"So many fail because they don't get started - they don't
go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin."
- W. Clement Stone
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Top 10 Ways to Increase Sales in the New Year, Part 1
Top 10 Ways to Increase Sales in the New Year, Part 1
By Colleen Francis
It's 2010! And in honor of the new decade I thought we could start of the year with a top 10 list.
We look at the first 5 on our top 10 list. You might notice that the entire list is focused on the front end of the sales cycle. Specifically targeting, prospecting and calling net-new leads. That's because in order to make sales, you have to have more leads and better quality leads. You might remember that I am particularly fond of the expression “every sales problem can be solved with improved prospecting skills.”
Enjoy the list and be sure to implement all 5 ideas this week. I know that you will have a perfect 10 year if you do!
1. Make just one more call
In my experience studying scores of both mediocre and successful sales people, I have discovered that the most reliable key to enduring success is discipline.
Discipline to provide just a little bit better service than your competitors offer or your clients expect.
Discipline to make one more call, attend one more networking event or block an extra hour in your calendar every day to do business development.
Discipline to document the objections you receive and create responses to deal with them consistently and effectively.
And discipline to practice your sales presentation one more time, every time you head out the door to meet a prospect or close a deal.
Discipline is the one sure way by which poverty may be converted into riches, failure into success - and short-term success into a winning track record that will last throughout your entire career.
2. Make testimonials part of your strategy for cold calls
Turn a testimonial into an opening statement that you can use when making your cold calls. It's a great way to get the conversation started on the right note because it's one (or more) of your customers who is talking about all the great things you can do for that prospect at the other end of phone. This strategy can be really compelling when the testimonial is one that the person you are calling can relate to specifically in their line of work. Let's say I'm calling a prospect in the tourism industry and I share with them a sample of the great feedback I received recently from a client who works for that industry's national association, I'm making it clear that I understand the challenges they have to deal with in their work. There's also a deeper message being processed by the person I'm calling: “If Colleen has worked with them, then she understands what we need and if she understands what we need, then she understands me.”
3. Create a Profit 100
Ask yourself: who are your best buyers? If you sell B2C, whether you're a dentist, accountant, chiropractor, real estate broker or financial advisor, chances are your best buyers live in the best neighborhoods. They have the most money and the greatest sphere of influence. So take a look at your current customer list, identify where your best customers live and target your marketing efforts to others in those neighborhoods.
If you sell B2B, your best buyers are usually the biggest companies that are spending money and are profitable now. Check your database, who spent last year? Chances are, they will be spending again this year.
Once you have your list create a plan to reach out to this best buyers at least every other week, no matter what, to let these companies know who you are?
4. Spend money on those who are spending with you
This is not the time to be taking a shotgun approach to sales, trying to sell all things to all people. Rather, this is when you should be targeting those who know you best—particularly customers that have a higher propensity to buy from you in good times and bad. Spend money on those who are spending with you. Don't make the mistake that so many companies make during an economic downturn, taking a hatchet to their marketing budget. There's a real opportunity right now for smart companies to step up their advertising and marketing efforts—provided that they are willing to invest the time to target who they are going to reach with their message and then measure the results.
In addition, consider how you can improve up-selling and cross-selling in your current market. Look carefully at who buys your products or services. Let's say you're a sales rep for a food-services company and you notice that your product line is selling briskly among women who are Toronto-based restaurant owners in the 45-65 age bracket. Maybe that's who you should be targeting. Find out what their needs are, and market aggressively to them, showing how your product meets that need.
5. Network
There are many mysteries in life, but this much is clear: nothing can help you get by like a little help from your friends. This is just as true in sales as it is in life. Truly effective sales people - the ones who always have time to make one more prospect call, finish one more project and grow their client base by another 10%, all while bringing fresh-baked cookies to the office every day - all have one thing in common. They are all more likely to employ a broad network of connections, friends, family and acquaintances to help them seize opportunities, and respond to challenges. In other words, the most successful and effective sales people are also the ones who are most likely to ask for help.
Many people feel that networking is something that only business people do - that it's only used to grow your business, sell more products or find a new job. This simply isn't true. Think about it on a personal level. Would you rather go to a dentist whose name you found in the phone book, or the one who your neighbor with the perfect smile always recommends? Would you prefer to shop for a used car at the first dealer you come to on the highway or one who's a personal friend of your sister-in-law's?
The fact is, in our personal lives as in our careers, we succeed or fail based on our networks, and on people. As has been said many times: "take care of your people (or, in this case, your network), and your business will take care of itself."
By Colleen Francis
It's time to finish building our “Top 10 List” for 2010. This time we look at items 6 though 10. If you missed the first 5 ways to increase sales in 2010 be sure to visit the first article...
Enjoy the list and be sure to implement all 10 ideas. I know that you will have a perfect 10 year if you do!
6. Get referrals
Referrals are the most profitable source of leads because they close dramatically faster than a cold lead, a lead from a trade show, website, advertisement or virtually any other source. In fact, one Engage private coaching client transformed their business from a 68:1 closing ratio to an 80% closing ratio by moving their sales team from making from “cold calls” to “referred calls”.
The first step is to make sure your customers are happy! The happier your customers are the happier they will be to refer you to their own friends, colleagues and associates. A referral from a customer is the highest form of trust. Trust is built on consistent behavior over time, starting with continuously showing your customers that you're focused on their needs. Once you've established that level of trust, identify "apostles" among your most loyal customers, and empower them to crusade for your product or service.
The second step is to make a direct request. Try something like: I would love to meet the VP of sales for your supplier ACME corp. Can you help me by providing an introduction?
Yes, you have to do the research first to find out who you should be referred to. It's worth the extra step as a direct request such as the one above is almost always granted.
Finally, always reward customers who send business your way. At a minimum, a handwritten thank you note will show them you appreciate the effort they made. At the maximum, a gift will help you secure that relationship - and likely lead to even more referrals in the future.
7. Acknowledge your clients
You'll be surprised how much this matters - and how dramatic the results can be!
For new customers, always say "thank you" they day you receive your first job order with a hand written thank you card. You should also say thanks after that order is filled. This second thank you can be a letter, a small gift or a phone call from you and/or the owner of the business or branch manager. After that, if it doesn't make sense to offer thanks for every order, make sure you do it at twice per year.
I encourage you to use handwritten thank you notes - preferably ones that aren't branded with your logo to look like an advertisement. In addition, many of our clients have gone one step further and developed a special “welcome kit” for new clients, complete with a thank you note, small but meaningful present and useful information or perks for doing business with them. For instance, my karate school includes a 20% discount coupon for Dairy Queen in their welcome package, as a reward for having a good workout! My insurance company sends a small emergency kit along with their automobile policy renewals and one top staffing companies I work with design an HR guide to send to all their HR clients.
8. When negotiating, don't add value if your customer won't value it
When dealing with the pricing objection sales people often make the mistake of piling on extras that the client may not want or need. The result is that it will cost you more to give the customer something they couldn't care less about in the first place - a perfect lose-lose proposition.
When I ask many of the sales people I coach why they do this, they usually tell me it's because they “think the customer will like this.” Thinking the customer will like something is the same as assuming they will like it. You only need to think back to grade school to remember what happens when we assume.
Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the buyer. Ask questions to find out what, besides price, would keep the customer from giving their business to someone else. Then set to work to provide them with as many of those concessions as you can. If the client doesn't want any extras, then you can't use the value vs. price argument to win this business. Quit trying and go on to something else.
In today's highly competitive marketplace, pricing pressure is a constant menace. If you want to be successful, you need to make sure the deals you are closing are profitable ones. Be extra careful of offering so much that the client actually ends up costing you money. If your client base is too price sensitive, go out and find new clients that want the value you have to offer - not just the lowest price. It's not easy, but it is simple to do if you have conviction.
9. Take control of the follow-up process and STOP chasing!
Chasing the client down to get them to sign an agreement is not selling. Instead this year commit to controlling the customer call back and follow up process. For example: When a client tells you the timing is not right, ask them to be more specific. "Thanks for letting me know that next month is better for you. What date would you want to place the order?" Or: "I would be happy to call you back next month. Would Tuesday, July 11th at 10:00 a.m. work for you?"
Don't take "don't worry - I'll call you!" as an answer. You need to stay in control of the follow-up. For example, if the client offers to call you back when they are ready try: "Thanks for wanting to stay on top of this, Bob. How about, if I don't hear from you by the 15th, I'll call you on the 16th at 10:00 a.m.?"
Question them into a corner - and close them when they get there. Tell your clients: "I would be happy to call you back next month. Do you mind if I ask, what will have to be different in May to make you want to buy from me then?" Or take the opposite approach, and ask: "Will anything change over the next few weeks that will cause you not to buy?" Once the prospect assures you that they do want to do business with you, you can respond with: "Great! Let's get your order into production now so your project won't be delayed, and we'll deliver it after July 1st."
10. Build client retention system
Sales people and business owners may already be familiar with the statistic that suggest that it's anywhere from five to 20 times less expensive to sell to existing clients than it is to land new ones. Less common, however, are those who heed that advice and adjust their sales strategy so that client-retention activities are as habitual as prospecting. And yet that's precisely the level of commitment that's required to make your client-retention efforts successful over the long term. This year make a commitment to increase the revenue you receive from your existing customer base by ensuring that they are purchasing your full range of products or services for their complete line of business units.
Consistent client-retention efforts sends a powerful message to your customers that you're serious about maintaining a deep, long-term relationship with them and are willing to prove it on a regular basis with hard work and even a little creativity. Your goal should be to reach out to your existing client base every 30 days with a meaningful and high value touch point. You can use email, the phone, live events or direct mail. Or use a different media each month. Whatever is right for your business, the magic number you need to remember for staying on the top of your client's mind is that 30 day marker.
Looking for a great source of ideas? Make a point of looking at what other successful sales people and organizations are doing to win repeat business from their clients. It doesn't matter if they are in a completely different line of work from yours. If the ideas they are executing are solid and are producing results, the odds are good that you can find ways to import them into your own business.
There's no denying that it can be time-consuming to be constantly scouting for client-retention activities and mining them for great ideas. That's why it's important to find learning opportunities where you can quickly gain ideas from others who have implemented their own retention strategies and can show you first-hand what works well in organizations of all sizes. This is a topic that I will be covering in great detail at my Sales Mastery Workshop (reserve your spot today if you haven't done so already…seats are very limited!). Specifically, I'll be helping participants develop their own client-retention template, complete with “how-tos” for building deep, trusting relationships with prospects and clients quickly and more easily than before.
And there's our top 10! To tie them all together, you know I've spoken before about the importance of having a personal philosophy for success — that no matter what you are selling, you are your own brand. This year, be sure to implement these top 10 sales approaches to enhance your personal approach to sales. Your efforts will get noticed. By adopting proven strategies — even the unconventional ones — and investing in opportunities to learn from the pros, you'll be shaping an approach to sales and customer retention that's as unique as your personal signature. And there is always increased profit in that!
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.
Start improving your results today with Engage's online Newsletter Sales Flash and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.
http://www.engageselling.com/articles/article-top-ways-to-increase-sales-in-the-new-year-2.html
15 Questions for the New Year: How to Adopt Better Strategies and Have a Better Year
15 Questions for the New Year:
How to Adopt Better Strategies and Have a Better Year
By Colleen Francis
Last year, we spent a great deal of time looking at the strategies the Top 10% of sales people use to fuel their success. Now that we're beginning the New Year, it's important to decide how we can put those strategies into action in our own lives, so we can take our careers wherever we want to go.
As you start your planning for the New Year, below are a few questions you should be asking yourself to give you a clear focus of the areas and goals where you are committed to improving, and to help make sure that this year is your best year ever.
Be Nice
How passionate are you about what you do? Loving what you do will ensure that you maintain the positive attitude you need to get to the top. Ask yourself Brian Tracy's question, "if I knew then what I know now about this job, would I have taken it?" If the answer is yes, find a way to communicate that passion to your team mates and your clients. Passion and a positive attitude are the glue that hold all your sales skills together.
Are your company, colleagues, family and friends life givers who support you in your endeavors, or life suckers who impede your progress? Only life givers can create an environment that fosters success.
Do you want to become who you hang out with? Tony Robins says that our success is directly linked to the expectations of the people we associate with. Do you have the right associations? If not, you might have to go to different places, try something new or join new groups to meet new or different people.
Are you the "it" person in your industry? Do people see you as a person with valuable information, and come to you first? This year, develop a plan to become the "go to person" for your clients. Studies show it can be worth between $63,000 and $117,000 in extra income for you per year.
Do you take responsibility for your actions? You can complain all you want that it was shipping's fault for getting the order out late, marketing's fault for not giving you good leads or your manager's fault for not funding or training you sufficiently. The fact is, in sales, the buck stops with you. Your clients don't want people who make excuses or whine about being victims. They want agents of success. They don't care whose "fault it was," only that you take responsibility for it. What are you going to do this year to take more responsibility?
As a side note, when I interview sales people I always ask them to tell me about an opportunity they lost, and why they lost it. If they blame others for the loss, they do not get the job. I know that sales people who can't take responsibility, are never going to be in the top 10%
Stay Focused
Do you believe you have the skills, knowledge and strength to be successful? If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will, either. Develop a strong belief system that reminds you every day that you can be successful, and that you are the best.
When was the last time you tried anything for the first time? This is a pivotal question in lifelong learning and development. If you aren't learning something new about sales every day, you are falling behind. What's something new you learned last year? How can you learn more new things this year?
What goals have you set for this year? Are they written down? If I showed up at your office right now, would I see them posted where you can look at them every day?
Are you focused on the customer first? Do you have all the information your customers want, in the way they want it? Notice that I said, "all the information your customers want," NOT "everything you want to tell them." Customers want answers to their questions, not yours. This means you must first be an expert at what you do or sell, and then document all the relevant information in a way that answers the questions your clients ask, and solves their specific problems. How good are your answers?
How focused is your plan for success, and how focused are on achieving it? Top performers focus most of their time working on those activities that help them achieve their goals - such as prospecting, meetings and closing - and little time doing those tasks that earn them little or nothing. What are you focused on for the majority of your day?
Get to Work
How aware are you of the opportunities that you encounter? Do you see opportunity on every street corner as you drive home at night, or are you only focused on the latest re run of CSI that's waiting for you? Mediocre sales people complain that top performers are simply in the right place at the right time. Top performers know the harder they work the luckier they get. In other words, they create their own luck. You have to be good to be lucky - how good are you?
Are you making any mistakes? Are you failing? If you aren't failing, you aren't growing. My karate master is always pushing us to strike one more opponent, block one more kick, hold our stance just one more minute, until our bodies physically fail. Why? Because until you've pushed past your limits and failed, until you've stretched past your comfort zone into your uncomfort zone, you can never achieve more than you thought possible. What are you doing every day to reach your uncomfort zone?
What risks are you taking? Like high performance athletes, high performance sales people are constantly challenging themselves to do better. Every time you play it safe, you lose. Every time you take a risk, you win - either you win the business, or you win the knowledge of what not to do the next time. What risks are you willing to take in 2008 in order to beat the competition?
Did you give up on any goals last year? Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before he invented the light bulb, and changed the world. Stanford University shows that 85% of clients buy after the 5th meeting and 95% of sales people give up after the 4th.Most sales people I meet give up after hearing their first "no" on a cold call. Persistence pays off. Do you want to be remembered as a quitter, or as the Thomas Edison of your industry?
Are you putting your great ideas into action, or just putting them on the shelf? Thomas Edison also said: "Strategy without execution is hallucination." Knowing the strategies of top performers is great. Executing them is what will make you a star. Take some time now to think about what you will do this year to execute on these strategies of the Top 10%. Then go out, and as Nike says: just do it!
Challenge yourself by going through these questions with candor and honesty. You already know many of the strategies you need to execute in the New Year. Make them happen and reap the rewards!
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.
Start improving your results today with Engage's online Newsletter Sales Flash and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.
You have permission to use the above article in your newsletter, publication or email system as long as you do not edit the content and you leave the links and resource box intact.
http://www.engageselling.com/articles/060105article_betteryear.html
8 Questions to Help You Plan for Success in the New Year
8 Questions to Help You Plan for Success in the New Year
By Colleen Francis
Whether it's eating less, exercising more, spending more time with family - or just putting more money into our RRSPs! - we all tend to make personal resolutions around this time of the year. But whether or not you set yourself some new personal goals, January is also a great time to start thinking seriously about your business plan for the year, regardless of when your fiscal year ends!
Of course, it's always a great idea to plan ahead. But don't make the mistake of setting new goals for your career without first reflecting on your accomplishments - and your shortcomings - from the past year.
This isn't always an easy (or pleasant) task. But to truly control the direction you take this year, you need to be fully aware of how you fared in the last twelve months. Then, once you have a clear picture of where you excelled, where you need to focus more time or effort, and your results, you can begin to set the goals and behaviors you'll need to succeed in the new year.
The following are a few questions I use in my coaching sessions, which can help guide you through this important process. Remember: be as tangible, specific and honest as possible in your answers:
1. Where did I write down last year's goals, so I can review them and see how I did?
Where will I write down this year's goals, so they can be easily reviewed in at the end of the year?
2. What am I most proud of accomplishing last year, or since my last goal planning session?
3. What goals did I not accomplish this past year, despite my best intentions? Why didn't I accomplish these things? What have I been putting off that I could take care of in the next two weeks?
4. What did I do last year to improve my industry, product, sales skill and personal development knowledge? What are the most important things I learned as a result?
5. How many new connections did I make last year? How many referrals did I pass on to my clients, partners, friends or others?
6. What challenges, problems or frustrations could prevent my success this year?
7. What opportunities are available to me this year, which are the same as opportunities I had last year?
Did I take advantage of these opportunities last year? Why or why not?
What will I do to guarantee I take full advantage of these opportunities this year?
What tools, resources and focus will I require to take advantage of these opportunities?
8. What opportunities are available to me this year that are different from last year?
What will I do to guarantee I take full advantage of these opportunities?
What tools, resources and focus will I require to take advantage of these opportunities this year?
In total, this exercise should take you about one or two hours to complete. To achieve the maximum results, I would recommend that you find a quiet place away from the office and your house - say a coffee shop or a pub (providing one of your New Year's resolutions wasn't to cut back on alcohol or caffeine!) - and really give it the time, effort and attention it deserves. After all, your answers will form the basis for your entire business strategy for the next twelve months.
Don't rush the exercise, but force yourself to complete it all in one sitting. Your instincts will tell you more than you can predict, and your answers will be more accurate and insightful if you think diligently about them the first time, rather than going back and revising them later.
Watch for the next issue of Engaging Ideas, where we'll discuss what questions to ask yourself when planning to make this year great, as well as what actions you can take immediately to ensure you achieve your goals. In the meantime, thanks for reading - and Happy New Year from Engage!
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.
Start improving your results today with Engage's online Newsletter Sales Flash and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.
By Colleen Francis
Whether it's eating less, exercising more, spending more time with family - or just putting more money into our RRSPs! - we all tend to make personal resolutions around this time of the year. But whether or not you set yourself some new personal goals, January is also a great time to start thinking seriously about your business plan for the year, regardless of when your fiscal year ends!
Of course, it's always a great idea to plan ahead. But don't make the mistake of setting new goals for your career without first reflecting on your accomplishments - and your shortcomings - from the past year.
This isn't always an easy (or pleasant) task. But to truly control the direction you take this year, you need to be fully aware of how you fared in the last twelve months. Then, once you have a clear picture of where you excelled, where you need to focus more time or effort, and your results, you can begin to set the goals and behaviors you'll need to succeed in the new year.
The following are a few questions I use in my coaching sessions, which can help guide you through this important process. Remember: be as tangible, specific and honest as possible in your answers:
1. Where did I write down last year's goals, so I can review them and see how I did?
Where will I write down this year's goals, so they can be easily reviewed in at the end of the year?
2. What am I most proud of accomplishing last year, or since my last goal planning session?
3. What goals did I not accomplish this past year, despite my best intentions? Why didn't I accomplish these things? What have I been putting off that I could take care of in the next two weeks?
4. What did I do last year to improve my industry, product, sales skill and personal development knowledge? What are the most important things I learned as a result?
5. How many new connections did I make last year? How many referrals did I pass on to my clients, partners, friends or others?
6. What challenges, problems or frustrations could prevent my success this year?
7. What opportunities are available to me this year, which are the same as opportunities I had last year?
Did I take advantage of these opportunities last year? Why or why not?
What will I do to guarantee I take full advantage of these opportunities this year?
What tools, resources and focus will I require to take advantage of these opportunities?
8. What opportunities are available to me this year that are different from last year?
What will I do to guarantee I take full advantage of these opportunities?
What tools, resources and focus will I require to take advantage of these opportunities this year?
In total, this exercise should take you about one or two hours to complete. To achieve the maximum results, I would recommend that you find a quiet place away from the office and your house - say a coffee shop or a pub (providing one of your New Year's resolutions wasn't to cut back on alcohol or caffeine!) - and really give it the time, effort and attention it deserves. After all, your answers will form the basis for your entire business strategy for the next twelve months.
Don't rush the exercise, but force yourself to complete it all in one sitting. Your instincts will tell you more than you can predict, and your answers will be more accurate and insightful if you think diligently about them the first time, rather than going back and revising them later.
Watch for the next issue of Engaging Ideas, where we'll discuss what questions to ask yourself when planning to make this year great, as well as what actions you can take immediately to ensure you achieve your goals. In the meantime, thanks for reading - and Happy New Year from Engage!
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.
Start improving your results today with Engage's online Newsletter Sales Flash and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.
You have permission to use the above article in your newsletter, publication or email system as long as you do not edit the content and you leave the links and resource box intact.
http://www.engageselling.com/articles/041223article_planforsuccess.html
Climbing MT SAMIE Understanding the 7 core motivators behind all human behavior
Climbing MT SAMIE
Understanding the 7 core motivators behind all human behavior
By Colleen Francis
Legendary sales guru Zig Ziglar once said that the most popular radio station in the world is WII FM, which stands for "what's in it for me?"
As sales professionals, the single biggest change we can make in our behavior to improve our success is to simply get over ourselves and start focusing on our customers and prospects.
I never cease to be amazed at how many sales people focus on themselves rather than on what their customer actually wants to buy. The fact of the matter is, our customers aren't interested in what we have to say unless they feel it is in their best interests. We can't be persuasive if our focus is on us.
Reframe the question
To reframe your approach so that your customers' interests are always at the forefront, start by asking yourself three key questions:
Who cares? In other words - whom are you selling to? Be as specific as possible. Are you selling to Marketing VPs in the textile industry, or Chief Technology Officers in the aerospace industry?
Why us? The answer to this question defines your product, whether it's a tradeshow booth, retirement-planning system, clothing line or human resource staffing service.
So what? This is where you answer your client's all-important question, "what's in it for me?"
Put your answers to these questions together and you'll get a statement that sounds something like this:
"You mentioned that you're working with a very restricted budget. The VPs of Marketing at banks across Canada and the U.S. are buying our tradeshow equipment because it can cut their labor and shipping costs by up to 40 percent while still maintaining durability. Knowing that, does it make sense to look at our product line?"
Take it to the mountain
Next, you need to make sure you're presenting the features of your product or service that directly address your customers' best interests. How? The answer to this lies with the seven most important letters you may ever come across in your career: "MT. SAMIE."
There are seven core motivators that drive all human behavior. "MT. SAMIE" is a simple acronym designed to help you remember those motivators whenever you're dealing with new or existing clients. Here's how it works:
M = Money: As Zig Ziglar once said, "Money isn't everything, but it ranks right up there with oxygen."
T = Time: Despite all of our so-called labor-saving devices, it's staggering how many people are still utterly time impoverished. E-mail, anyone?
S = Security: People have a natural tendency to avoid risk in favor of security, whether it's risk in buying a product or the security that comes from having a "safe" job.
A = Achievement: All of us enjoy producing results. If your solution will help a prospect accomplish something or achieve their sales targets, then you will be much more likely to grab their attention.
M = Making a difference: Look at what's happening all over the world today. People will often help out if they feel like what they are being asked to do will really make a difference.
I = Image and reputation: Whether we admit it or not, we're all concerned with what other people think about us. In fact, it is the power of image and reputation that leads so many of us to have a hard time saying "no." If your solution affects someone's image or reputation, then believe me - you'll get their attention.
E = Enjoyment: People go to great lengths to increase enjoyment in their lives. If you're not enjoying the situation you're in with a customer or colleague, odds are, they're not too thrilled about it either. Discovering and communicating "what's in it for them" can go a long way towards making the experience less stressful and more enjoyable - and help you make a great impression.
Sure, this advice isn't exactly rocket science. In my experience, however, common sense doesn't always translate into common practice.
Just ask yourself: when was the last time a customer asked you for information, and instead of letting them buy what they really wanted, you proceeded to try to sell them on what you thought the best product features were?
When in doubt, go back to MT. SAMIE, and ask yourself if your solution is truly addressing one of your prospect's core motivators. Or to keep things even simpler, just remember the words of the immortal Yogi Berra: "The fastest way to get what you want is first to help others get what they want."
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.
Start improving your results today with Engage's online Newsletter Sales Flash and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.
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Understanding the 7 core motivators behind all human behavior
By Colleen Francis
Legendary sales guru Zig Ziglar once said that the most popular radio station in the world is WII FM, which stands for "what's in it for me?"
As sales professionals, the single biggest change we can make in our behavior to improve our success is to simply get over ourselves and start focusing on our customers and prospects.
I never cease to be amazed at how many sales people focus on themselves rather than on what their customer actually wants to buy. The fact of the matter is, our customers aren't interested in what we have to say unless they feel it is in their best interests. We can't be persuasive if our focus is on us.
Reframe the question
To reframe your approach so that your customers' interests are always at the forefront, start by asking yourself three key questions:
Who cares? In other words - whom are you selling to? Be as specific as possible. Are you selling to Marketing VPs in the textile industry, or Chief Technology Officers in the aerospace industry?
Why us? The answer to this question defines your product, whether it's a tradeshow booth, retirement-planning system, clothing line or human resource staffing service.
So what? This is where you answer your client's all-important question, "what's in it for me?"
Put your answers to these questions together and you'll get a statement that sounds something like this:
"You mentioned that you're working with a very restricted budget. The VPs of Marketing at banks across Canada and the U.S. are buying our tradeshow equipment because it can cut their labor and shipping costs by up to 40 percent while still maintaining durability. Knowing that, does it make sense to look at our product line?"
Take it to the mountain
Next, you need to make sure you're presenting the features of your product or service that directly address your customers' best interests. How? The answer to this lies with the seven most important letters you may ever come across in your career: "MT. SAMIE."
There are seven core motivators that drive all human behavior. "MT. SAMIE" is a simple acronym designed to help you remember those motivators whenever you're dealing with new or existing clients. Here's how it works:
M = Money: As Zig Ziglar once said, "Money isn't everything, but it ranks right up there with oxygen."
T = Time: Despite all of our so-called labor-saving devices, it's staggering how many people are still utterly time impoverished. E-mail, anyone?
S = Security: People have a natural tendency to avoid risk in favor of security, whether it's risk in buying a product or the security that comes from having a "safe" job.
A = Achievement: All of us enjoy producing results. If your solution will help a prospect accomplish something or achieve their sales targets, then you will be much more likely to grab their attention.
M = Making a difference: Look at what's happening all over the world today. People will often help out if they feel like what they are being asked to do will really make a difference.
I = Image and reputation: Whether we admit it or not, we're all concerned with what other people think about us. In fact, it is the power of image and reputation that leads so many of us to have a hard time saying "no." If your solution affects someone's image or reputation, then believe me - you'll get their attention.
E = Enjoyment: People go to great lengths to increase enjoyment in their lives. If you're not enjoying the situation you're in with a customer or colleague, odds are, they're not too thrilled about it either. Discovering and communicating "what's in it for them" can go a long way towards making the experience less stressful and more enjoyable - and help you make a great impression.
Sure, this advice isn't exactly rocket science. In my experience, however, common sense doesn't always translate into common practice.
Just ask yourself: when was the last time a customer asked you for information, and instead of letting them buy what they really wanted, you proceeded to try to sell them on what you thought the best product features were?
When in doubt, go back to MT. SAMIE, and ask yourself if your solution is truly addressing one of your prospect's core motivators. Or to keep things even simpler, just remember the words of the immortal Yogi Berra: "The fastest way to get what you want is first to help others get what they want."
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.
Start improving your results today with Engage's online Newsletter Sales Flash and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.
You have permission to use the above article in your newsletter, publication or email system as long as you do not edit the content and you leave the links and resource box intact.
http://www.engageselling.com/articles/070411article_engageschoice.html
Sunday, January 16, 2011
8 Keys To High Velocity Selling
8 Keys To High Velocity Selling
January 6, 2011 by Stone Payton
1. Faster Really Is Better. Top Performers in every arena consistently Produce Better Results In Less Time – exercise just a handful of key disciplines that give them that slight extra edge.
2. Love Is A Tremendous Accelerator. Love equips you with a world view and thinking discipline perfectly designed to systematically increase the ratio of results to time invested.
3. Interruption Marketing Is A Dying Model, continues to produce diminishing returns (especially in the professional services arena), and it’s SLOW.
4. The Best Way To Market Your Service Is To Service Your Market
Do this consistently . . .
- Before they become a client . . . and your sales cycle will shrink dramatically
- While they’re a client . . . and your revenue will skyrocket
- After they’re a client . . . and you’ll expand your business exponentially
- Even if they’re never going to be a client . . . and you’ll have more referrals than you can handle
- For your vendors . . . and you’ll have “reach” that no budget, no process, no expertise could ever produce
- For your competitors . . . and you won’t have any
5. Forget The Funnel
- It just doesn’t jive with the buying process anymore (probably never did) -- requires linear movement in a non-linear environment.
- It Leaks (a lot), requires binary response (Yes or No?, In or Out?) in a market full of choices.
- It’s not how Top Performers go to market, and not what they do when they get there.
- There’s a better way.
6. Focus On The Pre-purchase And Post-Purchase Experience
Make the experience of engaging with you and your organization what the gurus call “signature” . . . something your competitors are unable or unwilling to replicate, something your market can’t get somewhere else and they become less and less willing to do without.
Don’t wait till they buy, Don’t stop after they buy.
7. Teach Me How To Buy From You
Aligning your sales process with the prospect’s buying process is a credible idea – but far more applicable to hard goods, non-discretionary services, and commodity items – products and services for which most organizations have an established buying process.
The more unique your service is (like specialized expertise, for example), the less
likely your prospects have an established buying process that will properly facilitate your interests or theirs . . . and the more energy you need to invest in teaching them how to buy from you.
8. Solve My Problem
Help me get exactly what I need and want – whether you and your company provide it or not.
606 reads Original article
About the Author
Meet Stone Payton . . . The man who literally wrote the book on SPEED
http://thecustomercollective.com/stonepayton/46164/8-keys-high-velocity-selling?utm_source=tcc_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
The Parable Of The Kid In The Candy Store!
The Parable Of The Kid In The Candy Store!
January 13, 2011 by Paul Castain
Once upon a time a little boy was finishing up his purchase at the local candy store. He turned to the store owner and asked “Mr. Matthews may I please use your phone?” Mr. Matthews smiled at the little boy, who was one of his regulars and handed him his phone.
The little boy quickly punched in the phone number and had the following conversation “Mrs. Donavan you don’t know me but I pass your house each day on my way to school. I mow many of the lawns in the neighborhood and was wondering if I could mow yours as well?” Mrs. Donavan politely replied “Oh thank you anyway but we are quite happy with the service we are getting now”
Somewhat disappointed, Johnny countered with a compelling offer. “That’s fine Mrs. Donavan and what if I were to beat whatever price you are paying by $5.00 per week?” “I’m sorry but we aren’t looking for a lower price” replied Mrs. Donavan. “Well, I suppose I could throw in a once a month trim of the hedges and weeding your garden on top of the $5.00 discount” Mrs. Donavan simply thanked the boy for his kind offer and wished him a good day.
The candy store owner, having heard this, said “Nice try kid. I’m proud of ya for giving it your best shot” The little boy smiled and said “Oh I’m not finished yet. Watch this”!
He immediately called Mrs Donavan back and said “Mrs Donavan, I’m so sorry for being a pest but what if I were to offer you the $5.00 discount, the weeding of the garden, the trimming of the hedges and I wash your car for you every other week?” “I’m afraid the answer is still no young man. Not if you were to give me the world and charge me next to nothing! I’m quite happy and I have no intention of switching” The little boy smiled and almost seemed moved by her response. With a softened voice he simply said “Now that’s what I like to hear. You don’t have to worry about me calling again.”
Mr. Matthews was amazed at how happy the little boy was with what he witnessed to be a rejection. “Young man; I really admire your spirit! That woman must have told you No at least 3 times and yet you are happier than when you first made the call. Keep up that attitude and you will be a great success someday” The little boy’s smile grew bigger and said “Oh I already am a success” Somewhat confused Mr. Matthews asked “But how could you possibly be a success at your young age?”
“I know because that was my customer and I was simply calling to see how I was doing”!
Can your relationships stand the test of persistent, low balling competitors?
Is it even a relationship or is it merely a series of transactions?
Silly, warm and fuzzy question coming atcha in 3,2, 1 . . .
Do your clients know that you love them?
Seriously. . .
Do they know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are grateful to the point of renaming your children after them?
But that’s silly talk isn’t it? Nobody gives a damn whether you and I appreciate them or not, right? That my friends may be common sense but it is in no way, shape or form commonly practiced!
If it were, then you and I would be out of a job because there would simply be no new opportunities!
Think about that today as you take care of your customers . . .
And be sure to think about that the next time you hesitate to call that prospect
that you think has no need for you!
http://thecustomercollective.com/paulcastain/46585/parable-kid-candy-store
Truth, Trust, and The Masks We Wear
Truth, Trust, and The Masks We Wear
Posted January 10, 2011 by Paul McCord
“No, Paul, I didn’t spend any time prospecting yesterday. I woke up and just didn’t feel enthused; didn’t want to be here. Whenever I force myself to prospect when I feel that way, I always feel like I’m wearing a mask trying to be someone I’m not. If I can’t be true to who I am, I’m not serving my clients, my company, or myself well.”
Dana (not her real name) is one of my newest coaching clients. She is a strong producer selling relationship management software to small to mid-size companies in the northeast part of the country. She finished the year well ahead of quota. She isn’t the only salesperson I’ve spoken to who has an ethical issue with “being someone I’m not.” In fact, she’s not the first seller who has referred to feeling like they’re being insincere, false, or lying when acting one way while thinking or feeling another way.
We may as well get the truth laid out on the table right now—we ALL wear masks. We wear them a lot.
Society demands we wear them.
Professionalism demands we wear them.
We want to wear them.
While talking with Charlie Green of TrustedAdvisor.com and Jeb Brooks of The Brooks Group about this article, both pointed out a book written in the 50’s by Erving Goffman titled The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life where Goffman contends that we are always, 100% of the time wearing some kind of a mask.
Although I’m not sure I buy the idea that our whole life is nothing but a continual, uninterrupted series of masks, I do believe that the concept that we all wear masks at times—especially in business–is pretty self-evident.
The question isn’t whether we wear masks, the question is: are the masks we wear ethical? And if they’re ethical, do they inhibit trust? At an even more basic level, are they designed to lie or to help us tell the truth?
Certainly we are all familiar with the mask so often associated with salespeople—that of the fake friend, our false ally who is going to help us get the best deal possible, fighting for us against his or her unreasonable manager, all the while lying and double-dealing without shame in order to maximize the sales price and, thus, their commission.
That mask of lies is what many salespeople associate with our profession and consequently they try to distance themselves from that image by inventing all kinds of titles (masks) for themselves that are designed to communicate they are NOT salespeople—they’re ‘advisors,’ ‘consultants,’ ‘customer advocates,’ ‘customer guides,’ ‘account managers,’ and dozens of other, mostly meaningless, titles.
Fortunately, although still used by hucksters and con artists, the mask above is slowing being forced out of the legitimate sales world as more prospects become educated about their potential purchases long before engaging a salesperson. For most of us that clichéd mask isn’t in our hip pockets any longer.
But many other masks are. A few examples:
The, “Ms. Prospect, I’m really excited to speak with you this morning” mask when in actuality we feel crappy and would rather be doing anything other than speaking with her. This is the one that Dana feels would be being dishonest with her prospects if she put it on when feeling like she’d rather be anyplace else than on the phone prospecting.
The, “yes, I understand how grievous a transgression it is being 5 minutes late to the meeting. I’m sorry, it will never happen again” mask when in actuality we’re thinking “geeze, are you kidding? The transgression is your pathetic excuse for a meeting that sucks the life out me and everyone else.”
The, “I know that your budget is tight and this is a tough decision, but my solution will increase your sales and put significant dollars on your bottom-line” mask when you’re actually thinking “OK, you have more money than you know what to do with, you cheapskate; knock it off with the games and let’s get down to business.”
Certainly salespeople aren’t the only ones who wear masks. Sales managers wear their own masks, especially when dealing with their sales team and upper management.
Typical sales manager masks are:
The, “Bryan, man, just apply what we’ve been working on and you’re going to be just fine. I know it’s been tough, but I have every confidence that you can be a great producer” mask while thinking “Man, what was I thinking when I hired this dimwit? What a goofball, it’ll take a miracle for him to last another month.”
And the “yes, sir, I talked to the team this morning and we’re on it. You’ll see results by the end of the week” mask while thinking “Last week the crisis was to sell the XB2 systems and this week the future of the world depends on us forgetting about everything else and pushing the YS add-on. You guys have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”
And, of course, there are a million other masks that we wear for our prospects, a different set for our clients, another set for our managers, and an even different set for our colleagues and co-workers.
Mask after mask is put on and taken off every day.
Are we justified in wearing them? What happens to trust if we’re caught wearing one by our prospect or client?
These are really tough questions because, as Charlie pointed out in our discussion, a mask is by its very nature deceitful—at a minimum it’s hiding something we don’t want seen or is projecting something we don’t feel at the moment; and certainly most of us would consider being deceitful as bad. Quite a dilemma—how can we be doing something that is considered bad and call it good? Would Dana have been engaged in unethical activity if she had put on that “great to connect with you” mask when she didn’t feel like prospecting?
Tough questions. My initial reaction to Dana was that the issue isn’t whether it is right or wrong to put on a mask because the mask itself is neutral—neither good nor bad. The determining factor as to whether a particular mask is ethical or unethical is its intended purpose—why we put the mask on in the first place.
Was our intent to help build a relationship–or to manipulate someone into doing something they might not otherwise do?
Were we trying to be sociable and considerate–or were we simply trying to catch someone off guard in order to slip something by them?
Was it with the intent of being constructive–or with the intent of destroying?
As I thought about this issue over the next few days, I decided to ask a couple of friends what their thoughts were; thus my conversation with Charlie, Jeb, and Daniel Waldschmidt of EdgyConversations.com.
There seems to be two central points of agreement between the four of us:
Masks are an absolute necessity. As Charlie pointed out, without masks the very concepts of etiquette and manners cease to exist. Or if we consider the deception of masks to be bad, then we would have to condemn the concepts of manners and etiquette since conforming to the rules by putting on the appropriate masks would be bad acts in and of themselves. He sees that we put on masks for one of two reasons: either out of fear or out of respect, politeness and etiquette.
I’ll add a third: to acquire something we want that we don’t believe we can get without being someone or something we aren’t. (To be fair, I suspect Charlie would file this as just another form of a fear based mask.)
Certainly no one would want to live in a world without rules governing how we act with one another. In the 60’s, many of us of the Boomer generation decided that we needed to be “true to ourselves.” We took that to mean that doing anything we didn’t feel like doing—or not doing that which we wanted to do—was a disingenuous act, conforming to the bourgeois norms of a crass and corrupt society. We dispensed with much of society’s rules of behavior (and unwittingly adopted our own rules of behavior which we rationalized by “believing” the socially accepted acts we conformed to within our group were our own spontaneous actions that emanated from the real “me”). It wasn’t pretty.
Most of us eventually grew out of it (a few, sadly, have been permanently lost in a stupor of blue smoke while clinging to their hookah) as we realized the masks of broader society were not only necessary unless we were willing to live in a minor subculture, they were more comfortable and in many ways more genuine than the masks we adopted when we were just ‘being true to ourselves.’ As Dan Waldschmidt put it, “Being sanctimonious about ‘not wanting to be who you’re not’ isn’t cool for pedophiles, rapists, or molesters. Why would sales execs claim any exception?” (Or sanctimonious 60’s youth for that matter.)
So, no less in our professional life, as our social life, masks are mandatory. Business etiquette demands we treat our prospects, clients, and business associates with respect—even if we don’t like or respect them. Professional ethics demand that we perform at the highest level and with complete courtesy even with a prospect or client who is rude and hateful.
Business success demands that we interact and deal with our prospects, clients, and company associates with dignity and respect—and total professionalism even when we don’t feel like it. Just try going a week being “true to who you are” and see how successful you are.
Most masks are ethically neutral—it’s your underlying reason for putting the mask on that determines whether the mask is ethical or not.
Certainly some masks, such as the stereotypical seller mask introduced above, aren’t ethically neutral because they’re designed for one purpose—to defraud someone by making them think they are getting something they aren’t (usually a better or product than they’re really getting) or to coerce them into buying something they don’t want to buy.
What about the other masks we identified above?
But what about the mask Dana felt was trying to be someone she isn’t? Is that mask bad or good? Actually it could go either way. In Dana’s case the intent isn’t to harm but rather to be able to efficiently utilize her time prospecting even when she doesn’t “feel” like prospecting. Her intent is, as Jeb put it, to “increase the comfort level” of the people she’s speaking with. She has a “genuine intent of getting the most out of an interaction.”
If, on the other hand, Dana’s intent was to open a door by appearing to be something she isn’t with the intent to harm, whether through fraud, lying about the product or service to get a sale, or for any other illicit reason, wearing the mask would be unethical because it is being worn with bad intent.
Let’s look at the mask warn by the sales manager who encouraged his salesperson to apply what they’ve been working on together and he’ll be just fine even though the sales manager doubts the salesperson will make it. Again, this mask can go either way ethically. If the manager’s intent was to try to encourage the salesperson with the hope, no matter how small, that the salesperson will get it in gear and turn things around, the mask is ethical as the intent is to produce a positive outcome.
On the other hand, if the intent of the mask is simply to get the salesperson out of the sales manager’s hair until the manager can work out the details of firing the person, the mask is unethical as it’s only intent is to deceive the salesperson into believing he is working to save his job when in fact the decision to fire him has already been made. Unfortunately, this unethical mask is worn by many, many sales managers every day.
The next few masks are a bit more difficult to deal with.
The, “yes, I understand how grievous a transgression it is being 5 minutes late to the meeting. I’m sorry, it will never happen again” mask would certainly seem to be hiding not only the salesperson’s feelings about the value and content of the sales meetings they are required to attend, but possibly a general disrespect for his or her sales manager. If it is simply a mask hiding their evaluation of the value of the sales meetings, I think the mask ethical in order to maintain civility and out of respect for their manager (although I would certainly think they should have a discussion with their manager about their perceived value of the meetings). If, on the other hand, the mask is really one of many that are covering their attitude toward their manager, the mask is unethical because, to borrow a phrase from Charlie, “there’s too much of an honesty gap.”
I believe the mask where the sales manager questions to himself whether or not senior management has a clue as to what they are doing is in and of itself unethical, again for the reason that there is simply too much disrespect being hidden.
In both of these instances the individual must take action to correct the honesty gap—either a discussion with the sales manager or senior management to clear the respect issues (uh, yeah, that probably won’t happen) or moving to an organization where they do respect their management.
The salesperson who questions the lack of available dollars to purchase his or her product or service has, in my opinion, a far different issue—making the assumption that the prospect is lying. This certainly isn’t an infrequent reaction—a great many of us instinctively make this assumption as soon as we hear monetary objections. But are we justified in making the assumption? In most cases, I doubt it. Are we justified in masking our belief? Yes, I think so. If one of the valid reasons for adopting a mask is with, as Jeb said, the “genuine intent of getting the most out of an interaction,” then masking our suspicion is justified and ethical. That doesn’t mean, however, that the suspicion itself might not be an indication that we need to take a close look at how we view our prospects and clients. Although the mask itself may not be unethical, our view of our prospects and clients might.
OK, so we’ve narrowed it down to the idea that masks are necessary and for the most part whether or not a particular mask is ethical is dependent upon the reason the mask has been put on.
What does that mean for us as sellers—if anything?
If we all are wearing masks, what’s to keep us from wearing the mask that will get us what we want, even if that mask is unethical? What happens if we are caught by a prospect or client wearing a mask?
At its core, understanding that we are usually–if not always–wearing a mask gives us the ability to gain some control over the masks we wear. It gives us the opportunity to make some ethical decisions we might not otherwise make and that we might wish not to make by forcing us to analyze the reasons we put on the masks we wear. Are we putting a particular mask on in order to better serve a prospect–or to better serve our desire, no matter the ethical cost?
Charlie gives a great summary of the role masks play in our professional lives, so I’ll quote him at length:
Fear-based masks:
“If I wear a mask in front of you out of fear, it is to protect myself from you. Perhaps to project myself from your judgment, or to keep you from taking something I have, or to keep you from getting something I want. Inherent in fear-based use of masks is a bad intent: to keep you from seeing some truth about something (usually some truth about me).
“So fear-based masks are inherently oppositional–they are rooted in trying to keep one party from knowing what’s going on with another.
“So–what does a fear-based mask do? It triggers every fear both a buyer and seller feel. What is he really saying? Does he actually mean that? What am I not hearing here? What’s the real thought balloon? How do I know he’s not saying something different to someone else? How do I know he’s not taking all my good stuff and spreading it around to my competitors?
“The fear-based response triggered by a mask leads to suspicion, counter-lies, deceit, covering up, shading of meanings, white lies, and a host of other modes of deception that result in more of the same reciprocally in the other party.”
Respect-based mask:
“The other reason for masks is as a sign of respect, politeness, etiquette. I rise as someone I respect enters the room; I smile at an elder (or a child); I nod my head in a sign of acknowledgement when I listen to a prospect describe his or her needs. It may well be that I don’t feel like standing up, or smiling, or even that I disagree with someone–but politeness, respect, etiquette dictate a larger social reality–that we have evolved hundreds of little social rituals by which we acknowledge the legitimacy of the Other, the person in front of us, whether it is elderly Aunt Mildred, the head of sales at Xerox’s copier division, or a stranger on the street (in most towns, anyway).
“By contrast: respect-driven masks are an elaborate social ritual we go through to recognize our commonality, rather than our differentness. They break down barriers, rather than erecting them. They make it possible to live both as a corporate representative and as a human being, by emphasizing the things we have in common. The ‘masks’ include our business card stock; the cut and fabric of our clothing; our choice of ties; and all this of course is before, ‘Oh, you grew up in the Ozarks too, eh?’ Or the East Coast, because the locale doesn’t matter.”
I’m in general agreement with Charlie—but with the recognition that there are those exceptional mask wearers who are so comfortable in their fear-based or illicit acquisition-based masks they don’t create the typical response in their victims– Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford quickly come to mind.
As sellers we must be ever mindful of why we put on the masks we do. Are we sincerely trying to connect with our prospect or are we trying to manipulate them? Are we acting out of respect and desire to communicate or are we acting out of a desire to create a particular beneficial outcome for ourselves no matter the cost to the prospect or client?
The masks we wear telegraph our intent and thus can either help establish and strengthen a bond of trust with the other person or they can create a feeling of unease, caution and suspicion.
The question isn’t are you going to wear masks; the question is are you going to consciously put on ethical masks that build trust and communication or are you going to put on unethical masks designed to manipulate and control your prospect for your gain irrespective of the cost to the prospect? It’s your choice. Sooner or later you’ll reap the true value of the masks you wear—just ask Madoff and Stanford.
249 reads Original article
About the Author
Paul McCord is the author of the Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-selling book on referral selling, Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons, 2007), which is quickly becoming recognized as the authoritative work on referral selling; and the recently released, SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar. His background includes over 28 years selling, building and managing top sales teams, and training and coaching sales professionals and managers. Although very actively engaged in selling the services of McCord and Associates, an international sales training and consulting firm located in Houston, Texas, his background in sales has been predominately in the financial services industry, selling both direct to consumers and to banks, NASD firms, and insurance companies. Paul
http://thecustomercollective.com/paulmccord/46391/truth-trust-and-masks-we-wear?utm_source=tcc_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
Posted January 10, 2011 by Paul McCord
“No, Paul, I didn’t spend any time prospecting yesterday. I woke up and just didn’t feel enthused; didn’t want to be here. Whenever I force myself to prospect when I feel that way, I always feel like I’m wearing a mask trying to be someone I’m not. If I can’t be true to who I am, I’m not serving my clients, my company, or myself well.”
Dana (not her real name) is one of my newest coaching clients. She is a strong producer selling relationship management software to small to mid-size companies in the northeast part of the country. She finished the year well ahead of quota. She isn’t the only salesperson I’ve spoken to who has an ethical issue with “being someone I’m not.” In fact, she’s not the first seller who has referred to feeling like they’re being insincere, false, or lying when acting one way while thinking or feeling another way.
We may as well get the truth laid out on the table right now—we ALL wear masks. We wear them a lot.
Society demands we wear them.
Professionalism demands we wear them.
We want to wear them.
While talking with Charlie Green of TrustedAdvisor.com and Jeb Brooks of The Brooks Group about this article, both pointed out a book written in the 50’s by Erving Goffman titled The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life where Goffman contends that we are always, 100% of the time wearing some kind of a mask.
Although I’m not sure I buy the idea that our whole life is nothing but a continual, uninterrupted series of masks, I do believe that the concept that we all wear masks at times—especially in business–is pretty self-evident.
The question isn’t whether we wear masks, the question is: are the masks we wear ethical? And if they’re ethical, do they inhibit trust? At an even more basic level, are they designed to lie or to help us tell the truth?
Certainly we are all familiar with the mask so often associated with salespeople—that of the fake friend, our false ally who is going to help us get the best deal possible, fighting for us against his or her unreasonable manager, all the while lying and double-dealing without shame in order to maximize the sales price and, thus, their commission.
That mask of lies is what many salespeople associate with our profession and consequently they try to distance themselves from that image by inventing all kinds of titles (masks) for themselves that are designed to communicate they are NOT salespeople—they’re ‘advisors,’ ‘consultants,’ ‘customer advocates,’ ‘customer guides,’ ‘account managers,’ and dozens of other, mostly meaningless, titles.
Fortunately, although still used by hucksters and con artists, the mask above is slowing being forced out of the legitimate sales world as more prospects become educated about their potential purchases long before engaging a salesperson. For most of us that clichéd mask isn’t in our hip pockets any longer.
But many other masks are. A few examples:
The, “Ms. Prospect, I’m really excited to speak with you this morning” mask when in actuality we feel crappy and would rather be doing anything other than speaking with her. This is the one that Dana feels would be being dishonest with her prospects if she put it on when feeling like she’d rather be anyplace else than on the phone prospecting.
The, “yes, I understand how grievous a transgression it is being 5 minutes late to the meeting. I’m sorry, it will never happen again” mask when in actuality we’re thinking “geeze, are you kidding? The transgression is your pathetic excuse for a meeting that sucks the life out me and everyone else.”
The, “I know that your budget is tight and this is a tough decision, but my solution will increase your sales and put significant dollars on your bottom-line” mask when you’re actually thinking “OK, you have more money than you know what to do with, you cheapskate; knock it off with the games and let’s get down to business.”
Certainly salespeople aren’t the only ones who wear masks. Sales managers wear their own masks, especially when dealing with their sales team and upper management.
Typical sales manager masks are:
The, “Bryan, man, just apply what we’ve been working on and you’re going to be just fine. I know it’s been tough, but I have every confidence that you can be a great producer” mask while thinking “Man, what was I thinking when I hired this dimwit? What a goofball, it’ll take a miracle for him to last another month.”
And the “yes, sir, I talked to the team this morning and we’re on it. You’ll see results by the end of the week” mask while thinking “Last week the crisis was to sell the XB2 systems and this week the future of the world depends on us forgetting about everything else and pushing the YS add-on. You guys have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”
And, of course, there are a million other masks that we wear for our prospects, a different set for our clients, another set for our managers, and an even different set for our colleagues and co-workers.
Mask after mask is put on and taken off every day.
Are we justified in wearing them? What happens to trust if we’re caught wearing one by our prospect or client?
These are really tough questions because, as Charlie pointed out in our discussion, a mask is by its very nature deceitful—at a minimum it’s hiding something we don’t want seen or is projecting something we don’t feel at the moment; and certainly most of us would consider being deceitful as bad. Quite a dilemma—how can we be doing something that is considered bad and call it good? Would Dana have been engaged in unethical activity if she had put on that “great to connect with you” mask when she didn’t feel like prospecting?
Tough questions. My initial reaction to Dana was that the issue isn’t whether it is right or wrong to put on a mask because the mask itself is neutral—neither good nor bad. The determining factor as to whether a particular mask is ethical or unethical is its intended purpose—why we put the mask on in the first place.
Was our intent to help build a relationship–or to manipulate someone into doing something they might not otherwise do?
Were we trying to be sociable and considerate–or were we simply trying to catch someone off guard in order to slip something by them?
Was it with the intent of being constructive–or with the intent of destroying?
As I thought about this issue over the next few days, I decided to ask a couple of friends what their thoughts were; thus my conversation with Charlie, Jeb, and Daniel Waldschmidt of EdgyConversations.com.
There seems to be two central points of agreement between the four of us:
Masks are an absolute necessity. As Charlie pointed out, without masks the very concepts of etiquette and manners cease to exist. Or if we consider the deception of masks to be bad, then we would have to condemn the concepts of manners and etiquette since conforming to the rules by putting on the appropriate masks would be bad acts in and of themselves. He sees that we put on masks for one of two reasons: either out of fear or out of respect, politeness and etiquette.
I’ll add a third: to acquire something we want that we don’t believe we can get without being someone or something we aren’t. (To be fair, I suspect Charlie would file this as just another form of a fear based mask.)
Certainly no one would want to live in a world without rules governing how we act with one another. In the 60’s, many of us of the Boomer generation decided that we needed to be “true to ourselves.” We took that to mean that doing anything we didn’t feel like doing—or not doing that which we wanted to do—was a disingenuous act, conforming to the bourgeois norms of a crass and corrupt society. We dispensed with much of society’s rules of behavior (and unwittingly adopted our own rules of behavior which we rationalized by “believing” the socially accepted acts we conformed to within our group were our own spontaneous actions that emanated from the real “me”). It wasn’t pretty.
Most of us eventually grew out of it (a few, sadly, have been permanently lost in a stupor of blue smoke while clinging to their hookah) as we realized the masks of broader society were not only necessary unless we were willing to live in a minor subculture, they were more comfortable and in many ways more genuine than the masks we adopted when we were just ‘being true to ourselves.’ As Dan Waldschmidt put it, “Being sanctimonious about ‘not wanting to be who you’re not’ isn’t cool for pedophiles, rapists, or molesters. Why would sales execs claim any exception?” (Or sanctimonious 60’s youth for that matter.)
So, no less in our professional life, as our social life, masks are mandatory. Business etiquette demands we treat our prospects, clients, and business associates with respect—even if we don’t like or respect them. Professional ethics demand that we perform at the highest level and with complete courtesy even with a prospect or client who is rude and hateful.
Business success demands that we interact and deal with our prospects, clients, and company associates with dignity and respect—and total professionalism even when we don’t feel like it. Just try going a week being “true to who you are” and see how successful you are.
Most masks are ethically neutral—it’s your underlying reason for putting the mask on that determines whether the mask is ethical or not.
Certainly some masks, such as the stereotypical seller mask introduced above, aren’t ethically neutral because they’re designed for one purpose—to defraud someone by making them think they are getting something they aren’t (usually a better or product than they’re really getting) or to coerce them into buying something they don’t want to buy.
What about the other masks we identified above?
But what about the mask Dana felt was trying to be someone she isn’t? Is that mask bad or good? Actually it could go either way. In Dana’s case the intent isn’t to harm but rather to be able to efficiently utilize her time prospecting even when she doesn’t “feel” like prospecting. Her intent is, as Jeb put it, to “increase the comfort level” of the people she’s speaking with. She has a “genuine intent of getting the most out of an interaction.”
If, on the other hand, Dana’s intent was to open a door by appearing to be something she isn’t with the intent to harm, whether through fraud, lying about the product or service to get a sale, or for any other illicit reason, wearing the mask would be unethical because it is being worn with bad intent.
Let’s look at the mask warn by the sales manager who encouraged his salesperson to apply what they’ve been working on together and he’ll be just fine even though the sales manager doubts the salesperson will make it. Again, this mask can go either way ethically. If the manager’s intent was to try to encourage the salesperson with the hope, no matter how small, that the salesperson will get it in gear and turn things around, the mask is ethical as the intent is to produce a positive outcome.
On the other hand, if the intent of the mask is simply to get the salesperson out of the sales manager’s hair until the manager can work out the details of firing the person, the mask is unethical as it’s only intent is to deceive the salesperson into believing he is working to save his job when in fact the decision to fire him has already been made. Unfortunately, this unethical mask is worn by many, many sales managers every day.
The next few masks are a bit more difficult to deal with.
The, “yes, I understand how grievous a transgression it is being 5 minutes late to the meeting. I’m sorry, it will never happen again” mask would certainly seem to be hiding not only the salesperson’s feelings about the value and content of the sales meetings they are required to attend, but possibly a general disrespect for his or her sales manager. If it is simply a mask hiding their evaluation of the value of the sales meetings, I think the mask ethical in order to maintain civility and out of respect for their manager (although I would certainly think they should have a discussion with their manager about their perceived value of the meetings). If, on the other hand, the mask is really one of many that are covering their attitude toward their manager, the mask is unethical because, to borrow a phrase from Charlie, “there’s too much of an honesty gap.”
I believe the mask where the sales manager questions to himself whether or not senior management has a clue as to what they are doing is in and of itself unethical, again for the reason that there is simply too much disrespect being hidden.
In both of these instances the individual must take action to correct the honesty gap—either a discussion with the sales manager or senior management to clear the respect issues (uh, yeah, that probably won’t happen) or moving to an organization where they do respect their management.
The salesperson who questions the lack of available dollars to purchase his or her product or service has, in my opinion, a far different issue—making the assumption that the prospect is lying. This certainly isn’t an infrequent reaction—a great many of us instinctively make this assumption as soon as we hear monetary objections. But are we justified in making the assumption? In most cases, I doubt it. Are we justified in masking our belief? Yes, I think so. If one of the valid reasons for adopting a mask is with, as Jeb said, the “genuine intent of getting the most out of an interaction,” then masking our suspicion is justified and ethical. That doesn’t mean, however, that the suspicion itself might not be an indication that we need to take a close look at how we view our prospects and clients. Although the mask itself may not be unethical, our view of our prospects and clients might.
OK, so we’ve narrowed it down to the idea that masks are necessary and for the most part whether or not a particular mask is ethical is dependent upon the reason the mask has been put on.
What does that mean for us as sellers—if anything?
If we all are wearing masks, what’s to keep us from wearing the mask that will get us what we want, even if that mask is unethical? What happens if we are caught by a prospect or client wearing a mask?
At its core, understanding that we are usually–if not always–wearing a mask gives us the ability to gain some control over the masks we wear. It gives us the opportunity to make some ethical decisions we might not otherwise make and that we might wish not to make by forcing us to analyze the reasons we put on the masks we wear. Are we putting a particular mask on in order to better serve a prospect–or to better serve our desire, no matter the ethical cost?
Charlie gives a great summary of the role masks play in our professional lives, so I’ll quote him at length:
Fear-based masks:
“If I wear a mask in front of you out of fear, it is to protect myself from you. Perhaps to project myself from your judgment, or to keep you from taking something I have, or to keep you from getting something I want. Inherent in fear-based use of masks is a bad intent: to keep you from seeing some truth about something (usually some truth about me).
“So fear-based masks are inherently oppositional–they are rooted in trying to keep one party from knowing what’s going on with another.
“So–what does a fear-based mask do? It triggers every fear both a buyer and seller feel. What is he really saying? Does he actually mean that? What am I not hearing here? What’s the real thought balloon? How do I know he’s not saying something different to someone else? How do I know he’s not taking all my good stuff and spreading it around to my competitors?
“The fear-based response triggered by a mask leads to suspicion, counter-lies, deceit, covering up, shading of meanings, white lies, and a host of other modes of deception that result in more of the same reciprocally in the other party.”
Respect-based mask:
“The other reason for masks is as a sign of respect, politeness, etiquette. I rise as someone I respect enters the room; I smile at an elder (or a child); I nod my head in a sign of acknowledgement when I listen to a prospect describe his or her needs. It may well be that I don’t feel like standing up, or smiling, or even that I disagree with someone–but politeness, respect, etiquette dictate a larger social reality–that we have evolved hundreds of little social rituals by which we acknowledge the legitimacy of the Other, the person in front of us, whether it is elderly Aunt Mildred, the head of sales at Xerox’s copier division, or a stranger on the street (in most towns, anyway).
“By contrast: respect-driven masks are an elaborate social ritual we go through to recognize our commonality, rather than our differentness. They break down barriers, rather than erecting them. They make it possible to live both as a corporate representative and as a human being, by emphasizing the things we have in common. The ‘masks’ include our business card stock; the cut and fabric of our clothing; our choice of ties; and all this of course is before, ‘Oh, you grew up in the Ozarks too, eh?’ Or the East Coast, because the locale doesn’t matter.”
I’m in general agreement with Charlie—but with the recognition that there are those exceptional mask wearers who are so comfortable in their fear-based or illicit acquisition-based masks they don’t create the typical response in their victims– Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford quickly come to mind.
As sellers we must be ever mindful of why we put on the masks we do. Are we sincerely trying to connect with our prospect or are we trying to manipulate them? Are we acting out of respect and desire to communicate or are we acting out of a desire to create a particular beneficial outcome for ourselves no matter the cost to the prospect or client?
The masks we wear telegraph our intent and thus can either help establish and strengthen a bond of trust with the other person or they can create a feeling of unease, caution and suspicion.
The question isn’t are you going to wear masks; the question is are you going to consciously put on ethical masks that build trust and communication or are you going to put on unethical masks designed to manipulate and control your prospect for your gain irrespective of the cost to the prospect? It’s your choice. Sooner or later you’ll reap the true value of the masks you wear—just ask Madoff and Stanford.
249 reads Original article
About the Author
Paul McCord is the author of the Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-selling book on referral selling, Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons, 2007), which is quickly becoming recognized as the authoritative work on referral selling; and the recently released, SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar. His background includes over 28 years selling, building and managing top sales teams, and training and coaching sales professionals and managers. Although very actively engaged in selling the services of McCord and Associates, an international sales training and consulting firm located in Houston, Texas, his background in sales has been predominately in the financial services industry, selling both direct to consumers and to banks, NASD firms, and insurance companies. Paul
http://thecustomercollective.com/paulmccord/46391/truth-trust-and-masks-we-wear?utm_source=tcc_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
Three Megatrends for Professional Selling
Three Megatrends for Professional Selling
January 14, 2011 by Jonathan Farrington
As we continue to consider the ramifications surrounding the future of professional selling, I really am witnessing considerable “ostrich-like” behaviour, but more about that soon.
In the meantime, please enjoy these words of wisdom from fellow Parisien, and highly valued colleague, Christian Maurer …..
Actually, I had decided not to follow the tradition of so many of my colleagues and making predictions of what the New Year is going to bring for Professional Selling. Though when Jonathan Farrington invited me to take a longer term outlook of where Professional Selling is heading to, I found this to be a challenge I could not resist. So I came up with these 3 megatrends.
1. Buyer’s behavior continues to evolve
The increased power of buyers is not going to fade away; to the contrary. Buyers will become even savvier to buy things without the help of a salesperson.
They will only tolerate the intrusion of a sales person into their buying journey if this salesperson can add value to the journey by providing guidance that cannot possibly be provided automatically. Expect therefore a continuous rise of machine guided buying (when we buy over the internet) to the detriment of person guided buying (when we by with the help of a salesperson). For those cases where person guided buying continues to make sense in the eye of the buyer, we should expect that the number of occasions where this guidance is provided in a face to face contact is going to shrink drastically. Either the buyer will consider the phone as a sufficient vehicle or the use of more sophisticated means like web conferencing is expected to provide an acceptable customer experience. Only if all these means fail, traditional face to face interactions will take place.
What are the implications?
• Expect the percentage of people in sales roles in the labor statistics to drop considerably over the next few years.
• For those wanting to remain in sales, a massive upgrade of their skills is needed. Only people who can act as business advisors and consultants will be able to provide the value that is expected for justifying the presence of a salesperson in the buying journey
• The occasions to connect with buyers will shrink and the encounters will be shorter. Skills in non verbal communication will loose value but skills in using social media and sophisticated communications technologies rise in importance.
• The mindset, that professional selling should be approached from a perspective of service and contribution is no longer a nice to have; it is an absolute precondition for survival.
2. Sales Executives and Managers become the primary change targets
New buying behaviors make old loved rules of thumbs used to manage by more and more obsolete and experiences gained from previous assignments even in the recent past will fast loose value.
Even as the economic outlook brightens, reluctance to simply putting more feet on the street for reaching ever higher sales targets will persist. In many cases this might be a wise move considering the first megatrend. Shifts to support machine guided buying might thus be accelerated
Yet even in areas where person guided buying will remain the preferred method, productivity increases are to be reached without adding headcount, Yet traditional training programs will not produce this expected productivity increases.
Over the last decade, we have gathered sufficient evidence that costly training initiatives for sales people have, for the most part, not been effective. It would be foolish to just use the economic climate as an excuse for lack of measurable performance improvements. Fundamental errors were made in these initiatives and they would never have succeeded even in better economic conditions.
One major error committed was running trainings as events ignoring the need for change management. In cases where change management was applied, the error made was underestimating the implication of managers being both change targets and sustaining sponsors of an initiative. Furthermore emphasis was more on gaining their support as sponsors than fulfilling their needs as targets of the change initiative.
What are the implications?
• Top executives in a company will have to accept their obligation of providing an environment that managers need to successfully work on upgrading the productivity of their troops with other means than just hiring. They must learn to understand the difference of efficiency and effectiveness and use new metrics to recognize and track successful behavior towards expected business results. They also finally have to recognize that promoting top performers to managers does not create sales leaders. Candidates must be more carefully selected and need to be provided with more training than any other group of professionals transiting from an individual contributor role to a management position. One can also not expect that raising stars can use their managers as role models.
• Sales Managers must admit to themselves that they need to be sufficiently trained so they can evolve into leaders capable of leading these highly sophisticated salespeople left in the profession.
• Managers will have to go through massive change to first agree, what the new behavior of a successful sales person looks like before they can be enabled to coach such behavior.
• The number of sales leaders is obviously also going to shrink. Tenures however must become longer if the needed productivity improvements are to materialize.
3. The need for versatility will increase
For those cases where person assisted buying will persist, we have to expect that guiding a complex network of people through one journey will be the norm rather than the exception.
The point in the buying journey where buyers will seek guidance from salespeople will also vary. The level of knowledge about a solution and the buyer’s trust into the salesperson will be major factors how and when the salesperson will be invited to the buying journey. Yet one should not assume that the buyers have taken all the right decisions to come up to that point in their journey and the salesperson has merely to guide them as fast as possible through the remaining part to be able to collect a commission check as early as possible.
Byers expect that the salesperson tunes in into the needs of every member of the buying network so they individually and collectively can have a positive customer experience. Buyers will even further increase their reluctance to listen to standard sales pitches.
What are the implications?
• Our understanding about the structure of sales processes and their applications must be revised. Insistence in following one sales process, in the form as we know them today, will become counterproductive. The capabilities, diagnosing where a buying network is in the buying journey, what guidance is needed by whom and then selecting the right process elements will need to be developed and upgraded.
• Salespeople need also to acquire or upgrade their facilitation skills in order to provide value to the buying networks in a non manipulative way to foster sustainable relationships.
Conclusions
A large number of people currently working in professional selling as individual contributors or managers will not make the transition, because they are no longer needed or they lack what it takes to get to the new level of sophistication. The first thing it takes to get to that new level is the right mind set. Only then will the effort of upgrading the skills be worthwhile.
We are looking at longer term trends here. Many people working in professional selling will survive 2011 without being affected by them. That does however not mean these trends are not happening. They happen though gradually and are only noticeable to those who are observant. For the others, the consequences will come as a surprise. Andy Groves saying that only the paranoid will survive is probably truer than ever. Yet this goes against the very nature of most salespeople who are rather optimists. Maybe this is though the first mind shift that has to happen to be able to still work in professional sales in 5 years from now.
For the last 11 years, Christian Maurer has helped B2B sales leaders improving the productivity of their organizations by helping them to focus on processes instead of outcomes. His services, addressing sales effectiveness deficits, span from organizational assessments via skill-building programs for managers and salespeople to the definition and implementation of processes like funnel, opportunity, account and sales-management.
http://thecustomercollective.com/jonathanfarrington/46646/three-megatrends-professional-selling
January 14, 2011 by Jonathan Farrington
As we continue to consider the ramifications surrounding the future of professional selling, I really am witnessing considerable “ostrich-like” behaviour, but more about that soon.
In the meantime, please enjoy these words of wisdom from fellow Parisien, and highly valued colleague, Christian Maurer …..
Actually, I had decided not to follow the tradition of so many of my colleagues and making predictions of what the New Year is going to bring for Professional Selling. Though when Jonathan Farrington invited me to take a longer term outlook of where Professional Selling is heading to, I found this to be a challenge I could not resist. So I came up with these 3 megatrends.
1. Buyer’s behavior continues to evolve
The increased power of buyers is not going to fade away; to the contrary. Buyers will become even savvier to buy things without the help of a salesperson.
They will only tolerate the intrusion of a sales person into their buying journey if this salesperson can add value to the journey by providing guidance that cannot possibly be provided automatically. Expect therefore a continuous rise of machine guided buying (when we buy over the internet) to the detriment of person guided buying (when we by with the help of a salesperson). For those cases where person guided buying continues to make sense in the eye of the buyer, we should expect that the number of occasions where this guidance is provided in a face to face contact is going to shrink drastically. Either the buyer will consider the phone as a sufficient vehicle or the use of more sophisticated means like web conferencing is expected to provide an acceptable customer experience. Only if all these means fail, traditional face to face interactions will take place.
What are the implications?
• Expect the percentage of people in sales roles in the labor statistics to drop considerably over the next few years.
• For those wanting to remain in sales, a massive upgrade of their skills is needed. Only people who can act as business advisors and consultants will be able to provide the value that is expected for justifying the presence of a salesperson in the buying journey
• The occasions to connect with buyers will shrink and the encounters will be shorter. Skills in non verbal communication will loose value but skills in using social media and sophisticated communications technologies rise in importance.
• The mindset, that professional selling should be approached from a perspective of service and contribution is no longer a nice to have; it is an absolute precondition for survival.
2. Sales Executives and Managers become the primary change targets
New buying behaviors make old loved rules of thumbs used to manage by more and more obsolete and experiences gained from previous assignments even in the recent past will fast loose value.
Even as the economic outlook brightens, reluctance to simply putting more feet on the street for reaching ever higher sales targets will persist. In many cases this might be a wise move considering the first megatrend. Shifts to support machine guided buying might thus be accelerated
Yet even in areas where person guided buying will remain the preferred method, productivity increases are to be reached without adding headcount, Yet traditional training programs will not produce this expected productivity increases.
Over the last decade, we have gathered sufficient evidence that costly training initiatives for sales people have, for the most part, not been effective. It would be foolish to just use the economic climate as an excuse for lack of measurable performance improvements. Fundamental errors were made in these initiatives and they would never have succeeded even in better economic conditions.
One major error committed was running trainings as events ignoring the need for change management. In cases where change management was applied, the error made was underestimating the implication of managers being both change targets and sustaining sponsors of an initiative. Furthermore emphasis was more on gaining their support as sponsors than fulfilling their needs as targets of the change initiative.
What are the implications?
• Top executives in a company will have to accept their obligation of providing an environment that managers need to successfully work on upgrading the productivity of their troops with other means than just hiring. They must learn to understand the difference of efficiency and effectiveness and use new metrics to recognize and track successful behavior towards expected business results. They also finally have to recognize that promoting top performers to managers does not create sales leaders. Candidates must be more carefully selected and need to be provided with more training than any other group of professionals transiting from an individual contributor role to a management position. One can also not expect that raising stars can use their managers as role models.
• Sales Managers must admit to themselves that they need to be sufficiently trained so they can evolve into leaders capable of leading these highly sophisticated salespeople left in the profession.
• Managers will have to go through massive change to first agree, what the new behavior of a successful sales person looks like before they can be enabled to coach such behavior.
• The number of sales leaders is obviously also going to shrink. Tenures however must become longer if the needed productivity improvements are to materialize.
3. The need for versatility will increase
For those cases where person assisted buying will persist, we have to expect that guiding a complex network of people through one journey will be the norm rather than the exception.
The point in the buying journey where buyers will seek guidance from salespeople will also vary. The level of knowledge about a solution and the buyer’s trust into the salesperson will be major factors how and when the salesperson will be invited to the buying journey. Yet one should not assume that the buyers have taken all the right decisions to come up to that point in their journey and the salesperson has merely to guide them as fast as possible through the remaining part to be able to collect a commission check as early as possible.
Byers expect that the salesperson tunes in into the needs of every member of the buying network so they individually and collectively can have a positive customer experience. Buyers will even further increase their reluctance to listen to standard sales pitches.
What are the implications?
• Our understanding about the structure of sales processes and their applications must be revised. Insistence in following one sales process, in the form as we know them today, will become counterproductive. The capabilities, diagnosing where a buying network is in the buying journey, what guidance is needed by whom and then selecting the right process elements will need to be developed and upgraded.
• Salespeople need also to acquire or upgrade their facilitation skills in order to provide value to the buying networks in a non manipulative way to foster sustainable relationships.
Conclusions
A large number of people currently working in professional selling as individual contributors or managers will not make the transition, because they are no longer needed or they lack what it takes to get to the new level of sophistication. The first thing it takes to get to that new level is the right mind set. Only then will the effort of upgrading the skills be worthwhile.
We are looking at longer term trends here. Many people working in professional selling will survive 2011 without being affected by them. That does however not mean these trends are not happening. They happen though gradually and are only noticeable to those who are observant. For the others, the consequences will come as a surprise. Andy Groves saying that only the paranoid will survive is probably truer than ever. Yet this goes against the very nature of most salespeople who are rather optimists. Maybe this is though the first mind shift that has to happen to be able to still work in professional sales in 5 years from now.
For the last 11 years, Christian Maurer has helped B2B sales leaders improving the productivity of their organizations by helping them to focus on processes instead of outcomes. His services, addressing sales effectiveness deficits, span from organizational assessments via skill-building programs for managers and salespeople to the definition and implementation of processes like funnel, opportunity, account and sales-management.
http://thecustomercollective.com/jonathanfarrington/46646/three-megatrends-professional-selling
The True Value of Exceptional Customer Service & “Moments of Truth”
The True Value of Exceptional Customer Service & “Moments of Truth”
January 11, 2011 by Jonathan Farrington
Before I get into today’s topic, thank you all for my exceptionally bulging mailbox today. It seems the world, his brother, and everyone who knows his brother, has an opinion about the future of professional selling – and so they should. It is of course the oldest profession – you may need to think about that for a moment – and quite rightly, we should do everything we can to preserve its status.
The debate will continue over the next few weeks, and “me learned colleagues” are sharpening their pencils ready to join in.
But …. I am going to throw just a little more fuel on that fire tomorrow, based on my own experiences over the past sixty days. Want a taster?
“50% of all sales jobs that exist today – in their current format - will disappear within three years – 80% within five years”
Pretty controversial stuff eh? Join me tomorrow for the full predictions. Now back to today’s business.
Most of us are involved in some form of business acquisition for our respective companies. We all know that winning business often requires a significant investment in time, resources and energy and that the thrill of the chase is an exciting one. Isn’t it a shame that sometimes the customer, who you worked so hard to win, cancels the order during the initial stages because someone somewhere has let them down?
The sequence of events is often typical – an ‘important’ meeting of department heads is set up to find out who the culprit was and why, but it’s too late – all you can do is learn from the mistakes – or at least that’s the logical outcome.
In this post, I want to cover just two issues which your company faces in retaining customers:
• The true value of exceptional customer service
• Moments of truth
Looking around, it’s easy to see how many companies have developed customer service strategies using the telephone. Take for example some of the fast food establishments who actively promote ‘0800’ care lines, or the soft drinks cans with care line numbers on the packaging and the cleaning product companies with care lines. Care lines are increasing at a rapid pace in some industries.
So what is the value of good customer service? It increases spend, loyalty, reduces cost, promotes your company through positive word of mouth, differentiates you from your competition and can help you charge premium prices for your products and services.
We all want to deliver good customer service and want our customers to go out and recommend us to their friends, family and colleagues – yet finding the most efficient and cost effective way of doing this can be difficult. The telephone can play an important part in developing a comprehensive customer service strategy and should be looked at not just for the obvious applications of inbound care lines, but for proactive applications that could pre-empt issues before they arise.
Service isn’t just about answering calls quickly (within 3 rings is what I usually hear). It’s also important that the person you speak to has all the information and that you do not have to repeat yourself. Unfortunately, I have lost count of the number of times I have to do the latter with companies these days – even by some of the so-called top service companies.
Looking at badly handled calls, many of us are aware that 86% of customers would prefer not doing business with a company again if a single call is badly handled, but still many companies put inexperienced, poorly trained staff at the front end of their business. Worst of all, when you have a problem, you can’t get it resolved easily!
Unfortunately, customer care is still regarded by many as a costly activity or a burden on resources. Some organizations have already recognized the importance of customer care and a few are very advanced in its practice.
Every contact an existing, or potential, customer has with your company is a moment of truth. It could be how quickly their call was answered, how long it took your company to send out a brochure, what happens when the delivery driver turns up with the product, how accurate the invoice is, etc.
Recognizing all the moments of truth in your company will allow you to address weaker areas easily – for example, Jan Carlzon of SAS identified almost 1000 moments for customers using his airline. He then set his senior managers the task of improving each of these by just 1%, resulting in a substantial increase in service!
Have you already begun thinking about your company’s moments of truth?
Whilst you are contemplating, why not digest this message from Dan Waldschmidt…..
The Problem.
So. What’s the deal with that sales software you are using?
That little solution your boss calls “CRM”…
Or Customer Relationship Management. Which is strangely ironic because the word “solution” usually comes next.
Somehow trying to passively coerce me into believing that a piece of software has magically arrived with the answer to my need to close more deals. Make it easier. Make it faster. Maybe even pick my groceries from the store in the process.
Heck. Why not? If you read all the features listed on the website you might actually assume this much.
And yet, you can’t find a sales person who actually likes their CRM.
Am I wrong? What other industry is like this — where the craftsman is completely unhappy with all the tools at his disposal?
Like a landscaper who can’t find a rake-maker who makes a useful tool. Or a chef who has to bake all her meals in a toaster oven.
Makes you wonder.
Who is inventing these things?
Maybe I can help you.
Join me for this highly interactive 45 minute Masterclass, and I’ll try to give you some of the answers.
Tuesday January 11th 2011 1PM EASTERN (That’s 6pm GMT)
REGISTRATION on Top Sales World is FREE. Please go HERE
370 reads Original article
About the Author
Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author, consultant, and sales strategist, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is the CEO of Top Sales Associates, Chairman of The jf Corporation and the creator of Top Sales World. Jonathan is based in London and Paris.
January 11, 2011 by Jonathan Farrington
Before I get into today’s topic, thank you all for my exceptionally bulging mailbox today. It seems the world, his brother, and everyone who knows his brother, has an opinion about the future of professional selling – and so they should. It is of course the oldest profession – you may need to think about that for a moment – and quite rightly, we should do everything we can to preserve its status.
The debate will continue over the next few weeks, and “me learned colleagues” are sharpening their pencils ready to join in.
But …. I am going to throw just a little more fuel on that fire tomorrow, based on my own experiences over the past sixty days. Want a taster?
“50% of all sales jobs that exist today – in their current format - will disappear within three years – 80% within five years”
Pretty controversial stuff eh? Join me tomorrow for the full predictions. Now back to today’s business.
Most of us are involved in some form of business acquisition for our respective companies. We all know that winning business often requires a significant investment in time, resources and energy and that the thrill of the chase is an exciting one. Isn’t it a shame that sometimes the customer, who you worked so hard to win, cancels the order during the initial stages because someone somewhere has let them down?
The sequence of events is often typical – an ‘important’ meeting of department heads is set up to find out who the culprit was and why, but it’s too late – all you can do is learn from the mistakes – or at least that’s the logical outcome.
In this post, I want to cover just two issues which your company faces in retaining customers:
• The true value of exceptional customer service
• Moments of truth
Looking around, it’s easy to see how many companies have developed customer service strategies using the telephone. Take for example some of the fast food establishments who actively promote ‘0800’ care lines, or the soft drinks cans with care line numbers on the packaging and the cleaning product companies with care lines. Care lines are increasing at a rapid pace in some industries.
So what is the value of good customer service? It increases spend, loyalty, reduces cost, promotes your company through positive word of mouth, differentiates you from your competition and can help you charge premium prices for your products and services.
We all want to deliver good customer service and want our customers to go out and recommend us to their friends, family and colleagues – yet finding the most efficient and cost effective way of doing this can be difficult. The telephone can play an important part in developing a comprehensive customer service strategy and should be looked at not just for the obvious applications of inbound care lines, but for proactive applications that could pre-empt issues before they arise.
Service isn’t just about answering calls quickly (within 3 rings is what I usually hear). It’s also important that the person you speak to has all the information and that you do not have to repeat yourself. Unfortunately, I have lost count of the number of times I have to do the latter with companies these days – even by some of the so-called top service companies.
Looking at badly handled calls, many of us are aware that 86% of customers would prefer not doing business with a company again if a single call is badly handled, but still many companies put inexperienced, poorly trained staff at the front end of their business. Worst of all, when you have a problem, you can’t get it resolved easily!
Unfortunately, customer care is still regarded by many as a costly activity or a burden on resources. Some organizations have already recognized the importance of customer care and a few are very advanced in its practice.
Every contact an existing, or potential, customer has with your company is a moment of truth. It could be how quickly their call was answered, how long it took your company to send out a brochure, what happens when the delivery driver turns up with the product, how accurate the invoice is, etc.
Recognizing all the moments of truth in your company will allow you to address weaker areas easily – for example, Jan Carlzon of SAS identified almost 1000 moments for customers using his airline. He then set his senior managers the task of improving each of these by just 1%, resulting in a substantial increase in service!
Have you already begun thinking about your company’s moments of truth?
Whilst you are contemplating, why not digest this message from Dan Waldschmidt…..
The Problem.
So. What’s the deal with that sales software you are using?
That little solution your boss calls “CRM”…
Or Customer Relationship Management. Which is strangely ironic because the word “solution” usually comes next.
Somehow trying to passively coerce me into believing that a piece of software has magically arrived with the answer to my need to close more deals. Make it easier. Make it faster. Maybe even pick my groceries from the store in the process.
Heck. Why not? If you read all the features listed on the website you might actually assume this much.
And yet, you can’t find a sales person who actually likes their CRM.
Am I wrong? What other industry is like this — where the craftsman is completely unhappy with all the tools at his disposal?
Like a landscaper who can’t find a rake-maker who makes a useful tool. Or a chef who has to bake all her meals in a toaster oven.
Makes you wonder.
Who is inventing these things?
Maybe I can help you.
Join me for this highly interactive 45 minute Masterclass, and I’ll try to give you some of the answers.
Tuesday January 11th 2011 1PM EASTERN (That’s 6pm GMT)
REGISTRATION on Top Sales World is FREE. Please go HERE
370 reads Original article
About the Author
Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author, consultant, and sales strategist, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is the CEO of Top Sales Associates, Chairman of The jf Corporation and the creator of Top Sales World. Jonathan is based in London and Paris.
http://thecustomercollective.com/jonathanfarrington/46416/true-value-exceptional-customer-service-moments-truth
Why Appraise Sales Team Performance?
Why Appraise Sales Team Performance?
January 3, 2011 by Jonathan Farrington
My original plan was to discuss “influence” today, but I am still researching, and I am also mindful that you will all be returning to work, and many of you will be embarking on the annual round of performance appraisals – either as an appraiser or as an appraisee – so here are some thoughts ….
A company’s performance appraisal process is critically important. It answers the two questions that every member of an organization wants to know:
• What do you expect of me?
• How am I doing at meeting your expectations?
Regular assessments and appraisals are essential, if individuals are to continually expand their “skills set”, and should deliver three key benefits for an organization:
• A clear career path for progression (which typically seems to motivate salespeople who operate in a business-to-business environment)
• Evidence of the return on investment made in developing people, so organizations are encouraged to sustain ongoing development
• A clear benchmark for salespeople and sales managers, so that they know what is expected of them
Every manager has to appraise subordinates and the mechanics of it vary from ticking little boxes, through marking on five-point scales, to writing an open ended report. However, in all cases the primary purpose of an appraisal is to help the subordinate.
Why Appraise? Reasons for an Appraisal
• To provide feedback of individual performance
• To plan for future promotions and successions
• To assess training and development needs
• To provide information for salary planning and special awards
• To contribute to corporate career planning
The five key elements of the performance appraisal are:
• Measurement – Assessing performance against agreed targets and objectives.
• Feedback – Providing information to the individual on their performance and progress.
• Positive reinforcement – Emphasizing what has been done well and making only constructive criticism about what might be improved.
• Exchange of views – A frank exchange of views about what has happened, how appraisees can improve their performance, the support they need from their managers to achieve this and their aspirations for their future career.
• Agreement – Jointly coming to an understanding by all parties about what needs to be done to improve performance generally and overcome any issues raised in the course of the discussion.
So when considering the design of an appropriate sales team appraisal document, what are the areas you should consider including?
This will be very much a personal decision based on relevancy. For example, if you manage an internal, predominantly reactive sales force, reviewing presentation skills or meeting ratios will be totally irrelevant.
If you have read any of my work before, you will, in all probability, know that I work with a very simple formula when it comes to sales team development and measurement – i.e.
Attitude + Skills + Process + Knowledge = Success
I arrived at this conclusion many years ago and my initial reasoning was this:
Attitude is fundamental to any achievement because individuals with the right attitude are far more likely to embrace the essential skills, recognize the control that process brings and have the desire to continually expand their knowledge.
Skills are the ‘tools of the trade’ and have to be developed on an ongoing basis. They also need to be specific, because too much time can be wasted over-burdening employees with inappropriate and irrelevant skills without any identifiable plan for their future requirements.
Process brings organisation, efficiency and control – both for the individual and for management. Effective process provides objective analysis and indicators, which can be benchmarked and accurately measured.
Then there is of course a need to build in knowledge and that must include knowledge of products, industry, market sectors, competitors, business, own company and last but not least, self!
Therefore, when measuring my teams, I always ensure that I benchmark against that criteria.
What must an effective sales team appraisal contain? More tomorrow ….
191 reads Original article
About the Author
Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author, consultant, and sales strategist, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is the CEO of Top Sales Associates, Chairman of The jf Corporation and the creator of Top Sales World. Jonathan is based in London and Paris.
http://thecustomercollective.com/jonathanfarrington/45925/why-appraise-sales-team-performance
As I confirmed yesterday, I have always worked with the following formula: Attitude + Skills + Process + Knowledge = Success
Therefore, when measuring my teams, I always ensure that I benchmark against that criteria: A simplified example might look something like this (although I have to admit that my own companies’ measurement system is much more rigorous)
Personal
o Self-organization & planning
o Motivation and attitude
o Ability to work under pressure
o Team playing and interpersonal skills
o Personal presentation
o Communication (oral/written/listening)
o Flexibility
o Initiative
o Performance vs. objectives
Sales
o Account management
o Business development
o Opportunity assessment -qualification
o Negotiation skills
o Presentation skills
o Strategic work
o Pro-activity
o Forecasting
o Achievement of targets
And for those with supervisory responsibilities you could add:
o Delegating authority
o Decision making
o Motivating – i.e. Creating enthusiasm and confidence
o Appraising and assessing
o Selecting and recruiting
o Coaching and developing
o Creativity
o Planning and allocating resource
o Representing
Next you need to implement a grading or scoring system – I use the following:
E – Poor: Definitely below acceptable standards; performance of job requirements is consistently deficient.
D – Fair: Improvement is needed to meet acceptable standards; performance of job requirements is inconsistent.
C – Average: Meets acceptable standards; performance of job requirements is consistent.
B – Good: Above acceptable standards; performance usually exceeds job requirements.
A – Excellent: Outstanding; unquestionably above acceptable standards; performance consistently exceeds job requirements.
In addition I translate these marks into scores, because that provides me with an overall numerical total which is so much easier to use when making comparisons:
I.e. using the above measurement scale: A=5, B=4 etc
In fact, I allow myself further “latitude” by using + or -, which in effect provides me with not five levels of rating but fifteen!
So now I have: E- = 0, E = 1, E+ = 2, all the way up to A+ which is now the equivalent of 14
This makes it so much easier to avoid the two common mistakes in rating i.e: Firstly, a tendency to rate nearly everyone as “average” on every characteristic instead of being more critical in judgement. The evaluator should use the ends of the scale as well as the middle.
Secondly, the “halo effect,” i.e. a tendency to rate the same individual “excellent” on every characteristic or “poor” on every characteristic based on the overall picture one has of the person being evaluated. However, each person has strong and weak points and these should be indicated on the rating scales.
What Else Should An Effective Appraisal Include? Mine Include All Of These:
Performance versus Commercial Targets
Specific Objectives vs. Results Summary
Quarterly Performance Rating
Commercial Targets For The Next Twelve Months
Specific Objectives For The Next Twelve Months
Performance versus Commercial Targets:
In this section, I review performance against all commercial targets for example:
o Revenue achieved.
o Overall gross margin.
o CCT (Customer contact time) as a % of TWT (Total working time).
o New accounts opened.
o Revenue increases from existing accounts.
Specific Objectives vs. Results Summary:
Specific objectives are all those targets that are “non – commercial” for example:
o Increase product knowledge in x areas.
o Profile any key accounts.
o Improve presentation skills.
o Attend a “Key Account Management” course.
o Become more involved with the induction of new recruits
Quarterly Performance Rating:
I have always believed in frequent reviews and as a consequence, I hold QBR (Quarterly Business Review) meetings at the end of each quarter. The scoring system is identical to the annual appraisal and in fact the QBRs provide most of the information and data for the annual session.
Commercial Targets and Specific Objectives for the Next Twelve Months:
A good appraisal should always conclude with agreement from both parties on the targets and objectives for the next twelve months.
These do not have to be set in stone and can be reviewed at the next QBR; however it is essential that every individual buys in to what is expected of them.
Target setting is a vitally important part of a manager’s function because if targets are set too high that will only act as a demotivator: Equally, if they are set too low, typically that is all that will be achieved.
In the same way the high jumper just clears the bar and does not leap a metre over the top, salespeople sell to expectation and have no inclination to burst through targets – unless of course, there is a significant incentive on offer! Although that begs the question of why they were not challenged with a higher target in the first place?
Finally, it is important that the manager uses the occasion to send the apraisee away feeling good about themselves, fully motivated and believing that all of the targets that have been agreed are indeed achievable – a motivational summary works wonders, even if there were areas of concern during the meeting, always focus on the highlights.
706 reads Original article
January 3, 2011 by Jonathan Farrington
My original plan was to discuss “influence” today, but I am still researching, and I am also mindful that you will all be returning to work, and many of you will be embarking on the annual round of performance appraisals – either as an appraiser or as an appraisee – so here are some thoughts ….
A company’s performance appraisal process is critically important. It answers the two questions that every member of an organization wants to know:
• What do you expect of me?
• How am I doing at meeting your expectations?
Regular assessments and appraisals are essential, if individuals are to continually expand their “skills set”, and should deliver three key benefits for an organization:
• A clear career path for progression (which typically seems to motivate salespeople who operate in a business-to-business environment)
• Evidence of the return on investment made in developing people, so organizations are encouraged to sustain ongoing development
• A clear benchmark for salespeople and sales managers, so that they know what is expected of them
Every manager has to appraise subordinates and the mechanics of it vary from ticking little boxes, through marking on five-point scales, to writing an open ended report. However, in all cases the primary purpose of an appraisal is to help the subordinate.
Why Appraise? Reasons for an Appraisal
• To provide feedback of individual performance
• To plan for future promotions and successions
• To assess training and development needs
• To provide information for salary planning and special awards
• To contribute to corporate career planning
The five key elements of the performance appraisal are:
• Measurement – Assessing performance against agreed targets and objectives.
• Feedback – Providing information to the individual on their performance and progress.
• Positive reinforcement – Emphasizing what has been done well and making only constructive criticism about what might be improved.
• Exchange of views – A frank exchange of views about what has happened, how appraisees can improve their performance, the support they need from their managers to achieve this and their aspirations for their future career.
• Agreement – Jointly coming to an understanding by all parties about what needs to be done to improve performance generally and overcome any issues raised in the course of the discussion.
So when considering the design of an appropriate sales team appraisal document, what are the areas you should consider including?
This will be very much a personal decision based on relevancy. For example, if you manage an internal, predominantly reactive sales force, reviewing presentation skills or meeting ratios will be totally irrelevant.
If you have read any of my work before, you will, in all probability, know that I work with a very simple formula when it comes to sales team development and measurement – i.e.
Attitude + Skills + Process + Knowledge = Success
I arrived at this conclusion many years ago and my initial reasoning was this:
Attitude is fundamental to any achievement because individuals with the right attitude are far more likely to embrace the essential skills, recognize the control that process brings and have the desire to continually expand their knowledge.
Skills are the ‘tools of the trade’ and have to be developed on an ongoing basis. They also need to be specific, because too much time can be wasted over-burdening employees with inappropriate and irrelevant skills without any identifiable plan for their future requirements.
Process brings organisation, efficiency and control – both for the individual and for management. Effective process provides objective analysis and indicators, which can be benchmarked and accurately measured.
Then there is of course a need to build in knowledge and that must include knowledge of products, industry, market sectors, competitors, business, own company and last but not least, self!
Therefore, when measuring my teams, I always ensure that I benchmark against that criteria.
What must an effective sales team appraisal contain? More tomorrow ….
191 reads Original article
About the Author
Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author, consultant, and sales strategist, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is the CEO of Top Sales Associates, Chairman of The jf Corporation and the creator of Top Sales World. Jonathan is based in London and Paris.
http://thecustomercollective.com/jonathanfarrington/45925/why-appraise-sales-team-performance
=================================================================
What MUST An Effective Sales Team Appraisal Contain?
January 4, 2011 by Jonathan Farrington
As I confirmed yesterday, I have always worked with the following formula: Attitude + Skills + Process + Knowledge = Success
Therefore, when measuring my teams, I always ensure that I benchmark against that criteria: A simplified example might look something like this (although I have to admit that my own companies’ measurement system is much more rigorous)
Personal
o Self-organization & planning
o Motivation and attitude
o Ability to work under pressure
o Team playing and interpersonal skills
o Personal presentation
o Communication (oral/written/listening)
o Flexibility
o Initiative
o Performance vs. objectives
Sales
o Account management
o Business development
o Opportunity assessment -qualification
o Negotiation skills
o Presentation skills
o Strategic work
o Pro-activity
o Forecasting
o Achievement of targets
And for those with supervisory responsibilities you could add:
o Delegating authority
o Decision making
o Motivating – i.e. Creating enthusiasm and confidence
o Appraising and assessing
o Selecting and recruiting
o Coaching and developing
o Creativity
o Planning and allocating resource
o Representing
Next you need to implement a grading or scoring system – I use the following:
E – Poor: Definitely below acceptable standards; performance of job requirements is consistently deficient.
D – Fair: Improvement is needed to meet acceptable standards; performance of job requirements is inconsistent.
C – Average: Meets acceptable standards; performance of job requirements is consistent.
B – Good: Above acceptable standards; performance usually exceeds job requirements.
A – Excellent: Outstanding; unquestionably above acceptable standards; performance consistently exceeds job requirements.
In addition I translate these marks into scores, because that provides me with an overall numerical total which is so much easier to use when making comparisons:
I.e. using the above measurement scale: A=5, B=4 etc
In fact, I allow myself further “latitude” by using + or -, which in effect provides me with not five levels of rating but fifteen!
So now I have: E- = 0, E = 1, E+ = 2, all the way up to A+ which is now the equivalent of 14
This makes it so much easier to avoid the two common mistakes in rating i.e: Firstly, a tendency to rate nearly everyone as “average” on every characteristic instead of being more critical in judgement. The evaluator should use the ends of the scale as well as the middle.
Secondly, the “halo effect,” i.e. a tendency to rate the same individual “excellent” on every characteristic or “poor” on every characteristic based on the overall picture one has of the person being evaluated. However, each person has strong and weak points and these should be indicated on the rating scales.
What Else Should An Effective Appraisal Include? Mine Include All Of These:
Performance versus Commercial Targets
Specific Objectives vs. Results Summary
Quarterly Performance Rating
Commercial Targets For The Next Twelve Months
Specific Objectives For The Next Twelve Months
Performance versus Commercial Targets:
In this section, I review performance against all commercial targets for example:
o Revenue achieved.
o Overall gross margin.
o CCT (Customer contact time) as a % of TWT (Total working time).
o New accounts opened.
o Revenue increases from existing accounts.
Specific Objectives vs. Results Summary:
Specific objectives are all those targets that are “non – commercial” for example:
o Increase product knowledge in x areas.
o Profile any key accounts.
o Improve presentation skills.
o Attend a “Key Account Management” course.
o Become more involved with the induction of new recruits
Quarterly Performance Rating:
I have always believed in frequent reviews and as a consequence, I hold QBR (Quarterly Business Review) meetings at the end of each quarter. The scoring system is identical to the annual appraisal and in fact the QBRs provide most of the information and data for the annual session.
Commercial Targets and Specific Objectives for the Next Twelve Months:
A good appraisal should always conclude with agreement from both parties on the targets and objectives for the next twelve months.
These do not have to be set in stone and can be reviewed at the next QBR; however it is essential that every individual buys in to what is expected of them.
Target setting is a vitally important part of a manager’s function because if targets are set too high that will only act as a demotivator: Equally, if they are set too low, typically that is all that will be achieved.
In the same way the high jumper just clears the bar and does not leap a metre over the top, salespeople sell to expectation and have no inclination to burst through targets – unless of course, there is a significant incentive on offer! Although that begs the question of why they were not challenged with a higher target in the first place?
Finally, it is important that the manager uses the occasion to send the apraisee away feeling good about themselves, fully motivated and believing that all of the targets that have been agreed are indeed achievable – a motivational summary works wonders, even if there were areas of concern during the meeting, always focus on the highlights.
706 reads Original article
About the Author
Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author, consultant, and sales strategist, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is the CEO of Top Sales Associates, Chairman of The jf Corporation and the creator of Top Sales World. Jonathan is based in London and Paris.
http://thecustomercollective.com/jonathanfarrington/45992/what-must-effective-sales-team-appraisal-contain
Six Ways to Refuel Your Energy Every Day
Six Ways to Refuel Your Energy Every Day
10:59 AM Monday December 13, 2010
10:59 AM Monday December 13, 2010
Are you working longer hours, attending more meetings, taking shorter vacations, answering more emails and eating lunch at your desk, if you eat lunch at all?
Does demand in your life just keep getting higher, so you're struggling more and more just to keep up? Are you utterly sick of hearing the phrase "do more with less?" Does the word "unsustainable" sound about right?
Human beings aren't meant to operate like computers — at high speeds, continuously, for long periods of time. We're designed to be rhythmic, and to intermittently renew. Here are the six strategies we've found work best:
1. Make sufficient sleep your highest priority.
Far too many of us buy into the myth that one hour less of sleep allows us one more of productivity. In fact, even very small amounts of sleep deprivation significantly undermine capacity for focus, analytic thinking and creativity.
The research is clear: more than 95 per cent of us
require seven to eight hours of sleep in order to be fully rested, and for our brains to optimally embed new learning. Great performers, ranging from musicians to athletes, often get even more than 8 hours.
Two simple strategies can help. The first is to set a specific bedtime and to begin winding down at least 30-45 minutes earlier — avoiding stimulating activities like answering email, and opting instead for more relaxing ones like taking a warm bath, or reading.
The second is to spend a few minutes reviewing what's on your mind before you go to sleep, and then write down anything that's worrying you. What you're doing is effectively parking these concerns so that they don't end up keeping you from falling asleep, or back asleep in the middle of the night.
2. Take a renewal break at least every ninety minutes.
It's now how long you work that determines the value you produce, but rather the energy you bring to whatever hours you work. Likewise, it's not how long you take off that matters most, it's how skillfully you renew.
The first key is to intermittently quiet your physiology. You can dramatically lower your heart rate, your blood pressure and your muscle tension in as little as 30 to 60 second seconds with regular practice.
With your eyes closed, try breathing in through your nose to a count of three, and out through your mouth slowly to a count of six. In this way, you're extending you're recovery. As your body quiets down, your thinking mind will also get quieter and you'll feel more relaxed. For further instruction, go here.
3. Keep a running list of everything — literally everything — that you want or need to do.
The more fully and frequently you download what's on your mind, the less energy you'll squander in fruitless thinking about undone tasks, and the more energy you'll have to be fully present in whatever you're doing.
4. Run up your heart rate or take a nap in the early afternoon.
If your excuse for not exercising regularly is "I don't have time," consider working out during your lunch hour (and yes, you're entitled to one).
There may be no better way to clear the mind, lower anxiety and jump start your energy than by intentionally raising your heart rate into the aerobic or anaerobic zones.
If taking a run or going to a gym is too time consuming, how about taking a brisk 15 to 30 minute walk outside? Or if you're in an office building, how about walking up and down the stairs?
Alternatively, take a 20 to 30 minute nap between 1 and 4 p.m, when most of us feel a wave of fatigue. Researcher Sara Mednick has found that a short nap is not just powerfully restorative, but also prompts significantly higher performance on cognitive tasks in the subsequent several hours, compared to non-nappers.
Few employers sanction naps, but even sitting back in your chair and closing your eyes for a few minutes can be restorative. If you're the boss, get a barcalounger — my own favorite piece of office furniture — and set an example by using it.
5. Practice appreciation — and savoring.
One of the least recognized ways we squander energy is in negative emotions. We're far quicker to notice what's wrong in our lives than what's right.
Look for opportunities to appreciate someone in your life, and share what you're feeling — directly, or in a note. You'll be giving the other person a shot of positive energy, but sharing positive energy will also make you feel better.
Look too for opportunities to appreciate yourself. Take time to savor small victories, give yourself credit where you deserve it, and forgive yourself when you fall short.
6. Develop a transition ritual between work and home.
When we leave the office, many of us carry work with us. The result is that even when we get home, we're still not truly present. Consider establishing a very specific way to disengage from work so you can leave it behind.
The most powerful ritual we've seen clients build is to stop somewhere along the route home, such as a public park, and take a few minutes to let the day go, and to focus on the evening ahead. Turn home back into a place where you're truly getting renewal.
http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2010/12/six-ways-to-refuel-your-energy.html?cm_sp=blog_flyout-_-schwartz-_-six_ways_to_refuel_your_energy
============================================
Kalynn D 1 month ago
Hi, Tony
Thank you for this post. I find it really easy to deprive myself of enough rest to keep me fueled up for the remainder of the day and into the evening. I'm currently in a master's program that combines practical work experience with online course work and it's important that I make time to study and work on assignments ahead of their deadline. This happens, typically half of the time. The other half I'm scrambling to complete my work at 1 or 2 in the morning and then getting up at 6:00 am to head in to my "day job", which is about 1 hour 1/2 away by bus. Procrastination and neglecting to manage my time sensibly, are two my biggest offenses, but I do practice at least a few items on your list: keeping a running list of everything (also known as my daily to-do lists that I keep for work and home), taking time for renewal -- I'm a huge fan of naps and think that they should be mandated in all work places (wishful thinking), and keeping a gratitude list as reminders of the all of the blessings that I've been fortunate enough to receive. Your suggestions for more sleep and a transition ritual between work and home are very useful and exactly what I need to help create a bit more balance in my life.
Cheers.
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Phuongbao99 1 month ago in reply to Kalynn D
Thank you for sharing a great note and thanks all for your add-ins. I defintely need these advices as I have just started undertaking an MBA on top of current work and family. Have tried to practise meditation for just 10 minutes/day which has worked very well for me. I feel I can be more focussed and seem to have more energy. Also agree with having a short nap after lunch, it does push up our energy level for the afternoon. Hope we all will achieve a better work-life balance by practising these tips
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davidlian 1 month ago
Loved the article. Thanks for the sound advice.
Struggling with low energy levels is something I am constantly grappling with. Just to add a personal story: having a short attention span, I struggle at exercise simply because I feel its 30 minutes of "wasted" time. Granted, I've always been a nerd rather than a jock. That's changed since I discovered podcasts, and now I simply make running the treadmill as part of my morning ritual while getting a download of the latest news to my ears. It's basically replaced browsing the newspaper for me.
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Ryan Cheek 1 month ago
Get that 8 hour sleep! R.E.M. baby!
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R Fellow 1 month ago
Excellent suggestions! I am constantly trying to find ways to cope with a schedule where the demands just seem to continually increase. One thing I would add to this list is drinking water .... hydration does a number of great things from increasing energy, to decreasing hunger and the urge to snack. One other benefit though is that adequate hydration will force those every 90 min. breaks for those of us who are likely to forget. ; ) Here's to keeping the balance in unbalanced situations.
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Rick Ross 1 month ago
This list goes beyond six good ideas for individuals. Leaders would be well-advised to encourage these practices as part of their company's culture.
Thanks for the valuable post.
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Susan Smith 3 weeks ago
I am so afraid about myself after reading this post. I don't practice any of this listed tips. Perhaps, it made me realize that I have to start practicing it, to keep myself vital! Thanks for writing this article
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Jan Davis 1 month ago
Great article - thank you! I would add to cut down on sugar.
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notmd 1 month ago
Tony..
One habit that many of my managers have is drinking caffine in some form..soda,coffee etc..This is not just a morning cup..they will have these huge cups/cans that are constantly filled..If I were to ask them in the middle of the day to close their eyes and relax they couldn't do it..when i first started my career ,i also would have multiple cups ..when i discovered later on it was causing my heart to flutter,i cut back..and also took up napping..
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Imtiaz AHMAD 1 month ago
Dear Tony,
Thanks again for these beautiful words. I think, we should not only appreciate ourselves, but also developed a habit of appreciating others( as you said , too). This will create an appreciation culture and leads to a harmonious society, a place where everyone feels rich full of joy and bliss. Human beings are gifted with consciousness , and this should manifest in all aspects of our lives.
Kindest Regards,
Imtiaz
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Steve Atkinson 1 week ago
Great suggestions. How do you do these things? Build them into your schedule. You wouldn't break a scheduled meeting with a client, so don't break a scheduled meeting with yourself.
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Basharat 2 weeks ago
Nice write up , I liked it
I will also add Talk to your teams and if you are happy and passionate with the work you fill joy in it.
That's how I think ...
cheers,
Basharat
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251317439 3 weeks ago
great thanks Tony , and these goleden suggestions really benefit me a great deal and to some extent , I do practise these advices , and they are not just six ones , if we can keep on every day , it gets out of our imagination . I strongly agree with your taking a short nap in the early afternoon , it not only can make us restore but have more energy to continue with our work . And i want to add perseverance as the seventh one , for if we can keep those six advices day by day , we will be much more great .
thanks for sharing again .
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GiveBack 3 weeks ago
I agree. I do all of these; almost religiously (for years). My optional is napping over exercise. Best is that I combined it with an EMBA last year at Richard Ivey and in less than a year since graduating my salary has quadrupled. Now to focus more on how to give back to those that need it most.
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Haris Naved Ahmed 3 weeks ago
Excellent article.
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Andy Dix 1 month ago
Zig Ziglar often tells a story that if one owned a million dollar race horse, would you keep him up half of the night, drinking booze and smoking cigarettes and never allow him to exercise? Of course not. Then why do we do things like that to our one and only billion dollar body?
More caffeine is not our answer.
When my young children do not want to go to bed for fear of missing out on something, I tend to remind them that they need their rest so they can grow.
I do not think we ever outgrow that fatherly advice.
In my book, I talk about the three key elements to a fired up life. 1) Time, 2) Strengths and Gifts and 3) Inspirational source. You cannot be strong when you are tired.
Left unrested, you will leave your possible life untested.
Andy Dix
Author/Motivational Speaker
"Life Matches: Fire Up Your Life!"
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Mike 3 weeks ago in reply to Andy Dix
Why do so many of us live so far from work? the average person could EASILY free up some time each day and reduce their stress levels by living closer to work.
Whats more important? a 4k square foot house in a gated community or a smaller house/condo where you can be emotionally and mentally PRESENT 1-2 more hours a day for your spouse, kids etc
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Lindsay Mack 3 weeks ago in reply to Mike
Mike, so true. I recently switched from a job I loved, but with an hour-plus commute, to one I can walk to. Not only have I added literal hours to my day but I now have a winding down routine and exercise built in to what used to be a stressful, traffic-laden commute.
And, just being outside more has made a shift in my outlook and life satisfaction - even in the rain and cold. We spend way too much time under fluorescent lights, all cooped up in recirculated air with nothing to focus on but the tasks and stressors at hand.
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Kubilay Dösendi 1 month ago
Very good advices according to get into an equlibrium state as a person.
A good way of awoiding Korashi.
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xunbo 1 month ago
8 hours sleep is really far to reach, 7 hours is still hard to promise. Hope I can improve my time table from this article.
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Tony 1 month ago in reply to xunbo
Here's the sad truth: the only way to get more sleep is to go to bed earlier. It's highly unlikely you'll wake up later, since you're already likely getting up at whatever the latest possible time you think is possible for you. Sleep sufficienty and it will make you healthier, happier and more productive -- a great trade for going to bed an hour earlier than you do currently!
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Scott Asai 1 month ago
Sleep, recovery & exercise.
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Mukesh Acharya 1 month ago
Nice post Tony ...
In this hectic environment , if we do at least , what you have mentioned , then it would be great for us .
But above all , if you are not happy by what u r doing , then by implementing all the above will not help you out, and
if you are happy with the work and you fill joy in it , then if you don't do anything , it will not harm you, as the internal body and mind gets their energy from it, to be happy is the first thing , we should practice .
Thats how I think ...
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Prathamesh Shanbhag 1 month ago
Good one!
Liked the point on appreciation to others every single day!
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Jina 1 month ago
Excellent Tips. What most people do is to wait untill they get a wakeup call (exmaple an heart attack). Everybody thinks that it won't happen to them without following any of the preventative mesaures. As you have mentioned enjoy simple things of life (have good sleep, take break before you break, exercise etc.) and things will go well.
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Henna Inam 1 month ago
Hi Tony - Great post. I get energized by #5 in particular. A suggestion for those workplaces where afternoon naps are not yet fashionable...consider breathing deeply for a few minutes. It's been shown to have great benefits in centering us and helping us be more present.
A question for you. A lot of people know what energizes them. Yet they don't follow through. How do you get your clients to follow through?
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Tony 1 month ago in reply to Henna Inam
Henna, We do it by helping them build rituals -- highly specific behaviors they do at precise times so that they become automatic over time and no longer require much conscious will or discipline. And we also do it by helping them to understand that renewal is absolutely critical not just to a healthy, happy life, but also to sustianable high performance!
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Sbolton 1 month ago
Great tips! It's all stuff we know we should be doing...you present it in a manageable way. Thanks!
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Madeline Puckette 1 month ago
Your point #6 is the hardest for me to accomplish considering that I work at work and then work from home to help build a successful online start-up. For me, there is no difference between work time and home time unless I leave my home. Ironic... and a challenge.
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Tony 1 month ago in reply to Madeline Puckette
Madeline,
I strongly suggest that you do leave home to renew/refresh -- take a walk, go get a cup of tea, visit a friend! Cheers, Tony
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Jeremy Spiller 1 month ago
Superb advice. Really, really good and right now I could do with doing some of the things suggested. Excellent. Like the previous poster I tend to forget my own well-being during times of intense work or stress and I need to print this post and pin it up above my desk. Many thanks.
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