9 minute read
SELLING WITH KAHLE
DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU
------------ BY DAVE KAHLE
ONE OF THE principles that I have discovered in my 35 years as a consultant and sales guru is this: Biblical business principles are also those principles that enable a company to achieve more of its potential. In other words, you can take the Biblical sourcing away from a business principle, and the principle still works.
I’ve stumbled across this truth as it specifically relates to B2B salespeople. Assemble a system and a set of practices that enable a salesperson to leap to the top of his/her profession, and, coincidentally, those principles arrived at through a study of the best practices of successful salespeople, are the very same principles discerned through a study of the Bible.
As a consultant, I’ve discovered the same truth applied to businesses and professional careers. Adhere to certain Biblical principles, whether or not you know they are Biblical, and your career will blossom, and your business will reach more of its potential. You don’t need to be a Bible student to discover the principles upon which you can build a successful career, you just need to study the best practices of the best in your business and the two will coincide.
In this article, I’m going to unpack one such principle: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Biblically, Jesus said this in Matthew 7:12. Practically, it’s incredibly good advice upon which you can build a personal character and a corporate culture.
You can apply it in multiple contexts and situations. • Think of prospecting for new customers, for example. If you were guided by this principle, you’ll sharpen your definition of who is a potential customer to a highly- refined set of specific criteria. You’d want to reach out to only that set of people/organizations that were most likely to have an interest or a need for your products/service. You wouldn’t want to solicit someone who was less likely to need what you offer. Why? Because you wouldn’t want to be approached by someone with a product or service that you were only marginally interested in. It would be a waste of your time. Do unto others…. • Your pricing would be fair and market based. Why? Because you want to have some trust in the fairness of the price you were quoted, if you were on the other side of that issue. • You’d treat all your customers with courtesy and respect, because that’s how you would want to be treated. You’d listen carefully to any complaints, and do your best to resolve them. • You’d strive to be a great customer to your vendors. Respect their time, listen to their conversations and presentations, and strive to pay all your bills within their terms. After all, that’s how you would want to be treated. • You’d pick up your messes and tidy up a bit before you left a hotel room. You’d tip generously. You’d praise and compliment regularly.
As a result of consistently applying this principle, your employees would enjoy working for you, your customers would grow in their loyalty to you, your vendors would favor you, and your community would respect and support you.
Not a bad outcome.
DAVE KAHLE
Dave Kahle is a leading sales authority, having written 12 books and presented in 47 states and 11 countries. For more information, visit davekahle.com.
PREPARING FOR 2023
------------ BY PAIGE McALLISTER
WE HAVE ALL been on a roller coaster for the past two years and all signs look to that continuing into 2023. Here are some of the things we are watching heading into the new year.
Impacts from Election Day 2022
Ballot Initiatives: Along with the much-publicized control of Congress, several ballot initiatives were on the ballot across the country this election. While we do not know some requirements yet, here are some things considered to have big impacts on employers and employees:
Q. How often do we need to update our handbook? A. In general, handbooks should be reviewed every year to ensure the language still matches your actual practices. During a review, you should make sure the correct people, contact information, forms, etc. are referenced. You should also make sure it matches your current work structure (i.e., remote, in-person, or hybrid) and expectations (i.e., work hours, availability, security, dress code, restrictive covenants, etc.).
However, reviews may need to be done more often if any federal or state employment laws change or are passed. This could include time off laws, paid leave, updated protected groups, and marijuana legalization. Current guidelines from the National Labor Relations Board about handbook language need to be considered as well.
You also need to update it when you hire employees working in a different state as each state’s laws impact several policies throughout the handbook, not just the obvious ones such as paid time off.
Consider having an HR consultant or employment attorney complete a thorough review every year or two, revising as needed, to ensure the legal language is current and correct, minimizing your obligations and exposure.
• Minimum wage: Nebraska voters passed a measure to increase the state’s minimum wage incrementally until it reaches $15 per hour by 2026 and then annually thereafter based on the increase in cost of living. Nevada’s minimum wage measure that passed will increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour and remove the differences based on if the employer is offering health care benefits. • Legalized marijuana: Maryland and Missouri passed measures to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults over 21. This would not impact an employer’s right to prohibit the use, possession, or being under the influence; however, it could change how employers can use positive marijuana drug test results in making employment decisions. Similar measures did not pass in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Legislatures: For the next two years, we do not expect to see much legislation from the divided U.S. Congress. In fact, the division could create more issues if needed legislation is obstructed, budgets are not passed, and the government is shut down.
However, on the state level, we expect legislation on sick pay, legalized marijuana, paid leave, weapon restrictions or permissions, pay equity or transparency, anti-discrimination, and restrictive covenants depending on the philosophy and needs in different states. The shifting control in some state governments from one party to another or from a split to one party being in control often means a change in legislative agenda with topics often dictated by the party in charge.
Employers need to stay aware of legislation moving through all levels of government, updating policies and procedures as new regulations are implemented and educating employees on their rights and responsibilities.
Labor Market
At the end of 2022, the labor market was still competitive and tight. Recent job growth was higher than
projected, with 263,000 jobs added in November and the unemployment rate holding steady at 3.7%. Wages are increasing with the average hourly earnings increasing 0.6% in November, increasing the annual increase to 5.1%.
It appears “the Great Resignation” is slowing down, but approximately 4 million people are still quitting their jobs each month.
Employees are quitting due to personal reasons (such as illness, to care for family, or to pursue other career or educational opportunities), While the layoffs at large tech companies like Amazon, Twitter and Meta made headlines, many companies are not expecting to lay off employees given their need to meet continuing demand and their need for qualified workers. Instead, we may see fewer job openings as companies reduce their hiring efforts while waiting out the threat of recession.
Employers need to prepare their companies to adjust and withstand the fluctuating and uncertain conditions of the economy and job market as well as the impacts felt within their industry, city and state. They should also be attuned to the financial, flexibility, and developmental needs of their employees to retain them.
COVID, RSV, Flu...
With approximately 300,000 new cases per day in the U.S. and almost 2,000 people dying each day, COVID-19 is evolving into an endemic but, with highly-contagious emerging variants, is still considered a public health emergency in some areas. An estimated 16 million employees have long COVID with an estimated 2–4 million people needing to leave the workforce due to long COVID which accounts for 20-40% of the labor shortage.
Additionally, many officials are declaring pediatric RSV a public health emergency given the rising numbers of children becoming sick, being hospitalized, and dying due to the infection. Added to that, we are seeing the annual winter impact of influenza with millions of people already infected and hundreds of thousands hospitalized.
Employers need to know their legal and practical responsibilities to prepare for employees who become sick or have to care for a family member who becomes ill: • Several states still have COVID-19-related pay, disability pay, and/or protections for time off due to covered purposes, some of which have been extended to cover RSV and the flu. • Review the possibilities of remote work options and prepare for coverage if someone needs to miss time out of the workplace. • Offer cleaning and sanitizing products and create more open spaces to reduce exposure in the workplace. • Support and encourage employees and their families to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu, both of which have been shown to reduce the number of cases and severity of illness.
Other Trends to Look Out For
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Diversity in cultures, races, genders, religions, etc. as well as of thought is often considered a factor for the success of an organization. Employees want to feel included and clients want to work with people that look like them.
Differing perspectives and backgrounds can lead to better ideas to weather uncertainties. While discrimination is prohibited under law, incorporating true equity and inclusion can help companies thrive. Employers should learn to embrace and support differences and require that support from everyone in their organizations.
NLRB: The National Labor Relations Board is continuing to strengthen employee and union rights. This includes measures that impact non-unionized companies, such as handbook language and restricting protected activity in the pursuit of better working conditions. Employers need to ensure they know the legal requirements and are not impeding those rights.
for better compensation (such as higher wages, more paid time off, or better insurance options), greater flexibility (such as remote work or flexible scheduling), or to escape a poor corporate culture (including long hours, poor management, or blatant discrimination or harassment). With over 10 million job openings (equivalent to 1.7 openings for each person looking for a job), employees still greatly control the job market… for now.
The state of the economy will impact the job market in 2023. Financial experts have been warning about a recession, but with a currently strong economy and the rate of inflation slowing, they now think it may be weaker and shorter than originally feared.
With the predicted inflation, many expected massive layoffs in 2023.
PAIGE McALLISTER
Paige McAllister, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is vice president for compliance with Affinity HR Group. Reach her at (877) 660-6400 or contact@affinityhrgroup.com.
