I was doing some sales coaching with some clients recently and I used the ld acronym ABC..Alway Be Closing..and this group of ‘young bucks’ hadn’t heard it before.
So for all those that haven’t, here it is. Tried, test and true.
Because if your not buying… their not selling!
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www.nextfoundation.org/nfblog
I often find myself talking to people about how to transition key staff members or key leaders within their organization either into new roles or into the next stage of there career…OUTSIDE of the organization.
And will all issues concerning dealing with people, there is a right way and the other way….
A Purpose Statement is a compass that helps keep you on course, it is the gyro that brings you back to center is you get out of kilter.
A Vision statement is a reflection of you calling. It is that vocation that you can give yourself to unreservedly.
It is the occupation that you can give yourself to unreservedly
A Mission statement is a statement that breaks down the particular, of you purpose & Vision statement. It is the fine print to there headline.
Together all 3 of these things will enable you to live from the inside out.
They will help you navigate a course in life of deep meaning purpose and personal satisfaction.
Have you ever worked for someone that just seems to love the sound of their own voice. They will call a management meeting, that should last at best 25 minutes and 90 minutes later your thinking of ways you can kill yourself just so you have an excuse not to be there. Worked for a women like that once.
Or what about the sales person who won’t BE STILL. They just won’t stop trying to sell you. You have already said yes inside, you just can’t get the yes outside, because of the noise. Didn’t buy a truck off that guy.
It is not a gender general deal, it is a person deal.
I have found that one of the most UNDERRATED and under utilized sales and management tools by both men and women in senior leadership is effective listen.
Whether it’s our spouse, our children, a sales prospect, or our boss, one of life’s great challenges is to listen well.
Often, we are tempted to just sit there and try and think about our response (or pretend your dying) next rather than listen.
Or, we believe we already know what the other person is going to say, so we simply interrupt or wait impatiently for our turn. Listening, really listening, with our whole being, is a skill and one of the most important compliments and gifts we could ever give to another person.
Here are 10 rules that I try and follow..why do I have rules on something like this..well you see I am that girl, I am that guy and I had to teach myself NOT to be. So you to can learn too!
1. Stop Talking!
I know sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many people think this is a form of divine revelation.
You think chewing gum and rubbing your belly is tough, it is impossible to listen and speak at the same time.
2. Give the other person room and permission.
Put them at ease.
Give them space and time to speak their peace.
How we look at them, how we stand or sit, makes a huge difference, it says something about us and says something to them.
Relax, and let them relax as well.
Listening I have found not only makes my clients feel valued and understood, it stops me from imposing my own agenda on a situation.
3. Show the other person that you not only are listening, but you want to hear them.
Look at them.
Connect.
Nod when you can agree, ask them to explain further if you don’t understand.
Listen to understand their words, rather than just wait for your turn.
4. Be focused.
Remove distractions. Good listening means being willing to turn off the ‘white noise’, the clutter, mentally and physically and give the speaker your full attention, and let them know they are getting your full attention.
Barriers to focused listening can be emotional as well. Ensure that you are ‘present’ during your conversation.
Mentally focusing means listening without preconceived ideas, without interruption, without interference or assumptions.
5. Empathise with the other person.
Especially if they are talking to you about something painful or personal , or something you intensely disagree with, take a moment to hear what they are really saying.
6. Take a deep breath and be patient.
Some people take longer to find the right word, to make a point or clarify an issue. Give the speaker time to get it all out before you jump in with your reply. Remember you committed to giving them the gift of time, the moment the conversation started.
7. Watch your own emotions.
When we are angry, frightened or upset, we often miss critical parts of what is being said to us. If what they are saying creates an emotional response in you, pay attention to the intent of their words not just the emotion of their words.
8. Be very slow to speak and slow to anger.
Even if you disagree, let them have their say. Don’t respond with the same emotion that they have, because mirroring emotion leads to arguments, not resolution. Value them more than value ‘winning ‘.
9. Ask lots of question.
Ask them to explain, to clarify, to say more, to give you an example. This will help them speak more precisely and it will help you hear and understand them more accurately.
10. And for those that didn’t hear it the first time….STOP TALKING!
The old observation that God gave us two ears and only one tongue, for a very obvious reason, still holds true. He wants us to listen twice as much as we talk.
This is a follow up post from last weeks on developing effective brands.
Guy Kawasaki offers readers a unique guide for starting and operating great organizations — ones that stand the test of time and ignore any passing fads in business theory. Reality Check collects, updates and expands the best entries from Kawasaki’s popular blog, and features his inimitable take on everything from the art of branding to how to be a great moderator to how to drive your competition crazy.
In the book The Brand Bubble, Gerzema and Leba talk about a five-stage model that reveals how today’s successful brands–and tomorrow’s–have an insatiable appetite for creativity and change.
I look at the six characteristics of a Brand as outlined in the book.
I have often heard people say:
“I am waiting for MY opportunity,”
“I am looking for an opportunity,”
“Here is an opportunity for ME,”
“You need to TAKE this opportunity.”
I don’t believe that opportunities are things to be taken, but things to be shared.
The idea of taking an opportunity holds with it a sense of somone losing something and someone winning something.
The true nature of a Win-Win situation is the sharing of the oppourtinity.
Both parties come away with a sense of being privileged and honored to work with and for each other.
Listen … everyone wants to make a buck.
Business is about making a buck, but those that live with the mind set that you can only get ahead by taking are a little bit Gordon Gekko for the rest of us.
Opportunities are rivers, not pies. There is enough for everyone, you dont have to fight for a piece of it.
Every significant personal and business relationship I have formed in the last 20 years around the basis of win/win and shared opportunity, I still have today.
Any other relationship I didn’t feel was equitable…I have walked away from.
Life is too short to swim with the sharks.
So, pull up a deck chair, order a drink with a little umbrella, enjoy the sun, and let’s plan on taking over the world….together!!
I had a client send me this the other day.
Apparently there is a full disclousure law in PA….
I think I need to sign them up for some life coaching!!
There are 5 key factors that contribute, create or inhibit the growing of a positive, proactive organizational culture.
1. Passion
Leaders are motivated by factors other than compensation. In a healthy leadership culture, team members understand the mission of the organization and are motivated by their connection to it. They are passionate.
Real relationship in a team environment will encourage you to pursue your goals with all that is in you. Your team will urge you forward, not pull you down. Your teammates will hold you up, not drag you down, but passion and commitment to a vision isn’t enough.
2. Accountability
Your leadership, your example, can give those around you the reason, courage and purpose to change for the better. That is called accountability. It must be explicit in every interaction between you and your team. It may get ugly at times, and everyone may be uncomfortable, but this kind of discomfort is necessary for growth.
Inner accountability is the force that fills you with a sense of integrity. External accountability is the force that makes everyone else work with integrity.
3. Consistency
Consistency builds trust within a team. Consistency of purpose and vision is the strongest antidote for discouragement, and it will keep team members engaged. Consistency is the balm on the open wound of office politics. It is the quality that will prevent accusations of favoritism. It is the anchor that your team members will come to rely upon.
As a leader in the middle, you must consciously and purposely be consistent with your team. You must consistently communicate upward and downward in your organization. You bring the vision from the top, and communicate it throughout the organization, everyday, with passion, accountability, and consistency.
4. Transparency
Transparency is the thing that gives you the freedom to be open and gives you the ability to instruct and receive feedback. Allow mistakes to happen in the open. Don’t hide failures; learn from them. One of the 5 foundational values at Toyota is tolerating failure—not just tolerating it, but actually embracing failure as a mechanism for learning. They recognize that you have to FAIL in order to PROGRESS, and consider that one of their top 5 core values.
So create a safe place for ideas to grow and develop. You need an open forum for input. Transparency also provides your forum for change. If there is no transparency, there is no opportunity for change and growth. You need to encourage failure as the fuel for success. All growth and development is a by-product of process and stress. The manure of today is the fertilizer of tomorrow. Reward peoples’ attempts and encourage vulnerability. The only difference between a lump of coal and a diamond is time, heat, and pressure.
5. Stability
And finally, middle leaders are essential to stability. Your passion, your accountability, your consistency, and your transparency all combine with stability to create a culture for growth and excellence. It means that consequences and rewards are the same every day, regardless of situations or personalities.
It means that the vision you had for the company yesterday is the same vision you are pursuing today. Your focus is the same. Your efforts are the same, yet the fruits will be multiplied.