. Because the customer has an urgency, we must be quick. Because the customer is unique, we must be flexible. Because the customer has high expectations, we must excel. Because the customer has influence, we have the hope of more customers. Because of the customer, we exist!" True … Good stuff.

It has been said more than once by countless executives that the way the company treats its employees is the way the employees will treat the customers of the establishment. Howard Schultz of Starbucks has learned to cultivate customer contentment by exalting his employees. "Our people come first," says Schultz, "then customers, then shareholders. It may sound out of order, but we can't exceed the expectations of our customers unless we exceed them for our employees first." He's right on.

As I write these words, Nordstrom's is expanding and has gained international recognition for outstanding customer service. Often, one way you can measure a store's service philosophy is by listening to its employees at work. If they talk about "those people" and "that company," there are probably some problems. If the employee talks about "my company" and "our company" and what "we are doing," the relationship between the employee and management is obviously good. This is certainly the best step to good customer service because those who are giving customer service to those who come in and buy are getting good customer service from their employers. Think about it.

Listen to the employees, and I'll see you at the top!

Ben Franklin was a Salesman

As a young salesman, I was taught the "Ben Franklin Close." Franklin used this technique to persuade others to his way of thinking. He drew a line down the center of a sheet of paper. On one side, he would put "Reasons Why," and on the other side, "Reasons Why Not." Then, he listed all the reasons why they should go ahead and the reasons why not. He was careful to give the most compelling reasons why they should go ahead. The process was so effective that he became one of the most convincing persuaders in America.

Franklin, who was raised in poverty and had only two years of formal schooling, became one of America's richest men. One of his discoveries was that if a person had done you a small favor, he was far more likely to grant you a larger one. He established relationships not by doing something for someone, but by asking a small favor of that individual.

A classic example occurred during the Revolutionary War, when he was trying to raise financial help for America in France. Though he was quite popular there, the French foreign minister, Count de Vergennes, refused to see Franklin. Franklin believed this was because Vergennes was jealous of the attention that was being showered on him. So, what did Franklin do? He asked Vergennes to loan him an obscure book from his personal library. This flattered the foreign minister so much that not only was he glad to lend him the book, but later, they established a friendship and a very useful diplomatic relationship.

Franklin, who successfully brought the Constitutional Convention to a close and gained international fame for his discovery of electricity and ability as a diplomat, was never thought of as a salesman, but he truly was one of the best our country has ever produced. He sold ideas, concepts and good, common sense. Those are pretty good products to sell. Make them your products, and I'll see you at the top!

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