Have you ever seen kids playing a game of American football on a playground? It’s pretty interesting because what they do could actually teach senior management at many companies a core secret to creating “inspired performance”. Of course inspired performance is when employees are totally committed to their company, their team and their customers. It’s when an organization has a team of players that doesn’t just do what they are told but that does what needs to be done – on a consistent basis, all the time, because they actually WANT to do it, not because they HAVE to do things. This is the exact opposite of a team that is only “compliant” – defined by a burning desire to “do their eight and hit the gate” without expending any more effort than they absolutely have to in order to keep their job.

SO…

What is it that kids do on a playground when they are getting ready to play a game of football? Well, they define the boundaries of the game first and they make sure that all the players on the field know exactly what it takes to succeed and move the ball down the field. Everyone knows what is “out of bounds”, what it takes to get a “first down” so they can continue playing and everyone also knows where the goal line is and how they can score a “touchdown” to be successful.

Even young kids know the importance of making sure that all the players on the field are on the same page and know what they need to do to succeed. Yet, astonishingly, many organizations never clearly define their organizational “playing field” to the team and they don’t even know what high performance looks like. Employees are sometimes running in the dark, not knowing where the goal line is and not really understanding what they are expected to do to score a touchdown. In some cases, accountability standards are set up and recognition programs are put in place when employees don’t even understand the definition of high performance. In essence, people are expected to “take the hill” with no clear long-term goal in mind even if they reach the summit. This is a too common scenario where people have no idea of how to be excellent and no standard to aspire to in order to be their best. It is hard to consistently exceed past, best performance when nothing is defined and the only constant within the organization is ambiguity.  

Next week I will provide five tips to take your organization to a new level of success. For this week, I would like you to think about being “explicit” instead of “implicit”. Many managers typically say things like, “Oh my people know how I think. They know what I want”. When, in actuality, since they are not mind readers, they really don’t know what you are thinking and they don’t know what is expected of them. The only way people can truly know what they need to do to succeed in the organization is to have that message clearly and explicitly communicated by the leadership.

“Implied” communication will never mazimize the performance potential of an organization. Although many managers tend to think an “unspoken request” will get results from their people, that only serves to create confusion and frustration. Go to a drive through window at a fast food restaurant and see how successful you’ll be with your order while executing a strong “unspoken request”. While that may seem like a ludicrous analogy, the way some managers expect to communicate with their people, through only vague implications, is just as outrageous.

This week, work on being totally explicit instead of just implicit with your communication. Next week we’ll delve into five specific and explicit tips to maximize your organization’s results.

Michael Stahl - Senior Performance Manager, Frontline Performance Group 

Studies continue to show – customers who have a problem that is resolved quickly and properly are likely to develop more loyalty to a business as opposed to a customer who never had a problem. Yet often still, many businesses operate with a complaint/problem resolution system that is so complex, not even the staff is able to quickly (let alone amicably) bring a complaint to satisfactory resolve for the customer and the company. In effect, some complaint processes are so convoluted, they seem to say to the customer, “Prove us wrong and perhaps we’ll talk about it.” … I think most of us have had that experience as a customer. You know – the one where it was less painful to just remain silent, suck it up and cut your losses rather than deal with the frustration of trying to get someone (anyone) to even listen. And dare you hope, perhaps get them to see things from your point-of-view. Even worse, some companies still operate under the premise that if no one’s complaining, business is good! - Hmmm, did you hear that?

Silence is not a good sign … If they don’t speak up, you lose! In most every industry competition is stiff, so when companies make it difficult for a customer to “tell them how they are doing”, it can impact sales and ultimately kill their business. When a customer experiences problems you never hear about, that means you never have an opportunity to make it better.  When this happens be assured, the customer never forgets the problem and most likely, they will not do business with your company again – Can you hear it now?

If you want to know what people are saying about your business you have to speak their language! Recent research has revealed that almost 75% of the “consumer population” is using social networks to help them make informed buying decisions and influence the decisions of others. In a recent Frontline Sales Forum post from the article How to Succeed With Today’s Empowered Customers, the author suggests, “…empowered customers have to be met by your empowered employees, using the same Internet technologies to keep up.”  - Go on, get beyond the brush!  

So, how should you handle a complaint? Whether your business has invested in a state-of-the-art complaint management system is less relevant to the cause than adhering to the fundamentals; here are a few tips:

1. Show appreciation!  Let the customer know that you strive to improve every day.
2. Listen Well!  You can help a lot more if you know the whole story. 
3. Be empathetic!  Make the customer feel comfortable about telling you the problem. Never take it personally.
4. Ask the customer what can be done to make them happy – their answer may surprise you! Many times they only want to be heard – which is less than you would have given.
5. Do whatever it takes! Perhaps price or some catchy marketing campaign will continue to drive that “first-time” customer to your door; but your primary goal should be to make sure that every customer will happily continue to business with you again. Almost any discount costs the company less than losing a customer for life.

Bottom-line, keep your ear to the ground – customers are falling. And if you pay close attention, you’ll save more than a few.

Lynda Fleming – Director of Learning & Development, Frontline Performance Group

The difference is night and day.  One transaction takes place where the salesperson makes an introduction by offering me their name and asking for mine and another takes place with no introduction at all and gets right to the sale.  In the first, I feel important and appreciated.  In the latter, I feel like just another schmo.  In more casual terms, “I don’t feel the love” if you don’t take the time and make the effort to build some rapport before you try to get in my wallet. 

Here’s a fundamental concept to remember about service-based sales; people like to do business with people they know, with people they like, and with people they trust.  But unfortunately in today’s “hurry up, let’s go” society, the civility in everyday exchanges has become collateral damage and the basic foundation in relationship building has been lost.  We’ve sacrificed an essential component in a customer-focused sales environment and in the process reduced our ability to maximize our revenue opportunities and maybe even more importantly, severely handicapped the potential to create a “wow” customer experience.  And the saddest part - it only takes a few seconds to accomplish.

Would you build a house on top of sand?  The answer is obvious but that is exactly what happens when salespeople don’t lay a solid foundation before beginning the sales process.  Take the few seconds it takes to let your customers know that you are a professional (by introducing yourself) and let them know you care about them and appreciate their business by asking for their name…before you do ANYTHING else.  Then use their name throughout the transaction and be sure to thank them by name at the conclusion.  Show them some love and I guarantee they will reciprocate.  The bonus is that it will make you feel good about what you do and how you do it.

Walter G. Rudd, Jr. – Performance Manager, Frontline Performance Group

Some of the best managers use a technique in interviewing that I like to refer to as spider webbing. Spider webbing has many different names or references, but simply put, it is listening to the interviewee’s answers and asking questions from those answers.

In business to business sales, this is most commonly referred to as asking level 2 & 3 questions. Too often I have met sales managers who conduct a fantastic interview and then hand their sales reps a list of questions to ask when meeting with a customer or prospect. They don’t train their employees on the value and the purpose of the same transferable technique they used during the interview. However, many of them think they do because they include level 2 & 3 questions in the list they give their reps. What they fail to realize is that they very well may have crushed a key component of the sales call – active listening.

If level 2 & 3 questions are already predetermined, a new sales rep will sound robotic – if not extremely robotic. They are new, they are nervous and they need to be able to relax during the sales call. Instead, tell them to think they’ve just met their prospect on a plane or bar and begin a conversation. What would they ask then?

A spider web provides a visual reference for your salespeople to deliver on what they need to do; ask questions and ask relevant ones! On the flip side, if they are thinking about the corporate and perhaps intimidating words “level 2 & 3″, they may not be as relaxed. Besides, how well are they actually going to listen to the answers if they already know the level 2 questions they are going to ask? If they know the next question they are going to ask is solely based upon the last answer they are given, they can’t take the answer and run with it.

Give them the base line questions to ask and encourage them to spider web from there. They will appreciate the freedom and the trust you have in them. Most importantly, they will be challenged daily to be a creative thinker. Follow up with them after each appointment and learn where the spider web took them; learn their thought process and help them develop more. Who knows, they may just add a few level 2 & 3 questions your organization has not thought of yet.

Matthew Pietzak – Area Performance Manager, Frontline Performance Group

“This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it – changes everything.” – Scott Reed

I’m going to lose 10 pounds…I’m going to work out 5 days a week…I’m going to eat healthy.  Does that sound like something you said to yourself or told everyone around you when you were enjoying the holidays - that it was all going to change after the New Year?

I’m going to improve my numbers…I’m going to turn my store numbers around…I’m going to be your new top performer.  Does that sound like something you said (only to yourself of course) when you were looking at your internal peer ranking or company sales report?

Both are two glaring examples, from our personal life and workplace, of things that are 100% in our control.  That’s right; I said it…100%. So you may wonder, if it’s totally up to me, why is it that I start with good intentions but end with the “oh well, I tried” attitude for the remainder of the year? Below are some of the things that keep us from hitting those targets or making it a breakout year.

I don’t see the change - You’re eating right…you’re going to the gym…you have a positive attitude at work…you’re trying to offer your products or services differently but you don’t seem to be seeing any of the fruits of you labor. Change in behavior takes time – you need patience. Just as it takes a while for your body to react to your new lifestyle, it takes your brain a while to ingrain the new sales techniques at work. Fight through the voices in your head that are telling you that your effort is wasted…you’re on your way!

Lack of planning- Whether it’s your lifestyle or taking your career to another level, the fact is, the individuals who will succeed are those who have a plan. Making permanent changes will call for a bullet proof game plan that provides you with a clear idea of what to do. Find out who your resources are and seek assistance. Call on your friends or family members; ask your manager or direct supervisor for guidance.  Make and work your plan.

The Grind – It takes time to build strength or endurance to take on more weight or add time to the treadmill. It also takes time to get comfortable with your new sales presentation. It’s different than what you’re used to but after you say it over and over again with clients on a daily basis, you begin to build strength in your presentation. As you gain more confidence in your presentation you begin to believe in yourself…when you believe in yourself you start to make a difference. You lose 2 pounds…you improve your sales performance. Stick with it, you’ve just begun.

Unrealistic goals- Your goals in your personal and work life need to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. If your current goals don’t meet those criteria, you need to go back to the drawing board until they do. Too often people set unrealistic goals that end up leading them down the road of failure even before they start. I want to be the top performing person in my store or area…although you can certainly get there, it may take longer than you anticipated. Set smaller goals that lead up to your end goal. The sense of achievement along the way is a powerful motivator in your journey to success! 

I’m just not feeling it - Losing weight and grinding it out in the gym doesn’t sound all that fun…Doing an overhaul of your sales presentation seems dreadful. Don’t be so serious – make it fun! Play “challenge” games to motivate yourself; pick a workout partner or colleague to hold you accountable throughout the day. How you feel about working out and how you feel about selling will determine how well you work out and how well you sell…Go for it!

Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or a personal challenge to start the year off on the right foot, it is 100% in your control. The thrill wears off over time. Resolutions and vows to improve your sales performance sound good when you’re looking at achieving the end result. It’s along the difficult road from A to B where most people throw in the towel, but if you stay the course you’ll see…success is right around the corner!

Daniel Park - Director of Consulting Services, Frontline Performance Group