Author: Sienna Anderson

Talent Insights®, The first “multi-science” profiling assessment in the world (DISC on Steroids) 

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

The KONA Group is enjoying great growth currently working with Australian businesses across a wide cross section of industries including the Banking, IT, Manufacturing, Tourism, Retail and Government Departments using a very powerful tool called Talent Insights®.

Most training organisations simply use DISC or DISC Advanced but we go much deeper into personality profiling with Talent Insights® – the first “multi-science” profiling assessment in the world.

Perfect for Sales Training and Teams Training

This powerful profiling tool is perfect for applying to sales training or team training and delivers incredible results.

What is Talent Insights®?

Talent Insights® was developed as the world’s first multi-science assessment. It is unique in the market because it combines the power of TTISI’s world famous DISC and Motivators assessments into a single, integrated report, blending feedback from both tools.

If you are already using DISC, upgrading to the more powerful Talent Insights® is a must!

Talent Insights®. A Double-Science Assessment

As a double-science assessment, Talent Insights® provides us with two perspectives to understand the people we work with. Talent Insights® explores:

  1. Their behavioural style (HOW they prefer to behave and communicate)
  2. Their personal motivators (WHY they move into action)

When using a traditional single-dimensional assessment, we can miss (or have to assume) so much about what makes a person who they are.

With a multi-science assessment, such as Talent Insights®, we have more places to look for answers and a more complete framework to help people understand themselves and others.

DISC Talent Insights Kona Group

The Multi-Science Advantage

For example, a person with a strong “theoretical” motivator will have a thirst for knowledge and opportunities to learn.

Why is it then that some people with a strong theoretical motivator need to know everything about a subject, while others are comfortable with only a high-level understanding?

The answer may lie in the person’s behavioural style; that is, HOW they will go about satisfying that motivator. Once we uncover their behavioural (DISC) style, we can better understand how two “theoretically” motivated people might appear to be very different individuals.

For instance, a person with a high “D” behavioural style and a strong theoretical might want as much high-level information as fast as they can get it, while a person with a high “C” behavioural style and the strong “theoretical” motivator might want to completely immerse themselves in a subject to fully understand as much as possible.

The Talent Insights® assessment will help you and your customers better understand and appreciate both a person’s behavioural style and their personal motivators.

What Does Talent Insights® Measure?

The Talent Insights® is a powerful assessment combining two sciences, helping you to explore two key areas of performance:

  1. HOW we behave and communicate — using the world famous DISC assessment
  2. WHY we move into action — using the simple yet powerful Workplace Motivators® assessment

This powerful combination produces a 35+ page report that covers 3 sections: Behaviours, Motivators, and an integrated section combining Behavioural and Motivational feedback.

With this unique and powerful blend, your recruitment, management and development activities will be well supported by research-based, validated, and most importantly easy-to-apply assessments.

talent insights kona disc sample report image

The Behaviours Section – DISC

The TTI Success Insights® DISC profile is available in a number of different versions specifically designed for different applications.

The suite includes reports designed for use in recruitment and selection as well as more comprehensive coaching and development reports.

Unlike some of the more primitive DISC models, our DISC assessments provide feedback on all four factors to truly capture how we are unique at a behavioural level and avoid pigeonholing people. The 4 core DISC behaviours measured are:

  1. Dominance – How we respond to problems & challenges
  2. Influence – How we respond to people & contact
  3. Steadiness – How we respond to pace & consistency
  4. Compliance – How we respond to procedures & constraints

Note: The behaviours section also includes the Behavioural Hierarchy: 8 sub-behavioural tendencies based on the core four.

THE MOTIVATORS SECTION (MOT)

The Workplace Motivators® profile is a 14-page report. It takes you a step beyond the standard behavioural assessment to dive deeper into the world of personal values. The 6 core Motivators measured are:

  • Theoretical – A drive for knowledge and learning.
  • Utilitarian – A drive for practicality, value and ROI.
  • Aesthetic – A drive for beauty and creative expression.
  • Social – A drive for compassion and helping others.
  • Individualistic – A drive for uniqueness, status and to lead.
  • Traditional – A drive for unity, order and a system for living.

Note: The Workplace Motivators® also includes feedback on what a person should try to avoid based on his or her motivators. TTI’s brain-based research confirms that this has a deep subconscious impact on our decision-making.

The Blended Section

Talent Insights® was the first assessment in the world to include integration between different models.

This integrated section explores the influence of one dimension of performance on another — in this case, one’s DISC behavioural style and personal motivators.

Included in the Talent Insights® Coaching Report is a section that explores how an individual’s motivators might impact their DISC behavioural style and vice versa.

This is not available from any other assessment provider.

Versions of the Talent Insights® Profile

The Talent Insights® series is made up of a collection of reports designed to support your initiatives and help achieve the outcomes you are looking for. All of our tools have been designed with flexibility, practicality and multiple uses in mind.

This means you can invest once in the right profile and use it throughout the employee life cycle to maximise your investment.

As a multi-science report, Talent Insights® explores both Behavioural Style and Personal Motivators.

There are four sets of reports in this series, including:

  1. Talent Insights® Job Profiles – Providing a validated way to profile the unique positions in any business and determine the “ideal” mix of behaviours and motivators for a superior performer. We refer to this as “Position Benchmarking”.
  2. Talent Insights® Selection Profiles – A shortened version of the full report designed to provide hiring managers with what they need to understand a candidate’s behavioural and motivational mix.
  3. Talent Insights® Comparison and Gap Reports – A set of reports to visually display personal reports against a benchmark (for example, in the selection process to see how closely someone matches a benchmark).
  4. Talent Insights® Coaching and Development Reports – A set of reports that comprehensively explores a person’s behavioural style and motivators. These reports are available in General, Sales and Executive versions.
Kona Multi Science DISC Talent Insights Model Infographic

Common Uses for the Talent Insights®

The DISC and WPMOT models are both wonderfully versatile tools. The Talent Insights® profile is commonly used in the following functions:

Training and Development:

Leadership Development
Communication Effectiveness
Sales Training
Team Effectiveness
Sales Development
Customer Service Training
Coaching/Mentoring Relationships
Telemarketing Training

Strategy and Management:

Competency Framework/Development
Engagement/Motivation
Planning and Strategy
Change Management
Conflict Resolution
Outplacement
Culture/Transformation
Career Planning

Recruitment:

Selection
Position Benchmarking

To better understand the concept of multi-science assessments and the advantages of the TTI Success Insights® suite of tools, please contact the KONA team on 1300 611 288 or learn more at kona.com.au

Contact Us

Download the White Paper on The 15 things that sets our DISC reports apart from anything else used in Australia. Link Here.

Call for a free discovery session or to get some sample reports emailed to you explaining why these reports are different than the rest in the market.

Our training programs are delivered Australia wide including New Zealand and South East Asia.

Story content by our partners TTI Success Insights at www.ttisuccessinsights.com.au

Revealed: What Do Leaders Fear the Most?

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
man behind glass, shadow only, for leaders fears KONA blog and post edm

Everybody has fears. Believe it or not, even us leaders fear something at some point. But not letting those fears get the best of you is an important part of successful leadership.

If you do not learn to manage your fears, you will be tempted to take shortcuts that undermine your authority and influence.

Here are 7 of the most common fears some leaders are quietly combating and why it is crucial you learn to manage them.

black and white picture of mark twain with his famous quote, Courage is resistance to fear, master of fear, not absence of fear.

7 of the most common fears leaders have

1. THE FEAR OF BEING SEEN AS AN IMPOSTER

If you secretly feel you are not really good enough or smart enough for leadership, you’re not alone. But left unchecked, those feelings can do harm to your effectiveness. Fear can make you forget everything and want to run. Instead, leverage your fear by experiencing it and being great anyway.

what are you waiting for click here to get started leaders fear arrow
KONA Group | SHARPENING THE TOOLS OF LEADERSHIP Workshop

2. THE FEAR OF BEING CRITICISED

Facing criticism is part of the territory of leadership. However, you don’t have to let it bother you. In fact, you should be concerned if you never hear criticism, because that means you’re probably playing too safe. Think of it this way, if you have no critics you’ll likely have no success. So don’t fear criticism but take it in stride. That is, strive to be your own best and meet your own standard of excellence. On the other side of your fear is everything you need to be.

leaders fear of criticism not like icon red thumbs down

3. THE FEAR OF BEING A FAILURE

When you fail as a leader, you get everyone’s attention. Failure is something we all fear, but it doesn’t have to mean it’s fatal to your leadership. Instead, think of failure as simply part of succeeding. When you become afraid to fail forward, you end up missing out on new learning experiences. You also miss new opportunities. In the end we regret only the chances we didn’t take.

fear regret more than fearing failure quote in red for leaders fears blog post

4. THE FEAR OF NOT BEING A GOOD COMMUNICATOR

Not everyone is born to be a great communicator, but good communication skills are essential to leadership. If you are fearful that you’re not good at communicating in a compelling way, that is in a way that inspires and motivates others, get essential Effective Communication for Leaders training as soon as possible.

DOES YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH CUSTOMERS?

Customers are drawn to information and education, combine that with strong communication skills and that elusive partnership is looking solid already. Is your Leadership Team proficient in:

  • Quality Questioning?
  • Active Listening?
  • Building Rapport?
  • Interpersonal Communication?
  • Communicating Past the Gate Keeper?
  • Body Language and Understanding Behaviour?
what are you waiting for click here to get started leaders fear arrow
KONA Group | SHARPENING THE TOOLS OF LEADERSHIP Workshop

5. THE FEAR OF MAKING HARD DECISIONS

As a leader, you need to be able to make hard decisions without getting stuck in “paralysis of analysis”. That is, taking too long to choose because of indecision. A lack of decisiveness can cripple any business or organisation. Hard choices are sometimes necessary without much time to reflect. Make the best decision you can based on where you want to go, not where you are, and then move on.

quote in a circle People Are GoingTo Judge You. Do It Anyway.

6. THE FEAR OF NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

As the old adage goes, with much power comes much responsibility. To take responsibility you have to first realise that your leadership is the cause of and the solution to the things that matter, and you can’t escape that responsibly by postponing or evading it. The moment you move past your fear and take responsibility is the moment you can change anything.

leaders fears stopping dominoes falling responsibility image

7. THE FEAR OF NOT GETTING IT DONE

In today’s global economy, effective leadership is defined by results, but, as we all know well, there are hundreds of distractions and millions of diversions that can get in the way. If you’re fearful you won’t get the job done, stop focusing on the results you want and concentrate on the actions you can take right now that will lead to those results.

leaders fears quote about Don't Quit

To learn more about KONA Group’s SHARPENING THE TOOLS OF LEADERSHIP Workshop, Contact KONA today on 1300 611 288 for a confidential conversation.

Contact Us
LAURETTE WITH HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ON IT FOR KONA GROUP SALES TRAINING SALES HEALTH CHECK

Creating Sales: The Secret to Finding Hidden Opportunities

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

You might recall the adage that the fastest way to get business is to grasp the low-hanging fruit. Put traditional sales wisdom aside, low hanging fruit is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Ever heard something like this:

“Qualify your prospects. Make sure that they have the budget for your product or service. Without this you will be both wasting their time and yours. Time is precious, move on if they do not have the money set aside ready to buy.”

Heard this before? Heard the idea that grasping the low-hanging fruit is the surest way to sign more business? Look for the “ready now” buyers and ignore the rest – this is the key to success.

I am sorry but I must disagree with this.

If this is how you are going to conduct business you will be missing out on numbers of potential sales that will drift away from you without you knowing.

Why do I disagree?

Primarily because selling this way you will be continually battling your competitors, pricing will become paramount and you will always be looking over your shoulder wondering who is going to blow you out of the water.

You will have minimal ability to influence your buyer’s decisions – even if your offering is actually better or will have a bigger impact on your potential customer’s business.

To be really successful, it is very important that you find opportunities that are ripe with potential, but not yet in existence. In short you need to create opportunities by your own business and sales knowledge.

Discovering the Secret to Hidden Sales Potential

A while after beginning my own company, I won a contract to design and deliver a customised sales training program to a major law company. Since I was not familiar with the way law firms sold anything part of my project involved several in-depth interview with their top “rainmakers”.

Now please note that I did not use the term “sales” here. In law firms key “sales” people are known as “rainmakers”. The word “sales” was to these people almost a four letter and an undesirable term.

What I noted was that all the so-called top “rainmakers” were all senior members of the firm. What I kept on hearing from these people, nearly all older and grey haired men, were the keys to successful sales: returning phone calls promptly, giving good customer service, building strong relationships, entertaining clients with golfing and fishing trips, and a good one, having law school friends in positions of power.

While all these things may be true, I wasn’t really satisfied that these were really the keys to successful sales in a law firm. Surely there was something more than being grey haired and having friends in places of power. I was not willing to accept that these were really the keys to success.

So I maintained my search, looking for something that could be taught to younger lawyers. There had to be something more to sales in a law-firm than these things.

Finally, on my last interview with a slightly younger lawyer, I hit on something. It was James, who alerted me to a strategy that he used to generate more business and to win jobs that did not actually exist until he made them so. I hit upon a strategy that could be taught to younger lawyers.

At last – I had found a strategy that any reasonably intelligent person could use to create sales opportunities.

Now notice what I said there – to create sales opportunities. Better yet, this strategy actually prevented competition. By using it, decision makers had minimal desire to look for alternatives. They wanted to work with you – and get started now!

Creating Business from Thin Air

How was James creating business from thin air?

The first thing James was doing was to keep up-to-date on what was happening in the news, what was happening in similar companies to his client base. When he read about a recent judgement on an intellectual property issue, he started thinking about how it might impact his clients or prospects.

When he learned that a product liability case had been settled, he assessed its potential ramifications on his own client base. He would examine carefully each of their positions and likely work that may need to be done to cover his clients on similar issues.

After a little work, he would then draw up a list of potential clients to talk to about these issues. He would then call his primary contact in each of these potential clients and say something like this:

“John. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the BIG DEAL case that was just settled in Western Australia. It was an intellectual property issue related to part-time workers. Now I was just thinking about your policies in this area. Based on the court decision your company may well be at risk. We should get together on this issue and make sure your are not at risk. It would be better to be safe and sure than to be sorry at a later time.”

This strategy worked. Yes, it worked nearly every time. There were no competitors on the radar at all because what James did was to bring up a point that was not even on his client’s radar, and so no competitor was even aware that a job was being created. James had discovered the key to creating sales where none existed – triggering events.

Basically what happened was that the client company would assess this new task and see the light as to why it should be attended to. Suddenly, overnight, funding became available reallocated from another budget to this new priority.

I don’t think I am an Einstein, but I am smart enough to know when I see a new strategy that is worth something. Yes, I had found a business building strategy worth teaching to younger lawyers.

Sales Generating Triggers

By using sales-generating triggers, I could stop my never ending search for clients and start to generate new sales for current clients based on trigger events.

After a thorough review of my customer base, I discovered these triggering events were fertile ground for generating more sales. Once I knew my triggering events, my business took off. Once you know your trigger events, the same thing can happen to you.

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5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE HEALTH OF YOUR SALES

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Is your team due for a Sales Health Check in preparation for a productive 2021?

A Sales Health Check is an objective review of your Sales team. It highlights potential weaknesses in your team and strategy, but also builds on your areas of strength and growth.

  • Do your Salespeople follow an Effective Pipeline Management procedure? That is, do they know the number of visits, contacts, leads, prospects and customers they need each month, every month, to hit KPI?
  • What online presence do you have? How effective and up to date is it?
  • Do you have a current corporate page for LinkedIn?
  • Do you share posts on your LinkedIn page weekly?
  • What message is your team’s individual LinkedIn Profiles saying about the brand?
  • Do you publish a blog regularly and directly on your site? (a minimum of once per week)
  • Is every blog optimised for keywords and features a compelling call to action? If not, then get your company to POP out online and contact the KONA Group 1300 833 574 | info@KONA.com.au to get your Powerful Online Presence Training ASAP.

laptop with words Powerful Online Presence with KONA logo and man dialling mobile number 1300 833 574

 

3. ENGAGING

  • Do your Salespeople know how to map the journey their prospects will take through the buying process?
  • Do they know how to have engaging conversations on the phone, as well as face to face?
  • Are they mastering the art of Effective Questioning to reach their customer’s pain points?
  • What are their listening skills like? Huh? Are they listening to their customers, or just hearing them?

llama clipart black and white image with sunglasses on saying I hear you I'm just not listening

 

 

4. CONVERTING & CLOSING

Think, are your Salespeople:

  • Struggling to meet KPIs?
  • Sticking to existing clients only and “scared” of finding new customers?
  • Unable to generate leads?
  • Not wanting to “annoy” current leads?
  • Unaware of the core processes of prospecting?
  • Lack skills to keep their Pipeline active?
  • Unclear of distinguishing features from benefits?
  • Awkward and uneasy talking to decision makers and leaders?
  • Failing to revisit old leads regularly?
  • Stuck in the mindset that ‘sales is evil’?
  • Have a poor sales conversion rate?
  • Do not know the techniques to gain repeat business and upsell?
  • Blame shift – excuses dominate poor performance and missing targets?

click here to contact the KONA Group red button or call 1300 611 288

 

5. MEASURE

Measure the effectiveness of your Sales team and create productive, supported and balanced Salespeople.

  • Can you easily track conversion rates at each stage of the pipeline?
  • Can you easily work out the ROI for each customer targeted?
  • What system and processes do you have in place?
  • Do you know how satisfied your customers really are?

To get a Sales Health Check ASAP, contact the KONA Group 1300 833 574 or email info@KONA.com.au for a crucial conversation.

LAURETTE WITH HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ON IT FOR KONA GROUP SALES TRAINING SALES HEALTH CHECK

  • Do you have a Sales strategy that outlines, applies and measures daily activities for your team?
  • Is your team’s current activity mapped to SMART goals with Effective Communication?
  • Does your Sales team make use of multiple channels to generate leads?
  • Do they have absolute clarity around the profile of their customer? Do they understand their Customer’s DNA Profile?
  • Have you clearly articulated to your team the company’s point of difference when compared to your competitors?
  • What is your company’s Value Proposition?

click here to contact the KONA Group red button or call 1300 611 288

 

2. ATTRACTING

  • Do your Salespeople follow an Effective Pipeline Management procedure? That is, do they know the number of visits, contacts, leads, prospects and customers they need each month, every month, to hit KPI?
  • What online presence do you have? How effective and up to date is it?
  • Do you have a current corporate page for LinkedIn?
  • Do you share posts on your LinkedIn page weekly?
  • What message is your team’s individual LinkedIn Profiles saying about the brand?
  • Do you publish a blog regularly and directly on your site? (a minimum of once per week)
  • Is every blog optimised for keywords and features a compelling call to action? If not, then get your company to POP out online and contact the KONA Group 1300 833 574 | info@KONA.com.au to get your Powerful Online Presence Training ASAP.

laptop with words Powerful Online Presence with KONA logo and man dialling mobile number 1300 833 574

 

3. ENGAGING

  • Do your Salespeople know how to map the journey their prospects will take through the buying process?
  • Do they know how to have engaging conversations on the phone, as well as face to face?
  • Are they mastering the art of Effective Questioning to reach their customer’s pain points?
  • What are their listening skills like? Huh? Are they listening to their customers, or just hearing them?

llama clipart black and white image with sunglasses on saying I hear you I'm just not listening

 

 

4. CONVERTING & CLOSING

Think, are your Salespeople:

  • Struggling to meet KPIs?
  • Sticking to existing clients only and “scared” of finding new customers?
  • Unable to generate leads?
  • Not wanting to “annoy” current leads?
  • Unaware of the core processes of prospecting?
  • Lack skills to keep their Pipeline active?
  • Unclear of distinguishing features from benefits?
  • Awkward and uneasy talking to decision makers and leaders?
  • Failing to revisit old leads regularly?
  • Stuck in the mindset that ‘sales is evil’?
  • Have a poor sales conversion rate?
  • Do not know the techniques to gain repeat business and upsell?
  • Blame shift – excuses dominate poor performance and missing targets?

click here to contact the KONA Group red button or call 1300 611 288

 

5. MEASURE

Measure the effectiveness of your Sales team and create productive, supported and balanced Salespeople.

  • Can you easily track conversion rates at each stage of the pipeline?
  • Can you easily work out the ROI for each customer targeted?
  • What system and processes do you have in place?
  • Do you know how satisfied your customers really are?

To get a Sales Health Check ASAP, contact the KONA Group 1300 833 574 or email info@KONA.com.au for a crucial conversation.

LAURETTE WITH HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ON IT FOR KONA GROUP SALES TRAINING SALES HEALTH CHECK

With the challenges faced by the pandemic , how healthy is your team’s Sales capability?  Let’s think of COVID as a pot of boiling water. Now think of the egg and potato analogy. The same boiling water that softens the potato, also hardens the egg. Who in your team has come out of the pandemic soft and who has come out hard? Surely having resilient employees would be of great benefit and value to any organisation?

Hard Egg Soft Potato Image for Resilience Training

 

  A Sales Health Check, like all health checks, is crucial for your business’ optimal growth. Strong Leaders conduct Sales Health Checks often and that is the difference between exponential growth and remaining stagnant. Consider these 5 Sales Health Check Factors:

 

1. PLANNING

  • Do you have a Sales strategy that outlines, applies and measures daily activities for your team?
  • Is your team’s current activity mapped to SMART goals with Effective Communication?
  • Does your Sales team make use of multiple channels to generate leads?
  • Do they have absolute clarity around the profile of their customer? Do they understand their Customer’s DNA Profile?
  • Have you clearly articulated to your team the company’s point of difference when compared to your competitors?
  • What is your company’s Value Proposition?

click here to contact the KONA Group red button or call 1300 611 288

 

2. ATTRACTING

  • Do your Salespeople follow an Effective Pipeline Management procedure? That is, do they know the number of visits, contacts, leads, prospects and customers they need each month, every month, to hit KPI?
  • What online presence do you have? How effective and up to date is it?
  • Do you have a current corporate page for LinkedIn?
  • Do you share posts on your LinkedIn page weekly?
  • What message is your team’s individual LinkedIn Profiles saying about the brand?
  • Do you publish a blog regularly and directly on your site? (a minimum of once per week)
  • Is every blog optimised for keywords and features a compelling call to action? If not, then get your company to POP out online and contact the KONA Group 1300 833 574 | info@KONA.com.au to get your Powerful Online Presence Training ASAP.

laptop with words Powerful Online Presence with KONA logo and man dialling mobile number 1300 833 574

 

3. ENGAGING

  • Do your Salespeople know how to map the journey their prospects will take through the buying process?
  • Do they know how to have engaging conversations on the phone, as well as face to face?
  • Are they mastering the art of Effective Questioning to reach their customer’s pain points?
  • What are their listening skills like? Huh? Are they listening to their customers, or just hearing them?

llama clipart black and white image with sunglasses on saying I hear you I'm just not listening

 

 

4. CONVERTING & CLOSING

Think, are your Salespeople:

  • Struggling to meet KPIs?
  • Sticking to existing clients only and “scared” of finding new customers?
  • Unable to generate leads?
  • Not wanting to “annoy” current leads?
  • Unaware of the core processes of prospecting?
  • Lack skills to keep their Pipeline active?
  • Unclear of distinguishing features from benefits?
  • Awkward and uneasy talking to decision makers and leaders?
  • Failing to revisit old leads regularly?
  • Stuck in the mindset that ‘sales is evil’?
  • Have a poor sales conversion rate?
  • Do not know the techniques to gain repeat business and upsell?
  • Blame shift – excuses dominate poor performance and missing targets?

click here to contact the KONA Group red button or call 1300 611 288

 

5. MEASURE

Measure the effectiveness of your Sales team and create productive, supported and balanced Salespeople.

  • Can you easily track conversion rates at each stage of the pipeline?
  • Can you easily work out the ROI for each customer targeted?
  • What system and processes do you have in place?
  • Do you know how satisfied your customers really are?

To get a Sales Health Check ASAP, contact the KONA Group 1300 833 574 or email info@KONA.com.au for a crucial conversation.

LAURETTE WITH HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ON IT FOR KONA GROUP SALES TRAINING SALES HEALTH CHECK

5 Tips From Australian Sales Training Courses

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

When your sales reps’ motivation and activity has started to flatline and plateau; and when their numbers are falling below targets and the next few weeks are forecasting no dramatic improvements, what is your plan to get them back on track?

What are you going to do to jolt your sales people out of their lethargy and to bring in the much needed sales figures?

Below are several excellent tips from Australian Sales Training and Sales Management Training courses for you to share and implement with your sales people.

Tips to Dramatically Improve Your Sales Figures

1) Don’t spend too much time on your products and sales pitches.

It’s not about you, it’s about your clients and customers. Listen to them more get to know more about their overall business.

Identify their real issues and consequences they are facing, rather than just where your product can be sold

They want to know how you can add value to them not just your products features and benefits so engage with them more and talk less about you and your company.

2) Focus on making what your customer wants to happen before they ask

Don’t over-complicate the process by focusing on what you need to happen just so you can hit your target

In any Australian call centre training or customer service training you will find the most successful people will always reinforce the ‘law of reciprocity’, and how – by giving a customer more than they expect they will be repaid in full

3) Create value for your customers and clients to build trust.

These are two key objectives you need to achieve with every interaction you have with clients.

You could create value by sharing a great idea but if there’s no trust because your company keeps letting the customer down, the customer will go elsewhere

All trust and no value added won’t work too well either.

The customer might think you’re terrific but won’t have a compelling reason to purchase anything from you.

4) Find a learning partner

This is where a colleague can coach you and you can coach them
Strive to learn something new every week as when you stop learning about the industry you are in, the growth of the business stops too.

5) Don’t rely on the way you’ve always done things.

Most customers don’t need sales people to educate them on products and services anymore.
They typically get this knowledge from the internet and many customers know more about your products than you do as they are using them every day

Clients/customers want ideas on what they can do to improve their own businesses and they want sales managers and sales reps to challenge their thinking and provide insights that will push their own thinking further.

Selling has gone beyond just meeting a pre-existing demand, and is now about uncovering and creating a new demand where none existed before.

As sales managers, you’ll need to get your teams performance level consistently up and revenues on track.

So share these ideas with the team and get each of them to apply them as they interact with customers

To learn more about KONA’s Australian Sales Training, Call Centre Training, Customer Service Training and Sales Management Training and Coaching in Sydney and Melbourne, telephone Glenn Dobson on 1300 611 288, or email Glenn@KONA.com.au

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10 Reasons Why Training & Development is Critical for Your Success

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

By Mark Hamon, Risk Management Training and Safety Consultant Sydney.

“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to” – Sir Richard Branson

Let’s talk about a training and development for your business.

Training & Development

Training is about investing in your business and giving back to your employees. As Richard Branson put it, when you invest in your employees they will give back, and that kind of intangible quality is priceless for any business.  Have you really consider the risk and exposure your carrying if your training system isn’t up to date or poor quality?

Why should I consider a training and development program for my business?

  1. Training systems can help promote employee health and safety standards in the workplace.
  2. Shows a commitment of proof your work force is competent, trained and authorise.
  3. Gives a business owner evidence for “Duty of Care” where litigation risk can lead to prosecution.
  4. You’re operating a business in a constantly changing economic market with complex risk.
  5. Established evidence trail of workforce capabilities for legal requirements, contract tenders and proposals.
  6. Gives your external key stakeholders confidence in your company’s professional skill base
  7. Promotes morale, productivity and innovation in the workforce.
  8. Can help reduce staff turnover costs, and employee skills shortages.
  9. Could help win government based trainings funds for your business e.g. Australia.
  10. Will support and align to a company management system, including policies, procedures and business planning.

What can a KONA Risk Management Training Consultant do for your business?

  • Employee Induction Program –  develop a customised induction program for your business
  • Company Training Management System – including policies, procedures and tools/forms
  • Training Needs Analysis – organisation analysis, job analysis profiling, employee analysis, bottom up profiling, future skills profiling, SWOT analysis, balance scorecard, surveying.
  • Training Systems Audit – carry out training audits of employees or subcontractors.
  • Develop Training Packages – develop training packages for any topic related to safety, quality, environment, health, training, risk management or other business requirements.
  • Contractor Trainer – provide face to face classroom training services for your employees or contractors
  • Emergency Training Drills –workplace emergency and disaster drills, evaluation and feedback.

If you have any questions then get on the phone (obligation free) and contact KONA Group’s Risk Management Training Specialist Mark Hamon at info@KONA.com.au or call 1300 611 288 and you can discuss your business training and development needs.

END 2020 THE WAY YOU WANT TO START 2021

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Is your company one of the many forced to cancel the much anticipated Christmas party due to that pestilent C-word, COVID? Express gratitude to your team and at the same time prepare your Sales to be successful for 2021 – invite your Leadership Team to KONA’s Virtual Getting Ahead Christmas Retreat. This is a light-hearted, knowledge packed one-off 90 minutes Workshop with your Leadership team. Scheduled for November and December. And is ultimately, designed to get you ahead of the competition when 2021 kicks in. zoom meeting with six people with holiday backgrounds and clipart super imposed santa hats for a virtual christmas party
WHY?
Because often employees don’t ask for training, but it has nothing to do with their desire to learn. They may be unsure how to ask, afraid of rejection, or under the impression that it will make them look incapable. We have found that most employees crave opportunities for professional development. And furthermore, will be glad if you offer it.

HOW

KONA’s Virtual Getting Ahead Christmas Retreat addresses high-level topics that will significantly impact your business in 2021. This is delivered through our microlearning approach.  Microlearning has long been used primarily for corporate training where participants learn new processes in short time frames. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that the microlearning market is predicted to grow from $1.5 billion in 2019 to $2.7 billion in 2024 (MarketsandMarkets, 2019). Microlearning, or learning in bursts, reduces cognitive overload in workshop participants. And one of the biggest results we have seen from microlearning, is how it prevents learner fatigue. Plus it also increases knowledge retention from our participants.

WHAT

You can completely customise your Sales and/or Leadership workshop, or cherry-pick from our high-level topics of 2021.
KONA’s Virtual Getting Ahead Christmas Retreat Workshops | 90-Minutes Virtual
  • Effective Communication to Get Ahead of Competitors
  • Navigating New Products and Services with New Processes and People
  • Changing the 2021 Mindset: Activity Drives Results
  • Key Strategies for Q1
  • Differentiating your Presence in the Marketplace
  • How to Up the Level of Commitment of Your Team
  • Techniques to Manage Individual and Team Goals/Aspirations for 2021

KONA’s Virtual Getting Ahead Christmas Retreat!

END 2020 THE WAY YOU WANT TO START 2021!

colour cartoon luke sky walker and yoda, luke speech bubble says "I HOPE I SMASH MY KPIs IN 2021" and yoda replies "HOPE A STRATEGY IT IS NOT"

Book your team on KONA’s Virtual Getting Ahead Christmas Retreat by contacting us on:

 

1300611288 | info@kona.com.au

Are You Sales Match Fit? What We Know About Prospecting in 2021

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
For many, 2020 comes pretty close to a curse word. And while there appears to be a chance of a resurgence at the moment, the fact remains, we still have no clear certainty about the path the pandemic will take businesses on next year. But that does not mean we just sit back and wait. You will not survive. Start getting Match Fit and Sales Ready in these closing months of 2020, otherwise 2021 will be even bleaker for businesses than this year was. Companies that are still standing strong and successful today must be Sales Ready and prepare to adapt their approach on a strategic level in 2021. While we can’t predict the future, we can use what we’ve learned to shape our strategies and maximise prospecting potential for next year. Here is a list of what we have learnt so far from the pandemic experience, and how to be Sales Ready, prepare for prospecting and go hard. 2021 SALES READY AT A GLANCE For those of you that want to go straight to it click on the link of your choice:
  1. Adapt, Apply, Adapt Again
  2. Clean for Clarity
  3. Trust Your Gut But Act on Fact
  4. Measure to Manage
  5. Create a 2021 Sales Strategy
 
ADAPT, APPLY, ADAPT AGAIN
Digital change has been around for a while now. Suppliers, buyers and and consumers are already living the digital lifestyle. Online purchases with small, medium and big-name vendors are now part and parcel of B2B purchases. This sounds like it may mean sales prospecting is going to get harder. It doesn’t have to be the case. Your Salespeople need to be adaptable in all their approaches. To be Sales Ready and prepare for 2021, there are big changes to B2B prospecting. Train your sales team to:
  • Sell to remote buyers
  • Identify new opportunities
  • Come up with their own unique selling points to meet the needs of a changing market
  • Try to enforce on-site purchasing where possible
  • Completely take onboard digital channels
  • Get socials-savvy – enable more social platforms to reach a wider digital-first audience

 
CLEAN FOR CLARITY
While most people dislike the chore of cleaning, some find it soothing. Either way, it is a necessary activity to maintain order. The same applies to your business’ database. coloured clip art image of vacuum cleaner behind computer monitor and paperwork and a rubbish bin for sales ready cleaning your database training
  • Clean up your Sales database and CRM: correct typos, incomplete records, incorrect email addresses, and so forth.
  • Check you have the correct CRM fields in place – as well as, correctly filled in.
  • Sift through bounce-backs from your email marketing.
  • LINKEDIN: Clean Up YOUR PROFILE! KONA’s LINKEDIN WORKSHOP was one of the most demanded trainings this year. What are your employees’ profiles saying about your brand?

 
TRUST YOUR GUT BUT ACT ON FACT
It is crucial Salespeople prioritise their leads based on data analysis rather than just gut feeling. This is critical – to convert the most customers and deliver an extraordinary experience, data must play a significant part in your strategic decisions. Train your sales team to ANALYSE FOR PROFIT. Do they know how to:
  • Gain a deeper understanding of their customer?
  • Create Customer Profile accounts?
  • Research techniques to personalise responses?
  • Maintain a sense of urgency while building rapport?
  • Defend price based on fact and value?
  • Use behaviour profiling to engage effectively with different buyer behaviour styles?

 
MEASURE TO MANAGE
Track and analyse your business’ actions. Measuring your marketing, as well as individual and team performances, gives you insight into strengths and weakness, as well as revealing what is working and what is not. Take a measure of:
  • The company’s Google Analytics figures: how many people are visiting the site? Where are they from? What particular pages are they frequenting?
  • What the numbers of your social media platforms are. Is your business growing in followers and connections? Is your team actually engaging with the marketplace to generate leads, or is it just a page for presence not profit?
  • The efficiency and accuracy of your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System. Are your Salespeople adding new prospects to the pipeline? As a Leader, are you tracking movement through it? How about conversions, what is the bids versus wins ratio?
  • Measure it in many ways: Year-to-date versus Last-year-to-date. Year-to-date versus Goal, by service line and as well as by industry served.
The vital information from these measurements will form the foundation for your marketing, but also your Sales Strategy for 2021.

Do you and your Sales team require training on how to measure performance, and what to do with the results?

 
CREATE A 2021 SALES STRATEGY
At the very least, make notes about the business’ marketing and sales activities for the next 12 months. Address your team’s ability to commit to:
  • Investing in time and effort in their marketing and sales approaches
  • Setting, achieving and measuring individual KPIs, as well as team KPIs
  • Task Responsibilities for 2021 – most importantly, put all of these activities into a calendar-system, assign specific skill-based responsibilities, and then share the calendar with the team
kona group logo with Image of a clipart man and woman standing above a sales pipeline funnel with coins and arrows flowing in     Consider KONA’s ACTIVITY PLANNING Workshop to set your team’s goals for 2021. This needs to be done before 2021 arrives! For example:  as you think about your team’s goals for next year, do not just focus on the end result… set individual and team goals for the activities that will help you achieve the end result. This includes:
  • How many conversations to generate leads?
  • The number of Sales calls per week
  • The cost in time and money of prospecting properly
  • The Power of Power Hour – done right, done regularly
  • Maintaining Systems and Processes
  • Accountability Measures
  • Getting Geed-Up to Sell

    These are areas we need to focus on before 2021 gets here – to smash KPIs, skyrocket results and get back the company and team’s mojo. All these learnings are available to you and your team in KONA’s 2021 SALES READY WORKSHOP, addressing:
  1. Adaption and Resilience
  2. LINKEDIN Training | Employee Profiles and the Effect on the Brand
  3. Analyse for Profit
  4. Measure to Manage with Accountability
  5. Sales Strategies: Geed-Up to Sell in 2021
To Get Sales Match Fit for 2021 and learn more about KONA’s 2021 SALES READY WORKSHOP, contact KONA today on 1300611288 | info@kona.com.au for a conversation.   hope is not a business strategy kona hbb group garret norris

FRONT OF MIND SALES TIPS

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Research has proven two crucial Sales factors. Firstly, it is seven times less costly to keep a client than it is to win a new one. And secondly, it takes a minimum of 9 ‘touch points’, or brand recognition, to develop a relationship.

And during this pandemic-era it is has never been more vital to stay Front of Mind with your clients and prospects, through frequent, quality communication and Digital Marketing.

Note the focus on ‘Quality’ rather than’ Quantity’. As organisations have realised (some too late) that with Digital or Online Marketing any information sent out must be targeted to the specific audience and not “white noise”.

THE MESSAGE

Smart businesses are communicating with their clients and prospects by using web-based CRMs (Customer Relationship Management) systems or communication tracking tools to stay Front of Mind.

Staying Front of Mind in Sales is core in building the all-important pipeline. We have developed four methods you can connect with your customers and inform them constantly about your business. And please understand, while none of the following four points are new, the question is how often and how well does your organisation do it?

1. ONLINE EMOTIONAL CONTRACTING

Online Emotional Contracting is about utilising the social platforms available to interact with your whole database at once, to stay, Front of Mind.

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are all extraordinary online networking tools and depending on your type of business (B2B; B2C; Channel; Enterprise etc) a robust approach to turn your prospects into clients, as well as keep your current clients informed. But have you considered the message your profile or your team’s profile is sending? Could your Sales team – and business – benefit from Crucial LinkedIn Training? What does their profile reflect about them and the company?

This will help you improve your products or service offering which will eventually help you maintain your clients, and stay Front of Mind.

2. THE EDM APPROACH

EDMs (Electronic Direct Mails) promoting through an e-newsletter sent out daily, weekly or monthly is very effective. Critics may label the EDM Approach as “annoying”, but the results from Front of Mind Branding speaks for itself.

Auto-responders (which are particular email promoting messages that are composed ahead of time and sent to subscribers on particular days) can additionally be customised in email marketing just to make sure that your clients receives the information the moment they need it.

3. SMS TEXTS

With your clients’ permission, you can get in touch with them utilising quick updates and messages to their mobile phones. If they have joined your database you can also utilise SMS to send specials, coupons, openings or appointments.

A good example of how SMS updates can grow your business, retain clients and remain Front of Mind is one of Queensland’s top Smash Repairers. This forward thinking company sends an SMS update to their clients at each stage of the car’s repair process! Clever. This keeps their clients informed and engaged and feeling part of the process – a huge benefit away from the Industry Customer Service levels of years gone by!

4. OCCASION MARKETING

An incredible approach to inviting people to a virtual gathering or event is to send an online message to clients.

A smart business uses the available technology to identify their client’s needs and how to respond to them appropriately as they realise that by keeping in regular contact with their clients can make them an invaluable resource. If not clients and customers will switch to other businesses that offers what they require. You need to stay front of mind, even during uncertain times.

To learn more about how the Sales and Marketing Training and Coaching Specialists at the KONA Group can help increase your leads and client base through Digital Marketing, contact KONA today on 1300 611 288 | info@kona.com.au for a confidential conversation.

Contact Us

12 Sales Myths Debunked

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

For more than 20 years the KONA Group has been increasing sales effectiveness in many organisations and across several industries. Including:

  • Banking & Finance
  • Professional Services & Consulting
  • IT&C
  • FMCG
  • Building & Engineering
  • Pharma & Medical
  • Retail
  • Trades

And while many articles have been written about the ‘Black Art‘ of sales, unfortunately many don’t pass the test for sound psychology or practical reality.

Furthermore, many add to a growing world of sales myths and falsehoods.

So, having worked with thousands of Salespeople and Sales Managers, the following are KONA’s observations on the common myths about the Sales Profession:

KONA’s observations on the common myths about the Sales Profession

Sales Myth 1: Top Academic Grades Equal Top Sales Results

Fact: Academic qualifications do NOT guarantee sales results. In fact, they often work against a Salesperson. Research has proven that it is easier to teach basic engineering concepts to a sales professional than it is to teach an academic “genius” to sell.

Sales Myth 2: The Best Salespeople Have “The Gift Of The Gab”, “Can Talk Under Water” and “Sell Ice To Eskimos”

Fact: Sales is a Process, just like any other profession.

It is no different to a manufacturing conveyor belt. If you do things out of order, cut corners, or don’t manage the ‘human element’, results will be no where near what they could be.

Also, the best Salespeople are the ones who are clear about which companies they want to deal with, who they want to speak with, what they are going to speak about, “what keeps the customer awake at night” and how they can add Value to the customers business (and role), not just reasons to buy their products.

Sales Myth 3: The Best Salespeople Will Make The Best Managers

Fact: When you convert a sales superstar into a manager, typically three things happen:

  1. You lose a great Salesperson
  2. You gain a mediocre (or worse) manager as most new managers are thrown into the role without any help, especially in their first 90 days in the role
  3. Customers suffer in the transition time

Sales Myth 4: Salespeople are Lazy and Out There “Eating and Drinking for Australia”

Fact: This is a common misconception brought about by hiring the wrong Salespeople for the job; or the right Salesperson for the wrong job; and/or poor Sales Management. Good Salespeople have the desire and commitment to succeed and require guidance, coaching and to be held accountable for their performance.

Sales Myth 5: All Salespeople are Motivated by Money

Fact: Good Salespeople seek 3 things: independence, achievement and financial reward. Money, including earning bonuses, does motivate some Salespeople to achieve a short term objective. However not every salesperson is motivated in this way and the manager is best to link their motivation strategy to what the Salesperson is going to spend their bonuses on, rather than just the bonus itself

Also, Salespeople are motivated by recognition, achievement and status for long term goals. What does their next 3 years look like? How will the manager help them to be successful.

Sales Myth 6: Good Salespeople Know How to Split Their Time Effectively Between Account Management and Prospecting

Fact: The best “hunters” who are great at new business development and prospecting rarely make good “farmers” who retain and service existing customers well. True ‘hunters’ get bored behind a desk and likewise, customer service people and tele-marketers with great personalities over the telephone don’t do as well in the field

Sales Myth 7: Salespeople Only Need Product Knowledge to be Successful

Fact: Why is an average of 90% of all induction programmes focused on internal procedures and product knowledge, and less than 10% on the conversations the Salesperson must have with customers?

Research proves that the conversations the customer has with the salesperson plays the single biggest role (39%) in a customer’s purchasing decision.

While product knowledge is important, if the Salesperson does not focus their  conversations on the customers business they run the risk of being just “another product flogging, brochure dropping, order taking, rep”.

Sales Myth 8: The Internet and/or Creating A Better Product Will Drive Customers To Your Door

Fact: Linked to the Myth # 7, nearly 85% of all new products patented in the Patent Office never succeed in the real world. And companies that don’t offer “real people” to relate to and consult with customers are over seven times more likely to fail.

Sales Myth 9: Experienced and/or Motivated Salespeople Immediately Know To Do When They Join Your Team

Fact: Far too many Managers do not provide clear directions and expectations (especially in behaviour, minimum standards and customer conversations) to their new team members.

In addition, in many companies Sales Managers are spending too much time behind their desk on ‘very important reports and strategies’ instead of getting in the field and coaching their people every month.

Sales Myth 10: Telling Salespeople They are Doing a Good Job Makes Them Arrogant Then Complacent

Fact: This is NOT true.  Poor management lets Salespeople become complacent.

Recognition for a job well done, be it behaviours demonstrated or results achieved, motivates the salesperson to go back out and achieve again. However if good sales performance goes unrecognised low morale and low performance will follow, for the Salesperson AND their colleagues.

Sales Myth 11: A Well Thought Out Strategy Will Ensure Sales Success

Fact: No matter how much time and effort has been put into a strategy it is EXECUTED when the Salesperson is Face to Face with a customer. If their conversations skills are not up to standard and of Value to the customer, then your strategy will be a waste of time and effort.

So, what are your people talking about?

Sales Myth 12: Putting a Salesperson on a Generic, Off the Shelf Public Training Course will ‘Fix Them’

Fact: Training works, as long as it is a) relevant to them, and b) followed up by coaching.

Unfortunately too many Managers send their people onto a ‘tick the box’ off the shelf , by the book training course, then don’t follow up with the Salesperson in the fied to ensure they put the training into practice. (I am sure you have never heard your Salespeople say “it was good, but won’t work with my customers, on my area, with my products”…)

Going forward: So, what type of Salespeople and Sales Managers do you have? And what type of Salespeople and Sales Managers do you need for the next 3 years?

If you need help designing a customised, fun and highly charged training program to help you win more customers and grow your market share, contact KONA today on 1300 611 288 | info@kona.com.au for a confidential conversation.