My friend Melissa related a story to my other day. I asked her why she goes to a local hardware store that is more expensive for whatever she buys there than the hardware mega-stores. Her response both surprised and interested. Melissa stated that unless she knows exactly what she wants, she will go to the local hardware store even though it is more expensive. She went on to say that at the local hardware store there were plenty of people to answer her questions and that they were very knowledgeable. At the mega-hardware stores, she said she can never find anyone to help her and when she does, they usually are not able to answer her questions. For customer services people who were available and knowledgeable she said she was willing to pay more than she would at the mega-stores.
This got me thinking about premium pricing and service. Not the over the phone service. That is a whole other topic. But about face-to-face service in the areas of retail, food service, hospitality, personal services and financial/professional services. These are all areas where in spite of the mantra of “excellence” and “quality” the levels of services have spiraled downward over the past several years. This begs the question, what does it take to truly have excellence in the face-to-face service and only then have the ability to premium price.
The best people. This is a bit of chicken and egg. If people are paid minimum wage, are given no benefits, provided little or no training and given no development or career path then employers get what they pay for. That translates to poor service, bad attitudes, staff that is not knowledgeable and constant turnover. What does it take then to get the best people in any service industry or field?
Pay. Full time people should be paid a living wage. But if the wage is at this level, then the performance expectations and the criteria for employment must match.
Benefits. Full time people after an initial period of time (often six months) should be given a package of benefits. It is not unreasonable to include in this: medical and dental insurance, vacation, retirement savings plan and incentives for longevity and performance.
Training. The U.S. Government spends a significant portion of the defense budget on training. Men and women who protect and defend the country need the best and the most current training available. They need to know their jobs inside and out. Is there any reason why this should not be the case with any individual working in a face-to-face service job. Customers are the heart and soul of any business. So why do we insult them daily by providing little or no training. And the concept of “on-the-job” training has often become the only training. Training is a key area to improving service and retaining the best people.
Development. Most individuals not only want to learn, they want to grow. Whether it is expanding a current jobs or development toward a different or bigger job, professional growth is essential. Anyone looking at doing the same tasks day-in, day-out forever can only respond by providing poor service and always looking for greener pastures.
Career path. Where do the supervisors, managers, districts managers and executives come from? If the answer is they are hired “off the street” that is the wrong answer for this challenge. As part of development, service employees need the opportunity to move both across and up in an organization no matter how small or how large. With the required training and education, anyone who does a great job should have the opportunity to move into the management ranks of a service business.
These steps are not those of a “bleeding heart liberal”. They are service industry business imperative to improve the level of face-to-face customer services. Only by providing the highest levels of service and any business expect to achieve customer loyalty and premium pricing. Otherwise, the battle for the basement will continue with service business providing rock bottom prices, accompanied by poor service, high employee turnover, dissatisfied customers and slim margins. The choice is yours.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation.
He can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsutlinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com
George's weblog is: http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
The Death of the Direct Sales Force
Direct sales jobs often seen as the initial proving ground for young college graduates across industries and businesses. Whether it is a product, a service, financial, pharmaceutical, industrial, consumer or advertising, direct sales forces have traditionally been the revenue engines for business. But as technology, demographics and buying behavior have changed over the past decade, there are signs that the traditional direct sales force may be going the way of the typewriter and carbon paper.
Cost. Direct sales forces are costly. They require extensive management, systems and tools, training and often office infrastructure. Additionally, they are generally paid an amount of base pay plus benefits before they get a penny of sales commission. In effect, they are usually on salary with sales commission from 25-50% of their pay. But even if they do not sell a penny of product or service, they still get their base pay, their benefits and all the expenses associated with them and their management has to be paid also.
Flexibility. Direct sales forces are inflexible. Usually they have a fixed organization structure tied either to an account or a territory. Their management is an aggregation of the same. As is their executive management. Any changes to this structure usually happen annually, if then. The same holds true to compensation plans. Direct sales forces usually have annual sales compensation plans. Yes, they do have periodic promotions, incentives and “kickers”. But these are almost always incremental (on top of) the annual sales incentive plans.
Resellers. Most companies have some level of dealers, distributors, wholesalers or manufacturer’s representatives. In most cases, these structures are above and beyond the direct sales force. They are not employees of corporation they represent. Often they are local and geographically focused. In other cases they target specifics markets or customers. Dealers, distributors and resellers are usually not corporate organization men or women. They are more entrepreneurial; customer focused and keep costs to a minimum.
Off-shoring. Whether you love or hate off-shoring, it is a fact of life for all types of businesses. Selling that does not have to be face to face – whether is a product, a service, aftermarket or upgrade can be done remotely. In many cases, the combination of catalogs, television and the internet have made it possible to do must more selling remotely rather than face-to-face. This can be done with high levels of cost and quality control too. When was the last time a direct sales team was focused on reducing costs and improving quality?
The reality. It is unlikely that the direct sales force will totally disappear from the corporate organization chart. The largest customers often demand their own account executive to serve them. But increasing, it is possible the meet the needs of customers of all sizes without a direct sales force by effectively using combinations of dealers, distributors, resellers, off shoring and utilizing the latest technology. In addition to increased sales and customer satisfaction, these distribution alternatives serve to reduce sales and overhead expenses plus increase the level of flexibility – all important steps toward being more competitive and profitable.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and the International Coach Federation.
George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com
Cost. Direct sales forces are costly. They require extensive management, systems and tools, training and often office infrastructure. Additionally, they are generally paid an amount of base pay plus benefits before they get a penny of sales commission. In effect, they are usually on salary with sales commission from 25-50% of their pay. But even if they do not sell a penny of product or service, they still get their base pay, their benefits and all the expenses associated with them and their management has to be paid also.
Flexibility. Direct sales forces are inflexible. Usually they have a fixed organization structure tied either to an account or a territory. Their management is an aggregation of the same. As is their executive management. Any changes to this structure usually happen annually, if then. The same holds true to compensation plans. Direct sales forces usually have annual sales compensation plans. Yes, they do have periodic promotions, incentives and “kickers”. But these are almost always incremental (on top of) the annual sales incentive plans.
Resellers. Most companies have some level of dealers, distributors, wholesalers or manufacturer’s representatives. In most cases, these structures are above and beyond the direct sales force. They are not employees of corporation they represent. Often they are local and geographically focused. In other cases they target specifics markets or customers. Dealers, distributors and resellers are usually not corporate organization men or women. They are more entrepreneurial; customer focused and keep costs to a minimum.
Off-shoring. Whether you love or hate off-shoring, it is a fact of life for all types of businesses. Selling that does not have to be face to face – whether is a product, a service, aftermarket or upgrade can be done remotely. In many cases, the combination of catalogs, television and the internet have made it possible to do must more selling remotely rather than face-to-face. This can be done with high levels of cost and quality control too. When was the last time a direct sales team was focused on reducing costs and improving quality?
The reality. It is unlikely that the direct sales force will totally disappear from the corporate organization chart. The largest customers often demand their own account executive to serve them. But increasing, it is possible the meet the needs of customers of all sizes without a direct sales force by effectively using combinations of dealers, distributors, resellers, off shoring and utilizing the latest technology. In addition to increased sales and customer satisfaction, these distribution alternatives serve to reduce sales and overhead expenses plus increase the level of flexibility – all important steps toward being more competitive and profitable.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and the International Coach Federation.
George can be contacted at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Turnarounds: From the Oval Office to the Corner Office
The headlines recently have focused on how the replacement of President George W. Bush’s chief of staff may serve to salvage the President’s second term. His new chief of staff has set an agenda, made announcements and started lopping off heads, so to speak, in a very public way. This is not too different from what has happened at corporations during turnarounds. Whether looking at financial institutions, industrial companies, airlines, consumer goods companies or telecommunications giants, the visible dynamics are they same. But are they effective? Why are the characteristics of an effective turnaround process?
Identify the problem. Whether it is the White House or Burger King, measures of success should already be in place. If not, the extant of the turnaround will be bigger than anticipated. Are the right things being measured? Do they tie to the vision and the mission? Are the objectives high enough? And which are hitting the targets, which are below the targets and which are exceeding the targets? If the measures are in place, they align with the vision and mission and they targets are realistic then the focus should go to the top two or three areas where performance is below the target level.
Review the goals. For the areas below their target levels the objectives need to be reviewed. Are they market based? Are they best-in-class? Do they include stretch? Do they align with the vision and mission? Are the objectives and timeframes clear? Are they trackable and quantifiable?
Ownership. Each metric or measure of success should have an owner at a senior level. While it may send out positive signals to the press to fire a chief of staff or to Wall Street by firing the CEO or CFO, the question is – how will this impact the specific problems? If the answer is to fix everything then replacing a leader is just a gesture. Who is accountable for each metric? Did they perform? If not why? If their performance resulting in the objective not being met then they should be replaced – immediately. And remember – replace and eliminate people starting at the top and work down. Not the other way around. Again – each measurement needs to have an accountable owner at a senior level.
Action Plans. Each measurement area targeted for turnaround needs to have a specific action plan. The action plan must include deliverables, dates, a budget and dedicated resources. Doing an action plan in the margins is the same as saying that it is not important. Weekly if not daily updates to the action plan need to be developed and presented. The time frames must be aggressive. Again, the overall owner of the metric or measurement must be held accountable for results and outcomes.
Track Progress. The actual performance against the action plan or turnaround plan should be tracked and updated daily. This should be available to all team members and all members of the senior leadership. It must be visible. If the progress misses dates, misses targets, goes over budget or does not get resources, this must be visible to the team members and also to the senior leadership. It is up to both the senior leadership and the action plan team to take the steps needed to insure the action plan stays on track.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Whether it is the White House or Continental Airlines or Bausch & Lomb, communication externally is not as much of a problem as is internal communication. The problems, the proposed solution, the measures of success, the targets and the actual performance need to be clearly communicated to internally and externally. Customers, suppliers, employees, contractors and investors all need to be on board through clear, consistent and constant communication. And the news media should not be the only conduit for this purpose. The web, conference calls, e-mails, meetings, forums, retreats and other means should all be utilized for this purpose across all the constituencies.
Celebrate. When the goal is achieved – within the project plan, within the budget, within the headcount and by the target dates should be celebrated. The achievement of the clearly communicated goals or objectives for the turnaround projects should be cause for a celebration. This is not just a gesture. This is a tool to both communicate and to reinforce the achievement of goals or goals established in the turnaround action plans. Too often a moment for celebration passes without notice and it is on to the next crises. This is demoralizing for all parties involved in the turnaround initiative.
Raise the bar. With the achievement of the turn around plan it is time to reevaluate the measures, the objectives and actual performance in light of the vision and the mission. This must be a continuous process. Raising the bar – always striving to perform better – should become a way of life for any institution that wants to move beyond a turnaround and to ever improving performance excellence.
Turnarounds have become a cliché. The White House, corporate America and educational institutions at all levels talk about turnarounds. The steps to achieve a turnaround are common regardless of the institution or organization. The investments of discipline, focus and energy required to achieve a turnaround result in consistently higher levels of performance that align with the institution’s vision and mission.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. George can be contacted at:
gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
Identify the problem. Whether it is the White House or Burger King, measures of success should already be in place. If not, the extant of the turnaround will be bigger than anticipated. Are the right things being measured? Do they tie to the vision and the mission? Are the objectives high enough? And which are hitting the targets, which are below the targets and which are exceeding the targets? If the measures are in place, they align with the vision and mission and they targets are realistic then the focus should go to the top two or three areas where performance is below the target level.
Review the goals. For the areas below their target levels the objectives need to be reviewed. Are they market based? Are they best-in-class? Do they include stretch? Do they align with the vision and mission? Are the objectives and timeframes clear? Are they trackable and quantifiable?
Ownership. Each metric or measure of success should have an owner at a senior level. While it may send out positive signals to the press to fire a chief of staff or to Wall Street by firing the CEO or CFO, the question is – how will this impact the specific problems? If the answer is to fix everything then replacing a leader is just a gesture. Who is accountable for each metric? Did they perform? If not why? If their performance resulting in the objective not being met then they should be replaced – immediately. And remember – replace and eliminate people starting at the top and work down. Not the other way around. Again – each measurement needs to have an accountable owner at a senior level.
Action Plans. Each measurement area targeted for turnaround needs to have a specific action plan. The action plan must include deliverables, dates, a budget and dedicated resources. Doing an action plan in the margins is the same as saying that it is not important. Weekly if not daily updates to the action plan need to be developed and presented. The time frames must be aggressive. Again, the overall owner of the metric or measurement must be held accountable for results and outcomes.
Track Progress. The actual performance against the action plan or turnaround plan should be tracked and updated daily. This should be available to all team members and all members of the senior leadership. It must be visible. If the progress misses dates, misses targets, goes over budget or does not get resources, this must be visible to the team members and also to the senior leadership. It is up to both the senior leadership and the action plan team to take the steps needed to insure the action plan stays on track.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Whether it is the White House or Continental Airlines or Bausch & Lomb, communication externally is not as much of a problem as is internal communication. The problems, the proposed solution, the measures of success, the targets and the actual performance need to be clearly communicated to internally and externally. Customers, suppliers, employees, contractors and investors all need to be on board through clear, consistent and constant communication. And the news media should not be the only conduit for this purpose. The web, conference calls, e-mails, meetings, forums, retreats and other means should all be utilized for this purpose across all the constituencies.
Celebrate. When the goal is achieved – within the project plan, within the budget, within the headcount and by the target dates should be celebrated. The achievement of the clearly communicated goals or objectives for the turnaround projects should be cause for a celebration. This is not just a gesture. This is a tool to both communicate and to reinforce the achievement of goals or goals established in the turnaround action plans. Too often a moment for celebration passes without notice and it is on to the next crises. This is demoralizing for all parties involved in the turnaround initiative.
Raise the bar. With the achievement of the turn around plan it is time to reevaluate the measures, the objectives and actual performance in light of the vision and the mission. This must be a continuous process. Raising the bar – always striving to perform better – should become a way of life for any institution that wants to move beyond a turnaround and to ever improving performance excellence.
Turnarounds have become a cliché. The White House, corporate America and educational institutions at all levels talk about turnarounds. The steps to achieve a turnaround are common regardless of the institution or organization. The investments of discipline, focus and energy required to achieve a turnaround result in consistently higher levels of performance that align with the institution’s vision and mission.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. George can be contacted at:
gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Interview Shoes: The Right Styles for Men and Women
Interview attire advice often focuses on suit colors and cuts for men and whether to wear a skirt or slacks for women and the color of either. Other articles of interview attire are even more important. A case in point is shoes. For both men and women, wearing the right style and type of shoes can often serve as the most important and most visible item of interview attire.
For Men
For men there are four types of shoes that are acceptable for interviews. There are from most to least formal: the black oxford shoe, the black brogue shoe, the black tassel loafer and finally the black dress penny loafer. Each of these shoes has a distinct style and message. Regardless of which style of shoe is worn, they should be well maintained – meaning not scuffed or worn at the heel and highly polished.
The black leather oxford shoe. This is the classic tie shoe. It has either a plain to or a non-perforated cap toe. This is the dressiest of men’s shoes and are popular with investment bankers, government officials and other’s who must portray formality and consistency.
The black leather brogue shoe. Often described as the wing tip, this is slightly less formal than the oxford. It may be cap toed or have the wing shaped toe decoration both of which are perforated. Acceptable with suits, the brogue has been a favorite of businessmen for decades although it fell out of favor during the “casual Friday” dress down era of the 1990s.
The black leather tassel loafer. The tassel loafer has been around for decades. Once classified as Ivey League or preppy, it is now a business staple. It is a loafer with stitching around the toe and a pair of leather tassels. The shoe is not as formal as either the oxford or the brogue but is acceptable with business suits in all but the most formal and tradition bound professions.
The black leather penny loafer. This is not a casual loafer with the big “beef roll” and the rough hand stitching around the toe. The penny loafer for dress is more refined in cut and stitching. It looks like and is a dress shoe. The least formal of the business shoe styles, it is sleek and clean and works with suits for all but the most formal occasions.
What kinds of men’s shoes to avoid for interviews? First, the heavy soled and big toed lace and slip-on shoes popular with younger men should be avoided. Even if they say they are dress shoes, they say all the wrong things about one. Secondly, avoid casual shoes such as weekend loafers or other very casual shoes with leather, rubber or plastics soles. Finally, avoid trendy shoes. If attracted to a pair of shoes that would look great on the dance floor at a club or at a wild party, keep them for those events. Do no wear them to an interview. Trendy is not an interview look unless you are a fashion designer or in the arts.
The right kinds of shoes are available at stores and on-line. The most popular traditional interview shoes are sold by: Church’s Shoes (English design, very traditional), Alden (American and very traditional), Allen-Edmonds, Cole-Haan and Johnson & Murphy. Stores that carry the right kinds of shoes for interviews include: Brooks Brothers, Joseph A. Bank and Nordstrom.
For Women
While there are infinitely more styles of women’s shoes available than men’s, the styles that are appropriate for interviews are even more limited. The rules about the condition of shoes for women are the same as for men. The shoes must be in top condition and well maintained if not new. While all the colors for men included black and black, there are more possibilities fro women. While black and navy are safe bets 95% of the time. Other colors are OK but must complement the suit or outfit and should match the purse or handbag too. Avoid light colored shoes for interview and never wear white shoes to an interview unless it is for a nursing position. If brown, dark shades are best. Avoid suede and never wear shoes that have metallic sparkle, glitter or sequins for an interview (or for business ever).
The styles of shoes that are appropriate for women to wear for interviews fall into four categories: classic leather pump with a heel, the leather sling back style with a heel, the classic leather Mary Jane style shoe with a heel, the flat or ballet style shoe in leather. All should be leather. All should be well maintained and worn with neutral colored stockings or pantyhose regardless of the season or temperature (or knee highs if work with slacks).
The leather pump. Heel heights and shapes vary. This is the traditional shoe for women in business. Solid color.
The leather sling back style with a heel. Again heel heights and shapes very. This shoe while very traditional has an adjustable strap rather than a closed back. The shoe is classic and in good taste but with a bit more style and is considered a bit more dressy than the plain leather pump.
The classic leather Mary Jane shoe. This is not the flat soled cloth model or even the funky thick soled model worn by teens. It is basically a leather pump in style and cut with a thin strap ending in an adjustable buckle across the instep. Better with skirts than with slacks.
The flat or ballet style shoe in leather. This kind of shoe if made of fine leather and in a traditional cut is classic, flattering and is worn by women of all heights. But it is favored by very tall and strangely enough, very short women. It may be plain or decorated with a discrete bit of gold metal or grosgrain bow at the toe. The casual ballet slipper style in fabric, needlepoint or less dressy leather should be saved for wear with jeans or khakis.
What shoes are not appropriate for women to wear to interviews? Frankly, everything else unless the interview is not for business, non-profits or one of the professions. Anything in unnatural colors or with sparkles or anything novel just will not do. Flip flops are a no always. As are sandals. Big, clunky shoes are for teenagers or weekends. Loafers are for khakis and weekends. Tie shoes are not appropriate for women in business unless running an art gallery or a church order. Finally, strappy, very high heeled shoes should be left for weekends and never for work. Forget what they say in “Sex and the City”.
Women’s interview shoes are available at many women’s stores, shoe stores and department stores. The list is really too long to do justice here. Some of the more traditional sources are: Cole Haan, Talbots, Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor and Brooks Brothers plus the some of the designers who offer quality shoes in more classic styles.
Shoes speak volumes about a person. This is never truer than in an interview environment. Make sure the shoes that you wear say all the right things. While they will not guarantee a job, the will not be an obstacle if the points outlined above are observed.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coaching Federation. George can be contacted at:
gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
For Men
For men there are four types of shoes that are acceptable for interviews. There are from most to least formal: the black oxford shoe, the black brogue shoe, the black tassel loafer and finally the black dress penny loafer. Each of these shoes has a distinct style and message. Regardless of which style of shoe is worn, they should be well maintained – meaning not scuffed or worn at the heel and highly polished.
The black leather oxford shoe. This is the classic tie shoe. It has either a plain to or a non-perforated cap toe. This is the dressiest of men’s shoes and are popular with investment bankers, government officials and other’s who must portray formality and consistency.
The black leather brogue shoe. Often described as the wing tip, this is slightly less formal than the oxford. It may be cap toed or have the wing shaped toe decoration both of which are perforated. Acceptable with suits, the brogue has been a favorite of businessmen for decades although it fell out of favor during the “casual Friday” dress down era of the 1990s.
The black leather tassel loafer. The tassel loafer has been around for decades. Once classified as Ivey League or preppy, it is now a business staple. It is a loafer with stitching around the toe and a pair of leather tassels. The shoe is not as formal as either the oxford or the brogue but is acceptable with business suits in all but the most formal and tradition bound professions.
The black leather penny loafer. This is not a casual loafer with the big “beef roll” and the rough hand stitching around the toe. The penny loafer for dress is more refined in cut and stitching. It looks like and is a dress shoe. The least formal of the business shoe styles, it is sleek and clean and works with suits for all but the most formal occasions.
What kinds of men’s shoes to avoid for interviews? First, the heavy soled and big toed lace and slip-on shoes popular with younger men should be avoided. Even if they say they are dress shoes, they say all the wrong things about one. Secondly, avoid casual shoes such as weekend loafers or other very casual shoes with leather, rubber or plastics soles. Finally, avoid trendy shoes. If attracted to a pair of shoes that would look great on the dance floor at a club or at a wild party, keep them for those events. Do no wear them to an interview. Trendy is not an interview look unless you are a fashion designer or in the arts.
The right kinds of shoes are available at stores and on-line. The most popular traditional interview shoes are sold by: Church’s Shoes (English design, very traditional), Alden (American and very traditional), Allen-Edmonds, Cole-Haan and Johnson & Murphy. Stores that carry the right kinds of shoes for interviews include: Brooks Brothers, Joseph A. Bank and Nordstrom.
For Women
While there are infinitely more styles of women’s shoes available than men’s, the styles that are appropriate for interviews are even more limited. The rules about the condition of shoes for women are the same as for men. The shoes must be in top condition and well maintained if not new. While all the colors for men included black and black, there are more possibilities fro women. While black and navy are safe bets 95% of the time. Other colors are OK but must complement the suit or outfit and should match the purse or handbag too. Avoid light colored shoes for interview and never wear white shoes to an interview unless it is for a nursing position. If brown, dark shades are best. Avoid suede and never wear shoes that have metallic sparkle, glitter or sequins for an interview (or for business ever).
The styles of shoes that are appropriate for women to wear for interviews fall into four categories: classic leather pump with a heel, the leather sling back style with a heel, the classic leather Mary Jane style shoe with a heel, the flat or ballet style shoe in leather. All should be leather. All should be well maintained and worn with neutral colored stockings or pantyhose regardless of the season or temperature (or knee highs if work with slacks).
The leather pump. Heel heights and shapes vary. This is the traditional shoe for women in business. Solid color.
The leather sling back style with a heel. Again heel heights and shapes very. This shoe while very traditional has an adjustable strap rather than a closed back. The shoe is classic and in good taste but with a bit more style and is considered a bit more dressy than the plain leather pump.
The classic leather Mary Jane shoe. This is not the flat soled cloth model or even the funky thick soled model worn by teens. It is basically a leather pump in style and cut with a thin strap ending in an adjustable buckle across the instep. Better with skirts than with slacks.
The flat or ballet style shoe in leather. This kind of shoe if made of fine leather and in a traditional cut is classic, flattering and is worn by women of all heights. But it is favored by very tall and strangely enough, very short women. It may be plain or decorated with a discrete bit of gold metal or grosgrain bow at the toe. The casual ballet slipper style in fabric, needlepoint or less dressy leather should be saved for wear with jeans or khakis.
What shoes are not appropriate for women to wear to interviews? Frankly, everything else unless the interview is not for business, non-profits or one of the professions. Anything in unnatural colors or with sparkles or anything novel just will not do. Flip flops are a no always. As are sandals. Big, clunky shoes are for teenagers or weekends. Loafers are for khakis and weekends. Tie shoes are not appropriate for women in business unless running an art gallery or a church order. Finally, strappy, very high heeled shoes should be left for weekends and never for work. Forget what they say in “Sex and the City”.
Women’s interview shoes are available at many women’s stores, shoe stores and department stores. The list is really too long to do justice here. Some of the more traditional sources are: Cole Haan, Talbots, Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor and Brooks Brothers plus the some of the designers who offer quality shoes in more classic styles.
Shoes speak volumes about a person. This is never truer than in an interview environment. Make sure the shoes that you wear say all the right things. While they will not guarantee a job, the will not be an obstacle if the points outlined above are observed.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coaching Federation. George can be contacted at:
gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
Friday, April 14, 2006
Questions Every Job Candidate Should Ask
Job interviews are often viewed as a one-sided experience. This should not be the case. A job interview is an opportunity for the job candidate to learn as much as possible about not only the specific job they are interviewing for but also about other important factors about the company or organizations with which they are interviewing. While some of the questions recommended for the candidate may seem to be common sense, there are a number of job candidates who are either too nervous, shy or afraid to raise these critical questions.
What is the work environment? This question, while broad, can cover everything from the formality of an office to the physical layout of the work space. Depending on while both of these areas are important, the former one is of great interest to manner younger job candidates while the latter one is of more interest to more senior job seekers.
What are the opportunities for development? This question gets to the issue of how much the company or organization values their people. Specifically, the response should address formal training and development programs including opportunities for academic and professional coursework. Those interested in professional degrees or on-going education must clearly follow-up on the response to the question if it does not address those areas. An additional area of inquiry is the selection process for future executives and other leaders. What is the process and how does it work.
How much travel is anticipated and what type? Some people crave travel. Other people hate travel. The job candidate needs to know up front how much travel is anticipated and what kind. Some businesses put travel in percentages: 25%, 50%, 75%? What kind of travel? Is it local? Cross country? International? Will it require being away over weekend? Unless you are committed to working 7x24, these questions are very important.
What is the policy toward telecommuting? Speaking of working 7x24, it is important to ask about the home office policy. This may be very important or not important to the candidate at present, but it is something that should be known up front. Whether due to a personal situation or bad weather, everyone wants to work from home occasionally. And it is essential to know about front about the potential employer’s policy toward home office work.
What is the opportunity for advancement in this position and what is the career track? While fewer if any companies or organizations guarantee careers or any kind of job security, most do surprisingly have career maps for each of the jobs in the company or organization. Often but not always, these are tied to the organization chart. Is the next step from the job a lateral position? If so, what? Is it a promotion? If so, what are the responsibilities? Do these require relocation? If so, what are the possibilities? These questions are not out of line. It is appropriate to think 3-5 years ahead while interview for the first or next position.
What are the expected work hours? Again, this may seem like a naïve question but it is an important one. When does the work day start? When does the work day end? Is there overtime pay for anything over that? What about weekends? If so, how often? One more time…unless you are willing to work 7X24 for your base pay it is critical to ask these questions during the interview.
What are the benefits with the position? This should be an up front question not an after accepting the job question. Benefits whether extensive or meager are part of the total compensation package (salary, bonus, any other incentives such as stock or options and all benefits). What is included? What does the employee have to contribute? When do they start? Which are included and which are optional? Which are most used by employees? Least used and why? This is one more case where the questions are either not asked or asked AFTER the job offer has been made.
What is the cash compensation? While more and more hiring managers and human resources managers get this question out of the way up front, it is a critical question. This encompasses base pay, bonus and other incentives excluding benefits. Related questions include: what are raises based on and how often? What is a typical raise? Does everyone get a raise? What are bonuses based on? Did everyone get a bonus last year? If not, why? Are options available for this position? While these questions sometimes are answered up front, they should be the last questions discussed once the others are out of the way. They are important, but they may not be the most important questions for most job candidates.
Finally, get the phone number and e-mail addresses of each of the people who interview you. If you do not get to ask all of these questions during the interview process, you need to follow-up with them to get the answers. A follow-up call or e-mail is often as important as the follow-up thank you letter or e-mail which is mandatory for all candidates.
Job interviews can be fun and they can be terrifying. They are an opportunity for the company or organization to see if the candidate is a fit for their open position. But equally important, it is an opportunity for the job candidate to find out if the company or organization is a fit for their goals, attitudes and life-style.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. He can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
What is the work environment? This question, while broad, can cover everything from the formality of an office to the physical layout of the work space. Depending on while both of these areas are important, the former one is of great interest to manner younger job candidates while the latter one is of more interest to more senior job seekers.
What are the opportunities for development? This question gets to the issue of how much the company or organization values their people. Specifically, the response should address formal training and development programs including opportunities for academic and professional coursework. Those interested in professional degrees or on-going education must clearly follow-up on the response to the question if it does not address those areas. An additional area of inquiry is the selection process for future executives and other leaders. What is the process and how does it work.
How much travel is anticipated and what type? Some people crave travel. Other people hate travel. The job candidate needs to know up front how much travel is anticipated and what kind. Some businesses put travel in percentages: 25%, 50%, 75%? What kind of travel? Is it local? Cross country? International? Will it require being away over weekend? Unless you are committed to working 7x24, these questions are very important.
What is the policy toward telecommuting? Speaking of working 7x24, it is important to ask about the home office policy. This may be very important or not important to the candidate at present, but it is something that should be known up front. Whether due to a personal situation or bad weather, everyone wants to work from home occasionally. And it is essential to know about front about the potential employer’s policy toward home office work.
What is the opportunity for advancement in this position and what is the career track? While fewer if any companies or organizations guarantee careers or any kind of job security, most do surprisingly have career maps for each of the jobs in the company or organization. Often but not always, these are tied to the organization chart. Is the next step from the job a lateral position? If so, what? Is it a promotion? If so, what are the responsibilities? Do these require relocation? If so, what are the possibilities? These questions are not out of line. It is appropriate to think 3-5 years ahead while interview for the first or next position.
What are the expected work hours? Again, this may seem like a naïve question but it is an important one. When does the work day start? When does the work day end? Is there overtime pay for anything over that? What about weekends? If so, how often? One more time…unless you are willing to work 7X24 for your base pay it is critical to ask these questions during the interview.
What are the benefits with the position? This should be an up front question not an after accepting the job question. Benefits whether extensive or meager are part of the total compensation package (salary, bonus, any other incentives such as stock or options and all benefits). What is included? What does the employee have to contribute? When do they start? Which are included and which are optional? Which are most used by employees? Least used and why? This is one more case where the questions are either not asked or asked AFTER the job offer has been made.
What is the cash compensation? While more and more hiring managers and human resources managers get this question out of the way up front, it is a critical question. This encompasses base pay, bonus and other incentives excluding benefits. Related questions include: what are raises based on and how often? What is a typical raise? Does everyone get a raise? What are bonuses based on? Did everyone get a bonus last year? If not, why? Are options available for this position? While these questions sometimes are answered up front, they should be the last questions discussed once the others are out of the way. They are important, but they may not be the most important questions for most job candidates.
Finally, get the phone number and e-mail addresses of each of the people who interview you. If you do not get to ask all of these questions during the interview process, you need to follow-up with them to get the answers. A follow-up call or e-mail is often as important as the follow-up thank you letter or e-mail which is mandatory for all candidates.
Job interviews can be fun and they can be terrifying. They are an opportunity for the company or organization to see if the candidate is a fit for their open position. But equally important, it is an opportunity for the job candidate to find out if the company or organization is a fit for their goals, attitudes and life-style.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. He can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
Monday, April 10, 2006
Six Steps to Effective Meetings
Most people in medium and large businesses, government, non-profits and other organizations spend the majority of their time in meetings. As managers and executives, their most valuable resource is their time and that of their people. And yet more time is wasted in unproductive meetings than all other activities combined. Making meetings more productive is one of the most important thinks and any business or other organization can do. There are six key steps to making meetings more effective.
People. Insure that the right people are at the meeting. That they are there on time and that they focus on the meeting rather than taking cell phone calls and doing their e-mail. As much as people complain about meetings, people hate to feel they are missing something important. They feel excluded. It is critical that only the people who need to be at meetings attend them. Presenters who are not key participants should attend meetings only to give their presentations.
Purpose. While most meetings have a purpose, that purpose must be clearly stated in the meeting invitation and again at the beginning of the meeting. Someone should be designated to keep the meeting focused on that purpose. Any issues that arise that are not tied to the purpose should be noted and captured for another appropriate meeting. Also, at the end of the meeting, the purpose of the meeting should be stated again prior to the attendees leaving. Invitation – Opening – Stay on Topic – Closing.
Meeting type. Within the purpose, there are three types of meetings. Meetings must to be limited to information, decision making or idea floating. Informational meetings are those where people present new information to the group. These meetings need to leave time for questions. Decision making meetings are those where issues have been previously raised, recommended courses of action presented and decisions must be made by the body. The decisions must be documented. The final type of meeting is what we call an “idea floating” session. At these meetings, a pertinent issue or issues are raised and the people attending the meeting provide recommendations to address the issue or issues. These are then documented with owners to take the recommendations the next step.
Time. No meeting should last longer than one hour. Period. Meetings that last longer than an hour are not productive, they lose focus, they take on additional topics and purposes and they become forums for grand standing. People should arrive at the meeting on time. The meeting should start on time. There should be no more than five minutes to review the purpose of the meeting, who is attending and their role in the meeting plus the agenda for the meeting, which should have been distributed in advance. The meeting should cover the entire agenda in the next fifty minutes. The final five minutes should be used to recap the decisions, who will distribute the notes from the meeting and when the next meeting is scheduled. The meeting should end within the hour and not over. It is ideal to keep the meeting to 55 minutes including the opening and closing comments so people can be on time for their next meeting (on the hour) and are not distracted.
Document. Someone should be charged with documenting the purpose of the meeting, who attended it, the decisions made, any open issues and who owns action on them and when the next meeting will be held. Anything else in the notes is excessive. The notes should be distributed electronically within twenty-four hours only to the attendees. There is a habit of forward meeting minutes to the world – up and down the chain of command. This serves little purpose and bogs down future meetings and creates excessive and unproductive work for all involved.
Follow-up. It is up to the meeting lead (or chair) to insure that all items decided at the meeting including the open issues are either closed or a recommendation made by the owners of the issues. Often, issues remain open for months if not years. It is up to the owner of each issue to do whatever is required to bring them to closure or recommended next (action) step.
Considering that meetings take the majority of managers’ and executives’ time during any given day, it is essential for them to take steps to make meetings more productive. By focusing on the critical elements of effective meetings, this can be done immediately. The key elements include: the right people, a clear purpose, a limited amount of time (and on time), documenting decisions and owners and follow-up. These simple but seldom followed steps will make any organization more effective and improve job satisfaction for the participants.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. He can be contacted on gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
People. Insure that the right people are at the meeting. That they are there on time and that they focus on the meeting rather than taking cell phone calls and doing their e-mail. As much as people complain about meetings, people hate to feel they are missing something important. They feel excluded. It is critical that only the people who need to be at meetings attend them. Presenters who are not key participants should attend meetings only to give their presentations.
Purpose. While most meetings have a purpose, that purpose must be clearly stated in the meeting invitation and again at the beginning of the meeting. Someone should be designated to keep the meeting focused on that purpose. Any issues that arise that are not tied to the purpose should be noted and captured for another appropriate meeting. Also, at the end of the meeting, the purpose of the meeting should be stated again prior to the attendees leaving. Invitation – Opening – Stay on Topic – Closing.
Meeting type. Within the purpose, there are three types of meetings. Meetings must to be limited to information, decision making or idea floating. Informational meetings are those where people present new information to the group. These meetings need to leave time for questions. Decision making meetings are those where issues have been previously raised, recommended courses of action presented and decisions must be made by the body. The decisions must be documented. The final type of meeting is what we call an “idea floating” session. At these meetings, a pertinent issue or issues are raised and the people attending the meeting provide recommendations to address the issue or issues. These are then documented with owners to take the recommendations the next step.
Time. No meeting should last longer than one hour. Period. Meetings that last longer than an hour are not productive, they lose focus, they take on additional topics and purposes and they become forums for grand standing. People should arrive at the meeting on time. The meeting should start on time. There should be no more than five minutes to review the purpose of the meeting, who is attending and their role in the meeting plus the agenda for the meeting, which should have been distributed in advance. The meeting should cover the entire agenda in the next fifty minutes. The final five minutes should be used to recap the decisions, who will distribute the notes from the meeting and when the next meeting is scheduled. The meeting should end within the hour and not over. It is ideal to keep the meeting to 55 minutes including the opening and closing comments so people can be on time for their next meeting (on the hour) and are not distracted.
Document. Someone should be charged with documenting the purpose of the meeting, who attended it, the decisions made, any open issues and who owns action on them and when the next meeting will be held. Anything else in the notes is excessive. The notes should be distributed electronically within twenty-four hours only to the attendees. There is a habit of forward meeting minutes to the world – up and down the chain of command. This serves little purpose and bogs down future meetings and creates excessive and unproductive work for all involved.
Follow-up. It is up to the meeting lead (or chair) to insure that all items decided at the meeting including the open issues are either closed or a recommendation made by the owners of the issues. Often, issues remain open for months if not years. It is up to the owner of each issue to do whatever is required to bring them to closure or recommended next (action) step.
Considering that meetings take the majority of managers’ and executives’ time during any given day, it is essential for them to take steps to make meetings more productive. By focusing on the critical elements of effective meetings, this can be done immediately. The key elements include: the right people, a clear purpose, a limited amount of time (and on time), documenting decisions and owners and follow-up. These simple but seldom followed steps will make any organization more effective and improve job satisfaction for the participants.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. He can be contacted on gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
Sunday, April 09, 2006
War Room: Do You Need A Command Center?
A command center, sometimes referred to as a war room, can be a competitive differentiator for a business, non-profit or other organization. The key elements for any command center are: centralized location, key personnel, time frames (project, crisis or on-going), mission definition, primary activities and finally, resources as related to organizational commitment. Each on of these points will be outlined below to better portray whether an organization does in fact need a command center
Location. There are two schools of thought in this area. One is that the command center should be near the hub of action such as the corporate, non-profit or other organizational headquarters. The other is that the command center should be at a remote location and not co-located with the headquarters to keep it safe and to avoid too much executive interference in its workings. If the command center is to serve as an executive “dog and pony” or show facility, then it should be at headquarters. It is then convenience for both executives and for other visiting dignitaries. If the goal is a critical information hub, then the command center can be anywhere. Ideally, not in or even near the headquarters facility.
Personnel. The kinds of people who are best for a command center are not necessarily the movers and shakers on their way up in any organization. There are three categories of people who are valuable in the command center environment. The first is the candid veteran leaders or manager. This individual must be fully committed to the center and willing to tell it like it is regardless of the consequences. The second is the expert. There need to be functional experts – the top in their areas – in each of the primary functional areas that the command center supports for the corporation or organization. The third category is the technical guru. Given the importance of communications, systems and tools to the command center, only the best technical gurus can meet the needs of the facility, even if that means they wait in the wings for problems to occur.
Time frames. Some command centers are designed to monitor day-to-day activity on-going. Other command centers are initiated for a specific project, initiative or program. While the underpinnings of both are the same, the project specific command centers tend to be more effective due to their limited scope and duration. In that project specific command centers are temporary, they tend to exhibit a higher energy level and greater innovation. Once command centers become “permanent”, the energy levels and the amount of innovation decline due to the long term institutional effects.
Mission definition. In other words why does the command center exist? What is its primary role in the business, organization or non-profit? This is different from what it does and how it does it. Some examples are: “to intercept all information on competitors”, “to track all bids and sales”, “to track and monitor the launch of the XYZ (new) product” or “track and monitor all media coverage on (you name it…). Additional missions can relate to tracking, monitoring and controlling activities related to: natural disasters (for business and civil use), peak volume periods (hotel chain activity for a tourist season), events such as a convention or an annual meeting or conference or finally, for large sporting or media events.
Primary activities. The command center should not be a catch-all. The primary activities are very clear. These should include: collection and collation of market information, collection and collation of competitive information, collection and collation of customer information, collection and collation of sales information (bids open, bids closed), new product launch data collections and other real time information such as contractors or logistics performance. Other types of information that may be tracked and collated by a command center include: special project statistics, media events updates, event data by time and location against project plan (think of a convention) and monitoring real time visual data for an event of function (such as traffic and buildings for a visiting dignitary or other public official). The key point is that the command center is for collecting, collating and disseminating information to critical decision makers in a timely fashion for the duration of the project, program or event.
Resources. There is a tendency for organizations to count the pennies and waste the dollars. This could be no more than in the case of the command center. The appropriate amount of money needs to be spent on the location, people and technology to make the command center effective. This does not mean it is a palace. Having the right people and technology are much more important than a fancy location with new furniture. Additionally, the resources go beyond dollars and cents. The time and attention of leadership are critical to insuring that the command center has the ability to deliver on the mission for which it was commissioned.
War room. Command center. Control center. Mission control. These are all terms that have been used to monitor, track and report on events, projects, programs, events and occurrences. While the names differ, the overall purpose and structure are the same. By adopting and following the points outlined above, any organization – public or private – can make their command center an effective asset for a specific mission for a limited period of time.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. George can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com/ George's weblog is: http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com/
Location. There are two schools of thought in this area. One is that the command center should be near the hub of action such as the corporate, non-profit or other organizational headquarters. The other is that the command center should be at a remote location and not co-located with the headquarters to keep it safe and to avoid too much executive interference in its workings. If the command center is to serve as an executive “dog and pony” or show facility, then it should be at headquarters. It is then convenience for both executives and for other visiting dignitaries. If the goal is a critical information hub, then the command center can be anywhere. Ideally, not in or even near the headquarters facility.
Personnel. The kinds of people who are best for a command center are not necessarily the movers and shakers on their way up in any organization. There are three categories of people who are valuable in the command center environment. The first is the candid veteran leaders or manager. This individual must be fully committed to the center and willing to tell it like it is regardless of the consequences. The second is the expert. There need to be functional experts – the top in their areas – in each of the primary functional areas that the command center supports for the corporation or organization. The third category is the technical guru. Given the importance of communications, systems and tools to the command center, only the best technical gurus can meet the needs of the facility, even if that means they wait in the wings for problems to occur.
Time frames. Some command centers are designed to monitor day-to-day activity on-going. Other command centers are initiated for a specific project, initiative or program. While the underpinnings of both are the same, the project specific command centers tend to be more effective due to their limited scope and duration. In that project specific command centers are temporary, they tend to exhibit a higher energy level and greater innovation. Once command centers become “permanent”, the energy levels and the amount of innovation decline due to the long term institutional effects.
Mission definition. In other words why does the command center exist? What is its primary role in the business, organization or non-profit? This is different from what it does and how it does it. Some examples are: “to intercept all information on competitors”, “to track all bids and sales”, “to track and monitor the launch of the XYZ (new) product” or “track and monitor all media coverage on (you name it…). Additional missions can relate to tracking, monitoring and controlling activities related to: natural disasters (for business and civil use), peak volume periods (hotel chain activity for a tourist season), events such as a convention or an annual meeting or conference or finally, for large sporting or media events.
Primary activities. The command center should not be a catch-all. The primary activities are very clear. These should include: collection and collation of market information, collection and collation of competitive information, collection and collation of customer information, collection and collation of sales information (bids open, bids closed), new product launch data collections and other real time information such as contractors or logistics performance. Other types of information that may be tracked and collated by a command center include: special project statistics, media events updates, event data by time and location against project plan (think of a convention) and monitoring real time visual data for an event of function (such as traffic and buildings for a visiting dignitary or other public official). The key point is that the command center is for collecting, collating and disseminating information to critical decision makers in a timely fashion for the duration of the project, program or event.
Resources. There is a tendency for organizations to count the pennies and waste the dollars. This could be no more than in the case of the command center. The appropriate amount of money needs to be spent on the location, people and technology to make the command center effective. This does not mean it is a palace. Having the right people and technology are much more important than a fancy location with new furniture. Additionally, the resources go beyond dollars and cents. The time and attention of leadership are critical to insuring that the command center has the ability to deliver on the mission for which it was commissioned.
War room. Command center. Control center. Mission control. These are all terms that have been used to monitor, track and report on events, projects, programs, events and occurrences. While the names differ, the overall purpose and structure are the same. By adopting and following the points outlined above, any organization – public or private – can make their command center an effective asset for a specific mission for a limited period of time.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. George can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com/ George's weblog is: http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 03, 2006
Nine Points for Sales Excellence
The heart of any successful business is a successful sales force. You can have the best innovation, technology, product, marketing, operations and customer services, but if you do not have an excellent sales force, all the rest quickly becomes overhead. While every sales force organization is different, there are certain key elements that different the average sales teams – no matter how small or how big – from the excellent ones.
Training. The best sales forces spend considerable time training new people. They must know more about the product they are selling than anyone in the organization. They must be able to answer any question. And training is not just up front for the new people. Training is on-going. No just with new products and offers, but in sales skills, all aspects of your company and about the competition (more on that later). Training is essential to sales excellence.
Territory. There is no one right answer to how sales forces should be organized and what territory model works best. By industry? By geography? By account? The bigger the company, the more complex the territory models are. The model that seems to work best is that small and medium sized accounts are split on a geographic basis. Then the largest (or named) accounts are on a national or even global basis. In that the largest accounts require the most “hand holding” and have the longest sales cycles, it does not make sense to align these accounts geographically.
Sales force retention. This point is a bit of chicken and egg. Successful sales people should be compensated in such a way that they will next want to move on or quit what they are doing for a company. Low turnover of the top sales people is essential. But low turnover is essential for all accounts. Most sales are based on relationships and knowledge of the product or offer. New sales people may not have the relationships or the knowledge of the company’s specific products and offers. Clearly, poor performer must go. But the successful sales people – and even those who are not at the top but achieve their quotas are essential to retain.
Face time. The value of a sales person is on the phone or face to face with customers. The more time a sales person is doing paperwork or involved in back office processes not related to either training or customers is sales time wasted. Sales people need to spend the great majority of their time either interacting with a potential customer, a current customer or in training to have sales excellence.
Easy to do business. It is amazing how companies make it nearly impossible for sales people to do their jobs. To achieve sales excellence, a company must develop processes that make it as easy for sales people to turn their relationship into a sales through a contract and then for that to be fulfilled through an efficient order process. The more paperwork the sales person has to do, the less effective they will be. Additionally, the more support the sales person has to provide back into the company on behalf of the customer for the contract or order fulfillment, the less time they are spending generating more sales and revenue. Think about the value of the sales people in your organization and how they are actually spending their time.
Sales centric model. Businesses that do all they can across the organization to support the success of the sales people generate more revenue and grow. Whether it is R&D, product management, marketing or customer service, all functions should be aware that nothing is more important that to make the sales team successful. And this should be tied into their individual and team objectives too.
Leadership. There is an old adage about the best sales people not making the best sales managers. This is often true. But the fact is that the first choice for sales management should be people who have been effective in sales. This may not be the number one sales person. But having the combination of sales experience plus leadership and management skills are combinations that are critical for sales team success.
Business intelligence. Whether it exists in marketing or elsewhere in a company, someone should be responsible for business intelligence. Just as in the military and the government there is need to keep an eye on the enemy and know everything you can about them, the same holds true in business. This function needs to know and provide the sales force and management with the latest on: top competitors strategy and tactics including products, technology, marketing and pricing, big wins, big losses and any other facts that can be useful in building and winning sales.
Compensation. Sales compensation needs to be at least competitive for the industry and geography the company operates in. Most sales people are on a combination of base salary and commission. The best sales people want a higher percentage of commission. The more successful they are the more they can earn. A couple of points on this. Sales people should be on at least 50% commission. There should be no cap on what they can earn based on their quotas. Finally, find a sales compensation plan that works and stick with it. Changing the sales compensation plan every year will only guarantee confusion and discontent among the sales force.
Sales excellence is often thought to be as much of an art as a science. This may be true. But successful sales people need specific support and infrastructure to be successful. Following the points outlined above, combined with smart and aggressive sales people will insure sales excellence in any business or organization.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. The e-mail is gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
George's weblog is:
http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com
Training. The best sales forces spend considerable time training new people. They must know more about the product they are selling than anyone in the organization. They must be able to answer any question. And training is not just up front for the new people. Training is on-going. No just with new products and offers, but in sales skills, all aspects of your company and about the competition (more on that later). Training is essential to sales excellence.
Territory. There is no one right answer to how sales forces should be organized and what territory model works best. By industry? By geography? By account? The bigger the company, the more complex the territory models are. The model that seems to work best is that small and medium sized accounts are split on a geographic basis. Then the largest (or named) accounts are on a national or even global basis. In that the largest accounts require the most “hand holding” and have the longest sales cycles, it does not make sense to align these accounts geographically.
Sales force retention. This point is a bit of chicken and egg. Successful sales people should be compensated in such a way that they will next want to move on or quit what they are doing for a company. Low turnover of the top sales people is essential. But low turnover is essential for all accounts. Most sales are based on relationships and knowledge of the product or offer. New sales people may not have the relationships or the knowledge of the company’s specific products and offers. Clearly, poor performer must go. But the successful sales people – and even those who are not at the top but achieve their quotas are essential to retain.
Face time. The value of a sales person is on the phone or face to face with customers. The more time a sales person is doing paperwork or involved in back office processes not related to either training or customers is sales time wasted. Sales people need to spend the great majority of their time either interacting with a potential customer, a current customer or in training to have sales excellence.
Easy to do business. It is amazing how companies make it nearly impossible for sales people to do their jobs. To achieve sales excellence, a company must develop processes that make it as easy for sales people to turn their relationship into a sales through a contract and then for that to be fulfilled through an efficient order process. The more paperwork the sales person has to do, the less effective they will be. Additionally, the more support the sales person has to provide back into the company on behalf of the customer for the contract or order fulfillment, the less time they are spending generating more sales and revenue. Think about the value of the sales people in your organization and how they are actually spending their time.
Sales centric model. Businesses that do all they can across the organization to support the success of the sales people generate more revenue and grow. Whether it is R&D, product management, marketing or customer service, all functions should be aware that nothing is more important that to make the sales team successful. And this should be tied into their individual and team objectives too.
Leadership. There is an old adage about the best sales people not making the best sales managers. This is often true. But the fact is that the first choice for sales management should be people who have been effective in sales. This may not be the number one sales person. But having the combination of sales experience plus leadership and management skills are combinations that are critical for sales team success.
Business intelligence. Whether it exists in marketing or elsewhere in a company, someone should be responsible for business intelligence. Just as in the military and the government there is need to keep an eye on the enemy and know everything you can about them, the same holds true in business. This function needs to know and provide the sales force and management with the latest on: top competitors strategy and tactics including products, technology, marketing and pricing, big wins, big losses and any other facts that can be useful in building and winning sales.
Compensation. Sales compensation needs to be at least competitive for the industry and geography the company operates in. Most sales people are on a combination of base salary and commission. The best sales people want a higher percentage of commission. The more successful they are the more they can earn. A couple of points on this. Sales people should be on at least 50% commission. There should be no cap on what they can earn based on their quotas. Finally, find a sales compensation plan that works and stick with it. Changing the sales compensation plan every year will only guarantee confusion and discontent among the sales force.
Sales excellence is often thought to be as much of an art as a science. This may be true. But successful sales people need specific support and infrastructure to be successful. Following the points outlined above, combined with smart and aggressive sales people will insure sales excellence in any business or organization.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. George is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation. The e-mail is gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com
George's weblog is:
http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com
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