Who we are:
Creators and innovators of viable strategies and solutions linking people performance to business performance.

What we do:
Using common sense, industry experience and knowledge of people performance strategies, we create direct links between business strategy and peoples actions resulting in real revenue line increases.

We offer specialist consulting and resource services in two key areas:

• Barrett Sales Consulting:
  Leading experts and pioneers in sustainable sales growth, performance and culture strategies and solutions.
  
  
• Barrett People Resources:
  Creators and innovators of contemporary and leading edge selection, performance and retention resources, strategies and solutions.

1. New product launches
2. New market directions
3. New research

What is success anyway?

Success is full of expectations & judgements but it remains an artistic term until we give it meaning and content.  Success for one person could mean failure for another.  What does success mean to you?

Consider some of the various paradigms of success:

• personal (family; health; relationships; travel; education; economic security; etc.)
• community (values; community infrastructure; charity; welfare of people; education; safety; viability; etc.)
  
• environment (sustainability; environmental protection; endangered species; new initiatives; etc.)
  
• business (new ideas; new markets; market share; growth; product/service viability; the 'right' people; values; profit; strategy; etc.)
  
• financial (self sufficient; meeting financial commitments; growing your portfolio; property investment; etc.)
  
• spiritual (enlightenment; religious vocation; self examination; spirit quest;
  
• sporting (personal best; best in your field; teamwork; etc.)
  
• creative  (innovation; artistic expression; etc.)
  
• leadership (power to lead people to a better place; power over people; etc.)
  

How do we measure success?

• they have clearly defined goal(s)
  
• they know what activities they need to do to reach their goal(s)
  
• they know how they need to do these activities
  
• they know how often they need to do these activities
  
• they will have a mechanism to get feedback on their progress and learn from their mistakes and achievements
  
• and they usually have someone to coach and guide them along the way providing that feedback and support
  

The promise of the "Quick Fix"

• do you pretend to be positive, sometimes rigidly optimistic alternating with periodic episodes of depression?
• do you talk in clichés?
• do you spend a lot of energy, time and money on motivational materials?
• do you get "sold" to with appeals to your emotions without investigating the content behind the sales pitch?
  
• do you rely too heavily on motivational and inspirational training that presumes a positive mental attitude is ALL that is needed to make one successful?
• are you always looking for greener pastures never really applying what you have paid all that money to learn ?
• do you hate reading this because it's all too hard and why can't success be as simple to achieve as they (the gurus) claim it to be?

Sometime ago one of my friends had been invited to go to a seminar on success and at the last moment she couldn't attend and asked if I would like to attend in her place.  Open to hearing about what people do to be successful I went for the experience.  I have to confess I have a healthy skepticism about these 2-3 hour seminars where they explain the whole meaning of success however you are still encouraged to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on their tapes/books.  When I attended I sat next to some people who were espousing the virtues of this self proclaimed success guru. 

I asked them "Have you been here before?"
They replied "Oh yes, he is great.  We just love him and we have all his tapes and books."
I asked, "So if you have paid to see him before and bought his tapes and books, why are you back again?  Surely if his advice is good you will have tried it and succeeded already?"
They looked rather taken aback and then became a bit defensive, "Well it does work but we have just dabbled so far."
"Any results yet?" I asked
"Well... No."
"So you are prepared to pay more of your money to hear the same advice again even though you have the tapes and books to refer to?"
" Look we just need more inspiration!  We're really serious this time."

Who benefited from this session?

• Guru makes $30,000 in 3 hours
• Guru makes more money with the sale of his tapes and books to attendees at the end of the seminar
• Many people left confused as to the how they could achieve success and still feel good about themselves
• A number of the approaches this "guru" suggested were nothing short of unethical.  Using the Unethical Self Promoters Checklist  I counted at least 13 out of 21 used in the first hour of his presentation.
  

• Compulsive name-dropping
• Strategic use of actual and implied intimidation
• Inappropriate calm and poise, even when caught in a lie
• Few deep or long-lasting business relationships
• A history of concealed "misunderstandings" and legal problems
• Inability to show or sustain genuine emotion
• Talking long-term, thinking and acting short-term

Some questions you should ask when examining your own (or someone else's) behaviour

• Do other people stand to gain from your actions?
• Do your actions have a positive influence on your own well-being and self-esteem?
• Do your actions move you closer to your short- and long-term goals?
• Would most people approve of how you go about achieving your goals and objectives?
• Is your success model ethical?
• Is your success model backed up by scientific evidence and can it be replicated?

The comment " Look we just need more inspiration! " is the "hot bath" technique of training - the bath soon gets cold and we are back to where we started before we attended the seminar - nothing changed .  The self help junkies get hooked on the bursts of inspiration they feel when they attend these seminars hoping that one day it will translate into success. 

What makes achieving success so difficult?

Barrett Consulting Group uses “best practice” techniques/methodologies and our experiences/research will reliably lead to desired results.  We use Interval Training, Discovery Learning and Adult Learning Techniques in all our programs which are implemented over a period of time to facilitate behavioural change and skill development.  This approach progresses in incremental stages and helps to maintain a focus on manageable tasks and ensures that earlier stages are successful before the later stages are attempted and uses documentation of requirements, sign-offs and quality control that defines objective measures for assessing quality throughout the development process. Discovery Learning results from an interactive environment where information is given, principles are practiced, questions are asked and real-life situations are created to enable people to learn for themselves.

A book on the topic of success worthy of a read is: "50 Success Classics: Winning Wisdom for Work & Life from 50 Landmark Books" Author: Tom Butler-Bowdon Publisher: Allen & Unwin

For further information please contact Sue Barrett on 03 9532 7677.

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Not always but often, we see a more fluid and less planned approach from "start-ups" and small businesses, however increasingly we are coming across a number of medium to large businesses still functioning as if they were a 'start up' business, living day to day with little or no planning for the future and lurching from one crisis to another.  People are often unsure of their role and responsibilities; do not know how their performance affects business success and are usually ignorant of how they are linked to the strategic direction of their business.

An organisation's ability to achieve its goals and realise its vision revolves around how well it can translate strategy into action.  Every leader's aim should be to create direct links between business strategy and people's actions resulting in real revenue line increases. Everyone should know how their role impacts on the achievement of revenue and the overall performance of the business.  This takes a disciplined planned approach.

Scenario:  The Directors' Issue - where to from here?
The tension between the management team has been growing for quite a while. There is debate about the introduction of more formal processes and current process improvement to help guide and manage the people within the company.  Most directors were in favor of clearer strategy and process improvement whilst one preferred a more fluid style.  Unfortunately due to competing motivations, the directors were no longer working well as a team which was having a negative impact on sales, client & staff retention, and the company as a whole.  The relationships between the company director's was such that it was unlikely that these issues could have been resolved internally.  After independent counselling and review, the management team recognised the need to professionalise the business.  They needed to identify their  culture and values; establish a clear strategic direction; build viable business and people processes which were linked to strategy; and ensure they had the right people with the right skills sets and competencies to move forward and ensure the company's ongoing viability.

"The issue of professionalising your business" usually raises itself after a start-up business has gained some momentum in the market place, has established itself as a viable entity and is in growth mode.  This is when they are in need of more structure, process and defined leadership to take them to the next stage of secure growth.  Businesses move through various stages and in those stages new needs arise.  For instance:

The 3 Stages of Business Evolution
(with permission the following stages of business evolution and management functions table are taken from the "Guide to Family Business" by Peter Leach & Tony Bogod, BDO)

1.    Product Driven
A product or service is identified and brought to the market in a profitable manner.  A basic production and management system for delivering the product or service is established.

2.    Process Driven
Success has been achieved in the basic process, and methods and controls are introduced to increase its effectiveness and efficiency.

3.    Planning Driven
The business matures.  Planning is used to formalise continuing activities, to provide a basis for effective management, to pinpoint new opportunities, and to promote the future growth of the business.

Businesses of all sizes need to recognise which stage they are in to understand the direction they need to take in order to secure their future.   Given the entrepreneurial approach displayed by many directors in start-ups the challenge of professionalising the business will be to migrate the entrepreneurial management approach to a professional management approach.   However, this ad hoc approach is not just the domain of startups, we see many companies large and small struggling to professionalise their businesses.  Use the following table to examine your current work practices.  

The management functions which are in question include:

Management Functions	Entrepreneurial	Professional
Development	ad hoc development through on the job training	planned management development:identifying requirements; designing programs
Budgeting	no explicit budget; no follow upon variances	management standards & variances
Innovation	favouring major innovations; willingness to take major risks	favouring incremental innovations; taking calculated risks
Leadership	styles vary from directive to laissez-faire	clear leadership role; consultative or participation in style
Culture	loosely defined	well defined and focused
Profit	profit as a by-product	profit oriented;  profit as a goal
Planning	informal & ad hoc	formal & systematic; strategic, operational & contingency planning
Organisation	informal structure with overlapping undefined responsibilities	formal distinct role descriptions that are exhaustive & mutually exclusive
Control	partial, ad hoc control; little or no formal measurement	formal, planned system; explicit objectives, targets, measures, evaluation & rewards
Values	assumed	clearly defined

So where is your business on this chart?

Where does it need to be to link people performance to business performance?

How well do your people understand the following:

• Your Culture
• Your Strategy
• Your Processes
• Your People
• Your Results

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Do these situations sound familiar?

Scenario 1:   Ever been at home around 6.30 - 7.30pm; been at work all day and now in the middle of preparing dinner for you and/or your family.  Your children, pets or partners are wanting your attention.  You're thinking about your TO DO list for the next week which includes work, home and whatever else.  And then ... the phone rings ... with child on hip (for some of us) you grab for the phone whilst turning done the pasta before it boils over. All the while making sure you don't trip over the hungry, meowing cat whilst trying to answer the phone in a civilised fashion only to be greeted by ...

"Hi it's SAM (not their real name), I'm from XXX company and we are BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH (spiel goes on for about 30+ seconds and you can't get a word in edge ways)" 

Scenario 2:   You're at your desk in the middle of an important discussion with a colleague talking about a (take your pick)

• performance issue of a key member of staff
  
• major tender that needs to be out in 2 days
• project that is delayed and behind schedule
  

They have never been taught how to make effective customer focused prospecting out bound sales calls which take into account the current situation and needs of the customer

Why does this problem occur?

• Many companies still adopt a "tell and sell" approach!  Which is all about "LOOK AT ME!  LOOK AT ME!" or the "Talking Brochure Syndrome":   Many Telesales Consultants and Sales People still adopt a "Product Focused" sales approach where they usually launch into telling the customer about their product/service without investigating whether or not the customer might have a genuine need for their product/service.  They are reduced to being a "talking brochures".  This approach is out dated and doesn't work anyway..
• Their sales training is really only training in the product or service's features and benefits
  
• Their calls scripts are structured around information that is all about their company and are not centered on gaining an understanding of the customer
• Many Telesales Consultants and Sales People either:
• just "wing it" as they have no formal consultative sales process to follow (let alone it being relevant to their target market)
• are relegated to reading from a "one size fits all" script which leaves the customer feeling disengaged and disinterested
  

What do customers really want? ... their ideas of value are changing!

• Value no longer means just lower prices
• And value is more than service ...
• They want an experience which is memorable
• They want their experience to be personalised
• However, there is also a greater focus on the measurable performance of products & services
• We have entered the age of the "Experience Economy"!
• Being a "Talking brochure" is no longer viable

Prospecting Call Etiquette

Example Approach 1

Sales Person	Hello, my name is YYY and I am from XXX company. Do you have a moment to speak?
Potential Customer:	I am busy right now.
Sales Person	I appreciate its a busy time.  The purpose of my call is ... (no more than 10 seconds).  When would it be a good time to contact you to discuss this further?

If the customer is interested to talk further arrange a time to call back and stick to it

If the customer is not interested see if you can briefly ascertain why they are not interested (if nothing else for market research purposes) and if there is any likelihood of interest in the future should circumstances change (if so then arrange another time to call back) or if there in no further scope in the call then move on to the next call and start again.

Example Approach 2

Sales Person	Hello, my name is YYY and I am from XXX company. Do you have a moment to speak?
Potential Customer:	"Yes sure... what's its about"
Sales Person	Thank you,  I appreciate your time.  The purpose of my call is ... (no more than 10 seconds). Do you mind if I ask you some questions to understand your needs and to see if we can be of direct assistance to you with our products/services? (continue with a consultative sales call process

Remember

• Adopt a customer centered approach which takes into account the situation and needs of the customer
• You have 10 seconds to get the purpose of your call across so the customer can make an informed decision as to whether to pursue the call or not
  
• Use a structured consultative selling skills process which investigates customer needs and provides adequate solutions where appropriate
• Help the customer to have a good experience regardless of the outcome of the call
• No one care how much you know until they know how much you care!

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With over fifteen years experience in sales, training and call centre management/operations, Kate brings a wealth of knowledge to each and every project including:

• Call Centre Management
• Call Centre Consulting
• National Training Management
• ISO Quality processes and procedures
• Infield sales and account management
• Development and implemtation of marketing strategies
• Project management Greenfield sites for call centres
  

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• Be passionate and courageous about what we do
• Keep a firm eye on the bottom line
• Be disciplined in thought and action
• Be committed to our firm's business success
• Explore ideas, be innovative and create practical real solutions
• Develop healthy, productive relationships with co-workers and clients
• Let others know about our firm
• Take responsibility and ownership for our work
• See our work as part of a holistic environment
• See the link between our job, our clients' and our organisation's success
• Help set and implement organisational goals
• Take personal responsibility for client service

All Companies have a culture, some companies have discipline, but few companies have a culture of discipline. When you have disciplined people you don't need hierarchy. When you have disciplined thought you don't need bureaucracy. When you have displined action, you don't need excessive controls. When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship you get a magical alchemy of great performance.

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