InnerActive Consulting – Insights » 2009

June is Effective Communication Month

Yes, June is the official month for Effective Communication. So why dedicate a whole month to effective communication? Based upon my experiences I can vote for a yearly promotion for effective communication.

“Effective communication is all about delivering the same message you send to the receiver. Now that seems as simple as simple can be, yet, it appears to be the hardest exercise around.”

Lack of effective communication destroys productivity and in most cases performance drops because of a lack of understanding regarding outcomes. Communication is an essential skill set for everyone, not just leaders. Therefore, everyone is impacted by poor or ineffective communication.

There are numerous things you can do to improve the effectiveness of your communication. One method is to take a proven workshop devoted to helping people improve their communication with others. This is our number one workshop because every group or team in a company can benefit from improved communication skills.

People skill is ALL ABOUT effective communication. Knowing your style, easily recognizing the style of others and flexing your messages so they understand – the first time – and effective communication is known as having great People Skills.

To learn more about improving your communication skills go to the website dedicated to Effective Communication for Results or the speaker site – ECRguy – to learn more about doing something effective during the month of June. Two workshops are available during the month of June. And, a private session can be held for your team – from executives to sales to customer service to R&D to finance to everyone. Communication is the greatest skill a person can possess.

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 29, 2009 at 5:25 am under Effective Communication.
Tags: ECR Guy, Effective Communication, high performance, June is Effective Communication Month
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Bottom-Line Effects of Team Dysfunction

How It Heightens Disengagement and Costs You Millions

Dysfunction in a team will usually result in poor performance and inadequate productivity, but the effects of team dysfunctions on the employees themselves just might be far more serious and much more costly.

When a team becomes dysfunctional you can expect disengagement to follow as individuals may lose sight of team goals, not understand their role in the team and wait for direction to make any progress. Statistics say that the average employee is disengaged two hours each day. Could dysfunctional teams be contributing to disengagement in your organization? If so, just how does it affect your bottom-line?

Disengagement is not a small concern. Take, for example, a company with 100 employees who work full time at an average wage of $25 per hour. What is disengagement costing them? The productivity they could be losing due to disengagement is worth an estimated $1,200,000.

Determining the cost of disengagement within your organization is an important step in tackling this talent management burden. Then, consider implementing organizational and team multi-rater surveys that give everyone in the organization the opportunity to speak up and help you determine the real root of disengagement. Perhaps it is dysfunction in a team, job misfit, mismanagement, lack of motivation or other personnel-related issues. No matter what the cause, identifying it, addressing it and implementing a solution will make a dramatic difference on your bottom-line.

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Posted by J Block on May 28, 2009 at 5:12 am under Team Building.
Tags: Disengagement, Team Building, Workplace Performance
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Dysfunction in the Workplace

In Patrick Lencioni’s best-selling book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he tells a tale of a firm’s executive team struggling with utter dysfunction. Ineffective communication, multiple egos, fear, office politics and judgmental attitudes were all contributing to the absence of dynamics and poor performance.

Does this sound familiar to you?
Have you experienced a dysfunctional team in your career?

If yes, you are not alone. Most everyone has either been a part of, observed or even faced the challenge of leading a dysfunctional team like the one Lencioni describes. In fact, he says, “Teams, because they are made up of imperfect human beings, are inherently dysfunctional.” Continue reading ‘Dysfunction in the Workplace’ »

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Posted by J Block on May 27, 2009 at 5:07 am under Team Building.
Tags: Teamwork, Workplace Performance
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What is Good Enough?

I am sure that you have heard this expression – what is good enough? It is one of those questions that can create both tension and excitement within the same level of execution. So why do we have the dynamics regarding this question?

Well, the answer lies in the emotional level of the answer. Often emotions and in some cases – no emotion – is added either directly or indirectly to the results. Okay, I know I’m beginning to sound like a economist or worst a political person. So, let me explain my answer.

First, on a direct and unemotional example the following can happen. A job or customer action is performed without any emotion and then “technically” the job is completed as originally quoted. There are results, yet, the degree of positive response from the customer is based upon their perception of the quality of the work. Here’s the rub.

When work is only performed to the minimum standard, as a customer there are doubts as to the overall quality and since I’m not excited about the results – I may leave and do business with someone else. You see – doubt and a lack of emotional satisfaction – has opened the door to other options in the future.

Second, this one is easy. Lack of results and poor emotional or quality productivity leads to finding another source almost immediately. Here is where a possible debate over payment comes into play, since the customer feels that something is missing there is a desire to withhold payment. And, if the provider got the money up front – well, now the customer feels cheated – no repeat business here!

Third, the provider misses a few of the agreed upon items, yet, happily does several other things that were not part of the agreement. The customer feels good because several other things were done and collectively adds value to the deal. Happy customer, yet, not locked in for life because a few things were missing in the results. Still, due to the deliver of the little extras the customer feels good about the experience and will do more business with the provider. It is now time for the provider to step up and deliver in full the next time and lock the customer up as a loyal fan.

Finally, the provider hits the mark on all the deliverables AND goes the extra mile with several additional things – mostly small details and happiness factors that lead to total emotional satisfaction for the customer. The customer feels like a winner due to both the effort and results by the provider. This customer is so excited to get this level of results that they cannot hold back their excitement. Yes, they begin to tell others about this great provider and the service they received.

The provider knows that they did something really well, because their new business leads increase due to the happy and satisfied customer. This is the bonus. The little extra created more opportunities for the provider to grow their business.

So use this format to identify areas that you are using service to grow your business by identifying what is good enough and increasing your effort and results. The solution is simple, the discipline to do it is hard.

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 26, 2009 at 5:34 am under Customer Service.
Tags: Business Growth, Customer Service, Execution, Leadership, What is Good Enough
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Customer Service is More than an Internet AutoResponder

Friday is my day to rant. It seems I have had several run-ins with Auto-Responders posing as customer service departments. What a bone head move on some company’s decision making process.

A few companies hid their phone numbers – so you can not call them. One of these is the great Google, an Internet icon if there ever was – and yet, no posted phone number!

Now I understand the need for large and small companies to hold down their costs and the principle of using technology to do the routine tasks is a standard. However, there has to be some type of check system to stop the stupidity of continuous emails that do nothing but aggravate the customer.

In my case I have filled out forms and reply forms on an website page and hoped someone not a something would get back with me. But it seems Mr Cron (You techies out there know what I’m talking about here.) is operating the return email system along with Mr. Auto Responder! God help us if they turn into Terminators. They know where we live!

It would not hurt to have a customer service person, particularly for a new customer who needs their assistance. Here’s my Google example: Been using all the services except Google AdWords for years. I decided it was time to finally launch into the 21st century and do some Pay Per Click ads and drive some traffic to several of our sister sites. Like EffectiveCommunicationForResults.com which is a site we use to promote one of our best workshops. Now the problem is the length of the URL – it’s 36 characters without the www. That is one character more than the allowed space on the Google Ad URL Display line!

Therefore, after hours of research and writing ads, I placed the ads and was very proud of my work – until – the dreaded auto-responder attack from Google! They disapproved my ads because the Display URL was not a functional address like the Destination URL!!! AAAGGGGHHHH! Several attempts to fix it and then the revelation that it was not fixable unless I get a new URL and move the website – which I am not.

Then, I thought, no problem I’ll just call Google and ask a customer service person, how to handle this issue and another issue that came up during the set up phase. Surprise, no phone number, and when you hit the contact us button – we get a pop-up window with an index of what you need to do on everything but my problem.

You see, my problem is an exception to the general rule. Google and others have set up systems that do not handle the exceptions. No system, process or method to get your problem resolved without major hassle. This is a customer downer.

If they want me to spend more money, then make it easy for me to get it right and spend my money on marketing. Some smart person in my opinion is really dumb. And, the really sad thing is, the person who made the decision is hidden behind a huge wall of gatekeepers so they never and I mean never have to answer to anyone – especially their customers.

Well, enought ranting, have a great weekend and Memorial Day holiday on Monday. Our veterans deserve our respect – so honor them on their day. You don’t have to like the act of war, yet, these people felt the need to support our country for freedom and democracy and we should support them.

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 22, 2009 at 5:28 am under Customer Service.
Tags: Bad Customer Service, Google service example, service made easy is good
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Cold Calls Causing You a Cold Sweat?

There are two 2 word phrases that cause adults who are sales people for break into a cold sweat. The first phrase is “role play.” I have seen people actually hid behind a wall rather than engage in a role play exercise. This is some serious fear and sweat!

The second two word phrase is “Cold Calls.” Again, the fear and anxiety of making cold calls is high. People just do not like to make cold calls now or in the past for that matter.

Truth is cold calls are tough and getter harder – thanks in part to technology. I remember when I started in business back in the 80′s I could pick up the phone and call a prospect and actually talk to the decision maker. Those were the best days for cold calling since you could talk to someone. In fact, in the late 80′s when I moved to a new city – Memphis – I was able to build my business from the zero to six figures in one year using cold calling techniques.

More truth, I wasn’t even good at cold calling back then. When looking back at the techniques I used, well, I could have upgraded my skills and I probably would have done much better. I won then because I never gave up and kept doing it every day and every week.

Now, what is causing all the cold sweat? There appears to be five reasons. So here are the big five reasons: Continue reading ‘Cold Calls Causing You a Cold Sweat?’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 21, 2009 at 5:21 am under Sales.
Tags: Cold Calling Techiques, Fear of Rejection, Lead Generation, sales success
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Dumb Questions to Ask a Customer – Part Two

Yesterday I gave you my top three of Dumb and Stupid Sales Questions. Today, I will provide you with my runner-ups that are also Stupid and dumb Questions that should not be used by sales people.

First I want to share why asking Stupid or Dumb Questions is really bad for your sales success. There are several reasons and here are a few of the critical reasons.

You will not differentiate yourself from the other inexperienced or bad sales people. You will be just like the thundering herd of sales people who ask bad questions and bore the customer or prospect.
It will be more difficult to transition into the really good questions that help a customer or prospect. When the customer hears the same old questions or dumb questions, you lose rapport with the buyer – who often start asking about price so they can tell you that your price is too high – and you will believe the buyer and leave. The buyer accomplishes their mission of getting rid of the boring sales person.
Poor questions lead to the customer or prospect taking control of the interview or conversation placing you back in the commodity bubble. Again, when the questions become boring or common, the buyer loses focus and interest. When this happens they take back control by asking questions they want asked without you having the insight of their responses and information. A bad situation gets worst and you lose.

Okay, it’s time for some more stupid and dumb questions: Continue reading ‘Dumb Questions to Ask a Customer – Part Two’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 20, 2009 at 5:26 am under Sales.
Tags: Creating Commodity Sales, Differentiating Yourself in Sales, Economic downturn, Effective Selling, Stupid and Dumb Sales Questions
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Dumb Questions to Ask a Customer – Part One

After listening to a series of questions from a salesperson recently, I wondered how many other salespeople have this disease – Asking Dumb or Stupid Questions with Customers or Prospects. And, after talking to a few at a sales meeting, it appears there are more than I thought asking these questions.

So here are three questions I hear often:

Continue reading ‘Dumb Questions to Ask a Customer – Part One’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 19, 2009 at 5:26 am under Sales.
Tags: Dumb and Stupid Questions, Effective Selling, Learning sales skills, sales success
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Stop Reading Your Presentations!

Yes, stop reading your presentations. Even if you have great material and lots of facts – stop reading the data and details for sure. You’re boring your listeners and audiences. I know how you feel about all the hard work, research and writing that went into your presentation.

The first time that I experienced this presentation principle was when I entered a speech contest sponsored by the American Institute of Banking or AIB. This was my first speech contest and I had little experience at that time on the principles of excellence speaking techniques.

I researched my topic, took extensive notes and wrote out my speech. (This was before personal computers – so it was written!) I practiced the presentation several times until I felt I had it down cold. Well, when it came my turn to present, I took my written speech with me to the front of the room. Confident that I had a great speech and more importantly great content.

Well, after I started I lost some of that confidence when I made a small mistake and then I started reading more than speaking. At the end of my presentation it was a pure, head down, reading every word off the paper in front of me. Now the audience was polite and clapped like they liked it – but I knew something was wrong.

The next and last presenter – was a real speaker – he spoke from the heart and with passion – and no written speech! I believe he had some notes or a brief outline that he used to stay on track. Well, he won the competition and I came in second. Today, I can admit that he was a better speaker that day. He won the speech contest and I won the reading contest! Oh, well. We learn from our adversities.

So here is what it means to you. Study your content and know your material cold. Prepare completely for the first five minutes of the presentation to gain confidence. Have a brief outline of the important points to be covered during your presentation. Then, get up, take a deep breath, stand tall and give your presentation from the heart with passion in your voice.

Do these well and everyone wins. Your listeners will believe in you and your message. And you will feel great – knowing that you gave your best and with high energy. You can do this.

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 18, 2009 at 5:30 am under Effective Communication.
Tags: Effective Presentations, Stop Reading your Speech, Using passion and energy
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Bad Assumptions Cause Bad Decisions

Today’s tip is all about the major cause of mistakes, poor decisions and bad choices. The main cause of these issues is the continuing use of bad assumptions. I have never seen or heard of a bad choice without a corresponding errant or bad assumption.

Even Peter Drucker, the Master of Management during the 20th Century, stated in his book the Effective Executive:

“Errant Assumptions are the Root Cause of All Poor Decisions.”

So not being an individual who blindly follows anyone – I tested this statement with others over a period of years. Even testing my own poor decisions. So it came as no surprise when I found it be true.

So what does this mean for you and me? Well, it means we need to question our own assumptions before we act on them. Now, I know it would be difficult to test every little decision or choice we make. However, it would do you well to check assumptions regarding any major decisions before acting. It helps to make better decisions and choices if we want to get ahead in business (and life).

Test your assumptions to insure they are accurate. An recent example of a bad assumption at our office was the selection of a brochure file for a recent mailing. Without checking and only assuming it was the correct file, it got printed and mailed to clients! Big mistake, since the file was the “draft” version with major typos. So now we have to do a second mailing with an apology for the mistake to our valued clients.

So you see there many types of assumptions made – some are costly and some are not. However, the best course of action is to test or verify your assumptions rather than take an assumption at face value and launch into action.

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Posted by Voss Graham on May 15, 2009 at 5:30 am under Personal Development.
Tags: decision making, Errant Assumptions, Poor or bad choices, testing and validating
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Archive for May, 2009

June is Effective Communication Month

Bottom-Line Effects of Team Dysfunction

Dysfunction in the Workplace

What is Good Enough?

Customer Service is More than an Internet AutoResponder

Cold Calls Causing You a Cold Sweat?

Dumb Questions to Ask a Customer – Part Two

Dumb Questions to Ask a Customer – Part One

Stop Reading Your Presentations!

Bad Assumptions Cause Bad Decisions

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