Steve Ferrante's High Performance Blog for Sales/Customer Service/Leadership Champs and Progressive Professionals!

Unless you are somehow fortunate enough to have a one-of-a-kind product and/or no competition in your market space, then being remarkable matters.

As consumers, we are constantly bombarded with advertising and marketing messages. Precious few of those messages make it through all the noise and stand out in our minds. They’re unremarkable.

As I wrote about in How to Fail in Your Business, Consumer research has shown that approximately seven out of 10 customers leave a business because of indifference. They feel like “just another transaction” and have no emotional engagement with the business.

As your potential customers shop around with very little to distinguish one business from the next, they naturally default to the cheapest price for the product or service they’re seeking. Losing on price or discounting is perhaps the single biggest consequence businesses suffer for being unremarkable.

While every business is capable of being remarkable, only a small minority actually achieve it. The majority play it safe, stick to the norm, and deliver ordinary unremarkable customer experiences.

Always Remember…

Most businesses are perceived as ordinary, and this contributes greatly to the ordinary (unremarkable) results they typically realize.

The fact is nothing perceived as ordinary is ever valued as something special.

As I wrote in Would You Buy You?, YOU have a choice in the way you perceive yourself, manage yourself and, ultimately, sell yourself to others.

So, ask yourself, is our business truly remarkable? How do we look, sound and feel from the customers point-of-view? Do we stand out in a positive way, or do we simply blend in and fade away as just another (fill in your business type) in our market?

Here’s a great example of a business (Ember) that is rising above the ordinary with a remarkable ad for their product:

At the end of the day, a business’s success is largely determined by its ability to stand out from its competitors and attract more customers. Being unremarkable just won’t cut it.

Make a Great Day!

Steve

Seeking a remarkable sales/customer experience model? I can definitely help you! Contact me direct at steve@pinnacleperformancetraining.biz

Here’s a timely article I originally published in 2015. Although the year has been updated here, my advice remains the same…

6 Resolutions for a More Successful New Year!

As we end 2023, we arrive at the intersection of a new beginning, a clean slate and an opportunity to be even better in the new year.

While the majority of New Year’s resolutions tend to fade away by the time February rolls around, here’s six I hope stay with you for greater success and improved well-being in 2024 and beyond.

In 2024, I resolve to:

1) Focus On What I Can Control

More often than not, we experience grief, anxiety and/or frustration from situations that are beyond our control. Obviously, this is counterproductive. In 2024, minimize external issues and focus on your attitude (see #5), your behaviors (what you do) and your execution (how you do it) to best control your destiny.

2) Be Grateful

Gratitude is the best attitude for success. Grateful individuals focus on the positive aspects of life/work and do not take them for granted. They express heartfelt thanks and appreciation to others and their genuine gratitude positively attracts others to them.

3) Be a Student of My Profession

High-achievers, in any occupation, are true students of their profession. For sales/customer service professionals, realize that you are in the people business first and your product/services second. That means learning everything you can about improving your ‘people skills’ to better communicate and connect with people, build rapport, trust and relationships. Pinnacle Performers continuously invest in themselves through training, reading and professional development to further their skill set.

4) Exercise Regularly

This is perhaps the most neglected New Year’s resolution of all time. Although the vast majority of folks do not stick with their resolution to exercise regularly the benefits of doing so are indisputable.  Regular exercise improves heart-lung and muscle fitness, helps prevent heart disease and diabetes, relieves stress, improves sleep, controls weight and generally improves your chances of living longer and healthier. 

5) Be Happy

As I often say, positive attracts positive in everything you do. You will certainly gain far more in 2024 being happy than you would being miserable. It has been said that the ‘grand essentials’ of happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. For greater success in 2024, make sure you’re aligned with these essentials and be happy.

6) Make Each Day Count

The Champ Himself, Muhammad Ali, once said “Don’t count the days, make the days count”. This principle is directly applicable to having a more successful year… don’t count the days on the calendar, make each day on the calendar count. When you commit to making each day a success your year will take care of itself!

All The Best to You for Success In 2024!

Steve

Santa Claus Is…

As you’re likely aware, there’s a large jolly fellow in a red suit coming to town soon. As usual, Santa knows if you’ve been naughty or nice this year and, with the rather remarkable record-keeping by his trusty team of elves back at the North Pole HQ, your presents in his sleigh (or lack thereof) will reflect his character assessment. 

Not sure how you fared this year? 

A great place to start is in the mirror with a comparison of yourself against the Santa Claus profile (in image below) as published in 1912 by Edwin Osgood Grover in The Book of Santa Claus.

I believe there is a Santa Claus in all of us, some folks just need to adjust their focus to see him. After-all, like proper sales and customer service, true Christmas spirit is not really about us; it’s about selfless service and giving to others. 

Merry Christmas!

Steve

There are currently over 1000 tire/auto service sales and service associates participating in Pinnacle Performance Training. As awesome as they are, none of what they do for customers would be possible without the technicians that support their businesses. They deserve our heartfelt thanks and recognition for the superheroes they are! This story is a tribute to them…

Gear Guardians: The Heroes of Autoville

In the bustling city of Autoville, where engines roared like distant thunder, a group of auto service associates transformed into superheroes. Led by their charismatic leader, Mechanica, they battled the commonplace forces of ordinary customer service that plagued the city.

Mechanica, with her keen diagnostic skills, could pinpoint car troubles with pinnacle precision. Her team, known as the Gear Guardians, comprised of Sparkplug, the electric expert, and Lug Wrench, the strong and steadfast technician. Together, they vowed to rescue the city from the clutches of subpar customer service.

Lug Wrench in Action

One day, a distressed citizen named Riley rolled into their garage with a sputtering car and a weary spirit. Mechanica, donned in her technician uniform like a cape, approached with a reassuring smile. She listened attentively, decoding the mysterious language of engine troubles.

As Sparkplug delved into the car’s electric heart, and Lug Wrench worked his mechanical magic, the Gear Guardians uncovered a nefarious plot by the villainous forces of Mediocrity Motors. This sinister syndicate sought to spread lackluster service across Autoville, draining the joy from every journey.

Sinister Mediocre Mechanic

The Gear Guardians, fueled by a sense of duty, confronted the villainous mediocrity head-on. With wrenches clashing and sparks flying, they repaired and revitalized not just Riley’s car but the spirits of countless citizens who had fallen victim to the ordinary.

Word of the Gear Guardians’ heroics spread like wildfire, inspiring a wave of appreciation for auto service excellence. Citizens began to see the true value of a team that went above and beyond, turning routine repairs into a heroic endeavor.

As Mechanica and her team continued to thwart the forces of ordinary customer service, Mediocrity Motors was banished and Autoville transformed into a haven of exceptional automotive care. The Gear Guardians proved that, in the world of auto service, every repair, every diagnostic triumph, and every customer that received exceptional service was a step toward saving the city from the mundane.

Mechanica

And so, with wrenches as their weapons and customer satisfaction as their shield, the Gear Guardians stood tall, ensuring that Autoville would forever be a place where ordinary service was vanquished by the extraordinary efforts of those who embraced the heroic spirit of auto service excellence.

Steve

Looking to create service superheros at your auto service business? We can definitely help! Check out pinnacleperformancetraining.biz

As a long-standing resident of Planet Earth, no doubt you’re familiar with the expression “Rise and Shine”.

Well I’m here to set the record straight once and for all…

The expression has been bantered about likely as long as folks have been sleeping, a very long time indeed.

In the literal sense, “Rise and Shine” means ‘get your butt out of bed and be lively and energetic’!

So, are most folks doing that? More personally, are YOU doing that? If you’ve been working somewhere you’re not particularly enthused about after you rise then the odds of you ‘shining’ there are quite low.

Sadly, countless companies across the globe are populated by the walking dead… zombie employees dragging themselves through the day. All rise, no shine.

Often, the problem stems from a poor corporate culture lacking effective leadership. More on that here > Eight Great Practices for Creating a Winning Team Corporate Culture

In any event, with regards to high “Pinnacle Performance” achievement, the expression itself is backwards…

One does not merely rise and shine.

A living testament to this, I was rising for years and wasn’t shining much at all. It simply doesn’t work like that.

To truly shine, you must first be excellent at what you do. Once you master your craft you will ‘shine’ and, once you do, you will most certainly rise to higher levels of success.

Like the song says…

When you truly ‘shine’…

Your customers will notice (You’ll improve relationships and increase sales)

Your team will notice (You’ll set the winning example for all)

Your employer will notice (You’ll stand out and position yourself for promotion)

So please… Don’t rise and shine… Shine and Rise!

Steve

Success has a Formula

As you strive to maximize your performance in 2022, remember success has a formula:

You must have a growth mindset (winning attitude). 

You must do the right things (behaviors).

You must do these things the right way (execution).

Average performers fail this formula. So remember…

WHAT you do and HOW you do it will determine WHERE you’re going and how successful you will be WHEN you get there.

Make a Great Day!

Steve

Unless you are somehow fortunate enough to have a one-of-a-kind product and/or no competition in your market space, then being remarkable matters.

As consumers, we are constantly bombarded with advertising and marketing messages. Precious few of those messages make it through all the noise and stand out in our minds. They’re unremarkable.

As I wrote about in How to Fail in Your Business, Consumer research has shown that approximately seven out of 10 customers leave a business because of indifference. They feel like “just another transaction” and have no emotional engagement with the business.

As your potential customers shop around with very little to distinguish one business from the next, they naturally default to the cheapest price for the product or service they’re seeking. Losing on price or discounting is perhaps the single biggest consequence businesses suffer for being unremarkable.

While every business is capable of being remarkable, only a small minority actually achieve it. The majority play it safe, stick to the norm, and deliver ordinary unremarkable customer experiences.

Always Remember…

Most businesses are perceived as ordinary and this contributes greatly to the ordinary (unremarkable) results they typically realize.

The fact is, nothing perceived as ordinary is ever valued as something special.

As I wrote in Would You Buy You?, YOU have a choice in the way you perceive yourself, manage yourself and, ultimately, sell yourself to others.

So ask yourself, is our business truly remarkable? How do we look, sound and feel from the customers point-of-view? Do we stand out in a positive way or do we simply blend in and fade away as just another (fill in your business type) in our market?

Here’s a great example of a business (Ember) that is standing out with not only an innovative product but a remarkable ad for that product.

At the end of the day, a business’s success is largely determined by it’s ability to stand out from it’s competitors and attract more customers. Being unremarkable just won’t cut it.

Make a Great Day!

Steve

Seeking a remarkable sales strategy, customer experience model, and/or workplace culture? I can definitely help you! Contact me direct at steve@pinnacleperformancetraining.biz

We all love rooting for the underdog. That person or team that defies the odds and finds a way to win.

My personal favorite example is the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union 4–3 during the medal round of the men’s hockey tournament. As the four-time defending gold medalist, the Soviet Union was heavily favored to win. Now, the “Miracle on Ice” is forever etched in the memories of sports fans as one of the greatest sporting events of all-time.

While it’s awesome to bring home the gold medal, overcoming challenges and beating the odds isn’t always about coming in first place. It’s about the will to win and having the determination to succeed despite the obstacles in your path.

An outstanding example of this is Alicia Follmar. As a runner for Stanford, she accidentally tripped just over a lap into a race and was trampled by other runners. Hurt and seemingly out of contention, most people would of simply given up.  Alicia got up and finished the race in 3rd place.

You can read about the event here > stanfordmag/indomitable

Overcoming adversity is one of the true measures of a persons character. If you have not endured adversity and have somehow taken the perfect path to success then good for you.

And potentially bad for you too…

When obstacles block your path will you have the resiliency, grit and determination to overcome them and succeed? 

The ability to overcome adversity is a common characteristic of high-achievers. Whereas the average person’s progress is hindered (or halted) by adversity, high-achiever’s view the same challenges as obstacles to overcome on the way to their goal.

Ultimately, the underdog wins because they rise to the challenge and defeat it.

Some say these high-achievers are simply programmed differently. I say we’re all capable of programming ourselves to achieve greater results, be it on the playing field or in our work.

One thing is certain…

Either the obstacle wins, or you do.

Steve

** For many more Pinnacle Performance Quotes, please visit > Steve’s Pinnacle Performance Quotes

Ever buy a good product and get lousy service? I bet you have. When you get poor service at a restaurant, as an example, the food doesn’t taste as good and your view of the business is downgraded.

Much of the problems created by poor customer service can be resolved by hiring people with a good attitude and pleasing personality before you tell them they need both on the job.

All too often employees go thru the motions without their head and heart committed to providing the quality of service that customers fondly remember, rave about, and return because of. Serving customers exceptionally well is not especially important to these disengaged employees.

Beyond hiring and training your customer service staff properly, leadership must constantly promote the proper customer-focused culture and communicate the importance of service excellence as a key driver of the businesses success.

Make a Great Day!

Steve

** For many more Pinnacle Performance Quotes, please visit > Steve’s Pinnacle Performance Quotes

Happy Customers Only

Everyone knows happy customers are the best type of customers. This business has a creative (and memorable) way to ensure they enter their store that way!

 

You can (and really should) find much more Pinnacle Performance content @ www.facebook.com/TopShopTraining

Steve

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