Kicking off the week with a little Monday Morning Motivation from famed football coach, Lou Holtz.
Reverse engineering this; Without the right attitude you won’t do anything all that well. Without motivation you won’t do the things necessary to continuously improve your performance. Without the proper attitude and motivation you’ll never realize the extent of your ability and achieve what you’re capable of.
Make a Great Day!
Steve 🙂
Regardless of what your business sells, training to maximize performance in sales and customer service should be an important piece of your success plan. Unfortunately, countless companies waste vast amounts of time and dollars on training that doesn’t produce the desired gains and ultimately fails.
There are a variety of reasons why sales/customer service training initiatives fail. Topics like matching the program to the business and needs of the participants is certainly high on the list when considering outside training resources but there are several other seldom considered factors that directly affect whether or not a sales/customer service training program will achieve a successful outcome.
1) Not Setting The Stage
Typically the engagement planning for sales/customer service training is with ownership and key management behind closed doors and away from the company personnel that the training is intended for. That’s perfectly acceptable as company training should be a managerial decision. However, once an engagement has been planned, ownership and/or key management should prepare personnel so they are properly positioned to most effectively receive the training.
Unfortunately, this step is often missed altogether. I have personally conducted programs (and am aware of many more) where I (or another trainer) arrived for the first day of training with a new organization and no one knows why they’re there. Participants haven’t been told anything other than to “show up”. While skilled trainers can overcome this and create clarity for a successful commencement, obviously this is not the most conducive environment for learning.
Like a Broadway play, the stage should be properly set before the show begins. However, unlike a Broadway play, creating a positive learning environment need not be a major production. It could be as simple as an email and/or company newsletter announcement like this actual tire/auto service client piece:
“We are excited and proud to announce our new relationship with Steve Ferrante of Sale Away LLC! As the producer and host of the highly-acclaimed “Pinnacle Performance” sales/customer service/winning team culture training program, Steve is the trainer for numerous leading tire/auto service businesses across North America. Steve also serves as the contributing “Selling Smart” editor for Tire Review Magazine and their sister publication, Shop Owner. We have engaged Steve to provide training to all of our sales and customer support personnel and are extraordinarily confident that with his proven expertise and resources we can achieve new levels of success in 2014 and beyond! Our first sessions with Steve will begin on…”
Introduced this way, confusion is eliminated as company personnel know what to expect, and everyone is prepared to enter training with the proper positive mindset.
2) Disengagement
Training is only as good as the trainer providing it. For training to effectively produce meaningful (and sustainable) gains, the employees must first be engaged with the trainer. Many otherwise good programs fail because the attendees were not really engaged, became bored and tuned out long before any real gains were made.
This is the reason the first element in Sale Away’s Pinnacle Performance Credo is ENGAGE.
Any business considering an investment in training should make the “who” will be conducting the program a priority. Often companies sweat the what and where details of training and give relatively little consideration to the importance of who will be conducting their program.
Sometimes companies will appoint an existing employee to conduct training. Many times this presents a significant challenge as this person is already perceived, for better or worse, as something else in the company. Typically, the tasked individual is a sales or customer service manager and, although they may be outstanding in that role, training is almost always not their primary purpose or skill-set. Their well-intentioned efforts naturally don’t carry the weight or have the desired impact with employees as a reputable training authority from outside of the company would.
If you cannot see, feel and experience employee engagement with the trainer on the first training that’s a clear warning sign you’re heading down the wrong path and quite likely doomed to fail. In a nutshell; engagement first then everything else second.
3) Inconsistency
All too often sales/customers service training is treated as an event. A business conducts an in-house training and, assuming it was good, participants get energized with new insight, techniques and tools. Then, with no real follow-up program in place, participants fizz out and return (at varying speeds) to the same level of performance they were at prior to training. Training research has revealed that, without ongoing reinforcement, 90% of what is learned is forgotten within 60-90 days.
Like physical fitness, it doesn’t matter how good your workout at the gym is today. If you don’t continue to exercise on a consistent basis, you will never truly get in shape and stay that way.
Part of the problem is many managers adopt a been-there done-that attitude when it comes to sales/customer service training. It sounds simplistic but training works with consistent training.
The science of training confirms that true ownership of learning is created with consistent exposure and application of the skills over time. World-class sales and customer service companies recognize this and typically engage their employees in 100 or more hours of training in their first year with ongoing training in the years ahead.
At Sale Away , I create consistency and superior results for clients by combining regular in-house sales/customer service training with an exclusive online training/professional development program. Visit Your Teams Training Portal for details.
4) Wandering Off The Path
This reason goes hand-in-hand with inconsistency but deserves separate acknowledgment. Like the proverbial kid in the backseat saying “are we there yet”, many business owners and managers view training as a destination with the goal of getting there.
Training should be viewed not as a destination – but rather an evolution. All too often, businesses will engage in a flavor of the month type of training, never fully developing any one area before moving in a different direction.
Imagine this: You play for a professional football team, let’s assume the New England Patriots under head coach Bob Belichick. Do you practice regularly? Of course. Do you practice at the game? Of course not, you practice for the game. What do you think the odds are that one day at practice coach Belichick will say something like this: “Hey guys, many of you have been training and practicing these same plays now for years. I think we all got it… no need to practice that anymore. Let’s play basketball today.”
Odds of that happening are exactly zero yet many sales managers do it regularly. They switch things up, fumble the ball and ultimately miss the end zone.
This lack of focus directly correlates to reason # 2, disengagement, with many participating employees not trusting the business will stay the course and see any program to fruition. If management demonstrates they are not fully committed to stay the course (with a successful program) then they shouldn’t expect their employees to be fully committed as they continue to introduce new initiatives to the mix.
Proper training is an ongoing process of continuous professional development. Just like a professional sports team, your sales/customer service team must regularly practice and work on their game through a disciplined and committed training program if they are to consistently win in (and for) your business.
Make a Great Day!
Steve
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Steve Ferrante is the Grand PooBah & Trainer of Champions of Sale Away LLC., providing Pinnacle Performance Sales, Customer Service and Leadership training, speaking and professional development services to success-driven businesses throughout North America. For detailed information visit Sale Away. Steve can be reached directly at 866-721-6086 ext. 701 or via email at steve@saleawayllc.com
Click-On for printable PDF version of this article > 4 Seldom Considered Reasons Sales Training Fails
Here’s my company’s new, special edition, less-filling, environmentally-friendly Pinnacle Performance Credo:
For details visit > Pinnacle Performance Credo
Feel free to share with friends, family, general bystanders and everyone in your professional network.
Make a Great Day!
Steve
On this Veterans Day, Americans across the nation are honoring the sacrifice and service of the armed forces.
President Barack Obama has stated that the country’s obligations to those who have served “endure long after the battle ends.”
Sadly, for far too many veterans this sentiment has not materialized into tangible benefits as an alarming number of veterans are struggling to make ends meet now that their service to protect and serve our country has ended.
A Chicago-based brewery is on a mission to change that.
In this Chicago Brewer Plans To Hire Only Military Veterans article by CBS News, Veteran Beer Company President Paul Jenkins said, “rather than sit around and let others solve the problem for us, why not start our own company and figure out how to employ as many veterans as quickly as possible. So the concept behind the Veteran Beer Company is that we will produce the finest beer in America — brewed by, the recipes written by, bottled by, sold by veterans. Everybody in the organization is to be a veteran”.
Read Veteran Beer Company’s Mission HERE
Paul and the entire team at Veteran Beer Company should be applauded for their servant leadership and pro-active efforts to help American Veterans, none more so than on this Veteran’s Day.
So Hats Off, Thumbs Up & Cheers To All American Veterans and all the people, organizations and companies that have made it their business to serve them!
Steve
In my “Put Some Zip In Your Do Da!” post I wrote about how a positive, upbeat attitude naturally improves your interactions with customers, co-workers and human beings in general.
The sad fact is there’s far less than Zippy behavior out in the marketplace today with employees in countless organizations providing customer service with no life in it. Their bored, unengaged going through the motions demeanor demonstrating that they would rather be somewhere else (anywhere else) than serving customers.
The problem is so common that most customers have learned to live with it, usually tuning-out during and then forgetting about their lousy experience afterwards.
A good example of this is the airlines industry. With clients spread out over No. America, I travel frequently for business and have occupied a seat on just about every domestic airline there is. My experience has revealed there’s a clear distinction between those airlines that ‘get it’ when it comes to engaging, memorable service and those that don’t.
Case in point: Anyone who has flown knows that shortly before take-off a flight attendant will announce the FAA-mandated flight safety information. Most airline attendants do this as if their reading a restaurant menu, all facts and figures, no emotion whatsoever. Consequently, 98% of the passengers tune-out and focus on something more interesting; a book, the view outside, the back of the chair in front of them, etc. For the record, it’s a sure sign your safety (or any other) announcement is failing when the Solafeet Foot Tanner in the SkyMall catalog is more intriguing!
A few airlines do this noticeably different, Southwest and JetBlue being two of my favorites, with employees regularly injecting ‘fun’ into their customer interactions and typically making announcements with added humorous flair. In fact, on a recent JetBlue flight the attendant received a seated ovation from the captive audience that was clearly entertained and engaged by his funny flight safety rendition.
And now, Virgin Airways trumps them all with their version of the flight safety announcement in this entertaining video that was just released on October 29th:
As I posted recently, Richard Branson and Virgin Airways understand the importance of having fun to engage their internal customers (employees) and external customers to create memorable experiences.
Ask yourself and your customer service team: What can we do differently to add more fun in our customer service process to create more engaging, memorable experiences?
Make a Great Day!
Steve 🙂
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Steve Ferrante is the Grand PooBah & Trainer of Champions of Sale Away LLC., providing Pinnacle Performance Sales, Customer Service and Winning Team Culture training, speaking and professional development services to success-driven businesses throughout North America. For detailed information visit Sale Away. Steve can be reached directly at 866-721-6086 ext. 701 or via email at steve@saleawayllc.com
Welcome to Monday morning. A clean slate. Everyone starts this week (and every other week) same amount of time: 7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds.
High-achievers don’t waste time, they take advantage of it and set out each day with a clear purpose and goal.
Many folks count the days waiting for something good to come their way. High-achievers make the days count and work to position themselves for good things.
One thing is certain, time will pass.
What you do with it this week will determine if it was time well spent come next Sunday evening.
Make a Great Day!
Steve 🙂
Ever been to a NASCAR race? If you have, then you know those are special events well-attended by a special brand of people.
Having partaken in a couple NASCAR race-day events at NH Motor Speedway, I can testify that racing is alive and well, and New Hampshire is certainly not alone in attracting the masses to its local NASCAR events.
The first thing a novice attendee (like me) notices is just how far away from the track you have to park – so far removed that I couldn’t even remotely see the track from our parking spot. So you need good walking shoes.
As you trek the five or so miles to the track, the next revelation is the sheer magnitude of campers you encounter along the way. I lost count at 1,271 or thereabouts. And the fascinating thing is almost all of the campers are not locals. Taking in the license plates, you realize the whole country is here and accounted for, from as nearby as the New England states to the South, West, and everywhere in between.
Who are these people? And, more importantly, why did they travel all this way for this?
The answer is they’re enthusiasts, and, like NASCAR, your tire and auto service business is dependent on them to grow and prosper.
At a NASCAR event, these enthusiasts are loyal, devoted, committed followers who happily march the miles (and pay the fees) to attend each event – essentially, doing business with NASCAR as often as possible.
What a concept!
I also learned that there are not only NASCAR race enthusiasts, but more often than not, NASCAR race driver enthusiasts. Case in point: As I was sitting there watching the cars warm up before the flag dropped, the clearly southern gentleman next to me screamed at me, “Who ya here to see?” I wasn’t there to see anyone in particular, but using my keen powers of perception, I noticed he had a Jimmie Johnson hat, shirt and banner so I shouted back, “I like Jimmie Johnson.”
The guy turned to his pals and screamed, “He’s here to see Jimmie!” I was now part of the club, an insider enthusiast among true insider enthusiasts. Coincidentally, Jimmie Johnson went on to win the championship that season, a fact that likely earned me ‘fortune-teller’ status with my new friends.
A Winning Team
People love winners. Which brings me back to you and your business. Have you created a winning team at your business? As I wrote in my article “Eight Great Practices for Creating a Winning Team Culture”, your business must live “winning team” every day with leadership consistently demonstrating, communicating and reinforcing the company’s commitment to excellence.
Above all else, enthusiasts are enthusiastic. Winning teams are much the same in that they look like winners and act like winners. There’s an old saying in sales: “success breeds success.” The same is true for business.
Have a look at your staff. Are they communicating success or distress? Success looks a certain way. It has a good mood, stands tall, looks people in the eye, is attentive, confident and engaging.
Conversely, failure has an unmistakable look all its own. Disengaged, depressed, foot dragging, off-putting. If your business is the only one in town, a monopoly, none of this matters. I bet that is not the case. Given that consumers likely have many choices for your products and/or services, yours better convey “winning team.”
Buying is primarily an emotional experience. Customer loyalty is driven by emotional engagement. You need only be at a NASCAR event for 10 minutes to realize there is a very high level of emotional engagement there. It would take the Hulk to pry the typical fan away from the track.
Emotional engagement and creating enthusiasts is all about how customers feel when they do business with you and, more importantly, how they feel when they’re done.
Enthusiasts’ feel good about doing business with you and take it upon themselves to promote your business at every opportunity!
Steve 🙂
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Steve Ferrante is the Grand PooBah & Trainer of Champions of Sale Away LLC., providing Pinnacle Performance Sales, Customer Service and Winning Team Culture training, speaking and professional development services to success-driven businesses throughout North America. For detailed information visit Sale Away. Steve can be reached directly at 866-721-6086 ext. 701 or via email at steve@saleawayllc.com
As you certainly know if you’re from the Boston area, and really should if you’re not, Sunday October 13th was an amazing day in New England sports. And that’s saying something given all the success Boston sports teams have had in the last dozen years or so.
First there was the New England Patriots playing the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Trailing by four points 27-23, needing to drive 70 yards with 1:13 left in the game with no timeouts, the Patriots got the ball. With all signs pointing at defeat, fans were leaving the stadium and many made it to their vehicles to get out of dodge and avoid the looming agony of defeat. But then, when all seemed lost, a champion emerged victorious.
Tom Brady went to work advancing the team down the field and, with 10 seconds left in the game, had two plays to take a shot at the end zone. He would only need one as he launched a picture-perfect pass just over the reach of New Orleans defender Jabari Greer and into the hands of New England receiver Kenbrell Thompkins for the winning touchdown with just five ticks left on the clock.
It would have been easy to throw in the towel, concede defeat, and go home. But that’s not what champions are made of. And Tom Brady is the quintessential champion.
Suddenly, it was a great day in New England! Everyone had a pep in their step, reinvigorated by the high drama and the unmistakeable vibe of victory.
Then, as soon as that game ended, the Red Sox began their 2nd playoff game against their American League Championship Series opponent, the roaring Detroit Tigers. The first game was an epic pitchers duel, favoring the Tigers as their pitching staff, led by Anibal Sanchez, nearly threw a no-hitter allowing only 1 hit in the game and ultimately winning 1-0.
Game 2 was shaping up to be more of the same as the Tigers pitching was equally amazing with Max Schezer allowing just two hits and one run through seven innings and, along with a hitting offense, carried the Tigers to a commanding 5-1 lead entering the eighth.
Facing the abyss, many fans decided to bail and headed for an exit to get out of Fenway before the walking dead. But then, when all seemed lost, one big swing of the bat changed everything.
Facing Detroit closer Joaquin Benoit, David Ortiz smashed a game-tying Grand Slam out of the park. One inning later the Red Sox’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a walk-off single that gave the Sox a 6-5 victory and tied the ALCS series at one game apiece.
An unbelievable one for the ages fairy-tale day in Boston sports that won’t soon be forgotten.
How many times have people (perhaps you) been facing challenges, been seemingly down and out, and given up? One thing is for sure, you cannot win if you quit during the game. After all, it ain’t over till it’s over.
Make a Great Day!
Steve 🙂
Being a customer service trainer I pay particular attention to the ‘experiences’ I and other customers are having as we do business with a wide variety of service businesses. Over the years, I have personally experienced and/or witnessed plenty good and many great acts of customer service. The following true account of my recent hotel stay is not one of them.
PART 1
As is often the case in my travels, I arrived at the hotel with a reservation made by my client. I explained to the front desk employee that, in addition to my stay, we also had reserved the meeting room for the training I would be conducting there all week. Knowing the magnitude and expense of this, I was anticipating some sort of warm welcome but instead received no acknowledgement whatsoever.
Having a clearly visible hurt hand (in a brace) I was given the room key cards and labored my 3 bags up to my assigned room. The cards (both of them) did not work and neither would register the ‘go’ green or ‘no go’ red signal. So I made my way back down to the lobby and informed the front desk girl, “I don’t think my cards are programmed”. She replied, “I programmed them”. A wonderful response I would later use in my training as a “what not to do” example.
Watching her program new cards, I had every confidence in my successful entry as I again labored my bags up to the assigned room. Again, nothing from either card. Now, back at the front desk and quite hot (about 95 degrees this day) I advised that these cards were also not working. “I’ll have to get you another room then”, said in a manner that would make most folks feel they were the problem.
Nonetheless, I now made my way up to room 310. A place I will not soon forget. I entered without issue as the key card now worked as advertised. Walking two steps into the room I reached in the bathroom and clicked on the light. Darkness. Not completely as the 2 mini candle-type lights that flanked the mirror were working but the main light above was out completely.
As I was beyond hungry (it was 7:30pm or so) I just dropped my bags off and left. Walking past the front desk I informed “I’m in my room but the bathroom light is out”. “I’ll have maintenance come up and change it for you”, she responded. “Great, I’m heading out for dinner, if you could change it before I get back that would be much appreciated”.
When I returned I saw no one at the front desk but walked into the dining area and right past the front desk girl in conversation with another employee eating potato chips. I was the only other person in the room. The front desk girl certainly saw me but said nothing. Not wanting to interrupt her “I’m going to iHop” banter I assumed all was set and I would see the light in my bathroom. I was wrong.
With no light and no one contacting me with an explanation, I reluctantly called the front desk. The potato chip employee answered and I explained that someone was supposedly coming up (a couple hours ago) to change the light. “Oh, maintenance left at 7 but she has you on the list for tomorrow morning”. Of course, that news would have been fantastic to know earlier along with a proper offer to move rooms but apparently it was more convenient (for her) to defer my situation to the morning crew.
At this point, their PRIDE score = 0
Unfortunately, it gets worse. Much worse. I had been sitting on top of the bed working on my laptop until about 11:15pm when I decided to call it a day. When I first pulled down the bed covers I thought there were a bunch (couple dozen or so) of tiny pebbles on the top sheet… then I noticed… THEY WERE MOVING! Horrified beyond the capacity for rational thought and having exactly zero faith in the front desk support and their ability to be responsive to my now dire needs, I decided to violently shake the sheet, brush like crazy, inspect, re-inspect, final inspect and sleep (sort of) in the bed.
I have severely regretted that decision since.
The next morning I noticed several small blood stains on the sheets… I later learned courtesy of another employee who was chemical-treating the room that bed bugs are translucent and when they bite you they turn red and then get squashed producing those stains. If there was one thing I didn’t need to know that was it.
After shaving and showering by candlelight I went to find the manager. I explained the situation and he could not have been nicer. In fact, both managers I spoke with then were most accommodating, ultimately transferring my belongings and leaving a handwritten apology note with a courtesy bag of chips and two soft drinks in what was then my 3rd room since check-in.
It’s a shame that this same spirit of winning customer service was not felt before there was a crisis situation.
Regardless of the gifts (that I was thankful for) it was a small token in light of the aftermath. After returning home the small bite bumps I had developed after my week at The Uncomfortable Suites turned into an incredibly itchy, welty rash covering my arms, neck and various other body parts. Most unpleasant and certainly not the sort of lasting impression I had hoped for.
PART 2
The complete story above was sent to the parent company of the offending hotel, Choice Hotels International. I had hoped to end this story with their ‘Customer Relations’ response but, after their original auto-reply shown below, no further response was received despite my 3 follow-up attempts to receive one.
From: “Customer Relations” <grdesk@choicehotels.com>
To: steve@saleawayllc.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 1:12:28 PM
Subject: Hotel Concerns
Dear Steve Ferrante,
Thank you for contacting Choice Hotels International. Please feel free to contact our corporate office at any of the following:
Choice Hotels International
6811 E Mayo Blvd
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85054-3119
Grdesk@choicehotels.com
Sincerely,
Customer Relations Specialist
Choice Hotels International
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While seemingly ignoring critical communications, they have successfully added insult to injury by continuing to send me special email offers as a “Choice Privileges” rewards member.
There’s a lesson in here… I’m sure of it.
Steve
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Steve Ferrante is the Grand PooBah & Trainer of Champions of Sale Away LLC., providing Pinnacle Performance Sales, Customer Service and Winning Team Culture training, speaking and professional development services to success-driven businesses throughout North America. For detailed information visit Sale Away. Steve can be reached directly at 866-721-6086 ext. 701 or via email at steve@saleawayllc.com
Hi All,
Another work week is upon us… As always, it will come with it’s share of challenges and struggles.
Some folks will wish it were easier. Champion ‘Pinnacle Performers’ will be stronger and succeed.
Some folks hope things will work out. Champions plan and are prepared for when they don’t.
As personal development author and master motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said in the follow-up to his famous quote below, “Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.”
Fact is, you have a world of wisdom at your disposal to effectively handle any challenge.
Make a Great Day!
Steve 
Looking for wisdom? Visit Steve’s Recommended Reading
Pinnacle Performance Champions 