Sales & Marketing Management - November/December 2008 - (Page 15) MANAGEMENT STRATEGY managers because they are in positions of authority. Many sales and marketing professionals keep achieving mediocre results by doing the same thing as a result. Perhaps if Mark had a 360-degree assessment done on him—where he is evaluated anonymously by his peers, superiors and direct reports— he would learn the truth about the negative impact from his nonverbal skills. He may discover that the reason for his weak handshake and poor eye contact is due to the fact that he is more comfortable with data than people. Yet, Mark’s passion for his product must be executed interpersonally for him to attract and maintain a stronger book of business. This feedback could help him greatly, and perhaps inspire him with a new level of motivation to improve. Possessing self-knowledge is crucial, but it’s only the first step. The proof of higher performance requires outcome-focused action. and success. Don’t expect the directions to your next level to find you—go out and get them. 4. Manage thy ego. So now you’re learning the why for self-knowledge, the behaviors to take action and soliciting the right people to get that feedback. Now, can you accept what you’ve heard? The inability to accept feedback, even if you disagree with that feedback is commonly rationalized. We substitute terms like, “stubbornness,” “prideful” or “set in my ways” for this lack of emotional intelligence. Wrong on all counts: It’s ego. A great way to accept any feedback is, as one wise individual once advised, to “look under that rock as objectively as possibly and see what you find.” Great in theory, difficult in application. But once you start to make the practice of giving and getting feedback a habit, you’re likely to become inspired to gain different perspectives. A massive benefit of this component is that it allows you to accurately align your intent with the true impact you have on others. 2. Discover results-based actions. If behavior doesn’t change for the better, results don’t get better. The challenge here is that even highly skilled and veteran sales managers may know the “why,” for their actions, but they lack a clear roadmap with the behaviors to build performance results. Two results-based behaviors for Mark: ■ Approach people with enthusiasm and a firm, friendly handshake. ■ Offer direct, attentive eye contact to show that you’re listening, engaged and respectful. Oftentimes, the simplest of adjustments can dramatically alter the perception others have of us and the results we yield from those business connections. Remember, people don’t judge you by what you think or feel, only by what you say and do. Actions count most. 5. See yourself on the big screen. Many of you reading this may say, “I’ve seen myself on videotape before.” Great, but how recently? Videotapes and DVDs are integral (yet underused) professional development tools. They offer objective, third-person feedback that provides reminders of fundamentals and insights to higher level strategies. Any sales manager or team who has this as part of their arsenal for expanding prospects and improving client services is a team who understands that great performance requires constant practice. Even highly successful sales professionals lack a universal instruction manual for giving and getting feedback—simply because there’s no such entity. But suffice to say, we are far more likely to catapult to levels beyond our comprehension if we develop the habit of regularly giving and getting feedback. Constant improvement and reinventing yourself is what life is about. And in an unstable economy, it may be the best business investment you can make. 3. Go get feedback. You must be your own advocate and be proactive in learning specifically where and how your professional performance needs to be improved. If you find yourself lost when looking for a location you haven’t been to before, do you hope to find it on your own … or pull over and ask people who have been there before and know the area well? The latter will get you to where you need to go much faster and with a higher level of confidence, enjoyment www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com [THE PULSE] SOURCE: CCP, INC. WORLDWIDE STUDY 31 PERCENTAGE OF MANAGERS WHO BELIEVE THEY’RE SKILLED AT DEALING WITH WORKPLACE CONFLICT. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 SALES &MARKETING MANAGEMENT 15 http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com
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