Celebrate!

Ladies and gentlemen - when you achieve a goal, celebrate! Setting a reward really ought to be part of the process of setting a goal in the first place. When you set out to achieve something, make sure you decide on a reward that is commensurate with what you're shooting for. And when you feel that milestone under your feet, take a minute to reward yourself! You did it! You got it! You made it!

Congratulations!

Above or Below the Line?

What does the header on this blog mean? And how do you rate yourself in relation to "the line?"

Google the term "below the line" and you will find a couple of popular definitions for this phrase. Wikipedia, always one of the first to jump in, gives us these two ideas in relation to the business world:

1. Above the line (ATL), below the line (BTL), and through the Line (TTL), in organizational business and marketing communications, are advertising techniques.  In a nutshell, while ATL promotions are tailored for a mass audience, BTL promotions are targeted at individuals according to their needs or preferences. While ATL promotions can establish brand identity, BTL can actually lead to a sale. ATL promotions are also difficult to measure well, while BTL promotions are highly measurable, giving marketers valuable insights into their return-on-investment.
2. In feature-length narrative filmmaking, an imaginary line delineates those who have influence in the creative direction of a film's narrative from others who perform duties related to the film's physical production. Below-the-line is a term that refers to the list of individuals who perform the physical production of a given film, the post-production work and all of the related expenditures.

While interesting, as an ActionCOACH, neither of these definitions listed above are what I am referring to. I'm talking about behavior. I'm talking about what we say, how we say it, how we interact, when we step back, what we address, how we address it, and what we don't address. I'm talking about an invisible line that delineates behavior that is acceptable and behavior that is not. Above the line we take Ownership, we hold ourselves Accountable, and we accept Responsibility for all that we say and do. Individuals and organizations that fall below the line pass Blame, give Excuses (or fancy excuses called reasons), or have a general sense of Denial when things don't work out.

 When it comes to business, this line is more tangible than it might seem. The minute you fall below that line, you are losing customers, credibility, productivity, team unity, and profit. You are destroying yourself, your relationships, and your business. Your business will never master its niche until you master the man or woman within.

To this end, ActionCOACH developed 14 Points of Culture that outline exactly what it is to be above or below the line. We hold our coaches, clients, and businesses to the highest standards of integrity, positivity, and energy. While maintaining a balance between consistent, relevant business systems and effective people practices, we cultivate a culture of abundance, gratitude, and success. Join the ActionCOACH community and lift yourself, your business, and everyone around you above the line. Watch the "I Am An ActionCOACH" video to get a taste of the community we are building as we seek the vision we uphold: "World Abundance Through Business Re-Education."

Get a coach - get your head above the rest - and get above the line.
I look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Turning Prospects Into Customers

At ActionCOACH we believe in people. We believe in interacting with people, understanding where they are at, and offering them the best possible solutions to the problems they are trying to solve. We recognize that not everyone is the same, but everyone does have needs. For this reason, when we are handling prospects, we do our best to understand what those needs are and how ActionCOACH can help. To give you some idea of what I'm talking about, let me quote and paraphrase a few ideas from an excellent book on this topic:

"I suppose if we made an effort we could list a hundred different kinds of prospects: slow thinkers, fast thinkers, wrong thinkers and nonthinkers; big spenders, conservative penny pinchers, criticals, bargain hunters, timid, assertive, impulsive, needler, argumentative; non-listener, stone face, harassed executive, etc.

Then there are the old, the young, and the middle-aged; the male and female; the black and white and everything between. Regardless of the prospect, everyone wants to be right, to be understood, to be appreciated. All have physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. our objective is to meet those needs so these prospects will be our customers ..."

Making a sale is not a process of convincing someone that you are right. It's an opportunity to meet, interact with, listen, and understand effectively another human being's position and what you can do to solve a problem they are faced with. The key things to remember, as Zig Ziglar points out, is that everyone wants to be right and everyone wants to be understood. Getting the prospect involved in the problem-solving process is essential; as you interact, remember that objections are excellent questions and you are always delighted that they have brought them up. The quicker you can establish the needs and personality of your prospect, the quicker you can effectively interact with them. Let's elaborate a little on Ziglar's ideas by briefly looking at personality scenarios from his book and his recommendations of how we can help them realize that we have something valuable to offer them:

Gary Gullible - Just be confident. Gentle, but confident. Be open and straightforward, and he will like you.
Sidney Skeptical - Let them raise their objections, ask them to repeat them for clarification, and address these questions with honest interest and concern.
Hostile Helen - Get this prospect talking and let them express their feelings or past experiences that have shaped their current position. Honestly appreciate who they are and where they are coming from.
Indecisive Ivan - Be empathetic, reassuring, and absolutely convinced that your product is the best thing for him. Be firm.
Betty Bargain Hunter - Be certain they understand that everyone is treated the same by your company, and then seal the deal by doing something to assure them that they got the best possible offer. They need to feel like a winner, so help them realize that they are one.
Oliver Obnoxious - In a firm but positive way, give them attention; also challenge them with facts that uphold your product's effectiveness. Don't forget to appeal to their pride - it's important to them to feel that they belong to an elite crowd.
Heloise Hurry-up - Be brief and businesslike. Close the sale, handle details, and be sure you follow up so they get exactly what they want. Their time is the first thing on their priority list.
Jolly Jimmy - Be casual and be a friend. Offer encouragement and advice for action, as a friend.
Nora Know-it-all - Let them impress you, but be aware of how long it might take.
Bobby Big Shot - Make him feel important, and that you are an overachiever yourself.
Impulsive Irene - Conviction and firmness at the peak of the impulse will close this sale. It won't take long, one way or the other.
Agreeable Al - When someone agrees with everything and nods continuously, it's time to stop and find out why they've already made a decision not to buy. Either they'll give you an objection that you can work with, or they'll realize you have more to offer than they thought.

Ziglar has offered us a few glimpses into the complicated world of effectively understanding and relating to people around us. What it boils down to is the ability to understand someone in their own language and speak it back to them. There's no doubt that you have a solution to their problem - turn the mirror to appropriately reflect that and let them see for themselves. We could all use a little more understanding.