Noise Reduction part 2: Is too much information making you miserable and losing you sales?

You are browsing the archive for Attitudes & Behaviours.

Noise Reduction part 2: Is too much information making you miserable and losing you sales?

May 12, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Call Reluctance, CRM, Sales Planning, Sales Research, Time Management

With information comes choice and without proper guidelines and filters in place, too much information and too many choices can lead to indecision. Indecision can then lead to paralysis making us unhappy, unproductive, and at worst, ineffective. In sales careers, or any role for that matter, too much information and the subsequent indecision is a real killer – in fact, making no decision is far worse than making the wrong decision.

Barry Schwartz, professor of social theory at Swarthmore College in the US and author of The Paradox of Choice states “too much choice is paralysing us and making us miserable”. I can’t help but agree. At times I feel I am drowning in a tsunami of information and feel increasingly confused as I try to work out what to focus on and what to discard. I am not alone in these feelings; many people I speak to are also reporting feeling overwhelmed and anxious by all the ‘noise’. Some are even checking out of mainstream information and news sources and choosing to dramatically reduce their diet of information.

In our haste to keep up, be on top of things, be seen as the one with all the answers, and be ahead of the pack, are we inadvertently creating a climate of confusion, indecision, and unnecessary distress by exposing ourselves and our teams to too much information? I suggest the answer is ‘Yes’.

For instance, there is a learned behavioural syndrome called ‘Overpreparer’ which can account for 40%+ drop in sales productivity for sales people with Overpreparer tendencies. It is often caused by organisations placing undue importance on the need to be overly prepared and knowledgeable. Being prepared takes precedence over getting out and selling. For instance, in banking and finance where compliance is important, Overpreparing is often systemic creating a culture of indecision and paralysis by analysis where sales people use it as an excuse to not prospect and sell.

Despite feeling out of control we can regain control over how we process, use and manage information. Having a clear head and removing clutter from our lives is critical if we want to be productive and effective. As promised in Noise Reduction part 1, here we will explore some strategies that may help us reduce the ‘noise’ and recalibrate our signal-to-ratio (SNR). So in the spirit of less is more, here are some simple principles we can follow as a guide to effective noise reduction and decision making:

Step 1: Set clear goals

Clear goals help you determine what to focus on and what information you need to have at hand to help you achieve your goals.
Clear goals help you prioritise your thinking and actions, assisting you in planning each step of the way.

Step 2: Determine what you need to know

Put in place filters that will help you determine what information you want to focus on: Does this information help you get closer to the goals that are important to you?
Work out what is ‘essential’, ‘desirable’ and ‘nice-to-have’, and prioritise in that order.
Cultivate a scientific mindset – scientists begin by defining a hypothesis then look specifically for data or information that either corroborates or refutes that hypothesis.
Determine what information and networks your business and your sales people need to be aware of in order to make good decisions (i.e. market trends, competitors, product innovations, changes in legislation, etc.)
Find out what your clients are interested in reading and hearing.
Find sites and networks that keep you up to date with the latest trends and are quick and easy to read.
Make sure your CRM is collecting useful client and market information that is aligned to your goals and can be applied in a meaningful manner (i.e. creating client buying patterns report, etc.), then ignore the rest.

Step 3: Determine effectiveness

What information (blogs/references/forums/publications/social media sites/networks, etc.) are proving to be useful to you (your customers, your business and your communities)? Why?
Check why you originally chose this information or network sources and ask if they are still relevant.
Determine how often you use these information sources.
Check how you apply these information sources in your job or in your communication with each other and clients/suppliers (tangible outcomes, practical solutions, etc.)
Verify what is ‘fact’ and what is not. Is it evidenced based? Is it supplied by a reputable source that can be validated and checked?
Check how quickly it takes you to gain a quick and concise understanding of the content.

Step 4: Prioritise and don’t be afraid to limit your options

Count how many subscriptions you currently have or networks you belong to; check for duplications (i.e. similar blogs, sites or networks offering the same information) and irrelevant sites or networks (not aligned to your goals) then cull.
Reduce your ‘daily’ alerts to ‘weekly’ alerts.
Don’t check your emails every time they arrive, make time to check every 15-30 minutes or so.
Create a new email address exclusively for your subscriptions so your working email is not cluttered up with low priority data.
Synchronise your bookmarks.
Create a filing system that allows you to reference your information quickly and easily.
Link new information to what you already know. Drawing concept maps is one such way that helps you to build knowledge over time and draw links between ideas and knowledge sources.
Allocate specific time twice or three times per week to review your subscription information sources rather than being constantly interrupted by incoming alerts.
If you need to surf the web, make time to do so when it doesn’t interfere with your work priorities.

Step 5: Find some quiet time

Allow your mind and your senses to rest and switch off. Being overly anxious narrows your focus and limits your ability to sort through and process information effectively.
As strange and boring as this may sound, find time to do mundane tasks that do not require you to process complex information.
Do some regular exercise like yoga or go for a run to get in touch with your body, breath, heart and nature.
Meditation requires effort to achieve single pointed focus, however the daily practice of meditation quiets the busy mind and gives you the space you need to recharge and recover from information overload.

As you can see, even discussing reducing noise creates noise, and the signal-to-ratio spiral continues… Without running away to live in a cave, my best suggestion is to take on board a couple of things; stop reading about reducing noise and get out there and sell. By staying focused on a few keys things and taking action we might just find that the noise fades into a faint, background murmur and we are happier and more productive as a result.

Remember, everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

No Comments »

Are you making the most of Psychometric Assessments?

April 29, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Performance Management, Value Proposition & Value Add

Many of us actively recoil when we see the words ‘Psychometric Assessments’. This may be due to fear of the unknown, seeing them as ‘tests’ or just tedious questionnaires. While you would not be alone in this, we on the other hand are advocates (of the right Assessments). At Barrett, we spend much of our time demystifying what Assessments actually are and how businesses can benefit from using them. So even if you have been brave enough to use Assessments, most people do not know how to get the most out of them. Often the Assessment process is seen as an isolated event with the final report being put on the shelf or in a draw out of sight and out of mind. The fault does not lie with the recipients of these Assessments; rather it lies with the accepted ‘report and feedback’ model which has been around for years. The sad thing is that many people are not given the opportunity to explore the rich veins of personal information, insight and awareness that Assessments can provide.

Still feeling a little uncomfortable with Assessments? Perhaps a brief overview of what they are will help. In the workplace context, there are many different types of Psychometric Assessments that can be used for both selection and development. They are usually designed by psychologists and provide additional information that helps the employer to form an overall profile of candidates or employees. This can be used to predict how they will function in their workplace or highlight areas for development and potential job preferences.

Our view on Assessments is that they should be meaningful for both the employer and the employee. In order to make the most of any Assessment we need to link the information to something meaningful and purposeful: links to key goals and objectives, role profile, business culture, and so on. As an individual we can integrate learnings into our career path and personal journey to continue our evolution. Without these links has the Assessment been worthwhile?

As you may have guessed I have taken my fair share of Assessments. I was most fortunate to have my first experience with Psychometric Assessments when I was 16 years old. My parents had the foresight to provide this opportunity to help me understand my potential and career preferences. I recently found the report which provided feedback on my aptitudes and abilities, personality style, personal preferences, and motives and values. Some 30+ years later this information still rings true, however I did notice that there was no action plan, specific guidelines, or suggestions. So the report rema ined simply that, a report that had been gathering dust.

In 1988 I had a very different experience when I completed another Assessment focusing on my sales attitudes, behaviours, and fears. When I received this report it was accompanied by a development program and plan– a life and career changing moment for me. Finally something I could action and use to make fundamental changes. I will always remember that experience as it greatly influenced my career path and where I am today. Of course at that moment, I didn’t realise that I would become an experienced and knowledgeable user of that very Sales Assessment.

Testament to our passion and experience, over the past 15 years Barrett has processed over 60,000 Assessments (personality, values and motives, sales behaviours, leadership derailers, leadership styles, aptitudes, and abilities). These Assessments have been used for a variety of purposes including recruitment and selection, individual awareness, insight and development, and the mapping of team dynamics, culture, and values. This has kept us busy with over 4,000 Assessments processed every year!

Our aim is for people and businesses to get the most out of their Assessment experiences. Assessments can support you in making better choices and decisions with career, life, and business. We have carefully selected Assessments that you can use across your business for selection and development, ensuring that you find the right people and once they are in the role they do the right things.

Making the link from selection to development is where Assessments can really shine. Some examples of how we work with businesses to make the most out of Assessments are:

Create personal action and development plans
Support Managers with coaching guides and resources
Find the right people with matched behavioural interview guides and questions
Team profiling and benchmarking top performers
Motives and values mapping
Training recommendations and workshops
Re-testing sales fitness (SPQ*GOLD) 1-year on to get a ‘before and after shot’

If you started out unsure about Assessments, hopefully you are more comfortable now and, perhaps, even wondering how Assessments might benefit you or the business. If we are preaching to converted, but you would like to know how to get the most out of your Assessments speak to us about the various applications from selection through to development.

And, remember everybody lives by selling something..

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

No Comments »

Walk a mile in my shoes

March 24, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Sales Skills

‘Walk a mile in my shoes’ is a song written by Joe South and made famous by Elvis Presley. The song is very much about challenging closed mindedness, respecting and honouring differences, and learning how to get along with each other. However, I propose that it also has a lot to say to sales and marketing people. For instance, the first verse sets it up well:

If I could be you and you could be me for just one hour
If we could find a way to get inside each other’s mind
If you could see you through my eyes instead of your ego
I believe you’d be surprised to see that you’d been blind

Many a customer’s ire has been roused when a sales person shows up and fails to find out what a customer’s priorities are. Instead, launching into a self absorbed diatribe of product information and self aggrandisement leaving the customer completely out of the picture.

Another stanza points out some of the major issues with being internally focused, refusing to acknowledge and see others as they are.

Well, your whole world you see around you is just a reflection
And the law of common says you’re gonna reap just what you sow

This stanza reminds me of my common catch cry ‘who’s your brochure written for anyway?’ Many companies still fail to produce sales and marketing materials that their customers and prospects can relate to, instead producing material that is too internally focused.

Being “other” aware, tuning into what another person needs, likes or wants is vital to a successful sales career. And it’s more than just asking a series of pre formed questions, writing down information and regurgitating it back without empathy or genuine understanding.

As Geshe Michael Roach, the author of The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life points out, the current western way of thinking, especially business and corporate incentives, has been very centred around what’s in it for the individual – ‘how am I going to benefit from this?’, ‘what will I get if I do this?’ and ‘how much will I make if I get this client on board, or deal over the line?’

Geshe Michael asks “When did you hear or read about two sales executives or two corporate executives splitting their bonuses because they did a good job together? This individual focus causes us to concentrate on ourselves, at the expense of paying attention to others.”

‘I’ has been the centre of our business models for a very long time, however I am proposing that in order to be a highly evolved sales person we need to shift to a ‘we’ focus. From ‘I’ to ‘we’ means including the ‘other’ in our thoughts, intentions and actions, and being able to see the world from another’s perspective even if we do not like or hold the same views or values ourselves.

Geshe Michael states “People have an instinct when they know you do not care that much about what they like or need and they have an instinct for the opposite as well.”

This statement begs some questions:

How well do I really understand another person and see the world from their perspective?
How well am I able to determine another person’s level of understanding about complex areas such as work, business, life, values, culture, etc.?
How quickly am I able to become aware of how another person thinks or feels?

The practice of exchanging ourselves with others takes us out of our exclusive focus on ourselves and starts us off on the process of being sensitive to others. It has a profound effect on work flow, performance and, most importantly, sustainable relationships.

There is a Buddhist practice called the Jampa Method which is outlined in more detail in The Diamond Cutter. It involves exchanging yourself for another – what you do is to pretend to put your mind in their body and then open your eyes and look at you from their perspective. You get to see or hear what it is that they (you in their body) would like from you (you). This step is called switching bodies. It is a little deeper and more difficult than just watching the people around you to see what they like or dislike.

When I practice this I ask myself “What does the other person need or want me to say and give to them?” It creates a much deeper level of listening than I have ever experienced before and I find that I can really tune into the other person with greater clarity and connect with them on a deeper level. It may seem a bit artificial at first but anything new does. I am work in progress as this method requires conscious effort and focused attention, however it can become second nature after regular practice and can make a profound difference to all relationships, personal and professional.

Therefore as I am writing this piece I am thinking about how I, the author, can stand in your shoes. I am imagining myself as someone reading this thinking – “What about my customers, when are they going to stand in my shoes?”

It is a common response we hear from many sales people that they would just like their customer to know how they feel too. This response highlights the importance of how we choose our actions and emotions rather than simply responding to those of others and that someone has to start the process first.

The choice is yours:

Do you choose Inaction? (which means you wait for your customers to make the first move) OR
Do you choose Action? (where you take the lead)

So in the spirit of ‘walking a mile in each others’ shoes’ maybe we could all as customers and sales people, or simply as human beings try this approach and see what happens.

Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
Yeah, before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes

Thank you very much!

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

No Comments »

Why is ‘cheap’ a false economy?

March 3, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Ethics & Values, Negotiation, Procurement, Sales Culture, Strategy

Understandably everyone wants to save money, especially in these times, however we need to be aware of falling victim to false economy. False Economy is an expression that refers to an action which saves money at the beginning but which, over a longer period of time, results in more money being wasted than being saved.

For instance, I have never understood why some people will drive half an hour across town to get their petrol two cents a litre cheaper, all the while using up what they may save by driving across town, notwithstanding the time it took to travel there and back in the first place. In almost all cases this action delivers a net loss.

The following excerpt from Wikipedia on a False Economy provides some good examples:

A notable practitioner of false economy was King Frederick William I of Prussia, who was said by Thomas Macaulay to have saved five or six dollars a year feeding his family unwholesome cabbages even though the poor diet sickened his children and the resulting medical care cost him many times what he saved.[1]

The concept of a false economy is similar to planned obsolescence, whereby the lower initial cost of a false economy attracts buyers mostly on the basis of low cost, who may later be at a disadvantage.

Motivating factors on the part of the party engaging in false economies may be linked to the long term involvement of this party. For example, a real estate developer who builds a condominium may turn the finished structure over to the ensuing condominium corporation which is run by its members once the last unit is sold and the building has passed a final inspection. Longevity of the components of the structure beyond the final turnover of the facility may not be a major motivating factor for the developer, meaning that the result of the application of false economies may be more detrimental to the end user, as opposed to the developer.

A false economy affects businesses and consumers on many levels. The quality of decision making is the factor here. The cause and effect of our decisions may be creating a false economy in our businesses or our personal lives. Anyone in the procurement profession (purchasing) who still holds onto ‘cheapest’ being their only option for purchasing from suppliers may be setting their companies up for failure or disaster.

For instance, many SME businesses may be tempted by the cheap telco service offering or cheaper equipment. On the surface, these cheaper offerings could appear to be great deals, but before one buys anything they should do some analysis beyond the obvious price on offer. Just because something is cheap does not mean it is good for you or your business. A cheap phone or communications system could mean unreliable phone or poor internet connection, poor equipment performance resulting in frustrated or lost customers who cannot communicate with you or your business, a poor reputation, or poor staff retention. The so called ‘cheaper’ service just cost you a whole lot more than you intended to pay.

The expression ‘buyer beware’ also springs to mind. It is not just the sales person’s job to convince us to buy it. Our job as the buyer is to do the math and to look at the genuine ROI (return on investment) of our purchase. Any self respecting sales person is well equipped to look at the consequences and ROI of each purchase, and would help you make a sound decision based on facts. We need to work together to ensure we do not enter into a false economy for all our sakes.

So what are we really purchasing? Thinking beyond the immediate outlay of money, we can view every purchase in our personal or business life as an investment. I have just had a salient lesson in false economy courtesy of my eldest son and his friend when they purchased some remote control products online. They found some great planes on a website whereby they could purchase them at a considerably cheaper price than elsewhere. Seeing as they were paying for them with their hard earned pocket money, the price looked great to them.

You can see what’s coming can’t you? 8+ hours of my time attempting to communicate with the US online company to get our order processed involving numerous attempts to get what we ordered fully shipped. This was a classic case of false economy. Even though my son and his friend went through feelings of devastation at the thought of losing their collective $740, feelings of disappointment when their order was not fully filled and the shipping costs were out of proportion, and resignation that not everyone fulfills their promises, the lessons for all of us were invaluable.

They learnt about checking out the reputation and credibility of a company first, the cause and effect of buying and selling ‘cheap’, that trying to fix problems can take a lot of time and cost money, and that plenty of people have lost a lot more than they did. So we were able to put it into perspective, albeit that $740 to an 11 and 13 year old is a lot of money. They also discovered the value of thinking before you act, the consequences of actions, and how to process a range of emotions that we feel when things go wrong. Perhaps most importantly, they learnt how to respond with patience and reasoned analysis to get what you want rectified, instead of threats.
All in all it was a great lesson, learnt early in life with limited consequences, and hopefully one they will carry with them into the future to help them on their way.

So if using a cheaper alternative costs you even one sale, is it worth it? While in some cases the answer may be yes, in many other cases the more expensive option may be the one that provides the greatest return for you. As you’ve just read, ‘costs’ can involve a lot more than just dollar value.

Special thanks go to my son Josh and his friend Nick for the inspiration for this article.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

1 Comment »

I’m not a sales person but I have to sell. What do I do?

February 24, 2010 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Call Reluctance, Self Development, Self Promotion

After thousands of hours of study and many years honing technical skills to be a competent professional in your chosen field, it can come as a rude shock that you now need to sell your services and capabilities as well. In today’s busy market, a competent selling capability isn’t a nice-to-have it is an essential business and life skill.

Interestingly, the topic of selling and growing a business often doesn’t feature in those university lectures does it? In fact, selling is in many cases covered over and, if spoken about at all, was only mentioned as an unsavoury aspect employed by the desperate. ‘We don’t have to sell because we are …’ are the famous last words of many failed professional or small business owners who focus only on their domain of expertise as the distinguishing factor. Well those days are well and truly over.

This myopic view of the essential life skill of selling has often left people feeling vulnerable, confused and financially worse off. No longer can you rely upon only your technical competence to guarantee your success or wait around for passive referrals.

The bad press that often accompanies the profession of selling doesn’t help either. Often the only ‘selling’ stories we hear or read about in the media are those about shonky operators exploiting anyone they can, especially the vulnerable and weak. For instance, the plethora of insulation businesses and telemarketing firms exposed as fraudulent and incompetent has done nothing for the PR of selling. This type of behaviour is labelled as ‘selling’ by the media which I argue is incorrect. The type of behaviour and intentions exhibited by these operators and other ‘shonk merchants’ is actually fraud and deception, and in some cases bullying and intimidation. That is not selling. This is one reason why many people don’t want to be in sales. Who wants to be associated with ‘shonk’?

There is another issue too, the old Australian legacy of the ‘tall poppy’ syndrome. Heaven forbid that you take proactive control over your destiny by getting out there and promoting your business and your capabilities so others may benefit. Heaven forbid that you actually make a name for yourself. ‘Who do they think they are?’ or ‘They’ve got tickets on themselves’ are some of the catch cries from people who begrudge those who get up and make what they do visible to other the people.

These syncs often confuse proactive, ethical self promotion, prospecting, and selling practices with self- grandiose, boasting or big noting. Sure there are a few people for whom this is true; it’s all about them. While these people can be highly entertaining in some instances, people often tire of them if there is nothing of real value and substance to support them. The truth is one can lead a very successful sales career without becoming a boastful, self-absorbed git. In fact, the research into highly effective sales professionals shows they are often humble, highly self-aware, collaborative, see the big picture and details, effective at what they do, and have a ‘we’ not ‘me’ focus. They are very capable, resourceful, and engender trust on all levels. They are worth knowing. Is this what most of us want for ourselves? Don’t we want people to know that if they work with us they will be better off as a result?

Despite the overexposure of those shonky operators by the media or the cringe factor brought about by the ‘tall poppy’ critics, there are a lot of good untold stories about ethical selling practices out there. They often don’t make the mainstream media or general conversations because they are happening everyday in millions of ways. It’s a bit like IT, we never celebrate or talk about the fact that our IT system hasn’t crashed we only hear and complain about it when something goes wrong.

Yet many people struggling with the concept of selling pay good money to go on selling skills courses to learn how to sell and yet they never put it into practice. So before you pay money for selling skills, examine the state of your mind; the beliefs, feelings, and intentions you hold about selling.

Your beliefs, not your abilities, could be holding you and your career hostage. Before you can dedicate the energy to become skilful and masterful in something as complex as selling, you need to want to sell.

So let’s cut to the chase, for those of you who now need to consciously include the capability of selling in your business mindset and skills here are a few things to consider:

Why do you need to sell? Who will benefit from you being able to sell competently?
How will ethically and proactively promoting and selling your capabilities help you and your clients?
What is your current view of selling? Do you hold onto a view that makes you feel ashamed of selling? How is that view affecting your ability to keep your business healthy and viable?
Can you reframe your thinking about selling? See it as a way to make what you do visible to the people who need to know about you so they can benefit from your skills and talent?
How do you feel about the statement ‘everybody lives by selling something’?
How can selling be incorporated into your business and align with your ethical values and desire to run an honourable business?
Do you feel worthy of being able to earn what you are worth?

Sadly limiting beliefs about selling are a significant issue for many people and something that can be overcome with patience, clarity, and persistence. If this is an issue for you please feel free to contact us to discuss this further. We would be happy to help you get started on your sales career.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, www.barrett.com.au

No Comments »

Barrett Sales Blog

You are browsing the archive for Attitudes & Behaviours.