Sales Book: Motivating Employees by Anne Bruce and James S. Pepitone
We typically like to educate ourselves not only by our experiences on the job, but also with a great reading that we like to share amongst each other during our month end meetings. We have mainly focused on books that pertain to our business which is sales, but in this instance I wanted to focus on something that was more motivating rather than educational. This past month I read a book called Motivating Employees written by Anne Bruce and James S. Pepitone.
Essentially, this book focuses on motivation and how it can help you become a more inspirational employee/manager. What does that mean? Getting more done through people. The idea is to better equip yourself to be able to build a highly motivated, higher performing organization. The beginning of the book touches upon the actual definition of motivation and where it comes from. Motivation can either be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivations are those that drive us from within, such as a personal interest, desire or fulfillment. Extrinsic motivations are those which are factors outside of us that influence our internal needs, wants and behaviors. These can by typically described as rewards, promotions and praise.
As a sales representative, I have learned that you have ups and downs throughout your career and the primary goal is to manage some sort of consistency to balance the peeks and valleys. So what are the three most common ways to motivate? One that I believe is most popular today is fear, which usually peaks when the economy is sluggish. In sales, typically commissions outweigh base salaries, so individuals are motivated to work harder to earn a similar compensation when the economy is striving. Also, the fear of being “cut” when organizations are being downsized could be the fuel that lights the fire. The other two motivators that are highlighted are incentive and personal growth. Incentives are very popular in a sales world. Typically, you can see many great ideas such as a paid day off, dinners, and tangible gifts. This creates urgency as there is an added benefit if you book more revenue or perhaps have the largest pipeline. The last common motivator that Bruce and Pepitone place emphasis on is personal growth from a compensation standpoint or higher responsibility. They stress that challenging yourself is the key factor on furthering your potential. Understanding what your strengths and weaknesses are enables you to have a solid start on climbing up the ladder.
Throughout the book, Bruce and Pepitone spoke about the key factors of internal and external motivation. They emphasize the importance of working with human nature and encouraging entrepreneurial thinking and how it is linked to performance. In conclusion, they feel the most critical pieces of motivation are values, humor, synergy and of course team power.
So, how important is motivation? It makes the difference between failure and success. You can be experienced, knowledgeable, talented and the most capable manager/employee, however, if you lack the motivation, mediocrity will take over and you will just be average. Motivation is not a simple matter and requires a recipe of elements:
- Motivation is an inside job!
- Relationships: Keys to better performance
- Working with Human Nature
- Encouraging entrepreneurial thinking
- Linking Motivation to performance
- Having Fun!
- Attacking de-motivators
- A clear path to performance
- Teamwork
- Synergy
Bruce and Pepitone wrap up the book by highlighting how you must be committed to continually developing yourself and your employees. “Success breeds success.” We all accept and understand that. Unleashing your synergy and making sure that you better yourself is of the utmost importance. Ever hear of practice makes perfect? Well compare it to shooting a hockey puck 100 times a day to have more strength and accuracy. Can’t get your pitch down? Practice leaving yourself messages, do it in front of a mirror. Becoming a student of your business and becoming more knowledgeable creates strength and more importantly confidence which is the greatest motivator.
Any organization can take a significant hit and face challenging times and changes if it is not taking the necessary steps to prepare for the future through the attitudes, motivation and action of the organization and its employees. This is what this book is all about. Utilizing these techniques can be powerful tool that keep you and the organization from falling to mediocrity and complacency, but none if it matters if you can not translate it into action!
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Happy Holidays from Treeline!
On behalf of the Treeline Team, we extend our warmest wishes to you and yours during this Holiday Season. We sincerely thank you for your support throughout the years and look forward to continuing success in the years to come.
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Predicted Market Trends for 2010
2009 proved to be quite a challenging year for every industry across the United States. We as a nation have endured a significant amount of change and we as sales professionals are the most equipped to deal with it. Regardless of the harsh realities of 2009, we see some light at the end of the tunnel and at Treeline welcome 2010 with open arms. We have been asked by many of you to give our predictions of what we see in 2010 and we have always been willing to share our open and honest opinions. So without further ado, here are our predictions for 2010:
1. Companies will have a greater urgency to hire sales professionals in 2010
First off, we believe that companies will have a much greater urgency to hire in 2010. We are seeing this trend develop right now. We have found our clients to be more aggressive in December than they were in all of 2009. Companies have cut their staff to the bone and hunkered down throughout 2009. This is a behavior that we see changing currently and predict this behavior will continue throughout 2010. Companies are starting to make the transition from survival mode to growth mode. They are experiencing consistent numbers and are now positioning themselves to win. They have survived so far, and although we are not through the tough times, we are seeing a steady increase in the hiring of sales professionals.
Clients are feeling more confident in the economy and feel that they have weathered a large portion of the storm, therefore we are seeing more firms coming to the realization that now is the time to hire. After taking it on the chin in 2009, many companies are starting to feel a greater urgency and need to grow revenue in 2010. Classically speaking, the best way to increase revenue is to increase your sales force. Additional Sales Professionals carry additional revenue numbers and if hiring is done properly, companies will increase revenue with an increase in sales staff. It is happening right now and for growth companies that have cut to the bone, now is the time to build depth in their sales forces.
Therefore, our prediction is that there will be a greater urgency to hire sales professionals in 2010 but be forewarned that urgency is not desperation. Companies are still more selective than ever but urgent to increase revenue. They will not take risk on a hire. In fact you will see more sales job postings this year than last but the hiring authorities will not settle for mediocrity. For the right candidate, companies will move quickly but if they are on the fence, there is greater likelihood they will not hire. They have identified and weeded through their sales team for the past 12 months to find the best of the best. The top sales people have stayed and continue to find success. In order to ad value to these dedicated teams of high output performers, candidates will have to prove to each organization their worth. Companies now know better than ever what they need in a sales person to be successful.
2. Companies will spend more money to adopt an aggressive marketing strategy.
Companies, regardless of industry or size, will adopt more aggressive, effective and modern approaches to their marketing strategy. They will increase revenue and become more efficient competitors by optimizing and implementing a comprehensive marketing strategy to find success and grow revenue in 2010. Organizations will collaborate and build effective tactical plans to incorporate the power of social media, Google AdWords and SEO to effectively drive traffic and sales through the web.
Companies will adapt and change the way they build their brand. Right now, consumer expectations are at an all time high. They have more power and technology at their fingertips than ever before. They are well educated and value peer opinion and reviews when considering a purchase. A company’s brand today is very much based on word of mouth and street credit. Therefore, many companies will invest heavily in a marketing strategy for 2010 that will utilize social media more effectively. It is imperative that companies isolate and target people who need to buy their product and to build a support community around the brand in order to build for the future. Those companies not invested in learning about new marketing techniques will find themselves loosing market share rapidly.
3. Your reputation will spread wider and faster than ever before.
Since the inception of business, effective and accurate communication has been of paramount importance. Be it communication to the employees of the company or communication to the market place of consumers, companies have driven their message to the marketplace in order to solidify an opinion of their company and the reputation that they wish to portray. Nowadays, a company’s and individual’s reputation is not something they can choose for themselves or try to force on others. In actuality, it is the social evaluation made by others and can be considered a component of identity or brand. Today with the fundamental shift in how we communicate with others, a companies reputation can spread wider and faster than ever before. That being said, reputation precedes us and like it or not, reputation plays a greater part in today’s society than some may be comfortable with.
Over the past couple of years we have seen the evolution of social media and the emergence of cloud computing play a massive part of our personal and professional lives. Information has become more abundant and easier to share, making the internet the number one place for consumers to go when they are contemplating a purchase. According a recent report*, 34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands on a daily basis. It is also reported that 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations**, whereas only 14% trust advertisements***. That being said, positive customer experiences and a strong reputation hold the utmost importance in the future success of your company. After all, 25% of search results for the World’s Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content****.
That being said, information is out there about you and your company. Whether you like it or not, potential employers or consumers will be able to find any and all information you may be trying to hide and they will be able to uncover information about your performance and reputation. Therefore, building a positive reputation will take more precedence in 2010.
*Source: Universal McCann’s Social Media Research Wave 3
**Source: July 2009 Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey (actually 90% now – updated above but video still shows 78%)
***Source: “Marketing to the Social Web,” Larry Weber, Wiley Publishing 2007
****Source: Marketing Vox and Nielsen BuzzMetrics SES Magazine June 8 page 24-25 Chris Aarons, Andru Edwards, Xavier Lanier Turning Blogs and user-Generated Content Into Search Engine Results
4. New Technology will overwhelm all of us.
With the emergence of cloud computing, there is no doubt that technology will play a larger role in our daily lives both professionally and personally. Soon you will only need an internet connection to own the key to the kingdom…and that does not necessarily need to come from a computer. Smart phones and mobile devices have become staples in our every day life and soon enough they will be the mode in which we chose to do business. Currently, people are more connected then ever with their personal and professional networks and often times are updating their communities on a daily (and sometimes hourly) basis. We are already starting to see the integration of personal and professional networks, a distinction that was heavily separated in the past. This integration is making one person’s outreach larger than ever before. Therefore, doing business will, and has, changed dramatically in now we communicate and essentially sell our products and services. Referral networks are more easily accessible and abundant, changing the way in which companies prospect for new business. It’s no longer about cold calling numbers from the Yellow Pages, it’s about updating LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Social networks are becoming the new rolodex and with tools such as LinkedIn’s API, professionals can bring their network to any company and integrate their information into the companies CRM system with quickness and ease.
Very few professionals understand the full capacity of LinkedIn or Twitter as a means of conducting business and unfortunately for many, they never will. These types of technologies are changing on a daily basis and new applications are being created everyday. An abundance of bloggers and business professionals have taken to online forums to discuss the latest and greatest business techniques by means of social media, however there is not enough time in the day to read all the information, let alone understand it. Therefore, 2010 will bring a wave of new technology that will overwhelm us professionally and personally. We will have to quickly adapt to these new technologies as best as possible and integrate them into our business practices. The technology world is off and running, in 2010 we have to do our best to follow closely behind and manage to stay in the race.
In conclusion, we feel strongly that 2010 will prove to be a fast paced year where companies will have a more concrete purpose and sense of urgency. 2010 will be a year of rebuilding and the perfect opportunity for companies to revolutionize the way they sell and the way they hire. So before you break out your holiday sweater and relax around the fire, make sure your company has a purpose and direction going into 2010. Thousands of companies are already waiting at the starting line of 2010, are you in the race?
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Top 10 Lessons of 2009
A lot of things tend to pop up at this time of year – the holidays, the end of a year, the start of a new one, Dick Clark is pulled out of storage and dusted off, and everyone and anyone puts together a ‘Top 10 List.’ Treeline is no exception to the rule. This year has been a crazy one and I am sure that plenty of us are glad to see it come to an end. But through it all, there were plenty of lessons to be learned. Here is a list of the Top 10 Lessons Learned in 2009.
1. Social Networking – Brand Yourself: Over the past year we have learned that if you are not social networking – you are simply at a disadvantage. Whether you are on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or all three – it is important to build your brand online.
2. Sales 2.0 – Get Creative and Build Partnerships: The days of cut throat corporate culture are over and professionals want to help each other stay in the game and build industry together. Sales 2.0 is a collaborative effort that allows organizations to partner and advance in this market. Pay it forward.
3. SEO – Get Found: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will have companies quickly reallocating their marketing budgets and changing sales models. Sales organizations are beginning to realize that a focus on finding new business is not as efficient as making sure that new business can find you.
4. Priorities – What is Important?: For a lot of people, this year pulled things into perspective – both professionally and personally. In this market, it is easy for the lines to get blurred between what matters and what doesn’t – those of us who have clearly defined the two are better equipped as the market begins to turn. Focus on what matters; the rest is just details and distractions.
5. Job Boards Are Outdated – Be Proactive: For those of you who are on the hunt – you have learned that job boards are now a black hole for your resume. The market is just too saturated and companies simply can’t search on enough key characteristics to find you. As a result, companies are overwhelmed and do not have the bandwidth to comb through all the submittals they receive. Instead, be proactive, use your sales talent and techniques to get your foot in the door
6. Seek to Find the Opportunities that Exist in Challenging Times: A recession slows things down, unfortunately, for many of our bank accounts. But in many cases, if you are looking, opportunities can appear. Over the last year, through necessity, smart companies have chosen to view this last year as an opportunity to rebuild, re-brand and re-think their business.
7. Diversify, Diversify, Diversify: We have built our companies and professions based on what we do well and have a pulse on our expertise. However, if this year taught us anything it’s to cast a wider net. In order to survive in a down market, one must be able to diversify their clientele and sell to a broader audience to ensure consistent revenue. Continue to work your bread and butter accounts but diversify your pipeline.
8. Value and Service Your Current Clients: “Love the one you’re with”. Lyric to a sappy love song, or valuable business advice? When new business is harder to come by companies that focused on providing higher levels of service and focused on their existing clientele showed stability over the past year, and overall are better positioned when the market returns.
9. Sales People: The Most Efficiently Armed Professional in Recession Combat: Sales Professionals succeed and survive mostly because of their ability to overcome rejection and withstand hardship. The year is over…and again….we all made it through. Beaten up, battered… maybe. But come Jan 1, the numbers all set back to zero and all of us will take a deep breath, one more notch in our belts, great stories to tell and over all better professionals because we have once again, overcome the challenges that were put in our way.
10. Take Stock, Plan: What happened over the year, what were your best decisions; in what ways did you fail? They say, “History repeats itself” but with proper reflection it doesn’t have to. Take a moment with your team to discuss the year and save the record. This will make you better prepared when the next recession hits.
Is this all we learned – absolutely not. But these are lessons that should certainly not go over looked. I think we can all say that 2009 has been a very ‘educational’ year. What have you learned this year? – we would like to hear from you. Now that you have learned your lessons -what do you plan to do in 2010? Looking forward to hearing from you and ringing in the New Year.
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Top Hiring Trend of 2009: Risk Aversion
As 2009 draws to a close, many of us are keeping our eyes on the road and hoping to find a stronger and more productive 2010, yet we can’t seem to help looking in the rear view mirror. As sales professionals, we want to be able to fully understand any downfall we had this past year and learn from our mistakes. Some of the loses we endured are unpreventable where others can teach us how to be leaner and meaner in the future. We also look back and analyze the past in order to better understand the future and any possible indicating trends we need to keep an eye on. That being said, we at Treeline have taken a look back and analyzed the hiring trends of 2009 and have identified one overwhelming behavior of all companies: risk aversion in hiring decisions.
In December of 2008, dozens of economists and employment organizations started making predictions on hiring trends in 2009. At that point we had already experienced a taste of what was to come with the economic recession, however, reports indicated that we would see bigger paychecks, flexible work arrangements and bigger budgets for employee branding. All sound promising and exciting, however none of them true. Instead, we have seen companies tighten the belt on budgetary expenditures and avoid unnecessary loses. That being said, companies who were able to hire did so gingerly and continue the same behavior.
Throughout 2009, we have seen many companies sit on open roles for weeks and months waiting to find the right candidate. They do not wait due to lack of candidates on the marketplace, they wait because they cannot afford to take the risk of hiring an “outside of the box” professional. It seems that companies have experience a fundamental shift in their hiring practices and have taken to the employment market with more of a consumer minded approach. Openings are analyzed, assessed and outlined before going to market and the requirements are iron clad and often times extremely narrow. Employers tend to look to fill their open roles with candidates who have identical skills sets and who have been successful in the same role at another company. They look for candidates who have proven track records of success within the same industry and, in some instances, can bring over a book of business. Let’s face it, nowadays the majority of products and services are commoditized and purchasers are looking for the best buys. What makes the employment market any different? Companies are investing in human capital, therefore they are going to go to the market with a “buyer beware” attitude. Thus, in order to mitigate the risk of a bad hire, they are looking for candidates who have proven success and great reviews. Many companies that traditionally have been “quick to pull the trigger” are also starting to implement background checks and other investigative reports in order to ensure a successful hire.
In conclusion, few companies in 2009 have settled for the “bodies in chairs” approach. They are selectively building up their dream teams and will allow that seat to sit empty for an indefinite amount of time. In 2010, we will see companies with more sales openings and a greater urgency to hire, but their selective search tactics will be a continuing trend. Therefore, in order to be a competitive player in this job market you need to be able to demonstrate your successes and the value that you would bring to your potential employer. It’s no longer about asking the company what they can do for you, it’s about showing the company what you can do for them.
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Sales Book: Life’s Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter by Hal Urban
Here at Treeline, we have a best practice where we present ‘book reports’ to the rest of the team at our monthly meetings. The books we read can be about anything as long as they add value to our business in some way. We have read books written by leaders in their industries, motivational speakers and spiritual guides. This past month I read a book written by an educator named Hal Urban, who wrote a book for his 3 sons called Life’s Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter.
As I said, he wrote it for his sons as a way to let them know how to live a life as a good human. After its first printing, he received a tremendous response. Not from parents or children but from business professionals. These simple lessons about living a fulfilled and moral life are closely tied to how we conduct ourselves in the world of business. A lot of his lessons are obvious but they serve as good reminders to us.
Urban talks about lessons such as “Success is More than Making Money.” I know for you sales professionals this lesson probably makes you cringe but he makes a good point. He is not saying do not make money, rather he is saying make money and be successful but make sure your priorities are in check and you are not missing the big picture. Live a full life, give back to society and make the world a better place through your success.
He also talks about how “Life is hard…and Not Always Fair” and “It Is OK to Fail, Everyone Else Does” – here is where Urban sounds like a father but his point is to remind us not to be a victim. Life is hard and unfair and there are no exceptions to the rule. Successful people have to deal with their failures, hard times and injustices just like everyone else. It is how they deal with these difficulties that separate them from the masses. But don’t forget, “Life is Also Fun and Incredibly Funny.” When Thomas Edison passed away, amongst dozens of notebooks that were found with hundreds of ideas for inventions that he never got around to, there were also a handful of notebooks filled with nothing but jokes. When you work hard, it is important to keep your sense of humor.
And with that being said, Urban goes on to remind us that we, as individuals, have choices. “We Live by Choice, Not by Chance.” We choose our values. We choose how to treat others. We choose how to handle adversity. We choose what we learn. We choose what we accomplish in life. We choose our belief system, ultimately – we choose our own purpose.
Urban states that ATTITUDE is the most important choice we make and we make it on a daily basis. He quotes Dr. Viktor Frankl, holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, saying, “the ability to choose our own attitude, in any given set of circumstances, is the last of the human freedoms.” It is simple statements like this that put a lot of life’s simple truths into perspective.
The direction of the book then goes onto how to explain how we can choose to live a better life both personally and professionally: “Good Habits, Be Thankful, Be Respectful, Be Honest, Share Kind Words With Others, Motivation Can Only Come From Within.” He really breaks all this down into simple and relatable stories. Again, obvious lessons but great reminders.
Urban goes on to explain that these are tasks for the journey but what is the destination? “Goals Are Dreams with Deadlines.” Catchy,eh?! But he is right. What good are goals if we don’t set up a timeline to achieve them? How do we achieve them? The answer is something that we have all heard from our parents: “There Is No Substitution for Hard Work and Sacrifice.” He tells of how resilience and persistence will get you places – don’t let anyone tell you different.
He wraps up the book with prioritizing life, “Life is Simpler When We Know What is Essential” and what is most essential?? “Being a Good Person.” Urban does a good job of reminding us what we are doing right in our lives and where we could improve ourselves. He explains it in a way that we can relate to. His writing is not a ‘how to,’ although he is incredibly obvious: it is never a bad idea to take a crash course on how to be a good person. Never stop learning how to be better…perhaps I should submit that as Lesson Number 21.
The 20 Lessons:
- Success is More Than Making Money
- Life is Hard…and Not Always Fair
- Life is Also Fun…and Incredibly Funny
- We Live by Choice, Not by Chance
- Attitude Is a Choice – The Most Important One You’ll Ever Make
- Habits Are the Key to All Success
- Be Thankful – The Best Habit
- Be Respectful
- Be Honest
- Kind Words Cost Little but Accomplish Much
- Real Motivation Comes from Within
- Goals are Dreams with Deadlines
- There’s No Substitute for Hard Work
- You Have to Give Up Something to Get Something
- Successful People Don’t Find Time – They Make Time
- No One Else Can Raise Your Self-esteem
- The Body Needs Nutrition and Exercise – So Do the Mind and Spirit
- It’s OK to Fail – Everyone Else Has
- Life is Simpler When You Know What’s Essential
- Most Essential: Be a Good Person
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Who is Treeline? Meet the nation’s premier sales recruiting firm
Treeline is the nation’s premier sales recruiting firm and technology pioneer using an automated profile science to match clients with their ideal sales professional. Since 2001, Treeline has become the area’s top sales recruiting firm and we have grown our presence nationally. Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes? Watch the video and feel the adrenaline….
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
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