The Greatest Sales Strategy Ever
June 22nd, 2009 Posted in Leadership, Newsletter
As a student of people and ideas I have to admit that what two guys are doing in a Northeast Florida Starbucks is absolutely genius.
The other day as I tried to pay for my green tea at my local Starbucks the cashier said, “Don’t worry about it sir. Those guys over there are paying for it today.” She then handed me their business card from a stack by the register. Turns out the guys were wealth management / financial planners who once a week, at different times, will spend a few hours at this Starbucks and buy customers their coffee or tea. Most people, like me, will walk over and thank the gentlemen and walk away with their business card in our pocket.
I thought about how brilliant this was. For many the coffee shop experience has become a right of passage that helps them take on the day. It’s become an emotional experience that makes them feel good. It’s become a bond of love. These financial planners brilliantly connected something people love with a service they offer. Not surprisingly I found out that these men do receive a good number of calls from the Starbucks customers interested in planning for their financial future.
It is said we remember one third of what we read, half of what people tell us and 100 % of how feel. Whether we are watching a commercial, listening to a teacher, or talking to a sales person it is how we feel that impacts us the most. We can’t remember what we ate for lunch a week ago but we can remember where we were on 9-11. We remember how we feel and when it comes to investing our money, buying a product, purchasing insurance or real estate, or choosing a restaurant we will make our choices based on these feelings.
This leads us to the greatest sales strategy ever-but it doesn’t involve coffee. While the Starbucks idea is brilliant it isn’t the best way to build a business. There is a far more powerful strategy to create an emotional connection and foster an emotional memory. It’s so simple and it doesn’t even cost a dime. It’s to love and care about your customers. Caffeine is temporary but a positive emotional experience lasts forever.
Customers do business with people they like and trust and who care about them. When customers feel like they matter and feel cared for they love back with more loyalty, more business and more referrals.
So if you are in sales, and we all are, I encourage you to make loving and caring about your customers your top priority. You don’t have to buy them coffee to connect your product or service with something they love. You can be the connection. You can be the bridge that connects your customer with your product or service. After all, no matter what we are selling, people are always buying our energy and making decisions based on how our energy makes them feel. And while coffee is an energy source that makes people feel good it doesn’t compare to the power of our positive energy. Look out for your customers interests. Show them you care. Do your best for them. Share the love and you’ll be so successful you’ll be able to buy your own coffee shop and give away all the coffee you want. 
How do you show your customers you care?
Share your comments on our blog.
Stay Positive!
Jon
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Tags: choice, greatest sales strategy ever, jon gordon, networking, sales, starbucks
20 Responses to “The Greatest Sales Strategy Ever”
By Jan on Jun 22, 2009
At the end of my seminars, training activity directors who are working in nursing homes and assisted living communities, I hand them each a Pull Bow, I have them open it up and watch the Bow assemble in their hands. I then tell then that I have given them a Bow to remind them that they are a gift. I then encourage them to keep it, to pass it on to others if they care to or to get some and give them to the nursing home residents and staff to remind each one that they are a gift.
By Tom In Tampa on Jun 22, 2009
Jon, Thank you again. Keep the word coming, we all enjoy it. God Bless.
By Diane B. on Jun 22, 2009
I coach business professionals and students to develop confidence in themselves and their capabilities. Often, those who lack self-confidence feel they are not being heard. I show my clients I care by respectfully listening before I engage. Everyone has the need to know what they have to say has value.
By Mary Muldowney on Jun 22, 2009
When I take on a customer I never, never, never think about the monetary aspect of our relationship. I never think about walking from the closing table with a check; I think about walking from the closing table with a friend.
By Paul Arenson on Jun 22, 2009
Marvelous comments. As an old time personal achievement coach I applaud your work.
Paul Arenson
By JoAnna Brandi on Jun 22, 2009
What a great idea - thanks for sharing it. As I do my work out in the world helping my clients create more positive customer focused cultures, I often ask the question “Where do we tell our employees to leave their emotions when they come to work?” The response in usually “at the door” or “at home.”
Let’s invite emotions to work - with out them we can’t create that emotional connections to customers.
So much of the value customers are looking for is intangible - emotional in nature. Let’s get emotionally involved.It’s the only way to create those long term relationships that keep our customers coming back (with friends and money!)
By Pedro Silva on Jun 22, 2009
I can’t agree with you more. I read somewhere that the companies that will thrive when this economy settles will be those that gave the most love when times were hard. Several years ago I decided that Love had to be an absolute in my Life. I never know where it will take me, but I always know it’s Here. I’m glad it led me to this posting and I hope I see every opportunity to share this message today.
By Kerry Kasotsky on Jun 22, 2009
Hi Jon -
What a great post! I agree with you wholeheartedly. I am a life and health insurance broker and was recently introduced to SendOutCards. This is an online system that allows you to choose from 13,000 cards for all occasions, use your own handwriting, and send appreciation and thank you’s to your clients, friends, downline, etc. I’ve been sending birthday cards too!! A physical card is then created and sent out from the SendOutcards main office. It really enables you to immediately act on your promptings. I have received such heartfelt thank yous from people. They didn’t expect the card, they felt special, and they go out of their way to call to say thank you for thinking of them.
First of all, I send cards because I want to. It makes me happy when others are happy. From a marketing standpoint, however, it is great too. I have received quite a few referrals as a result. Feel free to take a look at my website if you’d like to contact me…find out more…or send a free card…www.sendoutcards.com/75477.
I’ve changed my work gameplan also, so it will give me more time to promote the cards. The SendOutCards philosophy is to “change lives one card at a time.”
By Lisa Cree on Jun 22, 2009
Jon,
Great post!!!! I love what these guys are doing. They are committing to giving and investing in others. This will always make an impression on people and definitely create a memorable feeling. Thanks for sharing! Keep up the great work!
Lisa Cree
By Michael Jaress on Jun 22, 2009
Good morning Jon…
Great message, and a great way to think about outreaching to potential clients with a positive impact.
In the past 15 years, I’ve had the pleasure of creating Business Partnerships in the photography world with over 120 people.
My initial thought when considering a new Partner. “Does this person have a Servant’s Heart?” If they do, they have the important ingredient upon which a career can be built.
Michael Jaress
By Don Paradis on Jun 22, 2009
Here’s my philosophy:
You’ve heard the saying about elephants - they never forget and so, when it comes to my clients, I never forget them. I remember my clients after the sale as well as in between sales - so no matter how long it may be, and they remember me. I also remember them on their birthday and on holidays and sometimes for no reason other than to say that I appreciate them. I call it Elephant Marketing and I’ve combined this philosophy with SendOutCards to help me create loyal clients who consistently come back to me for repeat business and then send their family, friends and colleagues to me for even more business.
By Rosemarie Tanner on Jun 22, 2009
A phone call or email remembering some event the customer talked about EG wedding of child, impending trip. Wow, as I am typing this, I know I am remiss in doing these little things myself. Better get on it. Rosemarie
By susan on Jun 23, 2009
What do you do when you loved your customers for 9 years (built up a list of tousands) and then you get let go?
By susan on Jun 23, 2009
Sorry, THOUSANDS
By Bobbi Blades on Jun 23, 2009
Jon, what a powerful message. Connections and Relationships - how they make you feel.
By the way - loved “Training Camp.”
By Bryce Le Jeune on Jun 25, 2009
Our insurance office is dedicated to customer service and education. I am the Farm agent and enjoy my final quote meeting with potential clients the most. After explaining what every aspect of their farm policy means to them I always walk away with a new friend. I sometimes don’t get the sale right away, but I have been called many times with insurance questions from potential clients. They usually ask me to bind a policy within a year if they don’t sign up right away.
By Ken on Jul 30, 2009
I’m not sure how you can label this the greatest sales strategy ever. What are the numbers? What did it cost them in time and money? What was their return on that investment?
It’s a simple matter of numbers. Even putting aside the obvious hyperbole of calling this the greatest strategy, how do we even know it is a good strategy?
You took their business card. Did you call them for a follow up to find out what kind of results they received? Money and time spent versus number and quality of leads and new clients signed up.
This may very well be the greatest sales strategy ever but please, a little less hype and a lot more concrete facts would determine that.
By Jon Gordon on Jul 30, 2009
Ken,
Its not the numbers that drive the people, its the people and relationships that drive the numbers. Best, Jon
I think you missed the point of the article. Their strategy is not the greatest sales strategy ever. Love and caring about your customers is the greatest sales strategy. That was the main message. I think your focus on numbers caused you to miss this
By Nader Al Adawi on Sep 27, 2009
Dear Jon,
I fully agree that taking a genuine good care of customers is an excellent strategy (I’ll be a bit conservative with the word greatest, since other selling strategies are good as well).
I always teach sales reps in my training sessions the triade of selling “people buy from people whom they like, whom thery trust and who are like them”
To echo your advise the saying goes “People don’t care how much you know untill they know how much you care”.
Very truly yours,
Nader Al Adawi
Professional Sales Trainer