|
|
by Rick Baker
On Feb 29, 2012
Your Key People will buy into improving Measurement & Reporting on Results when:
- Key People view the work-action-changes as Common Sense Important. [Key People need to buy into the fact, this is not contentious work – this is Important work]
- Key People view the Measurement method as Simple.
- Key People view the work-action as Not-Urgent. The less pressure they feel the quicker and better the results. Less pressure does not mean less importance or less dedication to the duty. It means, taking a realistic and less emotional approach. We build on successes. The first Change may seem incredibly slow to observers [and entrepreneurial owners]. The second change will happen a little faster, the third change again a little faster…the pace will increase as People gain confidence.
- Key People feel Comfortable with the pace…Change is Only Constructive when People are Comfortable…break the change up into small steps [Baby Steps]
- The Key People have Positive Attitudes. Pressure tends to cause backfires while positive attitudes tend to be contagious.
- The Key People focus on individual’s Strengths [for example, talking about People's StrengthsFinder Top 5 Talent Themes], never on weaknesses.
- Key People repeat the need-for-measurement messages. Repetition! They must ensure their messages are clear and simple...then they must repeat, repeat, & repeat them.
Change is a process, not an event. To improve Measurement & Reporting on Results the key thoughts are: Common Sense Important, Simple, Non-Urgency, Comfortable pace, Positive Attitudes, Focus on Strengths, and Repeat!
by Rick Baker
On Feb 7, 2012
Some years ago we created a new product and we wanted to meet with industrial buyers to test the market. We forecast what we felt might be realistic numbers and we planned actions. We created a small telemarketing operation to make contact with industrial buyers. We wrote scripts for the telemarketers. We gave them lengthy lists of potential client names and contact information. We set a Goal of 70 calls per day per telemarketer. The telephone action commenced. A few weeks passed. The results we desired did not arrive. We understood each telemarketer was making 70 calls per day. Yet, the number of meetings set up by our telemarketers was far below the target volume we had planned. The manager could not explain why results were falling so short of the target number and he assured us each telemarketer was making the planned 70 calls per day. This carried on until the next telephone bill arrived. A quick review of the bill confirmed our outgoing calls were far short of 70 calls per day per telemarketer...far less than 50%. So, we installed a telephone call monitoring device and told the manager about it. The very next day our outgoing calls increased to 70 calls per telemarketer.
I learned a valuable School-of-Hard-Knocks lesson that day.
It took a situation that graphic to help me fully understand why, for many years, business experts have expressed thoughts like "What gets measured gets done." and "What cannot be measured cannot be managed."
Now I know: meaningful things must be measured.
Now I encourage the use of SMARTACRE Goals.
by Rick Baker
On Jan 17, 2012
As part of our BIG PICTURE, Spirited Leaders has 5 Values.
One of those 5 Values is: Labours of Enjoyment & Enthusiasm.
In simple words, we want our People to at least enjoy their work.
Why?
We have several reasons, here are 3:
- work Enjoyment means People are putting their Strengths to productive use,
- work Enjoyment paves the path for work Enthusiasm, which in turn paves the path for work Passion, and
- work Enjoyment results in full wages.
Full Wages...what does that mean?
It means People, in return for their work, receive much more than money.
In the 100-year-old words of James Allen1, People receive "the completion of wages in its sevenfold fullness as follows:
- Money
- Usefullness
- Excellence
- Power
- Independence
- Honor
- Happiness"
Now, James Allen had strong thoughts about People and work. He wrote, "Work is of two kinds - it is either loving labor or enforced slavery". At one end of the spectrum, Allen described working People as slaves. At the other end of the spectrum he described working People as true workers. And, he didn't see much middle ground.
That's not the way we see working People.
We see working People experiencing a range of feelings about work. People's feelings at and about work change frequently. People's feelings at and about work tend to fluctuate within a range. We use a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale to describe and measure People's feelings at and about work.
Our goal is to help People feel good about work...that is, at least Enjoy their work. Using our Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale, that means People score on average at least Plus4.
When People score at least Plus4 their enjoyment is contagious...
That's why we Value it!
Footnotes:
by Rick Baker
On Dec 8, 2011
You probably will not read the words in this sentence if:
- you don't dream about achieving
- you think change is overrated or
- you think you are incapable of making personal changes.
It is times like this I wish I was the most-gifted writer...then you would still be reading and wanting to read more.
However, the reality is there are more people who 'turn off' to this topic than people who 'tune in' to this topic...let's call the business people who do not dream of achievement or embrace change with an open mind the Unchanging Majority.
Hopefully, you have less than the normal share of Unchanging Majority people at your business.
Regardless, you will have some of them. That's not 'bad news', it is just a fact. And, it is a fact you can deal with. You simply need to recognize people are different. Some people, due to past events dating back perhaps as far as the day they were born, for a huge range of reasons, do not dream of business achievement and do not embrace personal or business change with an open mind.
Is this a material problem for you?
You can get a better handle on the extent of the problem by rating yourself and rating others, using a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale.
Rate yourself in 3 areas:
- How vivid are my business dreams and how strong is my desire to achieve them?
- How important is it for me to make personal changes for the better?
- How willing am I to do the tough work of creating new Good Habits?
Rate your people, one by one, in the same 3 areas.
Compare yourself to your people...check out the gaps.
Consider the significance, the broad implications, of your Good Habits!
by Rick Baker
On Nov 29, 2011
Measurement serves a key role in business: we all know that.
Plan, Lead, Organize, & Control...those are the keys to good business and Measurement is the mechanism of Control.
Some say, "If you cannot measure it then do not do it".
Marketing experts, including Jay Abraham, teach that. Business coaches, including Brad Sugars, teach that.
Quality control experts and ISO experts live and breathe control and measurement.
As a business leader, you recognize the importance of measurement.
I promised a question for you, here it is...
How do you help your people rise up the Ladder of Great Measurements?
Where the ladder works like this:
- The Highest Rung - everyone looks forward to measuring the vital stuff and everyone is absolutely thrilled every time things are measured
- The Middle Rung - people are inspired, self-driven to measure important stuff with timeliness and accuracy
- The Lowest Rung - people must be policed...otherwise they avoid measuring stuff
How do you inspire best measurement practices?
by Rick Baker
On Nov 11, 2011
After all…I have lots of choices:
- I can buy from one of your competitors
- I can buy stuff nobody in your market sector sells
- I can keep my money
So, with all those options…
Why should I buy from you?
Picture yourself as a salesperson.
You are supposed to be selling…and you want me to become your customer, your Client.
Then, right out of the blue I spring this question on you,
Why should I buy from you?
How, on a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale, do you feel when I ask that question?…
…where:
Minus10 means you have a panic attack right on the spot…when you are revived you are pleased to see that I have left the building
Minus5 means you squirm a bit, look down, and then look over my shoulder in hopes of finding a more-reasonable shopper
Zero0 means you don’t really understand the question so you smile politely and feign poor hearing, offer you hand, I shake it, and you walk away
Plus5 means you really like sales work and you are pretty sure you know the right answer…you move into selling mode while I am looking puzzled
Plus10 means you are thrilled…you know your company’s Differential Advantage and you know exactly how to communicate it with enthusiasm to people like me
***
In an effort to help you get to Plus10…
Answer these questions:
- What makes your company different from your competitors?
- What’s special about your company?
- Why would I even give a care about that special thing?
- What’s special about your products or services?
- Why would I need that special thing?
- What feelings make me want that special thing?
- How do you package a communication that excites and magnetizes buyers?
Of course, you should ask yourself many more questions before you finalize your company’s Differential Advantage.
PS: A suggestion from Michael Gerber: Make a promise your Clients want to hear. Make a promise your Competitors wouldn’t dare to offer.
Footnote
Our definition of Differential Advantage: a company’s Differential Advantage is a concise statement that answers the question, “Why should I buy from you rather than buy from one of your competitors, buy some other thing, or do nothing?” Even if you have the best answer in the world, your answer, your Differential Advantage, will not appeal and magnetize everyone. It will appeal and magnetize your Ideal Clients…and that’s the whole point.
|
|