The other day I had to use my mobile phone carrier’s help line to unlock my voicemail. Fairly soon after I had finished my call I was sent some automated questions asking about my experience. On every question asked about the service I rated them 10 out of 10. Yet when asked if I would recommend them to a friend or family member based on the service I said ‘NO!’

The way my call was handled once I got through was perfect. The fact I had to wait 45 minutes to get through to someone was disgraceful. It happens every time I call them no matter what time of day it is. I am left hanging on the line just waiting with no idea if I had to wait another 45 minutes or another second! Given they used to just cut help line calls off dead during busy times without any choice to stay on hold….I suppose they are making progress!

Strange thing is that the average time taken to answer is probably no better than another company I use but at least they tell you where you are in the queue and how long you are likely to have to wait until your call is answered. Even though their operators are not as helpful I think it is a better service because I have better information to help me decide whether to hold on the line or try my chances another time.

Any process, including a sales process, is more effective when one is considerate of the people being taken through the process. It’s so easy to get everything right and yet get it all wrong because the designer of the process has focused on the specific tasks, without considering the person being taken through the process.

All I can assume with this mobile phone company, is that the designer of the process is either lacking in empathy skills or uses a different mobile phone company!

Many years ago I learnt a powerful influencing technique from my boss. He was a high flying finance director and I noticed how he used it to gain agreement. When I started learning from top sales people I noticed that many used this simple technique too.

I have since learnt that its called ‘The McCabe Nod’ although I struggled to find any references to it on Google and many sales people I have spoken to recently had never heard of it.

It’s really very simple – when you are seeking agreement you nod your head twice very slightly and very quickly, whilst smiling. You would only use it where you have rapport and it just shows that you are expecting them to say yes.

For example, my boss would say something like ‘So I can expect that report on my desk by first thing tomorrow morning?’ and then do the McCabe Nod’, It was totally clear what the expected answer was!

The kind of sales application I would use it for is things like ‘Should I put something in the diary?’ or ‘are you ok to go ahead?’ I would only use it if felt the answer would be yes anyway or they wanted to say yes but were ’sitting on the fence’ so to speak. I would not advise using it where there is no evidence of good rapport or the person seems to have unresolved objections.

Before using this technique in a sales context, it’s probably best to practice the McCabe Nod in a low risk, non sales context. Is that agreed? (nod nod!)

Over the many years I have been helping the owners of small businesses to turn their sales fortunes around, it never ceases to amaze me how many already knew, deep down, what the answer was.

They are too busy following their head to listen to their gut. When I come along and tell them what they already know deep down, they have the confidence to act. I recognise this behaviour because I have been there many times before I learnt to trust my gut instincts.

I guess my message today is a reminder for all of us to start to pay attention to our gut – or what others call ‘intuition’. If we set our sights on a clear goal then our gut instincts serve to guide us towards that goal.

Paying attention is important and even more important is to take action on our instincts. We will more often than not surprise ourselves at the quality of our own insight and the difference it has made. It’s also a lot cheaper!!

People that follow me on Twitter will have read about my long running struggles with a certain major telecommunications company in getting my billing right.

The problem for me is not the mistakes. It’s the amount of time and effort I have had to invest in sorting them out. Holding onto a ‘help’ line for 20 minutes each time (rather than being given a direct number) and people not calling back to me on the number provided just add to the frustration. Funny, though, how I can get through to their sales team with no problem and they always call me back!

The whole episode has reminded me that winning a customer, in sales, is not the whole story. It normally takes more effort and money to win a new customer than to maintain and develop the sales of an existing customer.

If the back-office is out of sync with the sales effort then problems like I have experienced will be allowed to fester. I very much doubt if I will renew once the contract expires. I definitely will not be returning my personal telephone service to them – despite the weekly letters they send me asking me to do so.

On the positive, when experiences like this happen its a good reminder for me to check my own back-office and to make sure that my own house is in order. Glass houses and all that!