Every business has to deal with an unreasonable customer at one point or another
A customer is commonly regarded as being unreasonable when they:
Demand a service or product whether it is provided by your business or not
Are seemingly impossible to appease
Argue the price
Display rude behaviour towards the salesperson
Here are 8 tips you can use to handle an unreasonable customer.
1. Listen Attentively
Listening to your client is the first step in resolving an issue.
Typically an unreasonable customer will believe their request is actually quite reasonable.
Try to see things from your customer’s view point. Being understanding is important when trying to solve the problem.
2. Let Them Know Your Side
After listening to the customer, you should help them to see your point of view as well.
Eg. If your customer is trying to negotiate you down from your price, explain how you have arrived at that price and why.
3. Consider Other Options
If your customer requests additional services free of charge that are not included in the agreement, explain why you can’t fulfill their request.
But, always offer an alternative option.
Think about alternatives that are fair and will benefit both of you.
Consider the following:
Could you deliver on part of the extra demands?
Are there lower-priced alternatives that could meet their needs?
4. Assess The Cost Of Saying “Yes”
If you are the business owner or sales manager, it’s a good idea to calculate he costs linked to catering to unreasonable customers each month. You can then off-set those costs by making changes such as cutting costs in other areas of the business, or raising prices of other products.
It is also beneficial to assess the team’s customer service and negotiation skills.
If you find any issues in these areas, it may indicate a need for staff training.
5. Assess The Consequence Of Saying “No”
Consider what the repercussions are of saying “no”.
Is it possible that you will lose this customer if you deny their demands? If a customer’s demands are virtually impossible and you cannot find an alternative, you can be left with no choice.
You should always carefully assess the situation before saying no, and explain your reasons while remaining calm and polite.
6. Empathise With Them
When you are unable to meet a customer’s request, you should always show empathy.
They are still your client and unless they are extremely difficult, you don’t want to lose them.
It is a good idea to send them a follow-up email or a phone call after a few days to maintain the relationship and show you care.
7. Show Gratitude
Keep in mind that no matter how unreasonable your customer is, you never know what someone is going through.
A simple thank-you is something you should always do.
It will show the customer that you value the relationship even if they have ended a contract with you or left without making a purchase.
8. Don’t Let Them Leave Angry
Rumours about a business spread rapidly, more so now than ever.
It’s important that a customer does not leave angry, to ensure they don’t post anything on social media, or spreading rumours that can damage the reputation of your business.
Does your sales team have an effective plan to handle unreasonable customers?
Contact the team at KONA to discuss a customised Sales Training Program for your business.
Customer-centricity is a strategy and a way of doing business that concentrates on creating the best possible customer experience which in turn, brings brand-loyalty.
Customer-centric companies guarantee that the customer is at the centre of business operations.
Here are 4 key reasons why being customer-centric generates business growth.
1. Allows Companies To Build Better Relationships With Their Customers, Which Helps Increase Sales & Revenue
Having connections built on trust and good communication makes it easy for customers to feel assured and connected with a brand.It leads to high customer retention rates and increases repeat purchases.
2. Provides A Positive Customer Experience To Drive Repeat Business & Enhance Customer Loyalty
A positive customer experience is essential for business growth. A great customer experience will:
Promote brand advocacy
Help retain customers
Encourage customer loyalty
3. Makes The Customer Feel Valued Which Means They Are More Likely To Recommend Your Business
When your customers feel important, your customer service team becomes the powerhouse that drives revenue up.Strengthening your customer service efforts to deliver the experience your customers expect, will ultimately grow your business.
4. Allows Businesses To Identify Opportunities For Development
Listening and responding to customer feedback is a great way to take advantage of business growth opportunities.If a significant amount of customers are providing similar feedback or areas for improvement, a customer-centric business will take the feedback on-board.They will adapt to meet the needs of their target customer.
Find out how your company can benefit from becoming more Customer-Centric.
Contact KONA today to discuss tailored training options for your business.
Empathy is important for good leadership, but too much can be an issue.
Rather than carrying the responsibility of empathy, leaders can learn to experience compassion.
Being compassionate can:
Change how leaders engage with their teams
Benefit all parties
Alleviate burden from leaders
Here are 4 benefits of being a compassionate rather than empathetic leader.
1. It Is Easier To Make Decisions Based On Compassion Rather Than Empathy
Being empathetic means we take on the emotions of the other person and feel what they are feeling. Other than making the other person feel less alone, empathy doesn’t offer any solution.Empathy is considered impulsive- Compassion is considered deliberate and conscious.When being compassionate we have the clarity of mind to reflect on the situation and make wise decisions.You can ask the person ‘What do you need?’. This will better inform you on how you can help.
2. Compassion Over Empathy Allows You To Put Emotions Aside When Making Decisions
Compassion allows you to:
Take an emotional step back
Act rationally, not impulsively
Think clearly and consciously
3. Empathy Lets Us Join The Suffering Of Others, But Compassion Allows Us To Help
Compassion is essentially recognising the suffering of others and then taking action.When being compassionate, we take a step away from the emotion of empathy and ask ourselves ‘How can we help?’.
4. Why You Need Compassion And Empathy As A Leader
To be an effective leader it is important to connect with Empathy but to lead with Compassion. A leader needs to be empathetic in order to engage. But we can leverage our empathy to lead with compassion.Putting empathy aside to lead with compassion doesn’t make a leader less kind, it allows you to better support your team through difficult times.
Are your leadership team compassionate or empathetic?
Contact KONA to discuss how tailored Leadership Training can benefit the leaders in your business!
Customer Service Excellence does not just rely on your frontline staff. Although customers may be won or lost there. Therefore, it’s crucial that every staff member in your organisation works together to create the customer service journey.
That includes resolving issues and creating memorable moments for your customers. Additionally, you should empower your frontline staff to be as valuable to the customer as possible.
It could be the difference between the customer returning to your company or leaving for the competition. So how can you improve customer satisfaction in today’s customer-centric world?
Here are 4 tips to drive Customer Service Excellence
1. Collect Customer Feedback
Nothing proves to your customers their worth than asking questions and acting on it accordingly.
When asked for feedback your customers feel valued and treated almost like a part of your creative team. By asking for customer feedback you make them feel their opinions are truly valued.
Additionally, when customers feel they have been heard, they begin to have positive connotations with your brand. Consequently, they return their good experience back to you. This is either by returning as a loyal customer or spreading valuable positive word of mouth about your organisation. By using surveys, you can measure customer satisfaction and discover what product improvements your customers request.
2. Turn Customer Feedback into Action
When the competition is just a few clicks away, it is crucial to address any customer service issues immediately.
Customers that are not happy and who provide feedback should be seen as an opportunity. They could simply write negative online reviews. That is, a public attack on your social media channels, or even worse, leave an anonymous comment on a forum.
Instead, they took the effort to contact your organisation and share their experiences, trusting that you can fix it.
Negative customer feedback should be valued even more than any other because it gives you the winning growth strategy on a silver plate!
For this reason, create a Customer Service Feedback Action Plan to tackle the unsatisfied customers’ issues straight away.
3. Improve your Product or Service
You should constantly strive to improve your product or service based on customer feedback. This will see you keep customer satisfaction levels high.
Product or service improvement often results in new customers or increased existing customer retention. The two most popular ways to make product and service improvements are to add new features or improve existing ones
4. Follow up with your Customers
Have you made an improvement based on what your customer has told you? Well then, follow up with the customer to let them know about it.
Keeping your customers in the loop shows that your business values customer feedback.
Intelligent follow-ups at the right times can have a very powerful impact on your customers. It also keeps you at the top of their mind when it comes to choosing different brands or providers.
How to handle difficult customers – not a question we should be asking ourselves, yet one we are unfortunately facing more and more often since the onset of COVID.
Customers are more likely to make repeat purchases with companies that offer excellent customer service. Since difficult customers are inevitable and more prevalent in this COVID environment, it is important that you and your team know how to effectively resolve customer conflicts.
Learn how to handle difficult customers
To enhance your team’s conflict resolution capabilities and increase their skills in knowing how to handle difficult customers, contact KONAfor information on online workshopsand practice role-playing with customer service and call centre workshops.
Some people believe “the customer is always right,” but I do not. However, I do believe that the customer is “always the customer”, they may not always be easy to deal with but you must still politely deal with them.
What to do
Learning how to handle difficult customers is vital ingredient for any business, especially those who have call centres. Even businesses with the best products and services are bound to have occasional run-ins with angry customers.
Consumers expect businesses to provide good customer service, now more than ever and with the increase in stress created by the global pandemic, many of our customers are experiencing an increase in “unreasonable” customers.
To build a positive reputation with consumers and to help manage internal stress, it is important to have professionally trained staff who can handle difficult people and resolve customer complaints.
How to do it
Many people’s natural response when faced with how to handle difficult customers, is to get defensive and get into a negative mindset with a disgruntled client. Once you flip the switch and start with ‘thank you,’ the response is out of the ordinary for them.
This works in every business, and once the strategy is taught to the customer service teams, sales divisions, and leadership, the impact is amazing.
However, handling an angry customer doesn’t stop there. Here are several other techniques and strategies that your team can learn to enhance their quality of customer service when dealing with complaints.
First and foremost, listen. Do not try to talk over the customer or argue with them. Let the customer have their say, even if you know what they are going to say next, that they don’t have all the information or that they are mistaken. As you listen, take the opportunity to build rapport with the customer.
Build rapport through empathy. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Echo the source of their frustration and show that you understand their position and situation. If you can empathise with a customer’s problem, it will help calm them down. If you verbally “nod” during the call, the customer will feel better understood.
Lower your voice. If the customer gets louder, speak slowly, in a low tone. Your calm demeanour can carry over to them and help them to settle down. As you approach the situation with a calm, clear mind, unaffected by the customer’s tone or volume, their anger will generally dissipate.
Respond as if all your customers are watching. Pretend you are not talking only to the customer but to an audience that is watching the interaction. This shift in perspective can provide an emotional buffer if the customer is being verbally abusive and will allow you to think more clearly when responding. Since an unruly customer can be a negative referral, assume they’ll repeat the conversation to other potential customers; this mindset can help you do your best to address their concerns in a calming way.
Know when to give in. If it is apparent that satisfying a rude customer is going to take two hours and still result in negative referrals, it may be better to take the high road and compromise. This will give you more time to nurture other, more productive customer relationships. Keep in mind that the interaction is atypical of customers and you’re dealing with an exception.
Stay calm. If the customer is swearing or being verbally abusive, take a deep breath and continue as if you didn’t hear them. Responding in kind will not solve anything, and it will usually escalate the situation. Instead, remind the customer that you are there to help them and are their best immediate chance of resolving the situation. This simple statement often helps defuse the situation.
Don’t take it personally. Always speak to the issue at hand and do not get personal, even if the customer does. Remember that the customer doesn’t know you and is just venting frustration at you as a representative of your company. Gently guide the conversation back to the issue and how you intend to resolve it.
Remember that you’re interacting with a human. Everyone has an occasional bad day. Maybe your rude customer had a fight with their spouse, got a traffic ticket that morning or had a recent run of bad luck. We’ve all been there, to some degree. Try to empathise and make their day better by being a pleasant, calming voice – it’ll make you feel good too.
If you promise a call-back, call back! Even if you promised an update that you don’t have yet, call the customer at the scheduled time anyway. The customer will be reassured that you are not trying to dodge them and will appreciate the follow-up.
Summarise the next steps. At the end of the call, let the customer know exactly what to expect, and then be sure to follow through on your promises. Document the call to ensure you’re well prepared for the next interaction.
TRAINING COURSES AND WORKSHOPS FOR MANAGING DEMANDING CUSTOMERS
It is important for businesses to give their teams the proper conflict management training and techniques to be successful and know handle difficult customers. You can train your customer service, sales and leadership by investing your team in customer service workshops with KONA.
There are several great training resources available, both online and offline. To help you find the right resources for building a supportive team, we spoke with experts to compile a brief list of great training workshops.
ACTIVITIES FOR HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS
Honing your customer service and conflict management skills takes time and practice. After your team completes the KONA training courses, you can implement recurring in-house exercises to keep their skills sharp as we will develop the training customised and branded for each client.
In conjunction with our customers, the Customisation phase is to tailor the appropriate training workshops and methodologies that will reinforce all the current in-house training and development.
This will include:
Roll out and logistics.
Worksheets.
Exercises.
Case studies.
PowerPoint slides.
On-going coaching manuals.
Our customers have experience amazing results with the below process:
KONA’s A.C.T.C Proven Process
Step 1: Assessment
Before we make any recommendations, we gain an understanding of your team’s effectiveness in the following key areas:
Strategic Objectives and your customers.
Distribution Strategy.
Climate of Support Leadership.
Team Culture.
Customer service Team Management.
Customer Management.
Required Soft Skills and Service Methodology.
Individual Performance Management and Accountability.
Step 2: Customisation
Having identified key areas of your current team’s effectiveness we will then be in a position to give feedback and recommendations of service improvement and the immediate key areas to focus on to generate continued growth.
In addition, we customise the training and coaching so that it is relevant to your customers service delivery and strategy.
Step 3: Training Modules
The Assessment and Customisation steps will help us to tailor practical training and development programs, in alignment with our customers overall strategy. For ongoing learning and referencing, and “to keep the training alive” – learning materials will also be handed over to you after the workshops.
Step 4: Coaching
Ongoing coaching plays a key role in driving sustained results from any customer management Effectiveness Strategy. We recommend follow-up, on-the-job coaching that will embed the processes, behaviours and skills required to make an ongoing success in delivering training excellence. Also, by this approach, combined by our active learning and participant engagement workshops – your team won’t revert to their old, comfortable habits!
To GET YOUR TEAM TRAINED IN HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS ESPECIALLY DURING COVD-19, contact KONA1300 611 288 | info@kona.com.au for a confidential conversation today.
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:
Their behavioural style (HOW they prefer to behave and communicate)
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.
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:
HOW we behave and communicate — using the world famous DISC assessment
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.
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:
Dominance – How we respond to problems & challenges
Influence – How we respond to people & contact
Steadiness – How we respond to pace & consistency
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:
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”.
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.
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).
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.
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:
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
Have you calculated how much your customer service costs you? Do your Customer Service Officers (CSOs) know how to make the best use of time?
The concept of sales coaching, in an effort to reinforce the information learned during training and facilitate changes in workplace behaviour, is gaining moremomentum. And industry feedback reveals some businesses still need to do more.
In August 2020, the KONA and HBB Group coached over 500 salespeople virtually. However, it is important to understand that salesis not the only area where coaching has a key role to play.
In fact, coaching your staff in the art of customer service is every bit as important. Without doing so, you are unlikely to put together a truly customer-orientated workforce, increasing the likelihood of customers having bad experiences. That, in turn, can have some serious consequences for your business.
Most businesses recognise that delivering good customer service is now a prerequisite for success.
Indeed, customers are more demanding than ever before in this area. Also, the level of customer service that would have once provided a competitive advantage is now considered to be the bare minimum expectation.
It is, therefore, best to assess the importance of customer service by looking at the cost of failure.
One of the KONA Groupsclients – American Express, in a survey found:78 percent of customers have backed out of an intended purchase.
Why? Due to poor customer service.
Meanwhile, 67 percent have hung up the phone because they could not reach a live agent.
Crucially, it is not just the affected customers that may be lost. Research published by the White House Office of Consumer Affairs states “news of negative customer service reaches twice as many people as news of positive customer service”. This means, failure in this area can do catastrophic damage to a company’s reputation.
WHAT CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY WANT
Good customer service need not be complicated. In truth, despite customers having higher expectations than in the past, their demands are still all perfectly reasonable and achievable.
For example, in 2019, a HBB Group global survey revealed the single most important quality was “competent CSOs who could listen and empathise”.
The other main trend revealed customers do not want to have to wait ages for help. Again, this is a reasonable expectation. But when we speak to our customers, there is one common issue. Three quarters of all customers believe it currently takes too long to reach a person capable of assisting them.
What does this mean? That the focus of your customer service development should be on providing your staff with a detailed product knowledge and ways to reduce waiting times. Add in personalisation, such as insisting that staff actually use customer’s names, and you are well on your way.
Also, the cost to the organisation on not obtaining and recording accurate information can put undue pressure on the business. It also significantly heightens the customer’s frustration level. In a recent study conducted by The KONA Group while coaching 172 CSOs, it was found that one mistake caused 20 minutes to fix! If you amortise this – the time to the organisation is 1,964 days of productivity. That is an approximate cost of $765,000.
WHY CUSTOMER SERVICE COACHING MATTERS
Businesses that invest heavily in customer service training may wonder why ongoing coaching is required? The same answer applies to sales training and sales coaching. The role of a coach is to work with staff on a personal level, help them identify areas of weakness. Then, teach them to put their knowledge into action.
“Coaching is an interactive process that helps the other person improve, learn something new or take individual performance to the next level” explains Garret Norris, CEO of The KONA Group and author of “Build a Healthy Business”. “It is often an under-realised tool with which you can get the most out of your employees.”
In order to optimise your customer service, you are likely to have to need to make certain changes. That includes, reducing waiting times and personalising the customer experience. This requires staff to not only learn new ideas, but to actually use the information on a daily basis. Put simply, if you want to make improvements to your customer service, you cannot afford for them to revert back to old habits.
At The KONA Group, we offer a customer service coaching courses, learning how to develop talent and give feedback, with a view to improving performance and productivity, and in turn result in a strong ROI.
Effective listening is the key to understanding customers and providing exceptional customer service.
Listening is a Skill
However effective listening doesn’t just “happen” when delivering customer service, it is a skill.
And the skill of effective customer service listening must first be learned and then practiced as it requires a change in the way we think and act.
Most of us have experienced “mental wandering”, especially on the phone and if there is a lot of noise around. The reason is most people speak at a rate of 125 words per minute.
However the problem for listeners is that the brain is capable of handling almost five times that number, giving us ample time to fill the space with other activities.
Customer service agents will usually use one of five common listening styles and each can be used in its functional and dysfunctional forms. Each style has a time and place, but the use of one style in isolation can become dysfunctional
So ask yourself, how well do you use these listening styles?
Listening Styles
Directing Listening
The listener directs the speaker by establishing the focus and direction of their behaviour.
Judgemental Listening
The listener introduces their own opinions and value judgements into the conversation often in the form of advice or prescribed right and wrong behaviour.
Probing Listening
The listener asks questions in an attempt to get to the heart of the matter. In the process he/she tends to lead the conversation to satisfy other objectives.
Smoothing Listening
The listener tries to make light of the problem and this person believes that conflict should be avoided at all costs.
Reflective Listening
The listener works to develop an atmosphere in which the speaker can express his/her problem easily. The listener feeds back neutral summaries of what they hear ensuring that understanding has occurred and allowing the speaker to keep talking.
Understand the Time and Place
The key to effective customer service listening is to understand the time and place when to use these styles to get the best outcome from any situation for the customer and your company
For more information on how Sales Training in Australia brings these listening styles to life with real life examples and hands-on practice please contact us or 1300 611 288.
As one of Australia’s largest corporate DISC Facilitators and DISC Profile suppliers, we wanted to learn more about how each behavioural style has been reacting to our current global COVID-19 pandemic to better understand our clients and their needs.
One of our senior corporate partners interviewed people in their network who fitted into the D, I, S, and C behavioural styles. Here are their reactions, actions, and results from their initial weeks of remote working in the wake of the current global pandemic.
D – Dominance
Fast Paced, Task-Oriented, Results Driven
Initial Reaction: Fight or Flight
If you have a high D score, your initial reaction was probably one of stark realisation. This might have triggered you into a ‘fight or flight’ response, feeling like you needed to defend yourself and your loved ones, or flee.
Focused Reaction: Innovation
After the initial shock wore off, our High Ds made a plan. “We work with people,” they said. “We have some of the best tools to leverage how best to deal with people during this crisis, so let’s pull together a package that can appeal to the masses in being better able to lead their talent from a bad situation to a more positive outcome.”
Personal Practices
Our advice for high D scores? Slow down at home. Your housemates, loved ones and families probably have different scores than you, and they might be hesitating to react as quickly as you are inclined to. It’s ok to take a breath!
Rely on others who are more structured than you. Some of our Ds partners are a High S, and they are letting them take the lead on household procedures. They found themselves grateful for the structure in such an uncertain time.
Business Best Practices
If you have a high D score, you are a trailblazer and an innovator. That’s exactly what businesses need right now! “Innovation happens during interesting times,” said our High Ds. “This is certainly an interesting time that we plan to optimise and have a positive impact on our clients.”
Help your clients focus on a bigger picture for their business without emphasising the ‘doom and gloom’. Don’t be insensitive, but a lot of people are looking for inspiration right now, and you’re a natural leader.
Next Step for High Ds
What’s your next step? A great idea for High Ds is to connect with others and seek out their points of view. Your willingness to charge forward is a great strength, but make sure you have all the facts before you do.
I – Influence
Engaging, Flexible, Optimistic
Initial Reaction: Loss of Connection
The high Is were initially very concerned with how the pandemic would affect their connections with others. Since they are people-oriented and fuelled by interaction, they were concerned about social distancing and restriction.
Focused Reaction: People-First Support
People with high I scores are excellent influencers. They can use that talent in difficult times to help others come around to necessary changes. If you’re a high I, your great attitude and ability to talk through issues will be a huge benefit for you in this time.
Personal Practices
Our high Is where having a hard time adapting to our new social norms, so they are focusing on keeping spirits high. Inspirational content is a great source of comfort for them, so they are enjoying favourite quotes and seeking out inspiration on social media.
Try keeping a ‘victory file’: a collection of notes, cards and messages you’ve received over the years. That way, you can be reminded of the good you have done over time to get inspired for the good you will do!
Business Best Practices
You know putting people first is the best way forward. Do this by providing exceptional service to reduce waste and reserve profits. It might be hard to adapt without the in-person interaction that a high I prefer but make face-to-face time a priority with tools like Zoom and Teams. Your role in this time is one of support and guidance for your clients. That means you might not be in the spotlight where you thrive, but you can do a lot of good.
Next Step for High Is
Make sure you’re making future plans. Daydreaming about everything you want to do after the quarantine isn’t a bad idea — it can help you appreciate your loved ones and favourite activities.
S – Steadiness
Stability, Patience, Great Listening Skills
Initial Reaction: Awareness, Not Panic
Our High Ss took the changes in stride and noted that it didn’t really affect their day-to-day as much as it might have affected others. The Steadiness that is their hallmark trait became very useful in this confusing time.
Focused Reaction: Sustain Business, Don’t Grow It
This High Ss are already prepared to do business from anywhere, remote work included. Their goal is to continue to provide dependable, predictable service while they wait for changes in direction. This reliability is a great comfort to clients.
“Great things will come out of this and make all of us more aware of things,” they said. There was no evident sense of urgency when interviewing the Ss, just confident awareness that this too shall pass.
Personal Practices
While you might have the benefit of big picture thinking and a cool head, others are panicking. Their reactions are not less valid than yours, even if they are less logical. Work hard in this time to acknowledge others’ points of view and shift your own communication style to reflect their urgency when appropriate.
The Ss ran into a challenge when trying to express the seriousness of the situation to their offsprings. Since they were calm and prepared, their children weren’t fully understanding the gravity of sheltering in place and the importance of social distancing. Shifting communication to match his style helped the Ss break through.
Business Best Practices
While your levelness and approach of a process is crucially important to your clients, you need to be careful in this time not to withdraw. It can feel easy for you to carry on, business as usual, but if you aren’t working outside of your comfort zone, you might fall behind your competition.
Push yourself to try new challenges! Your patience and awareness are great tools as you pursue new goals.
Next Step for High Ss
Make sure you don’t withdraw! A challenge that High Ss often face is fear of conflict or challenging situations and working remotely presents lots of opportunities to shrink away from both. Make sure you’re setting goals outside of your comfort zone to keep up with your competition!
C – Compliance
Data Driven, Methodical, Risk Averse
Initial Reaction: Social Distancing? No Problem!
Our High Cs started the conversation by noting that High Ds and High Is were probably already missing interaction, while they were welcoming the distance. Their task-oriented nature made the shift to virtual much easier than it had been for their peers.
Focused Reaction: New Opportunities for Engagement
High Cs are at risk of withdrawing, especially with an isolated environment. This High C recognized a need to engage deeper on new platforms and put in high amounts of effort to connect with others virtually. The risk of disconnect is high, but many businesses might stick with a virtual model when the pandemic is resolved. High Cs can help their clients adapt to new protocol and procedures, but the relationship needs to be there.
Personal Practices
Focus on what you can actually control. A global pandemic is an unprecedented situation, so you need to be kind to yourself and think hard about ways you can realistically improve your situation and acknowledge the ways you simply can’t.
Losing your in-person brainstorming in a team has a large effect on people with High C scores. It’s worth it to put in effort to over communicate, rather than under communicate with your team. While the dynamics are different, virtual meetings just to connect and bounce ideas off each other are still very valuable.
Business Best Practices
Your clear head as a High C is great for your customers right now— you are well positioned to help them figure out the logistics of working virtually. Help your clients focus on the positive aspects of working remotely, like saved money and resources, and help them re-evaluate their business structure to come out of this crisis in the best position possible for them.
Next Step for High Cs
You might not be used to helping others look on the bright side, but your ability to see the advantages of our current state of business is crucial right now. Use your reasoning skills to help others!
Move Forward with Awareness
The one thing that you can be certain of is that the state of the world and businesses are changing every day. Hopefully, you can become more aware of your own behaviour by learning from our high D, I, S, and Cs.
If you’re looking for a next step, try The Free Working from Home Report. This free assessment offers quick tips to communicate with every DISC style as well as personalised remote work options for you.
Here’s the link or click on the image. https://www.ttisi.com/wfh
If you would like to explore DISC in more detail including our suite of Corporate DISC Profiles or have your team undertake one of our facilitated workshops by an accredited Behaviour Analyst (CPBA), please contact KONA Training today on 1300 833 574 or email info@kona.com.au to organise a free discovery session.
DISC Profiles available include – Sales, Management/Staff and Executive Profiles
The KONA ‘Hour of Power’ can be a million-dollar injection to your sales budget!
Do you have any of the problems below?
Are your sales people are not speaking with enough new customers and prospects?
Are they reluctant to pick up the telephone to call people they don’t know?
Do they struggle to make appointments with senior decision makers?
Do they struggle to get past ‘the gatekeeper’?
Do you have overstocks that need to be cleared?
At the end of the day the best way to fill your sales funnel is activity, and the right activity at that! Making calls to potential and existing customers is a great way to do it. This contact between salespeople and customers is critical to sales success and one of the key reason some sales professionals smash their targets and others don’t know what 100% of target is.
There are a few key points to make a calling session a success:
SUPPORT each other by doing it as a group
MAXIMISE the chances of success by getting the language right
HAVE a conversation between people (emails do not work)
PRACTICE some calls with each other before you make the call (I know the dreaded role play but this is so critical to success!)
SET some targets for the hour of calling. (appointments and orders are a great starting point)
KONA has seen this ‘Hour of Power’ work with some stunning results, one client landed over a $1 000 000 in sales. This works for both Account Management and Business Development teams and is a skill set we know is critical in Sales People.
Sometimes filling a Sales Funnel is a daunting task and when that funnel is emptier than it should be the excuses start to come out!
Things are slow.
Our competitor is cheaper
There are product problems
At KONA we hear them all and they all relate to ‘Price, Product and Problems’. These are the best excuses in the world for sales teams to find reasons not to act.
Conducting an ‘Hour of Power’ is a tangible action that forces everyone to act.
If you need help running an “Hour of Power’ give KONA a call on 1300 611 288 or email us at info@KONA.com.au
Hi Garret, I just wanted to say thank you again for today the feedback I was given this afternoon was that it far surpassed what they expected and that it was completely different to expectations but it covered everything in such an immersive and engaging way. I hope you had a safe trip home. And I will be in touch for some more future training opportunities!
Erica Wilkinson
Pathways Business Manager
Thank you Garret Norris. Your dissemination of knowledge was inspiring, insightful, thought provoking and lot of Fun! Your ability to create a safe, relaxed & energetic environment in which to deliver & demonstrate your ideas and knowledge is remarkable! Made for lots of learning and had a positive impact on us all! Thank you
Melissa Peace
Strategic Partnership Expert
A fantastic 3 days, you had us engaged, interacting, learning and threw us out of our comfort zones in the best possible way. I echo what my colleagues have said below, all of which is 100% true. Implementing these three days into what we do is now the focus and I look forward to connecting again soon, and look forward to more sessions where we can continue to learn, develop and and thrive in what we do, whilst living and breathing our WHY. Still buzzing, thank you!
Hessa Robinson
Education Sales Manager
The team loved the day and were raving about it to our marketing colleagues and managers who were unable to make the session. Garret, you were an amazing and engaging presenter.”
Dominic Taafe
Oncology Portfolio Manager
Hi Garret, I would like to say thank you for your time and effort last week at the Martec sales conference. The session from you went beyond my expectations in both your delivery and the involvement from my team. Thank you once again!
Ken Dick
General Manager
Hi John,
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the sessions and contribution in our journey towards service excellence. The sessions were very well planned and relevant to our modus operandi. The team is very appreciative of your guiding principles and quick lessons from the sessions. The immediate display of the lessons learnt will be witnessed during our current peak time. I’m definitely a better listener now Thank you.
Aakanksh Nyayapati
Senior Analyst, IT Service Delivery
Again I found the training session really engaging, you can tell that Garret is very passionate about what he does. It may sound cheesy, but I left feeling inspired and refreshed.
Kimberly Britts
As always I thought Garret was amazing and motivational, great refresher and gave me some new ideas to try and apply to what I do. Always great to participate in these sessions.
Stuart Gill
Honestly I don’t think it matters his cost as always has something insightful and thought-provoking to leave you with no matter how many times you’ve seen him or your position or length of tenure.
I would love to see what he could offer the wider company (not just sales) from a psychology point of view because I feel that the provocation he provides is beneficial to all he comes in contact with. I really enjoy it because we just get each other.
Daniel Jura
Being relatively new to this industry I was a little apprehensive going into my company training day, I thought it may have been scientific and technical and it's an area where I feel a teeny bit inadequate. The relief I felt when Garret started "warming up" the room was ridiculous. He made everyone feel comfortable, relaxed and engaged. At times I feel we over complicate things to make ourselves feel more important or special. In the end, Garret reinforced the need to slow down, fully engage, leave the ego at the door and listen. This training is a must have for all teams, no matter the level. It will make you stop, think and love sales again. Can't wait until the next one.
Stacey Taylor
Account Executive
Garret Norris is a rock star coach. He has transformed our Inside Sales team.
Love his work!
David Piggott
Managing Director
Having just competed a national customised training program where we engaged Garret and KONA all I can say is thank you Garret does his homework and prepares.
The impact we were able to achieve with our teams in rolling out a game changer was fantastic. Thanks Garret appreciate the effort and the results to date.
Iain Whyley
National Sales Manager
It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to participate in a number of Garret's training and skill enhancing workshops and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Even as an experienced sales professional I always learn new things from him, think harder about what I do, and become more effective in my role. Garret's presentation style is both unique and genuine, honest to the core, while his role play and coaching principles are easy to understand and extremely worthwhile.
For anyone who needs to hone or develop sales and negotiation skills Kona, and particularly Garret, are certainly the RIGHT choice.
Craig Alderson
Business Manager
As a sales and negotiation professional, I have been involved in a few courses. I am very impressed by the way Garrett gets to the point directly and I know he speaks from experience. He has lived it.
I would like to work with Garrett more in the future as I believe we speak the same language in business. I’ll be in touch soon. Thanks Garret.
Shane Campbell
Senior Key Account Manager
Garret and Healthy Business Builder has been a huge influence on our business and its staff, The results have drastically increased thanks to his techniques and on going support. Very impressed with the overall service and I look forward to continuing our partnership in the future. Highly Recommended.
Johnny Justic
Founder and Managing Director
If we have the opportunity to have more sessions, I think it would be very beneficial. I have found that the concepts presented and the skills we are working on are quickly delivering results and are relevant to us, not simply adapted from their usual clientele. He is much more engaging than other speakers we have had in the past, and from the way other members of the team have been speaking about him it’s a feeling and opinion shared by many others. Also : if he can turn skeptics like Palagy around, I feel that says something!
Rebecca Landers
Tax Depreciation Specialist
Thank you again for spending time with our team over past 2 days.
Some valuable tips learnt and looking forward to seeing the impact it has on our team moving forward.
Jeremy Sinclair
Team Leader, Business Development
Definitely the best training session I have attended (including my own ha ), I could relate to the methods conveyed to us very easily. Well done Garrett and look forward to another head bashing
Gary Tozer
Tax Depreciation Specialist
We certainly appreciate the time and effort and will be making sure we include some of the hints and tips into our processes moving forward.
Matt Jenkin
Team Leader, Business Development
I really thought Garret was brilliant, its not just about selling, its about getting the conversation started. I felt it was really good. I have started using some of the techniques already and adapting to my style.
1 – First call Thursday, did a different approach, lady called in, started the chat by tell me about the property, then went onto telling me the info on the house, I went over everything, she was sounding relaxed, got her remaining details and said “lets get this started today for you” response Great lets do it.
2 – next call was a guy, same style all went well, then the Cost question, Ï can get this for $660.00 from another company” My response, that’s great, Do you want to save $100 today or save $thousands more in deductions with us in the long term, slight silence, then said good point, went ahead!
Stewart Gill
Tax Depreciation Specialist
I enjoy his take on what to say to clients who have been given the wrong free from their accountant. He said not to apologise and don’t get stuck on it and simply say that the fee is $770 and that you’ll call the accountant afterwards to make sure they know the fee’s, but then move on straight away. It was refreshing to have an outsider’s perspective on that. I tried it yesterday and didn’t apologise to a client when the accountant gave them the wrong fee. Not sure if it was just luck, or if Garrett is a genius or if it made me sound more confident or what but she converted.
Sarah Jackson
Tax Depreciation Specialist
I was so impressed with your training programmes, I felt compelled to write to you in appreciation. Although it was blatantly obvious you were a professional outfit right from our first meeting, your services have far surpassed my expectations.
I have been in sales and sales management for 15 years with 5 different companies and have attended many quality-training programs. During this time I have never experienced a program that adapted its philosophies and methodology so succinctly with a companies industry, market, products and value proposition.
Ultimately! The test of any training program is the results it delivers. Since KONA has worked with James Hardie the sales effectiveness of the team has increased dramatically. But an even more noticeable improvement is the quality of leadership displayed by the sales management team.
Glen Doherty
General Manager Sales
Glenn Dobson is the most charismatic and inspirational sales training and business development coach I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
At times confronting, Glenn breaks down your current sales process and delivers honest direct feedback! With a thorough understanding of your customers, product and industry, Glenn provides you with the necessary tools and roadmap to be more effective in professional sales.
Glenn's material is all his own and is presented in an easy to understand format, tailored for your business. I look forward to working with Glenn in the future. Ps, all the best for the IronMan world champs Glenn!
Graham Winder
BDM
Not only has our partnership with KONA proven to be highly beneficial for our management team… it has also proven to be an enormous return on investment with sales improving by over 23%.
Mark Lucas
Director XEROX UK
I have enjoyed working with KONA several times.
KONA have worked with my sales team strategically to raise the bar on their performance and belief in their ability to deliver results.
As personal coaches the HBB Group have guided me through my career by reminding me to clear away the clutter and keep it simple Sam. Keep on running Glenn.
Frank Courtney-Jay
Sales and Marketing Manager HP Singapore
Next Business Solutions used the team at KONA to take us through their Hearts and Minds training. Great team at KONA of people who are not only very experienced their product but they also bring their people skills that have been developed through their extensive global activities.
Rob Clydesdale
Microsoft Next Business Solutions Franchisee
Garret is a true professional and constantly challenges the norm which creates the high performing teams we have at MLA.
Garret has lead and coached our team to deliver outcomes that make a difference.
The approach from Healthy Business Builder was unique to our business and it has proven to be successful for MLA.
I would highly recommend Garret for any other business wanting positive, successful outcomes for your business.
Lisa Sharp
Chief Marketing Officer
The KONA Group has provided excellent customised training and coaching for our managers and staff at Nova Employment. First of all the KONA team gave a vast amount of knowledge to our managers on how to manage their staff. They then educated the employment consultants on how to handle difficult employers when telemarketing for jobs, before also giving them the skills on how to hold a face to face sales meeting. KONA have increased our jobs by 50% ever since they have been providing Nova managers and staff training and coaching.
They are always willing to provide assistance when needed and are always available to call if we need any further help.
Their training has been very successful for our organization and has been able to put Nova Employment in an extremely strong position. I highly recommend the KONA training and coaching as they are very good mentors in providing the best outcomes.
Peter Delimitrou
Employment Service Manager
The development programmes have had an outstanding effect on our business and results, and on the way our sales people treat our customers.
Frank Morberger
State Manager
As a consequence of KONA’s efforts and commitment very quickly we have seen some explosive changes with the team through the introduction of various client focussed and sales strategies, measurements and skills. Their motivation, direction and activity have all increased… and we expect our profits to escalate accordingly.
Ian Crowther
General Manager
Glenn Dobson and Garret Norris are coaches that really stands out to me as they take pride in what they do and deliver. I first utilised KONA around 7 years ago when he evaluated our business which ended up delivering some hard hitting facts , as a result changes needed to be made BUT as a consequence of those initial chats KONA helped set up a sales pipeline where we could track our activity and results which led to a 300% increase in sales within the first 6 months of implementing his sales tools.I HIGHLY recommend KONA but don't want the world to know what they can provide a business as this will give other companies an unfair advantage like we have !Glenn is now a mentor, a friend and above all someone that inspires you to always achieve your best.
Keiran Hathorn
Managing Director
Glenn is high highly talented leader who has assisted us in defining industry leading strategy. I would recommend KONA to anyone requiring an honest, intelligent, strategic, motivating and hard working business leader.
Troy Dawson
Chief Information Officer
Dear Glenn
As we complete stage one of the Campbell’s and John Lewis learning and development programs, I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thankyou to you and the KONA team for all of your time, commitment and energy to the project.
The response from our managers and sales team has been absolutely outstanding and everyone has benefited immensely from your involvement.
I agreed with both Brian and Geoff at the time when they stressed the importance of developing a program tailored to our business and you more than achieved our expectations.
I know you invested a lot of time in preparation and the time you spent with our people out on the road, visiting customers, was obviously well worth it. Included in the feedback from participants from around the country are, amongst many others, the following quotes: “Already I am putting some of the new techniques we learnt into practise and getting results from them”
“ I now feel as if I have greater control and structure over my sales approach and customers”
“I am communicating with my customers like never before and they are telling me things about their businesses that prior to the course I didn’t have a clue about” “I am managing my people in a far more effective and productive way and I feel that I can now start to see the light at the end of the tunnel” Once again Glenn, thankyou very much for all of your efforts and I personally can’t wait for the next stage!
Kurt Wilson
National Training Manager
Since NOVA and KONA started working together we have almost doubled our results in less than 9 months!
I had identified a need for developing our sales skills, but KONA delivered so much more than sales training to our business. Glenn encouraged us to take a step back, analyse our methods and develop a performance culture. As a manager responsible for performance, I appreciated that he clearly and fearless articulated our performance gaps from an outsider’s perspective to our management team, helped us to reverse engineer our results so that we could clearly identify what was needed to achieve performance KPI’s, and delivered practical, real world and customised training based on our business.
I look forward to a continuation of our partnership with KONA and learning more to help NOVA move forward and be even more successful.
Anne Goyer
Training & Development Manager
KONA professional sales and sales management training has been an excellent educational journey on how to enter the Hearts and Minds of our customers and Shareholders. To become business resources and strategic advisors. To build a relationship that understands our customer’s hopes, fears, dreams and vision to create opportunities for future growth that we can be a part of. The course has been taught in detail that can easily be implemented and has brought the entire sales and management team at Plumbing World into focus looking to achieve a common goal. I highly recommend any time spent with the KONA Group.
Russell Thomas
Branch Manager
KONA Group’s services were used by Brickworks Ltd in the form of Sales Management training. Glenn is unlike any other in his ability to connect with the audience. Glenn motivated me so much during a session. I decided at that point I would change my life forever. There was a group of us, that very moment who decided it was a time for change. Glenn explained the model for change and by using this model, it was possible to increase your chances of success 10 fold in anything you wished to achieve. The change we wanted to make was a healthier lifestyle. We decided to embark on a weight loss challenge. Using the attributes of the model, many achieved their ideal weight within months. My personal journey has seen me continue with the challenge and have now lost 29kgs, with 10 kgs until I am at my ideal weight. My lifestyle is now very different, being very careful with what I eat, walking approximately 50kms per week and doing Crossfit 3 times a week. I am on the way to fantastic health. my dad said to me yesterday, son you are looking the best you have in 30 years. They were great words to hear considering I am only 44 years old. I am healthier, I am stronger than I have ever been, I am more motivated, I am more focused and feel like a real winner. I don't believe I could have achieved this without using Glenn's model for change. Thanks Glenn, I would not have been able to do this without you, you have changed my life.
Trevor Marshall
Sales Manager
I have been lucky enough to attend B2B sales training run by the KONA Group. I have found Glenn to bring the same drive and passion that he applies to Iron Man training across in his training sessions. His training is not something you could read straight out of a text book - there is no "turn to page three". Glenn delivers real world pointers that are applicable in the changing workforce of today. The tools that he gives you, help you go through the door to be become a true business/strategic partner for your customers. Without these tools you would be standing on the curb, looking in, being a 3 P flogger! I would highly recommend attending a training session if you get the opportunity.
Keith Geenty
Sales Representative
Glenn is one of those fearless "can-do" high achievers that every business needs. His team at KONA make a valuable blend of skills and experience that deliver Sales results fast and ongoing. The hands on approach makes the KONA business a Sales consultancy suited to SMB up to large corporate, because it is all about people and their activity. Highly recommended regardless how good you think you are!
Paul Scanlan
General Manager
I would like to recommend The Kona Group for sales training that is succinct and professional and works.
I would have to say that after the training that we had received we have noticed a huge difference to our KPI's and have made for the great results that we are now seeing.
Belinda Hamburger
Branch Manager
KONA has provided a unique sales program to the Sales Team at Plumbing World, with an in depth knowledge of the subject and passion for sales that has ensured that the key tools required to be a successful sale person and build business to business relationships has already started to occur in the company in only a short period of time.
Casey Stuart
Regional Manager New Zealand
KONA has a unique approach to sales training, which has allowed Plumbing World to make a significant step change with its sales team. The training is fully customised for Plumbing World, which is important, as the it has developed far more engagement and buy-in from the sales team. The results have been immediate, giving Plumbing World a better understanding of and relationship with, our customers. Leading to new accounts being opened and an increase in sales from existing customers. For example as a direct result of the KONA training, a customer who's spend had dropped away for the previous 12 months, has increased their spend 16 fold.
Mike Dyer
Sales & Operations Manager
I was so fortunate to be able to attend the KONA training workshop at the 4life office in Sydney in February. I cannot begin to tell you how motivating and inspiring I found it to be. You gave me tools that I can use for both my personal and business growth. You demonstrated in a very simple manner how to set short and long range goals that are attainable. As you said hope is not a business strategy.
The day spent training with you was so worthwhile I have been implementing some of the strategies and am passing it to my downline. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who is serious about business building.
Jyoti Sidhu
KONA has a passion for seeing both people and business's improve through the process of training and educating staff. They will encourage and coach the business and your people to become better at what they do and to improve your "bottom line.
I have known Glenn both professionally and as a friend for 13 years now, and I have no hesitation in recommending KONA as a Business professional and also as person who commits fully to whatever challenge, be it business or physical such, as Ironman triathlon or running across the Sahara desert.
Robert George
Team Leader Inventory Control
Following the reorganisation of the field sales force, the KONA Group provided a number of workshops and coaching sessions in order to improve the understanding of how the company was changing the way that it operated. KONA supported us with the change by building trust and gaining buy-in from the team. KONA did an excellent job of emphasising the role of the field force in developing new business and building the sales and performance culture.
Jonathan Shinn
Operations Manager
Glenn is one person who knows how cut through to the real issues facing sales organizations of today, unearth the real potentials of a market of opportunity and help managers develop their companies unique "point of difference" to increase sales beyond what they ever thought possible.
Glenn is a master coach for both business and life's goals.
Paul Winter
QLD State Manager
I had the pleasure of meeting Glenn Dobson through our participation in one of the toughest footraces on the planet, The Marathon De Sables. In the time we spent together leading up to the race I became quickly aware that Glenn was an extraordinary human being.
His athleticism and endurance not only humbled me but inspired me to push myself to peg new boundaries. Whilst Glenn's achievements in Ironman and other endurance events puts him in a very small minority group his drive, motivation, energy and business knowledge puts him amongst an even smaller elite group of people. I have been fortunate to have been a professional in the financial markets for close to 20 years and this has exposed me to a vast array of individuals, their ethics and work practices.
During this period I don't think I have meet a person with the focus and drive to consistently deliver quality outcomes to his clients and business associates. Having an opportunity to interact with Glenn on any level whether it be business or social is something that will ultimately make you a better person. I have been fortunate to have shared an extraordinary challenge with Glenn but have been as equally enriched by the relationship we now share as a result of the race.
Justin Gallagher
Head of Equities Sales Trading and Execution
During my tenure in the building and construction industry the KONA Group was engaged to help align the sales function with the business and marketing strategy - a major shift in how we presented to market. KONA’s Hearts and Minds program challenged past paradigms and equipped our sales resource with a robust sales strategy, along with sustainable sales management and tactical skills which continued to deliver year on year growth.
Linda Ginger
Marketing and Branding Director
Glenn Dobson is a rare individual worthy of being on anybody's list of potential mentors. Glenn is an entrepreneur, successful business-operator, world-class Ironman Triathlete, terrific father and rumour has it, a pretty good husband! We have worked together on various projects over the last decade and I continue to marvel at his pragmatic ability. Glenn is a master at taking any 'theory' in the field of sales and translating them into immediately applicable methods for any client. He truly understands that "Results Count" and has consistently been able to cut through the bullshit in our project work, for his clients and in his own businesses. If you ever wanted to see a living breathing example of a 'balanced' individual who exemplifies Covey's "Important vs. Urgent" Glenn is your man. Add to that Collins' "Disciplined (person), applying disciplined thought and taking disciplined action." and you've found yourself a winner! Good on you Glenn. You really are a role model.
James Michael
Founder and CEO
We have been very impressed with your capabilities and see you as a key player in rolling out our customer service programmes.
Andrea Westwood
Capability Development
Throughout my career with Commonwealth Bank I met several business coaches, but 'Glenn Dobson' is the only name that I don't need to challenge my memory to remember. Glenn is an amazing coach with unique techniques; structured and interactive. He is one of the most positive people I have ever met, his amazing achievements are certainly as a result of his dedication, his commitment and his 'can do' attitude.
Odette Shahnazari
Manager
I was introduced to the KONA Group some five years ago through a mutual and respected business contact. My first impression was that Glenn has a unique sense of purpose, he is driven, motivated and passionate about achieving results personally but also in supporting others to achieve beyond their own expectations.
Over the past five years I have witnessed KONA in many business scenarios including business consulting, change management projects, sales management projects and executive level leadership programs.
Glenn is a natural leader and a manager in these environments. People respond well to him and his down to earth style.
Personally Glenn has an engaging communication style, an unstoppable enthusiasm to exceed expectations and first class networking skills.
I am proud to call him a friend, colleague and business partner and would recommend you consider his services when required.
Susie Lomas
Director
I have been in Glenn's training groups for the past 10 months, 4 to 5 sessions. I have found him to be a very enthusiastic speaker with a wealth of knowledge for us to take on board and work with. His presentation is hands on and easy to work with.
Working with KONA has had a huge impact on the Nova's business as we have increased results in some areas by between 50 -100%. I would highly recommend him and his business.
N/A
Glenn is one of those clients that truly partners with you and adds value back to you as a service provider. He's not a slave to his own views, nor is he a passenger in the process. He's very outcome focused and understands the core drivers of personality and individual values in achieving goals. That said, this is a man that no doubts lives by the virtue that profit, without honour, is loss. There's nothing manufactured or contrived about his work, quite simply he is inherently like this by nature. His background and experience speaks volumes. Over and above that he is a quality person.
Craig White
Director
Glenn is an effective business owner and trainer, he is clearly passionate about his company and the services Kona provides. Glenn has an energy and enthusiasm that is both infectious and motivating, which leads to confidence in his delivery and professionalism.
Nick James
National Sales Manager
KONA Group facilitated several workshops at the Advanced Group of companies for both the sales and operations teams. They are highly motivational and provided the teams with tools and techniques to improve their ability to connect with customers in both business development and service delivery roles. KONA is very business focused and pragmatic and focuses on what gets results.
I would recommend KONA to any other business that is looking to improve their sales capability or turn their project managers and operations managers into customer champions.
Jonathan Shinn
National Operations Manager
You'll only meet one Glenn Dobson of this caliber. Glenn is an International Ironman, Businessman and Sales Guru. With an extensive career in sales across UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Glenn is a consummate professional who has 'been there and done it all' when it comes to competitive sales environments. Commercially aggressive, his ability to identify growth opportunities and drive activity to deliver results for his clients is astounding.
The energy and discipline required to compete as an athlete at the elite level is evident in everything he does. As a Speaker, Glenn is inspiring, direct and highly motivating. All his business engagements are conducted with the highest level of integrity and results are always the number one priority.
Sue Thompson
Business Manager
Glenn is a master at focusing the attention of any sales team, business owner or sales manager on the importance of having a strong sales pipeline to the future prosperity of any business. He lives and breathes what he teaches and is able to succinctly and very effectively impart his extensive knowledge of how to establish and then manage a sales pipeline that will continually deliver new and profitable business. If your business needs a significant improvement in its sales performance Glenn should be the first person that you contact.
I recommend him highly for any size business or corporate enterprise.
Daniel Watson
Managing Director
Glenn is one of those rare individuals that makes you feel positive about life, just by being in the same room with him. I have known Glenn for a couple of years now and I am constantly amazed at the total energy output this man has. A true strategic thinker who has the ability to spot a great idea and turn his skills into a passion that is so infectious. If you are considering getting alongside this true gentleman, then I would say that this is one of the best things you will do today, if not the week, month or even year.
Greg Gillespie
Owner
I have worked with the KONA Group for over 6 years and have found them to be some of the most consistent and driven people ever!
A dynamic trainers with a strong emphasis on activity and results, KONA has brought invaluable experience to my own, and my staff's training.
If you are involved in any Sales capacity, or are managing a team involved in Sales, then KONA Group is a "must call" individual.
Aaron Williams
Founder and Managing Director
Garrett and Sienna at KONA group, were absolutely fantastic from appointment right through to the follow up of initiatives post workshop. Both had communicated effectively prior to the workshop and made sure the day was a phenomenal success for our Leaders at Openmarkets Group. Most importantly, Garrett is very engaging and all our leaders were switched on throughout the session with some key insights. I highly recommend Garrett, Sienna and the KONA Group.
Heidi Mehl
Executive Assistant to CEO
Engaged Kona Group to deliver account training workshop for Etex - Siniat. Great collaborative approach to course preparation and workshop execution very effective and extremely engaging for all participants. Great job Garret!!
Joe Mori
National Business Development Manager
Right from my first call to the actual day of DiSC profiling session, the KONA group were fantastic and provided excellent service. Garret facilitated the session, and his delivery technique was impactful and valuable to all attendees.
Umesh Datwani
Operations Manager | Investment Services
Garrett is a great coach/mentor, it was an honour having him here, and the progress was WAYYY more than I had anticipated, so I am very thankful.Hope you guys have an awesome day, just like you! ☺
Hana Hellou
Customer Support Manager
I have recommended Garret and the team at Healthy Business Builder to many organisations I have worked with. Their methods constantly challenge the norm, creating and supporting high performing teams. Garret has lead and coached our team to deliver positive and sustainable outcomes that make a difference to our teams and stakeholders. The approach from Healthy Business Builder is unique to each business or organisation and it has proven to be successful time and time again. I have witnessed many dysfunctional teams make changes to the way they operate after sessions with Garret and it is such a delight to see our teams work collaboratively and cohesively. They begin to communicate in new ways due to the deeper understanding of how individuals operate, communicate and learn. I would highly recommend Garret and the team at Healthy Business Builder if you are wanting positive, sustainable and successful outcomes for your business.
Kathryn Emmett
Executive Assistant to Head of Asset Projects | Olympic DamExecutive Assistant to Head of Technical Portfolio
My team and I had the pleasure of hosting Garret for Sales Training and it was absolutely fantastic. A thoroughly enjoyable day as we tackled key concepts, engaged in role play and absorbed the benefit of Garret's extensive experience. We look forward to working with Garret and his team again in the future.
Melanie Pritchard
Group Manager - Digital Revenue
Truly the most insightful and relatable training/professional course I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of. Absolutely will leave a review - 5 stars
Narissa Chan
Senior Digital Account Manager
Garret took our team of 10 (experienced) sales consultants for the day looking at profiling and strategic sales techniques. It was motivating, insightful and fun. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Garrett and Kona - we will be back.
Stephen Richards
Director Sales Marketing
Thank you for the most insightful and relatable professional workshop session. It was gratifying, and I feel empowered and more confident.
Thank you so much for delivering such a valuable and engaging session. It was certainly in the spirit we intended. I have had positive feedback, and the team mentioned how valuable they found your session specifically.
Ekta Manwal
HR Advisor
Thanks Garret Norris & the KONA Group for an awesome day yesterday! We learned a lot, but also has so much fun along the way. We look forward to working with you again.
Peg Vaghaye
Executive Manager, Broker Relationships
Thanks Garret Norris for a fun filled 2 days with not only lots of laughs but lots of valuable lessons on how to improve our skills when communicating with our customers and fellow work mates. I know all of us are excited about putting all we’ve learnt into practice.
Heather Priest
Head of Sales APAC at Altura Learning
Garret has a gift which enables him to connect and engage with everybody in the room. Although he is very accomplished, he is very down to earth and uses his Irish charm and humour to put everyone at ease. His delivery of the training was excellent and kept our groups attention for the whole 2 days which is no easy feat! The tools learned in the workshop re-ignited my passion for the sales environment - which is exactly what I was hoping for. All feedback from our team was positive and I would not hesitate to recommend Garret and his team.
Jaime Reid
Senior Business Development & Training Manager
Excellent session with you both Garret and John. Really appreciate the insights into delivering a better experience for all parties involved in a negotiation. Couldn't recommend KONA enough for anyone looking to enhance their Sales and Negotiation capability.
Luke Day
Business Development Lead
Thanks so much Garret Norris and John Wright. It was great training and the team have been talking about it all week. Just what we needed! We will definitely be getting KONA back again!
Judy Cole
Managing Director
Garret delivered some sales training for our team in Brisbane. We are a specialist recruitment agency with people of various experience levels. He was able to tailor an engaging session that everyone was able to benefit from. Thanks Garret!
Forrest Briggs
Principal Consultant & Director
The training that was provided by KONA and delivered by Garret was second to none. I believe my team and I have learned a lot over the training and have had a lot of positive feedback from them.
Benjamin Helmore
Branch Manager
This was a fantastic few days, thank you Garret.
Donavan Derman
CFO
Garret's Sales Communication Training delivered a strategic advantage to our team, who are now equipped with the practical tools needed to drive customer success.
Robert Guerin
Chief Executive Officer
Very interesting/enlightening experience. Quite surprising to receive and witness such accurate profiling of each individual's DISC Profile.
Mitchell Jeggo
Operations Manager
Hey Garret. Just a quick word of thanks. My time on the road with my team has become so much more intentional and productive. One thing I hear when I ask about what they want from the meeting is they say things they want to share. I am getting them to ask what do they hope to learn and discover from the meeting. Anyway just saying again, you have helped me.
Marco de Geus
General Manager - Sales
Really enjoyed our group training day. Learned some interesting insights about myself & colleagues.
Betty James
Senior Marketing Specialist
I couldn't speak any higher of Garret and his team! To gain the trust in our team and instil such empowerment so quickly, is incredible! The ongoing support and encouragement following the training has been wonderful and invaluable. To anyone looking for sales or leadership training for yourself or your business, this team is the best I've ever come across!
Samantha Sullivan
Sales & Marketing Manager
Very down to earth and very easy going.. extremely informative and made the day fun. Thank you greatly.
Adam Carr
Supagas Australia
I've had the good fortune of being trained by Garret on two separate occasions - firstly as a sales agent & later as a leader. His highly engaging delivery, backed by his extensive knowledge is inspiring & insightful. I will always be grateful to Garret at the Kona Group for re-igniting my passion for sales & mentorship.
Gary Lawson
Senior Sales Development Manager
We had the pleasure of John at KONA facilitating some DISC training at our workplace. The group was cohort of different leadership levels at a federal government department. John's expertise and engaging teaching style made the half day thoroughly enjoyable. His real-world examples and interactive approach kept everyone involved and provided valuable insights into team dynamics and personal communication styles. Highly recommend John and KONA for professional development needs!
Jahn Giolitto
Assistant Director
My favourite session at mid-cycle was the guest speaker Garret Norris. It boosted my motivation & made me rethink the way I have conversations in scoping calls with potential customers. I came out of that session with new skills in communication & questioning and found it really valuable as someone new to the sales world.
Natalia Henderson
Pharmacy Business Consultant
Fantastic hands-on coaching by Garret. Really appreciated the wealth of insights and strategies from Garret’s breadth of experience working with other businesses that we can reference. Highly recommended to anyone who would like to improve their external engagement or sales skills!
Lily Che
Senior UX/UI Designer
Thanks Garret, the team really appreciate everything that you did, it was extremely informative, you made the role play interesting and comments from our team that have been on sales courses before, "The best sales course they have ever done.” Our focus now is to put some of these techniques into play!
David Arndell
General Manager
It is really easy to improve our teams communications and ability to work as a team..... when you have a competent, engaging and professional facilitator delivering a message like "Communication and response". Garret Norris certainly gave our team at Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW - Northern Region access to the tools that they need to go forward in meeting our vision with enthusiasm! On behalf of the team.... Thank you Garret!!!
Gary Goldberg
CEO RFCS NSW - Northern Region
One does seldom come across a presenter that builds value, brings real world examples and enables you to be pushed in an environment that is not only safe but also fun. Garret's style is fitting and relevant to the world of today's customers and practices. In my career, I have been to a number of these sessions and left with a textbook approach. However, after spending time with Garret I have a new toolbox of solutions that enable me to best serve my customer and provide true value for all parties. If you're wanting a change approach and down to earth sense of fun with serious outcomes you cannot go past his sessions, real world examples and genuine impromptu approach.
Wade Bailey
Sales & Operations Management
An excellent few days of genuine, modern sales training and workshops. Garret has just the right demeanour to engage the room, providing new tools and sharpening existing ones, all whilst having a bit of fun.
Gareth Spencer
National Sales Manager
✨️"The quality of communication, can only be measured by the response you receive" - G. Norris.
Today, I had the privilege of participating in an incredible Account Management and Sales Training session delivered by Garret Norris. The experience was both insightful and inspiring, with practical strategies and techniques tailored to drive impactful client relationships and sustainable business growth.
What truly stood out was the focus on understanding personality profiles using hashtag #DISC, tailoring our conversations to suit, fostering trust, and aligning solutions to create value. The interactive approach and actionable takeaways made it not just a training session but a transformational experience. A huge thank you to Garret Norris and team for delivering such a well-structured and engaging program. I’m excited to implement these strategies in my work and continue refining the skills shared today. To those seeking to elevate their account management or sales expertise, I highly recommend The KONA Group. Let’s keep growing and delivering value together!
Michelle Koch
Strategic Relationship Manager
This is the first time we've worked with Garret, but it won't be the last. Garret's engaging style is totally relevant to today's market conditions. Our team left energized with many insights on how to grow and create business opportunities. Would highly recommend working with Garret and his team.
Our team of expert coaches and trainers are dedicated to crafting personalised strategies that align with your unique goals and aspirations. We have the tools and expertise to guide you towards greatness.
By contacting us, you are taking the first step towards transforming your team and achieving the extraordinary.
SYDNEY
Suite 404, 128 Military Rd
Neutral Bay NSW Australia
2089
CENTRAL COAST
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Erina, NSW
Australia 2250.
MELBOURNE
Suite 1 | 432 Smith Street,
Collingwood Victoria.
Australia 3066.
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London, SE19 1NL.
United Kingdom.
We cover all States Australia wide including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart.
