Transcript

PHILIP HESKETH, Speaker, The Academy for Chief Executives:
One of the things I talk about is the whole psychology of why people buy.

I talk about the seven psychological reasons why people buy what they buy, members, products, and services. Not the facts of why they buy - the value for money, not that. The pyschology behind what happens.

See I live in a place called Harrowgate. Anybody know of it? We're famous for one thing, you know what we're famous for? A tea-shop. Betties! Who's been to Betties. Raise your hand. You queue up. Long - you bet. Expensive - you bet. It's the perfect business.

Let me tell you why. There's a queue outside Betties now. Right now there's a queue. A queue there every day. I live there. They queue up every single day, and let me tell you something about Harrowgate. In Harrowgate we have more restaurants and eating places per head of population than any other place but one in the whole of the UK! You want to know what number one is, don't you? I'm not telling you.

So, we've got plenty of places that sell tea and coffee and buns. Plenty of bed and breakfast places, hotels, guest houses....we're awash with them, we're a conference town! And yet they queue up. Right now they're queuing up outside Betties, knowing they can go somewhere else and get a cup of tea, knowing it's the most expensive place in town, and then when they get in, they have this service - the experience - and then, guess what - they pay more!

Isn't that what your members all want for their businesses? Metaphorically queue up, knowing you're the most expensive, knowing you can go somewhere else, and then when you come to the price, I'd like to pay, you're more! Isn't that lovely?

I ran a business for a long time and it took me years to work this out, that when you're honest you don't have to remember anything! See what I also did when I ran a business, I was a member of The Academy and I was a member of Jeff Monk's group. And when I was a member what I wanted was some kind of tangible benefit a the end of it. I wanted at the end of the session, if I heard somebody speak, I want to think differently! I want to be stimulated! I want to go home with something different! But most people most of the time aren't listening. Most people don't even take notes - and I agree take notice, don't take notes - so I now do a handout. And on the handout are ten things to start saying. I give people ten things - specific things - to start saying. If you start saying them I guarantee you will like buying more people. The five keys to persuasion. The three parts to every conversation. Five things to start saying and doing - if you start saying and doing them I guarantee you save money and make money in your business and personal life or your money back.

The seven psychological reasons why people buy what they buy. The seven reasons they don't. The eight steps to negotiation. What value for money is. The rules for discounting. How to hold a high price. The three most important things to do in business. How memories works. What a reputation is. How to build trust. The two secrets to happiness, and the purpose of life...are all on here. Because I've worked it out.

Here's my talk in eighteen seconds. Here are the secrets to excellent customer service in eighteen seconds. Are you ready? Be nice. Be honest. Ask your customers more questions. Truly care about your customer's needs. Do what you say you're going to do, and exceed your customer's expectations every day, day in, day out. That's it! There's no secrets.

Why is Betties the perfect business? Because of the experience. Because they're nice. Because they ask how you are. That's it!

So let me leave you with these final thoughts. Start telling people what you like about them, particularly the one's that you love. Start telling people what you think they're good at, particularly when there's other people around. Don't ever worry about what people think about you, because they don't know what you know. Milk the sacred now, because happiness is in the journey, it's not the destination. And from time to time, do something crazy with custard.

I've been Philip Hesketh and you've been great - my Mum and my Dad always told me to say 'Thanks for having me'. Thankyou very much.