SOLUTIONS = Problem + Solved

"Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic."

Anonymous

 

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If there isn't enough sales jargon and terminology out there already there appears to be enough jargon and unique dialect with way too many acronyms, don't you wish that they'd just speak plain English?

Perhaps you are a recruiter and have been asked to search for a top sales professional for your organization.  Fair enough.  That is pretty basic.  Just as you're all set to click send, the requestor has specified they want someone who is a "consultative" sales person competent in "solutions" sales.

Huh?  What's the diff you say?  Aren't they all just sales reps?  That would be like saying all Olympians are the same.  Hardly.

Consultative sales is a sales approach from professionals who have the knack of assembling participation from the customer by involving them and their team to get at the heart of their biggest issues that are preventing them from being more effective and/or efficient.

Consultative Selling: is a sales process by which the customer's end users, managers, executives are interviewed and provide information on matters affecting them.

Solution Selling:  Is a form of sales whereby you are solving those same problems.

This form of sales is usually employed when their is a high value investment in the sale or service that is stake. 

A consultative sales professional is adept at researching for opportunities in the name of prospects by being an authority on not just their product or service, but also how that same product or service solves problems.

Very few organizations wait until an object breaks down, or its service warranty expires before it begins to investigate what is the best new item available out there that they can buy.  Typically, they have a budget set aside and start out by looking to find what can fit into this budget.

There are sales reps or organizations who don't demand much from their reps or can be snowed that activity classifies as results. Then there are sales consultants.  You call them and ask them to give them a price for this widget or that service.  But hold on here, instead you got yourself a sales consultant.  This person is asking a number of questions that are irritating enough because you don't have even half of the answers.

Dutifully, you go back to the Boss with the list of questions, thinking they'll be on your side, and be more effective at blowing off this rep with a smoother "just gimme the price" rebuff.   Instead, they scratch their heads a bit and admit that there are a few items that weren't considered so let's schedule a meeting and see if that will help get the answer quicker.

D-Day arrives.  You escort the poor sales rep to the board room where the chopping block is hidden from view.  You can't wait to see mince meat made outta the soul who questions your boss.

Very few niceties exchanged about the weather, the sports team, but the consultative sales person is calm and you sense confidence that you wouldn't have thought to be there.

Calmly the consultative sales professionals shares some of the research on the organization and asks for confirmation or expansion on those facts.  You have a hard time believing it but your Boss isn't his gruff self, but is pulling up his chair to the table a little bit closer and paying attention.

“Coming together is a beginning;

keeping together is progress;

working together is success.”

                          ~Henry Ford

 

You blink a few times in wonder.  The consultative sales professional is asking questions that have nothing to do with the widget that they're being asked to price on.  Questions like what will it be used for?  What has been used in its place until now?  How has that worked?  What would you change if you could?  What problems does it cause you when the widget breaks down?  Who is impacted by this?  How long are you out of operation for?  How long does it take for the widget to be fixed?  Who fixes it?  Do you have a warranty or any SLA (Service Level Agreement) in place with the widget seller that promises it would be fixed in the evening or on weekends?

Your boss is smiling, being agreeable.  What the heck?  I'm confused while they're both relaxed and even appear to be on the same page.

The consultative sales professional asks the boss if they would be allow to do a bit more digging to find out some of these answer for them.   That ought to be the catch, I smell ka-ching.  But no, the consultant says that in order to make the right recommendation and ensure the right widget is chosen, they would like to speak to some of the end users (huh? why the heck ....) on how they use the widget, when they use it, what happens when it breaks down, and what they would wish for in a new widget.

Man oh Man.  Not one word on price .... yet!  What's that?  Did I just hear that right?  The Widget Man (aka sales consultant) has just had the Boss agree to allow the Widget Man to meet with key people on his staff to interview them and ask the same questions themselves.

Oh oh, the Boss slowly turns his eyes to zero on me.  What did I do?  I'm writing notes I indicate by motioning to my pad and pen.  I'm asked to schedule these meetings for Widget Man with IT, Finance, and Mr. so on and Ms. so forth ... the folks that use the widget we're replacing.

Scrambling for my Day Timer, I lift my eyes that are almost popping out of my head to see what the Boss'll say to that:  the Widget Man just asked the Boss to send out an email or memo to the same folk he calls "end users" stating that Widget Man will be meeting them to ask them questions on their use of Widget that they are considering replacing.

The Boss is smiling agreeably when the Widget Man says they will meet to review the results and come up with a plan "together".

Huh? No price, no proposal was even discussed. 

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"The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well."

~John D. Rockefeller

 

DO or DIE: master the fear of public speaking

“A good speech should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject  and short enough to create interest”  

~Winston Churchill

Public speaking is the number one fear, that is before death, divorce and any other tragedy you can conjure up ....... I highly recommend Toastmasters International.  It goes hand in hand with lifelong learning, surrounding yourself with positive people and the perfect environment for perfecting the craft.



As a member, I became Membership VP, Club President then on to Area Governor (helping others and reinforcing my own skills).  I've witnessed someone who joined our club go onward and upward to being a professional speaker.  There are many groups out there that you can choose from to suit your own personal circumstances.  For me, it was important to be in a professional setting and a strong mix of people with benchmark speakers to aspire to become as good as.  Therefore, I ended up joining the oldest club in Calgary that met at our Chamber of Commerce weekly during lunch time.  It developed being able to speak in front of an intimate audience while they were dining (that is a very different challenge).

 We ran our meetings very tightly because we only had an hour.  Some of the best friendships evolved from our group.   I stretched outside my comfort zone by participating in contests and as Area Governor hosting them.  It's amazing how you learn how to run a proper meeting or give constructive feedback.  You can find groups that meet in the evenings or weekends that are more social and much longer ... keeping in mind, you are surrounding yourself with people who are learning to talk - sometimes the challenge is to have them shut up - that is why we had a timer :o)

There are countless tips on mastering public speaking and the aforementioned valuable Toastmasters International.  However, I have a few of my own:

1. The content of your speech is just as important as your delivery:   take the time to research and then write;
2. I would write my speech in Microsoft Word:   applying a very large font with double spacing using the rule of thumb that if you have a five minute speech, at a comfortable pace, it amounts to three pages;
3. Edit, edit and then edit again:  Read the draft out loud after your initial proof read to test the rhythm and flow.
4. Practice reading it out loud again:  practice does make perfect
5. Use a timer:  practice reading it out loud at a normal pace to get an idea of the length of your speech
6. Edit again if it doesn't feel natural to you:  you will deliver a speech more effectively if it is a topic you are passionate about or an authority on making it easier and flow nicely
7. Speak in front of a mirror:  grimaces and facial expressions can detract from the power of your speech if underscored by frowns, etc.
8. Smile when you speak:  yes, it conveys confidence and sends the message that you are enjoying yourself and your audience will catch on and some smile back
9. Use pauses to make emphasis:  Effectively pausing, taking a deep breath down into your stomach ensures that you are not going to run out of breath and start panting;  if it is a serious topic, a pause is like underscoring your point.
10. Use eye contact:  as you've gained familiarity of your speech by practice, you will have the confidence to lift your eyes and make contact; contrary to popular belief have your eyes travel to different people in the audience, smile at them or pause when looking at them
11. Use hand gestures:  Hand gestures are another way of emphasizing your speech and drawing your audience in
12. Monitor body language:  Don't be stiff and marginally turn your body as you are making eye contact
13. Be inclusive:  Travel around the room or across the table with your eyes, hand gestures and body language
14. It is OK to hang on to your written speech:  I used to clutch mine like I was hanging on for dear life;  it was my anchor for nerves, a reminder and safety net if there was a distraction  you can recoup without hesitation or losing momentum
15. Know your room and set up before you start speaking:  Having a lectern or podium is a nice to have, in some cases something to hang on for dear life if fear starts to settle in, it is also convenient for placing your written speech pages to slide the pages gracefully as you move along
16. Cue cards are fine if that works for you:  However, how you use them is what can boost or detract from your speech;  be smooth about it and avoid jerky hand movements that can travel to your body and eyes
17. Nobody is naked:  you are confident, you've researched and crafted a speech you are an authority of so nobody has to look silly for you to carry it off
18. Traveling around the room:  sometimes space is limited so if you're counting on including movement, that is all part of knowing the room layout and adjusting if it is squeezed quarters; it isn't necessary unless it is needed for gestures to emphasis points; some consider it a way to generate energy
19. Generate energy:  by the tone of your voice, fluctuating in tone when you are making key points, hand gestures, body language and facial expressions can communicate your confidence and involve your audience
20. Don't read a speech:  nothing murders a well prepared speech more than speaking in monitone and droning on and on; if you have rehearsed, practiced, adjusted eye contact and hand gestures you can be animated;
21. Ask for feedback:  you will learn by feedback; people are more willing to provide constructive, helpful advice if they can sense the level of sincerity you have when you ask for it
22. Continue learning by being around other stronger speakers:  register in Toastmasters International and attend meetings that suit your personal style and schedule - there are hundreds of groups in your city and very often in rural communities (you'd be surprised).
23. Reach beyond your comfort zone:  increase the audience size, the venue, surroundings, audience type, enter speaking contests to build your confidence.
24. Toastmasters International is not typically expensive to join unless you chose a club that hosts luncheons or served dinners; there are brown bag clubs, clubs that meet at venues that are offered as PR by restaurants, hotels, at little to no fees because it shows their goodwill and support in the community.  You usually just have to pay for annual fees and small monthly dues for your club to survive
25. Keep moving your milestones:  Toastmasters offers multiple prepackaged material that strong clubs tend to have for its members or can be accessed and paid for from their website www.toastmasters.org ;  they offer a platform of understanding as to where you are in your development from your "Icebreaker" to CTM (Competent Toastmaster), ATM (Accomplished Toastmaster), CL (Certified Leader)
26. Dale Carnegie is the founder of Toastmasters International, his books are still in massive print today (one of my favorite being:  "How to Win Friends and Influence People) and has a world wide organization that offers the power course to public speaking at a heftier cost than Toastmasters but in a shorter period of time, often over the extent of days or spread out over weeks 
27. Reach beyond your comfort zone:  increase the audience size, the venue, surroundings, audience type, enter speaking contests to build your confidence
28. Become a leader:  By becoming involved in club, you improve your leadership skills, hosting a meeting, chairing a meeting or being nominated or voted (annually) on the club executive
29. Volunteer for the different roles:  you can chair to practice hosting effective, tight meetings, speak off the cuff with no advance notice or preparation, provide constructive feedback which you are even graded on
30. Video tape if you can so that you can observe yourself and overcome some of your own personalized gestures, jerky movements, audience receptiveness
31. Practice does make perfect:  you better believe it!

 Regardless, just get out and do it!

“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu Speech."

~Mark Twain 

It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.
Mark Twain
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_communication.html#tG2ezlXTSGS1ip67.99

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_king_jr.html#ijOOO5x5sLZfPx0x.99

 

 

SURVIVAL of the Fittest: Cheaters or Bullies?

“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt

 

Let me start out firstly by underscoring the fact that I am not an advocate of cheating or bullying whatsoever!  What inspired me to write this Blog is the fact that there is a growing enlightenment that bullying by managers is an epidemic that is rampant in corporate America.  Not really surprising  is it?

These stories shed light on the pressure organizations put on managers who in turn bully employees into productivity levels that are so high that the ones that are achieving them are putting their home life aside, long hours without claiming it as overtime, while those Managers are using those superhuman employees as examples by casting them as superstars and the benchmark for performance yardsticks. 

Regardless of what the marketing, website or PR machines are saying, the management style of telling, not asking, never mind showing, is prevalent in corporate culture.  Sadly, it is those same managers who haven't even been in the trenches doing the work to understand the demands they are asking for.  Their middle managers are under the same stress and are more keen on being surrounded by those that support them, do what they ask without question, rather than examine how they are getting those results because they have to continually showcase their own worth and face similar expendable threat.  Or, in some cases, they are the ones who are asking their managers to do it.  Leading by example? 

Sadly, motivation and inspiration deteriorates as employees are under pressure because wherever you look, the media is saying basically that "you're lucky to have a job" with so much unemployment seemingly the norm.   Gone are the days when friends or colleagues layoff are shocking.  We've become more conditioned to it rather than historically wondering if they did something wrong to actually deserve it. 

Repeating myself: I'm not condoning the behaviour of cheating or bullying.  I'm just thankful that more awareness is being brought forward that this is normal practice.  However, what I'd like to see are stories where management bullying and superhuman expectations are not condoned by executives who really believe what their PR states:  they promote life/work balance and want happy employees.  Let's hear more stories where managers are held accountable, if not fired for bullying or threatening behaviour. 

It ain't rocket science:  happy employees are productive employees.  I'm sure somewhere, scientific data demonstrates how this counterproductive culture ends up costing the company more.  Unfortunately, forcing employees to cheat or managers to bully isn't the way to solve the problem, it just compounds it. 

I was floored the other day when I read an article from a CEO who has earned the distinction of having their PR stories shared.  Makes one a little skeptical whether they wrote it themselves or had their marketing or PR team tell the tale ... It was along the lines of getting the right people in the right place doing the right things ... blah blah blah.   I know for a fact that the same organization does not examine its managers style in garnering performance.  Sure there are feedback surveys but who in their right mind wants to be honest when they're already insecure enough as it is.  The executives appear to either turn a blind eye to the extent to which managers are meeting KPI (Key Performance Indicators) or under the false impression that they are following healthy avenues to get results.   Perhaps their own executive team is encouraging the dysfunction based on their own insecurities?

In today's world, HR has a lot of pressure placed upon it:  recruiting the "right" people, sometimes onboarding, managing benefits, offering training,  mediating conflicts, terminating employees, etc. etc. while they are suppose to be the watchdogs of a positive corporate culture.  The sad fact is, like everyone else in many corporations, they are being tasked to do twice as much with half the resources ... those key resources are human capital.

I had dinner with a couple of mentors the other night and one was sharing a story on how they tried to follow the company complaint process broadcast on its website and HR policies yet was not supported by HR who immediately appeared to believe the manager immediately before the employee.  This same staffer ended up resigning because of the disappointment and embarrassment for doing the "right thing".   Another situation I recall hearing is when communication was specifically forwarded to a CEO and its HR executive on bullying and favoritism by a manager ... the HR executive responded in a couple of hours to say that the matter had been investigated and was unfounded.  Sounds rather quick for an indepth investigation doesn't it? How does that sound about caring about employees coming forth with the truth?  Then there may be the question of whether they are following the right channels or process.

It doesn't take a genius to understand that employees are one of the most expensive and quickest ways to eliminate costs to corporations and many make it a acceptable practice to play with employees lives by eliminating jobs or backfilling offshore because it saves money.   Who really feels valued when they're shown time and again that they are easily expendable or can be replaced at a heartbeat.

Recently, I heard a new term to me on CNN called "Moral Capitalization".  Basically,  the interpretation is that it is perfectly normal for organizations to backfill people with offshore workers at a fraction of the salary or hourly wage to save on the bottom line.  It came up at least, but not a heck of a lot of indignation.  The threat is real yet I'm not hearing much about it.  I consider myself rather tuned in.  Maybe I'm not.  I'm a cup full person I like to think ... if I'm not questioning where the rest disappeared to?


“Men occasionally stumble over the truth,
 but most of them pick themselves up

and hurry off  as if nothing ever happened.”

~Winston Churchill

 Granted, executives are under extreme pressure to provide shareholder value which fuels the engine and pays their big salaries.  It is fine for the media to examine whether executives earn their inflated salaries and bonuses but really who ends up being held accountable?  I respect the pressure they're under but isn't it normal that you are paid for doing your job which equates with the responsibility you have!?! 

One of my wishes would be more accountability and media stories about those who fall into the habit of bringing costs into check by eliminating jobs as a quick out to savings.  Isn't it kinda like knowing your fuel gauge is showing you're almost on empty while you try coasting downhill with your foot off the gas thinking you'll get further?  It doesn't eliminate the fact that you need to refill the tank.  

What about stupid spending and inflated salaries?  Maybe we're getting there slowly in my own country, Canada, who is fielding a rather large controversy of out of this world spending by Senators.  Subnote:  which is being overshadowed fiercely by the drama unfolding of Rob Ford, Toronto's Crack Mayor.  It appears human nature prefers scandal over fairness.  Even in my own City, Calgary, in the final weeks leading up to our Civic Election, the media was catching momentum on sharing how taxes were escalating like crazy.   Yet, the leadership was re-elected despite what was unfolding.  I can't help but wonder when the poor workers at City Hall are going to be laid off as a means to get costs under control because the media exposure causing the populace to complain resulting in a show of fiscal responsibility?  I know, it is a vicious cycle.   One can't help but think change will not occur if the same people are continually rewarded for unacceptable behaviour.  Have we just been conditioned to accept it as normal?  What does it say about the generation who is being raised under this picture?  How to you secure your future so it isn't your kids responsibility when you are being squeezed so tight to make ends meet that putting away a nest egg so we don't have to rely on those kids to help us when we retire because we aren't saving enough for our golden years.  Not sounding like golden years to many anymore.

I've openly been a huge advocate of Don Collins book "Good to Great" and know leaders who personally are invested in creating the culture promoted that creates a self-sustaining company that will serve generations to come.  I know of two executives that I know are disciples to the lesson unfolded in the book that come to mind:  One is actually doing a phenomenal job of following the practices demonstrated in the book and the other "thinks" it is being done. One does it by default, unconsciously and would never condone it what I'm talking about here.  I would even go so far as to say that they would fire a manager who was caught bullying employees never mind making them fearful of expiration if they didn't produce more.  Another biggie is one of the companies in his book ... are practicing this horrid behaviour ... the founders are likely rolling in their graves!  Don't get me ramped up on Code of Ethics.  We've all signed them.  Even the organization that says that inter office affairs lead to disciplinary action, including losing one's job, if a manager engages in a relationship with a subordinate.  Never mind if that subordinate just had a brand new baby and a wife dealing with post partum depression, escapes through the affair.  What happens to the employee who brings it up to the person responsible for upholding corporate morality?  If they aren't so uncomfortable they leave, they may have a cause for termination surface.  That, promotes keeping your mouth shut if you know what's good for you doesn't it?

Bullying and making employees fearful of keeping their jobs or being replaced is real and happens daily. Will someone please start bringing to light the organizations where executives are not examining their managers' behaviour?  It seems to me that the only way the unscrupulous behaviour will be stopped is when the media or someone starts uncovering dysfunction and the horrid practice of eliminating spending on the backs of real people.  These are the same people who when employed, buy cars and upgrade homes, AND fuel the economy!

If one is constantly under the fear of losing one's job, they are not going to spend money.  Even more realistic, groceries, gas and sundries prices continue to rise, yet salaries don't increase at the same pace.  Fearful employees don't ask to collect overtime for doing a job that a manager has set at superhuman levels and bullies staff and more often holding them fearful.

What a vicious circle!  Eventually it is going to cost more than just money.  What about health?  Heart attacks, stroke and many ailments are compounded by stress.  Does it make sense to allow companies to boast about employee value but nobody monitors it?  It sounds good to increase shareholders or attract customers.  How about citizens, customers, shareholders rally together and stop supporting organizations that don't practice what they preach?  How about they start asking if the only way the corporation saves money is from layoffs or offshoring jobs?   Or, how about turnover being monitored more closely so that the investment in an employee isn't being lost because they leave before they become honest and say how they really feel?   That drains corporate finances but why isn't anyone really bringing forth these exits.  I should back up, I did read one article a couple of months ago that a powerful organization was dealing with a mass exodus of some of its people. 

Nothing is going to change unless every single person thinks that they can make a difference.  That their voice will be heard.  That they can be honest on feedback without repercussions of losing their job or made to feel so uncomfortable that the morals promoted when they were hired were not just blowing smoke.  That executives are more concerned with the health of the organization through its employees being productive by moderate means and real life balance than its financials.  Sounds like Utopia to me.

Let's start the dialogue now!  Let's stop promoting the IPO of Twitter, who the average middle wage employee couldn't dream of investing in because they're planning for not if, but when, their job will be eliminated.

“I would rather be a little nobody, then to be a evil somebody.”
~     Abraham Lincoln

Do you have a story to tell?  Do you know someone who has been bullied at work, or was it you?  Do you agree with what I'm saying?  Let me see your comments, please.

“No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life”
― Simple Plan