OCTOBER 2014
SPOTLIGHT www.dakotasupplygroup.com
ARROGANC
E
what all of your competitors are doing – you may very well learn more lessons about effort and ingenuity from the companies on the bottom than the ones on the top. Sign Of Arrogance #6: “We can always rely on X for a reference. I may not have talked with him for a few months, but he will never forget how we saved his bacon two years ago.” Don’t forget that “what have you done for me lately” is always on your customers’ minds. They have enough to think about in their own lives without spending energy re-living old business deals. I am a huge fan of Harvey Mackay. He isn’t just one of the Unfortunately, there is a statute of limitations on good most brilliant business minds in the last century, he’s also will. You must continue to make a great impression on your customers to ensure that they remain brutally honest (in an upbeat, positive way – not an easy great customers. thing to accomplish). Need proof? Look no further than Sign Of Arrogance #7: “Customer complaints don’t Mackay’s blog post from early 2014 entitled “Arrogance: matter. Those e-mails are just written by oddball cranks.” The 7 Deadly Signs.” In this brief article, Mackay spells out his “watch list for Ignore complaints at your own risk. As we all know, even though customers occasionally spread the word about a the seven deadly signs of salesperson arrogance.” If your great experience, they’re almost guaranteed to tell the sales team – including yourself and your estimators – are world about a bad one. The key to customer complaints guilty of any of these transgressions, know that you are taking your customers for granted and risking significant is to recognize them for what they are: an opportunity. Some of my fondest memories as a consumer have come sales losses. Sign Of Arrogance #5: “You’ll never learn a thing from from the times that a company has made something right after they screwed something up. Pay attention to a competitor weaker than you.” I think the trick here complaints, and you too can turn is how you interpret the word “weaker.” Almost always malcontents into advocates. It’s it means a competitor that is smaller than you and/or easier than it sounds. has experienced growth that is slower than yours. Want Know any other signs of to know why you shouldn’t write them off? In your best arrogance when it comes to sales? movie-trailer voice repeat after me: In the world of sales, there is nothing as dangerous as a company with nothing Share them with us here at DSG, to lose. Remember when Avis Car Rental used to say “We’re and we’ll avoid them together. #2, so we try harder” in their advertising? Pay attention to
Tom's Current
7 signs of arrogance in the world of sales
POP QUIZ Dale Jacobson, a State of South Dakota electrician, stands next to a whopping 180-pound halibut he caught in Seldovia, Alaska.
1. Which baseball legend has won the most MLB World Series rings as a player? 2. Dallas Cowboys defensive end Ed Jones was 6'9" and played for 15 seasons, making the Pro Bowl three times. What was his nickname? 3. What is America’s number one game bird (in terms of the number bagged each year)? 4. What hit song did the BBC famously ban in 1962 for being “too morbid?"
ANSWERS: 1. Yogi Berra (10) 2. “Too Tall” 3. Mourning doves 4. “Monster Mash”
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Be a Part Of Our Company-Wide Food Drive In October! October is National ESOP Month, and DSG is celebrating by doing something good for others. Throughout the month, we’re holding a company-wide food drive to help combat hunger in the communities we serve and across the nation. If you’d like to contribute, you can bring a nonperishable food item to the city desk at your local DSG or send them with our drivers when they make a delivery to your shop. You can also donate online to Feeding America at help.feedingamerica.org/goto/DSGGIVES. For every donation a DSG business partner makes, whether it is in food or money, DSG will match a maximum of $5,000 total at the end of the month. Plus, from now until October 29, each DSG customer who brings in a food item will be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card. One gift card will be given away at each DSG branch.
Do something good in October and stop in to DSG to donate today! OCTOBER 2014 | SPOTLIGHT
Get The Perfect Sideline Sweatshirt With A Boiler Purchase From DSG & W.A. Roosevelt.
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To receive your hooded sweatshirt, register your Bosch or Buderus boiler purchase at waroosevelt.com/boshboiler.
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To receive your hooded sweatshirt, register your NTI boiler purchase at dakotasupplygroup.com/ntiboiler.
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September 1 – October 31 Purchase an NTI boiler, and receive a free Minnesota Vikings hooded sweatshirt!
October 18 – December 12 Purchase a Bosch or Buderus boiler, and receive a free Packers hooded sweatshirt! Plus you’ll get a chance to win a full-size Green Bay Packers helmet autographed by Aaron Rodgers. Drawing to be held on 12/17/14.
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The Job site
Four Tips For Retaining Your Best Employees It’s likely that you’ve seen many articles spelling out how to encourage a culture at your company that engages employees. This is important, but it’s worth noting that employee retention is not a “one size fits all” kind of challenge. Your very best employees deserve a little extra effort when it comes to keeping them around. In an article by talent management consultant Nisa Chitakasem on talentmgt.com titled “Retaining Your Most Engaged and Talented Employees,” the author identifies four specific measures that employers can take to keep their best people in the fold:
1. Give colleagues a sense
“over measure” their best people. Metrics are important, but constant evaluation can irritate top performers and imply a lack of trust.
3. Communicate clearly. High achievers like to know what is expected of them every day. By communicating this to them clearly, you free them to focus on getting jobs done on time and on budget. When communication is unclear, employee commitment becomes unclear as well.
4. Learn from exit interviews.
of direction. Good employees thrive on feedback. It’s critical to give them input on what they are doing right or wrong. It’s also important to keep them informed about where the company is headed. After all, these employees are looking at the big picture, and that is a good thing. Be sure to show them as much of “the picture” as you can, and they will feel as if they have a stake in your company’s success.
2. Tune in to every individual on a regular basis. According to Chitakasem, people don't leave organizations – they leave supervisors and managers. If an employee’s work is outstanding, then he or she should be able to expect outstanding supervision from management. This means making a connection to good employees by communicating with them and listening to their needs. At the same time, it also means that managers should take care not to
These are a tough part of any manager’s job, especially since exit interviews have gained something of a reputation as a waste of time. They are not. Many times the departing employee sees this conversation as a time for complete truth, sharing information about the organization that would otherwise not be revealed. Take exit interviews seriously and make changes based on their results – especially when they involve good employees that you are sorry to lose. High achievers who are still with you will appreciate it tremendously. Managers are rarely looking for extra work, but adding these steps to the supervision process can be critical to engaging and retaining good employees. That’s important, because no part of a manager’s job is more challenging – or frustrating – than finding new high achievers. Keep the good ones, and you’ll be glad you did. Source: http://www.talentmgt.com/articles/retaining-your-mostengaged-and-talented-employees
OCTOBER 2014 | SPOTLIGHT
The Hydro-Core Manifold from Webstone is revolutionizing hydronic installations
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Hellermann Tyton Modular Jacks: The Easy Way to Install Reliability On Every Job Hellermann Tyton’s modular jacks provide the highest level of reliability, quality and versatility. Don’t let your service suffer due to a poor jack. Choose Hellermann Tyton and install with confidence. Reliability that gives installers confidence. • RJ45 jacks are factory tested 200 times with an RJ11 plug (4P or 6P) to ensure there is no damage to the contacts. • Each jack is individually tested three times to ensure quality performance. • The IDC is factory tested to 50 terminations. Quality that builds loyalty with your customers. • Expected jack life is up to 1,000 insertions. • Jacks feature 10-pin technology, which guarantees superior performance and connectivity. • Unique strain relief design secures cable terminations. Versatility that turns “oh no” into “no problem.” • Jacks are configured with both TIA 568A and 568B wiring schemes. • The IDC accepts 22-26 AWG solid twisted-pair cable. • Jacks are available in 12 colors to match any faceplate or color-coding identification. OCTOBER 2014 | SPOTLIGHT