high desert: Customer Satisfaction vs. Customer Elation
- 05/11/07 12:01 AM
Striving for customer satisfaction is like going for the bronze. You won't be remembered as the best unless you really exceed the customer's expectations. Take the phrase "customer satisfaction" out of your vocabulary, and instead strive for "customer elation." Your customers must be so impressed that they are actually excited to spread the word about you and the exemplary service you provide. In their book, Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service*, Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles write: "Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better. Just having satisfied customers isn't … (2 comments)
high desert: The Mortgage Planning Process
- 05/06/07 11:55 PM
The mortgage planning process is different than the typical "shopping for a mortgage" experience. The mortgage planning relationship is not about you: Wasting your valuable time trying to save $25/month by comparing rates, fees and closing costs among different lenders. Wasting your valuable time trying to baby-sit the mortgage company you've reluctantly chosen to work with. Being promised one thing and then getting something different at closing. Being "sold" on one mortgage product over another. The mortgage planning relationship is about you: Receiving valuable financial advice and guidance that can literally save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Trusting a professional … (0 comments)
high desert: Are You Using Your Voicemail Effectively?
- 05/06/07 11:42 PM
Have you ever stopped to consider how many times a new prospect gets your voicemail before they have a chance to speak directly with you? Your voicemail greeting provides an excellent opportunity to create a first impression that can have an enormous impact on whether people decide to use your services. It can also be used as a dynamic marketing tool. If the first time you called a CPA, Financial Planner, or Real Estate Agent, you heard a voicemail greeting that was energetic, educational and professional, wouldn't that set the proper tone for the rest of the relationship? Very few people take … (10 comments)
high desert: Tap Into Google Local: Your Personal Chamber Of Commerce
- 04/30/07 11:02 PM
The Internet has revolutionized the way we live in countless ways. We are able to access news as it's happening, email friends and relatives all over the world, and purchase anything from cars to vacation packages with a few clicks of the mouse. What's ironic is that we frequently neglect to use this amazing resource when it comes to finding things in our local area. That's where GoogleTM, the world's leading search engine, comes in. Google has produced a search tool, called Google Local, which you can use to locate anything from an Italian restaurant or golf course to a dentist or … (0 comments)
high desert: Learn from Your Success: Focus On Strengths Rather Than Weaknesses
- 04/30/07 10:55 PM
Our culture teaches us to focus on our weaknesses and then improve upon them. While practice is critical to improvement in some areas, author Benson Smith of the Gallup Organization believes it is more important to focus on your strengths. By turning your strengths into super-strengths, your valuable time can be spent in areas where you feel more comfortable. Over the course of 40 years, the Gallup Organization studied 250,000 sales representatives and 25,000 managers. The results were published in the best-selling book, Discover Your Sales Strengths: How the World's Greatest Sales People Develop Winning Careers.* According to Smith, "You do learn from … (8 comments)
high desert: Increasing Your Hourly Rate of Pay
- 04/30/07 12:52 AM
Each and every one of us works on an hourly rate of pay. What we get paid by the hour has a direct correlation with what we choose to do with our time, and how we make use of the employees and systems we surround ourselves with in our daily work activities. Here is a great exercise that will put into perspective how you use and manage your time, and henceforth drive your hourly rate of pay. Take out a yellow legal pad and place it on your desk. Every day for the next 3 days, in 15 minute increments, write down … (1 comments)
high desert: How Purchase Loans Are Made: A Step−By−Step Walkthrough
- 04/29/07 10:50 AM
1. Pre-qualification - Lenders are encouraging buyers to get pre-qualified for a mortgage so they'll know in advance how much house they can afford. 2. Loan Search - Although buyers often use a lender recommended by their Real Estate agent, some prefer to do their own comparisons. 3. The Hunt - The buyer begins shopping for a house. When the right one is found, the terms of the sale are negotiated, including the sale price and often the type and conditions of the loan being sought. 4. Loan Application - It's crucial to supply the lender with as much information as possible, as accurately … (0 comments)
Striving for customer satisfaction is like going for the bronze. You won't be remembered as the best unless you really exceed the customer's expectations. Take the phrase "customer satisfaction" out of your vocabulary, and instead strive for "customer elation." Your customers must be so impressed that they are actually excited to spread the word about you and the exemplary service you provide.;)
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