The old autocratic, aggressive top-down management model has become outdated and obsolete. The days of bringing the boss “a cup of coffee” are over. We live in a new age.

Study after study proves that happy employees = productive employees = happy external customers. This means that service success flows from the bottom of the organizational chain up, rather than from the top down.

Today, organizations that want a vibrant frontline service-based sales culture must shift from their entire organization serving the president, CEO, or owner, to the entire organization serving the end customer.

This can happen only by concentrating heavy resources in the area where they can do the most good:  your service and sales personnel and their immediate management teams.

What do a relaxing Saturday morning, my local Starbucks, neighborhood Walgreens, local gym and barber have in common?

Besides the fact they all play into the delicate balance of my personal vanity and sanity, they are all trying to capture service-based sales opportunities through a frontline sales force. On a recent Saturday morning, each one of these businesses was presented opportunities to enhance my experience and/or increase my initial purchase through their frontline team. Some failed to capitalize on them. With just a few minor changes to some of these presentations all of the businesses would increase their respective ticket averages while enhancing their customer experiences.

On this particular Saturday morning I began my day in the same place millions of other consumers started theirs, by visiting my local Starbucks. Here is a snapshot of my experience, and how it could have easily been much more compelling.

The Presentation/Message:

“Welcome to Starbucks, would you like to enjoy one of our new Soy Strawberries & Cream Frappuccinos today…”

My Response:

“No thank you, I will go with a grande coffee of the day with room for milk, please.” Was I offended? No. Was I informed of a new product that Starbucks undoubtedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars creating and test marketing? Yes.

My Suggestion – FPG Retail Sales Technique:

Always utilize the “Taste and Sell” method for launching a new food or beverage. This technique allows the consumer to enjoy a small piece of the product, creating a small reciprocal obligation and relationship. A more effective approach would have been, “Please enjoy our new Soy Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino.” Always avoid the term sample as it implies the product has very little value.

Once I had enjoyed my morning Starbucks fix I was ready for a visit to my local gym. Here is what I encountered:

The Presentation/Message:

As I went through the front door I swiped my card. The owner greeted me, inquired about my week and my recent travels and casually said, “One more item before you start today, for a difference of only $10 per month on your membership fee, you can use the “Recovery Rack” aqua massage table after every workout. It lets you isolate the body parts you worked out for immediate recovery assistance and we have placed it in a separate, private room. We have received a lot of great feedback on it.”

My Response:

“Sounds good, can I try it today and afterwards add it on?” The owner agreed. Fortunately, I had enough time to try the “Recovery Rack” and was sold. The difference of $10 per month is well worth it and enhances my overall experience at the gym. Plus, I admired the owner’s professional sales message about the “Recovery Rack.” Not only did his message include features and benefits, but he also provided the influence technique of social proof.

My Suggestion – FPG Sales Technique:

The message was effective; however, it would have been even stronger had he led me to ask how much it cost, instead of opening with a price statement.

Now that “My Time” was officially over and the bliss of Starbucks and my gym experience had worn off, it was time to attack the first of many errands of the day. My next stop was Walgreens. After I retrieved everything on my list I moved to the cashier stand.

The Presentation/Message:

“We have our featured product of the month to the left of the register, would you like it?”

My Response:

“No thank you, maybe next time.”

My Suggestion – FPG Sales Technique:

Always avoid passive talk such as, “would you like,” or “do you need.” These are statements that lead to a fast “No” from the consumer and do not allow the product to be adequately featured. As a matter of fact, just 24 hours after being presented with the featured product I cannot even remember what it was because the associate did not place the product name in the opening message. Another missed opportunity.

The next task on my Saturday morning checklist was to get a haircut. I made my way to the normal place – Sports Clips. My sons and I like going to Sports Clips because the staff is friendly, the theme is entirely sports related and you can watch a wide variety of games. They also have a large selection of services and products. The top of the line service is the MVP haircut. In addition to the haircut, it includes a shampoo, hot steam towel, and shoulder and neck massage. It is priced at a 60% premium over a basic haircut.

The Presentation/Message:

After being greeted in a very polite fashion by the store manager, I sat down in the chair and she asked about my additional Saturday plans. After waiting for a few moments to ensure she did not interrupt my answer she confidently said, “The MVP service today…”

My Response:

“Maybe not today, I am running tight on time and I have one more errand to run.”

Second Presentation/Message:

She agreed the entire MVP service might take too long and said, “I understand, so you don’t have to have any hair on your neckline or that itchy feeling, I at least recommend a shampoo for you. You will be more comfortable.”

My Response:

“Okay”

My Suggestion – FPG Sales Technique:

Her ability to drop to a lower priced service while still focusing on my needs was not only impressive, but a fundamental part of service-based sales and delivering outstanding customer service. By opening with the highest service – the MVP – it set the stage for all other secondary purchases. The fact that the shampoo was only a difference of $3.00 did not bother me and was a low enough price point that she did not have to ask if I could afford it.

So as you can see, whether you are a billion dollar corporation, a mom and pop business, or a franchise system there are daily opportunities for you to drive revenue while enhancing your customer experience. The companies that understand these opportunities, embrace the importance of their Frontline Profit Machine, and provide them the necessary resources, incentives and products to succeed will always come out on top, and most importantly, keep their customers coming back.

Ken Stellon - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group

Do your managers value the power and profit influence of the individuals in sales roles for your company, or do they resent them for what they perceive as “easy work” and in some cases “higher pay for top producers who earn bigger commission checks?” If the latter is the case, the result is usually a stark lack of support, resulting in salesperson demoralization, falling numbers, and grinding turnover.

Your frontline is your manager’s primary customer, do their actions show it?

To truly understand the value of your frontline do yourself a favor, go out and work on the frontline for a day. Is it really that easy to balance sales and service? Is it really that easy to keep a positive outlook after five consecutive rejections, three of which came from irate and disgruntled customers?

The pressure to repeat the process 10, 20, or 100 times a day can be exhausting, to say the least. Most decision makers in sales and service organizations were not promoted from the frontline, and have therefore never actually spent much meaningful time there. Putting yourself on the frontline will provide you with a completely different perspective and appreciation for what really goes on and what it takes to be successful.

Understanding and appreciating the challenging nature of frontline work is a critical first step to executing a successful sales and service program on a universal scale.

Forget about experience, age, background, what industry your candidates come from and how many degrees they have. The SEE Factor is primarily what you should be looking for.

Sincerity: Effective selling is “relationship selling.” It is selling something you believe in. It is selling with conviction and purpose. It is selling sincerely. You need earnest people who care about the customer and understand that what they sell will enhance the customer’s quality of life. Sincerity needs to be a non-negotiable attribute requirement for any new-hire candidate you are considering.

Empathy: Empathetic people relate well to most other people. They like to work with them and they love to help them. Frontline people with this quality can relate to your customers, build rapport quickly and find common ground. They make great first impressions and customers instantly like them.

Ego: Your team also needs people with strong egos. An individual with a strong ego (as opposed to a false sense of superiority) is someone that wants to be the best and succeed day in and day out, someone that does not settle for mediocrity, wants to maximize every opportunity and does not crumble as a result of customer rejection.

Make no mistake these are the qualities of a top performer – the qualities of your next superstar. They are not common, and not easy to find, but they do exist. Now that you know what attributes to look for, all you have to do is make a personal commitment to sculpt your team one strong performer at a time.