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

01.26.12 Tip of the Week: To Coach is to Teach

Often in my executive development programs, a client will lament that their direct reports need to fundamentally change how they operate to achieve their goals. Sound familiar?

As I work with them to pinpoint each team member’s development areas, I often ask them what they’ve done to alert their employees to these areas of growth.  I go further to inquire about whether they have created a development plan for each associate? Many times, the answer is no.  Other times, it is yes but the plan hasn’t been revisited in ages.  In either case, the executive has put the responsibility of development on the shoulders of the associate with little or no guidance.  Is it any wonder that there isn’t much change month to month, year to year?

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12.08.12 Tip of the Week: Keep Your Agenda…then Drop It!

I can’t think of a time when forging sincere relationships is more important in our business lives.

 
When consulting clients, you have to drive an agenda to steer meetings toward the results you want. Equally important is the confidence to be curious as you pilot the meeting. This curiosity sends a great message of interest and empathy to your client. You will demonstrate how much you value their input when you can drop your agenda and remain open to discover what is mission critical to your client.
 
Remember: It’s not about getting through the meeting; it’s about getting what you need from the meeting so you can provide value back to your client. And many times, what you need won’t be on your agenda!
 
Try it and let me know how it goes.

 

12.01.11 Tip of the Week: Google…then go!

Throughout my consulting with executives and corporate sales teams, I’ve stressed lately the essentiality of researching potential clients through Google and LinkedIN searches.

What you can learn, including recent company news, changes in title/position, background information, is mission critical walking into a prospective client meeting. In fact, if you don’t walk in with it, be ready to be x-rayed for it. It is quite impressive to say to a prospective client, “congratulations on your promotion last week” or “it’s clear from your declaration in XYZ news that your company is in this business to stay.” Conversationally articulating this discovery lifts your dialogue along with your credibility.

Have you Googled someone and had it produce a surprising outcome?  Let me know!

11.17.11 Tip of the Week: Custodian or Steward?

As we roll into the holidays and 2012 my wish for all of us is that we perform as our client’s steward, not their custodian.

A steward really acts as an advisor with a fiduciary focus versus a custodian who merely reactively looks after a client.  One works to prevent messes the other is only there to clean them up after they’ve happened.

In 2012, prove to your clients that you’ve earned the right to be their steward. You’ll do that by demonstrating the depth and understanding you have of their business and the forward-field view you present to them showing your preemptive vision. The more the stewardship the stronger the client bond, and the more prosperous their, and your, 2012 will be.

11.03.11 Tip of the Week: Show the Path

…It Honors People

Earlier this week, I was coaching a senior level executive who is quite talented in her profession. Her Achilles heel, she explained, is that “people just don’t get it when I explain something.”

Through a lot of questioning, I discovered the reason. She often jumps to the end of her thought path without leading her team there. She assumes she is speaking to people at her same knowledge level and that they are as familiar with her thought process as she is. When she finally looks up to see if they are with her, they are so far lost that they really aren’t “getting it.”

Showing your path requires a sincere level of commitment that your audience sees the situation the way you see it. However, their only chance of seeing it from your frame of reference is to teach it to them at their level of comprehension, NOT yours. You have to remember that YOU know where you are leading them…but they don’t. And if you take short cuts, you run the risk of getting to the end but being there alone. The patience and empathy required to show them your thought path will be seen and appreciated by your team, elevating your image as an effective coach versus a harried leader.

10.20.11 Tip of the Week: Say It!

In meetings it’s easy to judge/vote on what your about to say then choose to be silent on the matter…think again.

 
Often in my executive development coaching work I find it’s more important for executives to say what they are thinking versus remaining silent.
 

Even if you are off base a bit you will mutually discover it by engaging versus running silent. Remaining passive and neutral can do more damage to the communication/collaboration than good.

You’ll also avoid the “what if” scenario that could occur later on if you don’t get the results you wanted.  “What if I had said something…”  So next time…say it.  And let me know how it goes.

 

 

10.8.11 Tip of the Week: Paranoia can be good for you

“In business, it’s always good to be a little paranoid.”

A long-time client said this to me recently and he really makes sense.
Often in my coaching assignments, I observe clients assuming that something they set out to achieve has been accomplished by his/her direct reports but in reality, it never did. The reason?  Not enough follow up and diligence.
When you see a situation that instinctively says to you, “caution, be careful here,” you should be. And you need to simultaneously ask yourself, “What am I not seeing here?  Do I really know what is going on?”Look at the issue then look at it again, the mosaic will focus if you focus on the issue.
Let me know how it goes!

 

08.16.11 Tip of the Week: Is My Message on Target?

One of the great things about getting your message right in business, whether it’s to a Board of Directors or client, is that you can cheat on the test!

How?

Simply by asking your audience what is essential to them.

It’s paramount to understand the goals and challenges of your listeners.  You also need to know what they think of you and your team’s work.  And the only way you can truly know is to ask and get direct feedback.  It may not be pretty sometimes, but you will then be able to craft your messaging to what they have said they need.  You can match your services/product to their desired outcome.  But be sure to ASK them what they need,  instead of trying to figure it out in a vacuum.
Try it and let me know how it goes.

08.08.11 Value Proposition

If you have ever done work with me, you know that I am a big proponent of everyone in an organization knowing the company’s value proposition.  It is the DNA and how the company differentiates itself from competitors.  It is also how the company rightfully earns the price put on its products and services.  A recent article on HBR.com backs that up so, take a read of it HERE.

Look for my comments too!  What are your thoughts on this?

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.