The 6th C - Competence

The 6C's of Success - Competence

© Seán Weafer 2008 all rights reserved

The 6^th (and final) C in the model is Competence.

In the blogs to-date we have reviewed Context or environment, Clarity (or focus), Control (the specific actions that need to be addressed to make change), Confidence (which comes from Clarity and a sense of Control) and Communication (how we reach out to others to accomplish our objectives). Put all of the above together and we come up with top-level Competence or performance.

In challenging times everything must contribute to performance. First thing we do as business owners is reduce our costs, our organisation, our people - the initial impulse when times like these hit tends to be to cut, cut and cut. Of course it is appropriate to be rigorous in our approach to cost and financial outlay, cash flow is everything - however, too much cutting can negatively impact on performance.

The firing of colleagues, the removal of incentives and bonuses, reducing expense allowances and so forth can have a detrimental effect on the morale of the remaining people in the firm. Focus is affected, concerns and anxieties start to drain energy from people and fear causes performance to fall.

Just as in the market, trust can become a tenuous thing in the firm - and can only be re-built on a one-to-one basis. As business owners, in order to re-build that trust and the willingness of staff to engage and up their performance we can use the 6 C model in reverse.

If someone is not performing or their performance has dropped significantly, the first thing we can address is how well they are communicating with us.

Have they been keeping us clearly informed of the work that they have been doing, what have they been doing well and what has been working, have they kept us up-to-date on challenges with clients and colleagues or on their own professional concerns? A lack of Communication between owner and staff (the 5^th C) can lead to misunderstandings, anxiety and concerns that negatively impact on performance.  By creating the opportunity for two-way communication we can quickly identify the challenges and what we need to do to address them at an individual level.

So if they have not been communicating why not? Do they not feel sufficiently Confident (the 4^th C) to do so, are they clear about what they want to say, can they feel that they can approach us and discuss their concerns?

How well are they communicating with the market, are they clear on the message that we as a firm want to give our clients? Have they stopped communicating with clients or have they come to believe that nobody is doing business and as a result, no longer communicate with clients and so clients are no longer doing business with us (a self-fulfilling prophecy and a factor on performance).

So if they are not communicating, is their confidence affected? How confident are they with the future direction of the market or the firm? Are they edgy or nervous and if so are they projecting that to clients? Poor communication directly impacts on their confidence and the quality of the message they project to customers. If customers find that they are dealing with less than confident and convincing people - then they make look elsewhere for their suppliers. Recently, the Chinese premier said that in today's market ‘confidence is more valuable than gold' - this is why.

So what builds confidence - this is the 3^rd C - Control. A loss of sense of control directly impacts on confidence and in a market that is in constant flux, a sense of control is the first thing to disappear. Control is the understanding that we have power over the steps or actions that make change. A sense of powerlessness automatically leads to a lack of confidence.

Where does this sense of control come from? Here we return to the 2^nd C - Clarity.

A clear set of goals and outcomes is critical in challenging times. Once we understand the What (what we need to focus on to make change) and the Why (what motivates us to commit to making that change) then all the other C's tend to flow.

We help people gain clarity by making time to allow them to reflect and consider the 1st C - the Context or the environment in which we are operating and defining the things that can make the most amount of change for us.

All of the 6C process comes from the willingness and ability of sales managers to create periods of active reflection for staff. A time to collaboratively reflect on the environment in which they work and together, to create goals and action steps for them to follow.

If you would like more information on how to apply this model to building a powerful sales organisation contact us at sean@seanweafer.com

Wireless...AGAIN!

I've had the pleasure recently of visiting the United Arab Emirates and am currently still here. For the first part of my trip I stayed at the Atlantis Plam resort in Dubai - about $650 a night (courtesy of a client company I might add..) and guess what? Yep - I HAD TO PAY FOR WIRELESS ACCESS!

Then I moved to Abu Dhabi the capital - a beautiful place and beautiful people, I would be very happy living here and stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. Another lovely hotel (not cheap either)...and guess what? I HAD TO PAY FOR WIRELESS ACCESS!!

I have just moved all my training and coaching work (back home) to a hotel - because they provide free wireless access.

When are quality (and not so quality hotels) going to get the message? Customer service in the Information Age means FREE access to the web wherever and whenever. Marketing teams in hospitality please note. I for one - where I get to choose - will always vote with my feet to where I can continue to conduct business without the inconvenience or the insult of being charged to connect with my world and on my terms.

Networking ...no. Access....yes.

This is an interesting year. I am seeing a great demand in people looking to network, to connect and engage with others - both digitally and personally. There is a great upsurge in the interest in networking. Apart from the fact that this is in keeping with the values of the r'evolution that is now here, its also about seeking new opportunties for their career and businesses.

Yet, there is a corresponding fall in membership in business organisations, chambers of commerce and societies. Why?

People think that networking is about attending events in the vague hope that something might come from a chance meeting. It's not about that at all. It's about ACCESS. Meeting the right people, in the right environment, with the right introduction so that LATER they can either make a decision in your favour or you can provide a valued service to them or they can connect you with someone who can assist you.

Networking is fundamentally a mercenary activity. It is about being in an environment where you can actively target and access the right kind of people for your business. Any organisation or event that claims a benefit from networking once you are a member should actually clearly define who you have access to at the events. Without it...it's not worth the cost of membership.

It's not about the opportunity to network...it's about the opportunity to get access. This is the point that needs be clearly spelt out by organisations that trade on the strength of their membership and the opportunities to network.

Relationship Marketing

There's nothing nicer than someone showing appreciation. A handwritten card or note is usually the best but we usually don't do it do we? Write it out....put it in the envelope...search for stamp...go post it ....what's the point?

I came across a wonderful new on-line card marketing system for personal services businesses just recently that I've signed up for www.SendOutCards.com

Now you can do all your card writing on-line and the nice people at SendOutcards.com will print the card for you (you can have one that you make yourself - or choose from a huge range of special interest and business cards), sign it digitally with your personal signature, stick your logo or photo on it) pop it into the envelope and then post it for you. You can send out just the one ...or mount a mass campaign to thousands.

In fact, I liked it sooo much I signed up as a distributor. Just what I like - a value-added service, that I can use in my business, with no inventory, makes life easier and allows me to show my appreciation to my clients - all from the comfort of my laptop.

I'll even be sending my St Patrick's Day cards from it too..! www.SendOutCards.com

One Inch Wide

I received some good news yesterday - I have just been made a Fellow of the Professional Speakers Association. Recognition is always welcome isn't it!

The PSA is a fantastic body with a host of people with tremendous expertise. It's amazing the learning that can be gleaned from rubbing shoulders with this diverse population. There is a further opportunity to do that for me next week when I open the second day of the conference on the main stage with my Rebel in a Business Suit - How to Succeed in the New World of Work.

One (seemingly small) lesson, which has taken time to digest and some amount of courage to committ to, is the lesson of 'one inch wide - one mile deep'. The PSA recommends that tightly nicheing what you do and then providing information in tremendous depth and quality for that niche is one of the best ways of building a business model. It was really only last night that the power of that lesson hit me as I mused on the current market changes in this r'evolutionary age.

A highly-focused approach to a market sector is a powerful way of developing a laser-sharp focus and more income. In this time of uncertainty, choosing to committ to one or two small niches might seem a little crazy but ultimately I believe in a couple of things about 'down times'. 1. In uncertain times customers will pay more (not less) for proven expertise - they want certainty not experimentation. 2. Never compromise on price - but deliver excellent value.

Fire Tempers Steel

Anyone else finding it tough out there recently? I'm finding it challenging getting people to make decisions around coaching and seminars. It seems like we are in the middle of a huge upheaval in business at the moment - a time of momentous change for all of us and nothing will quite be the same again. R'evolutionary.

A time of fear, nervousness and uncertainty. But also a time when ingenuity, flexbility and innovativeness will be rewarded.

When the news struck last week I was working with a group of bankers on the 7th floor of a hotel. Needless to say I made sure that the doors and windows were immediately locked! These guys did not want to be in my room learning how to coach their teams. My co-facilitator turned to me and said 'so how do we make this r'evolutionary Seán?'. Good questions..wished I'd thought of it.

So we turned the day into a practical exercise on how they were going to coach their reports on how to handle the crisis situation. By role playing they internalised the learnings - and learned from each other. Then we role played using their coaching skills to coach clients on remaining calm - I couldn't have asked for a better example of coaching the 'reluctant client'.

A friend once said to me that 'fire tempers steel' - we are being forged in the fires of chaos now. But the steel will shine through in the end. Innovate, adapt and triumph.

Feng Shui Your Client List

I'm working on a new article and CD/workbook programme called Rebel Secrets of Beating the Recession and thought I'd throw a few of the ideas out here in the blog.

The first one is:

Feng Shui your client list. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of moving and placing objects within a room or space, so that positive energies can flow and benefit the inhabitant of that space. It can be used to create a highly relaxing environment or to attract health or even good luck to a room or building.

To me, while I am sure that there are powerful and ancient principles at play, it often seems like it’s an exercise in de-cluttering and minimising.

De-cluttering is a good thing to do. It frees up space (either physically or mentally) and allows the opportunity for new things to come and occupy that space. Therefore we should consider de-cluttering our client databases.

Over the years we have collected clients that are neither productive nor profitable. These clients act as a drain on our time and resources. The demand, they complain and they want everything for nothing. Instead of holding onto these clients we should actively remove them from our databases or de-prioritise the communication or the degree of sales contact that we give them.

Such negative clients also create opportunities for sales executives to ‘hide behind’ and justify their poor performance. They serve as ‘black holes’ for productivity and profit.

Get rid of them – aggressively. Give them a business opportunity elsewhere. You want them out so that good clients can inhabit the space and benefit from the resources they are currently draining.

Leading the Millennials

As a consultant and speaker in r’evolutionary sales leadership (evolving individuals and organisations through the power of ‘r’ or relationships) it continues to be frustrating to find that, after spending time developing a relationship with sales leaders, they are often incapable of following through on interventions that can make a profound difference to their teams and their productivity.

But a change is coming. With the new evolution of business values to more human values such as co-creation, communication, community, accountability and creativity, sales leaders are starting to hear the message of change. This corresponds with the rise of Generations X and Y and the continuing evolution of the Digital Age.

Sales leaders are starting to see that staff are no longer responding to ‘command and control’ management – people are looking for more meaning and purpose in their work and not just a job, people have less interest in security than in personal mobility today. Jobs are no longer jobs – they are contracts. The old ways of business leadership are changing and the leaders need help.

Thus sales directors and managers must choose to become ‘agents of the r’evolution’ and help to bring about a radical change in attitude about how we engage with today’s new generation of sales people and customers. However, they can only do so if they get courageous and are willing to take risks about presenting radical new ways of working to the senior management of the company.

Playing it safe, using ‘tried and proven’ methods won’t cut it anymore. Sales managers have to get radical, both in selling their message to their teams and finding new ways of engaging and making themselves meaningful to their market place in the new world of work.

Sales leaders have to start actively engaging and promoting the new technologies of the work place. They should be creating company sales/social networks and virtual worker or specialist communities, understanding how technologies like Twitter and virtual world simulations such as SecondLife.com can be used to recruit, retain and educate their new sales forces.

Instead of providing generic live trainings, they need to start becoming highly targeted in defining training needs and then, start using more effective, niche-targeted, blended learning methodologies such as DVD, MP3, the Net and effective group and individual mentoring and coaching. (By effective, I mean coaching and mentoring by properly trained staff and not the usual ‘cup of coffee and a staring match’ approach but coaching and mentoring approaches that are pragmatic, meaningful and effective).

It's a new world of work - not only only have we a new generation entering and working in sales today - we have a new generation of customers too. It's time to get into their model of the world to 'future proof' our businesses.

Recession-Proof Attitude

Oil prices, sub-prime meltdown, banks in crisis, property crashes - things look tough.

There's no question that life in business is going to get tougher. But is that really a problem? Necessity is the mother of invention and when times are good there is very little innovation in business. Staff can charge high salaries and often deliver less results. In selling, less is required from sales people as the money just rolls-in from all the businesses flushed with cash.

Come the first winds of recession however and everyone starts to 'dig-in'. Businesses retrench, budgets are slashed (often reflexively) and people start to hoard their cash.

However to take an attitude of retrenchment in business and especially in selling is disastrous at a time like this. This is exactly the time to start ramping up your sales operations. Coach and train your people now in the best of relationship management techniques - how to find, engage and keep the customer. Many of your existing sales people probably have little skills in networking, influencing and closing business.

As others start to believe that there is less opportunity in the market place - this is the time when we train our sales teams in believing that there is more opportunity. The 'mind set' of the competitors removes them from the market as they fail to see opportunities that their 'attitude of loss' blinds them to.

Whatever we believe sufficiently in - we manifest. This is not  psycho-babble but real psychology. Our perceptions are created by our beliefs and expectations. When we expect things to happen they often do - because the brain and our perceptions re-aligns itself with what we expect to see  - thus if we see  opportunity, the brain will make what opportunity there is clearly stand-out from our everyday reality.

It still means targeted, effective, sales activity is required. But with more opportunities spotted, the competitors hiding in their recession 'bunkers ' and a greater expectation of success in the minds of our sales teams - we can recession-proof our businesses.

Leverage

I recently had talks with a firm about taking my business systems in sales and coaching/mentoring to a more international audience on a joint-venture basis. I'm looking forward to progressing things.

In a service business - especially when one chooses to work as a micro-business - you eventually reach a stage where you cannot physically grow much larger or create any further revenues - short of increasing your standard fees. At that point the need for leverage becomes apparent.

To grow further or to get to a stage where your IP can be richly mined then in a service business such as mine, there exists the opportunity of leveraging the business through technology - audio/DVD training programmes, the Internet (on-line coaching programmes, e-books and social networks) and
finally through joint-ventures or investors.

Its never easy for an entrepreneur to 'let go' of their business. After all, it's their 'baby'. However we have to realise that it is just that - a business - designed to attract, serve and retain customers for a profit. It is a separate legal entity where one has created a corporation or limited company. Just like any child there comes a time when you let it go in order to grow.

Once you do, you may discover there are new worlds and markets to create and succeed in.

Selling Smarter 6 - It's the WORLD Wide Web Stupid!

Welcome to the digital age - the evolutionary age - the age which sees the rise of a new set of values and a new type of energy. Communication, collaboration, synergies, networks - it's all about co-creation and the fabric of this new age is built on the Net.

The Internet has been with us so long now and it's so engrained in the fabric of our lives that to conceive of a time when it wasn't here is difficult. Our children are digital natives - they have grown up with technology and it infuses how they engage with each other and learn.

Many businesses have had websites for a long time - but they still remain brochure sites. Us talking at the customer.

My friend, Net visionary and one-time mentor Dr. Denis Waitley said that 'you can't afford to be road kill on the information superhighway' and yet many of us are still only at half-speed on that highway and the juggernaut of the next generation is catching up on us.

Your website today can potentially reach a global audience and with the advances of technology in this space allows us to do many more things than were possible even 3 years ago. We need to be using the Web to have a dialogue with our customers and not just a monologue.

We need to review our businesses to see what aspects of them can be done on-line - both to increase the speed and quality of our services and reduce our costs. We need to look at collecting lists of new potential clients (ethically) and then using the technology to take most of the work out of initial prospecting for us. We should look at creating 'client communities' through social networks that help us become facilitators and the network hub for our client and customer needs.

We have a responsibility to inform ourselves as to the technology and the potential that the Web and increased speeds of access to it can provide for us. The Web has gone mobile too adding an additional dynamic. This is not an option - this is a fundamental need to remain business critical.

Step 5: Sell Internally Not Just Externally

In selling we have two sets of customers - those that are external, that buy our products and services and those who are internal, who help us to serve the customer to our best ability. Selling is a team game and your internal customer - the people who support the efforts that you bring to the market place - are as deserving of your attention as the external customer.

Take time to nurture the internal relationships that can determine the speed and quality of response that you provide to your customers. Not everyone is commercially aware of the importance of meeting customer needs and its the relationship built on a 'thank you' or a lunch spent with some of your support people in marketing, telesales, customer service, distribution, finance and so forth that can often be the critical lever when you just have to meet a particular client's needs and deadline.

Also these team members can provide valuable information on the client that you may not always get when you are customer -facing all the time. How good are they at paying, what comments are passed when they are dealing with them - information that can be vital to customer management.

So remember to sell internally as well as externally and if you are a business owner, we also need to remember that selling internally also improves the likelihood of improving retention and morale of good quality workers in the new digital age. Welcome to the r'evolution.

Selling Smarter 4 - Sell Holistically Not Sequentially

What do I mean by this?

Simply that too many sales professionals have a single product or service focus. They think and act sequentially - in a series of singular steps.

If we are committed to 'service' being the root of selling then we should consider developing more holistic attitudes to our clients. Who else is involved in the business and needs to know that I'm servicing the business with an existing solution but can provide others? Have I had my existing contact draw a map or flowchart of the firm indicating where everyone is and who other potential decision-makers might be?

What am I doing about working as an advocate for my client - a true business partner? When did I last refer business to him/her? When did I last do something that made them look good in the eyes of their company or clients?

Am I the 'networking point' for their business needs? Just because I can't provide the solution shouldn't mean that I don't maintain a database of other (non-competing and quality-focused) service providers and then I suddenly become the peson who always gets the first phone call when there's a need - because I have become the '(wo)man who can' for their business.

Think about it. Sell holistically and add more value to your (and their) bottom-line.