Entries from February 2010
One of my most popular blogs of the last year is titled “Low Morale in the Workplace- Causes and Cures.” Apparently, many companies are still struggling with righting the morale ship coming out of a tough recession.
Given the popularity of the subject I decided to expand upon the theme by writing a series of blogs on the subject of building morale in your company through proactive means. This week’s topic will be based upon putting the right people in the right place with the right leadership. It could also be subtitled “Don’t Send Your Ducks to Eagle School.” While neither of us coined the phrase, the preceding link to Jim Rohn’s excerpted article of the same name is a good read on the subject as well. The basic point is simply this, if you want motivated people working for you, hire motivated people. You can’t motivate people, they have to motivate themselves and you can’t “train in” skills where potential doesn’t exist.
Don't Send Your Ducks To Eagle School
My company, Carew International, is a professional training and development company that specializes in training customer facing employees in client organizations on the skills required to succeed in areas such as sales, service, and leadership. We have a great track record of developing the skills essential to increase sales, customer satisfaction, and employee retention but we can’t develop skills where adequate potential isn’t there in the first place. We work closely with our strategic partner H R Chally to assess our client’s sales, service, or leadership organizations prior to a training initiative to ensure we are applying the right training to the right people with the right potential. The reason is simple, because sending ducks to eagle school just doesn’t work and it ends up causing morale problems with both the ducks AND the eagles. Often times a predictive talent assessment can identify where the ducks in one job role have the potential to become eagles in another.
In the ground breaking book “First Break All the Rules” authors Buckingham and Coffman conducted extensive research to learn what drives share value in publically traded companies. In the appendix of the book you will find a graph that identifies the three root elements of driving value as having the right people in the right place with the right managers.
As we are coming out of the recession and preparing our organizations to prosper in the coming months NOTHING is more fundamental to increasing morale than ensuring we have the right people in the right places with the right leadership. Aligning your resources to maximize eagle potential while re-deploying or de-selecting the duck’s will do wonders for company morale. It will also do wonders for business growth and profitability
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
Categories: Building Company Morale · Business · Business Presentations · Effective Presentations · Sales · Sales Management · Sales Presentations · Sales and Leadership Insights · building sales force morale · customers · dps sales training · positive energy · sales growth
Tagged: Sales, Sales Skills, Positional Selling, Sales Performance, Business, Business skills, Sales Management, Customer Relationships, Business Growth, Customer Loyalty, Hiring For Sales, Sales Assessments, Leadership, Sales Leadership, Sales Force Management, Sales Team, Sales Professionals, Motivation, Effective Presentations, selling skills, sales development, sales effectiveness, improved sales, poor sales, sales advice, sales mentor, close more sales, sales success, sales ideas, better selling, customer service training, better sales, professional sales training, sales management training, professional training, leadership ideas, sales tips
While in Quebec with my family for the world famous Tournoi De Quebec Pee Wee, the Mecca for twelve year old hockey players, I saw a perfect example of life imitating art or business in this case. My son’s team was playing a team from the Eastern United States (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) and the game ended with two different twelve year old boys being thrown out of the game. Trash talking, intentional attempts to injure other players, poor sportsmanship, it was all on display in this game. I was embarrassed for the other team until I listened to some of their parents in the stands and it became apparent that the fruit didn’t fall far from the tree.
As adults we are setting examples for our kids to follow with all of our actions, all of the time. I like to win as much, or more, than just about anyone I know but certainly not at any cost. The shabby behavior at the hockey game got me to thinking about how we deal with each other in business. How does this type of “win at any cost” attitude, displayed at a youth sporting event, manifest itself in business?
At my company, Carew international, we have developed several courses designed to teach business people how to negotiate deals more effectively. At the heart of our approach to negotiating is a concept called “Quid Pro Quo”, Latin for “something for something”. We use it as a term to describe what is often referred to as a “win/win” deal where neither party leaves the negotiating table feeling like they didn’t receive fair and equal value for what was exchanged. In a “Quid Pro Quo” negotiation every concession is exchanged for something that has value to offset every concession that is given.
In the world we live in today so many of the deals that I see being negotiated are much like the hockey game I described above. Someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. If someone gets their knees taken out, who cares as long as we win in the end? Both parties are doing their best to find the ultimate leverage point where they can gain the upper hand and “win” at the bargaining table. There are many problems with this approach to negotiating; chief among them is the fact that such a deal will never survive for the long term. The party that ends up on the bottom will not be happy and, eventually, will want out of the agreement. I hear companies say to each other that they want to be in a “partnership” and then promptly try to beat each other up in the negotiating phase of striking an agreement. That is certainly no way to begin a mutually beneficial partnership.
Here are a few key points to consider so that you don’t end up negotiating “win at any cost” agreements.
1) Understand the other persons true needs: If you can come to a mutual understanding as to what the true needs of both parties are early in the process it is much easier to end up with a “Quid Pro Quo” type of contract. Making sure that both parties are getting those needs met will ensure that you are striking a durable contract which both parties can live with long term. If your exchanges of concessions allow these true needs to remain intact, you will always achieve a better outcome.
2) Get something of value for each concession you make: This is the core principle of “Quid Pro Quo”. Too often, in “win/lose” type negotiations, one party ends up conceding and the other party ends up receiving the concession just to “get the deal done”. If you are prepared to offer a concession, get something of value in return. If you are lowering your price, get some sort of additional volume commitment, etc. If you concede without receiving value in return, the other party will assign the same value to your concession…none!
3) Don’t get wrapped up in tactics: Many people you will negotiate with have been trained to negotiate using specific tactical approaches. These tactics are all based upon manipulation and come in many varieties from the “oh, by the way” approach to the “nibbler” approach. The best way to deal with these types of tactics is to recognize them for what they are, nothing more than a tactic. Keep your focus on negotiating a “Quid Pro Quo” agreement and take a break from the negotiating if you feel yourself starting to get caught up in a tactic that is moving you away from negotiating a “win/win” agreement.
There you have a few key points for negotiating strong agreements just in case you end up in a negotiation with some of the hockey parents I described above. If you clearly understand your “walk away” point, you clearly understand both parties’ true needs, and you are sincerely committed to negotiating a fair agreement, things will usually work out for the mutual benefit of everyone involved. In hockey there is a winner and a loser but in business relationships both sides can, and should, end up as winners.
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
Categories: Business · Business Presentations · Effective Presentations · Power Point · Sales · Sales Management · Sales Presentations · Sales and Leadership Insights · customers · dps sales training · positive energy · sales growth
Tagged: Sales, Positional Selling, Business, Business skills, Sales Management, Customer Relationships, Business Growth, Customer Loyalty, Leadership, Effective Presentations, Overcoming Objections, sales development, sales effectiveness, improved sales, poor sales, sales advice, sales mentor, close more sales, better selling, customer service training, better sales, professional sales training, leadership ideas, negotiation, negotiating better agreements, negotiation training, developing negotiating skill
Selling is a great and vital profession. Many people who are not in sales don’t always understand or fully appreciate what these front line warriors do every day to keep the wheels of commerce turning. Nothing happens in ANY business until somebody sells something.
The perception many people have of sales professionals is that they have a cushy job and that they keep their own hours, coming and going as they please. they might also believe that all sales professionals do to get business is entertain prospects and enjoy expensive meals with clients. I addressed this lack of respect for the selling profession in an earlier blog titled “How Far We’ve Come” but, as Rodney Dangerfield would say “They don’t get no respect”.
As a way of helping non-sales employees to understand a bit about the high stakes world sales professionals live in, I often say, “How would you like to have a job where every day when you come to work, your job appraisal is hanging on the side of your work area for everyone in the company to see?” That is exactly the kind of stress and scrutiny a sales professional lives with every day. Tomorrow it doesn’t matter what you did today.
So how do sales professionals cope with that kind of pressure without completely burning out? Here are a few ideas.
1) Make Sales a Game: Most successful sales people I know are VERY competitive. It is a good trait to possess in a job where keeping score is at the root of how you are judged day in and day out. Keeping the focus on the competition, in terms of a game, can help soften the very real pressures associated with the “sell or don’t eat” reality of the job.
2) Keep it Fun- In a recent blog called “Putting the FUN Back into Selling” I covered some ideas that can help ensure that sales professionals are having fun on the job. Selling should be fun but often times the pressures associated with the role can make the process into something that is decidedly not fun at all. Something just as simple as finding a reason to laugh every day can go a long ways towards avoiding sales burnout.
3) Don’t Bring Work Home: One of the most widely acknowledged causes of stress on the job is stress at home. This can be particularly true for sales professionals due to the fact that their income is variable, so their wife gets the report card every month along with everyone else. The fact that many sales professionals are now tethered to the job via a Blackberry or some other type device, it is increasingly difficult to avoid working twenty four hours a day. Set up some rules such as not discussing work at home, and turning off the Blackberry at a designated time to assist with keeping work from merging with personal time.
4) Recharge the Battery: Although somewhat connected with the point above, it is also important to take some time to get completely away from the job. Don’t put off vacations and make sure to spend time on favorite hobbies in order to fully recharge. It is also great to schedule short weekend type getaways in order to stay energized.
5) Take Care of Themselves: It is very easy for sales professionals that are always on the run to fall into bad eating habits. Eating fast food in the car between sales calls and grabbing something quick running through airports can put on the pounds and adversely affect health. Make sure to maintain a healthy diet, regular exercise, and good sleeping patterns in order to perform at peak efficiency and avoid sales burnout. I am embarrassed to say that I once did almost one full travel week of eating mostly out of the hotel snack counter!
The medical community has named all types of work related syndromes that office workers can develop but I have never heard of any related to the sales profession. It is a high risk; high reward profession that can be extremely rewarding but can also put sales people at risk for burnout. Hopefully these tips will help ensure that the medical profession won’t be naming any illnesses associated with selling anytime in the future.
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
Categories: Business · Business Presentations · Effective Presentations · Power Point · Sales · Sales Management · Sales Presentations · Sales and Leadership Insights · customers · dps sales training · positive energy · sales growth
Tagged: Sales, Sales Skills, Positional Selling, Sales Performance, Sales Training, Selling, Business, Business skills, Sales Management, Business Growth, Sales Leadership, Sales Force Management, Sales Team, Sales Professionals, Motivation, selling skills, sales development, sales effectiveness, improved sales, poor sales, sales advice, sales mentor, close more sales, sales success, sales ideas, better selling, better sales, sales help, professional sales training, professional training, sales tips
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