“When all about you are losing theirs” …….
“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;” (IF by Rudyard Kipling)
I have always found this poem very inspirational and at one time had it in a frame on my office wall. The main reason for such inspiration is that I have spent most of my working life being surrounded by people who do blame, who do judge and in spite of the benefit of years of experience continue to lose their heads when faced with stressful times.
- this frequently determines how you deal with others in stressful situations.
Lord Nelson's tomb - Motivational?
On one occasion back in the day (1989)I was being screamed at an inch from my face because I was on deadline and my line manager was panicking. His panic was so great that he marched me from our office in Fleet Street to St. Paul’s Cathedral and deposited me in front of Lord Nelson’s tomb and screamed in my face ‘ LOOK AT THIS AND COME BACK WHEN YOU’VE GROWN A SET’ (I have used abridged version omitting the foul language)
This sort of thing was a regular occurrence, sadly, many visits to St. Paul’s, the beautiful Church in Inner Temple and much unnecessary red-faced screaming and frustration. I say unnecessary, because I always over achieved on my targets regardless of his atrocious performance each month.
Thankfully I did the opposite when I was promoted. It is important to instill a sense of responsibility, accountability and a sense of urgency into those working with you – creating a fearless and blameless culture means better outputs and higher levels of motivation and a happy and successful team.
It isn’t rocket science to understand that if someone is given autonomy then they will flourish.
It is achievable…
Don't Panic !
- Careful planning and daily targets will ensure that every project is kept on track.
- Ensure that everyone is aware of their objectives during each sales cycle.
- Clearly communicate with your team and be transparent.
- Openly praise results and support learning’s when others are finding their work challenging.
- Share your teams success with your line manager and always CC the team in emails.
- Re-group at the end of each day and share experiences of the day good and bad and ensure that everyone happy with the next days objectives
- Reward your team for consistent efforts and motivate them when times are pressured
- Coach and train your team if you spot areas for learning.
Above all no matter how harassed you are from above or from internal ‘mind chatter’ – Keep your head.
Surviving the micro manager
What does the word Micro Manager mean to you?
It fills me with absolute dread. What on earth is to be gained by making people feel inadequate and mistrusted? Why do these people exist in management roles? It seems senseless that these breed of archaic dinosaurs are still in existence and it is high time they were put out to pasture and replaced with vibrant and innovative leaders of people.
If you have ever worked for a micro manager then you know all the signs, but if not, then here are a few:
- Constantly ask you what you are doing all day
- Interrupt you every hour to ask you the same questions.
- Pick holes in everything you do.
- Take back delegated work to finish it themselves if they find mistakes.
- Refuse to allow you to make decisions without consulting them.
These are just a selection, most are familiar to me. I had a manager once that would hover around my desk incessantly and ask me ‘ What I was doing’ . If you are highly competent in your work as I was, this sort of behaviour can be highly demotivating and lead to high amounts of stress.
So how do we try and work with such behaviour ? It is a difficult task as one of the main traits of a micro manager is their refusal to listen, their ‘my way or the highway attitude’ will never be 100% fixed but it is possible to alleviate the situation:
1. When meeting with a micro manager, remember to keep calm at all times, there is nothing to be gained by demonstrating your frustration. It is what they want, it feeds their overwhelming sense of self importance. Do not react, even if you feel like screaming – simply document meetings.
2. Ask for information – a micro manager is always on the look out for mistakes to gain control of the situation. If a project has been delegated to you then ask open-ended questions in order to get the full picture. Document this and then get sign off on it. This will ensure that both parties are in agreement.
3. Ensure that you keep the micro manager updated, to avoid necessary questions and to stem any opportunity for them to interrupt your flow.
4. Always deliver everything on time and in the right order. When you deliver it, either by email or in person, back it up with facts and refer to the notes from previous meetings.
5. Ensure that you feed the micro managers need for information at all times, have facts, figures and anything else you feel that they will need at your fingertips at all times.
Micro managing is a serious issue in the workplace, if you like me previously, you have decided not to abandon ship and work with your manager then resolve to manage upwards – now there is another blog!
Objections?
One of the most common challenges within any sales call is objection handling. There is always a tendency to think ‘ Oh it’s the price, I ‘ll just drop it and see what happens’ This is not the answer, it doesn’t help as we discussed in our previous blog about the price objection.
Let’s look at the other objections and how we can handle them.
It is totally unrealistic for the sales process to be objection free, it’s human nature to question, whether to seek further clarification on the information you have given or a fundamental disagreement about something.
Clients are going to be naturally cautious about parting with budget especially in the current, they need to be absolutely sure that they are buying into the right product or service.
Objections are simply another way of saying ‘I’m not sure’ or ‘I have concerns’ In truth, it means that we have not been clear enough in our presentation but luckily we have been given another chance.
The best way to deal with objections is to anticipate them and then plan your call accordingly. Once the client has voiced concerns it’s a tough job trying to convince them otherwise.
Negativity within a sales call is a sign that you have not made the client need your product sufficiently to make the sale. We have looked at appropriate questioning, listening and selling benefits previously- that is why they are so key to successful selling.
Having said that, a client that doesn’t raise objections is usually not interested at all in your product of service, so we should regard objections as positive signals that your proposal is under consideration.
So let’s look at the three broad types of objections:
1. Invalid or false objections
These are totally irrational objections – they usually occur in a string or very early in a call ( when it is far to early to decide why there is an objection)
2. Hidden 
They are hidden because the client doesn’t want to voice them or actually doesn’t get the chance to. If the Client should be saying yes to you but isn’t then ask yourself – did they give you the opportunity to? stop talking and try and find out why they are not buying.
- Price (it’s far too expensive)
- I’ll give it some thought ( I’m not convinced)
- Excuse, such as meeting, time, holiday ( I’m not convinced)
- Ego ( I’m testing you )
3. Genuine
- Not happy with a feature of the product
- Needs further information
- Does not understand what you have said
- Simply not convinced
- Internal budgets, timing.
- Loyalty to the competition
So how do we deal with objections? 
Listen
Let the client voice their concerns, do not interrupt, they may tell you a key piece of information that can help you change their mind.
Acknowledge
Let the client know that you understand and appreciate their perspective, ask further questions so that you are sure you are giving the right answer.
Answer
Be calm and logical in your approach, revisit the client’s needs and match them appropriately to the benefits of your product or service. Always keep something up ‘the magic sleeve’ to add extra clout to your presentation.
Confirm
Always use a closed question to confirm that the client is in agreement with what you have presented. 
Continue
Once you have gained agreement, close again …
For further information on tackling each of the 3 objections or to talk about specific daily objections contact us
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Holistic therapy… an alternative to the pub?
‘Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.’ -Chinese Proverb.
There is no question that stress exists in the workplace, whether it is a result of internal or external factors- it is there.
Tearing your hair out?
In fact according to a recent survey by the Health and Safety executive, one in six working people in the UK reported that their job was very or extremely stressful. Work-related stress is one of the biggest causes of sick leave.
Stress at work can manifest itself in many different guises:
- headaches
- muscular tension
- backache and/or neck ache
- tiredness and sleep problems
- digestive problems
- a raised heart rate
- skin rashes
- sweating
- blurred vision
At it’s worse it can lead to high anxiety and depression. So why am I telling you all of this? Well it’s simple, there are ways in which stress can be alleviated and it is a wise investment, to cut the cost of absence through stress related disorders. The first is obviously to recognise it in individuals and deal with it in a professional and emphatic manner. The second is to introduce methods into the workplace to combat stress.
You are not alone.
I worked for a company two years ago, where Yoga classes were free during lunch hour once a week and during a highly prolonged period of stressful deadlines, the company paid for us all to have a massage. The results were astounding, apart from the fact that we all felt totally relaxed and free of muscle tension, we felt recognised and valued and that in itself is worth more to a company than the amount it cost.
So what is available to combat stress aside from traditional massage?
Reiki
balance and well being.
Reiki means Universal Life-Force Energy and is an ancient, healing treatment which balances mind, body and spirit. Reiki is performed by placing hands near or on the client’s body, allowing the free flow of Reiki to pass through to where it is most needed. Reiki can be used to treat the whole body or specific parts.
Benefits:
- Rebalancing the mind, body and spirit.
- Providing Spiritual uplifting
- Promoting deep relaxation.
- Relieving stress and anxiety.
- Stimulating the body’s own healing mechanisms.
Reflexology
Walking on air
Reflexology is a holistic treatment designed to treat the mind, body and spirit allowing the body to heal on both a physical and emotional level. Each treatment provides non-invasive, relaxing and effective therapy by applying pressure through the fingers to specific points on and around the feet, known as ‘reflexes’. The treatment stimulates nerve endings, encourages the restoration of good health and well-being, whilst releasing blocked energy that has built up over a period of time.
Benefits:
- Promotes deep relaxation
- Stimulates healing mechanisms within the body
- Pain relief (back, shoulder and knees)
- Detoxifying the body and stimulating the nervous system.
- Promotes energy balance
- Increased circulation, supporting and improving the immune system
Thai Foot Massage
A Thai foot massage is a hands-on treatment centering on the lower leg and foot. Stretching and using a special wooden stick stimulates the various reflex points on the foot that relate to certain organs of the body. It helps keep the ‘sen’ lines (energy lines) open, thus aiding and encouraging general well being and relaxation. The treatment is not for any specific condition.
Benefits:
- Accelerates physical healing, boosting and detoxifying the immune system.
- Improves circulation
- Reduces stiffness and improves flexibility
- Relieves stress
- Improving sleep and stimulating the mind.
Meditation
stress free workforce?
Meditation makes our mind calm and peaceful, thus making us happy. When we feel happy, our minds are free from worries and mental discomfort. Meditation therapy works on more than one level – emotional, psychological and spiritual all with one purpose. To rebalance the body, mind and soul, this in turn provides perfect harmony for the body.
Bespoke packages designed for you.
At Round Peg Learning and Development we believe in a rounded approach to learning, from the inside out and are delighted to be working with Caprius Healing Therapies who offer bespoke packages to organisations with excellent results. Click on the photo to see what is available.
Zen & The Art Of Plate Spinning….
In days gone by when we were promoted to Ad Manager or above we were given one maybe two magazines to manage. We only had to worry about Display and Classified advertising and at a push the odd bit of sponsorship. We worked hard and in my case, through the recession of the early 90′s blissfully unaware of what was to come – to be honest we used client cards, our journal secretary typed our reports and memo’s and in our company there was only a telex machine and that only worked on a Thursday!
Knowledge and organisation are key to multi-platform management
It was not until 2000 that I actually had a computer on my desk and the dot.com boom was in full swing.Publishers were launching websites, there were events, awards,exhibitions, conferences and information services ( we used to call it Data). suddenly this traditional B2B Magazine veteran (30) was plunged into this new and quite scary world aka at the time ‘ The spin off ‘ To be fair this seemingly prehistoric lass was used to mopping up the odd £200K by launching supplements and selling sponsorship, however, this opened up a whole new world for me especially when I was expected to manage it on-going in my career.
This is not an option
So I plunged myself into this new world of banners and skyscrapers and price per sqm , ‘early bird’ and DM head first soaking up every bit of information I could lay my hands on.
When managing a multi-platform brand or brands the key thing is not to assume that ‘selling is selling’. Just because you were a superstar selling classified when you were knee-high to the proverbial, it doesn’t mean it is the same as selling an event to 80 delegates.. sadly the ‘call me a Saint, call me a sinner, book a full page and you’ll be a winner’ ain’t going to cut it when you are trying to motivate your subs team… Yes, the basic sales techniques are the same, the methodology is different. Treat every team equally of course, but respect the fact that the way they sell is different to maybe what you have ‘grown-up on’. It’s vital that that you do not try to get everyone to sell in the same way – it doesn’t work.. I spent a year trying to convince a divisional director that selling a display advertisement was different to selling a sponsorship or data. They simply saw short term return.. This demotivated the staff and made my job as internal trainer very challenging.
Master multi-platform management and everyone's happy!
So ….
- Listen and learn from those around you, just because you are the line manager it doesn’t mean you cannot learn.
- Sell on each of the areas you were responsible for to get a fuller understanding of what your teams are selling.
- Treat each area differently … Your sponsorship team are not going to get £20K deals everyday just because there is a number on a white board, there is a process – benefits are reaped monthly or quarterly not daily.
- Think about the objectives you set in monthly 1-2-1 meetings
- Know what you are talking about in weekly team meetings or you will not sound credible.
- Above all embrace new learning, it will progress your career.
Blowing A Rasberry At The Blackberry
In honour of Mothering Sunday, I asked my wonderful Mama to chose the theme for today’s blog. The theme centres around work/life balance, in particularly the inability to switch off from working 24/7.
It used to infuriate her when I was constantly called by work on a rare day off and on one occasion when we were driving to France I received a call in the car as we were about to board the Euro-tunnel - It was a recruitment consultant and when I asked if the person concerned had listened to my VM at work, they said ‘Yes, but you are always available on your mobile’. I remember being quite curt, possibly because I knew he was right.
At that time I had access to my work emails via MS exchange, a Blackberry and a mobile. One of my friends, @MrsBarbican actually commented when we were meeting for a glass of wine one night that my desk looked like an RAC call centre!
The only Blackberry I am interested in now!
I know my inability to switch off from work centred firstly, from my quest to be perfect (now there’s honesty for you) and secondly, to block external factors in my life at the time. By working or being on call 24/7 I was thinking about my work rather than facing the reality of real issues in my life.
…..Me and thousands of others.
So what have I learnt from years of being (for want of a better word) a workaholic?
- The world doesn’t stop if you are not in the office.
- There is an off switch on your Blackberry
- There are far more important things in life than work
- Taking your frustration about work out on loved ones only serves to alienate them or increase their concern for your well being.
My two redundancies in quick succession, although unpleasant have given me the space to think about what I have achieved and the mistakes I have made – my outlook has changed enormously towards work and I can switch off with ease. A steep learning curve and one I would not recommend to others starting out.
All work and no play?
- Do not take work home with you unless absolutely necessary
- Switch any work related communication devices off when you leave in the evening.
- Never give your personal mobile number to your boss or to clients.
- If you are WAH only work a normal working day.
- Have interests outside of work
- It as important to leave the stresses of the day outside the front door as it is to leave external stresses outside the office.
- Manage your time more effectively – A challenge if you are in effect doing 3 people’s jobs.
- Learn from your mistakes and move on with a renewed sense of purpose.
It is never too late to change your working habits – give it a go, blow a huge rasberry at your Blackberry or better still give it back – I did !
I’ve been stood up …again !!!!
I saw a tweet from @lovemediasales at 0825 this morning and it actually evoked all of those old feelings of rejection and anger I had experienced personally in this situation – I had to go for a walk, before my fabulous training session this morning to clear my head.
I’ll share it with you:
‘TIP: Always ensure that your team meetings do not move. How would you feel if your 1to1 meeting got moved for ‘something urgent’.’
I think the feeling I remember most in this situation is the feeling of not being valued. As a sales professional for many years, monthly meetings, reviews or appraisals were really important to me. Once a month/quarter/ year the ability to listen to feedback, give feedback and agree objectives professionally and personally.
Maybe my expectations of people were just too high back in the day . Meetings in my first company were always adhered to except in extenuating circumstances, illness, crisis management and in our full knowledge and agreement. As a sales manager and publisher within that company it was instilled in me that your teams were to be valued, their input vital and their welfare and happiness of paramount importance. I never missed a meeting with my staff unless they had been told and an alternative date put on the tablet of stone – it was an awfully long time ago.
If we fast forward four years, I first experienced my first taste of ‘ being stood up’ preparing for a monthly 1-2-1 or appraisal takes a lot of time and effort as I said earlier – It is not really something that I have ever regarded as ‘back of fag packet stuff ‘ this was my career, something I have never taken lightly. It was the day of my annual appraisal and I had agonised about my answers for a week, prepared my 360 feedback, I had been running on adrenalin that morning and by the time it came to 1440 I was actually raring to go .. my boss had arrived 10 minutes before and as I got all my papers together and swung round on my chair, five people marched into her office.
I waited for what I believe to be the acceptable waiting time and sent an email asking if my appraisal had been postponed or delayed? With this particular individual I always added a read receipt, I got an email back 6 minutes later ‘deleted without being read’ this incensed me..I went for the obligatory cigarette to calm down and decided that on my return I would pick up my papers and knock on the door and ask the question again in front of my colleagues. So I did, this was met with ‘ Can’t you see I am busy, go away’ … by the end of the day I was called in and given a right royal roasting for interrupting their meeting. This was my first appraisal in that particular company and my last !
I couldn’t agree with @lovemediasales more.. stick to the dates you have agreed and if you can’t give 24 hours notice, don’t send an email, speak to them 1-2-1 even if it is for 5 minutes – this way your staff will still feel valued and notice that you have taken the time out of your schedule to acknowledge them. Failure to do these simple and effective things will result in demotivated staff who will ultimately have no respect for you and let everyone else know after 3 pints!!!
Oh by the way… I did eventually get my appraisal, a month later, during my monthly 1-2-1 which had been postponed from three months previously !
Objective – Make Every Goal Count
Setting objectives can be a double edged sword if they are not communicated effectively. Everyone in a target driven environment needs to know how they are measured and what the expectations are of them.
Simply presenting someone with a list of actions without explanation, thought or buy-in is only going to result in the person not really understanding what their objectives are and agreeing them any way just to please the boss – It almost always ends in a breakdown in communication and a demotivated team.
Make every objective count
When setting objectives it is important to remember that they are not simply a vehicle for the manager cover for any potential anomalies or to exert power. Objectives are tool for advancing learning, enhancing performance and increasing motivation.
Do not just pluck idea for monthly objectives out of the air, they should be based on:
- Actions from appraisal
- Career plan
- Learning and development plan
Think about your previous learning’s :
- How many times have you agreed to monthly objectives and then not been given the tools or support to be able to achieve them?
- How many times are you written objectives in five minutes because you forgot it was some one’s monthly 1-2-1 and Just written the first thing that comes into your head?
- How many times have you pulled someone up on their work when you know that you did not set clearly defined objectives?
- How many times have you regretted not giving the level of support needed for your team to fulfil their objectives, but still blamed them for lack of success?
- How many times have you dismissed someone because they have consistently not met their objectives?
If you can answer yes to any of the above then you should think about adopting the following plan moving forward:
Don't agree just for an easy life
Team:
- Do not agree objectives that you know you cannot deliver, speak candidly about what you can achieve and get agreement or at least a compromise.
- Make sure you have achievable, measurable objectives that reflect your development .
- Agree your objectives in line with the action points from your appraisal.
Managers
- Set clearly thought out achievable objectives taking in consideration, financial, personal and development goals.
- Invest time in preparing each months objectives for your team, don’t leave it till the last minute, it smacks of not valuing the people that work with you.
- Do not be influenced from above, stick to your guns, you know your team better than your boss.
And if you are thinking of some ideas then here are some words to conjure with:
- Specific
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Measurable
- Time-Sensitive
Make every objectives meeting count, encourage, support and coach and you will see an outstanding difference in every single member of your team.
Adopt a new approach
If you want to expand yours and your teams thought process even more you might consider this amazing concept from the wonderful Tom Evans:
“Virtually every goal setting system is target-based. While there is nothing wrong with this on the surface, goals set in this manner are essentially limited by our imagination,
experience and the information to hand at the time they are set. Therein lies the flaw.
When you then align what you want to learn with what you want to achieve, something magical happens.”
- Firstly, you get presented with opportunities and challenges to help you grow as a person.
- Secondly, the opportunities to help you achieve your goals start to appear as if by magic.
- Thirdly, you achieve a level of results, which are much better than you ever even imagined.
Listen to what Tom has to say about learning based goals here in conversation with the equally inspirational Jackie Walker
How ever you decide to deliver objectives, remember that the person receiving them looks to you to guide their career so make it count.
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it !
Today’s post focuses on how you use your voice and how this key factor can help you win new business.
I am an evangelist when it comes to this subject and anyone I’ve ever trained will now be nodding and smiling if they are reading this.
Now that's what I call a cold call !
So many people hear the words ‘cold calling’ or ‘new business’ target and automatically feel that hell has been unleashed upon them. logical thought dictates that it is the only way you can increase profit margins and inject growth into your products. If we simply rely on getting business from the ‘ old faithfuls’ then our business’ will shrink and we will end up with little or no business at all - scary thought ?
So here are a few pointers to help you think about the way you approach a new business call:
- Tone - The tone you use can reflect many things – sincerity, boredom, enthusiasm, passion, interest, confidence, anger, etc. Always make sure your tone portrays you in a positive light.
- Inflection- The way you stress words and sentences, will increase their importance, and also add variety to your voice.
- Pitch- The pitch in your voice will enable you to add variety and interest to your voice.
- Pace - It is not a race, so many people race through their new business pitches, either because they are lacking confidence or simply they are filled with enthusiasm. Don’t be afraid to pause occassionaly, this gives you thinking time and enables the potential client to think about what you are saying.
- Clarity – Particularly if you are speaking to someone on the phone is vital, clear enunciation is important and will make you sound more confident and composed.
- Volume- Use your normal speaking volume, If you are naturally quiet then practise speaking up.
- Semantics – Avoid meaningless jargon- design each call to suit the individual listener.
Above all be natural – a ‘telephone persona’ sounds so false, use positive language- there is little point in perfecting your tone and how you use the voice to steer a conversation if you use negative language. Positive confident language is the key to winning new business.
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them” – Walt Disney
For further information on how we can help you develop either yourself or your team then please contact us for a free consultation.
