On Pilots, Bartenders and Great Customer Service.

I recently took a trip to Portland Maine with my wife for both business and pleasure. We had some great meals, saw some lighthouses, shopped at LL Bean in Freeport Maine, and generally enjoyed this great town. Our last night in town, we went to dinner at Via Vecchia in the Old Port part of town.

What made the night special was our bartender, who was also our dinner server. Her name was LyAnna, and she was an expert. In the middle of making drinks (with both hands) for all the other servers, she gave us expert advice on food, answered our questions about wines, gins, and different cocktails on the menu. She was managing multiple priorities, and providing us with the best service I have had in a long time (and I dine out a lot).

What made it special was the despite how busy she was, she made us feel special. She paid attention, but didn’t inject herself into our lives. She didn’t mope about being overworked, she reveled in the action.

It reminded me of a Delta Airlines Flight I took recently. As we boarded, we were upgraded to First Class. On our seat, there was a business card with a picture of Delta Jet, the Pilot’s name and contact information. Captain Jon Brittingham took the time to print and distribute these cards that differentiate him (and Delta) from other nameless, faceless voices over the PA. On the back of the card was a welcome message and his signature.

I wonder, how many of you, as salespeople, are doing anything to differentiate yourself from your competition? We all talk about being ‘consultative sellers,’ but how often do we just launch into the pitch or the idea? What have you done to show how you stand out, how you do more, how you deserve to win the business?

Too often, media sellers think it’s about the price of their product: Rates or CPM (Cost per thousand Gross Impressions). I actually had a senior manager in a major media company tell me that the only thing they do is respond to rate requests and that the clients set the prices. That’s a sad world, and I feel bad that this person lives it in this world they created.

I live in a different world. Where our job is to provide a service, not sell an ad. We shouldn’t just be selling ads, we should be a partner to show our clients how to use our medium effectively. In order to really provide a service, you first must take steps to show how you are not just selling on price. Salespeople solve problems. If all you do is quote prices, you are not a sales person - you are the bid business. That business sucks.

You can differentiate yourself. Like our bartender LyAnna at Via Vecchia in Portland Maine. You can stand out like Captain Jon Brittingham at Delta airlines. It takes knowledge, thought, effort and a plan of action.

Chip Heath, in the book “Switch” said, “The status quo feels comfortable and steady because much of the choice has been squeezed out. You have your routines, your ways of doing things.”

How can you change your status quo and shake up your success. Here’s a rule for the rest of this year: Make Yourself Uncomfortable.

Michael Doyle, the MD in MDMediaSales.com has spent a career changing sales people and sales organizations. From small market broadcasters to successfully implementing a 30 million dollar growth plan in digital sales, he focuses first on understanding the problem, and then helps organizations develop the people and systems they need for long term success. He can be reached at mdoyle@MDMediaSales.com