Saturday, February 22, 2014
LEADERSHIP - TEAM MOTIVATION
Eliminate the
negative & accentuate the positive!
Unfortunately, according to Aubrey C. Daniels (Ph.D) and Neil Baum (M.D), in too many businesses people are managed in the negative rather than in the positive.
Doctors Aubrey & Neil point out that management often say to their staff, "Don't mention the competitor's product," or "Don't forget to make five cold calls this week."
"That which is recognised and rewarded is repeated," is a truism.
If team members get attention through the use of the negative, unfortunately, they will continue in that behavior. The good doctors point out that if team members receive positive reinforcement for behavior, they're likely to repeat those actions and that, "Team members are not primarily motivated by money. Money will get them to show up, but once they have checked in or reported for duty, they are more influenced by other elements in their environments."
Nearly everyone is motivated by positive attention from their managers and peers.
Some respond to physical reminders, like a note or a bouquet of flowers. Others will thrive on public recognition at a sales meeting. But some may be embarrassed if their name is called out in public and they are asked to come forward and accept their reward or recognition. That's why astute managers are sensitive to each person's personal preferences; and understand that what makes one person tick, may stop another's clock in its tracks.
The best way to show appropriate recognition is to get to know your team personally and reinforce their positive performance with things that are important to them!
Sometimes even a card, a note, an email, recognition for acquiring a new account or simply for maintaining such an upbeat, positive, cheerful attitude, will be the very reinforcement they need.
Motivation, not manipulation!!!
When only the manipulator wins, somebody else loses. In the business world, as well as in our social and family life, if the other person wins, you win too. Give it a try. Put this advice into practice and your leadership effectiveness will improve!
All the best with your leadership!
Unfortunately, according to Aubrey C. Daniels (Ph.D) and Neil Baum (M.D), in too many businesses people are managed in the negative rather than in the positive.
Doctors Aubrey & Neil point out that management often say to their staff, "Don't mention the competitor's product," or "Don't forget to make five cold calls this week."
"That which is recognised and rewarded is repeated," is a truism.
If team members get attention through the use of the negative, unfortunately, they will continue in that behavior. The good doctors point out that if team members receive positive reinforcement for behavior, they're likely to repeat those actions and that, "Team members are not primarily motivated by money. Money will get them to show up, but once they have checked in or reported for duty, they are more influenced by other elements in their environments."
Nearly everyone is motivated by positive attention from their managers and peers.
Some respond to physical reminders, like a note or a bouquet of flowers. Others will thrive on public recognition at a sales meeting. But some may be embarrassed if their name is called out in public and they are asked to come forward and accept their reward or recognition. That's why astute managers are sensitive to each person's personal preferences; and understand that what makes one person tick, may stop another's clock in its tracks.
The best way to show appropriate recognition is to get to know your team personally and reinforce their positive performance with things that are important to them!
Sometimes even a card, a note, an email, recognition for acquiring a new account or simply for maintaining such an upbeat, positive, cheerful attitude, will be the very reinforcement they need.
Motivation, not manipulation!!!
When only the manipulator wins, somebody else loses. In the business world, as well as in our social and family life, if the other person wins, you win too. Give it a try. Put this advice into practice and your leadership effectiveness will improve!
All the best with your leadership!
If you would like to discuss how to improve your organisations capability in the areas of Leadership, Communication, Presentation & Sales then simply contact us for a complimentary, no obligation conversation.
Posted in
Business presentations,
Business presentations Conference presentations Presentation skills training Sales presentations,
Presentation skills training Sales presentations
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Experience Better Business Success with Better Presentations
Your
presentations help you get business done!
They may help you close a deal, persuade leaders to make a decision, teach something new, or gain alignment.
To get business done as efficiently and effectively as possible requires thinking about the outcome of your presentations on two levels. This article explains what those two levels are.
Your success as a business presenter always exists on two levels. On one level it is determined by whether the stated goal of the presentation is reached. Did the buyer agree to buy or did your team see the need for the new procedure you’re asking them to follow?
This type of success is fairly easy to measure. The other level of success is more difficult. It is a measure of how effectively you managed the process of presenting. Or, did you manage the conversation in an appropriately orderly fashion?
The second level of success often determines the first. Many times poorly managed presentations leave the audience frustrated, indifferent and a waste of time. Such presentations can hardly be considered a success.
The thing to remember is that presentations are part of everyone’s day-to-day work. So when presenters fail to manage the process well, they’re making it difficult for audiences to do their jobs. When that happens, audiences are stuck. After all, many times audience members are captive! They don’t have the option of walking out or flipping to a new channel. So what they often do is silently disengage. They might feel a sudden need to check their email / social media or think about dinner, doing whatever they can to cope with a bad situation.
Most of the time this reaction has little to do with the goal of the presentation and everything to do with whether the presenter is managing the conversation effectively.
For example, if you’re delivering market research to a group of sales people, your audience wants to understand the research, but they also want you to make understanding it easy. That level of success goes beyond the information itself. It involves:
- Emphasising context and relevance
- Providing perspective
- Leaving out information that isn’t useful to your audience (whether you want to or not)
- Caring about their understanding and buy in
- Being responsive to the in-the-moment needs of the audience
Business presentations are a collaborative process. Pulling your slides together and having a specific goal is only the first step, and that step alone will never guarantee success.
A successful presentation is one in which the audience and the presenter work together in a fruitful, efficient and effective process.
All the best with your future presentations!!!
Posted in
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by effectivecommunication.com.au
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
SALES – HOW TO BE UP WHEN SALES ARE DOWN
Let's face it
– every now and then sales don't seem to be going our way and we can begin to
be concerned about making our numbers, making our mortgage, taking that
vacation, etc.
While we may not be able to control the ebb and flow of sales, what's important is that we keep control of our attitude and expectancy level. In other words, keeping positive, reflecting on wins, and expecting success is what always drives a top producer through the seemingly slow times in sales.
Keeping an ‘UP’ attitude can be compared to how a pilot tries to stay on the radio beam when flying. A directional beam is projected to guide the pilot to his destination, and as long as he stays on the beam, he's safe and he'll make it through just fine. It doesn't matter that the weather may be temporarily blinding him or that he may not be able to see where he is or where he's headed, as long as he can locate and stay on that beam, he'll be all right.
It's the same with sales. If things are temporarily not going your way, or if you have to start prospecting again, or if that big client or if those deals didn't close, that's OK. All you have to do is to get back on the beam of being positive, expecting to close more sales, and continue to reflect on your sales goals. If you can do this (and that may sometimes be a tall order given the temporary appearances), then you'll be fine as a result.
What you can't fall victim to is negative (DOWN) thinking. Such thinking only leads to deflated attitudes, less activity, and poor sales skills. It tends to feed itself and you start looking for reasons to fail, and you often find them!
You know when you're "off the beam" if you're experiencing more fear than faith, if you get agitated easily, if you become resentful of others or if you begin feeling depressed in any way.
If for any reasons these negatives happen, you can simply apply the following 4 ways to get back on the beam:
1. Reflect Back On Your Previous Wins
Get quiet and begin reliving all the times when you closed big deals, when you made your goal and when you got new clients and closed deals. Remember those feelings…
This will immediately move you back towards the beam.
2. Remind Yourself That Your Very Next Phone Call Could Result In The Biggest Deal Of Your Career
This is not only true, but by dwelling on it you'll begin to want to make more calls, and you will actually begin attracting that success to yourself.
3. Review Your Financial Goals & Begin Imagining How You Feel Now That You've Achieved Them
Relish those feelings. Get excited about what you're enjoying now that you've reached your goals. This is visualization 101 and remember that your subconscious mind can't tell the difference between a real event and one vividly imaged with feeling.
4. Change Your Attitude Into One Of Absolute Service To Others Rather On If You're Going To Get A Deal
Start each phone call with the thought, "I'm here to be of maximum service to this person." That will not only take the pressure off of you, but your prospect will feel it – and respond to you.
Any one of these techniques will get you back on the beam. If you combine all 4 of them you'll avoid the ‘DOWNS’ of a temporary slump in no time and you'll be closing deals like the top pro you know you are.
While we may not be able to control the ebb and flow of sales, what's important is that we keep control of our attitude and expectancy level. In other words, keeping positive, reflecting on wins, and expecting success is what always drives a top producer through the seemingly slow times in sales.
Keeping an ‘UP’ attitude can be compared to how a pilot tries to stay on the radio beam when flying. A directional beam is projected to guide the pilot to his destination, and as long as he stays on the beam, he's safe and he'll make it through just fine. It doesn't matter that the weather may be temporarily blinding him or that he may not be able to see where he is or where he's headed, as long as he can locate and stay on that beam, he'll be all right.
It's the same with sales. If things are temporarily not going your way, or if you have to start prospecting again, or if that big client or if those deals didn't close, that's OK. All you have to do is to get back on the beam of being positive, expecting to close more sales, and continue to reflect on your sales goals. If you can do this (and that may sometimes be a tall order given the temporary appearances), then you'll be fine as a result.
What you can't fall victim to is negative (DOWN) thinking. Such thinking only leads to deflated attitudes, less activity, and poor sales skills. It tends to feed itself and you start looking for reasons to fail, and you often find them!
You know when you're "off the beam" if you're experiencing more fear than faith, if you get agitated easily, if you become resentful of others or if you begin feeling depressed in any way.
If for any reasons these negatives happen, you can simply apply the following 4 ways to get back on the beam:
1. Reflect Back On Your Previous Wins
Get quiet and begin reliving all the times when you closed big deals, when you made your goal and when you got new clients and closed deals. Remember those feelings…
This will immediately move you back towards the beam.
2. Remind Yourself That Your Very Next Phone Call Could Result In The Biggest Deal Of Your Career
This is not only true, but by dwelling on it you'll begin to want to make more calls, and you will actually begin attracting that success to yourself.
3. Review Your Financial Goals & Begin Imagining How You Feel Now That You've Achieved Them
Relish those feelings. Get excited about what you're enjoying now that you've reached your goals. This is visualization 101 and remember that your subconscious mind can't tell the difference between a real event and one vividly imaged with feeling.
4. Change Your Attitude Into One Of Absolute Service To Others Rather On If You're Going To Get A Deal
Start each phone call with the thought, "I'm here to be of maximum service to this person." That will not only take the pressure off of you, but your prospect will feel it – and respond to you.
Any one of these techniques will get you back on the beam. If you combine all 4 of them you'll avoid the ‘DOWNS’ of a temporary slump in no time and you'll be closing deals like the top pro you know you are.
All the best with your ongoing sales!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
LEADERSHIP - 7 KEYS TO SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS DURING 2014
The New Year
is an exciting time because it is typically brimming with potential and
fabulous intentions.
Whilst we are not a fan of casual resolutions, We do recommend that leaders create and commit to goals. And track results that are achieved along the way. With this in mind, We offer you the following seven reasons why your leadership this year will drive great outcomes.
Whilst we are not a fan of casual resolutions, We do recommend that leaders create and commit to goals. And track results that are achieved along the way. With this in mind, We offer you the following seven reasons why your leadership this year will drive great outcomes.
1. CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THE VALUES OF YOUR ORGANISATION
Whether your organisation has created formal core values or not, you will make certain that team members know the common thread of values you expect to see running through everything they do.
In fact, you are so committed to this goal, that you have marked your calendar once per week to remind yourself to reinforce your organisation’s values.
Finally, you have committed to linking the behaviors you observe in the workplace to the feedback you will share with team members every day. In the process, you realise that your consistent feedback will help your team to gain a visual image of the values that serve as the bedrock of your organisation’s actions.
2. SHARE THE EXPECTATIONS YOUR TEAM MEMBERS WILL COLLABORATE WITH
Highlight that collaboration across departmental and functional lines is not only expected, but that it is essential to the success of your organisation.
Commit to sharing feedback with team members and individuals in order to ensure that they grasp the intense level of workplace collaboration you expect.
3. SET & MAINTAIN THE PRIORITIES OF YOUR ORGANISATION
The work environment is ever-changing, and the pace of change is increasing each year.
As such, you can help your team to be fluid and agile, while not losing sight of the big picture. In order to help team members cut through the swirl of priority distractions, you can utilise communication techniques to help your team keep their eyes on the real drivers of your organisation.
4. ATTRACT & PLACE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT POSITIONS
This will also require you get the wrong people ‘off the bus’.
As a result, you will assist your top (and average) performers to do what they do best every day! This will help productivity to escalate.
Also, you can help some team members realise that the work bus left the station years ago and they did not get on it. In other words, you will help your poorest performers realise that their skills and abilities have not kept pace with the changing needs of your work marketplace. Nice people? “Yes.” Perhaps more productive in a different work environment? “Yes.” Enough said.
5. MANAGE THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROCESS EVERY DAY
You can share feedback so that team members have a clear gauge as to the quality of their work performance.
In addition, you can catalog and document your feedback in an organised fashion. You may use an electronic feedback capture system, or you may use old-fashioned paper that is placed in a file folder.
No matter the system, you will be organised in cataloging your feedback. Your efforts will pay off in a big way because performance evaluations at the end of 2014 will simply be an affirmation of the great coaching you have delivered during the year. In other words, no one will be surprised by their review results.
6. FOCUS ON SELF-DEVELOPMENT
You can grow your leadership skills.
In addition, you can seek to elevate your level of physical fitness and mental toughness. Who knows, you might actually get adequate sleep, eat right, and grow your spiritual self along the way. In other words, raise your personal bar this year more than any year prior. Raise it high. And do it with less effort than you think by enabling a trident that includes self-discipline and a coach.
7. HAVE MORE FUN & LAUGH MORE THIS YEAR
Ensure that you and your team better enjoy the rocket-ride that most people call work.
Seek and plan to enjoy more fun with your team this year. Plus, try to laugh every day.
Research shows us that the average four-year-old laughs 300 times a day, while the average 40-year-old laughs merely four. Granted, not many four-year-olds are paying a mortgage, a car payment, and who knows what else, but they are a happy lot. Plus, research also shows us that laughter reduces stress, increases endorphins, and even helps blood flow more freely.
Despite all of our responsibilities, there is a lot of room to enjoy and laugh more, so this year seek and plan to enjoy and laugh more than you have in the last 10 years combined. Please do this!
BOTTOM LINE
This year you and your team can soar. But, only if you choose to lead in a manner that enables everyone to fly.
Highlight your favorite advice from the above list and track your progress throughout the year. If you consistently succeed at all seven points above we guarantee that you and your team will have a great year.
All the best with your leadership!
Monday, December 30, 2013
WOW YOUR AUDIENCES WHEN PRESENTING DURING 2014
Before
we step across from 2013 to 2014, here are some simple tips for you that
great presenters use when communicating to any audience… The power of a
strong opening and close!
If you do both these well, you will be a success because people typically remember the first words out of your mouth and the last. However, while presenters know the importance of a strong opening and close, often they fizzle at the end. Some run out of time and simply say "I am out of time. Thanks for coming and contact me with your questions." Others fail to let their listeners know they are about to end and therefore, when they say their final words the audience does not offer much response.
Many times following presentations, audiences leave uninspired or disinterested. Invest more time into writing and practicing your opening and close as you might other parts of your presentation.
WAYS TO CLOSE PRESENTATIONS EEEFECTIVELY:
Recap the main ideas you have discussed
Restate your agenda headings + the key sentences / points of each
If you have presented for more than 20 minutes, it is important to summarise what has been discussed since your audience may have forgotten or drifted. By re-stating your positions or points for each agenda of your presentation, you can better influence audience members who don't have the breadth of knowledge you do about your subject.
Call your audience to action
Never let your audiences walk away from your presentations unsure about what they should do.
Directly state what you want them to do. It may seem obvious to you, but unless you ask for what you want, you risk being disappointed. For example… "What we need from you is immediate approval for our team to proceed with the design phase. We believe if we work full time, the project can be completed in three weeks."
A strong call to action commands attention.
Challenge your audience to do something different
For example… "If you want to become better, you have to put in the work. Tomorrow, when you go back on the job, I challenge you to change one thing about the way you communicate with others. Keep working on that skill until it is part of your DNA."
Conclude with an inspirational or dramatic focused message
A strong focused message when concluding your presentations should be what your audience remembers more than anything else during your presentation.
When possible, leave your audience on a high note.
Go back to your opening
If you started your presentation with a great ‘Dynamic Opening’ (a great story / quote / statistic / example etc.), go full circle and link back to it, which will greatly bring your presentation to a close. For example… "My hope for you is the same success as ‘person x’ I shared at the start of my presentation, who succeeded by thinking big!"
Your opening is your best chance to gain audience interest, attention and engagement, plus your close is the last thing your audience will remember. Therefore, plan and practice to wow your audiences during every presentation you will deliver during 2014.
HAPPY
NEW YEAR TO YOU AND THANKS FOR YOUR READERSHIP & SUPPORT DURING
2013!!!If you do both these well, you will be a success because people typically remember the first words out of your mouth and the last. However, while presenters know the importance of a strong opening and close, often they fizzle at the end. Some run out of time and simply say "I am out of time. Thanks for coming and contact me with your questions." Others fail to let their listeners know they are about to end and therefore, when they say their final words the audience does not offer much response.
Many times following presentations, audiences leave uninspired or disinterested. Invest more time into writing and practicing your opening and close as you might other parts of your presentation.
WAYS TO CLOSE PRESENTATIONS EEEFECTIVELY:
Recap the main ideas you have discussed
Restate your agenda headings + the key sentences / points of each
If you have presented for more than 20 minutes, it is important to summarise what has been discussed since your audience may have forgotten or drifted. By re-stating your positions or points for each agenda of your presentation, you can better influence audience members who don't have the breadth of knowledge you do about your subject.
Call your audience to action
Never let your audiences walk away from your presentations unsure about what they should do.
Directly state what you want them to do. It may seem obvious to you, but unless you ask for what you want, you risk being disappointed. For example… "What we need from you is immediate approval for our team to proceed with the design phase. We believe if we work full time, the project can be completed in three weeks."
A strong call to action commands attention.
Challenge your audience to do something different
For example… "If you want to become better, you have to put in the work. Tomorrow, when you go back on the job, I challenge you to change one thing about the way you communicate with others. Keep working on that skill until it is part of your DNA."
Conclude with an inspirational or dramatic focused message
A strong focused message when concluding your presentations should be what your audience remembers more than anything else during your presentation.
When possible, leave your audience on a high note.
Go back to your opening
If you started your presentation with a great ‘Dynamic Opening’ (a great story / quote / statistic / example etc.), go full circle and link back to it, which will greatly bring your presentation to a close. For example… "My hope for you is the same success as ‘person x’ I shared at the start of my presentation, who succeeded by thinking big!"
Your opening is your best chance to gain audience interest, attention and engagement, plus your close is the last thing your audience will remember. Therefore, plan and practice to wow your audiences during every presentation you will deliver during 2014.
Posted in
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communication coaching,
Conference presentations Presentation skills training Sales presentations,
Leadership
by effectivecommunication.com.au
What Are You Really Selling?
You might have encountered many sales
people who focus mainly on the functions of what their product or service does.
Beware of this trap!
What your product or service may do is
very interesting, and it may even convince the prospect that you know your
business and understand the functions of your product. However, functions
probably won’t cause a prospect to give you their money. That will happen when
and only when you persuade them to take action by clearly articulating and
painting a picture in their minds of What’s In It For Them (WIIFT).
When you show an interested prospect the
overriding advantages and outcomes they will gain and experience from your
product or service, you are truly selling.
The successful sales professional talks
about and demonstrates features and benefits leading to advantages and
outcomes.
Personalise the advantages and outcomes
for the prospect. You can only do so by asking enough relevant questions of the
audience to understand their interest level + if and how your product / service
suits + tier level of urgency. Then wisely paint the prospect into the picture
driving that luxury car, receiving compliments on the beautifully designed
dress or suit, looking at the sunset on the lake where the new home has been
constructed, or sitting in the comfortable retirement environment provided by
the investment being made.
Paint the picture so your prospect sees
themselves personally gaining are turn on their investment by purchasing the
advantages and outcomes your product or service offers.
You might not think of award-winning
actor, writer, director, and producer Alan Alda as being a salesman, but in a
speech he made to a medical school, Alan gave doctors And salespeople some good
advice. He said, “The head bone is connected to the heart bone. Don’t let them
come apart.”
From a sales perspective, Alan is
telling professional salespeople that when we demonstrate or explain the
advantages and outcomes of our product / service in a clear and logical manner,
we must also involve the prospect emotionally. We must let the prospective
client know how it will FEEL to experience, enjoy and own the product or
service.
We need to add the bridge. The bridge is
a phrase preparing the prospect to hear the advantage and outcome. The
phrase shouts, “Look out, here comes the reason for you to invest!!!.” Sample
bridges might include:
“The advantage to you, Mr. Prospect,
is...”
“You will enjoy this because...”
The benefit to you, Ms. Prospect, is...”
Try this advice to see prospect
confusion decrease and sales go up.
All the best with your ongoing sales!
Posted in
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Communication,
Communication Training,
Facilitating meetings
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Leadership - Strategies for Keeping Your Key Team Members
When a key team member bolts for another
job, many leaders assume that the reason behind their departure rests mainly on
making more money.
There is logic behind this assumption, since most competent workers who choose to leave an organization earn a higher salary at their new job. Research, however, tells us that under normal circumstances key team members view salary as the fourth most important feature of their job.
This is wonderful news because often times leaders do not have total control over the salaries of their team members. On the other hand, leaders do have lots of control over a bevy of other items that can help to retain key employees.
As long as key employees feel that their compensation is fair, the following 3 areas tend to be valued higher than salary.
1. Training & Development
There is logic behind this assumption, since most competent workers who choose to leave an organization earn a higher salary at their new job. Research, however, tells us that under normal circumstances key team members view salary as the fourth most important feature of their job.
This is wonderful news because often times leaders do not have total control over the salaries of their team members. On the other hand, leaders do have lots of control over a bevy of other items that can help to retain key employees.
As long as key employees feel that their compensation is fair, the following 3 areas tend to be valued higher than salary.
1. Training & Development
The best means for
leaders to build a retention wall around key team members is to grow and
develop them.
This is especially true for team members who are part of the Millennial Generation (born between 1980 and 1995). For added success, leaders should consider creating a training roadmap that helps to fully develop selected team members skills.
2. Communication
This is especially true for team members who are part of the Millennial Generation (born between 1980 and 1995). For added success, leaders should consider creating a training roadmap that helps to fully develop selected team members skills.
2. Communication
People want to know what is going on in an
organization. Moreover, they want to hear it first-hand, from their leader or
from C-Level decision-makers.
Frequent communication contains the added benefit of crushing the grapevine, which can drain energy from an organization as it propagates misinformation.
3. Effective Feedback
A recent study examined the effects of feedback on three groups of employees. The first group received only positive feedback. The second group received only negative feedback. The third group received no feedback whatsoever.
When asked which feedback silo was most effective, most leaders say "the positive feedback alternative," and they are correct.
The answer chosen for second most effective is typically "no feedback." The No Feedback method, however, was not more effective than the Negative Feedback method.
All the best with your leadership!
Frequent communication contains the added benefit of crushing the grapevine, which can drain energy from an organization as it propagates misinformation.
3. Effective Feedback
A recent study examined the effects of feedback on three groups of employees. The first group received only positive feedback. The second group received only negative feedback. The third group received no feedback whatsoever.
When asked which feedback silo was most effective, most leaders say "the positive feedback alternative," and they are correct.
The answer chosen for second most effective is typically "no feedback." The No Feedback method, however, was not more effective than the Negative Feedback method.
All the best with your leadership!
Posted in
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Communication Training,
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by effectivecommunication.com.au
