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The Express Lane – An Oxymoron?

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

The Express Lane – An Oxymoron?

The intent of an express lane at the supermarket (or big box store) is to provide faster customer service to people with just a few purchases. When it works as designed, it's a great customer benefit. However, if it's not well executed it can really back-fire.

Some potential issues with these lanes (and the impact to customer service):

1. Attention retailers – If you have an Express Lane that's supposed to be open, you actually need to assign someone to work it.

2. Attention retailers – Please do not assign the slowest cashier to this lane.

3. Bonus question – Is it the quantity of items that makes up the total number of items, or the variety of items times the quantity? Although, if the cashier is fast – this may not be that big of an issue.

Have a great sales week!

Things are not always as they appear

Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching

Things are not always as they appear

Sometimes things are not always as they seem. I usually believe that your perception is your reality. However, timing is truly everything. Have you ever seen or heard something, and thought (or said) "what's up with that?" Sometimes, you just need to pause, or gather more information before you react (in both business and casual conversations). This happens more than you may think - case in point:

During last month's Phoenix Open, it was reported that Ian Poulter (a British Golfer) directed an "obscene finger gesture" towards the crowded gallery on the golf tournament’s rowdy 16th hole - after the crowd began chanting U-S-A, U-S-A!

It appeared the golfer was wondering why the crowd was "taunting" him.

It also appeared the Phoenix Open crowd was wondering why the golfer had "gestured" at them.

As is turned out, the crowd's chant had nothing to do with Poulter and was merely a coincidence. The cheers at that moment were actually in response to the USA Hockey Team scoring during their Olympic gold-medal game with Canada.

The golfer didn't realize the USA-Canada game was in progress, and most of the people in the gallery didn't think of Poulter as a Brit, merely a golfer.

How many times in sales (or other business) situations have things been misinterpreted causing regrettable results?

Timing is everything, and sometimes the only thing!

Have a great sales week!