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Leadership - Management's Virtue

Just as honesty, humility, patience, and kindness are virtues, so too is leadership.

Many have defined it, others have eloquently described it, and much has been written about it, but only a few have exemplified it. And while most would agree that "leadership" is a major component of management, true leadership is rare.

The following collection of quotes and excerpts paints a picture of leadership as described by the well and not-so-well known.

"Every damn thing is your own fault," Ernest Hemingway said. "If you're any good."

Hemingway spoke these words after attempting, in vain, to shoot a lion. He was responding to gun-bearers and local tribesmen who were offering excuses as to why his shot had missed its target.

As the safari leader, Hemingway's point was that excuses don't really matter - it serves no purpose to blame others. A strong leader offers solutions, not excuses. By assuming responsibility rather than assigning blame, the effective leader sets a strong example and inspires others to behave in kind.

This excerpt from a Nightingale - Conant Management Report makes a similar point: "Another simple concept is that people reflect what you show them. If they see you as being indifferent, they will treat you indifferently. If they see you as expecting the worst, they will behave at their worst."

Unknown sources often shed light on the path to success, and at times, the answers to difficult questions are found in the least likely places. Consider the following words from sources unknown and how these thoughts might apply to being an effective leader (or manager):

"Praise does wonders for the sense of hearing."

"The closest anyone comes to perfection is on a job application form."

"People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be, not what you nag them to be."

Of course, more respected and familiar sources have had their say about leadership as well.

Harvard Professor Rosabeth Ross Kanter: "The art of mastering change […] the ability to mobilize others' efforts in new directions."

Wharton School Dean Tom Gerrity: "The ability to inspire and develop others… to bring forth their fullest potential and highest capabilities."

Strong leadership involves identifying goals, setting a direction, and having an understanding of, and an interest in, the people who are to be led - and having the ability to inspire people into action.

If a leader is in fact one who is able to inspire and persuade, then he or she must also be one who inspires or instills a positive attitude in the hearts of his/her followers. Consider the point made, and the question posed, by author and speaker Jack Falvey in this excerpt from MakingTheNumbers.com: "All great leaders are great sales people. Many in sales management think that they have been called to command. In reality, they have merely been called to a higher level of sales. Having the power of the podium doesn't mean that people are listening to you. Use that power to give people good reason to listen to you and the message of value that you have to deliver will have a great chance of breaking through.

"Great leaders sell ideas. 'Friends, Romans, countrymen…' is a great 'Why listen?' line [with which] Shakespeare's Mark Anthony sold an angry mob… Winston Churchill sold [a country] the idea of fighting to the death, which is a tough sell in any territory. But he did it with appeals to history, duty, and honor. He also said that he personally would not head for Canada but rather would stay and take a few of the enemy with him to the hereafter - a partnering agreement!

"Either way, the model that we use… is the same as those who have sold millions on following them have used throughout history. They were great communicators with a message that resonated with the people. They had a solution. They had ideas. They sold trust. That is what we do.

"All great leaders are great sales people. Name ten. Now, when your [sales] people list their top ten, will you be one of them?"

A strong leader sets a standard by example, and recognizes that the true authority to lead comes from those who are inspired to follow.

Leadership is bringing out the best that others have to offer. It is letting others know that you respect them and have confidence in them; it is encouraging them to try, and it is helping them to achieve new and higher levels of success and fulfillment; leadership is making it possible for others to see their way in the pursuit of happiness.

Leadership is a virtue.

Negotiating Outcomes & Priorities

Whether negotiating for a better price, more favorable terms or to schedule the next step in the selling process, it is important to maintain a proper perspective about two pivotal factors – relationship and outcome.

In selling situations, the relationship between the buyer and seller is key. It often determines success or failure, and it is the glue that holds the selling process together over time, assuming repeat sales are an objective.

The outcome of each negotiation is more involved. Sure, there is a simple outcome – a person either buys or not. But at what price does one buy? What terms might one accept? And how accommodating a customer might one become?

The most successful sales people are able to simultaneously focus on both relationship and outcome. While they carefully nurture and preserve their relationships, they also avoid “over-accommodating” their customers.

Over-accommodating occurs when a seller puts too much emphasis on the relationship component of negotiating at the expense of outcome. As a result, the seller regularly agrees to virtually all buyer demands, and is prone to sell products or services at very low margins.

At the other end of the spectrum are the sales people who place too much focus on outcome. They strive to make sales and gain the most favorable terms at all costs – often damaging relationships in the process.

To maximize results, develop a fair and balanced perspective between relationships and outcomes.

Tradeshow Selling

Participating in a tradeshow is a common component of most business development efforts. The experience can be fun - the crowd, excitement, change in scene, and new product info are all stimulating, and there is the lure of developing new sales leads.

You might even sell something!

But lots of sales managers will tell you that "shows" can be expensive, and in many cases yield nothing.

One frustrated VP of Sales even expressed disappointment with his group’s after-the-show effort. "We had a pile of business cards that nobody really knew anything about; as a result, any attempted follow-up was ineffective."

So the question is, "Are tradeshows worthwhile?" The answer, simply stated is, "Yes!" As long as we make productive use of floor time...

The Secret to Success
Planning, goal-setting and follow-up are all very important, but the secret to tradeshow success is to properly deal with the known prospects, friends, competitors, and "suspects" that you encounter. "Suspects" are the key - we can call everyone else anytime, in theory, because we already know who they are!

In addition, everyday sales presentations are best left at the office on tradeshow days, as it becomes important to:

1. Quickly meet many suspects
2. Identify the true prospects
3. Note contact information
4. Strategically & quickly disengage
5. Follow-up on Monday

Closing v. Trial Closing... Improve Your Results!

Closing the sale is a skill we're asked about frequently - and one surrounded by a great deal of mystery. One area of confusion that can, when demystified, result in a healthy increase in closing rates, is the difference between "closing" and "trial closing."

Closing is the act of seeking a decision, usually through the use of a direct question.

"Can we move forward?"

"Would you like to place an order today?"

Trial closing, on the other hand, is not about directly seeking a decision, but is a method of seeking an opinion - in other words, a way of testing receptivity.

"Does that sound good to you?"

"What do you think so far?"

Trial closing is an extremely important (and often omitted) component of the selling process, because it gives the seller some insight into the relative interest level of the prospective buyer before closing questions are asked.

When a seller receives positive, enthusiastic responses to trial closing questions, then he or she knows the buyer sees value in their offer or proposal and will be inclined to move forward with the sale.

Conversely, if trial closing questions are answered negatively or with little or no enthusiasm, then the prudent seller knows that something has gone off-track; needs were not properly assessed, some form of miscommunication has taken place, etc.

In this latter instance, the best track is to go back to assessing and clarifying needs, interests and priorities, and then testing the waters again with additional trial closing questions.

It's important to realize that the selling process is seldom thrown completely off-track when trial closing questions yield negative responses. In fact, the negative responses give the seller an opportunity to correct errors that were obviously made during earlier steps, and increases closing rates in the end.

Buyers Are... (How would you complete the title?)

If you were asked to complete the sentence fragment in this article’s title with only one word, which word would you choose?

In other words, fill in the blank: Buyers Are _______________.

Based on our poll, a number of popular choices include – “Buyers are scarce.” “Buyers are savvy.” “Buyers are cautious.” “Buyers are beautiful,” and “Buyers are gold.”
[Click here to see top 10 answers]

However, in the midst of a casual conversation among acquaintances, a veteran sales person recently stated an option I had neither considered nor heard before.

“Buyers are liars,” he said!

When asked to explain his view, he went on to say that “Buyers are liars because they don’t tell you what they’re looking for… what they really want; or, they tell you what they want and then go and buy something different from someone else.”

Despite the rep’s experiences with those he perceives as less-than-forthcoming buyers, the simple fact is that “buyers” are not responsible for defining their needs. In fact, it is the “seller’s” responsibility to assess each potential buyer’s needs.

People are often unaware of all available options and, in many cases, have not properly assessed their own needs. The reasons for this vary – it could be a simple matter of convenience – as opposed to reading the “small print” – or that the product or service being considered is complex, as in the case of medicine, medical treatment or legal advice. Without the help of those “selling” these solutions, it is highly unlikely that a consumer would be capable of properly assessing his or her options and making a prudent choice.

Nearly every product or service has relevant features, benefits or nuances that need to be presented by an educated source (seller) in order for the buyer to make a truly informed decision. In fact, a good rule of thumb for any sales professional who aspires to truly differentiate themselves while best serving customers is to never assume the customer has a sufficient amount of information to make the best decision.

But please note the use of the word “relevant” in the above paragraph! The first step for every seller is to assess and confirm needs before presenting features, benefits or solutions.

“You can never trust that buyers have enough information,” one real estate professional said. “As a prudent seller you must assess and educate.”

We couldn’t agree more!

Bridging The Communication Gap

Miscommunication can be a costly occurrence.

Defined simply by Merriam Webster as failure to communicate clearly, the causes of miscommunication can vary significantly – lack of forethought or preparation, poor verbal skills or intentional deceit on the part of the sender; lack of comprehension,
poor listening skills or distraction on the part of the receiver.

In a 2005 article, author and conflict resolution expert Tristan Loo suggests that miscommunication is also the primary contributing factor to conflict.

“Miscommunication opens up the triangle of other factors that inevitably leads to conflict,” he says.

He goes on to explain that people tend to fear the worst outcome. In miscommunication the mind will fill in missing information with its own creative insight, which is often fear-based. Our minds naturally seek logical explanations to events as well. Absent those explanations, our minds frequently switch to a fear-based mode in which we satisfy our need for answers with that of assumption. Once we lock-into our assumptions the tendency is to believe them as truth, thus resulting in conflict.

The Solution – Trial Closing
In the selling world, a great deal is lost to misunderstanding and conflict. Buyers tend to buy from people they like and trust – but miscommunication, as noted above, breeds uncertainty, conflict and distrust.

To bridge the gap, Loo suggests people adopt an open mind with respect to alternative possibilities. To facilitate this, increased use of clarifying questions by all parties during need assessments, business meetings, conversations and presentations is the key.

Since it is an accepted principle that the primary sender of communication must take the responsibility for the quality of the communication, then the person who is selling, promoting or persuading should be the one to initiate these clarifying questions which, when properly used, will confirm both understanding and receptivity.