EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
CREATING CHANGE
THROUGH PERSUASIVE ACCEPTANCE Drawing on the 80/20 principle, IQA Fellow and certified coach Mike Cameron highlights the necessity of focusing efforts strategically to achieve a greater level of acceptance using the persuasive acceptance method.
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n September 2020, in an article I wrote for Quarry on developing key accounts, I suggested that their effective establishment and subsequent management are based upon establishing and maintaining a synergistic relationship with your customers, and appreciating the significance of the Pareto principle (which implies that 80 per cent of outcomes come from 20 per cent of causes) in evaluating the relevance of those relationships. Dr Stephen R. Covey, writing in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, defined ‘synergy’ as “the principle of creative co-operation” and he stated that the development of an effective partnering relationship is dependent upon mutual respect, trust, openness, integrity, comparable cultures and values, and communication. Therefore, the selection of sales professionals to develop effective key account plans is critical, as is the allocation of a particular type of sales territory to any given salesperson – and the choice should satisfy several criteria: • The territory should match the knowledge, skills and personality type of the salesperson involved. • It should provide a fair level of potential business so each salesperson is able to make a living, and to ensure that no territories go under-served. • It should be designed with reasonable travel demands or acceptable ease of access. Taken together, it is obvious that whichever territory structure(s) you select you will need to cover your whole target market, or you may even need to reappraise your overall resourcing levels and review profitability Even with a perfect territory design, however, each salesperson will still need to prioritise their activities by account. As the Pareto principle often applies –
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80 per cent of your revenue will come from 20 per cent of your clients – it is critical that salespeople do not waste their time on deals that will not deliver. In October 2021, I was invited to make a presentation via Zoom on the process of implementing sustainable change, followed by an open discussion with a number of graduate students at a university in the US sate of Ohio. Obviously, the Pareto principle will play its part; however, with the best will in the world it should be appreciated that your ideas will seldom be accepted unchallenged by everyone. Frequently, there will be a small group (2.5 per cent) who actively support your ideas regardless, with another small group (five per cent) quickly adopting your view(s). I refer to these people as “followers”. However, at the other end of the spectrum, there will always be a small group (2.5 per cent) who actively oppose your ideas regardless, followed by another small group (five per cent) quickly rejecting your view(s). I refer to these people as “naysayers”. The process of implementing sustainable change (as shown in the bell curve diagram, above right) is as follows:
1. Engage with everyone as you present your vision/concept/change project. Discuss the need for the change and highlight the benefits. Continue to share your ideas with everyone until you feel that you have acceptance by around 42.5 per cent of the overall group, then move on to the second step. 2. Focus on the 15 per cent vocal undecided (which I refer to as “fence sitters”) and seek to understand their concerns. Look for opportunities to actively engage in discussion while applying effective listening skills. As you gain appreciation of their issues – perhaps requiring some adjustments to your original plan – you agree the way forward and openly communicate and (if required) confirm these negotiated changes with the overall group, thereby converting your “fence sitters” into “advocates”. 3. With the support of the “pro-change” people (35 per cent), your advocates and followers – 57.5 per cent in all – concentrate on communicating to and with this group of people as they help move the overall group to around 75–80 per cent in favour of the change. Having received positive responses from the graduates, I posted the bell curve
