“So the book for me instantly even within about the first two to three pages, very much just shouted “Let’s get basics right,” – the things that people forget, the things that make a genuine difference to people’s journeys.
And I think at times, certainly in the experience of the world I work in, we’re too focused on the end and we don’t necessarily think about the bit that leads up to the end. Sales have become a very fast paced environment and for me the book all the way through was a real reminder of actually, you don’t get to the end if you don’t do the basics right all the way through.
Is it revolutionary? Possibly not, but actually it’s the bits that we forget day-to-day that make a difference, and so the book instantly. I was really struck by how simple and easy it was to read and just little light bulbs it flicks off about this is how we should be doing it.
The book, I’ve used with two apprentice groups now who are embarking on their first roles within retail sales environments, and so far everyone’s been very engaged with the book. I’ve asked them all to read the book and then come back and present a little piece on what they found useful from the book.
And really it sets the scene for the programme we take them on. So, for me, it’s a great little scene setter at the start that you can give someone. It’s a really easy read. It’s not something that’s going to take you two weeks and then it’s going to be quite arduous. A couple of evenings just sat down with a cup of coffee, you can easily read the book and it just really puts into context what service these days is all about.
If you do the great service bit, the price tends to become a little bit less of an issue anyway. Everybody in an organisation is a sales person. They may not have the title, but as you well know, everybody from the person who picks up the phone to somebody walking past while a customer’s in the showroom or in a retail environment. You’re all sales people because you’re selling the people, the person, the belief, all that kind of stuff.
Read it. If you’ve been in customer service for years, it may just give you a little bit of a freshen up of things maybe you’ve forgotten or you’re missing these days, and certainly if you’re embarking on your first steps into customer service, it’s a really nice light way of just putting you in a position where you really just think customer."
Thank you Dave for sharing your thoughts.