AUG 6th / Issue 7
Harnessing High Achievers: How to get the best from your top salespeople
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Keys To Sustainable Self-Motivation
Roger Bannister’s Lessons on Success
AUGust 6 th / Issue 7
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5 Keysto Sustainable self-motivation David McNally outlines 5 ways to keep up momentum and keep achieving results. 7
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THIS WEEKS MUST READ HARNESSING HIGH ACHIEVERS Jean Barr offers tips on how to recognise and manage high achieving salespeople in order to keep them productive.
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TWO MINUTE TOP-UP ROGER BANNISTERS LESSONS ON SUCCESS What Sales Professionals can learn from one of the worlds top atheletes. 12
NZSM CALENDAR
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BOOK REVIEW SUPERSTAR SALES MANAGER’S SECRETS Written expressly for onthe-go sales managers who don’t have the time to wade through wordy prose or academic theory, this book is fast-paced and resultsoriented.
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SALES TRAINING DIRECTORY
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THE CLOSE NZSM / AUGust 6th 2008 /
ABOUT / Short, sharp and to the point, New Zealand Sales Manager is a free fortnightly
One of the great things about selling is that success is by and large reliant on what’s going on inside the sales persons head. Sure things like technique, product and industry knowledge and experience play a part, but predominantly those who succeed are those who are motivated enough to keep doing the things they need to do, until they achieve success. Indeed we all know of sales people with all the talent, knowledge and potential in the world – useless without the drive to use it.
e-magazine delivering thought provoking and enlightening articles, and industry news and information to forward-thinking sales managers, business owners and sales professionals. EDITOR / Richard Liew DESIGNER / Jodi Olsson ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES / +64-9-361 1375 or email richardl@nzsalesmanager.co.nz
Hence we also see sales people with no industry experience, no qualifications and no sales training, come into a team and outperform team members with all these advantages in their favour. Which leads to one of the classic sales management questions, “Whose job is it to motivate the sales people anyway?” On the one hand it could be argued that if your sales people aren’t motivated to be the best they can be, then they shouldn’t be there in the first place. On the other, it could be argued that sales people can always do better and that it’s the manager’s job to get them there when their own motivation reaches its limits.
CONTENT ENQUIRIES / +64-9-361 1375 or email richardl@nzsalesmanager.co.nz ADDRESS / NZ Sales Manager Magazine,127a Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland, NZ. +64-9-361 1375 WEBSITE / www.nzsalesmanager.co.nz
This week we take a closer look at motivation and it’s close cousin belief, and some tips for managing those highly motivated (but often high maintenance) sales reps in your team.
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Five Keys To Sustainable Self Motivation Fuelling The Engine Of Sales Success
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hether you are salesperson of the year or a rookie, you have probably experienced those low points: the loss of a hard fought competitive battle or a constant stream of customer “No’s.” In these challenging circumstances, some salespeople, despite considerable talent and potential, find it difficult to pick themselves up and jump back in the game. They seem to lack the elusive quality of motivation -- the ability to soar above these temporary obstacles and keep moving forward. They lose momentum; avoid making calls, and take refuge in the safe havens of their offices or automobiles.
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Motivation is completely and entirely an inside job No one, no matter how inspirational, has the power to motivate others. Motivation – the movement to action – is a decision that can only be made by the individual. Many things can cause a lack of motivation, but the most common are fear and lack of confidence. The solution – courageous action! Consistently summoning the courage to move forward in the face of fear is unquestionably the single most important difference between highly motivated achievers and those who give up too easily when confronted by a challenging situation.
By David McNally
On the other hand, there are salespeople whose motivation and resilience enables them to make every customer call as enthusiastically as if it were the first. These individual’s desire to succeed allows them to leverage even “ordinary” skills and abilities to achieve extraordinary results. For the majority of us who, perhaps, fall somewhere in the middle, there is an opportunity to increase “motivational intelligence” by keeping in mind these five simple principles:
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Motivation requires a meaningful ‘motive’
For many Olympic athletes a medal is their clear, meaningful motive. For some, however, the opportunity just to participate in the games is enough to keep them dedicated to years of disciplined, rigorous training. What is meaningful varies with individuals and their circumstances. This personal sense of “why” we act often gets confused with the “what” we need to do, which, for salespeople, is often defined in terms of external goals such as making a quota, or closing a particular sale. Getting truly motivated begins with willingness to get to the truth of what we want for our lives and careers. It’s important to ask what has meaning and longterm value for you. Is it growing and developing your skills and knowledge? Is it meaningful to know you can genuinely help your customers solve problems? Whatever it is, the real power of personal motive comes from a deep connection to your values and who you are as a unique individual, not from shortterm external incentives. NZSM / AUGust 6th 2008 /
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Motivation is propelled more powerfully by faith than by fear Fear can be a powerful motivator and is a highly appropriate response to threatening circumstances. But waking up fearful every morning is debilitating, highly stressful and, ultimately, soul-destroying. Faith, on the other hand, is the belief that what you aspire to is attainable. Moving forward in faith, however, takes courage. As always, we are left with a choice: between being motivated by fear that stifles imagination and leads to stagnation, or motivated by faith – in ourselves and our abilities – that frees us from limitations and leads to great expectations.
Motivation is influenced by the vision we have for our lives.
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The idea of having a powerful, personal vision might seem naïve, unrealistic or even egotistical, yet research tells us that we tend to move towards that which we picture in our minds and desire in our hearts. Successful sales managers know that when they set high standards and expect the best possible performance from their salespeople, they are far more likely to get it than if expectations are low. There is great power in setting challenging personal and professional
goals and being committed to do what it takes to attain them. When you set expectations that stretch you and expand your knowledge and skills and then hit your mark, there’s nothing more satisfying – and motivating – than that inner sense of accomplishment.
Motivation is inspired by a larger purpose It’s normal to respond positively to incentives such as a bonus, a big commission, or the reward of a trip to Hawaii after a great year. As gratifying as these external “motivators” may be, they are short-lived and provide precious little fuel to the motivation engine when you’ve just lost a big sale. One of the secrets of self-motivation that sustains you through good times and bad – is a larger purpose that defines what your life is about – how you contribute through your work, your relationships and your family to making the world a better place to live. Combined with high expectations and a sense of what is truly meaningful for you, your sense of purpose can be a constant source of renewed commitment to act and to perform at your best.
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These five keys to a “motivational system” will carry you forward to achieve immediate results and long-term life and career success. But they require constant attention, reflection and renewal.
David McNally is the author of two best selling books, Even Eagles Need A Push – Learning to Soar in a Changing World and The Eagles Secret – Success Strategies for Thriving at Work and in Life. Visit David’s website at www.davidmcnally.com. NZSM / AUGust 6th 2008 /
Harnessing High Achievers
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How to get the best from your demanding top achievers Do you have a fabulous sales rep on your team who always hits his or her targets (and more!) and is hugely self motivated? Do you find, though, that they have their own way of doing things and seem to think the usual rules don’t apply? For advice on how to manage someone like this, without squashing their go get ‘em attitude, read on. By Jean Barr
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anagers don’t always realise how important it is to recognise and manage high achievers in order to keep them productive. As some sales managers have experienced, these individuals can seem like mavericks who insist on being able to work independently, with trust being the key ingredient, to accomplish their jobs with a high degree of integrity.
High Achiever Attributes Let me start by defining what sets high achievers apart: • They have a vision and Big Hairy Audacious Goals plus a plan for getting there – you seldom have to drive them. • They hold themselves accountable for their actions and their sales. They are ethical, with strong values • They have high energy and are passionate and enthusiastic in all they do • They can be real change makers because they question the status quo • They seek out feedback as a means of helping them achieve their goals • They believe in themselves and that they will be successful.
Tips for Managing High Achievers The challenge is to harness high achievers’ energy in a way that keeps them engaged yet still delivering on what you need to get your job done. You also want to ensure they work harmoniously with other team members so that you are able to harvest the benefits of their questioning and creativity.
1. Agree on goals High achievers think they can conquer the world. Stress with them the importance of achieving goals and work with them to set these on daily, weekly, monthly and annualised basis. Communicate how these are going to be monitored. High achievers often respond to “keeping score”. And never move the goal posts – this will demotivate a top achiever! Tell them about performance evaluations and how often these will take place. Include the process they can expect if they should need coaching to reach goals.
2. Be clear about your non-negotiables Although you may leave it to the high achiever to work out how to reach those clearly defined goals, there will still be some non-negotiables in how the job is done. These relate to protecting your brand and giving you what you need to manage the team and report to your bosses.
4. Feedback, feedback, feedback As a manager you need to focus the high achiever’s
energy and drive and ensure they don’t go off on a tangent – they could go a long way wrong in a short time!
More positively, they have a huge appetite for feedback and you can harness this as a way to keep them on track. Share your experiences, reflect on the effectiveness of their approach (with colleagues and clients), let them know you’re interested and supportive.
Give your high achiever a clear picture of expectations in terms of calls, appointments, quotes, dress code, dates and times for reports to be handed in, meetings to be attended, and what staff can and cannot do. In some cases peer pressure can be used to reinforce what you, as the manager, have required. The story at the end is a powerful example of this.
3. Identify their core strengths and build on them To start, have a look at their personality profiles and see their strengths and weaknesses. Motivate them on their strengths. You can also consider whether there are business problems that could use your high achiever’s strengths. Maybe there’s a difficult client, or an internal sales-related project that’s bogged down.
Jean Barr is the Director of Top Achievers Sales Training. Visit her website at www.topachieverssalestraining.co.nz.
5. Smooth the high achiever’s path inside your company Their energy and questioning of the status quo can grate on other team members, even if it produces a better result in the end. They demand excellence, too, so you will have watch out that they don’t destroy the team when things don’t go right. Be prepared to actively coach them on appropriate behaviour and on how to communicate their ideas effectively. Use their appetite for feedback to get them to check in with you regularly if this issue seems likely to undermine their performance.
6. Align rewards to the individual What motivates people varies and that applies to high achievers too. One may be motivated by only working 4 days of the week so as to spend a day with her kids. Another may respond to a weekend away, the chance to drive a fancy car on the weekends for the next month, or an overseas incentive. One size will not fit all. Take the time to find out what your team members want and, as far as possible within your company’s policy, give it to them. But whatever the reward, don’t forget to celebrate the successes and achievements. Recognize, praise, encourage and motivate on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis!
8. Rely on building respect, not authority, to lead It can be hard to lead high achievers by relying on the authority of your position. Much better is to gain their respect. Regular feedback and coaching sessions in which you ask lots of questions will give them a chance to feel valued. Other leadership traits and behaviours that high achievers respond to are: • Setting a clear vision, and supporting goals, with a plan of how the team will get there. • Having a passion for the people, products, company and industry. • Having core values of honesty, integrity, transparency and support for staff • leading from the front - not asking the
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• 7. Prepare them for the Tall Poppy Syndrome As a manager of high achievers, you need to be aware the Tall Poppy Syndrome is alive and well! There will be
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team to do anything that the leader himself would not, or could not, do. trusting staff and allowing them to work independently, all the while keeping them on track towards the goals. taking every opportunity to acknowledge the successes of the team and using a variety of ways to reward and motivate staff. building relationships with staff and insisting on their relationship building with clients. Admitting to mistakes and then moving on to find a solution to rectify the situation
plenty of people who will tell them want they can or cannot do and why, and who will try to derail you them. As a manager, be on the look out for these people and tell your ‘poppies’ to take their advice with a pinch of salt. If you can, keep them away from negative people and encourage them to spend time with positive people and those who can motivate them. These might include more experienced high achievers. These people will not only allow your high achievers to “fly”, they will also pick them up when they are a little down.
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Roger Bannister’s Lessons On Success: What sales people can learn from one of the worlds most famous athletes By Colin Rafferty
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n 1954 Roger Bannister broke the world record for the metric mile, and subsequently became the first person to go under the four minute mark that had eluded athletes for years. What seemed an unbelievable feat had been achieved. Despite this, numerous athletes had tried and failed before. Even though that the quality of the training, the running tracks and nutrition have improved since then, what made this attempt different was that it embodied several key success strategies that are pertinent to any team, individual or concept.
Firstly: Belief
Bannister had an unwavering belief in himself that he would achieve this goal, it was simply a matter of getting the right conditions in place around him, right down to the weather on the day.
Secondly: Vision
He had a vision and a commitment to achieve the unachievable. Persistence and drive to complete what he had planned.
Thirdly: Planning
He had a firm plan of action for success, broken down to split times for every 400m of that mile.
Fourthly: A Team
Bannister did not run this mile by himself. He had a team behind him including his coach and two pace setters both whom were world class athletes in their own rights. Chris Brasher led out for laps 1 & 2, and Chris Chataway for Lap 3, leaving Bannister to finish off on Lap 4. This team shared the belief in Bannister and the
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goal they were aiming for, they embodied the vision needed to achieve this, they bought into the plan and understood it perfectly, and each one knew their part to play within the team. Within 46 days of Bannister breaking the seemingly impossible 4 minute mile, Australian John Landy broke the record by a full 1.5 seconds. This same athlete that prior to Bannister breaking the record, lacked several of the strategies essential to tackle such a task. The fundamental missing ingredient in most athletes of the time was Belief. Belief that this could be accomplished, and once it was it became common place to run sub four minute miles, including our own John Walker. Ironically 99.9% of people have never heard of John Landy! Incidentally who was the second person to climb Everest? Which got me thinking when I heard various stories from sales people in recent months with regards to recessionary pressures on their industry. Isn’t it fascinating how various people will view the same conditions so differently?
Let me be very specific on what I mean. The two lines of thoughts at the moment that I am hearing are: a) this market it too tough to make any decent money in, I might as well get out now. b) this is fantastic, I keep hearing about all these sales people jumping ship it leaves more for me. It is this same thought process that affects us all when we go out selling, no matter what the market is doing; flat, going down or soaring. The belief and the emphasis that we as sales people put into the whole aspect of Self Management have a huge impact on the outcomes we produce, as well as the impressions that we leave with our clients. If we do not believe in ourselves why on earth would our clients believe in us? So we can take two options during this slightly tightening market, believe in yourself and go out and sell, get the best support around you from like minded people that also believe in you, or believe that it is too hard and give up. There is no middle ground. The ones that decide to adopt the former will make serious money even now.
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NZSM
CALENDAR SAT 9 AUG
MON 11 AUG Sales Development David Forman Christchurch
SUN 10 AUG FRI 15 AUG
SAT 16 AUG
WED 6 AUG Sales Development David Forman Hamilton Time Management Richard Gee Wellington
TUE 12 AUG
Sales Development David Forman Christchurch Fundamentals of Selling Workshop Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland Prospecting for New Business EMA Northern Auckland
MON 18 AUG
Negotiation Skills Advanced NZIM Northern Auckland
Professional Selling Skills AchieveGlobal Auckland
Sales Skills Level 3 EMA Northern Auckland
SUN 17 AUG THU 21 AUG
FRI 22 AUG
Funamentals of Selling Workshop Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland
Hit The Ground Running Seminar Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland
Sales Development David Forman Auckland
Sales Planning David Forman Auckland
SAT 23 AUG
THU 7 AUG Hit The Ground Running Sales Seminar
Top Achievers Sales Training
Auckland
Creating a Successful Sales Proposal
University of Auckland Auckland Sales Development David Forman Hamilton
WED 13 AUG
Sales Development David Forman Christchurch Hit The Ground Running Sales Seminar Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland Professional Selling Skills AchieveGlobal Auckland
TUE 19 AUG Fundamentals of Selling Workshop Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland Negotiation Skills Advanced NZIM Northern Auckland Creating a Successful Sales Proposal University of Auckland Auckland Sales Management Richard Gee Wellington
MON 25 AUG
WED 27 AUG
THU 28 AUG
FRI 29 AUG
Professional Selling Skills AchieveGlobal Auckland
WED 20 AUG Hit The Ground Running Seminar Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland Advanced Selling Skills University of Auckland Auckland Mental Toughnrss for Sales Professionals University of Auckland Auckland Sales Development David Forman Auckland
TUE 26 AUG Customer Service David Forman Christchurch
Key Account Management David Forman Christchurch
Key Account Management David Forman Christchurch Sales Basics Geewiz Wellington
SAT 30 AUG
MON 1 SEPT
Sales Skills Level 1 EMA Northern Manukau Hit The Ground Running Seminar Top Achievers Sales Training Auckland
TUE 2 SEPT
THU 14 AUG Sales Development David Forman Christchurch
Customer Service David Forman Christchurch
SUN 24 AUG
Serious Selling Geewiz Wellington
FRI 8 AUG Creating a Successful Sales Proposal University of Auckland Auckland
WED 3 SEPT
SUN 31 AUG THU 4 SEPT Effective Proposal Writing David Forman Auckland
FRI 5 SEPT
SAT 6 SEPT
Effective Proposal Writing David Forman Auckland
SUN 7 SEPT
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BOOK REVIEW
Superstar Sales Manager’s Secrets By Barry Farber
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ritten expressly for on-the-go sales managers who don’t have the time to wade through wordy prose or academic theory, this book is fast-paced and results-oriented.
to coaching and training sales reps in the skills they need, it’s a handbook full of practical tools and motivational strategies to help reps generate activity and get the business. It covers the broad array of skills that every manager -- from the newly appointed to the more experienced -- needs to succeed.
Superstar Sales Manager’s Secrets contains scores of easy-to-implement strategies, checklists, and action plans for anyone who’s managing a sales team. The book’s wisdom is culled from the author’s own experience as a top sales manager, as well as feedback from the thousands of managers who have participated in his training programs and seminars.
It contains valuable information and insights in such areas as hiring and recruiting, effective field coaching skills, running effective sales meetings, and utilizing the most up-to-date technological resources without giving up the personal, human touches necessary to inspire and motivate sales teams.
This revised and updated edition is not only a guide
Where to get it: $26.90 from www.fishpond.co.nz
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The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it. -
Michelangelo
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