It never ceases to amaze me how a group of people can become more effective by simply discussing their current team effectiveness and where they believe it needs to go in an effort to achieve the teams objectives.

So here’s the challenge: Have your Board, leadership team, staff, or department discuss what things the team is doing in regards to role clarification, mission, communication and overall effectiveness. Whenever I am leading a team in this exercise, I use my “Team Continuum”  1-10 scale model and ask them to vote anonymously.  It’s probably a great idea to hire a well-seasoned team building consultant to facilitate these discussions. After the group’s votes have been tallied and the average number has been assigned, I ask them to vote on where the team should be.

The discussion on how to get where they think the team should be is always interesting, energetic, insightful, and informative. If you would like to know more about this very effective team building tool and want to help your team understand what kind of team they are, and more importantly how to become more effective, please contact me. I will be happy to discuss this with you.

Terry Wisner, is the Founder and President of The CPO Institute. Helping individuals and organizations become more highly effective.

Leave the past behind. Don’t get hung-up on past failures and disappointments. Often people rehash past failures and predict they will fail again. The question everyone needs to answer is: What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail? A person cannot redo what they did yesterday, however, they can change what they will do tomorrow.

Remember the wins. As people progress towards their personal improvement goals, they need to look at the little successes and celebrate them. Obstacles will impede progress, as they are overcome, they will encourage greater confidence. It’s a good idea to keep a daily journal of accomplishments to visit when it feels like little progress has been achieved. It is experience, both good and bad, that builds confidence.

Gain knowledge. One of the best ways to bolster confidence is to equip oneself with knowledge. The more knowledge acquired… the stronger the self-confidence. Learn more about the profession you have chosen, more about your company’s
products and services, more about the people that surround you, more about your customers, and more about people in general.

Hang with the eagles. It’s probably easier to soar like an eagle when surrounded by nothing but turkeys. However, if a person spends time with people that are more confident than they are, it is quite likely they will improve their own self-confidence.
Like many folks, my scores on the golf course are better whenever I golf with players that are superior in skill. Maybe I concentrate more. Maybe I focus on my game more. Or maybe I just try harder.

Go for the low hanging fruit. When building self-confidence, look for opportunities to succeed. In the planning process, set attainable short-term goals to help boost confidence. It is important to steer away from uncertainty. For example: a person that wishes to enhance their presentation skills and overcome their fear of speaking might want to do some one-on-one presentations before trusted friends. The second step might be to join Toastmasters or enroll in a Dale Carnegie class. After developing their skills, then they may ask if they could do more presentations before customers or leadership teams.

Start each day off well. I will be the first to tell you this sounds a little ridiculous, but it works. Begin each day with positive affirmations about how confident you are becoming. And believe it! Literally look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that your self-confidence is improving. These positive declarations will reinforce the other actions you have taken to enhance your self-confidence.

The Earl of Chatham, William Pitt, in 1766 said that “confidence is a plant of slow growth.” Self-confidence cannot be attained easily or rapidly. It requires determination, a well thought-out plan, and a Partner to provide support, feedback, and encouragement. Share these six keys to enhancing self-confidence with others who may grow and improve through Partnering To Success.

Their research actually found that those who were happy at work were 50 percent more productive than their least-happy colleagues. My experience in working with thousands of small businesses and dealerships has taught me that stores who provide outstanding customer service, also create a culture wherein employees have fun.

At The CPO Institute, our research tells us that there are five keys to creating a culture where people have fun. Let’s briefly look at each of these keys:

• Buy-in- Everyone on the team buys-in to the mission, vision and goals. Moreover, there is a congruency between their personal values and those of the organization
• Bigger Purpose- Team members understand how their actions add to the greater good of not only the company but also to the community at large.
• Brotherhood- Encouraging a culture that provides and encourages a supportive environment where people offer and receive support whenever it’s needed.
• Bottom-line- Each member of the team clearly understands the affect their performance and behaviors have on the bottom-line numbers of the organization.
• Balls-People in the organization need to feel free to “tell it like it is” and are encouraged to do so. The more open and honest…the more fun exists.

A firm belief here at The CPO Institute, is that customer service is built on having a highly effective team which is focused on building relationships with their coworkers, community and customers. Having fun in the workplace, as iOpener has discovered, will make people more productive and as we have learned, will as a result, create more satisfied customers.

Whether you’re selling cars or real estate, TJ Wisner can help you and your organization. Contact The CPO Institute today and see how we can help. Call TJ directly at 810.569.5858

Last Sunday night our neighborhood echoed with the sounds of children clamoring that famous Halloween question. Most of the little princesses, ninja turtles, space creatures, muscle men, rock stars and of course, hobo’s were very courteous and appreciative. However, hidden behind a very few of the costumed little creatures were evil little pranksters. As always, there is a minority that try to take the fun out of anything. Whatever the devilish behavior, stealing the smaller children’s candy, smashing pumpkins (not the musical group) and the mild acts of vandalism… it all comes from hidden behind those masked revelers.

Ask yourself this question: When it comes to dealing with our Dealership, is it a trick or a treat?

Do you and your organization hide behind the mask of good advertising and PR work, then give poor customer service once the deal is consummated? Is there a disconnect between what you say you are as a dealership and what you really are? Do the people on your team truly live by the brand or mission statement that is proudly displayed and emphsized in your advertising?

If there is a major incongruence between what the marketing and PR says about your dealership and what your customers see, hear and feel about your store, customers will quite likely feel they are being…tricked. When what you say matches your behaviors, in other words, when you walk the talk, customers are much more likely to become ambassadors and help build relationships for you and your sales and service team.

A great way to see if you are treating your customers the way you say you want to, periodically take a diagonal slice of your organization, including a few loyal customers, and perform a SWOT analysis of your dealership from the consumers point of view. Encourage open, honest input and stress the importance of accurate feedback. You might want to enlist an outside facilitator to help with this initiative. Build on your stores strengths, work on the weaknesses, leverage opportunities, and concentrate on the threats your deaerlship may be facing.

Discover what your customers think…is it a treat to buy from you or do they often feel tricked? Performing a SWOT analysis will help you find out what your customers are clamoring about.

Are you a trick or a treat?

Then the conversation took a very negative tone.

The young lady disgustedly proclaimed how she had just spent $36K with the local dealership where her family had done business for years, and all she got was a “bleeping” automated email. “I mean what the bleep, I spent more money than my parents did for their first house…and all I get is a “bleeping” automated email to thank me?”

As a dealership, whatever client services or relationship management software system you use…make it personal!

And that doesn’t mean merely typing in their full, given name from the contract.

“I consult and train dealerships on building strong customer relationships, do you mind if I ask you a quick question?” I said. After the typical “What’s with this guy look” she nodded and agreed to entertain the question.

“What could the dealer or sales person have done that would have made you happy?”

“They could actually show me that they care! I don’t that’s too much to ask.”

Automated love doesn’t leave customers feeling that the dealership really cares. Nothing can damage or stifle customer relations more significantly that a “personal contact” that is perceived as highly impersonal. Don’t get me wrong! Friendly reminders and the occasional educational communique can be routine and automated, but thank you notes must be personal. That’s right! Just a simple thank you note will go a long way. For those who have forgotten the lost art of handwritten thank you notes, here is a brief reminder:

Address them directly: Start off with a “Dear ….” greeting or if it’s a long-time customer you can call them by their first name if more appropriate.

Keep it simple: There is no need to get all syrupy and cutesy. Keep it simple and specific. Thank them for coming to you for their transportation needs and welcome them to the dealership “family” or make a statement that will tie-in to the dealership tag line.

Sign-off…don’t sell: Sincerely thank them again and tell them how important their relationship is to you and the dealership. Reassure them that you will be their to meet their continued needs. DON’T UPSELL or even thank them for their BUSINESS. This is all about personal relationships!

A simple thank you note would have made our first time buyer Panera Bread friend much happier. In fact, thank you notes will make everyone happier. The next time you use a “Automated Love” email “Customer Relationship Management” software system, think about the young lady in Panera Bread…how did it make her feel?

Kill the automated love! Relationship building starts with a simple thank you note. And thanks to Panera Bread for the Wi-Fi.

That’s right…don’t upsell! Nobody likes being “upsold.”

Think about how often you have “turned-off” by an overly aggressive salesperson.

Just after making my purchase decision on a new laptop computer last week, the salesperson began to “upsell” me into a $179 carrying case. When I explained that I already had a fine leather shoulder bag to carry it in, he then tried to convince me to buy a very cool backpack to carry it in. After assuring him I had no need for a carrying case, he then tried to sell me a sleeve to protect my new investment. It was clear that I needed a sleeve to protect my laptop, but by now, after his earlier attempts to “upsell” me, I was about to walk out and buy my sleeve elsewhere. However, since I was excited to get home and begin using my new piece of technology…I bought the sleeve for a mere $17.

Then we get to the register and the ”Upsell” for their “Service Agreement” began.

Following the “Upsell” attempts with the carrying cases, it wasn’t difficult to say NO to the purchase of an extended warranty…even though I know I probably will need one.

Look, nobody likes being “upsold” when making a purchasing decision. Fact is, we enjoy it when a sales professional asks appropriate questions to clarify our needs, probes for understanding and offers solutions for us to choose from.

The concept of “Upselling” sounds good from the sales managers perspective because they generally make more profit on the sale, but it NEVER sounds good to the customer unless there is a significant discount on the bundled products or services.

When building solid customer relationships, sell them what they need, but never “upsell”!

Confucius says: “Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

Is that how you feel about the sales job you have?

Do you enjoy satisfying your client’s needs? When a customer leaves with their purchase, are you 50%, 75% or 100% sure they made the best decision? If you truly don’t believe you are giving your customers the best product or services they need, it is unlikely you can be truly passionate about what you are selling. Worse yet, if you are working from a scripted selling message that you aren’t committed to, it is impossible to be, or even sound passionate.

What about your products really get you excited? Do you genuinely believe in your products? When you in fact believe your products and services make a difference in the lives of your customers, then and only then can you be fervently passionate about your job.

Visit my Facebook profile to see all my 101 Tips…

Let’s face it…there are no new ideas! Everything has been done before, we just improve and modify things to suit our current set of needs. One of my Facebook friends, Marilyn Suttle, author of “Who’s Your Gladys” offered a series of daily posts of what she called “100 Days of Apprectiation” where she listed people, places, or things she truly appreciated. Sharing a list of things is not new. Showing others how to live in an appreciative mindset is not new. In fact many of the perspectives that Marilyn has shared are, in fact,  very common…“Marilyn Suttle Day 69 of 100 Days of Focusing on Appreciation: Today I appreciated waking up to the sounds of birds chirping. I’ve heard them for the last few mornings. They sound so happy!” Trust me, in Michigan on the first warm morning in five months…we all appreciated the chirping outside our window.

Here’s the deal…Marilyn gave me the idea to start sharing a selling tip every day and do it for 101 days. I liked the idea and sat down on a snowy morning a few days later and made a listing of 101 tips for selling. The feedback on Facebook has been phenomenal, and yes I plan to turn it into a book. Maybe a FREE eBook!

NOTE: Remember, always honor copyrights and trademarks! This just makes sense, don’t you think?

Here’s the deal. As you strive for mastery in the selling profession, you must follow the attributes of a Chief Performance Officer. Define your Prosperity, Identify your Priorities, Develop your Plan (and steal ideas from others), Select a Partner, and Party when you succeed.