Athletes Chase Olympic Gold in UK and Business Success Back Home

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Athletes Chase Olympic Gold in UK and Business Success Back Home

January 19, 2012 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Sales Skills, Success

It’s an Olympic year and many of our elite athletes are rightly focusing their efforts on the London 2012 Olympic Games. There are a certain number of gold medals on offer and everyone knows their worth in terms of the honour and glory and even more so in terms of ensuing publicity, product endorsements, speaking engagement and the like.

pin the future

However, with limited gold medals available, pure focus on winning one will leave many athletes short-changed if they have nothing in reserve. Smart athletes leave nothing to chance. Just like good sales people and business owners they make sure there is always a contingency plan because they know that pinning your future on a gold medal pay day is putting all your eggs into one basket.

It may surprise you that besides preparing for the Olympic Games, a number of the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport) elite athletes have been developing their own businesses and are participating in the Barrett VIS Business Education Scholarship Program via the VIS ACE (Athlete Career & Education) Program to sure up their future success.

I’ve had the privilege of being associated with the VIS and the ACE program since 1992. This is where I cut my teeth as a trainer and facilitator before I began making these skills a key part of my career. During this time I’ve met a wide and wonderful range of people, mostly talented elite athletes pursing their dreams as well as the wonderful staff at the VIS, many of whom I now proudly call friends.

As my career and subsequent business evolved I found so many similarities between elite sport and business. I therefore wanted to find a way to continue to work with these athletes as they transitioned from their elite sporting careers to their own business careers. Many don’t win that elusive gold medal but simply by being an elite athlete, have gone on to win a plethora of life lessons. These athletes bring so much to the table when it comes to running a business. They start their businesses with in-built focus, stamina, determination and the courage to have a go.

Similarities of sport and business

It therefore is a great pleasure that after many iterations we have developed and implemented the VIS Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program which was launched in 2010. The program was developed off the back of research conducted by the ACE Program regarding relevance of ACE Services to athletes in different stages of their sport, career and life. This initiative enables athletes to prepare for their life after sport as an entrepreneur, business owner and manager while continuing their training and participation at an elite level of sport. Barrett‘s scholarship initiative is designed to assist athletes who are serious about starting a business or looking to grow their current business and wish to gain access to industry leaders, resources and professional development.

The scholarship program works via Barrett’s partnership with the Victorian Institute of Sport and an annual invitation to VIS athletes to submit their applications for the Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program. Each athlete must already have a business idea or business in development to access the program. Those who are accepted attend a series of workshops across the year to build and test their business ideas. They cover such topics as Building a Business Strategy and Sales & Marketing Plan, Prospecting, Sales Communication, Social Media, Resilience and Sales Neuroscience and begin to apply their new knowledge and skills to their emerging businesses.

At the end of the year, athletes who have successfully taken their business to a commercial reality then proceed to pitch their idea and business plans to the Judging Panel: Anne Marie Harrison, CEO of VIS; Kate Palmer, Chairperson of VIS and CEO of Netball Australia and myself. Under the Scholarship parameters the successful athlete receives one-on-one coaching/mentor sessions with me throughout the following year to further develop their business as well as receive funding from the VIS ACE Program to support the growth of their business.

The standard of the 2011 finalists was extremely high. All three athletes presented well developed and clever business plans. All knew their purpose and reason for being in business; all had compelling messages; all were ready to go to market with actionable go-to-market action plans.

Finalists of the 2011 Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program were:

* Christian Williams (Archery – Australian Rep)
* Sarah Wall (Netball – Vixens / Australian Rep)
* Alli van Omnen (Water polo – Australian Rep)

Each has a compelling story that drives them and each knows where they want to be. It was a very hard decision but the scholarship was awarded to Alli van Omnen who has set up her own Osteopath business called Without Limits. I’ll be coaching Alli this year to help her with her business growth.

So what can we learn from these amazing young people? We can learn heaps.

dedicated bike rider on training

Their dedication to their sporting and business careers is second to none and each is driven to succeed and be their best. It’s a joy to be in company with these people and inspiring to work with them. Their open mindedness, willingness to learn, clarity of purpose and courage to have a go is what I would love to see in everyone.

So how can we take these examples and replicate them in our business world?

Rather than management be the only ones to present their business and sales plans to their teams, I propose that all sales people take a leaf out of these smart athletes’ books and present their go-to-market action plans each year to senior management and their teams. It is a very rewarding experience and develops a whole range of skills that come in very handy every day i.e. public speaking and presenting, business thinking and planning, strategising, collaborating and so on. Applying ourselves this way will bring home the gold and business success.

Sport is a great teacher especially when you are actively involved. It tests you, challenges you and makes you stand up and go for it even when all you want to do is lie down. The synergies between sport and selling are many as I mentioned. So it is a great honour to bring the two together in the Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program.

We wish all the VIS athletes and all of our Australian Representatives great success at the London 2012 Olympics.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

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

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No Sales Leadership + No Accountability = No Sales Results

January 12, 2012 in Clarity, Coaching, Sales Leadership, Sales Results, Success

Companies spend billions each year on sales training, organisational development, leadership training and other efforts to ultimately boost sales results. Often this is a waste of money because nothing changes for the better. Too busy looking for a short term boost, magic bullet or quick fix, i.e. the 1-3 day motivational sales training event, many business and sales leaders miss the vital point that sales training, more correctly termed sales fitness and evolution, is a long term investment. Smart business and sales leaders know that clarity, leadership and accountability are the cornerstones of any business. So what can we learn from them?

Barrett-Performance-Transformation-Model

Click on image for larger version

Before you spend your hard earned money on a learning and development training budget and embark on your Sales Transformation Project have you done the following?

Developed a clear and relevant vision, sales strategy and sales process to anchor your Sales Transformation project to?

Established and/or communicated the reason ‘why’ the vision, sales strategy, sales processes and sales transformation project is important to the sales team and the whole business?

Engaged business and sales leaders and gained their commitment to the vision, sales strategy, sales processes and sales transformation project from the outset?

Set sales performance criteria, milestones and clear individual accountabilities?

Created ongoing learning opportunities where regular reflection, review, coaching and refined application of the sales principles and tools learned is a regular activity?

Integrated the tools, knowledge, language, and principles into CRM and other business processes?

business vigilance and discipline

The truth is to improve sales performance and achieve better sales results business leaders, sales leaders and their teams all need continued vigilance and discipline. There is no quick fix! There never was. Why the perception that a 1-3 day sales training event is going fix your sales problems and improve sales performance ever got air time is beyond me.

Smart sales leaders know they are in it for the long haul and they make sure that, besides their vision, strategy, and processes being in place; clear, unambiguous, performance expectations are established and communicated to everyone in the business. Their sales people, sales managers and other key stakeholders are held personally accountable for their part in the plan and know the consequences if they do not deliver.

The best business and sales leaders have planned ahead and consider every part of their business to see where they can seed the new sales way. They have a plan that integrates their sales transformation project across the whole business. They include everyone in their regular communication and do not let up on the core message. They know shifting old behaviours, beliefs, judgments and mindsets can be really tough and takes time; they are realistic and look at a minimum of 12 months to get the sales essential foundations in place and then build on these to continue the evolution and transformation. They set rewards and recognition around participation and completion of key learnings and milestones as well as sales input and output measures; they make sure that Sales Managers can and do coach, train, plan and measure performance and are held accountable for their actions. They control what they can control and leave nothing to chance.

sales transformation journey

They are committed to leading and migrating their sales teams and the broader business to a better, healthier, profitable place.

So if you are thinking about embarking on a sales transformation journey, make sure that you are committed, organised and well equipped to be in it for the long term. If you need a partner to help you make sure they are passionate, knowledgeable, skillful, and determined to be in it with you for the long term. If you are offered any quick fixes that promise you the world then remember the old saying ‘if it is too good to be true; it is too good to be true’.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

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

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Make 2012 The Best Year Yet – Put Yourself First!

December 21, 2011 in Assessments, Attitudes & Behaviours, Coaching, Communication, Success, Teamwork

As we all come sailing in from the rather stormy seas of 2011 for a brief rest in a safe harbour we can chose to look back and reflect on what has happened in 2011; the challenges, mistakes, triumphs and lessons learned. Although reflection is very important we must not forget to take time to rest, relax and recharge before we look forward and dream about the future and what it holds for us.

Overwhelmed

2011 may have left you feeling overwhelmed running from one task to the other never stopping to rest and recoup. If you can take time to just forget the business world for a while and instead just ‘be in the moment’ enjoying your time with friends and family and getting some well deserved R&R you will be in a position to put your best foot forward in 2012. If you’re not taking leave you may find the quietness that can accompany this time of the year can give you space to reflect, recoup and recharge for 2012.

Either way, why not consider giving yourself a gift for Christmas this year.

Pick up and play that musical instrument you’ve been meaning to play, do that yoga class, go for a swim at your local pool or enjoy the rush of the waves at a nearby surf beach, take an early morning walk in the park, have a picnic in a beautiful botanical garden, ski down a snow covered mountain, ride a horse, paint a picture and don’t forget everyone is an artist, tell jokes to each other and laugh out loud for real, forge a new friendship, rekindle an old friendship, hug someone you love and tell them how much they mean to you, give and receive 20 hugs a day and see what happens, get a massage or two, drink clean water, take a nap under a tree on a warm day, look into a flower and really see what is in there, do some gardening and pretend the weeding is removing all the debris from your year, be still and listen to the sounds of nature, go for ride on the Puffing Billy sitting on the ledge with your legs hanging out and remember what it is like being a child again, hold hands with your partner/ children/ friend/ parent/ sibling, say ‘I love you’ to as many people as you can and especially to yourself.

walk on the beach

Taking time out to rest and relax is good for our brain and allows us to gain a clear perspective on things, especially those things that are important to us.

Whatever you choose to do, we would just like to say thank you for your loyal readership, support and your endorsement of Barrett. Your support of our philosophy that ‘selling is everybody’s business and everybody lives by selling something‘ is wonderful and we’re seeing a growing body of support across individuals and businesses as they make the transition into the new century.

We have connected with many people over this year, some only via this blog and other publications as well as Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook, and others in much more personal ways via our coaching, training, consulting, assessments, public speaking, events, etc. However we have connected with each other we hope that we’ve listened to you and exchanged something of value and that in some small way you’re better at the things that matter to you for having met us.

2012 holds a lot in store for us all and we need to have our reserves fully stocked for the journey ahead. We also need to promise ourselves to make sure that we make regular time for these lovely activities throughout the year ahead because they nourish us and keep us connected to what is important and this is our cherished relationships with each other. If we take care of ourselves we’re able to listen more effectively and exchange something of value with each other more often, and wouldn’t that be nice?

At Barrett we’re preparing for a phenomenal year in 2012 and are very excited about what we have in store for you all. I would also like to thank my fantastic team at Barrett and our Partners who are really committed to our vision to positively transform the culture, capability and continuous learning of leaders and teams by developing sales driven organisations that are equipped for the 21st Century.

So season’s greetings to you, your families and teams and may 2012 be the best year ever for us all.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

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

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What Athletes, Top CEO’s and Pop Stars Have in Common

December 1, 2011 in Coaching, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, Sales Management, Sales Training, Self Development, Success

Elite athletes, pop stars, top selling writers, politicians, Fortune 100 CEO’s all have one thing in common…they hire coaches to help them achieve their goals faster and become or maintain their ‘number one’ status. Elite performers see the value their coach brings to their craft. They know their coach will help them gain and create insights that transform their performance. The rest of us can take the same approach. Many salespeople see the value of hiring a sales coach to help maintain an edge internally and over your competitors.

Not being heard, thus changing paths

As highlighted recently in the article ‘Are you at risk of losing your top sales performers?‘I mentioned the story of a young sales woman who contacted Barrett looking for expert sales coaching. Here is the excerpt: ‘My repeated requests to my manager for coaching and training were dismissed as too costly. I went outside to get the development I craved. My manager just wasn’t interested in giving me any of his time to coach me and certainly wasn’t interested in paying any money for my development. So I paid $3,000 of my own money for 6 one-on-one sales coaching sessions and they really helped. The benefits of one-on-one sales coaching were enormous. I achieved 130% of my budget in my first year and made the annual incentive trip overseas. My manager tried to claim the credit for my success. Needless to say into my second year nothing changed on the management front so after a further 9 months in solitude I left the company to pursue a career where personal development was valued.’

This young woman is an example of a growing number of sales professionals looking externally for coaching support to help them succeed and achieve their goals. They often tell us that that they are not getting the professional development or coaching they crave from their sales managers or business leaders. Often left to fend for themselves, these high performers want to be successful so they employ their own coach.

But a word of caution: you need to know what you are looking for. Not all coaches are the same and not all will be able to help you. If you are going to employ a sales coach make sure they:

Have had relevant sales experience and know how to sell well themselves (in a 21st century consultative sales way of course; no used car, product flogging, charm merchants)

They have knowledge and experience in sales strategy, sales planning, prospecting, sales communication, account management, negotiation, team work, etc.

Have recognised coaching qualifications with at least 100 hours of real time coaching experience and testimonials to back up their success.

Use an integrated mix of recognised coaching tools and resources

Know where their professional boundaries lie – they do not delve into nor try and fix any clinical or deeply personal issues, unless they are clinically trained in psychology and/or medicine. If they claim to be able to work in this space without appropriate qualifications do not continue with them.

Have your interests at heart and remain professional at all times. They do not try to make you dependant on them.

RobynCreed, Head of Coaching

Robyn Creed, head of Barrett Coaching says that a coach can wear a number of hats at any one time. They can act as your sounding board, someone who listens without prejudice. Your coach should be a person who helps and guides you while you set your own goals and strategies. They keep you accountable and focused on the priorities that are most important. They might also critique the way you do things, which may be the difference between winning that $200M deal you have been trying to close for months! Here is a lovely quote I found on coaching: ‘A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.’ John Wooden, American Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee.

A good sales coach knows the difference between Deal Based coaching and Strategic Coaching; they know what type of coaching you need based on where you are at – skills, transformational, remedial, or high performance coaching. If you want to read more about what qualities you should look for in an experience coach then go to Why Barrett Coaching.

Fortunately you don’t have to go it alone. Like the young woman mentioned previously you can get your own sales coach, however the good news that more and more Sales Leaders and Managers are now being trained on how to coach properly. Sales Management is quickly seeing the merit in coach training from a team engagement perspective and for staff retention, as well as the obvious and financial viewpoint.

Gallup research has demonstrated that there is a very significant connection between outstanding salespeople and their managers. The research indicated that having the right sales manager/coach can result in a 20% improvement in a sales person’s performance. In addition, it is not uncommon to find that almost 90% of what salespeople learn in a sales training program is lost unless it is effectively embedded and integrated back in the workplace and led by managers through effective coaching.

Stay on top So if you desire to be at the top of your game and stay ahead of your competitors, remember great sales people don’t hesitate to ask others for support. Just like our proactive sales capabilities we take our role seriously and enlist the coaching that will make us a truly top performer and one of the best.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

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

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Signs you are at risk of losing your top sales performers

October 26, 2011 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Coaching, Performance Management, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, Sales Talent, Self Development, Success, Wellbeing Support Services

There they are every day bringing in the deals. They’re always prospecting, meeting clients, networking, making suggestions about how to do things even better and they never discount unnecessarily. Best of all your clients are happy. They’re happy with your offering, happy with your service, happy with the sales support they get and your business is profitable.

Top of the world

Sounds magnificent doesn’t it? Your top sales performer(s) require(s) very little work. They self manage, are resilient and are such a breeze to work with. They’re low maintenance and are not temperamental like those 600lb sales gorillas. You couldn’t be happier, right?

Well this is what most business owners or sales managers are thinking when they get a great sales performer. ‘So easy’ they say, ‘I wish all my sales people where like this’. And yes, we would love all our sales people to be self motivated, self disciplined, engaging people who cared as much about our businesses as we do while bringing in fantastic, sustainable sales results.

The temptation is to leave them alone and say ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’. Many business leaders and sales managers take this approach. However, it’s precisely the wrong approach to take with top sales performers.
Let’s look at how much would it cost you to keep a top sales performer versus how much you would lose if they left your business.

Research continues to show that top sales performers love to learn and grow. The money is good but it is not the overriding factor. Instead they seek out opportunities to advance their skills, knowledge and mindset on a regular basis – they want to be the best. They strive for Mastery. The number one quality distinguishing top sales performers from their colleagues is their desire to engage in self-appraisal & continuous learning.

Here is what you are likely to see top sales performers doing on a regular basis besides selling:

Asking for feedback on their own performance and the degree to which they have met client expectations.
Collaborating with colleagues and not putting competitiveness in the way of business success.
Recognising and acting on the need for continuous self learning and development.
Appraising their own performance and competencies and initiates development activities without prompting.

These activities are often done without the support of management. Top performers create their own self development journeys and go outside to get the coaching, mentoring and nourishment they need.
This is admirable on the part of the sales person and it seems, great for the business leader/owner or sales manager. However, businesses are putting themselves at a huge disadvantage if this equation remains one-sided.

Why?

Because money isn’t enough. We might think that all we need to do is throw more money at top sales performers. Yes they deserve to earn top dollar but it’s more than that.

We need to take an interest their overall development. Provide them with opportunities to further develop their knowledge, skills and mindset. Give them opportunities. These can be to work with us on the business, take a mentoring or coaching role in our sales team, work on special projects, develop new markets or become our business’ key spokesperson. We can position our top performers as a champion an important aspect of our business or simply give them one-on-one time with us or a nominated coach who takes a particular interest in their development helping them to be even more effective.

Changing Jobs

The small investment of our time and attention to develop our sales superstars is far outweighed by their contribution to our business. Why risk it by ignoring the very people who make us a success? It seems logical but organizations make this mistake time and time again.

I hear so many stories from top sales performers who just up and leave organisations because they feel they were taken for granted. Here are some stories from top sales performers who have left companies because their requests for development were ignored:

“I wasn’t listened to. No interest was taken in me and my development. I had no respect as a professional business person. Management didn’t care about my professional development and dismissed me as only being ‘a salesperson’ because I did not have a business degree. They were only interested in me because I could bring in the deals. I tried to explain that it wasn’t only about the money and that I wanted more challenges to help the business grow. I had great ideas and wanted to step up. Instead they just told me to keep on selling and stay in my box. I felt ignored and taken for granted. I became tired, bored, and disillusioned with management and so I left. They went into free fall when I resigned and since leaving the business they keep coming back to me offering more money. They just don’t get it do they?’

‘My repeated requests to my manager for coaching and training were dismissed as too costly. I went outside to get the development I craved. My manager just wasn’t interested in giving me any of his time to coach me and certainly wasn’t interested in paying any money for my development. So I paid $3,000 of my own money for 6 one-on-one sales coaching sessions and they really helped. The benefits of one-on-one sales coaching were enormous. I achieved 130% of my budget in my first year and made the annual incentive trip overseas. My manager tried to claim the credit for my success. Needless to say into my second year nothing changed on the management front so after a further 9 months in solitude I left the company to pursue a career where personal development was valued.’

The cost of losing a top sales performer is enormous and it’s not until they are gone that most businesses realises its mistake. Are you at risk of losing someone who is vital to your business?

Before it’s too late ask your top sales people:

What they want by way of personal and professional development. Where would they like to take their careers? How would they like to contribute to the business? What ideas do they have about how we could be better?

Nourish these people with your interest in their ongoing development and show them that you genuinely care about their contribution and growth in your business – not just every now and again but continuously. If you make this a priority you will retain these top sales people and benefit. Make it a priority to do something to support them and let them know you really value and appreciate their contribution.

If you need to talk to someone about coaching or training in sales, sales leadership, sales coaching or people management contact us.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

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

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