Yesterday, I outlined how leadership has changed, and I suggested that more than ever, leaders need to develop “soft-skills”. I also promised to share those skills that I believe are absolutely vital: This list is not by any means exhaustive, but it is an excellent start (If you missed yesterday’s post, do simply scroll down)

Integrity

This has to be right at the top, because if the team has cause to doubt the integrity of its leader, then it will fail when the team is exposed to stress or a risk. If a person is capable of minor lapses in their personal integrity, they fail to keep faith and then they could let their own team members down when they are under pressure. Once the team doubts the leader, that doubt greatly limits their chances of the fullest success.

Good Memory

To enable them to recall peoples names and the few essential facts that are pertinent to a wide range of problems.

A Genuine Interest In People

Those that you are responsible for leading will know at once if you are genuinely interested in them – and particularly in their development. Show this and you create that personal bond which is essential to the success of your team. You cannot fake an interest in people – they always find you out. A leader can only be successful by ensuring the success of every individual in the team.

The Ability To Communicate Effectively

A good leader must be able to talk and write simply, clearly and persuasively. They must also listen and digest information intently – communication is a two way process.

Decisiveness

There is a time when a decision must be made and a risk taken, even though the facts may be incomplete. A leader must recognize when further analysis is unprofitable and action is needed. It helps if the cost of changing the decision is known. If the cost is low, the risk is low.

The Ability To Relax

If the team is kept tense and under pressure, irritation arises and performance fails. This is overcome by deliberately introducing a break – just a light remark or opportunity for laughter. The importance lays in the frequency and the need for the break to be related to the task, or the people – not a funny story. The break should be brief, even momentary. It should also come at an opportune moment.

Genuine Enthusiasm

Inner conviction, belief in the team and the objectives before it, gives rise to enthusiasm. This must be visible to the members of the team. It provides the motive power they use to tackle their jobs with courage and hope. If the leader has no belief in the task, why should their team even attempt it?

Those are my top seven, and tomorrow, I’ll reveal the five main drivers, which point organizations towards success ..

News: Lots of comments about my Hardtalk interview with Dan Waldschmidt  “The Problem With Sales Trainers” – if you missed it, simply go HERE and look in the right-hand column.

We are putting the finishing touches to our new project – topsalesmanagement.com – which launches next week, plus finalizing the details of the Top Sales World magazine, which publishes next Tuesday …

This month’s highlight is undoubtedly Linda Richardson’s interview with genuine thought leader, Neil Rackham. Plus, in my new monthly column – JF Uncut – I take a tongue-in-cheek look at the reasons why any imminent marriage between sales and marketing is unlikely, and we also have superb articles from Colleen Stanley, Tibor Shanto and John Doerr.

Finally, we announce all the categories for this year’s Top Sales & Marketing Awards. It is certainly going to be a bumper edition!

Sales people involved in prospecting already know the challenges of persuading a prospect to give them the business, but very few recognize that there is actually a four-step process involved in buying, that all of us follow;

Step One: We have to feel MOTIVATED to make a purchase, irrespective of its type or size.

Step Two: At some point after we’ve become motivated to want to buy, we make a DECISION to buy.

Step Three: Then, after we have made a decision, we want to feel CONVINCED that our decision is the right one and at this stage we may seek approval and input from other people. Then we’ll make our purchase.

Step Four: Finally, after making our purchase we seek REASSURRANCE. Interestingly, if sales people haven’t nurtured newly acquired customers, this can result in ‘Buyers Remorse’ and the customer may get ‘cold feet’ and cancel their order.

Every step of this process requires careful handling, yet if the sales person lacks the ability to motivate their prospect to talk to them, let alone buy from them, the other steps become redundant.

It is now common knowledge that people are fundamentally motivated in two main ways:

1. What problem or pain they can avoid and move away from

2. What pleasure or benefit they can move towards

Imagine your alarm going off in the morning and you realise that you have to get out of bed. It’s just too warm and comfortable where you are, so you give yourself another five minutes. Then, after this time, you decide to lie in for another few minutes until you suddenly get a picture in your mind of your angry boss! The consequences of being late for your meeting with him scares you into jumping out of bed.

Alternatively, imagine your alarm going off on the morning of your holiday. The prospect of sun, sea and Sangria fills you with excitement as you jump out of bed to start your two week vacation.

If a prospect feels content with their current supplier or their current situation, then it will be a huge challenge to motivate them to want to buy your product or service. That’s why every pain your prospect feels is an opportunity for you.

Your task, during the initial fact-finding stage is to uncover their ‘pain’ and help them to dwell on their problems. The stronger the pain or the bigger their problem, the greater their motivation will be to move away from it. If you can convince prospects that your organization can reduce one or more of their ‘pains’, then you will have suddenly discovered a powerful way to unleash their motivation to buy from you.

Here are some examples of questions that probe for pain:

● “What areas of your current situation don’t you like?”
● “What is this costing your organisation each year?”
● “How do you feel about (problem)?”
● “Who else is aware of these issues?”
● “How do they feel about it?”
● “Why haven’t you tackled this before?”
● “How do your issues compare to those in similar organisations?”
● “Which of these problems is causing you the most concern?”
● “What have you done in the past that’s not worked?”
● “When did you begin noticing this issue?”
● “Why is this such an issue for you?”
● “When will you decide to resolve this?”

When probing for pain it’s more effective to start with general questions to build rapport, encourage discussion and plenty of input from the prospect.

As you begin using questions that probe for pain you’ll notice shifts in their body language that can provide you with important feedback that your questions are hitting the mark. Ideally, encourage the prospect to define the consequences of their problem, this magnifies the problem in their minds eye and consequently builds their motivation to want to get it solved.

Finally, you need to gain their commitment to resolving their problem by asking, “How committed are you to resolving this issue?”

“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” Anthony Robbins

Defining just what makes a leader effective, remains as difficult today as it ever was. But that does not prevent us from seeking to distil their secrets – quite the reverse.

Of course, there must be almost as many theories on leadership as there are leaders themselves and models for the best kind of leadership change with the times.

In the 15th century, Niccolo Machiavelli advocated a combination of cunning and intimidation as a way to more effective leadership. His philosophy, if not his practices, became unfashionable some time ago – thank God!

“Great Man” theories, popular in the 19th century and early this century, are based on the notion of the ‘born leader’ who has innate talents that cannot be taught. An alternative approach that is still in vogue is based on trying to identify the key traits of effective leaders.

Behaviorist theory prefers to see leadership in terms of what leaders do, rather than their individual characteristics, and it tries to identify the different roles they fulfill. More recently, attention has moved away from the individual in the leadership role, to embrace a more holistic view and investing less in what some commentators refer to as the ‘myth of the heroic leader’.

Much recent work in this area has concentrated on trying to understand why some leaders are more effective than others by looking at their environment and the context in which their acts have been carried out. Situational theory views leadership as specific to the situation, for example, rather than to the personality of the leader. It is based on the idea that different situations require a different style of leader.

The basis of Situational Leadership is to provide a means of effective leadership by adopting different leadership styles, in different situations, with different people.

Situational Leadership is a model – not a theory. The difference is that a theory attempts to explain why things happen, whereas a model is a pattern of existing events which can be learnt and therefore repeated.

Requirements of a Leader

An effective leader needs to be:

• A good diagnostician who can sense and appreciate differences in people and situations

• Adaptable – have the ability to adapt the leadership style to circumstances

A leader must realize there is no one best way to influence people.

The Basis of Situational Leadership

Situational Leadership is a way of describing and analyzing leadership styles. It is a combination of directive and supportive behaviors.

Directive behavior involves telling people what to do, how to do it, where to do it, when to do it and then closely supervising this performance.

Supportive behavior involves listening to people, providing support and encouragement for their efforts and then facilitating their involvement in problem solving and decision-making.

There are four leadership styles: Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating.

Each style is appropriate in certain circumstances. They can be shown as follows:

• Delegating – i.e. Low Supportive & Low Directive

• Directing – i.e. Low Supportive & High Directive

• Supporting – i.e. High Supportive & High Directive

• Coaching - i.e. High Supportive & Low Directive

In Summary

To those who would suggest that great leaders are born, not made, I would say this: We can examine all of the great leaders in history – and I have examined most of them -  and identify some common characteristics, but we cannot say they were “Born Leaders”. They all developed into their leadership roles over a period of time, learning the skills along the way.

I do believe that leaders can be developed – I have to believe that, because currently we have far too few of them in the world.

Ahead of my FREE Masterclass next week: “The Dirty Secrets Of The World’s Best Negotiators” I wanted to give you a flavor of what I will be sharing:

Negotiation – Dealing With Price Objections And The Closing Stages

Price is an issue in most negotiations. We need to deal with the price issue confidently, but with an understanding of the needs of the other side. Here are some notes to help you.

•  Be specific – state the exact price, rather than “…well, it will be about  $50,000. “

•  Maintain eye contact – it makes you look confident

•  Ensure your tone of voice is confident and your body language is also  confident and relaxed

•  Use silence. Once you have stated your price, stop talking and wait for  the other side to speak. Give them time to think

•  Deal with price objections and defend your price, but don’t over  argue your case

•  Close down your body language

• Focus on price and benefit differences

•  Begin the bargaining phase

The Closing Stages

The closing stages of any negotiation are vital to the overall success of the final deal.

There will come a time when both parties can sense an outcome is possible and each negotiator needs to be careful not to be too eager to close – or else, the other party will be tempted to hold back for further concessions.

Once a likely outcome is seen, either party may define outstanding issues, compare arguments and objections, review the position to date and agree a deadline for agreement. If one side avoids making these decisions, the other must probe to find out the reason and deal with it effectively. Negotiators must be careful at this stage to identify tactical delay, which deliberately attempts to force further concessions.

The best solution to aim for always is one where both parties feel they have done well, despite having to concede on certain issues. This is called a “win-win” solution.

Once either side feels they have arrived at the final deal, it is important to signal this to the other party.

Body language can say as much about what you are thinking as speech. If you have made your final offer, look as if it is your final offer.

Simply gathering up your papers, looking at the other side directly in the eye and saying “That is my final offer” can do this, and silence can be a powerful tool in convincing them you mean what you say.

Be wary of splitting the difference. If you offer to split the difference, you have, in effect, given the other side a concession that is one-sided. You have said you are prepared to move without asking for commitment in return.

The final consideration is when you have done the deal and both parties are in agreement. Record the details and agree with the other parties involved that your interpretation of events matches theirs. That way there will be no unexpected comeback in the inevitable post-negotiation period when either side reviews how well or badly he has done. Again, this will be minimized if the solution you have arrived at benefits both parties.

A Final Word Of Caution

The closing stages need to be approached with caution. It has been shown that the majority of concessions are given or traded in the last 5% of the time allocated for negotiation. That means if you negotiate for one hour, the last three minutes are when you are most vulnerable.

OK, here is where you go to register for FREE, and there are just 85 places left, so please be quick! Register now

PS: Everybody is talking about the “World” and everybody that is anybody in the sales space is talking on the “World” It’s FREE!!

Question: What is the number one need for success in business today?

Answer: To persuade others of your value and the value of your ideas.

So What Is Influencing?

Influencing is getting your own way, especially unobtrusively.

Most managers do it, most of the time.

• You can influence others simply be being you (notice how easily children are influenced by the behavior of those around them)
• You can influence covertly, behind the scenes
• You can use more open strategies and tactics

Great influencers manage to get other people to go along with their ideas while maintaining the relationship. If people feel manipulated, relationships will be damaged. It is important to understand the different strategies available to you and to plan your approach.

Here then is my recipe for successful influence:

Ingredients

• Trust

• Openness

• Comfort

• Acceptance

• Empathy

• Flexibility

• Something in common

• Shared understanding

Method

Mix together as required. Notice changes and be prepared to maintain a flexible approach throughout. Keep communication flowing on all levels.

In Summary: Use the Recipe Often

Increasingly, today’s managers are measured by their ability to influence others in the workplace. Being able to get people to do what you want has a direct effect on:

• The well-being of your staff
• The prosperity of your company
• And ultimately, your own destiny

You are probably already successful at influencing others – some of the time.

How can you become consistently successful? If you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and make a few changes, nothing can hold you back.

I have been described as a “seasoned” networker – that probably means an old guy who networks a lot! – But it took me a while to identify that that there is a pyramid, or hierarchy of depth or quality in all of our potential relationships. Let me describe it to you …

Pyramid Levels:

At the base of the pyramid are what we call ‘suspects’. These are people who seem open to an approach to offer support.

It is usually better to find out more about suspects before approaching them in person. Many are often misidentified and only randomly picked. Only some suspects (when researched more closely) get to the next stage of becoming ‘prospects’.

Prospects are individuals who research confirms meet the effective network criteria, and can usually be approached in person. Once again, initial conversation may reveal that not all prospects have been correctly identified. However, the numbers of people at this level are fewer and you can be much more patient in letting time provide an answer.

Contacts are prospects to whom you have offered support and advice and whose assistance or guidance you have requested on one or more occasions. At this stage, you may have discovered only minor opportunities to call, talk or contact one another, but the potential to do more has been established.

Advocates are contacts that are openly promoting or advocating the benefits of networking (with you in particular) to other prospects and contacts. Although this may not mean frequent contact, it is likely to be more frequent than with general contacts in your network.

Partners are the best and most effective networkers than you know, and the ones you most often call to chat to, to ask advice, or suggest ideas or options. By this stage, the relationship has generally reached a much higher level of mutual trust and understanding.

Using The Pyramid To Look For Opportunities:

To begin to discover who might be your network suspects at the base of the pyramid, an excellent place to start is to read for opportunities much more widely.

This means becoming broadly alert to the many opportunities to network that may present themselves every single day. Many of these opportunities will be posted in newspapers, magazines, on notice boards, in advertisements, on the Internet and many other sources.

An increased alertness will count for little unless you have a well thought through perspective on what you are looking for. There is no point in networking for the sake of networking. To an extent, this will depend upon your overall personal networking aims and objectives.

Possible networking goals:

• To increase market share/customers
• To find new ideas
• To learn and develop yourself
• To find a job/work/career
• To find a new colleagues/friends
• To pursue a hobby or interest
• To gain new perspective on topics of interest to you
• To go into business for yourself

Different Kinds Of Network:

Every one of these networking goals is a worthy aim in itself, but it is usually the case that only one or two goals of this type will apply at any one time. Consequently, your networking research efforts will be invested quite differently if your goals are broadly around work or career options rather than if they are about starting up your own business.

Hence, although a few people will have very wide and diverse interests and a broad array of interesting contacts, our networking pyramids are built according to our specific goals and interest areas. This is often why we talk about a jobs network, a small business network, an education network and so on.

Networking is not a new phenomenon but with the plethora of sites now specializing in bringing people together, it is certainly something business people should do well.

Personally, I enjoy networking very much - because I enjoy giving and I am interested in people.

News: It’s the w/e again already, and whilst I have my nose firmly wedged against the proverbial grindstone, ahead of the imminent launch of Top Sales World (you really are going to love it!) I have two great JF Uncut posts I want to share with you.

However, time is not on my side right now – I am more time constrained than the most time constrained chap, who was incredibly time constrained. So instead, I will, with immense pleasure, deliver up two superb guest posts from tried, tested, and eminently qualified chums.

Will you join me? I think you should try!