Sales tips, leadership communication skills insight and more from Steve Giglio, sales training professional for more than 25 years.

07.14.11 On-boarding a New Employee

mentor-photoFinding good, career-minded employees is a big challenge.  And you spend a lot of time, effort and resources making sure you select the best person for the job.  Then they arrive for their first day.  In whose hands do you put their first 90 days of development?

Fast Company stresses using a Core employee, one of the people on your team who is doing the best job.  I’m happy to report that many of my clients do an outstanding job of this, realizing the value in molding a new employee through the live-by-example scenario of surrouding him or her with the best in the company.  It’s another way of instilling the DNA throughout the company.

Here is the article and I have posted my comments on the Fast Company site as well.  Let me know what YOU think.

06.04.11 Coke Exec’s Personal Branding

Like lots of things on the Internet, this article I stumbled upon rather randomly.  But I’m glad I did.  The author, a high ranking executive for Coca Cola, makes an essential point regarding a person’s uniqueness in the marketplace.

I agree with his all his recommendations.  And I’ll add one:  make a list of your great business achievements over a ten year period.  Be specific.

Determine what achievements were fun and daunting at the same time.  Consider what you learned about yourself through these milestones and how you were acknowledged for them. The acknowledgement you received becomes the objective evidence upon which you can can base your brand. Often I work with people to pinpoint these achievements and craft ways to present them relationally to prospective clients.  It makes a difference when you know your own track record and how you were able to achieve your clients’ and your personal goals.
Here’s the article.

 

05.29.11 Working the Room

We’ve all done it: attended a networking event only to come home with a handful of buisness cards and no recollection of who most of those people are. Crain’s NY Business offers some insight into how one can more effectively benefit from such gatherings.  A hint…it takes some forethought and strategy!

Click here for article.

05.17.11 Five Steps to Avoid Overpromising

In this article, the author provides you with some insight about how to avoid overpromising what your company, your brand, even you, can do.  It’s a good lesson, and one that I instill in my clients.  It is, of course, paramount that you know what your company/product/service can do.  But, it is equally important that you know what it cannot.  Avoiding disappointing by under-delivering will stop the undermining of your brand.  Read the article and look for my public comment.

05.11.10 Weird App Prices for Magazines

A lot of my publishing clients are working to bring their print and digital assets together in a package that is attractive to readers, and advertisers.  As you can see from this article, it’s wide open.  Hope this sheds some light on the transition taking place:

http://techland.time.com/2011/05/10/why-are-magazine-app-subscriptions-priced-so-weird/#ixzz1M2XYWf9t

04.30.11 Happiness Differs with Age

“The kids today I tell ‘ya!”  Well, as this article in Fast Company explains, there is more to age differences than the younger set knowing how to Flickr photos via iPhone to their Twitter page.  What makes them happy versus what makes your managers and executives happy differs and you need to know how.

The author’s points are essential to respecting executives on your team and understanding what generally motivates them.

As an Executive Development coach, I’ve found to direct someone you must understand what’s dear to them, what’s at stake for them, and what mark is important they make on their work. Take time to understand these issues.  It will communicate volumes with regard to your desire to shape their behavior to achieve these goals.  And if your employee has been with you for many years, it’s likely that what drives them has changed.  Do you know how?

04.18.11 The Power of the Frisbee

Facebook, LinkedIN, iPads, video phone calls, virtual conferences, etc. all try to connect people.  Recently, I discovered the power of connection from another device:

The Frisbee.

I just completed a sales training program for a publishing client. The most memorable aspect of the program was when I asked each salesperson:

What’s your emotional connection to your brand?

One salesperson spoke of a trip she’d taken to the rural farming province of Shandong, China.
One afternoon a few villagers began tossing a Frisbee around.  Within minutes the group multiplied to include children, visitors, parents, youths and grandparents.  My client said that in that moment of frenetic Frisbee playing she realized that with the help of a simple toy, nothing separates us…not language, sex, ethnicity, education, ability or disability…they were just people connecting with each other with a common purpose.

The group and I were speechless and tearing up.

Read more

04.13.11 Google and me

Google and me are of the same mindset.  Well, ok, I don’t really get search engine algorythms or pay-per-click bidding stuff but, when it comes to developing leaders, we are linked.

A recent story in the NY Times outlines Google’s recent study, and resulting recommendations, on how they are building better leaders. They are committed to developing their employees and that is laudable.  The study makes a solid point with regard to ensuring that as a manager you stay connected to your team. I am often brought into companies where a leader has disconnected from his/her team. Once this occurs, people feel orphaned and begin to operate in a system of independent study versus a team of like-minded people focused on clear goals.

You can view the article here.  And next time you think about how to connect with your teams, Google it!

04.08.11 The Right Guy

Guy is right.  Kawasaki, that is.  An article this month on FastCompany.com highlight five lessons from Kawasaki’s new book, “Enchantment.”  From what I hear, a good read.  Let me know if you’ve read it and what you gleaned from it.  The article in Fast Company highlights what my last two blog entries have done as well:  the power of feedback, if taken professionally and acted upon.

Three things you can act on now:

1)  Pick up “Enchantment” (Click HERE for more about the book)

2)  Read the Fast Company article, which you can find HERE.

3)  Assess the last time you got feedback.  How well did you handle it?  Have you done anything with it?  Did you change a behavior as a result?  What does the person who gave the feedback think now?

The last one indicates a need to systemetize your approach to feedback.  And if you know me, you know that’s a huge part of what I help people do.  Let me know if I can help your company in a similar fashion.

04.07.11 Cringe Worthy

In a recent article, columnist Anne Fischer of Crain’s NY Business offers her input regarding the cringe-worthy, dreaded FEEDBACK!  If you have worked with me, you know that it is something I insist you actively solicit.  And I warn, like she does, that you may not like what you get.  But strong leaders know that each piece of feedback is a lesson…a gift really…that further strengthens your own development.  So, here are a few things to act on:

1)  Read the article.  (duh!).  Here’s the link.

2)  Read my recent blog post on this same subject (see below…look for Mr. Ed!)

3) Create a system for regular, honest, no-holds-barred feedback.  And if you are not getting feedback you can use, you aren’t asking the right questions.  I can help so, get in touch with me.