Have you ever wondered why the word "pitch" has become the term for selling? The salesperson makes a pitch; the words they use are a pitch; the listener is being pitched. Why is the word "pitch" - loaded with negative feelings and expectations - universally accepted as the term that accurately describes what's happening? At thesaurus.com there are 53 various definitions for the word "pitch." They range from - to set up, to the angle of a slope, to stumbling, to the plunging of the bow of a ship, to helping out.
We don't know about you but these don't have any bearing, at least not any immediately obvious connection, with a high pressure sales talk - which was one entry in the list. In another category "pitch"means a dark, thick, very sticky substance. Maybe this is where the negative connotation for "a sales pitch" comes from. You can't get the stuff off.
Think about a time you felt like you were being pitched. Just writing this last sentence brings back a rush of sense memories of what it felt like. Barraged. Unseen. Lied to - even if what the sales guy was saying was the total truth. It felt like a lie. Why?
Because his intention was inauthentic. He kept telling us how much he wanted to help, but whenever we had a question, instead of taking an interest in our concern, he'd answer by telling us about some feature of his product and just what it was going to do for us. And, of course, when we said we wanted to wait, he pulled out the old scarcity tactic. He could only offer me the "special price" if we acted immediately - i.e. accept his offer now.
Do you really believe that if we walked out and returned the next day, check in hand, he would say - "No. No. Sorry. That price was good only yesterday?"
As far as we see it, a pitch is when you get everything thrown at you for the explicit purpose of the salesperson getting your check right then and there. It is a scarcity, failure mentality that operates on desperation, and works to make you, the buyer, desperate as well.
In contrast, bring to mind an instance when a salesperson genuinely helped you to accomplish what you set out to do. What was that like? One thing sure - it wasn't a pitch.
And if the salesperson was really artful - yes, there is a genuine and sincere art to helping someone make a decision to buy - what he or she did was more of a presentation with your best interest at heart. Heart. Not Mind. Heart. A connection. An emotional connection, because, as we said in our last post - "The Truth about Emotions - A Soft Sell Confirmation!" -
The heart is an evaluation center, based in feeling. It's the center of connection, emotional connection. Heart-based marketing is emotion-based marketing. You can collect a mountain of facts and statistics about your product, and you need to, so you can assure your customer you know what you're talking about, but then your customer must still leap to faith. That leap is a leap of the heart . . . a leap based in emotional evaluation
How best can you help your customer make that leap of faith? One way is to make a presentation instead of a pitch. Because, again according to thesarus.com, here's what "to present" means and what it feels like: To furnish or endow with a gift; to offer, or give; to introduce; to show or exhibit; to offer for consideration.
How do you feel reading this last line? Gift. Offer. Introduce. Consideration. Doesn't it feel like you're actually being included in the presentation with your best interest at heart? And doesn't it make the prospect of offering something for sale more attractive?
The very best sales people, the artists, do just that. They know they have the responsibility of leading the customer to a buying decision, so, by making a presentation, they set up a buying environment instead of a selling one. They go into a partnership with their customer instead of seeing the transaction as a one-way street - from your wallet to theirs.
Remember, your customer is a person who has a life filled with hopes, fears, dreams, expectations, disappointments, and, just like you, they are entrusted with making their life as meaningful and as fulfilling as they can.
If your offer - your presentation - can facilitate and support their trust, you not only make a sale, you can make a long-term customer, someone who returns to you, because, with you, they know that the benefits they receive always reach well beyond just a product-for-money transaction.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The Truth About Emotions - A Soft Sell Confirmation
Antonio Damasio, a world renowned neuro-scientist, argues that we use emotion to assign value to people, things, and events. And it is as a result of assigning value that we make decisions. Emotion first, reason second. Sound familiar? It should.
There's an old adage that's taken as gospel by marketers of all stripes. People buy emotionally and justify logically. In other words, heart first, head second.
So why do we say this is a Soft Sell Confirmation? Because soft sell is heart-based - not in a sentimental, gushy way - like a drunk who hangs all over you telling how much you are loved, emotions pouring out all over the place. That exhibits a lack of emotional value because it's not considered. And very often, once the hangover has subsided, not even remembered.
Soft sell, and the purchase that follows, is very considered, but considered upon a valuation based in emotion. Typically, we learned that decision making is a rational process.
For example, you make a list of the expected positive outcomes and balance that against a list of possible negative repercussions and, on the basis of that risk-reward assessment, you make a choice and go forward. But that's a leap to faith!
Why? Because reason, by its very nature, has no final authority. Using reason you can always create a logical, even compelling argument for the opposite of any choice you make.
So there you are, standing on the "ground" of a very logically developed point of view. But how can you be sure that the choice you've rationally made is ultimately the right choice? That fact is you can't . . . not with reason alone . . . because reason can't assign value, it can only be used to support the value you already feel. You stand on a mountain of facts and then leap to faith. And faith is a value choice grounded in emotion.
So what does this have to do with soft sell marketing?
1) Soft sell is about creating and maintaining relationships and real relationships are not static. They are living, and dynamic, and evolving. They are sustained through the feeling(s) between the people involved.
You've seen emotionally empty relationships. They are hollow, creaky, and surely not rewarding. They've dried up.
Your success as a soft sell marketer is to keep your relationships with your customers/clients as rich, moist, and fertile as you can. That requires sincerity, authenticity, and emotional availability.
Don't be afraid to let your customers feel you - not just know you but feel you. Let them into your life. Telling your story is one way to open that door.
2) You've heard people say, "Trust your gut." Your gut really does have a brain that feeds information to the brain in your cranium.
And so does your heart.
According to seventeenth century French philosopher Blaise Pascal - "The heart has its ways of reasoning of which reason has no knowledge." And according to recent research, there is a "heart brain" - an elaborate processing system that acts independently of the cranial brain. It has it's own way of learning, remembering, feeling and sensing.
So.. "Trust your heart." The heart is an evaluation center, based in feeling. It's the center of connection, emotional connection. Heart-based marketing is emotion-based marketing, followed by logical proof. You can collect a mountain of facts and statistics about your product, and you need to, so you can assure your customer you know what you're talking about, but then your customer must still leap to faith.
There's an old adage that's taken as gospel by marketers of all stripes. People buy emotionally and justify logically. In other words, heart first, head second.
So why do we say this is a Soft Sell Confirmation? Because soft sell is heart-based - not in a sentimental, gushy way - like a drunk who hangs all over you telling how much you are loved, emotions pouring out all over the place. That exhibits a lack of emotional value because it's not considered. And very often, once the hangover has subsided, not even remembered.
Soft sell, and the purchase that follows, is very considered, but considered upon a valuation based in emotion. Typically, we learned that decision making is a rational process.
For example, you make a list of the expected positive outcomes and balance that against a list of possible negative repercussions and, on the basis of that risk-reward assessment, you make a choice and go forward. But that's a leap to faith!
Why? Because reason, by its very nature, has no final authority. Using reason you can always create a logical, even compelling argument for the opposite of any choice you make.
So there you are, standing on the "ground" of a very logically developed point of view. But how can you be sure that the choice you've rationally made is ultimately the right choice? That fact is you can't . . . not with reason alone . . . because reason can't assign value, it can only be used to support the value you already feel. You stand on a mountain of facts and then leap to faith. And faith is a value choice grounded in emotion.
So what does this have to do with soft sell marketing?
1) Soft sell is about creating and maintaining relationships and real relationships are not static. They are living, and dynamic, and evolving. They are sustained through the feeling(s) between the people involved.
You've seen emotionally empty relationships. They are hollow, creaky, and surely not rewarding. They've dried up.
Your success as a soft sell marketer is to keep your relationships with your customers/clients as rich, moist, and fertile as you can. That requires sincerity, authenticity, and emotional availability.
Don't be afraid to let your customers feel you - not just know you but feel you. Let them into your life. Telling your story is one way to open that door.
2) You've heard people say, "Trust your gut." Your gut really does have a brain that feeds information to the brain in your cranium.
And so does your heart.
According to seventeenth century French philosopher Blaise Pascal - "The heart has its ways of reasoning of which reason has no knowledge." And according to recent research, there is a "heart brain" - an elaborate processing system that acts independently of the cranial brain. It has it's own way of learning, remembering, feeling and sensing.
So.. "Trust your heart." The heart is an evaluation center, based in feeling. It's the center of connection, emotional connection. Heart-based marketing is emotion-based marketing, followed by logical proof. You can collect a mountain of facts and statistics about your product, and you need to, so you can assure your customer you know what you're talking about, but then your customer must still leap to faith.
To Pitch or Present?
Have you ever wondered why the word "pitch" has become the term for selling? The salesperson makes a pitch; the words they use are a pitch; the listener is being pitched. Why is the word "pitch" - loaded with negative feelings and expectations - universally accepted as the term that accurately describes what's happening? At thesaurus.com there are 53 various definitions for the word "pitch." They range from - to set up, to the angle of a slope, to stumbling, to the plunging of the bow of a ship, to helping out.
We don't know about you but these don't have any bearing, at least not any immediately obvious connection, with a high pressure sales talk - which was one entry in the list. In another category "pitch"means a dark, thick, very sticky substance. Maybe this is where the negative connotation for "a sales pitch" comes from. You can't get the stuff off.
Think about a time you felt like you were being pitched. Just writing this last sentence brings back a rush of sense memories of what it felt like. Barraged. Unseen. Lied to - even if what the sales guy was saying was the total truth. It felt like a lie. Why?
Because his intention was inauthentic. He kept telling us how much he wanted to help, but whenever we had a question, instead of taking an interest in our concern, he'd answer by telling us about some feature of his product and just what it was going to do for us. And, of course, when we said we wanted to wait, he pulled out the old scarcity tactic. He could only offer me the "special price" if we acted immediately - i.e. accept his offer now.
Do you really believe that if we walked out and returned the next day, check in hand, he would say - "No. No. Sorry. That price was good only yesterday?"
As far as we see it, a pitch is when you get everything thrown at you for the explicit purpose of the salesperson getting your check right then and there. It is a scarcity, failure mentality that operates on desperation, and works to make you, the buyer, desperate as well.
In contrast, bring to mind an instance when a salesperson genuinely helped you to accomplish what you set out to do. What was that like? One thing sure - it wasn't a pitch.
And if the salesperson was really artful - yes, there is a genuine and sincere art to helping someone make a decision to buy - what he or she did was more of a presentation with your best interest at heart. Heart. Not Mind. Heart. A connection. An emotional connection, because, as we said in our last post - "The Truth about Emotions - A Soft Sell Confirmation!" -
The heart is an evaluation center, based in feeling. It's the center of connection, emotional connection. Heart-based marketing is emotion-based marketing. You can collect a mountain of facts and statistics about your product, and you need to, so you can assure your customer you know what you're talking about, but then your customer must still leap to faith. That leap is a leap of the heart . . . a leap based in emotional evaluation
How best can you help your customer make that leap of faith? One way is to make a presentation instead of a pitch. Because, again according to thesarus.com, here's what "to present" means and what it feels like: To furnish or endow with a gift; to offer, or give; to introduce; to show or exhibit; to offer for consideration.
How do you feel reading this last line? Gift. Offer. Introduce. Consideration. Doesn't it feel like you're actually being included in the presentation with your best interest at heart? And doesn't it make the prospect of offering something for sale more attractive?
The very best sales people, the artists, do just that. They know they have the responsibility of leading the customer to a buying decision, so, by making a presentation, they set up a buying environment instead of a selling one. They go into a partnership with their customer instead of seeing the transaction as a one-way street - from your wallet to theirs.
Remember, your customer is a person who has a life filled with hopes, fears, dreams, expectations, disappointments, and, just like you, they are entrusted with making their life as meaningful and as fulfilling as they can.
If your offer - your presentation - can facilitate and support their trust, you not only make a sale, you can make a long-term customer, someone who returns to you, because, with you, they know that the benefits they receive always reach well beyond just a product-for-money transaction.
We don't know about you but these don't have any bearing, at least not any immediately obvious connection, with a high pressure sales talk - which was one entry in the list. In another category "pitch"means a dark, thick, very sticky substance. Maybe this is where the negative connotation for "a sales pitch" comes from. You can't get the stuff off.
Think about a time you felt like you were being pitched. Just writing this last sentence brings back a rush of sense memories of what it felt like. Barraged. Unseen. Lied to - even if what the sales guy was saying was the total truth. It felt like a lie. Why?
Because his intention was inauthentic. He kept telling us how much he wanted to help, but whenever we had a question, instead of taking an interest in our concern, he'd answer by telling us about some feature of his product and just what it was going to do for us. And, of course, when we said we wanted to wait, he pulled out the old scarcity tactic. He could only offer me the "special price" if we acted immediately - i.e. accept his offer now.
Do you really believe that if we walked out and returned the next day, check in hand, he would say - "No. No. Sorry. That price was good only yesterday?"
As far as we see it, a pitch is when you get everything thrown at you for the explicit purpose of the salesperson getting your check right then and there. It is a scarcity, failure mentality that operates on desperation, and works to make you, the buyer, desperate as well.
In contrast, bring to mind an instance when a salesperson genuinely helped you to accomplish what you set out to do. What was that like? One thing sure - it wasn't a pitch.
And if the salesperson was really artful - yes, there is a genuine and sincere art to helping someone make a decision to buy - what he or she did was more of a presentation with your best interest at heart. Heart. Not Mind. Heart. A connection. An emotional connection, because, as we said in our last post - "The Truth about Emotions - A Soft Sell Confirmation!" -
The heart is an evaluation center, based in feeling. It's the center of connection, emotional connection. Heart-based marketing is emotion-based marketing. You can collect a mountain of facts and statistics about your product, and you need to, so you can assure your customer you know what you're talking about, but then your customer must still leap to faith. That leap is a leap of the heart . . . a leap based in emotional evaluation
How best can you help your customer make that leap of faith? One way is to make a presentation instead of a pitch. Because, again according to thesarus.com, here's what "to present" means and what it feels like: To furnish or endow with a gift; to offer, or give; to introduce; to show or exhibit; to offer for consideration.
How do you feel reading this last line? Gift. Offer. Introduce. Consideration. Doesn't it feel like you're actually being included in the presentation with your best interest at heart? And doesn't it make the prospect of offering something for sale more attractive?
The very best sales people, the artists, do just that. They know they have the responsibility of leading the customer to a buying decision, so, by making a presentation, they set up a buying environment instead of a selling one. They go into a partnership with their customer instead of seeing the transaction as a one-way street - from your wallet to theirs.
Remember, your customer is a person who has a life filled with hopes, fears, dreams, expectations, disappointments, and, just like you, they are entrusted with making their life as meaningful and as fulfilling as they can.
If your offer - your presentation - can facilitate and support their trust, you not only make a sale, you can make a long-term customer, someone who returns to you, because, with you, they know that the benefits they receive always reach well beyond just a product-for-money transaction.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Leading By Listening And Communication
It seems it is a daily occurrence that people fail to communicate properly at work or home. Most places communication problems breed from ignorant managers, mentors, supervisors and mid-level directors. Credibility goes right out the window when lack of knowledge is exposed by subordinates. The result is a weak comprehension level of productivity from workers.
Listening is as important as speaking or sending a message. Communication involves sending and receiving ideas thoughts and feelings from one person to another person or more. The message is sent in a manner that the sender wants the recipient to hear or receive the meaning in the message. It is up to us to listen and interpret this meaning. If you can't pay attention to detail the indented message is lost.
There are many communication models that can be used and applied in the daily workplace. These models show problems in communication. Most problems start with listening. With communications these models identify listening most important over speaking and sending messages to the receiver. Speakers and receivers both need to listen.
A normal standard with communication models show people filter, identify, and attach meaning and importance to what they are listening to based on their personal interpretation, previous life experiences and relationships with peers. Responses from the communication message come from thoughts extracted from ones mind within milliseconds.
How many times have you experienced the feeling that someone was crazy or boring? It's fair to say this happens on a daily basis. We all know that the world revolves around meetings in the workplace. These are a norm in the office. The intent of meetings is to discuss and brief peers on goals. Everyone knows this isn't always the case. Most of the time nobody really cares and there aren't relevant details about the meeting or goals and standards. So the meeting veers to another direction usually with someone enjoying the sound of their own voice while everyone else is board to tears. Either way we are experiencing a filtration process and rejection of the messages in the meeting being sent.
Surely you have been to a meeting with a long-winded announcement to impress all the attendees. A long introduction soon turns into a boring ignored message by the listeners. But there are many non-verbal messages if the receiver is truly paying attention to detail. Listen with compassion, doing so can help you to relax and keep you patient. Rushing the message can end up rude and take the message in a new unproductive direction.
Listening is can be developed into a powerful skill. Messages are received and filtered based on our own unique thinking process. Our brain interprets the messages based on experiences and other cues, non-verbal, tones and suggestive expressions.
The ability to interpret the message, allows us to determine our responses. It is critical to pay attention to details in the message instead of filtering out too much and missing the true meaning of the message. Listening is a crucial active part in the communication cycle. Body language is the unvoiced communication component the shows volumes of communication for anyone to understand. It's definitely something to pay attention to. Body language is the "spark" of the messages. The more attention one places on the nonverbal such as body language, the more you can be aware of the true meaning of the message.
Listening must be an action by all receivers. There are many barriers that can interrupt or degrade the intended message. Some of these barriers especially external environment sounds, lack of sleep or drowsiness, can hinder this process. Language barriers are a common issue with continental and global communication. It's common knowledge that The English is the standard or international language. The Problem exists is the U.S. Why? Well most countries provide English studies to students. Europeans are known for their ability to speak multiple languages. While they are learning our language are we learning theirs? This surely causes huge language barriers. It seems the US is behind the language curve.
Take control of your listening environment. Establishing a safe, neutral place to hold meetings high importance it should be a common practice to secure the environment. Close doors, and windows, turn off fans and radios. Place signs outside the conference room to let others know to be curious.
Concentration is another variable in the listening equation. Focusing on the main idea, and reading between the lines can make or break a message. Mentally summarize the message in an orderly, realistic manner. Do not judge the message before you understand its meaning. This way you will not react to a message in an unnecessary manner.
Listening is as important as speaking or sending a message. Communication involves sending and receiving ideas thoughts and feelings from one person to another person or more. The message is sent in a manner that the sender wants the recipient to hear or receive the meaning in the message. It is up to us to listen and interpret this meaning. If you can't pay attention to detail the indented message is lost.
There are many communication models that can be used and applied in the daily workplace. These models show problems in communication. Most problems start with listening. With communications these models identify listening most important over speaking and sending messages to the receiver. Speakers and receivers both need to listen.
A normal standard with communication models show people filter, identify, and attach meaning and importance to what they are listening to based on their personal interpretation, previous life experiences and relationships with peers. Responses from the communication message come from thoughts extracted from ones mind within milliseconds.
How many times have you experienced the feeling that someone was crazy or boring? It's fair to say this happens on a daily basis. We all know that the world revolves around meetings in the workplace. These are a norm in the office. The intent of meetings is to discuss and brief peers on goals. Everyone knows this isn't always the case. Most of the time nobody really cares and there aren't relevant details about the meeting or goals and standards. So the meeting veers to another direction usually with someone enjoying the sound of their own voice while everyone else is board to tears. Either way we are experiencing a filtration process and rejection of the messages in the meeting being sent.
Surely you have been to a meeting with a long-winded announcement to impress all the attendees. A long introduction soon turns into a boring ignored message by the listeners. But there are many non-verbal messages if the receiver is truly paying attention to detail. Listen with compassion, doing so can help you to relax and keep you patient. Rushing the message can end up rude and take the message in a new unproductive direction.
Listening is can be developed into a powerful skill. Messages are received and filtered based on our own unique thinking process. Our brain interprets the messages based on experiences and other cues, non-verbal, tones and suggestive expressions.
The ability to interpret the message, allows us to determine our responses. It is critical to pay attention to details in the message instead of filtering out too much and missing the true meaning of the message. Listening is a crucial active part in the communication cycle. Body language is the unvoiced communication component the shows volumes of communication for anyone to understand. It's definitely something to pay attention to. Body language is the "spark" of the messages. The more attention one places on the nonverbal such as body language, the more you can be aware of the true meaning of the message.
Listening must be an action by all receivers. There are many barriers that can interrupt or degrade the intended message. Some of these barriers especially external environment sounds, lack of sleep or drowsiness, can hinder this process. Language barriers are a common issue with continental and global communication. It's common knowledge that The English is the standard or international language. The Problem exists is the U.S. Why? Well most countries provide English studies to students. Europeans are known for their ability to speak multiple languages. While they are learning our language are we learning theirs? This surely causes huge language barriers. It seems the US is behind the language curve.
Take control of your listening environment. Establishing a safe, neutral place to hold meetings high importance it should be a common practice to secure the environment. Close doors, and windows, turn off fans and radios. Place signs outside the conference room to let others know to be curious.
Concentration is another variable in the listening equation. Focusing on the main idea, and reading between the lines can make or break a message. Mentally summarize the message in an orderly, realistic manner. Do not judge the message before you understand its meaning. This way you will not react to a message in an unnecessary manner.
Effective Managers Stand Up and Go First
I recently conducted an ad hoc survey in which I asked a number of salespeople what they thought about the managers in their company. While many said they like their immediate manager, and other managers in the firm, they reported that, in general, all managers are too busy doing other things (selling, administrating, reading reports), and do not take the act of managing (developing people) seriously.
The replies were not encouraging; those who work in large companies were particularly harsh in their criticism. The survey respondents craved a culture of accountability, in which managers who proclaim their commitments to standards of excellence and mission statements follow through on their pledges.
If you want others to perform their roles at a higher level, you must ensure that they know and believe that you accept the responsibility to perform your managerial tasks and duties effectively.
Here are four powerful ideas that could help you radically improve your and your team's performance (and revenue generation) in the coming year:
1. Create a questionnaire
Examine the following statements, one by one, from your salespeople's point of view. Do you consider each of these principles of good management an important part of your role?
As a manager, you:
* Act and live by the principles you advocate
* Act as a role model that people want to copy
* Are a person of integrity
* Enforce the company values
* Are 'part of the team' as opposed to a detached boss
* Motivate your people to stretch to meet performance goals
* Are concerned about long-term issues, not just short-term profits
* Provide timely, balanced feedback that helps your people improve their performance
* Are a source of creative ideas
* Help your people grow and develop
* Have regularly scheduled, one-on-one meetings, with each of your people every two weeks
* Make your people feel that they are members of a well-functioning team
* Emphasize cooperation rather than competition between work groups
* Are prompt in dealing with underperformance
* Arrive on time for meetings, and expect others to be prompt
* Keep your people informed about things they need to know to perform their jobs properly
* Encourage your team to initiate tasks or projects
* Are more often encouraging than critical
* Are fair in dealing with all employees
* Consult others when making decisions
* Run interesting, results-oriented meetings
* Act more like a coach than a boss
* Are publicly generous with credit
* Are an excellent listener
* Ask thoughtful, curious questions
Examine your priorities seriously ... and slowly. Carefully think through which of these principles could really help you make a difference, and how effectively you currently practice them.
Then check your assessment against the opinion of the people with whom you work. Create a questionnaire on which people can rate you from 1 to 5 on how well you deliver on your management goals.
2. Circulate the questionnaire
Give the questionnaire to everyone you deal with in your organization. Have a third-party (can be someone internal) tabulate the results and calculate an average rating.
3. Publish the average ratings
Circulate the combined ratings to everyone who filled out the questionnaire.
4. Call a meeting of those you manage and give the following speech
"I have sent you a copy of your current collective assessment of my managerial performance. We will repeat this survey a year from now. Meanwhile, I promise to get better at the management priorities for which I am responsible. Don't expect me to be perfect. Perfection is not a standard you can hold me to, and it's not a standard I expect from you."
"But here is my commitment to you. If I have not improved in my management performance over the next year as identified in these priorities, then I will step down as manager of this group and I will find you a new one."
"You have a right to expect that I will get better at the tasks and duties that are my responsibility. And I have a right to expect the same from you."
Transparency and accountability go together and create tremendous trust in an organization. Good luck with this!
Nicki Weiss is an internationally recognized Certified Professional Coach, Master Trainer, and workshop leader. She brings to her work 25 years of experience with corporate sales executives, small-to-medium size entrepreneurial business leaders, and sales teams of all shapes and sizes.
The replies were not encouraging; those who work in large companies were particularly harsh in their criticism. The survey respondents craved a culture of accountability, in which managers who proclaim their commitments to standards of excellence and mission statements follow through on their pledges.
If you want others to perform their roles at a higher level, you must ensure that they know and believe that you accept the responsibility to perform your managerial tasks and duties effectively.
Here are four powerful ideas that could help you radically improve your and your team's performance (and revenue generation) in the coming year:
1. Create a questionnaire
Examine the following statements, one by one, from your salespeople's point of view. Do you consider each of these principles of good management an important part of your role?
As a manager, you:
* Act and live by the principles you advocate
* Act as a role model that people want to copy
* Are a person of integrity
* Enforce the company values
* Are 'part of the team' as opposed to a detached boss
* Motivate your people to stretch to meet performance goals
* Are concerned about long-term issues, not just short-term profits
* Provide timely, balanced feedback that helps your people improve their performance
* Are a source of creative ideas
* Help your people grow and develop
* Have regularly scheduled, one-on-one meetings, with each of your people every two weeks
* Make your people feel that they are members of a well-functioning team
* Emphasize cooperation rather than competition between work groups
* Are prompt in dealing with underperformance
* Arrive on time for meetings, and expect others to be prompt
* Keep your people informed about things they need to know to perform their jobs properly
* Encourage your team to initiate tasks or projects
* Are more often encouraging than critical
* Are fair in dealing with all employees
* Consult others when making decisions
* Run interesting, results-oriented meetings
* Act more like a coach than a boss
* Are publicly generous with credit
* Are an excellent listener
* Ask thoughtful, curious questions
Examine your priorities seriously ... and slowly. Carefully think through which of these principles could really help you make a difference, and how effectively you currently practice them.
Then check your assessment against the opinion of the people with whom you work. Create a questionnaire on which people can rate you from 1 to 5 on how well you deliver on your management goals.
2. Circulate the questionnaire
Give the questionnaire to everyone you deal with in your organization. Have a third-party (can be someone internal) tabulate the results and calculate an average rating.
3. Publish the average ratings
Circulate the combined ratings to everyone who filled out the questionnaire.
4. Call a meeting of those you manage and give the following speech
"I have sent you a copy of your current collective assessment of my managerial performance. We will repeat this survey a year from now. Meanwhile, I promise to get better at the management priorities for which I am responsible. Don't expect me to be perfect. Perfection is not a standard you can hold me to, and it's not a standard I expect from you."
"But here is my commitment to you. If I have not improved in my management performance over the next year as identified in these priorities, then I will step down as manager of this group and I will find you a new one."
"You have a right to expect that I will get better at the tasks and duties that are my responsibility. And I have a right to expect the same from you."
Transparency and accountability go together and create tremendous trust in an organization. Good luck with this!
Nicki Weiss is an internationally recognized Certified Professional Coach, Master Trainer, and workshop leader. She brings to her work 25 years of experience with corporate sales executives, small-to-medium size entrepreneurial business leaders, and sales teams of all shapes and sizes.
Hiring & Retaining Great Sales People
When companies are looking to hire new sales people for their organization, most concentrate on hiring the person with the most experience or with a solid history of sales success. As a sales recruiter, our job is to find the best business development, account manager or sales rep for companies. However, many companies are not prepared to make even the best sales person successful once they begin their new sales job.
Many company specific factors go into making sales people successful. Companies who have had a hard time retaining top sales talent usually have a few things in common:
1) A well designed Sales Compensation Plan
2) Ongoing Product and Sales Training
3) Coaching, Mentoring and ongoing support from their Sales Manager
Sales Compensation Plan
From our experience, most small and medium sized businesses do not have a well designed sales compensation plan. We find the plan either too generous for the sales person or too generous for the employer. Either way, if the compensation plan is not set up properly, either your business will suffer or you will not be able to retain good sales people. As a rule of thumb, you should not pay your salespeople more than 20% of gross profit. Any more than that and your business is paying too much.
Ongoing Product & Sales Training
Having worked for and with many large companies and it never ceases to amaze me how during training 90% of the time is allocated to the product. Sales training and the process of how to sell a particular product is usually a small component in corporate training sessions. While product knowledge is important, it is irrelevant if your people do not know how to sell its features and benefits. Invest in ongoing product and sales training to ensure your sales people have up to date knowledge on new products and services and so they have the sales skills to sell it!
Coaching & Mentoring
Hiring a salesperson is a big commitment of time, energy and money. Making a hiring mistake with a sales rep can be costly on all fronts, not to mention opportunity cost, damage to key accounts and missed opportunities. We talk to dozens of sales people on a daily basis and one of the main reasons sales people leave their job is lack of support, coaching and mentoring from their sales manager.
Ensure your sales managers are equipped with the skills to effectively coach and mentor your sales people. Most sales managers are promoted because they were the top sales rep and do not necessarily possess the skills needed to be a coach and mentor. Invest in sales management training for your sales managers to ensure their skills are up to the challenge.
The important thing to remember is that finding a great sales person is only half the battle. You need to invest in their selling skills, product knowledge and their sales managers to ensure you have sales people that are successful and stay with your organization for years to come.
Many company specific factors go into making sales people successful. Companies who have had a hard time retaining top sales talent usually have a few things in common:
1) A well designed Sales Compensation Plan
2) Ongoing Product and Sales Training
3) Coaching, Mentoring and ongoing support from their Sales Manager
Sales Compensation Plan
From our experience, most small and medium sized businesses do not have a well designed sales compensation plan. We find the plan either too generous for the sales person or too generous for the employer. Either way, if the compensation plan is not set up properly, either your business will suffer or you will not be able to retain good sales people. As a rule of thumb, you should not pay your salespeople more than 20% of gross profit. Any more than that and your business is paying too much.
Ongoing Product & Sales Training
Having worked for and with many large companies and it never ceases to amaze me how during training 90% of the time is allocated to the product. Sales training and the process of how to sell a particular product is usually a small component in corporate training sessions. While product knowledge is important, it is irrelevant if your people do not know how to sell its features and benefits. Invest in ongoing product and sales training to ensure your sales people have up to date knowledge on new products and services and so they have the sales skills to sell it!
Coaching & Mentoring
Hiring a salesperson is a big commitment of time, energy and money. Making a hiring mistake with a sales rep can be costly on all fronts, not to mention opportunity cost, damage to key accounts and missed opportunities. We talk to dozens of sales people on a daily basis and one of the main reasons sales people leave their job is lack of support, coaching and mentoring from their sales manager.
Ensure your sales managers are equipped with the skills to effectively coach and mentor your sales people. Most sales managers are promoted because they were the top sales rep and do not necessarily possess the skills needed to be a coach and mentor. Invest in sales management training for your sales managers to ensure their skills are up to the challenge.
The important thing to remember is that finding a great sales person is only half the battle. You need to invest in their selling skills, product knowledge and their sales managers to ensure you have sales people that are successful and stay with your organization for years to come.
Leading By Listening And Communication
It seems it is a daily occurrence that people fail to communicate properly at work or home. Most places communication problems breed from ignorant managers, mentors, supervisors and mid-level directors. Credibility goes right out the window when lack of knowledge is exposed by subordinates. The result is a weak comprehension level of productivity from workers.
Listening is as important as speaking or sending a message. Communication involves sending and receiving ideas thoughts and feelings from one person to another person or more. The message is sent in a manner that the sender wants the recipient to hear or receive the meaning in the message. It is up to us to listen and interpret this meaning. If you can't pay attention to detail the indented message is lost.
There are many communication models that can be used and applied in the daily workplace. These models show problems in communication. Most problems start with listening. With communications these models identify listening most important over speaking and sending messages to the receiver. Speakers and receivers both need to listen.
A normal standard with communication models show people filter, identify, and attach meaning and importance to what they are listening to based on their personal interpretation, previous life experiences and relationships with peers. Responses from the communication message come from thoughts extracted from ones mind within milliseconds.
How many times have you experienced the feeling that someone was crazy or boring? It's fair to say this happens on a daily basis. We all know that the world revolves around meetings in the workplace. These are a norm in the office. The intent of meetings is to discuss and brief peers on goals. Everyone knows this isn't always the case. Most of the time nobody really cares and there aren't relevant details about the meeting or goals and standards. So the meeting veers to another direction usually with someone enjoying the sound of their own voice while everyone else is board to tears. Either way we are experiencing a filtration process and rejection of the messages in the meeting being sent.
Surely you have been to a meeting with a long-winded announcement to impress all the attendees. A long introduction soon turns into a boring ignored message by the listeners. But there are many non-verbal messages if the receiver is truly paying attention to detail. Listen with compassion, doing so can help you to relax and keep you patient. Rushing the message can end up rude and take the message in a new unproductive direction.
Listening is can be developed into a powerful skill. Messages are received and filtered based on our own unique thinking process. Our brain interprets the messages based on experiences and other cues, non-verbal, tones and suggestive expressions.
The ability to interpret the message, allows us to determine our responses. It is critical to pay attention to details in the message instead of filtering out too much and missing the true meaning of the message. Listening is a crucial active part in the communication cycle. Body language is the unvoiced communication component the shows volumes of communication for anyone to understand. It's definitely something to pay attention to. Body language is the "spark" of the messages. The more attention one places on the nonverbal such as body language, the more you can be aware of the true meaning of the message.
Listening must be an action by all receivers. There are many barriers that can interrupt or degrade the intended message. Some of these barriers especially external environment sounds, lack of sleep or drowsiness, can hinder this process. Language barriers are a common issue with continental and global communication. It's common knowledge that The English is the standard or international language. The Problem exists is the U.S. Why? Well most countries provide English studies to students. Europeans are known for their ability to speak multiple languages. While they are learning our language are we learning theirs? This surely causes huge language barriers. It seems the US is behind the language curve.
Take control of your listening environment. Establishing a safe, neutral place to hold meetings high importance it should be a common practice to secure the environment. Close doors, and windows, turn off fans and radios. Place signs outside the conference room to let others know to be curious.
Concentration is another variable in the listening equation. Focusing on the main idea, and reading between the lines can make or break a message. Mentally summarize the message in an orderly, realistic manner. Do not judge the message before you understand its meaning. This way you will not react to a message in an unnecessary manner.
Everyone has two ears and a mouth; it's up to us to use them properly. Listening is an active part of the communication process. By paying attention to the details such as body language and sound pitch in the voice of the speaker we can identify and grasp the meaning behind the message. The result will be a positive outcome from the communication process.
Listening is as important as speaking or sending a message. Communication involves sending and receiving ideas thoughts and feelings from one person to another person or more. The message is sent in a manner that the sender wants the recipient to hear or receive the meaning in the message. It is up to us to listen and interpret this meaning. If you can't pay attention to detail the indented message is lost.
There are many communication models that can be used and applied in the daily workplace. These models show problems in communication. Most problems start with listening. With communications these models identify listening most important over speaking and sending messages to the receiver. Speakers and receivers both need to listen.
A normal standard with communication models show people filter, identify, and attach meaning and importance to what they are listening to based on their personal interpretation, previous life experiences and relationships with peers. Responses from the communication message come from thoughts extracted from ones mind within milliseconds.
How many times have you experienced the feeling that someone was crazy or boring? It's fair to say this happens on a daily basis. We all know that the world revolves around meetings in the workplace. These are a norm in the office. The intent of meetings is to discuss and brief peers on goals. Everyone knows this isn't always the case. Most of the time nobody really cares and there aren't relevant details about the meeting or goals and standards. So the meeting veers to another direction usually with someone enjoying the sound of their own voice while everyone else is board to tears. Either way we are experiencing a filtration process and rejection of the messages in the meeting being sent.
Surely you have been to a meeting with a long-winded announcement to impress all the attendees. A long introduction soon turns into a boring ignored message by the listeners. But there are many non-verbal messages if the receiver is truly paying attention to detail. Listen with compassion, doing so can help you to relax and keep you patient. Rushing the message can end up rude and take the message in a new unproductive direction.
Listening is can be developed into a powerful skill. Messages are received and filtered based on our own unique thinking process. Our brain interprets the messages based on experiences and other cues, non-verbal, tones and suggestive expressions.
The ability to interpret the message, allows us to determine our responses. It is critical to pay attention to details in the message instead of filtering out too much and missing the true meaning of the message. Listening is a crucial active part in the communication cycle. Body language is the unvoiced communication component the shows volumes of communication for anyone to understand. It's definitely something to pay attention to. Body language is the "spark" of the messages. The more attention one places on the nonverbal such as body language, the more you can be aware of the true meaning of the message.
Listening must be an action by all receivers. There are many barriers that can interrupt or degrade the intended message. Some of these barriers especially external environment sounds, lack of sleep or drowsiness, can hinder this process. Language barriers are a common issue with continental and global communication. It's common knowledge that The English is the standard or international language. The Problem exists is the U.S. Why? Well most countries provide English studies to students. Europeans are known for their ability to speak multiple languages. While they are learning our language are we learning theirs? This surely causes huge language barriers. It seems the US is behind the language curve.
Take control of your listening environment. Establishing a safe, neutral place to hold meetings high importance it should be a common practice to secure the environment. Close doors, and windows, turn off fans and radios. Place signs outside the conference room to let others know to be curious.
Concentration is another variable in the listening equation. Focusing on the main idea, and reading between the lines can make or break a message. Mentally summarize the message in an orderly, realistic manner. Do not judge the message before you understand its meaning. This way you will not react to a message in an unnecessary manner.
Everyone has two ears and a mouth; it's up to us to use them properly. Listening is an active part of the communication process. By paying attention to the details such as body language and sound pitch in the voice of the speaker we can identify and grasp the meaning behind the message. The result will be a positive outcome from the communication process.
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