Business owners and salespeople often use phone calls to book appointments with clients and prospective customers.
To do this successfully you need confidence in the relationship-building aspect of telemarketing.
You have the responsibility of displaying your product or service in an honest and professional way and you are aware of the value of what it means to exceed the expectations of your customer.
What steps can you take to guarantee your best chance of securing an appointment?
1. Have A Plan
Preparation is vital. When you go into a conversation prepared with what you want to say, you can be confident that you are covering all important matters. You will be able to keep control of the conversation and bring it back if it drifts off-topic.
2. Make Your Offer Early
It is important to spark interest early on and to combat objections promptly with an offer that is full of benefits. You need to be quick to ensure negativity does not affect the customer’s decision.
3. Conversation Is Key
Ask short, open questions to gage as much information as possible from the customer. Your questions should be relevant to ensure you keep their attention and you should repeat their answers back to them when suitable. Talking for too long and confusing the client with your questions can lead to them tuning out of the conversation.
4. Handle Objections
Show the customer that you understand their situation by recognising their objections. Use phrases like ‘I understand how you feel.’ Let them know that you have had other customers that had similar objections when they first came onboard. This will demonstrate that you are experienced. Clarify that the purpose of the appointment is to understand their position and then suggest an appointment time.
5. Don’t Give In The First Time
Objections are inevitable and when they happen, it is important not to repeat the objection back to the customer or go too much into it. Don’t take any objections personally and ask the right questions to better understand their answer. It is common for it to take a number of conversations with the prospective customer before they accept your offer of an appointment, so don’t get disheartened if they do not accept the first time around.
6. Don’t Be Afraid Of Uncertainty
Admitting when you don’t know the answer to something or needing to check with someone else is not a bad thing. Building a foundation of trust with your customer is so important and if you bluff your way around their questions, it is likely they will find out and that relationship will be damaged. If you have uncertainty around an objection or question, tell them that, and get back to them with the right information.
7. Research Before You Call
The more you know before picking up the phone, the better. If you have just a name and a phone number, you can still make an effective sales appointment. If all else fails, you can always turn to Google. Or, if you’d rather, you can reach out to your connections on LinkedIn. You can even check with your network contacts to see if you know anyone who knows the prospect. You may be able to get a referral from a mutual contact.
8. Create A Good Opener
Once you get the prospect on the phone, you have about 10-20 seconds before they’re ready to hang up on you. Most people automatically reject you as soon as you start trying to sell them. If you want to get past a potential customer’s rejection filter, you’ll need an opener that surprises or intrigues them. Something that will make them sit up and take notice. Once you have their attention, you can set up an appointment or at least get them to listen to what you have to say.
9. Pick A Benefit That Most Interests Your Prospect
When you have done your research and know more about your prospect, you can better customise your pitch to fit their needs or pain points. This way, you are more likely to get their business. Pick a benefit of your product or service that you think will most appeal to your prospective customer. Explain how that product or service provides this benefit to them. Our billing system helps give you peace of mind.
Timeless Advice Is The Best Advice. Sell the benefits and value, not features. Come prepared, find out what the customer’s concerns are and present them with solutions. When you offer them the chance to find out more about something that they may have a hard time saying no to, offer an appointment.
Is your team following these appointment setting tips?
When you notice your sales team are struggling, it can be hard to pinpoint the source of the problem. Could it be that your sales manager is failing as a sales coach? If this is the case, it can lead to many problems in the business. How will you know if it is the sales manager or another factor affecting performance?
Here, we will tell you 6 signs that your sales manager could be failing as a sales coach.
6. They Are Not Motivational
Salespeople need inspiration and motivation to deliver exceptional results. There are countless ways a sales manager can motivate their team, they can offer incentives, create competitions or even verbal encouragement. If a sales manager is not motivating the team and getting them excited to sell, the team will quickly lose their drive and may even feel frustrated.5. They Are Not Teaching Their Team About New ProductsA good sales manager will ensure they are setting aside time to teach their team about new products and services. If the team are not educated about a product, how will they sell it? Salespeople need to know not only what the product is, but also the benefits and features, in order to be able to sell it.
4. They Are Focusing On The Wrong Salespeople
Typically, sales managers will focus their attention on their highest and lowest performing team members, when in fact it is those in between that need the most time. Your best salespeople are already doing well and if your underperforming salespeople are consistently underperforming, this may not be the role for them. The salespeople in the middle of the spectrum can go either way. If the middle salespeople are not given the right tools and training, they will drop to the bottom. With the right coaching however, they will likely rise to the top.
3. They Are Results-Focused, Not People-Focused
If your sales manager’s only concern is successful sales and not helping the sales team, this is a problem. Sales coaching encompasses observations, uncovering strengths and weaknesses within the team and helping the team through them. A successful sales coach will focus on improving each salesperson’s performance, rather than just their mistakes.
2. They Are Not Coaching Regularly
Studies show that 65% of employees say the training and learning opportunities provided to them positively impacts their engagement in the workplace. When team members are engaged, they are more likely to take on more and ultimately become better at what they do. In order to improve skills and learn new techniques sales coaching needs to be used consistently, not just when a new salesperson joins the team.
1. Your Salespeople Do The Following:
Miss their KPI’s often
Business only comes from existing “friendly” customers or clients
Don’t prospect or generate enough fresh leads
They don’t do enough Quality Sales Activity
Are uncomfortable speaking with decision makers in Leadership or Senior Management positions
Are only comfortable talking about problems, price, and product specs
Miss opportunities in their Pipeline due to not chasing or revisiting leads consistently
Have a low Lead to Sale Conversion Ratio
Don’t generate enough repeat business from clients
Blame the market, products or services, customers, accounts, their managers, or the price of petrol when they miss target, as “It’s not my fault.”
Can you recognise any of these traits in your sales manager? If so, it may be time to consider investing in a sales coaching for your team to help them reach their full potential.
This is one of the most profound statements I have ever heard.
It is in one of my favourite books – The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
Such a simple concept, yet so true: “That which we manifest is before us”; we are the creators of our own destiny.
Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves.
I think this is wonderful … and yet scary at the same time.
So all my successes I created? Fabulous! But wait a minute – if I’m not as successful as I want to be, then I created that too? Horrors! And my absolute failures, I created those too? That’s a worry.
But let’s look at the positive. We can create our own future. It’s like The Secret. “What you think about and thank about, you bring about.” And other smart sayings: “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” And the classic Michael Jackson line “I’m starting with the man in the mirror…take a look at yourself, and then make a change.”
We all have that potential to be M.A.D. (to make a Difference). It starts with deciding what you want, what will make you happy, what’s important to you – and then writing it down.
So that’s Step 1: Write it down, record it, post it, tell someone about your plans. Commit your dreams to paper (or the world-wide web) and it will become reality.
Step 2: Create stepping stones to get you over the troubled waters and to the other side – break it down into bite-sized pieces, so that you can achieve (and celebrate) small goals along the way. Measure the steps that you are taking. I love To-Do lists where I can tick off the things that I have accomplished each day.
Step 3: Ensure that you make your dreams ARE achievable. After all, you DO want to be able to applaud your effort and not finding that you are depressed by every little obstacle in the river of life that may come your way.
Step 4: Is it possible to be CEO of a company that you just started with within a year? Probably not! (Although for some Gen Y and Gen Xs that’s exactly what they want … and expect. But that’s another conversation altogether!) Be realistic about your wants and needs.
Step 5: Put a date on your dreams. Goals are dreams with a timeline.
Hmmm, seems like I’ve just written down S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.
HOW TO TURN AROUND UNDERPERFORMING SALES TEAMS THAT ARE STRUGGLING DURING THESE COVID TIMES
It is 8.30 in the morning. You walk into your office alone as your team must work from home, coffee in hand. You wish you could hear the chattering and bustle of your team. You enter the room and look around.
Phones are not ringing, and fingertips are not dancing across the keyboards. You long to hear the excitement in the voices of your team members. You miss the energy that was electrifying.
You think, do we have an underperforming sales team or what is going on? Then the mood shifts.
Someone calls you on MS Teams, when you answer you see one of your team spinning around in their chair, accordingly she winks and says, “That’s $5,000 before noon, Boss.” Normally the cheering in the office would be truly equal that of a crowd at an AFL final.
You quickly get your mojo, even manage a smile and say, “this is going to be a good day, I can feel it in my waters”.
*Beep beep beep*
Then finally comes your rude awakening. The sound of your alarm every morning is brutal. In fact you dream of a pre COVID sales team that’s crushing their quotas on a daily basis and a team culture that’s both supportive and competitive.
However that is not the case. They are struggling every day. They are also not closing deals. Similarly, they do not even seem to know how to qualify leads in this environment, truth be told… nor do you. Revenue is down and quite frankly – you are in trouble.
The good news? Your dream is not far off.
HERE IS A GUIDE ON HOW TO TURN AN UNDERPERFORMING SALES TEAM AROUND
Firstly, start from the beginning: Where did things go wrong?Yes, you can “blame” COVID and no one would flinch if you did. Many sales managers tend to have the kind of reflexive thinking that ends up making the problem worse. Why? They never figured out what caused all these issues in the first place. Let’s take a look at how you can get there.
Often when things go wrong, we seek to blame rather than to solve. Have you ever had a conversation with a child, and they kept asking you “Why?” Regardless of your response, their next question was always “Why?” It is likely that you ended the conversation with a firm, and for the child very unsatisfying, “because.”
Well, guess what? While this is an excellent way for a child to drive their parents crazy, it’s also the same approach that turned Toyota into a $500 billion company. The company pioneered a problem-solving methodology for an underperforming sales issue, known as the 5 Whys Model. Let us take a look.
THE 5 WHYS MODEL
The 5 Whys Model has been praised by the start-up community as the quickest way to identify the root cause of a problem. We are going to take a look at how it works, the limitations to the model and what you can do to improve it.
So how does it work? You simply begin with a statement of the problem, that is, “I have an underperforming sales team.” Next, you ask “Why?” and you continue to ask “Why?” in response to each statement until you have arrived at what’s actually causing the problem. Here is what the conversation could look like.
Sales Manager:I have an underperforming sales team.
You:Why is your team underperforming?
Sales Manager:Nobody seems to be giving their best.
You:Why are they not giving it their best effort?
Sales Manager: They’re not personally invested in their success. They say they want to come into an office, do the day-to-day work, and leave at 5 p.m. sharp.
You:Why are they not personally invested?
Sales Manager:I think it is because we only reward the top sales rep, and everyone sees the top position as out of their reach. Only Glenn, the top guy, is killing it and the rest are not hitting target as they cant travel.
You:Why do they think the top position is out of their reach?
Sales Manager:Because Glenn has been the top rep ever since he started and they’ve pretty much given up on trying to even compete with him.
You:Why have they given up on trying to compete with him?
Sales Manager:Well, he is better than everyone by a long shot and still is.
Aha! In this situation, you have discovered – in less than two minutes – that your reps are not motivated to perform as well as your top performer. Voila – the reason for your underperforming sales team is now known.
LIMITATIONS TO THE 5 WHYS
While the 5 Whys approach can be a powerful problem-solving technique, it comes with limitations.
Single cause issue. It assumes that there is only one cause behind the effect.
Deductive thinking. Often, problem solving does not take place where the problem occurred. This leads to the discussion not being grounded in what actually happened.
Confirmation bias. The person asking the questions will jump to conclusions because they’ve “seen this happen before”.
Here are four simple ways to improve your use of the 5 Whys Model and turn your underperforming sales team around:
Use a timeline. Identify the events that detail how the problem occurred, outside of COVID.
“Go and See.”Observe what is actually happening, rather than make assumptions as to what might be happening.
Gather data. Demonstrate that the answer to any of the whys is plausible.
Ask again. For each of the causes your sales reps come up with, ask them another five whys.
A STARTING POINT
Despite its limitations, using the 5 Whys Model offers you a great way to explore the potential issue at hand and opens up the lines of communication. It will assist you in challenging your assumptions and identify the areas in which the issue lies. And once you have done this, you can start looking at solutions to the problem.
Next, let us take a look at the three most common causes of an underperforming sales team and how you and your sales team can get out of a rut.
1. DID YOU HIRE THE RIGHT SALESPEOPLE?
Good sales managers ask themselves this question constantly when faced with an underperforming sales team. But it is not just about deals closed or leads qualified – it is about your team working together. It is about your sales culture. To illustrate this, let us look at an example.
The LA SWAT team used to be a volunteer task force within the LAPD that took on the most dangerous missions. These volunteers were skilled at combat, and many of them had unique experiences, such as the Vietnam War. But because they were not a cohesive team, the early SWAT teams suffered from sky-high mortality rates.
Members of the SWAT team face life and death situations every day. For them, having the right people is not just important. It is the difference between waking up the next day and knowing that your teammates will too.
Today, the SWAT team no longer consists of volunteers. Each candidate has to go through a six-day selection process during which they need to meet mental as well as physical criteria.
THE APPROACH
One of the most challenging tests is called “Hogan’s Alley.” This is a mock street scene where candidates are confronted with surprise situations in which they need to make life or death decisions. This includes whether or not to shoot a suspect or deciding whether a person is a friend or an enemy. During these tests, candidates need to demonstrate that they can think clearly and make a decision while they are exhausted, and even physically hurt.
While this is an extreme example, it is an approach to hiring that can be applied to any team. In order to not just survive, but to thrive as a business, you need to make sure you have the right people onboard.
You don’t want just good sales reps, you want sales reps who are cultural fits to work for your company. Plan and mapout your desired skill sets and behaviour traitsand use them as a guide in your hiring process. You’ll find that your existing employees fall into three camps.
They are not just your money makers – they are the future of your company. Incentivise them to stick around. Put them inleadership positions, get them talking to your most important prospects and help them reach their career goals.
GREAT SALES REPS, BAD FITS
These are people who are great sales reps, but they are in the wrong place. Maybe they do not believe in your product, or they are better suited selling to a different type of customer.
BAD SALES REPS
The killer instinct does not come naturally to the majority of people. This is something that cannot be taught. No amount of intellect or positive attitude can make up for it. Cut your losses quickly by letting go of sales reps that are either in the wrong business or the wrong career as soon as possible.
While firing people is never easy, you are doing both them and yourself a disservice by keeping them around. If you have mapped them and maximised the key skills and they still do not perform, then you need to be a strong leader.
The tech community loves to say that culture is something that happens “organically.” As XPLANE founder Dave Gray points out, this doesn’t mean we should just sit back and wait for it to happen. It will not as HOPE IS NOT A SALES STRATEGY!
As a sales manager, it is your job to keep a finger on the pulse of the culture and provide support.
Create a road map for your sales culture using mapping techniques.
Below are the key elements to focus on.
Outcomes.These are the objectives that you want your culture to achieve. It can be that your staff loves coming into work or that all your employees perform at their best.
Behaviours. Look at how individual behaviours influence the team and their ability to achieve your desired outcome. Reward encouragement and teamwork, but reprimand behaviours that bring down morale. If there is a toxic person on the team, get rid of him or her ASAP.
Enablers and Blockers.Check to see whether you have tools and people who make the job easier and more efficient, or if you have tools and people who inhibit people from doing their jobs well.
Firstly – hustle. That is what great salespeople are all about. And no salesperson is going to hustle when the compensation is not worth the work they put in.
But compensation is not just about the money. It’s about how you value a rep’s hard work and incentivise them to do better.
However, one of the most common causes of an unmotivated sales team is a complex compensation plan. Harvard Business School’s Dr. Doug J. Chung spent half a lifetime researching motivation and sales compensation plans. And the result? Well, it does not take a Harvard degree to grasp where things can go wrong. Chung found that there were three main factors to consider when designing your compensation plan.
COMPENSATION PLAN
Salary v Compensation. This depends on the reliability of your industry’s sales cycle. If you are in a seasonal sales business, you can’t reward reps for blind luck. If sales do not fluctuate based on these outside factors, compensation should be directly tied to performance.
Timing.The influence timing has on reps directly correlates to how naturally motivated they are. Similar to great students, great reps just need a year-end bonus to motivate them, but middle-road and low performers need more frequent benchmarks to keep them on track.
Ratcheting.Many companies increase sales quotas of top performers year-to-year to get them to strive higher and higher. Chung’s studies indicated that this is actually detrimental to morale. This means that top performers are penalised for succeeding rather than rewarded. An alternative is to give over-achievement bonuses, where yearly benchmarks stay the same, but hitting an even loftier goal is rewarded with more.
It is simple: When salespeople do not know what they’re getting for the work they put in, they’re going to be less motivated. Structure and tailor your compensation plan in a way so that it incentivises each type of sales rep on your team to improve and get better –one plan does not fit all.
DRIVE YOUR SALES TEAM TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE
Sales teams do not become great overnight. They become great because they work at it continuously. This is why your role as the sales manager is crucial. It is your job to help your sales team succeed. It begins and ends with you.
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY
Swedish economist Tobias Fredberg found a fascinating pattern by examining how dozens of CEOs spoke in interview transcripts. CEOs who had successfully turned a company around shared the same way of speaking. They personally took the blame for problems—using the words “I” and “me”—and passed the credit to the team for successes—using the words “us” and “we”.
As the sales manager, you are responsible for your team. When stuff goes wrong, it is up to you to step up to the plate and be accountable for your own actions. That is what being a good leader means—and that’s what will inspire autonomy and leadership from within your team. The benefits are huge.
Ownership over problems.If you assume that every problem is yours to either fix or delegate, then nothing will ever fall through the cracks. Establishing clear ownership over responsibilities and starting from the ground up is how you empower your team to succeed.
No cost to morale.Blaming members of the team and taking credit for successes will make team members feel under-appreciated. They will feel like you are picking on them and taking their hard-earned glory.
Transparency.If you take it upon yourself to know the going-ons of the team, your sales reps will feel more comfortable telling you about potential stumbling blocks they are encountering. Otherwise, you will be unaware of an issue until it spirals out of control and blows up in your face.
When your team is doing well in the day-to-day, you can step back and watch everyone succeed. But at pivotal times, you need to personally bring on change and see your vision through.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Most people are natural sceptics. If you claim that something will work, they will need to see it to believe it. Instead of telling them, show them. Get into the weeds and start making cold calls, drafting emails, and closing deals with your team. Inspire them and set an example.
Mentor your reps.Give your sales reps someone to look up to. If your employees enter into a mentor-mentee relationship, they’ll be eager to learn and improve. They’re also more likely to stick around, as they’ll see their position as a learning opportunity.
Diagnose flaws in your systems.You might find a problem with a sales script, or an issue with how the team is finding leads. You’re not always this close to the action—take advantage of it.
GETTING ON THE TRACK TO SUCCESS
Often, as soon as an entire team agrees that there is an issue, you’ll see a shift in focus. Your salespeople will start questioning roles, processes and the direction. If it seems chaotic for a while—let it happen. This is a good thing.
It is always challenging to face a problem when you don’t know exactly what the problem is. It will take work both from you and your sales reps to align and bring your team back on a good path.
Remember to be patient. Things will not change overnight. The very first thing you try to turn things around is likely to fail, and that is okay. Keep trying until you have the culture, the goals and the vision that will help your salespeople crush it.
Soon enough, you will be walking down that hallway again and enter a room full of energy and excitement. Your salespeople will be closing deals again and there will be no alarm to wake you up.
Except for the sound of a sale, of course!
To roll-out this sales guide and turn your team’s performance around, contact KONA1300 611 288 | info@kona.com.aufor a confidential conversation today.
Every salesperson is aware of the “What’s in it for me” (W.I.I.F.M) as something that can benefit their company by focusing on the How, Why, and What they are selling, which matters to prospective clients they are trying to close a deal with.
Today, most salespeople are introduced to shifting with What’s in it for them (W.I.I.F.T).
W.I.I.F.T takes a massive shift for marketers who are now exposed to the different behaviours and seasonal needs of their consumers. It is more prominent in the market that most consumers are focusing on how businesses are keeping up their expertise with emotional intelligence, and shifting to WIIFT is one of the ways of helping startup businesses that are looking for potential target customers.
In this infographic, we will discuss the different areas where you can integrate W.I.I.F.T to your consumers.
But first, let us look into identifying consumer needs that today’s companies should consider.
They say that all men are born equal, but what about salespeople?
Some salespeople excel more than others, and one of the criteria that influence the well-being of their careers is: success.
Salespeople are exposed to an industry of companies wherein conversion with success and what does not work exists.
A poor conversion rate of one or two salespeople in a team can be lived with if the rest are pulling their weight. The problem is however, when all or most members are struggling to convert leads or hit a target.
It was precisely for this issue a client recently approached us, as their sales team was generating enough leads— but not enough new customers.
What happens when this is the issue?
It would be a mistake to think that falling sales is the only outcome of such a situation. No doubt, the bottom line will suffer when the majority is missing their target, but it may not be the only problem. Here are some of the issues that salespeople experience during conversion:
Low Self Esteem – A sales person’s worth is governed by the sales they generate. If their contribution to the company’s total business is below par, their self-esteem is bound to decrease, which often, drags down their performance further. This then becomes a vicious circle.
Lack of Team Cohesion – The outcome of only a few sales people meeting their targets is the business becomes too dependent on them. High performing salespeople, then, start feeling that they are doing their work, as well as what others should be doing. The team eventually but inevitably becomes divided—those who meet the target and those who don’t—with each group resenting the other.
Such an atmosphere hinders successful implementation of corrective measures, so should be dealt with quickly and firmly. If your managers are not equipped to handle this, bring in the experts or ask your managers to undergo relevant sales management training and coaching
High Attrition Rate – When the team becomes divided, the manager often gets stricter and more demanding with salespeople missing their targets. Too many managers often tell their salespeople to improve their sales skills and, by extension, their sales conversion rates yet, such attempts do not yield significant results because of lack of sales training and coaching expertise of the manager. This, in turn, can lead to a further drop in morale resulting, in the present economy, in people resigning and going elsewhere.
How to solve the issue?
Salespeople are made, not born, and the skills of the trade are learned in classroom training then perfected in the field through coaching. Learning new or polishing existent skills will act as a remedy to the problem, and customised sales training courses to give your sales people an opportunity to grow in perspective and sales.
If your salespeople are missing the target or have a low conversion rate, seek the help of a sales training expert. Contact KONA Customised Training and Consulting today to learn more about the different services that can help your company acquire more sales.
The modern age is now adding a new flavour in the business industry. Considering how the new generation of consumers is reshaping the way companies promote their business, products, and services, acquiring sales seem to be in a clearer perspective this 2019, especially for sales enablement leaders. As heads of a growing function, sales enablement leaders are learning more about how to succeed in their roles with each passing year. Sales organisations have come to appreciate the value that sales enablement solutions can offer, particularly in shortening the length of the sales cycle and increasing pipeline opportunities.In this article, we will discuss the most impactful sales enablement techniques that you should utilise in your business. To start with, here are the four sales enablement trends that you should watch out for this 2019:
1. Sales Coaching and Learning
Gone were the days when salespeople gain all the knowledge and techniques they have to use on the field. Today, most companies are giving time and effort in nurturing their sales team before deploying them on the field. In 2019, most companies will further demand and expect deeper integration of learning and coaching tools into their existing sales enablement platforms. Doing so will help these companies avoid increased turnover, slower ramp time, and fewer sales. Sales coaching is now the common ground of most sales representatives since this enables them to move fluidly in the market.
2. Customer Relationship Management
CRM is the single greatest spend on your sales stack. If your enablement strategy isn’t anchored to it, then you need to rethink your CRM. To fully apply effective CRM, you should weaponise your core sales management with its essential requirements. Start from prompting necessary information on a prospect to connecting with prospects via social media platforms.
3. Generation Z
While Millennials is still a driving force that marketers and salespeople must focus on, there is a new generation emerging that both marketers and salespeople need to be aware of as well: Generation Z. This generation is entirely different from previous generations, at least in some aspects. For example, they were born with access to incredible technology and grew up using social media, smartphones, online shopping and all kinds of other techniques daily. They also care a lot about global issues and their impact on the world, particularly when it comes to environmental issues.
4. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has the potential to make a significant effect on sales teams, which is why it should be on your list of sales enablement. The time savings are inarguable, but the rise of AI has other effects as well. AI increases the value of human skills that can’t be replicated by traditional sale management tools. In 2019, expect that AI-powered roleplay tools will analyse facial expressions to provide insight into the real emotional responses of an audience.Contact us if you are interested to know more about how our Sales Training program can help your sales department create a meaningful sales enablement for your business today.
Customers are willing to pay more for products and services that guarantees them significant value. Most companies, at times, are presenting their products right away without even knowing if they are really engaging with their customers.
One might say that every product is just the same as the other, and it only differs with its price range; but, have you thought about how buyers also have different needs and points of view towards products?
Try to think about the five most prominent, most successful names in your industry today. With their standing with your industry’s market nowadays, it’s easy to assume that they’re already doing everything right and they have the luxury of keeping their place no matter what they do. However, before they all got there, it’s inevitable that they also faced numerous challenges and problems during their growth. This is especially true for their sales department.As one of the most dynamic teams of any organisation, the sales team are always on the move to close deals and convert leads into customers. This exact nature, however, is what also makes them one of the likeliest to face problems over time.While some problems can be relatively small and harmless, others do need additional time, effort, and expertise from your team. In either instance, however, they should still have a strong sense of responsibility and accountability to accept these problems and work on them efficiently.
The Effects of the Lack of Accountability
One of the most tell-tale signs of lack of accountability in your sales department is when the staff within it starts blaming each other, the market, the products or services, or the customers for the problems they’re facing. Instead of looking internally, they begin deflecting the blame to external factors.Over the years, numerous companies have faced this issue — it’s quite a common occurrence no matter how undesirable the situation is within the owner’s expectations. Conflicts are natural in every workplace, but these unresolved conflicts can become a deadly poison for the rest of your department, too.A lack of accountability in a sales team disrupts the compatibility within the entire group. The immediate effect of this in your sales department staff is that they won’t be able to perform as well as they did before the conflict arose. This, in turn, affects your sales figures, as it stands to be the biggest risk for decline.Over time, the conflict spreads across the entire department. If your organisation is small and tight-knitted, it may even spread across the whole workforce. This affects the overall efficiency of the company, which results in deteriorated quality. Customers you’ve retained over the years eventually stop coming back due to these failures on your part and the organisation is left with the inability to acquire more customers.
Solving the Issue
Poor accountability in an organisation can occur for various reasons. It can be due to poor company culture and staff structure, which makes salespeople more likely to blame each other or someone else when they face setbacks.It can also develop due to poor management. Without positive and motivation management, conflicts arise, and the employees will become embittered when under this kind of management.Luckily, building a sense of accountability doesn’t require business owners and their salespeople a degree in rocket science. Here are some tips you and your team can get started with:
Clear up job roles and responsibilities
People can blame others if their roles and responsibilities are not clear enough. Remove confusion about job roles by explicitly defining them. If there are gaps or new roles and processes, identify them and account for them as well.
Develop a sense of ownership
When employees feel they are closer to the company, they become more accountable for their professional actions. Conduct team building exercises and programs to bring your sales team closer to your company. Coaching programs can not only help develop the skills and responsibilities of your sales team but also help them understand their company better. When proper structures, cultures, and management have been set, the more your people grow and take ownership of their actions and mistakes.To learn more about KONA’s Sales Training, Call Centre Training, Customer Service Training and Sales Management training in Sydney and around Australia, telephone us at 1300 611 288 or email us at info@kona.com.au.
Sales training courses are a dime a dozen. For the most part, they’re good…conceptually. Its execution though, generally sucks. It’s at this stage that the kinks and the glitches almost inevitably appear due to either, the implementing guidelines are too complex and not too specific, or the sales reps aren’t motivated enough, or in some cases, simply don’t care.
You can’t have a situation like this and stay in business for long. It’ll cost your company too much. It’ll also cost you your job.
What follows are 5 tried and tested selling techniques. They work. They work because they make sense and are easy to adopt. These are no-fuss, straight-to-the-point selling approaches every salesperson should have as an integral part of his selling arsenal.
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.
Lisa Collie
General Manager
Garret has become an integral part of uplifting the capability in our sales team. He is an engaging facilitator, very seasoned sales trainer and has become an integral part of our team. Thank you Garret!!
Cherie Habashi
Head of People & Culture
Great days training on questioning and value, highly recommend!
Daniel France
Business Development Lead
Thank you Garret for your fabulous words of wisdom to our Melbourne Jim's Antennas & Security Franchisees at our recent Mini Regional Conference. Everyone came away with something to implement into their small business. Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday with the Sydney group.
Heidi Schieren
General Manager
Garret was a brilliant speaker. Emptying his knowledge on a group of technicians. I always get a lot out of sales trading even if it’s just to restore previous knowledge or learn new tactics about how I treat customers.
David McDonald
Antenna Engineer
We had a great session with the KONA Group today on sales prospecting. Garret did an excellent job shifting the team’s perspective on both selling and prospecting. The session was engaging, practical, and thought-provoking. I’ll definitely be a returning customer for more sessions!
Mouaz Alnouri
Founder
Garret from The KONA Group delivered fantastic training at our Melbourne and Sydney Jim’s Antennas & Security conferences. His energy, insight, and practical approach really connected with our team - the feedback was overwhelmingly positive!
Alex Legge
CEO - Jim's Digital
Thank you again for the fantastic session yesterday. The feedback from the team has been overwhelmingly positive - many shared that it was the most insightful and inspiring training they’ve had since joining Envu.
A number of people even described it as the best training they’ve ever received here. I’m looking forward to working with you again soon.
Thanks, Julii
Julii Liu
Commercial Excellence Manager - ANZ
Hi Garret, I’ll definitely leave a Google review, but I wanted to thank you here first for such a fantastic training session. I’ve heard nothing but enthusiastic, glowing feedback from the team. Everyone truly valued the experience. My only regret is that I couldn’t be there in person!
I especially appreciate your collaboration and flexibility in adjusting the agenda so we could incorporate the real sales planning work into the session. It made a big difference and was greatly appreciated by all.
Thanks again for an outstanding training!
Marilyn Hui
Strategy & Planning | Driving Strategic Initiatives, Commercial and Operational Excellence Director
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.
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