Give people choices, some control over their actions, and their performance improves. This is the essence of autonomy and why it is a proven motivator. But once autonomy is earned, then it must be managed, because the circumstances that originally enable it are likely to change. If you want your high performing, self-directed people to succeed, then monitoring the situation in which they work is critical; one change in your team’s work pattern can cause …
Since directly linking sales growth to some marketing program is unrealistic, measuring the ROI for these initiatives is often based on monitoring the number of newly generated leads, tracking these through qualification to proposal. But what if the lead-to-proposal process is not being monitored? According to a recent report, 80% of qualified leads get wasted…they never get followed-up by the sales team. A qualified sales lead is a prospective customer whose need has been …
Goal achievement is accelerated when results can be visualized. What does exceptional customer service, or extraordinary teamwork, or a successful new product launch look like? How do realized benefits from these initiatives fulfill the Company’s purpose or create momentum towards a Company’s vision. You can’t achieve what you can’t see. Throughout history, humans have practiced the act of visualization, thinking in mental images or pictures. Athletes consistently utilize this technique to help them achieve their goals. …
During the lifetime of a customer relationship, your company benefits from a stream of revenue and profitability that is progressively more difficult to replace if lost. Investing in customer support strengthens your relationships, increasing each customer’s lifetime value With customers, think lifetime, all of the time. Customer support is not a cost center, it’s a profit center. When companies measure their investment in customer support, they often track the cost per hour or other support function metrics. But …
Leaders are expected to improve results through change, but their teams often resist. Change requires movement, away from what is known. Change can be tumultuous, causing disorientation that elevates anxiety and vulnerability; fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. Change is also a constant condition in business and in life. There are 3 benefits to change that can improve a team’s engagement. The antidote for the fear of change is to appreciate its benefits and to …
Leaders are hired to improve results. It’s expected that they will change the status quo to accomplish this objective. But leaders can’t change things by themselves; they succeed by inspiring and influencing others to get it done. When driving a change initiative, be aware of two issues that influence how motivation for the change is perceived. Impact and imperfection drive change by clarifying the reasons for it and by accelerating it. People need to understand …
For sales people seeking to build enduring customer relationships, there are three decisive moments. Acting with empathy and urgency during these key moments will earn you the customer’s enduring preference. 1. The “First Contact” Moment: Invest the majority of your time learning your prospect’s story, needs and goals. They want to tell you, so ask them. Then, explain how your company’s offerings produce value that resolves their problem and contributes to their success. Prospects become …
It often feels like time is accelerating. The internet enables the rapid gathering of information needed to guide decisions. The period for new product exclusivity continues to shrink, shortening the investment payback time. Customers must react ever faster to competitive threats, causing you to continuously enhance the value you produce to help them succeed and to sustain your business. How can your business move faster? How can you become more efficient? How can you get …
Leaders are expected to be positive change agents that improve performance. And the performance enhancements produced by their change initiatives are expected to be sustainable. Properly mixing two ingredients produces sustained, transformational change. Much of the information involved in a change initiative is factual and objective, all of it observable and measurable. But change involves motivating people to challenge precedent and to move in a different direction. To be successful, it must address shared perceptions …
In our connected economy, determine your competitive advantage – what you own in the market. Then, invest your heart, mind and energy on leveraging your advantage to produce value for customers, dominate competitors and grow your business. If your advantage is trust, keep the promises that make you trustworthy. If your advantage is knowledge, focus on getting smarter. If your advantage is relationships, invest most of your time networking. If your advantage is being innovative, sustain your …