Team Mentality

There is an old saying that still rings through today: “If you keep doing what you have always done, you will be getting what you have always gotten or maybe less.”

In the beginning of working with Joe’s sales team, I soon discovered that there was a pattern of prospecting and communicating with current as well as prospective clients that had a lot to be desired. Their prospecting game plan seemed to lack creativity and the right activity, which is essential in growing businesses.

We started with a discovery process by identifying the missing elements of a well thought-out prospecting game plan. My seminars were very participative, so we could achieve buy-in from each participant, and most importantly develop a team mentality, instead of competitive mind set that existed before the training.

The team concept allowed each participant to tie their personal goals into a company’s vision and objectives, so they were able to predict a doable financial goal for the company for the next fiscal period.

Over short period of time I started to notice  that their activity and behavior were redirecting  to an allover team effort, which included mentoring/mentee relationships between seasoned and newer players.

With an introduction of fresh ideas came a great change in an attitude for everyone in company. It opened up lines of communication for the sales people, design and construction team, and, of course, management.

Next week we will continue exploring what it takes to develop a prospecting mentality.

Networking for Success

The concept of networking has been around since the evolution of a man kind. It started as a form of a relationship building between tribes and communal settings. It enhanced survival and safety, as well as growth opportunities in a quickly emerging society.

Networking in a modern era has also evolved primarily as a concept for relationship building. It is an important component in generating business opportunities by introducing people in an informal as well as formal setting, so they could explore and discover in what way they could compliment one another with a service or a product that can solve other people’s problems.

My formal introduction to the world of networking started little over 20 years ago. In 1992 the concept was emerging out of California. It was intended to generate business for each participant. In Central Ohio we were called network professionals. My first group branched out to 11 chapters with up to 40+ members in each group. I retired in1997 to concentrate on my business advisory business.

Having an opportunity to be a founder of networking in Central Ohio gave me a unique view of the emerging concept of an ever-changing process. It now includes social networking such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc as well as formal and informal get-togethers.

Networking is alive and well. If you are committed to growing your business and reach its potential, networking is an important key in your progressive game plan. People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust.

Do your do-diligence in picking network setting that not only makes sense to you and your business, but also is doable. Relationships are built over time so patience is a virtue.

P.S. I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving week. I will not be posting my blog next week.

Game plan that works

As I mention in my last week blog, Joe’s sales team began to understand what it takes to develop well-conceived game plan. They also started to see significant results that can come from putting together daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Joe’s team had developed specific activities and initiatives that not only made sense, but most importantly they were doable. Because of Joe’s background in the design and construction of upscale exhibit booths, he was a very detail-oriented person and taught his people to measure twice and cut once.

The five people on the Joe’s sales team worked on their plan individually, based on formulas we put in place. Then, to ensure that everyone shared common understanding of company’s goals, differentials, and unique traits, we met as a group to blend our individual plans into overall company’s game plan. These group meetings also helped us to stay on the same page in developing particular actions necessary for application of non-traditional sales system.

After the company’s game plan was in place, we took a 10-thousand-foot look so as to ensure that we had all bases covered and that we were not short-sighted in any areas.

Now that we had a very well-thought-out game plan with all initiatives and activities, we felt very confident. We started to apply our new strategy to ensure that the company reaches its objectives and secures a consistent growth pattern in the short and long term.