The fashion icon and entrepreneur Coco Chanel always paused to consider her outfit before leaving for an engagement, and made it a habit to remove the last item she had put on. Her guiding mantra in this ritual was “less is more.”
The “less is more” maxim originated in the world of architecture, but its pithy wisdom applies to just about any human endeavor – from acting to arbitration, from cooking to selling, the trick is knowing when to stop. Continue reading →
Offering clients the same kind of service and support that you value yourself ought to be in line with anyone’s idea of best practices and top shelf service, right?
But what if your customer has different values? Not everyone, after all, has the taste for 12-year-old single malt Scotches. Some people prefer a good Belgian beer, or a flinty Sauvignon Blanc, or a glass of fresh cool water.
Apple realized this last September when the feedback turned feisty after they gave free copies of U2’s new Songs of Innocence album to 500 million iTunes users. Continue reading →
Last time we wrote about those frustrating times when prospects hem and haw, refusing to commit to setting an appointment or closing the deal, even when you’ve shown them it’s clearly in their best interest to go forward.
We blamed that buying inertia on just two things: social anxiety when a prospect feels too sheepish to tell their incumbent agent they’re moving their business, and fear of the unpredictable future after making a change. Continue reading →
Ever deal with a business insurance prospect who’s interested but can’t quite commit to meeting with you?
“I think I’ll wait ’til next year.”
“We’ve compared in the past and it didn’t work out so I don’t think we want to do that again.”
These are just a couple of the common excuses offered when prospects decline to meet for a cost and coverage review. Continue reading →