Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet We are bombarded with new ideas from all directions. Some are fascinating enough to capture our attention, but usually, they don’t motivate us to change. Our customers share this experience. What does drive customers to consider change is when clearly proposed benefits generated by ideas, products and services go beyond fulfilling a need, to helping achieve a goal. Making the effort to discover why meeting a need is important, how …
Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet It’s the season of preparation…for the holidays, for the new business year, for your personal progression the coming year. If you’re a big fan of spontaneity, then preparation can be dull and tedious; but to be successful in whatever you do, it is an essential skill that generates quantifiable benefits. Would you attend a meeting unprepared? Or visit a customer? Or approve an investment? Not if you want to succeed. For …
Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Leaders know that coaching their personnel produces a “markedly positive” impact on performance, culture and results. Yet coaching is one of the tools least used by leaders. Why? The common excuse is that there is no time for the slow, tedious work of teaching/mentoring employees when trying to succeed in our competitive, high pressure economy. Another explanation is that coaching can be complicated and involved, and there’s concern about failing at …
Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet There can be no reward, no change initiative, no return on investment, no relationship, no success until someone first takes a risk.Life is uncertain; risk and reward is the natural order. Whether we succeed or fail, we learn by continuing to go forward. Shrinking from risk only creates a false sense of security. Manage risk assessment by considering: 1. What benefits will be missed if the decision is made not to proceed? 2. …
Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Leaders want their people to succeed; success lifts the person and the leader. Leaders cannot succeed if those they lead fail. The most effective leaders invest significant time engaging and coaching their people. Exceptional leaders appreciate that empathy and emotional intelligence, paired with experience and intellect, enable them to engage and collaborate with their employees such that those they lead gain awareness about how each person makes a difference. This truth is what …
When growth stalls or is rapidly accelerating, or when you’re seeking investment, or when you’re thinking about who will succeed you, these are the triggers that compel you to plan for the future. When the time to plan arrives, what’s the best first step? Throughout your organization, heads are down and focused on the near term, ever reacting to marketplace changes. Over time, what began as an opportunistic, hopefully profitable venture, becomes preoccupied – first …
As an organization succeeds, it gets bigger. As more people join the company, communications become more formal and standard procedures are documented to ensure consistent implementation. It becomes harder to encourage people to use their best judgment and expect positive outcomes. Larger means more bureaucracy and a push for conformity rather than driving for something new. Passion and initiative are compromised as people strive to meet a common standard that must by necessity be defined …
[separator top=”40″] Earning your customer’s commitment requires many steps, and Grolistic has teamed up with SalesFitness™ to create 6 video resources highlighting successful techniques that produce thriving customer relationships. Your proposed solution often requires the successful completion of many intermediate steps that may affect multiple shareholders within the customer’s organization. The following video provides guidance to earn the customer’s commitment to your proposal by summarizing points of agreement, presenting options and winning when the customer wins to establish the …
Each new year we get another opportunity to begin anew. It’s a fresh start and expectations are high. Make the most of this new beginning – follow these three points to focus your review. Celebrate success – what worked well last year? What goals were achieved and why? What progress was made towards your vision or mission? Does your team know what was accomplished and how they contributed? Assess direction – where are you going? …
