I believe I first met Eleanor Togneri of Business ExSellence through the Marlton Business Association, but I could be wrong. Sometimes it seems she defies physics by being at multiple networking events at the same time.
What I didn’t know until just recently is that Eleanor never intended to stay with Albert’s Transportation for the remainder of her career. Her professional skills go far beyond filling a stretch Hummer to capacity or hosting a party bus making its way across the Atlantic City Expressway!
Eleanor comes from the retail-merchandising world and knows how to grow a business. Here’s the 4-1-1 regarding her professional quest to ignite a passion within business owners for “the customer experience”:
By All Writes: Why did you decide to start Business ExSellence (Consulting Services)? When did you found/start it?
Eleanor Togneri: Back in 2006, I started a company called Retail ExSellence to help retail owners who were struggling as well as those who aspired to grow their businesses. I had owned a very successful retail operation in Haddonfield for 20 years and wanted to share my merchandising expertise. In 2009, I was recruited to manage a variety of projects for Albert’s Transportation. This worked out well, given the company’s parallels to the retail industry.
The projects I focused on while working with Albert’s included: marketing, sales, company image/branding, training of trade-show staff, customer service, and client development. The common denominator for me across my career was that each business I became involved with experienced significant growth.
So in late 2013, I decided to change my company’s name to Business ExSellence and broaden my client base by targeting more than just retail enterprises. I spell ExSellence with “sell” instead of “cell” because my passion, my goal is to help businesses sell more and grow faster. The customer experience is so often overlooked or forgotten, but I view it as a critical tool for success.
BAW: What customer service, selling skills, and other consultative services do you offer your current and potential clients?
ET: Here’s my viewpoint regarding the business world: Companies spend more time and money on customer acquisition and not enough on customer retention. I concentrate on helping clients with their selling technique(s) and approach to the customer experience. There are many layers to both these critical business components, which is why I strive to identify each client’s true need and develop a custom program.
When running a training session, I work with a company’s management and staff either one-on-one or in a group session. Other seminars I offer involve trade-show selling, company image and branding, marketing enhancement, special events, and staff hiring and training. I love interacting with a wide variety of businesses, and I’ve been told I’m a compelling speaker.
BAW: Who makes a good client for you?
ET: Organizations that gravitate to Business ExSellence include: retail stores, banks, professional service providers, hotels, hair salons, and call centers as well as independently owned and start-up companies. My ideal client is someone who has an open mind (and doesn’t fear innovation), wants to increase sales, and is willing to make the necessary changes toward that goal.
Most companies want growth (sales, revenue, number of customers) yet shy away from what is required to make it happen. It’s a tricky paradox–business owners desire change but they don’t want to MAKE a change.
BAW: What is your ultimate “happy moment” when working with your clients?
ET: The best moment is when it all comes together for a client. As clients see business is indeed growing, they realize their efforts are worthwhile. It’s just like planting a garden and giving it tender (customer) care–then one day the flowers are blooming, and everything is beautiful.
Once my clients experience real growth and success, they never want to be without their “pretty flowers” ever again. Measurable results make me ecstatic!
BAW: If you could relocate Business ExSellence to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
ET: Because I love beautiful and historic places, running my company somewhere in Europe would be delightful. But I also like warm weather (who wouldn’t after the snow-crazy winter we’ve endured on the East Coast), so a destination such as San Diego, California, offers me the very best climate and temperature. I’m willing and able to travel…
BAW: What are your favorite books (or who are your favorite authors) to read and why?
ET: I would encourage anyone running a business (regardless of industry, whether a product or service) to sample these inspirational and important books: Blue Ocean Strategy, Selling the Invisible, Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless, and Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit. There you go–short and sweet.
Have you had enough of conventional selling methods that ultimately stagnate your business’s growth? Are you ready to climb out from your hibernation hole and solidify your customers’ loyalty to you? Call Eleanor at 609-332-2797 or email her at eleanor@businessexsellence.com to light your customer-service fire and take your sales higher!
When it’s convenient for you, learn more about Eleanor by visiting Business ExSellence online. If you’re more inclined to reach out through social media, Eleanor Togneri is available via the usual watering holes: her Business ExSellence page on Facebook, her LinkedIn account, and her Google+ account.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.