I am writing today with Christmas and New Year wishes to you all. It has been a tumultuous year for me personally and professionally, a bit of a roller-coaster really. Many of you contacted me personally with support prayers and best wishes during our recent time of stress. I would like to thank you all for those kind thoughts.
It has been an interesting year for the world of audiology internationally, we all face differing pressures next year that will lead us all to re-address our businesses or practices, which ever way you look at it, in order to ensure our continual survival.
I hope that during the last year I have brought forward some concepts, strategies, processes and procedures that may contribute to your continued success. I know that I have learned a lot in the last year about the differing outlook and belief structures in place internationally.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and debates that I have spurred and been involved in during this time. It has shown me the diversity of thought that exists in our profession, we should respect that diversity, it is what makes us who we are. I don’t think that differing opinions are a problem, in fact I think they should be celebrated.
It is these differing opinions that allow us to open up our thought processes and indeed learn something new, or view something old from a new perspective. I look forward to continuing in the New Year with more ideas and conversations. To you and your Families from me and mine, this festive season, I wish that you receive exactly what you need.
With the greatest regard
Geoff
I’ve enjoyed reading your comments and your willingness to examine sales strategies from varying perspectives. I would offer the following personal perspective regarding clients and sales in an era where marketing strategies remain very fluid.
In the 35+ years I’ve been in business, I’ve managed millions of dollars in sales revenue….but I’ve never sold anything to a client. What I have done for a fee, is to provide clients with a unique solution to their problem. Often, the solution required the sale of products or services – sometimes the solution was just advice – and on occassion, the best solution was to suggest that another professional be retained who was better qualified to address my client’s current needs.
It’s a business strategy that has worked for me, and it has enabled me to stay in touch with many great clients over the years. It is clearly not the “we sell for less” philosophy of some competitors and it hasn’t made me a millionaire. But it has given me a sense of accomplishment and pride that is priceless.
I offer you my best wishes this holiday season and for 2012.
Bob
Cheers Bob, enjoy yours
Bob, I have been thinking about your comment for the last few days and I have to say it has inspired me. What you have said is something that I have always believed, the best people in Sales, if you will forgive me the use of that term, service customers without any obvious sale going on.
It is always an advisory process which leads to a transfer of goods and services for payment. Some people are innately good at that role, for schlubs like me it takes strategy and practice! I think that is the crux of my blog, it should perhaps have a bio as follows. Listen I am useless at this sales thing but if I do this, think about that and plan the other, it all works out 🙂