Why It’s So Important To Know The Difference Between Self-Help And Personal Growth

To many of us the terms "self-help" and "personal growth" are interchangeable. But while they may give the external appearance of having twin meanings, in the external perception they are more akin to those tiny figures that we would see perched on the shoulders of a character on television. If you can, visualize the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other and you'll get my meaning.

One is a near obsession with fixing some innate flaws, either real or imagined, which are a blemish on our existence. We just know that if we could fix ourselves, life would be pure bliss. Or would it?

The other is based on the belief that we are fine the way we are, though not perfect, we are good enough already. But that we are a work in progress and there is a desire to expand in some way, through gaining knowledge, through improving our skill or through cultivating healthier or more positive behaviors.

Though I may be splitting hairs over textbook definitions, the true difference is in how the perception of the journey affects both our attitude and our actions. We resist change when we feel bad about ourselves; condemned, criticized and judged (usually we are the ones offering up our own judgment.) We embrace change when it elicits happy feelings of fulfillment and accomplishment.

A few examples to illustrate my theory…

Weight/Health issue

Self-Help Perspective: I can't fit into my jeans. I need to lose 20…30…50 pounds, then I'll be happier. What is wrong with me? I've tried so many diets. I just need to exercise more. Ugh

Personal Growth Perspective: I want to be healthy and have more energy to allow me to live the life I love. This is the only body I have and I choose to nurture it by making healthier food choices and moving to keep my heart and muscles strong and fit.

Organization issue

Self-Help Perspective: I have got to get it together. My house (car, office) is always a mess. I can't find anything. I never seem to get anything done. I just need to find the right system. Or maybe I could hire someone to come in and clean it all up.

Personal Growth Perspective: I set my priorities. I won't accumulate things I don't need. I'll ask for help from someone who can offer effective strategies on how to better manage my life, my home or my work. I acknowledge that external disorganization is a symptom of lack of internal focus. I need to be clear about what I want.

Money issue

Self-Help Perspective: I need a better "get out of debt" plan. But the book said if I just followed the guidelines, I could be a millionaire…I need a job that pays more money.

Personal Growth Perspective: I work toward my debt and savings goals consistently. I understand that it can be a slow process. I treat money with respect and gratitude. I am grateful to have a job. I invest in myself and my career by improving my marketable skills.

You get the idea. Though this may be an exaggeration to illustrate a point, I think the difference in perception and attitude is readily apparent. And while the actions taken may actually be the same, the results will differ greatly, because the intention is different.

We instinctively push back against the idea that we are lacking and "should" fix ourselves. We are drawn to the idea that we are wonderful and getting better all the time.

Which way of thinking sounds more enticing to you? Which strategy do you think has better long term results? Which perception do you think contributes more to your happiness in life?

Royale Scuderi is a writer, life and business coach who empowers individuals and businesses to achieve higher productivity, growth, business success and work - life balance. She offers wisdom, insight and ideas to help you get the most out of your life at Productive Life Concepts.

Thanks to Royale Scuderi / Life Hack / Stepcase Limited
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/why-its-so-important-to-know-the-difference-between-self-help-and-personal-growth.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LifeHack+%28lifehack.org%29

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How To Avoid The 3 Most Common Mistakes In Lead Gen

There are common themes that are always present in under performing lead development efforts.   Perform a quick diagnosis of your lead generation team to look for indicators of the top 3 most common mistakes in Lead Gen.

1. Unqualified Leads are accelerated to the Sales Force Prematurely

Are your reps complaining that their leads aren't sales ready?   Look closely at the time window of leads advancing to the sales force.  Inquiries that represent late buying stage prospects should escalate quickly. However, the vast majority of prospects are in the early stages of the buying process.  No more than 10-15% of leads should be accelerating to the sales force in the first day the inquiry comes in.

Is there a large quantity of leads accelerating to the sales force within the first day of inquiry?  If so you are likely suffering from one of the following:

• Score thresholds that are too low:  This generally is instituted early in the roll-out of a lead development team when there is an eagerness to show results to the field.  Sales leaders also encourage low thresholds because they can perceive a higher barrier as tight stranglehold on their flow of leads.
• Scoring activity amounts that are too high:  The specific score on certain activities or content assets may be too high.  Often content items are scored too high, and consideration is not given to total scores than include a series of activities for an early stage prospect.
• Short-sighted routing rules:  This involves routing rules that short-circuit involvement by the lead development reps.  Undeveloped leads go right to sales reps.  This happens when rules are created to route to focus accounts, premium product interest, or high engagement leads such as webinar attendees.  The problem is that the prospects aren't ready to talk to a sales rep and the entire value proposition of facilitated buying is undermined.

Lead Development Reps are unique from Sales Reps for a reason, give them the opportunity to be successful.  Below is an example of a corrupted scoring model with activity scores that are too high, and a threshold that is too low.  Note that a single visit and series of interactions can result in a 'sales ready' lead:

2. Lead Development Reps push too early

There are cases where a prospect enters the lead management pipeline in late stages of the buying process.  It is wise to accelerate these late stage inquiries to introduce the sales rep with a meeting.

Too often Lead Development Reps are asking for a meeting in their first successful contact with a prospect who is not even close to ready.  I spend time observing and coaching lead development teams.  Leads reps are often directed to advance the relationship to a scheduled meeting on call #1.   They often get responses such as; "No, we don't even have this in the budget.  No, just looking."

Why is this wrong?  The role of Lead Development Rep was created in response to the need to engage the prospect earlier in the buying process.   Prospects have sought to avoid sales reps by performing research online on their own in the early stages.  Companies make the mistake of instituting selling activities disconnected from understanding where the prospect is in the buying process.   The role of the lead development rep is to build rapport and offer resources.  The rapport leads to multiple contacts, and eventually a considerable percentage of these 1-to-1 nurtured prospects become qualified sales ready leads.

3. Tribal Activities Replace Process

Finally, pay close attention to whether your lead generation team is operating from a repeatable lead management process.  Many under-performing teams start out with a framework for leads.  Do to poor discipline, the process dissolves.

The end result is an approach based on an undocumented process that is copied ad-hoc from rep to rep.  A certain 'Tribal' approach takes over replaces formal process.   Without a formal process, there are major holes in building an effective lead generation effort that include:

• Inability to effectively compare and stack rank lead development rep performance
• Unreliable forecasting
• Structured buying stage conversion rates and average time per stage are replaced by a haze of cluelessness.

In summary, print out this blog post and review it with your lead generation team.

Thanks to Vince Koehler / Sales Benchmark Index
http://www.salesbenchmarkindex.com//bid/73409/how-to-avoid-the-3-most-common-mistakes-in-lead-gen?source=Blog_Email_[How%20to%20Avoid%20the%203%20M]

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Brain Research Proves Incentives Are Good, But Recognition Is Better

Recognize This! – The unexpected surprise delights us more than the expected reward.

I'm often asked about the difference between incentives and recognition (and if there really is one). Let me be clear – there is a very great difference between incentives and recognition. There is a role for both, though I tend to land on the side of recognition as the more powerful method for motivation, engagement and culture change in an organization.

But incentives do have a place. Think of incentives as a competition, which can be between people or teams or simply a competition with yourself and your own prior performance. These can be fun and motivating to drive activity in call centers or on sales teams, but they can also go horribly wrong.

For example, I've rarely seen a safety incentives program do what it was designed to – encourage safer practices. Instead, employees are incented to reduce safety incidents, which leads to them simply not reporting unsafe activities or events. Instead, employees should be incented to report areas where safety could be improved.

Better yet, employees should be recognized after the fact when they've made observations or changes that have resulted in a safer work environment.

What's the difference? Incentives and the associated goals and rewards are known in advance. Recognition is always a surprise, never expected.

Why does this matter? Citing recent research, Alexander Kjerulf, the Chief Happiness Officer, explains it this way:

• Something nice happens that you expect = good
• Something nice happens unexpectedly = even better

The research out of Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine looked to determine based on changes in human brain activity in response to a sequence of pleasurable stimuli.

"They used a computer-controlled device to squirt fruit juice or water into the mouths of 25 research participants. The patterns of the squirting were either predictable or unpredictable. The researchers found that the MRI scans showed a brain area called the nucleus accumbens to be much more active when the subjects received unpredictable patterns of juice and water. …

"'This means that the brain finds unexpected pleasure more rewarding that expected ones, and it may have little to do with what people say they like,' said Dr. Gregory Berns, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Emory and Dr. Read Montague, associate professor of neuroscience at Baylor, the authors of the study."

In other words, yes, it's nice to receive the incentive we know we worked hard to earn, but it's even better to be recognized unexpectedly by our colleagues who proactively noticed and expressed their appreciation for what we did.

Which do you prefer? Incentives or recognition?

Thanks to Derek Irvine / Recognize This Blog
http://recognizethisblog.com/2012/05/brain-research-proves-incentives-are-good-but-recognition-is-better/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+globoforce%2Frecognize-this+%28Recognize+This!++With+Derek+Irvine%29

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Risks Of Letting Employees Work At Home

Thanks to continued technology advancements, home offices and telecommuting have become increasingly popular in today's rocky economic climate. 

Teleworking is often described as a win-win situation: workers save money on gas and have the added flexibility of working from their home base, while employers save money on office space and supplies. But the scenario can quickly become a costly one for small business owners. From data protection to overtime regulations, there are many bases employers need to cover in order to have a safe work environment.

Jeffery Kaufman, founding partner at KEL Attorneys in Orlando warned small business owners with employees working from home be aware of any safety issues of the space being worked out of to avoid potential lawsuits. He explained business owners are not required to do a search of their home or office space to ensure it is safe, but if it becomes apparent that the situation is unsafe, the business owner is required to do an investigation.

"The small business owner should have an action plan on how they will investigate [remote] workplace injuries," Kaufman said.

Small business owners must ensure their company's data remains secure; allowing workers to telecommute means they will be able to access confidential data and trade secrets that are vital to your company's success. Kaufman recommended owners make sure employees are working on a company-issued computer that are up-to-date with security features.

"You can eliminate risk by having them sign a waiver that says they understand the aspects of their employment and do not share trade secrets," he said. "You don't want [employees] taking trade secrets and have to make sure they are not violating rules, and that you are protecting your clients."

Remote employees may not feel the same degree of loyalty to the business as employees working in the office space, according to Paul Lopez, a labor and employment attorney from Tripp Scott Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. If confidential data is accessed or copied without authorization, there is software that can notify employers in order to better protect proprietary information.

"These employees might be more prone to jump ship and take a better deal somewhere else," Lopez said. "They might feather their next to make a move somewhere else. You can't see what they are doing every day and these employees might feel they have more freedom, Big Brother is not watching."

Overtime regulations are another area of concern regarding remote workers, Kaufman cautioned. While it's harder to monitor remote employees' work hours, there is software available to  keep tabs on employees. Having software that has employees log in and log out when done working is one way to ensure they are not working too little or too many hours, he said.

Lopez said businesses should also have employees keep daily time sheets that they prepare and sign themselves, that way there is a daily record of the amount of time they are working, so they cannot sue later for overtime that was unpaid.

"Also at the end of every pay period, the employer can require employees to verify a summary of the amount of hours they are being paid for, and require them to sign off on it," he said. "It becomes more difficult for an employee to actually say they worked more."

Spyware is another option small businesses can look into, Lopez said. This software will not only monitor when they sign in and out, but also see what they are doing while logged in, to some extent.

Above all, have written policies in place for telecommuting, Lopez stressed. Walk all employees through these policies and let them know that violation of these policies can and will lead to consequences.

"It's great to have wonderful written policies, but if you're not enforcing them, they're not worth the piece of paper they are written on," Lopez said.

Thanks to Kate Rogers / SmallBusiness FoxBusiness / FOX News Network, LLC.
http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/legal-hr/2011/08/22/risks-letting-employees-work-at-home/?intcmp=obinsite

 

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Yes - Selling Is Harder Than Other Jobs!

If you are a sales professional have you ever tried telling someone that selling is hard and they just roll their eyes. Those who don't sell don't know and don't believe you – but for the record and as an expert on the subject let me say that I also believe that sales and selling is a hard job, in fact one of the hardest jobs.

Proof - Why do so many companies struggle to find top sales talent? Why do so many businesses have trouble retaining their top people and why do they find their sales organization full of people that don't perform? Many companies have done a great job at filling out their other departments but they look at sales and wonder "where did we go wrong?"

The simple answer to this conundrum is that sales and selling can be a very difficult job that is not for everybody. Going back to paragraph one why can I say that sales positions are tougher than any other in a company?

Reason one:

Sales people face something every day those others do not – people actually trying to stop them doing their job. Resistance comes in many forms such as objections, excuses, complaints and of course NO!

Reason two:

Balance -Managing a sales process from start to finish is a collection of contradictions and not everybody can handle that.

• Push without being pushy
• Listen and empathize without taking put offs and excuses
• Have a sense of urgency but be very patient
• Be willing to push back but able to do so nicely and not appear rude
• Be really well prepared but really good at shooting from the hip
• Be really well organized but flexible
• Focus and develop relationships but realize respect is more important than being liked

These are just a few – If you are a sales person have you mastered the art of balance? Take a look at yourself and ask yourself the tough questions. Look at your last few sales calls and think about the outcomes – how did the prospect respond to your push back? Were you able to empathize with the client and still offer constructive criticism? Did you spend enough time planning or too much?

When we evaluate a sales organization one of the things we try to determine is something we call sales posturing. Chris Mott wrote this great article on sales posturing here. Bottom line – if you are not being seen as a Trusted Advisor at every stage of the process then you are probably losing more opportunities than you can even imagine.

Thanks to Frank Belzer / OMG Hub / The Sales Archaelologist
http://www.omghub.com/sales-archaeologist-blog/tabid/85464/bid/73423/yes-seliing-is-harder-than-other-jobs?source=Blog_Email_[Yes%20-%20Seliing%20is%20Har]

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Can You Have Too Much Experience?

Dear J.T. & Dale: When a company says "five to 10 years of experience" in the job description, does that mean you should have only that much experience? I have far more years of experience than people are asking for. I recently applied for a job and heard nothing. I called and found out the job had been filled, and I got the name of the person. I looked him up, and he had half my years of experience. What gives? – Frank

DALE: Experience isn't what it used to be. In a time when jobs were relatively constant, young employees would master the required job skills, then gain insight and wisdom through the years, ultimately getting to where they could say, "I've seen it all." In a time of constant economic disruption, however, there is not one long learning curve, but many shorter, faster ones – no one ever again can say they have "seen it all." So employers worry about hiring someone who learned the old ways and got stuck there.

J.T.: Even if you keep up on the latest techniques, there's also the assumption you will expect more money than someone with less experience; or you'll agree to less now but be looking to leave for more money. Given all of that, it's tempting to try to hide your experience. Don't do it. Instead, leverage your experience. All your time in the field should have given you an extensive network that you can use to get in front of hiring managers and show them how their assumptions about experience are not true. A resume won't be enough – you need a chance to let managers get comfortable with you firsthand, and see that your experience isn't a worry, but a bonus.

Jeanine "J.T." Tanner O'Donnell is a professional development specialist and the founder of the consulting firm, JTODonnell.com, and of the career management blog, CAREEREALISM.com. Dale Dauten resolves employment and other business disputes as a mediator with AgreementHouse.com.

Thanks to Jeanine Tanner O'Donnell & Dale Dauten / Careerealism
http://www.careerealism.com/experience-too-much/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+careerealism+%28CAREEREALISM%29

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How To Find The Right Sales Mentor

Lately I've been hearing a lot of pretty successful people talking about how much they owe their achievements to their mentors. From vice presidents of sales to sales reps to business owners, they attribute their accomplishments, at least in part, to having a mentor to guide them.

Often though, sales people who aspire to be the best don't have anyone to help them find the way. One of the biggest reasons may be that they don't know where to look.

Here are five tips to help you find your right sales mentor:

1. Think about what you need a mentor for. The first step toward finding a good sales mentor is to think about what you're actually hoping to gain from the relationship. Is it a sense of perspective on your career or territory, someone who can help you overcome a particularly difficult challenge you're facing, or something else? Be clear with your objective.
2. Find someone who is successful, positive, and a good listener. Look for a mentor with proven sales success, experience overcoming challenges and achieving goals that are similar to your own.

   He or she should offer a sounding board for the sales and career issues you're facing. Understanding what you're going through will allow your mentor to give valuable input, hold you accountable to your objectives, and push you to do your very best. Your mentor is your coach and cheerleader!

3. Your mentor shouldn't be your manager. While your sales manager may fill a mentor-like role in many ways, it's a good idea to have a separate person as your mentor. Why? Because you want to be able to speak openly. For example, you may have set a goal to sell double your quota. Your mentor can help you develop the strategy to do it, then push you to accomplish it. But your mentor won't forecast it like your manager might. Your mentor is your confidant and strategist.
4. Don't be afraid to consider mentors from other industries or backgrounds. There's no rule that says your mentor has to have, or have had, a similar sales job to the one you have. In fact, advice and guidance from a mentor who doesn't work in your field could yield an entirely new perspective. Because they're starting with a blank slate, they may be able to ask the kinds of questions that will lead you to an inspiration that you wouldn't have found otherwise.
5. It's okay to have multiple mentors. As you consider the benefits of having a sales mentor, you may find that it's beneficial to have more than one. For example, if you aspire to a sales executive role, a sales executive mentor would be invaluable. At the same time, if your strategy to get there is by growing alliance partner relationships for the company, having a mentor with experience there is also important. You don't want to have so many mentors that there isn't time to put their advice into action, but don't be afraid to approach more than one.

A mentor can catapult your success and once you start looking, you'll notice potential candidates all around you. Set an appointment to talk over coffee. You might be surprised at how open they are to helping, and just how much you'll gain from the experience!

Thanks to Kendra Lee / Sales Resources / CityCom Marketing, LLC.
http://www.salesresources.com/articles/article.cfm?ID=1811

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3 Universal Goals To Influence People

Central to the art and science of persuasion is understanding three goals for which everyone is aiming.

The art and science of persuasion is often discussed as though changing people's minds is about using the right arguments, the right tone of voice or the right negotiation tactic. But effective influence and persuasion isn't just about patter, body language or other techniques, it's also about understanding people's motivations.

In the scrabble to explain technique, it's easy to forget that there are certain universal goals of which, at least some of the time, we are barely aware. Influence and persuasion attempts must tap into these to really gain traction.

Techniques of persuasion

To illustrate these universal goals, let's have a look at six common techniques of influence that you'll have come across either explicitly or implicitly (from Cialdini, 2001):

1. Liking: It's much easier to influence someone who likes you. Successful influencers try to flatter and uncover similarities in order to build attraction.
2. Social proof. People like to follow one another, so influencers imply the herd is moving the same way.
3. Consistency. Most people prefer to keep their word. If people make a commitment, particularly if it's out loud or in writing, they are much more likely to keep it. Influencers should try to gain verbal or written commitments.
4. Scarcity. Even when companies have warehouses full of a product, they still advertise using time-limited offers that emphasise scarcity. People want what they can't have, or at least what might be running short.
5. Authority. People are strongly influenced by experts. Successful influencers flaunt their knowledge to establish their expertise.
6. Reciprocity. Give something to get something. When people feel indebted to you they are more likely to agree to what you want. This feeling could arise from something as simple as a compliment.

There are many more, but these six are often quoted, especially in business circles. The reason these work is that they tap into three basic human goals, and it's these goals that are the key to understanding how to influence and persuade people (from Cialdini and Goldstein, 2004).

1. Goal of affiliation

In the most part humans are social so they want to be liked. Rejection is no fun and we'll do almost anything to avoid it.

We reciprocate because it sends a message about our sociability. We try to elicit liking from other people by behaving in ways we guess will be attractive, like agreeing with them or complimenting them.

Not only do we want approval from specific people, we also want it from society at large (see this article on conformity). We want the things we do, think and believe to be broadly in line with what others do, think and believe. It's not impossible to be different, but it is difficult.

The techniques of liking and reciprocity mentioned above both clearly play on our desire for affiliation, as do many other techniques of persuasion and influence. Most people are joiners and followers so influencers like to give us something to join and someone to follow.

2. Goal of accuracy

People who don't care about doing things correctly never get anywhere in life. To achieve our goals in what is a complicated world, we have to be continually trying to work out the best course of action.

It could be accuracy in social situations, such as how to deal with the boss or how to make friends, or it could be accuracy in financial matters like how to get a good deal, or it could be accuracy in existential matters. Whatever the arena, people are always striving for the 'right' answer.

Influencers understand our need to be right and so they try to offer things that appeal to our need for accuracy. For example, experts or authority figures influence people heavily because they offer us a 'correct' view or way of doing things, especially one that we don't have to think too carefully about.

The techniques of social proof and scarcity both nag at our desire to be accurate because we assume other people are likely to be right and we don't want to miss out on a bargain.

3. Goal of maintaining positive self-concept

People want to protect their view of themselves because it takes a long time to build up a semi-coherent view of oneself and one's place in the world.

We work hard to keep our world-views intact: we want to maintain our self-esteem, to continue believing in the things we believe in and to honour whatever commitments we have espoused in the past. In an inconsistent world we at least should be self-consistent.

Persuaders and influencers can leverage this goal by invoking our sense of self-consistency. A trivial but instructive example is the foot-in-the-door technique. This is where an influencer asks you to agree to a small request before asking for a bigger one. Because people feel somehow that it would be inconsistent to agree to one request and then refuse the next one, they want to say yes again.

People will go to surprising lengths to maintain their positive view of themselves.

Unconscious motivators

Everybody wants to be accurate, to affiliate with others and to maintain their concept of themselves, however little awareness we might have of these goals. Effective persuasion and influence attempts can target one or more of these goals.

With these goals in mind it is possible to tailor persuasion attempts to the particular characteristics of an audience, rather than relying on transparent generic techniques. Whether it's at work, dealing with your boss, or at home negotiating with a neighbor, we can all benefit from thinking about other people's unconscious motivators. Then we can work out how to align our message with their goals.

Thanks to Spring Org / Psy Blog
http://www.spring.org.uk/2010/07/3-universal-goals-to-influence-people.php

 

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How To Encourage People To Change Their Own Minds

Self-persuasion: let people talk themselves around to your point of view.

Changing people's minds is hard.

We resist having our attitudes adjusted by others, especially when the message isn't directly relevant to us and we aren't paying that much attention.

But what if you could get people to change their own minds? People will listen to themselves and will automatically generate arguments that have personal relevance for them.

It's not as crazy as it sounds. Actually people are being encouraged to persuade themselves all the time. Here are a few examples:

1. When a parent wants to change a child's behaviour they might ask them why it is wrong, rather than just telling them it is wrong.
2. When we're encouraged to take part in role-playing exercises, we might espouse attitudes and values we don't believe in.
3. When we want to change our behaviour, say, to healthier eating, we might try to convince ourselves we don't like the forbidden foods as much as we do.

So, there are all kinds of situations in which we are arguing with ourselves, whether it's because we've initiated it ourselves, or because we've been subtly encouraged to do so by someone else.

Self-persuasion

But does it work? Does self-persuasion make any real difference?

Janis and King (1954) tested this by having some participants give a talk while two others listened. Then they swapped around and one of the passive listeners gave a talk to the other two on a different topic.

What emerged was that, on average, people were more convinced by the talk when they gave it themselves than when they merely heard it passively. This suggests that we really are persuaded more strongly when we make the argument ourselves, even if it isn't in line with our own viewpoint.

The same trick works with attitudes to smoking. People are more put off smoking when they deliver an anti-smoking message than when they passively receive it (research described in Brinol et al., 2012).

We see the same effect for self-confidence. When people are told to present themselves in a self-confident way to others, they actually feel more self-confident themselves.

The explanation seems to be that we are very good at convincing ourselves because we know just what sorts of arguments will sway us.

So if you want someone to persuade themselves, you can try asking them to put aside their own attitude for a moment and try getting them to generate their own arguments for the point you want to make.

Whatever the cover story, as long as the person is encouraged to generate their own arguments, it has a chance of changing their mind.

Thanks to Spring Org / Psy Blog
http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/05/how-to-encourage-people-to-change-their-own-minds.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PsychologyBlog+%28PsyBlog%29

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10 Steps To Boost Your Sales Process

The foundation for predictable and repeatable success is a formal sales process. In a recent study of B2B sales organizations, top performers were found to be 19% more likely to use a standardized methodology than laggards. But the statistics don't show what we have learned from our clients. Successful implementation of a sales process depends heavily on one key resource – the Sales Manager.

The CRM system is functionally managed by IT and business operations, the reports are analyzed and acted upon by senior sales leaders, and the day-to-day execution of the methodology is carried out by the sales force, but the glue is the first line sales manager.

The sales manager teaches the reps how to follow the process, coaches them to comply and improve, and enforces a common understanding of the stages and exit criteria, producing accurate and actionable information for senior leadership. Without the sales manager as the owner of the process, execution and results are certain to fall far short of targets.  The risk of failure is extremely high.

If the sales manager is so vital to the sales process, how do sales organizations leverage this key resource? According to an Aberdeen Group report issued this week, 57% of the best-in-class organizations provide their managers with role-specific training, compared with only 44% for the average performers.

So, sales managers are responsible for implementing the sales process. What is the best way to equip them to be effective owners of this critical function?  Our clients who have had the most success would point to these 10 key steps in designing a training curriculum for sales managers:

1. Create a complete, modular curriculum, ready for deployment
2. Start with a core of world-class content with detailed instructor's notes
3. Customize the content for your organization, especially HR and CRM-specific information
4. Lessons are self-contained, can be taught as needed, independent of the overall course
5. Limit the lessons to 90 minute segments
6. Keep a regular cadence; publish a workshop calendar 6 months in advance; bi-weekly workshops work best
7. Include at least one hands-on exercise in each lesson using actual, current customer scenarios, job aids and/or CRM reports; assign pre-work
8. Each module is taught by a First Line Manager with support from Learning &Development or Business Operations
9. The instructing manager is selected based on expertise in the topic
10. Share the workload. Challenge each manager to lead at least one workshop

Here is an example of a Sales Leadership curriculum overview.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an example of the details for the individual 90-minute lessons:

The key benefits of this approach are:

• You will grow a staff of Subject Matter Experts and they will be recognized as resources for other managers to tap after the workshop is over.
• It is easier to make a significant impact with the sales managers because the population is relatively small compared with training the entire sales force.
• Assigning veterans to lead the lessons engages them and allows them to add value. They already know the content. Don't exempt them, engage them.

Thanks to John Kenney / Sales Benchmark Index
http://www.salesbenchmarkindex.com//bid/73300/10-steps-to-boost-your-sales-process?source=Blog_Email_[10%20Steps%20to%20Boost%20Yo]

 

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6 Tips to Max Your Business Problem Solving Skills

If you can't solve problems and enjoy it, you won't make it as an entrepreneur. By definition, an entrepreneur is the first to undertake a given business, and firsts never happen without problems and people frustrations. The toughest problems are people problems, like personnel issues, but there are tough operational problems as well, such as vendor delays.

The real entrepreneurs I know are good at overcoming both people problems and business obstacles, and get satisfaction from the challenge. Some people think this is a talent that you must be born with, but experts disagree. You can definitely train yourself to be a problem solver, if you haven't already. It's a key skill for success in every business role, from accountant to customer support. Here are some basics rules:

1. Practice active listening. Whether it's a frustrated employee, or a dissatisfied customer, what you first hear is usually someone yelling with emotion or talking so fast the you don't know what they are talking about. The first thing to do is resist the urge to vocally jump into the fray, and listen attentively without interruption. Often the person will solve their own problem as they are unloading.

2. Promise action but manage expectations. Calmly commit to resolve the problem, but don't immediately promise any given solution. Let the person know that the situation is not simple, and you need some time to investigate the circumstances and alternatives. Then give an expected time frame for an answer, and move to the next stage.

3. Investigate thoroughly. There are at least two sides to every problem. Don't assume anything, and gather facts from all relevant parties. If it's a judgment or fair treatment question, practice your active listening with each party. If a problem requires special expertise, like a tax question, do your homework or call an expert.

4. Provide regular progress updates to all. Status communication is critical, if the resolution time is going to be longer than one day, even if you have given an expected time from longer than one day. This is probably the most important step and probably the most neglected. If they hear nothing, unhappy people get progressively harder to satisfy.

5. Make a timely decision. Meet your committed time frame for a resolution. Schedule enough face-to-face time (not email or text message) to lay out your understanding of the problem, facts you have assembled, options that you considered, and your decision reached, with reasoning behind it. If possible, let the person with the problem chose from alternatives, so you get more "buy-in." Put the decision in writing to prevent ambiguity.

6. Follow-up. No matter how smooth the resolution, you need to re-confirm the decision with affected parties within hours or days. This reaffirms you commitment to the process, their satisfaction, and avoids any secondary problems. If the problem was a business process, get the process update documented and communicated to all.

It's critical to train everyone on your team on these principles, if you want an effective business. Your goal in all of this is to be a role model and get respect for you own position, as well as to empower team members to effectively solve problems for you and for your customers directly.

Problems happen, that's part of life and people usually understand that. They are an everyday part of every business and personal environment. In fact, every business is about solutions to customer problems – no problems, no business.

Entrepreneurs who are great problem solvers within the business are the best prepared to solve their customers' needs effectively as well. But in both cases, forcing a smile is not an alternative to the techniques described above. Your team and your customers will see right through it.

Thanks to Marty Zwilling / Start Up Professionals
http://blog.startupprofessionals.com/2012/05/6-tips-to-max-your-business-problem.html

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