Strategic Planning.....

How far along are you in the planning process?

1  Our company has identified its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)..          

We do not know our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. 1          

They are in my mind of the owner(s) but not on paper. 2          

They are written down but not shared with key employees. 3          

We only focus on leveraging our Strengths. 4          

We consider our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in all our planning processes. 5          

      

2  Our company has written strategic goals and objectives.          

We do not have strategic goals and objectives. 1          

We have goals and objectives, but they are not written down. 2          

Our goals and objectives are written down, but are only occasionally worked on. 3          

Our company's goals and objectives are written down and are acted on, but we never seem to complete them in a realistic time frame. 4          

Our company’s goals and objectives are written down and usually completed in the allocated time frame. 5          

      

3  Our company prioritizes all of our strategic goals and objectives by impact on the company's sales and profit..          

We do not have strategic goals and objectives. 1          

Our company has strategic goals objectives, but have not prioritized them. 2          

Only the owner(s) are aware of our strategic goals and objectives and they are not in writing, but have been prioritized. 3          

Our company has its strategic goals and objectives in writing, but only occasionally prioritizes them. 4          

Our company has its strategic goals and objectives in writing and always prioritizes them. 5          

      

4  Our company has identified its Strategic Driving Force (The one Critical Success Factor that drives the future of your business).          

Our company does not know its Strategic Driving Force.  1          

Our company has an idea what our Strategic Driving Force is, but is not absolutely sure. 2          

Our company knows its Strategic Driving Force, but has not prioritized the activity in its business.  3          

Our company insures that its Strategic Driving Force is always considered. 4          

Our company insures that its Strategic Driving Force is always the priority of our company’s strategic planning process. 5          

       

5  Our company develops written Action Plans for all our goals.          

 We do not Action Plans for our goals. 1          

We have Action Plans for our goals, but they are not in writing. 2          

We have Action Plans for our goals and they are in writing. 3          

Our Action Plans for our goals are all in writing, but are difficult to complete. 4          

Our Action Plans for our goals are all in writing and are always completed in a 12 month period. 5          

       

 6  Our company holds scheduled strategic planning meetings.          

 We never do. 1          

We have held one or two but no more. 2          

We hold meetings when we can. 3          

We have a schedule for meetings but do not always adhere to it. 4          

We hold planned strategic meetings at least four times a year.. 5          

       

7  We know all our competitors.          

No 0           

Yes 5          

      

8  Our company creates various scenarios before deciding on a strategic direction.          

No 0          

Yes 5          

       

9  Our company is clear on what resources are needed to execute our planning process.          

No 0          

Yes 5          

       

10  Our company assigns our employees specific areas of our planning process to execute.          

  

No 0          

Yes 5          

     

11  Our company uses time schedules for completion of goals.          

No 0          

Yes 5          

       

12  Our company uses a independent Facilitator for company strategic planning sessions.          

No 0          

Yes 5

  

                        Your score out of 60………………….?

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net

Shouting!  who's shouting?

Want to influence, or sell successfully to a very dominant* person?

* Controlling, aggressive, forceful, competitive, assertive, decisive

Statements to motivate a highly dominant person:

• You are the kind of person who can make this work.
• This program will put you in the driver’s seat.
• This will put you at the cutting edge.
• This is something you can call your own.
• Your peers will view you as a leader of your industry.

Salesman’s strategies to sell to a very dominant, aggressive buyer:

·        Prepare your presentation for efficiency. Omit the details.

·        Flatter his ego. Concentrate on the immediate sale.

·        Start with business. Tend to avoid the small social chat.

·        Ask questions about their business so that you can learn while they talk.

·        Stress opportunities for prestige, recognition and efficiency.

·        Give short direct & precise answers.

·        Emphasize bottom line profitability.

·        Ask for the client’s opinion.

·        Arrive on time and leave punctually at the end of the agreed meeting duration.

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net

5 types of sales person---decide which is the best type for your business…..

 There is really no "one-size-fits-all" type of salesperson, but if you are a small/medium business, you'll want to look for the type of sales person who demonstrates a little bit of all the different talents from all of the different types listed in this article. Truthfully, there is really only one type of salesperson, and that is one who can make a sale happen by asking for the order. Unfortunately, only less that five percent of all the people who call themselves salespeople know how to "ask for the order". The good news is that there are sales support personnel that have there own unique way of presenting products or services that can often result in a sale. These people are acknowledged by the sales industry as sales people in their own right, but they are not highly trained or skilled in actually asking for the order.

You may be thinking that you only want to hire those that have the ability to ask for the order, but in reality, it is very difficult to single them out on an interview, even when you know what you are looking for. The reason for this is because all people in sales consider themselves to be able to ask for the order. So, if they are directed a question like, "Are you able to ask for the order?", every one of them will most likely all say, "yes", even though they may only be assuming that making a presentation to a customer is "asking" for the order.

So, with this in mind, lets take a look at the five basic types of sales people for your sales team.

Relates to Emotional Buyers   (High 'I' and 'D'sales person).

The type of salesperson that can relate well to the emotional buyer refers to a keen ability to recognize the emotional connection that the buyer has with the product or service being sold. Some people are propelled to buy a product that is "new" to the market or in some way appeals to their emotional or even social status by buying your product. Usually these types of sales people are strong closers but not always. Some examples of emotional type products are automobiles, fine jewelry, specialty or custom clothing, and the latest high technology products or services.

Ability to Educate or Instruct  (High 'S' sales person).

There are sales people that are excellent teachers. They can sit down with a potential client and explain in a very simple and easy to understand manner a very complicated product or service. Even though your sales staff will know and understand what they sell, only a few of them will be able to simmer the information down in simple terms so as not to confuse the customer. Products like these are usually high priced for the most part. Examples of products that would be a good match for this type of sales person would be some major appliances, computers and related peripherals, computer software, insurance, financial investments, and education related sales. 

Able to Consult or Analyze Data

Being able to analyze data or assess certain problem situations that are of a detailed or technical nature may require a sales person who has ability or special training like this. Sales people such as these have often had special education in a particular field or industry or other expert knowledge of the product. Companies that sell products like telecommunications network equipment, business consulting services, custom built machinery for manufacturing and custom business software or services are a good match for these types of sales people.

Retail Order Takers - Information Exchangers  (High 'S' sales person).

This type of sales person is best suited for selling strictly in a retail environment...usually in a store location. They are great at presenting features, answering general usage questions, making benefit and price comparisons with competitors and offering related merchandise. They are usually a wealth of information for the retail shopper who needs to have their questions answered and want only minimal guidance on what they should purchase. Some may consider them to be more of a clerk than a sales person, but never-the-less, a sales person like this can write a lot of orders for customers who pretty much know what they are looking for with the exception of needing a a bit more information here and there.

The 24 Hour Automated Sales Person         (Works 24/7, NO vacations!!).

There is a type of sales person that can be available to your business twenty-four hours of every single day. They never take a vacation, holiday or sick day and their punctuality is perfect. This sales person is really the often overlooked "sales" website. There are many products and services that can be sold almost completely online...regardless of how technical they are, how high their price is or how distant the location of the customer. Only you can decide if what you sell can be sold completely through the use of an automated sales website. If this is the case, the website must be so designed that it can answer almost every possible question that your potential customer will have as well as excellent visuals. A sales website such as this is what I call a "sales soldier" because it must be the most dependable and untiring sales person that you have ever known. The "sales soldier" is there at his post every minute of every day and he is also the most knowledgeable and easy to get along with sales person that exists. He does not falter in his ability to repeatedly walk each of your customers through the complete sales process from greeting to closing without a problem.

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net

Ask yourself these 11 questions about your business. The less sure you are of the answers, the greater the risk.

                Today…(May 2011).                          In  5 Years   (May 2016)                                                              

                                                                 

1.	Who are your customers today?  .......................	Who will your customers be tomorrow?
2.	How do you reach your customers today?.........	How will you reach your customers in the future?
3.	Who do you compete with today?.....................	Who will you compete with tomorrow?
4.	What is your competitive advantage today?.......	How will you compete in the future? Can you compete alone?
5.	Where do your profits come from today?.........	Where will profits come from in the future?
6.	What is your unique selling proposition (USP).. today?	How is your industry changing? What will your USP be in the future?
7.	What end product or service do you market.... today?	What products or services will you need to provide to capture future markets?
8.	On what key technologies are you dependent... today?	What key technologies will you require in the future?
9.	What key competencies must you have to be.... successful today?	What are the key competencies that your business will require to be successful in the future?
10.	How do you maintain technological and competency currency now?	What will you have to do differently to assure technological and competency strength/ superiority in the future?
11.	How quickly can you respond to change today? Chris Wilkinson.                               Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.                Business Coach. Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga). E-mail: buspilot@bell.net	Will you be able to respond as quickly tomorrow? Do you have all the abilities?

10 EMPLOYEE TRAINING TIPS…..

Well-trained employees are the key to your small business success. Studies have shown that the most successful, productive employees are those who have received extensive training. They’re the cream of the crop, often having the strongest stake in the company’s future.

In an ideal world, you would be able to hire people who already possess the exact skills your business needs. But in today’s competitive labor market, demand for skilled workers far exceeds supply.

That’s where training comes in. Not only does instruction arm your employees with needed professional or technical skills, but it also shows that you are invested in them and interested in bringing them with you into the company’s future. This helps keep workers motivated and involved.

To successfully launch an employee training program in your own company, follow these 10 helpful tips:

1.                      Stress training as investment. The reason training is often considered optional at many companies is because it is thought of as an expense rather than aninvestment. While it’s true that training can be costly up front, it's a long-term investment in the growth and development of your human resources.

2.                      Determine your needs. As you probably don’t have unlimited time or funds to execute an employee training program, you should decide early on what the focus of your training program should be. Determine what skills are most pertinent to address current or future company needs or ones that will provide the biggest payback. Ask yourself, “How will this training eventually prove beneficial to the company?” Repeat this process as your business needs change.

3.                      Promote a culture of learning. In today’s fast-paced economy, if a business isn’t learning, it’s going to fall behind. A business learns as its people learn. Communicate your expectations that all employees should take the necessary steps to hone their skills and stay on top of their professions or fields of work. Make sure you support those efforts by providing the resources needed to accomplish this goal.

4.                      Get management on board. Once you have developed a prioritized list of training topics that address key needs within your company, you need to convince management to rally behind the initiative.

5.                      Start out small. Before rolling out your training program to the masses, rehearse with a small group of users and gather their feedback. This sort of informal benchmarking exposes weaknesses in your training plans and helps you fine-tune the training process.

6.                      Choose quality instructors and materials. Who you select to conduct the training will make a major difference in the success of your efforts, whether it’s a professional educator or simply a knowledgeable staff member. Having the right training materials is also important — after the training is over, these materials become valuable resources for trainees.

7.                      Find the right space. Select a training location that’s conducive to learning. Choose an environment that’s quiet and roomy enough to spread out materials. Make sure the space is equipped with a computer and projector, so you can present a visually stimulating training session.

8.                      Clarify connections. Some employees may feel that the training they're receiving isn't relevant to their job. It’s important to help them understand the connection early on, so they don’t view the training sessions as a waste of valuable time. Employees should see the training as an important addition to their professional portfolios. Award people with completion certificates at the end of the program.

9.                      Make it ongoing. Don’t limit training solely to new employees. Organized, ongoing training programs will maintain all employees’ skill levels, and continually motivate them to grow and improve professionally.

10.                   Measure results. Without measurable results, it’s almost impossible to view training as anything but an expense. Decide how you’re going to obtain an acceptable rate of return on your investment. Determine what kind of growth or other measure is a reasonable result of the training you provide. You’ll have an easier time budgeting funds for future training if you can demonstrate concrete results.
Working with you.

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net

The Top 7 Sales Blunders……

Increase Your Sales By Avoiding These Mistakes

We all make mistakes when selling our product or service. Here are the most common sales mistakes people make.

Sales Mistake # 1: Allowing a prospect to lead the sales process. The best way to control the sales interaction is to ask questions. This is also the best way to learn whether or not your product or service meets the needs of your prospect. Quality questions that uncover specific issues, problems, or corporate objectives are essential in helping you establish yourself as an expert.

Sales Mistake # 2: Not completing pre-meeting research. After several weeks of voice mail I finally connected with my prospect and scheduled a meeting. Unfortunately, I entered the meeting without first researching the company. Instead of presenting a solution to an existing problem, I spent the entire meeting learning fundamental information, which to senior executives, is a complete waste of their time. This approach is one of most common sales mistakes. Invest the time learning about your prospect before you call them and before you try to schedule a meeting.

Sales Mistake # 3: Talking too much. Too many sales people talk too much during the sales interaction. They rattle on about their product, its features, their service and so on. When I first bought carpet for my home I recall speaking to a sales person who told me how long he had been in the business, how smart he was, how good his carpets were, etc. But this dialogue did nothing to convince me that I should buy from him. Instead, I left the store thinking that he did not care about my specific needs. A friend of mine is in the advertising business and often talks to prospects that initially request a quote. Instead of talking at great length about the ad agency’s experience and qualifications, he gets the potential client talking about her business. By doing this he is able to determine the most effective strategy for that prospect.

Sales Mistake # 4: Giving the prospect information that is irrelevant. When I worked in the corporate world I was subjected to countless presentations where the sales person shared information that was completely meaningless to me. I don’t care about your financial backing or who your clients are. Make the most of your presentation by telling me how I will benefit from your product or service until I know how your product or service relates to my specific situation.

Sales Mistake # 5: Not being prepared. I remember calling a prospect expecting to receive his voice mail. That meant I was completely unprepared when he answered the call himself. Instead of asking him a series of qualifying questions I simply responded to his questions, allowing him to control the sale. Unfortunately, I didn’t progress any further than that initial call. When you make a cold call or attend a meeting with a prospect it is critical that you are prepared. This means having all relevant information at your fingertips including; pricing, testimonials, samples, and a list of questions you need to ask. I suggest creating a checklist of the vital information you will need and reviewing this list before you make your call. You have exactly one opportunity to make a great first impression and you will not make it if you are not prepared.

Sales Mistake # 6: Neglecting to ask for the sale. I recall a participant in one of my workshops expressing interest in my book. I told him to look through it but at no time did I ask for the sale. Later, I heard him express this observation to other participants in the program. If you sell a product or service, you have the obligation to ask the customer for a commitment, particularly if you have invested time assessing their needs and know that your product or service will solve a problem. Many people are concerned with coming across as pushy but as long as you ask for the sale in a non-threatening, confident manner, people will usually respond favorably.

Sales Mistake # 7: Failing to prospect. This is one of the most common mistakes independent business make. When business is good many people stop prospecting, thinking that the flow of business will continue. However, the most successful sales people prospect all the time. They schedule prospecting time in their agenda every week.

Even the most seasoned sales professional makes mistakes from time to time. Avoid these blunders and increase the likelihood of closing the sale.

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net