BUSINESS CALISTHENICS -- EXERCISES IN BUSINESS TO KEEP BUSINESS HEALTHY
by Alan J. Zell, Ambassador of Selling

BUSINESS CALISTHENICS is a method for both Management and Staff to use to involve the Staff in the decision-making process without the fear of embarrassment, inter-office political reprisal, or job security, which are the reasons why most employees hesitate to speak up. The lack of a method for their input is most often cited as the reason for job dissatisfaction. Management's decision-making process without this input may lead to faulty decisions.

B.C. 1. LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS.

A. Each time a question is heard for the first time, write it down. If more than one person hears a question for the first time, the question is on everyone's mind and is one that question everyone should be aware of.
B. Each time a question is heard for the second time, write it down. If one person hears a question for the second time it means that the question is on everyone's mind. It is a question everyone should be aware of.
C. Each time you are asked for a service or product you do NOT normally provide, write it down. If enough people start asking for a service or product it means that they think that this might possibly be coming from you. There may be a new market for you to investigate.

B.C. 2. NON-SALES.

A. Each time a presentation is made, AND the sale is not made, write it down, and what could/should you have done in order to make the sale. It isn't that every presentation will or should turn into an immediate sale. Many presentations are only one of many steps to the sale; but recognizing why it didn't is important.
B. Each time a product or service is returned, write it down, why it was returned, and what might be done in the future to decrease the returns for this service or product. A return is a non-sale. Some just do not fit what the customer is doing; more often it is because of poor presentation.
C. Write down every complaint, the situation and the solution. A complaint is a non-sale. Write down what should have been done so that there would not have been a reason to complain, or so that it will not happen again.

B.C. 3 THE COMPETITION

A. Make a list of all your organizations indirect competitors: Any one who can take you customers' time, space, effort and/or money but does NOT offer the same products or services as you do.
B. Make a list of all your organization's direct competitors, either individually or as a group.
1) What services or products do you share that you both do well?
2) What services or products do you offer that your competitor does not offer, or that you do better than your competitor?
3) What services or products does your competitor do that you don't offer, or that you don't do well?
It is important to be able to tell your customers:
  • what services or products you share with your competitor;
  • what you do better than your competitor;
  • what you don't do, or don't do well, and why you don't do it because if you don't tell your customer, your competitor will!

B.C. 4 WATCHING THE COMPETITION.

A. Your direct competitors' advertisements and mailings. Apply the same criteria as in B.C. 2. Also ask yourself why you think they are doing it.
B. Everything else your competitor does - and why you think they are doing it.

B.C. 5 ROLLING IDEAS.

A. Every time someone thinks they can do an existing procedure better, write it down. Start to develop it. It is one thing to complain that it doesn't work, but it is another to work at fixing it. If it's not working for one person, it most likely is not working effectively and efficiently for everyone.
B. Every time someone thinks of a new service or product to offer, write it down. Start to develop it. Everyone has ideas for new and better services and products. Writing these ideas down and developing them on paper will have them ready when the time for adapting them shows up.

B.C. 6. JUNQUE MAIL. Open up every piece of "junque" mail and apply the following criteria:

A. What methods did they use to overcome the customer's 3 fears?
1)their fear of their own lack of knowledge,
2)their fear of the seller's lack of knowledge,
3)their fear that they would be criticized for accepting or even contemplating accepting what is being offered.
B. What methods did they use to appeal to the 2 reasons why people buy?
1)that the customer would be a better person in their own eyes for accepting or contemplating accepting what is being offered, and/or
2)would the customer look better in someone else's eyes for accepting or contemplating accepting what is being offered.
C. Was it logical and understandable at first glance?
1)Was their logic of like-things-with-like items spelled out?
2) Did you have to look in more than one place to find similar items?
3)Did it take you through an "A-B-C" sequence?
D. Was the price easy to find? Sizes? Delivery time? Effort in assembly explained?
E. Were the ordering, postage, personalization, instructions clear? Did they give you enough room to write legibly

B.C. 7 INDUSTRY PRINT MEDIA, MAILINGS, AND ARTICLES.
Apply the same criteria as in B.C. 5.

B.C. 8 CONSUMER MEDIA AND ARTICLES.
Make sure that every mention of your business, product, services, industry, etc., that is available to the public is brought before your staff.

B.C. 9 YOU AS THE CUSTOMER.

A. Write down what you DON'T like about the way you are treated or the way something was presented when you are a customer (for both business and personal activities) and when you were presented something within your organization. It is important to take these negative experiences and make sure that your customer does not receive the same treatment. Certainly, if you did not like the way you were treated, be sure you and your organization is not treating your customers the same way.
B. Write down what you DID like about the way you are treated or the way something was presented when you are a customer (for both business and personal activities) and when you were presented something within your organization. How can you take the methods your supplier used to meet your expectations and bring them back into your organization?

Complete your understanding of BUSINESS CALISTHENICS by continuing with ,"Putting Business Calisthenics To Work".

This article was written to help you and your business. If you believe some of these articles will be helpful to your business, please e-mail me your comments on how you will apply them. ajz

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Alan J. Zell, Ambassador Of Selling
P.O. Box 69 Portland, Oregon, USA 97207-0069

Email: azell@aol.com
Telephone: (503) 241-1988