Harvey Mackay's Street Smarts

Harvey Mackay,
Jul 20, 2014, 

cebook

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• Print couple years ago, I wrote two columns on street smarts that really resonated with readers. They asked for more!Drawing on what I’ve learned over many decades in business, I just barely scratched the surface. These are little nuggets that you probably won’t learn from a book in school, but they are important for success.

• First idea– Make gifts memorable. Use creative gifts to stand out and be remembered. I also appreciate gifts that continue to remind me of that person. For example, a clock that chimes.

Next idea– Humanize your selling strategy. Learn what people’s hobbies are and find ways to leverage them through tickets, clippings or just current conversation. Learn what turns a person on.

Next idea– You’re not just selling a product. In every sales transaction, position yourself as your customer’s confidant and advisor. More than product, you are selling trust first and foremost.

Next idea– At every meeting with managers, always go around the room and ask managers what can go wrong and prioritize it. If it happens, how are we going to solve it?

Next idea– Hold one-on-one meetings with your employees to learn all about them – what is important to them at work and at home. Employees are people first!

Next idea– You want to make every customer feel like he or she is the only customer you have.

Next idea– Timing is everything. You never ask your parents for the keys to the car when they are in a bad mood.

Next idea– You can’t successfully negotiate anything until you know the market. You won’t recognize a good deal unless you’ve done your homework.

Harvey Mackay is the author of New York Times No. 1 bestsellers "Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" and "Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt." Both books are among the top 15 inspirational business books of all time, according to The New York Times. In total, Mackay's books have sold 10 million copies worldwide, been translated into 37 languages, and sold in 80 countries. He has been chairman of MackayMitchell Envelope Co. since 1959.