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A Model for Active Listening: Master a Skill That Can Boost Your Career
How well do you process what's being heard?
By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions
Research by Korn Ferry International reveals that there is one competency that may be more important than any other in the workplace. That competency, active listening, rises to the top of the list because it is a “compensator” for other competencies. As a compensator, active listening can neutralize the negative effects of a gap.
In other words, while an individual is working to master other competencies or when he or she...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Communication Skills on October 4, 2012
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Be More Candid in Your Professional Conversations
Learn what to avoid & how to best prepare for candid discussions.
By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions
In any given work week, there is at least one conversation you’d rather not have. One conversation that you know won’t go well, where people will express emotions that make you uncomfortable. One conversation where you may hold back because you don’t trust your own emotions or reactions. One conversation that can overshadow the whole day, week or workplace. Why not dodge these uncomfortable conversations altogether?...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Communication Skills on February 26, 2013
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The Most Important and Most Overlooked Part of Your Job
Three Questions Senior Managers Should be Asking
Senior Managers prepare strategic plans, grow market share, increase profits, innovate, execute, acquire, consolidate and expand in order to build the business.
Shareholders reward senior managers who are successful business builders, as measured by quarterly and annual performance. C-Suite executives (and those who aspire to fill those seats) focus intensely on the bottom line and make decisions to improve short-term profitability.
Building the business all too often becomes an...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Management on November 24, 2014
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Three New Approaches to Making Effective Sales Calls
When Does Persisting become Pestering?
By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions
Auto dialers and CRMs, along with Sales Managers everywhere, are being questioned by Sales Reps due to escalating expectations & monitoring systems requiring more aggressive prospect follow-up. Most Sales Reps remain skeptical, feeling that following up too soon or too often will look pushy.
Usually, it’s the sales reps who win on this one. They may, if pressed, make the call, but they will choose not to leave a...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on March 19, 2013
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You Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression
Learn to focus your efforts on opening doors for productive customer relationships.
By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions
Before any sale can be made, a relationship must be opened. And if multiple sales are to be made to the same customer, that relationship must be maintained and maximized through continually opening new opportunities and, sometimes, new relationships that will enhance the buyer/seller partnership.
Many sellers focus too much of their time and attention to closing sales. By doing so, they lose alignment with the buyer’s...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on November 18, 2012
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Leadership Presence: 3 Behaviors People Gravitate Toward
Do You Show Up As a Leader?
When people ask me how they can make others see them as a leader, I think of the classic children’s story The Emperor’s New Clothes. That’s the one where the vain emperor is duped into believing his clothing has been woven from the finest (invisible!) fabrics and threads. He proudly parades through town wearing these elegant new (invisible!) clothes, unaware that he is wearing absolutely nothing.
Being a leader is often misunderstood in this same way. People mistakenly believe if...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on August 11, 2013
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Take Pride in the Profession of Selling
Why did you choose a career in selling?
By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions
Ever notice how often professional sellers will express a certain shame or reluctance in admitting their job title? Someone says “so what do you do?” and the seller responds almost apologetically or sheepishly instead of with pride. And when you ask people “why did you choose a career in selling?” the response is almost always that selling was not their first choice.
Let me play back a recent conversation...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on February 12, 2013
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Sales Professionals: What about the Buyer’s Process?
Having a sales process is good, following your buyer's process is even better.
By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions
Every sales training program and book about increasing sales offers a sales process. These step-by-step processes help sellers to orient themselves and move through a logical progression from opening the sale all the way through to closing the sale.
Having a sales process is a good practice.
Knowing and following your buyer’s process is an even better practice.
The buyer’s process is simple, and...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on December 4, 2012
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Are Sales Enablers Disabling You?
Sales people should be selling…so why overload them with other tasks?
On average, salespeople spend less than 35% of their time actually selling.
This finding, reported in Clearslide’s "4 Reasons Why It’s Time to Reboot Technology,” is not a big surprise to most sales professionals. But it certainly gets the attention of sales managers and senior sales leaders.
No one wants it to be this way. Everyone knows that more time spent selling adds up to more goods and services being sold. More revenue. More profit. So why is this the...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on January 21, 2014
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In Sales, You've Gotta Be Soft on the Outside and Hard on the Inside
The single most important lesson any seller can learn.
You know those types of people we refer to as marshmallows? They have a tough exterior, something about them seems hardened or brusque. But when we get to know them, they turn out to be softies. Actually sweet. They have a squishy inside because they care about people. That's just not what they show at first to the outside world.
Effective sellers do well to be the opposite of these marshmallow types. If you can be soft on the outside, empathetic and compassionate and interested in your...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on December 2, 2013
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