How to Boost More Revenue Through Strategic Sales Training
Do you often perceive sales training as a cost-intensive event? Or that once-in-a-while opportunity where your organisation comes together to try and fix what’s broken?
Instead, what if you saw sales training as –
A strategic investment
And a proactive exercise that boosts faster and more sales?
Sales Training is a Revenue Generating Activity
If managers are able to make the connection between sales coaching and higher sales performance, then sales training becomes a revenue generating activity, not a ‘dreaded’ cost-intensive event.
Clearly, there is not one sales manager who wouldn’t then agree that sales training or coaching is crucial.
However, a recent survey carried out by Viddler revealed that 147 out of 150 sales executives agreed that “poor sales coaching” was a major weakness of most sales companies.
Another recent survey by Highspot reported that out of 79% of companies who engage in some form of strategic sales enablement process, 64% indicated ‘sales training must be improved.’
Engage in customised sales training to suit their business
Perhaps it’s time for sales managers to begin to reassess their sales enablement programs to ensure they are engaging in a more customised sales training suiting their unique business structure.
They need to take action, measure performance through good constructive feedback, and turn information into action.
Sales managers need to take action
Sales Managers should take inventory of the effectiveness and sales capability of their sales people so that the sales training can be customised to them, and not a generic ‘off the shelf’ course.
Measure performance through good constructive feedback
This can be done by assessing the gaps between where the business is right now and where you want it to be, or by benchmarking against competitors. A number of sales performance metrics can be used to measure as well as improve sales performance and grow revenue.
A few key performance metrics to focus on should include but not limited to:
Time spent selling, (to identify and eliminate possible sales blocks)
Lead response time (to ensure that your sales people are responding to leads quickly and efficiently).
In addition, standard size of a closed deal is also an important metric to help measure and eliminate deals that are not worth pursuing —sometimes sales people prefer to spend time pursuing small deals because they are easier to get.
Turn information into action
The ability to transform information into action that can add value to your business is the crux of business intelligence (BI). The secret to getting actions such as boosting sales, improving customer service skills, and making intelligent decisions, is having the right information.
All the information that you’ve amassed from constructive feedbacks, customer insights, sales training programs and more should be put into action.
This quote from biomedical informatics and biotechnology entrepreneur, Atul Butte, just about sums it: “Hiding within those mounds of data is knowledge that could change the life of a patient, [business] or change the world.”
For many post the pandemic, the thought of actively selling makes their hair stand on end. The dreaded sales task, or worse, networking events, leaves the body shuddering. But pandemic or not, products and services still need to be sold. So, what are the steps to make that apprehensive sales strategy more enjoyable? And also more rewarding. That is, to ensure you get the desired outcome.
Garret Norris, CEO of the KONA Group and Sales Executive Coach, teaches businesses and sales teams how to confidently sell their products and services. Here he shares with you his top tips and 4 Must Haves in Your 2022 Sales Strategy.
Get your team onto these tips (and if you’re one of the wise ones, get them on a Sales Intensive Workshop), and learn how to calm the networking nerves. That is, learn to prospect confidently to ensure your pipeline is full all year. Have a read and get busy living the dream.
4 Must Haves in Your 2022 Sales Strategy
1. EMBED A HYBRID SALES MODEL
The good part of the past two years sent sales teams into survival mode. The attitude was typically to move our offline operations all entirely online. That is even just for the short term. And we would then all see how it pans out. However, as we know, fortune favours the brave. And for those of us who jumped into the deep end and invested in remote working options, ultimately reaped the benefits as the pandemic drew on, and on, and on.
“According to HubSpot’s 2021 Sales Enablement Report, 64% who transitioned to remote selling met or exceeded their revenue targets.”
Now we are at the time where many are playing catch up. To stay ahead in 2022, it is now time to shape our policies and processes around a hybrid working model.
And guess what? It is not just remote leaders or salespeople who are benefitting from moving towards remote operations. The “LinkedIn State of Sales Report 2021 revealed 50% of buyers believed remote working had made the purchasing process easier too”.
Personalisation in sales pretty much means the act of tailoring your pitch so it acutely addresses the pain points, needs, and challenges of your client. That is, all while making them feel appreciated.
In other words, personalisation in sales means getting rid of generic one-liners and messages. Instead, replace them with ones that provide a more customised customer experience.
Among many Personalisation Techniques in his Sales Intensive Workshops, Garret suggests for higher levels of conversion, embedding some of these tips:
WHAT’S IN A NAME: Include your customers’ names in the subject line.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Send them a note on their birthday. (Keep in mind this means knowing how to create a customer profile, so you know when their birthday is. As well as those other important points you gained from your quality questioning skills!)
RECALL A CHAT: How did your daughter go at the championships? Did Billy get his braces?
3. KNOW YOUR WHY
According to Garret, the key to knocking the sales nerves out of your system is by having a really solid value proposition and knowing it off by heart. He adds, your reason for selling – your Why Statement – should be at the core of your sales strategy. To help craft your team’s Why Statement, Garret suggests asking yourself three questions.
Why do we do what we do?
What are the problems that I’m going to solve for them?
How am I going to solve their problem?
Your value position is not an elevator pitch about your product or service. Rather it is the problems it solves for them. Now once you have crafted your Why Statement, make sure you know it back to front. As well as the answers to all the possible questions that could come out of it.
In Garret’s Workshops and Coaching sessions, he role-plays with his clients to go through the various scenarios and questions that a potential client might ask. He says that after doing this, clients are much more confident in pitching their product or service. As well as very keen to strike up a conversation at a networking event. They often replay these conversations as a team and share answers and insights
4. GET TECHY
It does indeed circle back to our work-from-home setup. Consider, just how much time have we spent in front of screens during the last two years? So it stands to reason that buyers too have now developed a preference for digital.
Now, from a buyer’s perspective, that may mean relying more on live chat options. Or perhaps platforms where questions can be posed and answered on demand. But it also speaks to wider technology sales trends in 2022. Such as automation’s growing role. Or giving your salespeople more tools to drive efficiency and productivity. Keep up with the apps, software, and databases that make the selling and buying process a lot smoother for both you and your customers.
Stay ahead of your competition by ensuring your team is sales savvy and ready for 2022. Gather the team and we will take care of the rest – learning and laughs included.
Call us at KONAon 1300 611 288 for a conversation, or emailinfo@kona.com.auanytime.
Brain teasers and logic puzzles are known to improve short-term memory loss? Testing your knowledge bank with brain teasers and other types of riddles keeps the connections between your brain cells firing. Additionally, when we learn how to solve brain teasers, we improve our ability to focus too! So to kick start the year ahead with our minds sharp and prepared, try these Top 10 Brain Teasers to Get You into Gear for 2022.
Brain Teasers Questions
1. On my way to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats, and each cat had seven kits. Kits, cats, sacks, and wives. How many were going to St. Ives?
2. Which is heavier? A kilo of feathers or a kilo of rocks?
3. You are a cyclist in a cross-country race. Just before the crossing finish line, you overtake the person in second place. What place did you finish in?
4. A man is looking at a photograph of someone. His friend asks who it is. The man replies, “Brothers and sisters, I have none. But that man’s father is my father’s son.” Who was in the photograph?
5. How much dirt is there in a hole that is 1m deep, and 80cm in diameter?
6. There are three houses. One’s red, one’s blue, and one’s white. If the red house is to the left of the house in the middle, and the blue house is to the right to the house in the middle, where is the white house?
7. You’re in a cabin and it’s pitch black. You have one match on you. Which do you light first: the newspaper, the lamp, the candle, or the fire?
8. A man pushes his car to a hotel and tells its owner he’s bankrupt. Why?
9. A man left home running. He ran a short way and then turned left, ran the same distance and turned left again, ran the same distance and turned left again. When he got home, there were two masked men. Who were they?
10. What is special about these words: job, polish, herb?
Brain Teasers Answers
1. One! Only I was going to St. Ives2. Both weigh exactly one pound!3. Second. If you pass the person in second, you take second, and they take third.4. His son.5. None, because a hole and contains no dirt.6. In Washington DC.7. You light the match first.8. Because he’s playing Monopoly.9. The catcher and the umpire.10. They are pronounced differently when the first letter is capitalized.
All through my sales career and even today people have commented on how “lucky” I am… My response has been and will continue to be, “It’s hard work being this lucky”.
When I had large teams of salespeople, throwing “luck” in as a conversation sometimes helped but they also knew how unreliable it is. I have seen luck occasionally give lift to morale, but attributing success or failure to random outside factors drains salespeople’s willingness to try new strategies and they sometimes use it as an excuse (“Oh I was just unlucky with that deal“).
Consequently, I urge sales managers to de-emphasise luck, instead stressing the importance of stable, measurable, and controllable factors such as motivation and activity = results.
But if you choose to ignore “luck” altogether, you stand to fall behind competitors who have learned how to manage it.
Manage it? Yes: In my experience, luck should be viewed as a controllable determinant of salespeople’s achievement. Success derives not from effort alone but from a combination of effort, thus, creating “luck”. An understanding of luck’s synergistic role in success can improve performance and increase young salespeople’s confidence in the face of uncertainty and failure.
I have conducted many exploratory interviews with salespeople, including successful sales professionals and new salespeople, and research involving over 250 salespeople who sold many different products and services. The salespeople all had territories and targets and used a customer-relationship-management system.
Through this process I found that experienced salespeople can tell many tales of luck, and they tend to say that an important factor in their jobs is provoked luck: unexpected events that come about because their strategic behaviour has maximised the opportunities.
An example of provoked luck is one of my team who first lost a key account, then won it back because he called them every three months, emailed them relevant information and made sure that he remained their “strategic adviser” (see below KONA’s Six Levels of a Sales Professional).
Then, as “luck” would have it, he had an opportunity to help an executive of the client with industry advice, and the client put in a good word for him (this salesperson was always getting himself into lucky circumstances!!!).
My research findings involving salespeople has allowed me to estimate the importance of luck-related events in selling.
For example, following our sales training, a particularly renowned company’s sales team of 70 people sold more than $1.32M in services in one quarter – and they attributed more than two-thirds of the revenue to luck.
In fact, of more than $430,000 raised in selling, about 60% came from what they call “luck circumstances,” with the rest deriving from standard sales processes. From 76% to 88% of the “luck” circumstances were incidences of “provoked luck”. LUCKY, THEY HAD THE TRAINING!!!!
The numbers would no doubt vary somewhat in other contexts, but I’m confident that provoked luck – that is, activity – is part of sales success in many if not all segments (but my question is, if no activity happened would they have been so lucky?).
So how do you manage this hugely important sales input?
The key is – belief.
I found that the greater a salesperson’s belief that success is a combination of luck and effort and that good luck will come, the greater a person’s sales activities, such as making phone calls, meeting prospects, qualifying prospects, and gathering intelligence about prospects and competitors.
The greater the sales activities, the greater the opportunities for luck and the greater the person’s provoked luck. The greater the provoked luck, the higher the performance.
Belief in the power of luck seems to boost self-assurance, thereby helping experienced sales professionals remain optimistic in the face of setbacks and assisting inexperienced salespeople in overcoming uncertainty and fear of failure.
These factors are critical in helping salespeople maintain motivation and job satisfaction. They also matter a lot in reducing turnover, especially for new salespeople.
Not only does a belief in luck boost sales behaviours, but it works the other way around too: sales behaviours can set the stage for improved luck.
Here are a few such behaviours that your sales team can be trained in:
Building a strong pipeline: Salespeople should be trained to search for knowledge about customers, prospects, competitors, and the overall market. The more field intelligence a salesperson has, the smarter (or “luckier”) they become.
Manage the Key Accounts: Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important life skills to learn. Communication is defined as transferring information to produce greater understanding. The quality of our communication can only be measured by the response we receive from the other person, do not blame the other person if they don’t understand you!
Managers should be setting high goals: I’m not talking about targets. I’m talking about number of calls, numbers of meeting and real measurable activities, such as trying to surpass one’s past performance. Salespeople should be encouraged to adopt such goals, because they drive forward-looking behaviours. Ambitious goals make salespeople more creative and strategic.
Negotiate to sell more value: Poor sales negotiating may be costing you as much as 50% of your net profit. Economic uncertainty has taught customers to push hard on price and terms, and even relatively receptive buyers use aggressive negotiation techniques. For sellers, the impact on average price can be as much as 5%, which in turn can represent up to 50% of net profits.
To learn how to MAKE YOUR SALES TEAM “LUCKY” contact KONA: 1300 611 288 for a confidential conversation, or Email us at info@kona.com.au today.
What most executives don’t know is that hiring salespeople can be expensive, considering that they have to be trained first before they can be deployed in the field.
Companies typically spend more on hiring in sales than they do anywhere else in their business.
So how do you improve the returns on this investment in hiring salespeople?
Developing criteria of what you are looking for, such as experience, industry contacts, and knowledge of your product and the market will help you dissect the eligibility of a prospect sales professional. Ideally, this person would be good at building a sales force, so they should be a player-coach as well.
If you are ready to hire a professional salesperson, you need to develop criteria and a list of questions to ask. In this post, we will give you different tips on how you can start hiring a sales professional. Here are a few considerations:
Visible Sales Professional Experience
One good way of knowing if one is legitimately appropriate at being a sales professional in your company is with their experience in this field.
Your recruitment team should develop a process wherein sales experience will be readily seen and evaluated during application; casual questions that uncover their level of sales expertise during the initial interview and written exams that have actual sales situations that can show how effective they are in making sales decisions are just ones of the techniques that you can integrate.
Clear Understanding of Sales Process
Once you’ve determined if their previous sales experiences is sufficient enough to match your company needs, it is now the time to know if they have proper knowledge about the intricacies sales process. You may ask during the interview the methods they go through when engaging a potential customer, such as:
Do they use a database of contacts and write to prospects and then follow up with a phone call?
How many calls do they believe it takes before they get a meeting, and how many sessions until they get a sale?
Another way to gauge the capability of a budding salesperson to close sales is to give them an object or concept and see if they can get you to buy.
Thorough Personality Assessment
It might be complicated to assess the personality of an individual at the first interview. But, if your company keeps up with the ever-growing profiling of professional salespeople in the business industry, assessing will be an easy task for you.
Research based upon thousands of exit interviews shows that a primary cause of poor performance and turnover is poor job fit. People, especially salespeople with a variable pay component, become frustrated when they hire for tasks that are a poor fit with their skills and preferences. That is why nowadays, assessing first the personality of an individual plays a huge part in how they are capable of handling the position as a part of your sales team.
Search for Growth Potential
If your goal in recruiting sales staff is to build a high calibre sales team, you need individuals who are equipped to scale the career ladder. These individuals will fill leadership roles on your sales team and eventually work their way to positions in sales management and beyond.
The sales industry is continuously adapting with different techniques that most consumers prefer when closing a deal, so it is only wise to hire an individual that is willing to grow with you as a company that provides great service and experience to its customers.
Contact KONA Customised Training and Consulting today and let us help you assemble of professional salespeople that deliver results for your company through our Sales and Management Training. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
There are many learnings on how to win deals. But, if you’re in the sales game, sometimes it feels like it is easier to blow a deal than it is to close one. But, why would we teach you how to blow a deal rather than how to win one? Well, because, if you know what not to do, you won’t do it. While we do our best to close every deal, it is important to realise that even the best get beaten sometimes.
SALES MISTAKES ARE A GOOD THING
The instant you lose a prominent prospect can be an overwhelming emotional time. That is, you can become overwhelmed with confusion, disappointment, and even despair. Additionally, anger and resentment can also surface.
The fact of the matter is, losing a deal is a good thing. Sounds like lunacy right? But think about it. You will never get a better chance to critique and analyse your actions. And also learn where you went wrong and what mistakes you made. All of this will undoubtedly increase your sales efficiency and ultimately your conversion rate moving forward.
LEARNING FROM SALES MISTAKES
There are small subtle things we do or say – or do not do or do not say – that can make or break a deal. Don’t let these deal breakers be the reason you lose a strong business opportunity. Knowing how to win leads is crucial. But what about how to lose a lead? Here are 9 Ways to Blow a Deal and how you can learn from your sales mistakes.
Deal breaker number one, and unfortunately and all too common one – not knowing your client or customer. And more frighteningly, you have done absolutely no research on your prospect. If you don’t know anything about them or their company how can you possibly be on the same page as them and help them?
2. RIGHT PLACE, WRONG PERSON
If you are not talking with the right person then you are also not connecting with the right person. If you want to close a deal, you must identify the correct contact and work on understanding their needs. That is, make sure you are directing your efforts towards the decision-maker.
3. YOU ARE NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
You need to convince your prospect you and your company are the ANSWER to their problems. But how are you to know the answer to their problem if you do not ask the right questions to find out what their problem is? Ask your customer about their challenges, where they are struggling, and what their goals are. By understanding these points you will be able to tailor your approach to their needs.
4. FIXED ON FEATURES
One of the strongest ways to win a lead is to sell beyond your benefits. That is, learn to sell on value! Selling on Features and Benefits alone is not enough. But how are you to know how your customer will benefit from your product or service if you do not know the value of your own organisation. Whether your prospect is already using a competitor’s solution or is considering you as a first-time vendor, you need to make them understand why your company is better, different, and best primed to help them. Does your team have a unified why statement?
Before you can even sell your product or service, you need to understand the problem that the prospect is facing. You might be the greatest company in the industry and can rattle off why you’re so great, but if you are not talking about the customer and their pain points it won’t matter.
Yes, talk about what value you can bring them and why you are their best if not only solution – but then stop. Stop and listen. Listen to your prospects talk about themselves. Give them all the attention they deserve and be respectful at all times. And when you do talk, discuss the points they raised (were you listening?) ask them questions, and let them answer. This will help direct the conversation.
Ultimately, you might falsely believe that by talking “at” the prospect is a great approach to avoid any awkward silence. It is not. Be comfortable with the silence. Is your team equipped with the Power of the Pause tools?
6. YOU TAKE OBJECTIONS PERSONALLY
You’re in the objection game, so expect them, get used to them, and – USE them. You must have the tools to know how to handle difficult customers, as they will undoubtedly cross your path. Be able to overcome concerns and more importantly anticipate them so you readily put those concerns to rest, and gain commitment. Once you can handle objections it is only then you can use them to your advantage. Does your team know how to turn a challenge into an opportunity?
7. EMAILS ONLY TYPE OF PERSON
Email may be a great medium to introduce your company and solutions to a potential customer, but emails should not be your selling strategy. Too much can be lost in translation. You also are not able to effectively capture tone or emotion. A face-to-face meeting (even virtually) or a phone call are the best ways to have open dialogues and really work through a sale. Ultimately, this form of visible connection will open you up to the amazing new world of non-verbal communication tells. Can your team read their customers?
8. SCARED TO TALK COSTS
Price may not always be the main objection a customer has, but it will certainly come up in the conversation. Not everyone can talk costs, to know how to win a lead, you must have the courage to think like a leader, and have all styles of conversations. Ultimately, you need to make sure you are able to talk about prices for all products and services. Someone may always be willing to do something cheaper but that doesn’t mean it will be effective. Show them the value. Do your salespeople know how to focus on the value of the solution to be able to defend price?
9. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE TOOL IN YOUR KIT
In Sales, you need to be adaptable. One selling approach does not fit all. If you are talking to someone more analytical in nature, give them data. If you are talking to someone who is direct, match the approach without long-winded answers. Know your customer’s behaviour style and you will know how to best sell to them. Do you know how to read and adapt to your clients?
Don’t let these selling setbacks be the reason you lose a deal.
Our HOW TO WIN LEADS WORKSHOPS are now running for group sessions in person andonline.
We can help you and your team overcome these common sales hurdles, and ultimately see profitable results instantly.
Wouldn’t it be great to outperform your competition and win more deals?
Improve Your Call Centre and Customer Service Team’s Skills and Results
Are you looking to improve your Call Centre and Customer Service team’s skills and results?
Do you want to increase your sales and repeat business?
Are you looking to build lasting relationships and increase your market share?
KONA’s Call Centre Training programs turn your good people into winning people as your team will learn new techniques, hone their existing skills and become confident customer service partners to your customers
No matter what industry you operate in, no matter the size of your business, no matter the qualifications of your team, if you require results driven, highly effective Call Centre Training, contact KONA today.
KONA Group’s Hearts and Minds Call Centre Training program has been crafted over years of experience in Sales Training and Customer Service Training in Call Centres. We will transform your good people into true champions by transforming their behaviour and their performance.
Does that sound too good to be true?
Feel free to go through our case studies and you will find clear evidence that our approach not only works, but it delivers results that will stun you.
Generic, ‘off the shelf’, by the book, Call Centre Training Courses do not deliver effective results, and they are not the best use of your investment if you are looking to develop a highly effective team that deliver the results you need.
So if you are looking to increase the effectiveness and results of your Call Centre and Customer Service team, contact KONA today on 1300 611 288 or email info@kona.com.au to discuss how we can help you improve your organisation’s results.
As most of Australia emerges from lockdown, we are left to work out what a COVID workforce will be moving forward.
There is a lot that is unknown, however, one thing is certain, things will never go back to being exactly the way they were BC, you know, before COVID.
The way in which we work is one of the many changes resulting from a pandemic world. And as such we now find that our core business skillsets need to also be adapted. There are 6 Business Skills Needed in a Post Lockdown Workplace that your team will need to adopt to succeed in the aftermath of a pandemic.
1. ADAPTABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY
The world was already evolving rapidly BC, and the pandemic just accelerated it. Whatever the catalyst is for change, change has occurred, and we need to accept and adapt to it being the norm.
The need for meetings has not changed, but what has changed is the acceptance and flexibility we are affording one another when it comes to how we conduct them. To succeed in this new world we are in, we will need to be able to adapt to an ever-evolving workplace. Additionally, we will need to have the ability to continuously update and refresh our communication skills.
2. TECH SAVVINESS
One of the best ways to prepare yourself and your team for change is to acquire skills that keep you ahead of the game. The pandemic fast-tracked digital transformations in companies to a level and a speed that was never before seen. The reality is advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, and robotics will make businesses more resilient to future disruptions. And any team or business that can adapt to new technologies will be in a great position.
3. CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
We have already seen the importance of creativity and innovation during the pandemic. Businesses that have been able to come up with ways to deliver services virtually or quickly shift to new products have been able to better weather the storm. In this brave new world we are in, we need human ingenuity to invent and dream up new products to be prepared for the “next thing”. Human creativity is going to be essential, particularly in managing our key accounts. That is, we need to step outside the square and look at how we continue to offer value solutions through creative thinking.
To succeed in today’s new world, Leaders need to be empathetic and adopt a personalised approach to managing individuals within a team. A Personalised Leadership Development plan is what helps turn a manager into a Leader. A Personlised Leadership Framework begins by developing a strategic growth plan. That is, one that outlines both short and long-term plans. By developing this style of Leadership Framework, an individual is able to increase skills, knowledge, and experience through layered learnings. And additionally, Leaders will be able to build positive mental reinforcements as well as create a firm foundation of leadership ability.
5. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Intricately linked to Leadership is another skill that is even more important in uncertain and challenging times. That is, Emotional Intelligence (EQ).
Fundamentally, the ability to be aware of, express, and control our emotions and be aware of others’ emotions is what emotional intelligence is all about. At times when people might feel uncertain about their job and the future of their business, it is key to connect with people. That is, on an emotional level.
Individuals with strong EQ will be coveted by organisations of all sizes and in all industries.
Throughout the Work From Home stages, we have been measuring Leaders’ EQ and coaching them on how they best navigate through these times. As we move post-COVID life, it is this type of measurement and forward thinking by leaders that will become mainstream.
6. COMMIT TO A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
According to the World Economic Forum, in just five years, 35 percent of the skills deemed essential today will change. There’s only one way to remain relevant in an ever changing world: commit to a lifetime of learning.
When faced with a tight job market, professionals with advanced and expert job skills will still be in demand. Additionally, they will likely struggle less to find employment.
With so many learning options available these days, people are often tempted to simply go to Google, type in some general search terms, and start one of the first courses that pops up. That’s a waste of time. Job requirements are quickly evolving. To ensure relevance, you need to focus on learning the latest emerging skills.
The good news is that improving your skills has never been easier with KONA’s Business Skills in the New World Workshop. It can be virtualor face to face, we customise all the learnings to your team’s needs and challenges.
Life in Sales can be one hectic roller coaster ride. That is, one day you are flying high hitting your target. And then the next day, you want out of the game as nothing appears to be working. Basically, Sales jobs don’t finish at the close of business each day. A client may be available for meetings only after office hours or on weekends.
That said, Salespeople are always switched on. Especially when they are behind on their quota and down on their KPIs. This consequently leads many to experience anxiety, mental fatigue, constant pressure, stress, and eventually, burnout.
It is time we talk about Mental Health in Sales
The cost of ignoring mental health in Sales is enormous. For those of us in Sales, we are at times all too familiar with the angst of not hitting target. Additionally, we fret that an account we have been working on for weeks, and sometimes months, may just be lost at the negotiation stage. And on top of all that, we are trying to juggle our professional lives with our private life. Concerningly, if we are unable to manage our daily stressors, the result is seen in a decline in performance. And more worryingly, a decline in our overall health.
Unfortunately, anxiety and depression are quite common in the Sales industry. This is due to the high demand and cut-throat environment. It is often assumed, that Salespeople are overconfident, energetic, extroverted, and on-the-go. However, this is not always the case. Closing a deal can be euphoric but losing a prospect you have worked on for a long time can cause depression. And this consequently affects your overall disposition and mood. But do you know what? That Is OK!
Here are four common mental health problems encountered in the Sales industry:
Behavioural and Emotional Disorders
Clinical Depression and/or Anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD)
Mood Disorders
Most of these mental health issues require medical and professional help. Having dedicated support and medical staff who are trained to handle such cases is necessary in ensuring the well-being of your employees. Crucially, creating a culture where work-life balance is encouraged and also prioritised also helps.
Importance of addressing Mental Health in Sales
A burnt-out Sales team is an unproductive team. WHO recently recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon. The agency notes that burnout is only applicable in the occupational context and not in other aspects of life. Salespersons suffering from this mental health issue in the workplace experience the following:
Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
Increased mental distance from job or feelings of negativism/cynicism related to their job
Reduced professional efficacy
Sales burnout affects the physical and mental well-being of sufferers in a myriad of ways. This includes:
Fatigue and Sluggishness
High Blood Pressure
Anxiety and Depression
Irritability
Anger
Help your team combat Mental Health in Sales by creating a healthy workplace environment for them. And also for you! Your own mental health is equally as important. But how do we create that environment that will help improve mental health and productivity? The World Economic Forum states it begins with an awareness of the environment we have in our workplace. Additionally, an awareness of how that environment can be adapted to improve the mental health of all types of employees. And fundamentally, how we equip our people, and ourselves, to handle stress and pressure.
A healthy and vibrant workplace is a product of strong Leadership and cohesive management. How a Salespersons and other employees are treated by their managers has a huge impact. That is, on how they feel about themselves and their work. Also, how Leaders manage their own stressors also has a massive impact.
Work-Related Risks to Mental Health
1) Poor Communication Practices
Knowing how understand othersand how to communicate with team members is more than just assigning tasks. Poor communication between colleagues may lead to a negative workplace culture. That in turn results in below-average performances. And eventually diminished trust within the team framework.
It is crucial we all know how to communicate not just responsibilities but also encouragement. Additionally, we must know how to communicate constructive criticism. That is, we must learn how to have those difficult conversations. Leaders and managers need to be approachable. Plus, they need to know how to actively listen to their Salespeople. Fundamentally, we all must be open about discussions around mental health in Sales.
2) Confusing Instructions
When delegating tasks, make sure you are clear and concise. Clear communication helps guide your Salespeople into doing a thorough job.
The Quality of Our Communication Is Measured by the Response that We Receive
– Don’t Blame the Other Person If They Don’t Understand You!
When instructions are unclear, your team members might fail or make errors. Consequently. these mishaps can strike a blow to their confidence. And this ultimately leads to further mistakes. So, regularly ask your colleagues if they understand the task. Also, ask them if they need assistance. As a result, when employees are aptly guided, they feel valued. Moreover, they also do their job correctly. This in turn boosts their motivation and increases productivity.
3) Limited Decision-Making Participation
When managers take total control of decision-making, their colleagues tend to lose their sense of commitment in their work. That is, having an environment where they just obey orders makes them feel voiceless. And it also makes them feel helpless. You can prevent this by actively seeking their ideas. Especially when coming up with new plans or decisions. And many times, you will find their input may improve business practices. So provide a platform for all employees to share their thoughts and opinions. Collaboration is crucial.
4) Person not a Number
Treating your employees like numbers on a payroll can bring them down. Also not supporting them during their time of need can also impact their mental state. Additionally, Sales team members that feel their managers don’t care for them are likely to have low productivity and poor performance outcomes.
Make sure your team knows the company values their well-being. So support them when they ask for help. Such as decreasing their workload when they are struggling. Or give them ample time to recover when signs of Sales burnout are apparent. Visible concern for your employees can help encourage them to do better. Additionally, it fosters a positive workplace culture.
What are the early signs of a Mental Health problem?
Mental health concerns often go unrecognised and unaddressed. Consequently, this leads to bigger problems for the organisation and the employee. You can create a mental health positive environment to help combat this. But you still need to keep an eye open for early signs. That is so if you spot the signs of mental illness, you can make a much bigger impact with your support.
You can classify symptoms into three levels of severity. An individual may be experiencing differing levels of severity for different symptoms simultaneously.
The levels of severity are:
Mild: A few symptoms, with little effect on day-to-day.
Moderate: More symptoms that can make their daily life much more difficult than usual.
Severe: Many symptoms that can make their daily life extremely difficult.
Physical Signs
A panic attack can be an incredibly frightening experience. And several physical symptoms can happen all at once. Someone who is suffering a panic attack at work may begin to shake and sweat. Also they may struggle to breathe or experience a choking sensation. Additionally, they may feel as if their heart is pounding at a rapid rate. Or that they can feel pain in their chest.
Psychological Signs
Psychological signs can be harder to identify. Additionally, they may require you to be extra observant of employee wellbeing at work. The psychological signs may include:
1. Confusion and Distraction
While it can be difficult to notice these symptoms, you may have a hunch one of your employees is suffering. When you pair this symptom with another sign, it may indicate there is a mental health concern happening.
2. Memory Lapses
Lapses in memory can be one of the more recognisable psychological signs. Moreover, it may often lead to disorientation and confusion. There are many factors that can result in memory lapses, including overwhelming stress or experiencing trauma.
3. Tearfulness
Noticing that a team member is uncharacteristically tearful may signal problems in their personal life. Or perhaps it is in fact they are going through stress or ill mental health. Regardless of the reason why, they may benefit from talking to someone or to know that someone can support them.
Behavioural Signs
Many times, we can misinterpret behavioural signs as a poor performance or diminished work ethic or etiquette. This can result in an employee being wrongfully reprimanded.
If you spot such signals in a team member, perhaps try to speak to them or offer help without punishing them. The behavioural signals of someone struggling with mental health may be:
1. Agression Anger
Increased anger and irritability in a team member is a tell-tale sign of mental health disorders. This is especially so if this is an employee who is characteristically calm with usually a cool and collected personality.
2. Risk Taking
If a colleague takes a risk, or risks, that seem out of character this can be a potential signal of bipolar disorder. They also may appear to be making more impulsive decisions without thinking through the consequences. Disorders like this will need the help and support of a mental health professional.
3. Increased Absenteeism
Increased absenteeism from a team member may initially lead to disciplinary action. However, before it may be worthwhile having a conversation with them to make sure they are not going through personal concerns. Offering support and help to your colleagues and team may help to decrease absenteeism if there is an underlying cause that can be identified and addressed.
What Can You Do?
We all now have some further information about some of the potential indicators of unwell mental health. This means you are better equipped to spot these signs in teammates and able to offer the necessary support.
Implementing an employee wellbeing service may be a starting point to make the topic of mental health in Sales an open platform for discussion.
A well-being program shows your employees you are committed to caring for them and giving them the support they need to be happy and healthy at work. This is something you as a Leader may not personally be able to provide but have instigated to help your team, plus also a service you too may benefit from.
As a Leader you can only do so much, so encourage your employees to look to their support network of friends, family members, and mental health professionals. You can do this by making employees aware of resources such as the national suicide prevention Lifeline. This makes sure everyone receives support in all areas of their life.
Call us at KONA on 1300 611 288 for a conversation, or emailinfo@kona.com.au anytime.
The end-of-year celebrations are a great test to see those true personalities come out, especially after almost two years on zooms! And that’s why it’s important to understand the different behaviour types within your organisation, so that you embed a strong positive team culture going into the New Year.
Fundamentally, understanding the drivers of people’s behaviour is what turns a company into an awesome organisation. With that in mind, having a high-performing team is what every leader wants to accomplish. And it all begins with understanding each other. That is, understanding our colleagues, our customers, and equally as important, understanding our self!
BEST PARTY EVER – WITH ROI
As groups of people working together, day in day out, we need to know how to navigate different behaviours. DISC Behaviour Profiling is so much FUN. But also, it helps us better understand why we behave the way we do. Additionally, it shows us how we can work and communicate better with the four different behaviour types. Basically, it is a really fun way of improving the culture and productivity of your workplace.
Fun Specialist Garret Norris Delivering a DISC Work Party in a Car Park
Think about it. You get your team all together at the office, chips, nibbles, drinks and DISC Games! Have a DISC Party – where you can have fun and learn something new at the same time. We call it EDUTAINMENT!
What an investment in your people, team, and ultimately your organisation. This will be the end of year party they will all remember for all the good reasons when they return in 2022.
WHAT IS DISC
Applying the knowledge of DISC in the workplace is straightforward and its benefits can include developing more effective managers and leaders, building cohesive teams, improving sales and customer service, enhancing communication and reducing conflict… to name just a few.
“DISC is the ultimate ‘mirror on the wall’ that explains what everyone else can see: the surface level of who you are – your behaviour.”
Dominance (D) – How we deal with problems and challenges.
Influence (I) – How we deal with people and contacts.
Steadiness (S) – How we deal with the pace and consistency of the environment.
Compliance (C) – How we deal with procedures and constraints.
DISC Profiling is used by an estimated 75% of the Fortune 500 because of what it delivers. It continues to be the most popular choice for professional development as well as recruitment and selection. And the most powerful thing about DISC is its simplicity.
DISC WORK PARTY
You provide the nibbles and drinks and we will take care of the rest! Your DISC Team Work Party will include:
DISC Facilitator + Fun Specialist comes to you
Individual Comprehensive DISC Profile Report
Unpacking DISC Reports
Action-Packed Activities
Interactive Exercises
Individual Certificate of Understanding Human Behaviour for Every Participant
Company Certificate of Understanding Human Behaviour
Hi Garret, I just wanted to say thank you again for today the feedback I was given this afternoon was that it far surpassed what they expected and that it was completely different to expectations but it covered everything in such an immersive and engaging way. I hope you had a safe trip home. And I will be in touch for some more future training opportunities!
Erica Wilkinson
Pathways Business Manager
Thank you Garret Norris. Your dissemination of knowledge was inspiring, insightful, thought provoking and lot of Fun! Your ability to create a safe, relaxed & energetic environment in which to deliver & demonstrate your ideas and knowledge is remarkable! Made for lots of learning and had a positive impact on us all! Thank you
Melissa Peace
Strategic Partnership Expert
A fantastic 3 days, you had us engaged, interacting, learning and threw us out of our comfort zones in the best possible way. I echo what my colleagues have said below, all of which is 100% true. Implementing these three days into what we do is now the focus and I look forward to connecting again soon, and look forward to more sessions where we can continue to learn, develop and and thrive in what we do, whilst living and breathing our WHY. Still buzzing, thank you!
Hessa Robinson
Education Sales Manager
The team loved the day and were raving about it to our marketing colleagues and managers who were unable to make the session. Garret, you were an amazing and engaging presenter.”
Dominic Taafe
Oncology Portfolio Manager
Hi Garret, I would like to say thank you for your time and effort last week at the Martec sales conference. The session from you went beyond my expectations in both your delivery and the involvement from my team. Thank you once again!
Ken Dick
General Manager
Hi John,
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the sessions and contribution in our journey towards service excellence. The sessions were very well planned and relevant to our modus operandi. The team is very appreciative of your guiding principles and quick lessons from the sessions. The immediate display of the lessons learnt will be witnessed during our current peak time. I’m definitely a better listener now Thank you.
Aakanksh Nyayapati
Senior Analyst, IT Service Delivery
Again I found the training session really engaging, you can tell that Garret is very passionate about what he does. It may sound cheesy, but I left feeling inspired and refreshed.
Kimberly Britts
As always I thought Garret was amazing and motivational, great refresher and gave me some new ideas to try and apply to what I do. Always great to participate in these sessions.
Stuart Gill
Honestly I don’t think it matters his cost as always has something insightful and thought-provoking to leave you with no matter how many times you’ve seen him or your position or length of tenure.
I would love to see what he could offer the wider company (not just sales) from a psychology point of view because I feel that the provocation he provides is beneficial to all he comes in contact with. I really enjoy it because we just get each other.
Daniel Jura
Being relatively new to this industry I was a little apprehensive going into my company training day, I thought it may have been scientific and technical and it's an area where I feel a teeny bit inadequate. The relief I felt when Garret started "warming up" the room was ridiculous. He made everyone feel comfortable, relaxed and engaged. At times I feel we over complicate things to make ourselves feel more important or special. In the end, Garret reinforced the need to slow down, fully engage, leave the ego at the door and listen. This training is a must have for all teams, no matter the level. It will make you stop, think and love sales again. Can't wait until the next one.
Stacey Taylor
Account Executive
Garret Norris is a rock star coach. He has transformed our Inside Sales team.
Love his work!
David Piggott
Managing Director
Having just competed a national customised training program where we engaged Garret and KONA all I can say is thank you Garret does his homework and prepares.
The impact we were able to achieve with our teams in rolling out a game changer was fantastic. Thanks Garret appreciate the effort and the results to date.
Iain Whyley
National Sales Manager
It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to participate in a number of Garret's training and skill enhancing workshops and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Even as an experienced sales professional I always learn new things from him, think harder about what I do, and become more effective in my role. Garret's presentation style is both unique and genuine, honest to the core, while his role play and coaching principles are easy to understand and extremely worthwhile.
For anyone who needs to hone or develop sales and negotiation skills Kona, and particularly Garret, are certainly the RIGHT choice.
Craig Alderson
Business Manager
As a sales and negotiation professional, I have been involved in a few courses. I am very impressed by the way Garrett gets to the point directly and I know he speaks from experience. He has lived it.
I would like to work with Garrett more in the future as I believe we speak the same language in business. I’ll be in touch soon. Thanks Garret.
Shane Campbell
Senior Key Account Manager
Garret and Healthy Business Builder has been a huge influence on our business and its staff, The results have drastically increased thanks to his techniques and on going support. Very impressed with the overall service and I look forward to continuing our partnership in the future. Highly Recommended.
Johnny Justic
Founder and Managing Director
If we have the opportunity to have more sessions, I think it would be very beneficial. I have found that the concepts presented and the skills we are working on are quickly delivering results and are relevant to us, not simply adapted from their usual clientele. He is much more engaging than other speakers we have had in the past, and from the way other members of the team have been speaking about him it’s a feeling and opinion shared by many others. Also : if he can turn skeptics like Palagy around, I feel that says something!
Rebecca Landers
Tax Depreciation Specialist
Thank you again for spending time with our team over past 2 days.
Some valuable tips learnt and looking forward to seeing the impact it has on our team moving forward.
Jeremy Sinclair
Team Leader, Business Development
Definitely the best training session I have attended (including my own ha ), I could relate to the methods conveyed to us very easily. Well done Garrett and look forward to another head bashing
Gary Tozer
Tax Depreciation Specialist
We certainly appreciate the time and effort and will be making sure we include some of the hints and tips into our processes moving forward.
Matt Jenkin
Team Leader, Business Development
I really thought Garret was brilliant, its not just about selling, its about getting the conversation started. I felt it was really good. I have started using some of the techniques already and adapting to my style.
1 – First call Thursday, did a different approach, lady called in, started the chat by tell me about the property, then went onto telling me the info on the house, I went over everything, she was sounding relaxed, got her remaining details and said “lets get this started today for you” response Great lets do it.
2 – next call was a guy, same style all went well, then the Cost question, Ï can get this for $660.00 from another company” My response, that’s great, Do you want to save $100 today or save $thousands more in deductions with us in the long term, slight silence, then said good point, went ahead!
Stewart Gill
Tax Depreciation Specialist
I enjoy his take on what to say to clients who have been given the wrong free from their accountant. He said not to apologise and don’t get stuck on it and simply say that the fee is $770 and that you’ll call the accountant afterwards to make sure they know the fee’s, but then move on straight away. It was refreshing to have an outsider’s perspective on that. I tried it yesterday and didn’t apologise to a client when the accountant gave them the wrong fee. Not sure if it was just luck, or if Garrett is a genius or if it made me sound more confident or what but she converted.
Sarah Jackson
Tax Depreciation Specialist
I was so impressed with your training programmes, I felt compelled to write to you in appreciation. Although it was blatantly obvious you were a professional outfit right from our first meeting, your services have far surpassed my expectations.
I have been in sales and sales management for 15 years with 5 different companies and have attended many quality-training programs. During this time I have never experienced a program that adapted its philosophies and methodology so succinctly with a companies industry, market, products and value proposition.
Ultimately! The test of any training program is the results it delivers. Since KONA has worked with James Hardie the sales effectiveness of the team has increased dramatically. But an even more noticeable improvement is the quality of leadership displayed by the sales management team.
Glen Doherty
General Manager Sales
Glenn Dobson is the most charismatic and inspirational sales training and business development coach I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
At times confronting, Glenn breaks down your current sales process and delivers honest direct feedback! With a thorough understanding of your customers, product and industry, Glenn provides you with the necessary tools and roadmap to be more effective in professional sales.
Glenn's material is all his own and is presented in an easy to understand format, tailored for your business. I look forward to working with Glenn in the future. Ps, all the best for the IronMan world champs Glenn!
Graham Winder
BDM
Not only has our partnership with KONA proven to be highly beneficial for our management team… it has also proven to be an enormous return on investment with sales improving by over 23%.
Mark Lucas
Director XEROX UK
I have enjoyed working with KONA several times.
KONA have worked with my sales team strategically to raise the bar on their performance and belief in their ability to deliver results.
As personal coaches the HBB Group have guided me through my career by reminding me to clear away the clutter and keep it simple Sam. Keep on running Glenn.
Frank Courtney-Jay
Sales and Marketing Manager HP Singapore
Next Business Solutions used the team at KONA to take us through their Hearts and Minds training. Great team at KONA of people who are not only very experienced their product but they also bring their people skills that have been developed through their extensive global activities.
Rob Clydesdale
Microsoft Next Business Solutions Franchisee
Garret is a true professional and constantly challenges the norm which creates the high performing teams we have at MLA.
Garret has lead and coached our team to deliver outcomes that make a difference.
The approach from Healthy Business Builder was unique to our business and it has proven to be successful for MLA.
I would highly recommend Garret for any other business wanting positive, successful outcomes for your business.
Lisa Sharp
Chief Marketing Officer
The KONA Group has provided excellent customised training and coaching for our managers and staff at Nova Employment. First of all the KONA team gave a vast amount of knowledge to our managers on how to manage their staff. They then educated the employment consultants on how to handle difficult employers when telemarketing for jobs, before also giving them the skills on how to hold a face to face sales meeting. KONA have increased our jobs by 50% ever since they have been providing Nova managers and staff training and coaching.
They are always willing to provide assistance when needed and are always available to call if we need any further help.
Their training has been very successful for our organization and has been able to put Nova Employment in an extremely strong position. I highly recommend the KONA training and coaching as they are very good mentors in providing the best outcomes.
Peter Delimitrou
Employment Service Manager
The development programmes have had an outstanding effect on our business and results, and on the way our sales people treat our customers.
Frank Morberger
State Manager
As a consequence of KONA’s efforts and commitment very quickly we have seen some explosive changes with the team through the introduction of various client focussed and sales strategies, measurements and skills. Their motivation, direction and activity have all increased… and we expect our profits to escalate accordingly.
Ian Crowther
General Manager
Glenn Dobson and Garret Norris are coaches that really stands out to me as they take pride in what they do and deliver. I first utilised KONA around 7 years ago when he evaluated our business which ended up delivering some hard hitting facts , as a result changes needed to be made BUT as a consequence of those initial chats KONA helped set up a sales pipeline where we could track our activity and results which led to a 300% increase in sales within the first 6 months of implementing his sales tools.I HIGHLY recommend KONA but don't want the world to know what they can provide a business as this will give other companies an unfair advantage like we have !Glenn is now a mentor, a friend and above all someone that inspires you to always achieve your best.
Keiran Hathorn
Managing Director
Glenn is high highly talented leader who has assisted us in defining industry leading strategy. I would recommend KONA to anyone requiring an honest, intelligent, strategic, motivating and hard working business leader.
Troy Dawson
Chief Information Officer
Dear Glenn
As we complete stage one of the Campbell’s and John Lewis learning and development programs, I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thankyou to you and the KONA team for all of your time, commitment and energy to the project.
The response from our managers and sales team has been absolutely outstanding and everyone has benefited immensely from your involvement.
I agreed with both Brian and Geoff at the time when they stressed the importance of developing a program tailored to our business and you more than achieved our expectations.
I know you invested a lot of time in preparation and the time you spent with our people out on the road, visiting customers, was obviously well worth it. Included in the feedback from participants from around the country are, amongst many others, the following quotes: “Already I am putting some of the new techniques we learnt into practise and getting results from them”
“ I now feel as if I have greater control and structure over my sales approach and customers”
“I am communicating with my customers like never before and they are telling me things about their businesses that prior to the course I didn’t have a clue about” “I am managing my people in a far more effective and productive way and I feel that I can now start to see the light at the end of the tunnel” Once again Glenn, thankyou very much for all of your efforts and I personally can’t wait for the next stage!
Kurt Wilson
National Training Manager
Since NOVA and KONA started working together we have almost doubled our results in less than 9 months!
I had identified a need for developing our sales skills, but KONA delivered so much more than sales training to our business. Glenn encouraged us to take a step back, analyse our methods and develop a performance culture. As a manager responsible for performance, I appreciated that he clearly and fearless articulated our performance gaps from an outsider’s perspective to our management team, helped us to reverse engineer our results so that we could clearly identify what was needed to achieve performance KPI’s, and delivered practical, real world and customised training based on our business.
I look forward to a continuation of our partnership with KONA and learning more to help NOVA move forward and be even more successful.
Anne Goyer
Training & Development Manager
KONA professional sales and sales management training has been an excellent educational journey on how to enter the Hearts and Minds of our customers and Shareholders. To become business resources and strategic advisors. To build a relationship that understands our customer’s hopes, fears, dreams and vision to create opportunities for future growth that we can be a part of. The course has been taught in detail that can easily be implemented and has brought the entire sales and management team at Plumbing World into focus looking to achieve a common goal. I highly recommend any time spent with the KONA Group.
Russell Thomas
Branch Manager
KONA Group’s services were used by Brickworks Ltd in the form of Sales Management training. Glenn is unlike any other in his ability to connect with the audience. Glenn motivated me so much during a session. I decided at that point I would change my life forever. There was a group of us, that very moment who decided it was a time for change. Glenn explained the model for change and by using this model, it was possible to increase your chances of success 10 fold in anything you wished to achieve. The change we wanted to make was a healthier lifestyle. We decided to embark on a weight loss challenge. Using the attributes of the model, many achieved their ideal weight within months. My personal journey has seen me continue with the challenge and have now lost 29kgs, with 10 kgs until I am at my ideal weight. My lifestyle is now very different, being very careful with what I eat, walking approximately 50kms per week and doing Crossfit 3 times a week. I am on the way to fantastic health. my dad said to me yesterday, son you are looking the best you have in 30 years. They were great words to hear considering I am only 44 years old. I am healthier, I am stronger than I have ever been, I am more motivated, I am more focused and feel like a real winner. I don't believe I could have achieved this without using Glenn's model for change. Thanks Glenn, I would not have been able to do this without you, you have changed my life.
Trevor Marshall
Sales Manager
I have been lucky enough to attend B2B sales training run by the KONA Group. I have found Glenn to bring the same drive and passion that he applies to Iron Man training across in his training sessions. His training is not something you could read straight out of a text book - there is no "turn to page three". Glenn delivers real world pointers that are applicable in the changing workforce of today. The tools that he gives you, help you go through the door to be become a true business/strategic partner for your customers. Without these tools you would be standing on the curb, looking in, being a 3 P flogger! I would highly recommend attending a training session if you get the opportunity.
Keith Geenty
Sales Representative
Glenn is one of those fearless "can-do" high achievers that every business needs. His team at KONA make a valuable blend of skills and experience that deliver Sales results fast and ongoing. The hands on approach makes the KONA business a Sales consultancy suited to SMB up to large corporate, because it is all about people and their activity. Highly recommended regardless how good you think you are!
Paul Scanlan
General Manager
I would like to recommend The Kona Group for sales training that is succinct and professional and works.
I would have to say that after the training that we had received we have noticed a huge difference to our KPI's and have made for the great results that we are now seeing.
Belinda Hamburger
Branch Manager
KONA has provided a unique sales program to the Sales Team at Plumbing World, with an in depth knowledge of the subject and passion for sales that has ensured that the key tools required to be a successful sale person and build business to business relationships has already started to occur in the company in only a short period of time.
Casey Stuart
Regional Manager New Zealand
KONA has a unique approach to sales training, which has allowed Plumbing World to make a significant step change with its sales team. The training is fully customised for Plumbing World, which is important, as the it has developed far more engagement and buy-in from the sales team. The results have been immediate, giving Plumbing World a better understanding of and relationship with, our customers. Leading to new accounts being opened and an increase in sales from existing customers. For example as a direct result of the KONA training, a customer who's spend had dropped away for the previous 12 months, has increased their spend 16 fold.
Mike Dyer
Sales & Operations Manager
I was so fortunate to be able to attend the KONA training workshop at the 4life office in Sydney in February. I cannot begin to tell you how motivating and inspiring I found it to be. You gave me tools that I can use for both my personal and business growth. You demonstrated in a very simple manner how to set short and long range goals that are attainable. As you said hope is not a business strategy.
The day spent training with you was so worthwhile I have been implementing some of the strategies and am passing it to my downline. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who is serious about business building.
Jyoti Sidhu
KONA has a passion for seeing both people and business's improve through the process of training and educating staff. They will encourage and coach the business and your people to become better at what they do and to improve your "bottom line.
I have known Glenn both professionally and as a friend for 13 years now, and I have no hesitation in recommending KONA as a Business professional and also as person who commits fully to whatever challenge, be it business or physical such, as Ironman triathlon or running across the Sahara desert.
Robert George
Team Leader Inventory Control
Following the reorganisation of the field sales force, the KONA Group provided a number of workshops and coaching sessions in order to improve the understanding of how the company was changing the way that it operated. KONA supported us with the change by building trust and gaining buy-in from the team. KONA did an excellent job of emphasising the role of the field force in developing new business and building the sales and performance culture.
Jonathan Shinn
Operations Manager
Glenn is one person who knows how cut through to the real issues facing sales organizations of today, unearth the real potentials of a market of opportunity and help managers develop their companies unique "point of difference" to increase sales beyond what they ever thought possible.
Glenn is a master coach for both business and life's goals.
Paul Winter
QLD State Manager
I had the pleasure of meeting Glenn Dobson through our participation in one of the toughest footraces on the planet, The Marathon De Sables. In the time we spent together leading up to the race I became quickly aware that Glenn was an extraordinary human being.
His athleticism and endurance not only humbled me but inspired me to push myself to peg new boundaries. Whilst Glenn's achievements in Ironman and other endurance events puts him in a very small minority group his drive, motivation, energy and business knowledge puts him amongst an even smaller elite group of people. I have been fortunate to have been a professional in the financial markets for close to 20 years and this has exposed me to a vast array of individuals, their ethics and work practices.
During this period I don't think I have meet a person with the focus and drive to consistently deliver quality outcomes to his clients and business associates. Having an opportunity to interact with Glenn on any level whether it be business or social is something that will ultimately make you a better person. I have been fortunate to have shared an extraordinary challenge with Glenn but have been as equally enriched by the relationship we now share as a result of the race.
Justin Gallagher
Head of Equities Sales Trading and Execution
During my tenure in the building and construction industry the KONA Group was engaged to help align the sales function with the business and marketing strategy - a major shift in how we presented to market. KONA’s Hearts and Minds program challenged past paradigms and equipped our sales resource with a robust sales strategy, along with sustainable sales management and tactical skills which continued to deliver year on year growth.
Linda Ginger
Marketing and Branding Director
Glenn Dobson is a rare individual worthy of being on anybody's list of potential mentors. Glenn is an entrepreneur, successful business-operator, world-class Ironman Triathlete, terrific father and rumour has it, a pretty good husband! We have worked together on various projects over the last decade and I continue to marvel at his pragmatic ability. Glenn is a master at taking any 'theory' in the field of sales and translating them into immediately applicable methods for any client. He truly understands that "Results Count" and has consistently been able to cut through the bullshit in our project work, for his clients and in his own businesses. If you ever wanted to see a living breathing example of a 'balanced' individual who exemplifies Covey's "Important vs. Urgent" Glenn is your man. Add to that Collins' "Disciplined (person), applying disciplined thought and taking disciplined action." and you've found yourself a winner! Good on you Glenn. You really are a role model.
James Michael
Founder and CEO
We have been very impressed with your capabilities and see you as a key player in rolling out our customer service programmes.
Andrea Westwood
Capability Development
Throughout my career with Commonwealth Bank I met several business coaches, but 'Glenn Dobson' is the only name that I don't need to challenge my memory to remember. Glenn is an amazing coach with unique techniques; structured and interactive. He is one of the most positive people I have ever met, his amazing achievements are certainly as a result of his dedication, his commitment and his 'can do' attitude.
Odette Shahnazari
Manager
I was introduced to the KONA Group some five years ago through a mutual and respected business contact. My first impression was that Glenn has a unique sense of purpose, he is driven, motivated and passionate about achieving results personally but also in supporting others to achieve beyond their own expectations.
Over the past five years I have witnessed KONA in many business scenarios including business consulting, change management projects, sales management projects and executive level leadership programs.
Glenn is a natural leader and a manager in these environments. People respond well to him and his down to earth style.
Personally Glenn has an engaging communication style, an unstoppable enthusiasm to exceed expectations and first class networking skills.
I am proud to call him a friend, colleague and business partner and would recommend you consider his services when required.
Susie Lomas
Director
I have been in Glenn's training groups for the past 10 months, 4 to 5 sessions. I have found him to be a very enthusiastic speaker with a wealth of knowledge for us to take on board and work with. His presentation is hands on and easy to work with.
Working with KONA has had a huge impact on the Nova's business as we have increased results in some areas by between 50 -100%. I would highly recommend him and his business.
N/A
Glenn is one of those clients that truly partners with you and adds value back to you as a service provider. He's not a slave to his own views, nor is he a passenger in the process. He's very outcome focused and understands the core drivers of personality and individual values in achieving goals. That said, this is a man that no doubts lives by the virtue that profit, without honour, is loss. There's nothing manufactured or contrived about his work, quite simply he is inherently like this by nature. His background and experience speaks volumes. Over and above that he is a quality person.
Craig White
Director
Glenn is an effective business owner and trainer, he is clearly passionate about his company and the services Kona provides. Glenn has an energy and enthusiasm that is both infectious and motivating, which leads to confidence in his delivery and professionalism.
Nick James
National Sales Manager
KONA Group facilitated several workshops at the Advanced Group of companies for both the sales and operations teams. They are highly motivational and provided the teams with tools and techniques to improve their ability to connect with customers in both business development and service delivery roles. KONA is very business focused and pragmatic and focuses on what gets results.
I would recommend KONA to any other business that is looking to improve their sales capability or turn their project managers and operations managers into customer champions.
Jonathan Shinn
National Operations Manager
You'll only meet one Glenn Dobson of this caliber. Glenn is an International Ironman, Businessman and Sales Guru. With an extensive career in sales across UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Glenn is a consummate professional who has 'been there and done it all' when it comes to competitive sales environments. Commercially aggressive, his ability to identify growth opportunities and drive activity to deliver results for his clients is astounding.
The energy and discipline required to compete as an athlete at the elite level is evident in everything he does. As a Speaker, Glenn is inspiring, direct and highly motivating. All his business engagements are conducted with the highest level of integrity and results are always the number one priority.
Sue Thompson
Business Manager
Glenn is a master at focusing the attention of any sales team, business owner or sales manager on the importance of having a strong sales pipeline to the future prosperity of any business. He lives and breathes what he teaches and is able to succinctly and very effectively impart his extensive knowledge of how to establish and then manage a sales pipeline that will continually deliver new and profitable business. If your business needs a significant improvement in its sales performance Glenn should be the first person that you contact.
I recommend him highly for any size business or corporate enterprise.
Daniel Watson
Managing Director
Glenn is one of those rare individuals that makes you feel positive about life, just by being in the same room with him. I have known Glenn for a couple of years now and I am constantly amazed at the total energy output this man has. A true strategic thinker who has the ability to spot a great idea and turn his skills into a passion that is so infectious. If you are considering getting alongside this true gentleman, then I would say that this is one of the best things you will do today, if not the week, month or even year.
Greg Gillespie
Owner
I have worked with the KONA Group for over 6 years and have found them to be some of the most consistent and driven people ever!
A dynamic trainers with a strong emphasis on activity and results, KONA has brought invaluable experience to my own, and my staff's training.
If you are involved in any Sales capacity, or are managing a team involved in Sales, then KONA Group is a "must call" individual.
Aaron Williams
Founder and Managing Director
Garrett and Sienna at KONA group, were absolutely fantastic from appointment right through to the follow up of initiatives post workshop. Both had communicated effectively prior to the workshop and made sure the day was a phenomenal success for our Leaders at Openmarkets Group. Most importantly, Garrett is very engaging and all our leaders were switched on throughout the session with some key insights. I highly recommend Garrett, Sienna and the KONA Group.
Heidi Mehl
Executive Assistant to CEO
Engaged Kona Group to deliver account training workshop for Etex - Siniat. Great collaborative approach to course preparation and workshop execution very effective and extremely engaging for all participants. Great job Garret!!
Joe Mori
National Business Development Manager
Right from my first call to the actual day of DiSC profiling session, the KONA group were fantastic and provided excellent service. Garret facilitated the session, and his delivery technique was impactful and valuable to all attendees.
Umesh Datwani
Operations Manager | Investment Services
Garrett is a great coach/mentor, it was an honour having him here, and the progress was WAYYY more than I had anticipated, so I am very thankful.Hope you guys have an awesome day, just like you! ☺
Hana Hellou
Customer Support Manager
I have recommended Garret and the team at KONA to many organisations I have worked with. Their methods constantly challenge the norm, creating and supporting high performing teams. Garret has lead and coached our team to deliver positive and sustainable outcomes that make a difference to our teams and stakeholders. The approach from KONA is unique to each business or organisation and it has proven to be successful time and time again. I have witnessed many dysfunctional teams make changes to the way they operate after sessions with Garret and it is such a delight to see our teams work collaboratively and cohesively. They begin to communicate in new ways due to the deeper understanding of how individuals operate, communicate and learn. I would highly recommend Garret and the team at KONA if you are wanting positive, sustainable and successful outcomes for your business.
Kathryn Emmett
Executive Assistant to Head of Asset Projects | Olympic DamExecutive Assistant to Head of Technical Portfolio
My team and I had the pleasure of hosting Garret for Sales Training and it was absolutely fantastic. A thoroughly enjoyable day as we tackled key concepts, engaged in role play and absorbed the benefit of Garret's extensive experience. We look forward to working with Garret and his team again in the future.
Melanie Pritchard
Group Manager - Digital Revenue
Truly the most insightful and relatable training/professional course I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of. Absolutely will leave a review - 5 stars
Narissa Chan
Senior Digital Account Manager
Garret took our team of 10 (experienced) sales consultants for the day looking at profiling and strategic sales techniques. It was motivating, insightful and fun. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Garrett and Kona - we will be back.
Stephen Richards
Director Sales Marketing
Thank you for the most insightful and relatable professional workshop session. It was gratifying, and I feel empowered and more confident.
Thank you so much for delivering such a valuable and engaging session. It was certainly in the spirit we intended. I have had positive feedback, and the team mentioned how valuable they found your session specifically.
Ekta Manwal
HR Advisor
Thanks Garret Norris & the KONA Group for an awesome day yesterday! We learned a lot, but also has so much fun along the way. We look forward to working with you again.
Peg Vaghaye
Executive Manager, Broker Relationships
Thanks Garret Norris for a fun filled 2 days with not only lots of laughs but lots of valuable lessons on how to improve our skills when communicating with our customers and fellow work mates. I know all of us are excited about putting all we’ve learnt into practice.
Heather Priest
Head of Sales APAC at Altura Learning
Garret has a gift which enables him to connect and engage with everybody in the room. Although he is very accomplished, he is very down to earth and uses his Irish charm and humour to put everyone at ease. His delivery of the training was excellent and kept our groups attention for the whole 2 days which is no easy feat! The tools learned in the workshop re-ignited my passion for the sales environment - which is exactly what I was hoping for. All feedback from our team was positive and I would not hesitate to recommend Garret and his team.
Jaime Reid
Senior Business Development & Training Manager
Excellent session with you both Garret and John. Really appreciate the insights into delivering a better experience for all parties involved in a negotiation. Couldn't recommend KONA enough for anyone looking to enhance their Sales and Negotiation capability.
Luke Day
Business Development Lead
Thanks so much Garret Norris and John Wright. It was great training and the team have been talking about it all week. Just what we needed! We will definitely be getting KONA back again!
Judy Cole
Managing Director
Garret delivered some sales training for our team in Brisbane. We are a specialist recruitment agency with people of various experience levels. He was able to tailor an engaging session that everyone was able to benefit from. Thanks Garret!
Forrest Briggs
Principal Consultant & Director
The training that was provided by KONA and delivered by Garret was second to none. I believe my team and I have learned a lot over the training and have had a lot of positive feedback from them.
Benjamin Helmore
Branch Manager
This was a fantastic few days, thank you Garret.
Donavan Derman
CFO
Garret's Sales Communication Training delivered a strategic advantage to our team, who are now equipped with the practical tools needed to drive customer success.
Robert Guerin
Chief Executive Officer
Very interesting/enlightening experience. Quite surprising to receive and witness such accurate profiling of each individual's DISC Profile.
Mitchell Jeggo
Operations Manager
Hey Garret. Just a quick word of thanks. My time on the road with my team has become so much more intentional and productive. One thing I hear when I ask about what they want from the meeting is they say things they want to share. I am getting them to ask what do they hope to learn and discover from the meeting. Anyway just saying again, you have helped me.
Marco de Geus
General Manager - Sales
Really enjoyed our group training day. Learned some interesting insights about myself & colleagues.
Betty James
Senior Marketing Specialist
I couldn't speak any higher of Garret and his team! To gain the trust in our team and instil such empowerment so quickly, is incredible! The ongoing support and encouragement following the training has been wonderful and invaluable. To anyone looking for sales or leadership training for yourself or your business, this team is the best I've ever come across!
Samantha Sullivan
Sales & Marketing Manager
Very down to earth and very easy going.. extremely informative and made the day fun. Thank you greatly.
Adam Carr
Supagas Australia
I've had the good fortune of being trained by Garret on two separate occasions - firstly as a sales agent & later as a leader. His highly engaging delivery, backed by his extensive knowledge is inspiring & insightful. I will always be grateful to Garret at the Kona Group for re-igniting my passion for sales & mentorship.
Gary Lawson
Senior Sales Development Manager
We had the pleasure of John at KONA facilitating some DISC training at our workplace. The group was cohort of different leadership levels at a federal government department. John's expertise and engaging teaching style made the half day thoroughly enjoyable. His real-world examples and interactive approach kept everyone involved and provided valuable insights into team dynamics and personal communication styles. Highly recommend John and KONA for professional development needs!
Jahn Giolitto
Assistant Director
My favourite session at mid-cycle was the guest speaker Garret Norris. It boosted my motivation & made me rethink the way I have conversations in scoping calls with potential customers. I came out of that session with new skills in communication & questioning and found it really valuable as someone new to the sales world.
Natalia Henderson
Pharmacy Business Consultant
Fantastic hands-on coaching by Garret. Really appreciated the wealth of insights and strategies from Garret’s breadth of experience working with other businesses that we can reference. Highly recommended to anyone who would like to improve their external engagement or sales skills!
Lily Che
Senior UX/UI Designer
Thanks Garret, the team really appreciate everything that you did, it was extremely informative, you made the role play interesting and comments from our team that have been on sales courses before, "The best sales course they have ever done.” Our focus now is to put some of these techniques into play!
David Arndell
General Manager
It is really easy to improve our teams communications and ability to work as a team..... when you have a competent, engaging and professional facilitator delivering a message like "Communication and response". Garret Norris certainly gave our team at Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW - Northern Region access to the tools that they need to go forward in meeting our vision with enthusiasm! On behalf of the team.... Thank you Garret!!!
Gary Goldberg
CEO RFCS NSW - Northern Region
One does seldom come across a presenter that builds value, brings real world examples and enables you to be pushed in an environment that is not only safe but also fun. Garret's style is fitting and relevant to the world of today's customers and practices. In my career, I have been to a number of these sessions and left with a textbook approach. However, after spending time with Garret I have a new toolbox of solutions that enable me to best serve my customer and provide true value for all parties. If you're wanting a change approach and down to earth sense of fun with serious outcomes you cannot go past his sessions, real world examples and genuine impromptu approach.
Wade Bailey
Sales & Operations Management
An excellent few days of genuine, modern sales training and workshops. Garret has just the right demeanour to engage the room, providing new tools and sharpening existing ones, all whilst having a bit of fun.
Gareth Spencer
National Sales Manager
✨️"The quality of communication, can only be measured by the response you receive" - G. Norris.
Today, I had the privilege of participating in an incredible Account Management and Sales Training session delivered by Garret Norris. The experience was both insightful and inspiring, with practical strategies and techniques tailored to drive impactful client relationships and sustainable business growth.
What truly stood out was the focus on understanding personality profiles using hashtag #DISC, tailoring our conversations to suit, fostering trust, and aligning solutions to create value. The interactive approach and actionable takeaways made it not just a training session but a transformational experience. A huge thank you to Garret Norris and team for delivering such a well-structured and engaging program. I’m excited to implement these strategies in my work and continue refining the skills shared today. To those seeking to elevate their account management or sales expertise, I highly recommend The KONA Group. Let’s keep growing and delivering value together!
Michelle Koch
Strategic Relationship Manager
This is the first time we've worked with Garret, but it won't be the last. Garret's engaging style is totally relevant to today's market conditions. Our team left energized with many insights on how to grow and create business opportunities. Would highly recommend working with Garret and his team.
Lisa Collie
General Manager
Garret has become an integral part of uplifting the capability in our sales team. He is an engaging facilitator, very seasoned sales trainer and has become an integral part of our team. Thank you Garret!!
Cherie Habashi
Head of People & Culture
Great days training on questioning and value, highly recommend!
Daniel France
Business Development Lead
Thank you Garret for your fabulous words of wisdom to our Melbourne Jim's Antennas & Security Franchisees at our recent Mini Regional Conference. Everyone came away with something to implement into their small business. Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday with the Sydney group.
Heidi Schieren
General Manager
Garret was a brilliant speaker. Emptying his knowledge on a group of technicians. I always get a lot out of sales trading even if it’s just to restore previous knowledge or learn new tactics about how I treat customers.
David McDonald
Antenna Engineer
We had a great session with the KONA Group today on sales prospecting. Garret did an excellent job shifting the team’s perspective on both selling and prospecting. The session was engaging, practical, and thought-provoking. I’ll definitely be a returning customer for more sessions!
Mouaz Alnouri
Founder
Garret from The KONA Group delivered fantastic training at our Melbourne and Sydney Jim’s Antennas & Security conferences. His energy, insight, and practical approach really connected with our team - the feedback was overwhelmingly positive!
Alex Legge
CEO - Jim's Digital
Thank you again for the fantastic session yesterday. The feedback from the team has been overwhelmingly positive - many shared that it was the most insightful and inspiring training they’ve had since joining Envu.
A number of people even described it as the best training they’ve ever received here. I’m looking forward to working with you again soon.
Thanks, Julii
Julii Liu
Commercial Excellence Manager - ANZ
Hi Garret, I’ll definitely leave a Google review, but I wanted to thank you here first for such a fantastic training session. I’ve heard nothing but enthusiastic, glowing feedback from the team. Everyone truly valued the experience. My only regret is that I couldn’t be there in person!
I especially appreciate your collaboration and flexibility in adjusting the agenda so we could incorporate the real sales planning work into the session. It made a big difference and was greatly appreciated by all.
Thanks again for an outstanding training!
Marilyn Hui
Strategy & Planning | Driving Strategic Initiatives, Commercial and Operational Excellence Director
For over 2 decades, our customers have reached out to us because we are an expert Australian team with local and global expertise. We are passionate about empowering individuals and teams growth - developing talents, cultivating leadership skills, and overcome any obstacles.
Let's embark on this transformative journey together.
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Our team of expert coaches and trainers are dedicated to crafting personalised strategies that align with your unique goals and aspirations. We have the tools and expertise to guide you towards greatness.
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