~~An Introduction to Introductions: Jim Marshall and Behavior Animals, or The Best Advice out of Tampa for the New Year~~
Jim Marshall is going to share with us about the myth that there are no magic pills. He’s started off the year with revealing three magic pills that will make 2018 be the best year ever. He’s a trainer out of Tampa, Florida with extensive success with his clients in helping them improve their bottom line through modifying their behavior and measures of success in order to push themselves to the place where they see themselves succeeding in business.
~~The Three Magic Pills: Goals for the New Year and Success in Retrospect~~
Given the time of year, people are participating in extensive goal setting: taking stock of what they just completed and what they need to change in moving forward. But, Jim asks us, “should we consider not setting goals for the new year?” The Harvard Business Review article “Goals Gone Wild” starts with the premise that when we set goals it forces us to narrow our focus and become obsessed with obtaining goals in order to so. This may lead to stress and temptation and could have negative side-effects.
An example of this is with Sears and their edict of their automotive department wanting to maintain an objective price higher per hour. This led to false upcharges and charges for services that customers didn’t need. There was so much pressure to meet the numbers that overall productivity went down. When Ford issued an edict to come up with a 2000$ car that weighed 2000 pounds they came out with the Pinto.
Let’s not focus so much on attaining the goal, the outcome you want to achieve, lets focus on the activities needed to get there. Rather than the goal, let’s focus on the areas that we need to perfect to exhibit or attain the objectives that we’re looking to maintain. The truth is that goals can be limiting because when you’re so focused on what you’re looking to achieve you may lose out on the side projects that could lead to productive ventures as well. Sometimes it can be bad to focus on the goal rather than the process of achieving that goal. The things necessary to achieve sales and revenue numbers may be more important, as far as activities, that get you to the endgame are more important than the end game.
1. Behavior – The importance of a cookbook
We like to say that there are no magic pills. But, if we simply take these pills each and everyday then we will set ourselves to blow away our production numbers in 2018. Behavior is the activities that we know we need to do to focus on pay time. This is what you’re doing on a daily, weekly, monthly basis to generate business. If you want to get in better shape or improve your eating habits then you’ll build an activity planner, a cookbook to help you get there.
In selling and managing you need to have the same type of cookbook. Calls, activities, time-blocking, points tools. In Jim’s world he builds out a 45 point structure with each activity having a different point value. From 1 point for a cold call to 10 points to a closed deal. The assigned point value must build up each and everyday to lead up to 45 points. This scale varies from company to company and industry to industry. Sales leadership has the liberty to design and assign the point value.
Jim has clients who has a 120 point sheet, but a different point value. By drilling down into your cookbook and assigning point values to the activities you can gamify your process for daily success and let you choose what you will focus on to generate activity and revenue.
2. Behavior – The need to track the behaviors
It’s not just enough to do the behavior. You need to track it and monitor it and write it down. You don’t get from point A to point B in a straight line on a journey, you need to tack and adjust as you go. As you build out your behaviors you’re going to have to adjust to see what’s working and what’s not working.
Think about something that you’ve been meaning to do over the last six months or so. Something you’ve been meaning to do, doesn’t have to do with your job, but take out a 3 by 5 card and write down today’s date and the task that you’ve been putting off and haven’t gotten around to doing. At the bottom of the card write down the date that is 3 weeks from today. Then fold that card until it’s about the size of a quarter and put it in a place where you’ll have the opportunity to touch it or see it three times a day.
I guarantee that will get done in a little under three weeks. It’s a bur in the saddle that reminds you to complete work. The problem is that once it’s done, it’ll lead you to get out a 3 by 5 card and write down the next objective that you want to get done. Writing it done and putting it on paper in a tangible form that you can see, touch, and experience every single day.
By putting goals in a visible way near your desk or somewhere you can see it then you will connect with it emotionally and move toward the completion of your goals. Something that always reminds you that you have important objectives to complete and this also gives you something to review and revel in from last year’s completion. Fulfillment and accomplishment of goals will lead to success which will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
3. Behavior –
People understand the need of doing the things they need to do, but they need something more specific to jumpstart their year or start it strong. Considering this, we’ve built a list of 7 and a half things that anyone can do to start the year strong.
1. Choose one company or industry you’ve been meaning to contact—call that business and ask them to schedule a meeting
2. What’s the average number of new business appointments over the last year? Increase that number by two per week by the end of January
3. Three new business calls or contacts before 9am every business day between now and the end of January
4. Four referrals from your clients by the end of January. Your clients are friends with people that you likely should be talking to
5. Reach out to five existing clients or customers who could benefit from expansion within your current contract
6. Identify six prospects who slipped away from the cracks last year
7. Contact seven clients who, in your opinion, have achieved definable and measurable success from your services and ask them to write up references for work with them
8. Set aside 30 additional minutes each day for new business development activities on top of what you do everyday
The gap between knowing what to do and doing it can be bigger than the grand canyon. And a lot of times people struggle with, it sounds good and reads well on paper, I need to improve and do things better. But, to do this we need to look in the mirror and see what we are doing well and where we need to improve. What we have to do is stop and take inventory on the things that we’re doing well and the things that could stand a little bit of improvement. The things we tend to do well are things we’re comfortable doing. It probably harnesses some of your passion and these strengths can leverage our passion to improve our productivity.
This self-inventory requires total transparency and honesty. Sometimes we’re the least qualified people to do a self-inventory. It boils down to the real estate between your ears. Do a self examination on five key areas.
1. What is your system for developing and generating new business?
2. What is your skill level? What is your ability to communicate and get your point across?
3. Do you believe in what you’re doing?
4. Do you have the desire to improve?
5. What is your commitment level to your business?
