During a recent client launch, a call center agent approached me to compliment our initial seminar and share the profound impact it had on her life. As this type of feedback is common after our client launches, it was the personal nature of these comments that made me take special notice.

The phone agent I spoke with didn’t parrot the normal compliments we associate with our seminars. She didn’t comment on our sincere approach, how entertaining we were, or how motivated she was after attending the launch seminar. It wasn’t the impact the seminar had on “Karen” that stuck with me on my flight back to Orlando. It was the fact that it had an impact on her son…and he hadn’t attended the session.

Karen had been experiencing discipline problems with her young boy for several months and had tried all different types of remedies…all to no avail. However, when she shared one of our key presentation themes at home with her son that evening, it took…amazingly. So what was this magical thought that succeeded when so many of her previous parental attempts had failed? That night, when her son again misbehaved and she subsequently disciplined him, she told him simply, “You wanted it.” As he stared back at her incredulously, wondering how she could possibly state that he wanted to be disciplined, he replied, “No, I didn’t.” She answered calmly but firmly, “Yes, you did. You knew the consequences of your action before you did, and you made a conscious decision to do it anyway. You wanted it.” Humbled, he accepted his punishment with a first time jolt of realization. Finally, she had gotten through to him.

As Karen shared this story with me I couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of times we have witnessed frontline salespeople complain about month-end sales results and paltry incentives, even though they knew with 100% certainty their lackluster or mediocre effort throughout the month all but guaranteed it. What causes this? Perhaps, for some it is a sense of entitlement. For others, it’s denial. Denial of the relationship between cause and effect, or worse, denial that “most people are where they want to be in life.” Most mediocre performers are simply unwilling to consistently put forth the extra effort needed to achieve the higher level of success they talk about, but toward which they do little.

What do you want? Is it more income, more prestige, more security, more balance, more enjoyment, or more meaning in your work or life? If so, what are you really doing about it? Only when we recognize we have put ourselves into the very positions we are in right now can we quit kidding ourselves, gain traction, move forward and breakthrough to the next level of performance.

Chris Brown - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group

Orlando, Florida (February 12, 2010) – Frontline Performance Group today announced it has signed a partnership agreement with Integrated Supply Network, Inc., a master wholesale distributor, supply chain service provider and the nation’s largest independent tool and equipment specialist.

Under this agreement, FPG will assist Integrated Supply Network in developing the service and sales effectiveness of its Lakeland, Florida based mobile division call center. Frontline Performance Group’s focus will be centered on improving the division’s financial performance through inbound and outbound service and sales strategy development, and the reengineering of ISN’s sales management program.

“Today’s market demands that companies become more efficient at achieving revenue and profit gains through existing service and sales personnel, while providing superior customer service. Through the implementation of our sales performance system we can help ISN meet these demands by building a holistic culture of performance that will significantly drive their profitability and growth. We look forward to expanding into yet another exciting market segment, adding significant value to ISN and helping them achieve further differentiation as a market leader in the tool and equipment industry,” said Chris Brown, senior vice president of Frontline Performance Group.

For more information on Integrated Supply Network please visit www.isnweb.com.