Posted: August 31, 2021 | Categories: Leadership, Presentation skills, Sales, Team Building

Have you ever been to a meeting and afterwards heard someone say, “I was going to say something.” Too bad. What if there comment or suggestion that could have increased the profitability of the company, or even saved it from bankruptcy? Idea fluency is vital in a fully-functioning organization. How do we create an atmosphere that encourages even the most reserved to speak up? Here is an example that demonstrates how:

I have a client who sells heavy duty manufacturing equipment. Last week he went to visit a customer, and he gave two different presentations. The first was to the top management team. As you would guess, meetings are a regular thing for them. Each participant had their questions, and they had a hearty product discussion with Carl (My client).

For the next meeting, Carl addressed a group who worked in manufacturing. These people are the ones who operate the machines. This group rarely attends sales presentations and they were reluctant to speak up and ask questions. Carl could sense their reluctance. The seating was in a horseshoe formation, and Carl walked inside the horseshoe to make a more intimate interaction. While respecting personal space, he asked a question to one of the more shy people. At first the participant was nervous, but he soon overcame his fear and started to ask questions and give input. That opened up the floodgates. One by one, others began giving their comments, and Carl could feel the temperature of the group rise.  It was a lively discussion. Carl had strengthened trust with the group and received valuable input that proved very helpful in writing his proposal.  Carl valued and respected everyone’s input, and he got it. Remember to EN-COURAGE others to build a more collaborative team by creating an environment that opens them up.

Posted: July 30, 2021 | Categories: Leadership

One of my favorite readings is Desiderata.  Contained in its words is a familiar formula for a peaceful soul.  One of my favorite phrases in Desiderata is, “As far as possible and without surrender, be on good terms with others”.  It is something we can apply every day.  Here is an example:

I have a new neighbor across the street, and one of their frequent guests makes a habit of parking their car in front of my house.  On the days when I mow the lawn, I cannot fully complete my job with the car parked there.  My thinking began to take a wrong turn.  “That takes a lot of nerve.  Why can’t they part in front of their own lawn?”  Then I put on the brakes, and decided on another option:  Why not go over there, introduce myself in a friendly way, and request that they move the car so that is doesn’t get hammered with grass clippings when I am mowing?  We had a nice friendly conversation, and they invited me to swim in their pool.  Not only did I solve my problem, I gained a new friend.

I think it is important to note that these folks were nice, friendly people.  They reacted positively to my respectful approach.  I have found that about 90% of the time when we approach people in a friendly way, they respond well.  Occasionally we run in to someone who is frustrated and bitter, and they may not be recceptive.  Just remember, most people respond favorably when we begin in a friendly way.  If we keep this in mind, we can have more friends and less stress.  That’s good time management!

Posted: July 21, 2021 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Networking, Sales

Here is a situation I’ll bet we have all been in:  We are at a party or social event and we meet someone.  We say our name.  They say theirs.  We begin a conversation.  A few seconds later we find ourselves in a minor panic because we have forgotten their name.  We want to personalize the interaction by using their name.  We can’t because we forgot it.   Now what?  We have two options:  First, we can avoid calling them by name since we can’t remember it.  If we do this, we run the risk of making the conversation stiff.  Our second option is to ask the other person, “What was your name again?”  This means we are admitting we weren’t listening.  How does that work for making a good 1st impression?

It is an old cliche worth repeating, “There is no second chance to make a good first impression”.  First impressions can easily make the difference in a sale.  I once remember a top-producing salesperson say, “In most cases, I can predict the probability of the sale in the first five minutes.”  Do you think learning and using a person’s name could be important in those first few minutes?  It sure is!  What can we do to helpus remember names better when being introduced or introducing ourselves?  Here are some thoughts:

First, slow down when you first hear a name.  Pretend like you are driving through a school zone.  If you did not hear the name clearly, ask them to repeat it.  The other person won’t be irritated.  Their name is important to them, and they want people to get it right.  With this added effort and focus, you will remember more names and help avoid having to admit you didn’t pay attention.  And don’t try to be clever!  Once I forgot a name, and I asked, “How do you spell your name?”  There was a long pause and she replied, “SMITH“.  Ouch! That exchange did not go so well.

Slow down, pay attention, remember names, and get off on the right foot.

Posted: July 16, 2021 | Categories: Leadership, Self-Improvement

Are you an “eager beaver”?  By that I mean you are determined to do what it takes to advance in your career and live the life of your dreams?  If so, there is a very important person you need to help you.  I am talking about who you report to – your boss.  Your boss should be your advocate…your cheerleader.  They want you to succeed.  If you don’t have such a boss, don’t bother reading the rest of this blog.  (I feel sorry for you)

If you have a boss who believes in you and is a strong mentor, he or she is probably approachable and takes time to listen to you with genuine interest and full focus.  We talk to them about our ideas.  Our boss listens and asks questions to clarify and promote deeper thinking.  When they do this, they help us along and strengthen trust at the same time.  These conversations can make our work challenging, engaging, and fulfilling.  They open us up.  My questions is, how often do we open our boss up and show genuine interest in them?

The most respected and trusted leaders I have known are good listeners.  They spend a good chunk of their day listening and asking questions.  I have also noticed that good leaders, like all of us, like people to show a genuine interest in them.  I am frequently amazed when I coach bosses.  During our calls, it is not uncommon for a boss to dominate 90% of the conversation.  My part consists of mostly asking questions to help them talk through the problem or the challenge.  What I am saying is, bosses like to be listened to as much as we do.

As a coach, I spend most of my time listening and asking questions. I am paid to do this, yet in some instances   people ask me questions.  When this does happen, I tend to give short answers, and others are fine with that.  Then, there are rare occasions when someone won’t accept my short answers.  They say, things like, “Tell me more”.  Once this happens, I realize they are genuinely interested interested in what I am excited about.  Then I open up and really go on a roll.  Afterwards, I say to myself, “What a neat person!”  I like, trust, and respect them more.  My advice to you:  If you want to build a strong bond with your boss, get them to open up.

Posted: July 1, 2021 | Categories: Leadership, Sales

Leaders are motivators.  Have you ever been in a situation where someone was trying to get you excited about something, and the incentive they were using was something you simply didn’t care about?  If we want to be about winning hearts and minds, we need to be sure we know their “hot button”.

When I think of this ability, my thoughts go immediately to an incident I experienced in 5th grade.  I received a test paper back, and I was pleased to see there were no red marks.  I got my first “100” for the year!  That meant it was time to celebrate.  I got to put a gold star next to my name on the wall chart.  After that, it was customary to go to Mrs. Pearson’s desk and ring the bell in front of Serapina the Cat.  (Seraphina was a book Mrs. Pearson had read us)

As I was basking in my glory, the person seated next to me (Chuck) wanted to look at my paper.  He had gotten one question wrong, and he wanted to know the right answer.  When he looked at my answer, he exclaimed, “Hey, you had the same answer I did, and Mrs. Pearson marked yours right.”  Smugly, I replied, “Too bad”.  Chuck blew the whistle on me, and soon Mrs. Pearson had my paper in hand.  She affirmed that my answer was wrong, and she was going to subtract the appropriate points.  Then she said, “We have to take your star off the chart, but I’ll still let you ring Seraphina’s bell.  Big deal!  I was not excited.  If Mrs. Pearson was trying to appease me, she actually made things worse.

A few decades later I found myself as a training facilitator of a 12-week leadership course.  Those who had perfect attendance recieved a gold medallion sticker on their certificate when they graduated.  At the beginning of each training series, I got everybody excited about that gold sticker.  The result:  I had the highest percentage graduation of any instructor on the team.  I remembered my experience in Mrs. Pearson’s class.  We love those stickers and stars, and they get us “fired up”.