May 17, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

What is critical to job performance

In working with many organizations and leaders of various industries, I have the pleasure of looking inside what are the ingredients of building a successful business.  It is not the product or process or procedures.  It is in the PEOPLE!

People come up with the ideas, the product, the processes to define the business. A business can have the best practices but if the people are not engaged into executing them the end result is far less than its ultimate potential.

As the economy begins to show positive signs of recovery with housing prices stabilizing and slightly recovering, businesses are hiring a few more resources to their workforce. These hires are some of the most critical in years. The businesses don’t have excess cash flow so every dollar invested must have a return.

Each new hire must bring some immediate impact to the bottom line.  To support this need, leaders will have to be selective on which people fill the demands of the job roles necessary to move their organization to the next level.

Many organizations have some sort of description of what they want the job to accomplish but few actually have an understanding of what it will take to successfully get the desired results in the job.

As part of JKL Associates toolbox, we help organizations go beyond a list of items the person does in the job and look at putting the round peg in the round hole.  Such things as what natural approach to working does the job demand? What rewards does the job offer beyond a paycheck? Does the job require written, verbal or what type of interpersonal skills?

This week, pull out those old antiquated job descriptions and upgrade them to reflect the key accountabilities the job demands.  Most organizations push this task off as they think they don’t have time for it.  The opposite is more true.  Without updated knowledge of what it really takes to perform the role, valuable resources are lost and unfortunately they are hidden costs the organization can never recover.

To assist leaders in building their organization, JKL Associates brings a benchmarking process to articulate the details of the job role. The time is now, before you hire your next employee, define exactly what they need to bring to the table and what you can expect from the role to contribute to growing your business.

Give JKL Associates a call at (313) 527-7945 to get started.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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May 10, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

Having a Personal Plan

My work activities puts me in contact with many business leaders.  Some are business owners while others are in leadership roles in various size organizations. All have had some degree of success in more than one area of their life. It is not just all about work.

In conversations with these leaders, most of them will emphasize that having some balance in their lives has been important to their success. All of them stressed that there are times in their careers that they did need a very defined work focus in order to move beyond their current level of success to a higher level of results.  It is during those periods of time that they each needed a personal plan to navigate this time of change.

Most of us are familiar with the concept of a vision and mission for a business.  They are the guiding principles and direction the organization is taking in order to position itself in the marketplace to grow and be profitable. Some organizations are very committed to their guiding documents while others use them casually to nudge themselves back on track.

As leaders in our businesses, communities and families, we need to not just have a plan for the work aspects but equally so a plan for our personal success.  Yes it will include aspects of the business but there are many other dynamics that need to be part of the overall plan.

This week, take some quiet time to simply think about your personal plan.  Does it exist either in your head or have you taken the time to write it down?  I might suggest you write it down so that you have a means to reflect upon it as time goes by and determine if it is still true or if it needs updating.

What aspects of your personal life need to be included beyond your business life?  Maybe have some conversations with your family, close friends, colleagues and get their input.

The key thing here is to give yourself the opportunity to dream a little and then capture your energy in a plan to follow.  We can all drive somewhere we know but when we don’t know where we are going all roads either lead toward it or away from it.

Need help brainstorming your personal plan? Either email us of give us a call. (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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May 3, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

Rethinking Sales Ads

Recently one of the midline department stores JCP – J.C. Penney launched a revised approach to marketing their stores and the goods they sell.  It was not so much a new store entrance or internal displays but how they are going to market.

In this highly competitive sector, the clothing and home goods store has decided to walk away from sale papers, coupons, advertised discounts etc.  What they are doing to attract their customer is to offer them the best possible value on the merchandise as the price on the rack each and every day.

Rather than a sale paper for the coming week discounting certain items and then other items the next week, they set a price value for the merchandise and sell it everyday at that price point.

To do a little research, I visited a JCP and walked around.  Now I’m not a shopper so I could not necessarily give feedback on the price points they selected to sell merchandise at but the clean pricing strategy and absence of discounting sale distraction was kind of pleasing to the eye.

I did see a few “Best Price” racks which to the best of my evaluation were items that most likely did not sell initially or were just a few left of a certain style and they placed them on those racks for quick sale.

It is an interesting marketing approach for JCP to take.  It removes or places some of the cost for the weekly paper battle directly back into the hands of the buyer.  It lowers the corporations overhead and that is being passed onto the loyal consumers that shop their stores.

Only time will tell if the strategy will pay dividends and their customers will increase purchases or stray away to other competitors based on their marketing efforts.

This week I suggest you review your own marketing efforts.  How are you positioning yourself in the eyes of your customer?  Are you competitive with your pricing structure?  Is there a way to increase profits while reducing costs and bring more business to your doorstep?

What thoughts might you want to share?  Either email us of give us a call. (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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April 26, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

Searching via Questions

Last week we talked about qualifying and how important it is to be very stringent about the process to make sure you and your prospect are a good fit.

Part of that qualification process is doing your research and discovery of the prospects needs and wants. This part of the sales effort is when you become the detective to solve the mystery.

The mystery comes in many various shapes and sizes.  Sometimes the prospect knows (or at least believes they know) exactly what they need and want.  In other cases the prospect just knows that their situation could be improved if this or that would just be different. In either situation, it is critical that the detective does their homework to flush out the real and critical issues so that both parties understand what needs to take place.

This process is somewhat like searching the internet for some information.  In the search bar, you type in your question, statement or few words and then the search engine does its magic to return you various results from your query. They get ranked by various means and you the user start to click through the results to find your answers. Some of the returned results meet your needs while other links don’t help your situation. 

In the sales process you must process like a search engine but take the return of details to a much more sophisticated level. You not only want to return answers but you need to wrap your organization’s deliverables around and through your answers so it aligns directly with the prospect’s needs and provide a value to their business. This is where the combination of sales art and science blend to bring top sales reps out on top of their competition.

In order to make your sales search engine work to its fullest capability, you need to prepare your sales program with key questions your prospect can answer.  These questions must be pertinent to the needs and wants of the situation and not just casual conversation.  They must demonstrate that the sales rep has confidence in the subject matter and the knowledge and  know how to bring the solution to the table.

This week, examine your sales process and determine if your questions are discovering the best information and leading your prospect to the solution you can provide to them.

Is your search engine working correctly for your sales team? Give JKL Associates a call (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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18530 Mack Ave #242
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MI 48236

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(313) 527-7945
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(313) 731-0626

April 19, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

If you are not Qualifying…

To be in business is to be in sales.  Unless your revenue stream is tax based (i.e. the government) then your business had better sell something at a profit to make money to support your family and those families of your employees.

Your product can be either tangible like a physical item such as a computers or it can be intangible such as internet services. Both are required to conduct business these days but how you sell these items can be critical to the bottom line.

I was speaking with an executive the other day about a sales person that was looking for a job at her company. The individual was college educated and their degree was in a related field.  They were just out of college with only an internship of experience under their belt. Their personal interview and presentation was well prepared and polished. The executive was pretty excited about the possibilities of this person.

As we talked, we reviewed some of the individuals responses during the interview.  It all looked solid.  The picture the executive was painting to me was one of already being sold to on this person. The question remained – were they qualifying them for the role and duties they would need to accomplish to be successful in the company.

I stopped the conversation. I suggested  to the executive they process like a sales rep, qualifying the opportunity. Is this person, for the consultative sales position, the best resource applying for in the position? Do they meet the criterion to move them forward? I challenged the executive to figure out a way to disqualify the person by seeking a situation where she would have to say no.  The objective here was to take off the blinders and get to the real situation and capabilities at hand.  If the executive could not disqualify the resource objectively then the possibility of moving forward would be that much better.

This same process holds true for many sales situations.  As sales reps we are all looking for that next sale no matter what size of profit value.  Yes we all want the big ones but some profitable sales are better than no sales. The challenge is for sales reps to constantly be qualifying and re-qualifying the opportunity. By constantly being proactive to disqualify the prospect or disqualify themselves from the sale, their time invested into an opportunity is razor sharp. They tend not to get lost in the process and stay focused on the end goal of closing the sale and making the customer happy.

This week take some time to look at your sales team.  Are they engaged in qualifying their pipeline opportunities or just filling them up. Carrying prospects because it makes them feel like they are working hard?

Every organization needs sales.  The cost of acquiring those sales that do come in the door have to be proactively managed so excess pursuit is not lost on sales not closed by the sales team.

Sales Team not qualifying or pipeline not closing? Give JKL Associates a call (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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MI 48236

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(313) 731-0626

April 12, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

Spring has Sprung

Living in Michigan is one of the places in the USA where there are truly four seasons.  This year with the mild winter, spring felt like it arrived early.  With the trees in full bloom and grass greening up the neighborhoods, staying focused on business begins to become challenging for many people.

As the weather warms up and employees leave the building to take in some fresh air they, like all of us, may wander a little longer during their lunch period and the result is that productivity can take a little hit.

I would caution business leaders to not get to crazy about this short term impact on productivity as this little blip on the work effort is actually an important part of building the energy needed to build the business during the summer months when many organizations are impacted by vacations.

Over the most recent couple of years, business owners have asked a lot from their staff.  Some have had to reduce staff and ask others to take on added responsibilities for no additional compensation.  Other businesses have had to reduce compensation while still balancing expenses and workload.

Many businesses have started to feel some minor trends toward stability but the road back is very long and rewards, especially financial, are still some time off into the future such as 2013.  Until then, a few hours of productivity impact allowing for staff to catch their breath on a warm spring day is a small investment to energize the team for the approaching summer.  With organizations still extremely lean, the vacation season adds additional burden on top of already stressed personnel.

This week, take a look at what you can do for your team that is no/low cost that gives them a reward for all their hard work and continued support for the success of the business.  Much like the trees and flowers blossoming, so to can your business by giving the team a little boost of warmth from the leadership.

Need ideas to fertilize the growth of your business? Give JKL Associates a call (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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18530 Mack Ave #242
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MI 48236

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(313) 527-7945
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(313) 731-0626

April 5, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

Put Me in Coach

A colleague and client recently sent me an email with a link to an article in Forbes.  The link and article talked about Payton Manning and his most recent signing.

The interesting thing about the email was that the client said that this reminded him of me and what I do for my clients. 

So many times people ask me what I can do for them and/or their business.  They all understand that a third party person can add an additional set of eyes and ears to the building of the business but all too often they let “stuff” get in the way of engaging advisory services.

Some of the stuff falls into the No Time, No Money, No new Ideas, etc.

The fact of the matter, the article sums up the value of adding resources to your TAC – Trusted Advisory Counsel.  It spells out 10 points to consider when looking for those resources to add some special guidance to your ascent to the next level of success.

Interestingly enough, the article references that superstars, such as Manning have not one advisor or coach as he refers to them, but multiple resources on his team.

This week take some time to look at the Forbes article – the link is below.  I recognize that having someone to bounce ideas off of and to challenge you back will be a bit awkward at the beginning.  You may have to set your ego aside and give some consideration to the fact that you don’t know everything or there is a possibility of a better approach.  For business owners that is a large stumbling block.

The article gives you some frames of reference not just from a successful business owner but a big time superstar in his own right.  The writer of the article jokes that for us normal leaders we may need 10 coaches.  For now if you have not already started to craft your TAC then this week is a great time to start.

To reference the Forbes article directly click here.

Need a business “Trusted Advisor” give JKL Associates a call (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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18530 Mack Ave #242
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MI 48236

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(313) 731-0626

March 29, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

Even the Giants Fail

The story of David and Goliath has been talked about for centuries. It pits the smaller, less profound David against the larger more dominant Goliath.

As business leaders, we sometimes are the “David’s” and sometimes we are the “Goliath’s.”  To our competition we are viewed through these various lenses.  So too is the view our employees have of us as owners, presidents etc..

That morning of the now infamous duel, I suspect that both David and Goliath had many outcomes rolling through their minds. What happens if “I” defeat the other? Does this once and for all end the differences between the sides?

In this story, the perceived underdog comes out the winner. With the delivery of a well placed stone from the sling shot the giant fails to perform. In this case a single stone brought the giant to his knees.

This week, take a look at your business. How many stones will it take to knock you off your present platform and fail?  A few years back, no one would have thought that General Motors would get rocked to such a financial status that they would require a bail out.  In their case it was not just one single stone but a culmination of many stones coming together to shift the foundation and cause it to crumble.

The stones that can bring your business down are out there just waiting to land.  Some will come from the competition.  Others will come from the marketplace.  While still others will come from within.

As a leader of your organization, part of your responsibilities is to be alert to the stones that fly about your business.  You need to defend your business by having strong shields in the form of strategies and plans which directly confront these challenges.

Will you and your business be the David or the Goliath?  Giants do fail so have your strategies ready and use them to shield your business form the stones of the marketplace.

Have Strategy, Execute Strategy, Prevail!!! If not, give JKL Associates a call (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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JKL Associates
18530 Mack Ave #242
Grosse Pointe Farms
MI 48236

Main

(313) 527-7945
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(313) 731-0626

March 22, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

Loss of Vision

I realize there is much debate over the concepts of vision and mission.  Some profess they are separate and unique while others contend that they are one in the same. Today is not about solving that discussion but more about having a well defined direction for your organization to engage and drive forward to success.

In challenging times, one of two things tend to happen with organizations.  They either embrace their vision and it becomes the thread to pull them into the next success or they abandon the mission and start to create changes on the fly.  The latter tends to be the one that never really had a defined direction and established a set of core values to give guidance to the actions of the business. Those businesses tend to toss out the whole approach of vision and mission and in its place live by the plan of the day.

During times with great change there is a real necessity to be agile to changes that come your way.  If those changes are not filtered and processed with respect to core values and direction, they can lead an organization down paths to poor performance and to potential destruction.

In a recent visit to a local park, I saw a sign (pictured above) that unfortunately shows not only the lack of respect for public property but captures what happens to organizations when they lose site of their vision.

The sign at one time described the plan for the development of the area.  It highlights specific areas on the horizon and the details of what was to be accomplished.  In other words it captured the future best state of the park. Over some time the chaos of change happened and obscured the vision not only of the sign but of the future for the area.

This week I challenge you to take a look at your plan for the future.  Do you have a vision or mission that you are working to grow, build and have a successful business?  Are there key indicators that you measure your progress by? Are your people aware of your plan and understand each day their contribution to achievement of the plan?

For some these questions are easy to answer but the result is not in alignment with the end objectives. For others the questions are not so easy and need a time commitment to get them answered. Regardless of how you answer them, are you personally engaged in delivering?

Don’t have a loss of vision by being blind to what is going on right under your nose in your business.  Open up the shades and lets some new light shine in to make what is there more brilliant. See the end of the tunnel with a new brighter vision.

Let JKL Associates help you out of the darkness.  Give us a call (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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JKL Associates
18530 Mack Ave #242
Grosse Pointe Farms
MI 48236

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(313) 527-7945
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(313) 731-0626

March 15, 2012 – ISSN# 1545-2646

March Madness

It is that time of the year when basketball takes center stage in the college and high schools around the country.

This yearly event, specifically the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division 1 tournament can have both positive and negative impact on your business.  On the negative side, studies indicate that across work sectors, workers will spend some 8 million hours during the business day watching the games via the internet or off premises at other establishments.  This could equate to a conservative $200+ million dollars of lost productivity.

On the other side of the equation, some employers use this as a part of their employee morale efforts. Setting up a large screen TV in the workplace and providing snacks and beverages so the work teams can actually participate in the energy generated by the competition.  I could not find any actual studies that quantified the productivity gains but those employees that engage in this type of activity are convinced that going with the flow of the madness far out weights and out lasts having the employees hide their addition to watch the games secretly.

This madness season take a look at how you can use this energy to bolster the gains in your business.  Maybe an impromptu company party on a Thursday afternoon?  Possibly a contest and the winner gets a day off work or dinner for two at a sports restaurant?

The reality is that your business will be impacted by this annual event.  The question you must ask yourself is – Do you want a positive impact to carry your business forward into the rest of 2012 or just pay the lost productivity bill secretly?

It is your business – have a comment, have a suggestion, let us know.

Got Game? If not, give JKL Associates a call (313) 527-7945.

Questions or comments - email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945

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JKL Associates
18530 Mack Ave #242
Grosse Pointe Farms
MI 48236

Main

(313) 527-7945
Fax

(313) 731-0626