Recommend A Competitor?

“Most people just laugh when they hear that the secret to success is giving.” – Bob Burg & John David Mann, in The Go-Giver

The image in the above header is from the 1947 movie classic, Miracle on 34th Street.

In that movie, Kris Kringle (the real Santa Claus) is hired to be the Santa Claus at Macy’s.

Whenever a child sat on his lap and asked for a toy that Macy’s didn’t carry, he would inform the parents at what competing store they could find it. (see the clip below)

Upon learning that he was doing this, the store manager was livid!

He called Kris into his office with the intention of yelling at him and then firing him.

But, before he could do that, an assistant came in with a stack of letters from happy customers who had been astounded that Macy’s would tell them to shop at another store - just so they could get their child what they really wanted.

Further, each customer stated in their letter that they would from now on be loyal Macy’s customers.

Though still skeptical, the manager requested a sales report and learned that, since Kris was hired as the Macy’s Santa Claus and began this practice, Macy’s sales had soared!

He sheepishly told Kris to go back to work and keep doing what he had been doing.?

A heart-warming story. But, surely, this is pure fantasy, right?

It’s NOT!

Helping consumers get what they really want or need – even if it means recommending a competitor – will dramatically boost your reputation AND your sales.

Don’t believe me? Give this Miracle on 34th Street Strategy a try and see the results.

Here’s how:

Periodically – say once per month - feature a competitor in a social media post, video or even at a networking event.

• Implementing this idea demonstrates that you are a company that cares enough to be a consumer-oriented advocate.
• Another advantage to doing this is it helps you learn all you can about your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Thus, you will be able to compete more effectively over time.

When you do a post or video, it’s okay to include a strength of yours. But, be sure it is mostly about your competitor.

Here’s an example of the type of language a Real Estate Broker might include:

We’re great at being a seller’s agent!

We represent buyers, too. But, (their competitor) has really mastered that. You definitely can’t go wrong by choosing them for that.

This strategy is SO unusual that it will immediately differentiate you in the marketplace!

In a noisy world where consumers have learned to ignore marketing messages, different is what draws attention.

As I often say, in a vast sea of white eggs it is the Golden Egg that gets noticed.

In what ways can you utilize this strategy in your business??

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Need help with ideas and strategies that will help your company increase sales and margins? Or, help your charity raise more money?

Does your organization need training on Creative Thinking to continually innovate and Out-THINK the Competition in order to thrive in today's economy?

PM me

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Expert Tip

Over his career, Shawn Welsh has learned much about leadership. In this week's Expert Tip he shares with us how to:

Build Resiliency Through Active Listening

Active listening is a great way to build resiliency in yourself, your people and your organization.

As leaders, it is our responsibility to build a strong organization that is safe for our people.

When we practice active listening, we make our people feel more appreciated and therefore safer at work.

The feeling of increased safety and appreciation at work causes our people to become more resilient through:

1.?????An increased feeling of safety and trust with the organization and leadership

2.?????An increased level of creativity at work

3.?????An increased capability to handle change and adversity

In order to increase resiliency at work through active listening, adhere to the following guidelines:

1.?????Be present – Be there and be willing to listen to your people.

2.?????Don’t try to solve problems – Not every conversation is a problem to solve, sometimes people just need to vent.?Don’t try to solve every problem.

3.?????Acknowledge Feelings – People are emotional beings, understand and acknowledge when emotions are high.?Examine why that is the case.

4.?????Find a listening partner – Find someone you can confide in at work.?We all need a confidant, someone who will listen and not judge.

Following these guidelines will help increase resiliency among your people in your organization.

Utilize active listening to create safe places for your people and watch how well they respond.

Learn more about Shawn by visiting his LinkedIn profile at https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/shawnwelsh00 and be sure to listen to episodes of his wonderful podcast, VET S.O.S. on YouTube here.

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Want to be considered as an Expert Tip contributor in a future edition??PM me.

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Puzzle and Trivia

Some of our more popular Puzzle and Trivia Sheets have featured the 'what do these three things have in common' theme. So, we have another challenging one of those this week.

To view or download a sharable pdf version of the Puzzle and Trivia sheet, click on the image or go?here.

Can't solve the Puzzle? Find the Solution and the Trivia answer by clicking?here?or scanning the QR code on the Puzzle and Trivia sheet image.

These Puzzle and Trivia sheets can provide something fun for your customers and dramatically increase traffic to your site and/or social media pages.

Want to explore licensing or sponsoring them??PM?me.

This week's Puzzle and Trivia sheet is sponsored by my book,?101 Freaking Brilliant Ideas: And Ten Ways YOU Can Create Your Own. You can grab a copy?here.

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See you next week?

About?Bob Sager

The Founder of?SpearPoint Solutions, Bob’s professional background includes over three decades of experience in sales, leadership and training. Combined with creative thinking, he uses that experience to develop business strategies that help organizations increase sales and margins. Additionally, Bob facilitates training on methods of thinking more creatively that organizations can practically apply to all aspects of their business so they can thrive in the modern?economy.?