Sales Surgery Part 2 - Sales Managers

So first an apology. I said this would be the next post after the original Sales Surgery post and a couple of others squeaked in ahead, so sorry about that. Such is the hazard of a spur of the moment blogging style!

As I mentioned before, the guys at Acquire Coaching and I have recently started running sales workshops and sales surgeries. They are proving to be popular with sales people and are returning fantastic results. Why? The sales guys like the ability to have an open and frank conversation in a non-judgemental environment, to be able to learn from their peers in a workshop setting and to have dedicated 1:1 time with an objective sales expert.

We're also working with sales managers. If I use the IT space as an example, most sales managers I meet have had no formal training. As in zero. Surprised? Don't be. The reason is that in many instances the sales manager has been promoted from the sales ranks and therefore knows the systems, people and many of the procedures. Which is great, and probably makes for a faster start in turning in completed forecasts to the big sales boss. So that's the report taken care of.

Now, what about the team? Most sales people appear to be part of a team or operational unit. However, in practice, they are a team of 1. They get paid on their own results. There may be a 'team' element to the compensation plan but in the main, it's every man for himself.

So how does that translate to being at the head of the 'team'? In many instances not too well. So often we see a style of management where the manager berates the employee for a low forecast. The employee seeks refuge in submitting higher numbers, and then is in the firing line again when he under-delivers against his unrealistic forecast!

A potentially never-ending circle ensues, which isn't great for anyone involved. A good sales manager has to lead, manage, motivate, mentor and support his team. The manager must make the most of his experience in the field by passing on that knowledge to the benefit of the business.

A typical sales team is often made up of an eclectic mix of individuals and personalities of differening age, experience, attitudes and interests. How do you bring those disparate pieces of the puzzle together? How do you motivate individuals when they all have their own unique goals, values and requirements?

That's the $64,000 question. We get asked this all the time. And the answer? Part of the answer lies in the statement from the first post: A great salesman does not a good manager make. Not automatically anyway.

A great sales manager needs to care and have humility for others. He can't look out just for himself anymore. He must also have chameleon like qualities. One face to 'the management', another to customers, another to staff? Why? It's how you build relationships that work and get you where you need to be. That isn't to say you must be fake. Far from it. Be genuine in all things, and be aware of how you are perceived in order to get the most from the 'transaction'.

Let's put this in some everyday examples. I'm working at home and I'm on the phone to a new customer or prospect. I'm being professional, polite and crisp in my speech and communication. As I put the phone down my youngest son (who's 7 and likes to scare the hell out of me by creeping in to the office unnoticed) walks in and asks me a question. How do I respond? Do I continue in the manner that I used with the customer? No, I automatically switch to an appropriate 'language' for my son.

We do this all the time at home. We've just finished yelling down the phone at the call centre operative trying to sell us something and then in the next breath gently say 'would you like a coffee darling?' or something similar. You get the drift.

We also need to look at what motivates the individual. In the same way that if, like me, you have 2 children who are very different in temperament, you have to use different methods to get the best response. This exact same thing needs to be applied in a team setting if you're going to get the best out of that team and the individuals within.

This last point is often the trickiest bit of all. Either it's missed completely or just not performed very well. This is where we're making a real difference.

We need to constantly nurture our team for it to grow in the way we want and need (that's the link to the picture, in case you thought it bizarre :)). There's so much more, but not for today's post!

If you'd like to chat about how you can overcome some of these issues, please to get in touch.

Thanks as ever for stopping by.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

As England football fans went to bed last night, many, including the players and management (hopefully), will have been reflecting on what might have been.

Another 4 years of builld-up to the 2010 World Cup, promises of success, and fanatical support, came to nothing on a field in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Crushing disappointment, coupled with the knowledge that even if England had scraped a win, Argentina await in the next round, enveloped all those with more than a passing interest in the game.

The good news is that it was only a game of football. Nobody got hurt and we all live to fight another day. I have sympathy for those that paid large sums of money to see a team underperform on the world stage but as with all things, there really are no guarantees. You pay your money and you take your chance, as the saying goes.

Speaking of sayings, one of my favourites, and one extremely annoying to the few burdened people that I play golf with, is 'Coulda, woulda, shoulda'. I could have played a better shot. I would have made the green. I should have used a more appropriate club. They come thick and fast after every dud shot. Never after a great one! As a relatively new player, I still hit my fair share of bad shots, but my mind set has changed. I realise I can only affect the the shot I am playing right now. Not the ones I've already played. They are history and I have to learn from what I did wrong. Not the ones I'm going to play. Other than having the correct kit such as waterproofs if it rains (it is truly miserable playing golf whilst soaked to the skin) and some fluids or a snack, there's not much you can you do.

No, it's just that one shot. Right here, right now....

As I view the position of the ball, the distance ahead and take into account wind strength and direction, it is this shot and this shot only that I am able to influence. My club selection done, I approach the ball and, stopping short, I take a couple of practice swings. I then address the ball, assuming my stance, softening my knees, moving my weight onto the balls of my feet whilst keeping my heels grounded. Club head square to the ball, breathing regular, I start my backswing, keeping my head still and looking at the ball and only the ball. I bring the club head through the ball at an even tempo, still continuing to look only at the ball. Only as I complete the follow through with the club do I move my eyes away from where the ball once stood....

Great shot or terrible, that shot is now consigned to history and the next one demands my undivided attention. There's nothing that a 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' will do to help.

And so it is in life and business. We can say 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' all day long about everything and everyone. But it won't matter. Excuses and recriminations won't help you. Learn from the past, be better prepared for the future, but give your here and now the courtesy of your complete attention.

Today can close the door on the failures of yesterday and open the doors that lead to the success of tomorrow. Today wants all of you to itself, and rightly so. Get out there, make the most of it. Not everything will go to plan, but hey, that really is life!

Thanks for stopping by.

PS - If you find your plans consistently come to nothing, maybe take a look at your plans. Go through them with a friend to get a different perspective. It's a good thing to have a plan but give yourself a fighting chance to start with :)

The Sayers Sales Surgery Opens for Business!

Over at Acquire Coaching we've recently started offering sales workshops and 'sales surgeries' in response to demand from our customers. They aren't just for the sales team, but also for sales managers, many of whom have little to no training in people management. Did you know that when it comes to hiring sales managers, more often than not the top performing sales person is promoted? As great sales person does not a good manager make. Not automatically anyway. We'll address this thorny issue in the next post.

So, I thought it would be great to offer additional value to my blog visitors by giving away some complementary sales surgery slots. All you need to do is send me a brief overview of your issue and we'll work it through together to help you to break through the barriers holding back your sales. Online business or more traditional, doesn't matter. In fact, if it's generic business assistance you need, fire away, I'm happy to look at it.

Sounds simple enough right? Good, because it is. Sales advice, no charge. Go figure! All I'd ask, is if you find my advice helpful, that you drop me a line to say so. It never hurts to have a list of happy customers!

Below is an outline of what we're doing for some of our customers at Acquire; 

Sales Surgery – Selling with Precision

Following demand from existing customers Acquire is now running sales surgeries at customer venues around the UK!

What’s a sales surgery? 

We’re running 1:1 sessions with sales people in the same way that you’d expect of a doctor’s appointment. Whether you book an pre-determined session or turn up on-spec, you will get 15 minutes one to one time with a seasoned and professional sales coach.

It’s that simple. Come along and bring your sales problem with you and we’ll work through it together. If we can’t get to the heart of the problem in the allotted time, we’ll continue over email until we resolve it. Together. 

What’s in it for me?

The benefits are clear;

• 1:1 time with a proven sales expert
• Fresh eyes on the problem
• Objective and honest feedback
• Non-judgemental environment
• Complete confidentiality
• What’s discussed in the room, stays in the room!
• Break through barriers holding back your sales!

This is what we're doing in a face to face environment and you are welcome to get in touch with your current issues and let's see what we can do together online.

Stay tuned for the next post where we'll talk about sales manager workshops.

Thanks as ever for stopping by.

PS - Part 2 is now published here.

Change Requires Change

Albert Einstein said that the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

He had, and still has, a very good point!

More and more I speak to people who aren't happy with where they are professionally, and occasionally personally. Few of us are lucky enough to live a utopian existence so this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. What has struck me though, and has been further reinforced in various conversations recently, is that even if the issues are realised and a better option is placed for the taking, people often ignore it.

Would many people rather perpetually moan rather than seek a better way? It would seem so.

Just yesterday I spoke with a good friend of mine whom we shall call 'Bob'. Bob is in an unenviable position professionally. He works for a US supplier of IT, although not a major player. And neither is it niche. Therein lies the rub. Without a niche claim and no tangible marketing to drive leads, Bob is reduced to cold calling to drive his leads. Subsequently he can't build a pipeline which means he can't close enough business to earn more than his base salary.

This situation is ongoing even though his boss, who runs Europe, Middle East and Africa for the company acknowledges the issues as a global concern for the organisation. From this we can deduce that Bob's situation isn't going to change any time soon.

Now it just so happens that I can utilise Bob's skills to our mutual benefit. I am a partner in a training company which is ramping up it's UK operations. Due to this increase in activity I am looking to take on sales people and freelance trainers.

Bob's selling skills are exactly what I need. And whilst I'm not in a position to throw huge sums of money at him, I can afford to be very generous in a profit-share. The best bit of all? Bob can work for me a few hours per week without impacting his existing job, thereby maintaining the security of a handsome base salary and corporate perks, whilst having the ability to earn a significant income from other sources.

Bob has seen the literature and collateral and read the case studies. He understands the differentiators and USP's in a crowded market. He sees the value. He knows that this would be a clear case of win/win.


And guess what?

Bob's given me a variety of reasons why he might not be able to do it, whilst continuing to whine about his current situation. This is just one in a long line of examples but the same thing comes up again and again.

If you are locked in a repeating cycle you must CHANGE SOMETHING to get a better outcome!

In Bob's case, the issue is now one of confidence, which is lacking having strived and failed to gain results over an extended period of time. I'm working with Bob to overcome this issue.

What's your reason? What's your excuse?

PS - I am not immune to these things. None of us are. But once we understand that something needs to change in order to improve a situation, we can analyse what needs to be done and plan accordingly. I'm not advocating knee-jerk responses as I'm not a fan of frying pan to fire experiences either :)

Not Life or Death. It's More Important than that....!

Whilst watching the BBC football pundits review a World Cup match last night I was struck by the intensity of the debate and it reminded me of the famous Bill Shankly quote:

"Football is not just a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that."

And there was me thinking it's only football....!

Fortunately, very few of us have lives depending on our daily business decisions but wouldn't it be great to be as passionate as the pundits? There's a school of thought that says that to be truly passionate about our business endeavours, our business goals must be in line with not only our personal aims and ambitions but also our core values.

Are we in a position to have a business life that maps on to our personal goals? And our values? Do we know what our goals and values are?

When these things are out of kilter it helps to explain some of the ups and downs and time spent in the doldrums which affect us so often. The bursts of unsustained enthusiasm, the easy distraction from our paths. All could be explained by the lack of cohesion between goals and values.

More than a little food for thought. I could go on about coaching stuff at this point, but I won't. I'm going to think on it a while. Why not do the same?

Things go wrong. It's how you react that counts....

For those of following the 2010 FIFA World Cup, you may be in the same position as me. Which is disappointed. After lots of build up the first match took place and it didn't turn out as expected. In my case it was England Vs USA, a game that England were expected to win. The final result was 1-1. There were two big cases of things going wrong in that game and reaction to them will be key.

The first point is the result itself. For England to progress to the knock-out stages it's likely that they now must achieve a victory in Friday's game Vs Algeria. With that requirement comes added pressure for all involved.

The second point is that the England goalkeeper, Rob Green, made a howler of a mistake that could haunt him forever if he allows it to. A mundane shot requiring the sort of save he would normally make with his eyes close ended up in the net after he failed to simply get his hands behind the ball. An error a schoolboy would be disapppointed with. To make matters worse, his error was watching by millions of people across the globe.

I hope that Rob Green gets the support of his team mates and family at this difficult time but the fact is, none of us can change what has gone before. We can learn from it, react to it, try to ensure that the negatives don't repeat and that the positives very much do.

What is done is done. We are where we are. How we choose to go forward is what counts.

Once again, it's how we execute which is so vitally important. Review yesterday, plan for tomorrow, make it happen today.

Here we go.....

So after a build up that seemed to go on forever, the 2010 football World Cup is now underway. South Africa got things underway amid much excitement and managed a draw against Mexico.

Tonight sees England Vs USA in Rustenburg. Four years of build up and expectation comes to a head now. The strategy and tactics are set. The squad is prepared and the fans are at fever pitch. As of tonight it's all about execution on the biggest stage for football and the highlight of many players' careers.

That's what it boils down to isn't it? The talking is done (unless you're a football pundit. I'm watching the match on ITV1 HD. Great picture and coverage). The training is over. The players have 90 minutes to make or break their World Cup campaign. Several sets of 90 minutes to win or go home in shame.

England expects.

We'll save the business chatter and analogies for another day.

For now, Come On England!

Plan B?

If like me you've watched the BP oil spill drama unfold recently, you may have been left wondering something? What on earth happened to Plan B? Who would have thought that despite the (now evident) risks of operations at an amazing depth of 5000ft, there didn't seem to be a plan for what happened when things went wrong?

For BP, this must be a worst case scenario. As I write, its share price continues to tumble and the company is being vilified across the globe. On the late news this evening, Barack Obama was calling for the head of the BP CEO Tony Hayward.

Worse, much worse, an unprecedented ecological disaster is developing that is wreaking havoc on the US coast. Natural habitats are being destroyed, as are the livelihoods of many thousands of people.

Back to BP for a moment, it's worth bearing in mind that this could be any oil company who has fallen victim to these events. Rented equipment and I'm not sure that BP was even operating the rig when things went wrong. There must be a number of CEO's giving quiet thanks that it's not them in the firing line.

I don't have the answer to these particular issues of course, but there's a lesson to be learned for all of us from this sorry mess. Have a Plan B. Contingency planning is something we all need to do. Things go wrong. Despite best laid plans events often take an unexpected turn for the worse.

Let's give some thought to what the risks are, how likely to happen and how serious the outcomes might be. And then plan accordingly should the events ever happen in full or in part. Something is better than nothing.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss.

Questions about local vs distance coaching

My thanks go to all who have been in touch recently. I've had a lot of questions about business coaching and a topic that has come up more than most has been on the subject of distance coaching. Specifically, does coaching have to be face to face? And does distance coaching work?

The short answers are "No" to the former and "Yes" to the latter.

So that's it. Thanks for stopping by....

Kidding!

I would liken it to distance learning which has opened up academic opportunity to millions that have previously not had the option of further education. Naturally, there are times when distant learning can be difficult. For example, if you're doing a science course and you have to run a complex experiment, it's unlikely you'll have a full lab set-up at home, but most of the time it works extremely well for all concerned.

One to one distance coaching can be hugely successful. I utilise calls, email and video-conference calls, typically via Skype.

Of course, there are times where it really does make sense to have a hands-on, on-site engagement and I do a lot of these, but for the most part, distance coaching can be highly effective.

To that end we have numerous overseas coaching clients as well as here in the UK, some of whom 100's of miles away and some extremely local. The internet makes the world a small place and technology is so good now that a client can be on the other side of the world and it just doesn't matter.

So there you have it. Distance coaching works. It takes commitment to putting in the time but it can be highly successful and extremely rewarding for all parties. Another advantage is flexibility. Can't fit a coaching session into your usual working day? This isn't a problem for either local or distant coaching. I have a number of executive coaching clients that prefer an out of hours time slot. And of course, if we're talking different time zones your 6am could be my 2pm and so on.

If you'd like to engage a business coach but have resisted due to lack of local resources or you're short of time during your regular working day, that needn't preclude using the services of a business coach. So feel free to get in touch to discuss your individual requirements.

Thanks as ever.

Running a small business is a bit like training for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

Huh? MMA, Mixed Martial Arts? You might know it under a brand name of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) or 'Cage Fighting'.

Now, before you think I've lost my mind - and if you see a tiny grey squishy thing rolling around on the carpet, it could be mine - MMA is a multi-disciplined sport encompassing a variety of fighting styles. Leading exponents would be expected to have advanced skills in a blend of wrestling (Greco Roman not WWE or Big Daddy style!), jiu jitsu (grappling, submissions, choke holds), boxing, kick-boxing, muay thai and others.

As well as developing skills and techniques in the fighting styles and the blending thereof, the fighter also has to work on stamina, strength, speed and power, as well as maintaining an appropriate bodyweight for his weightclass.

Sounds hellishly difficult doesn't it? It takes enormous levels of dedication, commitment and discipline to achieve success in this emerging sport (I say emerging as it's yet to break the mainstream media, although it already has a huge global following, especially the UFC). Oh, and they fight for up to 5x 5 minute rounds. I'm tired just writing about it.

Now think about what it takes to run a small business. You need to be multi-skilled also. We've probably heard the term 'Chief Everything Officer' which initially you could be forgiven for thinking is just an amusing spin on 'CEO'. But actually, it's a good description. Being a business owner or senior player in small business really can be about doing a bit of everything.

We need to be multi-disciplined. We have to be commercially savvy, be able to develop customer relationships, deal with suppliers, handle staffing matters, finance, sales, marketing, 'paperwork' and the list goes on....

There is also the issue of staying current. We have to make sure we don't fall behind the times.

We also know that if we let any of these areas slip we can get into trouble quickly. Not just because our days become chaotic. There are those pesky things called competitors out there that can makes our lives even more difficult, right?

The good news is that you're not in this alone. There's a wealth of help and advice at your fingertips. From business coaching, to accountants, to outsourcing, there's a plethora of assistance available to you at at a price to suit your budget.

So we don't all need to be exactly like MMA fighters. They have no choice but to be personally expert in every facet of their game. We have the luxury of being able to have an understanding of each area, and by ensuring we have expertise in the right places we can run successful businesses that stay fighting fit.

As a business coach I ensure that I am not only up to date with generally accepted techniques and methodologies, but I have also created my own innovative coaching style. If you'd like to discuss your business requirements or have a 'business fitness' review, feel free to contact me.

Battle of Wounded Knee

Not that one. Not the infamous massacre c. 1890. My left one. Of course! All is proceeding well in the attempt to fix the weakened joint as I attend to its every whim. Ice and heat, rest, specific exercises, weights, and cycling have all been employed in an attempt to correct the frailties that had crept in over time.

But no running for now. Which is a shame, but a necessary evil as I attempt to recover from the injury. But overall, things are going well, so reasons to be cheerful!

What does this have to do with business..? Well, not a lot specifically, although I did say I'd keep you updated with sporting exploits, good and bad.

That said, we often have what could be considered to be minor injuries in business with which we manfully struggle on. And just like I did with an injured knee, we can make matters worse in the process. I recently found out about 'referred pain' where you get discomfort away from the injury site, and also about overcompensating, where fit muscles take over from injured ones as a protective measure.

This happens all the time in business. How often has a star employee ended up exhausted and off sick due to carrying the weight of a team where one or more others don't pull their weight? This would be overcompensating.

Or a clearly failing department is ignored until it substantially impacts the business as a whole?

I was once called upon to coach a distribution company that had ignored the fact that it's warehouse and logistics group couldn't deliver the right goods, to the correct customer and the agreed time. It wasn't until customers started leaving in droves that the management called in the cavalry (see what I did there? :)). Was it fixable? Yes, but not without taking significant damage to reputation, finances and morale. I'd say this is considerable referred pain wouldn't you?

So whether it's a sporting twinge or a business niggle, address it early and often to stay fit and healthy for the long term. As we so often say, it not a sprint but a marathon!

If you have any business issues that you'd like to discuss or you think you'd benefit from a review of your business, please do get in touch.

Thanks as ever for stopping by.

Break, Fix, Improve - Part 2

OK so we knew this one was coming!

In the previous post we were talking about something being broken, fixed and improved, in order to be stronger. In that post the subject was me. And a dodgy knee caused by my stubborn stupidity amongst other things.

But you have to admit that the parallels to businesses with issues are striking. Think of this. There's a business problem, albeit small, and so you ignore it. It's gets a little worse but you can still work through or around it. Eventually the issue can no longer be ignored. It's got to the point where the business can no longer function normally anymore.

So what should one do? Limp along with a fundamentally broken business, whilst losing valuable customers and staff? Or maybe look to address the issues? And in doing so work to ensure that the problems are dealt with and unlikely to return. And of course finally, to not only fix the immediate issue but to become stronger for the experience.

All sounds very obvious so far right? But you'd be amazed by how often issues are just left to fester. Things either slowly fall apart or people learn to live with them.

One of the many things a business coach can do is help organisations to deal with exactly this kind of scenario. Sometimes it takes an 'outsider' to be the bad guy, to call it as it is and suggest appropriate responses and changes. The keys are objectivity and independence. A coach has a brief to help the business. Whilst it's important, in my opinion, to have an understanding of the broader scenario, a good coach will work to the brief for the benefit of the business, without being swayed by politics or other influences.

We evaluate a problem, propose remedies, assist in implementation if required and help you and your business emerge stronger than ever.

In fact, we help with this scenario more than any other. If the above is familiar to you or there's another issue or question that springs to mind and you'd like to talk it through with me, please do get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.

Break, Fix, Improve

For those of you who don't know, I like to run. I'm not saying I'm any good, I just enjoy it. Outside or on the treadmill, running enables me to clear my mind and to stay fit at the same time, as well as catching up with my iTunes library. Just recently I've had a niggle in my left knee. Nothing too bad to start with, but I ignored it and it got progressively worse. A few days ago I was running on my treadmill (thinking this would be easier on a sore knee!) and I had to stop. It suddenly really hurt and I slowed to a walking pace. After a few minutes the pain had cleared and I upped the pace once more. For a about 5 seconds, and BAM! My knee just gave out. Finally, I took this as a sign to get off, apply ice and to check out symptoms, diagnoses and suggested treatments.

So here I am needing to train for a 20K off-road event next month and unable to run. I need to rehab my knee first before entertaining serious training. I ignored the warning signs and I'm now paying the price.

The good news is that I've established that I neglected some things in my training which, along with just plain doing too much too soon, contributed to the injury. So along with fixing this particular problem, I now know how to improve my fitness regime.

I will come back stronger.

Business parallels? You bet! One for next time.....