Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501230005
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Before offering suggestions for list management, Keith T. Austin recommends understanding that ``customers aren't lists.''
Austin, vice president and general manager of Lamar Advertising, cautions that ``businesses lose customers when setting up systems and making them work for sales and not making them work for the customers.''
Austin believes that ``behind every customer is a person with specific needs to be met. If you become a consultant to the person, identify and meet those needs, you perform a service.
``Maintenance of customers is caring for the individuals you consult with and doing what is right by the customer.''
If a customer has a problem, Austin considers the primary question to be, ``What do we need to do to make you happy?'' Borrowing from Stephen R. Covey's ``The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,'' which he sees as the 1990s management guide, Austin enters every meeting with the notion that participants should leave the encounter either ``win-win or no deal.'' That is, everyone should feel satisfied or should ``agree to disagree and walk away from the meeting.''
Once you've mastered the concept that client lists aren't just client lists, create a management system that is relatively simple to maintain, yet gives you information you need.
One system is a loose-leaf notebook, with one page for each client. Note the company name, address and phone and fax numbers, and the names of your contacts at the top of each page. The remainder of the page is for date of contact, summary of discussion and outcome. On the back, note information you want to remember about the client, such as names of children or sports interests.
Review these on a regular basis (generally weekly) and make call sheets for the next week based on that review. The front of the notebook holds daily to-do lists and your calendar for the day. Reserve a section for follow-up promises you've made and follow up on those at the end of each day.
Simple systems are great; systems are even better when you keep the people, not sales, in the front of your mind.
Q: I've noticed different comfort levels in different offices, but can't put my finger on why. Are there secrets to making people comfortable in my office?
A: When someone enters your office, stand. Move around your desk to shake hands. Desks are barriers - problematic if you want to make others feel welcome.
Make sure you have the posture and demeanor of a welcoming host. Once you've welcomed your guest, offer him or her a seat. If available, offer your guest coffee or tea. Plan to sit on the same side of the desk as your guest.
Use good listening skills - lean forward, nod to show interest, and stay focused on what your conversation partner is saying, not what you want to say in response.
When your guest prepares to leave, stand. Express pleasure in seeing the individual again and shake hands.
These simple acts of courtesy convey genuine interest. Not everyone deconstructs office visits - so few will understand why they leave your office feeling the visit was distinctive. They'll just know that it was.
Q: A female co-worker frequently makes double-entendres in the presence of male colleagues. I'm embarrassed by this unprofessional behavior.
A: It's unprofessional to make sexual jokes, veiled or otherwise. In the 1970s, many considered double-entendres to be a higher form of humor; however, savvy employees in the 1990s have given up this form of entertainment.
If you feel comfortable, approach your co-worker and state that you are made uneasy by sexual humor. Add that you'd be grateful if she would refrain from double-entendres in your presence.
If approaching her would cause too many difficulties, enlist support from your supervisor. Remind your supervisor that anyone can be held accountable for creating a ``hostile environment,'' and such jokes could be viewed as a form of sexual harassment.
If neither approach works, refuse to participate. When the sexual innuendos begin, politely excuse yourself. Offer to be available later when work on the project begins. If your co-worker isn't being rewarded by laughter, the jokes will cease.
by CNB