What, Tortilla Chips in My Chicken Tortilla Soup!?
Lynne and I were out for dinner Sunday. We were at one of the upscale chain restaurants where the wait staff likes to get down to your level when speaking to you. Corey, our waiter, sat in the chair across from Lynne and me as he took our order. He was also waiting on the two ladies next to us. It was impossible to avoid hearing their conversation as the lady doing the ordering was sitting less than 24 inches from me.
One of the ladies ordering was unfamiliar with the menu to the point where she turned responsibility for ordering to the lady next to me. They both ordered the same appetizer and entree. The appetizer they ordered was chicken tortilla soup. When the soup arrived at the table the lady ordering was disturbed by tortilla chips in the soup! I have ordered chicken tortilla soup many times. It is one of Lynne’s favorites. It always comes with the tortilla chips in the soup. (I guess the tortilla chips could be served on the side.) Are your clients ordering chicken tortilla soup and are unclear as to your offer?
Frequently, I meet with a prospect for the first time to hear that they are offering chicken tortilla soup. Their prospects have never had chicken tortilla soup. Now, they first have to educate their prospect as to what chicken tortilla soup is. Are your prospects ordering from your menu being unclear as to your offer? Is it easier to offer your product or service to someone who already sees the value? It is easier to sell chicken tortilla soup to someone who has already eaten chicken tortilla soup.
Corey used the practice taught to all waiters, “The customer is always right.” He apologized, asked if it could be prepared in a different way, and ended up substituting a salad for both ladies. He also mentioned on return that the soups had been removed from the bill and he had notified the manager of their concern. Being sure that the customer is always right in our service oriented businesses is a two way street that we have the responsibility of qualifying. In the restaurant business people will come in and order something they think they want and when it comes to the table discover that it is something different. It is up to us to qualify prospects at our front door before we let them in, being sure that they qualify for our offer.
It is easier to sell your product or service to someone who already understands its value. So, why do we spend so much time first trying to educate a prospect of our value? In my early days in the insurance business my company mentors had this saying, “If they are breathing, they are a prospect.” I spent a lot of those early days trying to convince people who never had health insurance the value of health insurance. Their ages varied from young to old. The young thought of themselves as invincible. The older ones who never had to use health insurance had little need to buy it now. People who already had health insurance saw the value. Veteran insurance buyers bought when I was able to demonstrate why my product/service was better than what they already had. Price was rarely the issue. My offering was always as much, and in most cases, more per month. Demonstrating the reason to pay more to get more coverage was mostly the issue which was easy to resolve by showing the increase in return on their investment.
There are tortilla chips in your chicken tortilla soup. Your clients need to know what is in your soup. To let them know that there are tortilla chips in your chicken tortilla soup you need to qualify them at the place of entry. The way to do that is to ask the right questions when you meet them. When considering developing a business relationship before meeting a prospect, ask them a question about the results they want and you deliver. Our tortilla chip question is, “Are you interested in attracting the right prospects and generating more referrals?” When I get a yes, then next step is to show the value. When I can show the value, I collect the check and provide the results. Collecting checks and providing results is why you are in business. Someone else can teach people that there are tortilla chips in your chicken tortilla soup.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops. His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information, call (888) 584-7073. You can contact Gerry by mail at 2103 Wedgewood Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail togerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
