Give them some "AD"vice

The numbers are important, sales are important but we shouldn't forget about what goes into our papers. A lot of reps put all of their efforts into selling the ad and very little into designing it. A well designed ad with a good headline, strong offers and an easy to read layout will certainly generate a better response for the advertiser. When they get a good response they are much more likely to continue advertising. As a manager it is in your best interest to look at you rep's layouts to make sure they are doing good work. Also look to see that your rep's instructions to the artist is clear and easy to understand. This will avoid mistakes in the ad. Of course make sure you publicly praise the reps who produce good layouts.

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

"Don't ever be afraid to admit you were wrong. It's like saying you're wiser today than you were yesterday.--Robert Newell

No one, not even the best manager, is right 100% of the time. Trying to cover your mistakes, or worst, blaming them on someone else is the fastest way to lose the respect of your team as well as your credibility.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

Growing up during the centennial of the Civil War I have had a life long fascination with the history of that great conflict. When I became a manager I studied the leadership styles of the generals and political leaders on both sides.

After years of fruitless struggle U. S. Grant took command and brought the war to a conclusion. Grant was not considered the smartest, best educated or most experienced general but he had one salient quality--He was totally focused on defeating his opponent and refused to retreat. When his predecessors were defeated by Robert E. Lee, they would turn back to lick their wounds and regroup. Grant continued to push forward until he ultimately won the war. Here is a quote from the general that expresses his philosophy:

"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is, get at him as soon as you can, strike him as hard as you can and keep moving on."

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim B.

The Dr. Phil Question

I was working with a rep today as she was trying to sell an upcoming special section. We were making the rounds of her territory and dropping off a collateral brochure for the product. Her plan was to "contact" all of her advertisers and prospect in this manner in hopes they would call her with an order. If she didn't get a response she might followup with a "Did you read the literature?" call. I asked her the question Dr. Phil made famous on his TV show--"How's that working for you?" I asked her how much business she had sold using this technique. She sheepishly admitted that she had sold virtually nothing this way. Reps often do something out of habit or because it is painless. This is the classic definition of insanity but the path of least resistance can be very tempting. Asking the Dr. Phil question can make reps realize that this isn't the way to get the job done.

Make A Defence!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

S.L.A. Marshall interviewed thousands of allied troops immediately after some of the largest battles of WWII. He produced one of the most comprehensive studies of leadership ever produced. Here is one of his conclusions:

"The art of leadership is the art of dealing with humanity, of working diligently on behalf of men, of being sympathetic with them, but equally, of insisting that they make a square facing toward their own problems."

This describes one of the keys of leadership--to hold people accountable for doing the job.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Follow up for results

As a manager, I always maintained a "meeting file" for each of my reps. I kept these files in a multi-pocketed expanding file. This file was always within reach so I could grab it whenever I talked to a rep. If I asked a rep about something or they made a commitment to do something, I noted this fact in the file. I used this information to ask follow up questions of my reps. This helped me to make sure they had acted on my instructions and lived up to their promises. It didn't take long for my reps to discover that they couldn't let something slide in hope that I would forget about it. It is important to keep the file current and discard notes once they are completed. This allows you very quickly review a reps activities.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for leaders

"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking." Harold Fricklestein

As leaders it is important that we don't pass judgement on anything until we've reviewed all of the available facts. If something goes wrong, we need to look at the facts before placing blame. I was working with a manager who was ranting and raving about our production department because they had "screwed up an ad." and he was going to give them a piece of his mind. I suggested we get the details first and upon examination found that his rep had submitted the wrong ad. Had he acted on his initial conclusion. This would have done irreparable harm to his relationship with the other department impacting the level ofsupport his team would receive in the future. Follow Davy Crockett's philosophy of life--Be sure your right then go ahead.

Make A Difference.

Thanks Jim Busch

Word

New Magazine Discovery

While browsing the magazines at my local Barnes and Noble, a new magazine shouted out to me. The title in big bold letters said MOTIVATED. I picked it up and when I saw Seth Godin's picture on the cover I knew I had to buy it. This is an interesting magazine with a number of stories about people who impact the world in positive ways. The Summer 2010 edition revolves around the theme of "Audacity". In addition to Seth Godin it features stories about Jimmy Wales the founder of Wikipedia, advice from Warren Buffett, public speaking, personal branding and much much more. I think you will find a good ROI on your $5.95 investment.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim B.

Words for leaders

Here is this week's quote:

"It is wise to direct your anger towards problems--not people; to focus your energies on answers--not excuses."
William Arthur Ward

As managers and leaders we are in the solutions business. If we jump down people's throats when presented with a problem, they will soon learn to avoid bringing us problems. They will become expert at crafting excuses and at shifting the blame. We will find ourselves in the dark and frequently surprised by challenges. We need to work with our people to solve their problems because their problems are our problem. Encourage your people to bring your their problems as soon as they arise. Problems are easiest to fix before they have a chance to grow.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Get'm where they live

When a rep goes above the call of duty or closes a big sale, sent a thank you note to their home. This not only makes the contact very special but lets them share their feelings with their families. I have even gone so far as to send a note to a reps significant other if they've been working extra hard saying "I know NAME has been working extra hard and spending a lot of time at the office, I appreciate you supporting him/her. I know he/she is driven by a desire to build a great future for your both. Thank you." This can go a long way toward building morale and keep your reps motivated.

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for leaders

Theodore Roosevelt was one of the great leaders in American History. He lead the US to a place of world dominance in the early 20th century. Here is the cornerstone of his leadership philosophy:

"Example is the most potent of all things"

During the Spanish American War the Roosevelt's rough riders were pinned done by murderous rifle fire. When Roosevelt decided to take the hill held by the entrenched Spanish he did not order them forward, he led them. He not only took the lead in the advance up the hill but he went on horseback. As the only man on a horse he made himself a prominent target. He did this to encourage his men by showing them that he was not afraid. Throughout his career, Roosevelt made sure his image and actions were in perfect alignment with his words. You may not have to take a hill under fire, but you can show your people that you are willing to work hard and not let stress or negativity get to you.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Buy-in question

Sometimes we have to make decisions that our people don't like or agree with. When you get push back try using this question. Restate the situation and all the information you used to come to your decision and then ask "If you were in my position what would you do." This is a good conversation starter. If the rep makes a suggestion that would benefit them ask "How would the rest of the team feel if I did that?" or "How would you feel if you were...?" This process helps the rep see things from your perspective and while they might still disagree with you, they will understand that your decision was not arbitrary. As always good questions are the steering wheel in any conversation and they let you control where things are going.

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

"Leadership is an invisible strand as mysterious as it is powerful. It pulls and it bonds. The most precious and intangible quality of leadership is trust." IBM Publications

As managers and leaders it is vital that we consistent and honest with our teams. These are the building blocks of trust. Without trust your team can not function efficiently or smoothly. Trust must be built one interaction at a time. Before taking any action, take a moment to consider what effect it will have on the bond of trust between you and your team.

Make A Difference.

Thanks Jim Busch

The "Semper Fi" Effect

It can be very challenging to lead people who are tasked with doing a very difficult job. When the market is down and your people face a lot of rejection it is hard to keep them motivated and sometimes it is just hard to keep them. Many managers respond to this situation by minimizing the problems the team is facing. I strongly disagree with this strategy.

Rather than deny the challenges my team is facing I use them. I use them as a source of pride to build my reps self esteem and my team's cohesion. I remind my reps of the challenges they face and tell them that I am glad to have such skilled professionals on my team. I want them to take pride in overcoming challenges that would stop lesser people in their tracks.

I call this the Semper Fi effect in honor of the U. S. Marine Corps. The marines take immense pride in the fact that they are "always outnumbered" and that they can fight their way out of the toughest situations. Their training demands almost super human endurance and mental toughness because they know this builds a highly motivated team.

When facing challenges, acknowledge and use them. Give your people a sense of pride in adapting and overcoming to the less than favorable circumstances. After a while instead of complaining, your reps will brag about how tough the market is and about their ability to persevere in the face of difficulty.

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

Over the last 30 plus years I've read a lot of business books. Most I read and discard, but there are a handful of books that I have read and reread and frequently recommend and refer to. One of these books is "Up the Organization" by Robert Townsend. He offered some very interesting insights into both organizational and personal psychology. Here's a quote from Townsend that I like:

"If you don't do it excellently, don't do it at all. Because if it's not excellent, it won't be profitable or fun, and if you're not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there?"

This is a good question to ask yourself and your people. Excellence is simply holding yourself and your team to a higher standard.

Make a difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Tap into your reps goals

Recent research has found that external motivations such as bonuses and contests have only a short term effect. This is due to a phenomenom psychologists have dubbed "Hedonic Adaptation." We become accustomed to these things very quickly. We may dream of earning $50K a year but once we attain that goal, somehow $50K doesn't seem like that much money. For long term continuous motivation you need to stimulate a person's intrinsic motivations. Intrinsic motivations may not be tangible. Internal feelings like pride, a desire to prove themselves or a feeling of mastery provide. To learn what gets your reps juiced, sit down with them and talk about their goals and motivations. Ask lots of questions and encourage them to open up and share their true feelings. One of the hallmarks of a great leader is that they treat reps as individuals. They strive to learn what makes their reps tick and then develop a motivation plan for each of the people on their team.

For more on this subject, I suggest you read "Drive" by Daniel Pink. This is a very interesting book whic may change your thoughts on motivation.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

Just to show I don't hold a grudge, here's a British quote in honor of
Independence Day:

"Leadership is about saying no, not yes. Saying yes is easy"
Tony Blair

As a leader we often have to tell people things they don't want to hear. Leaders have to stay focused on what is best for the group. They have to set limits and do what is best in the long run. Anyone can say yes every time, it takes a leader to say no when it is the right thing to say.

Make a difference.

Thanks Jim Busch

Face time

Common wisdom says that everyone hates meetings, but I learned otherwise this past week end. One of my former employees was retiring and his coworkers gave him a little send off party. Some of my former telephone sales reps were reminiscing about when I ran the department (Almost 1 0 years ago). They all agreed how much they missed my regular sales meetings. I would recognize excellence, talk about our progress to our goals and let them in on any upcoming projects or changes. Several years ago the current manager decided that e-mail would be a more efficient way to communicate this information. The reps missed the opportunity to discuss issues and especially missed the recognition. They felt less appreciated and not as well informed. If you do your home work and run a tight well planned meeting your reps will be better informed and more confident.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

Here is a quote from Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout. This is a must read for anyone in the advertising business. This is quote is particularly pertinent to the art of management.

"What's called luck is usually an outgrowth of successful communication."

As managers and leaders we need to be constantly communicating our vision and intent to our teams. Unless you are able to recruit mind readers this is the only way you will accomplish your goals. Continually confirming that your team "gets it" is an important part of being an effective leader.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Look for patterns

When monitoring your sales peoples activities, look for patterns. For example question why they make multiple calls on some prospects, and only one or two on others. If this is because the regular calls have higher potential or the rep is making progress this is acceptable. If they make frequent calls on accounts that are nice to the reps and avoid the prospects who give them a hard time this is a bad thing. Avoiding pain is the natural thing to do, but it is not the productive thing to do. Help your reps manage their territories and hold them accountable for calling on the accounts that will grow their revenue.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

"Catch people doing something right"

This phrase, made popular by management guru Tom Peters, describes the attitude of a good leader. If you only notice your people when they are doing something wrong, after a while they will tune you out. You will be pegged as a constant complainer. You should always strive for a 3:1 ratio, making 3 positive comments for each negative one. In practice I far exceed this count. If people hear good things from you, they will pay close attention to your words.

Make A Difference

Thanks for reading, Jim Busch

Collecting intelligence

Many years ago I was part of the U.S. Army Security Agency. Their purpose is to collect intelligence on our country's enemies. This isn't as cool as it sounds, there were no cloaks, daggers or vodka martinis shaken or stirred involved. Mostly the ASA collects newspapers, records radio and TV broadcasts and scans magazines. They analyse these to look for patterns that might give off a clue to what the "bad guys" are up to. You can perform the same role for your company. Have your reps collect as much information about the competition as possible. Have them ask their customers for collateral materials and proposals from competitors. Keep a file on each competitor and review them to look for patterns in their activities. Put together a competitive profile for each competitors. This will help your reps to formulate sound competitive proposals and to counter competitive objections.

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for leaders

This is the motto of the United States Navy Construction Battalions the "Seabees":

"The difficult we do right away, the impossible takes a little longer."

I like this quote because of the attitude it promotes. It is up to us as managers to set the pace of the organization. We should always here a clock ticking in the back of our heads. We should always want to "get on with it" no matter how challenging the task before us. During WWII the Seabees built airstrips in record time in the middle of a jungle while under heavy attack. This makes getting a project done on deadline look pretty easy.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

How we earn our money

When you get down to it, we get paid for having substantive conversations with our reps. Each day we should talk to the reps about what happened the previous day and what their plans are for the current day. This should only take a few minutes and will keep you constantly up to date on your rep's activities. The reps should report out on the business closed, the new contacts made, commitments for future business and potential problems. They should also be able to tell you the area they will be working that day, and the business they expect to close. When reps report out on their performance and plans they become accountable for their activities.

Make A Difference

thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

Here's some good advice from "25 Management Lessons From the Customer's Side of the Counter" by James H. Donnelly, Jr.

"Management and leadership are exercised outside the office, not inside the office."

I am a huge fan of Errol Flynn movies. These idealistic films portray the world as it should be, rather than how it is. There is a line from "They died with their boots on" that I love. As his regiment is about to go into battle Flynn's character is asked "Where will the General's headquarters be located sir?" to which Flynn replies "At the head of the attacking column!" Take Errol's advice, the best way to know what is going on and what your people need is to place yourself in the middle of the action.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Should you hold a sales meeting

Some people think meetings are a waste of your sales people's time. I agree if the meetings are unplanned and disorganized. I like to hold a short meeting the 1st thing on Monday morning to get the reps started and set the pace for the week. Throughout the week I put notes, ideas and issues for my meeting into a folder. I use this folder to plan a quick motivational and training meeting. I see this as a jump start for their week. Next week I will cover what I include in my meetings.

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for leaders

One of the best books on time management is Alan Lakein's "How to get control of your time and your life." Here is one of my favorite quotes from this outstanding work.

"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now"

This quote expresses why I believe one of the most important activities of a manager is planning.

Make A Difference

Thanks Jim Busch

Book recommendation

I try to read at east one or two business related books every month. Every once in a while I come across a book that really impresses me and I will pass it along to you. I just finished Bruce Tulgan's It's Okay to Be the Boss. This is a short little book with a lot to say about effective management. Its main theme is holding people accountable for their actions and for results. Tulgan offers some good advice on having good productive conversations with your team. He advocates a sort of "tough love" approach that may be seen as "old school" by a lot of today;s managers. As a manager I had a reputation as a tough boss, but my people made a lot of money because they hit their sales targets. I like Tulgan's approach.

Make A Difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Words for Leaders

This week's quote is one of the long standing tenets of the U.S. Military.

"You cannot be a leader and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow too."
Sam Rayburn

When you are talking to your people don't criticize your company's leadership. You want your people to do what you ask them to do whether they agree with you or not, you have to model the behavior.

Keep making a difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Stay positive

What you say has a big impact on your reps. If you do nothing but criticize a rep you will have a negative effect on their self confidence. I make it a practice to maintain a 3 to 1 ratio, 3 positive comments to 1 negative remarks. Keeping this in mind keeps me positive and lets me be supportive of my people. Their also has the effect of training me to look for the positives in people. Because the majority of your comments are positive the corrective comments will have a bigger impact on your people.

Keep making a difference!

Thanks Jim Busch

Leadership Thoughts

One of the first books I read after becoming a manger was "Managing" by Hal Geneen. Geneen was the chairman of the board of ITT. Each chapter started with a quote from Geneen. My favorite was:

"Managers Must Manage"

This might seem too simple to be worth remembering, but think about this statement. no matter what happens, bad economy, new competition whatever, we must manage. There is no sense complaining r offering excuses, we just need to get it done. We must manage!

Keep Smiling, Keep Leading!

Thanks Jim Busch

Follow-up for results

As a manager I always maintained a follow-up file. When I assigned a task to a rep or gave them a lead, I would put a copy of the paperwork or a reminder in a manila folder. I would mark the reps name and date on the document and put these notes in the back of the folder so the oldest pieces moved to the front. I would review this folder with my reps and ask about their progress on each project. I would note their comments on the document and put it into the back of the folder again. My reps knew that when I gave them something I would hold them accountable for doing what I asked. This simple system kept me from forgetting any assigned tasks and my reps learned that it was easy to do what I asked than to explain why they hadn't.

MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Thanks Jim Busch

Leadership Thoughts

The older I get and the longer I am in business, the more I realize that how people feel is far more important than how they think. If you want to persuade people, you must engage their emotions. This is not a new idea as evidenced by this week's quote from President Theodore Roosevelt:

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

As leaders we must always consider the emotional as well as the economic consequences of everything we do.

Keep Smiling, Keep Leading!

Thanks Jim Busch

Be specific

Praise is one of the most powerful tools a manager has to develop their team. To be effective, praise must be as specific as possible. Saying "Good Job!" has a short term "feel good" effect but will not change a reps behavior. Saying something like "I like how you kept quiet and let the customer talk. You did an outstanding job of listening to the customer." tells the rep what you are looking for and rewards the desirable behavior. The rep now knows exactly what a good job looks like. They will repeat the behavior to experience the reward again. Using this technique will help you develop your team's skills by "Praising them to success."

Keep smiling, Keep Leading!

Thanks Jim Busch

Leadership Thoughts

Those of you who know me know that I am a lover of words. To me, the power of words to carry an idea or a thought from one mind to another completely unimpeded by time or distance is pure magic. I especially love pithy quotations that speak great truths in a line or two. This is why I use quotes so freely in my writings and training sessions--I like to borrow ideas that emanate from much better brains than the one that calls my skull home. Each week I will share a quote with you that I fell has something to offer managers and leaders.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."--John Quincy Adams

Keep smiling. Keep Leading!

Thanks Jim Busch

Body Language

I am reading a new book that should be on every manager's book shelf. You Say More Than You Think by Janine Driver is the best book on body language I've ever read. Ms. Driver is an inspector and interrogator for the ATF. She has had years of experience reading people and persuading them to cooperate with her. She offers some excellent suggestions on using your own body language to enhance your power and credibility. I read a good bit of the book while waiting in the Phoenix Airport and was able to observe the postures described in Ms. Driver's book first hand. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy.

Here is one of here insights. Pay attention to where a person's "belly button" is pointing. If they are merely pretending to listen to you they may turn their head in your direction, If they are really engaged, their navel will point in your direction.

Keep Smiling, Keep Leading!

Thanks Jim Busch

Set the agenda

Most good sales managers require call reports at the end of a day or week. I also required my sales people to give me a weekly and daily agendas. These were simple schedules of where they intended to go and who they were planning to see. These didn't have to list every call but just be a general statement of what part of their territory they would be focusing on and what appointments they had or what major prospects they planned to visit. This practice gave me a clear picture of how they planned their week and a chance to help them to be more efficient. I also checked the agenda against their call reports to see how well they worked their plan, This practice also got them thinking about planning their week. This takes a small amount of time and produces a big results.

Thanks,

Jim Busch

Welcome to The M.A.D. Manager

This blog is designed for front line managers, particularly sales managers. I have over thirty years of managment experience at various levels. I have also had the great good fortune to work for many amazing and wise leaders. Through my reading I have been albe to tap into the minds of leaders in every field of human endeavor throughout history. It is my intention to share what I have learned and to lern from other who make their living inspiring and motivating others. I welcome your input and ideas.

Make A Difference Today!

Thanks Jim Busch