Author: Sienna Anderson

Don’t Live a Life of Quiet Desperation

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
By Tim Kitching, High Performance Coaching Specialist. The famous quote by Henry David Thoreau of “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them” is still as relevant today as it was Many people live lives of quiet desperation. Working jobs they loath, socialising with people they don’t really like; being unhappy but not really knowing why. Sadly, most of these people die this way! Some, however, change the lives that they lead. They get up every morning and they punch the air in anticipation at what life will bring. They are self-aware and make decisions every day that are consistent with the lives that they want to lead and the sort of person that they want to be. How do these people do this?  What is different about them and how they view the world? Over the past 20 years I have coached, mentored and been friends with a range of people who have decided to live remarkable lives and they have a few things in common….
  1. They live congruent lives, this means that their personal, social, family and work lives are all consistent in their values and behaviours.  They are authentic.
  2. They choose to have a good day, every day.  In this manner they can approach the daily challenges of life with a positive mindset.
  3. They are curious and open, they are interested in everything and are open to different ideas and opinions, even if in time they choose a different path,
  4. They work every day to have a healthy mind and a healthy body because it enables them to live the 3 things above.
It does not matter if you would use these words or slightly different ways of saying the same thing.  Nor does it matter if you consciously live this way or if it is automatic. What matters is that you don’t live a life of quiet desperation. Most of the people that I know who live fulfilled lives don’t do it on their own.  They are surrounded by people who help them to be who they want to be, who support them in their goals and aspirations and respect them for who they are. Tip number 1: First steps to a fulfilled life. Start each day with 5 minutes of meditation and finish each with 5 minutes of journal writing. Begin and end you days the way you wish the period in between to be.  Calm, deliberate, in the moment and mindful. Tim Kitching is a Speaker, High Performance Coach and Facilitator with the KONA Group who works with people to help them live a congruent life.  If you are looking to make changes to wither your, or your team’s lives, please call Tim on 1300 611 288 or via email at info@KONA.com.au

Why you need a Safety Management System, and 16 ways it can benefit your business.

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
By Mark Hamon, Risk Management Specialist. Having a safety management system not only benefits your business, but also your customer reputation.  Safety is a key part of risk management where hazards or actions of the business, can impact on:
  • Employee health & wellbeing
  • Operational activities (disruptions)
  • Prosecution& litigation risk
  • Company reputation
  • Financial loss
  • Loss of customers or contracts
  • Insurance costs
  • Personal stress and morale
  • Equipment damage
In order to prevent a business from being exposed to these kinds of risk, a business owner should develop or review their business’s safety management plan. Committing to such action shows a committed “Duty of Care” as a Manager to your business, employees and customers. So what are the benefits? The positive aspects of improving your business’s safety performance can include; better standard of safe workplace practices, enhances employee health and wellbeing, established systems of hazard identification and control, promotes legislative compliance, establishes a duty of care,  promotes employee consultation and communication, reduced operating times and costs, better customer reputation, reduced insurance premiums, promotes employee morale, enhances your competitive advantage, supports tender and contract requirements, promote marketing opportunities and supports best practice standards. Safety Management Systems can be bench marked against national standards AS/NZS 4801 or international standards OHSAS18001 of safety excellence depending on your needs. What are some other issues, I should consider for my workplace safety requirements?
  • Do you have a broad brush risk assessment and task specific risk assessments for all business activities?
  • Have you a risk management system in place for all your hazardous and dangerous materials?
  • Is there an effective workplace induction and training system established for all your employees, visitors and contractors?
  • What resources and training do you have in place for staff to carry out safety inspections and audits?
  • How effective is your workplace injury management program?
  • How current or relevant is your safety policies and procedures, do they need a serious review?
  • Contractors can directly impact your business’s reputation and safety performance? Do you have a contractor management plan in your workplace?
  • Emergency management systems, what do you have in place for your employees should an emergency occur?
  • Safety management systems can be used to support evidence of compliance with pre-tender contract requirements. Can you show an established evidence trail of proof, and met all your customer’s safety needs to win work?
  • Internal audits of safety systems can be a great way to show an independent review of your safety performance. Do you need an expert independent review?
  • Do you have a document control system for safety management system? Do you have a control and review process in place?
By consulting Mark Hamon, the Risk Management Specialist from KONA Group, an evaluation of your workplace safety management requirements can best determine where to priorities actions for hazard identification and risk control of your business operations. Bottom line is don’t leave yourself exposed to possible workplace hazards and safety risk, get on the phone and contact KONA Groups Risk Management Specialist Mark Hamon at info@KONA.com.au or call 1300 611 288

Sales Management Training and Coaching in Australia – “Is the Tail Wagging the Dog?”

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

By Garret Norris, the Sales Performance Specialist from KONA Group

I have worked with many organisations in my career and recently I have found that more and more, sales managers are not standing up and leading their teams.

Is it a question of “oh no I don’t want to upset the team” or “I don’t want the hassle”? Either way it’s not good!!

In one organisation, when asked about the team KPI’s I was met with “they don’t like that as they think we are micro managing them”.

I could not believe my ears….. Micro manage…. Really….. How do we measure and manage the business if we don’t measure activity?

The rhythm of a business is so important, regular meetings, holding sales people accountable are essential.

If you are a sales manager ask yourself, am I holding the team accountable on a regular basis? Am I holding regular sales meetings? How often have sales meeting been moved, cancelled or certain members of your team have made excuse after excuse as to why they can’t attend?

If the answer is more than you would like or often then I would challenge you on who is driving the business and why are you there?

“A fish rots from its head”

We know that turning around a sales team starts with turning around the sales manager. Sales managers should be in a positioned to influence and drive sales reps to greater levels of success. I have seen the word “empower” used time and time again when it comes to leading teams, what does that even mean????

So the great leaders of the world empowered solders to get results and to win wars. In sporting events the coach “empowers” the players to play where ever they want and hope they win!!!!!  Absolutely NOT because HOPE is NOT a SALES Strategy and empowerment is NOT Leading…..

Maybe it’s because sales managers sometimes become so busy and distracted that they neglect their own development and their duty of leading the team as they get caught up trying to survive the latest fire drill or writing another report?

It only takes a little insight into key areas to dramatically increase the positive impact the sales manager can make on the whole sales team.

My colleague is oversees at the moment restructuring sales teams and running Sales Pipeline Training  programs and the issue is not limited to Australia, it seems to be a worldwide epidemic.

We are discovering that highly effective sales managers have a set of skills and characteristics in common that set them above all the rest, which enable them to help their teams to achieve results that are also way above average.

They lead and manage trough directing measuring action and holding the team accountable. At the end of the day, numbers don’t lie……

Going forward:

If you are looking to increase the performance of your sales team contact Garret Norris, KONA Group’s Sales Performance Specialist or learn more about how KONA’s Sales Training, Call Centre Training and Sales Management training in Sydney and Melbourne Australia can grow your results telephone Garret on 1300 611 288 or email info@KONA.com.au

Risk Management, What is it? What are the Benefits and Dangers of Doing Nothing?

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
By Mark Hamon, the Risk Management Specialist from KONA Group All businesses today have to devote time and effort to some kind of risk management plan and some businesses do it better than others due to better staffing and resources. Risk impacting on every day business operations can be classified as either known or unknown however the risks everyday business owners can be exposed to, includes possible litigation risk, workplace safety hazards or damage, workplace injuries or fatalities, environmental hazards and incidents, financial losses, quality related failures with products or services, loss or reputation and customers. Most business owners are aware of the need to have insurance premiums and a perhaps Safety Management Systems, but may not be aware of other forms of risk management and the impact it could have on their business. A business manager should carry out an overarching risk assessment of their entire operation, so all areas of their business have been risk assessed with controls in place. Risk will never be 100% totally eliminated, but should be reduced as low as reasonably possible to an acceptable level by all key stakeholders involved. A good integrated risk management plan can include:
  • Business Risk and Continuity Plan
  • Safety Management System
  • Environmental Management System (Due Diligence Portfolio)
  • Quality Management Plan
  • Lean Principles
  • Training Management Plan
By incorporating an integrated risk management plan into your business, you will reduce the chance of an unexpected or unplanned risk event from impacting on your business. This can include risk impacting on business operations, reputation, liability risk, customer perception and profitability. Check out our Risk Management page  for an up to date list of the Policies and Procedures you must be in control of in 2015 to protect your people and business. The various systems of Integrated risk management, are bench marked against global standards of excellence, so apart from protecting your business, it can also be used as a marketing tool to promote customer service and reputation. For some businesses, the elements of an integrated risk management plan are also pre-selection requirements in their contract and tender process. It’s not enough these days to be the cheapest quote to win the customer, you need to show evidence of how you manage risk in many industries. So where to from here? A good integrated risk management plan, will reduce litigation risk, loss of customers or reputation, risk of financial loss, reduced insurance premiums, reduce environmental damage, reduce down time or unexpected interruptions, reduce equipment or product damage, reduce employee injuries or risk of fatalities. By consulting Mark Hamon, the Risk Management Specialist from KONA Group, an evaluation of your business can best determine where to priorities actions for improvement as a business risk gap analysis will show you the risk exposure to your business and the controls needed. Bottom line is don’t leave yourself exposed to possible litigation risk and contact KONA Groups Risk Management Specialist Mark Hamon at info@KONA.com.au or phone 1300 611 288

CMO Show Interview

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
The CMO Show

This week, Glenn Dobson, Managing Director of the KONA Group and Hawaii Ironman triathlete, is interviewed by co-hosts Mark Jones and JV Douglas about why HRs current obsession with ’empowerment’ is a “management cop out”; staying motivated; and how setting new goals and challenges can help you achieve way beyond your own expectations.

“Business people today face so many distractions that it’s increasingly difficult to strike a balance between work and life, setting and achieving goals and maintaining focus and motivation.”

Yet Glenn’s ability to structure his week around the four “big rocks” in his life – work, training, family and sales training & coaching – have allowed him to pursue his dreams of becoming a Hawaii Ironman triathlete in KONA, and international sales coach. (Immediately after this interview he was getting on a plane to train businesses in Johannesburg, Dubai, Dallas and New Zealand)

This structure, he says, is integral to keeping himself motivated and avoiding the burnout that so many marketers and executives experience.

“People often say, ‘how do you fit it all in?’ I train 16 hours a week for an Ironman race and still spend a huge amount of time with my family.

I run a business and spend vast amounts of time with clients.

However I don’t get bogged down in the minutia, and the little low value tasks that can take up time.”

To listen to this excellent interview from CMO on your drive to or from work please click on

https://www.filteredmedia.com.au/the-cmo-show-motivation-for-marketing/

For more information on KONA’s Sales Training or Call Centre Training please telephone Glenn on 0425 200 883 or email Glenn@KONA.com.au

Become a Guest Blogger at the KONA Group

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
guest bloggerThe KONA Group is inviting inspiring bloggers and writers to submit blogs or articles that will be highlighted on the KONA website at kona.com.au If successful you will receive full credit as the author of the article or blog and it will be presented to 1,000s of corporate clients and contacts via Linked In, Social Media, SEO, EDM and the KONA website. If you want to share a case study, tell the world your story, pass on tips to help others become more successful and increase your personal profile please email KONA Managing Director Glenn Dobson today at Glenn@KONA.com.au What are we looking for? Interesting, practical and challenging business articles across various topics of your choice including Sales, Management, Marketing, Leadership, Call Centres, Customer Service, Operational Effectiveness, WHS, Risk, Resilience, Motivation and Perseverance, the ridiculous Fair Work Australia and IR laws or any other topic of your choice Blogs and articles of about 400 words must be interesting and topical, challenging and opinionated, educational and thought provoking. Please do NOT send blatant promotions or advertising for your business or services If you are interested in submitting content, please email Glenn@KONA.com.au with your details and we will be happy to publish you The KONA Group Because Hope Is Not A Strategy 1300 611 288 www.KONA.com.au

4 Steps to ensure your Customer Service Agents are Really Listening to Your Customers

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson

Are your Customer Service Agents really listening?

Are your Customer Service Agents really listening to your customers, or are they just going through the motions?

How important is it to your business that they really understand your customers concerns, questions or opinions?

If it is important to you then as a Manager a crucial skill you must ensure every Customer Service Agent is trained in is Listening Techniques.

Sure they listen.  You will probably hear them saying things like “yes, Uh-hmmm, ok” which is a start, but only one of the 4 key steps they need to use to really understand your customers.

Professional Customer Service Training focuses on a simple, easy to understand model called the L.A.E.R. Process, and has proven to repeatedly retain customers and convert enquiries into sales

The L.A.E.R. process stands for:

L – Listen  – includes things like verbal acknowledgement, nodding (yes, even when on the phone) and other active listening techniques

A – Acknowledge – paraphrasing and repeating verbatim what the caller said

E – Explore – asking probing questions to gain a deeper understanding of the customers point of view

R – Respond – giving recommendations, solutions and next step actions

Have a listen to your Customer Service agents,  you will probably hear they are quite skilled at Responding. In fact they may even throw in an odd question here and there. 

But how well do they truly Acknowledge and Explore?

Acknowledging Tells the Customer “I hear you”.

The simple act of paraphrasing or repeating back what they have heard is the most often missed listening skill, yet Acknowledging is the most powerful way of saying to a customer “I hear you”.

It looks simple in theory, but using the L.A.E.R. model on a daily basis requires learning and coaching through day-to-day tasks, challenges and practice.

So include it in your team meetings and on the desk coaching and watch your customer satisfaction levels increase.

10 Tips to Make Your Trade Events a Success Part 2

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
10 Tips to Make Your Trade Events a Success Part 2, by Robert Savellis of the KONA Group In last week’s blog we discussed why and how successful Trade Events and Australian sales training workshops need consistent focus and expertise (If you haven’t read part 1 please go to the blog below) https://kona.com.au/10-Tips-to-Make-Your-Trade-Events-a-Success-Part-1 In KONA’s Sales Management training programs we often hear Managers lament that past trade events haven’t been successful and/or generated a poor ROI Therefore part 2 of How to Make Your Trade Events a Success includes the following key recommendations:
  1. Training staff on new products – there is nothing worse than staff being shown the product on the morning of the show and testing their knowledge on live customers. So ensure you train all attendees on new products prior to the show, as well as refreshers on more well established products or services
In addition, if you have ‘none sales people’ manning the stand ensure you give them sales training on how to approach and engage with customers as well as product training
  1. Speaking spot – make the most of the show and try to get a speakers spot
Many trade events have international speakers who draw a strong audience however they often are looking for ‘backup speakers’ or fill in speakers if someone doesn’t show up or pulls out. Promote the event to your customer base.
  1. Staff Roster – ensure that there is a roster prepared and agreed to by all managers outlining shift starting and finishing times and meal times. Make sure that you take into account that you need to split the shifts to enable staff to return calls, return e-mails and meet with customers.
  2. Pre and post briefing – Most companies spend a lot of money on attending an event where the ultimate goal was to generate leads and/or sales. So what next?
It is crucial to develop a lead distribution and management process. Otherwise all of those business cards your team gathered at the event will end up lost or wasted. (If you are in doubt of this divide the total costs of the event by the number of leads and sales you generate)
  1. Post-mortem analysis – investigate and learn from the event, document what has worked, what needs changing, what was the ROI, and what are you going to do going forward.
Robert Savellis is a Sales and Marketing Performance Specialist as the KONA Group If Robert can help you and your organisation to develop more opportunities, increase sales and grow profits please telephone 1300 611 288, or email info@KONA.com.au Alternatively go to: https://kona.com.au/Hearts-and-Minds-Sales-Training

10 Tips to Make Your Trade Events a Success Part 1

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
10 Tips to Make Your Trade Events a Success Part 1, by Robert Savellis of the KONA Group Successful trade events need focus and expertise Very often clients are reluctant to invest in trade events as they have “been there, done that and the return on investment was not worth it.” In all cases the post-mortem revealed that lack of proper planning was at the top of the list as to reasons why the event was not a success. Follow the below list and the results will follow.
  1. Event organiser – have a discussion with the event organiser and identify if this is the event for you, do not rely on a glossy brochure.
  2. Booth positioning – Just like a retail store the key principle at an event is position, position and position
The position and size of your stand plays an important role in the success of the event so always consider the impact on ROI between the positions of a slightly more expensive stand, compared to a cheaper but out of the way stand.
  1. Stand design – your stand needs to reflect your brand identity. Your design should be completed early to ensure all goes well and be sure to understand the limitations
Many events have restrictions in regards to height of banners and rigging, serving customers beverages etc. All venues have different restrictions so make sure you review the terms and conditions.
  1. Feature Products – decide what products you will be showing, a good start will be with your product roadmap.
Always have a plan ‘B’ as delays may occur if your product is being shipped from overseas or is still undergoing testing production phase.
  1. Demonstrations – when running demonstrations on products note what utilities and restrictions are in place that may affect or close down your demonstration.
  • Sound restrictions,
  • Electricity (what phase is required),
  • Water, drainage availability
  • WIFI (most shows are saturated with WIFI signals which may affect your demonstrations).
For Tips 6 – 10 please check out next week’s blog Robert Savellis as a Sales and Marketing Performance Specialist as the KONA Group If Robert can help you and your organisation to develop more opportunities and increase your ROI and sales from your upcoming events please telephone him on 1300 611 288, or email info@KONA.com.au

March 2015: KONA Group helps raise $452,000 for disabled young Australians

Posted on | by Sienna Anderson
On March the 8th, after 9 days in the saddle, we finally rode across the finish line in Sydney to be greeted by family, friends, the young disabled people and staff from Fighting Chance, Members of Parliament and sponsors It had been a marvelous week where we had averaged over 120 kms a day and battled with very sore backsides, headwinds, high and low temperatures, huge trucks and grey nomads puling caravans, potholes, flat tyres and a multitude of other daily challenges However this was all worthwhile as last week the final numbers came in and with the assistance of a vast array of contacts, colleagues and friends we’ve raised an incredible $452,905 through the Tour. 2015 Tour photo This is an amazing amount of money that will enable Fighting Chance to create a huge number of opportunities for young adults with a disability and take the number of people FC care for from 40 to 120! In 2014, we raised $345,000 so in only 2 short year we have raised over a $750,000 and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support, donations and goodwill, as you have certainly helped us to make a difference Best regards, Glenn Check out Fighting Chance COO Jordan O’Reilly discussing how your donations will make a difference at