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The Daly News June 2006 Issue10

FOR AN INCREASE IN SALES READ THIS!

Good, I got your attention. Anyone interested in increasing their sales results has to consider taking the actions necessary to get better at what they are already doing. If you are responsible for leading the sales team, this article is for you. Or, if you are a sales professional that’s self-motivated, then this article is for you as well. And, if you are the CEO/owner, well, I gotta believe this article will have particular interest for you to ensure the first two groups mentioned “jump on it”.

While my golf game certainly needs plenty of work, I nonetheless remain a golf fanatic and student of the game. Whenever I marvel at the accomplished games of the golf pros, one constant (oops, John Daly, my namesake, excepted) sticks out-they are fanatical about training and practicing. As well, I love the recognition and rewards/pay systems-they get paid directly for their performance, and the idea of the “big prize” each week is very “motivating”. So, taking a cue from these pros, here are my suggestions FOR AN INCREASE IN SALES.

For those that really want to see business jump up, take the above approach with existing customers and clients, making sure to look at other locations and product lines that can be won over with those all important “inside referrals”.

Role practice. Now that you have the activities identified as to what’s needed, we suggest role practicing each scenario as if the desired appointment is indeed obtained. One person in the role practice will be the sales person, one will be prospect, and one will be observer. Suggest doing each scenario three times, with each individual wearing a different hat. This should cut down on the surprises and add to the confidence level on the real calls. On the pro golf tour, the pros try to draw on as many shots as possible from their practice and memory stores, such as “I’ve been here before, this is how I hit this one”. To get top results, they certainly aren’t “winging it”.

To top things off, how about a short term contest? If you are the CEO/business owner/Sales Manager, step up with a 60 days duration contest with a couple solid prizes tied to results. If you are doing this on an individual salesperson level, set a special reward for yourself upon accomplishment of some predetermined result.

Each sales person should list their top 30 prospects in the order of priority. In the next column, indicate the status of the account and what has been the sales prospecting activity over the prior 90 days. In the next column, list the top hurdles in the way of winning over the account, and some possible cures to leap the hurdles. Next comes a column of targeted timeline for the win. The last column on this analysis should indicate next action steps-the who will do what, by when column.

SPEND A DAY RE-FUELING WITH JACK

Don’t miss the opportunity to have your sales staff spend a day with Jack. These full day, sales based sessions are designed to teach you what you need to know to get to the top of your game. Jack will show your team how to apply street tested techniques that make the difference as well as reinforce and provide accountability to ensure that things are getting done!The day is fast paced, content rich and filled with take-away value. Take the pulse of your business today and make the adjustments that will change your business tomorrow!

Many companies throughout North America:
-send every new hire to spend a day with Jack.
-insist their top sales reps bring their top clients to spend a day with Jack.
-require each member of their sales staff to attend one workshop with Jack annually as a refresher.

2006 Workshop Schedule-Register on line Today!

*June 13, 2006
Milwaukee, WI

• *June 15, 2006
  Orange County, CA
  1/2 day Smart Selling
  Workshop 2-5pm
• *October 10, 2006
  Atlanta, GA
• *October 26, 2006
  Montreal, QB
• *October 27, 2006
  Lancaster, PA
• *Nov 2 & 3, 2006
  Washington D.C.
  Sales Management & Sales Summit
• *December 12, 2006
  Toronto, ON

TAX BREAK…..

OK, so this is far a field from the typical content of The Daly News, however, I couldn’t resist. Continuing with the theme of golf, I had the distinct pleasure of playing Shoal Creek in Birmingham, AL this past month and was teamed up with an individual who runs a company I thought many of the company owners in my database would want to pursue. So, here’s the opportunity. The company name is TaxBreak, a tax credit & Profit Enhancement Company. If your company is an LLC, LLP, SUB S, Partnership, Sole Proprietorship or C-Corp and through turnover or growth hire more than 7 employees a year, I encourage you to pursue this. The service is only paid contingent on taxes reduced and involves no risk to your company, and is primarily centered around the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Details for those interested can be obtained through Kent Black, President, at 888-291-1938 or[email protected].

CONTINUOUS SELF DEVELOPMENT

I had the opportunity to hear Keith Ferrazzi speak at the Gathering of Titans 2 months ago, and have now finished his best seller, NEVER EAT ALONE. Here’s a book all about building relationships, networking and optimizing one’s rolodex. Keith will ‘raise the bar’ of your thinking as to not only ‘who’ to pursue but the best ‘hows’ as well.
A few of key takeaways to whet your appetite:

• Relationships are more like muscles-the more you work them, the stronger they become.
• Relationship Action Plan: 1) goals in writing that will help you fulfill your mission. 2) connect those goals to the people, places and things that will help you get the job done. 3) ID the best way to reach out to those people who will help you accomplish your goals.
• The great myth of “networking” is that you start reaching out to others only when you need something like a job. In reality, people who have the largest circle of contacts know that you must reach out to others long before you need anything at all.
• Follow-up is the key to success in any field. The follow-up I remember best is the one I got first.
• Build your brand: 1) develop a personal branding message. 2) package the brand. 3) broadcast your brand.

Keith is the consummate networker-model the masters!
Jack Daly
Three Part Sales Academy

Build Your Way to a Successful 2006
DALLAS,TEXAS

This 3 part Sales Academy, featuring Jack Daly, is coming to Dallas, Texas. You do not want to miss this one of a kind opportunity. Pay for all three, 2-hour sessions today and the total cost is only $199.

Mark these important dates now:

• Wednesday, October 11th,
• Wednesday, November 8th,
• Wednesday, December 6th.

Please email [email protected] to reserve your seat and/or to learn about special discounts and sponsorship opportunities. We also have available large group discounts, so you can give passes to your employees, vendors, and clients in Dallas. We hope to see you there.

Washington D.C.

• Sales Management and Sales Summit November 2 & 3, 2006We have had many requests from the East Coast for a Summit on their coast. Well, we have heard you loud and clear and are happy to announce that Jack will offer a second Summit November 2 & 3 in the Washington D.C. area.Please call Jennifer at 888-298-6868 for more information or email her at [email protected] for a flyer full of details.
• Day One, Thursday, November 2, 2006 will focus on Sales Management. The key ingredient to increasing sales is more effective Sales Management. Here’s how Jack captures it: “A Sales Manager’s job is NOT to grow sales, it’s to grow salespeople.” Improve your bottom-line results with profitable sales. This day is specifically designed for CEO’s and Sales Managers.
• Day Two, Friday, November 3, 2006 will focus on the art of Sales.We encourage the Sales Management to join us on Day Two along with the members of their Sales teams. Here is where we key in on the actions that will build the individual sales professional into a more effective producer. We’re talking about money-making ideas centered about both new account and existing account development.

INVESTMENT: Prices good until July 31, 2006
Both Days: $1095
Management only: $645
Sales only:$595

OLDIES but GOODIES

For the past 6 years we have historically produced a newsletter from Professional Sales Coach, Inc. With this Daly News newsletter as replacement, we wanted to remind our readers of a feature each month pulled from the archives which continues to be content rich. Professionalism requires life long learning.

Recognition Is a Win-Win

“Treat people as if they were what they should be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.” – John Wolfgang von Goethe

If more companies paid as much attention to their people as they do to office politics, increasing profits, and their public image, everything else would fall nicely into place. For profits are a natural extension of happiness in the workplace.

Happiness in the workplace can be a strategic advantage. For the most part service comes from the heart, and people who feel cared for will care more in return.

Unhappiness results in errors, turnover, and other negatives. People should enjoy their work. When was the last time you excelled at something you disliked?

The National Underwriter reports that recognition for a job well done is the top motivator of employee performance. It was rated 4.9 on a scale of 1-6, according to the results of a survey of more than 200 employee communications managers conducted by William M. Mercer, Inc. Recognition surpassed money (4.8 on the scale) and challenge (4.3) among the top three motivators.

Be assured we are not minimizing the importance of money. But beyond financial reward, there is a hunger for recognition- a desire to be acknowledged and remembered for a meaningful accomplishment. These feelings can produce powerful responses.

Recognition can be defined as “treating someone as a worthwhile human being.” The Playfair Corporation follows these principals of recognition:

• Make sure the program rewards, and is consistent with, a highly-esteemed value in the organization.
• Reward and recognition work best when EVERYONE has an opportunity to win.
• The broader the scope of recognition, the greater the potential benefits. Don’t restrict recognition to one or two big events. Recognition must be ongoing and every day.
• Use it, don’t abuse it! When overdone or insincere, giving rewards loses its impact. As leaders we are responsible for creating and fostering an environment of excitement and motivation. Remember that motivation is a noun, not a verb.

We cannot motivate anyone, but we can create an environment which encourages each of our associates to be motivated. Motivation is self-induced. As leaders, we must find out what motivates each associate. What excites them? What stresses them?

Your associates did not come to work for you or with you in order to make you successful. They came to work with you- and for their reasons. As leaders we must discover what those reasons are, and work to help each of our associates achieve their goals.

About 25 percent of our people are high achievers. At the other end of the scale, ten percent are “impossible” representing hiring mistakes. They should be encouraged to pursue their careers elsewhere.

The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people, and the self-restraint needed to keep from meddling with them. 15 percent are considered “tough” to motivate and should be given an opportunity to succeed, but also put on a short leash, with expectations for quick improvement communicated clearly.

Our opportunity to make significant gains rests with the middle 50 percent. Implementing a number of ideas suggested in this article will unleash their energies in a positive way.

Getting Aligned

Mike Cuday, President of Marquette Electronics, explains that “you’ve got to give people a voice in their jobs. You’ve got to give them a piece of the action and a chance to excel. You’ve got to give them the freedom to have fun.”

Our recommended approach to establishing such a motivational environment is through alignment. Alignment develops when individuals perceive that contributing to the group is a WIN-WIN relationship which contributes to realizing their personal missions.

For individual alignment to occur, three principal elements must be in place. First, is the establishment of a corporate successful culture. Some examples of its components are:

Corporate Success Culture:

• Published and practiced corporate values
• Widely ? known corporate and group missions
• Successful associates to provide models
• Performance standards
• Recognition systems
• Termination of underachievers
• Successful recruiting and selection environment, which makes others want to join your team

Our experience has indicated that many leaders are making headway in establishing a corporate success culture. However, significant opportunities for improvement still remain.

A second component of alignment is Management by Objectives. Most managers have done a good job in this task. Elements of management by objectives include:

Management by Objectives:

• Goal definition
• Progress reviews
  Recognition
• Coaching
• Education and training
• Personal commitment and modeling

On the whole, the motivation component with which we do the poorest is Understanding Individual Values. Aspects are as follows:

Understood Individual Values:

• Management by personal values or mission
• Value review to avoid forced value imposition
• Goal orientation and commitment
• A ignment to create a Win ? Win relationship
• Self-esteem evaluation
• Role models

We need to spend more time getting know our associates. What are their goals? Their personal missions? Their business objectives?

One of the more significant things we have learned about rewards and recognition is to ask your associates what they would like. It is human nature to give someone else something you’d like. However, we should get into the habit of practicing THE PLATINUM RULE: Do unto others the way they want to be done unto.

Don’t wait until the end of the year to sing your people’s praises. Too often we hear staff at firms say, “When I do something wrong, it takes at most about five minutes to hear about it. Yet recognition happens only once a year ? at the awards ceremony.” We should be as timely with our praise as we are with corrections.

We frequently ask at our seminars if anyone is overly recognized. We’ve yet to find someone who complains of too much recognition.

Here then is our opportunity! A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae above a kick in the pants. And we should bring creativity to the area of recognition, to make it special. Following are some ideas to start unleashing your creativity in the direction of recognition:

1. Ring the bell! At our offices we have a bell hanging on the wall. When ever anyone accomplishes something of note that person gets to “ring the bell”.

This provides instant recognition and results in increased excitement throughout the office, as we all inquire as to what was the special event. Several of our clients also have instituted this practice.

Another version of this that we have seen is called “blowing your own horn.” It involves letting a recognized associate sound an electronic siren to celebrate their achievement.

2. M nagers and sales associates should share both their targets and status with their support teams. Success then promotes “we”, not “me”, and marshals additional momentum for achieving even more.

3. “PSR” Planned Spontaneous Recognition. Think back to the last surprise party you attended. Remember the joy you felt at the spontaneity of the event? Yet plenty of planning went into such recognition. With sufficient thought and creativity, we can bring similar recognition to the workplace.

4. “Caught in the act of greatness”. Anyone can present to another associate a “caught in the act of greatness” certificate as a way of recognizing a job well done. One client we know implemented this system and in the first month, 2,000 associates presented a total of 7,000 certificates. Imagine ? 7,000 moments of recognition! A lottery drawing based on the certificates can be used to kick off the program.

5. Instant recognition and awards lottery. Supervisors can be provided with congratulatory note cards to be given to associates “on the spot”. They also double as tickets that are entered for prizes in a company lottery. Different levels of achievement that correspond to a certain number of chances in the lottery can be implemented. Quarterly lotteries then are conducted as part of company-wide recognition gatherings.

6. Monopoly Money with Purchasing Power. Invent a new currency. Associates earn the play money through excellent performance within specific areas. To foster teamwork, each associate is also granted a “bank account” of “money”, which can be given to other associates who help them. At year end, host a party and auction where associates can use their “money” to buy prizes.

7. “Courtesy Cash”. Coupon booklets, which offer discounts in the company cafeteria, or other options, can be printed. Associates use the coupons to show thanks to another associate for help on the job. We have found these are good at crossing department lines, and extending thanks to those we may not know that well.

8. Designate an “Associate Appreciation Month” in which something special happens every day of the month. Encourage your suppliers to each sponsor a day, by hosting a breakfast or lunch for the associates. Each branch office can have its own celebration. Plenty of contests also are held throughout the month, such as matching associates with their favorite story about themselves.

9. Thank the spouse! The associate with the highest approval score on your quarterly customer surveys receives a recognition plaque. In addition, his or her spouse is sent a letter of appreciation and a certificate for a free dinner for two.

10. Anytime you receive a note of compliments or congratulations “whether it’s from a customer or fellow associate” pass it on to another rather than keeping it in your personal files. Make a copy for your files, and then pass it on to someone who helped you with that accomplishment.

11. Letter to Manager. If a support person goes the extra mile for a salesperson, it’s an opportunity for the salesperson to write a note to the manager, praising the individual?s performance. A copy will go into the individuals personnel file, and the good news will soon get back to that person.

12.Associate of the Month or Quarter. Ask the personnel department in a company which has such a program, and they will report the lack of recommendations received from managers. Yet ask the associates if they appreciate the program and you’ll receive a resounding “Yes”. If you have such a program, use it. If you don’t have one, get one.

13. Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary!! When the computer screen comes up each morning, have it show all associate birthdays and anniversaries for that month. Send congratulatory cards to those which help you regularly.

14. “Out of the Blue” awards. These are presented by the CEO, and anyone can be nominated for creating exceptional service.

15. “Associate of the Day” Program. Each month an associate gets to spend at least half a day with the senior person in his or her department. It could be the branch manager, or the CEO. Associates can be chosen on the basis of merit, lottery, or from sign up sheets.

16. Keep a number of $5 bills in your pocket, and pass them out as you see associates doing great things. Five dollars is an amount big enough to pay for lunch but not significant enough to cause resentment from others.

17. “CEO Bucks” Produce mock $50 bills with the CEO’s picture on the front and a note that reads, “Redeem this with an expenses voucher for $50 worth of entertainment.” Again, hand these out “on the spot”.

18. Send Report Cards home to the spouse, detailing how well the associate is doing towards meeting sales goals which will result in expense-paid trips.

19. Senior managers can go on office tours with carts containing coffee and doughnuts, ice cream, or popcorn and sodas.

20. Provide all associates with personalized business cards, which are awaiting them on their first day on the job.

21. Take out an advertisement in the local newspaper including the associates’ names and pictures.

22. Write a letter to the associate’s spouse, family or significant other.

23. Give a coupon entitling an associate to an extra 30 minutes for lunch on the day of their choice.

24. Have a “jeans day” or Casual Dress Day. Other dress-up themes can be used.

25. Keep a bulletin board where you place photos from the latest company social outing, as well as letters of praise from customers.

26. Honor Walls can hold pictures of “Associates of the Month.” As well as those of people who?ve been in the company for five or more years.

27. Special Business Cards and personalized stationery give extra recognition.

28. Newsletter Recognition- highlight work teams and branches which exceed their goals.

29. Providing a new title to an associate is a statement to everyone that this person is valued and appreciated.

30. Give comp time in recognition of an “extra effort”.

31. Send company T-shirts or other items to your associates’ children.

32. Allow associates to exchange positions with someone else in the company for a half day.

33. Offer special training or seminar attendance to associates who have excelled.

34. Send a bouquet of balloons or flowers.

35. Provide tickets to a movie, play or sporting event.

36. Conduct group trips, and special top performer award trips.

37. The list can go on and on, constrained only by our creativity and commitment to “do it.”

Peter Townshend, in Commit to Quality, writes; “The most neglected form of compensation is the six-letter word-thanks”.

The big things in life certainly matter, but the little things can really add up. Many of the events we describe promote teamwork, are inexpensive, and create an atmosphere of celebration and spontaneity throughout the organization.

“There are two things people want more than sex and money,” says Mary Kay Ash, “They are recognition and praise.”

Now we come to ourselves and ask: “Who motivates the motivator?” Like it or not, we do. As the leader and higher achiever, we must remember that “we are the message” in our organization.

Clarence Francis noted. “You can buy a man’s time; you can buy his physical presence, but you cannot but enthusiasm, you cannot buy loyalty, you cannot buy the devotion of hearts, minds or souls, you must earn these.”