LAN Systems 
  
March/April 2013 eNewsletter
   
Marketing is essential to our growing businesses.  Whether you are expanding products and services with existing customers or searching for new customers, we all face the same challenges.

This month, our guest author is Jeffrey Gitomer. We have followed Jeffrey for years and believe in his philosophy - "I give value first. I help other people. I strive to be the best at what I love to do. I establish long term relationships with everyone. I have fun (and I do that every day)."
 
Enjoy!
Mary
  
PS Sign up for our Office 2013 & Windows 8 for Business event at the Microsoft Store at Lenox, Thursday April 4th 8-9:30.  Food and Prizes!

THE SECRET OF GETTING ALL THE REFERRALS YOU COULD EVER HOPE FOR

by Jeffrey Gitomer 

Jeffrey Gitomer
 
Everyone in management will tell every salesperson to "ask for referrals" or "don't forget to ask for referrals" or "as soon as you make the sale, ask for a referral."

These strategies are not only wrong, they also jeopardize the future of the relationship. 

First of all, why are you "asking" (begging) for a referral?

Second of all, why are you asking when you haven't earned anything? 

REALITY: Asking for referrals makes EVERYONE feel awkward. And usually results in a turndown, or a delay. A delay that goes on for months.

A referral is the second strongest lead in sales. The first is an unsolicited one. 

MAJOR CLUE: Referrals are not asked for - referrals are EARNED. 

SCENARIO: You get a referral from a customer without asking for it. You make a sale. Your boss asks you, "How'd you get that referral?" And you respond, "I earned it." Your boss will NOT know what to say next.

Give to get. 

There are all kinds of names applied to the process of "giving" a referral to a customer. Pay it forward. Netweaving. BUT the salesperson will forever live in darkness if he or she expects something in return. 

Which brings me to this PRIME example of what not to do. I got this email "request for an answer" today:  

Hey Jeff, I can't seem to ever get any referrals! I go back to the customer after the sale, I give them an appreciation gift and ask them for some people and they say they don't know anybody or don't think anybody else can afford it?! What to do? 

The guy didn't even sign the email. That's a good start to not getting referrals.  

This guy thinks by bringing candy that he deserves a referral. And his email proves my point. He will NEVER get referrals this way - AND NEITHER WILL YOU. 

What is this guy's business logic behind his actions? And what's yours? Asking for referrals is not only a poor practice, it's also rude and embarrassing.  

NOTE WELL: There are those who claim expertise in the referral process that will differ in opinion. Take their advice and end up like the anonymous emailer above - empty.

  

I will admit my strategy is harder to perform. GOOD. That way the lazy salespeople will not be in competition. And you may actually get some referrals this way. Five referrals out of a hundred tries. BUT the other 95 people will avoid you forever. Not good.  

 

Ask yourself:

* What have I earned so far?

* Have I done anything besides make a sale?

* On a scale of 1-10, how strong is this relationship?

* If I asked for a referral right now would it be or feel awkward?

* Why would this customer give me a referral?

NOTE: If you can't think of a reason, neither can your customer.

Then ask yourself:

* What can I do that will get me from where I am to where I want to be?

* Do I have a real referral game plan?

What are the value actions I need to be (consistently) taking to begin earning referrals? 

The questions above are the ones that need to be asked BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY REFERRAL ACTIONS. 

 

Here are the TOP 6.5 referral EARNING strategies:

1. Deliver memorable serviceIt's simple. Be friendly and helpful, and give positive response.

2. Be available. Make it easy to do business with you and anyone else in your company 24/7/365.

3.Be a consistent value provider. Create an email magazine and blog with content that helps       customers, and a business Facebook page where you post positive and helpful information and good news, and allow for customer interactions.

4. Give a referral to the customer. This requires work, but it's a great way to prove your worth.

5. Get them one LinkedIn contact they can benefit from. See if any of your connections could be of value to your customers, and make connections.

6. Develop the relationship slowly over time. Create your long-term value plan, and execute it consistently. Always post a "thank you" for referred business.

6.5 DON'T ASK FOR A REFERRAL IF YOU HAVEN'T EARNED ONE.  

There's an underlying powerful message in what I'm saying here. It's about having a philosophy of giving, without the expectation of getting anything in return. This philosophy, if adopted, will give you a lifetime of fulfillment without an ounce of regret, remorse, or resentment. 

Give to give. Don't give to get.   

 

 

Gitomer Defined
(git-o-mer) n. 1. a creative, on-the-edge, writer and speaker whose expertise on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development is world renowned. 2. known for presentations, seminars and keynote addresses that are funny, insightful, and in your face. 3. real world. 4. off the wall. 5. on the money. 6. gives audiences information they can take out in the street one minute after the seminar is over and turn it into money. See also: salesman. 
 
More from Jeffrey Gitomer at: www.gitomer.com

Understanding The Internet of Things

  

The Internet of Things (IoT) is how analog systems (people) will thrive in a digital world.

 

Our human, analog brains are wired to continuously deliver input, organize vast amounts of sensory data and make continuous decisions based on millions of pieces of information. Usually the data ranges from a minimum to a maximum, like brightness, volume, pitch, color and pressure. Digital systems, however, use discrete data in processing, and as long as you have storage space, you can keep adding data.

 

With enough data, digital technology successfully imitates analog technology to yield an analog experience. In fact, we can generate a superior experience with digital by adding detail in smaller pieces to create more intensity or fidelity - such as with photography and music. But with too much data, people overload, stop processing and this eventually leads to a system shutdown.

 

First coined in 1999, the IoT represents unique, virtual identification of items that are inventoried and cataloged. Tagged objects are subject to real-time processing using current technologies like radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near field communications (NFC), thus enabling digital solutions for many human tasks.

 

For instance, checking out of a store will be as easy as walking through a scanner. 'Bump' your phone to the register to pay. Just-in-time inventory control will be the new standard for even small manufacturers and retailers, effortlessly keeping detailed records of every transaction down to the tiniest fractions. Properly analyzing data will increase efficiency, reduce waste and generate profit.

 

In your home, the IoT can track anything using your smart phone - anywhere, anytime. Tags on clothing can provide detailed information about the garment and even where it is - in the hamper, the closet or being worn. Or, you can perform a task such as registering the internal temperature of the refrigerator, the milk inside and how much energy the appliance consumed arriving at that temperature.

 

As humans, we are miraculous, wonderfully analog, but may have trouble acclimating to a digital world. Nevertheless our world is transforming. As with any revolutionary shift, the IoT will forever change how we interact with our environments - and it's only limited by the imagination and industry of the human mind.

Your Package Has Been Returned and Your SSL Certificate is Suspended!

 

Email s We have a very good Spam filter, but still every now and then a phishing email will slip through. 

 

My business email [mary@lansystems.com] is easy to find so I get a wide assortment of unsolicited emails. Recently, I received a deviation on a scam that has been around for years - your package was returned and click this link to get it. I also received one that my LogMein SSL Certificate had been suspended - click here to fix. Of course, the links are malicious and at least, would come with some irritating pop-ups and at worse, steal your identity, seize your system and ruin your computer.

 

These exploits are designed to cause an immediate emotional response that will make you click before your think. Because if you look closer, the fraud is apparent. The mail and parcel carriers do not typically use email for package routing information although some will let you elect mobile or email notification. The body of the emails usually have spelling or grammatical errors and often the links take you to strange sites. A suspended LogMein SSL Certificate is a problem, but too suspicious to believe the email.

  

If you think the issue may be real, do some additional research but don't click any links. Even with legitimate emails, your clicks are tracked by embedded links. So if you don't want to be tracked or scammed, avoid links.

 

You already know these tips for protecting yourself, but let's review:

  1. Have a good Spam Filter. Still about 90% of the emails sent worldwide are Spam and many are malicious. A good filter will catch most Spam.
  2. Use virus protection. Even if you use a great Spam Filter, you still need virus protection for those threats that slip through. We like Symantec for our business users.
  3. Use malware protection. There are several that you can try and use free for home use. We like MalwareBytes and Advanced System Care. The licensed versions provide real-time protection.
  4. Do not open files or click links in emails unless you trust and know the source. And even if you know and trust the source be sure it is a real email from them. Email accounts can be hacked and malicious emails sent from your friend's account.
  5. If you think you are infected, consult an expert. If it looks really bad, disconnect your computer from the network or Internet. If it looks really, really bad, turn off your computer until help is available.
  6. Don't put your credit card information in those pop-ups that guarantee to remove the infection, they are scams.
  7. Don't forward email unless absolutely necessary. This is not only for security but for proper etiquette as well. If you have to forward something be sure it is not a hoax and that the recipient wants to receive. If you have to send that funny joke, be sure to have the recipient's permission.
 

We look at online threats constantly, but sometimes there is one so good that even the experts are initially fooled.

 

The IT Services People!
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In This Issue
Guest Author Jeffrey Gitomer
Creating a 2010 Outlook Signature
Email Scams
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