Decked The Halls? Now Time To Clear The Decks..
Wakey Wakey !!!
Well it’s the second week of the New Year, the office decorations are put back in a cupboard and the half drunk bottles of sherry poured down the kitchen sink. Everyone is back seated behind their desks and raring to go yes? Well gearing up maybe? Ah. The after Christmas blues are so common within sales departments and in my experience of Media Sales departments it’s like a black cloud for a couple of weeks and difficult to get the team back up to it’s normal break-speed gusto. We are now in a position where the ‘ I can’t get hold of anyone’ excuse is wearing thin and the we need some action. So here are 5 ways you can kick-start your new year and see some results quickly:
Set team objectives for the month- setting objectives is a sure fire way of regaining much needed focus and enabling the team to have something to aim for. As with all objectives making them tough but achievable is the key and monitor them. Don’t just have the meeting, distribute them and then neatly file them in your bottom draw. Give everyone on the team a role ( these objectives are probably in addition to existing quarterly ones) so that it is not left to one or two people to deliver.
Set an additional target – Getting off to a flying start in January is always challenging so set an additional target with an incentive at the end for the whole team. It doesn’t have to be huge, most teams are happy with the traditional team night out, what ever it is it will propel your team into action and get you ahead.
Increase productivity- In the dark ages, our team was set super call targets to achieve during the month of January. If I am honest having our then manager leaping around the office shouting ‘sell sell sell’ wasn’t really conducive to our already flat mood, but it worked. We increased productivity by double and our revenue. Instead of the normal target of 25 effective calls a day increase it to 40.
Give them something to aim for ...
Introduce bite-sized training – take some time out each day and talk about an area of sales, for example, closing or objection handling. Not only does it refresh tired sales effort, but it’s highly motivating too. You lead the team and as a leader it is important that you demonstrate your knowledge on occasion – I think you’ll be surprised by the reaction you get. Don’t give an oratorio, keep it simple and limit to 20 minutes a day.
Have an award – If you don’t already have a sales person of the month award then introduce one from January. Set a criteria, It might be based on revenue or calls or even the person who motivates the team that month. It’s not elitist and it gives everyone something additional to work towards. In previous companies we gave a prize, dinner for two or theatre tickets but the thing each individual winner prized the most was their certificate of achievement. It’s such a cost effective way to increase results and most importantly motivation.
These are just five example but there are so many different ways to kick start the New Year. January doesn’t have to be a ‘dead month’ It can be a fresh start and everyone can have fun whilst they are exceeding their targets.
For more information on how we can help with motivation or training needs for your teams please email or call 07738703450 for your free consultation.
The Year Of Change
First and foremost Happy New Year from all at Round Peg Learning and Development. As we head into the ‘year of change’ I have been taking some time to reflect on how change affects people within sales departments. There are two camps, those who embrace change, welcome it and carry on without question and those who react with defiance, indignation and resistance at the slightest whiff of change.
I once moved desks and buildings 4 times in the space of a month. I was defiant in my quest to keep my packing box under my desk in between moves to save time, but I accepted it as something that had to happen. My staff at the time were in the second bracket and I kid you not there was a tantrum because a photocopier had been moved to the other end of the room and a plant had gone missing.
OK that is an amusing example – joking apart here is a list of changes that most Sales people find challenging:
Are you heading towards a storm?
- New boss
- Change of office
- Company restructure
- New computer
- New Commission structure
- New CRM system
How these messages are delivered are key to how people react. That familiar buzz word ‘getting buy-in is one that resonates strongly, gone are the days when we were told to do something or as my first Managing Director used to say ‘ Do the other thing’ but is there a line? If you take the example of commission- it’s a delicate subject, a lot of sales people rely on their additional rewards to supplement their income and when presented with change they become restless and demotivated if delivery of the change is handled inappropriately and yet it still happens.
I have worked with people who have used the ‘ It’s got nothing to do with me, I am just following orders’ approach when trying to implement change, they seem hellbent on not losing popularity and blaming someone higher up the chain. Well listen up sales people, your manager will have agreed with their line manager before telling you-fact!
If you are of the other school that is prepared to be unpopular for a couple of days having been honest and intelligent about your approach to delivering change messages then you are an effective leader and as all effective leaders know, once the dust has settled your teams will see you are comfortable and they will be too.
How do I keep on the right course?
The main concern in any sales department is producing consistent results above budget yes? Think about change that have been implemented previously and if results have suffered as a result. Think of how that might have been different and if in the future you are implementing changes how you can steer a steady course:
- Ensure you have the correct information – Before you think about delivering messages, ensure you have all the relevant information to hand. There is nothing worse than meeting with people and being caught out without an answer to hand. Anticipate the questions and prepare the answers in advance, then your messages will sound fluid and not lack clarity.
- Deliver clear and consistent messages – Delivering messages in this way means that everyone is hearing the same things at the same time. Everyone then has a clear understanding of what is happening and any role that they have to play in it. Do not be tempted to filter information through people you know will dilute or distort the message.
- Don’t blame others- If you are tasked with delivering messages within your organisation, then it is because you are in a position of responsibility. You may not agree with some of the information you have to deliver which is why it is vital that you have had time to discuss in full the implications and outcomes with your line manager. Blaming others will not serve you well, you will end up losing trust from above and eventually your team.
- Maintain motivation levels - Throughout periods of change it is key to maintain motivation levels and deliver results. If your team is demotivated by what you have just told them then you need to reflect on how you can change the status quo. Always remember that some individuals will react differently to news and have a plan of how to manage individuals.
- Be transparent - Above all be transparent. If your teams think you are hiding information then they will lack confidence, there are always some elements that you are privy to that cannot be discussed and NEVER be tempted to disclose them. Answer questions or concerns immediately so that any change in the atmosphere is diffused immediately.
If you are implementing changes within your organisation this year and would like to know how we can help you with the transition, then talk to us about our managing change workshop. For a free consultation email or call 07738703450
Is Your House In Order?
As we approach the end of another tough year, it is easy to put thoughts of training on the back-burner till the new year and focus on the revelry in the coming weeks. Thinking about how training and developing individuals moving forward can increase efficiency, motivation and revenue is the perfect platform to launch your 2012 sales effort. If the news is to be believed then all of the above are absolutely key to any business moving forward.
How will your teams cope with the year ahead?
You may not be entirely sure about the individual training needs of your sales teams and when times are tough sales people are very adept at citing non-performance on recession, time of year and it is important to remember too in this climate that they may not want to voice their concerns whilst everyone is under scrutiny.
There is always a temptation to put everyone on every training course available because that is what has been recommended to you especially if your staff have not had training for a while. Not only is this the least cost effective method of approaching training, it also doesn’t tune in the needs of the individual. Training should be motivational for delegates, provide them with thought going forward and enable them to take back their learning in to the business immediately and produce tangible results. Training is not something that we tick off on a list of ‘ Done that for this year’ it should be on-going no matter what size your budget is.
We are happy to provide you with a training needs analysis with no strings. What that means is that we will work with you for a day so that by the end of the process we are able to produce a report for you detailing individual needs and a learning and development plan for your company for your review.
Each day is bespoke, which means we will have gathered key information from you prior to the day, so we have a full understanding of your objectives and products. We can then confidently approach the day according to your brief and ensure that we give accurate and honest feedback.
We are offering a 30% discount for anyone who uses this service until the end of February 2012. In order to qualify for this discount please contact us quoting TNA22 .
What price do you put on value?
I was asked recently what we meant in our introduction on the website about our consultancy being ‘people centric’. The obvious answer to that is that we put the people we train first. To be able to be effective at work, we must be able feel good internally – confident and motivated, these two factors alone are what enables us to be consistent and happy as we go about our daily objectives.
Then I started to think about how many companies put their people first.
I am sure we have all worked for organisations who profess to put ‘their people’ first and muttered ‘poppy-cock’ as we have walked past the ‘Visions and Values’ poster plastered in every visible corner of the office space – maybe it was just me? Being valued is one of the best motivators you can give and receive in a business environment. Knowing you are appreciated for the work that you do is far more important than any amount of money – or again maybe that is just me?
Actually, I know for a fact that it isn’t just me. I ran a training course a few years back on self-confidence and motivation and asked the 20 delegates to fill out a motivation questionnaire at the start of the course. I then asked the delegates what their key drivers were … The resounding answer was money. Not uncommon for a group of sales people, however, when I scored the questionnaires and handed them back the overwhelming response was value and respect – they were quite stunned. I wasn’t, because in order to grow and achieve your monetary goals especially in a sales environment, you need both.
We sometimes forget that the people we rely on most to deliver results are not simply machines. They are people who have real-life issues, who look for guidance and above all need to know that they are doing well. Too many managers are very quick to point out what is wrong and not give credit and praise when it is clearly deserved. Those two little words….’ Well done’ or ‘Thank you’ are enough to motivate one person for a week.
Great for motivation eh?
Ask yourself this question?
- When was the last time I praised someone for their achievements?
- When was the last time I critisied someone for ‘getting it wrong’
- What motivates me?
- How do my actions effect the others around me ?
Just because your manager screamed and berated you, it doesn’t mean you have to emulate that behaviour. I have been on the receiving end of line managers who constantly barked at me. I remember when I was given a rather large promotion once the line manager in question said to me.’ Well mate, I taught you everything you know so you’ll be fine’ my reply to that was simple ‘ Yes boss, you have taught me a lot and I intend to do completely the opposite and I know I will get better results’. Now that comment might be construed as insubordinate or arrogant but I was so determined not to let the way I was treated effect my management of others -it was the right answer !
Think about how you can change your style to achieve better results – What three things would you change right now?
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off…
Following on from a previous blog about giving constructive criticism and how not to cross the line I am turning the tables today and talking about how you cope with constant rejection.
Anyone working in sales knows the nature of the job means that statistically more people say no than yes regardless of how good our skills are. So it is no surprise really that so many sales people feel stressed, lose confidence and question their ability. This is a natural reaction to constant rejection, however, we know that when we ‘sign up’ this is what is the going to become the norm. It is discussed repeatedly in the interview process ‘ How will you cope with rejection?’ Of course we always say ‘Oh I’ll be fine, I won’t let it get to me’ How many of us can honestly say that we have been true to that statement when we are up against deadlines? I can’t, if I am honest but I learned to cope and it’s not about the age-old myth about all sales people being ‘thick-skinned’ if anything it is completely the opposite.
Don't fall into that trap of thinking you've failed !
One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given was by my then Publishing Director who, when I was tearing my hair out on the three daily-deadline cycle said to me ‘It’s not personal, they don’t know you, it’s just business’ He was right. It is so easy to take things personally and this is when the black cloud appears over your head and frankly it’s pointless even trying because you are not in the right mind set.
Here are a few things to remember when you are feeling rejected:
- It’s not personal – Companies are inundated with proposals and sales requests on a daily basis. You are just one of 100′s trying to get a slice of the cake.
- Plan for objections in advance – This is not negative, it is being savvy. Why might these people say no. What can I do to win this business. If you think about these things in advance then you will not be surprised when they come-up during a call or as feedback from a proposal.
- Don’t beat yourself up – This is the worse thing you can do to yourself and the others around you because it has an effect on them too. Dissecting your failure is only going to lead to more angst and a fear of ‘getting back up on the horse’. Acknowledge how you might have approached something differently and then move on !
- Remember your success’ – Yes those wonderful moments when everything just came together and you achieved your goals and you felt ecstatic.Remember those times, just because things aren’t going to plan it doesn’t mean they can’t again. Self-belief is what wins the day.
- Talk about it – Ask your line managers advice they’ll be happy to help you. A lot of people fear asking for help because they see it as weakness. It’s not. It’s about wanting to get back on track. The fear is about ‘ They are going to think I have lost it’ You haven’t and any line manager worth their salt will have been there and experienced the same thing – this one certainly did!
Remember each day is a new clean piece of paper to create success and to achieve your goals, dump yesterdays baggage on the way out the door and you will notice a difference immediately.
A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.
Bo Bennett
‘S not my fault !
I was quite shocked recently after speaking to someone working at a large publishers, that the jolly old blame culture still appears be alive and kicking amongst the old guard. After several other conversations, it appears more so in today’s precarious economic climate.
Rule by fear – what a wonderful way to motivate people? Yet it still happens. I wonder what motivates people particularly those working in a team to turn on each other in such an amoral and gutless manner?
People’s refusal to be accountable and take responsibility still leaves me open-mouthed.
I have worked for two big Publishers where blame culture was rife. One actually had the temerity to list ‘ We are NOT a blame culture’ in it’s brand spanking new ‘Visions and Values’ I remember the stifled giggles as the CEO at the time read that one out and tried to explain the reasoning behind it.
The other company may has well have used heat-seeking missiles to pin blame on others – it was quite astounding to witness the parade of people being called to the ‘Witchfinder General’s’ office for interrogation and reward if information was retrieved.
Behaving like Matthew Hopkins is so 1600's !
In the latter, usually the ‘crimes’ were so minuscule they didn’t even warrant more than a quick chat.
It only served one purpose in that particular persons mind. To keep people on their toes. The result was a higher than average turnover in staff and in the main a hugely demotivated sales force.
I was taught in my first company about accountability, transparency and taking responsibility. I was never afraid to go into my boss’ office *hands aloft * and take responsibility for either my own or my teams actions. I was taught that ‘buck stops here’ I always treated every situation individually, fairly and unless I was lied to, the incident was forgotten within minutes.
Fear is the common denominator here. Fear of taking the blame, fear of the consequences of admitting responsibility. As a rule people do not like delivering ‘bad news’ professionally or personally, It’s that feeling in the pit of your stomach and the sinking feeling when someone challenges you or worse looks at you with utter disdain and you feel totally floored.
Better 20 minutes of that though than being found out – eh?
So how do we instill in our managers and in turn our staff that it is actually alright to come and talk openly about issues or mistakes without all hell breaking lose
Ripples disappear as quickly as they appeared
Here are a few thoughts:
1. Always be transparent – ensure that everyone is equal, fairly treated, knows what is expected of them and adopt a nurturing fear free, fun environment to work in.
2. If something goes wrong listen, don’t automatically make assumptions and start pointing the finger. If you have created the environment mentioned in no.1 then your staff will come to you openly, there should be no ‘hauling over the coals’. Mistakes are there to learn from so work with the person for resolution. Coach them to get them to come up with a solution. Praise them when they achieve it, but make them understand the severity of the situation if warranted calmly and with reasoning.
3. Don’t use them as an example – Vilifying someone else in order to ‘save your skin’ is the most cowardly, amoral thing you could do to someone you work with. If you are the manager you need to take responsibility for a mistakes on your watch. If you have a solution and a plan of action then there is no need to enter into such malevolent behavior. Present the facts and a solution and you can bet that your line manager won’t even blink as long as the situation is resolved with speed.
4. Aftermath - Remember your actions directly affect other people, not just the person concerned, everyone in your environment. More so than you could possibly imagine. With stress-related illness at an all time high now, think very carefully before acting. Do you want to be respected for your leadership and ability to create a transparent and fair culture or be remembered for being disingenuous and ruling in a blame culture?
I know which one I prefer being remembered for.
If you can keep your wits about you while all others are losing theirs, and blaming you. The world will be yours and everything in it, what’s more, you’ll be a man, my son.
Rudyard Kipling
Why training doesn’t work
What a very strange subject for a trainer to be addressing I hear you say, however, there are many reasons and within this blog I aim to tackle a few.
So let’s look at the obvious one first. The trainer has not got to grips with the brief and has just simply trotted-out a tried and tested course which may be a client with less expectation has accepted. In training one size does not fit all especially if you are you are training in my industry – Publishing.
It is the responsibility of the trainer to ensure that they are acting in line with the objectives of the organisation and to deliver training that delegates can take back into the business and implement immediately to show a return on investment. It is also our responsibility to ensure that the clients expectations are managed effectively and that the entire process is delivered within the terms of the service agreement.
So that’s us ….now what about when we have done all that to the highest standards imaginable?
What happens after that is rather like a lottery. When I say lottery I mean the ability of line managers to for want of a better phrase ‘ pick up the ball and run with it’ When I was an internal trainer this area was always inconsistent. There were some managers who would listen to the feedback given and provide continued coaching to supplement the L&D programme and then others that would just humour me and carry on regardless.
How much did this training cost us ?????
- So how do you know if your managers are going to act upon the action plan the trainer has provided for individual development?
- What have you got in place to ensure that new learning is implemented and continued in areas which delegates are still finding challenging?
- Where are the skills gaps?
- do your managers need training in 1-2-1 coaching
Good training means cost and you want to see a return on your investment and these uncertain times and understandably you want to see immediate results. Well you will for the first week. Your delegates returned to you invigorated, filled with passion and ready to put their learning in to practice. It’s after that week, when your managers are up against deadlines and the words which I have heard are spoken
‘ Never mind all that, just get it in for what ever money, we haven’t got time’
There you have it – that four letter word that seems to hinder most things in life….
TIME
Make time. Make enough time to ensure that return on your training investment reaps the results you expect.Here are some ways to ensure this happens:
Remember: From Acorns .....
- Ensure that your managers embrace the development of their staff – Often managers see a few empty desks and think loss of revenue or work for a couple of days. Encourage them to think in terms of the long term benefits. How often have they sat in your office with their head in their hands saying ‘ He/She just isn’t getting it, I don’t know what to do’ ? I encourage managers to sit in on training for an hour to see delivery and progression alike.
- Take comprehensive feedback on board and implement it in monthly objectives – If the trainer has provided feedback use it. build it into monthly objectives, so for example if there has been an issue surrounding yields, set a yield target. They will have the tools to be able to deal with challenging negotiations so reward them for their new found skill.Doesn’t have to be a massive gesture, just a token of recognition. Nothing like a bit of motivation and praise for someone who is finding it tough. You will see their confidence soar !
- Make time for implementing new learning - I actually once heard a manager say to a delegate ten minutes after returning to their desk ‘ SO come on then, you’ve been out all day, let’s see some action then, you need to make double to make up for this wasted day’ To say I was shocked is an understatement and as for the delegate concerned all of their confidence and enthusiasm vanished in a split second. Set aside time to spend each day or week depending on experience to ensure learning is being used. Don’t dismiss new learning because it isn’t how you do it. That is your own insecurity shining through. If new learning means increased profits embrace it and watch your teams flourish.
- Practice makes perfect - Depending on need, practice with your team, role-play on areas that are still challenging, praise progress and help with blocks. Encourage them and keep them motivated and their confidence will grow. Speak to the trainer, we are always happy to make suggestions to help with development of delegates at least we are here!
Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin
Why It’s All Grow,Grow,Grow at Round Peg Learning and Development
“Happiness is neither a virtue nor a pleasure, nor this thing nor that, but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing”
William Butler Yeats
There is a fluffy of excitement here at Round Peg Learning and Development as we head towards our deadline at the beginning of September to launch Grow our new 0n-line training academy aimed at anyone in a professional sales environment. This is not a box standard e-learning entity, I think you will find that our ever evolving learning modules will ensure that we can provide the most innovative service from entry-level to management.
So if you are looking for any of the following then please do not read on:
- Cheese
- Hackneyed old training methods
- Formulaic Selling
- Ramblings from a washed-up old Sales Director
- Tired and non-beneficial to your coffers
Still with us ?
We have looked across many sectors including our own, Media Sales and find that there is still above average staff turnover, still a lack of balanced and well delivered training and in some cases and most frighteningly no training for sales teams in place at all within a lot of the SME’s.
How do you grow yourself and your teams?
The reluctance to release people from their target driven environment is also a factor as we still struggle to keep afloat in these uncertain times and I have actually in the past year witnessed delegates being pressured to leave training because there is an important client on the phone. The fact is, a good learning and development policy reaps rewards both short and long term and results are highly measurable against costs. I hear from sales people every day who are ‘crying out’ for training and so we tailored our approach into three distinct, highly cost conscious areas:
Grow me
This area is for individuals who don’t have access to training in the workplace, who need to increase their skill-set and want to re-ignite their passion and grow their development as well as their careers. The content focus centers around cherry- picking from areas which present current challenges.In addition there will be live coaching available to back-up monthly learning.
Corporate Grow
Enabling companies to plug in to ‘off the shelf’ training, webinars and 1-1 coaching for individuals and teams. From entry level to management. We will also offer companies a bespoke option with directly reflects their business objectives and their own growth.
From small seeds grow great sales people
Day Grow
As it’s name suggests individuals or companies will have the ability to plug-in to Grow for a day, have a look at the content, see archived webinars and get a flavour of what we are about.
Transparency is everything and although Grow will be a membership site, we will post blogs and archived webinars on a weekly basis so that everyone gets a feel for what we are about. We are not looking for world domination or to retire to the Maldives next year! Simply put, we want to provide better learning and development to everyone who deserves it, to ensure our sector, the people working within it continues to grow.
If you want to follow developments as we continue our countdown do follow us on Twitter or email us or call us +44 (0) 7738 703 450 we’d be delighted to hear your thoughts.
Bring back that loving feeling….
I was reminded last night just by wandering around the town where I live, soaking up the atmosphere, the hustle and bustle and sitting in a cafe/bar I hadn’t been in since 2002, that maybe what I have been looking for has been staring me in the face all along and that ‘running away’ and starting a fresh, blank piece of paper is not the answer.
From where this particular Field is sitting the grass is just as lush this side of the fence – I just lost sight of it for a while.
The same can be said for sales people who get bogged down in the mire of negativity, the pit of despond, where they no longer show any respect for their product and no matter how many times they have been trained to negotiate they give up at the first hurdle and cut their prices.
I once delivered a training course to a group of Media sales people about holding yield, I was explaining the importance of delivering consistency to the customer. They said the customers weren’t that bothered as long as they got a good deal, that they had no chance of hitting their targets so what was the point.
I went onto explain that if they kept devaluing their product, they wouldn’t have one. I illustrated the stark reality by using the analogy of a reservoir turning into a puddle and then being dried up by the sun – nothing, no reaction I posed the question what do you like about your product? there were blank faces. This saddened me because I could never sell anything I did not believe in or feel passionate about and I simply couldn’t get through to them using traditional training methods.
So I set them a task, an ‘off the wall’ task . I asked them to go away and ‘fall back in love’ with their product, remember why they loved it in the first place, look at the pages, read the editorial and then remember why they were filled with passion about it’s unique selling points and how enthusiastic they were about presenting to customers. I honestly think they thought I had ‘lost the plot’ .
Just before we met for our follow-up training session two weeks later I got a call from the Publisher to say that the team had had a record week and that they had changed their attitude in general. When I met them the next day, they said that that they had looked at their magazines, read them and had remembered why previously enjoyed working on them. To quote one of the delegates ‘ I am in love again’
Sometimes we need to take a step back, look at what is staring us in the face, value it more, reignite our passion and go for it !
‘Lend me your ears..’
Today’s subject is listening.
The art of listening without speaking, absorbing information and acting on the what is received – simple no?
You would have thought so, however, many sales are lost each day because people do not take the time to listen and absorb what is being communicated to them.
The temptation to wax lyrical about products or services becomes too much and your sales pitch becomes a one way conversation, with yourself !
In any sales process the potential customer should be doing most of the talking- this happens easily when we ask the appropriate questions in order to define customer needs.
'A word in your shell-like?'
It is vital to absorb all the information being given to you so that you can retain it and act on it when it is time to ‘set out your stall’
So a few pointers, which will help you enhance your listening skills:
Give signals that you are listening and that you understand what is being said-going back to Monday’s post on tone and language, it makes the world of difference if you sound interested in what your potential customer has to say.
If there is anything you do not understand, seek clarification. This not only helps you expand the conversation, it also confirms that you are listening to what is being said.
Make notes on important points, these can act as reference points for later in the discussion.
Concentrate and tune into what is being said - whether face-to-face or not each call you make should be treated as a meeting with a potential customer.
Think before you speak, say your bit at the right moment. Don’t interrupt just because you are bursting to dive in, avoid ‘yes but’ and don’t jump to conclusions.
From time to time summarise the customers position to confirm your interpretation and understanding of the information being given. This brings your discussion focus and provides you with an excellent platform to present your business case.
Specifically at the end of the questioning phase ensure that you have a mental or written list of your customers needs/wants – get commitment from the customer that these are the key to securing the business . You can then match the benefits of your product or service and tailor your sales pitch to suit their specific needs.
The simple art of listening will allow you to gain vital information, demonstrate your professionalism and allow you to win more business.
” The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood.The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” – — Ralph Nichols
