TIPS FOR SUCCESS – Leadership/Management

Tip #1 - Engage Employees

A key quality of a leader is the ability to "move people" to action. Here are some guidelines for inspiring cooperation:

• Begin with honest, sincere appreciation
• Develop an environment that encourages ideas and show respect for the other person's opinion
• Create opportunities for feedback to close the communication loop
• Ask questions instead of giving direct orders
• Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest
• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves
• Recognize human potential and reward the accomplishments of others

Tip #2 - Plan Properly

Having a planning process is crucial to success. Try following this process:

• What should be accomplished in the scope of this plan?
• Determine the reality of the current situation.
• Define and set the goals
• Work out a definite program, including the action steps.
• Estimate the cost of the plan.
• Set timetables.
• Implement the plan.
• Follow Up

Tip #3 - Set Achievable and Measurable Goals for You and Your Team
Here are some tips on how leaders can coach employees to persevere in the attainment of their goals:

• Prioritize your goals. Brainstorm with your team and place all the ideas into categories – urgent, important, and unnecessary. Develop a numbered list of specific goals.
• Establish a production schedule with intermediate goals. Make an actual schedule so you can put dates to all the ideas. Intermediate steps allows you to watch the progress of the production and evaluate your team’s performance.
• Communicate the goal system and objectives to your team. Obtain your team’s input about how to best meet these goals. Let each member know what they are personally responsible for producing.
• Reward success. Keep your team and yourself motivated to achieve your goals by giving a small reward each time a goal is met. Let everyone know you value his or her effort and time.

Tip #4 - Delegation

Failing to delegate tasks is a common problem among inexperienced managers. Delegating allows you time to do your job and helps employees to grow toward their own potential. Consider the following delegation tips when tasks need to be completed:

• Identify Opportunities
• Select the Person
• Plan the Delegations
• Hold a Delegation Meeting
• Create a Plan of Action
• Review the Plan
• Implement the Plan
• Follow Up

Building Your Networking Skills

Networking events can seem very intimidating, but they can be a resource that will help propel your career to new heights. It is always important to go into a networking event with enthusiasm and a set goal in mind. Use these ideas to help make your next networking experience a successful one.

1. Network online - According to recent research by The Institute For Corporate Productivity, 64% of business professionals network online. In today's Web 2.0 environment, you cannot afford to ignore this networking opportunity and potential leads you could generate via social networking sites.
2. Start with LinkedIn.com, the leading business networking - Membership is free, and you can pro-actively search for and connect with customers and prospects. Also, Linkedin.com users can post questions to the "Answers" section on the site. Make an effort to answer questions relevant to your area of expertise. Not only will you add value to your connections, but you will also get additional exposure and attract prospective customers who will seek you out!
3. Arrive early - Treat the event like an important appointment. By arriving early, you get comfortable in a more intimate setting with the other early arrivals. It can be intimidating to walk into a room filled with people, so go early and let the room fill up around you.
4. Show confidence - Speak confidently, decisively, and with authority. If you are confident in your conversations and support your ideas with evidence, people will take notice and respect that you know what you are talking about and that you mean business.
5. Circulate - Don't just talk to the people that you know. Get out there and go network!
6. Meet with VIPs or speakers - If there are VIPs or speakers at the event, prepare ahead of time. Do some research on the individual(s) so that you are informed when you talk with them. Compliment them on their speech or talk to them about how the topic of their speech or their field relates to what you do.
7. Stay late - When you stay late, the smaller crowd also gives you the opportunity to circulate in a more intimate setting. It also provides you with an opportunity to connect with the event's coordinator. Thank him or her for hosting the event. The event coordinator can give you some additional insight about who attended the event and who might be at the next event. It's never too early to prepare for the next event.
8. Have a robust profile on the networking site - Put in as much relevant information as you can that demonstrates the value you bring to your customers. Put in all the keywords you think prospective customers may use to search for a service provider in your field. Remember, on a social networking site, you want to make it easy for people to find you!

 

Cold Call Test

Cold calling is critical today in the face of less repeat business and fewer referrals. There are, however, many myths and misperceptions about cold calling.

The only goal of any business-to-business cold call is to schedule an appointment. True or false?


It is not as important to qualify prospects when cold calling since any salesperson cold calling just wants to set as many appointments as possible. True or false?


When leaving a voice message, a salesperson should leave as little information as possible. True or false?

Read on for our 12-question Cold Call Test. We developed the questions in this test based on information in books written specifically on cold calling and from Dale Carnegie's own experience as a global sales training provider. If you have a correct understanding of the purpose of cold calling, you will increase your response rate and your close rate!



This True/False test will help clarify some common myths and misperceptions about cold calling. We've based the "correct" responses on research found in books written specifically on cold calling and on our own experience as a global sales training provider.


Keep in mind that some of these questions could have different correct responses in special cases. So be sure to answer from a general sales perspective rather than from the perspective of a unique selling situation.


1. The only goal for any business-to-business cold call should be to schedule an appointment.

TRUE: Salespeople often make the mistake of selling their solutions when cold calling. This is a deadly error. Sell only one thing at a time. If the person is willing to talk now, focus on getting the appointment.


2. Cold calling will generally generate results that are just as good as referrals.

FALSE: Referrals tend to have higher closing ratios for appointments.


3. It is not a high priority to qualify prospects when cold calling. The key is to set up as many appointments as possible.


FALSE: Save time for you and your prospects by ensuring you have qualified leads before taking the time to make and attend an appointment with a prospect.


4. You should leave a message for the buyer when you get voicemail instead of the actual person.


TRUE: Never miss an opportunity to leave a positive impression about you and your company. Also, remember that many people use caller ID. They may be wondering why you called and then failed to leave a message.


5. Most salespeople stop cold calling a prospect after four tries.


TRUE: Unfortunately, most salespeople give up after only four tries.


6. After you've made a certain number of cold calls, it becomes less important to keep records of your results.


FALSE: Most salespeople hate paperwork and keeping records, but it is the only way to find out what is working. And just because something works (or doesn't) this year, that doesn't mean it won't change next year...or next week.


7. Always make friends with the gatekeeper.


FALSE: Good relationships with gatekeepers can be a salesperson's best asset. These individuals can give you a positive look into the customer's organization. So you should always be friendly with the gatekeeper, but you don't need to necessarily befriend the gatekeeper. These individuals may feel that your interest is an intrusion and suspect that you are trying to manipulate them, or they just may never have contact with any decision-makers in the company. Be cautious about feeling that you are making great progress when you could be wasting your time and theirs.


8. If a prospect doesn't want to talk to you, it's probably personal.


FALSE: You have no idea what is going on in a person's world when you cold call. Remember not to take anything personally.


9. Less information is better when leaving a voicemail.


TRUE: Thirty seconds is about as long as you can hold someone's attention with a voice mail.


10. Experienced salespeople are past prospecting and develop all their business from current clients and referrals.


FALSE: Over time, we all lose customers because they go out of business, relocate, change their business, and for a host of other reasons. Experienced salespeople plan for this loss of clientele and continue to look for new prospects.


11. Experienced professionals use scripts when prospecting on the phone.


TRUE: Scripts help us make sure we are using the words with the maximum impact on prospects. Professionals practice them enough so that they don't sound like scripts.


12. Cold calling doesn't have to be a constant activity. Once your business gets going, you should be able to eliminate it.


FALSE: The majority of your business should eventually come from existing clients and referrals, but if you stop cold calling, you are missing potentially valuable business opportunities.

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Breaking Down the Barriers to Follow Through

You will see a tremendous return on investment when you stay in contact with your customers. Many organizations, both large and small, struggle to keep in touch with their customers because it can be such a time-consuming experience. However, if you break down the barriers to follow through and set up a system, your organization can keep in front of your clients and be ready to provide solutions when they are ready to buy. Here are a few ways to break down the barriers to follow through.


Schedule Follow-Through Time - Follow through is a time-consuming process that may slide down your priority list when you are caught up in daily activities. Build time into your schedule for it and understand that it is a long-term investment of your time, just like saving for retirement saving early and often is the best long-term investment in a fruitful future.

Don't Hesitate - Many of us would rather not be perceived as too pushy. Call with the point of just following through, if you are nervous about seeming pushy. If you are challenged in building rapport, don't make an offer the first time you call.

Get Organized - Many organizations have a Customer Relationship Management system. Make sure that you enter the original purchase information from the client correctly and completely. Use your scheduled follow-through time to get in contact with the clients about any discrepancies.

Learn - It is not unusual to make many false starts when developing a follow-through system. Even a good system that works for others might not work for you or your organization. If a system doesn't work for you, tweak it until it makes sense for you and your organization.

Understanding Value: A Customer-Focused Approach

Warren Buffett once said, "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." As a manager or executive, it is important that you understand and communicate the aspects of your organization where your customers find value. As an employee at any level, it is crucial these values reinforce what you do daily.

The best way to understand a customer's perspective is to examine your own buying decisions. When making a purchase, you consider three critical factors: where to buy, whom to buy from, and which brand. The answers to those questions result in the customer value equation. Here are some ways to help you think about your own organization's value equation.

Supplier View - is how or where the client buys the product. The easiest or most convenient, the better. For example, McDonald's is such a successful fast-food restaurant because it has so many locations and because it specializes in fast service.

Consultant Value - is whom we purchase the product from. Depending on what you purchase, you have varying levels of trust that you need to feel confident in your purchase. For example, All State insurance agents handle only one geographic territory, and as a customer, you will have the same agent all of the time. That agent will help you deal with the complexity of an insurance claim.

Product Brand Value - is the brand name that you purchase. Many people rely on brand names to help them make their purchasing decisions. For example, Tylenol pain reliever is a very highly regarded brand, and people continue to purchase it because they trust the product, even though there are less costly generic alternatives.

Take these three factors and apply them to your organization. Add them up and you will have your organization's value equation. This practice will help you identify successes and areas where you can improve your customer experience. An improved customer experience will help your organization succeed well into the future.

How to Get Your Team Members to Stand Up and Lead

To win in today’s market, team members have to step up and be ready to take a leadership role. It is not easy to instill leadership abilities in others. It’s very important to also understand that some people do not share the same goals and aspirations as you might. Keep an open mind and learn to use different techniques to inspire different people. Here are a few ways that you can inspire your team members to stand up and lead.

Challenge – Issue a challenge. (In today’s market environment, you probably have many challenges to issue!) Some people need a specific challenge to motivate them. By laying down a challenge you also create a very clear and measurable goal for the staff member to achieve.

Appeal to more noble motives – Many employees can think that their work does not make a difference. By appealing to a noble motive, you can increase morale while also setting higher standards for your staff members.

Be sympathetic – Never tell a person they are wrong. Rather listen and be empathetic to the other person’s ideas and desires.

Evidence – Back up your ideas with proof. By providing evidence you can give instant credibility to your ideas. If you have evidence, even staff members coming in from a totally different perspective from yours will take notice.

Listen – Listen to what your staff members have to say. Some employees may not have aspirations to reach top corporate positions; rather they are content if their opinions and ideas are valued.

Ask questions – Instead of giving direct orders, ask questions to guide your staff members to think through the issues – and come up with solutions themselves.

Make your staff members feel important – And do it sincerely. Faced with the market challenges today, your employees must be reassured that their contribution and leadership DOES have a huge impact on the company’s survival, stability, and growth.

Customer Service Tips

Establish Rapport
Many organizations try to "get more done, better, faster, with less." Having a foolproof customer service system where you take time to show the client appreciation is crucial to success. Also, enthusiasm is that ingredient of vitality mixed with a firm belief in what you are doing that ensures the success of any project you undertake.

• Begin in a friendly way
• Be genuinely interested in others
• Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view
• Show respect for the other person's opinion; Never say "you're wrong."

Overcoming Client Objections
Very often in any selling situation, obstacles will have to be overcome before a buying decision is made. Resolving objections effectively is a process that involves careful, sensitive listening along with positive, factual responses to the buyer's concerns. Consider the following sales techniques when preparing to meet with, or engaging in any dialogue with your customers or prospects:

• Build a rapport
• Express genuine interest
• Produce a potential solution
• Motivate the client to take action
• Commit your service or product to enhancing their internal establishment

Effective Problem Solving
When a client contacts you regarding a problem, solve it immediately. Often by ignoring problems, we allow them to grow. Resolution should be quick so that problems do not become overwhelming. While the problem is still relatively small, attempt to decipher exactly what would be needed to have it resolved for good. Ascertaining this information before you begin is actually the first step to ensuring that the problem is rendered powerless. Acting quickly will also guarantee that the problem hasn't gotten completely out of hand. Here are a few tips on effective problem solving:

• Get all the facts
• Weigh all the facts - then come to a decision
• Once a decision is reached - ACT!!
• Answer the following questions:
What is the problem?
What are the causes of the problem?
What are the possible solutions?
What is the best possible solution?

Differentiate your Company from the Competition
In order to differentiate ourselves in a crowded, competitive marketplace, we need to be unique with exciting approaches to solving buyer's problems. We also need to be present in a way that builds credibility and makes people want to buy. One of the most effective ways to do this is to build value in the solution of the sale. What we present and how we present it is critical to the buying/selling process.

• Creative ideas result in new discoveries, better ways of doing things, reduced costs and improved performance.
• Do your research to ensure that you’ve covered all bases and thought about all options.
• Provide your client with the benefits of each solution.
• Follow up by painting a word picture of your buyer using your solution, enjoying it, and benefiting from it.

Delegation Process

Once a group or an individual makes a decision, the next step is to determine, "Who will do what, when, and to what standard?" Delegation is the process of sharing responsibility for results. Leaders determine the ultimate objectives to be met and the resources available, and then share and collaborate on the plan of action.

Identify the Need
Establish what you choose to delegate. Create a picture of what you want the outcome to be.

Select the Person
Identify to whom you will delegate and why you have chosen that person.
Steps 1 and 2 may be reversed depending on the desired purpose of delegation.

Plan the Delegation

• Desired outcome: What is the outcome to be accomplished in the scope of this delegation plan? Create a picture of what you want to the outcome to be.
• Current situation: Determine the reality of the current situation. Where are you today? As a leader, you need to make a thorough estimate of the situation, both internally and externally, to obtain a clear understanding of the factors that might help or hinder your efforts and enable you to set realistic goals.
• Goals: Define and set the goals. These realistic goals are checkpoints that create mutual expectations and form the basis for most important management decisions. Leaders know that without goals, people will be task-oriented rather than results-oriented. As a leader, you must set realistic, reasonable, challenging, and attainable goals and then separate those goals into bite-sized pieces, which may be assigned to individuals in line with their particular skills and abilities. This makes these goals less formidable and more achievable. When your team achieves day-to-day goals, you are closer to achieving intermediate and long-range goals.

Hold a Delegation Meeting
During the meeting:

• Identify specific results to be achieved. Clearly identify what you want the final result to be. 
• Outline the rules and limitations. Clearly state what aspects of a goal cannot change and are not negotiable.
• Review the performance standards. Set the performance standards with the individual and review the criteria for clarity and agreement.

Create a Plan of Action
The person who has been delegated the task should develop a plan of action that explains the steps that will be taken to accomplish the goal.

Review the Plan
Meet with the person who has been delegated the task to discuss the plan of action. Make any necessary adjustments until both parties are in agreement.

How to Make the Most of Meetings

1. Time is of the Essence
Start your meeting on time regardless of the number of absent members. Don't punish those who arrived on time by waiting for others. Tell latecomers they can get what they missed later. This sets the standard for future meetings and may encourage people to arrive on time more consistently.

2. Request the "Honor of Your Presence" with Advanced Notice
When developing a meeting agenda, fill it with exciting action words to make it sound as inviting as possible. Dale Carnegie suggested, "arouse in the other person an eager want." Promise participants change or excitement.

3. Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
In a written format, at least 48 hours in advance, send out an informal agenda with topics, speakers, time constraints, action items, and desired results. Insist that each participant is prepared and has the proper documents and research. This will build momentum toward positive results and keep the meeting's momentum moving forward. If there are topics that require advance research, provide that information with the agenda.

4. Go for the Goal
Know what result is desired from the start and communicate it at every opportunity. Guide meeting conversations and discussions toward that conclusion. When meetings within meetings occur, remind participants of the ultimate goal to get things back on track.

5. Moving On

Have a list of questions ready to stimulate thought. Remember to keep things moving at a brisk pace. Try incorporating some of these questions:

• How will this happen?
• Where has this worked before?
• Is there any evidence that will verify what has been said?
• How do we start and maintain momentum?
• Will this idea have any constraints?

6. Have a Seat, Be Comfortable!
Some say that if a room is cramped and uncomfortable, it will stimulate quick thinking and motivate the attendees to do what they need to do so they can return to the comfort of their desks. The opposite is also true. Some sources suggest setting up fewer chairs than needed. Late arrivals will feel uncomfortable when attempting to squeeze into the group, motivating them to arrive on time in the future. However, this strategy could backfire and cause negative results in some situations. Use proper judgment if exercising this option.

7. Try a Stand-Up Routine
Some organizations have meetings where everyone stands up. The idea is that the body and the brain work more effectively from this position. These types of meetings can achieve results quickly because it is easier to think off the top of the head when on the feet.

8. Eat -- then Meet
If you plan to have food at a meeting, schedule a separate time for eating into the itinerary. If the meeting begins at 8:00 sharp, in the agenda, state that breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 8:00 and that only coffee will be available after 8:00. Hunger can be the reason people show up, but the highlight of the meeting should not be the brand of bagels or the type of doughnuts served; it should be the meeting's results.

9. Read the Rules
As the facilitator, another ground rule to cut down on interruptions should be to ensure that voice mail is in operation or that telephone messages will be taken for the participants. We all know the "turn off the cell phone rule." Use it! This will eliminate reasons for anyone to miss one minute of the excitement. Be sure to provide breaks so that participants can check messages -- make sure to mention when the meeting will reconvene and stick to that time.

10. There's Always a Next Time
If appropriate, schedule the next meeting before the end of this one so that all involved have the same advance notice to arrange their schedules. Allow enough time for projects and assignments to be completed (if necessary). Make sure that these action and follow-up items are written down, so there is no confusion afterward. Distribute minutes no more than 48 hours after the meeting and reinforce task accountability.