Six Sigma Blogs

Unraveling DNA for successful hiring Smart business, at its core, is all about Return On Investment. A sales team that gets results is the most important asset for any company. Since nothing happens without a sale, recruitment and hiring a high-performance sales team should be at the top of a business leader’s priority list. Filling a sales position is frustrating and mistakes are costly: Business owners throw away thousands of dollars in recruiting and training under-performing salespeople, not to mention lost sales and customer defections. (Some estimates place the cost of a bad hire at $100,000 to $250,000.) While there are many different steps one should follow when hiring new sales people, I believe that the most important step is identifying a candidate with the correct DNA.

According to a University of Michigan study, interviews lead to almost 90% of hiring decisions but are only 14% accurate in predicting success. Why? Using resumes and interviews to hire is a little like buying a suit off the rack - it will never fit just right. That’s why it is so important to learn exactly what you need and then buy a suit - a salesperson - with a custom fit. It is a surprising fact that too many business owners hire salespeople without taking the time to analyze what the DNA of a great salesperson would look like in their industry and culture. When hiring criteria is framed in general terms, as it is when relying on resumes and interviews alone, the odds of a good hire drop significantly. So, defining the specific sales DNA for your sales organization is a critical first step.

Defining the requirements of your ideal salesperson: The task of sequencing your ideal salesperson’s DNA breaks down into four components. Here are some examples of areas where you need clarity prior to beginning the search: Profile of your market and industry.

Profile of your market and industry. * How sophisticated are your Ideal Target Clients? * What level in an organization do they need to sell? * What are the technical requirements of the products and services you sell? How large is a typical order?

Requirements of the position. * How much prospecting do you expect from your salesperson? * Will they work on the phone, and do they present to groups? * Is customer service a priority? * How defined is your sales process?

* How do I know if the CRM program I chose is working for my business? A good CRM application will have the ability to compile reports on customer relations, satisfaction, and interaction with your sales staff. Analytics are a crucial part of sales and marketing; this information gives you a comprehensive overview of how your system is performing and whether or not it’s working for you.

* Do I need to get an IT department for my CRM? It depends on whether you choose an on-site CRM or an on-demand (cloud) CRM. Choosing an on-premise option for your CRM solutions means that you will probably need an IT department to do your service and maintenance. This can be a budgetary burden because of the need for extra staff in addition to the cost of the program itself and any appropriate updates and equipment.

By contrast, a cloud CRM application is handled remotely by a host company. The monthly fee therefore includes maintenance, updates, and servicing, which can make a cloud CRM the more economical of the two options.

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We all procrastinate from time to time. Usually a small dose of procrastination is harmless. However for others still it can spell disaster and mean the difference between getting things done and not. If this is the type of person you are it’s most likely as easy as fixing your time management skills. Fortunately this is a skill that most people can master easily. Cut down on your distractions and work hard to develop your skills. Here are some time management tips that anybody can use to help them increase their focus and productivity.

While mapping out your goals and your day is good, it is also good to be flexible. You have to be open to the unexpected, and it can be stressful to impose too much structure on your routine. It becomes more difficult to focus on the tasks you have to complete when you’re tense and uptight. Learn to let some things slide for the sake of your sanity. You can do this and still stay focused on your important objectives. What it does mean is that you don’t have to panic if something you planned to do in the morning has to be put off until the afternoon. In such cases, just go with the flow. Too much structure is not good for your productivity, or even your health!

Begin each day by making a list of the things you need to accomplish before you go to bed that night. After you’ve got them all on paper begin ordering the list by priority. You’ll want to put the items that need to be done first up top and those that can be fit in later near bottom. You can now use this organized list as a “to do” list. The feeling of satisfaction you get by completing a to do list at the end of the day cannot be compared to any other feeling. These lists will save you the time and frustration of wondering what you should do next, instead you can ask what’s next on the list.

Time management experts agree that one of the most important skills you need to learn to better manage your time is delegation. It’s hard to be efficient if you have to do everything yourself. If you delegate some of the less important but time consuming activities, you’ll have more time for truly important ones. This way your day will not be spent on hundreds of trivial tasks and you will be more productive and creative. If you spend too much time on trivial tasks, they can be a real distraction. Delegation is something that many people have difficulty with. If you make it a habit, though, it will soon feel perfectly normal.

You have a lot of options for management skills. Time management is possible no matter what your situation is now. All you have left to do now is begin making some new habits, good habits. You won’t ever have to worry about losing a day to daydreaming again and it won’t take to much time either.

James Spacey is a prolific online wordsmith. As well as writing about time management he also writes about topics as diverse as purchasing car insurance and the PT Cruiser!

In my last post, I talked about the importance for managers manage performance in their organizations, not ignoring performance issues. In this post, I want to go into establishing the performance improvement plan and putting someone on a “measured mile.”

With another global multinational, I saw an enormous flow chart and decision tree. First, it took a whole wall in their offices, so it was a convenient tool for sales people. Second, it tried to anticipate every single outcome from each activity, then mapping the next actions based on each outcome. You know what happened with this process. Finally, and this is what I see most often, the organization has adopted the “out of the box” process from it’s CRM vendor or it’s sales training vendor. Can you imagine this-the same process is used for a major multinational bank, a semiconductor start-up, a retail store, a marketing research firm… Something seems wrong here.

More often, managers just tend to push offending performers to the side. Not really addressing the issues, perhaps isolating them, but leaving them on board-serving as a distraction to everyone on the team. Often, these poor performers may not really know they are poor performers or may never know how to improve performance. When the opportunity comes to do a lay off (or the opportunity is created to lay off people), these non performers are quickly given an exit package. They go off, find another job, probably perform marginally, and the cycle repeats itself.

Developing the process is easy and fast, here’s how to do it: - Every top sales professional has a process they use, it may not be conscious. To develop the sales process, the quickest, most effective starting point is to lock a few of your top sales people in a room-people who are in the front lines, calling on customers every day. I also like to add the “laziest sales people, who consistently make their numbers.” They have reduced selling to the essence. These are the people that know how to sell and produce results. They have the knowledge of what works-in developing the sales process, leverage their knowledge, experience, expertise and pragmatism to develop your first draft of the sales process. Let them develop the first draft-give them no more than a day!

- Next, engage your customers. Talk to them about how they buy, ask them how they want to be sold to-believe it or not, customer want to be sold to, they just don’t want their time wasted. They want sales people to help solve their problems in a meaningful, effective manner. It’s in the customer’s best interests that you have a sales process that’s aligned with how they want to buy-that even helps facilitate the way they buy! Make sure your draft sales process is aligned with your customers’ buying processes.

Putting someone on a “measured mile” is difficult. It’s an emotionally charged time, both for the sales person and the manager. It requires time and focus. Ideally, the coaching managers do pre-empt the need to do this, but there are times when a performance improvement plan is necessary.

In my next post, I’ll talk more about the “measured mile.” When the manager and sales person enter into this process, both must be committed to a successful outcome-otherwise both are wasting time.

If you want an effective sales process-it can’t be developed in a dark room, it has to be developed by and in front of sales people and customers. It’s actually much easier, much faster, and produces profound results. If you want more help in developing your sales process, get our Free Sales Process eBook. It also includes a Self Assessment - look at your current process to see how good it is.

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Leading the pack is no small job; it calls for a number of attributes and you cannot be an effective leader if you do not possess all of them. A number of leadership training guides and courses aim at teaching you the top characteristics of leading a team. While personal style is important for the group leader, he has to additionally understand the significance of group dynamics. A leader who starts dominating his team can by no means be their perfect guide. This is the reason why the best students aren’t always great leaders and the greatest batsmen aren’t always the ideal captains.

Leadership training implies that even an only above-average worker could be a terrific leader and could possibly even lead a pack of much more excellent workers. For starters, it is vital to understand the team pulse. Every single team has its very own number of weaknesses and strengths. Ideally, the leader focuses on the strengths and plays on them. Yes, there are actually weaknesses and they need to be sorted out, also, in the long run, however the central idea is always to work on the strong points and a great leader knows it.

This kind of training stresses the virtue of time management. Without giving value to time, no team is capable of doing very well. These are times when your current peers tend to be your competitors in daily work. If you fall behind the deadlines, they will win over you. The captain of the ship knows that it requires efficient time management to perform properly; that is true both for the short and long term.

Leadership training classes in addition talk in relation to maintaining a broad vision. They recommend that as a leader a person has to be an observer instead of a participant. In other words, he really should watch over things from a vantage point; in this way, he is able to have a macro view and fully understand not just the main factors but also the less important features of the job. Normally, what is looked at as a weaker aspect becomes a major pointer towards success.

The leader must be prepared to innovate; in the modern world every organization or company has its trained workforce. They can all work just as effectively within specified parameters. If you cannot innovate, you’ll never be able to bring out the extras in your performance that are necessary to soar above the ordinary.

Ground breaking leaders are very well appreciated by a team; the respect that a team leader gets from his team is very important. If the captain doesn’t get enough respect from his group then he will never prosper in his role. As outlined by leadership development programs, if a person has all of the attributes mentioned above, he can do pretty well as a leader.

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Let’s begin with elementary arithmetic. A day comprises solely 24 hours: sleeping takes no less than 8 hours and there are additionally work and research hours to be taken into account. And never a lot time remains for yourself. Many people in our wild and immediately changing age hardly have any minute to spare for their beloved activity. It isn’t fair. We have to make time for recreation, entertaining and relaxing, we must do it. To stay a whole and fulfilling life. You need it, don’t you? Then let’s see how one can make the most of these 24 hours. Have you learnt what you need? Time problems arise when you can’t make the correct choice. You usually scatter your self to fulfilling tasks of uncertain necessity. You usually begin working on one thing just because it caught your eye or any individual requested you for a favor.

Your indecision and failure to refuse are the the reason why you aren’t master of your personal time. You could utterly change the situation by asking your self three simple questions earlier than you set yourself to doing something. Is it really very vital? Do I’ve to do it proper now? Might I entrust another person with this task?

Appearing like this you will spare your self from extra waste of time, power and strength. The same goes for implementing long - term goals. You’re prone to have multiple model of a future, a few of which can appear very tempting. But just one will be realized. It does not basically concern international questions. Extra steadily you might be exhausted and take as a burden even relatively trifle problems. Take it easy. The above questions may not look like useful whenever you decide on a long run goal. How then should we make the best selection and release from the inside stress and alongside set it to the correct course? Give freedom to your sub consciousness (it’s never mistaken) and don’t fall into useless reflection. Consider the following effective technique that is also very simple. Earlier than going to bed, formulate the problem you wish to resolve in a transparent and brief manner. Assume a optimistic attitude. For instance, “I will manage to write down a win - win advertising essay for the school”. Let this phrase be your final thought for this day. As for routine problems you can find solution in a day or two. A more serious matter will take longer, but you’ll require less effort than if you find yourself “thinking” as usual.

An incredible energy of planning. You might have decided your goal. But how one can discover the time for its implementing? - You undoubtedly need a plan. Sit down; take a sheet of paper and a pen or a pencil. Your process is to make up a timetable for next week. Bear in mind the next points when creating the plan: Allocate sufficient time for sleeping; Mark work and examine hours; Mirror all the every day actions it’s important to do (procuring, getting to school work, cooking, and so on); Think of the pursuits you don’t need to part with /sacrifice in any case and assign two hours for them.

Now as you have accomplished the table, look how a lot time is left. And these hours you will spend on reaching your goal. It’s best to follow the phrases of aim implementation. It does not counsel your planning how a lot you will need to do during this period. For example your purpose is to win an instructional grant. Don’t plan that on Wednesday from 19.00 till 22.00 you’ll be writing your scholarship essay and skim 50 pages of your textbook. This is the shortest solution to failure. The more you have planned, the extra nervous you’ll be, extra usually you may be checking in case your progress complies together with your forecast. In truth the only factor you must do is to make yourself begin working on the issue at the particular moment. If you have managed to meet every little thing you could have planned, praise yourself. This method may even elevate your self - esteem.

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Time management is a very essential component of any internet marketing plan. No matter what kind of products you promote online, there will be many different areas that you will have to concentrate on in order to build up your online business. If you’re not able to manage your time properly, you’ll either experience slow growth in your business or no growth at all. In this article, we will look at three effective time management tips that all internet marketers should be aware of.

When being interrupted, you need to learn how to tell people no. You will never be able to finish your important tasks if people keep interrupting you. It is mandatory that you learn to say no, whether working at home or in an office. Is there any chance of you getting your work done on time when all your energy and time is spent dealing with distractions? There is no way it will happen. Therefore, you need to employ strict time management and deal with these situations firmly.

Secondly, get rid of all distractions that are eating up your time. Whether it is instant messaging or social media, everything should come second to your tasks.

The thing with these disruptions is that they do not seem to take up a lot of time, but they are the main reason that things don’t get done in a timely manner. Your time management skills cannot be put to good use until you work on what you should be completing and not wasting time on major disruptions.

Last, although it is important to make long term goals, it is very important to map out everyday goals.

There are numerous small jobs that you might miss if you are not concentrating on your to do list. This means that you should make a new daily to do list to make sure that you stay on track and know what to do. Also, this makes it a lot simpler for you to plan everyday and add tasks that might have come about unexpectedly. A lot of leading internet marketers cannot live without their to do lists. This is because it helps them keep their work organized and get tasks done on time. There are a lot of free online applications that you can use to get this accomplished. One of the keys to becoming more successful in any business is to manage your time. None of this is hard to do, and the biggest hurdle is to simply get started on it. Learn more about managing your time, and then create your own personal schedule for how you want to conduct each business day.

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This article is going to be discussing some of the most common reasons that so many people choose personalized padfolios when they are looking for an organizer. There are so many types of organizers sold that many people wonder why others would opt for such a high end solutions. People that wonder about this, might want to read the rest of this article so that they might learn a thing or two.

A lot of these devices are seen carried by proud college students. This is why so many people decide to buy them as nice gifts for somebody that they know who is headed off to college. Remember that a lot of the organizers geared toward high school students, might seem a little childish in appearance to a college student. This is the type of high end device that is typically carried by serious people within the business community.

A lot of serious people within the business community can be seen sporting such a high end device. This is why people who know somebody that are getting ready to start a career will purchase one of these for them. The fact that a name can be applied really means a lot to some owners. These proud owners are likely to keep their device throughout their entire career because it means so much to them.

There seems to be a growing number of corporations (of all sizes) that are buying these personalized devices in large bulk amounts. The reason that they do this is because they are having their corporate logo applied to the devices. These make a really great gift that can be given to new hires. Some people might value their job so much that they like to sport a fancy device that displays their corporate logo.

There are many kinds of materials that a device like this can actually be made out of, or bound in. The most sophisticated devices are typically made out of, or bound in, real leather because this material will typically make the most sophisticated type of statement. This is true for not only the workforce but the collegiate crowd as well. People like to carry luxury devices because of this.

This article has pointed out many things having to do with the style or look of such a device. It is always of a high level of importance to not forget that these devices were created to serve practical purposes. This is why they should always feature plenty of rooms as well as compartments for storing things.

There are many great reasons that personalized padfolios are so popular among many retailers. People that find themselves shopping for such a high end organizer are probably going to want to start their journey for quality on the world wide web. This is a great place to shop for anything because the best products are typically sold at the most attractive prices within this digital marketplace.

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For many businesses and organisations money is still tight. You have to do more, with less; and one of the key areas of your budget you’re likely to prune is training - in particular, management training.

Trouble is, as a manager you’re likely to find increased challenges when you’re asking your people to work harder, change their working conditions and reduce the resources they have available.

And people problems need skilled, confident, inspiring managers - more than ever before! Having worked now with thousands of managers over the years, and still a practising manager myself, I see time and time again, managers struggling

- with “difficult” staff;

- with de-motivated staff;

- with underperforming staff;

- with appraising staff,

- with recruiting the right staff;

- with how best to develop their staff and even with unsupportive line managers of their own!

Whew! As I often say - when it comes to managing; heat and kitchen come to mind! I could go on but I guess you get the picture? When you look at that list above, it’s clear we expect managers to take on some extremely challenging situations and yet research by a number of organisations such as Gallup, CIPD, and others reveals many managers feel they are being asked to do things for which they have never been given training.

Bottom line is, many managers were promoted because they were good at the job they did before - not necessarily because they had the excellent people skills they’re going to need to deal with some of those daunting challenges.

It’s clear we expect managers to take on some extremely challenging situations and yet research by a number of organisations such as Gallup, CIPD, and others reveals many managers feel they are being asked to do things for which they have never been given training and for which they feel a distinct lack of confidence. And how many managers would own up to that? Too few. What are the implications of all this? Does it really matter? Does it make a difference to the outcome if a line manager is feeling uncertain how best to tackle some of the most common people issues? Ruth Spellman, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute says this about training:

“If you think it’s expensive to have really competent people, try incompetent.”

After all - how much does it cost you in wasted time dealing with conflict? (OPP Research , 2008, shows an average of 12 days a year are spent dealing with conflict in the workplace - that’s more than time lost to absence!) What’s that worth to you?

Study after study shows a huge proportion of employees leave bosses, not companies.

Are there managers who, despite tough circumstances still seem to inspire and motivate their staff and maintain loyalty and good performance? Absolutely! And if you had a company full of such skilled managers - what difference would that make to your bottom line? In my experience, as with all employees, managers want to do a good job. But with the exception of a very few, naturally talented and skilled communicators most managers come to the role with little or no understanding of basic human psychology and how to successfully and consistently apply techniques which will ensure they get the best out of themselves and others.

So as we begin 2011, rather than take the simplest, and least creative route of putting all management development “on hold”, why not take the time to ask a more creative question:

“How can we still support management training despite a lower budget?”

You may not be able to justify the “bells and whistles” programme you had planned - but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways you can still give some support.

After all - you might actually find it more than repays your investment!

Shona Garner specializes in helping busy managers improve communication and productivity in the workplace. Whilst there will always be a need for in person training, Shona accepts that sometimes, lack of money, or time, (or both!) means managers just need some resources or support quickly, easily, and at low cost. Visit her site for plenty of information and access low cost management training and resources

Ever found yourself with conflict threatening your team performance?

It’s a manager’s nightmare - because it threatens the very fabric of your team, reducing employee motivation and threatening your own credibility as a manager.

How do you stop the rot, and regain focus and employee motivation?

Step 1: Don’t play ostrich!

A common reaction to conflict is to put our heads down and hope it will resolve itself! Most of us feel uncomfortable with conflict - it’s a normal human reaction to want to avoid instability! However, you have to ask yourself what avoiding the issue might actually mean.

My bet is the answer to this question includes such things as:

The tension won’t just miraculously disappear and people outside the team will start to notice too.

“It’s OK to behave like this.”

“Our manager is weak.”

Not exactly great for the long term is it? Do you really want to have employee motivation constantly damaged because of in-fighting or conflict? So, ask yourself, “What will be the consequence if I continue to avoid the issue?”

Take your head out of the sand; in fact - draw a line in it! Decide what you really expect in terms of behaviour from your team and then think about how you’re going to communicate this and get your team’s buy in. This is about setting standards - about rules, boundaries and limitations!

Step 2: Ask yourself: “Why am I avoiding this? What am I afraid of?”

In over 30 years, I’ve found very few people who really feel comfortable facing conflict so you’re almost certainly not on your own. It may be impossible to completely eradicate conflict (although the world’s best managers get pretty close - and in fact, understand how to turn it into something positive!), but the bottom line is, being a manager does mean you sometimes have to deal with politics, personality clashes, power struggles, and prima donnas!

So - what stops you from nipping this in the bud, or tackling the situation? Be honest with yourself. Whatever your answer, ask yourself how you can overcome this block. Talk it over with someone you trust.

Step 3: Plan your approach

Once you’ve decided you’re going to bite the bullet, now’s the time to make your plan of action. Here’s a few quick tips to get you started:

- Draw your line in the sand. What behaviour is unacceptable and what are the consequences for unacceptable behaviour?

- Think about when, where and how you have your initial conversation with the individuals concerned.

- In conflict people often say things they don’t mean. Think about how you’re going to say what you need to say. Try to avoid accusation and emotionally charged or potentially inflammatory words. For example, use “I” instead of “you”. Use “disagreement” instead of “row” or “battle”.

- We all say things we don’t mean when we’re in a conflict situation. Try to avoid accusation and emotionally charged or potentially inflammatory words. For example, use “I” instead of “you”. Use “disagreement” instead of “row” or “battle”.

No matter how hard it is, if you’re feeling frustrated or cross about the situation, there’s a danger you’ll see things through negative filters, and forget the positives each individual has to bring to the team.

It is these strengths which are most likely being lost in the middle of all the tension and bickering. Make a note to yourself you will remind the individuals of these strengths, and how you’d really like to focus on how these can be utilised for the benefit of everyone.

In the end it can be worth understanding that conflict, whilst often seen as something negative and to be avoided at all costs, can actually bring about positive change, better mutual understanding and greater harmony, if it is dealt with effectively.

One thing is certainly true - it gets easier with practice!

Shona Garner has over 30 years in coaching, training and helping busy managers to develop skills to enhance their career. Shona has a passion for managers who have tight budgets and need resources to help in any management situation. Her website, Increasing Managerial Success, has a wealth of information for managers to increase employee motivation with checklists.

Teens are especially the hardest to talk to. They want to do their own way and do not want anybody to come their way. They are rebellious and stubborn which frustrates a lot of parents. Constant quarreling, vices, and wrong friends are just some of the things that you and your teen end up going through if you are not able to communicate well with them. The tips below are the things you can do to help communicate with them.

Learn to listen to what he is saying. One of the main problems of misunderstanding is because one person is talking and the other does not listen. Take the time to listen to your teen’s side and judge from then on.

Allow your teen to open up to you by being open to him as well. Be his best friend and he will begin to tell you what you want to hear. There should be no boundaries to your conversations. Do not enforce a rule on how he should talk or what he should be talking about. Restraining a teen is a bad idea but do try to put some sense of control.

If you are not able to confront your teen or decipher how he really feels, ask around for someone who is close to him and get such information. Look around and see who he is closest to and try to squeeze the information out of that person.

Ever get a situation where you want your teen to do something and he ends up not doing it? It is because parents do not tell the reason behind such actions. If teens know what they are doing and why they are doing it, then they would fully understand the reasons for their actions.

Teens want freedom but in that freedom they will encounter many things along the way. This can ultimately mean that they will have to suffer more of what life has to bring which is why you need to explain to them that whatever action they do they will have to face the consequences that comes along with it.

Always have time for your teen even if it just for dinner or lunch a few times here and there. The more time you spend with your son or daughter when they are looking for fun, the more time you will get to know him or her better.

Respect is a give and take situation. As a parent, you should learn how to respect your teen as he will grow to respect you as a person as well.

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