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
Two of the most important months of the year in Sales happen to be October and November.
However too many Salespeople and Sales Managers are either unaware of this, or simply choose not to do anything during these critical months of activity.
Many Salespeople fall into the trap of “easing off” at the bottom end of the year.
Step it up…
But this is the time you need to be stepping it up!
So many Salespeople don’t change their pace during October and November and then roll into Christmas and January and wonder why they miss their target. Worse still, they start Q1 of the new calendar year playing catch up.
Crucial Sales Techniques need to be put in place now to maintain pipeline strength at the start of the new year.
Why are October and November so important to Sales?
Whenever we ask a B2B client how your December and January were, the reply from many is “not that good”. There are more organisations open for business and back to work in January than ever before. And no more so than now.
Remember not so long ago we had 2 years of on-again-off-again lockdowns. Business owners are still smarting about the threat of, or actually shutting their doors.
Your Sales Pipeline in October and November
How prepared are you for October and November?
Is your team implementing the key Sales Pipelineprinciple of Managing the Lead Time between Sales Activity and Sales Results?
Your Salespeople should be filling their 2022 Pipeline now.
Why be filling your 2024 Pipeline now?
Because it takes an average of 2 to 3 months to convert a new opportunity or win a new client. Therefore – 2 to 3 months prior to January is October and November.
Are your Salespeople active right now or are they sitting back
So are your Salespeople active right now or are they sitting back – saying “January has always been quiet for us”?
A slow start to the new calendar year is hard to claw back from, both in target numbers and morale.
With that in mind, here are Three Proven Sales Techniques to Smash Targets.
1. Start Implementing Weekly or Fortnightly Power Hours
Power Hour Session Pipeline Case Study
In a tailored Strategic Sales Training workshop a few years back in November, we generated a massive ROI for a client with a solid Power Hour session.
Here is what that Power Hour session looked like:
We gathered all their 36 Salespeople, Sales Support and Sales Managers into a room.
Prior to the session, each participant had to arrive with a target list of 50 contacts – existing, lapsed, and prospects.
We then ran 2 hours ofPower Hour Training. Then, everyone had to put the training immediately into practice.
Outcome: the group BOOKED 546 FACE TO FACE MEETINGS IN ONE HOUR. That is more than 15 appointments per person! Their conversion ratio at that time was 34% of meetings to orders, and they had a HUGE January and start to the New Year.
2. Do Your Research
If you search “CEO of KONA Group” you are guaranteed you’ll come up with an image and blurb of Garret Norris. Search “John Wright KONA Group” and you will see information about the Group’s Melbourne Sales Coach. Research your prospects! That is how you will connect with them.
Next, using the information you have researched about your prospect, you then:
A) figure out the best way to address their pain point, then
B) how you will get past the gatekeeper.
By the time you get to the decision-maker, you must know enough to give them insights into their own business. 77% of buyers say they won’t engage with a Salesperson if they don’t do the homework first*. So get Googling. (*LinkedIn State of Sales Report, 2017).
3. Work Out Your Why!
Your Salespeople should all be good communicators.
But – there’s always an opportunity to train and upskill their pitching and selling processes. That is, there are always opportunities to sharpen the axe and move your Salespeople from good communicators to skilled effective communicators.
That means, they should be able to identify and articulate ways they can add value to potential customers. But to do this, your Salespeople need to work out their Why.
Do your Salespeople know how to work out their Why Statement and company value proposition?
Knowing your Why will help you to move targets through the Sales pipeline and advance to the more critical stages.
That’s the part in the pipeline where you secure the Sale.
We all get them, the “annoying” telephone calls from someone trying to sell you something you absolutely don’t need. That is not what you want as your strategy right? Thankfully,there are other ways.
Sales Outreach has come a long way and has evolved to something quite different from pure cold calling. And as the field continues developing, you need to keep up with it. With the help of research and new techniques, you can improve your Sales Outreach Strategy and make it more effective in today’s current climate.
Consequently, a rise in engagement, conversion rates, and profits is likely to follow. So don’t hesitate, because as we teach in our workshops, Activity Drives Results, and therefore, with a better Sales Outreach you will get better results.
WHAT IS SALES OUTREACH?
Sales Outreach is the process of engaging with prospects who meet your customer profile. That is, with the goal of bringing them into the Sales pipeline and converting them into paying customers.
Moreover, the rise of inbound marketing has greatly increased the number of channels for the modern marketer. But it has also increased the noise that we need to learn to cut through if we are to reach the modern B2B buyer.
Consequently, and partly as a response to the noise, outbound marketing has been modernised. Prospecting has become a key part of the marketing mix. Crucially, it allows highly targeted Sales Outreach to deliver personalised messages to key decision-makers.
SALES OUTREACH STATISTICS
Cold Sales Outreach is a vital part of starting conversations with potential customers. The merits of this, and which methods of Outreach are most effective, are revealed in some surprising statistics.
The average Salesperson only spends a third of their day actually selling
40% of Salespeople say prospecting is the hardest part of their job (HubSpot)
60% of B2B buyers say no four times before saying yes
48% of Salespeople never even make a single follow up attempt (Invespcro)
It takes between eight and 18 calls to actually connect with a buyer (Brevet & TopoHQ)
Salespeople spend the equivalent of an entire day each week writing emails (HubSpot)
70% of unanswered Sales emails aren’t followed up (Yesware)
Follow up emails generate 77% of prospecting campaign responses (Sopro)
80% of prospects prefer Sales discussion over email compared to any other medium(HubSpot)
Email marketing is almost 40 times more effective than social media marketing for new customer acquisition (Brevet)
89% of marketers say that email is their primary channel for lead generation (Copper)
WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SALES OUTREACH STRATEGY?
If you notice that you’re not reaching your Sales goals, it might be time to work on your Sales Outreach approach. Does your team have an effective Sales Outreach Strategy in place? Below are 6 Ways to Improve Your Sales Outreach Strategy to get you started.
1. BE PROACTIVE
Remember? We will say it again and never stop drilling it in. Activity Drives Results!
As a business with something to sell, you are the one that should make the first move. This is particularly obvious with outbound Sales Outreach. That is, where the entire concept is that you contact potential clients to close the deal. But even if you’re focusing on inbound Sales Outreach, there are things you can do to improve your chances of conversion.
For example, collecting data about your leads, prospects, and existing clients will give you a better idea of who they are and what they respond to. This is addressed in a 90 Minute Virtual Workshop, called The Importance of Information Gatheringand Your Sales Outreach Strategy.
Once you have gathered the correct and valuable data from your prospect, you can use the knowledge to improve your approach. That means, from your marketing and branding all the way to your customer services. This process will significantly increase your opportunities of being contacted by interested customers.
2. UNDERSTAND, NOT JUST KNOW, WHO YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS ARE
Having a comprehensive understanding of your customers is key to achieving core business goals.
Whether you’re trying to build the customer experience, create more engaging content, or increase Sales. Knowing your customers betterthan they do is key. That means developing ideal customer profiles and mapping your audience. This is addressed in a 90 Minute Virtual Workshop, called Customer DNA and Your Sales Outreach Strategy.
3. PICK THE PROPER PLATFORM
Who you approach is also going to affect how you approach them.
You want to meet potential clients where they are, that is – using the communication channels they prefer. Virtually everyone uses e-mail these days, so that’s a safe bet for Sales Outreach. Phones have been successfully used in Sales for decades, so they will probably work for you too.
What’s new in recent years is social media. If you can harness the power of different social media platforms, you can significantly improve your strategy. Just remember to choose the right social media.
90% of top-performing Salespeople now use social media as part of their sales strategy. (LinkedIn)
Have a think about which channels will work best for your target audience. Cold calling will be the way to go for some.
An approach on social media can work really well for others. Of course, LinkedIn is the go-to network for most B2B buyers. However, if your audience is, say, wedding photographers, then Instagram might be a place they are more active.
64% of sales reps who invest in social media hit their team quota – compared to only 49% of reps that don’t use social media. (LinkedIn)
Cold email outreach is a proven tactic that delivers the highest lead rates and marketing ROI. And as the above figures show, four out of five B2B buyers prefer to be contacted by email over any other medium.
4. PERSONALISE EVERY APPROACH
Personalisation is where it is at these days. It is in fact, one of the most effective tactics for both marketing and client retention that you can possibly invest in. It makes your efforts more relevant for the individual client. But also, it makes them feel important and special rather than just another number.
Every person you contact should believe that you typed out an email just for them. Cold email copywriting is an art form in itself, but it’s the personalisation that really takes a message to the next level.
By personalising 20% of email content, open rates increased over 40% on average and reply rates increased 112%. This is compared to emails with no personalisation at all. (SalesLoft)
But how do you personalise a Sales Outreach approach?
The first step is collecting as much information as you can. Remember, The Importance of Information Gathering and Your Sales Outreach Strategy?
Equally as important, invest in a good CRM system! This is crucial. A solid CRM will help you collect, organise, and measure data about ALL your team’s leads. Then, when your Salespeople contact those leads, they can use information about them to adjust and tailor their Sales pitch to each one. They should use the customer’s interests and previous experiences with the business as a starting point to rebuild that all-important rapport. Crucially, they will refer back to emails and conversations and know how to connect with a particular customer and pick up from where they last left off. Finally, your Salespeople can use the data to guide your marketing strategies too. This will consequently increase the number of inbound contacts you get and have a significant growth effect on their pipeline.
Businesses that leverage CRM software sees sales increase by 29%, sales productivity increase by 34%, and sales forecast accuracy increase by 42%. (Salesforce)
5. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET
You have to get into the right state of mind.
You can no longer focus on selling your product, service, or solution. You must focus on communicating as a trusted advisor and industry thought leader. That means focusing on the value and ROI your solution delivers versus the simple features and benefits of the actual product or service.
But how do you change your mindset?
Keep yourself open to new ideas by continuing to learn. Crucially, invest in your team’s education with continuous learning and training.
Tailored training involves the use of Sales-based activities designed to spark creativity and help your Salespeople reframe their thinking to value-based selling, rather than basic brand flogger.
The mindset of every Salesperson has the power to drive or destroy their sales. It is up to you as their Leader, to shape a positive, results-orientated mindset.
6. REMEMBER TO FOLLOW UP
Most of the time,a single contact is not going to be enough for conversion. And when your customers are other businesses as well, you need to remember they too are busy people whose first priority is probably not your business.
So don’t let them forget about you! Contact them again after a while. If you can, work on building actual relationships. A more personal approach will help you make the Sale. However, know when to hold back as well. Aim for a balanced approach where you follow up without being too pushy.
How do you know when your team needs to improve its Sales Outreach Strategy?
There’s never a bad time to improve your Sales Outreach strategy. After all, a better approach leads to better results.
As Leaders, if you’re working on your quarterly plans or reorganising things in your business, reconsidering how you do your Sales Outreach techniques should be on the list every time.
But it becomes critical when you notice too many deals are lost and leads are not moving through the Sales pipeline. This will affect your ROI and overall profits, so trying a new approach as soon as possible is a must.
Call us to organise your team of professionals to be part of your bespoke training and build a customised Sales Outreach Strategy. Each focus learning area will be tailored to your team’s needs and challenges.
They can be part of 4 x 90 minutes Sales Outreach Strategy EssentialsVirtual Workshops. Cherry-pick one or all of the topics below and customise your Team’s Learning.
To book Your Team’s tailored ↑Sales Outreach Strategy Building VirtualWorkshops, contact KONA on 1300 611 288 for a confidential conversation, or email info@kona.com.au anytime.
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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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.
