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Jaynie L. Smith shows you how to find and maintain a competitive edge for your business
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Out to Miami.
With -- Smith right now Cheney today.
Paid -- hello my -- bandits.
And you are also the author of creating competitive advantage and relevant selling so congratulations on your book.
-- -- talking today about tips to make your seasonal business.
Standout thumb can be just go over with some of the seasonal businesses that you talk about our -- meaning of the hotel industry in certain areas but what kind of -- of this -- Sure.
There -- They're all kinds everything from party planning because of weddings a certain time of the year to -- -- and in the south here in Miami.
We have the snow birds here heading demands that we don't have all year round so there's lots of seasonal businesses.
That really.
Needs some help in what to do in the off season -- OK some popular seasonal businesses AC repair service saying pool services.
Lawn services definitely so how to make your your business and a well one of the things I try to tell businesses all the time and and relevance selling talks about it is.
These relevant be relevant into who year selling to.
All the time not just in season but I'm -- example.
One that I'm personally I was out shopping for.
Patio furniture and -- to Home Depot a couple of years ago only to learn that.
They don't sell patio furniture.
In the summer in Florida they only sell it in the winter and we kind of have -- -- year round here.
So it was it was interesting it wasn't being very relevant to me.
And you know even takes the the mom and pop -- -- I mean those folks.
Have more business when the snow birds are down here and in the same up north when there's no one there's no business.
So what they need to do is be educating their customers in being more relevant is what should they do with their lawns and their plants.
In the off season how to care for them how to prepare them for the next season.
But if you're just mowing lawns and we can get the sixteen year old up the block you know it's really how can you -- and more value got any terms of adding more value in the off season to spur business should businesses out there cut price.
What would you say that now I I'm not I'm a firm believer in not cutting price my book relevant selling says it's not about price.
If if companies are relevant and I tell you Lauren we've done studies of over a hundred companies at all kinds of industries.
And the study matched with the customers' preferences -- to what the company's thought they were.
And 985%.
Of the businesses did not know of the top buying criteria for their customers.
So -- -- not being relevant and they're not really selling.
If you if your relevant you don't have to lower your price.
And that's what we tried desperately to communicate to businesses being more relevant give them what they need to when they -- -- not based on what you think they want.
Yeah and that's a lot of people come on -- saying -- don't -- you know don't don't cut your price says as a way to bring in the customers have the right business -- on base.
First so speaking of business models can you give us some do's and don'ts of how to get that competitive advantage.
Yes do you be relevant and do not to talk in vagaries I mean we.
I asked thousands and you literally thousands of CEOs and sales people what's your number one competitive advantage and I get vague answers quality customer service -- people knowledgeable consistent those -- it's very easily acquire I now -- -- -- -- police a you know we don't you know we exceed your expectations of -- You know what does that mean and then no self declared on every web -- -- the leader in the industry take ten people in the same industry say the same thing.
Still it doesn't mean anything.
You know these specific talk about your past performance and don't say don't promises that's another big don't don't say we will deliver in 24 hours -- will be there on time.
That's a promise nobody believes promises talk about your track record.
Last year which -- 95% 95% of our calls we showed up within two hours of the emergency or whatever it is yet that on past the lines -- lead to a rise in May.
I remember -- -- adverse resonate years ago.
Advisors always said be very specific.
In what you've done you've done this for so many years in your rate of improvement is -- so it's the and I got to play -- here we look up companies all the time and businesses and people from certain agencies there's gonna speak on our shows.
And I sometimes research where they're coming from.
And I don't meaning that half the time what type of business or group that is because it's still vague description -- so let me say this made -- think -- that.
Yes yeah I but I'd like to -- in business past performance is the best indicator of future performance unlike the mutual funds gotta be talking about what you've time.
Yes Janie thank you so much and I have to say where you.
Are standing out there Miami looks beautiful.
I -- you wanna -- anything about about your book creating competitive advantage.
Yes creating competitive advantages -- best seller it's been -- for six years continues to help businesses.
Truly differentiate themselves and get them out of the myths about what they think they're competitive advantages are and relevant selling the sequel.
The first book tells you how to identify competitive advantage is the second intelligent.
Find out which ones are relevant don't just throw them at the wall.
-- which -- the customer cares about 95% of the businesses are getting it wrong -- and I think we -- move out of the recession if they got this right can you give us off the top your head a good example of -- business that you witnessed do it right.
And or wrong.
Sure I'm -- and what are my favorite examples is -- commercial real estate company in New Jersey they have 200 buildings in which they went through this process.
And when we came back with that customers research is finding out what tenants and their buildings and tents and other buildings wanted.
Again not one person on the executive team -- the top criteria we see this in hot and intend intend intensive businesses in these studies.
And the top thing with security they didn't know that they weren't selling that.
And winning got on top of that there occupancy rates were ninety plus percent the renewal rates were 88 to 90%.
On we knew our relative you deliver what they want and you sell when they want you -- it doesn't matter with the prices because people will pay for value but too few companies.
Really know how to find what that value it and I'm on a big proponent and double blind research get that unbiased truth they're not gonna tell you the truth Cheney spent.
Thank you so much for coming on -- CEO of Smart advantage OK when it.
