- 10 Morning Coffee Thoughts on Leadership
People who get results are high impact leaders. They are consistent, explicit and concise and they command a presence when they walk into a room. They have enough charisma to turn the dullest moment into a high-energy event. When they move on, others want to go with them. Their openness and honesty creates a legacy which people admire and look up to. They gain commitment and foster trust. - 10 Tips to Create an Effective Management Team
A team culture is necessary for success. Working together effectively is not automatic. It takes a specific effort and the development of a culture that is supported by executive management. Shared experiences create unity and value. Knowledge transfer is essential for an organization to grow. Without knowledge transfer and the sharing of success it is difficult for the group to share any vision and work toward common goals. - Are You Proud to be a Salesman
Almost universally, many people have negative stereotypes about selling. These stereo types include thoughts of selfish deception, fast talkers, little integrity and people actually cringe at being sold something. Today’s predominate school of thought in sales is "stop trying to sell the customer," instead learn how to "help them buy" something by becoming a total solution provider. Becoming a solution provider means solving a problem even if the solution doesn’t involve the purchase of your product. This is often a hard pill to swallow. - Basic Reasons Why Employees Do Not Perform Well
Employees want to perform well and they want to be held accountable. As leaders and managers we have an obligation to our employees to help them realize their maximum potential. - Become a C.O.P. in 2007 - Change On Purpose
More than ever before, 2007 will demand of most companies the ability to achieve measurable results that are specific to profitability, growth, cost containment and operational effectiveness. Of course, none of this will be possible without leadership and organizational change.This challenge will become a common theme in 2007 that will go uncompromised by the potential market gymnastics that we are likely to face. Without a doubt, success in 2007 will be directly dependent upon both individual and team performance. More importantly however, is the driving force that creates both individual and team effectiveness. That driving force is leadership at every level in the organization. - Conducting Performance Reviews
First of all, if all you ever do is an annual performance review for your employees, they are worthless. Put every last one of them in a big pile and burn them. The scenario of annual performance reviews often goes like this. - Consistent Sales Success Requires Passion
Nowadays, salespeople must be problem solvers able to generate solutions for customers in their time of need. Therefore, they must possess a great deal of knowledge about your customers' business. They must actually define what those needs are because the customer may not know, nor take the time to explain if they do know. Customers want you to have the knowledge and intelligence to comprehend and analyze their problems before showing up at the door. Customers will listen and buy from the salesperson that finds the "pain" and takes it away.” - DIY - Strategic Planning
Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction – to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there.Fundamental decisions, actions and choices must be made in order to develop a plan that provides a Roadmap on “How to get there from Here.”.” The plan is ultimately no more, and no less, than a set of decisions about what to do, why to do it, and when and how to do it. - Don't Forget This When You Go To Closing
You've made it through all the credit checks, submitted all the information the underwriter needed, got your home insurance taken care of, and the home inspector put their stamp of approval on the deal and now it's time to close on your new house or investment property. - Don't Pick The Wrong Wedding Dress! Let Us Help!
Possibly the most important day of any woman’s life is when they are planning their very own wedding event. And perhaps the most important purchase is the wedding dress. - Fighting the Irrational Ghosts of New Account Development
Using field sales reps for cold calling is the most costly of all sales strategies used in the distribution industry. Field sales reps and their managers value face-to-face time with customers and prospects. Their goal is to increase in-person contacts. Cold calling and lead qualification by the field sales force is a costly, low return on investment exercise.In the past several months, Sales Managers and field sales people have asked the question --- “who should really be responsible for cold calls (prospecting) and for qualifying leads?” One sales manager asked if we could train their field sales force on making cold calls over the telephone. I suggested that this may not be the best use of the field sales person’s time? - Future Shock
Alvin Toffler wrote a book by this title about change in 1970. Many of the principles he explained then still apply today. But… this article isn't about change. This article is about compassion, leadership, integrity and "Mentors". Do you remember who your mentors were? Do you currently have a mentor? Is there someone in your organization that you really respect, someone you look up to, someone who’s actions and words have a real impact on how you live your life, perform your job and think about your future? If you do, whether you or they know it or not, they are mentoring you. Or, you may be mentoring them. - Is Your Underperforming Employee Incompetent Or Is It AADD
Mistakenly, people have believed that ADD was a childhood condition that often disappeared at the onset of adulthood. That is not always the case. It has been proven that ADD often persists into adulthood and can have a dramatic impact on an employee's performance at work. It has been reported that more than 50 percent of children diagnosed with ADD carry the condition well into their adult lives. However, ADD in adults is difficult to recognize. Sometimes when an employee has difficulty starting a task, staying focused and following through it is simply considered poor performance or incompetence. The inability to pay attention for long periods of time is a common symptom of ADD. The inability to complete assignments, lack of organization and talking excessively are also common symptoms. - It's 2006 - Do You Have a Human Resource Strategy
This new century demands that management have adaptive skills working across the generation diversity that exists in today’s workplace. No doubt people are an organization’s most precious asset. - Journal Your Legacy
I've asked countless CEOs and Presidents - What exactly do you want your legacy to be?I have been impressed with how many have really put some thought into that question. However, I have been equally disappointed in how many CEOs, Presidents and owners have really never given it much thought. Speaking from my personal experience and my own deep seeded feelings regarding what I would like to be known for, recognized for and thought of as I go down that retirement pathway and even that final walk in my life, I have began keeping a journal.2007 is here. It is now a perfect time to begin to think about and document what you want your legacy to be. It doesn’t matter if you are thirty years old or if you’re older than sixty. Creating your own journal can do wonders for your effectiveness as a leader. It will help you put things in perspective. It will allow you to create focus, purpose and clarity of vision. - Let’s Talk Recruitment
Recruitment consists of knowing exactly what you are looking for, determining how to know when you’ve found it and making employment offers that get accepted. The first step is determining exactly what level of competency you are looking for: - Passing the Torch --- Next Generation Leadership
If your true desire is to keep the business in the family and pass it on to the next generation, you have an obligation to yourself, to the business, to your employees and yes to your son or daughter to make sure you are doing everything you can possibly do to help them prepare to take over the business. I can offer one simple piece of advice; when they are ready, back off and get out of the way. - Profit Covers Many Sins - Ten Principles for Success in 2007
Profit Covers Many Sins - Ten principles that can help us maintain our focus, uncover some of those sins that may have been covered by profitability in 2006 and create the kind of success in 2007 that you can be proud of: - Puddles in the Parking Lot
It was a cold October morning in Dayton, Ohio and as I left my house at 7am the skies opened up and it began to pour. - Reaching Star Status in Sales
Being number one on your sales team just isn't that difficult. Salesmanship is a learned skill. You can perfect that skill. Yes, it does help to have an outgoing personality, high self-esteem and an ego. But, these attributes alone won’t make you successful. Confidence in yourself, confidence in your products and confidence in your company is a key ingredient. The only way to gain this kind of ultimate confidence is by attaining knowledge. Study your products, understand your value propositions and understand what your competitive advantage is. - Sales Effectiveness Guidelines for Taking Over a New Territory
Sales professionals are high-energy, fast-thinking, opportunistic people. If they are good, they often shoot from the hip and take calculated risks. They can be called mavericks and that's a good thing. It takes a little "maverick" in the blood to be effective in the world of professional sales. Most are willing to try anything that offers the potential for a fast boost, a quick sale, increased value, or the strengthening of their relationship with their customer. Too often, however, this quick fix mentality reduces the long-term focus and discipline of the sales force. This can be especially true for a new sales person or a sales person taking over a new territory. - Sales Management -- From a Patch of Dirt to Territory Fluency
When I carried a bag, sales territories were defined geographically. Of course, that was in the old days. My daughter calls it the days of Black & White Television. - Sales Management ---- Follow the Bread Crumbs
Does sales management seem to be lost in the wilderness at your company? Did your sales manager used to be your top rated sales person... - Sales Management -Creating an Effective Sales-Management Program
To be truly effective and follow best practice involves focus, process, discipline and accountability. The sales team at most companies consist of all the individuals involved in the sales/marketing channel that serves the end user. Ideally, it should be a coordinated network, with strong alignment of individual activities with focus on objectives, process for continuous improvement, discipline toward utilizing best practice throughout the sales process and accountability for performance at all levels. - Slowdown At The "Building Supply" Corral - Are We In For A Tough Recessionary 2007 Or Not?
So, how do we prepare for 2007? Will it be a bang or a bust? Will we continue to ride a high tide in our industry? According to our President and several experts the economy is on the rise. Growth is accelerating. The labor market is still tight with unemployment averaging 4.5% and when it gets that low, most of the people that don't have a job just don't want to work. (Excluding those in transition). There's no doubt the housing market has softened and in some areas it has really tanked. Sales of previously owned homes are estimated to be down 8.6% this year from 2005, while sales of new homes are down 17.7%, according to the National Association of Realtors. Prices, meanwhile, have fallen after posting double-digit gains for years. However, some industry experts believe that although 2007 will not be a banner, it will not be a recessionary year either. - Ten Basic Success Reminders - Survival of the Fittest in a "Tough Profit" Market
Darwin Says: "It's not the strongest of the species that survive; nor is it the smartest. It's not the strongest or the smartest; it’s the ones that are the most responsive to change that survive."In order to survive the many ups and downs of today's changing environment and the market forces we will all face ion 2007 it will require sticking to the basic principles of running a well managed business."Profits can cover many sins."The market forces have been very kind to the majority of us through 2005 and much of 2006. However, 2007 is a brand new year and the wave we have all been riding has shrunk in size at varying levels for every industry in distribution. The success we have enjoyed in the past may not be as easy to accomplish in 2007. Past successes may have camouflaged internal problems and annoyances that could become a crisis in 2007 under different circumstances. - Ten Principles Of Success That Deal With The Sins That Profit Can Hide
Sometimes success can create a cloudiness in our vision that causes us to miss, overlook or even ignore issues and challenges that could have an impact on sustaining profitability. Continued success can sometimes lead us into a comfort zone that may even hide existing problems that one day may end up biting us and taking a big chunk out of that profitability that you currently enjoy. Don't let success and profitability cloud your focus. Practice the ten principles of success at all times and you will be able to manage your business with laser like clarity and deal with all potential challenges in a timely fashion. - The Dirty Little Secrets Of The Failure To Leverage The Inside Sales – Customer Service Potential
How can the distributor take advantage of existing relationships between Inside Sales/Customer Service personnel and customers? This age-old question has caused managers to implement a variety of approaches in the attempt to tap perceived potential, but many fail and the question persists. Why? Most firms do not have adequate measures installed to determine who does what within an Inside Sales/Customer Service group. For lack of measures, it is not possible for management to define department productivity or level of activity much less individual productivity. - The Five Key Elements and the Five Key Steps to Successful Branch-Division Planning
The Operation/Branch plans must define the objectives, timeline and resources required to meet the growth objectives of the business unit, department or branch. Analysis of opportunities is useless if it doesn't degenerate into work. Operational planning, by definition, results in action plans for day-to-day work. - The Myth of the Working Sales Manager
Sales managers are often promoted and then expected to continue to handle their most lucrative accounts. This decision is often made by management for the fear of losing major accounts. The new sales manager hardly ever protests as it is an affirmation as to his worthiness and ownership of those accounts. These decisions leave little time for coaching their sales teams or strategizing about future sales initiatives. Field sales people may end up with the perception that their personal growth potential may be limited. - The Real Value of Strategic Planning
I know some of you are so involved in fighting fires that you believe there isn't time to develop a strategic plan. Some of you may consider long term planning a waste of time. Some believe long term planning is what you are going to do after lunch and some may even believe there is no value in strategic planning because as the owner/CEO you know what it takes to be successful and all your employees need to do is listen to you.Hello, you may be wrong! You may need to join this century. Times have changed, leadership has evolved. The days of the "Lone Wolf" leader at the top who dominates with power are gone. Successful privately held organizations have gone through the leadership evolutionary process. They understand that today's leader must create change in the organization to meet the needs of their customers, to meet the needs of their employees and to meet the needs of their vendor partners. It involves a particular life cycle change. - The Sales Management Leadership Quiz
Finding the right person to fill the sales management role is a common quandary in most businesses. It can be especially challenging when a decision is based strictly on sales territory performance without regard for the specific skill sets required to lead a sales force. Deciding on the right sales person to promote to sales manager can become a difficult and risky decision..It is an indisputable fact that different skill sets are required to become a successful sales manager as compared to being a successful sales person. Selling is a profession that requires professionals. Managing a group of professionals with the type of personalities required to succeed in sales is no easy task. Yet, in my humble opinion, it is probably the most important management position you can hold in a company. Sales management holds the key to meeting company objectives. Effective sales management builds the platform for success. Sales people are not the easiest group in the company to manage. If they were they would not be sales people. Selling is not easy. It takes a special talent, self motivation, self discipline, a passion to succeed and the ability to accept rejection. - The Secret - Is It Really a Secret?
The latest rage in self development circles today is a CD and Book called "The Secret". People have even been on Oprah and Larry King promoting the concept of the powers in the universe. The basis of success according to The Secret is a law in the universe called – "The Law of Attraction".The hype surrounding this new rage is very enticing. Claims include that Plato, Leonardo, Galileo, Napoleon, Beethoven and many other famous people discovered "The Secret" and as a result they accomplished great things. Discovering "The Secret" creates a transformation of life according to those who are promoting the book and CD. - Tough Reprimands -- How To Handle That One On One Discussion With A Sales Person
What do you do when one of your sales people just isn't performing up to standards? The key to answering that question is determining the cause of the non performance. Start by reviewing the obvious. A sales person must have adequate tools, resources and leadership to maximize their effectiveness. The review process is a critical component of sales effectiveness. This review should occur monthly for regularly performing sales representatives (reps) and even more frequently for those reps that are under performing. This review enables the sales manager and the sales representative to discuss, plan and measure success. In addition to possessing and capitalizing on certain natural talents and traits, the review process should encompass the following issues: - Turn Over - Do You Really Pay Attention To It?
I have worked with numerous companies that have or had employee retention issues without any real understanding as to why they can't seem to keep good employees. Oh, most of them track turn over. Some even measure it accurately. Some even do exit interviews but very few have a clear understanding as to the cause of high turn over rates. Added to that fact, a common attitude seems to exist that turn over in operations and logistics may just be the "nature of the beast." - When a Cold Call Isn't a Cold Call
Just the term "Cold Call" has threatening, wasteful connotations in my mind. Yet, every sales person has to make this kind of call sooner or later. Most sales people would rather have bamboo shoots stuck under their finger nails than make cold calls. The reason is simple, "Cold Calling" carries with it an extremely high rejection rate. And, even though as professional sales people we realize that rejection is part of building our sales success, that doesn’t mean we like it. Cold calling may be the sales tactic that gets no respect. But it really can work -- if you do it right. Stop thinking of such calls as "cold" in the first place. "Qualification" is a more accurate description. Don't forget, plenty of research is necessary before reaching for the phone to set up that in-person qualification call.
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