Getting honest-to-goodness feedback from reports – isn’t as easy as one might assume. But, here’s the thing: it’s pivotal to a leader’s success and development. Not only that, it’s necessary for a team’s success and development. The better the manager becomes – the better the team becomes. SuperSTAR leaders live this out. SuperSTAR leaders know that it’s their job to intentionally and diligently seek out feedback. Laissez-faire leaders wait to see if it comes their way; not only that, but typically, they hope it doesn’t come their way because their scared of what the truth may be.

If you’re wondering which camp you belong to – ask yourself now: What have I done in the last week to solicit feedback from my direct reports? Soliciting feedback is ACTION-ORIENTATED. You must do something if you want to know what to do. Are you worried that the report of your reports isn’t going to be all that remarkable? That’s understandable – it can be very frightening to open ourselves up to an open-ended question like, what do I do as a leader that isn’t helpful? But, the great news is that just by asking the questions and valuing the answers – you are communicating a whole different kind of message to your team. You are becoming a better leader just by asking for their insights. Do you see how simple this is?

It takes a lot of courage and humility, but it’s leaps & bounds above any other feedback-soliciting approach. Just ASK. Keep encouraging your team to tell you the truth. Keep creating a space that honors and protects people’s opinions. If you want to become the leader your team longs to follow – you need to know what it would take for them to get behind you. And you can’t know that unless you go alongside them, ask them and then step out in front of them – in ways that they recognize, respect and really want to get behind.

We have the highest employee dissatisfaction rate in history. The economy is improving but it’s a roller-coaster ride. Leaders have to be concerned about the emotional state of their teams. Learn five actions you can use TODAY to improve performance in these challenging times.

So far, I’ve discussed the importance of good time-management skills, the reasoning for taking responsibility, the need for thorough preparation, the method of information accumulation and the necessity of a customer-centered approach. The final two, include: persistence, which I will discuss today; and strategy, which I will save for another post.

Persistence seems to be a nitty-gritty, nose-to-the-grindstone mentality, right? Right. A persistent person is someone who perseveres under every possible trial. They face adversity, so they push harder. They encounter walls, so they jump higher. They experience setbacks, so they strive faster. Perseverance is the ability/willingness/determination to push through the impossible until it becomes possible.

Sales professionals will hear excuse after excuse, they will encounter rejection and objection, and they will inevitably experience resistance. So, how are they going to handle the heat? As their coach, it’s your job to:

• Identify what sort of tenacity they have.
• Determine how to build upon what’s already there.

To accomplish the first task, all you need to do is observe them. Ask them if you can listen to one of their sales calls. And depending on how self aware they are, you might be able to ask them directly. If you can’t ask them directly, that might be clue #1 that they’re on the defensive side of the fence, which isn’t often correlated with high levels of perseverance.

• How frustrated do you get when you are rejected by a customer?
• How long does it take for you to get over a “no”?
• When a customer challenges or resists something you’re selling, how do you react?
• How do you handle resistance?

After assessing their level of personal persistence, it’s time to build upon that foundation. Although this step is often a lot harder than the first, it is possible to help someone become more persistent. It comes down to one basic belief: it’s all about them. Here’s what I mean. The more a salesperson takes rejection personally, the less persistent she probably is. Sales professionals need to make it about what they need to do differently – instead of making it about who they are. If they attend to their actions and behaviors, they will feel empowered that something can change. If they focus on their personality and personhood, they will feel defeated.

It’s your job to help them shift where they are centering their attention and effort. H. Jackson Brown has one of my favorite quotes on perseverance, ”In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance.” Remind your client that it’s not about one sale, it’s about the journey of becoming the type of salesperson he dreams of becoming.

To really explain the process a customer navigates as he/she makes a purchasing decision – we put together this diagram, which is followed by a detailed explanation of each part of the process. This outline is valuable information for anyone hoping to engage a consumer, for any salesperson hoping to make a sale, or for any manager that wants to sell an idea to his/her team. Study each step and get inside the customer’s mind.

Interest – Something engages the customer; something catches the customer’s attention. Maybe because they are actively searching for something in response to a need or perceived opportunity, or maybe they just connect with a well-positioned piece of information.

Need or Opportunity – Individually or with the help of outside influence, the customer “decides to pursue” a perceived priority. This may be an active decision to pursue a need or opportunity or it may be a passive open-mindedness that develops. The more positive expectation, curiosity or pain – the more motivation the customer will have to “know.”

Learning and Analysis – Customers move into a stage of learning, educating themselves and analyzing. Driven by a combination of current knowledge (or lack of) and emotion, this stage centers on answering the following questions:

• How motivated am I to seek something to address this need or opportunity?
• How big is the gap between what I have and what I want?
• How much value is presented by alternative solutions?
• How much relief, satisfaction or resolution will I receive in an alternative?
• Do I find the value compelling enough to act?

Evaluation – The evaluation stage is a dynamic interplay with the inquiry, adequacy of information and the perceived validity of the data sources discovered and examined in the learning and analysis stage. Evaluation moves along a continuum from “Is this worthy of any action at all?” To – “How do I choose among the many undifferentiated choices available to me?” To – “Is the value offered here equal to or greater than the alternatives?” Or – “I want this; how do I get it?” The interplay between the realization of a gap (need or opportunity), the attractiveness of the opportunities (presented or discovered), and the evaluation – have the potential to result in a customer decision that holds a high degree of commitment. Or, they may get lost in a sea of ambivalence.

Decision – The final decision may be a decision not to decide, a “flip of a coin,” or a committed decision (yes or no). A “committed decision” that fills the gap between the customer’s need and the benefits of the solution provided is the ideal outcome of this process. And, commitment is generally a result of engagement in the learning and analysis stage and in evaluating the fit of the solution with a solid understanding of the impact of the need and /or the significance of the opportunity. When the dynamic interplay of these three difficult-to-navigate buyer stages have been fully and satisfactorily engaged by the customer, they will be in position to make a committed decision. Customers may be more inclined to have buyer’s remorse or to simply back away from a decision when they aren’t engaged enough to gain the insight needed to evaluate alternatives with an appropriate level of comfort. And, if they feel rushed through the process or the process is short-circuited by a sales person who’s mainly committed to making the sale, customers will lack confidence in the decision and withdraw to minimize damage to their self-esteem and their business.

So what? Now, what? The key point in understanding this process is to understand that skillful customer engagement (by a sales professional) – recognizing where the customer is in their process (the stage) and helping them effectively meet their needs (in each stage) – can help customers build confidence and commit to finding a solution that addresses their needs or opportunities. Doing this well may potentially lead customers to use your proposed solution. This is the essence of effective professional selling.

We want to hear from you – in your opinion, what’s the most difficult part of navigating this process?

Most of the time, when we think “innovation,” we think create and introduce a unique product or service to the market. Now, although that’s one element of innovation, we also think it’s crucial that managers consider innovation to be a concept they apply to themselves personally. When a manager is devoted to his/her own development, they are deciding that it’s important to them to evolve over time. They are constantly learning skills, refining abilities, and becoming more like who they want to be. This is an example of the innovation of an individual. Unfortunately, not many managers make this commitment. Why? Most managers are focused entirely on what their employees need to do differently. They aren’t concerned with themselves because they either believe they have it all figured out, or they believe that it all rides on their employees. Neither of those is true; in fact, those leaders would definitely fall into our “bad boss” category.

Managers that are innovative individuals will alter their approaches on a regular basis, to tweak what isn’t working and to find what works. I was recently reading a blog on HBR Blog Network that was written by Amabile and Kramer, authors of The Progressive Principle; they were writing about a concept that I believe would help managers test this idea of individual innovation. They titled it, Checking In With Employees (vs. Checking Up). Ideas like this are simple – but brilliant suggestions on how to adjust your approach to your employees’ needs, styles and preferences. You can’t know what modifications you should make, unless you are in tune with your employees. So, start there.

• Ask your employees what they want and need.
• Gauge the work environment regularly, so that you’re aware of what’s needed.
• Hold periodic feedback meetings, where employees are encouraged to share their likes and dislikes.
• Test different techniques, so that you see what strategies elicit positive responses and successful results.

Innovating your management style is a permanent process – it’s never a done deal. Even if you have made yourself a master of managing, before you know it, you’ll have new employees and a different team. New people undoubtedly deserve the same kind of attention you gave your previous team. Always take on a new perspective, never stay stagnant, and keep it fresh forever. That’s the key to innovation. It never gets old.

• Time Management
• Responsibility
• Preparation
• Information Accumulation

Today, we’ll discuss the importance of being CUSTOMER CENTERED. When sales professionals are selling to clients, one of the most critical things they could do to further their success – would be to truly attend to customers’ real needs. Many sales professionals are self-centered, focusing entirely on their process, their success and their goals. But, a SuperSTAR sales professional is client-centered. They care more about meeting the client’s needs than they do about making their own sale.

An excuse you’ll hear if a sales professional is self-centered is, “The client just doesn’t understand.” They’ll claim that the customer doesn’t get it, can’t see the vision, won’t compromise. The real reason you’ll get from a client-centered salesperson is, “Next time, I would like to better understand the customer’s needs because I think with more research, I could have asked questions that would have helped me present a better offer to them.”

Sounds pretty selfless, and not really sales-like, right? I know. It’s backwards to how most do it, that’s one of the reasons that sales professionals who operate this way – often set themselves apart from others.

So, what do you do with a salesperson who won’t take their eyes off themselves? Swap places and role-play. 

• Arrange a role-play scenario, where you’re the sales professional.
• Play the role of a self-focused salesperson. Don’t be overly dramatic, or they won’t be able to imagine being as egocentric. But, do play up a sales scenario where it’s all about you – the professional. Make it brief, less than 10 minutes.
• After the role-play, ask your client a few questions about how they experienced the sales professional: How did you feel? Did you sense that I cared about your needs? Did you get the feeling that I was someone you could trust? Would you want to accept my offer? Would you refer others to me in the future? If someone asked you to describe that experience in a sentence or two, what would you say about me? What was the most frustrating thing about that experience? 
• Then, ask them what they learned from the experience: Do you see why it’s important not to be like that? What would you do differently if you had been the sales professional in that role-play? What can we do to ensure that in the future, you don’t come across like that with your sales clients?

I don’t mean knowledge in an educational sense. Yes, education is important, but I’m talking about the sort of knowledge that’s professionally relevant and progressively collected. Being informed is critical because it has the potential to powerfully transform a sales professional’s credibility. If a sales professional doesn’t accurately understand her product/service, client and context – well, she’s in for a surprise. And it’s unlikely that it will be positive.

When sales professionals are habitually uninformed, typically, they excuse their ignorance. Instead of taking responsibility, they blame it on something or someone else. They suggest they aren’t selling because “it’s a pricing issue!” Or, “It’s a tough market!” Really, if a good sales professional isn’t selling, their reasoning is going to be much more refined. Specific. To the point. Why? Because good sales professionals aren’t satisfied until they get to the root of their selling problem.

Now, I’m not suggesting that as a coach, you force or expect your sales professional to know everything. That’s unrealistic and micro-managing (not coaching). Instead, I’m advising you to counsel your sales professionals to recognize the importance of information. They must not only appear to be experts to their clients, but they must actually be experts.

What does this look like? Well, it can vary. But, a few staples of staying informed, include:

• Remaining updated on market trends, needs and prices.
• Thoroughly understanding clients’ expectations and needs, especially as these develop & evolve.
• Maintaining relationships with key resources and partners.
• Constantly assessing the latest and greatest competitors on the scene.
• Staying educated on the product or service line that one sells.
• Reading the news and other relevant literature that shares timely information.
• Researching client-company information, so that one is fully prepared to make a personal sales pitch to every client.

Depending on the sales environment of the professional and the industry of the product/service that one sells, additional opportunities to stay informed may arise. After reviewing the above list with your client, another next step would be to brainstorm additional ways to expand the breadth and depth of one’s information bank. 

If your clients are hoping to become SuperSTAR sales professionals, they must appreciate, accumulate and apply the best information. It’s pivotal to their professionalism. Critical to their credibility. And essential to their success.

Today’s focus is on PREPARATION. Let me list a few points about what preparation means.

• Bringing resources that you might potentially need during a meeting.
• Taking time to practice (in advance) what you plan to say and do, so that on the spot, you’re all set.
• Doing any research that might potentially help you understand an issue or situation more holistically.
• Making calls to others that might have valuable input or experience into a scenario you’re encountering.
• Planning for as much of the unexpected as you can possibly predict.
• Creating a list of questions that will demonstrate to the sales client that you care and are committed to the relationship.

Now, there are many reasons that professionals avoid preparing for things, but I tend to narrow all of it down to 2 reasons: disorganization and pride. 

1. Disorganization. If sales professionals don’t know how to manage their schedules, projects, relationships, budgets or anything else, the chances they’ll come prepared, are slim to none. Now, there are a few exceptions to this rule – but I’ll be honest, I’ve only met a handful of people that are disorganized and prepared. Usually, the two don’t pair well together. If someone has a habit of coming to meetings ill-prepared, and it’s because they aren’t organized, start there. A lack of preparation can come across as a lack of professionalism – and a sales professional isn’t going to secure many sales (or meetings, for that matter) if her clients perceive her as irresponsible or inefficient.

2. Pride. Some sales professionals think so highly of themselves that they believe they’re above “preparing” for things. News flash: nobody’s above it. Even the best of the best, those that have been doing it for 40+ years, still know the value of preparation. It subtly communicates essential things to your client. It demonstrates that they matter, it shows that you’re devoted to doing what it takes to meet their needs, and it shows that you’re not a pompous professional. No matter how experienced someone is, she has to be willing to accept the fact that the unexpected is bound to happen. Sales isn’t easy, and if a professional is skimping on preparation, he’s probably skimping on other steps, too. Helping a professional with this problem is a bit harder than helping someone who’s disorganized because it involves addressing his attitude instead of his actions. The difficult part of this process is that the feedback can be taken a little more personally when you’re trying to help a sales professional shift his/her perspective from “It’s all about me and what I know,” to “It’s all about my clients and what they need from me.” But, the truth is – if you’re coaching someone to be a better sales professional, you can’t sugar coat or skip the hard messages because the truth can transform them into the sort of professional they want to become.

Coaching a sales professional isn’t always simple. But, preparation and professionalism go hand-in-hand, so if you hope to help your clients become better professionals, you’ll have to convince them that being prepared is an essential step to experience success. Benjamin Franklin put it bluntly, “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.”

Do you have a preparation strategy that works for you? We’d love to hear from you, share with us now by commenting below. 

How does pessimism effect the workplace, and how can leaders turn around the tide of negativity to enact positive change in their employees?

PART I.

1. How would you define your workplace? What words would you use to explain your experience?

2. How would you define your role as manager? How do you determine what responsibilities you delegate and which you own?

3. How would you define the role of your reports? How do you view them? Treat them?

4. How do you inspire change? What’s your vision, process and source for initiating change?

5. How do your employees react and respond to your invitations for change?

6. How would you explain the morale and climate of your workplace?

PART II.

After answering these questions, attempt to answer the same questions, but from an employee’s perspective. Even better, ask one of your employees to answer these questions on his own or in your presence, whichever he feels more comfortable doing. I’ll let you in on an insider’s secret to PART II: if you’re scared to invite an employee’s insights into the process, that’s a sure-fire sign you’re unwilling to consider how others are experiencing you as a manager. This is always a red flag. If you’re worried about what they might say, ask yourself WHY?

PART III.

The last part of the process is to become aware of where each of your answers differ, so that you can work to close the gaps that are getting in the way. You are bound to have different answers, so don’t get discouraged when you do. It’s more a matter of making sure they’re on your radar, so that you can work to make your experience and your employees’ more aligned. The similar the experiences, the more in sync you’ll all feel.