Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Corporate Trends
Contents Jan Burnes
page 18 Biography
Page 19 Learning From the Wisdom of OthersA structured mentoring program provides an organisation with thegreatest opportunity for growth and professional development.
Page 20 Taming Those Difficult People…“Why be difficult – when, with a little effort, you can be impossible!” Areyou working with someone who is difficult to deal with, aggressive,submissive or totally disinterested? Does it make you wonder if somepeople’s main ambition in life is to gain an MBA – a “Master of Business Aggression!”
Page 21 Coping with the Difficult Person on Your Team…No, you’re not imagining it. There are some people who can brighten aroom just by leaving it!
Page 22 Switch on Your Selling Power!When faced with the task of having to ‘SELL’, many staff secretly believeit is ‘beneath them.’ And, whilst they may pay ‘lip service’ to any salestraining offered, the question remains: “Do they really enjoy selling?”
Corporate Trends
ContentsCatherine Devrye
page 23 Biography
page 24 Change is Inevitable. Learning is Optional!We can’t stop change but some people just never learn to accept it and adjust.
page 25 The Customer Service ZooCreate customers for life—and a life for yourself!
page 26 Life is Like a Bicycle… Life is like a 21 speed bicycle…most of us have gears we never even use…
page 27 Hot Lemon & HoneyThink of people, outside family and friends, who have contributed insome way, large or small, to make your life more pleasant.
page 28 Reflections for Success in Times of Change…When what used to work at work no longer works…it’s time to changeour ways of thinking — and think of ways of changing.
page 29 The Five Circles of Excellence…With Australia hosting the Olympics, why not go for gold in achievingyour goals in life?
page 30 Dream it… Dare it… and Do it!During the Olympic Games, many a dream was achieved or shattered injust a mere thousandth of a second…
page 31 Make Any New Millennium Resolutions?When what used to work at work no longer works, it’s time to change ourways of thinking and think of ways of changing…
page 32 ‘Life is not a Practice Round’If you’re not a golfer, never have been or never wish to become one,then read no further…
page 33 How to Avoid Death by Voicemail…Arthur C Clarke, once said, “We had better pay attention to the future,because that's where we are going to spend the rest of our lives!”
page 34 Moving on from Disbelief to BeliefWe grow when we move from disbelief in others to a stronger belief in ourselves
page 35 Hope Happens!“A leader is a dealer in hope.” So said Napoleon Bonaparte before hisdeath in 1821. Nearly two centuries later, we need hope more than ever,in our organisations and our personal lives.
Corporate Trends
ContentsIven Frangi
page 36 Biography
Page 37 Salesmanagers - Get Effective or Get Out!Your top performers are doing something different and better, mappingis how you discover what it is.
Page 38 Sack the Salespeople… Hire a Buyer’s AssistantPrepare for the revolution! Read this and decide which side you want tobe on…
Page 39 No Pain, No Gain — That’s for Amateurs!One of the best salespeople I’ve ever met turned out to be someonetotally unexpected…
Page 40 Rainbow Balls and the Corner StoreDo you remember shopping at the corner store? Why did you like it?
Page 41 Why up to 90% of Your Staff Training Could be Wasted…Would you like to achieve a ten times greater return on your traininginvestment? Silly question, right? Well, the chances are you can do justthat because according to the latest research, on average, only ten percent of every dollar you spend on your staff training is effective.
Page 43 You Can Lead a Horse to Water — So What!Good salespeople ask good questions. The kind of questions that youwould ask at a function when you first meet someone...
Page 44 Are Your Customers Suffering from Sales Information Overload?Renaming old sales techniques and practices, won’t make them workany better than they did in the past…
Page 45 400BC, The Thunderbirds & RumpoleLooking for the world's best sales person? Look to 400 BC, theThunderbirds and Rumpole…
Page 46 Two Ways to Sell More in a Recession“This is the best time ever for good sales people. There is moreopportunity now than there has been for the last five years and we planto take advantage of the current conditions. We intend to put all theexpertise we can gather into the marketplace.”
Page 47 Confused in Paradise? Not Anymore!Sitting on the back of an army truck going up a very steep road is notthe normal place you’d expect a sales lesson but it happened
Page 48 How to Manage Sales so Everyone Does Better…With the headlong rush towards what is new and exciting in technologyand business tools, it is timely to ensure that we remember what worksand what doesn’t. It’s also very necessary to create stability andcertainty in sales and in your sales force.
Page 49 The Sales Competence TrapMany of today’s top business managers make the mistake if hiring for skills...
Corporate Trends
ContentsRobyn Henderson
page 50 Biography
Page 51 The Magic of Networking…Networking is the best way of increasing your business and usually atlittle or no cost.
Page 52 Hot Tips for Attending Networking FunctionsIf you are going to attend networking functions, why not make the mostof the opportunity?
Page 53 Hot Tips for Attending Conferences and SeminarsWith the main conference season about to commence, here are sometimely tips to sharpen your networking skills
Page 54 Networking Millennium Style… Making Money for Your ClientsBusiness today goes to those service providers who without questionsexceed their clients expectations…
Page 55 What Do I Say, After I Say, “Hello”?Mastering the gentle art of conversation, can help you become a muchmore effective networker.
Page 56 9 Keys to Developing Strategic AlliancesStrategic alliances can help you get the edge in today’s competitivemarketplace. But where do you start?
Page 57 Are You an Interesting Person?Off the top of your head, you can probably list the names of 20 peopleyou consider to be interesting...
Page 58 No Time to Network?Are you one of the new time poor? Too much to do and so little time todo it in? All the more reason to network…
Page 59 Don’t Just Focus on the ‘Big Kahuna!’Mastering the gentle art of conversation, can help you avoid trade expodisasters and set sales records...
Page 60 B2B – Beyond Business Cards to Actual BusinessThe number one reason many people don’t convert business cards intobusiness is – they never follow up!
Page 61 Stop Sabotaging – Start NetworkingYou’re attending the business networks, handing out the business cards,following up within 48 hours of exchanging cards and still NOTHING.
Page 62 Can you make the TOUGH DECISIONS?It’s okay to make a mistake. Successful networkers make lots ofmistakes — that’s what makes them successful!
Corporate Trends
ContentsMax Hitchins
page 64 Biography
Page 65 Four Secrets for Creative ThinkingCall it thinking outside of the square or creative thinking but what youthink is what you become
Page 66 Too old to learn about the Internet?
Page 67 All Things Being Equal…
Page 68 Thanks for the Memory…Have you ever forgotten someone’s name less than three seconds afteryou have been introduced?
Page 69 You CAN Remember!Developing a good memory, is a skill you can learn. It’s simply a matterof Patience, Persistence and Practice!
Page 70 The #1 Business Skill – Remembering Names…Dale Carnegie said, “The most important sound in the English language
is the sound of your own name!”
Page 71 Those Magic Olympic Moments…Have you ever been somewhere – seen a potentially wonderful photo –and wished you had your camera with you? Have you ever been in aroom with a celebrity and wished you had your camera with you? Haveyou ever been standing behind a crowd of TALL PEOPLE and missedgetting the photo you so desperately wanted to take…?
Page 72 The Power of Words…“The sky weeps because you are leaving us were the beautiful words
used by my new friend Areef, as he bade me farewell from the paradisethat is the Rangali Hilton Hotel in the Maldives, in the Indian Ocean…
Page 73 Our General Manager is Hopeless!Well, that’ s what the receptionist of one of Brisbane’s leading hotels toldme recently…
Page 74 Take Time Out T o Think…Clarence Birdseye took time to think. So did Edward Lowe, Joe Resnikand even good old Gene Autry. If you have an open mind for ideas andyou take time out to think, sometimes synchronicity can occur. “Synchrowhat, I hear you ask? What’s synchronicity?”
Page 75 OPMs Can Save You Millions!OPMs are other people’s mistakes. You might be surprised at how muchyou can learn from them…
Page 76 The Problem of One“ONE is a very dangerous number, Max.” my American friend Bill Marvin,wrote in an email to me recently. “ONE type thinking can kill a businessstone dead,” he continued…
Corporate Trends
ContentsTim Hyde
page 77 Biography
Page 78 Think like a Magician!Magicians think differently to other people. And this often produces‘magic’ results!
Page 79 The Secret of the Service Station…Psst…like to learn a magic trick? One that will stop your customers fromdisappearing?
Page 80 The Secret of Juan the Smuggler…Timothy Hyde, our resident magician, explores the irresistible power ofour own hypnosis and explains why our expectations and assumptions,ultimately form our beliefs and tells us how to put this to good use whensolving our own problems and challenges…
Corporate Trends
ContentsW Mitchell
page 81 Biography
Page 82 It’s Not What Happens to You, It’s What You Do About It…All of us are blessed with inner strengths. It’s just through circumstance,some of us have to use them more than others…
Page 83 Never Ever, Say Never…Nothing splendid has ever been achieved, except by those who believedthat something inside of them was superior to circumstances....
Page 84 My Biggest Fee Ever…He suffered burns to 65 per cent of his body in a terrible motor cycle accident. Then, he was involved in a plane crash and paralysedfrom the waist down. In spite of his fate, today, Mitchell travels the worldspreading his message of hope. He claims, “It’s not what happens to youin life, it’s what you do about it.”
Page 85 And that’s why I Speak…He suffered burns to 65 per cent of his body in a terrible motor cycleaccident. Then, he was involved in a plane crash and paralysed from thewaist down. In spite of his fate today, Mitchell travels the world spreadinghis messages of hope and inspiration. He claims, “It’s not what happensto you in life, it’s what you do about it.”
Page 86 Take Responsibility for Your Life…\When you take responsibility for your life, you take responsibility forwhere you are going to go next…
Page 87 The Choice is Yours…In July 1971, Mitchell was involved in a terrible accident when hismotorcycle was hit by a laundry truck. The petrol capped popped off andthe fuel caught fire, he suffered burns to 65 per cent of his body. In spite ofhis misfortune, today Mitchell travels the world spreading his message ofhope: It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it…
Page 88 Why I Travel the World Speaking to People…W Mitchell was involved in a terrible accident when his motorcycle washit by a truck. The fuel caught fire and he suffered terrible burns to 65per cent of his body. He was later involved in a plane crash that left himunable to walk. Despite these setbacks, today Mitchell travels the worldspreading his message of hope to others – it’s not what happens to you,it’s what you do about it…
Page 89 Breaking the BarriersSo many barriers we are told are real, don’t exist at all. And even the realones cpan be vanquished through sheer effort. Things like picking up aquarter with no fingers or having a wonderful, accomplished life though youare burned and in a wheelchair – most can be surmounted through effortand a willingness to dig under them, go around them or hop over them…
Page 90 The Man Who Would Not Be Defeated…
Corporate Trends
ContentsCatherine Palin-Brinkworth
page 92 Biography
Page 93 What’s the Real Secret of Successful People?Why are some people fabulously successful, while others never make it,no matter how hard they try?
Page 94 Managing Chaos!I guarantee that 99 per cent of you reading this now, found it a challengeto find the time to do so…
Page 95 Personal Leadership for the Present Moment…Has your work environment changed in the last 12 months? Found itchallenging?
Page 96 Conditions for Successful Change…A useful definition of insanity is: “Doing what you did yesterday andexpecting a different outcome.
Page 97 Who’s in Charge Around Here, Anyway?“What this business/ organisation/team needs is some good old-fashioned leadership!”
Page 98 Life Can Be So Easy… With a SystemThere are three kinds of people… those who make it happen, those wholet it happen and those who wonder what happened!
Page 99 Life is Merely Froth and Bubble…Two things stand ike stone… Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage inyour own.
Page 100 Turning People On!If you have responsibility for getting results through people while keepingyour costs under control, you’ll already have discovered that thechallenge of motivation and retention in your organisation is a bit liketrying to keep frogs together in a wheelbarrow!
Page 101 Here’s a Certain Formula for Failure!Aren’t you sick of formulas for success? I know I am. Well, prepareyourself for something totally different…
Page 102 Moving Forward – the only way to go!When you’re green you’re growing, when you’re not, you rot…
Corporate Trends
ContentsRobyn Pearce
page 103 Biography
Page 104 Don’t Look at my Desk!Somebody once said a busy desk is the sign of a busy mind but it ismore likely to mean chaos!
Page 105 Have You Got a Minute?If you want more time in your day, try training people to come up withtheir own solutions to their problems…
Page 106 How To Stretch Time24 hours are definitely enough to do what you want to do — the secretlies in how you use them…
Page 107 Which Diary or Planner Should I Use?It’s not the diary or planner that makes you organised – it’s how you use it!
Page 108 The Magic of ChunkingEver looked at a task, shaken your head and walked away feelingoverwhelmed?
Page 109 “Oh, She’s Always Late!”Have you ever been driven to the point of near distraction by otherpeople's time habits?
Page 110 Those Meetings Can Start On Time!Sitting around waiting for a meeting to start is not only annoying, it canalso be a very costly exercise…
Page 111 Time-Saving Travel TipsIf your business requires a reasonable amount of travel, you will findthese tips invaluable…
Page 112 Hot Email Tips for Time EfficiencyMost people understand, at least intellectually, that a clear desk equalsan uncluttered mind
Page 113 Are You Drowning in E-mail?Email is a wonderful tool. Only problem is, many people are trying to useit in the same way they handle paper – not very well!
Page 114 It’s About Time!You could be forgiven for thinking every thing there is to say about timemanagement has already been said
Page 115 Procrastinate! – Who, Me?I regularly ask participants at speeches and workshops what their bigissues are and procrastination always rears its ugly head. But – is italways ugly? Did you know there is such a thing as creativeprocrastination? So, let’s poke a stick at the topic and see if we can’t findsome new angles.
Corporate Trends
ContentsAnn Reinten
page 117 Biography
Page 118 Don’t Shoot the MessengerYou spent a lot of time and money getting the message right but whatabout the messenger?
Page 119 Blueprinting Success…What is it that makes one person a success and another person a failure?
Page 120 The Casualisation of Australian Workplaces It’s no secret that businesses that are receptive to change move forwardbut take that step forward with caution…
Page 121 Dare Yourself to Shine!If your company’s products or services were packaged like you, wouldthey sell?
Page 122 Scary First StepsBeing the new kid on the block isn’t easy and at times you will feel like aleprechaun at a bar mitzvah!
Corporate Trends
ContentsAnne Riches
page 123 Biography
Page 124 Surviving, Thriving and Driving ChangeWhen implementing change managers often overlook the most importantfactor - people!
Page 125 You Must be Consistent If You Want to Change Are you sending out conflicting messages and sabotaging the change process?
Page 126 The Four Emotional Stages of Change When organisations go through major change, employees experience astrong sense of loss…
Page 127 The Power of Emotionally Intelligent TeamsUS$28 Trillion! That’s the estimated value of mergers and acquisitionsworld wide for 1999.
Page 128 Leadership & Change – an Oxymoron?If you want to institute changes in culture, attitude and behaviour — getout there and communicate!
Page 129 How ‘Valuable’ Are Your Values…?One of the most significant and difficult challenges facing organisationstoday is the ‘War for Talent’.
Page 130 Are You an HR Manager or a Business Partner?Chief Executives are worried. The trans-lation of strategy intoorganisational performance is the critical success factor.
Page 131 Culture – Are you Dancing with the Devil?The challenges of reforming the NSW Police Force, provide some vividexamples of the difficulties in implementing change.
Page 132 The Power of Emotionally Intelligent TeamsThese days the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) at work islargely accepted by most organisations…
Page 133 Choosing a facilitator…Companies often use outside facilitators for various reasons, however,it’s important to get the right one for the job
Page 134 Leadership at Ground ZeroLeadership is almost impossible to define. Yet you know it when you seeit and you know when it’s not there…
Page 135 What is the Value of Your Values?Do you know how your values fit in with your organisation’s values?
Corporate Trends
ContentsRob Salisbury
page 136 Biography
Page 137 Lessons from Jeff… what we can learn…It’s not necessarily the best products that get our attention…it’s the bestpromoted products…
Page 138 “Wow…That was Sydney Australia…Wow…Wow !”Every person living in Australia should have been proud of the showcaseSydney made to the world on New Years Eve.
Page 139 Act Like a Lamb… Sell Like a Lion!At some point in your life, you may have heard the song, “What’s it allabout Alfie?” and pondered the words…
Page 140 Some Fat is Necessary to Stay Lean & ProfitableIn our quest to become business ‘champions’ we need to make sure wehave all the basics in place…
Page 141 The Rise and Rise of Fatso…!Who would have thought that a cheeky, irreverent character like Fatso,would so encapture the Aussie spirit…
Page 142 Going for Line HonoursBillions are invested in sport but who are the true winners? What are thereal rewards of promotion and sponsorship…?
Page 143 THE POWER OF PERSONAL MARKETING
Corporate Trends
ContentsMike Schoettler
page 145 Biography
Page 146 Good Service is Simply Not Enough…Most people think if they simply provide good service, the world will beata path to their door…
Page 147 Change or be ChangedThe customer is going to win. But is the customer going to win with youor somebody else?
Page 148 It’s Not the Product — It’s You!According to Albert Gray, winners have simply formed the habit of doingthe things losers don’t like to do.
Page 149 Winners are Grinners!Everybody loves a winner, its true but there is more to creating winnersthan just handing out awards. . .
Page 150 The Secret of Prospecting“Who’s calling?” A bit abrupt but it is still an easy one to answer.(Although with my name I have to be careful not to go too fast).
Page 151 Management vs Leadership — What’s the Difference?The King, President, or Prime Minister is the leader of the nation. Haveyou ever heard them referred to as the manager of the nation?
Page 152 Can You Afford to be so Busy?Unfortunately, some sales people go through life collecting excusesinstead of results…
Page 153 A Genius Taught Me…“How many joys are crushed under foot because people look up at thesky and disregard what is at their feet?” Catharina Goethe
Page 154 It’s About Building Relationships…The fundamentals of wake up, show up, and follow up, will serve to keepyou focused on the values you deliver…
Page 155 Listening – Your Shortcut to SuccessOliver Wendell Holmes Sr. once said, “It is the province of knowledge tospeak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.
Page 156 Are You a Relationship Builder?Technology is getting a bad rap. It is being blamed for stale voice mail thatsounds like a filter and incomplete email that is so abrupt it offends people.
Page 157 Where Have All The People Gone?In 2001, there is a worldwide shortage of skilled staff. Finding the rightpeople is going to be one of your biggest challenges…
Corporate Trends
ContentsJill Sweatman
page 159 Biography
Page 160 Propaganda… It Simply Won’t WorkTelling people you are a wonderful company isn’t enough, you have toadd congruence and action…
Page 161 Cultural Changes Can Make Your Team Fly…… but careful planning and good communication are the keys tosuccessfully carrying them out.
Page 162 Reward Failures… Are You Kidding?No! Not if you are serious about asking your people to perform withinitiative and adopt empowerment…
Page 163 Know When to Say, No!Knowing when and how to say, “no” is a skill worth learning in our everbusier workplace…
Page 164 Team Player or Team Slayer?Beware. Some of the people on your team may be holding you back. Ask the tough question — you may be surprised…
Page 165 Customer or Culture — What Comes First?Question: How many of your employees are volunteers? Answer: ALL of them!
Page 166 Cultural Due Diligence — the Secret to SuccessFor a truly successful merger to take place, each company must firstdevolve in order to evolve…
Page 167 Cultural Due Diligence — a window into the “how”Organisations that are truly successful in enlisting the lasting support oftheir people, are those that genuinely listen to their staff.
Page 168 Lessons for a Successful Merger or Acquisition …and some goodstuff for all businesses…There are some important lessons that companies who wish to improvetheir profits or simply stay in business, cannot afford to ignore. Especiallyif they are involved in a merger or acquisition. These lessons werebrought sharply into focus recently while I was preparing a company forits float…
Page 169 Start by Changing Your Thinking…Somebody once said, “You can’t make a good omelette without firstbreaking a few eggs.” How true…
Page 170 Cultural Due Diligence: People Are The Key To Success…Before the ink dries on the agreement is the best time to start planning your cultural integration for a successful merger or acquisition.
Corporate Trends
ContentsPeter Thorpe
page 172 Biography
Page 173 What Price Loyalty?Most companies spend a fortune trying to win new clients and virtuallyignore their greatest profit centre…
Page 174 Beware of the Fifth ‘P’ You can’t enter the next millennium using the same marketing strategiesyou are using now…
Page 175 Sex and the Internet…Using the word “sex” in my headline was a grubby way to get yourattention, wasn’t it? But it is relevant to what I have to say…
Page 176 The ‘Price’ of SuccessFor some people, dropping prices is the only way they know to combatcompetition. But there is a better way—add value!
Page 177 Have you seen our Company’s Website?It’s not enough to simply have a ‘presence’ on the Internet, you need avalid reason for being there…
Page 178 The Importance of the Three ‘R’s…What employees want from their job is in stark contrast to what theirmanagers think they want…
Page 179 Back to the Big Picture!It’s a well worn adage but it’s as true today as it ever was — companiesthat fail to plan, plan to fail…
Page 180 What’s in a Name?According to William Shakespeare, a rose by any other name would stillsmell as sweet…
Page 181 Relationship Marketing – Back to the FutureIn real estate they talk about the three Ps – Position, Position, Position.In our marketing efforts today, more than ever before, we need to thinkabout the three Rs – Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. Ifyou’re not working on better ways to build meaningful relationships withyour clients, then you are probably about to join the dinosaurs…
Page 182 CRM = Customers Really Matter!Why do so many companies spend a fortune upgrading their systemsand forget to upgrade their people?
Page 183 Website Design Traps and Rip-offsIf you are thinking of getting a website for your company or you arewanting to update your existing website – take care – you could pay ahell of a lot more than you need to…
Corporate Trends
ContentsCandy Tymson
page 184 Biography
Page 185 How are you Managing?The traditional roles of men and women in the workforce are slowly changing…
Page 186 IQ vs EQ…How’s Yours?For years, companies have used IQ as an indication of suitability but nowthey are looking at people’s EQ as well…
Page 187 Handling Difficult PeopleEvery organisation has some. There is often one in your team and morethan likely you have a number as clients…
Page 188 Don’t Just Stand There… Stand Out!Got an important presentation coming up? Here are a few simple tips tomake it more memorable!
Page 189 How to Handle Those Difficult ConversationsThe first step to handling difficult conversations lies in understandingwhat’s really going on…
Page 190 That’s Not What I Meant (or how misunderstandings happen)Agreeing on team values, goals and guidelines is one of the secrets tocreating successful team dynamics…
Page 191 How to Sell to Women…It’s reported that Sigmund Freud studied “The Great Question…” for 30years and still didn’t came up with a satisfactory answer.....
Page 193 Male and Female Speak – understanding the differencesGenerally speaking, men and women communicate quite differently anduse language to achieve different outcomes.
Page 194 Resolving the UnresolvedDo you have someone in your life that you dread running into? Someoneyou avoid like the plague?
Page 195 What You Say vs What You MeanWords are such powerful things – be sure to choose them carefully andthink before you write…
Page 196 I See What You Are Saying…It’s not just what we say that counts. There are messages we can give,without saying a word!
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS, BUSINESS
Previously the director of a top performing company employing over 1,000 people, Jan is now a trainingconsultant specialising in Sales, Customer Service, Management and Communication Skills. She workswith many major organisations developing people at all levels to achieve higher standards of performance.A Nationally accredited trainer, she is also an accredited workplace assessor, training-needs analyst, andcurriculum designer; She has an MBA majoring in Business Communication and was the winner of theTelstra Business Woman of the Year Award in 1997.
International known as a trainer and speaker, Jan believes that effective learning has to be participative andinteractive - her learning events are built around practical exercises, role-play and case studies. Her trainingstyle focuses not only on explaining new ideas or developing new skills, but also on motivating people touse them and develop themselves as individuals. She manages to achieve the right balance between styleand substance, content and format. Participants leave with many practical, proven and often original ideasthey can easily implement in their own working environment.
Topics include but are not limited to: Professional Selling Skills, Exceptional Customer Service, Copingwith Negative Situations and Difficult People, Communication Skills, Mentoring and Coaching, TheExperienced Supervisor and The Art of Leadership. Contact Jan on Tel: (02) 9974 4899, Fax: (02) 99744833, e-mail: [email protected] or visit her website at: www.businessinaction.com.au
Jan BurnesJan Burnes, MBA, is the founder and Director of
an Internationally known Training Consultancy, and winner of the Telstra Business Woman
of the Year Award.
Corporate Trends 19
JAN BURNES
Learning From the Wisdom of OthersA structured mentoring program
provides an organisation with the
greatest opportunity for growth and
professional development.
hen you were young andsearching for the meaning oflife, can you recall someone,maybe a grandparent or a
teacher; someone older, patient and wise,who understood you and helped you to seethe world as a more profound place and gaveyou sound advice to help you make yourway through it.
Maybe, like me, you lost track of yourMentor as you made your way, the insightsfaded and the world seemed harsher.Wouldn't you like to see that person again,ask the bigger questions that still haunt you,receive the wisdom for your busy life todaythe way you once did when you wereyounger?
The origins of “Mentoring” come fromthe ancient Greeks. When Odysseys, King ofIthaca, went to fight the Trojan War, heentrusted the care of his son, Telemachus, tohis friend, Mentor. In time, the word Mentorbecame synonymous with a trusted friend,teacher or wise person.
History offers many examples of helpfulmentoring relationships: Socrates and Plato,Hayden and Beethoven, Freud and Yung.Legend and history record the deeds ofprinces and kings but each of us has abirthright to be all that we can be. Mentorsare those special people in our lives, who,through their deeds and work, help us tomove toward fulfiling our potential.
Mentoring in the WorkplaceMy first workplace mentor was also myboss; it came naturally to him as part of hismanagement style. We never discussedmentoring and it's only with hindsight that Irealise that this is what occurred.
This manager challenged me – gave meassignments that stretched me. He coachedme, led by example and demonstrated waysof doing things. When I brought a problemto him he would listen attentively, ask someastute questions, then utter the mostpowerful words a protégé will ever hear: “…and what do you think we should doabout this?”
I quickly learned not to bring him theproblem without also offering a potentialsolution. Over the three years I worked withColin, I learned and grew. The knowledge,skills and attitudes that I gained, builtcompetence and confidence.
Mentoring is not about creatingdependency – it’s about encouraging theprotégé to become independent. Developtheir latent abilities, spread their wings – fly!
Mentoring, in one form or another,happens in almost every work environment.These relationships are often informal, withthe protégé selecting their own ‘guru’;approaching them when guidance is needed.
Key Success Factors The success of a formal Mentoring Programdepends on the commitment shown byeveryone involved to meet the challengesand capitalise on the opportunities ofmentoring. The first step is to develop a clearstatement of program objectives againstwhich progress may be monitored andmeasured.
Selecting the right people to becomementors is of prime importance – noteveryone is suited to the role or will want toparticipate. A selection criteria needs to bedeveloped, outlining the skills and attributesrequired in the mentors. This criteria shouldbe based on the culture of the organisationand the objectives to be achieved.
The selection of protégés should be madeon solid track record rather than aprospective protégé’s ability to presentthemselves well at a one-off interview.Merrill Lynch, developed an applicationform for protégés where they had to statewhy they thought they were suitablecandidates, what benefits and skills theywished to obtain and what kind of self-development activities they have pursued inthe last year.
Training for both the mentors and theprotégés should be provided to ensure theyfully understand their role andresponsibilities, the benefits of the program,how to develop goals and milestones andhow to establish and maintain a professional,friendly relationship. An awareness of someof the problems that could arise and how toavoid them is also essential to the success ofthe program.
Mentoring programs can be short term orlong term. A brief ‘meeting of the minds’orlast for years, until the protégé finallyoutgrows their mentor. There is no hard andfast formula but experience has shown that aone-year program appears to be theminimum to produce measurable outcomes.The rewards can be great for everyoneinvolved. Happy Mentoring!
Jan Burnes is one of Australia’s leadingBusiness Communications Trainers. Sheruns practical, highly effective workshopson “Professional Selling Skills”. Tel: (02) 9974 4899 Email: [email protected]:www.businessinaction.com.au
W
Benefits of Mentoring for the Organisation• Measured performance improvement• More cost effective than external training
• Organisational objectives can be achieved
• Maximises job satisfaction• Less time away from work• Tailored to meet specific needs• Fast tracking promotability• Increased staff loyalty• Reduces the failure/leaving rate• Improves productivity• Speeds up induction of new recruits• Provides equal opportunities to
otherwise disadvantaged groups
A formal or structured mentoring programhowever, assists the organisation to changeand achieve it’s objectives in a positive andnurturing environment. Staff moraleimproves, productivity increases and qualitystandards are raised.
Experienced staff are the most valuableasset an organisation has. When thesepeople mentor new or junior employees,there is an imparting of knowledge, skillsand information which could otherwise takeyears for the protégé to acquire.
Young staff often feel isolated from seniormanagement, creating a, ‘them and us’culture. The mentor can provide a valuableconduit to the upper echelons of yourorganisation giving the protégé a real feeling of belonging; being a part of theoverall picture.
20 Corporate Trends
JAN BURNES
demotivation and undermine others’ efforts.In this case of habitual bad behaviour(actually probably fewer than 10 per cent),recognition of the difficult behaviourpatterns can be followed with specificcoping strategies. We can’t change thesepeople but we can learn to cope with them. Here are five power questions that can helpyou to analyse any difficult situation:
The 5 Power Questions1. How frequently do these types ofsituations occur with this difficult person? If you answer ‘rarely’ or ‘sometimes’theproblem is most likely solely one ofincompatibility.If your answer is ‘rarely’ it may not evenjustify an action. Just ignoring the person onthese occasions can be sufficient to deterthem – if they don’t get a reaction, it ain’tfun anymore!
2. Am I being objective? What observations, feedback or inter-pretations have you received regarding yourdifficult person? Are others having a similarproblem or just you?
3. How does your difficult person viewyou? Would s/he consider you a difficultperson? What behaviours, attitudes or habitsof yours might be considered difficult?
4. What specific changes are you actuallylooking for in your difficult person’sbehaviour? How do they make you feelabout yourself?
5. What actions can you personally taketo help change the situation?
The strategies to useOnce you have clearly identified thebehavioural styles of yourself and yourdifficult person and objectively analysed thesituation, here are the steps to use:
The first strategy you should try is honestconfrontation. It may be that your difficultperson is simply unaware of how his or her
Taming Those Difficult People…“Why be difficult – when, with a little effort, you can be impossible!”Are you working with someone who is difficult to deal with, aggressive,submissive or totally disinterested? Does it make you wonder if somepeople’s main ambition in life is to gain an MBA – a “Master of Business Aggression!”
behaviour is affecting others. In other words,confront the difficult behaviour directly. Ifyou’re lucky, the person will realise theproblem and change their behaviour. If not,then you can move on to implement specificcoping techniques. When you do this makesure you:
• Make an appointment so you’re sureyou have the person’s attention. State yourambivalence about bringing up the matter.• State your assumption that the persondoesn’t know what s/he’s doing or howit’s affecting you. • Describe the behaviour and it’s effect onothers matter-of-factly • Offer help
A good example of the effectiveness of thisstrategy was the recent very public spatbetween the Health Minister and thePresident of the AMA. They amicablyresolved their differences over a lunchmeeting. The pair can now make a ‘freshstart’ and move on.
Habitually difficult people are nearlyalways damaged in some way. They’ve beenbadly hurt – usually early on in life – and arenot in charge of their emotions. In fact, theyoften have no idea about the effect they haveon others because they, themselves feel suchvictims inside.
This is the classic situation of someonewho has been abused or mistreated in someway actually abusing or mistreating others,consciously or unconsciously.
Difficult people usually feel unloved, theodd-one-out and unlikable. But they put iton other people to make it better instead oftaking charge for themselves. They willnearly always make you feel guilty for whatis, in fact, their problem.
Difficult people are everywhere, and it’san important part of our personaldevelopment to learn how to turn closeencounters of the worst kind into civil, saneand productive exchanges.
ll of us recognise difficultbehaviour when we see it. It’swhen people: ‘blow up’ overthe smallest thing or complain
constantly about anything and everything.They are in a perpetual ‘sulk’, spreadrumours, start ‘small wars’ and always say,“It’s not my fault” or “It’s not my job.”
These behaviours can easily destabilise anotherwise happy workplace. We feelreluctant to go to work, our productivityplummets and morale generally lowers.
So, what can we do about it?Strangely enough, the place to begin to
understand difficult behaviour in others, liesin understanding ourselves. Just as everyperson has differently shaped feet, we allhave differently ‘shaped’ personalities.However, when two people have opposingpersonality traits, a negative ‘clash ofpersonalities’ can occur.
In a recent interview, Sophia Loren, theItalian film star, was asked if she continuesto ‘act’ when she meets people. Herresponse was, “No, I’m like litmus paper - Idon’t ‘act’, I ‘react’ to people.” And that istrue of most of us. Different personalitystyles have different effects on us, bothnegative and positive.
Incompatible personality stylesMost of us have met people who give us theinstant ‘irrits’ and yet who seem to be quitepopular with other people! It thereforefollows that many cases of difficultbehaviour in others, results fromincompatible personality styles. By findingout more about who we are, our behaviourtraits and our personality style, we can beginto understand how others differ from us.This understanding in itself, often solves ourproblem with these ‘difficult’ people
The first thing participants do, in our one-day workshop ‘Dealing with DifficultPeople’, is to identify their own personalitystyle. They then learn how to identify otherpeople’s personality styles.In some cases, however, people habituallybehave in ways that cause stress and
A
Jan Burnes is one of Australia’s leadingBusiness Communications Trainers. Sheruns practical, highly effective workshopson “Professional Selling Skills”. Tel: (02) 9974 4899 Email: [email protected]:www.businessinaction.com.au
Corporate Trends 21
JAN BURNES
No, you’re not imagining it. There are some people who canbrighten a room just by leaving it!
Coping with the DifficultPerson on Your Team…
owever, according to expertssuch as Dr Robert Bramson,author of the book, “Dealingwith Difficult People” over 90
per cent of workers, want to do a good joband get along well with others. If you arereading this, a member of the minority isprobably causing you some grief. Someproblems exist, and as a supervisor, youneed to try and work things out.
It might simply be a personality clash oryour employee may have some problemsthat need to be worked out. Even if it is‘their problem’you must take ownership offinding a solution. Letting the situationremain unresolved may have a contagiouseffect on the rest of your staff members.
Try to recall past conversations with yourproblem employee. What was the tone ofyour meetings like? Were you highly criticaland quick to point out mistakes in theperson’s work? Were tensions high andemotions running at fever pitch? Maybe noteach and every time… but be honest now,didn’t just a little bit of that exist?
Children in adult’s bodiesAs a supervisor you will quickly learn (ifyou haven’t already) that difficult staffmembers are just like children – nothingmore than little people in big people’sbodies; and, just like children, they tend tolive up to our expectations of them.Therefore, if we are always critical andcomplaining, they will continue to act in away to give rise to criticism. They oftenmisbehave for the intended purpose ofattracting attention. If they can’t getattention with positive behaviour, they beginto act improperly to get their pay-off.
Conversely, if we praise and recognisethem, they seem to blossom and grow –even if they were a ‘little stinker’ before!Give the employee a ‘quick fix’ by givingreassurance of their ability. Chances may bethe person lacks the confidence needed tokeep up with others in the team. A kind,reassuring word from the boss may be justthe boost needed to get over some hurdles.
It may be that the employee is justoverwhelmed with the amount of work thatneeds to be done. Schedules, deadlines, newtechnology and the like can get prettyfrightening at times. Be there, to provide theencouragement needed.
Be prepared for one more possibility. Youmay not like hearing this, but it just might bethat this person doesn’t like you. In fact, thisperson might not like their colleagues either.Some people just don’t seem to like anyone!This is extremely frustrating for thesupervisor who works hard to develop asense of team spirit and camaraderieamongst the staff.
There’s always one…An example of this came about four weeksafter I hired a new receptionist. She used toput all my incoming faxes on my desk firstthing in the morning – still in the longcontinuous roll as they had emerged fromthe fax machine. This made extra work forme, as I had to cut and separate theindividual faxes, collate them and thenstaple them together.
I approached the young woman, feelingquite agitated and requested that in futurewould she please staple my incoming faxestogether. The following morning there wasthe usual pile of faxes on my desk but thistime she had stapled all of them together by putting the staples round every edge of the pages!
You need to decide if you and the rest ofyour team could continue to “live with it”and work with this person? How has thisemployee affected team morale and teamproductivity? When these last two pointsbecome an issue, it is time to do somethingabout it – and fast! This situation, more thanany other you may face as a supervisor, callsfor immediate and decisive action.
Difficult employees can be among themost trying of management challenges. It isnot easy to get maximum productivity outof your people and maintain a satisfied,loyal workforce. But it is these twin goalsthat lie at the heart of good management.
Jan Burnes is one of Australia’s leadingBusiness Communications Trainers. Sheruns practical, highly effective workshopson “Professional Selling Skills”. Tel: (02) 9974 4899 Email: [email protected]:www.businessinaction.com.au
It’s results that countDon’t lose sight of your long-term goal.Getting the work out is what counts. Bewilling to accept the other person’s feelingsas long as this doesn’t interfere with yourwork, the work of others and the overallresults of your team. It’s not required thatyou like someone or be liked in return, inorder to get the job done. This is difficult toaccept if you are a high “Relater”personality type.
Put your personal feelings about thisperson aside for a moment. Check withothers to get a feel for the mood in thedepartment along with their attitudes aboutthis particular person. What would happen ifyou did nothing further? Sometimes, indifficult situations, the ‘cure’ can be worsethan the ‘complaint’ – the hardest thing is todo nothing.
H
22 Corporate Trends
JAN BURNES
The tired old jokes about the (lack of) inter-personal skills of accountants or computerboffins may not be entirely groundless!
It follows therefore, that when facedwith the prospect of having to establish arelationship with clients (you know – allthat warm and fuzzy stuff), theanalytical-thinker feels uncomfortable.
During their careers it has beennecessary for them to mainly function inthe left (analytical) side of their brain.While this ensures they are technicallycompetent, it doesn’t suffice in today’sbusiness climate.
The professional salespersonToday, there is a whole new breed of salesperson in the market place. Selling is nolonger the job you do when you haven’t gota job. It’s the job you do because you enjoyit. It’s a job that requires specific skills andknowledge and a high level of expertise to
utilise them. Old selling techniques nolonger meet today’s challenges. Instead ofsimply trying to sell, we are reaching for ahigher plateau by providing solutions topeople’s problems.
The essence of selling is the peopleinvolved. It focuses on effective two-waycommunication. Today’s professionalsales person is:
• A good listener – rather than a goodtalker• A good questioner who encouragespeople to talk honestly about theirneeds• Genuinely interested in people• Good at gathering information andusing it to help people satisfy theirneeds and solve their problems.
Selling is all about using our natural abilitiesto identify which features and benefits ourcustomer really wants and then helpingthem to make the right decision.
“Selling isn’t something you do topeople – it’s something you do withpeople through effective communicationand sensitive interaction.”
When faced with the task of having to ‘SELL’, many staff secretly
believe it is ‘beneath them.’ And, whilst they may pay ‘lip service’
to any sales training offered, the question remains: “Do they
really enjoy selling?”
Switch on YourSelling Power!
s your organisation technology andproduct driven? Are your staffopposed to having to SELL? One ofthe biggest challenges for senior
managers today, is to introduce a SalesCulture into an organisation that has not, bytradition, been involved in selling.
The answer to this dilemnna is toencourage our staff to, Switch on theirSelling Power,by using their naturalabilities in a confident, professional andprofitable way.
Harnessing nature’s giftsFrom the moment we start to communicate,we attempt to persuade others to take theactions we want. We implore, reason,encourage, threaten, cajole, seduce, tempt,charm and a host of other actions in order totry to achieve this.
Just take the example of getting ourchildren to clean up their room or eattheir greens. Getting our partner to agreeto accompany us to a movie he or she doesn’t want to see or encouragingour staff to perform an unpleasant ortedious task.
Despite it’s vital role in business, somestaff instinctively feel selling is not quitetheir thing; and even those employed asprofessional sales people try to cover uptheir function with euphemisms such asTerritory Manager, Account Executive,Marketing Consultant, etc. However, intoday’s extremely competitivemarketplace, organisations have toactively ‘SELL’ their products andservices to their clients.
The Erroneous ZonesAnother reason some business professionals(especially those from IT and finance), findit so difficult to ‘SELL’ is their ‘personalitystyle’. These industries attract people whoare very cerebral, analytical, and task-orientated, rather than people-orientated.
I
Jan Burnes is one of Australia’s leadingBusiness Communications Trainers. Sheruns practical, highly effective workshopson “Professional Selling Skills”. Tel: (02) 9974 4899 Email: [email protected]:www.businessinaction.com.au
EXPLORING THE SALES MYTH
In our, Professional Selling Skills, workshop, one of the first activities we getparticipants to do is to consider how they feel about themselves (and other salespeople) by completing the following questionnaire:
Answer YES or No to the following questions:
• I would feel offended if someone introduced me as a ‘Sales Rep’• Most salespeople do not let you get a word in edgeways• People can usually be persuaded by a good talker• The role of a salesperson is to convince me that I need what they are offering• Good salespeople need to be extroverts and able to dominate the discussion• Sales people avoid any objections I may have• I do not enjoy being ‘sold to’• I think men are more suited to the demands of the sales role• I lack the aggression and persistence needed to make people buy.
The objective of this exercise is to uncover some of the commonly held ‘myths’surrounding the profession of selling.
A #1 best selling author, former Australian Executive Woman of the Year & Speaker of the Year, Catherineis one of the most sought after speakers today. She has worked with business leaders and elite athletes. Akeen sportswoman herself, she has attended the Barcelona Olympics, completed marathons, bicycled overthe Andes and climbed 20,000 feet to the summit of Kilimanjaro in Africa. She was also honoured to carrythe Olympic torch on the day of the opening ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Yet, she believesthe greatest challenges of all... are those we face in our everyday lives.
Catherine has worked for a decade with IBM in marketing, education, communications and personnel.Following two years in Japan as Asia Pacific Headquarters Personnel Manager, she gained a heightenedawareness and commitment to quality customer service. As Customer Education Manager for Asia/SouthPacific, she acquired an appreciation of regional differences and current leadership issues. Earlierexperiences as Communications and Special Events Manager provided insight into effective, motivationalprograms and conference organisation. Following IBM, Catherine was CEO of Young (Junior)Achievement Australia.
A former board member of the NSW Police Service, Catherine also worked for state government as aspeech writer and press secretary to Ministers of Consumer Affairs and Education. Prior to that, she wasresponsible for all sports funding and involved in the establishment of the award-winning 'Life. Be in It'fitness campaign.
Catherine holds a Master of Science degree and has attended short courses at Harvard University and theMonash/Mt Eliza Business School where she is also a frequent lecturer.
Her best selling books are Hope Happens!, Good Service is Good Business, Hot Lemon & Honey, TheCustomer Service Zoo, Japan-An A-Z Guide
Catherine DevryeEvery day above the ground is a
good one!
24 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE DEVRYE
Change is Inevitable. Learning is Optional!We can’t stop change but somepeople just never learn to acceptit and adjust.
o you sometimes feel thatyou are only constantlybanging your head against awall because it feels so good
when you stop? Do you know peoplewho, when faced with immovableobjects, tasks or situations, never seemto stop banging their head against whatever imaginary brick wall is in their way?
They never seem to learn. They neverseem willing to adapt by looking atalternatives such as going around thebrick wall rather than trying in vain togo through it.
A change in the roadIt may be something as simple as adetour on a familiar, well travelled road.I know a person who became incensedwhen repairs were being done to a streetand they could no longer take theirchosen route to work.
One of their colleagues pointed outthat they had inadvertently discoveredthat the alternative route was, in factshorter. It contained one less set oftraffic lights so, they would continueusing it, even once repairs to the oldroute were completed.
Still, our complainer complained;became almost obsessed with thediversion and how the change in routehad changed his routine. This sameperson was always the one whinging atwork as well; resisting new technology,an altered product line, a new manageror renovations to the office layout. Youname it, he resisted it, either actively or passively.
Sometimes the grumble would beonly a low mumble when other times,the gripe would continue long after
everyone else had forgotten there hadeven been a change!
It wasn’t hard to see why thisemployee, who was highly qualified andtechnically competent, had been passedover for promotions. As his manager atthe time, I felt obliged to point this outduring a performance review. I cited a joke about two guys who wentto see ‘True Grit’. John Wayne, whonever falls off his horse, did so in thatmovie. One of the men had seen itbefore, so he bet his buddy five dollarsthat John Wayne would fall off hishorse. Naturally, his friend took the bet,thinking that John Wayne never falls offhis horse.
Optional learningAfter they came out of the picturetheatre, he reached into his pocket to payhis bet, muttering that he couldn'tbelieve that John Wayne fell off hishorse. His friend refused to accept hiswinnings, admitting that he'd seen themovie before and had tricked his friendinto the bet.
‘Well, I'd seen it before too”, he replied“but I can’t believe he'd fall off twice!I thought this story was a light-heartedexample about optional learning fromchanged circumstance. However, theanalogy seemed to fall on deaf ears forthe problem employee, which prompted
me to reflect that you could lead a horseto water but you couldn’t make it drink!
The biggest mistake of allFew of us welcome all changes. And, allof us make mistakes. But one of thebiggest mistakes of all, is to welcome nochange whatsoever.
With the advent of cars at the turn ofthe century, it was inevitable that therewould be a decline in the buggy whipmarket. Computers have replaced type-writers. Faxes have replaced telegramsand will likely be obsolete themselveswith the growth of electronic mail.
In the 1950’s, IBM founder, ThomasWatson, stated that there would only bea global market for five computers!
In the 1970’s, the chairman of Digital,boldly declared there would never becomputers in the home. And, in 1981,the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates,stated that no user would ever requiremore than 640K of memory!
Admit they were wrongEven these leaders of multinationalcorporations hadn’t anticipated thechanges in the technology market at thetime. What made their organisationssuccessful under their leadership wastheir ability to admit their predictionswere wrong and revise their strategiesaccordingly in a changing world.
Like the cowboy philosopher, WillRogers, they also knew that even ifyou’re on the right track, you’ll get runover if you just stand there!
Without doubt, they also knew that:‘Change is inevitable. Learning fromchange is optional!’
D
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’llget run over if you just stand there!”
Will Rogers
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
Corporate Trends 25
CATHERINE DEVRYE
The Customer Service ZooCreate customers for life—and a life for yourself!
o you ever feel that it’s a zooout there? That you’re theonly one who truly caresabout customer care while
everyone else pays lip service tocustomer service? That others try tocomplicate the simple truths of serviceexcellence? That you’re so busy lookingafter your customers you don’t havetime to look after yourself?
If so, then a moment at ‘TheCustomer Service Zoo’ may be justwhat you need to regain perspective.
Listen to your customers and your staff
Unlike an ostrich, never buryyour head in the sand andignore changing customerexpectations as research showsthat 67 per cent of Australianconsumers have significantlyhigher expectations than 5 years ago. The six mostexpensive words in businessare: “We’ve always done it that way”.
To avoid becoming anendangered species of business,be receptive to suggestionsfrom new staff who may have adifferent perspective from yourtraditional way of operations.
The customer servicezooIn listening to my own customers, theyrecall not so much the facts and figuresof my presentations but the stories.That’s why the ‘Customer Service Zoo’contains 26 animal analogies, inalphabetical order, within a larger storyof a parent who takes a child to the zooand finds some simple answers to customer service among the animal kingdom.
It’s not the way we’ve always writtenbusiness books but it does demonstratethe bottom line benefits of acting in agiraffe like fashion and sticking yourneck out to set higher standards.Great customer service yields tangiblefinancial benefits and perceived serviceleaders can charge an average of 9-10per cent more for the same basic good orservice, grow two times faster than theircompetition and improve market sharean average of 6 per cent, per year.
Complaints are good newsMost businesses dread customercomplaints. Yet, these seeminglynegative comments provide the bestopportunity to turn lions into lambs andcreate loyal customers and referrals.Loyal customers are the most likely totake time to complain. Others simplytake their business elsewhere.
The wombat theoryRemember the wombat theory ofmarketing? “Word Of Mouth-BestAdvertising Technique”because it costsfive times more to obtain a new
customer than it does to retain anexisting one. But, what aboutmaintaining your own sanity in thisturbulent customer world?
Create customers for life —and a lifefor yourself!
“I'm too busy to exercise. I never havetime for family and friends. Who canspare an hour to go to the gym? Howcan I read a book or listen to musicwhen I've got so much to do?”
Does this sound familiar?
The customer is #1No doubt you've either spoken or heardone of these distressed comments. Afterall, we've been told that the customer isnumber one.
Rubbish!Customer well being is not nearly as
important as my personal well being.Admittedly, this may sound selfish and
contrary to popular business thinkingbut we can't possibly serve others to thebest of our ability unless we have amplephysical and mental reserves ourselves.We need to be at our personal best togive our personal best.
If we take better care of ourselves,we’ll be able to take better care of ourcustomers. In return, they will takebetter care of our financial needsthrough repeat business. That’s why it’simportant to strike that delicate balancein our environment.
Unlike the zebra, few customersituations are ever black or white and
the future success of anybusiness, large or small, willdepend on survival of the wisest.
Yes, it can be a zoo outthere but it doesn’t need to be.
One organisation I’dspoken to, informed me thatthey’d saved $300,000 as aresult of my presentation;another boasted they hadboosted productivity 40 per cent.
Flattered as I was, the truthis that it wasn’t so muchwhat I said, but what the staffheard. More so,management allowed themto be empowered to actupon what they’d heard.
Even as the author of a previous #1best selling book “Good Service isGood Business”, I know that c
D
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
Me with a hairy friend at the zoo. (I’m the one on the left).
26 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE DEVRYE
Life is Like a Bicycle…
t had been some years since I'dcycled and the three gears on myold bike were unlikely to providethe technological advantage I'd
need for an unsupported cycleadventure over the Andes And, on theother side of forty, I'd need all the help Icould get!
“What would you recommend for amiddle aged woman wanting to cycleover the Andes,” I asked a youngsalesman in the cycle shop?
“Why don't you bring her in and we'llsee what we can do,” he replied with awry smile.
A service geniusHe was either a service genius or a conman! I discovered it was the former, ashe patiently explained the variousproducts and I eventually decided on atwenty-one speed model.
With the best technology available,seven of us started planning logisticsand it was soon evident that there weremany similarities with businesschallenges. First, we had set a goal ofascending over 5,200 metres fromArgentina to the border of Chile, thenhead downhill from the summit to thePacific Ocean, over 800 kms away.
The map provided a preliminary plan,admittedly daunting until the overallproject was broken down intomanageable chunks: estimating howmuch ground could be covered eachday, making allowances forbreakdowns, weather and questionableroad conditions.
After obtaining visas and securityclearances, training started in earnest.We had inadvertently started when firstlearning to ride a bike, all those yearsago. And, although most had not cycledmuch since, the basic skills (like manywe possess), lay dormant and trainingwheels weren't necessary.
Still, aging muscles needed to be gentlyeased into a training regime. Startingwith easy rides on cycle paths, wescheduled increasingly difficult rides,progressing to the roads and hills inpreparation for Buenos Aires traffic(although nothing could haveadequately prepared us for that!) Like agood business plan, we needed to walkbefore we could run. Set rewards along the wayMonths rolled on, fitness increased andafter each session, we enjoyedcamaraderie over cappuccinos andsome tasty treat. Likewise, on a
business journey, it's important to setlittle rewards along the way. This isespecially true when you feel you'reconstantly pedalling uphill or into ahead wind.
We set off to the airport full ofunbridled enthusiasm. Confidencewaned when our bikes arriveddamaged. Our tyres and spirits wereboth flat but we hadn't come this far togive in easily.
After repairs, the first day was a ninehour up-hill battle against gale forcewinds and we wondered if we'd made aserious mistake. We hadn't seen a singlevehicle in that entire time, so there wasno choice but to continue. Arriving soreand dirty, we agreed that we shouldhave trained more rigorously in the firstplace. We wished we were at home inour own comfortable environment, yetif there, knew we'd have been wishingwe were on an exciting adventure!
The following days seemed easier as weworked more as a team, gaining somerelief from the winds by riding closetogether in each other's slipstream.When we encountered 80 kilometre perhour head winds and snow, our goalseemed impossible. But, throughpersistence, we reached the border ofArgentina and Chile at the top of thesummit pass. “Why would anyone intheir right mind want to cycle over theAndes anyway,” you might ask?
Customs officials probably thoughtthe same thing and body searched us fordrugs. They were convinced we had tobe on them! But, the rush we felt was anatural high, as we headed downhill,easily covering twice the daily distanceof the ascent, taking time to stop andenjoy the magnificent scenery.
Crazy — until it works!So too, people with innovative businessideas are considered crazy — until theidea works! We'd stepped outside ourcomfort zones and tested our ownlimits. Dwarfed by mountain grandeur,we were reminded that we were onlypart of a much bigger picture and weoften lost perspective about minorroadblocks in our way.
So, how do ordinary, middle agedpeople cycle over the Andes?
Exactly the same way we shouldapproach all challenges in our everydaylife — one pedal stroke at a time; onestep at a time; one distance at a time, aswe set higher challenges for ourselvesthan anyone else would, alwaysremembering that:
Life is like a 21 speed bicycle — mostof us have gears we never even use!
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
I
Life is like a 21 speed bicycle…most of us have gears we never even use…
Corporate Trends 27
CATHERINE DEVRYE
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
Hot Lemon & Honey
t could have been an encouragingteacher, a boss who believed inyou, an elderly aunt whoexpanded your horizons or a
colleague who willingly helped on aproject outside their job description.
It could have even been a completestranger—a burly truck driver who, inspite of a tight schedule, stops to changea tyre for a stranded motorist or aninsurance agent who calls a widow longafter her husband’s death, just to sayhello. It might be a mobile phone dealerwho loans his own phone to a tradesmanrelying on communication; or amanager who arranges child care for asingle mother in need of an operation; ora chemist who delivers a prescription toa pensioner after hours.
After all, none of us are really in thetransport, insurance, retail or health carebusiness. We’re all in the peoplebusiness! And, people buy goods andservices from people they like.
Helping ourselvesIn every one of those true examplesmentioned, repeat business flowed tothose who did that little bit extra.
By helping others, we help ourselves,even if it’s just feeling better aboutourselves. When we think of helpingoccupations, our minds traditionallyturn to the caring professions of nursing,social work and emergency workers.But, every career has the capacity tocare; to combine the head and the heart;to feel we’re making a difference toboth our own pocket books and fillingpockets of need in others, throughrandom acts of kindness and beauty.When I started speaking professionally,I believed I could make money andmake a difference. However, like most
small business owners, I was oftenplagued with doubt. One such occasionfollowed a five-hour flight when Iarrived at the hotel with no voice.Scheduled to speak to 400 real estateagents the next morning, this wasindeed a predicament!
At check-in, the receptionist startedher standard greeting, outlining the fivestar facilities but I cut her short, withlittle more than a whisper, to say that Iwasn’t well and simply wanted to get tomy room immediately. I promptly
unpacked, showered and curled up inbed, feeling somewhat sorry for myselfaway from home, when I heard anunexpected knock at the door.
A pleasant surprise“Room service,” the voice on the otherside of the door said. I croakilyinformed him that I hadn’t orderedroom service.
“Yes, Ms DeVrye, we know youhaven’t ordered room service but wealso know you’re not feeling well, sowe have brought some hot lemon andhoney with our compliments.”
Sure enough, on a silver tray, wasexactly what I would have wanted if I’dbeen home. In addition, there was ahand written note from the chef offeringto make chicken soup and another notefrom the concierge, with some vitaminC tablets and an offer to obtain anyadditional medication from thepharmacy in town.
As someone who spends over 80nights a year in five star hotels, I knowthat sort of service isn’t standard, nor isit in anyone’s job description. Thereceptionist put herself in my shoes and
coordinated others to deliveroutstanding service. I felt better alreadyand naturally, any traveller wouldremember that experience long afterthey’d forgotten the marble in the foyer!
My voice marginally restored, thenext day, I addressed the realtors andused this real time example of goingthat extra mile to truly care about thecustomer. I’d arranged for thereceptionist to attend the presentationand when I later checked out, she saidshe felt somewhat shocked by thespontaneous applause from theaudience.
“Just to know that you felt better,made me feel better about my day. Ididn’t expect any thanks,” she said. Bydoing that little extra, she gained extrasatisfaction for herself.
A winning themeI’m pleased to report that the real estatecompany adopted ‘Hot Lemon &Honey’, service as their annual theme,achieving record profits that year. And,‘Hot Lemon & Honey…ReflectionsFor Success in Times of Change’subsequently became the title for mynew book, which I’m honoured to haveendorsed by Sir Edmund Hillary andJack Canfield, author of ‘Chicken Soupfor the Soul’.
Remember this receptionist, and allthe other folks mentioned in this article,when you get up and head off to workeach day. Because, in spite of thefrustration we all experience in ourdaily tasks, isn’t it reassuring toremember that we too truly can:
‘Make our life worth living as ourliving is being made’.
I“Make your lifeworth living as your living is being made”.
Think of people, outside familyand friends, who have contributedin some way, large or small, tomake your life more pleasant.
28 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE DEVRYE
Reflections for Successin Times of Change…When what used to work at workno longer works…it’s time tochange our ways of thinking — and think of ways of changing.
ometimes, we’re so busybeing busy, we hardly havetime to think about what it isthat we’re actually trying to
achieve in our work and in our lives.If you’ve ever felt swamped with
workload…If you’ve ever wonderedhow to better balance your professionaland personal life…If you’ve everwanted a good reason to take somereflective time to think on those dayswhen you don’t know whether you’recoming or going…Then, my latest book‘Hot Lemon & Honey — ReflectionsFor Success in Times of Change’hasbeen written just for you.
Thousands of others have alreadyread it and in less than six weeks, it wason its second print run. I believe thebook’s success, highlights that othersshare a similar sense of questioning and‘Hot Lemon & Honey’,hit a nerve.
It offers inspiration and encourage-ment to anyone who might bequestioning their role. It contains aseries of quotable quotes that have beenexpanded to embrace a widerphilosophy in the workplace — to touchthe heart, as well as the head.
Time to thinkIn his book, ‘Age of Uncertainty’, bestselling British author and futurist,Charles Handy, states: “If the research isto be believed, most executives will nothave spent more than ten consecutiveminutes alone in the working day. Theyhave not had the time to think, even ifthey know what to think about andwhere to start”.In talking with thousands of individuals,I’ve found that whether one is an
executive or factory floor worker, mostface similar struggles, only in a differentcontext.
Worker boss mentalityThe worker thinks the boss never hasany problems because they are ‘incharge’, without understanding that theproblems are simply different and morecomplex the higher one goes on anorganisational chart. Meanwhile, theboss often wishes to return to thesimpler life of not having to manageother people, who seem to be the cause
instant secrets to success or magicovernight formulas. You have theanswer to know what will work best foryou! After all, so much of life is aparadox. Consider some of the oldfashioned quotes you probably heardfrom your grandparents. Some seemimmutable, while others, we may intime question. For instance, I wasbrought up to believe:
“Look before you leap” and “He whohesitates is lost”.
I must admit that, until recently, Ihadn’t given any consideration to theobvious contradiction, when thesequotes are placed side by side!However, that doesn’t necessarilydiminish the wisdom in either becauseboth, at the appropriate time, may beequally apt.
Look at things differently‘Hot Lemon & Honey’ is a collection oftimeless quotes and modern daybusiness philosophy. It’s intended toinspire the reader who may usually betoo busy to be bothered with ideas; ideaswhich impact our professional andpersonal lives; ideas which touch theheart and the head; ideas which make adifference if we take time to look atthings differently.
As you reflect, with an open mind, asyou undoubtedly do as a reader ofCorporate Trends, on the commonsense relevance of simple thoughts,you’ll discover that it truly is possible tomake your life worth living as yourliving is being made, if you canremember:
“When what used to work at work nolonger works…it’s time to change ourways of thinking and think of ways of changing”.
Whether in Delhi orDallas, New Yorkor New Zealand,
I find there are moresimilarities than
differences with thehuman side of
workplace issues.
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
S
of his or her problems, withoutremembering the different problemsthat they had when they weren’t ‘incharge’. It’s a strange paradox.
Whether in Delhi or Dallas, NewZealand or New York, I find there aremore similarities than differences withthe human side of workplace issues.
Certainly, there are significant culturaldifferences but employees andemployers alike, around the world, allshare a common desire — to provide thebest possible livelihood and lifestyle forthemselves and their families to livehappily. So to, the differences within thecultures of individual organisations oreven departments within organisations.Beware of management gurus with
Corporate Trends 29
CATHERINE DEVRYE
The Five Circles of Excellence…With Australia hosting the Olympics,
why not go for gold in achieving
your goals in life?
he Olympics gave Australia theopportunity to show the worldthat we’re world class. Not onlyin the pool or on the track but
that our pool of talent in the work place willgive this country a great track record formany years to come.
I’ve been privileged to attend the closingceremonies in Atlanta when the flame wasextinguished and four years later stand atUluru, where Nova Peris Kneebone, anoutstanding athlete and ambassadorfor her sport and country, acceptedthe first torch on Australian soil.
What makes a champion?This prompted me to wonderwhat makes a champion —on or off the field.
Countless similarities exist betweensuccess in sport and success in business butspace here only allows for five so I’ve calledthem The Five Circles of Excellence— likethe five Olympic rings.
Here they are:
Champions strive for continuous improvement
The Olympic ideal of faster, higher,stronger, could easily be applied to business,especially in these days of high speedinternet communications, higher customerexpectations and stronger globalcompetition.
Champions are persistent
Vince Lombardi, legendary gridiron coach(not yet an Olympic sport!) once stated:‘Winners never quit and quitters never win!’
We all like to be seen as winners but feware willing to make the necessarycommitment. In sport, and most areas ofhuman endeavour, it is nothing less thanconsistent performance that identifies theultimate champion. The eventual winner isnot hesitant to put in the additional hours orgo the extra distance. They exercise not onlytheir bodies but also the self-discipline to
using the government referees andinterference simply as a scapegoat.
Justifications may be valid but theultimate responsibility rests with theindividual leader who must accept and placesuch situations in perspective and continuemoving toward the ultimate long-rangegoal, in spite of setbacks along the way.
Champions have attitudeChampions have attitude and always give
their Personal Best.A healthy ego, whether dormant or
bordering on arrogance, is notuncharacteristic of leaders in sport andbusiness. Only through this inner belief inthemselves and their goals, are they able tomotivate others. Top performers in theworkplace, should be treated as heroes. Butremember, true champions are also gracious
and make others feel special in theirpresence.
Let’s all go for goldMost Australians participated inthe Olympic opening
ceremonies on September 15,2000. That’s the day most Australians
participated in the opening ceremonies:opening the fridge, opening a cool can oftheir favourite brew and, opening theirhearts to worldwide visitors, who for a briefmoment in time, shared the joys of this greatSouthern land. More than ever before, let’sall go for gold medal service — to ourcustomers, our colleagues and our country.
Who knows, maybe it will become ahabit? Good habits lead to excellence andconsistent excellence creates champions.
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
T
persevere, often against incredible odds. Races aren’t won or lost in the main
stadium in a few seconds. They’re won orlost on lonely, empty tracks, year after year,week after week, day after day of hardpractice, before one even gets near the bigevent. It’s the same at work.
In short, winners do what losers didn’t. Champions take risks and Accept the consequences
Ironically, winners lose more often becausethey’re willing to take more risks.
Sport forces athletes to make instantdecisions and accept the consequences oftheir actions. Confidence increases withevery victory — however small. Onlypractice, combined with assessments ofsuccess and failure, can develop theintuitive decisiveness and timing that arethe critical success factors in sport andbusiness alike. Winning managers willprovide opportunities for individuals to trynew skills and perfect old ones.
Champions don’t make excuses
The score on the board is the bottom line inbusiness. The arena is the market place andlittle can be gained from blaming a spate ofindustrial injuries for poor performance or
30 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE DEVRYE
Dream it… Dare it… and Do it!During the Olympic Games, many
a dream was achieved or shattered
in just a mere thousandth of a
second…
or some, silver medals weredisappointing, although beingsecond best in the world iscertainly no shame. Others like
‘Eric the Eel’, had their wildest dreamsfulfiled by simply competing, even thoughthey finished last. For this African swimmer,who had never before swam in a 50 metrepool, winning was never an expectation so,never a disappointment. He enjoyed themoment more than most, as did so many ofthe Paralympians, who are an example ofcourage to us all.
Carrying the torchI was thrilled and humbled to carry theOlympic torch on the day of the openingceremonies. As Sydney hosted the biggestparty in our history, I couldn’t help butreflect that I never had a 21st birthdaycelebration because my parents died fromcancer within that year and the dreams I’ddreamed up until that time, were suddenlyshattered. My best friend was in Australia ata time when I really needed a best friend so,with no immediate family, I left Canadawith a backpack and $200 for a 3 monthworking holiday down under, feelingvulnerable and very alone.
Some timely adviceWithin days of arrival, an elderly gentwisely advised: “Everyday above theground is a good one”.
Isn’t that the truth, especially in a countryas blessed as Australia! At the time, little didI realise that the biggest problem of my lifewould become the biggest opportunity.Now, a proud Australian citizen for over aquarter of a century, who travels half amillion kilometres per year, I’m grateful tolive in this wonderful island continent andam acutely aware that it’s up to all of us tokeep it that way.
Sure, there were some glitches with theorganisation of the biggest event in theworld, but organisers, volunteers andordinary citizens alike, should all feel proud
of the performance we put in as a nation. Wecombined old fashioned Aussie friendliness,with world best class practice, to show theworld we’re a force to be reckoned with –on and off the field.
We need to make sure that long after theGames of the millennium are over, we neverforget that as individuals, going about ourmore mundane business, we each continueto give our personal best. We must neversettle for anything less to insure Australiahas a great track record for years to come, inthe globally competitive world ofcommerce.
It starts with YOUYour personal beststarts with you. With ourproud egalitarian past, we’ve often confusedservice with subservience but we need toeach give our personal best service to our
customers, community and country.Whether Australian by birth or Australian bychoice, we need to unite to go that extradistance, if we’re to continue to enjoy thequality of life that we’ve come to take forgranted in this lucky country.
Igniting the flameI’ve been privileged to attend the closingceremonies when the flame wasextinguished in Atlanta and four years laterstand at Uluru, when it first arrived on ourshore. It was a tremendous honour to carry iton the day of the Opening Ceremonies.
Most of us participated in the openingceremonies – opening the fridge, opening acool can of our favourite brew and openingour hearts to worldwide visitors, who for abrief moment in time, shared the joys of thisgreat Southern land.
Australia comes of ageWe need to remember that the best customerrelations, is not to treat our customers likewe treat our relations – like people we feelwe need to put up with or people we take forgranted – until it’s too late.
I may have missed my 21st birthdaycelebrations, one September a long timeago, when I first learned this lesson andarrived in Australia with my life at an alltime low. But I made up for it in September2000, when life was near an all time high,when I carried the flame. As the OlympicGames become little more than a memory,it’s safe to say that as a nation, the rest of theworld will now know that we’ve well andtruly come of age.
Dream it. Dare it! Do it! Whenever I think about the Olympic flame,I will always think of it as a symbol of hopeburning eternal and the need to never lose aburning passion for life. The Olympic flameserves as a constant reminder to have bigdreams, like Pierre de Coubertin, founder ofthe modern Olympic Games. We all need todream great things. Then, we need to dare tofollow those dreams. But ultimately, like thewords of a famous sponsor we all know, wejust need to do it. And, we’ll keep growing,as a nation and as individuals, if we continueto dream it, dare it and do it!
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1best seller Good Service is Good Businessand latest best seller HopeHappens!…Words of Encouragement forTough Times’. Winner of the AustralianExecutive Woman of the Year Award,she speaks internationally on managingchange, customer service and turningobstacles to opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
F
Catherine running with the Olympictorch on Manly Beach, September 2000
Corporate Trends 31
CATHERINE DEVRYE
What New Resolutions Will You Make?When what used to work at workno longer works, it’s time to changeour ways of thinking and think of ways of changing…
hat New Millenniumresolutions did youmake? How many willyou keep? And, why
bother if you don’t plan to follow through? Whether a new millennium or simply a
new year, it’s that time when we vow tomake changes to our lives. Sure, we’d like tochange others or change the world but as Irecently had the privilege to hear NelsonMandela, say:
“When you have overcome the difficultyof changing yourself, then you can face thedifficulty of changing others.”
Unlike Mandela, how many of us arewilling to pay the personal price of turningresolutions into realities? It’s far easier to dowhat we’ve always done and point thefinger at someone else for our short falls.
My elderly aunt used to say, ‘May yourtroubles last as long as your New Year’sresolutions’.
She never became a household name butlike Mandela, her homespun wisdom is noless relevant. After the dazzling fireworkshave long faded in the night sky and thechampagne is flatter than a pancake, manyfeel much the same, as they head back towork – rather than welcoming the dawn of anew day with its countless opportunitiesstretching ahead.
Time to thinkWhat’s great about New Year’s Day – eventhough it’s just another 24 hour day – is thatwe’re prompted to pause for at least a littlewhile to reassess the direction in whichwe’re headed. We’re so busy being busy, wehardly have time to think about what it iswe’re actually trying to achieve in our workand in our lives.
Have you ever felt swamped with theworkload? Have you ever wondered how tobetter balance your professional andpersonal life? Have you ever wanted areason to take some reflective time to think,on those days when you don’t knowwhether you’re coming or going? Everthought you’re the only person who feelsthis way? Then, read on…
In ‘Age of Uncertainty’ best selling Britishauthor, Charles Handy, states:“If research isto be believed, most executives will notspend more than ten consecutive minutesalone in the working day. They have not hadthe time to think – even if they know what tothink about and where to start.”
Reflections for successThat’s why I wrote ‘Hot Lemon & Honey –Reflections for Success in Times of Change’.Written specifically for today’s busy person,the 52 chapters were carefully designed soyou could comfortably spend just 10minutes each week of the year reading achapter and then have the remainder of theweek to reflect on how those thoughts mightapply to you. Okay, okay. I know that sounds like aunashamed, blatant plug for my book (and itis) but again, let me ask you the question:
‘When was the last time you set time asideto seriously think about the direction inwhich you are headed?’
Congratulations if you’ve done sorecently but be honest – is once a yearenough? What would happen if you set asidejust 10 minutes a week for a mental tune up?
Whether speaking in Delhi or Dallas,Singapore or Sydney, I find there are moresimilarities than differences when it comesto the human side of workplace issues.
Certainly, there are cultural differences.However, employees and employers alikearound the world, all share a common desireto provide the best possible livelihood andlifestyle for themselves and their families.So too, there are differences within the
cultures of individual organisations or evendepartments within organisations.
I don’t pretend to prescribe answers, justquestions that are worth thinking about. Youhave the answer to what will work best foryou! And, your personal ‘truths’ will differfrom time to time. Even if you consider someold fashioned quotes that we probably heardfrom grandparents, some seem immutablewhile others we may, in time, question.
For instance, I was brought up to believe,‘Look before you leap’and ‘He whohesitates is lost.’
I must admit that, until writing ‘HotLemon & Honey’, I hadn’t given anyconsideration to the obvious contradictionwhen these quotes are placed side by side!However, that doesn’t necessarily diminishthe wisdom in either because both may beequally apt at the appropriate time. So muchof life is a paradox.
Ideas make the differenceWhat’s right for you at this moment? Areyou too busy to be bothered with ideas –ideas which impact our professional andpersonal lives; ideas which touch the heartand the head; ideas that make a difference ifwe take the time to look at things differently?
Stop now and spend a few minutesthinking about what you think will work bestfor you in the year ahead? Take time out towrite down your goals and put a firm timeframe on them.
As you reflect, with an open mind, you’lldiscover that it truly is possible to, ‘makeyour life worth living as your living is beingmade.’ You just need to remember that:‘When what used to work at work no longerworks, it’s time to change our ways ofthinking – and think of ways of changing!’
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
W
Hot Lemon & Honey
32 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE DEVRYE
‘Life is not a Practice Round’If you’re not a golfer, never havebeen or never wish to become one,then read no further…
nless you’ve ever wonderedwhy otherwise rational friends,colleagues or customers, mightbe avid fans or fanatics of the
game, as the case might be. With the growthof golf as a means of networking, evencynics may be surprised at links between thegolf and the business game – a rathercurious connection that I reflected on, whiledriving home from a corporate charity golfday with one of my clients.
Let’s face it, it’s not a logical game at firstglance. And it certainly seems less so ifyou’ve had a bad round, as I had on thatparticular day. Any creature observing fromouter space would be convinced there wasno intelligent form of life on our planet, ifthey saw homo sapiens spend four hourstrying to move a little white sphere as far aspossible, while taking as little dirt aspossible from a bigger sphere, called Earth.
Since a regulation round of golf consistsof 18 holes, here are 18 tips to help you alsoimprove your career scorecard, lower yourhandicap and play to par:
1. Learn the basic fundamentals. A coachcan teach invaluable lessons but those at thetop of the leader board ultimately developand fine-tune their own unique style, withinput from trusted mentors.
2. Always get a good grip-on the situation.Be as thoroughly prepared as possible –physically and mentally.
3. Follow the correct set-up. Know whereyou’re aiming and visualise the ballreaching its desired destination. On his wayto a tournament, Jack Nicklaus wouldpicture each and every hole in his mind – infull colour – and methodically play eachshot from tee to green, without leaving hisautomobile or aeroplane seat.
4. Make solid contact – and solid contacts inbusiness. It’s impossible to over emphasisethe importance of ‘qual-i-tee’relationships.5. Skill, plus strategy, tactics, lots of driveand a little luck all help. Know when to gofor the flag and when to play it safe.
14. Have decent tools of the trade but weoften have more clubs than we need in thebag. And, even the best equipment in theworld won’t help if your execution is lousy.
15. Know the rules, use them to yourmaximum advantage but always
play by the book. Stick tofairways and ‘fair ways’. If
someone cheats in golf, canyou trust them in business?
16. And, as you remember theethics, don’t forget theetiquettes. Be fun to play withand respect your playingpartners. I was initiallyintimidated to find myselfplaying in a pro am with five
times British Open champion,Peter Thompson – until he showed
what a true world class championhe was by his good manners and
relaxed attitude.
17. Confidence can cure theyips. Be bold. Be strong but with
a gentleness of grip and demeanour.One of the best things about golf is, it
can keep even the greatest humble.
18. Always, always, always follow through-on your swing and your promises.
19. And here’s one extra as a bonus:Last but not least, don’t forget the 19th hole.Take some time to enjoy the scenery andsmell the flowers along the way. We all havethose ‘off days’ but as media magnate, thelate Sir Frank Packer, once said: ‘Life is nota practice round!’
U
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1best seller Good Service is Good Businessand latest best seller HopeHappens!…Words of Encouragement forTough Times’. Winner of the AustralianExecutive Woman of the Year Award,she speaks internationally on managingchange, customer service and turningobstacles to opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
6. Keep you head down. Focus on the ball toblock out any distractions. Don’t worryabout the gallery but where the ball is going.
7. Allow for changing environmentalconditions. Know which way and howstrong the wind is blowing and be readyfor unexpected head winds or crosswinds.
8. Try to stay out of trouble andavoid hazards whenever possible.Even with the best intent, acceptyou’ll inevitably hit somerough. The founder of Sony,Akio Morita, once comparedthe volatile Japanese moneymarket to a golf game, inwhich holes had a differenthandicap each day.
9. Don’t get greedy in the rough. Knowwhen to pitch, when to lay up and whento run.
10. Have some extra balls inyour bag (or extra cash in thebank for those rainy days) whenyou lose more than you anticipate.
11. Give it your best shot every time butremember that few will ever be a hole inone. When a journalist once asked JohnOpel, if he would do things differently, theformer CEO of IBM replied: ‘All of uswould but I don't carry those things aroundin my head or it spoils the bigger picture. Ifyou worry about the putt you missed on thethird hole, you’ll ruin the rest of your game.’
12. Never lose sight of your drive. Andremember to drive for show and putt fordough. Never underestimate the importanceof finesse. It’s one thing to start off with abig hit or big mouth – but another tosatisfactorily finish the job by payingattention to the little things.
13. Consistency is the key. Golf andbusiness aren’t sprint events. Weekendwarriors might practice until they get itright. But professionals practice in the hopethey’ll never get it wrong. As Gary Player so wisely quipped: ‘Theharder I practice, the luckier I get’.
– Sir Frank Packer
Corporate Trends 33
CATHERINE DEVRYE
How to Avoid Death by Voicemail…Arthur C Clarke, once said, “We hadbetter pay attention to the future,because that's where we are going tospend the rest of our lives!”
ave you ever wondered if you’llspend the rest of your lifecaught in an inescapablevoicemail loop? Have you ever
been increasingly frustrated that itsometimes seems near impossible to speakto a living, breathing human being on theother end of the phone? So you talk toyourself instead. Muttering away while oninterminable hold. Do you ever feel avictim of a ‘death by voicemail’conspiracyand wonder if the folks designing suchsystems ever considered the human element?
Use technology wiselyNow, don’t get me wrong and label me assome troglodyte. As a former executive withIBM, I’m a big believer in using technologyto improve customer service and there’s nodoubt that it has in countless instances. Butthere is also little doubt that many systemsare designed purely in the interest of hightech-completely ignoring the element ofhigh touch and seemingly oblivious to thefact that most people can actually survivewithout a particular organisation but noorganisation can survive without people.
Therefore, call centres and help desksneed to be sure they are staffed with peoplewho recognise this immutable law. Theyneed to be sure that they give those peoplethe proper tools to be able to truly helpcustomers, rather than simply rattle off somestandard script. Management needs toensure that help desks and call centres don’tbecome ‘hell desks’ and ‘cuss centres’where staff check their brains at the doorbefore they put on the head sets.
It may be obvious that I’ve recently had abad experience with a ‘help’ desk. Over anhour on the phone, I was transferred fromone person to another, forced to repeat thesame story and in the meantime listening toa recorded message about what a ‘valuedcustomer’ I was. When I finally gave up andasked for the name and address of someoneI could write to, I was told that it wasimpossible as they couldn’t provide postal,email or fax contacts! Needless to say I amno longer a ‘valued customer.’
writing in their tracks as the presenter thenwent on to say why his company abandonedthe expensive system…
“When people phone about ourpharmaceutical products, they are often sickand want someone on the end of the linewho will give them confidence with theirmedication and offer empathy. So, wereplaced the voice recognition with retirednurses to access the information in our database. Although initial staffing costs soared,over a period of eighteen months, so did ourcustomer satisfaction levels and profits.”
The executive went on to say that he hadan MBA in Information Technology andadded to a stunned audience, “Never wouldI have thought that the biggest innovationwe’ve had in the last ten years has beengoing from machines back to people!”
Don’t be a mug!I have a mug that states: ‘Thanks for callingour customer service department. If youhave a complaint, press 1. If you would likean apology press 2. If you would like anexcuse press 3. And, if you would like tosend a mild electric shock to whoeverdesigned this system, press 4!’
I don’t mean to shock or alienate anyproviders of voice technology or thethousands of dedicated people in callcentres, who do an excellent job underenormous pressure, as I truly believe thesefunctions can be useful. But, don’t be a mugand rush into any technology without firstmaking sure that you understand yourcustomer set and plan accordingly to ensurethat ‘death by voicemail’doesn’t becomethe death of your organisation.
Develop customer friendly technologiesand heed Arthur Clarke’s words: “We hadbetter pay attention to the future,because that's where we are going tospend the rest of our lives!”
H
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
Effective use of technologyNow, let me share two examples of moreeffective uses of technology.
Some time ago, I was in New Zealandwhen one of the airlines had industrialproblems. Although I was booked onanother airline, which was not affected, Icalled to confirm my flight. Notsurprisingly, I got a recorded message butwhat did surprise, and impress me, was thefact that it was up to date. It went somethingalong the lines of:
“Thank you for calling Air New Zealand.We’re sorry that due to industrial problemswith a competitor (gotcha!) we’re a littlebusier than normal and apologise for thisunusually long wait. Please feel free to callback later or if you prefer to stay on the line,the waiting time will be six minutes.”
Using technology to add valueI decided to wait and set my stopwatch tosee if they met their promise of six minutes.Sure enough, I was pleasantly surprised thatwithin four minutes, my call was answered.Even though they were under extra pressure,due to passengers changing flights, theytook a few seconds to update their messageand set customer expectations at a realisticlevel. They were still using the technologybut to add value (not grey hairs), to thecustomer on the end of the phone.
When I spoke at a technology in customerservice conference in the US, an executivewith a huge pharmaceutical company,presented a case study on how theintroduction of voice recognition hadresulted in huge reductions in staffing costs.Attendees frantically took notes on how thiscost saving technology could be applied totheir own organisation. But, they stopped
Management needsto ensure that help desks and
call centres don’tbecome ‘hell desks’and ‘cuss centres’
34 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE DEVRYE
We grow when we move from
disbelief in others to a stronger
belief in ourselves
Moving on from Disbelief to Belief
n September 11, 2001, theworld stopped stunned indisbelief as planes bombardedbuildings and New York –
challenging past beliefs. This was not the first tragedy in history.
Sadly, it won’t be the last. But in images ofthe remains, it remains indelible because oflive news coverage – that seldom bringsevery man and woman’s everyday disastersinto our homes via satellite.
Yet, ultimately, it’s the personal ‘mini’tragedies in life that cause greatest grief.That same week, a friend phoned to say hermother had died. She shared compassionwith thousands of strangers on TV but theloss of one life weighed far heavier on hermind. To her, this was more than a mediacliché about the world changing. The worldalways changes – but her own life hadtumbled and changed irrevocably with thedeath of the one person who had alwaysbeen central in her world.
Her mother wasn’t a princess norcelebrity but one of the thousands ofmothers, wives, daughters, grandmothers oraunts who die daily. I shared what Ireminded myself of, time and time again,after my biggest tragedy… that we can’talways control change but we can alwayscontrol our attitude toward it.
Cope or crumble?People often asked how I coped at 21, whenmy parents died. What was the choice?Cope or crumble? I had no intention ofcrumbling. Sure, there were days of despairbut we only find courage if we look forsome glimmer of hope on the horizon. Wecan chose to look backward or forward. I urged my friend to look forward becausetoday is always the first day of the rest of our lives.
I knew, all too well, it was easier said thandone and words seemed hollow in hersorrow. Likewise, I was lost for words laterthat day while driving to speak at aconference about customer service andmanaging change.
As I stopped for petrol, a stranger,overhearing my North American inflection,gently touched me on the arm andstammered ‘I’m sorry’. His heavy accentwas European but his kind gesture resonatedwith universal eloquence and helped mefind the words for my presentation.
I realised that we must think not just of service to our customers-but to ourfamilies, communities and planet. And, to view quality not as ISO 9000 or TQM butas the quality of life we’ve come to take for granted in free countries. We can nolonger assume that quality of life but each ofus can do whatever we can to live this daythe best we can.
However hard, we must get on withgetting on. And, get on better with others.
Whatever our country by birth or bychoice, Now is the time to unite with one voice.As we look to the future with respect forthe past, To strive in the present for dreams thatwill last.To reach our potential as one and anation, Giving all a fair go, without hesitation.And regardless of faith – to keep faith inour future, our country and ourselves.
John Lennon said…‘Life is what happenswhen we’re making other plans. We need tokeep our plans and dreams alive.Where to from here?Will we ever make sense of the senseless?
Will we ever lose that sense of loss? Asindividuals, we may not find answers toworld peace but can achieve greater innerpeace by fully appreciating the little joys ofeveryday more than ever before. Whether itbe solitary meditation or prayer, let’sconnect our heads and hearts to try and findsome solace in sadness. Or, be a little kinderto others along the way, as we turnstumbling blocks into stepping stones.
The pain of personal tragedy neverdisappears completely. It is no greater or lessfor anonymous people losing jobs or lovedones, their wealth or their health. We’re alleveryday people with everyday problems inthis journey called life.
Life, with all it’s tragic and magic, is acontinual learning exercise. Especially intimes of adversity. Learn to more fullyappreciate your inner strength becausebelief in yourself is like a muscle. It isstrengthened only by constant and carefuluse. And there’s no time like the present toflex your resolve and remember that:
We grow when we move from disbelief inothers – to a stronger belief in ourselves.
Here are some practical things we can do to keep our plans and dreams alive:
• Switch off bad news on TV to create your own reality. Turn off 60 Minutes and take60 seconds each evening to be grateful for what you do have – not what you don’t have.In my own case, I give thanks for such things as clean sheets, a hot shower, a full tummy,good friends and freedom of speech.
• Smile at a stranger in the street. And smile at yourself in the mirror every morning.
• Determine what gives you joy and schedule time for yourself on your ‘to do’ list.
• Think of someone less fortunate than you and do something to help them – even if it’sjust an encouraging word.
• If you had only one call to make, who would you call and what would you say? What’sstopping you from calling today? Tell someone you love them or thank someone who hasmade a difference in your life.
O
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
Corporate Trends 35
CATHERINE DEVRYE
Hope Happens!“A leader is a dealer in hope.”
So said Napoleon Bonaparte before his death in 1821. Nearly two
centuries later, we need hope more than ever, in our organisations
and our personal lives.
ave you ever lost an importantbusiness deal or contract? Or,more importantly – lost a lovedone or close friend?
Are you worried by lost health or wealth;loss of a job or loss of perspective? Whetherthat loss is temporary or permanent, youneed to dig deep for courage to get on withgetting on – to find hope in seeminglyhopeless situations.
When you’ve lost whatever is importantin your life, it’s important to find hope andas a leader, to help others find hope withinthemselves.
World changing eventsOn September 11, 2001, I happened toaddress over a thousand delegates at theWorld Airline Entertainment Association.Ifelt sickened by global events and also bybronchitis, when a friend phoned to say hermother had died of cancer. Certainly, sheshared compassion with thousands ofpeople on the other side of the globe, but theloss of one life weighed far heavier on hermind. To her, talk of the ‘world changing’was more than a media cliché – the worldalways changes – but her own life hadtumbled and changed irrevocably with thedeath of the one person who had alwaysbeen central to her world.
As I sat despondently at the airport, Icouldn’t help but think that, undoubtedly,global tragedy impacts on us all in variousways, from the personal to the economic.Yet, ultimately, the everyday, non-publicisedtragedies cause the greatest grief, whereverwe live on the planet.
My thoughts were interrupted when avibrant young woman introduced herselfand said she had been inspired by one of mypresentations. She said she had since beenpromoted to London and took only sixbooks, including the last one I’d written,‘Hot Lemon & Honey… Reflections forSuccess in Times of Change.’
“Whenever I’m feeling down, I delve intothat book and magically find just the rightwords of inspiration and encouragement,”she enthused.
“Oh, what chapter was that? I could do
with a little inspiration myself at themoment,” I asked, before smiling at the irony.
More recently, a senior executive, one ofmy corporate clients, called-ostensibly justto say ‘hello’.
‘How’s things, Bill?’‘Oh I’m fine’, he replied but something in
the tone of his voice implied that he wasn’t. ‘Hmm. You don’t sound your normal
walked that rocky road. People often ask how I coped when myfolks died when I was 21? What choice didI have? Cope or crumble – and, I had nointention of crumbling. Since those earlydark days, I’ve been privileged to meetworld leaders, sports stars and music iconsand was surprised to discover that, at times,they all share the same sense of loss anduncertainty as my next-door neighbour or astranger on a plane. Behind the facade, nolife is perfect and the grass isn’t alwaysgreener on the other side of the fence. Itnever has been. It never will be.
Far from the tragedy of world events inthe media, are untold traumas of everydaypeople facing everyday problems. And,we’re all everyday people! That’s whatprompted me, shortly after September 11, towrite ‘Hope Happens!
Yes, there’s truth in the popularisedsaying, ‘S_ _ _ Happens!’ But, it’s time wefocused on the reverse. ‘Hope Happens!’includes inspirational quotes andphotographs that have helped me in times ofadversity and I hope they can help youdo likewise.
Today, and every day, we need to keep ourplans and dreams alive and must not beswamped by nightmares of negativity and despair.
HOPE helps us copeH elp others – and never be too proud to
ask for help yourself. O ptimiseopportunities. In every business
or personal problem, there is always anopportunity, so remain optimistic.
P ersist, no matter what. Tough timesdon’t last but tough people do, so never giveup. Move from being a ‘victim’of change toa ‘victor’ of change.
E mpower others and give yourselfpermission to be empowered. Take time outfor yourself, as you can’t take care of othersif you don’t take care of yourself.
There’s no better time to get some hopehappening in your life and yourorganisation. Whether it’s the beginning ofthe calendar year or financial year – todayis still the first day of the rest of your life!
self.’ I ventured.‘Well, uh, my father died this afternoon
and I’m feeling kinda flat’. What a classic understatement, I thought,
in the same breath wondering why he hadcalled me, rather than one of his closefriends or family? I offered words ofcondolence while we chatted at length, hewas obviously emotional but contained andin control as he believed his ‘role’ dictated.Hours later, I still wondered why he hadcalled me – before realising that he was theeldest son, head of his own family, chief ofa large corporation and in fulfiling thosevarious roles of leadership, felt that heneeded to be perceived as a pillar ofstrength. He was unable to show emotion orperceived weakness, even though what hefelt was not at all weak but a normal humancondition of grief.
Yes, it can be lonely at the top (or even inthe middle!) and one should never feel tooproud to ask for help from others who have
Catherine DeVrye is the author of the #1 bestseller Good Service is Good Business andlatest best seller Hope Happens!…Words ofEncouragement for Tough Times’.Winner of the Australian ExecutiveWoman of the Year Award, she speaksinternationally on managing change,customer service and turning obstaclesto opportunities.Website: www.greatmotivation.comEmail: [email protected]: 61-2-9977 3177
H
SALES, MARKETING, MOTIVATION
Iven has extensive experience in the areas of direct sales,management and marketing where the art of dealing withpeople and getting results is paramount.
Iven began his sales career at National Mutual at age 21where his sales manager was "Mr Body Language" AllanPease. He became one of the youngest ever qualifiers to theexclusive Million Dollar Round Table. He moved to the LionInsurance brokers and was part of a team that had the highestper head earnings in the industry.
He was then recruited to set up and manage a sales team to start Westpac Life, which became one of thefastest growing companies of its type in the world. As the youngest Regional Manager he looked after 50branches and a sales team with productivity 4 times the industry average.
With that track record in 1991 he established his own company specializing in creating increased salesresults for his clients.
Iven is a graduate in Marketing from the University of Technology. He has recently been retained by DeakinUniversity to present their Marketing and Sales Management distance-learning program. With hisbackground in psychology and marketing Iven has been invited to work with the worldwide Peppers andRogers group to consult to businesses on their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and 1 to 1marketing strategies.
As a presenter and speaker Iven is one of the top 7% of people awarded the CSP - Certified SpeakingProfessional form the International Federation of Professional Speakers.
Programs
Stress Free Selling - How to keep your results up and your blood pressure down
Stress Free Sales Management — How to create outstanding team results so you can relax.
Stress Free Presentations — How to present like a star and be as calm as seasoned professional.
The Power of Business Passion — How to find your business passion so you can stop working and startenjoying life.
Iven is a business builder. His task is to build your business.
Phone 61 2 99083333
Email [email protected]
Web www.stressfreeselling.com
Iven FrangiA guide to Stress Free Selling™
- making more sales, in less time withless effort.
Corporate Trends 37
IVEN FRANGI
Salesmanagers - GetEffective or Get Out!Your top performers are doing something different and better, mapping ishow you discover what it is.
his was the clear messagedelivered by the CEO of anational organisation to the 23sales managers present. They
had already down-sized, right-sized, re-engineered and re-organised to squeezeall the gains they could in efficiency.
Sales managers I speak to are underincreasing pressure. A commonresponse in recent times has been to goto SFA — Sales Force Automation.This puts sales people under increasedscrutiny and takes inexperienced salesmanagers down a well-worn track. Thepath to cop—not coach!
Armed with all the data and trackinginformation, these well meaning salesmanagers start to manage familiar andeasily measurable criteria:
How many calls made? How manyclients seen? The number of proposalsmade and so on.
The salesmanager’s trapSales people in a recent report,indicated that the sales manager is nowseen more as a cop (catching themdoing the wrong thing), than a coach(helping them to do the right thing).
One of my colleagues was sittingwith a client conducting a needsanalysis. The client produced a graphwhich showed a gloomy picture.Something had changed in normallystable sales and profit results. For thelast quarter, number of sales increasedbut the average value of each saledropped. We had seen this before. Therewas a simple question, “What hadhappened in the management of thesales force 30-60 days before thechange in results?”
The General Manager didn't knowbut said he would find out.
The news was not goodHe came back with the news that aroundthirty days before the sales went up andthe revenue dropped. Yes, you guessedcorrectly. An activity managementprogram was introduced! Myobservation is that under pressure, manysales managers are doing the opposite ofwhat their teams need. They chaseefficiency through activitymanagement. Simply put, the morepressure they face, the more they use
this non-useful (when used in isolation)improvement tool.
Managing efficiency onlyThe simple truth is, managing efficiencyonly could lead to your ultimateextinction! Do you know of a similarstory, where the outcome was a spike insales due to increased activity and quickhits being encouraged?
There is another outcome, reportedby researchers Rackham and Ruff: “Management pressure for increasedactivity doesn't mean salespeople knockon more doors. It can also mean theyknock on the same door more times,
over calling on existing customers."The goal is to prove that they are being‘active’.
SFA also creates more reporting andpaperwork. Okay, as a manager, youcan't track and measure without data,but when changed from paper toelectronic, the salespeople see it as thesame old wolf in a new sheep's clothing.
Am I against SFA? Not at all! Isupport it. It is a needed tool formanaging sales. I believe the key lies incombining separate proven disciplines,to create a method that has alwaysproduced increased results. I have seensales increase by as much as 43 to 100percent plus using this method. This isacross both individual sales-people'sperformances and entire teams.
Three critical factorsThree factors need to be combined:
1. An Impact Matrix An Impact Matrix is all about preparingpeople for training before it takes place,ensuring quality when it does take placeand supporting the people to use thenew skills after the training.
2. Mapping the GapThe marketplace and your sales resultsare already telling you your topperformers are doing somethingdifferent — and better. Mapping is howyou find out what it is.
3. Measuring Effectiveness Knowing the actual behaviours topperformers use and coaching thosebehaviours in lower performers, you canlift the entire team’s result.
The steps are simple and have beenmarketplace proven.
T
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
38 Corporate Trends
IVAN FRANGI
Sack the Salespeople…Hire a Buyer’s AssistantPrepare for the revolution! Readthis and decide which side youwant to be on…
he traditional method ofteaching sales skills is onewhere the role of the salesperson is to create an
environment in which their product orservice is viewed favourably, promotedand ultimately purchased.
The process followed by thetraditional and consultative schools ofmethodology use for the most part asimilar approach... there is a strongopening, a product focussed needsanalysis, a comprehensive pitch andthen an attempt to handle objections,negotiate and close.
In my view this is outdated andincreasingly inappropriate behaviour.
The outmoded approachPicture this .. You need some new tyresfor your car so you go to a tyre retailerand what do you find? Lots of tyres, thatapart from the tread pattern, look prettymuch the same to you (unless you are anexpert on tyres). After the usualgreeting the standard question to qualifyyou is likely to be “how much do youwant to spend?”
That is the attempt by the seller todecide their course of action and what tosell you. This is usually followed by anattempt to convince you of the merits ofthe product or service deemed to be bestfor you. The one that fits your pricerange or the range they want you in. Isthis scenario at all familiar?
Have you got lost in this process?Have you noticed that there are timeswhen you don’t need to be soldanything,? What you really need issomeone to help you decide whichproduct option or service is the one youwould rather own?
The major challengeMore than ever we want to be includedin the decision process.
My research shows that a majority ofpeople have the genesis of an idea aboutthe solution to their problem and theirmajor challenge is—confusion.
As with most products today therange of choices is not the problem. Thereal challenge is to differentiate betweenthe large number of choices available.Why the revolution?Customers today want, and aredemanding, more control over theinteraction with suppliers. Thediscovery is that selling (if done withoutthis knowledge) and buying can actually
be opposites rather than complimentary. The revolution is built around
understanding how people make adecision to buy and the factors that arepresent—not what needs to be done tosell them something. The role of theperson in a sales capacity, is to help thebuyer through the discovery process andactually make a strategic shift tobecome a buyer’s assistant.
The buyer’s assistantThis new way of thinking brings someinherent changes in philosophy:• People buy using their own buyingpatterns, not a seller’s selling patterns• Relationships come first, tasks comesecond• The buyer has the genesis of the
solution and may need help to clarify it,the seller has the questions to facilitatethe discovery process.
A totally new outcomeWhen the focus of the interaction, is tobecome the buyer’s assistant, what aresome of the outcomes?
The first and immediate response ofgraduates of my Selling Skillsworkshops is that there is now analmost complete lack of objections.
Working with a bank, manycustomers stopped asking what theinterest rate was on the home loan.Customers with a national travel agentsgroup moved away from just wantingthe cheapest package deal, to a properlyplanned and satisfying itinerary.
When you look at getting on thecurrent popular bandwagon ofrelationship selling, ask yourself thiskey question; Is the ultimate prize thebuyer’s money or their trust? It couldhelp you determine which side you willbe on—come the revolution!
T
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
IMPORTANT NOTEAll of the people who write articles forthis magazine are professional speakersand trainers. They are available to speakat your next conference or meeting orto assist you with staff training.Contact them direct to discuss theirfees and availability. Contact detailsappear at the bottom of each article orget more information online at:
www.speakertrainer.com.au
The role of theperson is to help thebuyer through thediscovery process
Corporate Trends 39
IVEN FRANGI
No Pain, No Gain —That’s for Amateurs!One of the best salespeople I’ve evermet turned out to be someonetotally unexpected…
ere’s the challenge. Youhave higher than averagefees. People usually have ahorror story to tell about
your profession. You sell pain. Yes pain.Real pain, or at least the perception of it.Your task is to get my attention, makeme comfortable and start the businessprocess. You are my dentist.
The first meetingThe dentist (Dr. Dan Brenner) was ontime and actually waiting for me when Iarrived. This contrasts with my usualexperience of being kept waiting. (Ihave a personal pet hate of‘professionals’who charge for their timeand don’t keep appointments. Helooked me in the eye, smiled andwelcomed me by name. Firstimpression was excellent.
I was taken to an interview space thatdid not have a dentist’s chair or anyinstruments in it. "Iven thank you foryour time today. As it’s your first timehere I thought an overview of what wedo would be helpful. I do things a littledifferently here. We use a two stepprocess. Firstly, I would like to ask yousome questions about your teeth andyour goals for your dental health. Then,I would like to thoroughly examine yourteeth, which will take around an hour. Iwill then prepare an analysis. On yournext visit, I will explain what I havefound, give you my recommendations,answer your questions, and then we candecide together what actions, if any, youwish to take. The fee for both visits is $xof which the health fund will return allbut $80. Can we proceed on that basis?"
So, I now had an outline of theprocess, a time frame, a clearimpression that I was in the hands of a
professional and a small decision tomake about the cost.It was an easy decision. I was on referraland had been assured this was going tobe unlike any dentist I had visitedbefore. So far that was true. I was alsocurious as to what would come next. Iwas not disappointed.
How does that help you?If I came with you (or one of your salespeople) to a sales interview, what wouldthe client feel in the first few minutes?Would they have similar outcomes?Comfort, clear direction, curiosity andpermission to proceed.
In research with my own clients overthe last two and a half years, the skill ofsetting an agenda in an interview is
often neglected. It is however, critical.Observing the “in call behaviour” ofover five hundred top salesprofessionals with whom I work 76 percent demonstrated a clear ability tomaster this behaviour. Observation ofthe average to poor performers revealedonly 23 per cent set an effective agenda.
What happened next?At the second interview, a new agendawas set that built on the first. Again, Danwas exactly on time.“Today Iven, I want to report to youwhat I found. I have some photos to
show you. I’ve prepared a plan oftreatment that we can discuss and I cananswer any questions. It was at thispoint he was able to assure me that painwas no longer a factor patients had toworry about.
“At the end of our roughly 45minutes, we will be in a position toknow how to proceed. How does thatsound?” Again a clear agenda.
So, from this example and my docu-mented observations, here are the ‘topperformers’ in call behaviours:
• Set an agenda. Regardless of the industry
• Overview the pathway. “This will be a two step process”.
• Explain the method. “Firstly, I would like to thoroughly examine your teeth…"
• Indicate the time frame. “Which will take around an hour…”
• Layout future steps. “At your next visit…”
• Ask checking questions. “How does that sound?”
• Gain commitment. “Can we proceed on that basis?”
The observations also revealed that topproducers showed flexibility. Theyretained the key agenda elements butvaried the usage depending on thesituation. i.e. A different agenda withreferral sources. Average and poorproducers had a standard agenda theyset, no matter what the circumstance.
The agenda is the gateway to the salesinteraction. Top performers practicebehaviours that create a wide andcomfortable entrance that is inviting andsecure. Sales that are missed or lost aremostly traced to poor openings, not poorclosing.
For me this was no pain — real gain.
H
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
40 Corporate Trends
IVAN FRANGI
it does. The technology of today,intelligently used, supports and expandsthe customer experience and thedelivery of the required services andproducts.
Are we forgetting something?An experience I had recently, broughthome the use and limitations oftechnology in selling our capabilities.
I checked into a five star, internationalresort for a three day stay. I checked inlate, at 12.20 am. The doorman waswelcoming and friendly. He commentedI was the latest check in he had ever had.At the desk, another warm welcome and“Sorry, the computer is down but thereis a room ready.” I had booked a room facing the oceanand the morning
would bring a spectacular view.Arriving at the room, I was excited—until I opened the curtains and found awonderful view of the car park! Theporter responded quickly and rang thefront desk, only to discover all the oceanview rooms were taken. This could waituntil the morning, all I wanted to doright then was sleep!
In the morning, I went to the frontdesk and was greeted by a lady namedSissy. The response was “Yes, MrFrangi, we know about you.” (Had therebeen a special staff meeting?) This wasgood they were prepared.
She apologised, the computer was stilldown (now 36 hours) and my room wasnot yet ready. I told her I was not reallyupset, the computer problem was not herfault and that it must be very difficult, ifnot impossible, to work without it. I told
Do you remember shopping at thecorner store? Why did you like it?
ecently, I asked a group thisquestion and the answer wasfascinating. They said it wasconvenient, the household
essentials, odd useful things like lightglobes and potato peelers, theshopkeeper knew you and sometimesthere were even little gifts—rewards forshopping there.
I remember my local shopkeeperrewarding me with rainbow balls (myfavourites, some of you are too young toremember these delightful indulgences)when Mum told him I did well in aschool test. I was seven years old.
The other reported feedback was thatthe corner store cost a little more, but weliked it, so that was fine.
So, what happened to the cornerstore? For the most part they are gone.Replaced by large supermarkets orshopping centres that are trying torecreate the easy relaxed atmosphere ina large complex that we miss by addingthe, “Joe and Tom Fruit & Veg section.”
Mass personalisationNo, it’s not an oxymoron. With all thetalk today of value not price, buildingrelationships and getting to know thecustomer, etc., aren’t we going back tothe corner store way of thinking?
I thought about this because a clientwas briefing me recently for a salesskills workshop and I was struck withthe similarity of the outcomes that wererequired. The difference was the client’steam is delivering the needed customeroutcomes via e-mail, voice mail, a netsite, conference calls, faxes, PowerPointpresentations, mobile phones, atelephone centre, “schedule plus”organised calling and of course, actuallyvisiting the customer.
All this was designed to keep thecustomer informed and creating arelationship that worked for both—and
Sissy that my business was salestraining and customer contact skills andat times, mistakes happened.It was howthe business recovered that was the truemeasure of excellence.I also told herthat I would use this story in some of myfuture seminars. She seemed genuinelyrelieved at my reaction, it had obviouslybeen a hard morning!
What a recovery…Later, I was waiting in my room for theporter to arrive to go to my new room.Sissy rang to say all was organised and“there was a surprise”. I was led to thePlumeria suite (which is coincidentallyFrangipanni) a magnificent room withan outside spa, lounge room and astunning view. I was impressed, andcurious.
I discovered that Sissy had told theDuty Manager about my comment. Hehad authorised the upgrade and madesure the room was cleaned and prepared(the house keeper told me).
Now that’s what I call a recovery—and smart business. Because of Sissyand Vinnie spotting an opportunity, theyturned a potential complaint into apromotional story for the SheratonKauai Resort. Thousands of people willget to hear this good news story. Theycreated the best sales outcomepossible—a delighted customer! Welldone to them both and Sheraton Hawaii.
In selling and dealing with customers,the technology and equipment cansupport you enormously in looking afteryour customers. It is vital.
However, it won’t and can’t pacifyupset customers, handle complaints,make decisions, smile, develop specialrelationships and most of all, spotopportunities. That’s what people do.
R
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
Rainbow Balls and the Corner Store
Corporate Trends 41
IVEN FRANGI
Why up to 90% of Your StaffTraining Could be Wasted…Would you like to achieve a ten times greater return on your traininginvestment? Silly question, right? Well, the chances are you can do just thatbecause according to the latest research, on average, only ten per cent ofevery dollar you spend on your staff training is effective.
en per cent effectiveness?You wouldn’t put up withthat kind of performance inother parts of your business
would you? Well, get set for this — youprobably already do!
In their book, ‘Transfer of Training’authors and researchers, Board andNewstrom, identify that most training isonly ten per cent effective. Theyattribute this to three major reasons:
Firstly, some training programs fit intothe category of pure ‘enter-train-ment’.Participants have fun, derive short-termmotivation and little, if any, long-termbehavioural change.
The second and more serious reason,is that the training is often a knee jerk,poorly prepared response to a recentlysighted problem. Whereas it needed tobe part of a continuous and plannedprocess for the development of thepeople being trained.
The third and most interesting (andcritical) reason I will give you later.Let’s review the first two reasons.
The first reasonEver been bored while at a conferenceor training? Of course. We all have.Good presentations fight and even expelboredom. Interesting, interactive andfun presentations get everyone payingattention. Result? When we enjoy it, weremember it and take away more. Thetrick lies in balancing the learning withthe fun.
An inside secret! Picture this scene: Iam sitting with a client who has askedme to do a keynote presentation on salesor marketing. How do I find out iftraining is part of the culture of thecompany or a Band Aid fix?
Easy! My key question when taking abrief is this: “Apart from mypresentation, what other things are youdoing in the company to support thesales or marketing message I amdelivering?”
The second reasonWhat is the response over 80 per cent ofthe time? Looking a little perplexed theyanswer, “Nothing, that’s what you’rehere to do”.Now, with agreement, I can be of extra
value and usefulness, by helping tocreate a development plan to achievegreater results. It helps the client and Ireally am able to multiply the return ontheir investment. Everyone wins!
How do you get a far greater return onyour investment in training?
Back to Board and Newstrom and theresearch: They identified the key factorsthat have the greatest impact on trainingeffectiveness on the manager, the trainerand the participant, are:
• Before the training• During the training, and• After the training
These influences were, like manythings, obvious when pointed out. Theyput these factors together and createdthe matrix on the opposite page.
The top three factorsI have shown this to many managerswithout the ranking numbers filled inand asked them to identify the top threefactors for training effectiveness.
The most important factor theynormally choose, is the Participantduring the training.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? If the Participant pays attention and
gets involved in the program, then thetraining will be effective. However, inthe research, the Participant during thetraining came in numbers five, six andseven out of nine.
Did that surprise you?Their study revealed that the top three
factors in order are:1. The Manager before the training2. The Trainer before the training, and 3. The Manager after the training.
Essentially, they showed that the mostimportant person in making trainingeffective was the manager both beforeand after the training. (Email me for a more complete copy ofthe matrix. It’s free and fascinatingreading and includes what managersand trainers must do to be effective andmaximise their investment in training).
The third reasonI promised you the third reason was themost critical and the most interesting.Here it is:
Managers, although central to trainingeffectiveness were, in the vast majorityof cases, totally ill-equipped to behighly effective.
Why?They were managers not trainers. Yet,
no matter what the business, managersare expected to teach and coach!
Many training programsfit into the category of
‘enter-train-ment’.Participants have fun,
derive short-termmotivation and little,
if any, long-termbehavioural change.
T
42 Corporate Trends
IVAN FRANGI
3
21
Further they are expected to teach andcoach both skills and attitudes. Mostlywithout a proper training background.Unless a manager comes from a trainingor possibly HR role, how could they beequipped to effectively train and coach?Many can coach either tangible skills(handling the telephone, goal setting) orattitudes (professionalism, pride,integrity) but rarely both.
Good managers have learned byexperience, lots of trial and error — andsometimes training — how to train andcoach. However, many still strugglebecause the extra job of preparingquality training on a month in month outbasis, is very time consuming and ismost often done on the run the daybefore the sales or team meeting.
Also, there is the fun factor. It’s a challenge for anyone (even
professionals) to keep the contentinteresting and fun, meeting aftermeeting. Have you or one of your teambeen in this predicament? What are the
options? How do you create continuous,ongoing learning of skills and attitudesthat is enjoyable and effective?
The solutionThere are three clear options. All ofthem have pros and cons, as follows:
1. Bring in an outside speaker/trainerfor your regular meetings.
Pros:You will get great results. Meetings
will be fun and interesting. Thismagazine is full of excellent people tochoose from.
Cons:It may stretch the budget.
2. Train the Managers to be effectivetrainers.ie: Train the trainer.
Pros:Get results. Good long-term benefits. Cons:Takes managers from their jobs. Is a
high investment at the start.
3. Use video or computer based trainingprograms.
There are a number of programsavailable that offer video and orcomputer based training. The good onescome with leaders guides, course notesand work books.
Pros:Can be highly effective if you get the
right program and stick to the guide-lines. Usually less costly than hiring alive trainer.
Cons:Not as easy to implement as hiring an
outside trainer. May still be limited bythe quality of the course leader.Footnote: I am personally involved inan excellent program called TIPs.*
How to maximise yourtraining dollar investment When people are bored they don’t learnwell. Balance the fun with solid content.Properly brief the person presenting.
Get the managers involved in both thepre and post training activity. I’ll sendyou the Matrix with the detailedinformation
Most managers are not skilledtrainers. If you continue to use them fortraining, get them the best support youcan for their regular meetings.
Fortunately, there are some specificstrategies, which if adopted, cansignificantly impact the effectiveness oftraining. They are summarised in theIBT TRAINING IMPACT MATRIXopposite. Following these guidelineswill greatly increase your return on yourtraining dollars.
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
* TIPs is The International Professionalsseries. A monthly training program onattitudes and skills. It features a selection ofoutstanding Australian presenters on video,CD ROM and audio. Anyone can present it.Ongoing continuous improvement andguaranteed results, delivered monthly.
BEFORE THEPROGRAM
8 4
9
7
5
6
DURING THEPROGRAM
AFTER THEPROGRAM
WHO?WHEN? MANAGER TRAINER PARTICIPANT
IBT TRAINING IMPACT MATRIX
Ranking: 1 = Greatest impact on transfer of skills2 to 5 = Lesser impact on transfer of skills6 to 9 = Least impact on transfer of skills
Reviewing each factor in descending order of importance:MANAGERS’ INVOLVEMENT PRIOR TO THE TRAINING PROGRAMThis is the most important factor. Managers can assist by:• Reviewing the content of the program in order to satisfy themselves of its appropriatenessand by being able to discuss with trainees what they should expect from the program.
TRAINERS INVOLVEMENT BEFORE THE TRAINING PROGRAMThis is the second most important factor. Trainers can assist by:• Ensuring that managers are briefed on the critical value of their role in facilitating thetransfer process• Providing support, including materials, for managers to conduct pre-training briefingsessions with participants.
Corporate Trends 43
IVEN FRANGI
You Can Lead a Horseto Water — So What!Good salespeople ask good questions. The kind of questions that you wouldask at a function when you first meet someone...
e all know the old sayingabout horses, water anddrinking. That’s just thetrouble, it’s an old saying
and it needs updating. When selling your products and services
today, just taking a potential client to yourwater trough won’t get you a sale. Unless ofcourse you make them thirsty.
Here are some steps to get your clientsthirsty to do business with you:
Differentiate your benefitsI was walking past a car dealership recently,when one particular car caught my eye.
It had all the smooth curves and lines ofthe latest designs but there was a problem. Icouldn’t tell what type of car it was until Ifound the maker’s badge.
The amount of choice in most productsand services today is wide and increasing.Your ads, marketing, service and salespeople must clearly differentiate your bestbenefits to your prospects so they can easilyrecognise you and your company.
Good salespeople can’talways sell anythingMy first sales manager was not only a goodsalesman, he was also a good manager. Hetaught me all he knew and he was thorough.The challenge was however, because ourindividual personalities were different, wesold very differently.
Passing on sales techniques back then,was done the same way parents pass theirknowledge and experiences on to theirchildren. Consequently, the strengths andweaknesses were carried from onegeneration to the next.
Neil Rackham changed that. How? He and his team reviewed 35,000 sales
interviews and established by research andobservation, which factors were needed forsuccess in today’s situations.The research showed that large and smallcost items, demand different approachesand skills. ‘Constant closing’, isn’t effective
if you sell big ticket items but it can be ifyou are selling low priced higher volumeproducts.
I couldn’t summarise all the findings hereso I strongly suggest you read SPIN Selling.(McGraw Hill).
Determine the appropriate skills Prescription without diagnosis ismalpractice. Before conducting SalesTraining Workshops it is essential that I helpmy clients determine the appropriate skillsand approach for their particular marketand customers.
The next stage is the most critical and it isoften omitted entirely or overlooked.
Questions that explore effect Simply put — the effect the challenge orproblem would have on the prospect.
The ramification of handling or nothandling the issues raised in the earlierinvestigation stage. These are the, “Whatwould happen if…”, questions.
Why do they get missed by sales people?Why do they go straight to presenting thesolution or product?
Two simple reasons:Firstly, they (or you, until now) didn’t knowhow important it is to ask questions that letthe prospect see and feel the outcome oftheir situation with and without your help.
Secondly ( and this is probably the easiestto understand), these questions raise thetension level in an interview.
So, rather than raise tensions (whichneeds to happen), salespeople go to wherethey are most comfortable — describingtheir products and services.
What to doSo, what can you do now that you knowabout it? It’s time to do your own research.
Watch and see if only getting to the firsttwo questions is happening in your business.(It will be unusual if it’s not happening andyou should celebrate if you don’t find it.)
When you see this happening, think aboutwhat the impact is on your business andwhat you could achieve if your sales effortwas aligned (by training), to install fullyresearched strategies for success in selling.
Once you have determined the extent ofthe symptoms, you need to carefullyprescribe the remedy. (If you need help inthe diagnosis, call me).
Your treatments include looking at yoursales culture, checking what yoursuccessful competitors are doing,communicating with your people to alertthem to what you find with yourobservations and of course, training.
Invest some time here, the results aremore than worth the effort.
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
And the Winner is…The research highlighted (and it is nowincorporated into our sales trainingworkshops) that good salespeople will askgood ‘preliminary’, questions. The kind ofquestions that you would ask at a functionwhen you first meet someone.
“What do you do? How long have youbeen doing it?”, etc. etc.
They then move on to the area ofopportunity and problem questions and theydo this quite well.
“Do you like what you do? What are thechallenges in your business”, etc.
AND THEN THEY STOP!
W
“I was so busy rehearsing my newsales pitch, I forgot who I want to see”
44 Corporate Trends
IVAN FRANGI
Are Your Customers Suffering fromSales Information Overload?Renaming old sales techniques and practices, won’t make themwork any better than they did in the past…
n a recent interview on Channel 9 withconservationist David Suzuki, theinterviewer observed that with hisworld-wide schedule, email and the
internet, must have been extremely usefultools. Amazingly, Suzuki responded that heused neither!
Not surprisingly, with the e-world upon usand Suzuki’s need to stay in touch, theinterviewer questioned his wisdom.
Suzuki’s reply was fascinating. He saidthat he didn’t have a shortage of informationand he certainly didn’t need more.He said that the majority of theextra information available wasnaturally interesting but not vital. Icould really relate to that, can you?
A classic exampleRecently, I observed an example ofthis oversupply of information. Iwatched a comprehensive salespitch being made using charts,graphics, illustrations and creativity.All questions were compre-hensively answered. The prospectsaid that he was very impressed buthe still didn’t buy. When I laterasked why, he said he wasoverwhelmed with all theinformation and options presented.In short he was totally confused.
When a sales presentation isloaded with information that is interestingbut not vital to the prospect, what is createdis unnecessary confusion – not opportunity.Be brief not abrupt. Salespeople cannotknow too much but they can talk too much.
A New Lesson?No. The great writer of Genesis told the
story of the creation of the world in 442words – about seventy five percent of thewords in this article!At a family function recently, a colleague ofmine named Dennis, was asking his nephewDamien, about how his degree in
communications was progressing at theUniversity of Queensland.
Damien got very excited and animatedabout the latest material he was studying andin particular, a book he was reading. Heenthused about how relevant, useful andpertinent it was to his understanding of themarketplace today. Furthermore, he quotedexamples of how he had personally appliedthese leading edge, interpersonal skills.
Knowing that Dennis was in thecommunications business, Damien made apoint of recommending the book. It was,“How To Win Friends and InfluencePeople”, by Dale Carnegie. He asked ifDennis had ever heard of it?
To many of us, of course, this book haslong been a classic – and as useful today asthe day it was written, over 40 years ago.
the replacements are no better andsometimes worse.
Need another new idea?How many new ideas and practices have
you been exposed to recently? Have yourecently shifted a paradigm, re-engineered aprocess, benchmarked a business practice,shifted an internal mindset, given 360degree feedback, upward feedback, checkedyour Renaissance measures, balanced ascorecard, managed a matrix, down-sized,reorganised or negatively recruited?
Surfing the latest wavesAs this shows, today what is beingwitnessed is a propensity to ‘ride the latestwave’,often by merely re-naming existingpractices. We are inspired by newness.
Eileen Shapiro encapsulates this in herbook, ‘Fadsurfing in theBoardroom’. Sales training, forinstance, is looked at as, “A processof relabelling the fundamentals ofgood selling as the fundamentals ofinspirational salesmanship, in thehope that such re-labelling willmake those techniques more easilyabsorbed”. (This has been edited alittle but you will get the drift…). Asthe French say, Plus ca change, plusca la meme chose— the morethings change, the more they staythe same!
With all the technology and‘change’happening around us today,it is timely to remember that at thecore of our business and at the heartof selling, are people. Whilstconstantly striving to improve,
selling is about our customers and how ournew skills and processes – improved orproven – are able to enhance ourrelationships.
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
I
This story shows that improvement is arelative measure (pun intended!).
There is a potential trap in seeking toimprove any area of business. When we tryto improve anything, for example the salesprocess or any other process, there is riskinvolved. What if the supposedimprovement is not, in fact, animprovement at all? It’s not the originalversion that is reverted to but the revampedversion, which is reworked yet again.Result? Some of the fundamentally goodpractices already in existence are lost and
“Well, actually, we’re closed on weekends”.
Corporate Trends 45
IVEN FRANGI
Looking for the world's best salesperson? Look to 400 BC, theThunderbirds and Rumpole…
Open and Broad:“What are the important issues facing yourbusiness?”
To understand more:“Tell me more about....” or “Which issuewould be most important?” or “Why wouldyou choose that one?”
Open and specific:“Tell me more about that.”or “How is thateffecting things?”
Now, this is not revolutionary. This is basicselling. Yet, I see sales people, experiencedpeople, who don’t go past the first level ofquestioning to dig up importance andrelevance. This gets to the heart of theprospect’s motivations.
Next stepsAfter all the questions are asked, to clarifythe issues and effects, it’s time to formulatea solution. This becomes easier as you gainmore information and a full understandingof the prospect’s motivation: “So, what yousee as important is…” or “Is that right?”
You will either get acceptance or needclarification. Once you have completed thequestioning process and you are armed withclarity and understanding, you can move onto statements like:
“Based on what you’ve told me, I’drecommend… (short explanation).” Linkyour solution to the benefits and test it:“How does that work for you?”
If agreement is given, move to the order.If not, address the response with questionsto clarify the specifics and repeat the processover again.
A proven methodThe Socratic methodis proven and it works.You can ask for what you want if you knowhow to ask the appropriate questions and useeffective language.
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
400BC, The Thunderbirds & Rumpole
o what do ancient history, TVpuppets and courtroom dramashave to do with selling? Tounderstand that, we need to do a
quick history check. The first model for all these analogies
dates back to around 400BC. One man wasnoted for his ability to win crowds to hispoint of view in the face of fierce opposition.He created opportunities that had notexisted, led people to decisions and moreimportantly, to their own conclusions. Hisname was, Socrates.Today, the method stillbears his name – the Socratic method.
It’s the method taught to professionalinterviewers, like barristers and policemenand women, to gain information. Thesetrained professionals can, by the skilful useof questions, draw the listener to a new pointof view. Often, they use the listener’s ownposition as the starting point.
Australian, Leo McKern, better known asRumpole of the Bailey, was a master of theart. Cop shows like The Bill, often featuredetectives discovering what the suspectknows through the use of skilful questioning.
The similarity to selling? The best sales people take suspects andquestion them, to see if there is any need toproceed further to the prospectstage.
What stands in the way is theThunderbirds.Do you remember the acknowledgementthat the little puppets (I loved Lady Penelopeand Parker in the Rolls) exchanged toindicate that they understood an instructionand would take action?
“Scott, take the pod from Thunderbird 3with the mole to the rescue site.”
“F.A.B, father”. (If you don’t know what“F.A.B” means – give me a call!)
Like many sales people, I was trained inthe Thunderbirds method:
F.A.B. is an well used acromym in salestraining. It stands for: Features, Advantagesand Benefits. This is where, in response to a“buying signal” we would tell the customer:A feature:“This widget has titanium alloy”.
S
An advantage:“Which gives it industrial strength” – and
A benefit:“Which means you will only ever need onefor the rest of your life.”
Now, this still has a place in selling – theright place. However, salespeople whopractice the first sin of selling – talking toomuch – usually use it too early in the sale.Socrates would argue that givinginformation is fine, after the sales personfully understands the issues the potentialcustomer sees as important. This requires the skill of listening to bepractised. It is a skill because we can learn tolisten, unlike hearing – we either can orcan’t hear, it’s as simple as that.
Finding the customer’s issues The obvious answer is to ask a question. Agood place to start is by asking an openquestion. Interesting research from anextensive study carried out by the HuthwaiteInstitute, shows that an “open” question is a“type” of question. However, the moreimportant aspect of effective questioning isthe “style” of question you use. By that Imean the intent or direction of the question.It can still be an open question but it’s not awasted question.
When seeking opportunities for yourproducts, you must first understand theissues and the impact that those issues haveon the customer.Here are a few example questions:
46 Corporate Trends
IVAN FRANGI
your current printer do well, in the way theydo business with you?”
The prospect will give you a list of whatthey ALREADY have as benefits. Theymay answer, they got to know me, theydeliver, the quality of the work is good, etc.Of course, they will add, we get a goodprice!
You now have a list of what this prospectwill not give up. Now we have one morequestion. “What else could your currentsupplier do differently or better?” That is theshort version of the question. You can fleshit out a little. Keep it simple.The prospect will usually start to tell you
about other areas that they would like andare not getting. For example: they could bequicker at returning phone calls, they coulddeliver closer to the time they say they willor I would like more advice about designand layout.
So, what do you have? A list of all the reasons that they could be
open to move to another supplier. It won’tyet be you. You still have a sales job to do.But what you do have is a clear set of criteriato use when selling.
What about the old price issue?Naturally, any sensible prospect won’t beable to resist throwing “Lower prices” ontotheir list. We will come back to that.
Now you have your list you use a standardchecking question and gain agreement.“When looking at printing, your currentsupplier got to know you, they deliver, the
Two questions thatwill guarantee youget extra business.No, this is definitelynot a trick…!
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
Two Ways to Sell More in a Recession“This is the best time ever for good sales people. There is more opportunitynow than there has been for the last five years and we plan to takeadvantage of the current conditions. We intend to put all the expertise wecan gather into the marketplace.”
hat statement was not made in aboom time or during a marketthat was giddily growing withevery passing day. It is a
statement that was made now. Now, whenthe market is tight and a number of peopleand organisations are feeling the squeeze. Itwas a declaration made by a client of minein the IT/computer market. As you wouldknow a market that is experiencing it’s shareof challenges and market pressures.
We researched previous tight marketconditions and arrived at a sales strategy thatwe could use successfully to prosper in adown market.
Two ways to get more businessA friend and I were discussing the newGrollo building at Docklands in Melbourne.It is billed as the world’s tallest building(when finished). It got me thinking aboutselling and growing your business.
Some sales people see the best way ofhaving the tallest building in town, astearing down any building taller than theirown. They do this in a sale by attacking theircompetitor’s products. You know the style.They make disparaging statements about thequality, reliability, range or usefulness ofanyone else’s product. They call it “plantingseeds of doubt” . Sometimes effective as atactic but always damaging in the long run.
The second wayThe second way to a bigger, taller buildingis to build it that way from the start. The firstrule here is to never tear anyone else’sdown. A simple and proven method.You and I do business with many people andorganisations. Why would we change?Because we get to keep the benefits of whatwe already have and add some otherbenefits that we want and don’t have rightnow. As a sales person, how do you find outthis vital information and take business fromyour customers current supplier?
Ask your prospects this simple question:(relate it to what you sell). For this examplelet’s use a printing business: “What does
quality of the work is good. You also wantquicker returning of phone calls, deliverycloser to the time agreed and more adviceabout design and layout. In relation to whatyou pay, you want to be sure that you aregetting real value for money.
If you could find a printer that did all ofthose things, that would be the company youwould want to do business with, correct?”
Three points to make The following three points sum up thissuccessful questioning technique.
1. The entire list of the prospects supplierrequirements has been put in one. Thismeans that you now have a sales format towork with.
2. The issue of lower prices has beenrephrased, so that it now represents areasonable proposition to both. Youdelivering a good product that is fairlypriced and the prospect knowing that theyhave received value for what they paid. Tryusing this when you are in a pricediscussion.
3. You have helped the prospect clarify whatis important to them (in this case it’s printsupply. In your case it will be your product).The statement, “If you could find a - yourproduct or service – that did all those things,that is the company you would want to dobusiness with?” is a powerful one, because itmoves all potential suppliers to a newstarting point. A point where you have amuch greater opportunity!
There is more opportunity now for goodsales people because when the markettightens up, we find out who can actuallysell and who were the ‘professionalvisitors.’ Sales people who concentrate onbuilding a taller building by being better andgiving prospects and customers what theywant, will always prosper – no matter whatthe prevailing market conditions.
T
Corporate Trends 47
IVEN FRANGI
Sitting on the back of an army truck going up a very steep road is not thenormal place you’d expect a sales lesson but it happened
becoming the – Buyers Assistant! As a “customer” of Hamilton Island, Carolknew the challenge. She had experienced itpersonally. By putting together such a greatrange of activities, the Island had actuallycreated a potential problem – confusion ofchoice – especially for first timers.
A typical dilemmaMany businesses face this dilemma -perhaps yours is one of them? You havegathered or created a range of products andservices that you firmly believe give you areal edge in the marketplace. To ensure thatyour customers are fully served, your rangeis comprehensive. Variations are available,to customise solutions when needed. Youhave worked hard to get it just right. Nowyou are wondering why more people arenotusing the entire range of your services.
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
was at Hamilton Island, to speak at theRichardson & Wrench nationalconvention. On the Saturday eveninga ‘Safari’ had been organised to go to
the top of the island, followed by a BBQ onthe beach. (If you ever go to HamiltonIsland, I would recommend it).
Along the way, I asked one of the tourteam, Carol, what she did on the island. Inher brief reply, she demonstrated the totalessence of selling and gathering business: “Iwork at the tour desk,” she said. “Well, notactually at the desk. I found that I couldn'thelp the clients much being behind the desk.”
Carol explained that when she first cameto the island, there was so much to do withall the various activities like scuba diving,golf, tennis, visiting the reef, seeing theother islands, go-karting and the like, thatshe got confused.
What should she do first – then what, etc?After she had been therea couple of months andparticipated in all theactivities herself, she gotto know fromexperience, just howthings worked.
She said, “I thoughtabout it and decided thatlots of people who comehere for a holidayexperience the sameconfusion. It's differentfor the people who arereturning and know whatto do. So, now I go and talk to the guestsaround the pool, on the beach or whereverand help them by asking what sort ofholiday they want. By letting them knowmy experiences, I can help them better planwhat they want to do.
“Simple things like how long it takes togo somewhere, would children be OK and Ialso take my photos along to show them sothey can get a feel for how much fun theycan have. If they only have a short holiday,a day or two of being unsure of what to do,can be really costly.” I love stories like this! Carol demonstratedthe essential core of relationship selling –the simple but effective practice of
I
Two related perspectivesSelling anything involves being aware oftwo related perspectives. There’s always aproblem and a solution.Each has two waysof being viewed - the customer's view andthe salesperson's view. So there are fourpositions in total.
In business, when we have worked hardto put together a process that we believe iscustomer friendly, it can be a challenge toconstantly review it and look to improve it.After all, before Carol's insight, HamiltonIsland had two tour desks, staffed byexcellent people who knew their productswell and were extremely service focused. Itstill does.
The Win/Win/WinNow because the customer's view of theproblem was recognised (and I suspect mostguests didn't even realise they had a“problem” or that they were “confused”),the service has been enhanced, resulting in agenuine win/win/win.
Why the extra win? The customer wins
with an enhancedexperience. Thebusiness wins withincreased sales andrepeat business. And,the staff member wins.Carol took her idea toSimon McGrath,Acting GM whoapproved the trial.Great news forinitiative and teaminvolvement.
The Essential QuestionStart by asking yourself the essentialquestion: “What do people find difficultabout doing business with me or mycompany?” This simple question led toCarol's wonderful insight.
She took into account the customers viewof the product - the range of activities.Then,she took action to solve the problem - theconfusion.
Results? A far better holiday for the visitor. Outcome? A delighted customer, and a resort selling
more services and activities to people whonow had a reason to want them.
Confused in Paradise? Not Anymore!
A lesson on selling from a tropical Paradise – the glorious Hamilton Island
Footnote: Simon tells me that like any newidea there was a fair degree of commentslike, “It works OK now, do we really need todo that?” Now, because of the great results,and positive guest feedback, he isconsidering starting a second of theseroving ‘fun ambassadors’. And Carol hasthe satisfaction of knowing she has made areal contribution.
48 Corporate Trends
IVAN FRANGI
With the headlong rush towards what is new and exciting in
technology and business tools, it is timely to ensure that we
remember what works and what doesn’t. It’s also very necessary to
create stability and certainty in sales and in your sales force.
How to Manage Sales soEveryone Does Better…
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
“Simplicity and being direct.
In times of changeand newness, theseare the traditionalskills that stand the test of time.”
ew is great. Everybody lovesnew. New products, newfeatures, new ways to improve,new ways to sell, new ways to
communicate and on it goes. But new canalso be challenging. With this in mind, hereare two practices that will always work,every time, guaranteed. They are tried andproven practices of master managers whocombine business savvy with good judge-ment about people.
Practice #1: Get a simple song and sing itat every opportunity.The enemy of sales success is complication.Unfortunately some organisations seem tohave vested interest in complication. Theycreate processes and procedures that slowtheir ability to do business down to a crawl.The same thing can happen with theprocedures that support the sales process.
Now, let’s understand that almost everysales person who is ever asked aboutsystems and procedures will tell you thatthere are just to many. As a group most salespeople like to fly freely and unfettered. Thechallenge is managing so there is areasonable balance between freedom toperform and the needed rigor of systems –even when change is happening rapidly.
Lessons from the fieldI have had the privilege of working with twomanagers who showed how to handlechange and challenge and still createmarket-leading results. George Lawson,(former) GM Retail and Gary Walmsley,(former) Senior Manager Sales at the Bankof Melbourne (BML). As a partnership theyworked with clarity and simplicity as theirguides. BML had a market leading positionin the Victorian market. One of the strongcontributing factors was, George knew howto select and sing a simple song – and haveeveryone join in. There is no doubt that
banking is a complex business. George’sgift was that he would choose a theme andwherever he was, in meetings, with branchstaff, with the sales team, he wouldchampion it. “Customers First,” was one ofmy favourites.
Can you imagine the turmoil andchallenge of keeping BML’s business andstaff operating effectively with customersduring the time that Westpac was rumoured
Practice #2: Be Direct.Everyone loves certainty.Uncertainty can debilitate a sales teamquickly. e.g. Uncertainty about who themanager will be, what the new bonus scalesare, waiting for the next product launch.Certainty is a vital ingredient.
Now we know that it is not alwayspossible to be certain about what ishappening. The market is variable,customers can change their thinking andeven government policy changes willpotentially affect some businesses. So whatcan we be certain about?
The usual picture of a sales manager is ofthe out front, over the battlements, lead thecharge kind of person. Peter Etherington, isbest described as a man of quiet confidence.When he transferred to take over the team Iwas a part of, naturally we checked him outwith the team he had just managed. Theresponse was a universal endorsement of hisskills and leadership.
Then I met him and was a little confused.He was reserved, friendly, relatively quietand happy to take his own time to settle and see the lay of the new land. Not the leadership I was used to or I must say, expected.
Over the next three months Peterevaluated, observed, sought information,asked questions and really sought tounderstand his new environment andpeople. He did all this very well. He thendisplayed the reasons his previous teamwere so sad to see him go.
One by one he asked each of themanagers reporting to him to come and seehim and go through his synopsis of thepicture he had pieced together.
One of Peter’s major skills is the ability tobe direct without being blunt. He was clear,concise, open to feedback and willing toshare his opinion when he felt it was needed.The major lesson from Peter was that as amanager or as a communicator, when youare direct and clear, it creates a feeling in thepeople around you that they can depend on what is being said and that is what creates certainty.
Not certainty that we know what willhappen. Certainty in the knowledge that themanager is self assured that whateverhappens, he has the skills to draw the teamtogether and move forward.
N
to be (and then became) BML’s new owner?The task was immense. As the dust settledGeorge sang a new song. “One bank. Onegoal.” It was beautifully simple andextremely effective.
Gary had the task of keeping the salesforce focussed and producing. Sales teamssurvive and thrive on the feeling and spiritthat they engender amongst themselves andtheir customers. The opportunity forinstability and a resulting crash was rife.Gary sang George’s song and added aspecial verse for his sales team. Nothingcomplicated. Simple messages, simplefocus. In the months that followed the salesteam regained their position to again leadthe market with service and results.
Corporate Trends 49
IVEN FRANGI
The Sales Competence Trap
Many of today’s top business
managers make the mistake if
hiring for skills...
see organisations today that have amajor problem and they can’t see itclearly. They focus on the bottom lineall the time and wonder why they are
not doing better. Many of them recruitedbackwards. They have recruited people withgood skills and then they try to train them to have great attitudes. That’sdoing it backwards.
“Recruit people with great attitudes andthen improve their skills. It’s easier for you.People with great attitudes to their jobs willpush you to constantly train them. They arehungry to be better. And, they stay hungry –that’s who they are.”
So said Howard Putnam, the former CEOof Southwest Airlines. A fascinating manwith a real ‘can do’attitude. I learned a greatdeal from him recently when I was luckyenough to spend some time with him.
Howard ran one of the most famous andmost profitable airlines in the world. Youcan feel the great attitude when you step onthe aircraft. It’s a rewarding experience tofly with them. On my first Southwest flight (I had to seeif the stories were true) I opened anoverhead locker to find a bubbly flightattendant greeting me. It got myattention! They have permission to havefun (safety standards allowing). “Theremay be fifty ways to leave your lover butthere are only four ways to leave thisaircraft!” Howard’s book, ‘The Winds of Turbulence,’ is excellent, read it.
Great attitude shows. It’s also highlyprofitable. More than anything else, peoplewith excellent attitudes create theexperience for the customer thatdifferentiates you from your competition.
The competency trap. We are witnessing a needed shift tocompetency based training. This has meantmeasurable results in the way skills areassessed in a job. I advocate “If you can
measure it – you can manage it.” (read thisedition on my web site*)
The trap is what Howard Putnamdescribed as, ‘skills over attitudes’.We’veall seen the brand new sales person going totraining and coming back all fired up withenthusiasm and a limited productknowledge. They go out selling and for acouple of months they do very well. Youdecide – is it the knowledge of the productfeatures and benefits? Is it their superior skillthat creates the results? It is definitely theirenthusiasm. When they start, they are firedup with excitement. They can’t help it. It’scontagious – and prospects get infected andbecome customers.
4. If they can’t do the job – that’s aselection challenge. If they are unable todo the job, you have probably selected thewrong person.
The first two reasons are easily addressed.Training and communication are areas thatyou can manage and control. Reason fourcan be painful to repair but it is manageable.
Reason three is the one that presents thegreatest challenge. It’s the attitude reason. All the skills needed to do the job are wasted if the desire to do the job doesn’t exist.
They are most useful when reason four –effective recruiting – has been addressed.
So, how do you get people with excellentattitudes to work with you? Simple, checkfor good attitudes when recruiting:
• Observe the phone manner. How wasthe candidate on the phone when settingup the interview? This will be how theycome across to your customers• Ask the receptionist. They are usuallythe first person to meet them. Did theygreet the receptionist warmly and treatthem with respect?• Question their history. This is a reliableguide to the future. Ask about client andinternal office situations. Check forattitudes to others and solving problems• Ask for ten references. Anyone can giveyou their three friends. This will give youa wide range. Ask for customers to checkwith• Finally, does this person enjoy whatthey do? Fun is often underrated andpeople who enjoy life are moreproductive.
Last, and by no means least, check yourown attitudes towards your work and yourpeople. Like attracts like. Our attitude iscontagious, too. Balance competence withattitude. As Howard Putnam said, recruit forattitude and teach them the skills.
Iven Frangi is an expert who speaks onSales and Marketing. For furtherinformation please contact:Website:www.frangi.comEmail: [email protected]: (02) 9413 3055
I
The four reasonsThere are four reasons people don’t performin their jobs. Because we can measureresults more easily in sales teams, it’s easierto spot with them. They are:
1. The person doesn’t know what to do.2. The person doesn’t know how to do the job.3. The person doesn’t want to do the job.4. The person can’t do the job.
What would you think would be the mostchallenging reasons to manage and correct?Let’s start by looking at the remedies for thereasons one by one.
1. If they don’t know what to do – that’sa communication challenge. Tell themwhat needs to be done.2. If they don’t know how to do the job– that’s a training challenge. Teach them the skills.3. If they don’t want to do the job –that’s a motivation challenge. They needto feel a desire to do the job.
People with excellentattitudes create theexperience for the
customer that differentiates you
from your competition
ROBYN HENDERSON
Global Networking Specialist Robyn Henderson has spoken in 10 countries, presents over 150 times eachyear and has never advertised. All her work comes from networking, referrals and her website:http://www.networkingtowin.com.au
She has authored 5 books:
• The Magic of Networking – 366 hot networking tips
• Be Seen, Get Known, Move Ahead – a beginners guide to self promotion
• How to Master Networking
• Are you the VIP in your Life?
• Networking for $uccess
She is a contributing author and joint publisher of the:
• American Bestseller – Masters of Networking
• Australian Released - Lessons in Leadership
Plus many audio and CD programs, videos, ebooks, home study programs, on line learning programs andnetworking accessories.
Her career includes over 10 years as a professional speaker, 9 years in sales and telemarketing managementand 13 years in hospitality. Robyn also successfully ran women’s networks for 6 years in the early ‘90s.
Robyn was presented with the 1997 Speaker Award from the National Speakers Association of Australia inNovember 1997 for her contribution to the speaking industry and is a CSP – Certified SpeakingProfessional with the NSAA. This accrediation is shared by only 15 women in Australia and less than 150women globally.
Robyn is a speaker who walks her talk and gets results!!
Robyn Henderson
10 HOT ARTICLES TO GIVE YOU THELEADING NETWORKING EDGE
Corporate Trends 51
ROBYN HENDERSON
Networking is the best way of increasing your businessand usually at little or no cost.
etworking accounts forapproximately 87% ofbusiness in the market placetoday. It is a word that is
bandied around in daily newspapers,offices and boardrooms.
But how do you know if you arenetworking effectively or if there isroom for improvement with yournetworking style?
Networking is in fact a life skill, notjust something we do when we wantsomething from someone we know orfrom a total stranger.
The two major keysThere are two main keys to successfulnetworking:
Give without expectation. Do thingsfor others. Not just to get somethingback but rather to help that personachieve their goals or solve theirproblems.
Have an abundance mentality.Firmly believe that there is plenty ofopportunities (business andpersonal) for everyone.
This is the basis of great networking.Some die-hard salespeople from theeighties - really struggle with givingwithout expectation. Why should theydo something for someone when theyknow there is ‘nothing in it for them?’
Networking is a non traditional styleof selling – in fact, it is not selling at all.However, networking can generatemore business and career opportunitiesthan any advertising campaign couldever hope to achieve.
Great networkers believe in lifting thelevel of professionalism for their
profession or industry. They do thisfirstly, by constantly exceeding theirclients expectations.
Secondly, they believe in making thepie bigger for everyone. With anabundance mentality they areencouraged to cross network withcompetitors and regularly give referrals.Their business card becomes their formof introduction. “Hi, my name isRobyn”, as they offer their card to you.
people they know, like and trust.Without trust, business rarely happens.
A suggestion to assist withremembering who you have met anddifferentiating them from all thebusiness cards in your top drawer isquite simple.
Make notes on cardsAfter you meet a person and exchangecards, you may like to make a note onthe back of their card. Include the dateand place where you met andsomething that you remember aboutthem. Preferably something you spokeabout that was not work related. e.g.golf, grandchildren, tennis.
Great networkers attend networkingevents at least once a week whereverpossible. Rather than belong to a lot ofnetworks and go to each of themoccasionally, they belong to one or twoand attend regularly. In that way, theybecome known as the‘real estateagent” or “financial planner” for thatgroup. It may take time to generatebusiness however, every time theyattend that group, they become morewell known and their reputation grows.
Tracking separate networksYou may start a separate business cardholder for each network that you belongto. After attending each meeting andexchanging business cards with avariety of people (making the notes onthe back of their cards), you can thenplace their cards in this specific holder.Then, when you are returning to thatnetwork, refresh your memory on whothe people are by glancing through yourspecific holder.
In the networking world, it's not whoyou know, it’s who knows you.
N
The Magic of Networking…
In the networkingworld, it's not who
you know that counts – it’s who knows you
•
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
Some people may find this a little pushyor maybe even too bold for theirpersonality. However, how willsomeone ever be able to make contactwith you if you don't give them thatinitial information?
Great networkers listenGreat networkers are generally greatlisteners. They believe in having qualityconversations not quantity. They don'ttry to talk to everyone in a crowdednetworking event. What's the point? Theconversations will be shallow, brief andmore than likely not memorable foreither party.
Quality conversations, on the otherhand, allow you to get to know a littlemore about the other person, buildrapport and hopefully develop thefoundation of trust. And trust, is the gluethat keeps networking together.People today want to do business with
•
52 Corporate Trends
ROBYN HENDERSON
If you are going to attendnetworking functions, why notmake the most of the opportunity?
veryday there are anunlimited number ofnetworking breakfasts,lunches, dinners, seminars,
workshops you can go to. Your budgetprobably determines how many of theseyou can afford to attend. More oftenthan not, your positive mindsetdetermines the outcomes in attendingthese functions.
Many people arrive at these eventsstressed, angry, basically not wanting tobe there. They do themselves adisservice being there, because all theywill attract is negative people likethemselves. They are guaranteed tohave a miserable time. So how can youmaximise these opportunities?
Here are ten simple tips:1. Decide why you want to attend.What do you want to get out of thisevent? Is there a specific person youwant to meet? Are you looking for acertain service provider? Or are yousimply wanting to network with othersin your industry, to share the highs andlows and keep up to date with what ishappening in the marketplace? Theclearer you are on why you are going,the more chance you will have ofachieving your objective.
2. Decide on the logistics.Do I have to block out time in my diarythe hour before the function starts, toarrive on time? Will others you know begoing? What is the dress code? Will youneed to bring a change of clothes towork on the day?
3. Take plenty of business cards.A business card that clearly states yourname, what you do and your contact detailsis imperative for effective networking.
In Singapore, business cards arecalled ‘name cards’ and it is said yourcard represent a summary of you.Always treat other people’s business
cards with respect. Give your businesscard to the person you are meeting aspart of your introduction, “Hi, I'mRobyn Henderson, I'm a globalnetworking specialist.” That’s as muchas you should say about yourself, unlessthey ask.
4. Have quality conversations Have quality conversations rather thanquantity. If there are fifty people at theevent, don't expect to speak to all fifty.Be content with a quality conversationwith five to seven people, who the nextday will look at your card and rememberyou and what you spoke about. Andmore importantly remember you thenext time they see you.
The best networkers are the bestlisteners. Anyone will speak to you forten minutes if you are not speaking
want to speak about their job at all. Most people become very animatedwhen they speak about their interestsoutside of work. Often, by revealing alittle about yourself, people feel morecomfortable sharing their experiences.
8. Always make eye contact.Always make eye contact when you arespeaking to someone. Looking overtheir shoulder for someone better tospeak to is not only insulting but veryfoolish. You never know who knowsthe person you are speaking to.
Take the focus off you, listen morethan you talk and you will be surprisedat the results.
9. Act like the host. When you sit down with a table ofstrangers, start the ball rolling bysuggesting that you all introduceyourself—your name, the work you do,why you have come to the event. On anaverage table of ten, three people maythink you are pushy (that's okay), whilethe other six people will be relieved thatyou had the initiative to make it happen.
10. Finally—have fun. Great networkers have a great time.They know that by having qualityconversations with the people they meetand keeping in touch, following up,doing the things they say they will do,they will build trust. The by product oftrust is - constantly build a strong andeffective network.
Remember, every best friend was aperfect stranger at one time!
Will it be possible to have a showerbefore I change clothes? For male andfemale networkers, I would suggest youkeep a "refresher pack" at the office - itmay include toothpaste, toothbrush,deodorant, after shave/perfume. Thefresher you feel, the more confident youwill look.
E
Hot Tips for AttendingNetworking Functions
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
about yourself.
5. Take along a few ice-breakersIf you are a little nervous about what totalk about, listen to the latest news ortalk back radio on your way to theevent, so that you have a couple ofinteresting current topics to talk about.The first 60 seconds of anyconversation with a complete stranger isthe hardest. If you have a questionprepared (e.g. what was the highlight ofyour day/weekend) the conversationwill flow.6. Don't fear pregnant pauses. If there is a pause in the conversation,that's okay. Don't feel that you have tojump in and fill the gaps with trivia.
7. Avoid talking about work. Eighty per cent of the population don'tget recognition on the job and don't
Listen more than youtalk and you will be
surprised at the results
Corporate Trends 53
ROBYN HENDERSON
With the main conference season about to commence, here aresome timely tips to sharpen your networking skills
orporate organisations arespending thousands ofdollars every yearattending national and
international conventions, seminarsand conferences. Could they bemissing out on valuable networking opportunities at these events purelythrough lack of planning?
Some of the most valuablenetworking happens in the mostinformal situations. So, be prepared!
Here are a few tips:
Prior to the conference:1. Remember to take plenty of yourbusiness cards. If you are running lowon cards, order more now, don’t becaught short. Check with the organisers,how many people are attending. Workout how many people you assume youwill meet and have a qualityconversation with, the number ofexhibitors who may ask for your contactdetails and then allow another ten cardsor so, for the unexpected.
2. Take a small pile of blank cards withyou. You will find a number of goodcontacts who may have forgotten to taketheir cards or have run out. Don’t missan opportunity to follow up with thesepeople. Give them one of your blankcards to write their contact details, emailaddress, etc.
3. Include a highlight pen in yourconference pack. Use this to highlighton your program the breakout sessionsyou wish to attend, important startingtimes, etc.
If you are fortunate enough to begiven a list of attendees, highlight thoseyou wish to make contact with. Theclearer you are on the outcomes you
want, the more chance you have ofachieving them.
4. If it is an international conference,remember your camera. It is far easier tohave a photographic reminder of thepeople you meet, sit with at dinner,attend excursions with, etc., thancommitting everything to memory.
speak to other delegates prior to thespeakers commencing and meet morepeople.If you arrive just in time, or late,you will have little opportunity tonetwork other than to nod to the personyou eventually sit beside.
2. Select a well lit, central location thatwill become a “meeting place” forinteresting people you meet, strangersyou want to get to know a little betterand a great spot for crowd watching.
When you meet new people, you maysuggest to them that they join you for acoffee/drink at this meeting place at theend of the session, prior to excursions,etc. Often people wander aroundaimlessly wishing they had theopportunity to connect with othersduring the down time/free time at theconference. Basically, act like the hostand not the guest!
3. Attend as many of the social eventsfor the conference as possible. Some ofthe best contacts you will make mayhappen in the relaxed atmosphere of acocktail party or barbeque.
4. At conference meal times - aim to sitwith a different group at each sitting andpreferably people you don’t know.Avoid sitting with people from yourown organisation at the meal times andduring the sessions. Catch up for a 10minute debrief at the end of the day. . .you have plenty of time to see themback at the office. Move out of yourcomfort zone.
And, finally, enjoy yourself andremember to always follow up with thepeople you meet.
C
Hot Tips for AttendingSeminars & Conferences
It’s not what youknow, that counts,
it’s who knows what you know!
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
When you do develop the photos,have two for one prints made and send acopy of the photo to the other delegatesyou have met. Always include yourname and contact details(preferably ona sticker) on the back of the photos anddate of the event. It is surprising howoften these photographs can help tocement an international negotiation. Beseen, get known, move ahead.
5. Remember to change your voice-mailor pager message advising that you willbe unavailable for the length of theconference. Leave an urgent venuecontact number for anything that is trulyurgent.
6. Take a brightly coloured action plan.Aim to write action bullet points as theycome to you during the event. If youdon’t write them down, it is possibleyou will forget them.At the conference:1. Where possible, arrive early for allsessions. This will give you anopportunity to plan where you will sit,
54 Corporate TrendsCorporate Trends 54
ROBYN HENDERSON
Business today goes to those serviceproviders who without questionsexceed their clients expectations…
eading edge organisations,grow their clients businessesat the same time as their own.In the USA, they call it
‘revenue enhancement’. Basically itmeans making money for your clientsas well as yourself. Let me assure you,this is definitely non-traditional selling.However, it has a powerful impact onboth your bottom line and your clients’.
So, how do you do it and moreimportantly, why would you bother?
The why and howThe ‘why’ is very clear—client revenueenhancement will enable you to standout from all your competitors and createfar greater loyalty than any price cut orspecial deal ever will. Today, you don’thave to be the cheapest. In fact you cancharge more for your services, becauseyou are in fact giving more. You aregiving referrals to your clients at noextra charge—as well as providing yournormal exceptional service.
The ‘how’ is also relatively easy andmay just require a little lateral thinkingon your part. We all know that the key tobusiness growth is getting customers tobuy twice and in fact turning them intoa client and ultimately an advocate.
Look at your client base—be it 10clients or 1000 clients—and, if youhaven’t already done so, grade theminto A, B and C clients depending onfrequency or volume of orders orwhatever your criteria may be. We arewanting to clarify where is our businesscoming from and what can we do toensure that we do not lose even one ofour major accounts.We may then choose to work from thetop client right through to the bottom.
People often make the mistake ofdismissing small clients, not realisingthat they may just be one of a number ofservice providers for that company. Butif they were to gain a greater marketshare of their business, they couldbecome one of their major accounts.
Next step, one by one, look at theseclients and ask the questions:
• How well do you really understandtheir business (not yours)
• Do you have any idea of the sorts ofcustomers they are looking to dobusiness with?The clearer you are on this one point,
the easier the revenue enhancementbecomes. If you’re unclear, why notphone your key person and ask the
know people who are potentialprospects either in your client base oryour associates. Now it is a simple caseof connecting two people together.
When you do make the initial call,ask the client to send you five of theirbusiness cards. When they ask why,explain that this will make it a lot easierfor you to refer business to them, if youcan just give their business card to thepotential prospect. You then create aspecific referral business card holder,that would be portable, as well as anelectronic record.
Add your nameMost importantly, before you placetheir business card in your referralholder, write your name on the back oftheir card—referred by John Jones.
You may decide to work on givingreferrals to just ten clients per monthand another ten the following month.
Energy follows thought—what wethink about in our lives, is what wecreate for ourselves. If our intention isto give referrals to our clients, we willfind that this happens. Basically, it’s assimple as having their business cardavailable and giving it to a prospect atan appropriate time. Linking peoplewith similar interests, potential businessobjectives and opportunities is great funand very satisfying.
The by-product will be more businessand referrals for you and all it took wasa little of your time and a little lateralthinking. And, always remember—what you give out comes back ten fold!
L
Networking Millennium Style…Making Money for Your Clients
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
specific question: “Describe to me theperfect customer for you”.
You may choose to explain that partof your client retention program thisyear will be your intention to referbusiness to this client. Don’t besurprised if they are taken aback withyour offer. Record their responses andthen start asking yourself the questions:
• Do I know anyone who fits thisdescription?• Do I know anyone who knowsanyone who fits this description?
Maybe you don’t know anyonetoday, however, you now know whatyou are looking for. Repeat this processfor maybe 10 clients at a time. Withoutdoubt, you will find that you already
Corporate Trends 55
ROBYN HENDERSON
What Do I Say, After I Say, “Hello”?Mastering the gentle art ofconversation, can help you becomea much more effective networker.
here are lots of people outthere who have an absoluteterror of talking to strangers.This fear however, is
generally totally unfounded. Some arrive at a networking function
feeling a little nervous, because theydon’t know many of the peopleattending. This often causes them toleave their personality at the venuedoorstep. They are unable to start orfinish conversations and usually have amiserable time. They leave, vowingnever to return and to avoid futurenetworking events at all costs.
Comfort zonesHowever, back in their comfort zone,they can express opinions on just aboutanything and rarely allow themselves tofeel intimidated by anything or anyone.
So, we may surmise that it is actuallyour nerves and fear of meeting strangersthat sometimes gets the better of us atthese events. Therefore, to improveyour networking skills, it will helpdramatically if you work on improvingyour conversation skills.
Think about some of the bettercommunicators in your networks —what makes them different? Is it thatthey do any or all of the following:
• listen to your answer• allow you to finish your response without interrupting
• make eye contact• genuinely act as if they do care about your answer
• somehow make you feel special • follow up when they say they will• offer helpful suggestions • remember snippets of previous
conversations you may have had.The one thing each of these greatcommunicators do, is make a heart toheart connection with you.
This is not in a romantic sense. Ratherthe listener focuses on you and theconversation you are having together.Whether there are one or five people inthe group, they are focussed on thegeneral conversation. They are notdistracted. They are “in the moment” or“in the now”. When we speak from our heads, weoften become flustered and nervous,
background noise or by their distractedmanner, that they were not listening toyou. Their mind was elsewhere — theywere definitely not in the “now”.
Then, think about a phone conver-sation with someone who was in thenow and listened actively and with afocus. More often than not, the conver-sation was quality not quantity. Youboth kept to the point, said what you hadto say, and agreed on an outcome.
Conversations at networking eventsare no different to phone conversations,we want to feel that the person we arespeaking to is in fact listening.
Effective networkers have a beliefsystem that every single person theymeet is incredibly interesting and hasmuch to contribute to any conversation.
Key to making connectionWhen you focus on that heart to heartconnection, once the conversationstarts, it generally flows. The key tomaking the connection is basically youare treating people the way you wouldlike to be treated yourself.
If you knew everyone in the room anda stranger walked into the room, whatwould they be hoping someone in theroom would do? Befriend them ofcourse, just as they would do ifpositions were reversed.
So, the next time you see a personstanding alone and looking a littlenervous or out of place, talk to them.Say, “Hi, my name is…, mind if I joinyou?” Or, even better, catch their eyeand invite them to join your group.
If by chance you befriend someonewho does not want to join in yourconversation, that’s okay. At least youextended the hand of friendship to them.
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
TGood networkers usually have acouple of open ended questionsprepared. Here are a few examples:
• What was the highlight of your weekend/day/holiday?
• What tips would you give someone, who has never attended one of these events?
• I may already know someone who could do business with you, what would your ideal client look like?
• What's your opinion on…?• What's your favourite…?
restaurant, movie, sport, etc.• Your… looks great, where did
you buy your…(jacket, tie, etc.)?• What do you like most about
your…job, home, living in…?
stumbling over words. We are soworried about what we are going to saynext or what a word means or whetherwe are wearing the right clothes, etc.,etc. With all this head stuff happening,anyone having a conversation with us,just thinks we are uninterested in theiranswers and distracted.
When we make that heart to heartconnection, we listen actively to theconversation. We don’t have to worryabout what we are going to say next,because when we are listening, wereceive lots of cues for responses ormore questions. If we are quiet longenough, we can even learn lots of things.Think for a moment of the last time youhad a conversation with someone overthe phone and you knew, possibly by the
56 Corporate Trends
ROBYN HENDERSON
9 Keys to DevelopingStrategic AlliancesStrategic alliances can help you get the edge in today’scompetitive marketplace. But where do you start?
orming key relationships orpartnering with other businessescould be the most important thingyou do to ensure your success,
however, the wrong decision could be arecipe for disaster. To successfully developworthwhile strategic alliances, consider thefollowing eight keys points:
1. Select partners carefullyMake sure you attract like minded peoplewith similar values and ethics. Today thereare still many ‘cowboys’ in the marketplace.People who ride into town, with lots offanfare, making lots of noise and hollowpromises. However, if you are looking for along term relationship with your clients,don't network with the cowboys or you aresure to have a stormy ride.
Look at your peers and competitors andidentifying those who think like you, runtheir businesses along the same ethical linesand basically have a good business name.
2. Be clear on outcomes Be as specific as possible. Identify exactly:
• how big you want your connection to grow
• the turnover you anticipate• the number of hours you can commit to the project
• any other commitments that may affect your financial situation
• any fears you may have about the business relationship
• identify exactly how many widgets you want to produce, when and by whom
• how much you can afford to invest and lose, should your partnership fail.
3. Never assume anythingMany business partnerships fail because ofpoor communication. Some partners thinkeverything that needs to be discussed iscovered once the dollars are finalised butthis is far from reality. Clarify everything.Put everything in writing as soon as possibleafter your meetings. Take notes during the
meeting or have the meeting and minutesrecorded for you. 4. Set specific time linesMany people agree in principal tosomething and then find that due to priorcommitments or unexpected events, theycannot honour their agreement.
By setting trial time frames, you can getan idea of your partner’s management style,their attention to detail and their investmentin the project.
6. Aim for the WIN-WINBrainstorm possible, best and worst casescenarios regarding this strategic alliance.What is the worst thing that can happen andcan you cope with that outcome? If you can,then you have absolutely nothing to lose. Ifyou can't cope with that outcome, you maylike to review the situation or review theguidelines.
7. Celebrate your successesIn life, some people are so busy doing,doing, doing, that they forgot to stop andsmell the roses. To maintain your and yourpartners motivation, it’s important to recordthe milestones in your alliance: ie Your firstorder or contract, your first payment inexcess of $X, etc. Acknowledge these winsregularly. If you don't give yourselfrecognition, why would you expect others togive it to you?
8. Do your homeworkPrepare your business plan, do a SWOTanalysis highlighting the positives and thenegatives of a joint alliance. Prepare all theinformation that you consider your potentialpartner would need to know before theycould comfortably make a decision aboutforming an alliance with you.
9. Don’t be afraid to go for itAnd finally, when you have selected yourpartner to be, make the phone call, send thefax, email, whatever the approach — makecontact. Remember, if you never ask thequestion, the answer is always, no!
Ask for six minutes of their time. Talk fast — let your passion and enthusiasm sellyour idea. After all, what’s the worst thingthat can happen — rejection?You can livewith that. Remember, they are not rejectingyou, they are rejecting your product, serviceor a specific opportunity. Tomorrow, theymay change their mind or better still, theymay introduce you to a person they considerto be your ideal strategic alliance partner.
If we have courage to face the challengeand make our dreams, goals and targetsgreater than our fears — we can havewhatever we want in life.
Dream big dreams…
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
5. Allow for exit clausesBetter to lose a partner in the early stages,than lose your good name in themarketplace. Sometimes the different stylesof management and leadership create disharmony.
Something that seemed like a smallannoyance may become a huge irritationdown the track. For example, you may forma partnership with someone who alwaysruns at least forty minutes late for everymeeting. You on the other hand are alwaysten minutes early.
You may initially laugh this habit away,however, after a few months of being keptwaiting, you may not see the humouranymore.
You may like to put in place a ‘trial timeframe’e.g. ‘lets review this in 30 days andsee how we are travelling. If things are notworking out by then, we can dissolve thepartnership without any hard feelings’.
This one point will ensure a clean break ifone becomes required in the future.
F
Corporate Trends 57
ROBYN HENDERSON
Off the top of your head, you can probably list the namesof 20 people you consider to be interesting...
expectation. People can intuitively sense afraud a mile away. We all know thosepeople who are just being nice to youbecause they want something. They arerarely interesting – basically because theyare only interested in themselves and whatthey can take, not in what they can give.
In today’s competitive marketplace, manyemployees get caught up in the – work longhours, go home, crash– work long hours,go home, crash – cycle. When they do geta day off, its all they can do to dragthemselves out of bed and many have toreally force themselves to go out and dosomething remotely social. Life is likeexercise, once you are actually at the gym,you feel great. It’s just getting there thattakes the effort.
Research your interestsThe Internet has opened up the
information world. All we have to do isknow how to access that information.Search engines make that incredibly easyfor us. In particular, you may like to visitAsk Jeeves - www.aj.com. You will find thatJeeves can answer just about any questionyou can create, no matter how obscure – andall in the space of nanoseconds.
I have an interest in taking photos ofsunsets and sunrises and as I travel, I get to see many examples of nature’s magnificence. One night, I collected a batchof photos and was a little disappointed with
“Life is what happensto you while you aremaking other plans.”
John Lennon
aybe you could fill a pagewith names, if you reallygave it some thought. Whatare the charact-
eristics of interesting or charismatic people?Is there any advantage in becoming moreinteresting? From a networkers perspective,the answer is a most resounding – yes!
We all know that people do business withpeople they know, like and trust. Askyourself, would you want to spend timewith someone who you find interesting orsomeone who bores you stupid?
The answer is obvious. An interestingperson attracts people to them and mostlikely expends a lot less effort promotingand selling their product or services or fast-tracking their career.
Think about the last networking and/orsocial function you attended. What peopledo you recall having a conversation with?More importantly, what do you rememberabout those conversations?
Many interesting people basically repeatlittle pieces of trivia – things they foundinteresting and assume others will, too.Basically they teach what they learn. Thisdoesn’t include gossip, of course, only goodnews stories.
Gifted story-tellersInteresting people are often gifted at tellingstories. Unfortunately, at social andnetworking functions, you often have togive a shortened version of an event and thismay take practice. We all know people whocan embellish a story and stretch the truth.In the networking world, stretching the truthis totally unnecessary and very oftenbackfires. More often than not, it’s a greatstory just as it happened. It’s the storytellerthat makes the story come alive withpassion and enthusiasm.
If you are really serious about improvingyour personal skills including yourcommunication or social skills, letsconsider story telling. Would you agree thatpeople recall stories, especially when theyare positive, entertaining and triggeremotions – happy or sad. By the way, ifsadness has been triggered, the greatstoryteller has a way of turning a negativeinto a positive, even if it is just to state howlucky we are at that moment.
Are You an Interesting Person?them. Other than doing a photographycourse, I wondered if, “Ask Jeeves”mighthave a suggestion for me. Sure enough,after typing in a query, “where would Ilearn to take better photos of sunrises andsunsets”– I was directed to an article: ‘Howto take better photos of sunrises.’ I kid younot! Ask Jeeves is definitely worth a visit.
Get focussedTake a few moments now and write a list of20 things that you would be interested indoing if you had a month off and anunlimited budget. Really let yourimagination take hold. Your list mayinclude some old hobbies, new interests,maybe even more of what you are currentlydoing.
Move out of your comfortZoneMany people sit back and wait for life tohappen — they wait a long time! Proactivepeople are the ones who make life happen.
Attend a special courseSo many people think that networking hasto be work related. In actual fact, some ofthe best contacts you will make, will be in asocial or special interest situation.
Time poor people may be reluctant tocommit to long-term studies. However,many colleges regularly have short-termspecial interest courses to suit our restrictedavailability. What a great way to network!
You are learning something new,improving your skill, making new friendsand the by product is – you are becomingmore interesting.
John Lennon summed it up with hisquote: “Life is what happens while you aremaking other plans.” Interesting people arenot born. You won’t find ‘interestingperson’ listed in the newspaper birthnotices. However, they are easy to spot atnetworking functions. They are the onesthat everyone wants to be around.Happy networking!
MSo lets look at simple strategies that you
may consider introducing into your life tobecome a more interesting person. ( Thebasic reason for doing this would be for youto have a more interesting life, morefulfilment and a broader circle of friends.Once trust is built, who knows how many ofthose people may be interested in furtheringyour career ).
Always be sincere and give without
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
58 Corporate Trends
ROBYN HENDERSON
networking with our social events, we willcertainly be saving time.
In the networking ladder of loyalty, wecan walk into a room full of strangers, notknowing anyone. Through communication– basically a combination of speaking andlistening – we build trust. The more wecommunicate, the more trust we build andthe faster we move our relationship up thenetworking ladder of loyalty from strangerthrough to acquaintance through to friend.
Some people shy away from the use ofthe word “friend” – concerned that theyeither have enough friends already or more“friends” mean more commitments.
On the contrary basically what we aredoing in building a network of friends iscreating communities full of open doors.Open doors where we can pick up thephone, send an email, offer information, askfor help – knowing always that the help isreciprocal. Knowing WHO to call, can saveus time, money and effort. Basically we areconnecting like minded people,communicating with friends andacquaintances and cementing our blocks oftrust. In so doing, we form solid foundations
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
No Time to Network?Are you one of the new time poor? Too much to do and solittle time to do it in? All the more reason to network…
s our diaries and Palm Pilots gointo overload and the days,weeks and months seem to flypast at an alarming rate – we
sometimes wonder just where we will findtime to network. Many small businessowner/operators and middle managers alikeconstantly complain of not having a “life”and are constantly in a time poor state. Yetsenior management continually stress theneed to bring business to the organisationand the obvious way to do that isnetworking. So, where do we fit networkinginto our busy schedule? And moreimportantly, why should we bother?
Firstly, lets look at how we can includenetworking into our busy schedule. For thisexercise lets define networking functions asinternal or external (from our organisations)events, cultural, social and/or sportingfunctions. Straight away, we realise thatnetworking doesn’t just have to be aboutbusiness – some of the best networkingopportunities often take place in less formalsituations. Be it a football match, crickettest, tennis game or school fete, networkingopportunities abound. And if we combine
of networks and contacts and often becomeknown as a sphere of influence – someonewho knows a little bit about a lot of thingsand a lot about one or two areas of ourexpertise. We are reliable, professional andgreat at both finding and accessing vitalinformation.
It is also helpful to remind ourselves of thethree keys to networking:
1. giving without expectationsDoing something for someone not to getsomething back. Basically giving withoutremembering and receiving withoutforgetting.
2. An abundance mentality The belief system that regardless of ourprofession or location, there are plenty ofopportunities for everyone. We are generouswith sharing our information andconnections, without fearing scarcity or lack.
3. The law of reciprocityUnderstanding the universal law ofreciprocity. This basically states that whatyou give out comes back tenfold – if youwant referrals – start giving them to others.
Networking is a life-skill, rather thansomething we just do when we wantsomething – which is where most people gowrong. Whether it’s a phone call, an email,a fax, thank you card, kind word to a fellowworker or neighbour, its all part ofnetworking.
Based on the above definition andexamples, we can see that networkingactually goes way beyond attendingnetworking functions. This in itself is a greattime management bonus – fifteen minutesper day, keeping in touch, following up andbeing remembered positively, will add toour networking profile.
Networking also fits into the incomebuilding area of our business or career.Income is generated by the service orproduct we provide, income building iswhere we plant the seeds to generatepossible interest in our product or service.
One thing is certain – if you aren’tnetworking, you will never know just whatyou are missing.
A
Some of the main reasons to network include:• Find out what is happening in your marketplace, not just what the media reports. Youmay be able to identify any future trends, movements of key players, new competitors orhear of competitors who may have gone out of business or worse, won your key account.• You have an opportunity to see where a person of your calibre, experience and integrityactually fits in the marketplace. By meeting your peers, you can gauge, in the big pictureof your industry or profession, are you up there with the top ten or has your rankingslipped since you lost that last account . If you are not in the top ten, what are those peopledoing that you’re not doing.• If you are a people person, you get to meet many interesting people and constantly learnabout new ideas and concepts. The more open your mind, the more interestingconversations you will have.• Energy is exchanged between people. Positive people re-energise other positive people.Sometimes you’ve just had a bad day, when things have not gone to plan. Often attendinga networking function re-energises and revitalises your enthusiasm and love of life.• Often you will run into current and past clients. There is much less pressure in a socialenvironment than making a telephone call or unannounced visit to a past client. You canoften find out informally just why you are not their main supplier now. Sometimes justseeing you reminds them that they did want to make contact with you anyway.• Every best friend you have was once a perfect stranger – if you make a new friend atevery function you attend, you are blessed and its usually a sign that you are greatcompany and an interesting person.
Corporate Trends 59
ROBYN HENDERSON
Don’t Just Focus on the ‘Big Kahuna!’Mastering the gentle art of conversation, can help youavoid trade expo disasters and set sales records...
icture this scenario: You haveblown your budget on your tradedisplay, had thousands ofbrochures printed, updated your
website, have a full compliment of staff inattendance and on day two, you still haven’ttaken your first order! What is happening –or rather is not happening?
Many sales people would love potentialbuyers to wear signs saying “My name isJohn Smith and I am in the market for oneof your $50,000 widgits – be nice to me andyou may get the order.” Or “I’m married tothe head of the company you are trying tosecure a contract from. If you treat me as theintelligent person I am, rather than ignoringme as you are doing now, I may introduceyou to my partner.” Or “I am the companyscout – I am checking out all the standstoday, before the big boss arrives tomorrow.If you keep patronising me today, you willnot see my boss and the decision makertomorrow – I will make sure of it!”
That would be really simple for everyoneand then, all we would have to do is be ableto read. Sure, when you read the name badgeof the potential customer, interpret whatevercode the organisers are using (be it colour orsymbol), we could then only speak to thosethat we perceive to be important.
How foolish that would be…
It’s not what you knowRemember, it’s not what you know but whoknows what you know.
No one is a nobody. Yes, their name badgemay have a lesser code than someone elsehowever, who do they know and why arethey looking at your stand? Certainly not forsomething to do to fill in their day. We are allso time poor today, that sometimes we justdon’t realise how important it is to take thetime to have a conversation with everyonewe come into contact with – whether theylook like buyers or not!
Pick up The Big Kahuna,movie withDanny De Vito and Kevin Spacey when younext visit your favourite video store. Itbrings home well and truly the, “no one is anobody.” The Big Kahuna’s – (the No. 1buyers) – often deliberately avoid drawingattention to themselves.
Think about some of the bettercommunicators in your networks – whatmakes them different? Is it that they do anyor all of the following:
• Listen to your answer• Allow you to finish your responsewithout interrupting• Make eye contact (unless it is culturallyunacceptable)• Genuinely act as though they do careabout your answer• Somehow make you feel special• Follow up when they say they will • Offer helpful suggestions• Remember snippets of previousconversations you may have had thatmay be relevant to the current situation.
overheard your distracted conversation andmade a decision not to come back. When we make a heart to heart connection,we listen actively to the conversation. Wedon’t have to worry about what we are goingto say next, because when we are listening.We also receive lots of cues for responses ormore questions. And, if we are quiet longenough, we can even learn lots of things.
Trade show tipsStart treating people the way you would liketo be treated. Ask open ended questions thatstart with who, what, how, when, where, whyand allow the person to expand on what ispossibly one of the most important things intheir life – their business.
Good exhibitors usually have a couple ofopen ended questions prepared. Questionsthat they feel comfortable asking andanswering. Here are a few examples:
• Tell me about your business, what typeof customers do you have?• How many businesses in your area, sellthe same products as you?• Throughout the exhibition, what producthas caught your eye so far?• What, specifically, did you come to thetrade show for?• What size is your showroom?• What sort of effect has the internet and e-business had on your outlet?• What has been the highlight of your day?
Rather than constantly looking for the sale,look for a quality conversation. No onewants to be treated like a dollar sign!However, quality conversations build trustand from trust comes business opportunities.The quickest way to turn a prospect into anadvocate, is to make a heart to heartconnection. Focus on the person in front ofyou, not those walking down the aisles,those you think you may miss.
They will come back to you again andagain – you see, good communicators arehard to find. Communicate today, build trust,and most of all, have fun and the orders willfollow. Why not try it and see for yourself?
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
P
The heart to heart connectionNot surprisingly, most good sales peoplealso do all of the above.The one thing that great communicators andsales people do is make a heart to heartconnection with you.
This is not in a romantic sense. Rather thelistener focuses on you and the conversationyou are having together. Whether there areone or five people in the group, they arefocused on the general conversation. Theyare not distracted. They are “in the moment”or “in the now”. They are listening with theirheart as well as their ears.
When we speak from our heads, we oftenbecome flustered and nervous, stumblingover words. We are so worried aboutmissing the next “important” person thatcomes onto the stand and we mentally try toweigh up whether this current person isbuying or not. Meanwhile we have lost twopotential customers, the one we are speakingto and the one who came onto the stand,
Communicate today,build trust and mostof all, have fun – the
orders will follow!
60 Corporate Trends
ROBYN HENDERSON
The number one reason many people don’t convert business cardsinto business is – they never follow up!
B2B – Beyond BusinessCards to Actual Business
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
ffective systems make or breakgood networkers. Masternetworking goes way beyondjust giving out business cards.
Granted this is one of the first steps inactually making new contacts – butreturning to your office with 15 businesscards after attending a Chamber ofCommerce meeting, is totally useless unlessyou do something with them.
Consider the cost, door to door, for you toattend this event. Calculate the number ofhours from when you left your office orhome to the actual time you returned. Yes,you may have only been at the function fortwo hours but door to door may in fact becloser to four or five hours. Now, consideryour charge out rate for five hours – almosta full day. Include the cost of your ticket andany parking charges and you have nowcome up with the actual cost for attendingthat event.
Conservatively lets say that your chargeout rate is $100 per hour, the parkinganother $25 and the cost to attend say $75.The total is now $600. Then if we allowanother hour for follow up after the event,(be it sending information or just recordingthe contacts), we are now looking at aninvestment of $700. And if your charge outis more than $100 per hour – well you do themaths. For the self employed person thisequates to a considerable cost. For theemployed, it’s another cost to be absorbedby your employer. No wonder they expectresults!
So, it’s important we get more value outof attending networking events. Here aresome tips to help you do that:
1. Prepare before the event.What outcomes are you wanting ? Whowould you like to meet? If you meet theideal prospect, have you remembered yourbusiness cards. At least one third of peopleattending networking events for the solepurpose of doing business – forget to bringtheir business cards!
2. Change your focusRather than thinking you stop work and
then go to the networking event – considerthe networking event is in fact an extensionof your workday – you are just changinglocations. Conversely, if you were attendinga breakfast function, you in fact started workat 7 a.m. today. With a work focus at thisevent, your priorities will be quite different.Basically you are building trust through communication. If you don’t talk to people, you cannot build trust and rapportwith them.
3. Become a connectorAt networking functions – practice linkingpeople together. Asking questions like,“What were you hoping to achieve fromtonight’s function?” or “Did you have aspecific objective for attending tonight?”
Get people talking about why they arethere and then, if possible, connect themwith the people they are looking for or if thatis not possible, at least someone who mayknow someone. This is a really valuableskill to master and in this information agewhen information is currency, your role as aconnector becomes invaluable – during andpost any event.
4. Don’t over-commit.If you commit to forward information postevent, don’t over-commit. Be honest, if youhave a full schedule that week, indicate thatit may be 4-5 days before you can forwardthe information and check if that is okay.Most people are quite okay with this. It’swhen you say you will do something anddon’t do it that you can lose credibility.
5. Develop a post event systemThis may include having a specific businesscards holder for that network, where youplace all the cards from the people you meetat this event. Prior to putting them in thefolder, make a note on the back of the cardwith the date and place you met the personand something you remember about them –ideally something they are interested inoutside of work. Prior to going to the nextevent at that network, you browse through
the cards to remind yourself who you met.You may also enter the contact details fromthe card of key prospects in your electronicdatabase and make a note to reconnect withthem in 30 to 45 days time. Remember youare building trust and earning the right togain business, as well as aiming to be remembered positively – without being pushy.
6. Pass it onOne of the easy ways of making contactwith people post event, is to send them acopy of an invitation to another event theymay be interested in attending. An email orfax: “Hi Joe, enjoyed our conversation atthe Chamber of Commerce, here is theinvitation I mentioned. Hope to connectwith you again.” Another may be sendingan article that is relevant to the person’sbusiness or profession. You may in factcollect a file full of these and forward themon as required. For your reference,www.corporatetrends.com.au has a largeselection of appropriate articles on a varietyof business subjects.
7. Send an electronic postcard.Visit www.networkingtowin.com.auandclick on send a postcard.You will find avariety of designs that are different, easy tosend and download quickly. The key pointis that you follow up – otherwise that $700investment of time, money and effort hasgone down the drain.
If you see attending networking events as athree part process, preparation before yougo, connecting with people at the functionand most importantly follow up after theevent, you will really start to see reward foryour effort. Always remember small butsignificant help can be extremely powerfuland memorable.
Happy networking!
E
Corporate Trends 61
ROBYN HENDERSON
You’re attending the business networks, handing out the business cards,
following up within 48 hours of exchanging cards and still NOTHING.
Could it be that your language is sabotaging your results? Not me – you
say! If you are not getting results from your networking, your self
sabotaging behaviours may be one of the reasons…
hen we are new to anindustry, profession, city,country or network, ourlanguage is one way we
often sabotage our networking success.Just because we have only worked with afirm for three months in this new seniorrole, does not mean that the five yearswith another firm is dismissed – unlesswe are the ones dismissing it or notbothering to mention it at all. People willnot value you, unless you give themsomething to value.
In the same vein, we have launched oursmall business six months ago with greatfanfare. Since then, we have been battlingto make ends meet and we just seem to begoing nowhere fast. However, every timewe introduce ourselves, our voicequavers and our credibility is often lostinstantly. We may have been in our ownsmall business only six months, however,we have had fifteen years in the industry.We were, in fact, so good at our work, wewere continually headhunted by othercompanies wanting our expertise.
So, why is it so hard to talk ourselvesup today and possibly attract new clients?
The critical 30 secondsWhatever your position, surveys show wehave less than 30 seconds to really makean impression. Sure, we can look good(we can buy flattering clothes), we canmake all the right moves but if ourlanguage is letting us down, we are goingto have to network ten times as hard assomeone who values their worth. Thatmeans, you will have to talk to nine morepeople than a confident person! And,quite frankly, if you are into selfsabotaging language, its highly unlikelyyou will speak to nine people all night!
What follows are some examples ofintroductions from what appeared to be(initially) well dressed, professionals, whom
Stop Sabotaging — Start Networking!
W
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
I may have considered doing businesswith. (or at least introducing to someone in my network, who may have been interested in doingbusiness with them) and ways I feel theycould be improved. My thought responsesare in brackets after their comments,followed by a possible introduction (initalics) that does not diminish the ability ofthe person and can, in fact, further theconversation. Finally, there’s my possibleresponse to the new introduction.
Alternative: I’m a graphic designer, Ispecialise in corporate logos,advertisements, website, anything thatcorporates need to make them look good as well as be memorable. I work for myself now, after 15 years in the industryand find that I can now give clients that oneon one service that is missing in themarketplace today.
Comments: One on one – that’s what Ineed! Someone who understands me, quickget his card…
And this, from a fearless but sabotaging25 year old, who allowed themselves to beintimidated by someone ten years older thanthem!
Introduction: I’m just a graduate withDDD, they don’t let me near any clients yet,just put me in the back room to do all thesupport stuff. I’m really good at what I dothough. I topped my class at uni.
(If you were that good, they would let youout in the marketplace! I don’t think so…back in the box. I won’t follow up with thisone – not experienced enough yet…
Alternative: I work with DDD, theyheadhunted me as I topped my class at uni.They realise that even though I am only 25,I have a lot to offer the organisation and theclient base. We specialise in creating…
Comments:Wow – what a bright youngperson! She will really go far – good on her!It’s great to see a 25 year old with that muchconfidence. I must connect her with a few ofthe movers and shakers here tonight.
If you feel you may have been guilty ofsabotaging yourself through your negativeintroductions, start practising today. Evenif you have to write out your introductionand repeat it again and again, until it rollsoff your tongue.
You will be surprised how easily peoplewill respond to you, when you start tovalue your own worth. Because the bottomline is always this: if you don’t valueyourself, how can you expect anyone elseto value you?
Happy networking!
Introduction: I’m just a junior partner.(Well sounds like I had better wait until I
meet the senior partner, before I give mybusiness to your firm.)
Alternative: I’m a junior partner withXYZ – we are true innovators in the areas ofbbb and aaa. You may have seen our firmwritten up in last Thursday’s FinancialReview?
Comments: This person really soundslike they know what they are doing – Iwonder if he has room for another client?)
Introduction: I’ve just started my smallbusiness. I’m, um, a designer, a graphicdesigner but I am finding it really tough toget things happening.…
(Sounds a bit too vague to me, not surewhat he does, can’t be any good or hewould be busy! I think I will steer clear for now – let someone else find out if he’sgood or not).
If you want to stopsabotaging yourself,remove the followingnegative words from
your vocabulary: but, no worries, can’t,
won’t, might, try, just a…
62 Corporate Trends
ROBYN HENDERSON
Can you make theTOUGH DECISIONS?It’s okay to make a mistake. Successful networkers make lots ofmistakes — that’s what makes them successful!
eing able to make a decisionquickly and comfortably is oneof the keys to great leadershipand effective networking.
Picture yourself at a networking businessfunction, having a conversation withsomeone whom you consider to be, “wellconnected”.You are spontaneously invitedto attend a social sailing day, with only alimited number of people invited on board.
If you are a confident decision maker,you possibly asked a few key questions, e.g.time of departure and expected return time,would it matter that you weren’t a yachtieand really ranked yourself as a beginner?(Note: its better to under promise and overdeliver than vice versa).
Based on those key points, you probablyaccepted or declined on the spot.
Or did you hesitate?If decision making does not come easily toyou, you probably asked a few questionsand then had a major or minor stress attacktrying to decide whether to go or not. In theend, you may have asked if you could getback to them in 24 hours. Too late,unfortunately, the boat was filled before thefunction ended.
Another missed opportunity for you. Whoknows what great opportunities may havecome your way on board that boat or whoyou may have met?
When the need arises to make a quickdecision always consider: what’s the worstthing that can happen?Once this isidentified, then ask yourself: can I cope withthat? If you can, then go for it — if not, itmay be best to decline.
In the yachting scenario, the worst thingthat could have happened , may have beenthat you had to re-schedule a meeting so youcould attend and there’s always thepossibility that you will make a fool ofyourself on the boat. Big deal! You willnever become good at networking (orsailing or management for that matter) ifyou are not prepared to make a few mistakesalong the way.
Is FEAR your problem?At times FEAR is the thing that stops usfrom making a decision. You may recalltimes when fear has frozen you in yourtracks. (Remember, the acronym for FEARis False Evidence Appearing Real).
Fears that regularly occur for some peopleinclude the following:
• Fear of making a mistake • Fear of failing • Fear of looking or feeling stupid • Fear of rejection• Fear of losing friends • Fear of not being liked.
These fears are usually totally unfounded.
Maybe you’re a worrier?Worriers often worry about things that maynever happen. What a waste of energy!
This is not to dismiss these fears, becauseat the time they are incredibly real. Any of
the above fears can actually manifest intoheadaches, pain, stress or a multitude ofphysical ailments. However, if we look atthe real reason these symptoms appear, it isoften started by an imagined fear, similar tothose listed above.
The more we stay in the moment and stopthe endless chatter in our heads, the moreclarity we have around decision making.With networking opportunities, not only actlike the host rather than the guest but alsothink like the host.
If you asked people to a special event andthey all declined without explaining, howwould you feel? Clear communication isalways appreciated, even if at times itmeans you have to swallow your pride.
With the sailing invitation above, what ifyou were actually brave enough to thank thehost for their invitation and explain that youhave never been sailing before and may feelyou would let the team down. The hostwould certainly appreciate your honesty.
Making the big decisionsWith large decision making, I have foundthe following to be useful:
1. State the problem or situationWhat is the obvious problem or what arepeople implying the problem is?
2. State the factsFrom a total outsiders point of view, what
B
TAKE THE CHAINS OFF YOUR BRAINS!A change of environment can often stimulate creative decision making. It may only be aquick walk to the cafeteria or local sandwich shop to buy a snack,. That change ofphysiology and mindset might just give you and your cluttered mind, that breathe of freshair and ideas you need.
If you have time, arrange a brainstorming session with a few like minded people butpreferably people who are not in your industry. Industry specialist often have cloudedvision, because this is the way we have always done it. Someone either from another agegroup, different background, totally different industry or nationality, can bring their ownexperiences to assist with your tough decisions.
IT'S OKAY TO CHANGE YOUR MINDIf you realise you are on the wrong track, it won't matter how far down the track you go,it will still be the wrong track. It may be better to admit your error and cut your losses.
A brave person, prepared to admit their mistake might say, “In light of the newinformation, I've changed my mind”. A fearful person unwilling to admit a mistakebecause of the possible repercussions, may just ignore the problem hoping it will just goaway. Unfortunately, that rarely happens.
Another very simple decision making tip is to take a couple of minutes focussing ondeep breathing from your tummy rather than your chest. In the same way that meditationslows your thoughts down, deep breathing will have a similar effect.
And if all else fails, have a good nights sleep.
ROBYN HENDERSON
Things are rarely irreversible and fromevery mistake, you will learn how to do itnext time and of course, how not to do it.
Good communication is a must when youare faced with a tough decision. Oftenasking a number of direct questions, canhelp you find the real problems.
These questions may include:
• How could we improve…• What would happen if…• How many ways could we…• Is this what you meant?• Wouldn’t it be fun if we could…• Who else has a suggestion…?
are the actual facts? Don’t deal in unknownsor worst case scenarios.3. State the real problemBased on the facts, is it necessary to restatethe problem or situation? (ie: With theyachting invitation, was it just that theinvitee had not been sailing before and wasafraid of making a fool of themselves?)
4. List the options— both outrageous and mainstream.An outrageous option wouldhave been that the person take a crashcourse in sailing before the appointed dateand pretend they were a seasoned yachtie!
A mainstream option may have been tomake a phone call the next day, saying thatyou are not a competent sailor and did notwant to hold the others back on the day andseek the okay to attend on that basis.
5. Pick the best optionPick the option with the best outcome basedon the facts you have at hand at the time.And make sure it’s a real problem. Often theproblem we think we have to fix is not thereal problem.
Remember, it’s okay to make a mistake.Time will tell whether it was a right orwrong decision.
If you do make a mistake — that’s okay.
Global Networking Specialist, RobynHenderson is an international businesseducator and author. For daily networkingtips and more articles visit her website:Website:www.networkingtowin.com.auFax: 02 9369.1053Email: [email protected]
“Actually, I like meeting people, it’s justthat they don’t like meeting me…”
Author, Sergio Bambaren, tells us, “Most ofus are not prepared to overcome our failuresand because of this, we are not able to fulfilour gifts. It is easy to stand for somethingthat does not carry a risk”.
Don’t be held back in your career andyour personal life by fear of makingdecisions. Networking is about taking risks.And making mistakes, feeling stupid attimes, constantly moving out of yourcomfort zone and making choices.
This quotation from Henry C. Link sumsit up well: “While one person hesitatesbecause he feels inferior, the other is busymaking mistakes and becoming superior”. -
Why not give it a try? May your decisions always be wise ones
and your networking lots of fun.
As an international business educator, Robyn Henderson runs a variety of programs:• Customised keynote, half and full day networking programs
• Customised networking game – a must to maximise your conventionnetworking opportunities
• Strategic alliance formation one on one coaching for senior andexecutive management.
• Consulting for maximising sponsorship and networking opportunitiesfrom major events
• One on one coaching for "rising stars" – staff earmarked for futuremanagerial positions
CUSTOMISED WRITINGRobyn is also available for targeted writing for:
• In-house magazines, newsletters and e-zines
• Customised e-books on industry specific networking
• Customised networking books for large corporations, multi-levelmarketing and direct selling organizations.
FOR ALL YOUR NETWORKING NEEDS CONTACT : ROBYN HENDERSON
Phone: 02 9369.1025 Fax 02 9369.105 Email: [email protected]: http://www.networkingtowin.com.au
http://www.robynhenderson.com.au
To download your complimentary 63page e-book NETWORKING FOR$UCCESS, visit:http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/success/
Hospitality and Tourism's Management and Marketing Expert
Max is an expert who speaks. In Australia Max is known as the Hospitality Doctor. In Asia they callhim the Hospitality Magician and in America he is called the Wizard from OZ. Max is renowned forhis ability to create business 'out of thin air.'
He is a 'hands on' business man who owns and operates very successful hotels and taverns inAustralia. Audiences confirm their successes using Max's innovative marketing ideas on his websitewww.HospitalityDoctor.com. He is the author of nine books including Hands On Hospitality; TheHospitality Jungle; 365 Marketing Ideas for the Hospitality Industry; Zebra Marketing andHospitality Scams.
American Internet guru Terry Brock, on his web site www.terrybrock.com, describes Max as anInternet marketing genius. He tells how "This Aussie is teaching Americans how to market theirbusinesses on the Internet. He's even found a way to sell draught beer over the Net!" Max's Internetsite welcomes in excess of 100,000 visitors per year.
"Swim with the Sharks" author Harvey Mackay described Max as one of the most incrediblemarketers he had encountered. In 2002 Max was invited as one of the speakers to share the platformwith George Bush Snr at the world's largest hospitality convention in Chicago.
The #1 Hotel in the world - The Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai - invited Max to share the nineprinciples from his book - The Hospitality Jungle - in a session with their management staff. Sincethen these principles have been adapted and adopted in the training of the hoted's 1500 staff.
In this E-book Max shares a variety of thoughts, ideas, skills which lead to self improvement. Maxsubscribes to quote by Canadian Ian Percy "Life is a buffet...not a sit down meal. No one is goingto serve you. You've got to walk up to the table and fill your own plate."
Max Hitchins
In 1995/96 Max was elected to the position of NationalPresident of National Speakers Association of Australia.
In 1997 Max was selected by NSA America to receive theInternational Ambassador's Award for outstandingachievement and service to the speaking industry (Only thethird time in 25 years had it been awarded).
In 1998 he was selected by NSA Australia for theassociations highest honour -The Nevin Award.
In 1999 Sharing Ideas Magazine, after conducting a poll ofspeakers bureau's around the world, selected Max as theWorld's Consummate Speaker of the Year. The only other nonAmerican ever to receive this prestigious award was DameMargaret Thatcher the ex Prime Minister of England.
In 2000 Max He was elected as World President/Chair of theInternationalFederation of Professional Speakers
Corporate Trends 65
MAX HITCHINS
Secret #4The Internet is going to changeeverything it touches and it will touchalmost everything. It offers incrediblemarketing opportunities.
Our Billy The Pig's website(www.billythepigs.com.au)and HitchinsMarketing website (www.hitchins.com.au)have welcomed in excess of 200,000visitors!
Perhaps the best idea we market to theworld, via the Internet, is personalisedwine labels. We are able to personalise asingle bottle of wine and make it a superspecial and high impact gift. We canscan any photograph sent to us onto thelabel. We then add your message.
Four Secrets for Creative ThinkingCall it thinking outside of the square or creative thinking butwhat you think is what you become
reative thinking can giveyou the winning edgeneeded to succeed inbusiness. And like most
things in life, the more you do it, thebetter at it you become. But first, ithelps if you learn a few of the ‘secrets’of powerful, creative thinking:
Secret #1The first 20 minutes of our day, we arein the ‘alpha’ state of consciousness.Awake but not fully awake. During thisperiod, we are at our highest level oflearning receptivity. Set yourself up forthe day during this time, by focussingonly on positive and creative things.
Secret #2During my first twenty wakingminutes, I continually askmyself, “If I were on trial todayfor being creative, what wouldthe prosecution use asevidence?” I repeat this overand over. I use it to motivatemyself to think creatively, whichis often referred to as thinking‘outside the square’.
Secret #3I also remind myself of the ‘4T’Principle. This principle simply states:Take Time To Think—creatively!
Does this work? I believe it does. I like to think I'm a ‘practical’ creative
marketer. Practical, because all themarketing ideas I talk about have alreadybeen tested in one of our businesses. We operate a speaking business as wellas a hotel broking business. However,the place where we conduct most of ourmarketing experiments, is our pub in theEastern Suburbs of Sydney. The pub is
called Billy The Pigs - the friendliest pubin town. Billy's is a perfect venue to testeverything.
Perhaps the most successfulmarketing we do is via our database. Webelieve this is the way of the future.Particularly, because it enables smallbusiness to combat big business. Wekeep in constant contact with ourcustomers with our birthday club giftvouchers, our newsletters and our Billy'sPost Cards.
One of ‘Billy’s bucks’
We also print our own money—Billy'sBucks!And we have a Billy's sponsoredMelbourne Cup Book titled, Fact, Fictionand Fables of the Melbourne Cup.
It really has a ‘knock your socks off’effect on the person receiving it.
I continually use the idea to say ‘thankyou’. Every time I do a media interview,I always say thanks by sending this verypersonal gift.
I sent one to Bert Newton, for havingme as a guest on Good MorningAustralia. I'm told the bottle has pride ofplace in Bert's dressing room .
The gift makes me 'memorable'.
Message ‘on’ a bottleWe have real estate companies using theidea now. They give the wine bottle toclients with a picture of their new houseon the label. On the bottle the messagesays—Congratulations Bill and JoanSmith on the purchase of your newhouse at 10 Jones Road, Dural.
Discreetly on the bottom, is the nameof the salesman and the company.Imagine what happens when Bill andJoan's friends visit the new house. Theconversation would always include,“And look what our Real Estate agentgave us!”
As I mentioned, we alsooperate a hotel brokingcompany. Recently, we sold a$3,000,000 hotel for a client.We gave him a personalisedwine bottle three years agowhen he won a senior's golftournament. He told us theempty bottle is still sitting onhis living room shelf and thisprompted him to call us.
From our hotel in Bondi Junction,we’ve had orders from as far away asIreland, Hanoi and Jamaica! Howwould we ever market to these placeswithout the Internet?
C
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
66 Corporate Trends
MAX HITCHINS
f you think this, may I remind youwhat Walt Disney once said, “Inthis volatile business of ours, wecan ill afford to rest on our laurels
or even to pause in retrospect. Timesand conditions change so rapidly thatwe must keep our aim constantly on thefuture.”
In the Boston Globe on the 16th ofJanuary, 1999, John Ellis finished an in-depth article about the changes wroughtby the Internet with: “The Internetchanges everything it touches, and itwill touch almost everything.”
My business focus is the HospitalityIndustry. Do you think the Internet willeffect our industry? You’d better believeit. Perhaps this is why J Willard Marriottwas recently quoted as saying “Anysenior hotel executive who cannot‘imagine’ the future will not be aroundto enjoy it.”
Let me ask you again: “Do you thinkyou are too old to learn about theInternet?”
The best time to startThe best time to plant a tree was twentyyears ago. The second best time isTODAY.
The best time to get into computerswas when Bill Gates did. (By the way,did you know if Bill Gates decided totransfer all his money from Redmond inWashington State to Sydney, it wouldneed 246 Jumbo Jets to do it?) Perhaps,the best time to begin using the Internetwas in 1991 (prior to 1991 incidentally,it was illegal to buy and sell on theInternet!) Certainly the second best timeis NOW, TODAY, IMMEDIATELY.
Are you selling products on theInternet? Internet sales are exploding.American Internet Sales jumped from$2.3 billion in 1997 to $5 billion in1998. IRC (the Internet ResearchCompany)indicate Internet usage willrocket to 147 million users in 1999. This
is larger than the entirepopulation of Japan.
The Net has seeminglylimitless potential. There isgold in them thar computers!Are you getting your share?
Selling on the Net is simple—butit’s not easy. Earning the right to dobusiness with customers first isessential.
We have two sites. One for our pub:www.billythepigs.com.au And, wouldyou believe we recently sold draft beerto Ireland? Here's how it happened:
Tom Fennelly, a Dubliner, emailedme telling that his daughter and friendsfrequented our pub, Billy the PigsatBondi Junction. He’d found us on theNet and asked if he could send $150 tous by credit card to be ‘put on the bar’for his daughter's birthday. Naturally,we were delighted to fulfil his request.
We then thought this was such a goodidea we should tell our 4000 Billy ThePig's club members about it. Since then,we have been inundated with E-mailsfrom mums and dads wanting to ‘shout’their kids a drink in our pub. We offer totake pictures of them and post thepictures on the Internet so family andfriends can see them at Billy's.
Start your own E-zine Our second website iswww.HospitalityDoctor.comThis sitemarkets me to my target audience—theHospitality Industry. Each week, weemail out to thousands of people aroundthe world, Dr Max's HospitalityIndustry Secrets, Tips, Tonics,Remedies, Scams and Medicines.
Under the heading of ‘Secrets’ wewrote: Here is a ConventionOpportunity: In the year 2000 Microsoftwill celebrate it's 25th Anniversary.Microsoft, one of the world's largestcompanies, (their founder now beinglisted as the world's richest man), only
I
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
Too old to learnabout the Internet?
began in 1975.Wow, what agreat potentialdatabase of people
who would be willingto celebrate 25 years of
incredible growth andachievement.
Useful tips and ideasUnder the heading of ‘Tips’ we wrote:
Has this ever happened to you? Youvisited a city hoping to do business witha new client. During the meeting, withyour prospective new client, you wereasked for the telephone number of yourhotel. You scrambled for it andbemoaned the fact you did not write itdown. You looked unprofessional.
Or….you visited a foreign city and,unable to speak the language, and youcould not communicate the address ofyour hotel to the cab driver.
While on a recent speakingengagement in Hong Kong, I stayed atthe Shangri-la Hotel. In my room Ifound calling cards on my desk. Thecards simply read (in Chinese and inEnglish) “My address in Hong Kongis….” On the card was printed theaddress, telephone and fax numbers ofthe Shangri-la Hotel. I thought, what auseful, effective and memorable idea.
Our E-mails build credibility. Wehave earned the right to do business.Because of this, we sell our HospitalityIndustry books and products to manycountries. And, as a speaker, theInternet brings me engagements fromaround the world.
Too old to learn? NEVER!
Corporate Trends 67
MAX HITCHINS
ll things being equal,people will buy from afriend. All things being notquite so equal, people will
still buy from a friend…so make friends!
That’s what Mark McCormack said inhis book, “What they don’t teach you atHarvard Business School.”
In my latest book — The HospitalityJungle— we introduce the readers tothePanda Principle,which is all aboutthe skills required to make friends.
We give examples of how leadersfrom history have achieved undyingloyalty from their followers, theirfriends. We focus on the skills requiredto develop great teamwork. We discussthe difference in men’s and women’sbuying habits and we give you sometips on how to handle the customer fromhell!
We sum up by using the adage:“Nobody cares how much you know,until they know how much you care.”
A football legendWhich bring me to writing aboutsomeone I never really cared for,someone I never really liked. I refer tothe Rugby League footballer WallyLewis. The reason I didn’t like him wasvery simple. Most of the time he playedfor the opposing state team,Queensland. Each year, he would bringhis team of marauding maroons toSydney and usually beat the pants offmy New South Wales team. That wasgood enough reason for me not to likehim. Of course, when Wally played forAustralia against England, ahhhhh, thenit was different. Then I loved him. Theway he bamboozled the Brits was asight to see.
The story of MathewHowever, there was a nine year old boy,in the northern New South Wales city ofTamworth, who was much smarter thanme. He was able to put aside Stateprejudices and give credit to Wally for
what he was — a football genius. Theboy’s name was Matthew Devins.Wally was his hero. Wally was his‘king’of Australian football. Tragically,Matthew was dying of leukemia. Come with me a moment, in yourimagination. Be with me on the daywhen Matthew opened the front door ofhis home to Wally Lewis. The story ofMatthew’s illness had been related toWally and on a promotional tour toTamworth, he scheduled a visit toMatthew. The two sat and talked aboutfootball for several hours. WOW! Canyou imagine how young Matthewmust have felt?
ADuring the last few days of his life,Matthew asked his Dad to give amessage to the Lewis’ kids. Hesuggested Mitchell should keeppracticing on his computer...andLincoln should, “Give himself anuppercut.”
Now, I don’t know how much WallyLewis knows but I do know how muchhe cares. And that now makes him veryspecial in my eyes.
The Hospitality JungleBut let’s revisit the Hospitality Jungle.As well as the Panda Principle, there areeight other principles. These are:
The Elephant Principleto improveyour memory for names and faces.
The Spider Principleto show youhow to build you an Internet work ofclients.
The Zebra Principleto improve yoursales and marketing skills and help you‘stand out’ from the herd.
The Hog Principlewhich suggestswe all have to ‘go through the mud’butwe don’t have to stay there. Wedemonstrate how to set goals andtargets to get ‘out of the mud’.
The Lion Principleintroduces skillsto help you to become ‘King’ of yourwork.
The Owl Principleis about improvingyour observing, listening and thinkingskills.
The Kangaroo Principlehelps you torealise that failures need not be fatal. Itgives examples of the famous who havefailed and tells how they bounced back.
And finally, the Jackass Principletells that nothing will ‘happen’ for youunless you get off your jackass!
Learn these principles and beprepared to work hard. Then, you cansit back and laugh at the world — justlike a Jackass!
All Things Being Equal…
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
Come with me again, a month later,when Wally invited Matthew to join hisfamily at Dreamworld on Queensland’sGold Coast. Be there, in yourimagination, watching Matthew andWally’s kids, Mitchell and Lincoln,speeding around the dodgem car circuit.Hear Lincoln, when Matthew smashedinto him, say, “Matthew, give yourselfan uppercut!” (Our Aussiecolloquialism jokingly meaning “Youhad better smarten up!”)
Come with me again, soon after theDreamworld experience, to the funeralof Matthew Devins. See Matthew, lyingin the tiny coffin, wearing the ‘No 6’football jersey worn by his hero WallyLewis in the State of Origin matches.See the coffin draped in the colours ofthe Queensland team.
68 Corporate Trends
MAX HITCHINS
Thanks for the Memory…Have you ever forgotten someone’sname less than three seconds afteryou have been introduced?
an your memory or brain bethat bad? Can youremember the name of oneof your teachers in primary
school? You probably can. So, eventhough you may not have thought ofthat teacher for years, the nameautomatically came to you. How canthat happen, if you can’t remember aname three seconds after you’ve beenintroduced?
Well, there’s no need to worrybecause, although we’ve not met, mydiagnosis is there is nothing wrong withyour brain. It’s your attention span thatneeds some adjustment. Let me share acouple of secrets with you:
Secret #1The first secret of a good memory fornames is ‘Attention’. Attention to asubject depends upon your motivationand interest in the subject. Let me giveyou an example: Can you recall atschool, when you saw a girl or a guy, forthe first time, who was an absolute‘knockout?’ I’ll bet you turned immed-iately to the closest person and said,“What’s his/her name?” Your moti-vation and interestwas aroused. Now,years later, you canprobably still rem-ember the name ofthat ‘knockout’youwere interested in.
So, the mostimportant thing, ifyou want toimprove yourmemory for names,is to change your attitude to the peopleyou are meeting. You have to reallywant to remember their names. If youwantto remember you can. In the hospitality industry, we realise theimportance of remembering names. Isuspect the same thing applies in your
business, too. Are you interested in yourclients? Are you interested enough to tryto remember their names? If the answeris “No”, please, stop reading and go toanother article. If your answer is “Yes”,please read on…
Secret #2: Practice Once you start your quest to improveyour memory, it’s important to realiseyou will still fail, still forget. Don’t giveup! A good memory for names is anacquired skill and one that takes time,effort and commitment. So, the secondsecret is the need for practice, practiceand more practice. Golfers like TigerWoods and Greg Norman, are theleaders of the world in their chosenprofession. Getting to the top did notjust happen. Getting there requiredpatience, persistence and practice.Getting there meant many failures andmany bad shots. Getting there meant notgiving up when they hit those bad shotsand made mistakes. But they had a fire
Secret #3: PersistenceIn 1923, Calvin Coolidge became thethirtieth President of the United States.He was not a spectacular president.However, he was known for hisintegrity and efficiency. Perhaps that isreflected in this statement of his, onpersistence:
“Nothing in the world can take theplace of persistence. Talent will not; forthe world is full of talented,unsuccessful people. Genius will not;for unrewarded genius is almost aproverb. Education will not; for theworld is full of educated derelicts.Persistence and dedication alone areomnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’always has and always will, solve theproblems of the human race”.
The elephant principleIn my latest book, ‘The HospitalityJungle’, under the heading of theElephant Principle, I have identifiedseven secrets to improving your
memory for names.These are just threeof them. As well, wecover how toremember faces;how to connectnames to faces; howto rememberunusual names; howto remember
shopping lists; how to rememberspeeches and many more memory skillsto help develop professionalism.
I will be covering these in futureeditions of Corporate Trendsbut if youcan't wait, may I suggest you look forthe book in any good book store orcontact my office at the number below.P.S. Don’t forget!
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
C
inside them to be the best in the world.You can light that same fire inside youto give you a burning desire toremember names—if you want to strikethe match. It’s really up to you!
Sure, Greg and Tiger still hitoccasional bad shots, just as you or Iwill forget names or faces. But havingthat burning desire inside striving toimprove, to keep trying, to practice andnever give up, keeps them (and willkeep you) at the top of the tree.
Corporate Trends 69
MAX HITCHINS
You CAN Remember!Developing a good memory, is a skill you can learn. It’ssimply a matter of Patience, Persistence and Practice!
n the last issue of CorporateTrends,I wrote about the first twoof my seven secrets to remembernames and connecting them to
faces. Hopefully, if you read the articleyou will remember they were Attentionand Practice.
Secret #3 — Organisation The third secret lies in organising yourmind in a systematic manner.
Imagine what your room would looklike, if when you took your clothes offeach evening, you just kept throwingeverything onto the floor. Obviously, it’sbest if you want to find things easily, toorganise your clothes. If you hang thingsup or pack them in drawers, they areeasier to find when you need them.
You can use this same principle toorganise your mind. Youneed to give your mind somedrawers in which to storethings and easily accessthem. Your mind also needsto have pegs or hangers. Youneed these drawers and pegsor hangers to help youremember where things arestored.
Remember theELEPHANTHere is a prop to help you. You can usethis today. I call it my Elephantacronym. (Elephants are reputed to havegood memories!) When you meetsomebody today, force yourself toconcentrate. Then use this prompt andyour imagination, to draw some mentalpictures using the word e-l-e-p-h-a-n-t.
Eyes…see them with a name sign oneach one
Listen…carefully, concentrate and
hear the name
Ears…see them with a name sign on
each one
Please…ask your new acquaintance to
repeat and spell their name
Hair…see their hair on fire and a fire
hose with their name on it
Associate…their name with a friend or
an associate’s name
Nose…see a sign with their name
attached to their nose
Teeth…see their name written across
their front teeth.
Now, you don’t necessarily have to gothrough the complete acronym. Try toget into the habit of ‘reallyconcentrating’on the person you aremeeting. Focus on using say, just two ofthe above. Perhaps visualising theperson’s hair on fire and a fire hose
draped across their headwith their name on it and aname sign on their eyes.
Again, I cannot overemphasise the importanceof patience, persistenceand practice. Don’t givein…you can do it!
Secret #4 —Association andVisualisationAssociation and
visualisation are the key factors indeveloping a better memory forsurnames. Let me explain by way of anexample. I recently met a man namedRon Nevins. I went through myElephant acronym to help me rememberthe name Ron. Then I associated Ron’ssurname with that of my good friendJohn Nevin, the founder of the NationalSpeakers Association of Australia. Johnis an outstanding keynote speaker. So, Ivisualised Ron Nevins and myselfsitting in huge hall, on our own,listening to a lecture given by John Nevin.
You may be thinking, “But isn’t thatconfusing?” Next time I see Ron, I
might call him John? Well, the answer seems to lie in that magnificentcomputer on our shoulders.It seems tocom-partmentalise (or put into drawers)the information and give it back to us in
the correctsequence. Themain factor isyour concen-tration anddesire toremember thename of yournew contact.That andP a t i e n c e ,PersistenceandPractice!
Try, Try, Try againDon’t be concerned if it doesn’t workthe first time.(I’ll bet you fell over manytimes before you learned to walk or ridea bike!) Persist and you will findyourself on the picturesque road toimproving your memory.
At least, try it. If you try it and it fails,are you any worse off?
In my latest book, ‘The HospitalityJungle’, under the heading of theElephant Principle, as well as the sevensecrets to remembering names andconnecting them to faces, we also coverremembering shopping lists,remembering speeches and many morememory skills to help you develop yourprofessionalism.
Footnote: We will discuss other memorysecrets in future editions of CorporateTrends. However, if you can’t wait andmust have the book now, may I suggestyou look for it in any good book store ororder it from our office or our websitelisted below.
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
I
70 Corporate Trends
MAX HITCHINS
The #1 Business Skill –Remembering Names…
hat was over 50 years ago andnothing has changed. NapoleonBonaparte’s ability to commandloyalty from his troops has beencredited to his dedication to
memorising the names and personal detailsof many of his officers. I suggest to you, it isthis skill that most impresses clients today.
In earlier editions of Corporate Trends,we intro-duced you to the seven secrets forimproving your memory. So far we havefocussed on the first foursecrets.
You may remember the firstsecret was ‘Attention’. Thesecond secret was ‘Practice’.The third secret was‘Organisation’ and the fourthsecret was ‘Association andVisualisation’.
The fifth secretThe focus of the fifth secret isremembering names andparticularly unusual names.
How do you remember unusual names?Again, association and visualisationtogether with size, movement and a bit ofimaginative thinking is the answer.
As an exercise, look at your localtelephone book and select some unusualnames to try and remember. I’m doing itnow. I’ve selected the names Mr Drakovic,Mrs Hahandsiu and Mr Koenman. Howwould you remember these names?
To help me remember and recall thesenames here is what I’d do. I’d visualise MrDrakovik (pronounced Drak-o-vic) wearing an oversizeDracula mask and holding uphis two fingers in a V forvictory sign.
For Mrs Hahandsiu( p r o n o u n c e dHa-hand-so) I’d visualise herstanding in front of melaughing uproariously, (ha,ha) with one hand holdingher stomach and the other hand waving a huge sewing (so) needle.
For Mr Koenman (pronounced Kone-
man), I simply see him with a huge icecream cone on top of his head and runningtowards me carrying an enormous sign thatsays, “I’m the cone man.”
Sound kind of silly?These visuals prompt me to remember MrDrakovic, Mrs Hahandsiu and MrKoenman. Stupid, ridiculous- , did I hearyou say? Try this then: Seriously try to makethese same outlandish associations.Visualise them in your mind. Now, forget
about this article for twenty-four hours. Before openingyour copy of CorporateTrendstomorrow, see if youcan remember youroutlandish associations.
Remember to practice,practice and practice.Telephone books are reallygood to sharpen yourassociation and visualisationskills with names.
The names I have troublewith are the easy ones. Nameslike Smith, Jones, Cameronand Walker. I have developeda strategy for this problem.Whenever I hear Smith Iassociate it with the trade of ablacksmith and I visualise theperson pulling metal out of ahot furnace and shaping itwith a hammer. I associate allJones’ with the biblical storyof Jonah and the Whale. For Cameron, I
associate with an oversizedcamera. For Walker, I see theperson being pushed around ina baby walker.
Developing a good memorytakes practice. But then again,developing any skill requirespractice.
I still forget names. But I’mbetter than I was and I’m notgiving up, I want to keepgetting better and better!
When all else fails, you might want to trythis last resort tactic, “What is your name
again?” And then, with either their givenname or their surname, you say knowingly,“Oh yes, I knew that but what is yoursurname/first name?”
Although I personally don’t like thistactic, anything is better than the age-oldadmission of failure — using words like,mate, pal, darling, loveor the like.
Honesty is the best policyI believe honesty is the best policy and thatit is far better to say something like, “Peopleand names are important to me. May I askyour name again?” Even if you have askedthe person's name several times before, youwill find they are far more impressed withyou for making the effort.
Let me use an analogy to explain how theother person will feel: Imagine going to afunction, with twenty other people, to meetyour favourite celebrity. You would notexpect the celebrity to remember everyone'sname at the function but you wouldcertainly be impressed if he or sheremembered your name. But if, during thefunction, the celebrity said to you, “Peopleand names are important to me, may I askyour name again? How would you feel? Isuggest you would feel very important. Andyou would probably become an even greaterfan than before.
Tom Hopkins is said to be the world’smost successful real estate sales trainer. Hismessage is not to be concerned when you
receive rejection to your coldcanvassing.
Whenever I fail toremember a name, I recallone of his great quotes:“Don’t judge me by thenumber of times I fail but bythe number of times Isucceed; and the number oftimes I succeed is in directproportion to the number oftimes I fail but keep trying.”
I guarantee, if you try tomaster the above skills, your memory willimprove. I’m not saying you will alwaysremember everybody but I ask you — if youtry these ideas and they fail, are you anyworse off?
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
TDale Carnegie said, “The most important sound in theEnglish language is the sound of your own name!”
Corporate Trends 71
MAX HITCHINS
Those Magic Olympic Moments…Have you ever been somewhere – seen a potentially wonderful photo – andwished you had your camera with you? Have you ever been in a room witha celebrity and wished you had your camera with you? Have you ever beenstanding behind a crowd of TALL PEOPLE and missed getting the photoyou so desperately wanted to take…?
n international celebrity wasattending a function here atthe Sydney Olympics. As youwould expect, he was
surrounded by a zillion professional andamateur photographers. As the celebritydrove off in his stretch limo, he noticed asmall boy with a camera who had justmanaged to push his way through the legsof all the TALL adults. The boyhad tears in his eyes as he realisedhe had missed his once in a lifetime‘photo opportunity’.
The celebrity saw thedisappointment on the boy’s faceand ordered the driver to stop(even though they were runninglate). The driver reversed the limo.The celebrity alighted and wentover to the boy. He asked for thecamera and then asked a bystanderto take a photograph of him and theboy. You know, Mohammed Alireally is a knockout!
Olympic MomentsThe above story was one of myOlympic Momentsthat I sent out tointernational friends and clientsaround the world. I stumbled onto the ideaand it has turned out to be one of the bestmarketing ideas I’ve ever used. It beganwhen I fully realised the potential of theOlympics as a communication tool. So, Iwrote the following email letter:
Hello… (I personalised the letter withtheir name using a mail merge in ACT)
As the Sydney Olympics are about tobegin I wanted to bring a few selectedinternational friends some special Olympicmoments. I guess you are going to see a lotof my country, Australia and my home cityof Sydney on your television sets over thenext few weeks.
I’m hoping my short emails will provideyou with stories you can share with yourfriends and proudly say, “My Aussie palMax, is keeping me in touch with the ‘insideinformation’about the Sydney Olympics.”
With one day to go I was very proud to hearabout this radio research:
The radio station, Today FM, set up asupposedly lost American tourist, completewith a map and a small Stars and Stripesflag, wandering around various parts ofSydney. The research was to find out howlong it would take before a friendlySydneysider would offer to help the ‘tourist’.
In ten locations around Sydney, they foundthat the average time was less than sixtyseconds. As the Olympics are beingpromoted worldwide as The FriendlyGames, I’m very proud of my fellow Aussies.I hope this might prompt you to come andtry out our Aussie Hospitality… soon!
SincerelyYour Aussie Mate Max Hitchins
Another of the Moments:The last time I seriously swam 100 metres(two laps of the pool) I was timed at 72.2seconds. This effectively means I’d be justfinishing my first lap as Pieter van denHoogenband and Ian Thorpe were finishedtheir second. Not fast!
On Wednesday the swimmer who won thehearts of the entire audience and was given
a standing ovation at the Sydney Olympicswimming stadium, swam the same distancein 112.72 seconds! He was the ‘wildcard’entrant, Eric Moussambani, from the tinyAfrican nation Equatorial Guinea. He onlylearned to swim nine months ago. He wasforced to swim alone in his race because thetwo other wild card entrants, Karim Barefrom Nigeria and Farkhood Oripov fromTajikistan, broke at the start and weredisqualified.
Eric swims with his head out of the water.Which is not all that surprising. You see,Eric trains in the snake and crocodileinfested rivers near his home in inlandMolobu. I understand his trainer follows
Eric in a boat with a shotgun… justin case! (Betcha you’d swim withyour head out, too!)
“How did Eric get to the Games,”I hear you asking. Well, the worldinternational swimming body FINA,permits some countries to entercompetitors in the interest ofuniversality.
On Thursday the makers of thenew and controversial shark skinswim suit (that supposedly canshave a few hundredths of a secondoff your time) presented Eric withhis own brand new, especially fittedswim suit. He was photographed init and I’m sure you’d have to operateon him to remove his huge toothysmile. Hmmm… What was my time?
72.2… wonder if a shark skin suit might getme to Athens in 2004?
And here’s the best part…Space doesn’t permit me to tell you all theresults and feedback I’ve had from theseOlympic Moments. But perhaps the bestthing that has happened to me so far is, Ihave been invited to Athens for the 2004Olympics to write the ‘Moments’ fromthere!
WOW!
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
A
72 Corporate Trends
MAX HITCHINS
had been there to do several seminarsfor the Island Chief of Rangali Island,Tom McLoughlan. The three of uswere standing there, watching the rain
fall gently from a multi coloured sky, whenAreef used those unforgettable words. Theywill forever be etched on my brain.
And I started to think about the wisdomand beauty of words, stories and verse.
My daughter, Sallee, recently shared adelightful story with me. It goes like this:
There once was a little boy who had abad temper. His father gave him a bagof nails and told him every time helost his temper, he had to hammer anail into a fence.
The first day the boy haddriven 37 nails into the fence.Over the next few weeks, helearned to control his angerand the number of nails hehammered daily graduallydwindled down. Hediscovered it was mucheasier to hold his temperthan to drive those nailsinto that fence.
Finally, the day camewhen the boy didn't lose histemper at all. He told his father about it andthe father suggested that the boy now pullout one nail for each day that he was able tohold his temper. The days passed and theyoung boy was finally able to tell his fatherthat all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand andled him to the fence. He said, “You havedone well my son but look at the holes in thefence. The fence will never be the same.When you say things in anger, they leave ascar just like this one. You can put a knife ina man and draw it out. It won't matter howmany times you say I'm sorry, the wound isstill there. A verbal wound is as bad as aphysical one. Friends are a very rare jewel,indeed. They make you smile andencourage you to succeed. They lend anear, they share a word of praise and theyalways want to open their hearts to us.”
I have only just a minuteOnly sixty seconds in itForced upon me, can’t refuse itDidn’t seek it, didn’t choose itBut it’s up to me to use itGive account, if I abuse itI will suffer, if I loose it Just a tiny little minute But an eternity is in it
Colin Pearce, a professional speaker fromSouth Australia, sent me this verse. It wasused on air by long serving ABC radioannouncer, Russ Tyson. It’s called, “Thereis no indispensable man”.
Sometime when you are feeling importantSometime when you’re ego’s in bloomSometime when you take it for grantedYou’re the best qualified in the roomSometime you feel that you’re goingWould leave an unfillable holeJust follow this simple instructionAnd see how it humbles your soulTake a bucket and fill it with waterPut your hand in it up to the wristPull it out, and the hole that’s remainingIs a measure of how you’ll will be missedYou could splash all you please when you enterYou can stir up the water galoreBut stop, and you’ll find in a minute That it looks just the same as beforeNow the moral in this quaint exampleIs to do just the best that you canBe proud of yourself but rememberThere is no indispensable man
And finally, I recalled the words spoken bythe 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner, DrMartin Luther King:
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper,he should sweep streets even asMichelangelo painted or Beethoven playedmusic or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Heshould sweep streets so well, that all thehosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,here lived a great street sweeper who didhis job well.”
Yes, they’re just words but so powerfulwhen used well.
I
The Power of Words…
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he shouldsweep streets even as Michelangelo painted orBeethoven played music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.He should sweep streets so well, that all the hosts ofheaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a greatstreet sweeper who did his job well.”
Martin Luther King
“The sky weeps because you are leaving us were the beautiful wordsused by my new friend Areef, as he bade me farewell from theparadise that is the Rangali Hilton Hotel in the Maldives, in theIndian Ocean…
And then I recalled this verse by anunknown author about friends:
I count my garden by the flowersNever by the leaves that fall;I count my days by golden hoursI don’t remember clouds at all. I count the nights by stars, not shadowsI count my life by smiles, not tearsAnd with the joy of every birthdayI count my age, by friends – not years.
I remembered Willy Jolley, an AfricanAmerican professional speaker andwordsmith. He introduced another speakerwith these words: “It is my treat, mytreasure, my joy beyond all measure, tointroduce my friend today…” began Willey.Wow! What an opening.
Another favourite Willey Jolley, original,is his ‘rap’ tribute to Father Time.
Corporate Trends 73
MAX HITCHINS
Our General Manageris Hopeless!Well, that’s what the receptionist ofone of Brisbane’s leading hotelstold me recently…
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
he went on to say, “He has noidea what the Internet and emailis about. If you want to send himsomething via email you’ll have
to send it to the F & B Manager.” So I did as instructed. I was attempting to put forward a proposal
to do some Internet training for the hotel’ssales and marketing team. Eight weekshave passed since I sent that proposal to theGeneral Manager and, as yet, I’ve receivedno reply of any kind. WOW!
“But the Internet bubble has burst. TheInternet is finished…” Did I hear you say?
Nothing could be further from the truth.Yes, most of the shares listed on the NasdaqBoard in America have crashed. And yes,the Aussie dotcom stocks are following. Butthe fact remains, the Internet still offersenormous opportunity.
Better days ahead“The bad times will pass.” So said ThomasSiebel, CEO of at the Internet World Spring2001 trade show in the USA. “Investorsdidn't know how to evaluate Internetcompanies. For some reason, these peoplethought they could determine valuation bythings like clicks per hour or eyeballs perday. That is not the way you valuate. Youvaluate by profitability. That sounds old andtired but that is the way it is.”
Even so, the College drop out Internet andcomputer nerd Bill Gates, is still the richestman in the USA. Unfortunately his networth has decreased the by $38 billion. Henow has only $54.4 billion to play with…poor Bill!
Boston Consulting Group, recentlylikened introduction of e-commerce inbusiness to the introduction of air power inwarfare. E-commerce, they suggest, is anew weapon, and those that do not learn toadapt their strategies to use it, are at a criticalstrategic disadvantage to those that do. And what about the rest of the world and itsuse of the Internet. Jupiter MMXI researchsays over the last six months, the number of
people in the UK using the Net at home hasincreased by one million.
In Asia, Singapore and Taiwan lead theway with their use of the Net. Almost half ofall Singapore households have Internetaccess, followed closely by Taiwan with 40per cent.
E-commerce and securityAn innovative idea I recently noted was thata Singapore company has launchedTeleMoney. It is a system that callscustomers on their mobile phone when theymake a purchase on the Internet, so that theydon't have to divulge credit card informationon-line.
The President of the EuropeanCommunity, Romano Prodi, recently said,“E-business is changing the economyforever.” He told the E-Economy In Europeconference in Brussels that the true essenceof the e-economy was the digitisation of theentire economic fabric.
Just one benefit he quoted – USproductivity has risen since the mid 1990s by2.5 per cent every year, compared with anannual rise of 1.3 per cent up to 1990.
The Australian Bureau of Statisticsreported a 66 per cent increase in on-lineshopping last year, with 1.3 million adultspurchasing goods or services over theInternet. It predicts that half of all Australianhouseholds will have home Net accessbefore the end of this year. The ABS is onthe Web at: www.abs.gov.au .
“So, how can the Net benefit mybusiness,” you may ask?
Join the clubRecently I spoke at the Club ManagersAssociationon the Gold Coast. I told of thesavings offered to Clubs by the Net. Soonafter I was engaged as an Internet MarketingConsultant for one of Sydney’s best known
Clubs. Our task is to make it the #1 Club inAustralia on the Internet.
Our five year plan includes converting themajority of the club’s members to using theNet. This means a better opportunity topromote the Club’s activities at minimalcost. The savings in hard copy printingalone will be enormous.
Another goal is to have the membershipuse the Net to rejoin and pay their annualsubscription fees online. This is currentlydone in ‘hard copy’ format and is the mostdreaded chore of the year.
Can we help you?The first person I thought of to help me in thetask, was none other than the editor ofCorporate Trends and ‘Wizard of aWebmaster’ – Peter Thorpe.
And so, let me ask you: “What is thehardest task or ‘most dreaded task’ in yourbusiness?” Perhaps we can help you solve itwith intelligent use of the Internet.
Finally, rest assured, the Internet changeseverything it touches and it will touch almosteverything. Apparently it hasn’t touched thatBrisbane General Manager yet! Oh, but itwill. As hotelier, J Willard Marriott, oncesaid, “Any senior executive who cannotimagine the future, will not be around toenjoy it!” How true!
S
74 Corporate Trends
MAX HITCHINS
Clarence Birdseye took time to think. So did Edward Lowe, JoeResnik and even good old Gene Autry.
If you have an open mind for ideas and you take time out to think,sometimes synchronicity can occur. “Synchro what, I hear you ask?What’s synchronicity?”
Motor Company. Rackham (Ford’s lawyer)ignored the advice and bought $5,000 worthof stock which he later sold for $12.5million – a lot of money back then.
And finally, nor did Charles H. Duell,Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents in1899, when he said: “Everything that can beinvented, has been invented.”
“But”, I hear you say “I haven’t got timeto think!” As Lucy, in the Peanuts comicsused to say to Charlie Brown, “Make time!”
How do you ‘make’ time? Well, about twenty years ago I discovered ifI got out of bed one hour earlier each dayand I did it for fifty two weeks of the year, Iwould give myself an additional fifteen daysper year. Wow! I’d found a way to create anadditional two weeks of time!
Is timeimportant? Tounderstand thevalue of a year,ask a student whohas failed a finalexam. Tounderstand thevalue of a month,ask a mother whohas given birth toa premature child.To understand thevalue of a week,ask the Editor of aw e e k l ynewspaper. Tounderstand thevalue of an hour,ask lovers whoare waiting foreach other at an
airport. To understand the value of a minute,ask a person who has just missed a plane. Tounderstand the value of a second, ask aperson who has been in an accident. Tounderstand the value of a mili-second, askthe person who won a silver medal at theOlympics.
Is it important to take time to think? What do you think?
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
Take Time Out To Think…
et me explain by giving you someexamples of synchronicity:
Prior to 1914 Clarence Birdseyewas scratching out a meagre living
as a fur trader in Canada. He noticed whencatching fish in sub zero temperatures, thefish would freeze solid when brought themup through the ice. He also noted when itthawed out, it tasted just like fresh fish. Yes,believe it or not, that was the beginning ofthe now internationally famous, Birdseyeseafood products.
Money in ‘kitty’In the 1940s, Edward Lowe, produced a claybased material to soak up oil and grease. Aneighbour asked if she could use the claybased material for her cat’s litter box. Herealised he was ‘on to something’ and beganselling the product to pet shops. Soon he hadforty per cent of $400,000,000 a year cat boxfiller market.
His antenna was upJoe Resnick, was a TV repair man. His jobwas to install TV antennae on rooves.Regularly, while grappling with the antennaeon the roof, he’d find pieces missing fromthe boxes in which they were packed. Hethought about it anddecided to build a pre-assembled antennae.Within three years hiscompany was selling amillion dollars worth ofantennae.In 1948, Gene Autry,
was looking for a followup song to, “Here comesSanta Clause.” Songwriter Johnny Mark,sent him a song. Autrywas fairly ambivalentabout it but he thoughtabout it for a while and decided to ‘give it ago’. Now, “Rudolph The Red NosedReindeer”has been recorded by 400 artistsand has sold over 100 million copies!
LDon’t make these mistakesTo give yourself the best chance withsynchronicity you need be prepared to taketime to think and have an open mind forideas. Don’t make these mistakes:
Ken Olson, chairman of DigitalEquipment Corporation, didn’t have anopen mind when, in 1977,he said, “There is noreason anyone would wanta computer in their home.”
Then, there’s theWestern Union Man-agerwho composed thisinternal memo in 1876. Heshowed he didn’t have anopen mind when he wrote,“This ‘telephone’ has toomany short comings to beseriously considered as ameans of communication.The device is inherently ofno value to us.”The Decca Record-ingCompany manager didn’thave much of an openmind either when,rejecting the Beatles in1962, he said, “We don'tlike their sound and guitar music is on the
way out.”M a r e c h a l
Ferdinand Foch,Professor ofStrategy, EcoleSuperieure deGuerre didn’t haveany when prior tothe First World Warhe said: “Airplanesare interesting toysbut have no militaryuse or value.”
The President ofthe Michigan Bank
didn’t have when he said in 1903, “Thehorse is here to stay, but the automobile isonly a novelty – a fad.” He was advisingHorace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford
Corporate Trends 75
MAX HITCHINS
OPMs Can Save You Millions!
here was blood all over the luggagecompartments! Children werescreaming - so were the adults.The aeroplane had fallen 3000 feet
in a matter of seconds. Those passengerswho had not heeded the Captain’s warningto keep their seat belts fastened, in case ofunexpected turbulence, were now bleedingprofusely. The blood mainly came fromwounds created when their heads slammedagainst the luggage compartments above.
Ever seen passengers ignore a pilot’srequest to turn off mobile phones, computergames and lap top computers in an aeroplane because they may interferewith instruments?
Recently, I was guilty of this offensemyself. I was flying to Melbourne for aspeaking engagement and I was a bit slowturning off my computer. (Just had one morething to do!) Qantas customer servicemanager David Armitage, shared the abovestory with me. It happened on descent intoin Heathrow Airport in London. Theautomatic pilot had unexpectedly dis-engaged. Authorities believe this wascaused by a computer being left on or bytwo people turning on their mobile phones.
Learning from OPMs and OPEs. That story got me thinking about learningfrom OPMs and OPEs. (Other people’smistakes and other people’s experiences).We are never going to live long enough tolearn from our own mistakes, so it makessense to learn from others.
American writer and publisher ElbertHubbard, once said, “Afailure is someonewho has blundered but is not able to learnfrom the experience.”
Some years ago I saw a great movie calledCity Slickers.It starred Billy Crystal (a cityslicker) and Jack Palance (a crusty, crankycattle trail boss). Billy Crystal and two of hismates were going through a ‘mid life’ crisis,bemoaning their existence and dreaming ofthe good old days when they were youngand daring. Summoning up all their lostcourage and bravado, they decided to go toa ‘tender foot’ ranch and enrol for a cattledrive. Now these guys had never ever beennear a horse, let alone ridden one!
And so they set off to drive these cattleacross America with Curly, as the trail boss.I recall in one scene Curly said to BillyCrystal, “You city slickers don’t know shit!You are all looking for the answers to life.Let me tell you - the answer to life is this!”(Curly held up one finger). Billy Crystalsaid “Afinger.” “No” said a disgusted Curly,“It’s ONE thing and YOU have to find it.”
Well, I’m not as smart as Curly. I can’treduce the search for answers to one thing orone word. But I think you can definitely‘fast track’ your learning curve from thoseOPM’s and OPE’s“What mistakes,” you ask? Let me share some whoppers with you!Now you wouldn’t think a company the size
In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsislogan, “Come alive with the PepsiGeneration,” came out as, “Pepsi will bringyour ancestors back from the dead!”
More legendary mistakesIn Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chickenslogan “finger-lickin’ good” translated to“eat your fingers off.”
When General Motors introduced theChevy Nova in South America, it wasapparently unaware that “no va” means “itdoesn’t go.” The car didn’t sell!
Ford had a similar problem in Brazil withtheir Pinto model. The company discoveredPinto was Brazilian slang for, “tiny malegenitals.” Ford later substituted the nameCorcel, which means horse.
Hunt-Wesson introduced its Big Johnproducts in French Canada as Gros Josbefore finding out that the phrase, in slang,means, “big breasts.”
Colgate introduced a toothpaste in Francecalled Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.
Japan's second-largest tourist agencywere surprised at the requests for sex tourswhen it entered the English-speakingmarkets. The company name was the KinkiNippon Tourist Company.They promptlychanged the name!
Coors, the American beer companytranslated its slogan, “Turn it loose,” into Spanish, where it was read as “Sufferfrom diarrhoea”.
What should we learn?Do your research. Learn from OPM’s andOPE’s. Be aware. Be like the Owl. Keepyour eyes open and your mouth shut.
It was the scientist H. Krantzberg whosaid, “Information is everywhere but no onestops to think.”
T
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
of Coca Cola would make mistakes, wouldyou? Not so.
When Coca-Cola decided to enter themarket in China, it was first called Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company didnot discover until after thousands of signshad been printed that the phrase means “bitethe wax tadpole” or “female horse stuffedwith wax” depending on the dialect. Cokethen researched 40,000 Chinese charactersand found a close phonetic equivalent, “ko-kou-ko-le,” which loosely translatedmeans, “happiness in the mouth”. I’ll drink to that!
OPMs are other people’s mistakes. You might be surprised at how much you can learn from them…
76 Corporate Trends
MAX HITCHINS
Jack Westergom, the Chairman andManaging Director of ManhattanHospitality, said recently, “The bad newsis that the hospitality industry will have tocreate a new generation of order makers,as opposed to order takers. Many hotelsales and marketing staff have never livedthrough a downturn and have no idea howto create or attract business in a downmarket. Those hotels who fail to do sowill cease to exist!” Powerful stuff.
Because of my push to become multi-dimensional in the hospitality industry,I’m now being invited to speak all aroundthe world. This year, I’ll do tourism andhospitality seminars in Singapore, KualaLumpur, Thailand and China. As well, I’m to speak in Seattle, Phoenix andChicago at the world’s largest hospitalityconvention.
How’s your business?And so let me ask you – are you toodependent on one particular product? If,for example, you were running a restaurant and the price of beefsuddenly went through the roof (orperhaps because of Mad Cow disease)would you be out of business?
Are you dependent on one form ofmarketing? If your advertising andmarketing channel dried up or becametoo expensive, how would operate? Have you taken the time to learn about new forms of marketing – perhapsmore effective use of the Internet?
Are you too dependent on one keyemployee? Accidents happen .– peopleleave – people die. Don’t sell out yourpeace of mind by having your financialsuccess hang on the talents of any oneperson – including yourself by the way!Cross-train. Have good control systemsand make sure people take holidays.
In short, I believe it is goodmanagement to carefully dissect ourbusiness to find any place where we maybe one-dimensional. Wherever the #1appears, it must be erased and replacedwith a bigger and better number. And thesooner, the better.
his got me thinking about theproblems of being toodependant on one thing or oneskill. If you and your business
are in any way one-dimensional, you aresitting (or is it skating on) thin ice. Myfriend, Bryce Courtenay, says “If you findyourself skating on thin ice – you may aswell tap dance!”.
Well, I guess that’s good advice.however, perhaps it’s better if we can avoid getting onto the thin ice in thefirst place.
Adding a new dimensionBryce Courtenay is a good example ofsomeone who added an additionaldimension to his life skills. Bryce, was anextremely successful advertising executivebefore he turned his hand to writing books.The result was the book, “The Power ofOne.” It instantly became a best seller andthen an extremely successful movie. Wow!Not bad for a first book and a first effort inchanging to being multi-dimensional.
What happens if you are too dependenton one market? Look at what happened inmy industry – the hospitality industry –as a result of the happenings in New Yorkon September 11th. Those hotels whosetotal focus was on conventions, nosedived. This trend has continuedthroughout the world. It is only nowbeginning to pick up.
Find ways to add valueMy business focus is the hospitalityindustry. I share motivation andmanagement magic with hospitalityaudiences all over the world. Initially Ibegan with my focus on ‘customer service.’It wasn’t long before I realised I had tobecome multi dimensional. I had to find away to become ‘more valuable’ toprospective clients.
Ten years ago, my brother Ernie and Istarted developing a database of theanniversaries of major companies. You may
Max Hitchins is known around the worldas the Hospitality Doctor and is regarded as a marketing, motivation andmanagement magician. Website:www.HospitalityDoctor.com Tel: (02) 99 66 11 44 Email: [email protected]
recall seeing advertisements in 2001 forMazda, celebrating their 40th year inAustralia or Sydney Radio Station 2GBcelebrating its 75th year of broadcasting.New Idea magazine will celebrate its 100thanniversary this year.
We set a goal to build a database ofthese dates. We now have documentedthe anniversary dates of thousands ofcompanies and organisations. Ourdatabase reveals in 2002, majorcompanies like Shell, Texaco, GeneralElectric, Australian Stock Exchange,CBS, Universal Studios and the
“ONE is a very dangerous number, Max.” my American friend Bill
Marvin, wrote in an email to me recently. “ONE type thinking can
kill a business stone dead,” he continued…
Sheraton’s Royal Hawaiian HotelHonolulu, all celebrate majoranniversaries. This database is a valuableasset. It’s made me more valuable topotential clients, particularly after theevents of September 11th 2001.
Order taker to order makerUp until the 11th September 2001, thehospitality was a pretty ‘cool’ place towork as a sales and marketing executive.Business rolled in. You didn’t have to beproactive. All you needed to do was ‘takethe orders.’
T
The Problem of One
MAGIC COMEDY MOTIVATION
Acknowledged as Australia's master Magician of the Mind, Timothy will inspire, motivate and entertainyour audience with his unique ability to read and influence peoples minds. But you will be more amazedat his ability to weave and incorporate your message, aims and ideals into the presentation and further thepurpose of the meeting.
Timothy is an accredited member of the National Speakers Association of Australia. He is a highly skilledMC and is able to use his bag of tricks to keep your event, on track, on time and in safe hands.
If you expect your sales team, work force or partners to achieve the impossible for you or would like yourinvited guests and clients to know that you will achieve the impossible for them, then who better to showthem how?
Tim's happy clients include:
Tetra Pac, MLC Life, Linbrook International, IBM, AAP, Orica, Corrective Services, Expresss Bookeeping,AMP Customer Services and St George Bank.
Website: http://www.achieving.com.au
Timothy HydeHelping people become better at
Problem Solving and Business Creativity
78 Corporate Trends
TIM HYDE
n a blinding flash of the obvioussome time ago, I realised thatmagicians think differently fromeveryone else in the world. Well,
look at it this way, who else wakes upevery morning and seeks out impossibletasks to perform all day?
After twenty years of working as aprofessional magician, mainly forcorporate audiences at conferences, Icame to the realisation that magiciansapproach problem solving and creativityin a unique manner. And, the more Ithought about it, the more I realised thatthere was a way of thinking, a series oflessons, that could be drawn from theArt of Magic. Lessons that could also beapplied by non-magicians to their ownthinking.
The ‘Creative Toolbox’These lessons are the basis for my owncreative thinking toolbox, the tools I usein my day to day business ofentertaining people. They are also thefoundations for the sessions I runexploring problem solving and businesscreativity.
One of the most important lessons wetackle, is the simple but oftenoverlooked notion that there is alwaysone more way to achieve anything. Amagician will always go one stepfurther. They will always go beyondthinking ‘outside the square'.
One of the most over-used metaphorsof the last decade was the classic ninedots puzzle. I'm sure you all know howto do it. What is the least number of linesyou can use to connect a set of 9 dots,with straight lines and not lifting yourpencil off the paper?The basic answer of course is five, untilyou start thinking outside the square.When your lines start to extend beyond
the self-imposed limits of theboundaries, you can achieve a result offour lines.
Beyond Outside the SquareIt certainly is a great metaphor forproblem-solving but the pity is mostpeople stop the puzzle and the metaphorright there. Before they start exploringbeyond ‘outside the square’ anddiscovering further solutions.
Remember the nine dots exercise?
Because, just as there are usually manyways to solve any challenge, there aremany other ways to solve this puzzle.
There is a way to join the dots with 3
lines. There are several ways to join thedots with 1 line! For instance, changingthe tool you are using, to a large fatpencil will join the dots in one short fatstroke. Or, changing the parameters ofthe problem by folding the paper ontoitself several times to line up the dotsone above each other. Then if yourpencil (like your mind and your idea) issharp enough, you can join the dots bystabbing through the paper!
All too often after struggling with aproblem for some time, your firstbrainwave solution is seized upon as theonly solution. You are so pleased tofinally come up with an option, that youfail to push on. But this is notnecessarily going to be your onlysolution. And, it is not necessarily goingto be the best one.
Magicians will always have severalmethods to achieve any one trick. Notonly does this mean they can easily use adifferent method if the parameters of theperformance change but they can alsochange methods to help disguise the waythey are doing something. But thebenefit of their way of thinking, is thatthere is no ‘best way’.It is an ongoingprocess that evolves and is flexible.
The ‘Vision’ thingAnother major concept lesson that everysuccessful magician embraces is theVision thing.
Having a clear, simple andexplainable vision of what they aretrying to achieve aids in theaccomplishment of this very goal.Having a clear vision enables one toidentify the problems that will have tobe overcome to attain it. Having aneasily explainable vision enables themto enthuse others to come on board andhelp in that achievement.
The great effects of magic havealways been encapsulated in onesentence. They are simple, memorableand uncomplicated. ‘Cutting a womanin half ’ is the classic example.‘Vanishing the Statue of Liberty’or‘Flying’ are modern examples fromDavid Copperfield's repertoire.
Can you explain what you are tryingto achieve in one sentence?
Finally, all the lessons, brainstorming,thinking and planning are of no pointunless it’s put into practice.
So, when are you going to startThinking like a Magician?
Think like a Magician!Magicians think differently toother people. And this oftenproduces ‘magic’ results!
I
Timothy Hyde, Australia’s Magician of theMind, teaches people to think like aMagician! His highly entertaining keynotesand workshops help people andorganisations become more creative, betterat problem solving and more motivated. Website: www.achieving.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 4758 8961
Corporate Trends 79
TIM HYDE
card and docket, he looks me straight inthe eye and says, “Thank you, Mr Hyde.”
Dale Carnegie often said the mostvaluable possession a person has, istheir name. And, subsequently, it's theone thing we most like to hear otherpeople say.
It hits the spot. It pushes a button. Wefeel warm inside. We feel real andinvolved. In short, it works!
Qantas knows this. When you walkon the plane, struggling with your bagsand duty free goods, wondering whoyou have to sit next to for the next 12hours, the flight attendants welcomeyou by name and make you feelrelaxed. Aquick glimpse of the name onyour boarding pass is all that theyneeded to produce the effect.
Simple memory trainingOf course, you can improve yourmemory skills to the point where youare able to remember people’s namesafter just one meeting. Some peoplehave a natural skill for this, others needsome simple memory training.
On a recent visit to the magicalO'Reilly's in the Lamington NationalPark earlier this year, I was impressedby the response the name effect had onthe atmosphere in the dining room.Raylene, the hostess, could remembereveryone's names. She would introducestrangers and rattle off all the names ata big table. But she wasn't showing off.
She knew the power of this effect andwhat it could do to the customers. Sheused it well. And so can you!
Using either the simple clues that areoffered to us or by increasing the use ofour natural abilities with some training,we can all use this ‘secret’ to produce amagical effect in our customers.
with his ability for rememberingpeoples names and I observed thefriendly reaction he got from the peoplein front of me at the queue. Newcustomers were often startled andthought they must have known the guyfrom somewhere else. Or perhaps hadleft their name badge on after aconvention!
The ‘secret’ unveiledOthers, like me, eventually worked outthe secret of the service station.
Because in a blinding flash of theobvious one day, I realised what he wasdoing. And, it didn't require anyadvanced memory skills at all!
A quick glimpse of the name on thecredit card as he swiped it through or heread it off the bottom of the docket as itwas printed out. As he hands back the
Timothy Hyde, Australia’s Magician of theMind, teaches people to think like aMagician! His highly entertaining keynotesand workshops help people andorganisations become more creative, betterat problem solving and more motivated. Website: www.achieving.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02)4758 8961
Psst…like to learn a magic trick? One that will stop your customersfrom disappearing?
eware. The following is asubtle but powerful secret.However, it will be easy forsome of you to dismiss it.
But do so with care, as it may be usedagainst you.
From where I live (in the BlueMountains), to the Sydney CBD, is adrive of 90 minutes. On the drive,which I make two or three times a week,I must pass about 15 petrol stations. (I'mhesitant to call them service stations,because only two of them offer anyservice but that's another story).
Why do I buy there?Anyway, I always try to buy my petrolat the same one. Why? It's not thecheapest or necessarily the cleanest. Idon't even have an account there.
I stop there because the guy who runsit knows a powerful secret. He calls meby my name! Its only a tiny thing but itis enough to influence my choice onwhere to buy my petrol. And, it adds up— $45 dollars a week, $2,340 a year.
How many other people choose tobuy their petrol there for the samereason? To actually stop and buy at thatparticular outlet rather than driving onanother 200 metres? Even if this onesimple technique only affects a tinyproportion of his customers, it must bemultiplied by the many thousands ofpeople who drive past each day.
It adds directly to his bottom line. As someone with an interest in
‘secrets’ and in mind, magic andmemory skills, (I teach memorytechniques as part of my workshopsessions), I observed him closely over aperiod of a few weeks. I was impressed
B
Memory Success Secrets• Make sure you hear a person’s name properly.
• Use their name again early in the conversation.
• Be genuinely interested in the person.
• Use the M.E.C.H.S. method to form a name — face association.(Movement, Exaggeration, Colour, Humour, Sex)
• Don’t tell yourself that you have a bad memory for names — it will come true!
The Secret of theService Station…
80 Corporate Trends
TIM HYDE
Magicians think differently to other people. And this often produces
‘magic’ results! Timothy Hyde, our resident magician, explores the
irresistible power of our own hypnosis and explains why our expectations
and assumptions, ultimately form our beliefs and tells us how to put this
to good use when solving our own problems and challenges…
The Secret of Juan the Smuggler…
o, let me tell you the story ofJuan the Smuggler. Juan comesup to the Mexican border on hisbicycle. He’s got two large bags
over his shoulders. The guard stops him andsays, “What’s in the bags?”
“Sand,” answered Juan.The guard says, “We’ll just see about that,
get off the bike.” The guard takes the bagsand rips them apart; he empties them outand finds nothing in them but sand. Hedetains Juan overnight and has the sandanalysed, only to discover that there isnothing but pure sand in the bags. The guardreleases Juan, puts the sand into new bags,hefts them onto the man’s shoulders, andlets him cross the border.
Aweek later, the same thing happens. Theguard again asks, “What have you got inthose bags?”
“Sand,” says Juan.The guard does his thorough examination
and discovers once again the bags containnothing but sand. He gives the sand back toJuan and Juan crosses the border again.
This sequence of events is repeated everyweek for three years. One day Juan doesn’tshow up and the guard meets him in aCantina in Mexico.
“Hey, Buddy,” says the guard, “I knowyou are smuggling something. It’s drivingme crazy. It’s all I think about… I can’tsleep. Just between you and me, what areyou smuggling?”
Juan sips his beer and says, “Bicycles!”The story of Juan the Smuggler,
delightfully illustrates two of the lessonsfrom the art of magic that I teach in myCreative Thinking and Problem Solvingkeynotes and workshops. Those ofAssumptionsand Expectations.
The power of hypnosisI have a friend in Pittsburg, USA , RichardBusch, an Ericksonian hypnotherapist whohas a theory that we go through all of ourlives in a state of hypnosis. No, we weren’tall captured by a tall magician with aswinging gold watch and placed in a trance.
We place ourselves in this state! Richardcalls it, “The Irresistible power of our ownhypnosis. It’s based on our expectations, ourassumptions and our beliefs.”
The role of the hypnotistEvery thing we do and think, as we strugglealong through life, is ruled and filtered bythese three things. The tale of Juan theSmuggler, clearly illustrates this. Juan playsthe role of hypnotist! He is a mastercommunicator indeed, creating a powerful
vs. that infamous doctor’s office smell we allstill remember and cringe at since our firstshots as children?
What is the irresistible power behind thesound of a lone bird outside our bedroomwindow on a gorgeous summer’s morning,just as we are awakening vs. the heavy clapof thunder and lightening outside the verysame window in the middle of the night?
What is the irresistible power of a humansmile vs. an angry frown?
A natural human functionThe answer is hypnotic response! How ourthoughts translate into behaviours andresponses. The question is not how doesthis strange process happen but rather,when doesn’t this natural, normal moment-to-moment human function happen? It’sjust inherent in the human condition, howour minds and bodies are wired. Politiciansknow it. Speakers know it. Managers knowit. Successful sales people know it. This isthe principle behind closing those difficultbusiness transactions.
The border guard, of course, saw what heexpected to see and was distracted by theblatantly obvious. And he failed to seesomething equally as obvious right in frontof his eyes. He was lead astray by his ownassumptionsand expectations,as so manyof us are, when faced with a difficultchallenge or problem.
So learn a Lesson from the Art of Magic(and Juan the Smuggler ) and next time youface a challenge or a problem that needssolving, ask yourself these two questions.
• Are you making any false assumptions about the problem?
• Are you just seeing what you expect tosee?
And remember, our expectations and ourassumptions, ultimately form our beliefs.
S
Timothy Hyde, Australia’s Magician of theMind, teaches people to think like aMagician! His highly entertaining keynotesand workshops help people andorganisations become more creative, betterat problem solving and more motivated. Website: www.achieving.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02)4758 8961
likelihood for assumption and expectation.He utilises their suspicion (“Juan is asmuggler”), provides a congruent frame ofreference (“it must be in those mysteriousbags of sand”), and ends with a posthypnotic behaviour (“if we keep checkingthose bags, we will catch him”). Note howlong the power of those false assumptions,expectations, and beliefs lasted. If Juanhadn’t told the guards about the bicycles,they would still be analysing common sandto this very day!
Understanding the power of our ownthoughts and responses is the key. What isthe irresistible power behind the smell offreshly-popped popcorn in a movie theatre
INSPIRATION & CHALLENGE, MOTIVATION, CHANGE • Television Host • Author • Businessman • Public Speaker
"He could no longer walk, so he learned to fly." Paul Harvey Radio Commentator
Who is W Mitchell?One of the top keynote speakers in the world. Fun-loving, professional andeasy to work with--a partner for meeting planners. He is a "wow 'em" presenter with lasting content andsubstance. You'll meet the internationally-recognized mayor "who saved a mountain"; the co-foundingchairman of a $65 million dollar company; a pilot, river rafter and sky diver.
ChallengeWe all face challenges of varying degrees every day, whether it's professional or personal, largeor small, immediate or over time. And change -- some invited, some unasked for -- is our biggest challenge.
The title of W Mitchell's newest book is also his philosophy on life -- "It's not what happens to you...it'swhat you do about it." This expert on taking responsibility for change shows his audiences not only how togain perspective, but how to cope, and even better, to prosper with personal and professional change.
W Mitchell knows about challenge, change and courage--all first hand. He speaks to you about the battlesand the victories of life. From co-founding a metal casting company that put thousands to work, from hiselection as mayor and congressional nominee, from a fiery motorcycle accident that left him burned over65% of his body, and from the airplane crash that took away his ability to walk, Mitchell now soars abovethe rest with grace, good humor and gumption. Mitchell speaks with passion about the human spirit. Hefocuses on the positives of change--taking responsibility- - and the proven result - himself.
"Before I was paralyzed there were 10,000 things I could do; now there are 9,000. I can either dwell onthe 1,000 I've lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left."
His personal story is of life's challenges in the world of business, politics and day-to-day living; of a newunderstanding of your inner strengths and abilities. Through his speeches, books, tapes and televisionappearances, Mitchell has enthralled over 60 million people worldwide. Are you asking how "mentalwheelchairs" are holding back your organization? Listen to this powerful story. Across the globe, from theIndian Ocean to Indiana, from Presidents to Parliaments and from non-profits to multi-national giants,audiences herald his thought-provoking words about perseverance and becoming more than just a survivor.He delivers from the heart, with warmth, wit and wisdom. You'll hear an unforgettable speaker with aninvaluable message.
W MitchellIt’s not what happens to you,
it’s what you do about it
82 Corporate Trends
W MITCHELL
All of us are blessed with innerstrengths. It’s just throughcircumstance, some of us have to use them more than others…
ife is what you make it,” somepeople say. But most of usdon’t really believe that. “Ifonly,” you might say, “If only I
weren’t so old. So broke. So saddled bymy mortgage. If only I had less pressurein my job. A family that understandsme. There’s nothing I can do, Mitchell.”
To which I simply say, “Look at me.”My face looks like a badly made leatherquilt. It has literally made childrenchant, “Monster, monster,” as I pass by.I have no fingers. I cannot walk.
Fate struck twiceFurthermore, all of this did not happenat once. I did not have the ‘luxury’ ofone great, grand accident to get over.First, I was burned nearly to a crisp.There is probably not one person in abillion who has endured more physicalpain than I have. Then, four years later,in an entirely separate accident, I wasparalysed from the waist down. Theaverage person might call me theunluckiest man alive.
But, what I hope to do in thesearticles—and in my speeches—is toteach you not to think like the averageperson. To show you that nothing,absolutely nothing is absolute. Your lifeis entirely what you decide it is. Theuniverse starts in your head and spreadsout into the world. Change whathappens in your head and the universechanges.
Really. I hope to be a touchstone forpeople, a route to a new way ofthinking. Symbols are potent. InAmerica, the liberty bell conjures theconcept of freedom in a single image. InIndia, the Taj Mahal shows us, at a
glance, the depth and extravagance ofhuman love. In San Francisco, myadopted hometown, the Golden Gatebridge is a testament to engineeringingenuity that speaks volumes.
What I want, is to be a symbol foryou. With my scarred face, myfingerless paws, my wheelchair—andreal, genuine happiness in my heart—Iwant to be your mental image of thepower of the human mind to transcendcircumstances. As I say in my speechesand my book, “It’s not what happens toyou, it’s what you do about it.”
When you feel you have met aninsurmountable obstacle, I want you tothink of me. And, then say to yourself,“If he can be successful, I can, too.”
What kind of success are we talkingabout? I can rattle off my resume if youlike: millionaire, Mayor, member ofmany boards of directors,environmental leader, mediapersonality, political commentator,commercial pilot, international publicspeaker, even river-rafter and skydiver.
These may, or may not, be yourmeasures of success, none the less, Iknow that whatever you want, you canachieve it—just as I have. You canbecause you are not that different fromme, believe it or not. I don’t have any special powers, any
magical gift of birth that has allowedme to create my own happiness in theface of tremendous trials. I am nostronger or smarter than the averageperson. I am a long way from everbeing a ‘saintly’ guy. In fact, one of thesecrets I share is that being pushy, evenobnoxious, at the right times, has beencrucial to my success.
The only difference between us, isthat I had the good fortune to learn afew important points along the way—both before and after my injuries—thathelped me immeasurably.
Inner strength All of us are blessed with an innerstrength, buried inside us somewhere.It’s just that most don’t get theopportunity to use it as much as I have.
I have a favourite quotation that Ihave thought about often and it hashelped me through some tough times.I’d like to share it with you. It’s from aman called, Albert Camus:
“In the midst of winter, I finallylearned there was in me an invinciblesummer.”
Isn’t that beautiful?In subsequent issues of Corporate
Trends,I’d like to share some of thethings I’ve learned. If they have keptme happy, imagine what they will dofor you. I have a great life. You canhave a great life, too!
L
It’s Not What Happens to You, It’s What You Do About It…
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
“In the midst ofwinter, I finallylearned there was in me an
invincible summer.”Albert Camus
Corporate Trends 83
W MITCHELL
Never Ever, Say Never…Nothing splendid has ever been achieved, except by those whobelieved that something inside of them was superior to circumstances.
Bruce Bartont the age of 28, I suffered avery serious motorcycleaccident. The resulting fireburned most of my face
and body and left me without hands.Yet, when I looked back just four and ahalf years later, I felt better off than I didbefore my accident.
Lessons of lifeThrough my recovery, I’d learned thingsabout myself I never would havelearned otherwise. I'd grown in waysunimaginable without the lessons lifehad taught me. Not onlyhad I become successfulfinancially (having starteda major new business),more importantly, I hadbecome successfulemotionally. I now likedwho lived inside Mitchell.It had come withenormous struggle but I'dmade it.
In the years before thefire, I’d learned to fly. Onrecovery I returned to theskies. Even with my newstump-like hands, Ifinished all my pilot’s training, fromcommercial to multi-engine to sailplane.This gave me a new freedom andenabled me to fly above it all, likeJonathan Livingston Seagull. I evenbought my own plane. However, soon Iwas to learn that fate had not finishedwith W Mitchell, yet.
I remember the morning well. It wasone of those crisp, clear, gorgeousColorado mornings. I was going flyingand four others had come along for theride. Taxiing to the end of the runway,we lifted off into the air. The plane wasclimbing fine: 25 feet. 50 feet. At 75feet, something was wrong…terriblywrong. The plane was not rising asquickly as it should.
Unbeknown to me, the wings of myaircraft were covered with a thin sheetof ice. This slowed the normal climbrate of the plane. Directly ahead of me,there were huge rocks. I had to make aquick decision and there was no choicebut to get back down on the runway assoon as I could. I pulled the power and— the plane stalled, falling like a rock.It smashed into the ground rupturing thegas tank and spilling fuel all over thewings. All I could think about was fire.I yelled at my passengers, “Get outnow!” They wedged a door open and
Yet again, friends came to see me.Phone calls, letters, and cookies arrivedfrom Crested Butte, my home town.One day, nearly four weeks after theaccident, a young woman called me.She said, “Mitchell, I hear you're notdoing very well. I wonder if youremember when I had some problems,you told me something I’ll never forget.You said, it's not what happens to you— it's what you do about it. Do you stillbelieve that, Mitchell?”
Don’t you hate it when people dothat? That advice was for her! Leave mealone; I’m enjoying being miserable!
A world of impossibilitiesThe next morning, when the orderliescame in my room, I asked them to putme in a wheelchair. I hated it. It wasimpossible. I couldn’t make it go places
that had been so easy just a fewweeks before. Even if I could, Imight fall. Objects were toohigh. Steps were in my way.My whole world was filled withobstacles; filled withimpossibilities.
But every morning, they putme back in the chair and I’d goback into the gym. Everymorning, thanks to the nurses,technicians, volunteers, friendsand yes, thanks to me, anotherobstacle would disappear.Another oppor-tunity wouldappear. Every day, the thing that
had been utterly impossible the daybefore became a little less impossible.And, every day, I hated myself a little bitless and I learned to love myself again,a little bit more.
You know, it’s true. It isn’t whathappens. It’s what you do about it.
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
A
Mitchell continues his love of flying in Australia — seen here in hisfriend Max Hitchin’s plane. Photo: W Mitchell collection
managed to crawl away. It was my turn to get out and I had tohurry. Starting to climb out, my feetseemed stuck under the pedals so Ilifted harder. It was then I realised that Icouldn’t move my legs.
For several days, doctors did everytest imaginable. On the third day, theneuro-surgeon came to deliver thenews. “Mitchell, you may not walkagain. You’re going to have to use awheelchair now to get around.”
“Why me?”, I thought. “WHY ME!!!What had I done to deserve this planecrash, this motorcycle accident?”
I lay there on that hospital bed, onceagain wondering what future therecould possibly be for me.
84 Corporate Trends
W MITCHELL
My Biggest Fee Ever…He suffered burns to 65 per cent of his body in a terrible motor cycle accident. Then, he was involved in a plane crash and paralysed from the waist down. In spite of his fate, today, Mitchelltravels the world spreading his message of hope. He claims, “It’s notwhat happens to you in life, it’s what you do about it.”
ou might be surprised to learnthat my favourite speaking jobsare not for a large corporationsthat happily shell out my
standard fee, (more than most people earn ina month). Rather, it's the barn at the GriffithCentre, near Denver, where I speak for free.
It’s a centre for kids who have literallybeen thrown on the junk pile. They havebeen beaten, abused, neglected, thrown outand this centre is their last chance. Many ofthese kids have been ‘programmed’ in amillion ways, both direct and subtle, tobelieve that life has stacked the deck againstthem and that only a chump wastes timetrying to learn how to make a contribution.
And then they see me A mutilated face.No fingers. A wheelchair. And I am a happyman. A man who had every excuse in theworld to be miserable and refused them all.
Bringing back memoriesEvery time I stand in front of kids, I amtransported back in time to that day yearsago when I walked by the playground andheard the chant of, “Monster, monster.”How I longed to speak to those kids andgently show them how wrong they were.
I take a moment and catch my breath,because my dream is coming true. I'm here.I'm talking to them. I've got their attention. Itell them about my accidents. I explain, ingreat detail, the many opportunities I had toquit and how and why I refused to takethem. But I don't just talk about myself.
I tell them about John Thompson, the 18year old North Dakota farm boy who was onthe farm by himself while his parents visiteda friend in hospital. He was doing his chores,which included loading grain into the barn.He remembers turning on the auger, a hugescrew inside a cylinder that carries grain intoa silo. His shirt tail was hanging out. It gotcaught in the auger and began pulling himinto the machinery.
He resisted, he fought but it pulled himharder and harder. He doesn’t remembermuch else but he was spun five times and
then thrown to the ground. He looked to hisright and saw that his right arm was gone.He struggled to his feet, standing there,shaking. He looked to his left. Most of thatarm was gone, too. Still he didn’t quit. Heran 400 yards up the hill to his house. Withwhat little was left of one of his arms, hetried and tried again to open the sliding glassdoor. He couldn't but once again, he refusedto quit. He ran around to the side door andmanaged to open the screen door; he stilldoesn’t remember how.
a six-hour operation. When, weeks later, areporter asked him how it felt to be a hero,the question seemed to baffle him. “I'm nohero”, he said sincerely. “I did what anyonewould have done.”
He had a point. He was and is a regularkid, who has the same resources any of ushave. And I'm a regular guy, who has thesame resources you do. The point I make tothese kids is that we are not heroes, we arenot different from you. We just chose to dowhat we needed to do.
You can, too. I can’t help everyone. Butsome of these kids, these beautiful kids, withstrong bodies and active minds, have justenough sensitivity left to see thesignificance of what I am and what I amsaying to them. Sometimes (and they aremagical times), I know that I have gottenthrough to them in time. The core memoryis not entirely buried under reams ofnegativity. There is a chance for mymessage to get through.
My biggest fee everThe biggest fee I have ever been paid as aspeaker was at the first talk I ever gave at thecentre. I didn’t know much about the placeand I agreed to speak without a real clue. AsI drove there, I worried. Here I was, startingmy speaking career, unsure of myself,unsure if this speech that I had crafted foradults, would mean anything to kids,particularly hardened kids like these.
When I finished my talk, I could plainlysee that I had made an impact. I could see iton those faces looking back at me. But thefinal confirmation — the greatest fee — wasthe reaction of a 13 year old kid, clearlyfrom the inner city, who came up to me afterthe speech with tears in his eyes.
He told me that he had tried to commitsuicide three times. I was amazed at hisstory but from the way he told it, it wasclearly true. Then, he said, if he ever felt likedoing something like that again, he was justgoing to stop and remember what I had saidthat day.
Now both of us had tears in our eyes.
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
Y
Once inside the kitchen, he knocked thephone off the cradle and tried punching thebuttons with his nose but when that didn'twork, he didn't quit. He looked around,found a pencil, and picked it up in his teeth,and pressed buttons on the phone with theeraser. He called his cousin's house, andwhen the cousin answered, he shouted,“This is John! Get help, quickly, I've had aterrible accident!” Then, he had thepresence of mind to pick up the receiverwith his teeth and hang up, rememberingthat on their party line, if he didn't break theconnection, his cousin couldn’t make a call.
Then, John Thompson, this 18 year oldhigh school senior, this average kid who gotCs in his classes and had never impressedanyone as anything special, went into thebathroom and sat in the bathtub so that hewouldn't bleed on his mother's rug.
When the paramedics pulled back theshower curtain, they were so shaken that hehad to calm them down, telling them wherehis arms were and where there was ice inthe refrigerator and garbage sacks in whichto pack them. His arms were re-attached in
“Adversity revealsgenius.”
Horace
Corporate Trends 85
W MITCHELL
And that’s why I Speak…He suffered burns to 65 per cent of his body in a terrible motor cycle accident. Then, he was involved in a planecrash and paralysed from the waist down. In spite of his fate today,Mitchell travels the world spreading his messages of hope andinspiration. He claims, “It’s not what happens to you in life, it’s what you do about it.”
remember the day I decided to makemy message the focus of my life. Iwas walking past a primary schoolplayground. One kid spotted me,
shouted something to the others and soonthey all ran to the fence to stare at me. Bytwos and threes, soon en masse, theychanted, “Monster, monster, monster…”And they were right. I did resemble amonster. The type they might have seen inthe movies — because of my accident somemonths before.
Hell on earth If hell on earth really does exist, mine startedon July 19, 1971.
Strangely enough, I started the day on topof the world. In the morning, I had fulfiled alifelong dream of soloing in an aeroplane forthe first time. That afternoon, I was ridingmy new motorcycle. It was the biggest,snazziest, meanest cycle on the market. Ihad bought it just the day before and Iadored it.
A writer once wrote that life is a twistingriver. None of us knows what’s around thenext bend. In my case, it was a truck. Alaundry truck turned suddenly in front of mymotorcycle and I hit it squarely in the side.As I went down, the lid on my gas tankpopped open and it all went up with aWHOOSH! The fireball was visible forseveral blocks.
When I arrived at the hospital, I wasjudged to be at the low end of survivability,having been burned over 65 per cent of mybody. Doctors were not sure I wouldsurvive. And my face had been burnedalmost beyond recognition.
The comeback I must have looked gruesome. A successionof visitors who grimace and/or pass out atthe sight of your face, quickly gives you thatimpression. But through incredibly lovingcare, multiple skin grafts, stubbornness,
determination, and many small steps to takeback control of my life, I did recover.
One of the turning points came twomonths after the accident, the afternoon theplastic surgeon came to see me. “Mitchell,”he said, “your original face has been burnedoff. We need to make you a new one. Doyou have any pictures of what you lookedlike before?”
Someone gave him my driver’s license.Staring at the photo for a long time, hefinally said, “Man, I know we can do betterthan this.”
And I laughed. It hurt like hell but Ilaughed.
For the first time since the accident, I hadfound some humour in my life. And with itI gained some perspective: “It’s not whathappens to you, it’s what you do about it.”
How I started speakingWhen I first started speaking, I had no set‘speech’ as such. But I had always beenpretty good at speaking off the cuff. So, Istarted out by simply telling groups my story– the funny parts, the tough parts, thetriumphant parts. People loved it.
Most people have scars, too. Of course,they are not always as visible as mine –maybe they were scarred by abusive parentsor dyslexia or some other invisible malady –but that doesn’t mean they are not real orthat they can’t learn from someone who hasovercome his own, more visible scars.
That was the real start of my speakingcareer. The hundreds and hundreds ofpolitical speeches, talks I had given ondisability issues, my testimonies beforeCongress and other committees andcountless interviews, all came together.
The cumulative experience worked.Doing things again and again breeds afamiliarity, a competence. So often, weignore life’s little homilies. It is sad, becausepractice often really does make perfect.
More and more, I was being asked tospeak to various groups. I spoke beforeenvironmental groups, handicap advocacygroups and several congressionalcommittees considering environmentallegislation. What flipped the switch for mewas a woman approaching me in asupermarket. She was putting together aconvention for temporary employmentagencies and knew of me and wondered if Iwould speak. I was lukewarm, until shementioned it paid two hundred dollars.Imagine, I thought. A two hundred dollarcheque and a free meal to boot!
By the fall of 1987, I realised that I had awonderful opportunity. I saw that I couldmake my living by doing something that Ihad previously gladly done for free –sharing the lessons I had learned about life,telling people that it’s not what happens toyou – it’s what you do about it.
A vital truth By the time those children in the school yardsaw me, I had already achieved many smalland large victories. I had recovered my selfrespect. So I was actually not offended whenthey called me a ‘monster’. But I did havean overwhelming desire to show them avital truth: that someone who looksmonstrous on the outside can be good,warm, funny and caring on the inside.Someone you might even like as well as youlike your best friend.
I knew that chewing out those kids wouldnot be half as effective as gently andpersonally showing them who I was inside.
And that’s why I speak…
Good people aregood because they’ve
come to wisdomthrough failure.
William Saroyan
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
I
86 Corporate Trends
W MITCHELL
I’ve done. But all too often, we spend ourlives deciding why we can’t do something.As Jonathan Swift said,“You can’t changethe direction of the wind but you can adjustyour sails.”
All of us have the ability to make thoseimportant decisions that can change ourlives, in a big way or a small way.
For instance, it’s hard to quit smoking orquit eating M&Ms. I understand that. Factis, however, smoking is a very consciouseffort. You have to choose to do it. Firstly,of course, you have to make a consciousdecision to purchase the cigarettes. Youthen have to open the pack, light the matchand inhale. We make a choice to smoke –nobody forces us to do it. Look at Olympic athletes. How manychoices did that person have to make beforethey were able to stand up there and receivethat gold medal? You’re not a failure if you
don’t make it. You’re a failure if you allowyourself to be limited in this world by otherpeople’s actions and beliefs.
I talk a lot about responsibility, the abilityto respond. But do we choose to respond?We must recognise that we are in control.People tell me after hearing me that I’vechanged their lives – I’m their excuse. I loveit but the fact is, they simply used me to trimtheir sails. Everything I know, I’ve learnedfrom someone else. Maybe I just string thewords together better than others.
Many professional educators use theexample of the baby walking. A babyattempts to walk millions of times and failsmillions of times. The baby doesn’t succeed,hits its head, smashes its face, looksridiculous and it’s down-right dangerous. In fact, the baby fails and fails, if you chooseto call it ‘failure’. Then, one day, he or shewill take their first step. It’s not failure is it?It’s called, learning; the baby is learning to
“You can’t change the direction of thewind but you canadjust your sails.”
Jonathan Swift
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
Take Responsibility for Your Life…When you take responsibility foryour life, you take responsibility forwhere you are going to go next…
he fireball was about threemetres high and a metre wide.The flame was blue and searing,with the peculiar, intense heat of
petrol burning in the open air. Even standingfifty feet away, on the corner of 26th andSouth Van Ness street, you would have feltthe increase in temperature on your face andhands – a warmth that easily cut throughSan Francisco’s gentle, early summer.
And, you would have had company, too –a mysterious bonfire in the middle of asuburban intersection, definitely draws acrowd. But this is only what I’ve been told.I can’t comment, personally, on the fireball’sexternal dimension and characteristics.
You see, I was in the middle of it!That’s how my book, The Man Who
Would Not Be Defeated, starts. It tells of myexperience of being involved in anhorrendous motor cycle accident, which leftme with burns to 65 per cent of my body,my face and fingers literally burnt off.
Life has many twistsThat was the first of the many twists in mylife. Obviously, I survived the fire or Iwouldn’t be here writing this. I also surviveda plane crash four years later, although it leftme paralysed from the waist down andpermanently in a wheelchair.
What surprises most people is, neitheraccident has held me back from living a fulland fruitful life. In spite of what happened tome, I went on to become a successfulbusinessman, (sometimes) successfulpolitician, environmental activist, a speakerand author. And today, I travel the worldspreading my message of hope: It’s not whathappens to you in life, it’s what you do aboutit. You can read all about my experiencesand the lessons I learned, in my book(*Editor’s note: now available through thismagazine – see centre pages).
Just about all of us are born with the sameset of equipment. Hands, eyes, ears, theability to think and so forth. True, somepeople are brighter than others but the realquestion in life is, ‘What are we going to dowith this equipment?’
People tell me I’m quite special but Ibelieve all of us have the ability to do what
walk. They’re not mistakes – they’reexperiences. They either shut you down oryou make it to the goal line.
Truth is, there are tons of things I’ve givenup on in life. But to me, the saddest thing ispeople who don’t do anything; nobody doeseverything. Instead of people focusing onwhat they can do, they focus on what theycan’t do.
Focus on what you can doBefore my accident I could do 10,000things. Now I can do 9,000 things. I caneither spend the rest of my life focussing onthe 9,000 things I can do or the 1,000 thingsI can’t do. The choice is mine – it’s up to me.
We’re all programmed at birth. AnthonyRobbins tells about the little computer eachof us gets when we’re born. It’s blank. Thensomebody programs it for us, with programslike ‘totally worthless’, ‘relationships suck’-all kinds of inconsistent messages. Nobodygives us an owner’s manual. It’s amazingwe’re not all lemmings. However, all of uscan make the decision to re-program.
We can make the decision to beresponsible. The key word is focus.Whenyou take responsibility for your life, youtake responsibility for where you are goingto go next.
The longest journey begins with a singlestep. By changing one small behaviour, youcan make a huge amount of difference. Youalso need tools. All of us have the sametools; it’s how we choose to use them.
Experts once chopped up Einstein’s brain,to see if it was different. It was no differentto anyone else’s brain; the difference is whathe chose to do with it.
If I was to point out one beacon, it issimply that I take responsibility.
T
Corporate Trends 87
W MITCHELL
In July 1971, Mitchell was involved in a terrible accident when hismotorcycle was hit by a laundry truck. The petrol capped popped off andthe fuel caught fire, he suffered burns to 65 per cent of his body. In spite ofhis misfortune, today Mitchell travels the world spreading his message ofhope: It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it…
“In my youth,” said his father,“I took to the law and arguedeach case with my wife. Andthe muscular strength which itgave to my jaw, has lasted therest of my life.”
Lewis Carroll
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
am told the lawyers began swarmingaround my hospital room long beforeI regained consciousness. It’s nowonder. This was no ‘stiff neck from
whiplash’case – the pain and suffering wereabundantly clear. Eventually, we shooedaway the ambulance-chasers and got areferral from a friend to a guy named, PatCoyle. So by the time I knew what wasgoing on, my case was well underway.
He was convinced we had a good caseagainst both Honda and the company thatowned the laundry truck. So, we sued themfor a total of $2.75 million. That figure wasbased on the idea this poor, ruined, hideousheap of flesh (me), would never be able todrive a car, hold a job or do anything butvegetate and that amount of money wouldcompensate me for a lifetime of lost earnings.
We went to trial in June 1973, two yearsafter the accident. By then, there was little Icouldn’t do, but the lawyers insisted I go outof my way not to look too able. They wantedsomeone to attend to me at all times.
Unexpected companyI remember going to the men’s room in thecourthouse alone one time and as I cameout, Coyle saw me and his face becameashen. He practically grabbed me, draggedme to the side of the hallway and demanded,“What in hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I had to take a leak,” I said. “Did you realise that one of their lawyers
was in there at the same time as you? Fromnow on, I’ll go in with you.”
The opposition focused on the fact that Iwas flying planes again and seemed to befairly competent. Coyle responded byhaving a film made of me, highlighting allthe things I could not do. This highlights thestrangeness of our legal system, whichrewards helplessness and penalises success.
I had no problem with suing. My life hadbeen interrupted, and getting fried was nothow I would have chosen to spend thatafternoon. What we finally discovered,however, was that it was not my apparent
The Choice is Yours…
After this conference, my lawyers gave methe news. The defendants had offered$450,000 apiece. My share of the $900,000,after the lawyer’s fees, would be about$500,000. I had to decide: should I shoot thedice and go for more, with a chance ofgetting nothing or should I take the offer? That was a big decision. But right from thestart, I had decided that this was “found”money. I knew my life was okay so it seemedpointless to get greedy. I took the money.
One final note on the psychiatric front.Around the time of my trial, my lawyerscould not believe that I was not seeing ashrink, so they got me one. If ever anyoneneeded a shrink, it was this guy! He hadserious psychological problems, mostnotably a God complex. He was convincedhe had all the answers and his therapy groupparticipants knew nothing. Several groupmembers had bought into this charade; therewere a bunch of people who had been seeing
this nutcase for four years, convinced theycould not survive without his omniscience.These people were dearly addicted to theidea that they were sick.
I agree that psychiatry has its place in theworld and some people have scars that are sodeep that they need more than a Swedishmassage. But I could not understand thisbrand of group therapy at all. Sure,sometimes things don’t feel good, you getpissed off, nobody likes you… to which myreaction is, welcome aboard, nice to haveyou here on Spaceship Earth!
The choice is yours…You can spend your whole life focusing onthe worst aspects of your life if you chooseto. Do you want to spend all of your timefocusing on how bad your relationship, job,appearance is or do you want to focus onhow good it can become? Do you want totalk only about how bad smoking is, or shallwe focus on how wonderful fresh air andhealth can be?
The idea of self-help groups should be justthat – to help people understand that thedecision is up to them. As I see it, you canalso sleep on a bed of nails and wallop yourforehead every half hour with a two-by-fourif that’s your desire. But wallowing in angstis not my thing and that’s what these sessionswere all about. So after a few sessions, I quit.I pointed out that I didn’t want to spend anhour a week thinking about problems Iconsidered to be relatively minor, when therewas so much positive stuff to do and be inthe world. I even threw them someMorehouse (the idea that we are all perfect)because, while I resisted that idea for quite awhile, it does make some sense.
I got a lot of major-league hostility fromthe group but what stands out is a letter I gotfrom the shrink. The gist of it was, sure, now,in 1973, I was doing well. But if I didn’t getlong-term therapy, sooner or later I wouldjump out of a window.
It’s now 2001 and I haven’t jumped!
helplessness but my friendliness and charmthat were our greatest legal allies. The juryliked me; I think they even admired me.That, more than anything else, made theopposing attorneys eager to settle.
The settlement offerTwo weeks into the trial, the judge decidedthere should be a settlement conference. Hefeared extremes: I would either get nomoney or too much money, either of whichwould lead to endless appeals.
I
88 Corporate Trends
W MITCHELL
Why I Travel the WorldSpeaking to People…W Mitchell was involved in a terrible accident when his motorcycle washit by a truck. The fuel caught fire and he suffered terrible burns to 65 percent of his body. He was later involved in a plane crash that left himunable to walk. Despite these setbacks, today Mitchell travels the worldspreading his message of hope to others – it’s not what happens to you, it’swhat you do about it…
fter my first accident, when Igot out of hospital, I walkedquite a bit to build my strengthback up. It must have been
quite a show. I had Puppy, my huge, male Great Dane.
He walked with me everywhere. Andbecause the plastic surgeons keptemphasising that I shouldn’t get too muchsun, I would always wear a hat – usually mySmokey the Bearhat.
Well, the sight must have beenunbelievable. This monster dog, and thisemaciated, burned up, fingerless guy withlong hair and a drill instructor’s hat,strolling the boulevards of San Francisco. Ina city full of weird looking people,especially in those Haight-Ashbury days, Imust have ranked among the weirdest. Thesight obviously did overload a few circuits.I remember a couple of cases in particular.
How it startedOnce, I walked to the hospital to visit somepatients. The nurses had actually put me towork, making the rounds of bum patients. Itold them things like, “Man, you're the onlyguy in this place who's as funny-looking asI am,” as a way to help them gain someperspective. This was probably the start ofmy sharing the message: “It's not whathappens to you, it's what you do about it.”
Anyway, on this particular trip, I toldPuppy, to stay at the entrance. He was verygood about this. He simply would not moveand at 125 muscular pounds in weight, fewpeople were inclined to move him.
When I came out a man staggered up,obviously drunk and started to berate me.“God, you're a mess. Jesus, you're theugliest thing I ever saw. What the hell doyou think you're doing here? I'm gonna beatthat ugly face of yours,” he railed at me.
Despite the guy’s condition and the fact
that he was probably twenty years olderthan me, there was simply no way I couldhave defended myself. I had been a superbphysical specimen, an excellent skier, acable-car gripman, a guy who never hadanything to fear. To feel so defenceless wasa new and not so pleasant sensation. When I said nothing, he got more abusive ashe realised I was not going to fight back.Just as he was ready to begin, I noticed mydog had reappeared. So I said, “Look, I'mpretty messed up. I won't be much of amatch for you. But would you like to fightmy buddy?”
He said, “Sure.”
I said “Puppy, come, I want you to meetthis guy because he wants to fight withyou.” The fellow took one look at the dog,froze for an instant and then took off so fasteven Puppy couldn’t have caught him.
It was an early, but classic example ofwhat was to become my overridingphilosophy: Do whatever it takes.In thiscase, the simple solution – pounding the guyinto hamburger – was denied to me, so I hadto get creative. What would I have done ifPuppy had not bounded up?Perhaps I would have started a conversationwith the guy. Maybe I would have enlistedthe aid of a bystander. I could have zipped
back inside the hospital. At every moment,we have more options than we can imagine;and one good thing that comes fromhandicaps is that it opens one's eyes to thereality of that.
In any case, this guy was an example ofthe kind of garbage that gets poured intosome unfortunate people’s brains, usuallywhen they are children and can't ward it off.Fortunately, such profoundly insensitivepeople are rare.
The worst was yet to comeBut the most distressing situation arose asPuppy and I walked passed a primary schoolplayground. One kid spotted me, shoutedsomething to the others and soon they allbroke off their playing and ran to the fenceto stare at me. Then, by twos and threes atfirst, but soon en masse, they chanted:Monster, monster, monster, monster...”Teachers swooped down on themimmediately, herding them inside,admonishing them for such behaviour.
But I was struck by a feeling of loss. I wasnot offended by what they had said. I did,indeed, resemble a monster that a childmight have seen in a movie – rather likeFreddy Kruger with a few Frankensteinstitches thrown in.
But I had an overwhelming desire to showthem a vital truth: that someone who looksmonstrous on the outside can be good,warm, funny, and caring on the inside,someone you might like as well as you likeyour best friend. I knew that chewing outthose kids for their boorishness would not behalf as effective as personally showing themtheir honest mistake. That there was a goodperson under all that scar tissue. I wanted totell them something that a wonderfulspeaker and good friend shared with memuch later. That the wrapping might havebeen damaged but the gift inside was still ingood shape.
I think at that moment I subconsciouslyresolved to make sharing that message withpeople, especially kids, the focus of my life.
“The chief cause ofhuman error, is to be found in the
prejudices picked up in childhood.”
Rene Descartes
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
A
Corporate Trends 89
W MITCHELL
So many barriers we are told are real, don’t exist at all. And even the realones can be vanquished through sheer effort. Things like picking up aquarter with no fingers or having a wonderful, accomplished life though you are burned and in a wheelchair – most can be surmounted through effort and a willingness to dig under them, go around them or hop over them…
Breaking the Barriers
first met Tony Robbins when I spokeat a seminar he was running inPhoenix. The highlight of the seminarwas to be the firewalk, where you
stroll barefoot over red hot coals. Three days after I arrived, firewalk night
rolled around. Three beds of mesquite coalswere prepared, ranging from twelve to fortyfeet long. This was the hottest fire Tony hadever used. I was about eight feet away andthe heat was so intense, I was worried itwould somehow mess up the plastic surgerywork that had just been done on me, so I hadthem back me up.
I planned only to watch, for a couple ofreasons. First, I don’t walk. Second, I hadhad my fire experience. Third, I didn’t needthis routine anyway. The whole idea behindthis is that if you can walk on fire, you proveto yourself that you can do damn nearanything, that any limitations in your life areprobably self-imposed. I had alreadyfigured that out in my own way, so whoneeded this?
My first fire ‘walk’People started walking through the coals. Asthey emerged, they were exultant. No onewas burned. I’d guess 250 people did it.
I don’t even remember how it came aboutbut suddenly, there I was at the end of thisbed of coals in my wheelchair, taking offmy shoes and socks and saying to Tony andanother friend, Tom Crum, “One of yougrab me under the right arm, one under theleft, lift me up and turn me around, becausewe are going to do this backwards.
And that’s what we did. I had more contact with the coals than
anyone else. While the other workshopparticipants had stepped through the coals, Iwas literally dragged through them. Whenwe got to the other side, I could see the twodark trails where my heels had gone.
I did not have a single burn. What did it mean? A lot of scientists are sceptical that
anything mystical is involved. There are
elaborate theories about perspiration on the feet repelling the heat, through a principle similar to touching a wet fingerto a hot iron and not being burned. Thesetheories might be true – although I was incontact for quite a while.
But even if it is not literal magic, itcertainly is a potent metaphor. It is a visibleillustration of the power anyone has to facewhen confronted by a frightening barrierand discovering that there was no realreason to fear it at all.
An even more poignant example, and onecloser to all of your hearts I’m sure, is thestory of Cliff Young, a rather unsuccessfulsixty-five-year old farmer from Australia,who showed up at the starting line of theannual five hundred kilometre Sydney toMelbourne race. Hundreds of people showup at the start of that race every year, but thiswas the first time anyone had arrived in hisgum boots and bib overalls, causing themore polite of the bystanders to smile andthe ruder ones to ridicule the old guy.
They were still hooting as the gunsounded and the runners zoomed ahead ofCliff. He didn’t even run correctly. He justshuffled along in his gum boots. And atnight, when the six hour break came (whicheveryone knew you had to take to have thestamina to win), Cliff was too stupid even tounderstand that. When he finally arrived atthe break point, he just kept running. Andthat was the last any of the other runnersever saw of him. Cliff Young broke theSydney to Melbourne record by some 12hours and no one was laughing anymore.
Now, everybody’s shufflingBy the next year, everyone was shufflinglike Cliff Young. It became the preferredstyle of ultra-long distance running. Quite afew people broke Cliff’s record, thanks towhat they learned from him.
I had already discovered this: it’s the folkswho don’t pay attention to what “everybodyknows” who often succeed in life.
But it was wonderful to see the faces ofthe 250 people who walked through thefirepit that night. I suspected that, from thatpoint on, it would be difficult to convinceany of them that he or she faced aninsurmountable obstacle. This is not to saythat every obstacle can simply be “walkedacross” like that firepit. Often, tremendousenergy and hard work are required, and theobstacle may need to be surmounted in away no one could have guessed.
I
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
I firmly believe that most barriers are self-imposed. We first get them from society –you can’t do that, that’s immoral, that’scrazy, no one in our family does that and soon. But we forget that we have the power toaccept or reject these barriers. We treat themas if they are immovable, immutable, when,in fact, they may be silly, cause unnecessarymisery or just be plain nonexistent.
To illustrate this with one more vividexample: back in the 1950s, it was widelyaccepted that no one would ever run a four-minute mile – that was, simply, somethingthat human beings were not capable ofdoing. Then, in 1954, Roger Bannister ranone in three minutes, fifty nine and four-tenths’ seconds. The next year, some fiftypeople broke the four-minute “barrier.”Now, high school athletes break it routinely.Bannister demonstrated that the barrier wasnot real, but the remarkable thing is that anyof those fifty people could have figured itout on their own. They didn’t need to waitfor Bannister to show them the fallacy of it.
“It is courage the worldneeds, not infallibility,courage is always thesurest wisdom.”
Sir Wilfred Grenfell
90 Corporate Trends
W MITCHELL
The Man Who WouldNot Be Defeated…
Mitchell (or justMitchell, as he prefersto be called) was bornin Pennsylvania in
1943 to an upper middle-classAmerican family.
After dropping out of school andserving briefly in the Marines, hebecame a cab driver and then a gripmanon the San Francisco cable cars.Mitchell claims, for a man with a love ofmechanical things and an eye for apretty girl, this had to be the ultimate jobin the world.
Mitchell was a good looking youngman with a zest for living life in the fastlane. He had a passion for fast movingsports, including snow skiing, flyinglight planes and riding motor bikes. Itwas this love of fast moving machinesthat led to the events that sodramatically changed his life.
An appointment with fateOn 19 July 1971, Mitchell jumped onhis motorcycle and headed off to visithis girlfriend. That morning he hadmade his first solo flight in a lightaircraft. He was working in a job heloved, with plenty of friends and plentyof money. He was riding his new Honda750 motorcycle, purchased the daybefore and life was looking pretty good.
Mitchell didn't see the laundry truckuntil it was too late. He hit it squarely inthe side and went down. The petrol tankon the motorcycle popped its lid,pouring gallons of petrol onto the bike'shot engine and all over Mitchell. Theensuing fireball was ten feet high andfour feet wide.
His life would probably have endedright there, except for a nearby carsalesman who grabbed a fire extin-guisher and literally put him out. Theambulance arrived minutes later andraced him to the San Francisco General
Hospital. He had suffered horrific burnsto sixty five per cent of his body and hissurvival chances were judged to beextremely low. His crash helmet hadsaved his scalp but most of his face andhands were literally burnt off.Fortunately for him, he passed into adeep coma and, aided by massive dosesof drugs, the next two weeks remain afuzzy blur.
The ensuing months were spentundergoing extensive plastic surgery.Surgeons virtually re-built Mitchell'sface but even the best plastic surgeonscan only do so much. The end resultwas a patch-work of grafted skin thatonce caused a group of children to runaway screaming, “monster, monster.”
Feelings of hopelessnessApart from his physical appearance, allhis fingers and thumbs had been burntoff in the accident and he was left withtwo stumps where his hands used to be.One can only try to imagine the painand feeling of hopelessness that he musthave gone through in the next few yearsas he tried desperately to learn to livewith his disabilities and rebuild somesort of life for himself.
He recalls that initially the pain in hishands was so excruciating he couldn'teven bear a breeze on them, let aloneuse them for any worthwhile purpose.He was virtually helpless and evenrelatively simple tasks like opening adoor seemed insurmountable.
Probably many people faced with hispain and problems would have givenup. But Mitchell is no ordinary person.Despite his seemingly overwhelmingdisabilities, he continued on, not onlylearning how to adjust to the problemsbut actually returning to doing most ofthings he had done before. He evenmanaged to fly a plane again.
Because of his appearance, Mitchell
decided to move from San Francisco.He figured that in a small town peoplewould soon learn his story and after awhile forget his appearance and lookbeyond that to see Mitchell the person.
His eventual choice was CrestedButte, a small mining town 20 milesfrom the ski fields of Colorado. He usedpart of his accident settlement money toestablish himself in business and heopened a bar in the town which enjoyedgood trade. He also made some realestate investments in the area andeventually invested with friends in aproject manufacturing a new type offuel burning stove, which was toeventually return him a tremendousprofit.
Entry into politicsHe also made a name for himself inpolitics. His successful environmentalbattle with a giant mining companymade him a popular local identity andhe went on to eventually become Mayorof Crested Butte. He even ran forCongress and went very close to beingelected. All in all, life looked prettygood. But fate was not yet finished withW Mitchell.
Mitchell now held a commercialpilot's licence and had bought a Cessna206 aeroplane, regularly takingpassengers to different destinations tohelp pay his fuel bills.
W
Corporate Trends 91
W MITCHELL
One morning in November 1975, hewas preparing to fly with three friendsto San Francisco. It was a fairly routineflight and one he had made countlesstimes before. This morning it had beensnowing and it was extremely cold.
Mitchell thought that all the ice hadmelted off the wings. Unfortunately, hewas wrong. The plane reached a heightof about one hundred feet and theengine stalled. The plane fell for aroundtwo seconds and then slammed backonto the runway belly up, bursting openthe fuel tanks.
Fearing his dreaded enemy, fire,Mitchell yelled to his passengers to getout of the plane and tried to free himself.He could not move. He thought his feetmust be have been jammed under therudder pedals. Then, he noticed thenumbness in his legs and the pain in hisback and realised something wasterribly wrong.
Later, in hospital, the doctor told himhe had crushed his spine and wasparalysed from the waist down. Hewould be confined to a wheelchair for
the rest of his life. For a man who hadjust spent the last four years of his liferecovering from incredibly devastatinginjuries, it seemed just too much to bear.
However, once again with amazingcourage and determination, Mitchellmanaged to overcome his problems.Despite his many disabilities hecontinues to live a full life.
Director of the board of a number ofcompanies, an environmental leaderand a successful businessman, he stilllists amongst his hobbies white riverrafting and skydiving! He says simply,before his accidents he could do 10,000things — now, he can only do 9,000things. He can either spend his time
focusing on the 1,000 things that he canno longer do or the 9,000 things that hecando. Mitchell says he simply prefersto do the latter.
These days, he spends much of histime travelling the world spreading hispowerful message of hope andinspiration to others. And, as Mitchellsays, disabilities are not alwaysphysical. Often our biggest disability isour failure to recognise our problemsand to learn to deal with them.
Mitchell's philosophy is simple: “It'snot what happens to you in life thatcounts, it's what you do about it”.
W Mitchell, CPS, CSP, CPAE, is aninternationally sought after speaker whomotivates and inspires audiences world-wide. His positive message about takingresponsibility for change, told with warmthand wit, make Mitchell one of the mostrequested and respected professionalspeakers today. Contact Mitchell’sAustralian office on: Tel: 1 800 421 484Email: [email protected]:www.WMitchell.com
“It's not whathappens to you in life that counts,
it's what you do about it.”
“IT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU, IT’S WHAT YOU DO ABOUT IT.”
Now available: in audio cassette,video or book!
“IT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU, IT’S WHAT YOU DO ABOUT IT.”
Hard cover book $29.95*
Audio cassette tape set $29.95*
One hour video tape $59.95*
* plus $5.50 postage & handling fee
Now you can get W Mitchell’s amazing life storyin book form or on video. To order your copytoday, contact Mitchell’s Australian office on:
Tel: 1 800 421 484Website: www.WMitchell.com
To invite Mitchell to speak to your convention, association or meeting, contact your favourite AustralianSpeakers Bureau or call Sue at Mitchell’s Australian office on 1 800 421 484.
CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH M.App.Sci CSP
On the platform her audiences have described her as:
"Terrific" - "One of the best ever" "Major impact" "A high point" "Most refreshing" "Enthusiasm and wit""Professional and intelligent" "An absolute joy"
In her corporate life, Catherine cut her teeth in one of the most challenging environments in the businessworld; for several years she built and managed teams of outstanding performers in the life insurance andinvestment industry.
Her history has been one of building businesses from the ground up, from 5 to 250, from zero to $60million. For several years she held senior national sales and marketing management roles and for the last10 years, she has run her own highly successful business consultancy. Her skills have been honed bynational and international leadership of professional organisations, including the National SpeakersAssociation of Australia. Her own life story is powerful and motivational. Her empowerment of others hasbeen recognised by the highest awards from her peers, and she is continually asked back by her clients.
Catherine has an amazing ability to bring out the best in people, to turn around individual and teamperformance, and to stimulate positive change. Her track record speaks for itself.
Other testimonials include:
"Best ever...impressed with the take home value that attendees commented on"
"You have a unique ability to present your message in a manner that is readily understood and retained byyour audience. The results are on the board. Thank you!"
"Catherine would be the most refreshing woman speaker I have ever heard. She shot from the hip, playedit straight and delivered a lot."
"Catherine's presentation was a high point within our conference. Catherine spoke with sincerity,enthusiasm and wit, keeping attention pivoted upon her message. We were delighted with the content andrelevance of her talk."
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth
International presenter and business consultanton Leadership Growth and Change with
Messages that Matter for the times we live in.
Corporate Trends 93
CATHERINE PALIN BRINKWORTH
What’s the Real Secretof Successful People?Why are some people fabulously
successful, while others never make
it, no matter how hard they try?
ave you ever wonderedhow some people becomesuccessful? You know theones I mean. Lacking all the
expected attributes of a winner, oftenwith far more obstacles to overcomethan you and I, they become rich andfamous. Or at least, impressive.
And you sit there and wonder what’swrong with you? Why aren’t you upthere too? How come this individualseems to have it made?
You seem to have more talent, moreintelligence, more potential—and it’sjust not happening.
Persistence is not enoughMotivational speakers often quoteCalvin Coolidge:
Nothing can take the place ofpersistence. Talent will not; nothing ismore common than unsuccessful menwith talent…etc. etc.
Calvin, I’m sorry. I’m afraid I haveserious doubts about this. In myexperience, persistence can often createnothing but a sore head when you’rebanging it up against the wrong wall—orjust banging it against any wall, come tothink of it.
The real barrier.If you have the same level of energy,skill, discipline and will as the other guy—and you’re not as successful—it isn’tpersistence that is holding you back. It’sreally your Glass Cage ™.
People often use the term ‘glassceiling’ to describe the limits or barriersthat are imposed by others—if someoneelse is doing this to you, and they stop,you will be free. Mmm…true, in somecases. In other cases, the barrier in fact ,is not just a ceiling, it’s a cage. It has four
walls and a floor, as well. It surrounds usand encloses us totally, for our entirelives. And it’s not put there by anyoneelse. It’s custom designed and developed by us.
What to do about itIf you don’t have the same level ofenergy, skill, discipline and will as thesuccessful people, you can do somethingabout it. Those bits are easy. Energycomes from a body in motion, not a bodyat rest. So, to create energy, just dosomething. Anything really—it doesn’thave to be brilliant or perfect. It just hasto be activity that is directed towards the
outcome you are seeking. For instance, if you want more
business in the door, pick up the phoneand ring someone. (If you want to knowwhat to say when they answer, call me).
Delight in achievementsEnergy is most effective when it’sfocussed, of course, and it feels bestwhen it’s positive.
Someone reminded me recently tosimply delight in the achievement ofevery moment; that certainly felt goodand seemed to create a whole lot moreenergy almost instantly. Try it, and let meknow what happens for you!
Skill can be easily developed byacquiring new, how-to information andthen doing some practice. So, there’s anidea—do some experiential learning andenhance your current abilities.
Remembering that know-how is nogood unless it becomes do-how.Information doesn’t actually becomeknowledge until we use it and discoverthe effects.
Discipline develops dreamsDiscipline, is a word which I’m a littleuncomfortable with, I must confess! ButI do know that when I apply it, miracleshappen.
For me it means making smallcommitments and requiring myself tokeep them. Keeping commitments toothers is not an issue—it’s essential.Keeping them to myself however, is thetough call. Will—the inner drive—isvery often the missing link.
My mentor, John Nevin, used to say:“You gottawanna”. If the will isn’tthere, all of the skill in the world isuseless. Check in on your will tosucceed. Do you really wanna?
I have a theory that we always doactually get what we want; our realgoals are shining back at us from ouroutcomes.
For instance - I want to be pencil slim,lean and lithe.
Really? If I really did, I would be. There’s a
part of me that likes the curves and thecappuccino ice cream, enough to wantto keep them in my life. The pencil slimbusiness is just a vague notion of theideal, not the outcome I actuallychoose—at least for now.
Want to be Numero Uno in yourcompany? Really? Are you seriouslywilling to do what is required? Haveyou done it? Because that’s the onlygenuine proof of will, don’t you think?
Or is it time you found out what’sreally in your Glass Cage?™.
H
Information doesn’tactually becomeknowledge until
we use it anddiscover the effects
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
94 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH
Managing Chaos!I guarantee that 99 per cent of you
reading this now, found it a
challenge to find the time to do so…
kay, we know that allthings are impermanent.But didn’t they used tochange more slowly?
Today, change is not the issue. Theword that arises everywhere is CHAOS.
A few years ago businesses wereexperiencing massive restructurings, re-engineerings, and redirection. Skillsand tools were needed for response tovarious impacts, to help us create ratherthan react.
But now we’re spinning faster, and thegroup change tools don’t always seemto work. Perhaps what’s needed is anactual chaos management strategy!
Whether it’s the Y2K dawn or theSydney Olympics, your workplace oryour personal relationships; whetheryou run a large organisation, a smallbusiness, a tiny team or simply yourown life — the tools you need now arefor managing chaos.
1. Know the "I"Start by considering a hurricane, or a
cyclone. Utter chaos, causing greatdevastation. Think of the centre. Calm,peaceful, quiet. The eye. Think of it asyourself. You may not be able to stopor even control the wind and the noisearound you. But you can retain yourown centre. Find your strength, yourcapabilities, your power and your value,and stand quietly in your own ability torespond to each situation with courageand wisdom. We all have it. We justforget it sometimes when the winds ofchange are howling around us.
2. Know What Matters"The first rule of success, and the one
that supersedes all others, is to haveenergy. It is important to know how toconcentrate it and focus it on theimportant things, instead of frittering it
away on trivia." (Michael Korda)The most powerful thing you can do atany moment is re-focus. What do youwant to achieve? Why is thisimportant?
3. Nurture your networkNo man is an island….nor womaneither. We operate best wheninterdependent. Not leaning, butsupported. It may be time to re-valuefamily, to re-assess social contacts, to re-energise team consciousness in theworkplace. One of the keys tomanaging chaos is the ability to tap intosupport facilities. Productivity almostinvariably increases when we delegate,leverage and pull together.
4. Courage to tell the truthThis may not be so for you, but formany people an enormous amount oftime and energy is wasted in developingand maintaining the mask. There’s notime any more to do that - have younoticed? It’s time for ‘impowerment’(the CPB word for claiming your ownpower, rather than grabbing it fromothers).
5. Learn to live with lessA strange concept for many of us in
business who have spent much of our working lives running after ‘more’.When life moves fast, the less baggagewe have to carry the better. Travellinglight - in many ways - becomes moreeffective. We’re discovering that asimpler life can be a lot less stressful.Not to decry wealth and its pleasures -just to eliminate the desperate struggle for it!
6. Rejoice regularlyA behavioural researcher visited akindergarten. “How many of you cansing,” he asked? All hands went up.“How many of you can paint?” Againall hands were proudly thrust in the air.“And, how many can dance?” “Me,me, me,” was the answer.
The researcher asked the samequestions in a university lecture hall.“How many of you can sing?” Twohands. “How many of you can paint?”Not one. “And how many can dance?”Fingers were pointed at others, withcomments and laughter, but not oneclaimed the ability. What happened?Why did we forget, or decide our ownself-expression was not good enough?It’s just about a joyful release of stresshormones — good for the mind, thesoul and the body.
7. Choose care over fearI first learned it from MarianneWilliamson, who wrote the beautifulwords Nelson Mandela used in hisinaugural address. There are only twofundamental emotions - love and fear.Anything that isn’t one, is the other.Until recently, we didn’t talk about thisin the corporate arena. Now we know,tough love builds good teams, andchaos is exacerbated by fear. This is notabout being soft and gooey - you knowthat. It’s about finding a way to addressissues head on with an intelligent mixof courage commitment andcompassion.
Chaos is inevitable. In the sense thatperturbation is evolutionary, it’s alsodesirable. But managing it is essential.It’s no use for any of us to hope thatsomeone else will do it. Do you haveyour own personal strategies in place?
“To make a living isno longer enough.Work also has to
make a life.” Peter Drucker
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
O
Corporate Trends 95
CATHERINE PALIN BRINKWORTH
Has your work environmentchanged in the last 12 months?Found it challenging?
t a conference recently, Iasked everyone how manyof them had undergonemajor change recently.
The ocean of hands made me seasick!We are in a time of the fastest change
in human history. Never before, in peacetime, have we been required to be soadaptable, so flexible, yet so focused.
Personal leadership for the presentmoment is about predicting andmanaging change. Personal leaders arepeople who lead themselves forwardwith strength and confidence so thatothers may be inspired to join with themin equal strength and inner belief.Personal leaders create a point ofreference. They create, claim andembody success.
Here are a few of the essential skillsand qualities:
1. VisionWhat does your ideal world look like?How would you like your family to be?Your workplace? Your business? Yourindustry? Yourself? Only with a visionof the desired outcome can you evenbegin to achieve it. It may changeconstantly—as it does—and so ofcourse, will the method of achievement.But a constantly renewed vision isessential for personal leadership.
2. OptimismBoost the vision with a positive belief inits realism! Martin Seligman’s workwith Learned Optimism is wonderful;from a totally scientific base he hascreated strong evidence that when webelieve, we achieve. Not with naivefoolishness, but with awareness andsound information. Using De Bono’s
‘black hat thinking’to explore potentialrisks, but with a faith that knows we canovercome obstacles with commitmentcourage and creativity.
3. ActionWhatever we want our ideal world tobe, action will be necessary. It may bean uncomfortable change of habit or acourageous new beginning. It may behuge fun! And, it may be extremelyuncomfortable. Do it anyway! Personalleaders take action. Any is better thannone, in a changing world. There’s nosuch thing as a wrong decision—everything will take you somewhere—and even so-called failures are valuablelessons. Aren’t they?
4. CommunicationAll leaders call on this skill as theirmajor tool of trade. Personal leadersneed it too. The ability to stand on yourfeet and state what you want and why.The ability to share your vision andinspire others to support you in it. Theskill of honest, well preparednegotiation to create your owncircumstances or change them. Theunderstanding of different personalities,different behavioural styles, differentage and gender needs, different culturalorientations. The ability to speak yourmind clearly and easily, with the rightwords at your command, withsensitivity and respect but with truth.
5. ConfidenceMany people ask me for advice or helpon developing confidence. It’s simple.Confidence is about trust. When wetrust ourselves, we have self-confidence. The greatest barrier is self-criticism. Not honest self-evaluationwith a desire to improve but thenegative, destructive, soul-destroyingself-talk that often consumes us.
I often ask audiences, “how many ofyou have ever felt inadequate?” It’ssobering how many feel incapable orunworthy almost every day in someway! Yet everything we have ever donehas been the best we could possibly doat that time in that place. When wereally get this, and stop our self-flagellation, life gets easier, more joyfuland more successful. Somehow, we thenstop beating up on others as well andtheir level of trust in us developsaccordingly. Try it! You’ll like it!
So, I dare you:Rate yourself out of 10 for each of theabove. 10 is perfect and 1 needs work.Be pleased if you discover an area ofweakness (we all have them), andpersonal leaders acknowledge andimprove on them. Only fools live indenial and maintain the status quo.
Because the truth about life in the newmillennium is, there is no status quo.
There is, in our tangible materialworld, absolutely nothing that ispermanent. Only when we forget that,and cling to what is passing, do we incurdiscomfort. A calm inner strengthaccompanies the personal leader whoknows that all will pass in time, findingpeace in the middle of chaos.
Find the present moment. Find yourown magnificence, and revel in it. Self-development will be a primary key forsuccess in the new millennium, Ipromise you.
A
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
“All things pass. You can view it asdeath and mourn, or you can allow
the winds of change to dance about yourfeet and celebrate…”
Personal Leadership forthe Present Moment…
96 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH
Conditions for Successful Change…A useful definition of insanity is:“Doing what you did yesterdayand expecting a different outcome.
h huh. I agree – it’s crazy!Yet how many of us wantimproved lives andenhanced performance —
without the will to change?Every single desirable development of
our lives will require change. The “C”word. Why on earth do we resist it so? Well…1. It hurts… Yes, it does. There is an in-built part ofmy brain, and yours, which is absolutelydedicated to preserving homeostasis.Anything different (particularlyexercise, in my opinion) causes severediscomfort — and so it should!Thisclever reptilian brain of ours, is justtrying to protect us from imbalance. Ithasn’t realised we’re in the 21st centuryand if we DON’T change we’ll die.
2. It’s somebody else’s idea…Well, that’s usually true! Most otherpeople seem to feel they know what’sgood for us, better than we do, right? Soalmost all change or improvementinitiatives are initially inspired by anexternal source. The question is — dowe share the same desire for us to bedifferent?
3. On the other hand…Maybe if I do change, other people inmy life might become uncomfortable.Because they know me as I am and theyare resisting change. So if I embrace it, Imay not be able to embrace them anymore or they may not embrace me. Thatcould be very lonely.
4. It shakes my self-concept…I form my identity, my world-view, mycore belief system which drives all myresponses, behaviours and actions, quiteearly in my life. It creates myorientation. If anything happens to alterthat orientation, I become a displaced
person. Even if it’s only momentary, itrequires an adjustment on my part.That’s hard work. If I have to do it toooften, I can become quite disorientedand dysfunctional. After all, how can Ipossibly perform at my peak if I don’tknow who I am?
5. I like things just the way they are.Well, maybe they’re not perfect. Butthey’re OK. And if we change things,they could be worse! Better the devilyou know, than the devil we don’t!
Just take a moment to check in with meon this:
• Have you ever wanted conditions in
your life/work/family to change?
• Have you ever owned any of the
above resistances?
• Have you ever observed them in
others around you?
They’re common. They’re almostuniversal. They will get in the way ofjust about every improvement you wantto implement in your businessenvironment or in your personal life.
The final challenge And here’s a final challenge in creatingchange. Check out the beliefs ofeveryone involved. Robert Fritz, authorof ‘The Path of Least Resistance’,shows graphically how a negative beliefwill inevitably sabotage any attempt tomove out of the current situation. Theresulting Structural Conflict will makeany improvement impossible, withoutawareness, open acknowledgement andthe chance to shape a managingstrategy.
Success strategies are simple. You know what you want. You
believe you can have it. You work outhow to get it. You take action. Youknow with confidence that you willhave it —and it arrives.
We do it every day and love it! So,why on earth do we sometimes make itso difficult?
Use the BEST© Change Formula to easily manage changein your personal or business life: Build the visionGet it strong, big, bright, clear, moving, real. Discuss all the positive effects.Accept the challenges and the obstacles. Know the value. Ensure there is 100 percent ownership and support. Establish the powerNone of us is a powerless victim of our world. We can stay and grow or we canrun and hide. We can choose to make a difference and we can choose to bedifferent. We should be responsible for our own accountability. Select an actionAll change requires effort. One action alone can get it started. Any action is betterthan none. All action provides feedback. The whole process may not always beclear — and probably can’t be.No one needs to know all the answers in advance.Take a stepWith personal courage, acknowledging any risks and ensuring there’s a safety net.Provide self-encouragement, every step takes us somewhere. Check the resultswith the vision. And, the next step is of course, to build the vision.
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
U
Corporate Trends 97
CATHERINE PALIN BRINKWORTH
Who’s in Charge AroundHere, Anyway?“What this business/ organisation/team needs is some good old-fashioned leadership!”
ow many times have you heardsomeone say that? Yet we are caught up in one ofthe greatest dichotomies of our
time: I call it the ‘Spock Paradox’.No, I don’t mean the guy with the long,
pointy ears but the baby doctor. The manwho revolutionised western culture aroundparenting back in the fifties. He taught us,amongst other things, that babies should befed on demand! Until then, for manydecades, they had been fed by the clock! Hetold us to listen to our children – that theyknow what they need and will tell us how tocare for them. He was particularly againstany reign of terror — discipline was to be bydialogue and rational agreement. (Althoughif you’ve had a two year old, you’ll knowwho tries to reign over whom!)
The ‘Spock’ mentalityWhatever your opinions of his work, Ibelieve Dr. Spock changed our livesdramatically. Because if you are managing ateam in today’s business environment, youare managing Spock babies. You probablyare one yourself. Your team colleagues arefully-fledged Spock participants, believingthey have a right to be heard, to think forthemselves, to be fed on demand.
To some of our older colleagues who arepre-Spock people, that’s outrageous (or atthe least challenging). To others, it can be anuisance! Especially if we’ve been ‘trained’in management or leadership by the pre-Spockies. But to the wise, it’s a joy.
The “Spock’ paradoxAnd here’s the paradox: We Spockies willcry for leadership but we won’t accept it. Wewant to be shown the way but we won’tfollow. We ask someone to solve ourproblems but we won’t be told what to do.We want to make up our own minds. Wewant to be in control of our own destiny. “How can you possibly lead that?” you wellmay ask.
The answer is simple but not necessarilyeasy. It’s about encouraging and nurturinga particular kind of leadership within your /organisation.
Positional leadershipIt’s not about Positional Leadership —youknow, the kind that comes with the title onyour business card. Because althoughpositional hierarchies are still the way wetraditionally get things organised, they areno longer the way to most effectively getthings done. Positional Leadership can be guiding andinspiring but it often isn’t. Often it falls intothe hollow ring of authority, to which Spockbabies are highly allergic (if you haven’talready noticed).
Who can own this skill?Anyone. Everyone. And not only is it usefulto encourage — it’s essential.
Everyone has some specific area ofexpertise or a topic to which they arepassionately committed. Everyone has atime to give and to lead. Everyone has aplace at the front for their time. And, in ahigh performing team, the officialleader/facilitator/captain/coach makes surethat happens.
What does it take to nurture? It takes the development and ownership ofPersonal Leadership.
Where everyone in a team is trained andencouraged to know that they are allintrinsically leaders, with heaps of value tocontribute in the field of their owngreatness.
Validation and nurturingHuman beings need only two elements toenable them to give of their best: validationand nurturing. When we are validated, andwhen we feel nurtured, we will ownPersonal Leadership. We will takeresponsibility for our own lives, our owndirections and our outcomes, and for oursignificant contribution to the shared goalsof our team. We can create a group energythat is unstoppable, with each team membercontributing to the fullest.
I’ve seen it happen. I’ve been part of ahugely successful team where we made ithappen. It’s awesome.
Where will it take us?Wherever we want to go. Where do you get it? Right inside the Spockies that already
exist on your team. No matter how wellthey hide it, it’s there.
If you would like a hand to bring it out, letme know. I’d be happy to oblige.
H
Circumstantial LeadershipReal leadership actually just turns up incertain circumstances — I call itCircumstantial Leadership.
It’s when someone moves into a place ofchallenge and change, whether they areinvited or appointed — you can’t hold themdown. They have the knowledge, they havethe courage, they have the ideas and beliefsand they go for it! It’s a joy to watch. Theyclaim the leadership role — without a title,without the trappings — and they enlistsupport. And, when they are encouraged,they run with it.
How do you know when you’re a goodleader? When others follow you. Especially whenit’s tough. That’s what happens inCircumstantial Leadership.
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
Having leadershipproblems?
Chances are it’s all due to… Dr. Spock!
98 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH
Life Can Be So Easy…With a SystemThere are three kinds of people… thosewho make it happen, those who let ithappen and those who wonder what happened!
ow many times have you lost adeal, lost a customer, lost agood staff member — andwondered what happened?Where did I go wrong? What
did I do that didn’t work? What did I do thatDID work so I can do it again?
A lot of the time we wing it, don’t we?And there’s nothing wrong with that — theuse of our intuition, our experience and ourspontaneity brings a freshness and reality toany situation. But I learned yearsago when I first started in salesmanagement, when you create asystem, you take the guess workout of life and provide moreopportunity, energy (and safety),for that freshness. It’s like knowingwhich side of the road to drive on!
Try this quick testOnce upon a time, I was shown apuzzle. It’s now shown to you,right here in the centre of this page.I know you’re busy but take just amoment and count how manysquares you can see.
How many? 16? 17? 21? 26?There are actually 30 squares.
The big one around the outside, ofcourse. Then, the sixteen smallsquares. That’s 17. There is asquare of four in each corner, asquare of four on each side and one in themiddle. That’s 26. Then there is a square ofnine small squares in each corner also — anextra 4, totalling 30. Amazing, isn’t it?
So what, you ask? Look for the metaphor.It’s a difficult puzzle for most people to do,
at least in a short time. Because you arelooking at a muddle of lines and spaces, andit’s tricky to sort out what you have countedalready and what you haven’t. Keeping trackis challenging, unless you have colouredpens at the ready. So, we either give up (andlose) or we get it wrong or we spend a lot oftime sorting it out.
Life’s like that. Selling is like that. Serviceis like that. Management is like that.We are usually dealing with a fairly complexcircumstance, of communication between atleast two different people with differentstyles, mindsets, agendas, attitudes andbeliefs. We struggle and muddle trying tosort out each circumstance individually,trying to remember everything we know andit’s hard work. Or we just wing it and riskthat we get it wrong. Or we give up becauseit’s too hard (and lose).Bring systems into your lifeLife can get so much easier when we use asystem!
Let’s go back to the squares for a minute. There’s a system we can use to make the
puzzle easy to solve. There are four rows ofsquares. If we square the numbers 1, 2, 3 and4 individually, and then add them (that’s 1, 4,9 and 16) we get 30!
Brilliant, isn’t it? It works every time. Andit works for more rows of squares too. Itworks because there is a system.
In your life, in your business, whatsystems could you adopt to make life easier?
Here are a few we teach:A system for understanding1. There’s a system for understandingdifferent people’s behavioural styles.
At our organisation, we have a theory thatthere are no difficult people — just differentpeople! (Actually, just about everyone otherthan us is totally weird, aren’t they?)And if Ican use a system to recognise their style andtheir needs and treat them the way they needto be treated, they become very co-operative.And life gets so easy.
A system for selling2. There’s a system for selling that worksevery time. If you can’t sell, it’s because youdidn’t complete every step of the system wellenough. Or because you forgot to use thesystem for screening deals.
A system for negotiating3. There’s a system for negotiation. Everytime we fail to win in a negotiation it’sbecause we left out a vital ingredient. Canyou afford that?
A system for service4. There’s a System for Service. It’s as easyas pie. Complete the process and your
customers will love you for it.
A system for management5. There’s a System for Leadership, forSales Management and for Coachingtoo. Follow the numbers, bring yourheart and soul, skill and will to the stepsand strategies, and it will work for you.
Every morning when you wake upyou follow a system – a well worn setof steps and processes that gets youready for the world outside. If youleave any of the bits out you just don’tfeel right all day!
When you start your car you follow asystem. It’s become unconsciouscompetence by now — but miss a stepand it won’t go.
Systems make it so easy. Learn them,use them, and you get to save heaps of
time and energy. Isn’t that the way to go?
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
H
Corporate Trends 99
CATHERINE PALIN BRINKWORTH
o wrote Australian poet AdamLindsay Gordon.
As I spent some of myholidays walking the beach,
watching the waves and the tides come andgo, those words kept coming to me, like thewords of a song you can’t get out of yourhead. It seemed to reflect on the chaoticcomings and goings of business trends, thecycles, the swings and roundabouts ofcorporate life. And most particularly, thevalues that seem to make the difference insucceeding – even thriving- in that chaos.Ideally, leading the way through it.
Standing like stone One of the keys is to ‘know the I’.The eyeof the cyclone, the peace in the centre, thedependable you that is strong, steady,focused and unshakeable in its values.There’s an old quip (mangled from Kipling)that says, ‘If you can keep your head whenall around you is falling apart, you justhaven’t got a clue what’s going on!’Possibly true – or maybe a reflection of yourinner stone.
That kind of strength underscorescapacity for leadership. That ability to takeresponsibility for situations and forresponses, to be committed, inspiring andpowerfully influential in creating a betteroutcome. Whether it’s of thousands or justof yourself, organisational or personal, themodel for leadership relies on a centre thatstands like stone. The three outeringredients depend on it.
Firstly, leading through chaos needsVision– of an alternative state or outcome.An idea of how things could be better, withthe courage to think differently.
Then there needs to be Action.A visionwithout action, is just a dream! And theprimary action required is effectivecommunication, with empathy and respect.Even kindness.
Finally and continually, there needs to beSelf-Development. So that as you grow,your vision grows and so do your actions.It’s a trustworthy model, which will leadyou through anything.
Life is Merely Froth and Bubble…Two things stand ike stone…Kindness in another’s trouble,Courage in your own.
Is all this self-development relevant in abusiness environment? Only if you wantyour business to be successful! Chaos doesnot allow anything to stay the same. If youchoose for yourself and your colleagues tothrive, the only option is to grow. One of my great lessons in management,was what has become Progress Leadership
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
S
you’ll agree if you’ve been involved in it)that looking inside yourself and settingabout developing that self, is one of thehardest things we can ever do. Soft skills arethe hardest skills to master, with infinitevariables involved.
Is this for real?Gordon challenges our current corporatevalues with quite a jolt, don’t you think? Dokindness and courage really stand like stonein the tough cold hard world of business?
Well, maybe they do. Look back at the amazing experience
Sydney had during the Olympics andParalympics – now almost long gone intomemory. Do you recall the kindness andcourage that we witnessed all over this city?Almost a cliché now, it’s so wellrecognised?
For those of you who live in Sydney,wasn’t it funny how quickly everyonereverted to our habitual impatience and self-interest? Yet, I’ve been told that the humanmind once expanded can not revert to itsoriginal status. As a community we grewand we now know ourselves capable ofmuch more. That was self-development. Itstands like stone. All the rest, Gordon mightsay was delicious froth and bubble.
I’ve had the privilege of working withsome great leaders through my businesscareer. Unquestioningly, they demonstratedthe truth of the rhyme.
Here are some bold suggestions:
1. Insist on doing an extra kindnessevery day to someone who wouldn’tnormally expect it from you.
2. Every time a choice arises, for thenext month, take the path that requires thehighest courage.
Try them and just see what happens.
Self-development Action
Vision
The CPB Personal Leadership Model © 1996
Principle #1:People can only ever performup to the level of their belief in themselves.I learned it through observation – and sohave you.
Developing belief systemsFor people to thrive in a chaoticenvironment, of course, they need to havedirection, clarity, skills, incentives andsupport. But unless they believe they can doit, they won’t. Self-development in businesshas to focus on helping people to knowthemselves, their proven and potentialstrengths and their current perceivedlimitations, and then to help them buildthemselves, accompanying that processwith continual reflection and reward.Kindness and encouragement, to build self-belief. (Look back to when you’ve grown –I bet it was fastest and easiest when someonewas kind enough to encourage you.)
And when you believe in your people,they will believe in you. Together, you canlead the way through anything.
Occasionally when ‘techies’ or strictlyleft-brainers hear this, the response is – “Ohyeah, that’s the soft stuff!”
For sure, self-development is oftendescribed as a ‘soft skill’.But I reckon (and
100 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
Turning People On!
Prof. Livingstone’s‘Pygmalion effect’established quite
powerfully that weactually see what we expect to see in our people…
ou’re up against at least asmany different personalities asyou have seats, with varyinglevels of expertise, energy and
enthusiasm – all of which can turndownwards faster than the Nasdaq.
I once heard that there is only one thingmore contagious than enthusiasm – the lackof it! I’ll bet you’ve found out that’s true.
Of course, I’m not able to provide all thesolutions here in one short article but thereare some fundamental factors of motivationthat could help to contribute to the successstrategies for your team immediately.
Through years of hard work and manywell-learned lessons in management,building several teams from the ground up,discovering and developing talent, winningsome, losing some – and most particularlythrough the last twelve years in consultingand facilitating – I’ve developed ProgressPrinciples for Leadership, which could helpyou bring the best out in your people:
Progress Principles for Leadership1. People can only perform up to the level ofbelief they have in themselves. I promiseyou, it can’t work any other way. If youwould lift their performance, first lift theirbelief in what they are capable of doing.Good conferences and training programscan contribute enormously to this, by liftingnot only skills competence but also self-esteem and confidence. Teaching managers,too, on how to give good positive feedbackin a useful way i.e. comfortable, genuineand constructive and how to give negativefeedback in a positive way.
Good recognition programs will do it.Here are some essential components:
(a) Recognise gains in personal bests,rewarding them for outdoing themselves,rather than always encouraging them tooutdo their mates.
(b) Create recognition for team gains aswell as for personal gains. This will avoidinternal dissension – no-one wins unlesseverybody wins.(c) Understand that some wonderful highperformers do love to continually remain the
Ychamp. Support them in doing that,providing they deserve it.
2. People will always perform for theirreasons, not yours. It’s common sense.
If you really want to keep your peoplemotivated and happy, find out what theirreasons for working with you are, agree onwhat constitutes excellent performance andreward them for it in a way they want you to. For some people it will be money. For someit could be time off or more flexibility. For
3. People will always behave pretty much asyou expect them to.
Back in the 1960’s, Professor Livingstoneconducted experiments which resulted indocumentation of the Pygmalion Effect.Heestablished quite powerfully that weactually see what we expect to see in people,using our internal filters to deleteinformation that might run contrary to ourprejudices. Train your Managers to expectthe best, look for it and comment on it. Formverbal contracts with your people around itand reward it at every possible opportunity.
It’s important that new managers aretrained in objective assessment andmeasurement criteria and that they are ableto value difference, rather than see it asirritating. We teach people that there are no‘difficult’ customers – only ‘different’customers! It’s true of employees, too.
Leadership development around rewardand recognition can have a major impact onperformance. From the time of our birth,most of us have been conditioned to believewe are not good enough. When someone inour work place tells us that we are not onlygood enough, we are outstanding – we glow,we shine and we work to earn it.
Of course that doesn’t mean that it’seffective to flatter and sleaze when it’s notdeserved – that only creates an atmosphereof disillusion, distrust and disrespect. But itdoes work to praise potential and to rewardeffort, energy and enthusiasm.
People work for three reasons:1. They will work for people they know,like, trust and believe in.
2. They will work for a purpose – anorganisational mission and their own goals.
3. They will work for positive feedback.
Check on your own experiences to see if thishas been true for you.
If you have responsibility for getting results through people while keepingyour costs under control, you’ll already have discovered that the challengeof motivation and retention in your organisation is a bit like trying tokeep frogs together in a wheelbarrow!
others it could be work variety, newchallenges or learning. I’ve found that it’sessential to include goal setting and self-empowerment modules in all of ourprograms, to provide the right mindset forthe skillset to be used on the job.
Involvement in decision making can alsobe a powerful reward for team members,like status statements or badges of privilege.Work with their egos if you need to – we allhave one! Understand personalitydifferences. Some people will be morecomfortable with private coaching andrecognition while others will want publicannouncements, possibly from the rooftops!
Consultation and Listening themselvesare powerful forms of recognition. Regularongoing meetings and coaching sessionsprovide a lot of motivation, as well as realskills development.
Corporate Trends 101
CATHERINE PALIN BRINKWORTH
Here’s a Certain Formula for Failure!
won’t claim authorship of this one –but I will claim experience – andundying gratitude. Many years agoone of my best mates gave it to me
(originally noted by Steve Brown, of theFortune Training Group).
He said there are three major reasonspeople fail:
• They don’t know whattheir job is• They don’t know howto do it – and/or• Someone or something gets in the way
How simple is that? And isn’t it so true? Itstruck me as essentially wise. Not only in itscontent but in its application. Because if youknow what the causes of failure are, it’s awhole lot easier to avoid them.
I often use this formula as the basis for mywork – in remedial consultancy, incoaching, in workshops and conferencepresentations. It’s a very valid structure forplanning your management strategiesaround your business, your self – and evenyour family!
Let’s take a look at each one of thesereasons for failure in turn:
1. People will fail if they don’tknow WHAT their job is:I would add – and if they don’t know why itmatters. This clearly means that we all needclarity and understanding of our purpose,before we can move towards it.
But one of the things I’ve learned is thatsome of us are ‘global’ thinkers with a bigpicture orientation and some of us are‘specific’ thinkers, with a detail orientation.The Globalswill want the why, the macro,the values, the goals and the purpose. TheSpecificswill want the who, what, when,and where – the boundaries, the priorities,and the focus.
Each thinking framework has difficultyunderstanding the needs of the other – andyet we need both. So, whether in our ownlives or in management, we need to reallyunderstand that a lot of people need adifferent type of input to us, around the what– or they won’t act. It’s a set up for failure.
2. People will fail if they don’tknow HOW to do their job
Oh, yes indeed. But even more so if theywon’t admit they don’t know how. Andhere’s the rub. We are hired and rewardedfor ‘knowing’, aren’t we? And oftencriticised for ‘not knowing’. Yet the enemyof learning is knowing! And each day weneed to be willing to learn anew how to doour job in a more innovative, more creativeand even more effective way than we did ityesterday.
Continual learning is now accepted as avaluable framework for organisations tooperate within – but they won’t do it if
Aren’t you sick of formulas forsuccess? I know I am. Well, prepareyourself for something totallydifferent…
greatest and most valuable learning,develops our creativity and flexibility andteaches us wisdom. The answer isresponsibility. Respons-Ability. Claimingpersonal power, the energy within, findingthose wonderful qualities we all possesswhen we remember them, of innovation andresilience, determination, courage andcommitment.
The wheel turnsEventually, the wheel turns full circle –because if the what and why are strong, wewill find the how and readily deal withwhatever is in the way.
If you’re sick of slick formulae, I don’tblame you. But with this one, think again.It’s value is in its simplicity.
This three pronged fork of failure, hashelped me to avoid it on many occasionsand to analyse and learn from it on manymore. I hope it proves as useful for you.
And just in case it doesn’t – and you everfail at anything in the future……..
Here’s your insurance policyFAILURE is an acronym for Forging AnInvaluable Lesson Under Real Experience!That’s the CPB version, at least.
I don’t know about you, but everythingreally valuable I’ve ever learned, I’velearned the hard way. When I get it right, Ido my best to analyse what it was thatworked but the truth is that my golden glowprobably obscures some potentiallyvaluable lessons. I tend to celebrate andmove on.
When I fail, however, I do it hard. Thefeedback hits me in the face, as long as I’mcourageous enough to face it. Sometimesit’s very painful but our greatest gifts can liein our deepest wounds.
If you don’t want to fail, pay carefulattention to the formula I’ve shared with youhere. And if you want a good lesson, have agutsy go at failure now and again!
mistakes are disallowed and learning is notapplauded. The willingness to learn is thekey. Being stuck in old knowledge or worse,pride and arrogance, is the real downfall.
3. People will fail if someoneor something gets in the WAY
Now get real. You and I both know thatsomeone or something always gets in theway! I guarantee you we could both name atleast a dozen saboteurs, provocateurs andother more nastily named culprits on whomwe can blame our failures, with total ease.Clients, customers, colleagues – and mostcertainly the government! Even good oldfamily and friends get a run in the blamegame. It’s a fact of life that the rest of theworld does not sit back or move over to letus have our way every time, unfortunately!But it’s also a feature of life that creates our
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
I
102 Corporate Trends
CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH CATHERINE PALIN-BRINKWORTH
read the other day of a local buscompany running its entire fleet ofdiesel buses on canola oil. True. Nomodifications needed to the engine, an
initial ten per cent increase in fuel costsexpected to reduce and the only pollution isthe smell of cooking fish and chips!
The metaphor for business change ispowerful: Every day in businesseseverywhere, people are offeredpossibilities for improvement. There arechanges required in thinking, thewillingness to be and do somethingdifferent. The costs involved aresometimes significant but the potentialfor a positive outcome outweighs therisk. Will we act? Will we grasp thechange? Will we jump forward into newaction? Or will we hesitate, afraid ofridicule, afraid of discomfort, afraid ofany potential loss and gradually lose ourchances for growth?
The six alternatives There are six alternatives in movement.Forward, back, up, down, sidewaysandstill. Our world does not allow still for verylong. Pauses are precious and essential but essentially temporary. So whichdirection are you going? Where is yourorganisation heading?
Forward does not necessarily mean‘more’. It might mean ‘better’ or ‘easier’.Being more of who and what you arecapable of being, whether you are aperson or an organisation. Growthdoesn’t just mean getting bigger. It maynot mean bigger at all. Indeed, ninetypercent of nature’s energy actually goesinto maintenance – so will ours. But withten per cent of our energy available for growth, there is a need for careful thought, determined action andradical improvement.
Many years ago, my treasured mentor,John Nevin, sent me a letter in an
One of the fundamental laws of nature isthat all growth happens on the edge of orderand chaos. When you’re calm, confident, incontrol, watch out. You’ve stopped!
Clear agreed values are required – thejourney forward can definitely be hazardousand values provide the guidelines. Check inwith your team to see if your values havebeen understood, agreed and shared.Concepts like honesty, openness, respect,life balance might be considered.
On the journey (which never ends, bythe way!) your fellow travellers will beunpleasant. It’s part of the deal. We allgrumble, whinge, find fault andcomplain, when we are experiencingchange. Hear it, understand it, get valuefrom it in the form of ideas andsuggestions and move on. Our resistanceto change provides us with usefulinformation for risk managementstrategies. The ‘what ifs’ are importantbut don’t let them become a deterrent.Check if people are willing and able tochange what concerns them or if theysimply want and need to be heard.
Victimhood is not an option. There is notime, and anyway, it’s a nonsense in ourbusiness environment. Every one of us,in any given moment, has the power tochoose. In our privileged world, we arenot able to be forced to do anythingwithout our consent. We havealternatives. Our power is the right tochoose from them. If there’s anythingunsatisfactory about our lives, our work,our environment, we can change. Asauthor and philosopher Jim Rohn, wouldsay: “If you don’t like it – move – you’renot a tree!”
Part of the movement is release. It’simpossible to take a step forward unlessyou’re willing to release the back foot.Letting go of the past is sometimes thehardest part of all. Sift and select thatwhich would be valuably retained, recordthe rest with honour and move on.
The BEST change processWe like to utilise our BEST® ChangeProcess:
• Build the new vision• Establish values, beliefs, goals andpriorities• Set up an action plan• Take a step forward
This process is equally effective for adaily kick-start or a major change project.
The most important step is the firstone. It sets the direction, the energy andthe emotion. Very few of us will bewilling to move anywhere unless wehave some kind of a clear vision of whatit will be like when we get there. Tensionseeks resolution. We crave order andcontrol. In an educated free world, oneperson’s vision is not enough to getothers to move forward – it has to beshared clearly and confidently, receivedclearly and confidently and agreed to.
Some kind of framework helps us tofeel safer and stronger. We’ll need timeframes, strategic purpose, goal posts andas much of a sense of structure aspossible. And we need to be realisticallyaware that these will change.
Whatever the next few months bringfor you, make sure it takes you forward.It’s the only way to go!
When you’re green you’re
growing, when you’re not,
you rot…
I
envelope on which he had written amotivational message. The contents ofthe envelope have been long forgottenbut the message remained powerfullywith me. I’m sure you’ve heard it before:“When you’re green you’re growing,when you’re not, you rot.”
At the time I was in major change.Those words have come to me time and again as I’ve moved through morechange and as I’ve helped clientorganisations move through theirs. Whenyou’re uncertain, out of control, you’regreen. Sometimes to the gills. That’swhen you’re growing.
Moving Forward –the only way to go!
Catherine Palin-Brinkworth is aninternational speaker and facilitator onleadership, change and growth. She is alsoa director of Progress Training Systems,they provide customised programs on sales,management and customer service.Tel: 04 1922 1916 Web:www.catherinepalinbrinkworth.comEmail: [email protected]
“If you don’t like it – move – you’renot a tree!” Jim Rohn
TIME MANAGEMENT, PRODUCTIVITY BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
The cry in business today is: "We need more balance in our lives. We haven't got enough time. We'reoverloaded with information. How can we be more productive, efficient, and still have more quality timewith our families?"
Robyn Pearce has worked as a keynote speaker and trainer with thousands of people at all levels inbusiness, education and the general public. She is best selling author of 'Getting a Grip on Time' and 'AboutTime - 120 tips for those with no time!, has further books in the production line, is a regular columnist formany business publications, and makes frequent radio and television appearances.
Robyn's practical and common-sense approach to time management focuses on restoring quality, balanceand enjoyment in life, as well as simple ways to become more effective and efficient in the work place.Participants learn how to focus on proactive action, how to achieve the important and not just the urgent.
Since the early 1990's Robyn has studied, researched and then developed the most practical, effective, andeasy-to-implement time management programme in the marketplace. What's more, the course material hasbeen constructed in a modular way, so that the participants can get the benefit of rehearsal and follow-up -the best way to learn new habits and improve old ones. Licensees and associates of her company,TimeLogic Corporation, deliver training solutions. They are rich with practical, skill-based, common sensestrategies for effective daily business practice, and tailored to your company needs. Robyn herself isregularly found working as a keynote or workshop presenter at major national and internationalconferences.
Robyn Pearce‘Australasia's leading time management
expert helps you take control of yourtime and your life'
104 Corporate Trends
ROBYN PEARCE
Don’t Look at my Desk!Somebody once said a busy desk is the sign of a busy mind but it is morelikely to mean chaos!
ave you ever walked into anoffice and had the owner saywith an embarrassed laugh,'Don't look at my desk!
Have you seen the stress in their faces?Felt their sense of overload?
When an office is set up inefficientlyand the workers in that office don’t havegood equipment and/or effectivesystems, it becomes a huge contributorto lost productivity. The good news is —it’s easy to fix and maintain whenyou know how.
It’s really amazing how oftensuch a simple and basic matter isoverlooked in the mad rush to'make a buck'. The situation isaggravated because most of ushave spent years and thousands ofdollars being educated for highlycomplex work. Basic things suchas office setup and paper flowoften slip through the net.
The desk and desktopToday, let's just look at the desk anddesktop. If you're in a position tochoose, get a desk that makes you feelproductive, looks good to you andsupports you in your activity. I've seeneverything from huge walnutmonstrosities so large you can't reachthe other side, through to a skimpy littleshelf leaving the user a few inches toplace current action. There are six-drawer abundance enthusiasts, one ortwo-drawer budget buys, and even thelean and rangy no-drawer minimalists! Put it on wheelsIf your desk doesn’t have enoughdrawers (after you’ve cleaned out anylurking junk), look for mobile drawerand filing units on wheels. They fitunder or beside a desk. Or, for on-the-road consultants, there is even the pack-away desk which you collect from astorage area on arrival at your office.
You then wheel it to a computer andphone connection and open up to startwork. The next day, you’re on the roadand someone else is in the same spot,working from their wheel-away desk!
Everything within reachTreat your closest space as your mostprecious time-saving commodity. If you find yourself constantly jumpingup to use a piece of equipment,
fetch stationery or look for files, find away to reposition those items so that youcan reach them whilst sitting down.Consider a return or side-extension,shelves behind a second tier or an extrashelf just above your desk. Keep futuretasks close at hand but out of eye rangewhile you work.
There are many forms of storage thatcan expand the immediate space aroundyour desk. Go to a good office stationeryand furniture shop, browse throughcatalogues, and look for good ideas inevery business premises you go into. The basics for the top of a desk vary,depending on your role. You'll probablyhave a computer, penholder, note paperor a message pad (in case someone elsehappens to be taking a message off yourphone) and your diary. Very rarely doyou need much else. Take into account your learning style.
Right-brain creative people willoperate much better if they have somevisual stimulation around them. Theyfind an immaculate and totally cleandesk rather sterile.
Add a little colourIt may be colourful upright containers atthe side of your desk, containing currentprojects. There may be photos of yourloved ones (the ones you are trying toget home to see, if you could only getaway from this damned desk)! It couldbe a beautiful pot-plant which improvesthe oxygen in your office, reduces theemissions from the computers and givesyou a sense of well-being. What aboutsome colourful desk accessories (but not
too many of them)? Instead of using plain
manilla folders in your filingdrawer, get the brightlycolourful ones. Use colouredscribble pads, post-it notes anddifferent coloured pens (my alltime favourite colour ispurple).
Just make sure any desktopaccessories you use are notcrowding your working space.Piles of papers belong in anaction file, not obliterating thetop of your desk. When they situnder your nose they
constantly distract you. Sort them intoorder and place them in the file drawerin your desk, out of eye range.
A tidy desk will improve yourefficiency and make your work timemore enjoyable.
H
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
Corporate Trends 105
ROBYN PEARCE
Have You Got a Minute?If you want more time in your day, try training people to come up withtheir own solutions to their problems…
o you ever feel that youeither have to come in earlyor stay late to get the “real”work done?
Does it seem that every minute of theday is gobbled up by phone calls,meetings and people saying “Have yougot a minute?”
As I talk to business people in allindustries and at all levels it seems thatinterruptions are the single biggest issue.We’ve come out of the dark ages wheremanagers never communicatedanything to their underlings, through thedevelopment of open communicationand empowerment, to the point wheremany people feel they have to “beavailable” all day.
Open plan layout problemsOpen plan layouts compound theproblem. They appear to be a good idea.It’s easy to communicate with yourteam, problems can be shared rapidly,expensive floor space is saved andinternal partitioning is relativelyinexpensive. But they create anotherwhole raft of problems, headed byinterruptions!
As with any fashion, the pendulumswings from one extreme to the other. Ibelieve this one has gone too far. Openand free communication is great—butnot THAT great!
However, there are ways to minimisethe down side. How much more workwould you get done if you had oneuninterrupted hour a day?
Does this sound good? It’s easy toachieve. Create a company culture of“Red Time/Green Time”. Translated, this means that everyonegets an hour a day when no one isallowed to interrupt. Colleagues takeyour calls, no interruptions are allowedfrom either internal or external sources,and you can concentrate on the “real”work, or the “thinking” work, which is
impossible to do when fifty thousandpeople keep interrupting you. Basically,you’re in a meeting with yourself!
Use time flagsFind a signal that everyone in thecompany recognises. Our company has created little 'Green Time/RedTime' flags to go on the desk - you'll find ordering details athttp://www.gettingagripontime.com/products/TL007.html'. If you have alot of concentration work, try twoblocks—one in the morning and one in
the afternoon. Look for a time thatimpacts as little as possible on otherpeople.
Another simple technique to reduceinterruptions is the layout of youroffice. How is your desk situated? AnInformation Technology manager in alarge retail franchise realised that hisdesk faced swinging doors throughwhich, in any day, at least 100 peoplewalked. He swung his desk around toface away from the door, positionedsome bookshelves to block the view,and was delighted at the extra hours hegained and the dramatic reduction ofinterruptions. His work requires lots ofconcentration, but being the nice manhe is, every time someone camethrough the door the temptation was to
lift his head and make eye contact. Onceeye contact is established you giveunspoken permission to interrupt, and atvery least it breaks the concentration ofthe worker at the desk.
The cure Last tip for this article. If competentpeople keep interrupting you withquestions they should be able to handle,ask them to bring two solutions everytime they come with a question. Prettysoon you’ll reduce the questions.
If they’ve had to work out the answersbefore they come, they’ll soon realisethey don’t need to interrupt you for whatamounts to a “rubber-stamp job’. Ifyou’re too quick to supply the answeryou encourage laziness anddependency. It’s human nature to takethe easy road—saves thinking!
D
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
106 Corporate Trends
ROBYN PEARCE
How To Stretch Time24 hours are definitely enough todo what you want to do — thesecret lies in how you use them…
ecently, as I participated ina live-to-air TV trainingsession on timemanagement (for Pacific
Knowledge Television), a caller rang inwith a question. He is in the computerindustry and wanted to know how hecould balance his heavy and demandingworkload with the demands of a youngfamily. The question lingers in my mindbecause for a large sector of society it isa serious matter.
The issue is how we view time. Itseems we never have enough. My mandesperately wanted to know how to findthe time to enjoy his children. Hisquestion is repeated in offices,classrooms, boardrooms and homesthroughout the western world.
Today many of us live in a world ofsensory overload, of speed and a sense oftime-poverty. Technology moves fasterand faster. We feel as if we can nevercatch up, that there is never enough time.But it’s illusion. Time hasn’t changed —we have.
So, what can we do? Here are a fewstrategies for you:
What we focus on enlargesIf our whole attention and our toppriorities are our important anddemanding work, our families, ourrelationships and our health will suffer. Inorder to find time for these areas, whichso often get lip service, three actions areneeded: mind-space, time allocation andphysical action.
Agood intention is useless unless actedon. You might have to take time out fromwork to regularly do things with yourfamily or for yourself. In most jobs thattime will easily be made up with extrahours, or you can arrange ‘glide-time’.
What are your KPIs?(Key Performance Indicators)How can you judge your efficacy as aparent or partner? How much time doyou allocate? Make appointments withyourself and your family on a weeklybasis. Treat them as seriously asappointments with a key client andyou’ll find the other ‘stuff’ fits in andaround your core personal activities.Schedule in the Important Peopleinyour week
If you don’t block in ‘special’ timewith your special people, they’lleventually get tired of waiting. Live in the ‘now’Today many of us have forgotten howto live in the moment. We make
bedfellows of stress and anxiety. Wefocus either on the past and what wecould have done better, or in the future-planning or worrying over comingevents. We’re so busy squeezing morein to every moment that most of usforget to be ‘present’. We thereforemiss the joy of the experience. And sotime seems to race by-because we’renot ‘in’ it.
Change Your LanguageNotice your words, and how the peoplearound you speak. How often do youhear, ‘I’m so busy’, ‘I can’t fit it in’, ‘Ihave no time’, and ‘I’m alwayslate/overworked/tired/have too much to
do?” Start to use affirmations like,‘I’mgetting much better at my timemanagement’or ‘There is alwaysenough time to do the things thatmatter.’
An attitude of gratitudePractice honouring the moment.Develop a sense of gratitude for the giftof life, for the beauty of small things.Find something in every event toappreciate. This is not just ‘Pollyanna’behaviour, it will enhance your healthand stretch your hours.
Enjoy the mundaneNext time you wash the dishes, the car,mow the lawns, feed the children, sortout the paperwork on your desk or anyother simple task, enjoy the activity foritself. Try not to spend the time in whichyour body is occupied thinking aboutsomething else. Don’t wish the task wascompleted, honour the moment and theexperience. You’ll be more relaxedwhen you finish. Time will expandinstead of leaving you with the feelingof hurry, pressure and impatience oftenfelt with a mundane task. And manytimes you’ll be surprised to find that itwas a pleasant duty instead of the choreyou didn’t want to do.
MeditateLearn to meditate or if this seems toohard, try every day to sit quietly for atleast 10 minutes. Focus on a plant orsome other object. As thoughts drift intoyour mind, acknowledge them and letthem go. Breathe deeply from yourabdomen, mentally saying ‘Breathe out’with every outgoing breath and‘Breathe in’ with every incomingbreath. This helps you slow down to thenatural rhythms around you. It‘stretches’ time.
R
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
Corporate Trends 107
ROBYN PEARCE
It’s not the diary or planner thatmakes you organised – it’s how youuse it!
very year, when it’s time toorder a new diary or organiser,most of us revisit the planningtools we’re using.
For medium to large organisations,there are many wonderful time-savers inusing a LAN and software such asOutlook or Lotus Notesto schedulemeetings, turn emails into tasks andmore. However, I find most companiesmiss major efficiency opportunities bynot training their staff on the finer pointsof their programmes. Either hire aspecialist trainer to run a regular shortcourse or ask a ‘best practice’ staffmember to train everyone else.
Electronic or paper diary?Hand-held electronic or paper diarysystem? Basically, it depends on yourpreferences. Even some verytechnology smart people prefer paper-based diary systems because they need abigger view or don’t feel connected totheir plans unless they can hold a paperplanner in their hands. Don’t spend a lotof money on fancy technology untilyou’re sure that it’s right for you.
If you have a fairly complex life witha range of responsibilities, it’s probablyworthwhile getting a seven ring bindersystem. There are a number of goodproprietary systems available. Their keyadvantage is the ability to organiseprojects. Coloured tabs to createseparate sections let you keep notes onkey projects or interest areas.Information is stored efficiently—likewith like.
Another feature is the phone list. Because these systems are loose leaf,
you don’t have to rewrite your keyphone numbers at the beginning ofevery year. The part that changes is the
yearly pages, not the support features.Many people find a simple diary from
the local stationers is all they need.Preferably, look for a two page per daystyle. This gives you room to writenotes, record phone calls, and all themiscellany of information you’dotherwise be tempted to jot down onscraps of paper. Unfortunately, theyrarely have a weekly view, unless it hasthe days running across the page, whichis not as clear or quick to view as thedays running down the page.
'I've designed a simple weeklyplanning pad. More details athttp://www.gettingagripontime.com/products/TL003.htmlIf you don’t needa lot of daily writing space, nor need to
attractive ring binder and leave them atyour desk. You can run the monthly andannual view for the year off the contactmanager system that you probably haveon your computer.
Try to use only one diaryYou’ve got more than one diary system?What can you simplify? Try to operatewith only one organiser/diary.
You’ve got a desk diary or acomputer-based view for everyone toaccess and like to carry a diary withyou? Or the company uses an Intranet tobook meetings? You have to be veryvigilant—there’s no simple answer—especially if you are synchronising twopaper-based systems.
If you’re thinking of going electronic,look at tools such as the Palm Pilot, theSharp organisers and the Psion. Theyoffer synchronisation. Whenever youcome back to your main computer youcan dock in and download updates.Some mobile phones and hand-helddevices also have laser synchronisation. Warning: The best planning system isone that does the job you need—in thesimplest possible way.As soon as itbecomes complicated you set yourselfup for difficulties. Trial, test, ask others,and wait until you’re absolutely sureyou need the latest bells and whistles.
Why make a simple task complex?
E
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
Which Diary or PlannerShould I Use?
Following is a list of the diary/plannerproducts I’m most familiar with inAustralia and New Zealand:• Daytimers• PLAN-it —a comprehensive newAustralian system at a cheaper pricethan most of the others (similar toDaytimers) www.planitorganizer.comTel: (61) 2 9402 6630 • Self-Reliance Planners—whichyou can get through any Amwaydistributor• Franklin-Covey (which has a goodweekly view).• Filofax (not as useful as some of theothers (in my opinion) but available inmajor bookstores.• Day Runner (some of its featuresare confusing but it is a loose-leafsystem).• Priority Manager (most expensiveand complex of the range but withsome very sophisticated features andgood backup).
carry a diary around, my weekly pagemay be all you need. Run off a year’ssupply from my master, (or you can buythem in pads from us) keep them in an
108 Corporate Trends
ROBYN PEARCE
The Magic of ChunkingEver looked at a task, shaken yourhead and walked away feelingoverwhelmed?
hen, you’ve beaten yourselfup for procrastinating?Many times the sense ofoverwhelm is because you
didn’t chunk the task out. The goodnews is — it’s easy to fix.
The 3 Styles of ChunkingChunking is a three step sorting process:
1. Chunk up to identify the bigger elements of a task, looking for the bigger picture.
2. Chunk down by breaking large blocks of information into smaller snippets.
3. Chunk sideways(lateral chunking) clump like things together.
Here’s an example of what can happenif chunking up isn’t done:
A salesperson in a large meatprocessing company was asked by thegeneral manager to prepare figures oflamb exports to the Middle East. Thesalesman, knowing it was for the bigboss, turned a short job into a four hourwork of art, thinking he would impresshim. A few days later the GM saw himin the lunch room.
“Thanks for the figures, Bill, but youdidn’t need to go to that much trouble.Just a few numbers would have beenfine”. If Bill had chunked up by gettingthe big picture, he would have takenfifteen minutes instead of four hours.
Downward ChunkingWrite down your top tasks for the day.Then identify the top five. Numberthem one to five and start at numberone. Keep focused on the currenthighest priority, which may includeinterruptions. By chunking over-whelming amounts of work into small
bite-sized pieces of achievable activity,you can easily focus your mind on thepriorities that give the best impact.
Lateral chunkingSort mail as if you were putting a packof cards into suits. Make categories like:data entry, phone calls, Internetactivities, writing, reading anddiscussions with a team member.
They don’t all have equal value but byseparating categories into like with like,it’s easier to see what needs to be done.It’s also easier to stay focused on onetask at a time.
Chunking upA building company had a high level ofcustomer complaints. They appointed aCustomer Services Officer but notmuch changed. The GM then broughtme in to train the whole company incustomer service, communication andteam building (effective communicationis one of the greatest time-savers we canfind)! This was the first big chunk up,getting everyone with a commonstarting point.
The next stage was a four hourSWOT analysis, chunking down intothe four areas. For the first time, all thestaff were given a facilitated forum tohave their say (instead of moaning overtheir Friday drinks). Drilling down intoeach area and then sideways chunking,(i.e. concerns and issues with eachother) it suddenly became easy for me,the outsider, to get a clear overall pictureof what was going on.
The GM had previously ignoredcomments from the ranks. This time,however, he acted on the report.
1. What we get for free we often don’tappreciate. He had invested a decentamount of money and everybody’stime, which created a very strongmotivation to get a return on his dollar.Ever noticed that if we pay good moneyour ears listen harder!
2. How often do we respond to asuggestion from someone we don’tknow very well, and those nearest to ussay, “But I’ve been saying that forages!” It’s human nature and there’svery little any of us can do about it! Ithink it was Solomon who said: “Aprophet is without honour in his owncountry”. A new voice, and a newperspective, allows us to hear in adifferent way.
3. For the first time the concerns fromeveryone were chunked together. Bydoing so a clear pattern emerged.Previously the busy GM had heard eachcomplaint in isolation and brushed mostof them off, like flies at a picnic.
Pebbles dropped one by one into a poolcreate a very small ripple. A big treefalling into a pool creates a huge splashand often leaves something sticking out!
Beware of bottlenecksMany issues arose and many solutionswere aired. The biggest one was a keymanager who had taken on too much.This created a bottleneck in Productionthat translated into unhappy customers,disgruntled supervisors, disenchantedsalespeople, and endless problems.
The manager’s job was halved. Veryquickly, the customer recorddramatically improved. So did therepeat and referral sales and thereforethe profitability. The GM’s investmentwas repaid in the next referral sale. Theother major outcome was a lift incompany morale, because the team feltthey’d been listened to, and theiropinions valued.
Have fun chunking!
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
T
Corporate Trends 109
ROBYN PEARCE
“Oh, She’s Always Late!”Have you ever been driven to thepoint of near distraction by otherpeople's time habits?
f you’ve ever felt this way about aperson, your frustration is probablybecause they process time in adifferent way to you.
Each of us fits broadly into oneprocessing style (although you can modifyas you progress through life) and somepeople are one style at home and the other atwork. The study of behavioural scienceknown as Neuro Linguistic Programminguses the terms in-time and through-timetoexplain how this works.
In-time peopleAn in-timeperson is great at being presentin the moment — very focused on what'sunder their nose but struggling to managetheir long-range time habits. Their ability tomentally detach and forward plan isminimal and it's very difficult to predict howlong an action will take. Therefore, they'reoften late for deadlines, actions or events.
They talk about ‘looking back’ in time topast events. A future event, on the otherhand, is usually in front. If they were todraw a line between past and future (a time-line) it almost always passes through them –hence the term ‘in-time’. Their strength is inbeing fully focused on what's in hand: theirweakness is they're often late for things andchaos runs rampant behind them.
Through-time peopleThrough-time people, on the other hand,often have their past on one side and theirfuture on the other, or both out in front. Theyare more objective about time; able todetach, to see themselves outside of theevents they’re involved in. They seem to beeffortlessly punctual. Their ability to easilysee 'through' or along a time continuummakes it pretty simple for them to planahead, to estimate how long they'll need forany activity. Their strength is their ability toplan and anticipate: their weakness is —they're sometimes perceived as aloof anduncaring, because of their ability to detach.
Because opposites attract, intuitivelyseeking the qualities they lack, couples andeven work units are frequently a mixture of
styles. As you can imagine, this often causeshuge frustration, until they learn tounderstand and compensate for each other!
The least in-time member of thepartnership or work group almost alwaystakes responsibility for the unit’s time-keeping. They’re not trying to irritate eachother with their time habits but they oftendo. Sound familiar? It happens in nearlyevery family!
You can’t change othersThrough-timers, I’m sorry, you can’t single-handedly change your in-timebuddies. Theyhave to do it for themselves. It might beuseful to show them this article though.
You, on the other hand, may need to learnmore about relaxing, going with the flow(when it doesn't really matter what time youget somewhere) and being more focused onthe 'now'.
last-minute interruption time. Then, add onan extra 15 minutes as a safety net. You’ll beshocked at how much earlier you have toleave! But I really encourage you to just tryit a few times. You’ll be delighted with thestress-free feeling you experience at theother end. What you’re doing at a cellularlevel is creating an earlier trigger to tell youit’s time to get going.
3. It’s not a waste of timeYou’re probably reading this and saying,‘But I’ll waste time by getting there tooearly!’ It’s unlikely — but just in case, takesomething to read or work on whilst youwait.
4. Visualise successWhen you’ve had a punctuality ‘win’, noticeyour feelings of success, calm and non-stress. Hear the congratulations of surprisedfriends or workmates. See yourself arrivingrelaxed at your destination. Anchor thosefeelings and thoughts. The next time you’retempted to last-minute, remember howsuccess felt and act accordingly.
5. Do it one step at a timeLike a reforming alcoholic, don’t worryabout total change in one hit — it may seemtoo big! Just concentrate on one task at atime, one day at a time. Make a mission ofbeing on time for one thing each day. Oneday, you’ll look back in amazement andrealise that you’re now regularly on time foralmost everything.
By the way, you might be wondering how Ican describe so accurately the feelings andexperiences of an in-timeperson.
Very easy — I am one! For years I struggled but the good news
is… I won! Every now and then I break out(especially if it’s a social occasion and itdoesn’t really matter what time we get there)but these days it’s very rare for me to be latefor any business event.
I wish you joy and success as you createthe behaviour of your choice and remember— it can be done!
How you process timewill affect the way youmanage time. Are you
an in-time or a through-time person?
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
I
The good news is, we can modify ourbehaviour to make life easier for ourselves.In-timers , here are some tips for you:
1. Change the patternIf you’re tempted to fit in one more task,notice your thoughts. Whenever you catchyourself saying, ‘I’ll just do this one thingmore’ — don’t! Intuitively you know it willmake you late but you’ve become used toblocking that thought. Become more awareof what you are doing.
2. Start with the end in mindConsider what time you want to besomewhere and then count back theminutes, including drive time, park time,can’t-find-the-keys time, toilet, coffee and
110 Corporate Trends
ROBYN PEARCE
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
If you share your schedule via yourinternal LAN, others can searchelectronically to find the gaps. As soon asthey find one, whoosh, you’ll have ameeting to accept or reject. And then youdon’t like to muck others around, especiallyif you know it’s hard to find gaps wheneveryone is free. So, set it up beforehand soyou control your schedule instead of beingcontrolled by everyone else.
There’s another very common reason forlate starts – people feel obliged to wait untilmost of them are there. Don’t wait for late-comers – start without them or leave – evenwhen it’s the boss.
“That’s radical, Robyn,” you might bethinking. Sure, but I’ve seen it done with
Those Meetings Can Start On Time!Sitting around waiting for ameeting to start is not onlyannoying, it can also be a verycostly exercise…
ver noticed that most bigcompanies have an insidiousculture of running late formeetings? And it seems almost
that the bigger the organisation, the worsethe problem is.
Of course, there can be a number ofcontributing reasons but one big one is verysimple and ragingly obvious – some peoplejust don’t allow themselves enough time toget there.
If you work in any organisation biggerthan about four or five people all inthe same room, you’ll have walkingtime, quite aside from all the otherfactors. Add a few floors, slowelevators or even different buildingsto travel to and from and no one issurprised when people run late. Then,insidiously, it becomes the norm tostart late and run over time. I don’tbelieve this is ever acceptable (unlessthere are very unusualcircumstances).
Travelling timeTrouble is, not only is there the traveltime but what about toilet time,‘gather my wits’ time, the quick andurgent phone call, the last minute‘please help’ from a staff member asyou head out the door. The coffee andwater time when you get to the other end?It’s as if most people go into a time warp andblank out reality. Just notice — if even oneprompt person is waiting, the companyresources and money are being wasted. Trydoing a cost analysis on that in any decentsized company and you’ll be absolutelyhorrified at the price tag.
Here’s another way to deal with this issue:Whether you’re using a paper-based diary, aLAN (local area network) or a combinationof the two, the same solution applies. Assoon as you accept a meeting, block out thetravel time and 15 minutes either side of it.
If you manage your own diary and no-oneelse sees it, this will act as a prompt whenyou’re tempted to slide in ‘just one more lastthing’ before you go.
Let’s look at some possible ways to dealwith the tardy ones:
• Suppose you’re an on-time chairperson andone of your people is regularly late. Youcould refuse them admittance.
• Don’t go over things they’ve missed – it’stheir responsibility to catch up, and unfair tothe prompt people to have to listen to a recap.
• Some chairs make the person who is latetake the minutes.
• You might try poking fun at them in a jovialsort of way.
• Some companies have a fine system orthe late one has to shout beers on Fridaynight or chocolate cake for morning tea.
Start without themWhat if the person who called themeeting is constantly late? It may beappropriate to start without them or theother alternative is to leave. Even if it’sthe boss, give them 5 or 10 minutes graceand then go back to your work. You maychoose to leave a note – ‘Decided not towait – we knew you wouldn’t want uswasting our time!’ or some otherappropriate comment. Be diplomatic,use humour and make a stand.
Only one note of caution – be cautiousof career limiting moves! At present youmay feel this wouldn’t work; perhapsyour boss is a very dominant person
who expects obedience. The interestingthing is, I’ve noticed with such people that astaff member who stands up for what theybelieve in, is almost always treated withrespect by the senior person. If they don’t,are you in the right organisation?
E
great effect. Obviously, all things need to beconsidered but let’s look at what we’resaying here.
Look at the big pictureTake the big picture position. Who’sconstantly late? What impact does it have onthe productivity of the others, the efficiencyof the meeting, and the culture of the group?(Every group, even a voluntary one, has aculture of some sort).
Perhaps my perspective is a littlecoloured from raising six kids but if youdon’t train people to your expectations,you get what you deserve. And thechronological age and seniority hasnothing to do with it. It’s simply a matter offorming good habits.
“The main purpose of this meeting is to set a time forour next meeting…”
Corporate Trends 111
ROBYN PEARCE
ver thought about how muchtime you spend packing,unpacking, waiting in airports,riding in cabs, etc? Here are a
few tips to maximise that time.
Travel lightBe ruthlessly minimal in your packing –pretend you’re a backpacker!
Experienced travelers know this one but itis still tempting. You look at that new tie orsuit, the extra pair of shoes, the spare jacketyou may need if it gets cold and you add itto the pile. Bad idea! You waste timepacking and unpacking at the beginning, atnew locations and on your return. Youclutter up your hotel room with unnecessarygear. You risk damaging your back, heavingheavy bags off and on luggage carouselsand what if the bag was lost?
When you've selected your clothes, standback and say to yourself, “What can I dowithout?” Unless you're a celebrity guest,use conservative and versatile dark clothesthat can be used for more than one occasion.For instance, an overcoat doubles as adressing gown; socks make fine slippers.
You’ll have a few special things moreimportant for your comfort and conveniencethan extra clothes. I can’t begin to count thetimes I’ve used my Swiss Army knife. I takemy preferred coffee (some hotel coffee iscrap) and the eye-patch they gave you onyour last long haul plane flight will cut outunwanted light and give you a better sleep.
Create a checklist on your computer andtick it off as you pack. Have a personal oneand a business one plus a list of optionalextras. Then, as long as you've got yourclothes in the wardrobe, you’ll only take afew minutes to throw things in a bag.
Carry vital documentsCarry any vital documents or items in yourcarry-on luggage. As you pack, ask yourself,“What do I absolutely have to have with metomorrow?” Take it in your hand luggage.
One of my friends had a very importantmeeting in another city, starting at 7am andneeded his secretary with him. When theyarrived at 10 pm the night before, her bagshad gone on vacation. She is a veryimmaculate young woman and the loss ofher gear devastated her. Apart from dramaand delay at the airport, she was soinflexible that it was beyond her wildestnightmare to appear at the meeting the nextmorning in yesterday’s clothes and nomakeup. She refused to attend and Williamhad to do the meeting without her. What awaste of time and money!
Use practical luggageUse luggage that saves both your time andyour back.
I love people watching in airports. Youcan tell at a hundred yards who travels alot. A new corporate traveller has roundshoulders, an exhausted face and armsalmost touching the ground. They'reweighed down with a bulging-at-the-seamsbriefcase on one side, a useful but heavycomputer bag hanging off the othershoulder and duty free bags cutting theirfingers. Definitely a modern-day version ofa camel. (Get your duty free goods at theother end – saves lots of hassle, – unlessyou have room to pack it in your handluggage before you board).
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
E
If your business requires areasonable amount of travel, youwill find these tips invaluable…
Time-Saving Travel Tips Learn from the expertsOn the other hand, ever watched what theairline crews carry off a plane? Copy them.
Forget heavy briefcases and over-shoulder computer bags. Buy yourself acabin-size wheelie bag instead and makesure its handle pulls up at a touch. In it goesyour computer, spare battery if it’s a longflight, work or reading for the plane, traveland hotel documentation and anything vitalfor the next day, should the worst happen. Your trolley bag isn’t quite as elegant asyour standard briefcase when it comes tobusiness meetings, but a number of peoplenow use them as portable briefcases – muchbetter for your back. An alternative is topack a smart folder or soft satchel.
Add to this a small suit bag over yourshoulder (instead of a suitcase) and you canusually carry everything on to the plane,saving time at check-in and the luggagecarrousel
.A bonus comfort tip:When flying the long overnight hauls,especially long cross-zone links like the onebetween Australia (or New Zealand) andAmerica, take a bottle of water and a snack.I’ll give the airlines the benefit of the doubtand assume they’re trying to get you into theeating patterns of the destination but youtend to get quite hungry. And water – eventhough they provide water – it’s easy to getdehydrated. Your own bottle enables you tosip when you feel like it, not when it’sconvenient for busy crew.
Put these tips in place and I guarantee youwill have a happier travel experience.
Bon Voyage!
112 Corporate Trends
ROBYN PEARCE
Hot Email Tips for Time Efficiency
owever, a surprising numberdon’t realise that the same thingapplies to our email In-box. Irecently spotted 1,519 messages
in a client’s In-box – no wonder she feltoverwhelmed! (And her office paralleledthe In-box – there wasn’t a clear centimetreof space anywhere).
The next week I was back with Helen’sorganisation. She couldn’t wait to show meher office and computer. She’d implementedsome of the ideas listed below and we couldsee the top of her desk, the colour of thechair covers and a lot less in her In-box.
“Robyn,” she said, her eyes sparklingwith joy, “it’s as if a mountain has gone offmy back. I feel more relaxed and up-to-datethan I have for years!”
Some of you will already have great emailstrategies, but maybe your associates don’t.One thing I consistently see in the businessworld is highly educated professionalpeople who don’t have any realunderstanding of common sense paper andinformation techniques. If it were taught inschools and universities as a pre-requisitefor further education, what a useful life skillthat would be! We’re talking informationmanagement here – and as informationtransferral gets faster and we feel more andmore deluged, it becomes more and morecritical to success in all our endeavours.
How to run your Email:1. Treat your Email system like a filingcabinet. Set up folders for every major topicof interest, and sub-folders under keyheadings. To create, highlight the headingunder which you want the new folderplaced. Then right-click, New Folderandgive it a name. 2. Never leave read mail in your In-box formore than a few days. Treat it as you shouldhandle paper on your desk – if it’s worthkeeping move it into a named folder by aclick/hold/drag action.3. Develop a low tolerance for a mailboxwhere you can’t see blank space at thebottom of the page. In most In-boxes thatgives you about 12 messages to look at,although the size of your Mailbox can bealtered by clicking on the line in the middle
of the page and dragging the line up ordown to suit your needs.4. Be prepared to shift mail of long-terminterest to folders unread and schedule inreading time. One could be entitled‘Newsletters to read’,and another onecalled ‘Web research to do’.Saves yougetting distracted, (a common challengeonce we start scrolling) and you can do your‘further education’ at a less busy time.5. Something you must not forget andyou’re scared you’ll lose sight of it, ifshifted to an ‘Action Pending’file? Thereare a few things you can do here, dependingon whether you’re visual or not. If you feel happy to get it out of the In-boxas long as you can find it again when youneed it, use your contact management
HMost people understand, at least intellectually, that a clear desk equals anuncluttered mind…
If you’ve created the ‘Action Pending’filefrom In-box, the file will be down the tree alittle bit, and easily overlooked. Instead,make it a sub-folder of the In-box folder.Then it is immediately below the In-box,easy to drop into, and also very easy to clickon with one tiny hand movement, once thecurrent new daily crop has been winnowedand harvested (if you have a few minutes todeal with the backlog).6. Be ruthless about deleting e-mails youdon’t need. Remember – they’re usuallyonly an alternative to a quick phonemessage.7. Most programmes, unless your companyhas installed a default, don’t automaticallyempty the Delete folder. Many people thinkan item dragged into Delete is gone. It’s not.You almost always have to instruct it toTrash or Empty. With modern equipment aright-click gives you that option.8. Store ‘Sent’ mail as well as ‘Received’items in your folders, putting ‘like with like’as you would file paper in a filing cabinet. 9. If it is important to keep a full record ofcorrespondence, save your ‘Reply’ ratherthan the incoming message. Then both partsof the story are together. The quickest wayis to develop the habit of going to the ‘Sent’box as soon as you’ve dispatched animportant mail, and dragging it immediatelyinto the relevant folder.10. Every month empty your Sent box for asfar back as you’re comfortable to delete.Click, hold, and drag any really importantmessages and delete the rest. I usually keeponly two months worth of messages. After 2months, most of it will be unimportant.Next issue we’ll bring you etiquette,common sense suggestions and other goodideas on email handling.
system or diary of whatever sort (as long asyou’re using them regularly) to put an alerton the date you want to do the action, andwhere you’ve filed the message. Theelectronic systems are the most reliable –they annoy the heck out of you until you dosomething with them!
Another option, if you’re seriously visualand panic at the thought of shifting mail outof sight before it’s acted on, is to leave mailin your In-box that still needs attention butkeep it minimal. If you’ve developed thesense of discomfort we talked about in Pointthree, this will help to drive you to action,and reduce procrastination.
The third option is a mix of the two, andI’ve just discovered it. I find I feel quitebogged down if things sit in my In-box formore than a day or two, but some of themare really not vital to the business of the day.
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
Corporate Trends 113
ROBYN PEARCE
Are You Drowning in E-mail?Email is a wonderful tool. Only problem is, many people are trying to useit in the same way they handle paper – not very well!
mail usage can be split into threemain areas (and chunking the topicdown as we teach others to do, youcan simplify it even more):
• A communication tool• Getting set up• Good efficiency habits• Netiquette (or good net manners)• A marketing tool• A business tool
Email can be all of the above but in thisarticle, I will hone in on one major area –developing some good efficiency habits.
Each person, organisation or group ofpeople has a preferred communicationmethod and culture. You may be a skillfulcommunicator and adept at all, but to get thebest response, find out and use the preferredmethod of the people you deal with. Is itemail, voice-mail, phone, personal face-to-face communication, or paper – fax, letter ormemo? If you find someone isn’t replying toyou in one medium, try something else.
I’d received an email from a clientwanting some of our red and green flags (seeour website www.gettingagripontime.com)asking me to call. I tried for weeks toconnect, then finally, I remembered my ownadvice – try something else! The email I thensent was responded to within minutes.
Don’t over use emailBe very careful the medium is not over-used.The new office of an IT security firminitially had no walls. Once high partitionswere put in place, the use of phone and email(to talk to each other) went up, even thoughpeople were sitting a few paces away! TheCEO refused to let them get away with it. Ifshe hadn't done so, they would have falleninto poor communication habits, like somany other companies.Turn off that flashing thing!Turn off the alert telling you that new mailhas arrived. It's a distraction. Instead, setregular reading times. Don't know how?Each programme will be slightly different,but in Outlook go to: Options>Preferences> Email Options> AdvancedEmail Options– to remove the ‘beep’.
Do you get mail that really should goelsewhere? Use rules to pass a messageautomatically or re-route mail.
You can redirect it automatically bywriting a rule in Inbox Assistantor Tools,which sends the message straight to the rightperson. It will divert all mail from specifiedsources straight to that recipient and you canchoose whether to delete it or store it inanother folder on your system. Key point –you want it out of your Inbox.
For instance, one of our clients receivesregular mail from a Government source thatshe doesn’t need to action. However, one ofher colleagues does need that information.
Instead of bothering to go back to the
The other type of communication isaddressed to her personally. That’s the stuffthat lingers. Now, she uses a different rulethrough Inbox Assistantto auto-respond tothese, throwing the responsibility for furtheraction back on the sender. They get amessage something like the following:
‘Hi, you’ve reached (name) I’m on leaveuntil (date) and this message will not bereplied to. If you need help with (subject)please contact (name) at (give the emailaddress and/or phone number of anothercolleague). If your message is for mepersonally, please resend your message after(date – and insert your return date).’
So, when Yvette returns from leave, shecan confidently just delete all the email that’scome in her absence and start from scratch.If you want to take away the temptation to‘just check’ what’s come in, set another ruleto shift any email received during that timestraight to the Delete Boxor another folder,once the auto response has been sent.
There are many other options within rules.Have a play and see what other regularfunctions you can streamline.
Email filingIf you use communal machines and havesome centrally held information, yourorganisation needs to establish a uniformpolicy for all filing, including emails. (Assimple as possible but give guidelines sonew people know what the policies are andfrom where important information can easilybe retrieved). Basically, we’re talking aboutknowledge management.
Another related idea, is to have aDiscussion Boardor Notice Boardof somekind where you can post regular information.
If your company needs help on efficient email management, you might like to check outhttp://www.gettingagripontime.com/training/getting-a-grip-on.html#email
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
E
source and asking them to redirect it (whichcould take a while!), she’s taken the simpleroute and created a rule that instantlyredirects all mail from that person to theappropriate recipient. (Having said that, I dorecommend that you do your best to get offirrelevant group mail outs).
Handling email on holidayHave you ever felt obliged to check youremails whilst on holiday? You do it becauseyou know if you don’t, you’ll be penalisedwith a ridiculous amount of material in yourInboxon your return.
My friend Yvette, has a great solution.She’s in a very fast-paced IT sales supportrole, with hundreds of emails a day from allover the world. At first she tried to keep upwith everything, even to the extent of takingthe laptop away on holidays. Then shedecided to get smart!
Like most people in a corporateenvironment, she has two levels of emailcommunication. Some of her email isaddressed to sales@hercompanyin responseto the firm’s web marketing. They are easy todivert to someone else in the organisation, byusing rules as outlined above.
114 Corporate Trends
ROBYN PEARCE
You could be forgiven for thinkingevery thing there is to say about timemanagement has already been said
It’s About Time!
he amazing thing is, the moreyears I spend in this field, themore great ideas people sharewith me. And of course, every
new question creates a golden opportunity todig a bit deeper.
My publisher at Reed Publishing, havingnoticed a steady stream of great little ideasin our regular ezine (electronic newsletter)asked for them to be turned into a book oftips. And so ‘About Time! 120 tips for thosewith no time’ was born, and has just hit thebookshops in Australia and New Zealand,and of course our website.
Over the next couple of issues ofCorporate Trends, we’ll share a few of thesetips (each one is very short). Here are thefirst ones:
Key Point 31Interruptions are insidious - each small oneinvisibly slashes the concentration of allparties concerned. Save them for the nextappropriate break - don’t interrupt yourselfor others with only one question or topic.
Take your mind back to the last time youwere engaged in a big and important task. Ibet at some stage you interrupted yourself.You noticed an important idea slipping pastthe corners of your mind – and you had tocatch it by the coat tails or it would vanish.Or a person you needed to speak to walkedpast your desk. Almost before you realisedit, you found yourself talking to yourcolleague or on the phone, the internet ordown the corridor. The Very Important Tasklay languishing on your desk.
Five, ten or thirty minutes later, you lookat your desk again, shake your head and tryto remember what you were up to.
Familiar? It is for most people. And thenwe wonder why we feel so frequentlyfrustrated and end up staying back late to getthe ‘real’ work done. Staff do it to bossesand each other, bosses do it to their staff.
The reason we jump when the idea sneaksin is that we think we’ll forget it if we don’tdo something immediately. That’s true.However, that action does not need to be an interruption. Try one of these simple techniques to handcuff your self-induced thieves.
• Have a piece of paper beside you but justout of eye-range. Jot that passing thoughtdown and you can then go back to the taskin hand with confidence.
• Make the action a quick note on your‘To Do’ list
• If it’s someone you report to or whoreports to you, have a coloured manilafolder in your desk file drawer with theirname on it, whip out the file, jot the note
and put it back until a pre-arranged meeting time.
• If one of your colleagues is aninterrupter, ask them to save their queriesand give them a time you’ll be free. The really bad ones can’t help themselves –refuse to talk to them, remind them of yourrequest and keep working.
enjoy the journey. Beware of beatingyourself up because you haven’t reached thegiddy heights you’re aspiring to – that’s aseriously unuseful exercise in self-flagellation and about as useful as anashtray on a motorbike!
We have a wonderful role model in BenFranklin. Although his formal schoolingended at age ten, he was committed tocontinuing his education. So, his next stepwas to study arithmetic at night. At agetwelve he added formal writing exercises. Inhis teens he added foreign languages,including French, Italian, Spanish andLatin. He achieved outstanding success as ascientist, inventor, statesman and writer andin a relatively short number of years movedfrom poverty to great wealth. Todaymillions of people’s lives are better becauseof his inventions (bi-focal glasses being justone of them).
One of his secrets was his system of self-evaluation, not on his academic skills buthis attitudes and behaviour. For most of hisadult life he ran a scoring system on 12 keyattributes such as Temperance, Honesty,Virtue and Timeliness. (If you can find acopy of his autobiography you’ll get a fulldescription). Had you frisked his pocketsyou would have found a little notebook,with a grid pattern of lines on every page.Also listed was the one behaviour hewanted to focus on that week. As the dayprogressed a sequence of dots, based on hisown code, indicated how he scored himself.As an old man he described his young selfas a self-opiniated young man, lacking intrue friends and obnoxious to the people headmired. His scoring system enabled him tochange that, small step by small step, untilhe became one of the most famous andadmired men of his age.
T
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who runtop quality time management programmes.To purchase Robyn’s new book ‘About Time– 120 tips for those with no time’ or best-selling ‘Getting a grip on time’contact yourlocal bookshop or Robyn’s website: Website:www.gettingagripontime.comE-mail: [email protected] Office Tel: (02) 9904 9182Auckland Office Tel:(09) 521 2126
Here’s an example of how to handle self-interruptions:
As I write a book, something I writetriggers other things I want say or a betterway I could describe a point. If I stop thenand find the place to insert the little visitor,I’m likely to be sidetracked and mostimportantly, I loose the flow of the currentsection. I keep a piece of paper beside me,quickly jot the idea down and at my nextnatural break scroll through the pages to findthe best place to insert it.
Key Point 36If every day you become one per cent betteron at least one regular activity, the only thingstanding between you and your success istime. Develop a mindset of continuousimprovement. As long as it’s done in apositive way, accepting of where youalready are, you’re on a winning formula.However, a big warning. Sometimes peopleget so fixated on the goal that they forget to
Corporate Trends 115
ROBYN PEARCE
rocrastination is not the keyproblem with time management- lack of clarity about what'simportant is.
Have you got a clear idea of exactlyeverything you want to achieve in your lifefor the next 12 months? If so, is it writtendown? I ask this question of most of thegroups I work with, and typically about 5per cent of the room will have any writtengoals. (Maybe that’s why they’re with me!)
Think of it this way: Picture a very rainyday and a house with blocked guttering. It’sa while since anyone cleared the sticks andtwigs in the spouting. Therefore, it can’tcope with the deluge and water iseverywhere – spilling over the gutters,flooding the paths and gardens. However, ifsomeone were to clear the blockage in theguttering, the water would very quicklydrain away.
Too many choicesI see our brain working the same way. Sooften our minds feel overwhelmed with toomany choices. It’s as if we’re punchingcotton wool. Result – overload, confusion,lack of focus, no clarity and indecision. Ourmental drains are blocked.
The fastest way to unblock them is to pickup a writing stick, (otherwise known as apen or your fast-flashing keyboard fingers)and jot down everything currently rattlingaround in that necktop computer of yours.As soon as things are down on paper (or theelectronic equivalent) the flood of ideas ischannelled and easy to manage. There is animmediate reduction of pressure (stress) andwe’re in control.
People are usually reasonable at planningthe small things in life. How silly then not todo it with the things that really matter.Otherwise, we may wake up when we’re tooold, saying, “I wish I’d done…” Too late!
So, what excuse have you got now? Get toit – it will only take you about 20 to 30minutes to write down what you’d like toachieve, in all areas of your life, for the next12 months. Be spontaneous, go with thetop–of–mind ideas and have fun.
Try these firstTry these headings – they cover pretty welleverything:
• Self • Well–Being and Spirituality • Business and Career • Home and Family • Community and Humanity.
‘But’, you say, ‘it’s not about planning andgoals – I really get stuck’.
Okay. Try these next two tips:
1. Eat your vegetables first! Do the hard thing first and the rest is abreeze.
Ever procrastinated on something, eventhough you know it’s important? By doingthe most important thing or sometimes thehardest thing, first thing in the day, weexperience more job satisfaction, less stress,and do a better job.
Think of the last time you dragged thechain on a tricky task, put off somethingunpleasant, deferred deadlines, usedside–stepping avoidance techniques thatwould make a football player envious!
How did you feel? Heavy, lethargic,guilty even? Generally less than top class?
Conversely, ever noticed the rush of adrenaline when you finally tackle a task that’s been hanging over your head for ages?
Learn to actively seek the feelings ofsuccess by taking action quickly. It releasesendorphins: they make us feel moreenergetic and able to move faster, and weactually get more done.
2. Don’t major in minor thingsThe easy tasks can very easily seduce us intowasting time. I guess this phrase is a newtake on ‘fiddling while Rome burns’.
Sometimes we find ourselves doing lowpriority low value activities, just to have abreak. Or we’ve moved up the businessladder but enjoy doing some of these routineactivities and don’t really want to let go. Or,it may be that we haven’t yet learned how todelegate and train effectively.
Ask yourself, ‘What hourly rate is thiswork worth?’ If it’s worth less than the rateyou’re earning or can earn, look for ways tooutsource or delegate it. Whenever you dowork that’s worth a lesser amount, you’reeffectively earning that lower figure (oryou’re a very expensive resource to yourorganisation).
Check out the benefitsYou also need to be aware of the benefits you gain by involvement in theactivity in question and find other ways toget those benefits.
The CEO of a middle–sized companyenjoys helping to load the trucks at thefactory door from time to time. He learns allkinds of useful information. The down-sideis, he’s working ridiculous hours to get his‘real’ work done. He needs to decide whichactivities are the ones only he can do andhow else he can efficiently receive theinformation he wants. It may be that a truckloading session still occurs from time totime but he gets more help with thoseexecutive tasks.
Only the person in that position can assessthe pros and cons. What is the best use ofyour time? The answer may not be simplebut it is waiting to be discovered.
So, what was this creative procrast-ination I mentioned, you may be wondering?
Procrastinate! – Who, Me?I regularly ask participants at speeches and workshops what their big issues are and procrastination alwaysrears its ugly head. But – is it always ugly? Did you know there is such a thing as creative procrastination?So, let’s poke a stick at the topic and see if we can’t find some new angles. Tips 2, 13, 14 & 19 fromRobyn's latest book About Time! - 120 tips for those with no time
P
116 Corporate Trends
ROBYN PEARCE
Enjoy creative procrastination Put off until tomorrow, that which won’tadvance your life plan by being done today.Give yourself the gift of prime time to dowhatever you like, including doing nothing– if that’s your choice.
Procrastination is not all bad – there’sgood procrastination as well! Learn to focuson the activities that lead you toward yourgoals and block out or procrastinate on thetrivial, time–consuming minutiae. ‘Stuff’(great word) is never going to go away.
My friend Mary Henderson, who with herhusband Tony heads an enormous networkmarketing company, says, ‘Will it make adifference in 5 years’ time?’ If it won’t, shedoesn’t let the ‘busy work’ get in the way of enjoying life, family and friends. This has been Mary’s philosophy right from theearly days of her business and a key part ofher success.
Work the 80/20 rule to your advantage.After all, Pareto said that 20 per cent of ouractivity would generate 80 per cent of ourresults and 80 per cent of our activity wouldonly generate 20 per cent of our results.Next time you think of keeping going whenyour intuition tells you it’s time to stop,think to yourself, ‘What’s important here?’
And what about this ‘doing nothing’ idea?Well balanced people with healthyrelationships and family lives, know thattime for themselves is also important andjust as vital as working productively andspending time with others. It’s not selfish togive yourself quality time. In fact, I believeit is selfish not to. Someone who never takestime to recharge their batteries, ceases to beeffective in their responsibilities.
Time Management specialist and keynotespeaker Robyn Pearce is the director ofTimeLogic Corporation, an internationalproductivity consulting company, who alsorun top quality time managementprogrammes. And don’t forget to check outall the help available on the companywebsite – you’ll find all manner of usefulresources there. You can purchase Robyn’s new book ‘AboutTime – 120 tips for those with no time’, orthe best–selling ‘Getting a Grip on Time’ather website or at your local bookshop.Contact:Tel: Sydney (02) 9904 9182 Tel: Auckland +64 9 521 2126Email: [email protected]: www.gettingagripontime.com
From theEditor’s desk…Regular subscribers to CorporateTrends will notice we have changed theformat of your magazine slightly.
The main difference is we now havethe content of each edition on the frontcover, rather than on the inside. We feltthis format would be more user friendlyin today’s business climate ofinformation overload. This way you caneasily gloss the articles or topics youare interested in and go straight tothem. We have also dropped the glossycolour cover and opted more for a‘report’ style publication.
We hope you like the new format.
Peter ThorpeEditor
Corporate Trends is published by:The Advertising Department Pty LtdTel: (02) 9314 6879 Fax: (02) 9326 6334Email: [email protected] and design: Simon Sinacori
"Creating Power Through Visual, Verbal and BehaviouralEffectiveness"
Long recognised as a master in her field, Ann Reinten is one of Australia's leading image professionals. Sheis a member of the Association of Image Consultants International and is one of only 120 members world-wide who carry the status of 'Professional Member'. Ann is also the President of the Melbourne Chapter ofAICI and an active member of The National Speakers Association.
As founder, director and visionary of The Australian Image Company, Ann leads with a dedication aimedat helping anyone find their full potential through the discovery of their personal power and improvedpersonal presentation.
"I can help anyone achieve a substantial improvement in their image. For those wishing to climb thecorporate ladder this improvement will result in others seeing them as 'more professional and promotable'.Even more importantly, they too will look in a mirror and see a person 'worth more' and this has anenormous impact on their self-esteem and level of confidence.
Feeling good about yourself and how you look sets you free to confidently strive for, and reach, every goalyou set".
After reaching the position of Southern States Director with a previous image company, Ann decided tocreate her own image company in 1995. Today, The Australian Image Company is one of Australia's fastestgrowing and most respected image companies with consultants in every state of Australia and a growingnumber in the United States of America. The image services by TAIC vary in structure and content to caterfor the needs of the individual, company or corporation and all programs can be complimented withcomprehensive training manuals and/or customised image portfolios.
As a speaker Ann has often been referred to as an 'entertrainer' because her seminars are filled with humourand are presented in an entertaining and down-to-earth manner.
Ann ReintenEnsuring Your Visual, Verbal and
Behavioural Success
118 Corporate Trends118 Corporate Trends
ANN REINTEN
You spent a lot of time and moneygetting the message right but whatabout the messenger?
een any good ads lately? Onethat comes to mind is the BT(Bankers Trust) series oftelevision advertisements.
These ads have been extremely wellthought out and are presented in a waythat quickly gains attention. They alsoeffectively convey to the viewer thesincerity, competency and credibility ofthe investment managers.
In other words, everything that is saidduring the advertisement is validated bythe managers professional visual andverbal image.
To the people who create advertisingcampaigns, the critical relationshipbetween what is said and what is seen,have always been appreciated.However, out in the business world, thisrelationship is often overlooked.
Look at the personTake a step back from the ‘actual’product or service being sold and look atthe person whose job it is to convey theinformation about the product or serviceto the consumer. Sometimes the reasonfor a failed sale, dismissal of an idea ora lost client, becomes painfullyapparent. We are living in the era ofimage and communication.Whereinformation about our skills, integrityand character must be delivered in theshortest possible time and by the mosteffective means available.
The impact of visual image in the lawcourts is so powerful, the differencebetween a conservative suit and a pair ofjeans can add years to a sentence.
Each hour of every day, hundreds ofthousands of dollars are spent on theimage development of products,companies or ideas, in an effort to gainor increase market share. Yet,comparatively little is spent onimproving the image or communicationskills of those whose job it is to promote
or represent these products. Imagine the enormous gains to be
had, if those who represented thecompany or product, had an imageconsistent with the image of the product.It’s simply a matter of smart marketing.
Give employees the skills necessaryto look good, act appropriately andpromote themselves in the best possibleway, and then watch not only the salesfigures rise but also corporate morale.Today’s winning companies are expertsat impression management.
Casual Fridays didn’t workThe American business world has foundout the hard way how important imageis, after surrendering to employeesdemands for permanent casual dressdays in the workplace.
At first, casual Fridayswere heraldedas an enormous break through, and theaverage worker felt freed from theconformity of the corporate uniform, atleast for one day a week.
Eventually, casual Fridays wereexchanged for casual everyday andfrom that moment corporations startedto feel the effects of image decay.
Productivity decreased and salesfigures dropped. There was a 63 per centincrease in customer complaints, a 50per cent decrease in employee’scommitment to the job and a 35 per centincrease in complaints regardingprovocative actions and tardiness.
The 4 dimensions of imageTo build a winning image, your firstmove should be to establish whatelements of your dress, behaviour andsurroundings will fulfil the fourdimensions of the image you want toportray of your product or service.
The four dimensions of image are:
• Credibility• Likability• Personal Attractiveness• Dominance
Credibility is of central importance toimage. It sets your level of believability,trustworthiness and competence. If youwere a funds manager, one way thiscould be achieved is by dressing inquality clothes, wearing accessories ofstatus and having a prestige car andoffice, thus indicating that you are asuccessful funds manager.
Likability is the second factor andentails not only being seen as likableand friendly but also how much like theclient you appear to be.
Personal Attractiveness will always bean issue, even if it is seen by some asdiscriminatory. We may not verbalise, itbut we all make judgements involvingissues of personal attractiveness, to ignorethis element of image would be naive.
Finally, Dominance is how self-assured or powerful we appear to be.This gives those we deal withconfidence in our ability to get the jobdone and validates our association withthe product.
Impression managementis all aboutfinding what set of behaviours andvisual clues will be most valuable inassisting you to meet your goals. And,while a great image will never replacethe need to be good at what we do, itwill open doors and invite opportunitiesthat poor presentation rarely receives.
S
Ann Reinten AICI is an internationallycertified image professional and CEO ofThe Australian Image Company. Forinformation regarding Ann’s full range ofseminars including ‘From Campus toCorporate’please visit her website Website: www.austimageco.comE-mail: [email protected]: (03) 9841-7197
Don’t Shoot the Messenger
Corporate Trends 119
ANN REINTEN
your way or impeding your path withpreconceived ideas and prejudices. Yourreputation must be carefully created,maintained and guarded. You must knowwhat others say and think of you. Self-positioning is a valuable skill in imagemanagement.
3. Seen ImageAs the saying goes, ‘seeing is believing’,
therefore this level is most powerful whenmeeting someone for the first time. Researchhas shown that visual presentation accountsfor more than half of the impression wemake on others. When you dress and act inthe manner expected of a successful person,in most cases it will be assumed that youpossess the talent, personality andcharacteristics that accompany that image. 4. Experienced Image
Closely allied with visual image are yourbehaviour and communication skills. Being
able to quickly gain rapport with peoplethrough effective verbal and non-verbalcommunication and courteous behaviourwill produce lasting relationships andprofessional endeavours that run moresmoothly and gain quicker results.
5. Proven ImageThis area governs your ultimate altitude. It
is the combination and results of yourtalents, successes and failures as proven overtime. Within this level are your
Blueprinting Success…What is it that makes one person asuccess and another person afailure?
ost would agree that successdoes not come from IQ alone– we’ve all seen brilliantpeople fade into mediocre
jobs. Nor does it emanate solely from greatclothes or a fantastic attitude. The degree towhich a person becomes a success or failuredepends on how they manage the essentialand indivisible elements that make up theirTotal Image.
For years we have been told, “If you lookgood you will feel good.” To a point, this istrue. Looking good does please the mind andelevate the spirits but it’s effects are onlyfleeting. It is only in the discovery of whatyou are truly passionate about and inunderstanding the needs of your heart andsoul that you can be truly successful. Toooften people feel trapped in jobs ormarriages they dislike or find unfulfillingand this leads to a slow and painfuldegradation of the spirit. Ultimately, thisinfects the person and those around them.True success is a total package that requiresboth personal and professional fulfilment.
The Five Areas of Total Image:
1. Hidden ImageThis lies central to your being. It is the areaof ‘inner image’ – your sense of ‘self’,thoughts and soul – that decides your:values, beliefs, ethics, integrity, passion,purpose, attitude, personality, self-esteemand confidence.
Your inner image is the foundation thatyour life is built on and it governseverything you do. It determines yourultimate level of success. Anyone can begroomed to walk into a room and make asmashing impression but it’s the substanceand satisfaction behind the performance thatwill ultimately sustain the impression.Dysfunction in this area has the power tooverride and destroy efforts in all otherareas.2. Assumed/Believed Image
This is your reputation. In many casesyour reputation precedes you, smoothing
M
Ann Reinten AICI is an internationallycertified image professional and CEO ofThe Australian Image Company. Forinformation regarding Ann’s full range ofseminars including ‘From Campus toCorporate’please visit her website Website: www.austimageco.comE-mail: [email protected]: (03) 9841-7197
Total Image
Proven Assumed
Experienced Seen
Hidden
communication and people skills, yourperformance, your decision making recordand your experience.
How do you rate on the TotalImage scale? Give yourself a score out of ten for eacharea:.
• Are you developing a well-rounded image?
• Are you aware of and working on theimage areas that your know you areweakest in?
• Do you accurately reflect the imagequalities that your customers andorganisation desire?
• Are you passionate about something?• Do you see yourself as others see you?• Is your appearance working for or against
you?• Is your attitude positive and optimistic? • Are you a competent and effective
communicator?
Your future is in your handsYou alone are responsible for your future.Where you are now, where you have beenand where you are going, is a result of everyconscious and unconscious decision youhave ever (or will ever) make. Your successor failure is ultimately in your hands, notyour parent’s, wife’s, partner’s, children’s,friend’s or even your employer’s – butyours.
Success rarely comes easily or byaccident. In most cases it involves consistentpersonal development – lessons learnedfrom painful mistakes, clear personal goals,careful planning, self-promotion, continuingeducation and consistency of effort.
Reading this article you now know that nosingle area can make you successful orhappy for the long term. Likewise be awarethat awareness alone does not create success– action does!
Corporations that take their Total Imageseriously will be leading the way in thefuture. Are you giving equal weight to yourinner needs, attitude, outer presentation,behaviour, communication skills andreputation? If so, you are well on the way tobusiness success.
120 Corporate Trends
ANN REINTEN
The Casualisation of Australian Workplaces It’s no secret that businesses that are
receptive to change move forward –
but take that step forward with caution…
ike many workplace changesthere are often challenges toovercome, traditions to be brokenand mindsets to alter. And this is
certainly the case with adopting CasualDressinto in the workplace.
However, in witnessing the challengesexperienced by many organisations inimplementing a business casual dress policy,it is evident that the ultimate success of‘business casual’is reliant upon the up-frontinstitution of clear, concise guidelines andregular reviews. I have seen manycompanies who initially implemented'Casual Fridays'with great success, go onand without a second thought expected thetransition to ‘permanent casual dress’ to beequally easy and uneventful. Each carriedthe expectation that their employees wouldbe able to call upon their common sense todetermine where business casual dress fittedbetween sloppy casual and formal businessattire. As a result they were usually sorelydisappointed within a few months or by midsummer when bare midriffs and flabbyupper arms showed themselves.
The move to casual everydayIn many instances, employees who dress intraditional business attire four days a weekcan dress on ‘Casual Fridays’ with theexpected level of professionalism. However,when ‘Casual Friday’ becomes CasualEveryday, often the expected dress iswhittled away to jeans and sloppy knits orawkward mixes of clothing such as chinopants and business suit jackets in no time.
With all this said, Business Casual is afabulous phenomena and I believe is here tostay. Especially when major companies suchas Price WaterHouse, BHP, IBM and ArthurAndersen are leading the way with manyothers hot on their heels.
Casual dress can be successfullyimplemented and maintained if, theexpectations of the client is always keptparamount in the mind of employees.
When considering the move to casualdress for your workplace start of by giving
the change a name that will have a positiveimpact on the mindset. Rather than callingthe change Casual Dress (which impliesmany different things to many people)include the word 'Business'. 'BusinessCasual' opens the mind to a clearerinterpretation of what is expected than doesfull-time casual dress.
Saboteurs of casual dress:1. A bad attitude2. Chewing gum3. Failing to smile4. A disinterested voice5. Poor grammar6. Failure to look interested and fully
engage with others7. Poor taste jokes8. Politically incorrectness9. Failure to keep your word10. Failure to show due care.
THREE LEVELS OF DRESSRelaxed CasualFor employees who have no face to face andminimal verbal contact with clients.Key Item:JeansDescription of Look:The type of clothes youwould wear to friend’s place for a BBQ.Desired Message:Relaxed, comfortable andapproachable.
Smart CasualFor employees who have face to facecontact with clients in similar dress or whomay be seen by office visitors.Key Item:2 or 3 piece outfits or layers. Men:Collared shirts and topsWomen:HosieryDescription of Look:The type of clothes youwould wear to an informal dinner at anupmarket restaurant.Desired Message:Comfortable, competentand approachable.
Business CasualFor employees who have face to facecontact with clients.Key Items - Women:Hosiery and jackets.Men:Jackets and collared shirts and tops.Description of Look:The type of clothes youwould wear to a gallery opening.Desired Message:Professional, reliable andcompetent.
Finally, not all business days are alike.Some days we see different people, godifferent places and do different tasks. Ann Reinten AICI is an internationallycertified image professional and CEO ofThe Australian Image Company. Forinformation regarding Ann’s full range ofseminars including ‘From Campus toCorporate’please visit her website Website: www.austimageco.comE-mail: [email protected]: (03) 9841-7197
L
The impact and perception ofbusiness casual dressProbable positives of business casual dress:
• Approachable• Friendly• Less Formal• More Casual• More Relaxed• More Comfortable• Less Professional
Possible negatives of business casual dress:• Given the dress is already casual anyfurther drop in another vital area ofprofessional image (manner, grooming,tone of voice, customer service etc) will beexaggerated in the client/ customer's mind.• Confusion as to what’s too casual andwhat’s too dressed up• Dress standards to drop to unacceptablelevels• Sales and promotions to be lost throughpoor first impressions• A drop in work ethics and professionalattitude (when work attire is relaxed somepeople tend to adopt a similar attitudetoward their work)• Some people to feel less confident andprofessional• Confusion and concern as someemployees may have to manage andmaintain two business wardrobes.
Corporate Trends 121
ANN REINTEN
will I manage my visual appearance,behaviour and verbal communication, whowill be present and what do I need to do toimpress them?
People search for signsKeep in mind that most peopleunconsciously search for signs of credibility,areas of rapport or similarity, a degree ofpersonal attractiveness and an agreeablelevel of confidence in order to ascertain ifthey like, trust and/or want to do businesswith someone.
Never let your guard down as chanceencounters often lead to serendipitousopportunities. Of course true success emanates from yourpersonal values and integrity. Those that live
Ann Reinten AICI is an internationallycertified image professional and CEO ofThe Australian Image Company. Forinformation regarding Ann’s full range ofseminars including ‘From Campus toCorporate’please visit her website Website: www.austimageco.comE-mail: [email protected]: (03) 9841-7197
Dare Yourself to Shine!If your company’s products orservices were packaged like you,would they sell?
oor packaging costs companieshundreds of thousands of dollarsin lost sales. How much is yourpackaging costing you?
We live in a grab-it-and-go world whereopportunities are won and lost on firstimpressions. Ask any successful high levelprofessional and you are likely to discoverthat their success was due not only to theirexpertise but also to a carefully thought outPersonal Marketing Strategy. Whichusually holds paramount the goal of makingan instant and positive impression witheveryone they meet.
Climbing the corporate ladderIt’s no secret that climbing today’s corporateladder requires, talent, a competitive spiritand a well managed game plan. No longerwill a mediocre appearance, adequateperformance, compliant behaviour or yearson-the-job be enough to guarantee careeradvancement. And a job for life as rewardfor services rendered is long gone. To scalethe corporate ladder you must learn to out-shine your competitors in every waypossible, and at every available opportunity.
Some may call this manipulation, I call itImpression Management– knowing whatyou want and making it happen in an ethicaland proactive manner. If practicedconsistently you will soon find yourself;taken more seriously, listened to, givenmore responsibility, appreciated, rewardedand offered exciting opportunities.
Start by seeking areas where you needimprovement. It may be that the way youdress, your people skills, body language orattitude needs some adjustment before youstart. Often we are the last person to knowabout our faults, so ask a few trustedcolleagues for their honest appraisal and begracious and grateful for their input. Act onthe information you receive – contrary topublic perception, knowledge isn’t power –action is.
Next, plan your business and socialopportunities to gain maximum kudos. Priorto the event ask yourself; what impressiondo I want to make, what is my goal, how
P
their values are able to perform consistentlyover a long period of time. While those whofollow the values of others often stumble.
Learning to shine also means beingadaptable to change; both personally andprofessionally. Constantly seekingimprovement by enhancing your skill andknowledge base to keep pace with an ever-changing world, coping with changes incorporate direction, leadership anddisappointments. As well as managing yourstyle of dress and grooming to suit changesassociated with age and body shape.
Contrary to the popular public perception –knowledge isn't power – action is.
HOW TO IMPRESS ANYONE, ANYTIME
1. Commence all meetings with a firm, web-to-web handshake (web of the hand).
2. Look people in the eye when speaking topeople or being spoken to.
3. Smile with your whole of your face.
4. Introduce yourself and/or others withconfidence and grace.
5. Always carry business cards and offer themafter your introduction.
6. Walk with confidence and purpose.
7. Stand tall and confident.
8. Maintain an open body posture.
9. Actively listen to others.
10. Be sensitive to personal space.
11. Take a genuine interest in others
12. Be pleasant, positive and enthusiastic.
13. Always volunteer for projects that put you infront of people.
14. Keep your word without being reminded.
15. Dress to impress - Appropriate qualityclothes that are figure flattering, clean andpressed. Including hosiery and make-up forwomen.
16. Avoid: distractions such as; poor grooming,short ties, perfume, uncommon lapel pins, toomany or inappropriate accessories
17. Avoid: gossip, off colour or insensitive jokes,talk of health problems, marriage break-ups orother controversial topics.
18. Do unto others as they would have you dounto them (and as you would have them dounto you).
19. Limit your smoking and alcohol intake.
122 Corporate Trends
ANN REINTEN
Being the new kid on the block
isn’t easy and at times you will
feel like a leprechaun at a bar
mitzvah!
Scary First Steps
his is how one new graduatedescribed how he felt during theinitial weeks at his first place offull time employment. His
feelings are shared by many new recruits. Image this: you have just finished years of
study and have landed your first real job.You’re excited and bursting to get goingonly to find your excitement has mutatedinto alarm as you experience the down-to-earth thud that comes with realising – ‘Thisis nothing like university and I seem to know nothing’.
In the first few weeks of employment newgraduates are on a steep and scary learningcurve. They strive to understand thecorporate culture, seek to establish newrelationships, struggle to produce somemeaningful work and endeavour to mixtheir former lifestyle with that of their new.
It is during this time that mentoring orbuddy programs coupled with structured‘professional readiness programs’ are mosteffective. Both are able to assist graduates toeffect a smooth transition into the corporatearena and can establish sound attitudes andhabits that can set them up for life ascapable, confident professionals.
Riding the Learning Curve (Instructions for the new graduate)Dress Smart: No one expects graduates toturn up in designer suits but a professionaland pulled-together appearance is expected,as is good grooming and consistency.
A common complaint from managers isthat graduates look great for the first fewweeks and then go into a steady decline.Looking the part is important on a continualbasis and as a new graduate, you are beingcontinually observed and managers are evervigilant to discover the next rising star.Maintaining a great professional image on acontinual basis speaks volumes about yourlevel of self-esteem and confidence and willhelp others to see you as being capable ofmore responsible duties.
When you are feeling a little shaky, beingable to see yourself in a mirror as well
dressed, is also a great way to boost yourmorale and self confidence (and of course,don’t forget to smile).
Little Things Count:A great image also involves taking care ofthe little things such as wearing shiny wellcared-for shoes, wearing a clean shirt,having dandruff-free shoulders, fresh breathand wearing clean, freshly pressed clothes. A great outfit will always be ruinedby poor grooming.
Get a Grip on the Basics:As soon as possible get to know where thebathroom, cafeteria and meeting rooms are,and how things like the photocopier andtelephone system work. That way you willsave yourself the embarrassment of havingto continually ask.
have learned so far leads up to this day but90 per cent of what you have learned so farwill be of no value. So, today is the first dayof the rest of your life and the learning nowreally starts”. Organisations want peoplewho are knowledgeable, enthusiastic andopen but above all, they want people whoare teachable and willing to learn how to dothings their way.
Watch and LearnKeep your eyes open and continue to learnfrom those around you. Every new skill orpiece of knowledge gained will have adirect impact on your income, security andprofessional future.
Ask QuestionsEveryone knows you are 'the new kid on theblock' so there is no sense trying to hide thefact. If you do not know how to dosomething, say so, and ask for their help.Most people will appreciate the fact that youdo not pretend to know more than you do.
Be clear on your job descriptionMeeting expectations will be easier if youknow what they are. Most organisations willhave a written description of your job. Get itand read it.
Don’t Listen to Gossip:The politics of an organisation are hardenough to judge without the addedinterference of gossip. Meet people, listenand make your own mind up. Within anycompany no one is entirely objective,everyone has their own perspective,responsibilities and sometimes agenda.
Remain Cool:The first few months of any new job istough, new people, new environment, newways of doing things. The best way to copeis to take things a step of the time and try toremain cool and unruffled. Whenchallenges occur concentrate on finding asolution rather than on the problem andbreak every assignment down intomanageable chunks.
Ann Reinten AICI is an internationallycertified image professional and CEO ofThe Australian Image Company. Forinformation regarding Ann’s full range ofseminars including ‘From Campus toCorporate’please visit her website Website: www.austimageco.comE-mail: [email protected]: (03) 9841-7197
Name and RankLearn the names of those you will beworking with as soon as possible. Writedown their names and positions until youhave committed them to memory. Learningand using people’s names is the fastest wayto build rapport and the quickest way to make you feel and be accepted as part of the team.
When in RomeTo truly feel at ease it is important todiscover the culture, dynamics, politics,written and unwritten rules unique to theorganisation you have joined. So keep youreyes and ears open, ask questions and learnto read between the lines.
Be Teachable:You’ve learned plenty at university but notnearly enough to make-it on the outside. AsRichard Denny (business guru and author offour best selling books on the subject ofsuccess in business) says, “Everything you
T
TOPICS: CHANGE, LEADERSHIP,FACILITATOR
With over 25 years hands-on change management andleadership experience Anne Riches is a specialist in developingstrategies for managing and implementing sustainableorganizational change and developing leadership qualities inmanagers, supervisors and team leaders. Anne’s qualificationsare BA (Hons), LLM (Hons), Dip Jur, GCCM, FAICD, FAIM,FAITD, AFAHRI, CSP.
Anne is an expert in the field of people-issues in organizations. She is in constant demand as afacilitator because of the exceptional results she helps participants at meetings and strategic planningsessions achieve. Anne works with senior executives in corporations, the professions and the publicsector in Australasia, to develop and deliver successful pragmatic solutions to the toughest transitionalhurdles facing organisations today.
Before establishing her company 6 years ago, Anne was a barrister and senior university lecturer. Anne also enjoyed a number of challenging start-up and change agent roles in the private and publicsectors and with the professions. She was headhunted to Human Resources Director positions in bothan international merchant bank and a leading law firm. As the first Education Director of the JudicialCommission, Anne was responsible for implementing the first comprehensive scheme of judicialeducation in the Southern Hemisphere.
She is presently on the Boards of Totalcare Industries Ltd and The Ted Noffs Foundation. She is aNSW Councillor of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the EthicsCommittee of the NSW Institute of Psychiatry. She is also a member of the National EducationCommittee and the Remuneration Task Force of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
In 1991 Anne was awarded the Women and Management Achievement Award. In 1989 she won a LawFoundation of NSW Travelling Fellowship. In 1997, Anne was a finalist in the NSW Telstra BusinessWomen’s Awards in the first year of her own business.
Anne has also held numerous leadership positions including President of the Women Lawyers’Association of NSW, State and Territory Councillor of the Australian Human Resources Institute andNational Councillor of the Australian Association of Philanthropy.
Her peers acknowledge the quality of Anne’s outstanding work. She is a Fellow of the AustralianInstitute of Management, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and the AustralianInstitute of Company Directors. Recently, the National Speakers’ Association of Australia Anne wasawarded Anne the highest accreditation possible as a speaking professional by the National Speakers’Association of Australia, the internationally recognised CSP (Certified Speaking Professional).
She specialises in the facilitation and implementation of strategies for improving organisationaleffectiveness particularly embedding change-ability, developing leadership capability and human resource management.
Anne RichesVision without action is a daydreamAction without vision is a nightmare
(Japanese proverb)
124 Corporate Trends
ANNE RICHES
Surviving, Thriving and Driving ChangeWhen implementing change managers often overlook the mostimportant factor - people!
ver heard this before: “He's areally great guy but I just hatethe way he dresses/ drinks hiscoffee/leaves the cap off the
toothpaste, etc. But I can change all that.”
And does he (or she) change? Rarely! It's the same with organisations.
Whether you're trying to improve yourcustomer service, re-engineer yourbusiness systems, restructure adepartment or outsource a function,very few organisations successfullyachieve the results they want.
A report last year by KMPG onchange management in both the publicand private sector over the last year,revealed that only 22 per cent of changeinitiatives fully delivered the intendedbenefits, on budget and on time. Othersurveys support this.
Outsourcing hasn’t workedThey show that in many cases
outsourcing has failed to deliver anddownsizing has mostly been a disaster;the best people have gone, taking theircorporate knowledge with them.
Morale (and often the health) of thosewho are left is in tatters and productivityhas declined. Cashflows are precarioustoo, (often because of the high cost ofretrenchment packages). And oftenthere’s a need to re-hire expertise,usually at increased rates.
So, where did we go wrong? Ask anyone who has tried to change
the way their organisation doesbusiness. They will invariably tell youit’s the ‘people factor’.Even Michael Hammer, father of the re-engineering system, acknowledges that70 per cent of re-engineering activitieshave failed.
Start with these threshold questions:Why are we doing this? Why now? Whatif we don't do it now? What is ourdestination? Precisely, how will we getthere? What's in it for our people? Willthe gains outweigh the losses? How willwe bring our people along with us?How will we consolidate the changes?
Until these questions are clearly andfully addressed, don't even think aboutimplementing the change.
Two major strategiesWhen you've got the answers to theabove questions, there are two majorstrategies that need to run in parallel:
• Plan the change and itsimplementation, and
• Prepare your people for thechanges that are about to happen.
In both cases, communication is thenumber one issue. And, while this mayseem like a statement of the blindingobvious, communication is still reportedas the major problem in successfullyimplementing change. It is crucial tobuilding trust and maintaining loyaltyand productivity and involves manylayers and levels. Telling them once bymemo is never enough!
The management of organisationalchange is never to be underestimated.However, those managers who investthe time and resources in planning andthinking through the human factor,recognise that their people are the onlykey difference they have against the competition.
These managers and their organ-izations will not only survive change,they will thrive.
He told The Wall Street Journalrecently, “I wasn't smart enough aboutthat. I was reflecting my engineeringbackground and wasn’t sufficientlyappreciative of the human dimension.”Put people first, profit will follow.
Due diligenceThink of it this way. Would you everacquire or merge with another businesswithout first doing your financial duediligence? Would you plan to build apower station without doing yourenvironmental due diligence?
Of course you wouldn’t!So, why do so many organisations try tointroduce change without doing‘human’due diligence?
Many managers don’t understand thatincreasingly, human capacity to absorband implement change, is the major riskmanagement factor.
What can we do? Let’s say you want to introduce a newstrategic vision, improve customersatisfaction, restructure or simplydeliver a new product or service. Here’sa few quick tips to decrease the ‘peoplerisk’ factor in your organisation’schange initiatives:
Take time to plan every facet of thechange project, especially the peoplestrategy. Nothing should be left tochance. The “She'll be right, mate,”attitude has no place in business.
E
“I wasn’t sufficientlyappreciative of the
human dimension”.Michael Hammer
(the father of re-engineering)
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
Corporate Trends 125
ANNE RICHES
You Must be ConsistentIf You Want to Change Are you sending out conflictingmessages and sabotaging thechange process?
colleague of mine worksfor a time managementcompany. The companysells diaries and organisers
so we can manage our time moreeffectively and improve ourproductivity and performance.
Great stuff! So, can you imagine how my
colleague felt when her boss said he justdidn’t have time to meet with her to gothrough her performance review andcareer development plan! Does itsurprise you that the company has a staffretention problem?
Common reasons for failureThat example set me thinking aboutwhy so many change efforts stall or losemomentum. One of the most commonreasons is congruence or consistency (orlack of it).
For example, let’s say you decide thatto remain competitive and relevant, yourorganisation has to change its corporateculture. To date, the culture has beeninward looking and process driven butnow this must change to become anoutward, customer focussed one.
The company embarks on the changeprocess. It restructures; it retrains staffand starts on a culture change programfor the front line. But the seniormanagement is still focussed on costsand the numbers. So despite theproclaimed reason for the change, itstarts a cost cutting exercise. Seniormanagement even visits the front line todrive the cost-cutting message home.
What’s the result? Staff are confused by the mixed
messages; they remain inward looking,there is no focus on the customer and infact, costs go up. Another example:
shaving ‘her’ stubble with an electricrazor! If you have seen it, you’llremember the brand of the razor.
Inconsistency is acceptable out ofwork in some situations but what mostpeople want in the workplace is to knowwhat’s coming next and to be able torely on their leaders. People believewhat they see, not what is said. Theywant leaders they can trust.
I have never met an employee yet whosays, “I love the way I don’t know howthe boss is going to react. It’s great thatit is never the same.”
Just consider your reaction and thereaction of the American people to therecent Bill Clinton—Monica Lewinskydebacle. Most people did not care toomuch about the fact that the Presidenthad an affair. What started to shiftopinions were his inconsistentstatements. That inconsistency, not theaffair, almost cost him the Presidencyand most certainly impacted on the level of trust in him by the American people.
Beware the silent saboteurIf leaders “don’t practice what theypreach” or “walk their talk”, theirpeople don’t trust them. When thathappens, people become cynical,unresponsive to change and at worstbecome ‘silent saboteurs’.We knowthere is a problem and the change isn’tgoing according to plan but we justcan’t seem to put our finger on it.
A major challenge for leaders ofchange is they must have the resilience,tenacity and clarity of vision to shake offthe old and focus on the new. In complexand difficult change situations, it’s easyto fall back into the old ways of doingthings when the going gets tough.
returning from a scuba diving triprecently, I was talking to a man whoworks in customer service in the motorindustry. He was a bit agitated and wehadn’t even seen a shark! He told methat the reason for his jumpiness was aquality audit on Monday. He was justpraying that everything would be okay.
When I asked why he was worried, hesaid they only did things according tothe quality manuals when they knew anaudit was coming up. They did notfollow the manuals every day, becausehis boss thought ‘the quality thing’wastoo much hassle so, “We just do thingsthe way we’ve always done them.”
The result? A highly stressedemployee, unimproved customerservice, a completely ineffectivequality change program and wastedresources.
Leaders should set the paceDuring times of change and pressure,people always look to their leaders toset the pace and show the way.Psychologically we are designed torespond positively or at least neutrally,to consistency.
Comedians play on this and make uslaugh by delivering a line we can’tpredict. You can’t see it coming.
The advertising industry uses thisapproach, too. Do you remember thebeautiful young woman in the back ofthe New York cab who, havingfreshened her lipstick, finishes off by
A
“Progress is impossiblewithout change; and thosewho cannot change theirminds, cannot changeanything.”
George Bernard Shaw
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
126 Corporate Trends
ANNE RICHES
to do now. How am I going to get it alldone?” “Okay, let’s try it but who’sdoing what now?” “ I’ll never learn thisnew system — I need training.”
4. The final stageWhen employees commit to thechange, they start focussing on thefuture instead of dwelling on the past.They have a clear sense of their rolesand where they are going.
What are the implications of theseemotions when we are planning andimplementing organisational change?
1. During denialDo everything you can to minimise the
shock. Plan ahead. Give them plenty ofinformation. Let them know what thechanges will be, who will be affected bythem and how. Give them your bestestimate of the likely time frame —remembering that things always takelonger than originally planned. Givethem a chance to prepare themselvesand let the changes sink in. You cannotover-communicate now.
2. During resistanceListen to what people have to say.Empathise. Don’t tell them to snap out of it or pull themselves together. Peopledon’t want your solutions, they justwant their responses and reactionsacknowledged. Denying their feelingswill only drive the resistance deeper andmake it last longer.3. During explorationNow people need practical encour-
The Four EmotionalStages of Change When organisations go throughmajor change, employees experiencea strong sense of loss…
his is obvious if it involvesthe loss of a job. Often, thereasons for the sense of lossare not so clear but the
effects can be just as profound — bothfor the individual and on theorganisation’s bottom line.
Most people go through fouremotional changes when theyexperience a major shock. Test thesestages against your own personalexperience of say, the death of a familymember or friend; a divorce; the loss ofyour job; a major change at work or aconfronting medical procedure:
1. Disbelief and denialInitially the change is met with disbeliefand denial. “It won’t happen to me.”“No, they won’t close the plant - they’llfind a way through the problems, theyalways have.” “If I just keep my headdown, it’ll be business as usual soon.”
2. Anger and blameNext, it is common to see anger andblame. In workplace change at this timesome employees will actively resist thechanges saying things like: “Whyshould I change? Is this how they treatus after we’ve worked our butts off?”
What is more risky is withdrawal andlack of concentration. In this high riskperiod, watch out for an increase inaccidents, a drop off in quality, moreabsenteeism, corruption or fraud.
3. Reluctant acceptanceAs people work through their anger,they move to the third stage where theyreluctantly begin to accept the changesand start to explore their role in it. You’llhear things like: “There’s just too much
agement and support. Provide training. Involve them in planning and settinggoals. Focus on some short term wins toget early runs on the board — show thebenefit of the changes. People willrespond well if they can see the positiveimpact of the change.
Watch out if the changes do notprovide any immediate observablebenefit. Then, there is a real likelihoodthat people will sink back intoresistance and may even undermineyour change strategy completely.
4. During commitmentNow that you are through the transition,set about consolidating the change.
Implement an appropriate culturalchange program. Recognise and rewardpeople who are responding well to thechange. Be careful not to inadvertentlyreward any behaviour that is incon-sistent with what you’re aiming for.
A final tip:People move through the emotionalstages of change at different rates.That’s why these transitions can be hardand counter-productive.
Sometimes it is impossible to tellpeople too much ahead of the changebecause of market forces. But if peopleare in denial, or are angry or resistant,productivity will be low. You might seea short term spike in response to thechange but it is likely to be short liveduntil these stages are worked through.
Design and plan your changemanagement strategy to recognise andsupport the transition phase. Do this andyou will reduce the impact of theinevitable drop in productivity. Moreimportantly, you will gain the on-going
T
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
The impact of unexpectedand unwanted change,
varies dramatically from person to person
Corporate Trends 127
ANNE RICHES
n Australia alone we did A$14.6billion in M & A deals last year.However, what is perhaps evenmore incredible, is that four out of
five M & As fail to deliver theirfinancial or strategic objectives, yet, M & A activity is increasing!
Even Stephen Covey couldn’t get itright. In 1997, the Covey LeadershipCentre merged with the Franklin QuestCompany (known for their day planners).In announcing the deal, they said: “Weintend to apply our own expertise to ourown merger, thereby creating a modelmerger for corporate industry.”
Two years later, operating earningshad fallen by a disastrous 94 per cent,sales had grown by only 2 per cent andthe merged entity, Franklin Covey, isnow said to be down-sizing by about 15per cent, outsourcing some functionsand overhauling its salesforce. As forthe people side of the merger, it wasreported that: “There was so muchinternal fighting it got almost comical.”
All this from a guru who has soldaround 13 million copies of “The SevenHabits of Highly Effective People”,urging us to ‘put first things first’, strivefor ‘the win—win’ and synergize!
So, why do most M & As fail? The most common three reasons are:
incompatible cultures, inability tomanage the target company andinability to implement the change. Inother words—the integration factor.
Many of you reading this article areworking or have worked in companies,government departments or businessunits that have been taken over ormerged with another group. Whetheryou’ve had a good experience of this ora poor one, the key will be the same.The quality of the integration strategy.
Managing change during M & Asinvolves the same general principlesthat apply during any change activity.
People are the key to any change success.Examine what is involved in and behindthe general principles and most commonsuccess factors and then determine howand if they can be tailored and applied toyour circumstances.
Covey may have wanted his mergerto be the model for all others but as hesaid later: “It is much different whenyou go through it, than when you lookat it from some academic ivory tower”.
I
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
1. People due diligenceNo company would contemplate amerger or acquisition withoutundertaking financial due diligence.Because most M & As fail through poorpeople integration, initial due diligencemust include ‘people due diligence’.
This means knowing about our ownpeople too. What is our culture? What isthe capacity of our people to change?How ready are they to change? Howmuch change can they absorb and adaptto? How will any resistance show itself?
We then make the same enquiries (ortry to) of the target company. If thetarget company is suffering fromextreme change fatigue or the existingcultures are incompatible, it will bealmost impossible to achieve a newintegrated company and culture, so lookfor an alternative target.
2. Appoint a full timeintegration leaderIntegration is not a part time job. It is acritical change management role thatmust be in the hands of an appropriatelyqualified leader. It obviously includesdeveloping and implementing a planthat deals quickly with operationalissues like alignment of remuneration,rewards, performance management,terms and conditions. But more importantly, successfulintegration management focuses on:
• Transition strategies—facilitatingemployees letting go of the former
corporate identity and accepting thenew name and brand.
• Key people retention plans andputting the right people in the right jobs
• Devising a cultural change program.• Addressing morale and culture
problems head-on• Setting up projects to enable people
from both pre-merger organisations towork efficiently and effectively togetheras soon as possible
• Identifying and providing necessarylearning opportunities.
3. Communications plan The integration plan has to include acomprehensive communications plan,using every type of medium possible, atevery step of the way fromannouncement to 12 months on,reaching every level in the organisation.Lack of communication leads tobreakdown in trust, confusion, cynicismand frighteningly quickly, to uglypolitical and internal in-fighting, asCovey found out to his cost.
4. Work fastMake, announce and implement peopledecisions early. This is arguably the bestchance to minimise resistance,confusion and cynicism. For example,spill and fill positions as rapidly and asfairly as can be done, implementchanges in key areas such as pay andincentives from day one, take the harddecisions up front.
Only 20 per cent of mergers and acquisitions aresuccessful. Here are four common success factors:
The Power of Emotionally Intelligent TeamsUS$28 Trillion! That’s the
estimated value of mergers and
acquisitions world wide for 1999.
128 Corporate Trends
ANNE RICHES
many expensive Australian businesschange initiatives fail to deliver theexpected results? And, interestingly,why is it that most CEO’s and managersappear to know the answer but onlyabout one in five organisationsimplement the solution for success?
Leadership from the topThe CEO. The Board. The seniorexecutive team. That’s what is needed.
But all too often the CEO eitherdelegates the responsibility or worse,doesn’t believe it is necessary to get outthere and lead the change to build anorganisation that has adaptability as acore competence.
Why? Many I have spoken to saythey don’t have time or that they need tofocus on the day to day. A short termview resulting in long term loss.
My own view is that more often thannot, it’s not actually unwillingness orlack of awareness. It’s more likely to bebecause the senior team members donot know what to do and how.
When it becomes important to re-focus your organisation and change theway things are done, CEO’s andmanagers should think about how theyare going to move their people throughthe process. Here are the four levels ofreadiness that most people experienceas they adapt to change:
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
People change to thedegree to which theyare motivated by the ‘I can do it’ factor.
No one is going to tryanything they don’tthink they can do.
Leadership & Change – an Oxymoron?If you want to institute changes inculture, attitude and behaviour —get out there and communicate!
recently heard Howard Putnamspeak. He is the former CEO ofSouth West Airlines – an airlinewith a reputation for being safe,
cheap and more importantly, fun!Putnam was talking about what he did tolead South West into one of the mostsuccessful airlines in the USA, by beingthe lowest cost operator.
What he did, enabled the airline toconstantly win multiple awards, remainprofitable (even though it had the lowest cost tickets), and never down-size anyone.
There was no magic in it. He simplyspent 60 to 70 per cent of his timetalking one on one to the people whoworked for the airline. He regularlyworked a number of hours on thebaggage handling line. In fact, he sayshis greatest achievement was never todo anything he learned at other airlines!
First the visionPutnam said, first you have to have avision. Next, you need to know whatbusiness you are in. Putnam said SouthWest was not in the airline business butin mass transportation — and thatperspective changed the way he ran theairline. Then, comes the really bigchallenge — the critical part — youhave to build the culture.
You get a sense of his focus andcommitment when you find out thatSouth West has a ‘people department’not HR or Personnel. They have‘people committees’ who areresponsible for sorting out businessproblems. Employees feel able and areencouraged to talk to managementabout what’s going on in the businesswithout fear of repercussions. They aregiven a sense of ownership, throughshares in the airline.
So, what can we learn from thisapproach? Can it help us answer why so
The four stages of changeThe first stage is comfortable oblivion.Employees deny the need to change.They don’t see the point of it and therefore, resist any attempts or overtures.
The second stage is one of mildcontemplation. They are pretty wellambivalent about what’s happening.There is the beginning of recognitionthat maybe they need to do somethingbut they procrastinate, substitutethinking for action, adopt what ischeekily called in the Australianvernacular, the ‘gunna’ approach!
The third stage is preparation. Whenat last people begin to see there is aproblem and focus on the solution.Often a critical event causes this leap.For example, if the organisation is tryingto implement a new attitude to safety,then maybe it takes a serious accident tobring about the mind shift.
If you are trying to convince yourcolleagues of the importance of realcustomer focus (as opposed to therhetoric), the loss of a major accountmight be the catalyst.
Perhaps you are trying to put somework/life balance into your own life – acar accident through tiredness might bethe key motivator.
The last stage on the readiness ladderis when your people start to take action.They visibly practice and changes startto take place. Your people are at lastmotivated to give it a go.
It’s also worth remembering thatpeople change to the degree to whichthey are motivated by the ‘I can do it’factor. No one is going to try anythingthey don’t think they can do.
I
Corporate Trends 129
ANNE RICHES
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
and six monthly road shows for all staff.But a closer look showed that
communication was always from the topdown — and there were no mechanisms inplace to facilitate upward communication.Nor was there any regular cross-divisionalcommunication.
One very highly regarded senior managerleft this company. He said: “the importanceof ‘communication’, was painted on thecoffee mug, highlighted in the tenderdocuments, demonstrated by size of the ITand communications department and inbold in the Annual Report. But I neverfound out anything about my Division untilafter the decisions had been made — evenif I had to do the downsizing!
No one asked me for my input. If theydon’t want two way communication, that’sfine but please don’t spend time and moneytelling us how important it is, if you don’tpractice what you preach.”
How ‘Valuable’ Are Your Values…?One of the most significant and
difficult challenges facing
organisations today is the
‘War for Talent’.
ow do we attract the rightpeople for the right jobs at theright time? But what about theflipside? What are we doing to
make sure our existing key people and bestperformers don’t leave?
As organisations continuously andrelentlessly change, the best people knowthey can always find another job if theirpresent employer doesn’t give them whatthey are looking for. Money is importantand is often the explanation people give forleaving. But is that really the reason?
One of the most common motives I hearfrom key people leaving their jobs is, “I’mfed up with the company professing onething but doing another”.
So what could this mean?
Values misalignmentOver the last decade or so, mostorganisations have looked at the kind ofbehaviours they need in their workplaces toget the work done to meet the needs of thevarious stakeholders. Employers haveexplored a range of ways to changebehaviours that are not consistent with theirstrategic intent.
One approach has been to examine theorganisation’s ‘values’. There is renewedinterest in ‘values alignment’, to bring aboutchange in organisations. As Charles Handysaid: “The vision and values stuff reallymatters. If there is no common goal, peopleput their owngoals first”.
In Collins and Porras’s important bookBuilt to Last, they showed howorganisations that persist with and remaintrue to their core values are not only‘visionary’ but produce consistently andsignificantly better shareholder returns.
Two examplesTake for example, the company thatemphasised ‘communication’, as a corevalue. It had state of the arttelecommunications, a communicationsdepartment with regular in-house magazine,teleconferencing facilities, email bulletins
Does your company practice what itpreaches? In both cases, these employeesleft because the company did not ‘walk itstalk’. An important point is that companiesoften do not know that their culture,systems, structures, processes or policies arenot in sync with the stated core values. Thepractices and behaviours are so embeddedas to be invisible.
The two examples above showed thatincongruent values increased recruitmentand turnover costs, and meant the loss ofintellectual capital, corporate memory andgoodwill. Neither of these employees is outthere as advocates or PR spokespeople fortheir former employers, if talking topotential new employees.
Walking the talkWhat can you do to make sure that yourcompany is walking its talk?
One way is to get some small groupstogether and ask them about aspects of theirday to day work that are inconsistent withthe stated core values. My guess is that therewill be some common themes.
You could also undertake a review of therecruitment and induction processes, thekind of training that’s done and how peopleare rewarded and promoted. Look at yourperformance management approach, theusual times and structures for importantmeetings and decision-making processes,the formal and informal communicationchannels, your security systems (especiallyif ‘trust’ is a stated value). Don’t look at justthe written systems and policies but find outhow it actually happens in practice and howthis lines up with the firm’s values.
You might also want to contact the peoplewho have left the company over the last sixmonths – especially those who you did notwant to leave. Now that they are settled intheir new role, they may well feel free to talkabout the real reasons for their leaving andalso be able to contribute their experiencesof any value/reality mismatch.
H
Other core valuesTake the company that has ‘respect’ as acore value. Another key employee walkedaway saying she thought ‘respect’ was athree-way activity – for the customer, for theemployer and for the employee.
This female manager with two youngchildren, felt that she was disadvantagedbecause of the timing of significantmeetings and discussions. She made anumber of fruitless attempts to try andchange the time of important meetings tobetween 8 am and 6 pm.
She had been with the company for threeyears, was annually exceeding her budgetand was generally regarded as a strongperformer. The company described itself as‘family friendly’ and had even entered theWork and Family Awards.
But this manager felt she was not a primecandidate for promotion as she was not ableto attend the late night meetings that seemedto count. For her ‘respect’was talked aboutbut not acted out in the corporate culture.
“If there is no commongoal, people put theirown goals first”.
Charles Handy
130 Corporate Trends
ANNE RICHES
Are You an HR Manageror a Business Partner?Chief Executives are worried. The trans-lation of strategy intoorganisational performance is thecritical success factor.
o now is the time when the HRpractitioner can and must (if theyhaven’t already), become recog-nised as a business partner.
This is a critical point for the HRprofession and its role in the future. And Ibelieve that many HR managers can step upto the challenge.
Strategic HR managers focus on outcomesthat support and drive the responses to thestrategic challenges facing organisations.These HR practitioners recognise that theirrole is to work with the executive team toanticipate, plan and manage the challengesof constant change and innovation and toensure that strategies are implemented.
If you are not already at the executivetable, here are some starting points tobecoming a business partner:
10 steps to becoming astrategic business partner1. If it has not already happened, take a hardlook at what your HR department currentlydoes and whether it is meeting theorganisation’s strategic business needs in themost effective and cost-efficient way.
To free yourself from non-strategic HRactivities, ensure that an efficient and cost-effective administrative process is in place todeliver essential HR activities. Outsourceany activities that can be more efficientlymanaged by external providers. Improvedelivery of HR services by creating andimplementing an IT infrastructure for HRthat integrates all traditional HR activitiesfrom policy to delivery and incorporates self-service, knowledge base systems, casemanagement, HR information systems anddata warehouse capabilities.
2. Analyse and identify how existing HRactivities align with and support the businessstrategy. Eliminate any activities that do notcontribute or add value to the strategic goalsof the business. Focus on outcomes notoutput. Assess the skills and capabilities you
need and don’t need in the HR departmentand re-structure as necessary.
3. Examine the existing employee capabilityof your organisation. Do you currently havea workforce with the skills, knowledge andability to drive the business strategy? Workwith the executive team to explicitly identifyand name or describe what this means for theorganisation in real terms. Work with thatteam also to predict as far as possible, whatcapability will be needed 1 year, 3 years, 5years from now. 4. Develop both short term and longer-termstrategies around building and sustainingemployee capability. Explore in detail all the
indicators and predictors of attraction,retention and turn over rates. Research thechanging demographics of the workforce.Develop strategies to deal with anticipatedand unanticipated staff or skills shortages.
5. Explore the levels of employee motivationand commitment to the organisation’sbusiness strategy. Do they know what thestrategy is? Do they know what the measuresof success are? Do they know how theorganisation is performing against itstargets? Develop strategies, measures andindicators for influencing and trackingmotivation and commitment.
6. Frankly identify the leadership breadthand depth in your organisation. Work withother executives and managers to definewhat leadership means for your business.Then set in place the relevant strategies todevelop it. 7. Assess your organisation’s approach tobuilding the necessary skills and
competencies to deliver your organisation’sstrategy. Is commitment to learning part ofthe culture? Does it need to be? What formaland informal systems are in place to ensurethat learning takes place? What does yourorganisation do to capture that learning andknowledge development and turn it into anorganisational capability?
8. Measure your organisation’s changecapability. Does it align and support yourorganisation’s strategy? Are changemanagement skills deeply embedded in yourorganisation? Are employees equipped,motivated and supported to innovate andchange as the business demands? Has yourorganisation developed its own changemanagement methodology? What’s yourorganisation’s success rate in changeimplementation and management? What’sthe role of HR people in changeimplementation and management? Do theHR and other systems assist or hinderorganisational change? Set up a project teamwith representatives from across theorganisation to explore these issues anddevelop a strategic response.
9. Coach your executives and managers inhow HR people and HR management,practices, systems, policies etc can beutilised strategically to deliver businessresults. Demonstrate how focus andalignment can turn ‘people issues’ into yourcompetitive advantage. Earn your place atthe table by demonstrating a soundunderstanding of the business challenges.Translate the HR initiatives into the impacton the bottom line. And do not shy awayfrom surfacing the barriers and obstacles tooutstanding organisational performance.
10. Do it now. Don’t wait to be asked. Thecompetitive globalised world of businesswill squeeze out non-responsiveorganisations.
This article is based on a presentation Annewas invited to give this month to the AnnualConference of the Arabian Society forHuman Resource Management in Bahrain.
“Brainpower is to theglobal informationeconomy, what oil was to the industrialeconomy.”
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
S
Corporate Trends 131
ANNE RICHES
The challenges of reforming the NSW
Police Force, provide some vivid
examples of the difficulties in
implementing change.
is available and how it will impact us. Howmany of you rushed out and bought a blackbox converter for your TV so that you couldreceive digital TV from 1 January 2001?
Any large-scale change requires us toconfront the large issue of culture. This canbe a daunting task – even identifyingculture, that invisible and often complexsystem of beliefs and practices thatdetermines how people act in organisationsis fraught with difficulty.So, make sure you do your homeworkbefore you start dancing with the Devil.
Here are 10 cultural components that one writer (Timothy Galpin, HR Magazine,March 1996) says to consider when implementing change:
1. Rules and PoliciesEliminate rules and policies that hinder the change and create new ones that reinforcethe desired way of operating. Develop and document new procedures.
2. Goals and MeasurementDevelop goals and measurements that reinforce the desired changes.
3. Customs and NormsReplace old ways of doing things that reinforce the old ways with new customs andnorms. e.g. Replace written reports with face-to-face meetings.
4. TrainingAgain replace training that reinforces the old way of doing things with new training.Develop experiential training that provides real time, hands on experiences with newprocesses and procedures.
5. Ceremonies and EventsPut in place ceremonies and events that reinforce the new ways. Recognise individualand team contributions to making the changes work.
6. Management Behaviours.Publicly recognise and reward managers who change by linking promotion and pay tothe desired behaviours. Do not promote or give pay increases to managers who do notcome on board.
7. Rewards and RecognitionMake rewards specific to the change goals that have been set. Ensure that theperformance management system recognises and rewards the desired ways of operatingand does not simply reinforce the old ways. For example, a performance managementsystem that measures only individual behaviour, will undermine any attempts toinculcate a culture of teamwork.
8. CommunicationsDeliver communications in new ways to show commitment to change. Use multiplechannels to deliver consistent messages at all stages during the transition, before, duringand after.
9. Physical environmentMake sure the physical environment reflects the change. If knowledge and informationsharing is your goal, get people out of offices and into open, shared areas. If you wantthem to talk to their customers, create “virtual” offices so that your people areencouraged to work outside the office with customers.
10. Organisational structureMake sure your structure reinforces the operational changes. Combine overlappingdivisions; reorganise around customers, as opposed to functions.
Culture – Are you Dancing with the Devil?
nless the culture of anorganisation supports thechange or at least, can be alteredto support the new initiatives,
there will inevitably be problems.In a dramatic turn of events in the NSW
Police Force just before Christmas, theCommissioner dumped two members of thePolice Reform Group.
In time, the Police Integrity Commissionmay reveal the true story. The sackedemployees are prevented from speakingpublicly about the matter. But that did notstop one of the wives commenting. TheSydney Morning Herald reported (Dec 30,2000) one of the wives saying to herhusband: ‘You have danced with the devil.’The devil being a deeply embedded policeculture that was resisting reform.
A recent reminderI recently was reminded how intenseresistance can be in another way. InNovember last year, I visited the Cu ChiTunnels, just outside Ho Chi Minh City, inVietnam. These are some of the tunnels thatthe Viet Cong dug during the Vietnam War.I crawled 50 metres along an originalsection of the tunnels on my hands andknees, as there was no other way in which Icould fit inside. Half way along this almostdark and very claustrophobic journey, myheart was racing wildly and I had to stop andbreathe deeply to calm myself.
Yet the Viet Cong, lived for months in 3levels of these tunnels, often crawling up to10 km at a time to make one single attack ona nearby airfield. And sometimes, having tomake the return journey with woundedcompatriots on their backs. Whatever yourviews on the politics of the Vietnam War,the people who lived and fought for yearsfrom these tunnels, showed extraordinarycommitment to their way of life and theirculture. This was manifested in theirextreme resistance to imposed change.
On the other hand, sometimes ourresistance to change is born of apathy.Sometimes of just not being aware of what
U
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
132 Corporate Trends
ANNE RICHES
The Power of Emotionally Intelligent TeamsThese days the importance ofemotional intelligence (EQ) at workis largely accepted by mostorganisations…
or example, if we assess EQ aswell as technical competence whenwe recruit and promote, it has beenshown to significantly reduce staff
turnover – in one case by 63 per cent! There is increasing evidence that hiring
emotionally intelligent recruiters will initself increase our ability to attract and retainthe employees we want.
In other studies, emotionally morecompetent salespeople in an insurance firm,a cosmetics and beauty products producerand a large beverage firm, outsold othersalespeople and dramatically improved thebottom line. And in two manufacturingplants, training the managers in EQ resultedin a 50 per cent reduction of lost-timeaccidents, increased production of 17 percent and a reduction in formal grievancesfrom 15 per cent to 3 per cent.
Further research has shown that theprimary cause of derailment in executives isnot because of technical incompetence orlack of IQ. It is consistently because of poorEQ skills: unsuccessful executives havedifficulty in handling change, are poor atinterpersonal relations and are unable towork well in teams.
The ability to work in teams is still one ofthe key requirements for employees today.Which leads to this question: Does a teamneed to have its own EQ? ie If you take anumber of emotionally intelligent
individuals and put them together, do you getan emotionally intelligent team?
Think about teams that you have workedin or observed. What makes the effectiveones work well together? When and why dothey fall apart? In my experience, powerfuland productive teams have a strong sense oftrust, are open and honest with each otherand hold each other explicitly accountablefor their contribution to the team’s goals.Dysfunctionality begins when the teammembers do not honestly communicate witheach other, there is no real trust and littlemutual accountability – and these are all EQcompetencies.
Self-awareness and evaluationUnderstandably, teams are pre-occupiedwith getting the job done. Few teamsregularly take time out to reflect on how theteam itself is working and what it needs to doto improve its modus operandi. Even fewer,set measurable objectives for teamfunctioning and/or get feedback frominternal and external customers about theirteams’ effectiveness.
Yet these are critical components ofeffective and productive teams. It is the firstpart of team EQ – self-awareness andevaluation.
It requires more than individual membersrelating well on a one-on-one basis to havean honest discussion about the way the teamis working. It requires the team itself to beable to address its own issues as a group.
On one team I worked with, most of theteam members had very good individual EQbut they all knew that the team was notfunctioning as well as it needed to. There
were delays in making important decisions, asense that not everyone was committed,frustration that information was withheld ornot openly shared and a lack of clarity aboutwhat the team goals actually were.
When they came together to discuss theteam’s functioning, the level of tension anddiscomfort was palpable. They wereexperiencing emotional responses to theteam’s poor EQ dynamics. They needed away to articulate this and find solutions.Happily, they have started to address whatEQ behaviours were supporting the team’sobjectives and what were getting in the way.
Yet how many times have you heard thephrase: “let’s leave feelings out of this”explicitly or by implication? It’s clear nowthat successful organisations can’t and don’t.
Improving your teams’ EQSo, how can you improve your team’s EQ?
One way is to establish agreed norms orrules for how the team is to operate andrigorously stick to them. Norms couldaddress the obligations of team members tothe team, how it will assess its performance,how it will work together, what motivationsystems will be used, how it will relate tocustomers and the mechanisms to facilitatean honest exchange about the team normsand behaviours. Sometimes it is helpful tohave an external person facilitate thesediscussions particularly if the team is in theearly stages of building its collective EQ.
Establishing, articulating and reviewingnorms is also important when there arechanges in the team membership –particularly if the team does not have a majorrole in determining who should be in theteam. A discussion about the group EQ isalso valuable at times of success as well asmore challenging occasions.
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
F
What is Emotional Intelligence?EQ has 5 broad components:
1. Our ability to be aware of, recognise and evaluate what we are feeling and how we arereacting at any time, at work and elsewhere. How well do we know ourselves? Howhonest and realistic are we about our own strengths and weaknesses?2. How we manage and control those feelings instead of letting them control us. Howflexible are we in handling change?3. How good are we at motivating ourselves, persisting, hanging in there, and gearing up– even when the going gets tough? Do we see the glass as half full or half empty?4. How good are we at sensing how others are feeling? Are we empathic? Can we‘bracket’our feelings and remain attuned and focussed on the other person’s perspective? 5. Are we good at relationships? What sort of interpersonal skills do we have? Can welead others, influence them, resolve conflicts, collaborate and co-operate with people?
Corporate Trends 133
ANNE RICHES
Companies often use outsidefacilitators for various reasons,however, it’s important to get theright one for the job
he word ‘facilitator’ is often usedwhen bringing external expertiseinto an organisation. Howeverthere are a number of roles a
facilitator can play and it might be helpful toclarify these so that you get the right skill setfor what you need.
There are many reasons whyorganisations, large and small,corporate and public sector, useexternal facilitators. Sometimesit is to bring specialistknowledge into theirorganisations as part of theirstrategic training anddevelopment program foremployees.
Other times, an externalfacilitator is brought in as part ofa change management programor to help solve problems orassist with strategic or businessplanning. External facilitatorsare also used to get feedbackfrom staff or customers orfacilitate a discussion of difficultor contentious issues withvarious stakeholders.
Different skill setsThese different reasons forfacilitation require differentskills. Looking at the diagramopposite, you can see that there are fourdifferent types of facilitator:
1. A neutral and judgmental role is the partplayed, for example, by magistrates andjudges.
2. Managers and participants, usually fit intothe judgmental and advocate’s role.
3. The non-judgmental advocate, is theperson who presents information andlearning experiences so individuals can learn.
Speakers and trainers are this kind offacilitator. For example, if you want to bringspecialist knowledge into your organisation
Choosing a facilitator…
Institute of Training and Developmentaccredit their members at various levels,according to their experience and expertise.These are good places to start looking forthese sorts of facilitators.
4. The non-judgmental and neutral person issomeone who helps a group or team to worktogether in a collaborative way by focussingon the process.
Here you are looking for someone who isneutral, as well as non-judgmental. The roleof this facilitator is to enable the participantsthemselves to come up with their ownanswers and solutions. The facilitator is thereto focus on the process, not the content – thehownot the what.
This facilitator is not a performer, isinterested not interesting, is questioning notadvocating, is a synthesiser not a provider ofideas, and is totally flexible.
An expert in many thingsThis facilitator should be an expert indesigning structured activities andprocesses, confronting others, managingdifferences, collaboration and being able todetach themselves from, and relinquish,control over the results. They must be able torecognise the symptoms of processproblems, diagnose underlying patterns ofbehaviours and attitudes, intervene in groupprocesses, keep the group focussed on thetask and push for action outcomes.
At the moment, I am notaware of any separateprofessional membershiporganisation for this kind offacilitator, so track record,credentials and referralswould be a valuable way ofsourcing such people.
If someone is a skilledtraining and developmentfacilitator, there is no reasonwhy they cannot shift fromthe non-judgmentaladvocates role, to the non-judgmental neutral role, asthe circumstances change.Being one kind of facilitatordoes not exclude one frombeing another.
External facilitation isinvaluable in helpingindividuals and groups get toan agreed or desiredoutcome. Being clear aboutthe kind of facilitation thatwill best serve your desiredoutcome is a sure step alongthe way to getting it.
* Note: A Power Point presentation on thistopic can be found on Anne’s website at:www.anneriches.com.au/facilitation.html
about leadership, networking, timemanagement, selling, business writing andso on, you will be looking for a speaker ortrainer with demonstrated expertise andexperience in this area. One who has asuccessful track record of being able tochange the behaviours and attitudes of thetarget audience in your organisations.
Looking at the diagram, this facilitator willbe non-judgmental but will be advocating aparticular approach.Organisations such as the National SpeakersAssociation of Australiaand the Australian
T
Neutral Advocate
Judgemental
Non-judgemental
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
134 Corporate Trends
ANNE RICHES
Leadership is almost impossible to
define. Yet you know it when you see
it and you know when it’s
not there…
Leadership at Ground Zero
hat a difference a day makes.The primary election for thenew Mayor of New YorkCity was already underway
on September 11 but was postponed after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre.
Incumbent Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, wascoming to the end of his second and lastpossible term as Mayor of New York City.He was a man who was physicallyweakened from prostrate cancer. He wasalso politically battered, not only because ofhis extra-marital affair and his divorce. Hehad withdrawn from the US Senate race andfrom standing against Hillary RodhamClinton to represent New York City, anelection Clinton subsequently won.
Is this the same man who is now beingcalled ‘Rudy the Rock’?Is this the same manfor whom people want the laws changed sothat he can stay on for another term? Whathas Giuliani done such that on September25, when the re-scheduled primary washeld, a mere 15 per cent of New Yorkersturned out to vote and many of those wrotehis name on the ballot paper.
The answer is leadership. That almostimpossible to define concept. Yet it remainstrue that you know it when you see it andyou know when it’s not there. Even moredifficult than defining it, is identifying whatmakes a leader, although thousands of booksand articles have attempted to.
Let’s look at some of the characteristicsthat Giuliani has shown.
VisibilityIt seems that in the first few weeks afterSeptember 11, Giuliani was everywhere inNew York City. From his constant presenceat Ground Zero, his tireless attendance atfunerals and memorial services, his almostdaily briefing of the press, his appearance atthe United Nations to urge support for theimplementation of an anti-terrorismresolution, the Mayor was everywhere.
Contrast that to the demise of Ansett.Where was Gary Toomey? Where was AirNew Zealand and Ansett management? Ifyou talked to Ansett staff at that time, they
and a self-described Giuliani-hater said:“This is what we expect of really goodleaders and rarely get. He is steady and calming.”
In other words, he showed empathy, akey EQ competency. Even as he said thatany hope of finding survivors was gone, heclosed that door ‘gently’ immediatelyoffering the City’s assistance to families incompleting the necessary paperwork tohave their loved ones declared dead. Heannounced that there would be a beautiful,inspirational and fitting memorial on thesite of the WTC, which for many peoplewill be their burial site.
Where was empathy from the leaders ofAnsett, One-Teland HIH during theirspectacular collapses?
Communication“In the days since this attack, we have metthe worst of humanity with the best of humanity.”
In his speech at Yankee Stadium onSeptember 23, Giuliani used simple andclear language, invoked powerfulcomparisons, drew inspirational imagesfrom history, acknowledged the pain anddescribed the future. His words united NewYorkers as they go forward to rebuild NewYork City.
This kind of communication is also thehallmark of a true leader. Think Mandela,think Martin Luther King, think Churchill.Simple, compelling, moving, galvanisinglanguage. Whatever the future holds forRudolph Giuliani, he has shown observersof ‘leadership’ one clear thing – leadershipcan emerge from those who you wouldleast expect it to come from. All we canhope is that we never again have to livethrough the experience of September 11 tosee such leadership appear.
W
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
told you that they were learning about theirown disaster on TV, radio and in the press.
Strong and compelling leadershipdemands our leaders to be visible in times ofcrisis as well as the good times. Toomey wasvery visible during the upbeat “Absolutely’marketing campaign – but wasn’t theresomething about, “Absolutely committed toyou?” Tell that to the staff who are nowtrying to get a job and to the travellingpublic who were so shabbily treated.
CongruencyWhich leads us to another element ofleadership – congruency, i.e. actionsconsistent with words. Toomey failed thattest absolutely. Giuliani on the other hand ismodelling the way.
For example: in the first week of Octoberthe Mayor called on New Yorkers to return
to business as usual, just as he had forcedhimself to do. This call was made for anumber of reasons, including support for thepersonal healing process as well as theCity’s, which was financially bleeding.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)One of the most obvious leadership qualitiesthat Giuliani has displayed is his emotionalintelligence. People interviewed in the streetsaid: he just seemed to understand how wewere feeling emotionally. He had the rightemotional response. He was at the rightlevel. He used the right tone. His faceshowed his own emotional anguish at whathad happened to the City and yet DavidLetterman described him as, “Thepersonification of courage.”
According to the Washington Times,Giuliani is emerging as a father figure, acorporate executive, an avenging angel andmost of all, a man sensitive to the agony ofthose around him. Robert Jervis, a politicalscience professor at Columbia University
Rudolph Giuliani – hero of Ground Zero
Corporate Trends 135
ANNE RICHES
effect on others. This knowledge is verypowerful as a leader and the good newsis, you can increase your EQ.
Principles.Do you know how your values fit in withyour organisation’s? Are you clear aboutwhat you stand for – and what you will standup for?
I am amazed at how few people haveidentified their values; the principles thatguide our behaviour consciously andunconsciously, especially when we areunder pressure. A value analysis canguide you in the way you react tounpleasant tasks or the implementation ofstrategic direction you don’t think youagree with.
PrioritiesValues also play a role in determiningpriorities. Do you know your operational(the way you live your life) and terminal(your end goals in life) values? How do theyalign with the formally stated values whereyou work? More importantly, how do theyline up with the real culture, the unspoken orimplicit rules that guide everyday actions inyour workplace?
If your priorities are aligned with youremployer’s, then it will be easier to determine how to best use your time –it will be on whatever will get the organisation faster to where it wantsto go.
In my experience, procrastination orenergy spent on procrastination orperipheral or non main-stream activities,is often the result of misaligned or simplyunclear personal values.
Think about it. Do your organisation’svalues – the real ones fit comfortablywith you? Would you stand up and fightfor them?
close social friends or team-mates? Orthere is no down-sizing but you have to counsel them or ‘let them go’ for poor performance?
These challenges apply equally to allleaders whether the CEO, a supervisor,manager or team leader.
So, how should you approach them?Perspective, principles and priorities are the key.
PerspectiveFirst – get things into perspective. I feel likea well-worn record when I say, ‘few peopleon their deathbeds wish they had spent moretime at the office,’ but it’s true.
I have an approach that works for meon a day-to-day basis that I share in myleadership programs and I’m assured thatit works for others too. It is the 2 x 2 x 2approach. You can use whatever measureyou like but ask yourself: will theproblem/deadline/challenge that I am
Do you know how your values fit
in with your organisation’s
values?
Anne Riches has over 25 yearsinternational experience planningstrategy, leading transitions anddeveloping leadership capability. Anneprovides specialist facilitation skills andadvice that enable organisations to planand implement directional shifts as theyoccur in organisations and teams. She isalso a speaker and trainer inorganisational change and leadership.Tel: 0412 509 289Email: [email protected] Website:www.anneriches.com.au
ave you ever wondered if itmight be easier to run away andjoin a circus? At least part ofyour job description would be
to keep all the balls in the air whilemaintaining balance at the same time!
When you think about your competingpriorities, do you ever wonder where tostart? What choices to make? How toidentify what is the ‘right thing’ to do,when the options appear to be in starkcontrast to each other?
For example, have you ever been in aleadership position during restructuring,down-sizing, cutting costs, outsourcingor implementing a new IT system? Wereyou under pressure, as a leader, to get theproject happening ‘yesterday’ and theresults on the ‘bottom line’ today?
You might have been torn by thecompeting desire for time to assist yourpeople prepare for the change, knowing that in the long run, it would bemore productive in terms of morale andhence outcomes?
Forward planning is rareMaybe you are lucky enough to work in anorganisation that does decent forwardplanning or has good antenna to foreseemost of the events that appear withoutwarning. However, I doubt there are manyorganisations like this around.
Even if the change is expected, it canbe personally challenging as a leader ifyou don’t agree with the new strategicdirection or response you have to implement.
For example, a new round of down-sizing has begun especially in the airtransport and tourism industries. Mostpragmatic executives know that down-sizing to prop up profits, simply does notpay off in the long term.
Even the Governor of the ReserveBank, Ian Macfarlane, said lastDecember, “It is a serious error to thinkthat companies in general can protecttheir earnings this way.”But taking this example further - what ifyou have to retrench people who are
H
What is the Valueof Your Values?
“Few people on theirdeathbeds wish they had spent more time
at the office !”
getting myself worked up about still besignificant in 2 days, 2 weeks or 2months time? Or 2 weeks, 2 months, 2years? If it will matter, then why? Whowill remember it? Who will it impactupon? What will be the consequences?
There is of course, no substitute forplanning and time management. Butbeyond that, realistic expectations ofyourself and using perspective often help.
You should also be clear about yourown response to unexpected change. Doyou know how you react to suddendepartures from an expected course ofaction? This is about your emotionalintelligence – knowing what you arefeeling, how you are showing it and the
Rob SalisburyIt's not necessarily the best
products that get our attention... it's the best promoted products...
ROB SALISBURY, B. SCI., APS *
The "Motivational Technician * "
Conference Speaker, Marketing and Sales Educator2001/2002/2003President - Sydney NSW NSAANSAA National Executive Board Member 2000, 2001, 2002
Graduating from highly ranked California State University, Chico in 1981 and after three years insuccessful selling experiences with a U.S. Fortune 500 company, Rob embarked into a joint venture in1984 operating a Tom Hopkins Training Center Franchise in Seattle,Washington and relocated to theWestern US office in Los Angeles in 1986.
Rob helped further develop sales teams and generate new business throughout the 13 Western Statesregion. He was appointed Vice President of Marketing by 1988 and following the successful Sydney2000 Olympic Bid in 1993, Rob was asked to relocate to Sydney to help further develop internationaloperations in the Australasian market. He has been a resident of Australia since 1997 in addition to hisUnited States Citizenship.
His 700 % Client Guarantee
One of the reason's Rob has been hired and brought into over 250 different organizations in Australiasince he first arrived in 1994 is that he offers a 700 % guarantee on what he does for companies andbusiness owners. Something he says is “very unique and has never been used…. because we get theresults and that is what people pay for and want”.
To find out more about the "700 % or it is free" client guarantee, ask Rob when you speak with himduring your briefing enquiry in person or on the phone.
2001- 2003 NSW NSAA President
He has been re-elected to a second term as President of the NSW National Speakers Association ofAustralia for 2001-2003 with over 260active members and the largest Professional Speakers Chapter outof 65 in the world today…results guaranteed.
For a listing of his most popular presentations and seminars or Rob Salisbury as a speaker/conferencepresenter call your favorite speakers bureau or SRI direct in Sydney at (612) 9867 3677 or go towww.strategicresources.com.au
• (Rob has been commonly referred to as the "Motivational Technician" . Thephrase was coined by Craig Scutella, CEO of the largest bookstore in Australiaand the third largest selling bookstore in the world at a conference in 1998).
• *APS - Accredited Professional Speaker (Designation March 1999) –Only 18 %of the 650 NSAA members have attained this professional accreditation.
Corporate Trends 137
ROB SALISBURY
Lessons from Jeff…what we can learn…
ecently I caught a segment on60 minutes, regardingVictoria’s “shy and reserved”Premier Jeff Kennett…not!
Just about anyone who has lived inAustralia for the last few years, wouldbe aware that this man has been on apersonal and professional “promotion”mission extraordinairre. And, for themost part, it’s been highly successful.
First the good news…The show highlighted some of hisachievements as a high profile stateleader and being humble and thankfulwas nowhere on the list. To his greatcredit however, he has mastermindedthe negotiations for bringing many highprofile events to Victoria. ie The GrandPrix, Phillip Island Motorcycle WorldChampionships, The President CupGolf Tournament, the list goes on…
He has also helped build theMelbourne Exhibition Centre (locallyknown as Jeff’s Shed) into a first classconvention operation and is heavilyinvolved with the soon to be completeddown town 50,000 seat ColonialStadium.
Jeff Kennett knows the promotiongame inside out and because of hisexpertise, Victorians are basking in theinternational financial limelight.
And now the bad news…The recent election results pointed outsharply that even the best promotedproduct (Jeff), can come unstuck. Heneeds to be a bit more humble with thepeople, if he wants to be “re-purchased”or in his case, “re-elected.”Conversely, hasn’t billionaire Gerry
Redo your CV/PMIAn updated CV/Personal MarketingInformation file, will help you focus onthe successes in your life, especially ifyou’ve been in business for some time.If you’ve been busy, you may not havekept it up to date and there may becourses you’ve done, even communitywork that will all compliment you.
www.websiteGet your own personal or companywebsite. Despite the results, thewww.jeff.com.au website proved to behighly popular. Like having a faxmachine in the late 80s, a cellular phonein the mid 90s, a lap top computer in thelate 90s, a website will be essentialwithin two years. But make sure it’sprofessionally designed. In a recentstudy on the top 300 web sites in theworld visited daily, not one Australiancompany was listed!
Oh, and by the way. When you aresuccessful and you make it to the top,make sure you remember to express alittle humility and thankfulness to yourconstituents (customers)!
It’s not necessarily the best productsthat get our attention…it’s the bestpromoted products…
Harvey done well with his low key, yethighly upbeat method of getting thepublic attention and support with theHarvey Norman group?Okay, so I know by now you areprobably thinking: “What has JeffKennett got in common with me?”
The answer is — everything!So, what are the lessons to be learned
from Jeff Kennett, regarding promotionat a personal or corporate level?
Simply this — it’s no use having agreat product or service unless youeffectively promote it. If you take onboard some of the following ideas, youare bound to have one of your best yearsever.
Here are a few pointers for successfulself/company promotion:
Decision time This isn’t a movie! Look at everydecision you make as the basis for alifetime of win-win situations for allinvolved. Your life and business areusually a pretty significant investmentin both time and money. Do it right thefirst time!
Get healthyYou won’t dowell in the marketplace ifyou don’t feelwell. I suggest investingjust one per cent of your day to startwith (14 minutes) to do some sort ofaerobic activity. Walking is ideal.You’ll feel and look better for it.
Business cardsThey are your ‘silent salesperson’ andmust do the job, long after you’ve metthe person. It’s not a bad idea to haveyour photograph on your card. This hasthe effect of making you morememorable to your customers.Remember, people are buying YOU, aswell as what your product, service andcompany can do for them.
Rob Salisbury is an accredited professionalspeaker, certified trainer and 2001President for the NSW chapter of theNational Speakers Association of Australia.His specialty skill is getting massive resultsfor his clients in the areas of sales,marketing and product promotions. Website: www.strategicresources.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 9867 3677
R
138 Corporate Trends
ROB SALISBURY
“Wow…That was SydneyAustralia…Wow…Wow !”
Every person living in Australiashould have been proud of theshowcase Sydney made to the world on New Years Eve.
o matter who you werewith or where you were,Australia received fantasticpraise for its visual
performance from around the globe. What an amazing evening as NZ and
Australia became the centres of worldattention, as the main events of the earlyNew Year celebrations.
While most of the globe was cringingin anticipation of the ‘Millennium Bug’,many of us in the South Pacific tooktime out to watch the New Year comeinto its own around the world, one cityat a time on New Years Day.
The ‘Wow’ factorThe highlight statement about Australiahad to be from a reporter in the Atlanta,Georgia headquarters office of CNNWorld News. She literally said“Wow…That was Sydney, Australia…Wow…Wow!”With her face showingthe signs of being just knocked out ofher chair from the visual show.
That was a big comment for her tomake during an evening that presented70 different cities and their celebrationsin their respective time zones.
By now you may know that Australiatook the top honours from around theworld for its Opera House—SydneyHarbour—Eternity—fireworks display.
The comment, “Wow…Wow”, fromthe reporter, reminds me of theinternational author and speaker, TomPeters. Tom wrote the 1984 mega hit“In Search of Excellence” and followedit up with several other books throughthe 80s and into the 90s.His 1994 International release entitled,‘The Pursuit of Wow’,was all about
Joneshave modelled and adopted thesame type of philosophies into theircultures and the results have beenexcellent for their shopping clientele.
With the speed of business increasingdaily and the patience of individualswaiting for companies to get it rightdwindling, what are you doing to makea positive impact in your long termcustomer retention plan?
The world stageAustralia made an impression on theworld in less than 20 minutes, and indoing so informed everyone that it isserious about‘stepping up’on the worldstage. Australia has been noticed andwill continue to be noticed in the mindsof the overseas market, especially withthe upcoming Olympic Games.
Before 2000 gets too far along, whynot take a few moments out to think ofhow you or your team can increase your‘Wow’ factor with the people you servein your market. Imagine if everyone inAustralia this year adopted a customerservice mentality to really put the word‘service’ back into their business andpersonal plans this year.
You can bet on one thing…you willsay ‘Wow’, when your net profits go up,the customers are bringing you newbusiness and your team is happier thanever before.
So, as the saying goes down under —“Why not give it a go?”
organisations with unparalleledcustomer service and the pursuit of the“Wow’, factor in their business plan.
Tom sited 210 observations over his25 years of business experience, ofpeople and organisations stepping up toliterally knock the socks off theircustomers. The observations high-lighted the increase to the bottom lineprofits of their companies, as well as theemployees having a better time in theirwork environment and the customerbeing blown away with their experience.
The common theme of the ‘Wow’factor, was individuals at all levelswithin a company (as well asindependent contractors) standing outfrom the growing number of ‘wannabe’successes and look-a-likes, to get it rightwith their customers
Shining differencesAs companies look for more ways toincrease sales, market share and profits,it is often the very basics that aremissed. And these are the things that canmake the biggest difference in thecompetition for consumer trust and longterm loyalty.
When was the last time you receiveda ‘Thank You’,letter or note from a hotelyou stayed at, a restaurant that youfrequent regularly, your insurance agentor a friend that you helped secure a newjob or business relationship?
Tom Hopkins, America’s leadingauthority on sales, has taught for 30years the importance of sending ‘ThankYou’,letters and notes to help build longterm relationships and retain customers.If a multi millionaire can send them outfor 30 years, doesn’t it make sense toconsider it for our own businesses andpersonal relationships?
For years, people have been tellingstories about the unprecedentedcustomer service of the giant retailerNordstroms. Companies like David
N
Rob Salisbury is an accredited professionalspeaker, certified trainer and 2001President for the NSW chapter of theNational Speakers Association of Australia.His specialty skill is getting massive resultsfor his clients in the areas of sales,marketing and product promotions. Website: www.strategicresources.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 9867 3677
Corporate Trends 139
ROB SALISBURY
Act Like a Lamb… Sell Like a Lion!At some point in your life, you mayhave heard the song, “What’s it allabout Alfie?” and pondered thewords…
he composers, Hal Davidand Burt Bacharach, back inthe early 1970s, were posinga question to their listening
audience to look at the changes in thetimes and ask themselves a majorquestion about their lives entering thatdecade. Of course, the question was notfor one specific person named Alfie butfor everyone in general.
My question to you in this article isalong the same lines of thinking, as itrelates to your customer relations andselling as a part of your business.
Long term vs short termWhat is more important today in yourbusiness plan? Maintaining good, solidlong term client relationships or addingnew business through effective, yet“low key” non-manipulative sellingmethods?
Notice, I said, “low key” sellingmethods, not high pressure?
In the year 2000, the fast talking, slicksales person has been replaced by salespeople who nurture, consult, network,counsel… but sell something? Heavenforbid — no way!
So, here is the $64,000 question —what is the right balance betweenmaintaining great relationships in ourbusinesses and at the same time, addingnew business to the bottom line?
In researching some fairly up to datematerial for this article, I came across anumber of books whose authors, I feel,have come up with the proper balanceand blend between these two areas ofbusiness needs.
The authors are all internationallyrecognised speakers… two Americansand two Australians. America’s
master sales trainer, Tom Hopkins and Larry Wilson.
Tom Hopkins, the 30 year veteran ofselling skills training and the author ofat least seven best selling books, puts itvery simply: “People must like you andtrust you in order to do business withyou, long term. You can make a livingmaking one off sales but the key togreatness in selling lies in long termrelationships. This, backed withexcellent service and being a greatcommunicator, to find out the true needsof your customers or clients”.One of Tom’s latest books is called,‘Low Profile Selling… Act Like a Lamb
approach) and very effective inlistening to the needs of the client togain greater trust and credibility. Nodoubt, this is the main reason we haveseen the dominance of men in salesforces around the world drop from over80 per cent to around equal numbers ofmen and women. in the last 20 years.
Why? Because women are great inacting like lambs but watch out becausethey can also sell like lions.
Stop selling, start partneringFellow American, Larry Wilson, authorof, ‘The One Minute Salesperson’, hasnow written a book called, ‘StopSelling… Start Partnering’.In it, Larryexplores and confirms the new thinkingabout finding and keeping goodcustomers and clients for the long term.If you can get this book from yourfavourite book store, it is an excellentread on global trends on customerloyalty and service.
If you can’t find that, get a copy ofAustralian speaker and author, KeithAbraham’s latest book, ‘Creating LoyalProfitable Customers’. This willawaken you to at least 47 new ways toturn your customers into passionatepurchasers of your products and/orservices. Or another great Australianbook, ‘What’s Ethical About Selling?’,by David Penglase. It explores the verynature of how anyone can succeed insales and still maintain their integrity.
A Final WordAll of these authors talk about one greattruth — if you build long termrelationships based on integrity, value,sincerity and loyalty and combine thiswith good, effective human relationsand selling skills, you will be able toanswer Alfie’s question — because youwill know what it’s all about.
Rob Salisbury is an accredited professionalspeaker, certified trainer and 2001President for the NSW chapter of theNational Speakers Association of Australia.His specialty skill is getting massive resultsfor his clients in the areas of sales,marketing and product promotions. Website: www.strategicresources.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 9867 3677
T
…. Sell Like a Lion’.It’s a great title andit has some very strong references to thecurrent trends amongst the very highestpaid sales people in the world.
In the book, Tom says ‘low profileselling’ can be a difficult concept tograsp because most people’simpression of selling is being loud,aggressive, pushy, obnoxious — thelion approach!
That’s why so many people rejectsales training. They don’t want to learnto be anything like the king of the salesjungle, the lion.
Hence, the reason so many womenare so successful in sales today. Theycan be soft, feminine (the lamb
Master sales trainer, Tom Hopkins
140 Corporate Trends
ROB SALISBURY
Some Fat is Necessary toStay Lean & ProfitableIn our quest to become business‘champions’ we need to make surewe have all the basics in place…
ou may have read that Olympicathletes have body fat to muscleratios that are as low as four percent, by the time they are ready
to compete in their respective sport orcompetition. However, most people areunaware that some body fat is critical in theathletes’ performance plan to be a lean,mean competing machine in the world ofsporting glory.
As business people, we too can learn fromthese games of competition. Some gamesare trials and others are for the gold — onlyyou really know which you are in at anygiven moment in your own business plan.Like the sporting people, we can all usesome fat in our business plan to make surewe have a chance of winning more of theraces we start. The proper balance betweenmuscle and fat in athletic bodies is just likethe balance between profits and expenses ina business balance sheet.
I’ll use this as an acronym to illustrate mypoint — I call it SOMFAT:
The S stands for SalesObviously, if sales are not happening inyour business enough, your business will bevery lean in profits. Increasing sales can bea minefield of challenges for most businessowners. Make sure you learn some basicsales skills and include sales trainingprograms in your business plan.
The O stands for OperationsNo matter how much you sell, yourbusiness will only ever be as good as itsability to deliver the goods or services itsells. The sale isn't the end of thetransaction, it the beginning.
Operational excellence is what has builtthe McDonalds name to a global presencearound the world. As most of us know, itisn't the taste of the burgers that keepsMcDonalds in business. It’s a combinationof many ‘mini systems’that operationallywork together, 18 hours a day, 7 days aweek, year in and year out.
The M is for MarketingMarketing is one of the areas that manybusiness owners get confused and frustratedwith at some point in their business lifetime. Like an Algebra problem inmathematics, there are certain ‘models’ofmarketing that work better than others.Knowing these models is critical to gettingthe most out of your marketing budget (notjust your advertising budget).
The planning of any marketing campaignshould stress the uniqueness of the business,the brands the business represents or theactual identity of the business owner as theface of the business.Recently, Dick Smith, the founder of DickSmith Electronics and an Australian icon inbrand marketing, headed up a very differentproduct launch in a very competitivemarket. He is taking on the wooden match
The F is for FinancialsThe old adage, ‘It isn't what you make thatcounts, its what you keep’is the bottom lineof every business.
One of the most difficult things for anybusiness to do, is become financially viableand stay that way, especially while growinginto new markets or additional products.The classic line that Tom Cruise yelled outin the 1997 movie, ‘Jerry McGuire’– ‘ShowMe The Money’,is totally apt for the ownerof any business today.
The A is for AdministrationMichael Gerber is one of the best knownauthors of the 1990s for his internationalbest selling book, ‘The E-Myth’. In it, hebreaks down the three types of personalitiesthat are inherit in any small business owner:The Entrepreneur, The Technicianand TheManager.There’s a little of these in each ofus. It is normal however, that one of thesepersonalities is most dominant. So, if youare not a great manager,for instance, thenoutsource everything you can to an outsidebusiness that specialises in administration.
The T is for TechnologyWith services such as mobile phones,portable computers, printers, the internet,and e-commerce, it is relatively inexpensivethese days to employ the latest technologyin your business.
Make sure you are using it to its fullest toleverage your time and opportunities.
So, remember to add SOMFAT to the diet ofyour business plan this year and you mayavoid the lean times in the future.
This is a summary report for CorporateTrends Magazine. For a complete FREEcopy of the entire report, contact RobSalisbury at the address below and one willbe sent to you.
Y
market and the well known brand ‘RedHead’ matches, with his own brand namematches called –Dick Head matches, in avery clever and innovative use of his name.
This ‘tongue in cheek’approach, capturedthe hearts and minds of consumers and gota lot of publicity — better still, it’s free! It isalso very difficult for the competition toemulate, because he is using his own nameto personalise the brand.
Anyone else taking this approach to themarket would probably be hung out to dryby the advertising establishment. In somerecent public surveys, they found that mostpeople surveyed found the Dick HeadMatch campaign to be not only funny butalso a reverse of what they would expectfrom Dick Smith in his approach to themarket. The bottom line is — who will you think of when you are next in the wooden match section of your favourite supermarket?
Rob Salisbury is an accredited professionalspeaker, certified trainer and 2001President for the NSW chapter of theNational Speakers Association of Australia.His specialty skill is getting massive resultsfor his clients in the areas of sales,marketing and product promotions. Website: www.strategicresources.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 9867 3677
“It isn’t how much youmake in business thatcounts, it’s how muchyou get to keep.”
Corporate Trends 141
ROB SALISBURY
The Rise and Rise of Fatso…!Who would have thought that acheeky, irreverent character likeFatso, would so encapture theAussie spirit…
everal years ago, Paul Berry,wrote a book encompassing thelife long accomplishments of anAustralian billionaire entitled,
“The Rise and Rise of Kerry Packer”.However, at the recent Sydney Olympic
games in September 2000, a televisionviewing audience estimated at 4.6 billionpeople, saw the rise of another Australiancreation of a very different sort – Fatso, thefat-arsed wombat.
When it comes to sales promotion,marketing and future revenue production,Channel 7’s executive chairman, KerryStokes and his “Dream Team”,hit anaudience bull’s eye through coverageof the games via a late night TVproduction called simply, The Dream.
A different perspectiveAs the unofficial Olympic eventsevening recap show, The Dreamwasthe brain-child of 7’s program directorTim Worner and was produced byTodd Abbott. Featuring the talents ofresurrected 7 veterans, John Doyle andGreg Pickhavier, (now worldly knownas Rampaging Roy Slaven and H.G.Nelson), The Dreambecame one of thebiggest Australian home grown hitsever during the Games.
The final night of the Olympiccoverage saw The Dream hit anAustralian audience of 2.54 millionviewers, according to A.C. Nielson ratings.That’s 14 out of every 100 people in thecountry watching the last two hours of thisbawdy Aussie humour and loving everyminute of it.
When I interviewed producer ToddAbbott, for this Corporate Trends article, hesaid that nearly everyone had been totallyamazed by the success of the show and mostof the Dream Teamhad slept overtime forthe entire week after the Olympics.Obviously it was an outstandingpromotional success but like any goodmarketing effort, with a price to pay.
Todd was quick to give credit to a numberof people regarding The Dreamand to hislong-time friend Paul Newell (the designer
of Fatso), for coming up with the cheekycompetitor to the official Olympic mascots,Millie, Ollie and Syd.
Fatso, caused a frenzied sensation duringthe games, joining Gold Medalists likeMichael Klim, Susie O’Neil and GrantHackett on the winners’ dais for theiracceptance presentations.
The cuddly, cult wombat at one pointeven attracted the ire of the AustralianOrganising Committee, who suggested thatFatso had threatened a $15 million AOCmarketing campaign geared towards thefamous America Cup branding mascot, theboxing kangaroo, which was bought fromformer Australian of the year, Alan Bond.
Paul, a former animator at Disney, said hecame up with 15 drawings before the finaldraft was accepted. The reaction to thestuffed wombat by competing athletes and
past Olympians was unanimous. It seemseveryone wanted to be associated to theshow and the larrikin mannerisms of Fatso.
National Education Environmentalists, Green Peace and theQueensland Government also benefitedfrom Fatso, by bringing the strife of the realwombats to the attention of the publicthrough national advertising and education.
According to Minister Rod Welford, theonly known population of about 75 northernhairy nosed wombats, is in the EppingForest National Park, near Clearmont inCentral Queensland. Programs are alreadybeing developed to see more funding goingto protection and habitat improvements
from the roll over effect of the Olympicwave. Fatso did a great job!
To further poke fun at the serious natureof the Games, Fatso used it’s biggest assetby pooping on the Olympic track onnational television. As if to say: “Not onlyam I big but can you get away with this –just watch me!”And we all did!
This is what has caused Australians to beembraced so well by other nations over thedecades. Their very nature of not takingsituations (or life) too seriously but knowingwhen to take tasks on. Committing to thepride of a changing heritage and getting thejob done as proud Aussies — oi, oi, oi!
And a big finish…As if it were not enough to finish the gameswith a massive closing ceremony, H.G. andRoy’s Dream Teamconcluded with Fatso
extinguishing the Olympic Flamewith his fat arse! If you saw it, youwould be hard pressed to not have hada last minute private chuckle.
Fatso, the fat-arsed wombat,brought in charity bids of $30,000,$50,000 and $70,000 before beingauctioned off for a final bid of$80,450. That money will go to theOlympic Aid Charity for refugeechildren and what an impact thosefunds will make over the long term.
So, who are the real winners of therise and rise of Fatso?
I think it is the general public. Theybenefited from the bright ideas of afew individuals who dedicatedthemselves to entertaining, educatingand empowering the viewers ofChannel 7 to take part in the Olympic
Spirit. What great, original ideas and innovations
can you come up with to help promote yourbusiness? If you don’t have any, why don’tyou give me a call and maybe I can help youdevelop a few.
Rob Salisbury is an accredited professionalspeaker, certified trainer and 2001 Presidentfor the NSW chapter of the NationalSpeakers Association of Australia. Hisspecialty skill is getting massive results forhis clients in the areas of sales, marketingand product promotions. Website: www.strategicresources.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 9867 3677
S
142 Corporate Trends
ROB SALISBURY
Going for Line HonoursBillions are invested in sport but who are the true winners? What are the realrewards of promotion and sponsorship…?
he 56th Telstra Sydney toHobart Yacht Race was onBoxing Day, December 26,2000. It is considered by many
to be the “Super Bowl” of yatching and apromotional masterpiece in Australian sport.
Over 26 million hits were recorded on theofficial Telstra race web site. Up from 8million in 1999 and 283,000 in its first yearon the net in 1995. More hits than theSydney Olympics (on a daily average)according to Suzie Powell,Sponsorship Manager of Telstra OnAir, based in Melbourne.
Victoria’s favoured son, 36 yearold Grant Wharington, owner andskipper of the 83 ft., carbon fibrehulled maxi Wild Thinghas been inthis race thirteen times. His boathad twice as many hits on its website than his nearest Australiancompetitor. People love followingthis race, be it on Sydney harbour,television, radio or the internet –and the numbers are growing.
The race is a gruelling 630nautical mile voyage and the year2000 race was a cautious display ofplanning and preparation, mixedwith the elements of the rich andfamous (Lachlan Murdoch onNews Corp) together with theyoungest (18) and the oldest (76),rookies and veterans. All want to win one ofthe most contested and desired prizes insailing – line honours in a Sydney to Hobart.
The ultimate honourThe honour of first boat and crew in toConstitution Dock, Hobart, is reserved for acombination of the very best, the luckiestand recently, the most heavily corporatelysponsored international team in the world.No Australian team has won in the last threeyears. Close but not quite there.
This year’s race featured a fleet of 83competing yachts. Down in numbers fromthe largest fleet of 115 starters in 1998. A perfect stormThe race of 1998 was the worst maritimetragedy of recent memory. Along the easterncoastline of NSW and Victoria, 71 boatsretired to shelter and avoid a 36 hour “Bass
Strait Bomb” that exploded with cyclonicstrength winds of up to 90 knots. Six sailorsdied, 55 crew were rescued, 12 strickenyachts, 7 abandoned and 5 sank .
Imagine the movie Perfect Stormon theTasman Sea and you have got the picture.The changes in safety requirement andregulations since 1998 have been applaudedby CEO, Glenn Bourke of the raceorganising body, the Cruising Yacht Club
The sponsor of Nicorette billionaireErnesto Berterrelli, is known to have several businesses that benefitedfrom the world exposure – Nicoretteitself being one of over 3,500 products he oversees.
Show me the moneyThe difference between first place forNicorette and second place, for Wild Thingwas 30 miles of ocean, five hours in time,over one million dollars US in sponsorshipfunds and a more seasoned sailing crew.
Peter Bolton, a 28 year veteran sailor andfirst time crew on Wild Thingsaid, “You canhave 22 people who are champions on a boatbut to finish in Hobart in the top five, youhave to have a championship team (plus the
right equipment on your yacht).Grant was quick to comment that,
“Sponsors get the benefit of the boatbeing marketed as more than just aplace for their name on the mainspinnaker… it is an adventure to beable to have sponsors use my boatfor their corporate events throughoutthe year and those three to four hour‘mini adventures’are something that99.9 per cent of the population neverget a chance to enjoy.”
Sponsors like Toll Expressfor$20,000, Sydney City Volvofor$20,000 and I-7 Paid Televisionfor$50,000, must think it was worth it.Wild Thing(about a $3 million dollarboat) finished for the first time insilver medallion place after fourthirds and Grant will be back nextyear. “This race is about a crew andboat participating and being
challenged to do their very best”.Being challenged to do your best… isn't
that what it's all about in the corporate world,too? Now there's a great idea for promotingyour corporate position.
Footnote: This is a summary article forCorporate Trends magazine. For a completeFREE copy of the entire article, contact RobSalisbury at the address below.
Rob Salisbury is an accredited professionalspeaker, certified trainer and 2001President for the NSW chapter of theNational Speakers Association of Australia.His specialty skill is getting massive resultsfor his clients in the areas of sales,marketing and product promotions. Website: www.strategicresources.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 9867 3677
T
(CYC) of Australia. Certainly raising thesafety standards has helped minimise therisks to the competitors and is securing moremoney from corporate sponsors to beinvested into crews and boats of the future.
Sponsorship pays offTelstra,the official corporate sponsor of therace gets a good return in both namingrights and product sales for what is said tohave been about $700,000 in both cash andservice support to the CYC. Likewise thedozens of other sponsors should get valuefrom their support of their favourite yachtsand crew.
Swedish maxi, 80 ft. Nicorettethe overallline honours winner, boasted a corporatesponsorship of $1.2 million US and had aninternational team of professional sailorsincluding Sydney based Olympian, Finn,Anthony Nossiter.
Wild Thing under sail – photograph copyright © Richard Bennett
Corporate Trends 143
ROB SALISBURY
hat is it that businessleaders and people like Dr.Madeline Allbright, SirRichard Branson, Janet
Holmes a Court, Gary Toomey, PaulineHanson, Tim Shaw, Poppy King, DickSmith and the cast of Big Brother have thatyou don’t?
These people leverage their personalpower and unique marketing skills to gettheir points across. Single-handedly, theyhave shaped our world, their countries andtheir economies like few before.
Dr. Madeline Allbright, was appointed USAmbassador to the United Nations in 1992and in 1996, the 64th Secretary of State forthe USA. Her personal style and relentlessdiplomatic successes over the decades, havecombined to make her one of the mostinfluential people in the world today. Thewords, “we are not negotiating”, were herfinal words on diplomatic immunity forSlobodan Milosevic.
Her personal campaigning to cut offforeign aid to Belgrade if it did notcooperate with The Hague or the UN,eventually brought down the Butcherof Belgrade.
Sir Richard Branson, has for 40years put himself and (through hispersonal marketing efforts) hiscompany Virgin, into the internationalspotlight. He is widely known as afierce competitor with a sharp mindand yet fun approach to the marketplace.
Janet Holmes a Court, Universityeducated in Perth, married with fourchildren in the early 60s, widowed in theearly 90s, has been given full credit forsaving and flourishing her husband’sbusiness empire after his death.
She is now the wealthiest woman inAustralia. By putting herself in the spotlight,she has personally led the company fromstrength to strength and championed over1,000 employees to believe in teamworkand purpose each and every day.
Gary Toomey, Air New Zealand’s CEO,has ABSOLUTELY put himself on the linethis year, to personally market you and Iback on to Air New Zealand’s new fleet ofplanes. His own brand of personalmarketing has enabled the struggling airline
to regain market share and direction. Pauline Hanson, (whether you agree with
her political message or not) has almostsingle-handedly put her One Nation partyon the Australian political scene throughpersonal marketing.
Tim Shaw, the only spokesperson in theworld for McDonalds, other than NBAlegend Michael Jordan, has personallymarketed over $100 million of products inthe last 10 years… but wait there’s more!
Poppy King is and has been on both sidesof success and failure in business. Shecontinues to market and promote herself andher company with the same enthusiasm shehad when she was just eighteen.
Millionaire Dick Smith, is no stranger topersonal marketing. By making himself intoan Australian icon, he is now able to use hispersonal image as a virtual brand tosuccessfully market a whole range of locallymade products and services.
physical prowess and team contribution,Big Brother contestants survived by provingtheir worth as individuals and the publicwas the final decision maker. This show hasturned Personal Marketing into somethingof an art form!
Sara-Marie, the bum-dancing, breastbaring, bunny-eared girl from Bunbury,nearly won the grand prize of $250,000 andavoided eviction by the public six times.The public fell in love with her because sheunderstood the power of being outrageousand uncompromising in her personalbehaviour… like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Sara-Marie will be famous for being famous.
Big picture marketingBrian Tracy, a U.S. based author, speakerand authority on sales and marketing,recently said: “The success or failure of amarketing strategy, determines the successor failure of any company or individual. If a
company or individual is succeeding,it is because their marketing strategy isreally good and is positioned correctlyat the clients and the competition.”
You can absorb mistakes in everyarea of a company but if you makemistakes in marketing you can be outof business or in a downturn veryquickly.
It’s vitally important that you makethe clear distinction between sellingand marketing.
Marketing is the process of determiningcustomers needs and then tailoring productsor services to satisfy and fulfil those needs.
Selling is reinforcing the marketingproposition and delivering on the promise.It’s also about gaining the trust andconfidence of the buyer and building a closeongoing relationship with the client andmanaging that relationship.
You as the ProductThink of yourself as the prime product youare marketing. Begin with your own talents,knowledge, abilities, experience, interests,achievements. Where do you get your bestresults from? What you are doing when youare at your happiest? Your background, yourpast efforts, working/professional life, allplay an important role in marketing you.
W
THE POWER OF PERSONAL MARKETING
Big Brother was hereWhether you loved it or loathed it, Channel10’s Big Brother series, has become anAustralian social phenomenon. Who wouldhave imagined that after three months, 12people living in a house together, with onegetting evicted week by week, would attractsuch a national audience?
To put this remarkable series’success intoperspective, on the final night of eviction,the show had around 2.8 million peopleglued to their sets awaiting the finaloutcome. Big Brother’s marketing wasparticularly effective with Australia’s youngpopulation. Channel 10 reporting it attractedmore than 50 per cent of the 16 to 39 agegroup – the X-generation and pre-X-generation viewers.
Unlike ‘Survivor’, which was about
ROB SALISBURY
you find yourself in, didn’t happen byaccident. Most of us drift along in life andhave never taken the time to get clarity,direction and focus on our five, ten or eventwenty year career goals.
The people who seem to do very well inbusiness and in life, have the ability to focuson one thing for long periods of time. Theyare also very passionate and enthusiasticabout what they do. They literally“champion” their cause, mission and theirorganisation and the products and servicesthey sell.
Personally marketing youNearly everyone wants to be paid more andearn more but few are willing to investenough in helping to build themselves up asan ‘asset’ to be marketed.
Now, more then ever before, a strategicrepresentation or competitive advantage, isa vital part of personal and career success.Taking massive action on re-calibrating, re-educating and re-building you,is one of themost important strategies and investmentsyou can make in your future.
One of the biggest challenges facing mostbusiness people today, is determining theirself worth and value in their chosen career.
Finding directionSomeone once said, “A ship that neverleaves the harbour is fundamentally safe butthat’s not what ships are for!” You are thecaptain of your ship. The waters of your life
focus, determination, effort and a wholehost of personal characteristics to attain asuccessful career over the long term. Overthe last several decades we have seentremendous fortunes made and lost basedupon an individual’s personal marketing oftheir talents and skills.
Secrets of successThe secret of successful personal marketinglies in understand one’s particular expertiseand then developing those skills to local,regional and then world class standards.This will make you a valued professional.
There is no better investment you canmake, than the investment you make inyourself. Put the energy into training,educating, grooming and encouraging yourmost valuable asset – you!
Rob Salisbury is an accredited professionalspeaker, certified trainer and 2001President for the NSW chapter of theNational Speakers Association of Australia.His specialty skill is getting massive resultsfor his clients in the areas of sales,marketing and product promotions. Website: www.strategicresources.com.auE-mail: [email protected]: (02) 9867 3677
The most successful employees andbusiness people are usually tremendouslyskilled in self-promotion or careermarketing. They know that a rock solidfoundation must be built at some time, tocreate the platform to building a successfullong term career.
And, success does not normally comeeasily. It takes thorough planning, advice,
“Take the coins out ofyour purse and investthem in your mind andyour mind will fill yourpurse with coins.”
Benjamin Franklin – 1882Inventor, author, statesman andAmerica’s first self-made millionaire
• MARKETING IDEAS
• SALES STRATEGIES
• IMPACT & HUMOUR
• REAL LIFE EXPERIENCESRob Salisbury–Contributing Author to the 1997 Best Selling book ‘There is More To Life than Sex and Money’ and since 1999, a regular featured writer on sales and marketing issues for Corporate Trends Magazine
“I called you a ‘Motivational Technician’ - a person who specializes in the practical science of getting individuals to believe in themselves and achieve incredible things.”
Craig Scutella CEO, Dymocks #1 Book Store in Australia
“You are a one-man dynamo that had the whole group of 210 people active, participating, learning and laughing!”
Kim McGuiness MD, Centrum Events
“As you know our results for April were excellent, 159% of target. The good news is that May was even better with my team achieving 192% of target”.
Katherine Smith, Group Manager-Optus Care
“Well, you did it again at our first Awards function for our top 130 sales and management team.”
Bill Robertson, National Training Manager, Century 21 Australasia
Strategic Resources International Pty Ltdwww.strategicresources.com.au
Technician
The
Sales and Attitude a bit off?At your next sales conference, learning seminar, team meeting, AGM or off-shore convention, why not bring in Rob Salisbury to educate, inform, entertain and inspire your team and impact your sales (and your team's attitude) in a very positive manner–over 250 Australasian companies have since 1994 and the results speak for themselves.
Ph 02 9867 3677
Fax 02 9567 0726
Mike SchoettlerDeveloping your team's ability to grow
profitable business relationshipsis your best investment for success.
Michael Schoettler
From Salesman, to Sales Manager, to General Sales Manager, toState Sales Manager, to National Sales Manager, to Speaker andEducator on Negotiation, Leadership, and Sales Skills.
Michael is an entertaining pragmatist who blends humour andpathos with his own personal illustrations. Combining abackground of sales and management success, Michael'scredibility extends to both sales and non-sales staff alike.
Educated in the United States of America, Michael's perspective makes him a unique speaker/trainer withthe impact to move an audience to action. Michael has a B.A. in Political Science (California StateUniversity at Los Angeles) and a Master of International Management (American Graduate School ofInternational Management).
Michael has demonstrated his "Sales Sense" approaches to producing results working in major corporationsin both the USA and Australia. After five years as National Sales Manager for Hunter Douglas, he launched"Sales Sense" and started speaking professionally in 1991. He now helps Associations, Corporations, andFranchise groups of all sizes to lift their results by focusing on their biggest asset, the customer. A pastPresident of the National Speakers Association of Australia in NSW, in 1999 Michael was named aGovernor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia.
Keynote Presentations:
The Power of Ethical NegotiationMaking Ice Burn – How to Set a Cold Team on FireBuilding Profitable Relationships in the Digital AgeSales Sense – Five Steps to Sales SuccessCommunications – Your Service AdvantageIncentives Don't Always Mean Money
Clients
AMP, Linde Gas, BHP, Vergola, Parke-Davis, Food-way, Jetset, Yellow Pages Australia, Forstaff, AussieHome Loans, American Express, Meetings Industry Assoc. of Australia, Van Leer, Orchy, United Airlines,Zuellig, OOCL, United Travel Agents Group, Caltex, Public Trustee, Ademco, Marcus Evans, GE,ENSPIRE, SEDA, Eli Lilly, Vergola, Danzas, First National Real Estate, IMS, Accent Blinds, Cookie Man,Choice Personnel, Gateway, Cathay Pacific, Vodac, Prudential, Goodyear, Raine & Horne, Esanda, BOC
Professional Involvements
Governor, American Chamber of Commerce in AustraliaPast President, NSW Chapter, National Speakers Assoc. of Aust.Associate Fellow, Australian Institute of Management
http://www.salessense.com.au
146 Corporate Trends
MIKE SCHOETTLER
Good Service is Simply Not Enough…Most people think if they simply provide good service, the worldwill beat a path to their door…
ecently, I called our localreal estate office tocomplain about anincorrect charge on a unit
they manage for us. Kerry was verynice and promised to make thecorrection. She was so nice that afterfaxing the copies, I forgot about it.Until the next statement arrived thismonth and nothing had been done!
So, I called the office again. Thereceptionist was nice but a bit unsureabout the situation. Kerry was awayon holiday but another person inproperty management Toni, wouldreturn in a few minutes. I left myname and number.
Two and a half hours laterAfter two and a half hours, I realisedanother call was required. Toni saidshe had received my message butseeing both names on the message,she had put it on Kerry's spike. Iasked if she was on holiday. Toniadmitted that she was. She guessedshe could have returnedmy call. Then, she simply asked whyI had called.
On hearing my complaint, it turnedout this file had been sitting on herdesk since my first call but.,”Youknow, it just keeps getting put back”.Toni said she would fix it. As at thismorning, it has been another elevendays so, l called again. Toni said shehas been away but would take care ofit today. By 6pm I expect I will haveto call again. Is this the level ofservice that makes ours look good ?Are these the companies we shouldthink about when we talk to our people about the level ofservice we provide?
What is ‘good’ service? When I asked a group of travel agentswhat they did for a living, they said, “wesell tickets”. And when I asked themwhy people should deal with them,rather than someone closer, they replied,“because we give good service”.
“What is good service,” I asked? “Fast and efficient,” they said.
Now, when I moved to Australia, I left ajob that required me to fly a bit. I used todrive to the Long Beach airport so Icould park within 100 meters of theplane. As I walked into the terminal,
there was a machine just inside the door. I would insert my credit card in a slot
and then there was a bunch of buttons,one for' each destination: SanFrancisco, Seattle, Sacramento,Phoenix, etc.And, at the bottom I had tomake one' more choice. One way orreturn? Then, the ticket would come outand my card would be returned. Thatwas in 1979.
Fast and Efficient If the quality of your service is justbased on fast and efficient, why wouldn'tyour clients choose to deal with amachine? We can no longer feel goodabout our service just because we have afew competitors who still can’t get thefast and efficient right. As from today,your biggest competitors may not evenbe in your town or state. They may not
pay the same taxes or hire staff under thesame rules as you. They may not haveany staff. They may offer a machine!
The Internet brings the world topeople and the range of products andservices they offer is growing every day.All with machine-like efficiency.
One of the travel agents that day saidhe doesn't sell tickets, he sells dreams.Sounds like a totally different businessand one a machine can't do.
He is involved with his clients. Whodo you think is giving more value to hisclients? Who do you think is earningmore from his business?
People or Machines? The difference is in the relationship. Onthe one hand it is just a mechanicalrelationship. A client wants somethingand we give it to them, with a minimumof bother.
But to sell dreams, your people haveto get involved with the how's and why'sof people's decisions. And accept thatthe when's are always now. Now is aminimum level of service.
My local council is making a big fussabout keeping bank branches open.They don't want to see people lose theirjobs. It’s easy to agree but those jobswere lost when the machines were firstinstalled and Australians flocked to dealwith an efficient machine over adisinterested person.
I like people and I have made friendsat my bank. But I have also stood in anair-conditioned branch where the linefor the machine outside was longer thanthe line inside. How will you prepareyour people to give a level of servicethat is more than just efficient? Aservicethat justifies a premium over the cost ofdealing with a machine.
How does your team measure up?
R
As from today, yourbiggest competitorsmay not even be inyour town or state.
Michael Schoettler is a professional speakeron leadership and sales issues. With aMasters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
Corporate Trends 147
MIKE SCHOETTLER
Change or be ChangedThe customer is going to win. But
is the customer going to win with
you or somebody else?
ow long has it been sinceyou heard someone say,“If it ain’t broke, don’t fixit”? I’ll bet not that long.
But business has moved past just fixingproblems. Today, we need to find everyopportunity for improvement.
Over the Christmas holiday, wemanaged to enjoy a few days inMexico. Puerto Vallarta is a resort areaon the West coast and our hotel wasright on the beach. And between meals,our spot was on the beach. Out with thesun, the sea, and the salespeople.
There were a lot of vendors offering awide range of local products.Everything from carvings to carpets.They would walk along the edge of thehotel properties and offer their wares toeveryone. But if you said no, or justshook your head, they would thank youand move on. And, because they wereso polite, there was little hesitation tostop them when you did see somethingyou liked. We bought several itemsbecause they made it so relaxed. It wasa pleasure to deal with them.
Hard workBut one vendor was working a lotharder than the rest. He was pushing awheelbarrow through the soft sand onthe beach. It was loaded with a largeround tank with a rectangular boxbalanced on the front. It had all beenpainted white and the side of the boxwas hand lettered “Ice Cream”. Belowthat was his e-mail address and underthat was printed his website.
Why would an ice cream vendor geton the net? I doubt that electroniccommerce accounts for much of hisbottom line, but it did attract a lot ofattention. And, if getting noticed is thefirst step in retail success, he was wellon his way.
As you can imagine, the picture ofthis vendor has been very popular at mypresentations. I still meet people whoask me if they need to be on the net.Now my answer is a question, “Howwould you compare your business to anice cream vender in Mexico?”
But the comparison is not who sellsmore or uses new technology. I amasking, “Are you as keen to build yourbusiness as the Mexican ice creamvendor?” Are you reluctant to makechanges or is your day based on findingthings you can do differently to create abetter result?When on topThe American magazine, BusinessWeek just published “The BusinessWeek Fifty.” They survey thecompanies listed in Standard & Poor’s
billion (US$). “There’s no way in hellthey are all going to work out,” saysWelch. “But 75 per cent of them - I hopethey will and believe they will, and infact I know they will.”
Michael Dell, founder of DellComputer and number two on the list,might have summed it up best when hesaid, “Product transitions are great forus, because we switch to the newproduct faster than anybody else”. Hisbusiness success is built on their abilityto change.
So, how did last year’s list do thisyear? Their market value rose 32 percent while the rest of the S&P increased21 per cent and the Dow JonesIndustrials managed only15 per cent.
Not a bad result. But you don’t have tobe a major corporation to benefit fromchange.
Who is hungry?A few weeks ago I presented at theannual franchise conference for a largeretail group. As a part of my preparationI met with two operators and talked onthe phone o several others. Most openjust half the day on Saturdays and closeon Sundays. When I asked about stayingopen longer, one said, “If we did that,only the customer would win”. Maybe.But better to ask, “Is the customer goingto win with us, or someone else?” And ifthey win with someone else first, howwill we get them back?
And yes, that franchisor has a goodlooking web site promoting their brandand selling their products. And no, theindividual stores are not linked to thesite to collect this business.
How keen would you be to makesome changes if you were pushing awheelbarrow through soft sand?
H
Michael Schoettler is a professionalspeaker on leadership and sales issues.With a Masters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
500 Stock Index, to produce their list ofthe best performers. But they don’t justpick the biggest. They look at growth insales, profits and total returns over oneand three years and then add netmargins and return on equity over oneyear. A total of eight measurements. Thetop 20 per cent in each category gets anA.
They sifted through the 500 to comeup with a list of 50 companies that areaggressively working at getting better.“Sweating the details” regardless ofhow well everyone says they are doingalready.
John Welch, CEO of General ElectricCompany, has been considered a leaderamong top companies for some time.But he is not sitting back on theirachievements. In 1998, he approved108 acquisitions worth a total of 23
148 Corporate Trends
MIKE SCHOETTLER
It’s Not the Product —It’s You!According to Albert Gray, winners have simply formed the habitof doing the things losers don’t like to do.
few weeks ago I calledabout a dozen sales leadersand asked them, “What isthe biggest challenge
facing your team today”. All but twosaid competition. Too many people inthe market and they are all offering low prices. The other two both said itwas time management. Which approach is more likely to improve their business result?
Many of the sales people I work withsay they wish for lower prices and betterproducts or services. If only thetechnical people would get going andgive them that “new and improved”product with a real advantage. Ormaybe it is time to move theirproduction offshore so they can reducecosts and offer their clients a cheaperprice. Do your sales people sometimeswish for these things? Do you?
Magic bullets We sometimes wish for the simpleanswers. The magic bullets that will turnour results around overnight. Whoamong us hasn’t wished for the big lottowin that will make our problems goaway. But when we are asked, most ofus understand that these big wins don’talways lead to happiness. Or in the longrun, any change for the better at all.
So is a superior product or lower pricethe guarantee to success in today’smarket? I don’t think so.
We can all list the superior productsthat failed to secure their place in themarket. Which video system wastechnically superior, VHS or Beta?Know anyone with a Betamax VCR?Which computer was simple to learn,easier to use and more reliable, the IBMPC or the Apple Mac? Now it takes avery loyal user to buy Apple, knowing
that you won’t be compatible with mostof your clients.
A better mousetrap“Build a better mousetrap and theworld will beat a path to your door.”Remember that one?
Back in the 80’s, I even saw thatbetter mousetrap. I was in the packagingbusiness and a bright fellow worked outa way to use a piece of cardboard and arubber band to make a neat, clean,disposable, and cheap mousetrap. Hewas going to buy millions of them. Butwe never saw the second order. Every year thousands of new productsare introduced. All with supposed
listen. If you are feeling brave and havethe time, it is useful to ask about theirproblems. Specifically, what is holdingyou back?
“Sometimes I lie awake at night and Iask, “Where have I gone wrong?” Thena voice says to me, “This is going to takemore than one night.”
Charlie Brown
What to Do But after listening to their toughproblems in the marketplace I ask,“What are you going to do?”If there isa shortage of ideas, this question can berephrased as “What would the bestsalesperson in the world do in thissituation?”
Most of us have some tasks that we doreally well. We enjoy doing them. Andwe will gladly make time to do them.But when there are other important jobsthat we don’t enjoy, sometimes wecomplain we don’t have the time.
When was the last time you said, “Ijust don’t have the time?”
Was it about time or just an excuse toavoid doing something you don’t enjoy?If you spend enough time thinking aboutsomething you don’t like, you can createa real problem for yourself.
If you have to eat a frog, you shouldn’tlook at it too long. And, if you have toeat several, eat the biggest one first!
It is not an accident that manysalespeople do their prospecting firstthing in the morning. Done regularly itjust becomes part of the routine. Andwhen you convert something you don’tenjoy into a routine, you avoid the worstpart — thinking about it!
So, which would produce the betterresult? Improving the product ororganising your efforts?
A
Michael Schoettler is a professionalspeaker on leadership and sales issues.With a Masters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
“Sacred cows makethe best hamburger”
Mark Twain
advantages that will make them suresuccesses.
And most fail. While thousands ofcompanies making me-too products,with no apparent advantages over theircompetitors, still make a good living.
Day dreamersSo, when I hear someone else wishingfor these magic bullets again, Iremember an old quotation that remindsme what to do:“Drawing on my fine command oflanguage, I said nothing”.
I just let them day dream for a whileabout how wonderful it would be if this,or that. We all enjoy dreamingsometimes. And it’s still educational to
Corporate Trends 149
MIKE SCHOETTLER
Winners are Grinners!Everybody loves a winner, its true but there is more to creatingwinners than just handing out awards. . .
fter winning the monthlysales contest yet again,Peter, an experienced oldhand, was asked, “How do
you win this contest every month?” Peter looked at the young Tom and
replied, “I use all my selling time to sell.I never do anything during the week thatI should do on my own time”.
I know that, said Tom, “But what doyou really do?”
After thinking another moment, Peterreplied, “I take the time to really listen tomy clients. And, then I ask the questionsthat help them to understand all theirneeds and see them in perspective”.
“I know that too”, said Tom. “Butcome on, what's your trick to winningthis thing?”
Peter paused again and said, “I alwaysask every prospect for the names ofother people they believe could benefitfrom my services. And then, I help themremember some more names”.
Tom looked disappointed and said,“Everyone knows that! Are you going totell me how you do it or not?”
Peter smiled patiently and then said,“Ok, I will let you in on the secret. I dowhat you know”.
Awards dinners As a speaker, I often get to attend or MCAwards dinners. They are the highlightof my week. When an Awards nightgoes well, the winners are normally skyhigh with excitement and the wholeroom is filled with energy. The efforts ofthe entire team are recognised andeveryone who had a good year (read:better than the last) is entitled tocelebrate.
If you can get the opportunity to talkto a winner, don’t miss it. They arealmost always happy to talk about theturning points in the year and the peoplewho made their result possible. Oftenthey will remind you that they are not
the best educated, best looking or eventhe smartest people in the room. Butthey won because they worked hard andfocused their energies on the activitiesthat produce results. They won becausethey wanted it.
The real winners But the biggest winners of the nightmay not be known until the followingyear. They are the people who make acommitment during the night that theyare going to be ‘up there’ next year.
The Atmosphere The key is to keep the group focused onthe winners, and that’s everyone wholifted their game. You can expect somenegativity. Some will try to excuse theirresults by minimising others oremphasising their problems.
In 1992, I attended my first NationalSpeakers Conference in Orlando,Florida. I found myself in line behind alady who was loudly complaining abouthow long her flight was from SanFrancisco. She moaned and groanedabout every aspect of the flight but keptrepeating that four hours is just too longto fly. Most of the people around her hadonly flown an hour or two.
When she finally got around to askingme, I did enjoy saying I was fromSydney, Australia and the first leg,Sydney to Los Angeles, was almost 14hours non-stop. Then, I said it was not abad flight. Just three meals, two moviesand you are there. She went quiet andthe others around us laughed. Now, thatflight is even shorter, with just twomeals and three movies.
Get a perspective Every audience will bring someproblems with them. The MC orchairperson must keep the focuspositive by acknowledging thedifficulties of the year and remindingeveryone that the night is to recognisethose who did well anyway.
Some have difficulty in the best oftimes and others success in the toughesttimes. The difference is not the times weface but how we face them.
The winners best tools are still theirperseverance, focus and desire. And, inthe right atmosphere, that desire caneasily become contagious. An epidemicof desire is the best reward any groupcan receive.
A
Michael Schoettler is a professional speakeron leadership and sales issues. With aMasters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
“Some have difficultyin the best of times
and others success inthe toughest times.
The difference is notthe times we face buthow we face them”.
Sometimes they are the new kids on theblock but often they are the winnerswho resolve to do it again. Many areeasy to pick because they make theirdecision publicly. They lock theircommitment in by telling anyone whowill listen that they are going to winnext year and bets are often made. Justas smokers use bets to help reinforcetheir decision to quit, a bet is made tohelp them keep their focus.
And, for some, a wager can move thefocus from being the best in the room toa more achievable goal of simplybeating the other person. In either case,everyone who can find a reason to lifttheir game (in other words, produce abetter result) benefits from the exercise.
150 Corporate Trends
MIKE SCHOETTLER
The Secret of Prospecting
an you imagine how easilythese thoughts surface whenyou are supposed to bemaking a positive
impression on potential clients? Whatimpressions do you think are made?
I read some research last week thatsaid only 15 per cent of salespeoplehave regularly scheduled times toprospect. Most salespeople try to fittheir prospecting in whenever they havea bit of time. So naturally they try tomake as many calls as possible. It’s easyto become short with the peoplehandling our calls when you are in ahurry. And, under this self-imposedstress, we can even have unrealisticexpectations about our prospects.
This is all very understandable. Theproblem is, it just doesn’t work.
The total pictureLets step back for a moment and look atthe total picture:
Why are we making these calls? Because every business needs to
create new clients. It’s the cornerstoneof the sales role. If customer service isabout taking care of clients, then sales isall about creating them. And, even wellestablished businesses can’t prosperforever from the prospecting work wehave already done. Prosperity andprospecting go together. We need tomeet new people.
Using the common prospectinganalogy of a funnel, we have to keepadding new prospects into the top of oursale process to regularly produce a fewnew clients at the end. Not everyonewill qualify so, if we need to produceclients on a regular basis, we need toprospect consistently.
Preparation Once we have a block of time allocated,we can approach the task professionally.
That means doing our homework. Weneed to prepare our script, our desk, andour minds. The script doesn’t mean weare going to read it to our contacts but itdoes mean we have put some thoughtinto why a qualified prospect will wantto see us. A script lets us listen to whatpeople are saying without putting all ofour focus on thinking about what we aregoing to say next. When you have agood script, your responses will beabout them, not about you.
Our surroundings are critical to thisfocus, too. Clear off your desk. Everytime you notice something in front ofyou that just has to be done today, youhave just been interrupted. We don’t
Gatekeepers If your prospect has the support of agood assistant, they are expected toqualify your call. The initial reason is toseparate the tasks the assistant canhandle from the issues that reallyrequire the prospects attention.Secondly, they are to redirect any callsthat belong somewhere else in theorganisation. And finally, if your havefound the right person, they areexpected to fit your item into today’sagenda.
When all this is working effectively,your prospect will still stay focused onthe priorities they have set for the day,without missing any opportunities thatmay arise.
So, the key is to understand andrespect the assistants role. Don’t getdefensive when asked why you arecalling. Be grateful they are there.because (and here is the secret)it istheir role to get the right issue, in frontof the right person, at the right time.And that is exactly what you want.
All you have to do is succinctly tellthem what this call represents, to them.Aplant hire service might be offering tobrighten your surrounds and reduceabsenteeism. A freight company couldreduce losses with special handling forspecial cargo. Or a promotionscompany could offer increased saleswith a new partner on their retailpackaging. It is the same concept youwould use to spark their interest inperson.
And then, they will decide if theywant to know more. Which is exactlythe challenge of voice mail.
Michael Schoettler is a professionalspeaker on leadership and sales issues.With a Masters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
“Yes, we try to maintain a positive outlook here but we have to face reality.You’ve hung that chart upside-down.”
C
“Who’s calling?” A bit abrupt but it is still an easy one to answer.(Although with my name I have to be careful not to go too fast). “And may I tell him what it is about?” Wait a minute. Why do I have to have a reason? You are probably justgoing to put me on to his voice mail anyway. Do I still need a reason justto get put on to voice mail?
want anything or anyone competing forour attention.
Our mind must be ready as well. Weknow that some people will take ourcalls and some won’t. Just as ourproduct or service may be right for someand not of others. We are bound to catchsome at the right time and others at theworst time. Even with a good block oftime, we don’t want to waste any onpeople who are not right for ourbusiness. It’s much smarter to avoidwasting any time talking to the wrongperson, or even the right person at thewrong time.
Corporate Trends 151
MIKE SCHOETTLER
Management vs Leadership— What’s the Difference?The King, President, or Prime Minister is the leader of the nation. Have you ever heard them referred to as the manager of the nation?
anagement and leadership areoften perceived as being oneand the same thing (strangelyenough — especially by
managers!)On the surface, they may seemto be similar but in practice, they are poles apart.
Admiral Grace Hooper, once said: “Youdon't manage people; you manage things.You lead people”.
And, herein lies the difference.Leadership is about leading people.Management is about managing things.
Let’s take a look at the seven keyattributes that separate a leader from amanager. I’ve also added some appropriatequotes from great leaders of our times toreinforce these points:
Vision Vision is not just the power that creates aleader, it is the source of the power that hewill use to lift the team.
A leader needs both the ability andwillingness to continuously communicatethe vision, to provide the group with both itsdirection and purpose. It is the powerful,compelling and consistent communicationof the vision, that provides the organisationwith its values, purpose and a clear future.The leader’s consistent message creates aunity of purpose and sells the missionthroughout the organisation.
“You are never given a dream, without alsobeing given the power to make it true”.
Richard Bach
Discipline Most of us begin life resenting outsidecontrol and testing any limits placed on us.But with adulthood, comes the under-standing that self-discipline is the onlyalternative to being disciplined by others.Leaders have great self-control. Betweenthe peaks of our success, it is our disciplinethat provides the strength to fight on whenwe are low.
Michael Jordan, said you have to expect
things of yourself before you can do them.Leaders need to know things can be donebefore they can expect others to do them. Itis the power of their expectations that drivethe group. Leaders set the standards.
“Be more concerned with your characterthan your reputation, because your characteris what you really are, while your reputationis merely what others think you are”.
John Wooden
Honesty A leader without honesty is powerless.Without creditability or consistency, therecan be no effective communication.Everything said or done will be analysed forall the possible motivations, hiddenmeanings and underlying agendas.Decisions will be revisited and repeatedlyanalysed in the search for explanations.
The opportunity to take a short cut, tocheat, to take the easy way out, is justaround the corner. But there is always awitness. And when the leader confides totheir team that they have lied to others in thegroup, they are telling everyone that theycan no longer believe anything withoutcloser examination.
“I have found that being honest is the besttechnique I can use. Right up front, tellpeople what you're trying to accomplish and what you're willing to sacrifice toaccomplish it”.
Lee Iacocca
Courage Courage is not the lack of fear, but feeling itand acting anyway. Don’t pretend you don’tfeel it, because your courage, that is yourbehaviour, will be the example to your team.Business gains come only with risk andtheir willingness to take these risks dependon their faith that you will not desert them.
“He who is not courageous enough to takerisks, will accomplish nothing in life”.
Muhammad Ali
Perseverance It is a question of commitment. When wehave a goal and a plan there will bedifficulties. Were these goals selectedbecause they were judged to be easy andwill we change our goals if there is anyresistance?
Your words are important but it is yourbehaviour that will be watched. This is anarea that generates the folk stories that serveto imprint new arrivals with the culture andexpectations of the organisation.
Will you press on to achieve your goal?
“Let me tell you the secret that has led me tomy goal. My strength lies solely in mytenacity”.
Louis Pasteur
Inspirational Few managers can do what all leaders mustbe able to do — inspire their people. Theexample of their commitment to the vision,mission, strategy and goals, creates theempowering environment to lift theperformance of the entire organisation.When their actions are not for personal gainbut the group goals, the leader’s enthusiasmbecomes contagious.
“What this power is I cannot say; all I knowis that it exists and it becomes available onlywhen a man is in that state of mind in whichhe knows exactly what he wants and is fullydetermined not to quit until he finds it”.
Alexander Graham Bell
Develop Leaders The leader is not expected to have all theanswers or make all the decisions. They areresponsible for the public praise and privatecorrections that help their team to realisetheir potential. Inevitably the leader willdemonstrate their faith in some individualswhile they still struggle with self-doubts.
“Treat a man as he is, and he will remain ashe is. Treat a man as he could be, and he willbecome what he should be”.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Michael Schoettler is a professional speakeron leadership and sales issues. With aMasters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
M
152 Corporate Trends
MIKE SCHOETTLER
any seemingly qualifiedpeople never make it in sales.They look good and theysound right when you watch
them practice in the office. But for somereason, they don’t generate the new businessso vital to an organisation’s growth andultimate success.
Stories and problemsSome sales managers give them a fewexisting accounts and then keepprodding them to open up new ones.But it never seems to happen. They geton well with their assigned clients andthey are always very busy. But insteadof new clients, all they have are storiesand problems. You know — excuses.
This seeming inability to collect newclients eliminates many otherwisequalified people from a rewarding salescareer. But it gets worse. Not all ofthem leave the business. And bystaying in the business, their inability tochase new business locks potentiallygreat representatives and theircompanies into sales mediocrity.
And it’s their boss’s faultI never knew how dumb a boss couldbe until I started working for myself.
I wanted to give great service and thattakes time. How much? Well, how muchtime have you got? Remember theexpression, “Work expands to fill the spaceavailable.” I worked long hours but neverhad any time left to look for new clients.
And I let myself get away with it becauseI was working hard but not very smart.
We Need New BusinessEven in good times we all lose clients. Somewill move away and others go broke. Itdoesn’t matter how good you are becausechange is a constant. And it seems to me thatchange keeps speeding up. So we have tokeep adding new business just to stay wherewe are. It’s a fact of life —accept it.
Now if you have a few dollars set aside, Ibet you didn’t just save what was left over atthe end of each month. Most people don’t
have any trouble spending more that theyearn. So, to save a reasonable ‘nest egg’, wehave to set some money aside at the start ofeach month and then live within what’s left.
It’s the same with prospecting. We haveto allocate time for prospecting and then dothe rest of our job within the hours that areleft. I suggest you set aside the start of theday for prospecting. That way you can lookfor new business before you get caught upin the day’s crisis.How much time? Well, how many prospects do you need?
Please don’t say, “As many as I can get!”If you generate more than you can handle,
you are wasting your time and building areputation for being unreliable.
So, how many is enough? Maybe just afew more than is comfortable. You canadjust the time allocated if your firstestimate is wrong. But to begin, why notstretch yourself?
The Thank You File It’s a good idea to start by remindingyourself of all the good things you do.Review your “Thank You” file. If you don’thave one, start one. Ask your clients whatthey like best about your service or product.And how their businesses has benefitedfrom doing business with you. When they remind themselves how happythey are, get them to put it on their letterheadso you can share it with others. Or if you feelthat’s too much to ask, ask them if you can
quote them. Now is also a great time to askthem who else they know who wouldbenefit from your service.
Resell Yourself In short, resell yourself on your ownproduct. Focus the enthusiasm of yourhappy clients and equip yourself to share itwith others. Their letters and pictures aregreat sales tools!
But we must work from the client’sperspective. It is their business that isimportant, not our product or service. Whatwe are selling is the benefit to their business.So first we must learn about their business
and then we can talk about how we canhelp.
“That is how it has worked for ourclients but every business is differentso...” Now all you need is a few minutesof their time to establish if you can helpthem. Like you have with so manyothers. “Is Tuesday afternoon good foryou or would Wednesday be better?”
Results vs excusesIt’s a shame that so many qualifiedpeople miss out on a great career likesales. But it’s an even greater shame thatso many so-called “sales people”, gothrough life collecting excuses insteadof results and only earn a fraction ofwhat they are truly capable ofgenerating.
Why? It could be because they don’t know
how important it is to share the good newsabout our businesses with qualifiedprospects.
Or maybe they work for themselves andtheir boss doesn’t understand!
Michael Schoettler is a professional speakeron leadership and sales issues. With aMasters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
M
“That was a great sales pitch Miss Atkinson, now wait untilyou hear my great objections pitch…”
Can You Afford to be so Busy?Unfortunately, some sales people gothrough life collecting excusesinstead of results…
Corporate Trends 153
MIKE SCHOETTLER
“How many joys are crushed under foot because peoplelook up at the sky and disregard what is at their feet?” Catharina Goethe
to grow, change, and try something new ifthey are never told they are doing well. Thebasis of a ‘comfort zone’, is simply doingwhat we know and avoiding the discomfortinherent in change. Change depends onpeople giving up the security of feelingcompetent in what they have been doing forthe insecurity of doing it differently.Literally giving up the confidence ofknowing exactly how to do something inexchange for trying to get a better result.
Praise and recogniseA Mary Kay Ash quote asks us, “What dopeople want more than sex and money?” Ihalf joke, what’s left? But the punch linereminds us all of what we really do know.‘Praise and Recognition’. The Mary Kay cosmetics business would
“What do peoplewant more thansex and money?
Praise andrecognition!”
Mary Kay Ash the founderof Mary Kay Cosmetics
e just returned from twoweeks in the USA anddiscovered a friend had beenin the hospital for a week.
The good news is he just got out and expectsa complete recovery.
The bad news is that he got one phone callfrom his boss while he was in the hospital.The boss just wanted to make sure hisreports were still going to arrive on time. Hedid not ask how he was or even when he wasgoing to be released.
Does this sound like someone you used towork for? Would the people around you sayit sounds like you? No wonder recruiters saypeople join companiesand leave bosses.
My lesson Some years ago I brought flowers home tomy wife. No reason, I just felt like it.
Pretty brave you say? Maybe. Veronica had the same three choices any
woman had in that situation: She could havegiven me an accusing look and said, “Whathave you done?” Or she could have givenme a curious look and said, “What do youthink you are going to do?”
But she didn’t. What she did do was giveme was a big smile, a great kiss and then shesaid, “I love you.”
When I asked her later if she had thoughtthat I might have been up to something, shesaid “Of course”. But she said she wouldhave found out soon enough. So, “WhySpoil the Moment?”
I reckon she’s a genius. Well, you tell me. Of the three choices,
which one do you think gets more flowers?Criticism, doubt or loving support.
Veronica still gets flowers and she stillreinforces the good behaviour. So do weexpect to see this as the norm in theworkplace? Shouldn’t everyone by nowunderstand and use the common senseapproach that says you can catch more flieswith honey than vinegar? My experience says notMore businesses seem to be based on the,‘everything is OK unless you hearotherwise’, approach. Which leaves staffworking on the ‘keep your head down’
A Genius Taught Me… not be recognisable without its praise andrecognition. But the sad fact is that manypeople still go through their lives withoutthe praise and recognition they are due.Sadder still when you realise how simple itwould be to recognise their achievements. Itdoesn’t have to cost anything to recognisesomeone’s achievements. But it costs us alldearly when it doesn’t happen. We losewhat our people could have done. What wecould have become.
Setting standardsThe price of using praise includes settingstandards for people at every stage of theircareer. You don’t have to be the best on theteam to be doing well. Anyone who isgetting better deserves recognition andencouragement.
We can become like our athletes, andstretch each day for our individual ‘PersonalBests’. You need the courage to measureeveryone and praise the improvers. Theexpression, ‘Catch then doing somethingright’, doesn’t mean it has to be perfect —just better.
Can We Afford it? Mary Kay is known in the United States forpassing out automobiles, pink Cadillacs.Only she doesn’t really give them away.You get one when you have earned it. Andevery time someone earns one, there issomeone else who can now see themselvesgetting one too.
Even better, they expect to have to workfor it. So at a time when so many people arein the habit of doing just enough to get by,you have the opportunity of using praiseand recognition to build a team who expectsto get better.
How did you feel the last time you werepraised? You can’t buy that feeling but youcan use it. Can you afford not to?
Og Mandino summed it up best when hesaid: “I will smile at friend and foe alike andmake every effort to find, in him or her, aquality to praise — now that I realise thedeepest yearning of human nature is thecraving to be appreciated.”
Wprinciple. For them, feedback is to beavoided. Of course, what choice do theyhave, when all news is bad news and nonews is the only good news?
If this style ever worked, it must havebeen in a business that could count on doingthings the same way, day in day out for years.
What about Change? Today our biggest competitive advantage inbusiness is the ability of our people to learn,adapt, and change. Where we focus on thebenefits to our customers and not ourselves.
So where can someone get the confidence
Michael Schoettler is a professional speakeron leadership and sales issues. With aMasters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
154 Corporate Trends
MIKE SCHOETTLER
system for future contacts. You can neverpredict where people will lead you.
So with our, “what do we do” answerready, our plan in place, a good sized nametag (one you don’t need to squint to read it)and a stack of business cards, we can nowfocus on the people we meet, their needsand who they serve.Show upThe biggest challenge for many people isallocating time to attend the events that
attract potential clients. It should not beabout what you enjoy or which event isconvenient to attend. The importantquestion is understanding which events willattract the people you want to meet and thenmaking sure you are there.For a good start, be there early. Nothing says‘desperate’ louder than showing up late andtrying to rush around and identify your topprospects. When you arrive early, you havetime on your side and can project anorganised approach while meeting evenmore prospects.
More prospects are the key at this stage,because with plenty of time and an openmind, you don't need to prejudge people.Just collect their details and learn a bit aboutthem as people, beyond simply what they dofor a living. This is your opportunity to playthe host, rather than a guest, and focus ontheir needs.The first meeting is not a time for the hardsell. A focus on your prospects will give you
Don't be Afraid to FailYou've failed many times, althoughyou may not remember.You fell down the first time you tried to walk.You almost drowned the first time youtried to swim, didn't you?Did you hit the ball the first time youswung a bat?Don't worry about failure.Worry about the chances you misswhen you don't even try.
United Technologies
Michael Schoettler is a professional speakeron leadership and sales issues. With aMasters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
It’s About Building Relationships…The fundamentals of wake up, show up, and follow up,will serve to keep you focused on the values you deliver…
hen James Turner rented acar and drove to Virginia, hewas fined twice forspeeding. But the police
didn't catch him, the car rental company did. Many rental firms use global positioning
satellites to locate missing cars or givedirections. But his detected him speeding onthe New Jersey Turnpike and again inVirginia. So, they automatically withdrew atotal of $US450.00 from his ATM card.
I think they have forgotten what theirbusiness is all about.
Networking for resultsRecently, I was asked how the sellingprocess applies to people we meet atfunctions. You know, networking for results.
I see it much like other forms ofprospecting. Athree-step process that is verysimple as long as you remember what yourbusiness is all about – relationships basedon customer value.
First, you need to “wake up” and identifythe value clients receive from theirrelationship with you. Next, you “show up”at these opportunities and execute your plan.And finally, you “follow up” these contactsafter these events.
Wake upWhat do you say when people ask, “Whatdo you do for a living?” Many wouldrespond with their job title or even a positiondescription. They forget what people reallywant to know is, what can you do for me?
The best answer explains why yourclients are so happy they deal with you. Thefocus is not on what you do or yourcustomer service. It's on what they receive –customer satisfaction.And then, under-standing your target market. The clients whoget the greatest value from you, will rewardyou with more clients. The answer alsoneeds to be memorable. After all, if you arenot going to be remembered, why evenbother to show up?Another important consideration relates toyour data base plans. How will you handlethe names and contact details of the peopleyou will meet? While some may seem to bebetter prospects, it is critical to ensure theyare all followed up and then kept in a simple
all the tools necessary, when combined withpermission marketing. All that is required isan agreement that you will do somethingafter the event that is of interest to them.Find a way that you can help them.
Follow upFirst, do what you said you were going todo! A very quick response is much moreeffective than a perfect presentationpackage that arrives a week or more later. Ifyou are not able to immediately deliver onyour commitment, an e-mailacknowledging your meeting and advisingthem when you will deliver, can still make avery positive impression. Just don't let thecontact go cold, they will quickly forget themeeting and you.
If you were not able to establish animmediate need, a quick personal notereferencing your meeting can help to fix youin their memory. Simply adding them toyour newsletter or promotional distributioncan keep you memorable long enough for afuture need to arise.
If a contact gave you a referral, a promptthank you can reassure them that they havedone the right thing. And if you keep themup to date with regular reports on yourprogress, they are much more likely tosupport your efforts with this potential clientand reward you again with additional namesin the future.
The fundamentals of Wake Up, Show Up,and Follow Up, should serve to keep youfocused on the values you deliver. And thisfocus on value should keep you from trapslike ‘speeding fines’that are designed togenerate additional revenue but will quicklydestroy client relationships and your abilityto earn an income.
The only risk is that while a few contactswill deliver you future business, many willseem to produce nothing. And a focus on themany without a result, can discourage you.But these contacts are not failures unlessthey keep you from trying.
W
Corporate Trends 155
MIKE SCHOETTLER
Listening – Your Shortcut to Success
changing long established feelings but they certainly can’t change their behaviour as long as they react unconsciously.
Think about it. What turns yourlistening off? How can you step aboveyour attitudes to tune in and understandtheir complete message?
4. Suspend JudgmentOur first task is to make sure weunderstand the message. When we getjudgmental, it interferes with our ability,even willingness, to listen. Judgmentslead us to formulating our responses.Once we are thinking about what we aregoing to say next, it is unlikely that wewill listen to the complete message.
Even if our initial understandingcorrectly reflects their choice of words,we need to confirm our interpretation ofthe message. What they said may nottruly reflect what they meant. Of course,if attacked, the person speaking maybecome defensive and be even moredetermined to defend their words.
To avoid being judgmental, we canactively support the speaker’s task. Whenyou smile, repeat key words, nod, andmaintain eye contact, you demonstrateyour support. But don’t interrupt. Justwait until they have finished speaking. Ashort pause prior to your response canelicit even more information.
These simple rapport-building stepswill collect additional information, abetter understanding of their reasoningand even prepare them to accept newinformation or perspective.
5. Ask QuestionsIf the worst thing you can do is to assumeyou know what they are going to say, thenthe best is to clarify what you think youheard. It is not enough to just confirm thewords. People use words differently sowe need to confirm the principles behindthem. Your use of questions willdemonstrate your interest in the speaker’smessage. And intelligent questions arethe strongest tools to build rapport. Theleast they will do is keep you from talkingtoo much.
ave you ever watched greatinfluencers at work? They usequestions to identify and thenclarify the key issues from the
other person’s perspective. Theyinstinctively seem to know the right hotbuttons to use to get action. And they oftenpose their best closing arguments asquestions. So how do they always knowwhat to say?
Great influencers understand that if youjust take the time to listen, most peoplewill tell you what you need to know tochange their thinking.
But, how can you change what youdon’t understand?
Have you ever noticed during aconversation that when people assumethey know what you are going to say, theyoften miss some of your key points?Many of us still make this same mistakeand then claim we were too busy to justwait and listen.
Do you believe you are an excellent listener? Do you believe you aregood listener? Do you need me to repeatthe question?
Most of us don’t listenIt is no surprise that most people admitthey are not great listeners. Very few of ushave ever attended a course on listeningand the time pressures of the informationage tempt us to short cut the listeningprocess and jump to conclusions.
The following five simple steps willgreatly improve your listening skills anddramatically lift your ability to influencepeople:
1. Decide to ImproveListening is like any other skill. If we wantto improve, we have to make thecommitment to work at getting better. Someearly results can be dramatic but long-termimprovement will result when we commit
ourselves at the start of each conversation tomake that extra effort to listen.
2. ConcentrateListening is not a passive activity – youhave to work at it.
Our minds can go a lot faster thananyone will speak, so we need to resistthe temptation to race ahead. And thereare always distractions that tempt us todivide our focus. Noise – passing people– telephones and even papers on a deskcan interrupt our thoughts if we don’tconcentrate on the speaker.
“When you talk,you repeat what youalready know; whenyou listen, you often
learn something.”Jared Sparks
And it is not just what they say or thewords they use. We want to identify allthe key points and their supportingassumptions. Sometimes what they don’tsay is our best clue. The good news is – practice will improveyour powers of concentration and it willbecome easier to tune out the distractions.
3. Recognise our PrejudicesA speaker’s voice can trigger a negativeresponse if we have set feelings aboutpeople who sound like that.
If something as simple as a voice can turnus off, how long will we maintain ourattention when their clothing, grooming, orchoice of language, does not reflect ourpreferences? People may have difficulty
H
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. once said, “It is the province of knowledge
to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.”
Listening is a dying art but take time to learn this valuable skill, if
you want to be successful…
Michael Schoettler is a professional speakeron leadership and sales issues. With aMasters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
156 Corporate Trends
MIKE SCHOETTLER
Technology is getting a bad rap. It is being blamed for stale voice mailthat sounds like a filter and incomplete email that is so abrupt itoffends people. This stuff does damage relationships but it is not the equipment’s fault.
Are You a Relationship Builder?
nless you have a unique productthat does not have an equivalentavailable anywhere else, thereare only three areas to establish
a competitive advantage. We can competewith great service, low prices, or excellent relationships.
Is it great service?In the past I have heard countless peopleclaim to give great service. But when Iasked what they do, that their competitorsdon’t do, I often get a blank stare. Becausefor many, the offer of great service is anempty promise. In a practical sense they arepromising not to be rude to the customers.And when they are very busy or have ademanding client, too many have troubleeven managing that. Today’s competition isso intense that the opportunity to deliverexceptional service has become as elusive asa product advantage. When someone doesdevelop an exclusive in their service it gets copied just as quickly as their product innovations.
New service innovations, just like productinnovations are now best thought of astemporary advantages. You need tomaximise their use as quickly as possiblebecause you know your competitors won’ttake long to duplicate, or even improve onyour idea.
Then you are back to competing with thesame level of service that your clients havecome to expect from your competitors.Every improvement in service becomes thenew minimum acceptable standard. And,any variation is not only an opportunity to gain business with special service, but a way to lose it, if your clients decide youare unreliable.
Is price your main advantage?I doubt it. If you employ a sales team it isvery difficult to make a profit and still bethe cheapest. Price competitors need toslash all their costs and the sales team isoften the first to go.There certainly are price customers who
believe that cheaper is always better. Andmost people would agree that some standardcommodities have very little differenceexcept price. But that still leaves manypeople faced with alternative products thatdoesn’t satisfy their needs.
So is it relationships?When we entered the new millennium, WallStreet was betting unbelievable sums ofmoney on Internet companies. Not becauseof their current revenues or profits, manywere not making any money. They arebetting on their future ability to take greatswags of business from traditional suppliers.
a permanent defense against competition.Not even blood relations will keep dealingwith you when it is not in their interest. Buta strong relationship means that you areworking as an effective partner. That youunderstand what your client values andensure that he or she understands andbenefits from the values you provide.
Using technology at its bestAs technology improves, we can incorp-orate the best of it to keep our standards ofservice competitive and provide the bestpossible solutions to our clients’ problems.
Are you using today’s technology toprovide the best service possible and buildeven better relationships? Some of our topsales people (relationship builders) havebeen reluctant to use the latest technology.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Unless youtry to do something beyond what you havealready mastered, you will never grow.”
And while it is generally thought thatemail and voice mail are too impersonal, itdoesn’t have to be the case. It is just thatmany of the early users didn’t appreciate theimportance of making sure ourcommunications are personal.
The Internet is a wonderful tool used inthe right way and can be a great help inbuilding loyalty and finding new prospects.But remember, as Peter Clemente of CyberDialogue said, “It's not about sellingproduct, it's about building relationships.”Use it wisely.
We just have to remember that thetechnology is not there just to make ourlives easier but also to provide better servicefor our clients. In less than a minute, youcan personalise your voice mail so clientswill know exactly when you will beavailable. So, now that you are always intouch, don’t forget the personal touch. Iguarantee your clients will notice, either way.
U
Michael Schoettler is a professionalspeaker on leadership and sales issues.With a Masters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
And even in spite of the much publicised.com crash, there are still plenty of peopleprepared to invest in what they see as anunlimited potential for the future.
In some industries, I have no doubt theystill have an excellent opportunity to do justthat. What would it take for you to give upthe emotionally rewarding experience ofpushing a trolley down the grocery aisle?Nor does it seem that building goodcustomer relations is a part of a bank teller’sjob description.
But some on the internet understand theopportunity is not limited to the banks andgrocery stores that have upset us for years.
For most of us, success in business hasrevolved around the people we know andthe people that know us. These are therelationships that have kept us in business. I am not saying that friendships will provide
“If you want to win aman to your cause,first convince himthat you are hissincere friend.”
Abraham Lincoln
Corporate Trends 157
MIKE SCHOETTLER
Where Have All The People Gone?In 2001, there is a worldwide shortage of skilled staff. Finding theright people is going to be one of your biggest challenges…
he Y2K bug, GST and theOlympics “business boom”, mayhave turned out to be fizzers foryour organisation but the next
big challenge your business has to face hasbeen around for years. Only now it is gettingmuch worse.
In August 2000, the USA unemploymentrate hit a 30 year low of 3.9 per cent. Asurvey there of HR professionals reported80 per cent see staff shortages as their singlegreatest challenge. And just to prove thepoint, 20 per cent said their companies haveactually had to knock back business due tostaff shortages!
Unemployment in AustraliaAustralian unemployment is now reportedto be around 6.6 per cent. But the nationalfigure doesn’t mean much to you if there isa shortage of people (or jobs) in your area.If we just look at the Sydney area forexample (figure 1),we see a large variationin the rates reported in individual districts.
Arate of two per cent or even less, doesn’toffer much hope for companies that havecomplained for years that they can’t findenough “good” people. And it is not justthat people won’t travel to work, althoughthat is a factor, especially in the Gosfordarea. It is also a question of available skills.
As an example, the worst area, Fairfield -Liverpool, contains lower educational levelsand a higher migrant population withresulting poor language skills. The old ruleof thumb was that recruitment and trainingcosts to replace a skilled employee, was atleast one third of the person’s annual wage.However, in the USA, Resource Develop-ment Groupnow says you will spend fourtimes their salary. That seems awfully highto me but Morgan & Banks Director, PeterGeorge, says, “Staff turnover costs Australianbusinesses more than $3 billion a year”.
I recently worked with a recruitment firmthat specialises in the IT industry and theytaught me something about these costs.They frequently ask their clients if theyprefer candidates from the UK or the USA,because they know the skills required arejust not available in Australia. And this isnot a recent development, it has been goingon for years. It is just getting worse now.
But don’t believe that this is only aproblem for the high-tech industries. Thehospitality industry has been chasing stafffor years. I remember one weekend a localfinancial controller was helping out in thelaundry, because you just can’t run a hotelwithout linen!
70% unhappy in their jobsBut this increasing shortage of talent is onlyhalf of the problem. A recent survey of6,000 Australian employees reports that55% of men and 52% of women believethey are in the wrong jobs. And 70% ofthose unhappy intend to change jobs.
And offering a bigger pay packet is nocure. Almost half of those earning over$100,000 dollars are still unhappy.
So, how can you build a business whenyour staff expects a lot more and the search
people in their own age bracket. Notsurprisingly, this program has the fullsupport of Jess Bell, the company’s 75 yearold owner!
A cleaning company, Molly Maid,employs over 4,000 unskilled people. Fortypercent are Hispanic and half of these havelittle English language skills. LindaBurzynski, the COO, remembered theproblems faced by her Polish immigrantgrandmother who spoke no English. Sinceoffering English language classes in themorning, they have both attracted andretained staff is this traditionally high turnover industry. But it is useful to note thatevening classes don’t work because theirpeople were just too tired at the end of theday. They have now expanded the programinto secondary education courses.
Four golden rulesEach of these approaches might offer somerelief to your business. But there are fourrules that will assist you build and retain aquality team.
1. Recruit with retention in mind 2. Lead for retention 3. Clarify all goals and expectations 4. Personalise compensation.
Let’s take a closer look at these rules:1. A program for retaining your staff
starts with looking at the people who havestayed and those who have left. What is thecompany culture and who is a good fit.Define the model employee and understandwhy they choose to stay. Where can youfind more of these employees and what canyou offer that they value highly?
If you do decide to hire someone who isnot a good fit, maybe they should be put ona contract rather than employed. Some ofthe popular Colorado snow resorts use anend of season bonus to encourage thecompletion of their contract. This approachis a lot more effective than just hoping theywill stay.
2. People join companies and leavemanagers. When you think everything isright but people are still leaving, it’s time tolook at the manager. Quality products, loyalclients, and the right pay are still not enoughto tolerate bad management. When peopleleave because they are unhappy, don’t feelsatisfied or appreciated, say the job did notachieve the promises or promises were not
T
UNEMPLOYMENT INTHE SYDNEY AREA
Fairfield - Liverpool 10.5% Gosford 7.4% Eastern Suburbs 2.3% Lower North Shore 2.0% Northern Beaches 0.8%
(figure. 1)
for talent cannot even turn up any warmbodies? In the USA they have tried anumber of non-traditional options.
When Christine Kissick, opened her thirdGreat ClipsSalon, she tried a pool of talentthat most would never consider. She wentback to her “lapsed” employees. Stylistswho had quit or even been fired from herother shops. She recognised that peoplecould learn from their experiences. In threeyears she has re-hired 11 people andachieved good retention.
A cosmetics manufacturer in Ohio,Bonnie Bell, has turned their entirepackaging area over to senior citizens. Theyemploy 87 staff aged over 65. 30 per cent ofthem are over 70 and the oldest is 89. Theadvantage of having them all in one sectionis that they enjoy working together 20 hoursa week and they prefer being supervised by
MIKE SCHOETTLER
which should be based on results, as well asa benefits package.
Salary package problems arise when weforget to specify the following three mostimportant components:
Individual GrowthHow will this opportunity change them?
Compelling FutureWhy should they want to work here?
Positive Workplace Will they enjoy working here?
Many companies include individual growthat the hiring stage but neglect to staycurrent. Staff can feel they have no futurewith you.
The best example of using a compellingfuture as an inducement, must be SteveJobs, at Apple when he secured the servicesof a Coca Colaexecutive with the question:“Don’t you want to make a difference; orare you just going to sell sugar water allyour life?”
Most people want to feel they are part ofsomething important. The positive work-place is more than just respect, that is aprerequisite. It is an environment where,
kept, you have a management problem.Respect is everything and people have aright to be treated as responsible adults.
3. People are entitled to know exactlywhat level of performance the companyexpects of them. Explain what tools will beavailable and ensure that any trainingrequired will be available.
What do employees want?It is just as important to understand exactlywhat the employee expects of you. One ofthe most common causes of dissatisfactionis letting someone start with unrealisticexpectations. Even small promises madeand not kept, will poison their relations withthe company. On their way out they willshare their experiences with others. Anyperceived failure of trust, can also sourrelations with other staff.
It is not simply a question of more moneyor benefits either. The market will set thefair rate of pay. Your opportunity is topackage it in exactly the right way for eachemployee. Many people are now earningenough in salary to be able to afford theluxury of choosing time over money.
Most packages start with base pay andinclude a variable component for extra time.There is also a recognition component
win or lose, you can keep your pride and asense of accomplishment. It may be hardwork but it must be worthwhile andrewarding. And it should even include a“fun” component.
Harvey Mackay, author of Swim with theSharks,employs 550 people at his envelopefactory. Some have stayed with him for 20,30 and even 40 years. He believes thatpeople can’t improve unless they areenjoying themselves and acknowledges 30per cent of American workers hate their job.
That’s why Harvey has things like his,“Thank God It’s Monday!”policies. Theyset out to have fun and he believes 80 percent of his staff can’t wait to get to work.
Doesn’t that sound like the place whereyou want to work in 2001?
Michael Schoettler is a professionalspeaker on leadership and sales issues.With a Masters degree in InternationalManagement and over 20 years in sales, hehas the power to move audiences to action. Tel: (02) 9529 7051 Email: [email protected] au Website:www.salessense.com au
Michael Schoettler is an entertaining pragmatist who blends humor and pathos with hisown personal illustrations. Combining a background of sales and management success,Michael's creditability extends to both sales and non-sales staff alike. Michael started his career with a Masters Degree in International Management but says he never learnedfaster than when a smart Sales Manager put him on straight commission. This taught himthe power of Focus.
Michael has demonstrated his "Sales Sense" approach to producing results working inmajor corporations in both the USA and Australia. After five years as National Sales Manager for Hunter Douglas, he founded "Sales Sense" and started speakingprofessionally in 1991. He now helps Associations, Corporations, and Franchise groups of all sizes to lift their results by focusing on their biggest asset, the customer. Everysales presentation and negotiation session can be an opportunity to build profitablebusiness relationships.
A past President of the National Speakers Association of Australia in NSW, in 1999Michael was named a Governor of theAmerican Chamber of Commerce in Australia.
Invite Michael to your conference and watch how people respond to the change in their team. Contact:
Sales Sense website:www.salessense.com auE-mail: [email protected] au Phone: (02) 9529 7051
INVITE MICHAEL SCHOETTLER TO YOUR NEXT CONFERENCE
Change Management, Corporate Culture Design, Customer Service & Team Building
Jill Sweatman’s firm, Corporate Change, partners with clients to invest in their success. Exceptionalachievements have been attributed to Corporate Change’s speciality skills in analysis, review and design ofstrategies. Actions to transform organisational behaviour and results within limited time have created thepreferred outcomes, the first time.
Established in 1993, the company has grown into a team of dedicated consultants providing a wide rangeof international and industry experience enhancing the firm’s customised programs. Corporate Change’sprojects cross all industry groups from pharmaceutical and airline to hospitality and engineering to bankingand information technology.
Jill Sweatman, Managing Director, is an international speaker, consultant and business educator in thefields of organisational change, culture creation and exceptional service delivery.
Jill has the unique ability to create a balance between in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge ininterpersonal communication and organisational change. Results with integrity are achieved by her keenability to deal at all levels of an organisation and tackle the hard issues.
Highlights of Jill’s varied experience fuels her keynote presentations ensuring an insightful, thoughtprovoking and entertaining experience.
Her distinguished reputation and business growth have been created through sustained business-to-businessrecommendations due to the profound results achieved.
A partial list of her clients include: ASIC, AT&T, American Airlines, Blake Dawson Waldron, BMW,Cochlear, Commonwealth Bank, MLC, NCR, NRMA, Peppers Hotel Group, Pharmacia Australia, Proctor& Gamble, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Villeroy & Boch and Westpac.
Jill SweatmanChange takes time.
Successful change takes a little longer.
160 Corporate Trends
JILL SWEATMAN
Propaganda…It Simply Won’t WorkTelling people you are a wonderful company isn’t enough,you have to add congruence and action…
oday’s companies areexperiencing unparalleledlevels of cynicism and fear inthe workplace. And, frontline
employees are the most cynical group of all.
In times when changes in managementstyles and restructuring are as frequent aschanges in the weather. employees arelearning to put on poker faces and hidetheir ever increasing levels of concernabout job security and competence.Underneath it all they are imploringmanagement to show congruencebetween their words and their actions.
Employees infer your values fromyour behaviour, not from your words.
A plaque extolling the missionstatement and values of theorganisation, may be an attractiveaddition to your plush foyer or thepartitions of your open space offices butaction will speak far louder than anywritten platitudes.
Target Frontline Supervisors One of your most important consider-ations is to enlist the support of yourSupervisors. They know how tocommunicate with their people, andone-on-one interaction is important.When people rally in larger groups, adifferent mindset prevails. Not everyonefeels free to be open.
One way to offset this, is to hold ameeting each month called, “WhatHave You Heard?”These meetingsshould invite staff to express anyconcerns they may have about recentchanges or any other issue. This enablesthem to say what they think (perhapsunder the guise of what they may haveheard), and it is very important foremployees to air their concerns.
The right environmentCreating environments where views canbe heard, is a major step in the rightdirection. The companies that offerexceptional service are those companieswhose management takes the time totalk to their people. They trulyunderstand what is happening and whatthe real issues are, at the frontline.
Empowerment Empowerment is an attitude - not a skill.It is 'focussed freedom'. Giving power toallow people to make informeddecisions is one of the most crucialbehaviours to becoming a service leader.
Let me give you an example:
Avis Australia is one organisation thatdoesn’t just talk about empowerment,they live it. Managing Director, LukeMedley, leads an organisation totallycommitted to delegating responsibility,decision-making and risk taking to itspeople. You immediately see it whenyou step into their office headquarters.This is a living, learning organisationwhere empowered attitudes are nurturedand displayed by every employee. Theyare excited about offering not only thevery best in customer service but hightechnology and keen innovation.too.
How do they engender this attitude intheir people?
Firstly, they recruit for attitude, not justaptitude. Secondly, they treat theirpeople well. Very well, in fact.
Every new employee, regardless oftheir position, spends a weekend at afive-star resort. There, they undergo anOrientation Program and are hosted to adinner at one of Sydney's finestrestaurants.
Profit share schemes are alsogenerous and are enjoyed by everyemployee. And, the Managing Directorpersonally knows every team memberAustralia-wide and speaks to them atleast twice a year, to seek their opinionson operational and service issues.
Employee participationAvis also holds Employee ParticipationGroupson the first Thursday of everymonth worldwide. At these meetingsrepresentatives from variousdepartments down tools and gather todiscuss any aspect of the companywhere improvements could be made.
Avis employees like to be talkedabout. In fact, it is no secret that seniormanagement want Avis to be a topic ofconversation over dinner parties aroundthe country, as the premier serviceprovider in all respects.
How many other businesses have setthis level of commitment and loyalty tocustomers and employees as their goal?
Has yours? The future lies with those service
leaders who set their standards high.They do what the others don't dare todo and they treat their people with fullrespect. They acknowledge effort, aswell as achievement and make theirwords and actions one.
Not just an exercise in propaganda!
T
The future lies withthose service leaderswho set standards high and do what
the others don’t dare.
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
Corporate Trends 161
JILL SWEATMAN
Cultural Changes CanMake Your Team Fly…… but careful planning and goodcommunication are the keys tosuccessfully carrying them out.
hen we have to ask ourteams to change, wemust first have a solidplatform upon which to
stage the choreography of our culturalchange endeavour. Without this, anychange effort regardless of intent ordesign, will meet with practicedcynicism and learned distrust.
According to the Centre forCorporate Changeat the University ofNSW, over 70 per cent of long termeffective change efforts in Australia fail.They fail because organisations areeither too frightened or unwilling toaddress the many and varied issues thatrequire simultaneous attention. A senseof urgency and momentum needs to beestablished from the outset. A totality ofeffort is paramount.
Changing in flightWe can no longer afford the luxury inour rapid paced environment to wait foreach duck to take its place and fly information before adding a change. Wemust set our course, refine the flightplan, share the leadership position andmake strategic adjustments in flight—according to economic, political andother internal and external factors. Inother words, the genetic structure of ourteams must facilitate this.
The genetic structure is the platformthat we create with our communicationprocesses. How we speak to each other,how we negotiate one another’sprejudices, jockey for position withinthe team and ultimately play the game.
When an organisation sets out toeither change a culture or create a newone, they only have one chance to ‘get it
right’. Far too many organisationsoverlook this salient point.
When teams have to change, theyoften have to change more things andusually change to a greater degree thanthey ever expected. There are alwayscries of: “But it’s different here… Oursituation is unique… You don’tunderstand us… We can’t do that here”.But in reality, these issues will bereplicated time and time again the worldover. This is the business climate weface at the cusp of the next century.The most critical elementCommunication, is the most criticalelement in change.
When American Airlines integratedCanadian Airlines into their operation,the Regional Manager hosted what theycalled, “Let’s Talk About It” breakfastmeetings for all their people. Thesewere designed to encourage each teammember to express any concern whichwas immediately dealt with in an openmanner. This also addresses theemotional intelligence factor that willplay heavily within each team member.
We must remember that individualswill invest in themselves and theirworkplace situation sooner, if theyperceive that their voice has been heardand that their contribution wasinstrumental in a change. “If it’s not my idea, I won’t like it,” still
plays loudly in the psyche of all thosewho see any change as a threat.
Every manager, and indeed everyteam member, wants to make the rightdecisions every time. Few individualswake up with the thought that theirmission for that day is to make a wrongdecision at every turn.
In times of uncertainty,communication must increase. Peoplecan only make a decision with the datathey have available. Information on a“needs-to-know” basis is not onlyarchaic in approach, it’s positivelydangerous in today’s businessenvironment. People must know whereto get the information they need, quicklyand be able to respond even morerapidly, especially when dealing withcustomers.
The right decisions can only be madewhen there is an abundance of the rightinformation, not a scarcity.
Short term successesPlan for short term successes and takethe time to celebrate them. Let the ducksenjoy picking low hanging fruit early inthe journey.
Leadership developmentEncourage all team members to take thelead when the flock traverses aparticular territory. This engenderscourage, risk-taking and enables thewhole flock to recognise the strengths ofeach other for future reference andsuccession.
The journey of change always takeslonger than expected. It needs theefficiency of flight to maintain themomentum through strategic patterning,and the realisation that atmosphericconditions are seldom stable.
W
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
162 Corporate Trends
JILL SWEATMAN
Reward Failures…Are You Kidding?No! Not if you are serious aboutasking your people to perform withinitiative and adoptempowerment…
s it possible to measure yoursuccess by your failures? I believeit is. Here are two fine examples:Johnson & Johnson, world wide,
state that they expect their Research andDevelopment department to have atleast 1200 failures each year.
John Brown, of Brown Bros wines inAlbury, states that the manager of hisNursery winery is to produce at leastone ‘really awful’ wine per year toprove that they are truly experimenting.
Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Ourbusiness in this world is not to succeedbut to fail, in good spirits.”
Reward effort not just resultsIf we recognise effort, the return incommitment and attitude from ourpeople will yield us a greater return thanmerely an immediate bottom line resultin business.
We willingly praise our children fortheir attempts to improve. Yet, noteveryone can be first in class — but allof us can have a first class attitude.
When it becomes natural within theculture of a company to attempt newthings (given appropriate parameters ofcourse), imagine what we could allachieve. So often we have heard this asa collective lament of employees.
A winning team does not have to bemeasured by results. A commendationof effort will last longer and beperceived as more genuine in its intent.
Scrap Employee of the MonthAwards. Abolish quarterly and yearlyawards. Particularly if it’s the only thingyour organisation does all year. We call this the Valentine’s RoseSyndrome— once a year! Nice when
you receive it but horribly predictable!And, therefore, not as meaningful as itcould be.
Such rewards are anticipated andusually commend only a handful ofpeople. Surely you want more than ahandful of people to be committed tothe game of business every day.
Too many organisations, when askedhow their people are rewarded, tellproudly about the CEO’s Yearly Awardor the Employee of the Month with theobligatory name on the plaque and theaccompanying inexpensive certificate.Random and FrequentRandom and Frequent wins the day. Ifyou are serious about how your peoplereceive and value recognition, with a
little research, you will find thatrandom, frequent and verbalrecognition will be appreciated farmore highly than a generic certificate.
This certificate is often signed by themanager and a copy put in one’s filefor the HR person to stumble acrosswhen you make your exit interview.
A good old fashioned, ‘pat on theback’ at the appropriate time by theappropriate person, will make asubstantial investment in the‘Goodwill Emotional Bank Account’of any team member.When goodwill is high, when the
pressure is on in the workplace,colleagues are more likely to supporttheir team mates and absenteeism willbe reduced dramatically.
What we want to achieve in everyorganisation is a feeling that peoplenotice the good stuff their colleagues doon a daily basis and recognise thatimmediately.
Adopt a ‘recognition’ cultureDo you want to dispel phrases like, "Idon’t bother anymore, no one noticesanyway", "It always seems to be thesales team who get the rewards.” And,indeed the most damaging words inbusiness today, "We tried that oncebefore and it didn’t work.” Adopt aculture where people are encouraged torecognise each other on a regular basis.
American Airlines have recentlycoined their recognition program“Compliment a Colleague.” This takesthe form of a card which nominates thename of the person, the reason for theaward and a space to sign by the persongiving the recognition. This is to begiven whenever anyone in the Sydneyoffice sees or experiences great service,kindness or support by one staffmember to another. What is important isthat this is intrinsically and non-monetary based.
Rewarding folks who support you inbusiness is a small price to pay for whatwe call ‘discretionary effort’. That is, theeffort you choose to give over and abovethe minimum effort required to functionin a position. That must be earned, justlike respect.
Reward your people and reap thereturns. Measure the cost through thelens of long term glasses and watch thelandscape come alive with workers whospeak well of the organisation. And withvoices and hearts that want to make a contribution.
I
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
“And if you keep failing like this Smithson, you could be in line for a big promotion”.
Corporate Trends 163
JILL SWEATMAN
Know When to Say, No!Knowing when and how to say,“no” is a skill worth learning inour ever busier workplace…
t is often said that the word ‘no’ isa little word with a big meaningbut what is the real meaning of‘No’? Does the ‘N’ mean ‘Never
in a million years’, ‘Not in a pink fit’,‘Never in a blue moon’, ‘Not on yourNelly’ or ‘I thought you didn’t mean it’,or ‘Have you lost your mind!’Or does itsimply mean ‘Not at this time or in thisparticular circumstance’.
For innumerable reasons we mustlearn to say, ‘No’.
But how can we do so withappropriate discernment and charm?We must use our intellect moreintelligently.
Part of the appropriate ‘No’ is beinghighly mindful of the widerimplications of our decision. Forinstance, in the service chain we mustbe mindful of who down the line willsuffer from our decision.
We must accept the consequences ofour actions. And those actions can besubstantial. Remember, ‘No’ ispowerful. It must be used with thewisdom it deserves.
One occasion when you may need tosay ‘No’ is when work encroaches on anunreasonable amount of private time, orwhen the work atmosphere isunnecessarily pressured.
We already know and feel the impactthat more is expected almost week byweek. Hard work and long hours areaccepted in most positions. Will it stop,or even slow down? Unlikely.
So, how can we begin to design ourlives to cope with such increasingdemands? Demands that make youresort to working lunches. At times, nobreak. Missing the last train and feelinglike you work for the benefit of the localtake-aways and child care.Where does work stop and self begin? Adelineation now too blurred todistinguish. Many of us feel we have
lost so much of what we thought wasinherently our own being.
We are not espousing that we shouldleave it to the beavers back at the officeor the others on the team. What we aresuggesting is that there can come a timewhen enough is enough and “No”, isthe word that is necessary.
How often do we hear someoneapologise for doing something forthemselves and preface the admissionwith , “I know I’m being selfish”.
We all want a better quality of life.
So, it’s essential to come to anagreement with ourselves. There doescome a time to acknowledge the beingthat ultimately, when it is all boileddown, has to take responsibility for us.Ourselves,no one else.
We must take up the vigil of our ownleadership. But beware: this is a 24 x 7relentless project, inside and outside ofour bodies. We must be at a superiorlevel of awareness in order to makedecisions of this magnitude.
There may be times when you need tosay ‘No’, in stages.
For instance, you may say, “Yes, I’llensure the report is ready by themorning even though it is 5 pm and thedata is only now available. However, onthe next occasion, I may not be in aposition to do so”.When may ‘NO’ be appropriate:
• When your values are being compromised
• When you are in danger• When you are aware that the action you have been asked to take will physically hurt another
• When ‘group think’ is present• When you are unsure of the ramifications if you said ‘Yes’
• When you know that you must be true to thine self
You, must understand the options andacknowledge when the task is beyondyour abilities. At the same time, it is notan excuse.
Know yourself and be true to that.
I
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
The following criteria will help youassess your ability to discern when‘No’ is appropriate. If you answer‘Yes’ to any of the followingquestions, then you are more likelyto be a charming and appropriate‘No’ sayer.
1. Have you made learning a lifelong endeavour?
2. Do you accept theconsequences of all of your ownactions?
3. Do you seek first to understandthen to be understood?
4. Are you an empathic listener?5. Are you constantly taking
courses of action to be the very bestyou can be in your chosen career
6. Do you support others7. Do you avoid sabotaging the
efforts of others 8. Do you rejoice in the successes
of others.
If you answered ‘No’ or even a‘Maybe’ to any of the above, youmay like to work on those.
“I’m going to be late again tonight,dear. Have the kids grown up much?”
164 Corporate Trends
JILL SWEATMAN
Team Player or Team Slayer?Beware. Some of the people on yourteam may be holding you back. Ask the tough question — you may be surprised…
rganisational change can beexecuted elegantly anddiligently, yet themomentum may never
seem to get off the ground. Often, this isdue to the action or deliberate inaction,of one or more select individuals.
Still too many organisations tolerateand continue to support, an employeewho overtly or covertly underminesmanagement. This action is fraught withlong standing and severe dangers.
Recognising a team slayerAtypical team slayer may exhibit any ofthese attributes.
• They will take every opportunity tospeak ill of management both inside andoutside the organisation
• The employee will operate at atangent to the agreed and desireddirection of the organisation
• They may take no action, whenclearly it is appropriate to do so. At best,a telephone on a neighbouring desk isallowed to ring
• At worst, they may be instrumentalin allowing embargoed information tobe leaked to inappropriate sources whocan use this to compete with or discreditthe organisation or its employees.
They can be found at the hub of everyrumour mill. They may create doubt byinference about the reputation andtrustworthiness of an organisation orsenior management without just cause.They may use throw away lines like,“Well, if you knew the real story” or “Ihappen to know better and managementare holding up a front”.
They may lack personal responsibilityby always deferring concerns tomanagement with no suggestion orwillingness to rectify a situation.Beware of the ‘carcinogenic employee’.A carcinogenic employee is someone
who has mutated to a point where theyare no longer truthful with theircolleagues, managers and in anadvanced form, even themselves. Thisis a person who gathers others into theirgroup by inciting mutations withinthem. They must be stopped.
The cure is not always palatable ortimely for management to accept. Ahard line is necessary. This individual ultimately needs to beexcised from the organisation. To dothis, we need to create an environmentin which the individual can ask the rightquestions of themselves and withguidance, make the decision to leave oftheir own volition. This will maintainthe respect and dignity of both parties. Beware the ‘carcinogenic employee’who goes into remission. While this
this person because of any intelligencethey may hold. Ask yourself a mostimportant question: How much is itreally costing me to keep this person?
Retain or Release? First of all, a solicitor familiar with thelaws of unfair dismissal needs to beconsulted to advise on procedures thatwill protect the firm.
Apart from any legal advice, I suggestthat the employee be counselled andgiven the opportunity to retain theirdignity and respect — while alsoappreciating that the organisation mustlikewise be given the same courtesy.
The behaviour in question needs to beidentified. The expectations of theorganisation and of the employee mustbe clearly stated.
Discuss the strategies around theexpected performance and attitudebefore forming agreements to moveforward. If we agree that trust is the coreof any worthwhile personalrelationship, then once trust has gone,almost all is lost. Often, trust can’t beregained.
It’s just the same in a businessrelationship. Once mistrust enters theequation, people become conditioned tolook for inconsistencies in a worldlayered with anxiety and discomfort.
Team Player or Team Slayer? Take the question seriously, veryseriously. Your responsibility is toinstigate the action necessary for thelongevity of the organisation and theultimate well-being of every individual,be they team player or team slayer.
Allow the changes to occur with theimpetus that it deserves and supportthose who are willing to see theorganisation move into the next chapterof its life. Have the courage to recognisethose that must go and support theminto arenas that best suit their talents.
Retaining a team slayer can have animmeasurable and
devastating effect onyour bottomline.
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
O
style of employee can be counselledand therefore appear to go intoremission, often so much ill will hasbeen instigated it can be an anxioustime for the organisation and theindividual. Has their attitude changed orwill they slip back into old habits ormindsets?
Take no prisonersRetaining a team slayer can have animmeasurable and devastating effect onyour bottomline. You must take action.Make a move and take no prisoners.
An organisation can no longer affordthe luxury of retaining an individualwho is not at one with the purpose andvalues of the organisation. You have notime to lose. Damage has already beendone. Ignore the temptation to retain
Corporate Trends 165
JILL SWEATMAN
Customer or Culture —What Comes First?Question: How many of your employees arevolunteers? Answer: ALL of them!
hey volunteer the discretionaryeffort in every decision theymake. That means the choice toperform at a level that will
differentiate one organisation from another. Therefore, the environment in which an
individual chooses to immerse themselvesneeds to engender that understanding.
Products are seldom unique. Or at best,unique for long. But people are unique.They can achieve unique results in a culturethat rewards and allows its members to usetheir unique talents. We must engageemployees as meaningful contributors, notjust doers, in the main challenges facing theorganisation.
Never underestimate the results andcommitment of an employee who has beengiven the chance to demonstrate theirabilities. Fear those who have been stifledor ridiculed for trying to make a differenceor challenge the way ‘it’s has always been’.
Are you ready?It happens all too often. A company wantsto introduce a customer service programwith high expectations of improvingperformance. But is it ready for such aprogram? Is it really ready to make thenecessary changes so that the program hassome chance of being implemented?
The organisation may superficiallyperceive that their people need to improvetheir attitude towards customers. What mayreally be required to support the trainingendeavour is a culture change aimed atdeveloping a sustained climate of internalservice.
So why do so many endeavours to instilla culture of customer focus fail?
They fail because the organisation iseither too frightened or unwilling to addressthe wide range of issues requiringsimultaneous attention. They want to
change as little as they can, not as much asthey should.
A service culture does not descend uponan organisation like a universal cloud. Nordoes it permeate every nook and cranny ofthe physical and mental processes of everyemployee with a one-off training programor motivational speech by the ManagingDirector at the annual conference, howeverwell intentioned they may be. Without dueplanning and expert advice, any new effortrisks being chewed up or dissipated by theexisting culture.Practiced cynicism
as well as external customers. Byconcurrently focusing on multiple levels,functions and persons, a total solution tocultural change stands in stark contrast to ashort term ‘silver bullet’ approach.
A cultural change requires a careful (aswell as caring) examination of the externalclimate and the existing internal culture ofthe organisation.
Communication StrategiesCommunication is vital. Take the time toestablish an internal communicationstrategy with as much care as the externalpublic relations strategy would dictate.
If managers still believe that offeringinformation on a ‘needs to know’, basis isappropriate, then let’s think again. If peopleare only fed rations of information thenthose managers and indeed wholeorganisations face the almost imminent perilof stark failure if service is what they wantto deliver.
We cannot realistically expect our peopleto give the very best of themselves, andtherefore service, if they are operating in aculture of brevity and scarcity of resourcesor spirit. If the vacuum syndrome pervades,people will quickly fill the void with theirown thoughts and voices.
The big pictureTaking the time to give the ‘big picture’ isone of the most crucial ingredients forservice delivery. Employees must be givensufficient tools to do their job. Information,and lots of it, is as important to anyemployee as their immediate physical toolsrequired to do their work.
For true, genuine and natural service toemanate from each employee, they must begiven the opportunity to understand, andparticipate, in the company’s direction. Thatway they can begin to develop anenvironment where they will choose to beambassadors for the company beyond thephysical parameters of the organisation.
Culture has to be the initial considerationfor superior, sustained customer service delivery.
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
T
This results in only one outcome. Practicedcynicism and learned distrust. The wellvoiced undercurrent of, “We tried thatbefore and it didn’t work”, may be ringingso loudly in the ears of each person that anyattempt to introduce another trainingendeavour or similar project will land ondeafened ears. Sound familiar?Many executives still want to catch theirbreath between projects and try to get all theducks flying in order perfectly beforeadding another to the formation.
This mentality alone may position acompany to effectively stagnate, regress andultimately fail. The world is no longerordered, sequential, predictable.
Global pace demands we must layer ourprojects while simultaneously monitoringthe ever changing demands of our internal
“Yes, his door is always open — buthe’s never here.”
166 Corporate Trends
JILL SWEATMAN
Cultural Due Diligence— the Secret to SuccessFor a truly successful merger to take place, each company must firstdevolve in order to evolve…
The problem: Four out of every five mergers andacquisitions fail to achieve their financial orstrategic objectives.
The Solution :Commit to ‘get it right’, the first time. And that means the people, not just thenumbers.
The Facts:• Australia was the world’s 11th biggestmarket for merger and acquisition(M&As) transactions in 1999. That was atotal of A$56.6 billion deals. • Cross-border transactions in Australiawere amongst the highest in the world.(The Financial Review Friday 14th April2000)• While 80 per cent of M&As fail todeliver their objectives, M&A activitycontinues to increase.
The question:Can we afford to keep failing and risk notjust the exceptional dollar value cost butplaying with the lives of our employees, thefolks that will make it all work?Smart companies acknowledge the criticalneed to engage a Cultural Due Diligenceexpert. They see it as an imperative.
The people are paramountManaging change during M&As involvesthe same principles that apply during anychange activity. It is the people that areparamount to any change process. Thesocial capital as well as the financial capitalwill determine true success.
To be truly successful, each companymust devolve in order to evolve. This is notas unpalatable as it may first seem.
If we recognise that we can take some ofthe best elements of each party, modifythose and develop them to a mastery level,we potentially have the very best solution.
If we clutch to what we know, cling tohow we have always done it, and thenpossibly consider the notion of a culturechange six months down the track whenevery thing is settled – forget success. Infact, erase the word from the vocabulary ofthe organisation.
It must be designed, acknowledged andimplemented in the very early stages tominimise anxiety, conflict, inefficienciesand loss of public perception.
Remember, that a personal commitmentto support change is a voluntary act thatmanagement can and must inspire, notcommand.
Change takes time.Successful change takes a little longer.
Effecting successful changeLet’s get serious about the ‘How’ for amoment. Here are some ground rules:
1. The ‘Party Room’must be completely inorder. Strong and confident, ready to leadthe change challenge. The seniormanagement team must be well briefed andarmed with practical strategies, insight and adeep understanding of what to expect andhow to deal with the pain and the ecstasy.Because there will be both.
2. An Internal Communication Strategymust be choreographed with the same levelof detail as the public relations campaign toinvestors and the media. Your people mustbe fed and have access to information at alltimes. We must establish and maintain opendialogue with the Board and all Directors sothat decisions can be made with fullknowledge of what is occurring at the fingertip levels of the business.
3. A Risk Minimisation Strategy willidentify the challenges and tough decisionsthat must be addressed in order for theventure to move with the necessary pace.
Companies that embark upon a restructure,must seek the creation of a strong, enduringand far reaching organisational culture.
This culture should:
• Manifest in substantial bottom lineoutcomes for all stakeholders.
• Be unified and integrated in purpose anddirection.
• Emanate quality, professionalism andservice excellence commensurate with thevarious market positions.
• Be upheld (and indeed modelled), byevery individual in all facets of theorganisation in each decision they make.
• Have a set of values that is lived by, notmerely lived with, by every person withinthe organisation.
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
WHY DO SO MANY MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS FAIL?Here are some of the major reasons so many change efforts in M&As fail:
• Boards, top management and investors focus solely on financial gain• Organisations change as little as they must, not as much as they should• Miss-starts are allowed• Change is offered as an option within each of the parties• No change exists in the reward system• Rewards are not attainable for everyone• Chairman, CEO or MD are not managerially or academically equipped to spearhead the change movement
• There is too much similarity in the marketplace without adopting a ‘winning edge’philosophy.
Corporate Trends 167
JILL SWEATMAN
Organisations that are trulysuccessful in enlisting the lastingsupport of their people, are thosethat genuinely listen to their staff.
“Researchers have foundthat the effect of leaving it tothe supervisors is so strong,people will go along with theboss’s opinion, even if itcould lead to loss of life”.
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
ne of the most cost effectiveyet powerful means ofengaging every individual inthe cultural change process is
to conduct Service-wide Discussions.Otherwise known as Focus Groups.Whilethe concept is not new, what is vital is theway the session is conducted and the actionmanagement commit to take after the datahas been gathered.
Through these Service-wide Discussions,we are creating a forum in which theemployee’s voice can be heard. Loud andclear, with the view to making a difference.In turn this will create a level of expectation.That expectation must be honoured throughthe commitment of the senior managementteam to sponsor appropriate projects oractions.
If you are not prepared to abide by thisundertaking, read no further. It’s just notworth the risk.
The action of inaction and disrespect foryour employees time and honesty will yieldan unpleasant cynicism that is as difficult toremove as mould from blue cheese.
Here’s how to orchestrate a Service-wideDiscussionso that the time invested isvaluable for both the employees and theorganisation.
Rule1: Employ an external facilitatorThe great Cardinal Sin lies in ignoring Rule #1.“Why go to the trouble,” you might wellsay? “Isn’t this just another meeting?”
Absolutely not!Carefully planned and skilfully executed,
such Service-wide Discussionscan addsignificantly to the overall staff morale,customer service and the bottom line.
“But why an external person? Why notsave money and use our own people? Theylead meetings all the time.”An understandable sentiment. Note that this
Cultural Due Diligence– a window into the “how”
• The Manager-follower effectWhen a manager speaks, employees oftenstop thinking. Usually, they go along withthe manager’s agenda, even though thatagenda may be harmful.
Researchers have found that the effect ofleaving it to the supervisors is so strong thatpeople will go along with the “boss’s”opinion, even if it can lead to loss of life.
Cialdini, a well known researcher,reported an aviation led experiment insimulated flying conditions. He noted that ina majority of cases, the co pilot and navigatorfailed to intervene when the pilot(deliberately) made mistakes that wouldhave lead to a crash. Therefore, it follows acompany official may unwittingly orknowingly restrict options by leading theparticipants in discussion.
Instead, give the role to a professionalfacilitator who is trained in the correctprocess, who demonstrates exceptionallyhigh communication skills and who knowshow to engender the respect of a group,quickly and with ease.
Such professionals are gifted and not all thatcommon. Research well the integrity andcredentials of any professional thoroughlybefore engaging them. Your investment willbe rewarded immeasurably.
Rule #2: Invite every employeeAnd I mean every employee. Each personmust be given the opportunity to be engagedin this process, regardless of rank or role –driver or dishwasher.
And by invite we mean just that. Send aletter or memo addressed to the individualpersonally.We want them to know that thisis important and set the scene for theirindividual commitment to the process.
Managers should be in a group on theirown. Be judicious about the mix of people toallow the flow of information.
Rule #3: Ask a bold question(even if it seems dumb). Ask, “If you were incharge of this organisation, what is the onething you would change?” Ask, “Why is itimportant and detail how would you changeit”. Stress and insist on the ‘how’ sinceresponsibility and accountability is critical.Give time for them to respond in writing.
Often, employees are dissatisfied withtheir job because of the little niggling thingsthat prevent them from doing their very besteach day. Remember, it’s often the smallstuff that really counts.
Rule #4: Act on the OutcomesThe Service-wide Discussionsare anintervention. And interventions haverepercussions. Act on the results and theevent holds credibility. Ignore the results andpractised cynicism will become the culture,quicker than a teenager can devour a pizza.
Use the commitment of seniormanagement to undertake a project that willyield a short term visible result. That way,the troops feel like their time wasworthwhile.
In the creation of a new culture, trust andloyalty are paramount. Loyalty is the resultof a series of past positive experiences thatbuild trust in an individual. If that chain ofexperiences contains some broken links, theemployee won’t wear it or the new culture.
is no ordinary meeting and unfortunately, aninternal person will not be optimal, for twomajor reasons:
• PoliticsPolitics impacts on openness and trust.
If your organisation is serious aboutbringing cultures together, then a person whois completely separate from the politics ofthe organisation must be engaged. Partici-pants will not be as open or honest if thefacilitator is from management or indeed,any level of the company. Even if that personis well liked, they will inherently carry theirown agenda and bring that to the table.
O
168 Corporate Trends
JILL SWEATMAN
2. Protect your change agentsThere are always a few people in anyorganisation who are leaders and who workto make the changes. Their position is oftena seemingly thankless one: people are quickto be critical and resistance to the messagecan be strong. Some may even think thatthese change agents betray what made thecompany great in the past. It is not alwaysthat the critics want to be difficult, its justthat the mind and the heart engage atdifferent rates.
Lessons for a Successful Merger or Acquisition…and some good stuff for all businesses…There are some important lessons that companies who wish to improvetheir profits or simply stay in business, cannot afford to ignore. Especially ifthey are involved in a merger or acquisition. These lessons were broughtsharply into focus recently while I was preparing a company for its float…
he organisation had plans toexpand rapidly, by buyingrelated Australian and foreignowned companies. Ten
companies in total, combined to create crossselling and other strategic benefits.
To be able to fund the preparations for thefloat, they needed to raise venture capital.People who supply such funds are fondlycalled ‘business angels’. They fly in notonly with money but loads of experienceand sometimes can mentor the company inwhich they invest. We were thereforedelighted to see that these company doctorsloved the concept and were impressed withthe other plans. We were however, puzzledthat the dollars stayed in the pockets of theseangels, covered securely by their tightlyfolded wings.
A little research revealed the reason – theinvestors were scared that the ten companieswould all pull in opposite directions. Inother words, that the cultures would clash.
Would they, in reality, be willing and ableto work together and use the powerfulinternal synergies, as well as cross-sellwithin the group? Our celestial friends wereunwilling to part with any capital until theywere satisfied that cooperation would be thename of the game.
To support this objective, I was contractedas their corporate culture engineer. Here aresome of my recommendations, which Ibelieve are useful to all companies to getpeople to pull together.
1. Plan an internalcommunications strategyMany different forms of communication areneeded to promote the new order within thegroup. For example, newsletters, videos,breakfast discussions, seminars. To rely ononly one or two forms, risks not having allpeople on board or them not getting themessage in a way that is meaningful tothem. And, when you think you’ve comm-unicated enough, communicate some more.
T
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
– it is in fact the opposite of ‘group-think’and ‘yes’ men and women. What I suggestis the open critical evaluation of a project byeach individual concerned and thediscussion of those varying views.
The high cost of failureFailure to understand and escalate ‘conflict’in appropriate ways, recently cost oneorganisation seven lives and hundreds ofmillions of dollars.
The organisation? NASA. They got itwrong – very wrong, when on the morningof 8th January 1986, the spaceshuttle‘Challenger’ exploded 72 seconds into itsflight. Under inflated expectations from thepublic and the NASA teams themselves, thefocus was on the social identity of NASA,rather than the energy being placed onmaking the critical evaluations necessaryfor high quality decisions.
Allow stimulation conflictOrganisations must be aware of thepressures that come into force whensignificant decisions need to be made.
Allow your people the license and thelatitude to experience a degree ofstimulating conflict. The kind of conflictthat promotes a sense of urgency, thenecessity to look for alternative ways ofbehaving and thinking. Healthy conflict inother words. This will help people moveaway from only thinking about product andmove towards different ways of working.
Regardless of how long a company hasbeen in business, it should look to thinkconstantly about questioning itself in orderto be the very best it can be. Hugh McKay,said recently, “The answer closes thequestion. Stay with the question.”
Sure, we can rationalise the change, but thechange means doing different things andtherefore we have to actively thinkdifferently.
The change agents must be given fullsupport by senior management, whothemselves may be struggling with thememories of the past. It takes time to createa compelling vision and have it digested bya critical mass.
3. Encourage conflict!As bold as it sounds, please read on… Beingcooperative and participative do not inthemselves guarantee a productiveworkplace. There is a saying, “If two peopleagree in a meeting, one of them isredundant.” Think about that. Maybe‘conflict’ is a strong word for what I suggest
“This item here is accountability. Ralph,that’s where you come in.”
Corporate Trends 169
JILL SWEATMAN
Somebody once said, “You can’tmake a good omelette without firstbreaking a few eggs.” How true…
onstructive damage to the statusquo is essential if we want ourmerger, acquisition, restructure,or even our innovation or
customer service drive to take hold.We can’t afford to play at the margins.
Your business becomes the changeprogram. Change is not a part-time activity,in the hope of achieving critical mass.
If the troops argue, “I can’t do the changeprogram and my day job,” reply with, “OK,then do the change program.”
People are more motivated to changehabits and ways of thinking, when in amurky state of flux, rather than in a pool ofcalm.
Here’s how to capitalise on creatingthe right team by using the right newrecruits.
Keep the People MixMovingCompanies in stasis, tend to have staticemployee populations. That is to say,people move up in predictable lines,team composition remains the same orat best, people of a similar backgroundor training join the team. Recruitmentis marked by either conscious orunconscious clones of the currentmanagers or employees. It isunderstandable that we choose teamswith potential for minimal conflict.
Yet this alone can herald ourdownfall.
For transformation to occur, weneed to change the composition of thesenior management team. This is essential.And even more important if the top teamhas been working together for a long period,because they will likely think and act insimilar ways over time. These people, whilewell intentioned, can be the unhealthykeepers of old orthodoxies. Innovation andmovement will always be limited, whileever this situation exists.A range of solutionsPerhaps you have heard the axiom, “If twopeople in a meeting agree, one of them isredundant.” Think about that. The
companies that are offering strong thinkingin terms of results are those that encourage arange of solutions for their external orinternal customer, not just one.
Welcome the Outsiders!Wave the flags and welcome the ‘outsiders’.If you are serious about change, bring innew executives from outside the industry toquicken the transformation process.
Market analysts will express concernabout the industry knowledge of theincoming chief executives. What the astuteones realise, from research and experience,is that often it can be a distinct disadvantagefor the new CEO to hale from the sameindustry.Customers vs. technologyLou Gerstner was himself an outsider whenhe took over the ailing IBM. Paul Taffinder(1998) cites Gerstner’s interview with
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au8
Start by Changing Your Thinking…
C
skeleton of the organisation will yieldhealthy outcomes. Have the strength ofcorporate character to stretch beyond theknown. This faith should be founded on theability of the new bloods to utiliseknowledge and processes rather than relymerely on product and industry knowledge.
Picking the right outsidersNew people who are good, look for ways tobe successful by utilising the cleverapplication of their broad knowledge –rather than applying a potentially narrowrange solutions because they have beenindoctrinated by experience in a soleindustry. Employ people who cantriangulate their thinking and work withtangental concepts – not people who justmake linear progressions based on limitedmodels.
You want a leader who queries clichedindustry wisdom with the cynicism ofa cautious parent, yet the openness ofa young child. A leader who does notallow things to go unqualified orunquestioned.
The Sydney Morning Herald (Sat7th July 2001) in Elizabeth Sexton’sstory, ‘Society of Friends’ in referringto James Packer’s involvement withOne.Tel, spoke of the dismissal of theprevious CEO and his replacement,who is more like minded to Packerhimself. A fund manager asked, “Sodo you now get the same level of dueprocess and rigour and independentthinking when new opportunitiescome up?”
The market is conscious of healthydebate and challenge within thehallowed halls of big business. True
commercial leverage can be gained byvaluing the professionals who focus onways of working and thinking, not just onproduct.
Fortunemagazine, as saying, “I start everyday with customers but this is an industrythat starts every day with technology. It isdriven by its technical accomplishments,which are enormous. But what happens inthe marketplace is driven by customers. TheInternet has been around for over 25 years.What made it suddenly emerge?
“Well, the real issue is that customers arechanging the way they’re thinking aboutinformation technology.”Encouragement of new blood coursingthrough the veins of the boardroom, fleshyideas attaching themselves to the current
“Pardon the mess, we’re restructuring…”
170 Corporate Trends
JILL SWEATMAN
ccording to ThomsonFinancial Services, M&Aactivity in Australia for thefirst half of the calendar year
2001 totalled $48.5 billion. However,global research shows that four out of fiveM&As fail to meet their objectives and inthe US, two out of three are likely to be soldwithin five years (as reported by KateMarshall in her article “Most M&As EndUp losing the Plot”, Australian FinancialReview 22 August 2001). These statisticsare even more pertinent in Australia sinceglobalisation has made our companies mostattractive for foreign takeovers.
So why do such costly activities keep occurring?
Cultural integration is the major factor.Lack of understanding and effort to involveall parties is the primary cause of failure in most M&As. Therefore, cultural duediligence is even more important than thelegal and accounting due diligenceprocesses which are normally so rigidly undertaken.
Why? Because the most critical elementfor success is overlooked, the design of thenew culture. There has to be one, if anydegree of success is to be contemplated.And that means change for both parties.There is no other way.
People support that which they help tocreate. Therefore, every person within thetwo companies involved must be engagedin the culture design.
What is cultural due diligence? It is the prior assessment of the strengthsand limitations of the cultures of the twomerging entities so that the integration plancan represent their combined essence. Theplan needs to incorporate and maximisethose strengths to meld with the newculture. This is a process that must beskillfully managed. It is not a documentdesigned in the boardroom.
We need to remind ourselves that what isa strength, can also be a limitation, in eitherenvironment. How we integrate thosewithin the new landscape, with the
involvement of as many people within bothorganisations as possible, will ultimately bethe mark of our success.
Capital or Reputation? Which is our most important asset inchanging or difficult circumstances? Intimes of crisis, reputation is our mostimportant asset.
This process of cultural due diligencealso begins the establishment of reputationand trust within the new order of the
combined organisations. Begin theestablishment of your company reputationwith the people who matter most – youremployees.On Day One of the merge, everyperson should be regarded as a ‘ReputationManager’ for the business. Ensure that theyhave the right communication andinformation to be just that.
The right advice.True success can be designed into theprocesses of the planning phase. Thetraditional method of employing aconsultant in an ailing situation is notprofitable and will not yield the best result.History has proven that prevention is stillbetter than cure. Seek the right corporatecultural advice prior to the ink drying onany M&A contract. Select a consultant witha well proven record of success in thisarena. It is not for the ruthless or faint
hearted and requires extraordinarysensitivity and diplomacy.
There is only one chance to get it right. Ifit fails, any change effort in the future willbe met with practised cynicism.
The process can be likened to a hearttransplant. The planning has to bemeticulous with experts ready to performwhen the donor organ arrives. Time is of theessence. The surgeons need to operatequickly with delft hands and a skilled teamto join one critical part with the other – thenew heart with the new body. The surgicalteam must stem the bleeding and control allaspects of the whole body to counter anyrejection. All parts need to begin workingtogether immediately if the transplant is tobe successful. The initial period is crucial. Arejection, either now or in time, is fatal. Nohalf measures can be part of the equation.It’s the same with M&As.
The ability to forgetOne of the greatest barriers to success is notalways the ability to create but the ability toforget. Forget what once worked in theprevious landscape. Forget the dynamicsthat once existed with colleagues who are nolonger present. We need to graciouslyencourage the removal of rear vision mirrorsthat impede the view forward.
A successful M&A inherently holds theability to do different stuff and to reworkand enhance what is already going well. Alinear progression or extrapolation frompast trends may now not be appropriate.
Speed is also of the essence. A year’sabsolute growth in 1800, is the same as aday’s growth in 2000, according toresearch by Oliver Sparrow in the ChathamHouse report.
We can’t pretend to be responsive andadapt to sudden changes with old paradigmsand mental constraints. In the world of thefast-paced, success and failure can turn onmarginal differences in competence. Howour people choose to use their intelligenceand discretionary effort to meet the speed ofcompetitor action and reaction willdetermine our versatility and flexibility.
“A year’s absolutegrowth in 1800, is the same as a day’sgrowth in 2000”
Oliver SparrowThe Chatham House report.
A
Cultural Due Diligence:People Are The Key To Success…Before the ink dries on the agreement is the best time to start planning your cultural integration for a successful merger or acquisition.
Corporate Trends 171
JILL SWEATMAN
Executive teams that understand the market and industry fracture lines drivingchange, have a distinct advantage overthose companies that only follow the rulesmade by others. These pioneeringcompanies are not shackled by the waythings have always been or must be done.Companies that are willing to do theunexpected and even the unpredictable, willbe in a better position to succeed. Thetransformation of an organisation dependson this psychological shift. Imagination cancreate the future.
So, how do we get faster and morecreative at the same time?
Apply the ‘1% Factor’Don’t try to do one or several things 100per cent better each time. Apply theprinciple that you will do a whole bunch ofthings just one per cent better. Do thatconsistently, every day and watch thecumulative effect impact on the bottomline. Adopt and promote that as a way oflife for your work practice.
Prepare for Emotional First Aid. Knowand anticipate the heightened emotions thatwill inevitably sweat from the pores of yourpeople. The stages closely follow the grief
process first studied by Elizabeth KublerRoss. People initially feel shock, thendenial, anger and blame.
Address employee’s fearsPeople want to know why you think theycan make it through the change andsecondly, how management is going to helpthem. It is imperative that this is clearlyarticulated in the early stages.
Appoint Change Leaders – dim the lightsand raise the curtain. Then go behind thescenes and let your people take the stage. A good leader in change is prepared to work with the evolving process andaccept that the ultimate outcome of thetransformation could indeed be far betterthan what was originally designed in thescript – given the chance.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, compares thisstyle of leadership to improvisationaltheatre: you make the best judgement youcan in the moment and remain prepared toadjust to whatever new condition arises.
Leadership does not solely need to be ledfrom the top. On the contrary, sustainedchange and many successes stem from smallchange efforts originated at the middle orbottom of a company.
Henry Mintzberg, professor at McGillUniversity of Montreal (2001) contests thenotion of change as only effective from thetop. He declares it a fallacy, driven by egoand the cult of heroic management. Headvocates, “The brilliance of knowingwhen to lay off.” Keep a firm focus on thehorizon, know what is not to becompromised and allow the sensitivelygloved hand to manage loosely.
Just like the riverboat captain who steershis boat from one bend to another, onemust rely on point to point navigation. Ourclimate today is to closely monitor pulsesat every moment and to make thoseconstant refinements. Encourage yourpeople to challenge conventional wisdomand ask impressive questions. Keep theminformed and enlist their support.
This process will reward you well with arealistic expectation of success.
Jill Sweatman is an author, professional speakerand consultant in the field of corporate culturedesign and communication strategies that impacton bottom line profits. For availability to addressbusiness conferences, contact:Tel: (02) 9713 8599Email: [email protected]:www.corporatechange.com.au
NOW YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST MANAGEMENT TRENDS ONLINE AT…www.corporatetrends.com.au
All your favourite contributors are now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the internet.Not only thecurrent edition but all the back copies too so now you can access dozens of articles by Australia’s leading expertsfrom our vast archives dating right back to the very first edition. Plus you can search the archives by topic or by authorso if you have a particular problem or concern, help is only a mouse click away! You will find this vast resource ofknowledge and information invaluable.
STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS • STOPPRESS • STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS • STOP PRESS
Corporate Trends – the magazine of ideas, innovation and inspiration for managers…now available online at: www.corporatetrends.com.au
• Written by Australia’s leading experts
• Topical and timely advice
• Helps keep you up to date
• Search our extensive archives for the latest information and trends…
MARKETING, BUSINESS STRATEGY & THE INTERNET
Peter Thorpe started his career in sales at the age of eighteen. By the time he was thirty, he had become theGeneral Manager of Sharp Corporation of Australia. He left Sharp in 1975 to start his own business andsince then, he has been an importer, a retailer and has operated his own service company.
In 1988, with no previous experience in publishing, he decided to start his own magazine. Called AustralianSmall Business Review it was based largely on his own personal experience of starting and runningbusinesses. It was an outstanding success and he was eventually bought out by a large publishing house.
His book Small Business Street Smarts, has now sold over 18,000 copies and his audio and video tapeprograms on marketing and business skills have been translated into four languages and are widely used byeducational institutions throughout Australia.
Today, he is a professional speaker and business adviser and he lists some of Australia's top organisationsas his clients. They include: BHP, Coca Cola, Jetset, News Ltd, Commonwealth Bank, Carlton UnitedBreweries, CSR, Yellow Pages Australia, John Fairfax, National Mutual, Optus, Cookie Man, CNH (New Holland), Institute of Strata Title Management and many more.
Peter ThorpeConsults to businesses both large and
small on their marketing, Internetmarketing and strategic planning.
Corporate Trends 173
PETER THORPE
Beware of the Fifth ‘P’ You can’t enter the next millenniumusing the same marketing strategiesyou are using now…
he first thing they teach youin marketing courses is theimportance of the four ‘Ps’.They are the:
• Product (or service, you sell)• Price (what you sell it for)• Place (where you sell it from)• Promotion (how you promote it)
The four Ps have been around for a longtime and they are just as important todayas ever. However, there have been somedramatic changes to the way theyimpact on business. Let’s take a look:
The product ‘P’Most people over emphasise theimportance of product quality.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not sayingyou don’t have to have good products.I’m simply saying that in today’scompetitive environment, goodproducts and good service are merelythe entry price into the marketplace. Ifyou don’t have them, you won’t be inbusiness for too long. Simple as that!
And, while it definitely helps to havegreat products, be warned—themarketing history books are full ofcompanies that had superior productsbut failed to gain market dominance.
Take the Sony Betamax VCR, forinstance (RIP) or in more recent times,there’s the Macintosh computer.
The Macintosh did virtually every-thing that Windows 95 did back in 1987.They had the product eight years aheadof Bill Gates, yet they now have lessthan five per cent of the world market.
Why?Because Bill Gates is a better
marketer. And good marketing is allabout selling the sizzle not the sausage!The price ‘P’It used to be that you traded off priceagainst convenience and service. But
with people’s ability to buy direct andeliminate the middle man, it isbecoming increasingly difficult tocompete on price alone.
‘Disintermediation’is the new buzzword for the year 2000.
What does it mean? Simply this—if you market goods or
services that you don’t create yourself,you are an intermediary between theend user and the supplier. If the suppliercan eliminate your services and selldirect (for instance via the internet) theydon’t need you anymore.
Welcome to disintermediation!
Sound a bit futuristic? Well, it’s already happening all
around you. In businesses such astravel, computers, insurance and evenmotor cars. Is your business next?
The place ‘P’This ‘P’ is changing more dramaticallythan any of the others. With theintroduction of the internet, mobilephones, laptop computers, satellites,etc., the place where you do business isbecoming increasingly irrelevant.
The other day I rang what I thoughtwas a local telephone number to getsome technical support on a computerprogram. I got chatting to the person onthe other end of the phone and it turnedout she was sitting at home in Chicagoand her local time was 3AM! Thecompany has found it is cheaper to paythe ISD phone charges than it is torecruit, train and house people in offshore countries. Only a few years ago this would have been totally impractical.How long since you did a review onyour place of business?
The promotion ‘P’Promotion has always been the hardest‘P’ of all to get right.
Lord Leverhulme, the head of Leverand Kitchen the soap powder company,best summed it up when he said, “Halfof all the money I spend on advertisingis wasted but I don’t know which half!”
Today, he would be considered anoptimist. Most companies would bedelighted if half of their advertisingworked or even a quarter of it!
It has been estimated that as much as95 per cent of all the money spent onadvertising is wasted. And, littlewonder.
The average person is now subjectedto over 2,000 advertising messages aday. It comes in the form of radio ads,TV, newspapers, bill boards, bus sidesand even the backs of toilet doors!
Add to this the Internet and otherdistractions that are pulling people awayfrom the mainstream media in drovesand you can see the dilemma marketersface in the new millennium.
How do you get your message across?
The fifth PThis is where the fifth ‘P’ comes in:
your Point of Difference.What is it that sets your business apartfrom the rest? What do you do that isunique or different to your competitors?
It’s becoming increasingly difficult tofind one. And, as soon as you do, yourcompetitors will be saying, “Me too!”
We are facing a productdifferentiation crisis. And withglobalisation, the Internet and increasedcompetition, we need to find our uniquePoint of Differencenow, more than everbefore.
What’s yours?
T
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
‘Disintermediation’ is the new
buzz word for the year 2000.
174 Corporate Trends
PETER THORPE
What Price Loyalty?Most companies spend a fortune trying to win new clients and
virtually ignore their greatest profit centre…
ccording to one of theworld’s leading strategicconsulting firms, Bain &Co., most corporation now
lose half their customer base in less thanfive years. They also found thatcompanies that could halve that attritionrate, in most cases, actually doubledtheir bottom line profits!
The much used adage that it costs fivetimes more to get a new customer thanis does to retain an existing one, is truertoday than it has ever been.
What’s natural attrition?Most companies today, seem to acceptas normal, a so called ‘natural attritionrate’ of around ten per cent, per annum.This means ten per cent of theircustomers go away every year and dobusiness with somebody else.
But why? And, what’s natural about it? It is a proven fact, most people prefer
to build long term relationships and dobusiness with someone they know andtrust. So, there is nothing ‘natural’about attrition. It’s really quiteunnatural!
Of course, hardly any company canexpect to have a zero customer attritionrate and most will always need to findnew clients. So, what is a reasonable,acceptable rate of customer attrition?
The answer is still nil. You will probably never achieve it but
you should always be working towardsnever losing a single customer.Certainly, not through any fault of yourown or any action that could be avoided.
If you ask most companies why theircustomers leave, they will tell you it’sbecause they got a better offerelsewhere. Often they attribute it toprice cutting in a competitive market.In my experience, working as a businessadviser to hundreds of companies overmany years, this rarely stands up to
scrutiny. Research usually reveals theirclients left for one of two reasons:
• They had a problem and it wasn’tresolved satisfactorily
• Perceived indifference on the partof the supplier
In other words, they felt that thesupplier didn’t care about them or theirwelfare and was only concerned withtheir own.(By the way, in the majorityof cases they are absolutely right!)Building relationships
Of course, price cutting is a problem inmost industries today and it’s notalways an easy one to overcome.
However, price becomes less of aproblem if you have established astrong relationship of trust andconfidence with a client. Most buyerswon’t change from a reliable supplierthey like and trust, unless the pricedifference is quite substatntial.
And, if customers do have a problemand that problem is resolved quicklyand to their satisfaction, they are twiceas likely to remain loyal to that supplieras customers who never have a problemin the first place!
In fact, there is one well documentedcase of a company in the US whoactually deliberately created bogusproblems for their customers so theycould resolve them and strengthencustomer loyalty! I think this is a bitdrastic however, it does serve toillustrate an important point.
So, what should we do to buildcustomer loyalty and form long termrelationships with our customers?
The best way is to add value and giveyour customers benefits and servicebeyond their expectations. It is also vitalto maintain regular, systematic contactwith your clients.
Start by practising four-siteI believe your customers need to sightyour name at least four times a year—whether they have a need for yourproducts or services or not. Otherwise,they simply forget about you.
You can do this in a number of ways.Here are a few ideas to get you started:
• Create a regular newsletter. Not justa brochure for your company but aworthwhile document filled withnews, information and ideas. (If youdon’t have the expertise in-house to dothis well, call me and I’ll help you).• Instigate a system of regulartelephone calls from your staff. Offerspecials or announce new products orservices• Hold regular product nights, planttours or breakfast seminars withinteresting guest speakers• Send your clients birthday cards (forgood clients, why not send a cake?)• Make special premium offers toyour VIP customers• Consider creating a formal loyaltyprogram for frequent buyers• Start an e-zine (email newsletter)• Write letters to your good customersthanking them for their business
All of the above involves some cost anda fair amount of effort. However, I’ll betit’s nowhere near as much cost or effortas you put into trying to develop newbusiness.
So, let me ask you again—what pricedoes your company put on loyalty?
A
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
Corporate Trends 175
PETER THORPE
Sex and the Internet…Using the word “sex” in my headline was a grubby way to get yourattention, wasn’t it? But it is relevant to what I have to say…
ccording to my mate, IanKennedy (the Godfather ofdirect marketing here), theInternet in Australia is a bit
like teenage sex: Everybody’s talkingabout it but very few people are actuallydoing it. And, those who are doing it, arenot doing it very well!
It’s a great analogy and it gives us anexcellent insight into where we are at inAustralia with this revolutionary newweapon for business. (And, yes, usedcorrectly, it can be a weapon not just anexpensive toy). The problem is, mostpeople here don’t know how to use itproperly to get the best results.
Unlike the USA, the Net in Australiais still very much in its infancy. Thisbecomes very apparent if we look at thenumber of domain names registered.The latest statistics reveal there arearound three million domain namesregistered worldwide, broken uproughly as follows:True, Australia is catching up veryrapidly and we do tend to be earlyadaptors of new technology. Perhaps wereally are the clever country?
But, like it or not, sex has again playeda major role here. Talk to any ISP
(Internet Service Provider)and, if theyare totally honest with you, they willadmit the availability of adult materialon the Internet has played a major rolein the quick uptake of home usage here.Which is why so many of them were upin arms when the Government wantedto regulate content on the Internet.Maybe we’re not so much the clevercountry as the sexy country!
Anyway, leaving sex out of it for amoment — Internet usage in Australia isfinally taking off in a big way both
domestically and in business. And, it’snot likely to go away.
Which begs the question: Can yourbusiness use the Net to increase sales,lower costs and improve your service?
The answer is a resounding — YES,providing you follow some basicground rules. I’ll come to those in amoment but first, let’s have a look at
HOW your business might go aboutusing the Internet to its best advantage.As an electronic brochureThis is often down played however, it isstill one of the Net’s most practical uses— done correctly.When customers visityour website to get information, theyget it in full colour and in as much detailas you care to provide. Not only that, itcan include a fully inter-activepresentation of your products orservices, a virtual plant tour, full soundand video, photographs with detailedtechnical specifications, testimonials,comparisons to competitive products,articles, links to other resources, etc.
What’s more, it’s available instantly,24 hours a day, seven days a week.(Highly important in our increasinglyglobal economy).And, it will cost onlya fraction of the price of printedliterature plus you can update it
whenever you like, so it’s alwayscurrent and topical.
Not bad for starters…but wait, there’smore…!(Thanks, Tim).
Your customers can check prices,quantities, availabilities, get answers tofrequently asked questions and evenplace orders — all while you are asleep.
Making it workThat’s great but how do you get peopleto come to your site in the first place?
This is the part where most companiesfall down. They spend hundreds ofthousands of dollars on design to maketheir site look really swish. Then, theywait for the people. It’s a classic case ofthe, “Build it and they will come”,approach adopted by the early churches.
Well, it may have worked for them butit definitely doesn’t work for websites.The reality is, most corporate websitesare over-engineered (eg: require specialplug-ins or browsers to view them), arepainfully slow to download and navigateand worst of all — down right boring!
The result is, many large Australiancorporations have spent mega-bucks ondeveloping their websites and are nowleft wondering why? They get very fewvisitors and do very little seriousbusiness online. Their R.O.I (return oninvestment)is down the toilet.
So, how can you do it better?For your website to be effective, it has
to be: quick to download, easy tonavigate, user friendly, interesting,informative and dynamic (the contentneeds to change regularly). It also has tohave a good reason for visitors to stayaround (stickiness) and return often. Itwould also be great if it attractedattention and got people talking about it.You also have to know how to promoteit the right way, both on and off line.
I guess it’s a lot like sex, really!
A
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
USA 2,300,000 The UK 75,000 Germany 75,000Australia 20,000
Canada 200,000France 65,000Sweden 35,000the rest 230,000
176 Corporate Trends
PETER THORPE
The ‘Price’ of SuccessFor some people, dropping prices isthe only way they know to combatcompetition. But there is a betterway—add value!
ast year, I was booked to givethe keynote address at theannual conference of theCinema Owners Association
of Australia’s (the COAA), a group ofsmaller, independent cinema owners.
My topic was ‘marketing’and in thepreliminary briefing, I was told that theirmain problem (collectively), was pricecompetition. To quote the words ofGomer Pile, surprise, surprise!
It’s a funny thing but these days,wherever I go, whether I’m speaking orconsulting, the main marketing problemalways seems to be price competition.
“You have to understand, Peter”, theytell me, “It’s different in the: tyre, travel,electrical, computer, building products,publishing, plumbing, engineering,strata management, funeral service,(etc.) business. You see, in our business,people mainly buy on price!”
More on that later but meanwhile,back to the COAA assignment.
A little market researchMy knowledge of the movie business islargely limited to my infrequent visits tomy local cinema so, as usual, I decidedto undertake some market research. Myfindings greatly surprised me.
Firstly, let me ask you a question: How often do you think the average
Australian man, woman or child goes tothe movies each year?
The answer is about 3.9 times.That may or may not surprise you but
let me ask you a further question:How often do you think people went to
the movies in the 1930s, when movieswere the main form of entertainment?
Before you answer, bear in mind thatback then, there was no television, novideos, cable TV, computer games,Internet and no registered clubs. So, theanswer will probably surprise you, as
much as it surprised me:Answer: About the same!Yes, believe it or not, people in
Australia today, go to the movies aboutthe same number of times a year, asthey did back in the 1930s. In fact, theattendance figures have varied onlyslightly over the last 60 years. Amazing!
In spite of all the fantastic electronicgadgetry and gizmos man has inventedduring that time, the good old ‘flicks’have well and truly held their own.Of course, the way the product isdelivered has changed somewhat.These days, the local cinema has all but
disappeared in many suburban andcountry town locations. It has beenreplaced by the ‘entertainmentcomplex’, — multiple screen theatrescombined with video games, etc.
So, what has happened to the localcinema operator and what does thefuture hold for them? Well, surprise,surprise once again.While many ofthem have gone out of business, someof them are doing extremely well.
Take for instance, Harry Waghorn,who is the owner of the Gala cinema inWollongong, NSW (he’s also thePresident of the COAA). Harry hadbeen happily operating his theatre forover 17 years when suddenly, his worstnightmare came true. He learned thatHoyts had made an application to opena six screen cinema complex rightopposite the Gala. Looked like Harry’sbusiness was deader than the legendaryscreen idol, Rudolph Valentino!
But guess what? Not only did Harry’s business survive,it thrived! In the 10 years since the
Hoyts complex opened, the Gala hasincreased both turnover and profitsevery single year. (Harry doesn’t wantme to tell you by how much but it’ssubstantial!)
How can that be?Well, for starters, Hoyts spent a lot of
money Harry couldn’t normally afford,promoting movies. This has resulted inpeople in the area generally going to themovies more often.
But that’s not the only reason. Harry isalso a smart marketer and he has beencontinually able to beat the big boys attheir own game by adding value.
Space here doesn’t permit me to tellyou all of the ways he has done this butlet me give you one major example:
At a time when most small businessowners would have been reaching forthe rusty razor blades, Harry went outand bravely spent $100,000 on acomplete refurbishment and a newDolby sound system for his theatre.
Now, with its huge screen and‘surround sound’,going to the Gala isno longer just a trip to the movies, it’s atotal ‘entertainment experience’.
Titanic battleWhen the movie ‘Titanic’ was released,it wasn’t available to Harry until 18weeks after the Hoyts complex hadshown it (another challenge he faces!).But Harry says many of the locals werehappy to wait the 18 weeks and‘experience’it at the Gala, rather thanjust ‘see’ it at Hoyts.
He also does partnership marketingdeals by offering packages with localrestaurants, shopper docket specials andmuch more. Harry Waghorn’s GalaCinema is a living testament to the factthat you can overcome the toughestcompetition by adding value,not just bysimply cutting prices.
L
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
Corporate Trends 177
PETER THORPE
Have you seen ourCompany’s Website?It’s not enough to simply have a‘presence’ on the Internet, you needa valid reason for being there…
he next time someone asksyou to look at their website,ask them a poignantquestion:
“Why?” Chances are they’ll bestumped for an answer.
You’ve probably been involved in aconversation lately where someone hasblurted out excitedly, “Have you seenour company’s website? You must havea look, it’s www.blahblah.com.au…”
Sound familiar? The Internet is a hot topic and
everybody is ‘doing it’. Seems you haveto be on the Net or you’ll get left behind.But surprisingly few companies putmuch thought into why they should bethere and more importantly, whyanybody would want to visit theirwebsite after it has been created.
Build it and they will comeThis doctrine may have worked well forthe early Christian churches but withover 80 million websites out there, whyshould anyone visit yours?
It’s a fair question and it’s not alwayseasy to come up with a valid answer. Itrequires a good deal of planning andsome meaningful research.
A good way to start this process is byasking your customers what they want.What sort of information could youmake available to them on the internet,that you wouldn’t give them normally?What value-added benefits could theygain from visiting your website?
It’s a question I asked myself recently,while working with a client who is instrata management. Like mostbusinesses today, they thought theyneeded to be on the Internet and theyasked me to build them a website. It
would have been a fairly simple processfor me to create a typical onlinebrochure; saying what wonderful peoplethey were and how they were the beststrata managing agents in the business.
We could have gone on to waxhysterically about how they werecheaper, better and provided a servicethat was second to none, etc., etc.Then, we could have all sat around
With these objectives in mind, I setabout trying to create an effectivewebsite for my strata client.
Our research revealed that mostpeople involved in strata, don’t have avery high level of understanding ofstrata matters. (Not surprising, given thevast amount of laws and by laws theyhave churned out in the last few years).Providing the information wasn’t aproblem (my client is an expert in theirfield) but it had to be done in a languagelaypeople could understand.
Furthermore, as laws and by laws canbe a pretty dry topic (and frankly, down-right boring), we decided we alsoneeded to introduce an element of fun,to generally lighten it up a bit.
Ultimately, I elected to build them twowebsites: One that offered informationon every aspect of strata for free and onefor the client’s services. The idea beingto generate lots of visitors to the freeinformation site and then gently guidethem to the client’s site by offeringfurther assistance where needed.
Introducing StratamanFor the information site, we came upwith a cartoon hero called Strataman(www.strataman.com.au). He zoomsaround the site offering information onevery aspect of strata and visitor’s caneven email him questions or subscribeto his regular electronic newsletter.
We are now offering a valuable freeservice which provides people with agood reason to visit the website.
There’s a lot more to the totalcampaign than space here permits butI’m sure you get the general idea.
Will it achieve its long term goals andobjectives for the client?
It’s too early to tell. However, I’m sureit will be much more effective thangoing around saying, “Have you seenour company’s website?”
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
T
Meet Strataman — you can visit hiswebsite at: www.strataman.com.au
waiting for the people to come. You canprobably guess what the outcome of thatexercise would have been.
A reason for beingI believe a website has to have a reasonfor being. It needs to be justified interms of cost and return on investment.
It also needs to be integrated with thecompany’s overall marketing strategy,and goals and objectives. Ideally, itshould also generate more businessand/or save the company money.
In other words, it should be apowerful tool for the business and anasset, not a status symbol or a liability.
178 Corporate Trends
PETER THORPE
The Importance of the Three ‘R’s…What employees want from theirjob is in stark contrast to whattheir managers think they want…
round ten years ago, when Ifirst started speaking andtraining, I was asked toaddress a group of managers
in the travel industry about staff relations. According to the brief, staff turnover was
exceedingly high, especially in the area ofexperienced travel consultants. Goodoperators were as scarce as hen’s teeth andpoaching (stealing someone else’s trainedconsultants) was rife. The emphasis, theysaid, had to be on retaining existing staffmembers. (Nothing has changed,Retaininghas always been cheaper than retraining).
I called my address: ‘The Importance ofthe Three Rs’. No, not Reading, ’Ritingand’Rithmatic but the three most importantfactors affecting staff loyalty:
• Recognition• Respect and;• Reward
And yes, definitely — in that order!
RecognitionRecognition is without doubt, the mostimportant of the three Rs. More thananything else, when people perform a jobwell, they like to be told about it. Nothingdeflates a staff member more than puttingtheir heart and soul into a job and not beinggiven full credit for it.
RespectThe next most important requirement forstaff loyalty and retention is respect.Peoplelike to be treated with common courtesy anddignity, not talked down to. They also needto feel they are part of the team and that theircontribution is important and valued. Theyneed to feel they are involved, not justanother number on the payroll.
Only after these basic needs are fulfiled,do staff members turn to the issue of reward— how much you are paying them.
Most managers agreed these were themain areas that needed to be addressedhowever, very few agreed with the order ofimportance. In spite of the fact that I hadstrong evidence to back up my claims, (in the form of the latest research at thetime), my assertions were generally greeted
with strong disbelief and a heated debatefollowed. (Which is probably why Iremember it so vividly).
The majority of the managers insisted thattheir staff members were motivatedprimarily by monetary factors and whilesome thought had to be given to the othermatters, these were relatively minor.
In the end, I couldn’t convince themotherwise so we agreed to disagree.
The latest researchSo, I was not too surprised when I picked upmy newspaper the other day and read themost recent research on the topic fromleading recruitment firm, Morgan & Banks.Their survey covered approximately 2,000people from a broad cross section ofAustralian industries and guess what?
When employees were asked to place inorder of importance, what they wanted mostfrom their job – full appreciation for workdone, came in at number one, closelyfollowed by – feeling in on things(#2).
Good wagescame in at number 5, behind– sympathetic understanding of personalproblems(#3) and – job security(#4).
Interestingly, when asked what theythought employees wanted from their job,most managers rated salariesas the numberone concern. In fact, research has shown thatin surveys around the world over the past 50years, little has changed in this regard. Inshort, it seems managers just don’t get it.Acurrent international report from the SloanBusiness School’s Management Review,
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
A
What employees wantfrom their job
Rating
What managersthink they want
Rating
No 1No 2No 3
No 4No 5No 6No 7No 8No 9No 10
No 8No 10No 9
No 2No 1No 5No 3No 6No 4No 7
Full appreciation for work doneFeeling in on things
Sympathetic understandingof personal problems
Job securityGood wages
Interesting work Promotion and growth
Management loyalty to employees Good working conditions
Tactful disciplining
has shown that when questioned as to whatgave them the most meaning and purpose intheir jobs, interviewees rated, ‘opportunityto express their full potential’and ‘beingassociated with an ethical organisation’asthe main factors.
Communication breakdownSo, why do managers continue to get itwrong? According to John Banks, Directorof Morgan & Banks, these findings indicatea growing communication breakdownbetween management and employees.
Managers need to pay more attention tothe emotional and psychological needs oftheir staff, rather than assuming they can befulfiled or overridden simply by monetaryfactors and promotional opportunities.
Does this mean to say you don’t need topay good staff well?
No, not at all. Generally speaking, if youpay peanuts, you still get monkeys! Itsimply means that in the eyes of employees,there is more to life than just money.
What employees want from their jobs… compared to what managers think they want
Corporate Trends 179
PETER THORPE
Back to the Big Picture!It’s a well worn adage but it’s astrue today as it ever was —companies that fail to plan,plan to fail…
he Chinese character for theword ‘crisis’ is actually made upof two symbols: the first onemeans ‘danger’ and the other
one means ‘opportunity’. This concept veryoften applies in business, too. For everydanger that presents itself, there is usually anequal amount of opportunity. The key togood management lies in being ablerecognise the dangers and capitalise on theopportunities.
I was reminded of this analogy recentlywhen I was asked to facilitate at a strategicplanning session for a large corporation.Their industry has been undergoing massivechange and has been particularly affected byrapid advances in technology and thespectacular growth of the internet and e-commerce. This has led to a shake-out ofsome smaller players and a number of take-overs and mergers. Consequently, theorganisation was approaching something ofa crisis. The company was under threat on anumber of fronts however, this destabilisingchaos had also presented them with an arrayof interesting opportunities.
Some critical decisions had to be made.They elected to call a strategy planningmeeting to decide on the best course ofaction to fend off the impending threats,explore the opportunities and create a plan totake the company forward into the future.
The job at handThe meeting was attended by the board ofdirectors and a small group of carefullyselected, key staff members.
My job as meeting facilitator was to guidethem through the various options and ensurethey stayed on track, reaching a definiteconclusion. I was also charged with makingsure that the dominant personalities didn’tdominate too much and everybody got theirsay, in a free and open exchange of ideas.(This is one of the major advantages ofhiring an outsider to facilitate suchmeetings. A good impartial facilitatorensures the agenda doesn’t get hijacked bythe usual vocal minority).An interesting point was, the company was
trading along quite well. Profits were up andshareholders dividends had increasedregularly every year for the last few years.So, on the surface, all appeared to be goingalong nicely. Strangely enough, this actuallypresented another potential stumbling block:
“If it ain’t broke – why fix it?”In other words, the company could simply
keep on doing what it was doing and hopethat the impending problems either wentaway or sorted themselves out.
However, despite the temptation tomaintain the status quo, the CEO was astuteenough to realise that if they did nothing,they would eventually come unstuck. Andprobably sooner rather than later. His attitudewas more along the lines of:
“If it ain’t broke – let’s break it!”Back in vogue
Interestingly, strategic planning is makingsomething of a comeback. Since the stockmarket crash of the 1980s, companies havebeen down-sizing and re-engineeringthemselves to the point that there’s nothingleft to downsize. Strategic planning isbecoming popular again as corporations tryto regain their competitive advantage andcome to grips with the frightening pace oftechnology. Companies simply can’t affordto make wrong decisions in this area todayand then find themselves in deep troublethree or four years down the track. Organisations are also realising that they
have to look beyond the quarterly balancesheet and crisis management solutions andstart thinking more about the big picture.
Definition of strategic planningSo, what is strategic planning and howshould a company go about it? Simply:
Strategic planning determines where anorganisation is going over a specific periodof time and how it’s going to get there.
In a nutshell, that’s it. As simple as that.Furthermore, there is no right or wrong wayto go about it. The methodology will varydepending upon the needs however, here aresix simple steps you will find useful to makesure you cover off all the areas:
The six basic steps:1. Identify your purposeWhat is your core business? (You may findit useful to define a Statement of Purpose).
2. Start with your SWOT analysisWhat are your major Strengths, Weaknesses,Opportunitiesand Threats?
3. Define your goals and objectivesWhat does the organisation want to achieve?(Your Mission and/or Vision Statement).
4. Develop the strategies What strategies do you need to implement toreach your mission (the Strategy Plan).
5. Identify the specific actions needed…to implement each strategy (the Action Plan).
6. Monitor and update the planPut a system in place to frequently measureand monitor your success (or lack of it!).
How far ahead should you plan?Five year plans used to be all the go but intoday’s volatile marketplace, I wouldn’trecommend anymore than three years.
And remember: set your goals in concreteand your plans in sand.In other words, beprepared to redefine, lower or raise theperformance objectives as you go along andmake adjustments where necessary.
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
T
Chinese characters for the word ‘crisis’.
Probably the greatest example of acompany getting their strategy wrongwas the decision by John Scully, theCEO of Apple Computer in the mid1980s not to license the Macintoshoperating system. This single decisionsaw Apple drop from the position of amarket leader, to now having less thanthree per cent of the world market.
This left the market wide open forBill Gates, who went on to become theworld’s richest man. It has beenestimated this decision cost Apple from$20 to $40 billion US dollars.
180 Corporate Trends
PETER THORPE
According to William Shakespeare,a rose by any other name wouldstill smell as sweet…
Here’s where your domain name becomesso important. Many of the search enginesuse the relevance of the words in yourdomain name as one of the importantcriteria. Therefore, it makes good sense tohave a domain name that uses the key wordssomebody might type into a search engineto find your product or service.
For instance, if you go to the searchengine Alta Vistaand type the word, ‘travel’you will get a list of over 16 million pages.That’s right, I said 16 million! Imagine yourchances of being discovered if your namecomes up number 15,999,999! Not good. If you look closely, you will notice that atthe top of the list many of the website
addresses contain the word, ‘travel’ in theirname. It’s no guarantee of success but itcertainly helps.
Search engine optimisationSo, what does it take to get a prominentposition with the search engines? (Lots ofmoney if you want to pay a specialist to doit for you). Firstly, you need to understandhow search engines work.
Most search engines use a complicated setof criteria to decide where to place you onthe list. This varies from engine to enginebut it generally includes things like, lookingat what is known as your ‘meta tagkeywords and site description.’These arekey words and phrases that are not seen bythe normal visitor, they should be put thereby your web designer.
They also look at the relevance of wordsand phrases contained in the text of yourpages and even things like links to your site.Yes, many major search engines now use thenumber of websites linked to your website
as a criteria for positioning you. The theorybeing, the more links people have to your site, the more popular and relevantyour site is.
A double edged swordOf course, bear in mind, links are always adouble edged sword. ie It will bring morepeople to your site but it will also encouragemore people to leave your site and go tosomebody else’s.Nevertheless, if you don'thave any or many links to your site, youmight want to start working on that byseeking reciprocal links (you link to theirsite and they link to yours).
How do you do that? Usually by just asking. Seek out websites
that have a common interest or synergy withyour own site and contact them to see if theyare interested in having a reciprocal link.Chances are people already have links toyour site that you are not even aware of.
How do you find out who has a link ontheir site to your site? Easy.
Go to www.altavista.com and type:link:yourdomainname.com.au
They will do a quick search and turn upthe names of all the people who have linksto your site (those that are listed with AltaVista, anyway). Give it a try. You may getsome surprises (pleasant or unpleasant).
By the way, Pizza Hut have a greatsystem for using links to their advantage.They give a FREE pizza to anyone wholinks to their site! If you want to see howwell this works, go to Alta Vista and type“PIZZA” as your search. Guess who comesup number one every time!
So, back to your domain name. Apart from the search engine aspect,
think about it. If I was looking for a travelsite, www.travel.com.au (or .com)immediately springs into my mind. Howabout you? This type of instant recognitionand recall is worth big dollars in today’scompetitive Internet marketplace.
So, what’s in a name? Well, if you want to come up
smelling like roses on the internet –absolutely everything!
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
What’s in a Name?
his might be true in thehorticultural world but when itcomes to cyberspace, a baddomain name can really stink!
This explains why names likewallstreet.com sold for $US1 million andthe name business.comsold for around$US7.5 m. Recently it was reported in theGerman press that the domain namesex.com was for sale for $US85 million(source domainnamenews.com).It was laterrevealed this was thought to be a publicitystunt to attract attention to the site. However,it’s indicative of the enormous value peopleplace on a catchy domain name.
So, why would companies pay suchunbelievably high prices just for a domainname, which cost under $200 originally?
The answer is simple: There is absolutleyno point in being on the Internet unlesspeople can find you. Why spend thousandsor even hundreds of thousands of dollarsbuilding a website if nobody comes?
Other major reasonsHaving a simple, easy to remember domainname is paramount. A short, snappy namethat says, who you are and what you do,makes good marketing sense. But there’s awhole lot more to it than that. Having theright domain name can save you millions ofdollars in advertising and promotion.
How? Chances are most of the visitors to your
website will have found your details in whatis known as a search engine. Dependingupon the industry you’re in and how wellyou promote your website off-line, typically,as much as 80 to 95 per cent of your websitetraffic will come to you from the results of asearch engine.
This is where positioning becomes socritical. If your website doesn’t come up inthe first 30 to 40 results on any given search,chances are you won’t get much traffic toyour site at all. But with over a billion webpages out there and millions more beingadded every month, getting a good positionin the search engines is getting harder andharder by the minute.
T
Corporate Trends 181
PETER THORPE
In real estate they talk about the three Ps – Position, Position, Position. Inour marketing efforts today, more than ever before, we need to think aboutthe three Rs – Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. If you’re notworking on better ways to build meaningful relationships with your clients,then you are probably about to join the dinosaurs…
Today’s technology, used correctly, makes ita lot easier to build relationships. And withthe advent of the internet and email, we cannow communicate with individuals, one onone, with amazing speed and economy.
The new technologyWithout doubt, the two most importantchanges in technology over the past 20 yearshave been: user-friendliness and price.
It’s not all that long ago computers werethe size of a small house and you needed ateam of skilled engineers to operate them.Gradually, computers and software havebecome more and more user-friendly. Thesedays, even the most technophobic amongstus can become reasonably proficient on acomputer in a short space of time.
The other big advance has been in the areaof price. Computers used to cost a lot ofmoney. Now, for less than $2,000, you canbuy a computer that will enable you to keepaccurate records on tens of thousands ofcustomers. We could (providing we inputthe data and keep it up to date) maintain adetailed record of every transaction withevery customer, along with a completedossier on their likes and dislikes, theiraspirations and lifestyle, their mindsets andultimate desires.
So, why does one of the country’s biggestbanks still insist on addressing me in all theircorrespondence as, Dear Valued Customer?They value my custom so much they can’teven take the trouble to teach their computerto print my name! It’s just another case ofpoor use (or misuse) of technology.
While the technology has changeddramatically, there’s nothing new aboutdatabase marketing. I recently found thisquote on the internet: “Merchants kept noteson rice paper about their clients birthdays,their children’s names and the days of theweek they liked to shop.”It was an excerptfrom a 17th century Japanese manuscript.
It seems the more things change, the morethey stay the same…
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
Relationship Marketing – Back to the Future
t seems like Relationship Marketingisthe catch phrase of the newmillennium. Everybody is talkingabout it. However, very few people are
doing it – and even fewer are doing it well.This is surprising because today’stechnology makes it easier than ever beforeto practice good relationship buildingtechniques.
The ladder of loyaltyOne of the most important principles I havelearned in marketing, is the power of theLadder of Loyalty.I was first introduced to itmany years ago by the godfather of directmarketing in Australia, Ian Kennedy. Ibelieve Ian got it from an Americanmarketing guru called, Murray Raphael andit dates back to the 1930s. Hardly a newconcept. However, it’s just as meaningfuland potent today as it ever was. This simplebut profound graphic representation,illustrates quite simply how relationshipmarketing really works.
It starts on the bottom rung of the ladderwith suspects. Anybody and everybody is asuspect. Once you have established theyhave a need for your product or service, theybecome a prospect. And when they buy fromyou, they become a customer.
Unfortunately, that’s where it ends formost businesses. Once they have made asale, they assume the battle has been wonand off they go, talking to other suspects andprospects, looking for more new customers.
They miss the most important steps in theladder – turning those customers into clients(people who buy from you over and overagain).And finally, promoting as many ofthose as possible to the very top rung of theladder to become advocates. These are thepeople who believe in our products andservices so much, they actively endorsethem to other people. They in effect becomeunpaid salespeople for our business. This iswhat relationship marketing is all about.
They fail to realise that the sale is thebeginning of the relationship, not the end.
IThey also miss the point that it’s much morecost effective to market to clients andadvocates than it is to market to suspectsand prospects. The latter are always themost expensive and difficult to reach.
Putting it to workRecently, I have been working with a largefranchise chain, helping them with theirlocal area marketing. I spent quite a bit oftime with the individual franchisees,discussing ways they could improverelationships with their clients. Naturally,this required a good deal of time and efforton their part, particularly in the initial stages. As is usually the case, some of themembraced these ideas and will put them intopractice and reap the rewards of their efforts.Others simply said they wouldn’t have thetime to do it. My reply to them was simple:“If you don’t make time to do it, then youwon’t have to worry about it because youwon’t be in business.”
Sounds a bit dramatic and even a touchbrutal. However, I happen to believe it istrue. There’s an old adage that says, “If youdon’t look after your customers, somebodyelse will!” How true.
The ladder of loyalty
advocates
clients
customers
prospects
suspects
182 Corporate Trends
PETER THORPE
ecently, I decided the time hadcome to upgrade my car. Asalways, I shopped around,looking for the best deal and that
ever elusive enigma of modern times – a carsalesman you can trust! (And yes, I used thepolitically incorrect term ‘salesman’ becausemy entire search failed to find even one carsaleswoman for some strange reason).
Anyway, back to my quest:Finally, I settled on a smart looking
dealership on Sydney’s upmarket NorthShore. The salesman was courteous andefficient and offered me what looked like apretty good deal. I was starting to think myjudgement was well placed, when a few daysafter I bought it, a well written letter arrived inthe mail. It congratulated me on the wisdomof my purchase from said dealer andcontained a Customer Satisfaction Survey,asking me pertinent questions about the levelsof service I had received and my overallexperience of the transaction. Questions like:
“Have you been contacted by thesalesperson who sold you the vehicle sincetaking delivery?” (The answer to this questionwas, “no” but it was early days yet and I feltthere was still time for the young man whosold it to me, to get in touch).
It went on to ask questions like – Howsatisfied were you with the following:
• The salesperson’s product knowledge• The overall purchase experience• Were the vehicle’s features and operationsdemonstrated correctly?• Was the documentation and paperworkexplained correctly?
A new acronym – SNACSLet me tell you, by this stage, I was prettyimpressed. I was about to add a new acronymto my vocabulary: SNACS – Sensitive NewAge Car Salespeople! These people reallyknow what they are doing, I thought. The lastquestion was the cruncher:
• Based on your overall experience, wouldyou recommend our dealership to yourrelatives and friends?
Aha, good marketing, I thought. These peopleunderstand the value of building relationships.I was beginning to feel that people’s general
CRM = Customers Really Matter!Why do so many companies spenda fortune upgrading their systemsand forget to upgrade their people?
perceptions of car sales people were perhaps alittle harsh and unjust. There really are peopleout there who know how to do it right. Theothers just didn’t know where to look!
But wait - there’s more…Then, a strange thing occurred that changedmy mind. I happened to notice that the dealerhadn’t signed and stamped the warrantypapers. No big deal, I thought. I”ll ring thesalesman (Lee, was his name) and ask him tocorrect this for me.
“Lee is tied up with a customer at themoment,” the receptionist politely informedme. “Can I get him to call you back?”
“Certainly,” I replied and left my number.Later that day, he still hadn’t returned my call,so I called again. Perhaps he hadn’t got themessage, I thought or maybe he had forgotten.
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
R
problems returning my calls when I wasbuying the car. What happened to me after Ibecame a customer? Did I suddenly contactsome rare, communicable disease that wasable to be spread over the telephone? Andhow did he know that I wasn’t ringing to givehim the name of a friend or relative whowanted to buy a car?
He had probably assumed that the onlyreason I would be calling him was because Ihad a problem. And you can’t make moneyout of problems (in his opinion), you can onlymake money out of sales. Lee had broken thegolden rule of relationship marketing - aftersales care. For the sake of a 20 cent, fiveminute phone call, he had blown away anychance of ever selling me another car, letalone the dozens of recommendations andreferrals I might have made to my widenetwork of business associates and friends.
The real meaning of CRMThis is a classic example of where so manysales people and companies get it wrong.They simply forget to perform the basics.They spend fortunes on installing high techCRM (Customer Relationship Management)programs and forget to simply provide somegood old-fashioned after sales service. Theydon’t realise that the best way to create life-long customers and advocates (unpaidsalespeople who go around recommendingyour business to other people) is to simply payattention to the customer’s needs after the salehas taken place.
This is why most CRM programs faildismally. Companies go to great lengths toupdate their systems and software with thelatest and greatest technology but they fail toupdate the most important part of anysuccessful CRM program - their people!
They also fail to realise that happycustomers are the vital ingredient of anysuccessful business. Which brings me to anew meaning I’ve come up with for CRM –Customers Really Matter!
“Lee has gone out and won’t be back untillate,” I was told. I enquired whether he hadreceived my earlier message, she confirmedhe had and I left a reminder. You can probablyguess what’s coming next…
After my fourth unreturned phone call, Iwas starting to get pretty hot under the collar.By this time, any good will they had built upwas starting to dissipate faster than an Icy Polein the Simpson Desert. When I enquired as towhy he had not returned my calls, thereceptionist said, “Lee has been very busylately. He’s been training a new salesman.”No doubt training him in the same mould ashimself, I thought!
I finally got to speak to Lee, by obtaininghis mobile phone number and ringing it untilhe personally answered. My first question tohim was: “Would have ignored my calls likethat, if I was a prospective buyer?”Of course he wouldn’t! He didn’t have any
“And this new strategy will reduce ourcustomers by 50 per cent – but we’ll savea fortune on customer service!”
Corporate Trends 183
PETER THORPE
Website DesignTraps and Rip-offs
website talk, play music, sing and dance andalmost sit up and beg! But here is the bigquestion: Is it really necessary?
Is it going to get you more business, saveyou money or do the job better? Or are yousimply going to be paying somebody bigdollars to show off their newly learned skillsat your expense? Many designers over useanimations and other gimmicks that requirespecial plug-ins to be viewed and take aneternity to download, when there is no realneed to. More often than not, it’s technologyfor technology’s sake.When people are searching for information
If you are thinking of getting a website for your company or you are
wanting to update your existing website – take care – you could pay
a hell of a lot more than you need to…
ecently, a client came to mewith a website proposal, whichhe had originally taken to a large company. They had
quoted him over $100,000 to create a website. I was able to do it for him for under $10,000. Yes, that's ten per cent of the price for virtually the same thing!What’s more, he recovered the total cost ofhis investment in the first three monthsfrom the resulting sales!
What was the major difference? Simply the way we approached the
project. Often people think they need a lotmore bells and whistles than they really doto get the job done. And many webdesigners are guilty of fostering this belief inorder to justify charging outrageous prices.
Insist on a firm quoteWhether you are thinking about getting awebsite for the first time or simply wantingto redesign your existing one, get severalquotes and insist on getting a firm,irrevocable quote in writing.
Many website designers avoid the issue ofquoting a firm price and often their costsblow out way past their original price idea.By this stage, the client is often committedto the point of no return, having already paida substantial deposit and maybe even someprogress payments along the way. Any goodweb designer worth his or her salt should beable to take a detailed brief from you andthen provide you with a firm quote.
Beware of over-engineeringWarning: Be on the look out for ‘propellerheads’and ‘techno-boffins’! These are thepeople who just love to talk in jargon andcomputer speak and can’t wait to impressyou with their knowledge.
And impress you they will! There arepeople out there who can do some prettyclever stuff on the net. They can make your
A time and placeLike most things in life, there is a time anda place for everything. If you are selling hi-tech products or games and your market islargely under 21 years old, it may benecessary to use some bleeding edgetechnology, just to prove that you can.However, chances are your prospectivetarget audience are not in this group andthey just want information and they want itdelivered in as simple and fast a manner aspossible. It’s important to remember thatthere are over a billion pages on the internetand that figure is growing rapidly every day.
Think for a moment. When you browsethe internet yourself looking forinformation, how long are you prepared towait for a page to download? If you typed aquery into a search engine and got 100,000results, are you going to wait 60 or even 30seconds for a page to download before youmove on to the next one? No way!
Worse still, if you receive a message thatsays, “To view this page you need todownload the latest plug-in from XYZsoftware, are you going to drop what youare doing and start downloading a plug-in?Of course you’re not.
The KISS principle still rulesSo, what is all this leading to? Simply this: on the internet, more than anywhere else,the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Sweetheart)is supreme. Go for a simple, functional, fast (but of course professional and elegantlooking) website and leave the party tricksto someone else.
After all, why pay big dollars of your hardearned cash to stroke some IT boffin’s ego?And remember, the beauty of the internet isyou don't need to deal with someone nextdoor to get results. You can deal withcompanies all over Australia and even theworld, so it makes sense to shop around forthe best deal.
The internet is a fantastic and excitingnew medium for imparting information. Souse it – don’t abuse it!
Peter Thorpe is an internet marketingexpert. He speaks to companies aboutgetting results online. His company alsocreates websites and online strategies thatreally work. To find out more contact: Website:www.thenet.com.au Tel: (02) 9314 6879Email: [email protected]
R
on the web, that’s exactly what they want –information!Nothing more and nothing lessand they want it in the shortest possibletime. It's far too easy to get carried awaywith the bells and whistles and get caughtup in the hype. The most important questionyou should ask yourself right from the startis: “What does our organisation want toachieve on the web?”
Do you want to be clever and entertainingor do you want to get more sales? Do youwant to have people admire your website ordo you simply want to generate leads foryour sales team? ie: What’s the bottom line?
Beware of ‘propellor heads’ who simplywant to impress you with their knowledge.
Candy Tymson CSPWith more than twenty five years managerial experience inpublic relations and marketing Candy is a sought-after speakerand business educator with a natural and entertaining style.
She has coached managing directors from leading companies,addressed numerous conferences and seminars and workedwith non-profit organisations and community groups.
While Lady Mayoress of Sydney (her husband is JeremyBingham) she gave the keynote address at a fundraising eventwhich raised $1 million dollars in pledges in one night.
In her role as a public relations practitioner, Candy co-ordinated many high profile events including theofficial opening of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. Clients included Apple Computer, Telstra, CSR and theCSIRO's Riverside Corporate Park project.
Candy is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the highest international accreditation designated bythe International Federation of Professional Speakers— achieved by only 7% of speakers worldwide.
What clients are saying about Candy Tymson
Candy involved every member of the group and used a variety of activities to ensure skills and knowledgegained would be transferred back to the workplace. Several months later, the team is still talking aboutwhat they learned.Human Resources Executive, Commonwealth Bank
Your interactive and enthusiastic style of presentation was inspirational, motivating participants to workcollectively as an industry. The workshop gave us the clear steps and commitment we needed to ensureour vision could become a realityExecutive Director, Private Hospitals Association
We are already using some of your techniques and getting great sales results!Sales Director, Real Estate Agency
You challenged my team, gave them skills they could easily apply and inspired them to look at thingsdifferently. The results are already starting to flow…National General Manager, Telstra
•Keynote Speaker •Business Educator •Communication Skill
•PR & Marketing Techniques •Gender Differences
A Fellow of both the Public Relations and Marketing Institutes of Australia, Candy is also the co-authorof The Australian & New Zealand Public Relations Manual, the recognised textbook in colleges anduniversities throughout both countries, and author of The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Publicity, SpecialEvents and Fundraising.
Her latest book, Gender Games: Doing Business with the Opposite Sex, was named one of the Top 10Business Books of the Year by the Australian Institute of Management Bookshops
She is Accredited in DiSC (analysis of personality behaviours); a Certified NLP Trainer; an AccreditedFacilitator with the National Training Board; and President of the National Speakers Association of Australia.
Locked Bag 8, Chatswood, 2057 Sydney, Australia Ph: +612 9413 2900 Fax: +612 9413 3055
Email: [email protected] Web: www.tymson.com.au
Corporate Trends 185
CANDY TYMSON
The traditional roles of men andwomen in the workforce areslowly changing…
ome weeks ago I had atelephone call from themanaging director of a smallcomputer software
company. He sounded very emotionaland said, “Something has just happenedand I don't know what to make of it”.
“Recently I found that one of myaccount managers, a woman who hasworked for me for two years and whomI considered a friend, had been cheatingon her expenses. My response wasautomatic. I demanded she come intomy office, I yelled at her and sacked heron the spot. I thought it was over andfinished. But it wasn't.
“For days I just couldn't stop thinkingabout it. I felt terrible and I couldn'tunderstand why I was feeling soemotional about what was really abusiness matter.
The need to talk“Finally I sought the advice of apersonnel consultant who said I neededto talk to the woman concerned abouthow I was feeling. That just made mefeel madder - talk about my feelings –she couldn't be serious! But I had to dosomething.
“A couple of days later, I rang myformer employee and arranged ameeting. At first it was really awkward,I kept thinking, ‘What am I doinghere?’ But then I started to talk to herabout how I felt betrayed by herbehaviour and how upset I was about itall. Then, the most amazing thinghappened. After talking it through withher, the load lifted and I felt at peace”.The ‘F’ wordTalking about feelings is still verydifficult for most men in the workplaceas they typically operate from the head,not the heart. And yet, this style ofmanagement is starting to filter throughour companies.
In 1967, Douglas McGregor, a well-known organisational theorist,described the model of a successfulmanager in our culture as:
“A masculine one. The good manageris aggressive, competitive, firm and just.He is not feminine; he is not soft andyielding or dependent or intuitive in thewomanly sense. The very expression ofemotion is widely viewed as a feminineweakness that would interfere witheffective business practice."
Karpin report findingsIn contrast, the findings of 91 Aust-ralian management experts whoassessed Australian managers (KarpinTask Force Research: Barraclough &Co 1995) identified the characteristicsof the ideal manager as:
“Skilled with people; a strategicthinker; visionary; flexible andadaptable to change; self managed;
Masculine feminine valuesGenerally, I found that both male andfemale senior managers, who I wouldcall 'successful', rated fairly evenly onthe masculine and feminine values.This usually delighted the women andconcerned the men!
However, if you think about it, itmakes a lot of sense. The women havelearned to adapt their style to besuccessful in what is predominantly amasculine-dominated environment.And, with 40 per cent of the workforcenow female, the men have learned toadapt their style to be morecollaborative and less forceful in theway they direct people.
These findings are confirmed by astudy undertaken by HumanSynergistics of 2,366 AustralianManagers. This study plotted what wasperceived as characteristics of the mosteffective 25% male and femalemanagers.
The results depicted that successfulmanagers had a stronger balancebetween a task and people focus. Theyoffer some interesting insights intowhere management styles may beheaded in the next millennium.
As men and women work together,and learn from each other, acceptablestyles of business practice are reallystarting to change.
How are you and your team performing?
S
How are you Managing?
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
team player; ability to solve complexproblems and make decisions;ethical/high personal standards”.
How things have changed in justthirty years!
The changing style of management iscertainly confirmed by my ownresearch, where a questionnaireestablishing 'male' and 'female' valueswas completed by over 300 seniorexecutives. Developed by AustralianPsychologist, Helena Cornelius, thescoring of the questionnaire dividesvalues into the feminine styles ofequality, agreement, feeling and inter-dependence alongside the masculinestyles of status, competition, actions andobjectives and autonomy.*
186 Corporate Trends
CANDY TYMSON
For years, companies have used IQas an indication of suitability butnow they are looking at people’sEQ as well…
ou are on an interviewpanel working with a shortlist of three people for asenior role. Every
candidate has top educational andtechnical abilities—how do you decidewhich one would be the best for the job?
Your company is down-sizing and 20per cent of your team has to go. Thedecree is to keep ‘the best people’.Onwhat criteria would you decide who is‘the best’?
On a flight to Perth on my way tospeak at a conference recently, I pickedup a book by Daniel Goleman on‘Working with Emotional Intelligence’and just couldn’t put it down.
According to Goleman: “Ouremotional intelligence determines ourpotential for learning the practical skillsthat are based on its five elements: self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation,empathy and adeptness in relationships.Our emotional competence shows howmuch of that potential we havetranslated into on-the-job capabilities”.
Impact of emotional maturityThink back to the top performers at yourschool, university or college. What arethey doing today?
I know a number of people who aregood examples of outstanding IQ andlow EQ. One topped the state in theequivalent of the Higher SchoolCertificate. Forty years later he livesalone and works as a postman.
Another acquaintance came in the toptwenty of the HSC twenty years ago.He now works as a clerk in the taxationdepartment. And, I know others whohad mediocre academic performancesand yet have been outstanding achieversin the business world. So do you.
A study of Harvard graduates in thefields of law, medicine, teaching, andbusiness found that scores on entrance
exams—a surrogate for IQ—had zeroor negative correlation with theireventual career success.
So, think back to the two scenarios:deciding whom you are going to hire orfire. What is it that would make youselect one person over another of equaltechnical skills?
Star performers are awareof their limits Research has confirmed time and timeagain that it is a person’scommunication skills that gets them tothe top - and keeps them there. Ask any executive recruitment
specialist and they will tell you that theemotional competence of the candidateis proving to be as important today astheir intellectual competence.
It’s not that star performers have nolimits on their abilities but rather theyare aware of their limits. In short, out-of-control emotions can make smartpeople ineffective.
What we are talking about is an abilityto control and direct your emotions andfeelings, but not being so controlled thatyou stifle all feeling and spontaneity—and therefore any spontaneousbehaviour from those around you. If you have emotional competence, youhave a choice as to how you expressyour feelings and how you act.
And, how are you when people giveyou feedback? (Or indeed, are you evenopen to accepting feedback?)
What we are effectively talking aboutis emotional maturity. An openness,willingness and self-confidence todevelop and grow, to be mature in howwe handle ourselves and others.
In business for example it is theability to step aside from youremotional reaction in an upsettingcircumstance and look logically at whatactually happened. And, sometimesbeing that honest can be veryconfronting! However, it enables you tosee where the other person is comingfrom and what you need to do to fix things.
So, how’s your EQ?
Y
IQ vs EQ…How’s Yours?
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
What are EQ Strengths? How do you score according toGoleman’s list of whatcharacteristics determine howsuccessfully you handle impulseand deal with upsets?
Do you have:• Self Control:Able to manage disruptive emotions and impulses effectively • Trustworthiness:Display honesty and integrity •Conscientiousness:Dependable and responsible in fulfiling obligations • Adaptability:Flexible in handling change and challenges • Innovation:Open to novel ideas, approaches and new information.
Corporate Trends 187
CANDY TYMSON
Every organisation has some. There is often one in your teamand more than likely you have a number as clients…
t seems they are everywhere.Difficult people. People who aresimply hard to get on with. Peoplewho really wear you down.
Anyone come to mind?My guess would be the people who
are causing you the most frustrationwould probably behave in one of thefollowing ways: aggressive, destructive,know it all or procrastinator.
So, what is the answer to workingsuccessfully with difficult people? Thefirst thing you must accept is that theyprobably won't change… (sorry, but it'simportant to face realities!) Therefore,it's up to you to find a strategy thatworks when dealing with them.
Here are some good strategies to try.
The AggressorGenerally the aggressor can't standwimps! The more you kowtow to them,the more aggressive their behaviour willbe. The best way to win them over is tostand up for yourself. (Never, ever beaggressive back - it just doesn't work!)Try this:
1. Don't allow them to interrupt you. If they do, calmly say, “Excuse me (their name) you interrupted me” …and go on saying what you were saying.
2. Be direct. Don't beat around the bush. Give them the facts.
3. Use ‘being assertive technique’.(see below)
The ‘being assertive technique’issimply using the phrases whenyou…(refer to their behaviour); Ifeel…(say how it makes you feel suchas angry, frustrated);…because(thereason);…I would prefer…(state whatyou want).
For example, let's say Bill is alwaysinterrupting you. You would use thistechnique by saying, “Bill, when you
interrupt me, I feel frustrated becauseyou aren't letting me express my fullopinion I would prefer if you let mefinish what I was saying before youexpressed your point of view”.
I've used this technique on some veryaggressive people with great success.They generally respond with surprisebecause they don't realise their behaviouris not appropriate. This approach alsogains their attention and respect.The SaboteurThis type of behaviour is currentlyreaching epidemic proportions in
business, as more and more peoplebecome insecure about their futureprospects. They will deliberatelysabotage your position by not tellingyou about important meetings or policydecisions; or maybe gossiping behindyour back or blaming you for somethingyou didn't do.
They can cause big trouble if they areallowed to continue unchallenged. Youshould:
1. Confront them. 2. Create and maintain allies3. Keep good records
Often, it can boil down to your wordagainst theirs. It's therefore veryimportant to be sure of your facts andhave the evidence to prove them.
The Know It AllYou know the ones, they think they arealways right and therefore won't listento anyone else's point of view. Here'show you handle them:
1. Do your homework - have your facts straight.
2. Use ‘agreement phrases’ such as: “I appreciate what you're saying and…” or “I understand what you're saying and…” to align and then make your point.
3. Seek their advice to flatter them and build rapport.
The ProcrastinatorThese are the people who can't make uptheir minds and can be extremelyfrustrating when you are dependent onthem for something. They tend to stallmajor decisions in the hope that theywill go away.
People who avoid making decisionsusually use this stalling strategy as acompromise between being honest andnot hurting anyone. Here's how to dealwith them:
1. Find out their real concerns 2. Help them solve their problems
with the decision.3. If possible, keep the action steps in
your hands!
By understanding what is motivating aperson's behaviour you can moreeffectively deal with that behaviour ..but that's the subject for another article!
The secret to all effectivecommunication is to be confident and tofocus on the other person - what do theywant to know rather that what do I wantto tell them.
Try it, it works.
I
Handling Difficult People
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
188 Corporate Trends
CANDY TYMSON
Got an important presentationcoming up? Here are a few simpletips to make it more memorable!
ecently, I was at aprofessional associationconference and wasappalled by the number
of speakers who were simply, well—how can I say this delicately, boring!
Speaker after speaker read theirnotes, most in a monotonous tone,and the majority of the audiencesimply were not listening. (Carefullytearing the Mintie wrapper to createone long, thin line of paper appearedto be the most popular activity).
The importance of involving theaudience really came home to mesome years ago, when I was speakingat a public relations conference inMelbourne. After lunch, I noticedthat every speaker referred back tothings I had said that morning.Although I was flattered by thementions, I noticed I was being givencredit for several very profoundstatements that I actually hadn'tmade! It was then, that I realised thatbecause my presentation wasentertaining—I was memorable.
And, the best way to becomememorable in your presentation, is toinvolve the audience:
Tell a storyEven if you are not a very confidentpublic speaker there are a number ofsimple techniques you can use whichwill involve the audience and havethem hanging on your every word!
Have you noticed that often youcan't remember the specific thingssomeone said but you nearly alwaysremember the stories they told?
Telling stories is one of the mostimpactful ways I know to involve an audience.
The power of questionsSo often presenters leave it untilquestion time to give people theopportunity to participate in theirpresentation by asking a question.However, a very effective techniqueis to ask the audience a questionduring your presentation. Whathappens when someone asks you aquestion? (Did you notice that yourbrain is automatically thinking aboutthe question I just asked you?) Whenyou ask questions, peopleautomatically think about it—andthat’s involving them.
If you don't want them to actuallyanswer you, simply ask it as arhetorical question like—“have youever wondered what it would be liketo be someone else?” However, ifyou do want them to respond, a goodtechnique is to raise your hand—sothey know you want them to raisetheir hand. You can then selectsomeone to answer the question.
Make it personalAnd a final idea which is veryeffective, yet oh so subtle. Use theword “you”. Even if there are 400people in the audience saying “as youknow” or “I'm sure you have seen”,makes the statement very personal.
In contrast avoid terms like“everyone knows”, “people”, “folks”,and the worst of them all—“you all”,which are not personal and thereforedon't have as much impact as simplythe word “you”.
If it’s sometime since you havedone a presentation skills course, itmay be time to update your style.What was considered a goodpresenter in the 1980s could be seenas boring and old fashioned today.
Contact me if you’d like help!
R
Don’t Just Stand There…Stand Out!
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
A simple technique they teach at theNational Speakers Association is:make a point—tell a story.Forexample, when I run presentationskills programs, I tell the story aboutthe time I was speaking at aconference very early in my careerwhen I needed 40 slides for animportant one hour presentation. AsI started to head up to the stage Iheard a loud crash—the technicianhad tripped and all my slides were onthe floor. It shouldn't have been amajor drama—except I hadn'tnumbered the slides in order! Ratherthan saying, “be sure to number yourslides when you do a presentation”,the impact of the story says it all!
“They’re not captivated by his speech;they’re trying to read his Powerpoint slides”.
Use varietyAre you using a variety of visual aidsin your presentations? Don't fall intothe false security of relying on acomputerised presentation, such asPowerPoint, to carry you through.Lots of words, in small print, are stillboring and hard to read, whether onan overhead, projected from acomputer or on a slide.
Can you pass something around forthe audience to touch, smell or feel?What about actually demonstratinghow something works, rather thanjust telling us?
Corporate Trends 189
CANDY TYMSON
How to Handle ThoseDifficult ConversationsThe first step to handling difficult
conversations lies in understanding
what’s really going on…
ow many times have youfound yourself in thesituation where you reallyshould talk to someone
about something that is really annoyingyou but your concern about how theymay react, stopped you?
I think most of us have agonised,sometimes for days, weighing-upwhether it will be more difficult to saysomething or not to say something.Deep down, you know that if you try toavoid the issue, there’s a good chanceyou’ll feel frustrated and your feelingsof resentment will start to fester. On theother hand — what if you do confrontthem? How will they react? Will it turninto a major argument? Will myintentions be misunderstood?
It’s a common problem and a difficultone to handle. That’s why I was sodelighted to pick up a copy of a newbook by the Harvard NegotiationProject team called, ‘DifficultConversations — How to discuss whatmatters most’.
According to the authors, Stone,Patton and Heen, delivering a difficultmessage is like throwing a handgrenade. Coated with sugar, thrownhard or soft, a hand grenade is still goingto do damage. But choosing not todeliver a difficult message is likehanging on to a hand grenade onceyou’ve pulled the pin!
More than meets the earThe secret to being successful inhandling difficult conversations isunderstanding that there is a lot more tothe conversation than what is actuallybeing said. In other words, we need toconsider what the other person is
thinking and feeling — but not actuallysaying — to get to the real root of theproblem.
You see, difficult conversations areusually about conflicting perceptions,interpretations and values, not what isbeing said. They don’t just involvefeelings, they are at their very core ofour feelings.So, rather than focusing on wanting to
persuade and get your own way (andsurely we are all guilty of that), try to:
• understand what has happened from the other person’s point of view
• explain your point of view• share and understand feelings• work together to come up with a way to move the problem forward.
A learning conversationThis approach makes it more likely thatthe other person will be open to beingpersuaded and that you will learnsomething that significantly changes theway you understand the problem. TheHarvard team refer to this approach as a‘learning conversation’.
What is typical during a difficultconversation is that we assume thecollision is because of how the otherperson is, while they assume it’s
because of how we are! But really, thecollision is a result of our ‘stories’simply being different, with neither ofus realising it.
The first mistake we often makeduring difficult conversations is weassume the other persons intentions.The only problem is, these assumptionsare often wrong!
This is a common communicationproblem in relationships where youknow the person well. Often, there is atendency to listen to them in a way thatyou already know what they are goingto say. In other words, you assume youknow where they are coming from,based on previous encounters.
Regular non-conversationsIn the early days of our marriage, myhusband and I used to have regular,what I call, ‘non-conversations’ (and Imust confess, we still often do!).
For example — he would come homeand ask: “Did you get the mail?” Iwould immediately go into defensivemode. “No, I didn’t. I’ve been busygetting dinner ready”. He wouldrespond with something like, “I’m busytoo you know”.
After a while we realised that each ofus was putting a completely differentmeaning on what was actually beingsaid. He explained that he was simplyasking if I’d got the mail because, if not,he would. I realised that what I heardwas, “why haven’t you got the mail”and I therefore became defensive.
By focusing on understanding wherethe other person is really coming from,(before you assume you are right andthey are wrong), difficult conversationswill no longer be as difficult.
Need help? Contact me and I’ll sendyou a step-by-step guide on how towork through a difficult conversation.
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
H
“I’m sick and tired of working withyou, Griswald. That’s it, I quit!”
190 Corporate Trends
CANDY TYMSON
Agreeing on team values, goals and guidelines is oneof the secrets to creating successful team dynamics…
he managing director on theother end of the telephonesounded exasperated. He wasexplaining a situation that has
become very common in today’s businessenvironments where teams have becomesmaller, deadlines tighter, productivityparamount and performance constantlyunder review.
“You have to help me, I just don’t knowwhat to do anymore. Individually my teammembers are hard working, well qualified,capable people. But put them together – andsparks fly. Why can’t they simply worktogether?”
I told him of a company I worked withsome months earlier which had a similarproblem. When I spoke to the managingdirector of that firm a few weeks later, shesaid, “It’s amazing. I don’t know what haschanged but everyone is getting on now,there doesn’t seem to be the same level oftension anymore.”
So, what changed?The people were still the same, they weredoing the same jobs – but for the first timethey had an understanding of the differentstyles of each team member and what focuswas important to each of them.
Same words – differentmeaningsAre you aware that the same everydaywords can have a completely differentmeaning – depending upon the person whohears it?
For example, let's take the word“efficient” , (a word we hear a lot thesedays!). If I asked you to do an ‘efficient job’what would that mean to you? Well, it depends.
If you’re the style of person who operatesat a fast pace, focuses on the big picture andisn’t interested in all the detail, an efficientjob to you would be one done quickly,covering the key points, right?
If, on the other hand, you’re the style ofperson who operates at a slower pace andfocuses on the detail, getting it right, then an
‘efficient job’ to you would be one that wasaccurate, correct?
Same word, different meaning,depending upon the style of the person whohears it.
Different stylesLet's look at an example of these twodifferent styles. Typically, the person of thefirst style, (let’s call him Sam) will ask theperson of the second style (let’s call herLinda) to do something for them – and bothwill finish up feeling totally frustrated. Sam will tell Linda what he wants but hetalks to her in his ‘style’. Linda will listen tohis request but hears the words in her style.Then, she will go off and do the job in her
style, which is nothing like what Samthought he’d asked her for.
He needed an efficient job, to him thatmeans, “I wanted it yesterday”. She wasdoing an efficient job, taking time to checkthe details, ensuring the ‘i’s were dotted andthe ‘t’s were crossed. Meanwhile Sam is getting more frustrated:“Where is that job I asked Linda to do?”
Linda is also getting frustrated: “How
That’s Not What I Meant(or how misunderstandings happen)
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
T
does he expect me to do an efficient job, ifhe doesn’t give me enough time to checkthings?”
In a study of major manufacturingorganisations undergoing large scalechanges, Kim Cameron of the University ofMichigan, asked two key questions:
1. What is your major problem in trying toget organisational changes implemented?
2. What is the key factor that explainsyour past success in effectively managingorganisational change?
To both questions, a large majority ofmanagers gave the same answer:communication.All of them agreed thatmore communication is better than lesscommunication.
I would argue that it needs to be the rightcommunication, presented in the style therecipient operates in.
Dynamic teamsIt’s important to remember that eachpersonality style has major strengths andweaknesses. That’s why teams that aredeliberately set up to ensure that there is amixture of personalities are usually the mosteffective – and sometimes the mostdysfunctional!
The secret to success? Be sure that everyone in the team is awareof the strengths that each representativebrings to the team and how that contributesto the overall dynamics of the team.Agreeing on team values, goals andguidelines of operation also contributesgreatly to the overall success of a team’sdynamics.
And finally, be aware how each differentpersonality style needs to be communicatedto and what motivates them. Then standback and watch it work!
Try this quick test:Using the following list, askdifferent members of your teamwhat they think these wordsmean to them:
• Results • Challenge• Recognition • Safe• Failure • Success
You may be surprised by thenumber of different answersyou get. Could that explain whyso many times, even when youuse everyday words just likethese, you don’t get the resultyou expected?
Corporate Trends 191
CANDY TYMSON
How to Sell to Women…It’s reported that Sigmund Freud studied “The Great Question…” for 30years and still didn’t came up with a satisfactory answer.
The question? What do women want! With the major growth of women as serious consumers, this question has
again become an important cause of study — and the statistics are impressive…
orty per cent of the workforce isnow female; 54 per cent ofuniversity graduates are nowwomen (and that figure was as
high as 60 per cent in 1999 in the areas oflaw, medicine and accountancy). Womenbuy 80 per cent of the consumer productsand it is estimated that 70 per cent of the $6billion spent each year on advertising istargeted at women.
And yet, 70 per cent of women ignorecampaigns targeted at them - Why?
A recent survey of 2,445 women carbuyers undertaken by the NRMA(OpenRoad May/June 2000)confirmed that whilewomen buy 70 per cent of small cars and areinfluential in 80 per cent of new car buyingdecisions, more than half claimed theyfound the experience of buying a car asfrustrating, humiliating and patronising.(Although I’m tempted to add that I suspect that many men also have similar experiences)
‘Blokey’ atmospheresSpeaking at the 2000 National Conferenceof the AADA (Australian Auto DealersAssociation), President of Ford Motor Co.Australia, Geoff Polites said that Ford wasactively pursuing the policy of employingwomen as half their new recruits. He madethe point that the most effective way to tone-down the traditional ‘blokey’ atmosphere ofcar dealerships was to have women workingin the environment.
Although he was quick to add that womenwere not necessarily being targeted as salespeople because, if treated right, womengenerally prefer to buy a car from a manbecause they perceive men would knowmore about the car. My own research hascertainly confirmed this.
The female psycheUnderstanding the female psyche has neverbeen easy (ask any husband!). WhenWestpac undertook major research some
years ago to establish ‘what women want’,they were told by most female respondentsthat they wanted to be treated in the sameway as men. But what women sayand whatthey actually mean can be two quitedifferent things.
Westpac discovered that while the womenwanted the same products and opportunitiesoffered to their male colleagues, they hadquite different requirements in how theywished to be treated and the type ofinformation they wanted.
Women generally are more focused on therelationship. Questions like, “who you are,what you are like, do I like you as a person,are you listening to me”, are more likely tobe running through their head when theymeet a salesperson.
If they don’t like you, they probablywon’t buy from you!
I recently put together a panel ofsuccessful professional women, ranging inages and experience from a recent graduatein law through to a senior woman who hasbeen running her own internationalcompany for more than 30 years.
They all said that all they really wanted(and often didn’t get) was to be treated withrespect, by male bank managers and salespeople. If they didn’t get it, they simplytook their business elsewhere.
Goal vs processAnother major difference is the way womenhandle things. Most women prefer to multi-task, to go through the process of looking atdifferent aspects and ideas. Most menprefer a single focus. They focus on onegoal at a time, complete it, and then moveonto the next. A great example is watchingtelevision.
How do most men watch TV? That’s right – remote control firmly in
hand, totally focused on the TV set.Meanwhile, their female partner is probablydoing several things; doing the ironing,writing a shopping list, cooking, talking onthe phone AND watching TV. My husbandoften says to me, “can’t you just sit still andwatch the TV?”
My response (and that of most women) is“No”. We get bored just doing one thing ata time. This is important to keep in mindwhen selling to a woman. Get us involved– don’t just talk at us – talk to us. Let us trythings out for ourselves, ask questions andtell us the benefits.
I was buying a new iron the other day at amajor department store and asked thesalesman, “what is the benefit of a tefloncoated iron rather than a steel plated one?”.
I was amazed when he answered me bytelling me how steel was made! I didn’t care– I just wanted to know how it would affectmy ironing. I had to ask the same questionthree times before he actually answeredwhat I asked. He really wasn’t listening.
Gender neutral environmentEvery woman has her story! I recently hadto buy a new set of tyres. The salesman,without asking a single question or evenlooking at my car, recommended the ‘top ofthe range’. As someone who only does
F
Buying a car is an excellent example. Moreand more women are now using the internetto do their initial research. It is not unusualfor them to know, before they walk into theshowroom, what car they want and whatfeatures it offers.
And yet many women believe they arenot been taken seriously when they walkinto the showroom.
Communication stylesEnough about the problem – let’s look atsome solutions! One of the mainchallengers for marketers is that men andwomen generally have quite differentcommunication styles. For example, mostmen are information focused. They areinterested in the facts, the figures, the data.
192 Corporate Trends
CANDY TYMSON
ignored at this tyre centre. And the crazything is, it’s so easy to fix.
A friendly approach, the asking of a fewrelevant questions, a selection of magazinesand perhaps the daily papers to read, tea andcoffee on offer and some easy listeningmusic in the background, would satisfyboth sexes… and keep customers comingback, too.
Attitudes are changing dramatically.Women are now more confident, bettereducated and moving into positions ofinfluence. They simply want to be treatedwith respect and given the sameopportunities as their male counterparts.
Lucrative market Those businesses which are getting theresearch right, understand the needs anddesires of today’s women and are genuinein their efforts, are winning over aninfluential and financially independentgroup… who just love to shop!
What are you doing to attract thislucrative market?
If you’d like a checklist of what you cando to increase your sales to women — justcontact me and let’s have a chat!
KEYS TO SUCCESSFULLY SELLING TO A WOMAN
• Take her seriously. Treat her as a genuine buyer.
• Don't be patronising. Take the time to establish what her knowledge of the product or service is.
• Find out what is important to her by asking pertinent questions and focus your comments appropriately.
• Take time to build rapport. Listen to her and repeat back comments that you think may be important.
• Create an environment which is friendly and comfortable.
Source: Gender Games: Doing Business With The Opposite Sex by Candy Tymson
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
about 10,000 kms a year I wasn’t convincedI needed to spend $395 a tyre.Having finally negotiated something moresuitable, I was then subjected to re-runs ofthe Bathurst 1000 motor race for 45 minuteswhile I sat in the waiting room flickingthrough motor sport magazines!
It’s the simple things. Women drive 50 percent of the cars and yet the needs of 50 percent of the market was being completely
The Communications PackageAn expert in business communication, Candy Tymson is a professional speakerand trainer with more than 25 years experience in public relations andmarketing. Learn how to communicate through her books and audio programs.
The new Australian & NewZealand Public Relations Manual 21st Century Edition
This latest edition features over 600pages packed with up–to–the–minutetheory, techniques and tips on publicrelations from industry leaders…$70.00
•Communication & PR theory•Laws that affect PR practices•Government Relations•Financial & Investor Relations•Publicity & Media Relations•Internal Communications•Community Relations & Social•Responsibility•PR & Marketing•Issues Management & Crisis PR•Fundraising Programs•Using New Media
Endorsed by the Public RelationsInstitutes of Australia & New Zealand
20 SECRETS TOSENSATIONAL SPEECHES
A two tape setgiving you practicaltips and ideas forinstant results
GENDER GAMES BOOKTips and techniqueswhen selling andrelating to theopposite sex
Corporate Trends 193
CANDY TYMSON
n business, the lack of understanding ofthese differences can be very costly. Notjust to the bottom line but also to thesuccess of the individual themselves.
Over the past 12 months I haveundertaken extensive research asking someof Australia’s leading business men simply:“What irritates you the most when workingwith women?” The three points I heard overand over again will probably not surpriseyou. They were:
• They go into too much unnecessary detail• They are too emotional • They take things too personally
Be aware of what you sayBecause women tend to be more focused onrelationship and rapport building theyusually use quite different language to men.Therefore, those men who are generallymore focused on information and statusperceive these women as being indecisiveand sometimes weak, simply because oftheir different language patterns.
A good example is the use of tag endingssuch as, “don't you think?", “isn't it?” and “isthat OK?” at the end of a sentence. Suchphrases tend to make you sound unsure ofyourself – even if you're not!
On the other hand, such phrases areexcellent tools when you want to buildrapport or get agreement, aren't they?
So, what’s the answer?I have noticed many successful business
people have learned the art of using themore succinct, direct male style of speakingwhen needed and in the next breath beingsympathetic, helpful or collaborative, whenthat style was going to get the results.
A common male ritualHave you noticed how men generallyinteract? It is common for them to banter,joke, tease and use playful put-downs ofeach other. This type of behaviour isreminiscent of the school playground whereboys hang out in groups and have anobvious hierarchy.
Male and Female Speak– understanding the differencesGenerally speaking, men and women communicate quitedifferently and use language to achieve different outcomes.
Boys learn that status is important –someone is always the perceived leaderwhile the others are jostling for that position.American linguist, Deborah Tannen, saysthat boys learn early on to state theiropinions in strong terms and find out if theyare wrong by seeing if others challengethem. She refers to this as a 'ritual fight'.Tannen's research clearly shows that boystend to jockey for centre stage, challengethose who get it and deflect challengers.Giving orders are ways of maintaininghigher status.
I
each other on the back or share a joke.Women usually find this type of male
behaviour hard to understand. After all,weren’t they just abusing each other? A lessexperienced woman, who has just been partof the same business meeting, is likely toleave feeling hurt and upset.
In contrast, a more female approach isgenerally to support and encourage eachother. And because women tend to focusmore on ‘feelings’ than ‘tasks’ it is naturalthat they are more inclined to take thingspersonally and therefore be perceived asbeing more ‘emotional’.
However, it is the women who understandthat for the men this type of competitivebehaviour is really just a game, who are ableto hold their own in any business situation.By separating the business at hand fromtheir personal feelings they are able to meetthe men on their own terms.
So as you think about the differences, youshould begin to understand why men find itso difficult to understand why women takethings so personally. Men don’t andgenuinely cannot understand why womendo! It’s a classic example of one of themajor differences between men and women– feelings versus logic.
Be direct and logicalHave you noticed that most men are direct intheir communication and like to get straightto the point? In contrast, many women havethe style which goes into a lot of detail, liketelling a story. This usually drives men crazyand it simply reinforces their belief thatwomen cannot focus on the task at hand.
A final point. All the senior men Iinterviewed said, without exception, that itis the women who maintain their femininitywhile being professional and business-like,who get ahead.
By not trying to be ‘one of the boys’ oreven worse, trying to prove they are betterthan the men, these women get the supportof their male colleagues and find it a loteasier to climb the corporate ladder.
Understanding the ritualThese ‘ritual fights’ are also commonamong men in business. They present theirideas in the most certain and absolute formthey can and wait to see if they arechallenged. Men also use this approach toplay devil’s advocate. They believechallenging an idea from someone else byquestioning its validity and finding fault, isa way of helping their colleagues test andexplore their ideas. This style workseffectively with other men, because theyunderstand the ritual. However, if you areunaccustomed to it (as most women are),then this style can be very confronting andupsetting.
Sound familiar? How much of thisbehaviour do you observe in the workplace?
Time and time again I have noticed menin meetings arguing, fighting and abusingeach other. But as soon as the meeting isover, it’s as if nothing has happened. Theymay go off and have a drink together, slap
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
194 Corporate Trends
CANDY TYMSON
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
Resolving the Unresolved
ot just the person who you findboring or the one who ‘bendsyour ear,’ every time you meet.I’m referring to the one with
whom you have an unresolved issue.It could be a current or former work
colleague, perhaps an ex-lover, maybe amember of your family.
I recently completed a questionnairewhich listed 100 statements in areasincluding money, relationships, physicalenvironment and well being and invited meto confess how my life was structured.
Questions like: “I have nothing around thehouse or in storage that I do not need”; “I amin relationships with people who can assistin my career/professional development” and“I quickly correct mis-communications andmisunderstandings when they do occur.”Then I read the one which really hit home:“there is no-one whom I would dread or feeluncomfortable ‘running across’ (in thestreet, at an airport or at a party).”
How would you react to such a question?We all have them, matters that have been
left unresolved because, quiet frankly, wejust didn’t know what to say – or didn’t wantto be the first to apologise.When things go wrong, our naturaltendency is to blame someone – usually the
N
other person! The only problem is, blamecan be a major handicap when workingtowards a resolution. Whether spoken ornot, the problem revolves around thequestion of who is to blame. Who is wrong?Who should apologise? By focusing onblame, we inhibit our ability to learn whatreally is causing the problem, and moreimportantly, how to fix it.
Have you considered that by blamingothers, you are actually giving them the roleof the ‘accused’. And what do accusedpeople do? They defend themselves anyway they can.
What can we do about it?The Harvard team, Stone, Patton & Heen, intheir book, “Difficult Conversations”, saythat at its heart, blame is about judging.Rather than blaming others, theyrecommend focusing on contribution,which is about understanding.
Contribution is useful when our goal is tounderstand what actually happened, so thatyou can move forward to resolve things.Because generally speaking, when things gowrong in human relationships, everyone hascontributed in some important way.
It may be that offense was taken bysomething that was said. Maybe someonewas too sensitive and perhaps they wereonly focusing on things from theirperspective. In other words, they didn’tconsider the other person’s point of view.
Previous bad experiencescould have coloured theoutcome of thisexperience… the listgoes on and on.
Some years ago I wassharing an office with acolleague and it justwasn’t working out. I feltthat I was doingeverything and that hewas just swanningaround. I was lookingafter all theadministration involvedin running an office whilehe; well he wasn’t doinganything to contribute.Well, that’s how I saw it!
I just got more andmore annoyed. Everytime I did something
such as collect the mail, clean up thekitchen, arrange for the photocopier to berepaired – I just got more annoyed.
One day, it all got too much and I blastedhim. He was genuinely taken aback. He hadno idea that I felt I was doing everything.And why would he? I’d never said anything!People are not mind readersWhy do we expect people to be mindreaders? We mutter about things behindtheir backs, we loudly complain to ourfriends – but we never actually SAYanything to the person concerned. And sowhat starts out as a small annoying thing,just grows and grows and before you knowit, you are resentful and full of blame. Andthat’s when the trouble really starts, becauseit is so easy to justify your position whenyou feel like that, isn’t it? Try this instead:Sounds easy doesn’t it? We all know there
Do you have someone in your lifethat you dread running into?Someone you avoid like the plague?
“He jumped out of the window when I mentioned your name”
HOW TO BANISH BLAME• Take responsibility for your ownreaction
• Speak up immediately you have aproblem
• Tell the person how it is for you,from your point of view
• Ask them how it is for them, fromtheir point of view
• Talk about how you can solve thingsin a way that works for both of you.
will be times when you can’t get a solutionor are unable to agree.
From my experience though, the fact thatthe issue is out in the open, that we arewilling to discuss it and are actively lookingfor an answer, makes things so much betterand easier to deal with.
And those two simple words, “I’m sorry,”can do so much to start to mend things.
Corporate Trends 195
CANDY TYMSON
Words are such powerful things – be sure to choose them carefully and think before you write…
What You Say vs What You Mean
unning an in-house workshoprecently the team complainedabout the ‘tone’ of the emailstheir boss sent. “He’s so rude
and abrupt,” they said. “He doesn’t even useour names or use the expected, ‘Hi’– he justgoes straight into his demands.”
Speaking to the boss to find out how hesaw it, he told me proudly how fantasticemail was as it enabled him to communicatequickly and effectively with his team andsaved him so much time. Oops!
One of the challenges management isfacing today is getting the balance right andthe balance in the use of communication isno exception.
Has this happened to you yet? A major misunderstanding, resulting in anupset, caused by an email beingmisinterpreted by the receiver? In face-to-face communication, so much of ourunderstanding of the messages we receive isin the way we interpret the ‘true meaning’ofthe message, through body languagesignals. How fast they talk, how loudly, theirintonation and choice of words, as well aswhat is actually said and when.
Much of this is missed in emails. According to Peter Drucker: “The most
important thing in communication is to hearwhat isn’t being said.”
Misreading MessagesIf we think what we want to say and thenwrite the words down, all the clues from ourvoice such as tone, volume, emphasis etc.,are lost. The meaning of the words is clear,but a reader often misunderstands theattitude or emphasis intended.
Try this. Read this sentence, out loud,each time placing a stronger emphasis on adifferent word. (Go on, try it!): “I didn’t sayhe couldn’t communicate”
What happened? The change of emphasischanged the meaning didn’t it? So if youread this message in an email what would itmean to you? Well, it depends on your relationship withthe person who sent it, and what meaningyou choose to put on their message.
Early in my marriage, my husband (alawyer) and I would have majormisunderstandings. I would say to him inexasperation, “Don’t listen to what I say butto how I say it”. He would respond: “Howcan you call yourself a communicationsexpert when what you say and what youmean, are two totally different things?” Hehad a good point!
Nonetheless, I would gallantly argue thathe took my words too literately, whereaseveryone else I spoke to seemed tounderstand the true essence of mycommunication. (He wasn’t convinced!)
In normal conversation, we tend to listenmore to the intent than to the wordsthemselves. For example, there are manyways of saying one thing and meaninganother. Irony, sarcasm, and figures ofspeech, are such devices and they arewonderful when they work.
A colleague expressed it well. He remindedin that in the ‘old days’, you had plenty oftime to reflect on what you wrote. By thetime you dictated your letter, it was typed upand returned to you as a draft, you had hadtime to clarify your thoughts so that your redrafted response was more appropriate.
So many times I quickly type back myresponse to an email, hit the “reply all”button, and then wish I hadn’t. Has thathappened to you? More and more I’mputting replies into the “send later” box –just in case!
Maybe we need to develop signs andsymbols to represent the actual meaningbehind the written words. In part, the use ofemail faces has started to do this. So has theuse of bold, underline and exclamationmarks!! But are we getting lazy and usingemail when we really should pick up thephone or just walk around the corner to thenext office and speak to the person?
Too Many OptionsToday, we have too many methods ofcommunication. How best should I contactyou? Do I ring you at the office and maybeleave a message on an answering machine,voice mail or with a paging service. Howabout sending a fax? I could send you anemail (although I’d have to be careful how Iworded it…!)
Words. They are so powerful. Choosethem carefully. Remember to organise notonly your thoughts before you write thembut determine which words bestcommunicate the message you want to send– before you hit the reply button.
R
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
Joking is a kind of irony that has bothrapport and defensive payoffs. The rapportbenefit lies in the pleasure of shared laughteras well as the evidence of rapport in havingmatching senses of humour. The defensivebenefit is in the ability to retreat by saying: “I was only joking,” if a commentseems to backfire!
Putting It In WritingIt wasn’t until I started to use emailextensively as a form of communication,that I began to understand how easy it wasto put your own interpretation on the words,when no other communication clue wasavailable. Did you know, for example, thatthe 500 most common used words in theEnglish language have over 14,000definitions? No wonder we can have somuch confusion and misunderstanding!
Try this. Read thissentence, out loud, each time placing astronger emphasis
on a different word:“I didn’t say he
couldn’t communicate”
196 Corporate Trends
CANDY TYMSON
It’s not just what we say
that counts. There are
messages we can give,
without saying a word!
Candy Tymson is an expert in businesscommunications with more than twenty-fiveyears experience in the fields of marketingand public relations. Based in Sydney, she isa business educator and professionalspeaker and the author of “Gender Games:Doing Business With The Opposite Sex”.For information on her workshops,presentations and products:Website:www.tymson.com.auEmail: [email protected]: +61 2 9413 2900
ho do you think are the mostsuccessful job intervieweesand why?
Recently, I was asked tobe a member of an interview panel for threesenior roles and I was struck by the impactthe interviewees’behaviour had on our finaldecision. (I confess, while I’ve been anexpert in communication for many years, itis always good to be reminded of the impactof the basics!)
All of the candidates were impressiveon paper, so how they performed in theinterview was obviously very significant.
Let me set the scene: The candidate sat atthe head of the table with their potential bosson one side and two other panelists on theother. What struck me most was the level ofenergy (or lack of it) in each candidate.
One person in particular gave the personaof being exhausted. They regularly sighedloudly, slouched in their chair and looked asif it would take a bomb to get them to move.They really were not sending positive vibesfor a position that was described as,“someone who is dynamic with outstandingcommunication skills.” (Obviously thisperson wasn’t offered the position!)
Thinking vs sayingNon-verbal communication often screamsout what a person is thinking but may not besaying. You need to listen for what is knownas non-verbal and paralinguistic cues.
For instance: what communication wouldyou pick up from the following behaviours?
• Someone speaking quickly, dartingtheir eyes around the room• A person who continuously swings ortaps their foot• Someone who appears so relaxed,they even slouch in their chair• Aperson continually referring to ‘we’when asked to give examples of their work• Someone who sits very still, withtheir hands firmly in their lap.
Although it could be argued that most ofthese behaviours show that the person couldhave been feeling nervous – it could also beconstrued that they came across as insecure,hyperactive, lacking in people skills ordisinterested.
The ‘attractiveness’ ratingIn his book, Psychology for EffectiveManagers, Robert Burns (referring toTannenbaum 1956), said he found that thedegree to which attitudes change positively,is directly proportioned to the degree ofattractiveness of the communicator.
The ‘attractiveness’ of a person wasmeasured by rating them against thefollowing six evaluation scales: fair/unfair;dirty/clean; tasty/distasteful; good/bad;pleasant/unpleasant; worthless/valuable.So, from this you should come to theconclusion that to be persuasive youshould always try to be neat, clean andpersonable – the sort of person youwould want to interact with. Power topersuade is greatly increased ifcredibility, trust and concern is linkedwith charm, humour and pleasantness.And in today’s working environment,enthusiasm and flexibility should beadded to the list.
What your clothes sayAnother powerful non-verbal commun-ication is projected in what you wear.
Are clothes a reliable guide to what aperson is really like? Obviously not, but Ichallenge you not to make a first impressionbased on how a person is dressed! As they
I See What You Are Saying…
W
often say, you don’t get a second chance tomake a first impression.
So, what do you think of the ever-growing trend for business casual code ofdress in offices and what impact is it reallyhaving on business?
I know many professionals whose liveshave become more complicated because ofit. Whereas previously, you always wore‘the suit’, now you have to check yourdiary, see what meetings you have (if any)and decide what would be appropriate attirefor those groups. In a drive to appear moremodern and with-it, senior executives areadding to their stress levels. Have you beencaught out yet wearing casual garb when you are required to attend a seriousbusiness meeting?
It’s interesting to note that the trend in theUS seems to be going back to more formalbusiness dress and I reluctantly agree, itseems to be more effective. There’s nodoubt about it, I am more business-like inmy suit than I am in my jeans! And if I wasinterviewing for the position of a seniorexecutive, I would still expect the applicantto arrive in a suit. With so many other non-verbal communication issues to deal with atleast getting the dress right helps to create agood first impression.
To be a more persuasive communicator you should:
• Focus on what the other person wants to know, rather than what you think theyshould know
• Keep the message simple and clear. Use examples to illustrate your point
• Anticipate any objections and cover them off, up front
• Monitor the other person’s response. (Watch out for signs of confusion, irritability or impatience)
• Remember to involve them in the discussion. (Talk with them, not at them)
• Be flexible and open to suggestions and ideas that may be different to yours.
