Bloggy Business Today

According to study, top performers in any field have the same factors that explain for their success. The researched revealed that people become top performers because:

• They were made aware of the performance standards at the beginning of their careers.
• They know at all times how they are performing compared to what is expected of them.
• They are equipped with knowledge on how to handle obstacles they encounter in their career.
• They have mastered the fundamentals of salesmanship
• They see meaningful rewards for good performance based on standards expected from them.

What should be done to develop an average sales person to becoming top performer? The first thing to do is to identify the average performing sales people who do not have any derogatory record. Then, take the following procedures.

• Observe what the sales person does. It must be done discreetly in order not to alarm the person being observed. Make joint calls to determine the work pattern which could be the cause for being an average performer.
• Counteract observed performance. This procedure requires serious thoughts coupled with observations by answering the following questions:

1. What should the sales person start doing? These are the specific behaviors or actions the sales person needs to start doing.
2. What should the sales person stop doing? These refer to the behavior the sales person should stop doing like talking politics, apologizing for prices or making false promises.
3. What should the sales person do differently?
4. What difference will it make if the sales person does?

Be reminded though that, unless the items on the performance diagnosis will produce result, it will be best to skip them.

• Performance evaluation. There are ways in finding out the missing factor that produces mediocre performance by an average performer- by logic and investigating. Pure logic will work provided all facts are available. Otherwise, investigate the problem with the sales person by working through each success factor until the cause of the problem is determined.

The best way to motivate a salesperson for becoming a top performer is to present a list of start, stop and changes and then ask: What is it for you if you do this, and what’s in it for you if you don’t?”

The whole process will determine what is inside the average salesperson’s head that will be the basis of finding out what to do next.

As observed, there are many average sales people because their managers accept their level of performance when it should not. The making of top performing sales person begins with conviction that all people can be top performers.

There are individuals from different field of interest who are known for their expertise in the field of medicine, technology, in business, education, science and others. They worked hard to be where they are today. Working hard would mean acquiring a lot of self-discipline in order to achieve desired goals in life.

There are tactical ways an individual can do to become self-disciplined in order to have a balanced way of life.

1. Make goals with attainable subsets and be ready to provide for self-reward for every little accomplishments leading to the fulfillment of goals and objectives.
2. Carefully monitor development. To implement a concrete plan of self-discipline is by writing down objectives, including subsets, then keep an accurate record of every improvement.
3. Increase tolerance for pain. Often times, fulfilling one’s goal will entail some sacrifice. When hardship and difficulty are feared, it will result to missing out the very endeavors that are the sources of happiness in self-improvement. Pain with a useful purpose place an individual to a higher level of life.
4. Engage in a lifelong battle with procrastination. Procrastinators make their superiors and co-workers angry and also cause confusions in relationships with other people. Procrastinators are either perfectionist or have distaste for difficult task.
5. Be consciously aware about the dangers of luxury. People who have toughened to pain and exercise discipline in order to reach success will eventually finds themselves enjoying comfort and luxury. The status of ease and prosperity conceals serious threats of gradually destroying the lean toughness and eventually become less productive before knowing it.
6. Cultivate strong sense of integrity and keep the promise severely. Integrity will frequently be judged not only by whether one relates facts accurately but also by how well promises are sustained.

In planning for new market strategies for an existing product, scrutinizing the product can be a big help. The problem is that when surrounded by the products everyday and consistently talking about it with the customers, there is the tendency to develop a product centered vision that the product always looks the same.

The following are series of exercises that can help when evaluating an existing product and its usage:

• Inspect the product intently. What kind of product is it and what is its purpose? How is it used by the customer?
• Turn the product around. Check whether the back view should be the front view instead. Scrutinize the product in all angles. Can the product be used in an inverted manner?
• Recollect how the product has transformed. How many improvements have been made over the years? Are there any other products concealed in the present product?
• If one could start again, would the design of the product be the same again? Should there be no design restraint, redesign the product. Even if the new design is not feasible, it may generate some fresh ideas.
• Touch, feel and use the product. An emotional reaction to products is usually developed after years in the business. How is the level of confidence in selling the product?
• Is the business able to cope-up with the latest materials and new technologies in the market?

In a highly competitive environment it is advisable also to conduct survey among customers as to what kind of improvement or revision can be made to the product in order to make it more interesting to buy and patronize.

A lot have been written on how to choose the right employee for a particular job. How about considering the idea of reversing the situation, that is, what should an employee look for in a “boss?”

According to studies, executives who manage creative employees fall into opposite categories, such as:

There are the supremely secured executives. They often project themselves like the head of the family. They regard creative employees with a mixture of awe and gratefulness. These are executives who are in total control of the financial and administrative aspects of the job are able to look at risk dispassionately. They do not only take chance on a wild idea proposed by a creative employee but will shrug-off the consequences of failure if the ideas did not prosper. These executives are considered as the best employers for creative employees.

There are the compulsively creative executives. These executives are likely to supervise an equally gifted subordinate than as an ally. Success in a job is not always a consideration in these executives mental list of priorities, nor failures. They are strictly go-for-broke. They are a joy to work for but since they are likely to be poor judges of what risks are worth taking and what are not, their failures are sometimes spectacular as their successes, and, when heads roll, their subordinates will be among them.

There are the worst executives. These are the executives who have limited imagination and are hesitant in taking chances. They manage people with iron hands, listen only to their own ideas and feel threatened by any subordinates who shows indications of creative ability. Their idea of success is not to make mistakes.

In any company, a productive executive is someone who has the ability to persuade or convince others to assist or cooperate. This ability is what is called POWER.

There are various ways to help an executive gain more power or influence other people in the workplace without creating any conflict with others.

Render special services. As an executive assign to a particular department, one should create results or provide favors to other departments that would be recognized and appreciated as a contribution to the organization. Over time, a great deal of respect and support will be gained when needed.

Emphasize visible projects. Get involved with new or particularly important company sponsored projects. Extra recognition will be gained for a job well done and eventually help in winning the cooperation of others later on.

Support the subordinates. To be able to gain respect, full assistance and accomplishment of goals, an executive must first help subordinates to achieve their goals. They will surely reciprocate to provide support during difficult situations.

Cooperate with fellow executives. Cooperation towards peers in more ways than one to accomplish their work will be a big factor to obtain their assistance when needed

Adhere to the common purpose. Many people spend time and money that bear little or no relevance to the organizations mission, vision and purpose. An executive needs to avoid this counter productivity and accumulate a solid track record of profit contribution or other meaningful accomplishments that translate into cooperation of others.

Power is an essential part of an executive’s ability in influencing other people in an organization.