If disciplinary memos are ineffective to improve performance, why do you and other employers keep using them? It’s simply the fall back position after repeatedly avoiding to deal with the issue. Rather than immediately confronting the employee with the unwanted behavior, you avoid and evade taking action.

You dislike confronting bad behavior or performance for two reasons. First, it is generally an uncomfortable thing to do. Secondly, hardly anyone is properly trained to do so.

The longer you wait to resolve the situation, the further complicated it gets. What usually happens is that unwanted conduct will progressively worsen until it bothers you so much that you decide it’s time for the employee to go.

Fearing legal issues, you begin crafting memos to reprimand the employee on every possible violation. You go from no confrontation to mayor confrontation. At this point the corrective nature of the memo is probably a farce. You simply want to document every possible deficiency until the file is thick enough to boot the guy.

What if instead you corrected the situation long before you began thinking about memos or legal issues? Instead of waiting until that point of no return, you decided to confront unwanted behavior. Think of all the hassle and money you could have saved.

Nothing is stopping you except your will and skill. Perhaps you may have wanted to take earlier action but were afraid to do so for fear of escalating the situation or getting involved in a shouting match. Not anymore, here are some solutions.

Decide what to confront. What is really important here? There may be several things to confront. Decide on the bigger issue. Do you want the employee to improve or is it about teaching her a lesson. Do you want to prove you are right or reach a mutually beneficial solution?

Show that you truly care and respect the employee. We all need to feel respected at all times. It’s human nature. Be firm but always respectful. Confronting the person in private in a normal tone and never ever get personal. One thing is to be late. Another is to be called lazy. Don’t fall on this trap. It’s the easiest way to divert an issue. If you disrespect someone be the first to admit it. Apologize; make sure the person gets the apology and quickly return to the issue at hand. Make sure the worker gets that you care, and have the best interest at heart. He/she will be more receptive to whatever you have to say. Look for mutually beneficial points of view rather than ‘you versus me’ issues.

Stick to the facts. Don’t let your own filters, personal issues and stories get in the way of the truth. Too often we pre-judge and point out character flaws based on our prejudice and misconceptions. Learn how to distinguish between the facts and your story.

Give the benefit of the doubt. Before reaching conclusions ask the other person for her side of the story. How can you help the person overcome his/her issues? Explore what are the possible barriers. Is the employees lacking of skills or motivation?

Obtain a new commitment. Once the issue is handled, ask for a new commitment. Clarify expectations and provide a framework for follow up and accountability.

Chris Carman from ActionCOACH Business Coaching helps business owners in SE Wisconsin make more money, work less hours and recruit, train and retain high quality employees.  For more information please visit www.actioncoach.com/chriscarman

Given what I have experienced in these sessions, I would STRONGLY encourage all business owners and general managers to regularly mystery shop if you are not already. When a prospect visits or calls, you have already paid for the lead through your advertising and marketing. The cost per lead is the same whether you make the sale or completely turn off the prospect. In this economy we cannot afford to waste leads.

Here are the biggest misses I consistently see that can make a HUGE difference in the conversion rate, size of the sale and lifetime value of the client. Bottom line is address these for more profit.

1. Greeting: Greet the prospect promptly with your name and get their name. Use their name immediately and throughout the conversation. Seems elementary, but this happens less than 50% of the time.

2. Sequential Sale Process: Have a sequential sales process in place including a standard opening question with the greeting to help direct the conversation. Also be sure to have a transition statement along with a series of open ended questions to allow for a targeted recommendation. “I would be happy to assist you with that. May I ask you a few questions so I can suggest the best options for your situation?” Then ask open ended questions to identify the key info you need to narrow the choices. If you don’t have this in writing for your sales team, you can expect a lower conversion rate. A sequential sales process is occurring less than 20% of the time.

3. USP and Guarantee: Be able to share your unique selling proposition and guarantee. What makes your company different from the competition? What guarantee do you offer to help the prospect to confidently say yes? If the answer is good service, good selection and competitive prices, you can bet your competitor is saying the same thing so it is not very unique. A strong USP and Guarantee is happening less than 20% of the time.

4. Response to Price Question: How many times do we actually make a sale without some type of price question or price objection? Almost never. Have some prepared responses for what your business wants communicated when a price objection occurs. Unless you are happy to just beat or match other prices, there are a great deal of sales and profits flying out the door. An average or good response to price occurs less than 20% of the time.

5. Capture Their Info: Be sure to capture the contact information from the prospect before they leave. Always ask for the info and be prepared to offer a good reason if you find that people are hesitant. It could be to keep them updated on new items, specials or a sale on the item they liked. Consider your industry and what would be of value. Again this seems very basic, BUT this is almost NEVER happening in my mystery shopping. If you are wondering where the leads are from your marketing, this may be where they are lost. I hear this phrasing consistently. “Here’s my card. Give me a call if you need any additional information or want to look at anything else.” Pretty inspiring, huh?

I purposely did not use any business names or provide any specific quotes from my experiences, but you can be absolutely sure the owners and general managers had wide eyes and a few dropped jaws when they heard the quotes. You can’t go about the process of improvement until you actually know what is being said. Take some time over the next week to see what is being said to your prospects and clients.

If you would like me to mystery shop your business, contact me and we’ll see how we can make it happen. I guarantee you will find the information well worth your time!

In a single word, the first key to a winning team is leadership. A strong leader is one that demonstrates integrity and competence. He or she is someone that people trust. Strong leaders also have developed the communication skills to enroll and inspire others to understand and embrace their vision. It is apparent that for a team to win, they need strong leadership. For your business or department to win, it needs a strong leader. As I coach business owners and management teams, I feel that this is the number one issue that we address.

Let’s begin with the definition of a leader. A leader is a person that other people follow. A strong leader enrolls and inspires a full team to follow him or her. So why do people choose or refuse to follow another person? I think it can be summarized in one word; trust. People will follow people they trust.

So why would others trust and follow you? It is because they believe you have their best interest as a priority, and they also believe that you have the competence to achieve results. I call it heart and spirit. You have Heart; integrity, ability, a proven track record, strength of character, reputation, and you have Spirit; clear communication, confidence, drive, and passion. You possess the desire and the ability.

A strong leader not only has the Spirit and the Heart, he or she also has the ability to inspire ownership in the team. This happens when the team trusts and respects the leader. I think the number one way to engender respect is listening. It is respecting your team by demonstrating a willingness to listen and fully understand their perspective. If you want someone to fully trust you, they must know that you know them, and that you care. They must believe that your decisions are based on what you believe is best for the team, and that those decisions include input from all of those affected by that decision. Some would perceive this approach as weak leadership. I think it takes a strong leader to be willing to fully appreciate and listen to all perspectives, and then bring the team together on a common goal that is best for the whole group.

Key #2 - Common Goal
Do you have a clear vision for your business or department? The second key for a winning team is to have a common goal. To win the game as a team, it is essential for everyone to share a clearly defined target, and it is the responsibility of the leader to effectively communicate that goal to the team.

Once you have a strong leader that has the respect of the team, the next logical question is “Where are we going?”

In the Action Coach world, we speak of the importance of Destination Mastery. A winning team will have a clear Common Goal and plan of action to achieve it. Great goals are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented, and have Time frame. A SMART goal has the ability to focus the team on a specific, defined outcome. It needs to be believable, and direct the team toward the ultimate vision of the organization.

The effectiveness of a strong goal is more in what it DOES rather than what it IS. Many people hesitate to set powerful, challenging goals because of a fear of failure. This fear is based on the false belief that the team must respond in disappointment if a goal is not completely realized by the allotted timeframe. The way to defuse this fear is to logically take it apart. If a common goal brings the team together, gets the team focused, and improves overall performance and team spirit, then why should the team choose disappointment just because they fall short of complete attainment of the goal by a certain deadline? The leader needs to encourage the team to instead celebrate the progress and learning that has been attained, followed by the establishment of a new goal. The focus should be the progress and the learning and the adjustments that need to be made based on current results. Bigger dreams and goals create better questions, which lead to superior decisions, actions, and results.

So as a strong leader, the challenge is to get with your team, and set a strong, common goal to bring you together. It is the second key to a winning team.

Key #3 - Rules of the Game
The third key for winning is to know the rules of the game. Can you imagine trying to win a game if you didn’t know the rules? Often employees lack motivation and productivity because the expectations are unclear. Do your employees know the company core values? Have you invested time in defining core values and communicating the company culture to every team member?

Once you have a strong leader that has the respect of the team, and a common goal to shoot for, then it is time to define the playing field.

Most people have an inherent resistance to rules. Basically, no one likes to be told by someone else what they can and cannot do. It feels like an infringement on their personal identity and freedom. So with that challenge in mind, let’s talk rules of the game.

If you put rules in the context of a game, they take on a different feel and value. The rules in a game define the game. A game with no rules is mayhem, and certainly not too much fun. The rules in a game define how you win, how you succeed, and communicate the appropriate relationship between the team members - their roles and functions defined.

Picture a locomotive engine - in the middle of an open cornfield. No restrictions. Open space. Free and unhindered. Picture another locomotive on a steel track. Confined and defined. The question is which locomotive will perform the best and travel the furthest? Obviously the one on the track will be the performer.

For a winning team to embrace and love the rules, the leader must communicate the function of the rules. It is not to squelch creativity or to control and smother, but rather to clearly define the structure and means to winning. Once the team knows the rules, they are actually freed to innovate and play the game the best it can be played. If a player clearly knows the boundaries, then he is free to play the game. If he is unsure, he will move very slowly and tentatively.

As the leader, it is your responsibility to work with your team to define your culture and your rules. This will bring a security and effectiveness to the team. It removes guesswork and distractions that come from trying to hit a moving target.

So clearly defined rules of the game need to be known and followed if you are going to have a winning team. Next we will look at getting the team into action with an action plan.

Key #4 - Action Plan
A fourth key for producing a winning team is to support risk taking. For people to maximize their potential, they need to try new things, even make mistakes! The only people who don’t make mistakes are those who never try anything new. Winning teams will always be willing to stretch their limits. As long as you have defined the rules of the game, the team should be encouraged to innovate within those defined boundaries.

The name of our franchise is “ACTION COACH”. There is a great reason for that. Nothing happens in life and business until someone takes ACTION. You can have a strong leader with a common goal and great, clearly defined rules, but with no action, nothing happens.

Procrastination is the enemy of all progress and learning, and it is rooted in fear. Fear is a paralyzing emotion or expectation about negative outcomes. The antidote and cure for fear is action. For the action to be most effective, it should be preceded by some organized thought and planning. Very simply stated, a great action plan has three components - WHO does WHAT by WHEN. That is it. If you are clear on the goal and the rules, then organize your plan into logical steps, and delegate each step to the right team member. Assign an accountability and deadline, and you are ready to go.

Many meetings are de-energizing because they don’t end with an action plan. Talk and analysis with no action is really non-productive, because you really learn nothing until action is taken and you produce a result and a response.

We have another saying in Action Coach, that “Seminars Don’t Work - People Do”. The focused purpose of all learning and discussion is action, and the Action Plan is the tool to create that outcome. So here is what I challenge you to DO next time you are in a team meeting. Near the close of the meeting, take out a piece of paper with three columns - Who, What, When, and complete your action plan for all present. Be specific on WHAT actions will be taken, and put in a deadline and an accountability for each item. It really sounds simple, but it is a profound way to get your team moving.

Key #5 - Support Risk Taking
A fifth key to a winning team is to have a written action plan. Great ideas, an inspiring vision, and even a happy work place don’t automatically produce results. Results come from taking action. Each team member needs to know daily who is supposed to do what by when.

To maximize the potential of every team member, the leader and organization must support risk taking. What does that mean? It means that fear of mistakes and failure must go. It means that we always solicit and welcome multiple solutions to challenges. It means that right brain, creative thinking is encouraged, and that new ideas and changes are welcomed and rewarded. It means that good is never good enough, and that continuous improvement, innovation, and experimentation are a fundamental part of the culture.

Do these concepts and ideas scare you? They don’t need to. In fact, rejecting these concepts is truly more “risky” to the stability of the business or department. A refusal to try new things and make mistakes is a recipe for business and team failure. For example, the first typical response if you fail to support risk taking is that creative, innovative team members will leave the team. Those that stay will often lose spirit and become dull and barely functional. Human beings were made to create, innovate, explore, and experiment. If you refuse to support risk taking, you drain the adventure, fun and creativity out of the organization.

However, when your team starts to embrace risk, then a creative energy and synergy starts to kick in big time. If you are with me so far, you must be asking how to do this without causing major losses and catastrophe? How do I support risk taking and not gamble away all of my assets? The key is that the other keys must also be in place. A strong leader will add balance, discernment, and integrity to the process. Strong rules of the game will keep the risk within certain borders. In fact, strong rules of the game facilitate and enable risk taking. When the team knows the boundaries, they are free to take maximum risk and even make mistakes as long as they stay within the fence. Because risk taking and mistakes are supported within the rules, there is no fear of failure, and the team can accelerate learning by taking more chances, trying more things, and learning what does and does not work.

The action plan keeps the accountabilities for the established routine in place. While the team is innovating and experimenting, they are still performing the necessary bread and butter tasks and responsibilities by sticking to the action plan.

I hope you are beginning to see the power of these six keys in operation together. Next, we will look at the imperative key of 100% participation. I challenge you to throw off your fear and take a chance! You just might learn something!

Key #6 - 100% Involvement and Inclusion
Finally, the sixth key to a winning team is 100% involvement and inclusion. Each member must know that they are accepted by the team, and each member must also choose to participate 100%. Those who are not fully engaged pull down the team’s performance. 100% participation creates powerful team synergy.

So far I have given you the information to create a wonderful action plan to bring your team to new levels of performance and results. Every key is essential for maximizing your team performance, and this last key is absolutely no exception.

I want to warn you if you are a team leader. You are about to be presented with a leadership challenge that for most is very difficult. The challenge is to REQUIRE 100% participation from your team. Some of you know that you have team members that need to radically change or leave. Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great”, was asked how to decide if a person should be kept on a team or if they should be asked to leave. He said it is a simple two question test:

#1 - If the person left today for a better job somewhere else, would you be glad or sad?

#2 - If this person applied for a job with your organization today, knowing what you know about them, would you hire them?

The answers to those questions provide a clear insight into the action that needs to take place. 100% involvement means that each team member is totally committed to the team and its success. In practical terms, the team member shows up for the game, on time, consistently, ready to perform. Each and every member is willing to do what they can do to support the leader and every other member. 100% inclusion means every member of the team is committed to accepting and supporting every single member of team - no member left behind or excluded. In other words, the team is lean and mean. It is tight - every member fully engaged and included.

So, as a review, here are the 6 keys; 1. Strong Leadership 2. Common Goal 3. Rules of the Game 4. Support Risk Taking 5. Action Plan 6. 100% Involvement and Inclusion. Get these keys in place and go out there and win the game!

Chris Carman from ActionCOACH Business Coaching helps business owners in SE Wisconsin make more money, work less hours and recruit, train and retain high quality employees.  For more information please visit www.actioncoach.com/chriscarman

Clearly, networking isn’t going to be an appropriate marketing tool for all businesses, but for many I believe it is.  After all, if you needed a builder/ accountant/ IT specialist, wouldn’t you prefer to deal with somebody you have met and chatted to rather than somebody you didn’t know at all?

If you are going to use networking as a marketing tool for your business, as with any marketing tool you use, you first need a clear strategy in order to make it work well for you.  I will share with you my ‘top ten tips’ to effective networking to help you develop your own approach.

1. Choose the networking groups you attend wisely – you need groups of proactive business owners, not ones that just meet to chat and feel good about themselves!

2. Go along to the meetings with a goal in your mind for the number of cards you are going to hand out and the number of meetings that you are going to book. 

3. Be clear on the type of business you are looking for - think about the size, type and location of companies you would like to work with.

4. Make it easy for people to refer work to you by having a clear and concise offer. 

5. Ask the people you meet about themselves and their businesses – don’t forget that people buy from people they like and showing interest in what others do will help build that relationship. 

6. Have a great story to tell and be enthusiastic - make people interested in what you do, never try to just sell what you do. 

7. Don’t forget to take enough business cards with you!

8. Always follow up on the people you have met after the event – remember, networking is the start of the sales process, not the end.  

9. Don’t forget to have fun!   

10. Finally, make sure you measure the results of your efforts - it is NetWORKING, after all!

So now you have a guide to effective networking, get out there, take action and make it work for you!

6th September 2010

Amazing Extract

Following on is an extract from the book, Toughen Up by Michael Hill and part of a Staff Story by Althena Birch

“In today’s trade, people say things are tough and maybe they are. The world is a harder place and if there’s one thing this business has taught me it is to remember the little things: like believing in people, and having standards and systems and using and sticking to them. Daring to dream and having goals is not a sin. Write them down and look at them. If you lose your way, go back to basics, as they will never fail you: the truth is in the results.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I will only ever be as good as the people that work for me, along side me and with me.

Dare to believe and dream.”

But your work in this critical region is not quite complete. This week we tackle what might be considered the most difficult stage in developing a winning team. Our topic this week is focused on you, then business owner or senior most leader, genuinely getting to know and appreciate each and everyone of your team members.

I am expecting that you are having one of two reactions as we start this week’s stage. You are either saying to yourself – no problem, I know all my people already, so this will be an easy week for me. Or you are saying – you’ve got to be kidding. I’ve got 200 or more people who are on our team and there is no possible way that I can know and appreciate each and every one of them. My response to both of those reactions is the same – you don’t know what you don’t know! Tune in, focus on this important topic, and you will certainly realize that you have lots of room for improvement – no matter where you are starting from!

So let’s dive in with this question – why is it so important that the business owner or senior most leader make the time to get to know and appreciate everyone on the team? Is this simply a feel good for the individual or is there a bigger benefit to the business? What do you think?

I’ll tell you that without a doubt, this single strategy (if I may call it a strategy) can either supercharge the first six keys to a winning team or make all of your other efforts totally useless. Let me give you a couple of very real examples.

The CEO of a billion dollar manufacturing company made it a point to block a couple of hours each week to do nothing but walk through the office and the factory speaking to his team. He never went the same places, never had an agenda, but did take the time to shake everyone’s hand and ask them not only what they were working on but how things were going for them and their family. He did not know all of their names. He was not familiar with all of their families. But for that brief moment, that person he was talking with was the most important person in the world to him. He spoke with top performers and below average performers alike. He spoke with those with long tenure as well as new hires. His purpose was not to judge or critique. It was not to identify or solve problems. His purpose was to make his team know that he cared about them as a person. The result – as you might imagine, low turnover, high performance, huge company loyalty and a fun, friendly, functional workplace.

Another CEO of a similarly sized consulting firm that had achieve significantly rapid growth took a very different approach. He positioned himself as the most capable person in the business and he made sure that everyone knew that if it were not for him, the business would be nothing like it is today. He would spend most of his time with his high performers and often wonder why others in the business just did not get it. Socializing was very important to this CEO, but his socialization often focused around other high-profile business leaders, knowledge experts and celebrities. His engagement with team members was superficial – unless you were among the “inner circle” – those who not only worshiped his brilliance but demonstrated very high performance. While he was personally very successful, the business was in a state of turmoil. Turnover was very high. Frustration with the business systems was constant. A class system began to emerge – between the “haves” and the “have nots”. Not many in the business would suggest that work was “fun” or “rewarding” unless they found their fun and rewards in activities adjacent to the central business.

So which CEO to you resemble? I’d venture to guess that you are somewhere in the middle – not as extreme as either I have described. I would suggest that is where most business owners live. Which leads me to ask the question, Why aren’t you behaving like CEO #1? What is stopping you from scheduling time to simply pay attention to the people who work on your team – without any other agenda? Are you really too busy? Or are you just busy doing things that don’t matter all that much to your business success?

What would it take to set time aside each week to genuinely interact and communicate with your team members? What would it take for you to have a meaningful conversation with someone who you know does not do their job well or is near getting the boot? Are you afraid that you might become too “friendly” to be their boss? I’ve heard that excuse more than just a few times – and I think is it just a line of bull. No one is going to take advantage of you because you were kind enough to care about their kids, or ask them about their sick Mother, or be excited for their daughter’s wedding.

Here’s your challenge for the week. Find a way to surprise your team with your caring and kindness. Take a first step. Take a break with your technicians. Go to lunch with your accounting staff. Walk into your maintenance department and shake a few hands. It doesn’t have to be radical, but it does have to be sincere. You try to fake this one and you’ll get burned – guaranteed. So if your not serious about making your team members feel like you REALLY know and appreciate them, just leave things as they are – or you’ll wish you hadn’t tried.

I think I can say this with absolute confidence – your people will work 10 times harder for you if they know you truly appreciate them as a person. Try it – you’ll see the difference right away!

Contact Rich Allen, Business Coach at www.actioncoach.com/richallen or at richallen@actioncoach.com for more information on his business coaching programs.

This can lead to an increase in corporate creativity, profits and Business success.

What do you do to improve your Business strategies, ideas, systems, knowledge, mindset, drive?

Book in for a complimentary one hour Business Growth Consultation to brainstorm some new strategies for your Business. You will also receive a copy of the CD ‘ Six Steps to a Better Business”.

Dr. Demming, the world-renown quality guru once said that 94% of all failures in a business are the result of the “systems” in the business and only 6% of the failures are caused by the people in the business. Yet, when we look to find why things go wrong, we often begin first to look at the people involved and “find the guilty party”. If we were honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that the guilt party is most often us – the business owner. We are the ones who are asking our people to work in a “system” that is not clearly defined, without written processes, with faulty equipment and often without sufficient guidance or direction.

So let’s focus on building a better “system” that will both improve the consistency of the output and gain us Leverage at the same time. When it comes to the people side of the business, the best place to start is your hiring process. So, your first question is, “What is your Hiring Process?” Is it repeatable? Is it reliable? Can you be certain that you will make the best hiring decision each and every time? These are critical questions that you need to be able to answer – ABSOLUTELY!

If you are interviewing job candidates one at a time, over a period of days or weeks, it is not likely you will have a robust process. Most hiring processes waste a great deal of people’s time – yours, your team’s and your job applicants. Why not streamline your hiring process by implementing a hiring “system” that will allow you to screen through multiple candidates in a consistent manner in a matter of hours? I can assure you that you would find the process more fulfilling, you will spend less time, your results will be more consistent, and even your job candidates will enjoy it more. Seem too good to be true – not so. Think differently about how you make hiring decisions and your process will surely change.

How about the personal development and skills training for your team? Does every person on your team have their own personal development plan? Are they taking responsibility and ownership for expanding their skills and improving themselves? Are you holding them accountable to read, learn and apply new skills? Why not? It is your business isn’t it? Make it a job expectation. Your team members will thank you as they become more skills, more capable and more confident in their ability to do the job they have been assigned.

Think about your performance assessment process. How do you give feedback to your team members on a regular basis? Is it hit-or-miss or do you have a structured approach? Are you encouraging your team members to give feedback to each other in a constructive way? Rather than you having to do all the reviews and performance feedback, leverage your resources by asking everyone to participate in the process. Constructive feedback from peers is often the most effective way to get people to change their behaviors.

These are just a few of the “systems” you can put in place to gain Leverage from your people processes. Incremental changes in this area can result in not only huge time savings, but also increased performance and on the job satisfaction. Take your people processes seriously. Involve your team in the solutions. They are critical to your success and deserve your best efforts on their behalf.

Put at least one new process in place this week to improve your business team. Incremental improvements. One at a time. Measure and test. It’s not that difficult if you break them down into bite-sized pieces!

Chris Carman from ActionCOACH Business Coaching helps business owners in SE Wisconsin make more money, work less hours and recruit, train and retain high quality employees.  For more information please visit www.actioncoach.com/chriscarman

We’ve all read many improvement books, seminars and articles that tell us why 99% is not good enough.

So why on earth is 99% not good enough, when I’m always telling you not to aim for perfection, because anything worth doing is worth doing….. no, not well….NOW!!!

To answer that question, let’s take a look at what would occur if 99% is acceptable…

• 12 babies will be given to the wrong parents each DAY!
• 103,260 income tax returns will be processed incorrectly this year
• 880,000 credit cards will have incorrect information on the magnetic stripe.
• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written in the next year.

So, I think you’ll get the point.

But where does that leave us?? If 99% isn’t good enough - why even start? Achieving 100% each and every time can for some be a wee bit overwhelming. The gap between where we are now and where we want to get to can be quite daunting. The last thing we want is to become ‘stuck’ or fearful of the distance we have to journey to get there.  Taking the first step and gaining some momentum is absolutely critical.

So let’s take a moment to look at the flip side and explore why we should even bother at all…

So, take a moment to think about your current performance. Get a really solid and honest benchmark for where you are right now.

Now, from here, what does an extra 1% improvement look like? If all we need to do is achieve 1% improvement in each area, that’s doable, isn’t it??

1% more leads, 1% better customer service, 1% overhead reduction, 1% improvement in conversion rate; 1% reduction in waste management, 1% more accuracy,… Now that sounds manageable.

If we can improve ourselves, our business or some measurable metric just 1% a week, these are the corresponding results.

• 4.1% increase in a month
• 13.8% increase in a quarter
• 29.5% increase in just 6 months
• 67.7% increase in a year
• 181.4% increase in 2 years

Would you like an increase in sales and profits of 67.7% over the next year? How about watching your commissions increase by 29.5% over the next 6 months? Would your children notice if you were more than twice the parent you were 2 years ago? Our spouses and significant others might be willing to consider a 13.8% increase in appreciation over the next quarter.

What can you do this week to improve just 1%?

Identify which area(s) of your business and your life  you would most like to improve (which will make the most difference to you and those you love?)

Pick the action and resolve to put a plan together to take it from inspiration to effective execution!

Make 1% a habit every week and you’ll see amazing results!

To your success - I look forward to hearing your results!!

4) Burnt out is a key factor in maintaining motivation. A great way to avoid the symptoms of burnt out is to link rewards to activity instead of success. One way to kill motivation is to increase your frustration and isolation. You have probably at one time already done this by withdrawing from the people in your life you love. But a great way to create motivation is to give yourself a reinforcement gift that comes as a result of superior effort. Effort always results in success if it is maintained.

Chris Carman from ActionCOACH Business Coaching helps business owners in SE Wisconsin make more money, work less hours and recruit, train and retain high quality employees.  For more information please visit www.actioncoach.com/chriscarman

So, recently I had a conversation with my daughter. She just moved up to a new group on her swim team. She’s the only one not in high school yet, so she’s experiencing some interesting dynamics. There are those who are assuming leadership roles through their own appointment, to whom (or who) I commonly refer to as Self-Appointed Important People, and there are those that are assuming it through their actions. As we continued the discussion, I knew which she preferred without even asking. When she spoke of people she admired, it wasn’t because of what they said or how fast they were, it was because of what they did - their attitude, work-ethic and how they treated others. I told her she was getting her first lesson in leadership, and keep in mind, I draw a distinction between leadership and parenting for those of you wondering. She humored me, then, by listening to my musings on the subject - some old sea stories, some athletic coaches I had and some business leaders I’ve had the opportunity to meet. Being a teenager, she may not have “heard” everything I said, but the lesson was a simple one. You become a leader through your actions, not your words, especially those that include, “because I’m the BOSS!”.

What was really interesting is how this related to a conversation I had with a business leader. We were talking about their team and the mix of performers/non-performers on the team. Interestingly, there was a lot of excitement around the time spent with the performers and the encouragement they received to keep up the strong work. Sounds good so far, right? What about the non-performers? Still part of the team, but it wasn’t the same team - at least they didn’t see it that way. The difference was in the leader’s actions. Now, I’m not saying you should coddle non-performers. You do, however, need to let them know how they’re performing. You may be surprised to find that they already know anyway. Then, provide the foundation and attention for them to be successful. By no means should they be ignored because that only guarantees sub-par performance.

We talked about what the leader could do to turn them around - very specific actions that would at least give them a chance for success. The final result is going to be someone who is successful because of your actions, or someone who isn’t because of their actions, or they might just be in the wrong field. Some of the toughest parts of being a leader is having difficult conversations with non-performers. On the flip side, some of the most rewarding moments come when you see them achieve their goals as a result of you helping them to get on the right track.

How you invest your time will determine your success.  Many people make the mistake of getting the little things out of the way before they tackle the big things.  But the best advice is to get the big things out of the way first!  And actually some of the little things may disappear.

Schedule your time so that you can do the important things during your best “mentally alert time.”  I find that for most people this is the morning.  And make sure you are making the distinction between important and urgent.  Urgent things scream at you for attention to be done NOW.  Important things are the actions that help you achieve your goals.  They are more long term and too easily put aside.  Yes, you have to take care of urgent things, but you also must take care of the important things in order to reach your goals.  Urgent things have a way of interrupting you and taking you away from the important tasks, so I recommend working on the important things in a place where you will not be disturbed.  You might actually have to leave the office in order to escape the urgent things.  Try a few hours in your home office, the coffee shop, or the library – anywhere that you will not be bombarded with urgent tasks!  Then turn your phone off, don’t look at incoming messages, etc. and do your concentrated work.

The other important thing is to set a time limit for working on each item.  If you give a task all day, it will take all day.  So set a time for completing it and then when the time is up, move on to the next one. 

Success in business is usually the result of spending more of your time doing what you are very good at and excited about, working on the best opportunities and the highest value responsibilities.  So always think in terms of how you are investing your time.  Look at your “To Do List” every day and decide what to delegate and what to leave undone.  Increase the amount of time that you spend on the parts of the business that you have the most passion for!  How you invest your time really will determine your success.

When people I call say to me. “We are all set thanks”. and start to hang up what can I say. I can say , yes but what about next year. coverage changes and  you need to investigate the markets.  or is that to strong. Help!!!

Here are some great replies:

I’d ask a poignant question like:

“OK Great, it sounds like you’re really happy with your current broker, right?”  …and If I can provide better service to you and your family and save you money along the way, would you like to meet so I can explain the details? – Tom Braunagel   Keller Williams

When I used to cold call, the most effective line is as follows:

” I do appreciate the loyalty you have with your current insurance broker but several companies change their appetite for certain types of business.  Prices have been going down and if I can have just 20 minutes of your time I can show you ways to improve the bottom line for your company with reducing your insurance costs”.

Also,  “I will be in your area and would like to stop by and learn more about your company despite your renewal date of next year.”

Once in there, first impression  will mean a lot and you may hit it off with the prospect out of the gate.  I focus on relationships rather than an x-date - call me if you want to discuss further.

- Rob Lesko  DiMatteo Insurance

I would offer them a risk free consultation that could save them $$$.  A soft sell sounds like it would be the way to go in order to simply set appointments.  Stress that all you are doing is looking to provide the client with “options” for them to consider.  Once they accept the appointment, then the selling begins!!!

– Nick Andriopoulos Optimum Lightpath

I have no reason to believe you’re not all set.  In fact, if you told me you were interested, I’d probably fall off my chair! I would simply like an opportunity to meet you, shake your hand, and spend a few minutes talking to see if I could be a resource for you now or at some point in the future.  I’ll be right by your office Tuesday at 3 or would Friday at 5 work better for 10 minutes of your time?

-I’d like to meet you and spend 10 minutes.  You wouldn’t object to that would you?

-There is a coffee shop in your building, let me buy you a cup of coffee and we’ll spend 10 minutes talking. You wouldn’t object to that would you?

– Dan Breton- Northwest Mutual

The classic “sales” response to this is :

“that’s what many customers as well as ABC Co.  (insert customer)  said as well,  until they had the opportunity to see how a 5 minute review  could actually save them 25%, would you like to fax me your coverages for review, or shall I pick them up?

- Keven Fulton  Birmingham Supply

I think it is easier to overcome in person when they say this than on the phone, when they can still hang up. You have to be quick on the phone.

One line I use is “What are you set with?” This will work sometimes or other times they may think I am trying to be a smart ass. It all depends on how you say it and how they perceive it. It they tell me what they are set with, I can possibly bring up another product they are not “set” with to show them value.

Another line I may use in telecommunications, is just a direct statement such as “How is your internet speed” or “Do you have a web site?-COMCAST gives you a free website with our internet service” or “Would a local telecommunications rep you can contact directly be of value to you? I will be your local contact” It would just be a line to peak their interest. There are more lines depending on the type and size of the client’s business.

The customer throws their line up defensively because they get so many sales calls. You need to just haze over that line and do your best to get their attention-short of singing or dancing.

-        Dennis Frosolone  ComCast

What I have learned is to ask a question that will get a response from them.  I ask “what if I could tell you where around 100,000 potential customers were, would you like to hear where they are?”

If they say no, I then ask “do you have more customers than you can service.”

In light of being arrogant, I only do very targeted cold calling and “don’t call or go back.”  I have a simple, economical, fast sell product.  When people say: “let me think about it.”  I simply say “I’m sorry, but I don’t make call backs.”  People usually will ask me to repeat that & either say no or yes.  My benefit is I get a definite answer and can move on.  Thats not to say I don’t give my customers great service, I follow up & stop in to make sure they have seen thier ads or just say hello.

What I found is that cold calling is a waste of my time, but referrals/networking seems to pay off.

Ray Charpentier– InLine ADZ

This kind of objection happens all the time. Essentially my goal  is to meet the person. So I make it clear I am not selling anything, that I just want to introduce myself. I add i will be in the neighborhood such and such a date and could i stop by for a quick meet nd greet. That’s all. If I still get objection, I yield and ask if I can call back in a month or so/ next time I am going to be in the area.  There are several different iterations all related to the kind of objection received.

-        Peaches Quinn

I recall a Brian Tracy technique:

“That’s exACTly why we need to meet (pause)…some of our best customers said the same thing at first but, after we met, realized that they were able to improve their coverage for no additional cost (or some other phrase that makes sense).

- Steven Parmalee  Westport Benefits Group

Maybe something like can I offer you a “free” comparative analysis and let you know where you stand with your coverage. When the report is done then you have something to discuss.

-       Betsy Pollack  OURTOWNCRIER

I wouldn’t say that response is too strong, but I would go right to my wedge question:  When is the last time your tax accountant called you and said “here is an idea that will save you money”.  (insert long pause here).  The same concept would work for the insurance broker.  It forces the caller to remember when, if ever, they have received such a call from their current provider, while telling them exactly what makes my services different.  Follow their response with a compelling offer, and the conversion rate should be much higher!

- Robert A. Gambardella, Concierge Tax Services, LLC

If I’m not completely satisfied that the person I’m talking is really “all set,” I don’t let them go.  I keep the conversation going and ask about the things I want them to think through.  It won’t do any good to have a semi satisfied customer.  Insurance has nuances that aren’t all that obvious and a good agent would want to be sure his or her client knew and understood the coverages and options available to them.

– Robert Schrage   Attorney Robert Schrage

I thank them for their time. I promptly send a hand written personal note thanking them again and state that I will give you a call in the 2-3 months.I get a lot of calls to thank me and express how nice it is to be sent a personal note. Many times that has broken the ice and I am invited in to “give the pitch “

- Mark Candido President  Quinnipiac Bank and Trust Company

In regards to your question; “we are all set thanks”. This can only be happening because of one of two different reasons.

The first is that your associate is not talking to the right person, that comment is just a blow off by the gatekeeper or some other person who is not involved in the insurance process. The response: “what about next year” is a big waste of time; and tells the decision maker that you are not prepared to do business now. They will just say sure next year just to get rid of you and then next year you’ll be faced with the same challenge. The caller should be trying to make a sale today and not next year. Sometimes next year is the only option, but only after significant rapport has been established.

The second reason is most likely because of the pitch or opening statement. Chances are they are using some type of canned, outdated opening statement (example: coverage changes and you need to investigate the markets) that tells the decision maker that this call is a waste of my time. A well thought out opening statement should provoke the decision maker to want more information, they should respond by asking you a question. They should be inspired to think “tell me more”.

My recommendation to your associate would be to do your homework and make sure your speaking to the decision maker first of all. Then spend some time perfecting a quality opening statement that grabs the prospects attention. This may take some trial and error and practice but will only get better with time.

Also work on getting referrals; a quality referral will guarantee that you are talking to the right person, and will obligate them to have some dialog with you. Always be working on and from referrals.

Your question to me is: What do you do when this happens????  The answer is that it doesn’t happen. The real question should be – How can my approach be modified to induce a constructive response? It’s much easier to control and direct the conversation, than it is to play defense and have to rebut everything they say because they are controlling the conversation.

- Steve Thibodeau, Account Executive   The Roberts Agency, Inc.

Here are the top 5 reasons that business fail….

1. There is no clear and concise vision and mission which is communicated to and understood by all the stakeholders (owners, management, employees, customers and suppliers) in the company. This answers the question, “Why are we in business?”
2. There is no culture which meets the needs of the owners, the employees, customers and suppliers of the company. This definition of culture answers the question, “How will we conduct ourselves as we do business?”
3. There is no uniqueness that separates the company from its competition, thereby answering the question, “Why should our customers buy from us?”
4. There is no system or ability to attract top performing people to accomplish the vision and mission. The really successful businesses do not depend on the charisma of any single individual, including that of the founder.
5. And finally and the most common reason, there are no financial reserves such as ownership capital and outside lending resources, but most importantly, capital accumulated from a healthy stream of profits. The healthy stream of profits will attract ever increasing amounts of ownership capital and lending resources to help the company grow.

As a bonus I will add just one more.

There is no written plan in place to overcome any of the above failures. Not having a written plan has to be one of the biggest failures.  Without a plan small businesses are just shooting from the hip and there are no benchmarks to determine what’s working and what is not.  Unfortunately by the time they figure out what’s not working their time is up.

Until we meet up again, make it a profitable day…

Steve Goranson, MBA
Certified ActionCOACH

We are facing challenging times right now. There is no denying this fact. However, life changes when we look at it differently.

Too many business owners are basing the success of their business or lack thereof directly on the current economic conditions. No matter what they do it won’t matter because they have no control over the results their business produces. They belief the success of their business is tied directly to the current economic conditions.

Is this a fact or is it a belief? The truth is it is a belief that too many business owners have accepted. They have chosen to recognize their beliefs as proven facts. When, in actuality, a belief is nothing more than someone’s perception of reality.

So how does this relate to the “I Know” mentality? Well most of the people that blame the current economic conditions I come in contact with already know everything. No one can teach them anything.

What does the “I Know” mentality do to these individuals? It cripples their thinking and their mindset. It limits their beliefs and their ability to get creative, which in turn sabotages their business from being successful.

The biggest challenge I see from my experience is that business owners are wallowing in their own self-pity because their business is down and/or rapidly dwindling. They spend all day complaining about the economy, when they should be asking themselves, “How do I make my business work in this economy?”

The truth is business is different. People are stilling buying products and services they just aren’t buying them from you.

What this economy has taught me more than anything else is that what brought me business in the past won’t bring me business now. Sitting back and waiting for customers to arrive isn’t going to happen.

Now is the time to get creative, differentiate your product or service and explore new opportunities to make your business work for you.

This economy isn’t for lazy business owners. This economy is for creative, open-minded business owners that are enthusiastic about what they have to offer. It is for business owners that are determined to make their business successful regardless of what challenges they must overcome.

This is a time for business owners that don’t have the “I Know” mentality. It is a time for business owners that are aware that they don’t know everything and are committed to finding out new ways to increase their knowledge, develop new skill sets and commit 100% to developing new ways for their business to achieve success.

If the economy isn’t the issue for the “I Know” business owner, what is the issue?

The lack of commitment to continuing education and improving oneself is the issue. The inability to see the value in learning something new by reading a book a week, participating in quarterly planning sessions, listening to dynamic speakers and being held accountable to personal and professional development on a weekly basis are what is holding them back.

These key building blocks are what differentiate a successful business owner coached by an ActionCOACH and a business owner that knows it all.

So my question to all the “I Know” business owners out there is, “If you can no longer blame the economy for the challenges in your business, who can you blame?”

The only honest answer you can give is you and your lack of commitment to constant and never-ending improvement!

Once you are ready to admit that you don’t know it all and are committed to defeating the current economic conditions please contact me or the nearest ActionCOACH directly. We are here to help you.

Chris Carman from ActionCOACH Business Coaching helps business owners in SE Wisconsin make more money, work less hours and recruit, train and retain high quality employees.  For more information please visit www.actioncoach.com/chriscarman

30th August 2010

Integrity Versus Honesty

The Essence of Integrity…

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling others the truth…

Spencer Johnson

Author - Who Moved My Cheese?

Integrity is the Essence of EVERYTHING SUCCESSFUL….

The last five weeks have laid the groundwork for this critical stage. I hope you have been putting in place the fundamentals each week as we discuss how to create a business team that cannot be beat. Think about the ground we’ve covered already - Strong Leadership, Common Goal, Rules of the Game, Action Plans and Supporting Risk Taking. If you think about it, these first five keys have positioned you to engage each and every person on your team.

So this week, we want to discuss how you can leverage all your efforts by getting each and every person on your team to be a part of your success. I’ve seen so many businesses where there are a few senior people who act like they know it all, hold all the wisdom and knowledge and make all the important decisions. In most cases, you can almost guarantee two things. First, those with the “power” talk, act and behave as if the others in the business just don’t get it or don’t have the brainpower to handle the difficult tasks and decisions. They talk them down, sometimes directly to their face! Second, those without the power talk about those in power and blame them for each and every fault that occurs in the business. Why? Because they have been trained to simply follow orders and “check their brain at the door”.

Sound familiar? Everyone has had personal experience with these kinds of businesses. I think I can safely say this is the number one reason why most people hate their jobs. They are treated like a worker, a thoughtless, mindless, clueless worker who is simply there to do what they are told when they are told. They need heavy supervision. If they are not watched, they will goof off. They are only there for a paycheck. They don’t give a hoot about producing a quality product. They cannot be trusted.

But, I believe this is all a bunch of crap! When I see this, I immediately know where the problem is – and it is not down in the organization – it is at the top! How can I be so certain? Because when you see it done differently, the results are stunning and unquestionable.

Getting EVERYONE in the business engaged and involved in the success of the business is the only road to success. It has been proven through research that there are three primary motivators that drive people to get engaged – Autonomy, Knowledge and Purpose. I recently read Daniel Pink’s newest book, Drive – The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us. It is a must read for anyone leading a team of people in business or any other venture. It will change your beliefs on what turns people on and gets them engaged.

So how can you get everyone involved? Here are a couple examples to give you some thought starters.

At my previous manufacturing company, we decided that the people on the assembly lines were the ones best suited to make improvements in time, cost and quality of the production operations. So each week, we would select seven or eight different production workers to be a part of a team to analyse their current assembly line processes, brainstorm improvements, test and measure their new ideas, and install the new processes on the assembly line – all in a five day period! The team presented the new processes to the leadership team on Fridays during a regularly scheduled quality improvement celebration event.

At family-owned Colony Air-Conditioning and Heating Company, the owners wanted to involve everyone on the team in the growth of their business. They created monthly contests where everyone, office staff and technicians alike played in the contest. Each contest was very visual and cleverly “cute”. Each month, walls at the shop were filled with little houses, little air conditioning units, little yard signs indicating the number of new units sold or new customers added or new service contracts signed. While technicians at their competition were simply ending their day hot and sweaty, not concerned about increasing sales, the Colony technicians were involved and engaged, knowing they were an important part of the team’s success!

Now, you have some work to do also. It is important that you change your personal beliefs on the value you place on your team members. I know, you’re thinking “I trust my team.” “They are all good people.” “I do have confidence in them.” Ok, so here’s the test. Find an area of your business that could seriously use improvement and give the assignment to your team to come up with a recommendation. Give them the latitude, time and resources they need to get it done, give them a short time frame to report back to you, and just go for it.

They will likely need access to some of your business data or access to business records. Share it with them. Don’t hold back. Treat them as if they were on your leadership team. Trust them completely. Go out of your personal comfort zone if necessary.

Each and every one of them can and will help you build a stronger business – if you INVOLVE them in the important decisions of the business.

Here’s a word of advice. Many on your team will believe that they do not have the knowledge or ability to be more involved. Remember, they have been told that for years and years. After hearing it from others and having to live in an environment where they did not engage their brain, it is easy to see how they might be short on self-confidence in this area. But, do not let them off the hook. Make them participate. Make it a core principle in your business. I can assure you that once you get them involved, show them you have confidence in them, support them, give them training and guidance, and expand their knowledge about the whole business, they will rise to levels you could never have imagined.

How do I know this? I’ve watched it happen time and time again. And, I am confident you will become a believer too. Just have confidence, step out, get everyone involved and let them show you the way to building a better business!

Contact Rich Allen, Business Coach at www.actioncoach.com/richallen or at richallen@actioncoach.com for more information on his business coaching programs.

What would you do? Surely you would strive to spend every cent, every day!

• Everybody has such a bank; it is the bank of ‘TIME’:
• Every morning the time bank deposits 86,400 seconds in your account;
• Every night it withdraws and writes-off whatever of this, you failed to invest to good purpose;
• Your balance is never carried over, no matter what the excuse and you have no overdraft;
• Each day a new account is opened;
• Each night the bank’s records are destroyed.
• You alone keep records of your equity; your experiences & knowledge;
• If you fail to use the funds, the loss is yours;

I believe we must all live in the ‘now’ and seek to obtain the highest return on investment possible.

A wise person revealed…”I’m grateful for my ‘near death’ experiences, my pains and the injustices I have been dealt. By facing my mortality, and challenges of the past, I realise the true value of my ‘time bank’ and use my experiences to increase my ROI on time in the future.”

• You see, how you perceive time, and its value is defined by you and your experiences alone:
• To realise the value of one millisecond… ask the person who won ’silver’ at the Olympics.
• To realise the value of one second… ask someone who just survived an accident.
• To realise the value of one minute… ask the person who just missed their plane.
• To realise the value of one hour… ask the person waiting to meet their new lover.
• To realise the value of one day… ask a labourer on a simple wage, who has five children to feed.
• To realise the value of one week… ask a prisoner due for release in seven days.
• To realise the value of one month… ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
• To realise the value of one year… ask a student who just failed their exams.
• To realise the value of a lifetime… ask a retired business owner, who didn’t realise he could have done better, until it was too late.

Can you hear your watch ticking? It’s time to spend…

Time is the key challenge for business owners I speak with….and there are ways to get you using your deposits better.

Chris Carman from ActionCOACH Business Coaching helps business owners in SE Wisconsin make more money, work less hours and recruit, train and retain high quality employees.  For more information please visit www.actioncoach.com/chriscarman

It’s the most rewarding part of what I do. Achieving results with my clients, seeing how their businesses change and naturally how their lives change is the most rewarding thing I have been able to do in my career. So, thanks, Dane, for giving me the opportunity to share in your success. Let’s close 2010 with some real fireworks and get ready to crush 2011.

Watch the video below and have a look at the excellent company we’re in with the other winners. Please feel free to leave your comment(s) by clicking here, and then scroll to the bottom under “Leave a Comment”. Thank you!

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/g5yyLIDc4Jc" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

In her outstanding book, “Conquer Fear!” Lisa Jimenez lists “The Seven Truths” that can be used to help overcome fear:
Truth #1-   Fear is the dominant problem in your life today.
Truth #2-   Fear is a gift that was instilled in you as a means of protection and perhaps a way to bring you closer to your higher power or that which fills you up.
Truth #3-   When you run from or deny your fear, you leave the gift unopened.
Truth #4-   When your fear of success or fear of failure is exposed, you break through their control over you.
Truth #5-   Your belief system is the driving force behind your behaviors and your results.
Truth #6-   Your everyday habits are broadcasting your belief system, your fear, and your unmet needs loud and clear.
Truth #7-   Change your beliefs and you change your behaviors.   Change your behaviors and you change your results.   Change your results and you change your life… simply put…changing the way you think will change the way you feel.   And isn’t that worth thinking about?

Chris Carman from ActionCOACH Business Coaching helps business owners in SE Wisconsin make more money, work less hours and recruit, train and retain high quality employees.  For more information please visit www.actioncoach.com/chriscarman