Motivation Booster Shots

7 Simple Steps to Get More Out of Your Day

2009-09-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it – time is probably our greatest resource. We never seem to have enough of it, and it seems to pass so quickly. Well we won’t get any more of it, and we can’t slow it down.

What we can do is make the most of the time we have. Here are some simple steps you can take to get the most out of your day.

Plan your day the night before – At the end of each day write out all the things you need to do the following day to achieve your goals. Pull together all the information you’ll need, phone numbers and relevant paperwork.
Prioritise the list – Number each item and do the nasty jobs first. There’s always the temptation to do the easy jobs first. However, think how the thought of doing the nasty jobs hangs over you as you do the easy stuff. Think how good you’ll feel when the nasties are out of the way, and how motivated you’ll feel.
Stick to your list – Tick off each item as you go, and don’t let yourself be distracted. The temptation is to handle the telephone and e-mails as they come in. The phone is hard to ignore but you could always pull out the plug and let it go to voice mail and switch off the email program. Make an agreement with yourself to check for messages every two hours or so.
Remember the Three D’s – Do it, Delegate it or Dump it! Handle each piece of paper only once. Either do something about it now, delegate it to someone else or chuck it in the trash. And remember – “Only do it if only you can do it.”
Don’t procrastinate – Procrastination really is the ‘Thief of Time.’ It’s so easy to put things off till another time or till “I’ve had time to think about it.” DO IT NOW!
Plan your leisure time – Take up activities that need you to be at a certain place at a certain time. Instead of just going to the gym, book a fitness class or an appointment with a personal trainer.
Be honest with yourself – Keep asking – “Is what I’m doing now getting me to where I want to get to?” if the answer is “no,” change what you’re doing.

This is the easiest way to get more out of your day and more out of your life.

How to Motivate Your Team in 7 Simple Steps

2009-08-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

Do you want a highly motivated team who are engaged and happy at work, and who make a positive contribution to your business?

The question, I’m most often asked by managers, is – “How do I motivate my team?” They want some instant fix, a ‘magic bullet’ that improves team motivation overnight. But as we all know, life isn’t like that.

I understand and appreciate why this question is being asked, I was a manager for sixteen years, and I understand the challenges managers face every day with their people. The answer I give is – “You don’t motivate your team, you create the environment where they motivate themselves.”

Effective motivation is intrinsic, it has to come ‘from within’. There is no instant fix; it’s an ongoing day to day process of small actions that build a highly motivated team. It's like pushing a heavy boulder, you need some initial effort to get the process going, but once you've done that, it takes a lot less effort to keep it moving.

7 Steps to success

Spend some quality time with each of your team. Talk with them and find out how they’re doing on a personal level, and a business level. Give them feedback; tell them when they do something well and tell them when not so well.
Listen to what they have to say, and show that you’re listening. Turn away from the computer, and switch off the phone. Keep good eye contact, use open body language, and make noises that indicate that you’re listening. Emphasise with their personal problems and provide solutions to business problems, wherever possible.
Coach them on the job, to do even better. Remember that coaching is a two-way process with your team member; helping them to find solutions to job related or personal problems
Find ways to make their job more interesting. Vary the jobs they do, give them some of your tasks, and give them more responsibility. Ask them to train or mentor another member of the team.
Show that you appreciate them, and have some fun. Give the occasional reward for no particular reason. Some time off work, a personal thank you letter, cakes or sweets, flowers on a birthday or a bottle of wine. Suggest a team member takes their partner out for a meal and charge it to expenses.
Keep them informed. Let them know what’s happening in the company; how the business is doing, provide relevant information on new products or services.
Trust and believe in them. Show them what you need them to do, and let them get on with it. Take risks; don’t keep ‘supervising’. Set up parameters that allow them to make decisions. If they keep coming to you with questions, don’t provide an answer, ask them what they would do and support their response.

Your team members want to know that you care about them, that you’re interested in them from a personal, and business point of view. They want to believe that you trust them, and want them to succeed. If you can create that environment; then you will have a happy and motivated team!

10 Sure-Fire Tips to Make Feedback Effective

2009-07-02T02:32:00.000-07:00

Feedback is one of the Top 3 factors that motivate people at work. The majority of employees want to know when they're doing well, and when they could be doing better. There's no doubt, that giving people feedback, is absolutely vital to ensure a motivated team who deliver results.
Whether you want to reinforce positive behaviour or change unacceptable behaviour, there are certain steps you need to follow to make it effective.

1. Do it ASAP - When you see or hear something, you do or don't like, you need to say something right away. If it's positive feedback it's not much use saying something months later.
It also makes sense to give constructive feedback as soon as you see, or hear something you don't like. If you don't do it right away, then the person will assume that you didn't notice, or that it doesn't matter, or that you don't care.

2. Do it in private - This seems like the most obvious thing to say but I still see managers giving a member of their team some positive feedback in front of other people be they colleagues or customers. Of course, it's usually more of a reprimand. Some managers believe, that if they're seen and heard giving some feedback, then it will have an effect on the other team members - you bet it will - it'll totally de-motivate them!

3. Check that it's okay to speak - If one of your team has just finished speaking to a customer on the phone, they might have some 'admin' things to do before they forget. If you interrupt, then you risk being responsible for a customer not getting something they were promised.
It's only good manners to check before speaking, and your people will respect you for it.

4. Announce your intentions - If your people are not used to receiving regular feedback, what do you think runs through their mind when you pull up a chair, or ring them on the phone - you're right - they think it's bad news, that they've done something wrong, or there's a problem.
It's important therefore to tell them up front, what you want to speak about.

5. Tell them how YOU feel about their behaviour - Your people work for the same organisation as you, but it's you they have to please. So make sure when you give feedback - it comes from you. That means not saying things like - "The company doesn't like their employees to speak to customers like that." Or - "It's not up to me, but you'd better improve your performance or you'll be in trouble."

6. Focus on one thing at a time - Don't confuse your team member with a whole list of behaviours. If it's positive feedback then, you don't want to list several things they've done well. You're only diluting the whole feedback and it loses its impact.
If you're giving constructive feedback, then you don't want to confuse your team member with a whole catalogue of behaviours that you're unhappy about.

7. Be specific - When you're giving one of your team some feedback and coaching them - it's so important to focus on job related behaviour and not on the personality of the individual.
If you feel a bit uncomfortable giving feedback, try to focus on the person's behaviour on the job, in terms of how they conducted a particular task. That's what you're giving feedback on, not them as a person.

8. Include the customer and the organisation - Whenever appropriate -relate what your feedback is about, to how the customer was affected. This of course could be an internal or an external customer. You could also relate it to how the organisation was affected, if relevant

9. Get input - When giving constructive feedback, it's important to get the team members input. Listen to what they have to say and discuss how, you can, together, resolve the situation.

10. Don't leave them low - This is particularly important after giving constructive feedback. As I said earlier, this isn't an attack on the person; it's about job related behaviour. A team member should come out of a feedback session with their sense of self-worth intact.

The Number 1 Secret of Success

2009-06-22T14:07:00.001-07:00

Do you know what one of the key secrets of success is – what makes people successful in business, sport or any other aspect of their lives?

Let me come back to that in a minute.

Ever since I discovered that I wasn't invincible and that my body would fall apart over time, I've been a member of a gym.

I've attended regularly over the past fifteen years and my body deterioration is almost being kept in check.

However I've always noticed a lot of new faces at the gym, some of which seem to disappear over a short period of time.

Most gyms and health clubs have a high turnover of members or 'churn' as the marketing people like to call it.

One club I know of loses around fifty members a month and has to work hard to sign up that number just for the business to stand still.

It's not that these gyms offer a poor service, on the contrary – it's because the members – 'give up'.

New members join to lose weight or to get fit. They then torture themselves on the rowing machines and all the other instruments of agony. If, after a few weeks of sweat and pain, they don't see any visible result - they give up.

You're probably way ahead of me on this; because the key secret of success that I mentioned earlier is this – NEVER EVER GIVE UP!

This is what separates the winners from the losers in business, in sport and in life – this is what success is all about.

If you have a mountain to climb either literally or figuratively and you reach an obstacle – don't give up.

Find another way round – even go back a short distance and come at the situation from another direction.

Whatever it is you're trying to achieve, whatever success you want - never give up! Make mistakes - fall down - get up - fall down - but get up and try again.

So there you have it - If you want success remember what Winston Churchill once said - "Never - Never - Never give up!"

Treat People Like a Dog

2009-06-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Let me ask you a simple question; do you want to encourage positive behaviour from other people, or do you want or encourage negative behaviour? I’m mainly talking about the people you manage, but it affects everyone. I suppose the answer is fairly obvious!

I know your going to think I’m a bit mad (probably true) but bear with me on this story.

I really like dogs! I don’t have one at the moment because it isn’t practical. But if you have a dog or maybe you don’t, you’ll know that it has to be house trained. As a puppy, it comes straight from the kennels and expects to continue ‘doing its business’ wherever and whenever it feels like it.

So you have the challenging job of training the puppy to do what nature requires, but elsewhere, and preferably, outside.

I’ve had four dogs in my time and they all had to be house trained. I’ve also observed other people training their dogs. I remember one of my neighbours with his new puppy. Every time the pup did his business on the living room carpet or wherever, my friendly neighbour would grab the dog and give forth with lots of “Bad dog, dirty dog” and “Don’t do that again!” Lots of shouting and shaking the poor pup!

The dog, of course, was quickly learning the message that, doing the ‘you know what’ was a bad thing to do. It was okay at the old kennels, but here it was totally different and obviously not acceptable. So it took forever to train the poor dog that it was still okay to do its business, but it had to be done outside.

I, on the other had, being extremely clever, and also wanting to get the whole housetraining bit over as quickly as possible, took a different tack. I used to keep a close eye on the puppy, and very soon realised when he wanted ‘to go.’ I quickly scooped him up and headed out the door. As soon as the dog had done, what he had to do, in the garden, I piled on lots of praise, “Well done” “Good boy” and lots of ‘happy noises’!

The puppy quickly began to realise that whenever he felt like doing its business, he would get all excited and head for the back door. He knew that this meant lots of good stuff, fun, praise, the occasional chocolate drop and of course - physical relief.

So what’s this all got to do with motivating other people? Too many managers are spending too much time concentrating on what a team member may be doing wrong. They believe their role is to ‘fix what they perceive to be broken’. On the positive side, they may ‘fix’ the problem with, on-the-job coaching, or further training. However, many take the attitude that, the ‘bad dog’ treatment will do the trick.

As you ‘manage by walking around’, listen to what your team members are saying and observe what they’re doing. When you see or hear them doing something well, give them some positive feedback. As it says in the ‘One Minute Manager’ catch people doing something right. This is not to say that you ignore poor behaviour, but more about concentrating on what people do well. If you do this, it will encourage more of the good behaviour and much less of the poor behaviour.

Think Praise not Punishment!

You Need the Like Factor (Published in Management Today, May 2009)

2009-05-28T01:43:00.001-07:00

In the MT interview referring to Ken Clarke, Andrew Saunders uses words such as 'natural communicator' 'good on the telly' and 'sounding like a human being. Roger Ailes, the communication coach to Presidents Reagan and Bush Snr, once wrote - "The silver bullet in business and politics is the like factor. All things being equal, we are more likely to vote for people we feel we like." And I believe the public quite like Ken Clarke.

So what's 'like' got to do with anything? Surely we're going to vote for the policies not the person? Somehow I don't think so! What so many politicians tend to forget is that we voters are humans and the thing about humans is; they'll always be driven by their emotions not their logic. We let our heart rule our head all the time. If we decide that we don't like someone then we have a heck of a job believing anything they say. How well our politicians and business leaders score on the 'likeability factor' is going to influence whether we believe them or not.

Likeability is about being human; it's about displaying warmth. Barack Obama is likable, John McCain less so. Being known as the 'Prince of Darkness' doesn't suggest too many human characteristics or warmth in Peter Mandelson.

Warren Buffet, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, once said, "I've walked away from some great deals because I didn't like the people I was dealing with."

The public are finding it hard to differentiate between Labour and Tory policies; so they may just walk away and towards the party they do 'like'

How to be Great at Networking

2009-05-14T02:57:00.000-07:00

Do you ever find yourself at a Networking event, possibly at your local Chamber of Commerce, a Networking Club, or even at a seminar. You might feel a bit unsure, how to go about it, but you know it's a good thing to do.

Networking is probably the oldest, easiest, most effective and least expensive way to generate new business. It doesn't necessarily involve selling your product or service, but it does mean selling yourself. That doesn't involve a lot of talking - it does involve a lot of listening.

Networking is about making connections with people and building a network of meaningful relationships.
Having good relationships means - these people will either do business with you and/or recommend you to others.
These people are your unpaid sales-force and you must ensure that they do a good job.

For a FREE ebook that you can read online or download: Please click this link.

How to Be a Great People Picker

2009-05-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

Do you really know what you’re looking for when you interview someone for a job? Let me suggest to you; it’s not about their knowledge, experience, or their intelligence; it’s about their talent to do the job.

Let me ask you another question; how do you like your coffee? I don’t know if you’re a fan of the ‘bean’, but I’m very partial to Starbuck’s Tall Americano with ‘no room for milk’. I’ve been hyped up on it all over the world and it always tastes the same, which is great! And, a bit of extra information thrown in for free; in Singapore Starbucks, they ask you if you want your muffin warm; I haven’t experienced that anywhere else.

Outlets like Starbucks are successful because they provide a consistent experience across the board. We all know where we could purchase a cheaper cup of coffee, but the Starbucks experience draws us in. I also have to say, that the coffee serving process is usually excellent; happy, smiley people and fast service.

The other day, I experienced ‘Mr Grumpy’ coffee person. He was slapping down coffees at the end of the counter and grunting out their contents. I asked him which coffee was mine (I’m not scared) and he growled his response. I had to ask him again, before politely pointing out the error of his ways (I told you I’m not scared)

This guy shouldn’t be there, and I don’t necessarily blame him for his poor customer service. I really don’t believe he should be in a customer facing job, and no amount of training will help. My question is – “Where is the person who put him in the job?”

If you’re a manager or a business owner then I’m sure you’ve interviewed people to join your team. Are you absolutely sure you know what you’re looking for when you interview someone? Let me give you an example of what I mean:

I’ve just read a job advertisement for a Sales Manager for a soft drinks business. It says – “We are looking for someone with excellent relationship building skills, vision drive and energy. They will be results driven and be able to demonstrate leadership and highly developed inter-personal and management skills.”

Now that’s all fairly standard stuff and what I’d expect to see in a job advertisement. If I was trying to find someone for that job, what I’d really be looking for is - ‘someone to increase sales of soft drinks.’ Now I’m not saying you put that in the advertisement, but let’s face it - that’s the outcome you really want. It’s great to have all the qualities listed above, but at the end of the day, can this Sales Manager bring in the business?

Back to the coffee shop; if it was your business and you needed to employ someone to join the team, what qualities would you look for in a job candidate? You might say – “Someone with a bit of experience in a coffee shop, someone who looks clean and tidy and who’s a nice pleasant person.”

All of this is great, what I’d look for is - “Someone who would make the customers want to buy some more coffee or food; who’d make the customer want to come back, and who’d probably recommend my coffee shop to other people.”

Now you may think that the characteristics you described above, would bring the results I’m looking for, and you may be right. However; when you’re preparing to interview someone, be absolutely clear in your mind what outcomes you need from this person. It’s not about their experience or their intelligence; it’s about their talent to do the job.

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you’re in, talent is what you’re looking for. It could be

· The talent to sell

· The talent to detect an engine fault quickly

· The talent to analyse information accurately.

I’ve seen lots of sales people who had great relationship building skills, vision, drive and energy, as described in the job advertisement, but they couldn’t bring in the sales.

You need to ask the right questions, that uncover the person’s talent to achieve the outcomes you require – and I’ll explain that in a further article. Or if you can’t wait – buy my book!

How to Build a Highly Motivated Team and Win More Business

2009-05-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a really simple way to build a highly motivated team:

Spend quality time with each individual
Give feedback and coach them
Believe in them and trust them to do the job

I was speaking to a friend in the gym recently; he works in the corporate division of a major international bank. He was looking a bit down in the mouth, so I asked him how he was doing.

He went on to explain that he and his colleagues were concerned about how the recession was affecting their business, and what affect this would have on them personally.
He said – “We need your services in our place Alan; we’re all feeling a bit de-motivated.” He then went on to tell me, that, at a recent meeting, he asked his manager – “How are you going to motivate us?” The manager answered, horror of horrors: – “I haven’t a clue; I thought you might tell me!”

This is a classic case of a manager who has no idea how to motivate and get the best out of his team. And I’m sad to say, this is prevalent in many businesses today.

So why is this? I believe there are 4 reasons:

Because it’s such a difficult job
Nobody shows you what to do, or gives you the right training
The media and our culture send the wrong message
Some people don’t have what it takes to be a manager.

Managing, supervising, being a team leader is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and I’ll tell you why. You’re dealing with human beings, and they are the most complex and complicated pieces of ‘equipment’ you’ll ever have to deal with.
Many of them have similarities but every one of them in this world is unique, and they all work in a slightly different way. Your job, as a manager, is to get these complex humans working as efficiently as possible, there’s no one around to show you what to do, and there’s no instruction manual.

The media and our culture also send the wrong messages. We’ve all heard the old cliché “nice guys don’t finish first” and that has a huge impact on how managers deal with their people. We’re led to believe that successful managers are tough, courageous ‘no nonsense’ type of people. And if you’re weak or soft with your staff, then you’ll get walked on, and taken advantage of.

A manager will often look at ‘successful’ managers in business or sport, to try and understand what makes them successful. The media often portrays these people as tough guys who drive their people by the force of their personality, shouts and threats - no wimps allowed.
It also has to be said that, some people just don’t have what it takes to be a manager. Just as some people don’t have what it takes to be a doctor, a plumber, a lawyer or a bus driver. Whatever job or profession an individual ends up in, doesn’t mean to say it’s the right one for them.

Although I’m saying that some managers are in the wrong job, they tend to be in the minority. If you feel that you’re not having the success you should have, ask yourself if you’ve ever received any help.
I think you’ll find that like many managers, you’ve been left to get on with it. That’s why I’ve written this book. So here comes the commercial – check out the book before you make any decisions about your career as a manager; it will make your life much easier.

Letter Published in April Edition of Management Today

2009-04-09T11:11:00.001-07:00

MOCCASIN TEST

I'm with the 'female business grandee', commenting on the venom being directed at Sir Fred Goodwin ( Editor's blog 06-March-09)

It reminds me of my father's reaction to, recently turned 60 pop idol, Lulu - "She can't sing for toffee!" That was about forty years ago and the fact that she was presenting her, prime time, Saturday night TV show to millions of viewers, seemed to have passed him by.

Sir Fred Goodwin, Gordon Brown, George W Bush, Margaret Thatcher; it appears that almost everyone will tell you how useless they all are or were. We, the public and the media all seem to find great pleasure in negatively criticising almost everyone else, be they Chief Exec, Politician or Pop Star.

I haven't a clue whether it's entirely Sir Fred's fault that RBS are in their current position or that Gordon Brown is wholly responsible for the economic state of the nation. I don't have all the information to make that decision; just as, I can't support the negative criticism of a friend who has recently left his wife. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, be it No 10 or RBS Headquarters.

What I do know is, that put all those critics in the job, be they Joe Public or Opposition politicians, then things won't necessarily be better. Of course, people have to pay for their mistakes and we have to learn and move forward.

However, we'd all do a great deal better if we concentrate on the factors we can influence rather than criticise what other people do or don't do.

Let's not vilify everyone and anyone without, to use an old Indian saying, "walking a mile in their moccasins."

How to Change Your Beliefs and Expand Your Comfort Zone

2009-04-09T01:52:00.001-07:00

I was listening to, TV presenter, Fearne Cotton being interviewed on breakfast television last week. She was talking about a nine day trip, made recently by herself and eight other celebrities. They climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, and raised over £3 million for charity. In the weeks before the trip, they trained hard, but it was a gruelling climb and some of the people in the team suffered badly from altitude sickness. Fearne was one of the ones to receive injections for the sickness; however, she made it to the top along with all the others. Well done and good for her!

When asked by the interviewer, "what happens next?" She talked about a similar challenge, still to be finalised, later in the year.

What's happened here is that, Fearne, who has done nothing like this in her life, has now expanded her comfort zone.

You may not want to climb any mountains, cross any deserts or explore the Amazon jungle, but I'm sure there are other goals and objectives, that you would like to achieve in either your business or personal life.

Think about what you're doing each day and ask yourself –

"Is what I'm doing now getting me to where I want to get to?"

If the answer is "No" then do something different. Change your beliefs and expand your comfort zone

The psychologist Abraham Maslow said –

"If you deliberately plan to be less than you are capable of being; then I warn you that you will be unhappy for the rest of your life. You will be evading your own capabilities, your own possibilities."

I hear people saying; "I'm too old, I don't have the qualifications, it's not the right time!"

It's never too late to make that change

There's the famous story of Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds. He was over fifty when he started making money. Kroc was a paper cup salesman, who obtained the marketing rights to a multi-mixer invented by Earl Prince. He criss-crossed the US for seventeen years selling these mixers until he met up with the McDonald brothers. Dick and Mac McDonald ordered eight of his mixers and had them churning away all day. Kroc was entranced by the effectiveness of the McDonald's operation and started thinking about building McDonald's restaurants all over the US. He thought he could then sell more multi-mixers. The McDonald brothers weren't too keen on the idea, so they franchised the restaurants to Kroc. He ultimately bought out the McDonald brothers, and as they say - the rest is history.

Ray Kroc's belief in himself was unshakeable, as he noted later – "I was 52 years old. I had diabetes and incipient arthritis. I had lost my gall bladder and most of my thyroid gland." Kroc didn't allow his age or his physical condition to hold him back. Are you going to allow anything to hold you back?

Listen to the negative things you say to yourself and the beliefs you have about yourself – DO NOT allow them to hold you back.

If you do have negative beliefs about yourself, here's a way to change them.

Your subconscious will always attempt to move away from pain and towards pleasure. So start to associate massive pain to your negative belief.

Think about how it will hold you back and stop you achieving what you're trying to achieve. Think about how miserable you'll feel if you don't even try.

Old people rarely regret what they've done in their life, but they do regret what they haven't done. So think forward to when you're 75 or 80 years of age and imagine how you'll feel if you've never tried.

Then start to think of the pleasure you'll receive in fulfilling your beliefs. Think about how good you'll feel when you achieve what you set out to do. If when you're older you look back and think about things you didn't achieve, at least you'll be able to say – "I tried, I gave it my best shot and I didn't sit on the sidelines."

So start thinking big – the size of your success is determined by how big you think. If you think small you'll have small achievements. If you think big – you'll have big success and that's just as easy, if not easier than small thinking and small achievements.

How to Remember Names

2009-03-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Feedback; The Good, The Bad and The Delivery

2009-03-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

How do you feel about feedback? Do you receive it from your manager; do you give feedback to your team, your colleagues or your friends?

We all feel different about feedback, because we are all different. Some people love it, others are okay with it, and others just hate it.

I'm sure that you have colleagues or people on your team who always want to know "how they're doing." They come and speak to you and show what they're doing. "Is this okay, am I doing this right?" They're constantly looking for reassurance that they're doing the right thing. Then you'll have others who never come and speak to you at all, and get most uncomfortable whether you're giving them the good news or the bad.

Feedback is one of the Top 3 Factors that motivate people at work. The majority of employees want to know when they're doing well and when they could be doing better.

There are managers who are happy to receive feed back and resultantly, are comfortable giving it to others, because they believe everyone feels the same way they do.

And of course, if you look at it the other way round; managers who are less comfortable receiving feedback, tend to believe that their team feel the same way. This is often the biggest danger because many managers don't receive feedback from their manager and subconsciously feel – "Why should I give feedback to my guys when I don't get it?"

Whether you receive feedback or not; whether you feel uncomfortable giving it or not – you still need to do it for your people. Just be aware that they're all different individuals and they might react in different ways. Almost everyone wants feedback – how much, is just a matter of degree.

There are two types of feedback and a way of doing it.

The Good

This is what we call, Confirming feedback; telling a team member that you support whatever you've seen them do or heard them say; it's a compliment or a thank you. It's about 'catching people doing something right.'

Successful managers realise that almost everyone reacts positively to Confirming feedback. They feel better about themselves and they feel motivated to repeat the behaviour. There is a saying that says – "You get more of what you reward."

If you tell someone that you like the way they have completed some aspect of their work, then you'll find that they continue to do that work in the same way or probably even better.

Confirming feedback is worth a fortune to you in terms of motivating your team and achieving your goals and targets.

The Bad

This is what we call, Productive feedback on behaviour you're not happy with. As you spend time with people, you're going to hear and see things that may not ensure your outcomes. Ask yourself; "Is this something that is going to stop me achieving my outcomes of a happy and motivated team who achieve their targets?" If the answer is "no" then you're going to have to do something about it.

There are various things you can do; you can ignore the behaviour you're not happy about, you can reprimand the person, or you can coach them.

Coaching is not a soft option; it's about finding out the cause of poor performance or behaviour and discussing with the other person about how to put it right. You tell the other person what you're not happy with, listen to what they have to say and agree a way forward.

The Delivery

Whether you want to reinforce behaviour - Confirming feedback, or change unacceptable behaviour – Productive feedback, there are certain steps you need to follow to make it work.

You need to do it as soon as possible and in private. Tell them how you feel about their behaviour, not how the organisation or anyone else feels. It's important to focus on one thing at a time and don't confuse the other person with a whole list of behaviours.

You need to be specific and get input from the other person. And most importantly; don't leave them low!

If you get all of this right, you'll have a highly motivated team who, increase customer satisfaction, boost sales and make a positive contribution to your business.

More Customers, More Sales in 2009

2009-02-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

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Focus on Strengths Not Weaknesses

2009-02-05T01:45:00.001-08:00

Let me ask you a simple question – what do you believe a manager's job is all about? What is it that managers do on a day to day basis?

Now, if you're a manager, or you probably work for one, then you'd almost certainly be able to list a whole range of actions and activities. They might include – interviewing, solving problems, dealing with customers, planning, report writing, analysing data, dealing with complaints and hopefully, leading and motivating the people who report to them.

Many managers seem to believe that, over and above these activities, the prime function of their job is to identify weaknesses in members of their team, and resolve them. In other words, they relentlessly focus on the 'negative aspects' of an employee's job. They do this, at worst, by criticising, and reprimanding or, at best, by coaching or training. I am aware of managers that spend a great deal of their time exploring an employee's performance looking for some perceived fault or aspect that could be improved. Parents often focus on the negative aspects of a child's school report rather than the positive.

Too many managers are spending too much time trying to change people.

They seem to believe that if they train people, tell them what to do or even threaten them with disciplinary action or the sack, then they can get them to change.

The successful manager concentrates on developing the strengths of their team members – not trying to correct their weaknesses. Sometimes you have to manage around a weakness, but you can't make people what they're not.

When I was a teenager, my father sent me for piano lessons for about three years. He was determined that I would learn to play the piano. To this day I can not play a note. I realise now, as an adult, that I am just not musical. Strange as it may seem, I'm not particularly interested in music. My CD collection consists of about 6 CD's which I rarely listen to. If I had attended piano lessons for even more years then I'm sure I could have become competent, however, I would never be any good at playing the piano.

It's a waste of time trying to correct weaknesses that can't be sorted. Some people just can't build relationships with customers, others can't work as fast as you need them to, others can't write a report to save their life, (and 'certain other people' will never be able to play the piano)

Your most productive time as a manager will be spent focussing on strengths and how to develop these further. If you give people feedback on what they do well; then it is often the case that there is an improvement in what they don't do so well. By focussing on the positives, they feel more motivated to improve the negative aspects of their performance.

So there you have it; whether in your business or personal life, focus on the positive aspects of other people, not on the negatives.

Remember: People have one thing in common; they are all different.

Follow me on Twitter

2009-02-05T01:30:00.001-08:00

As you're no doubt aware, there are more and more ways to keep in touch with both your business and personal contacts. This Blog is produced each month to keep me in touch with you, the people who have attended my seminars and those who may do so in the future.

I'll continue to send you my newsletter every month (you can sign up on this page) however; there are other ways we can communicate.

From this month onwards I will post more articles on this blog. This allows me to send you more tips, techniques, skills and strategies to build your career and your business. It's much more flexible, I can include video and you can send me an instant response to anything in the blog.

When you visit the blog you will be able to subscribe where you see 'Subscribe to the Club.' You will need an RSS feed which will allow you to see when new content has been added to the blog. So when a new article is posted, the RSS feed will automatically notify you! These feeds can be delivered straight to your inbox if you have Outlook 2007 or they can go straight to your homepage.

All the articles in this blog will also be available as a podcast and you can subscribe to that by clicking the links on the right side of this page. It is also available on iTunes.

You can also follow me on Twitter. If you haven't heard of it; it's a way to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of short status messages. I'll use it to let you know when the blog has been updated and all sorts of other stuff.

If it's good enough for President Obama, it's good enough for me.

The best thing is to click this link and you'll find out more about it: - http://twitter.com/motivationdoc

Let’s Keep Things in Proportion

2009-01-29T09:36:00.001-08:00

According to the media, it's going to be a less than fantastic 2009. They tell us that businesses will close, unemployment will rise and that customers and sales will be harder to come by.

Sad to say, many businesses have already closed and staff been made redundant. I trust that your job and your business are secure in 2009. However, I'm getting a bit fed up with all this negativity, doom and gloom. As I write this blog, the headline news is that Marks and Spencer sales are down by 7% over the Christmas period. What is buried in the news is that, Department Store chain, John Lewis, is up 2.4% in sales over the Christmas period.

I'm aware of two other organisations in the service industry, both working in the same market, selling the same service, to the same customers. One of them, in late 2008, closed branches and made staff redundant. The other opened new branches, employed new staff and expanded into new markets. I'm glad to say, I'll be working with the second organisation in 2009.

I believe; that it's always been a challenge to motivate staff, find new customers, develop existing ones and generate more sales. My business is about helping individuals and organisations do just that. So if you want to know what happens after a Motivation Doctor Seminar, email askalan@themotivationdoctor.com

"Look up, laugh loud, talk big, keep the color in your cheek and the fire in your eye, adorn your person, maintain your health, your beauty and your animal spirits." - William Hazlitt

6 New Seminars and Workshops to: Ensure Your Success in 2009

2009-01-27T12:06:00.001-08:00

You can either sit back and face the results of the worldwide downturn in business in 2009 or you can do something about it.
I have designed 6 new seminars to bring you tangible sales results for your organisation.

Click this link for more details

2 Sure-Fire Tips to Shine in 2009

2009-01-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you a quick story. When I left school and started looking for a job as an apprentice engineer. I was repeatedly told, “It’s a bad time to find a job.” It was, and it took time and effort.
When I decided to leave engineering and find a job in sales; I was repeatedly told, “It’s a bad time to find a job in sales.” It was, and it took time and effort.
When I decided to give up my job and start my own business in 1993; I was told by lots of well meaning people, “It’s a bad time to start a new business.” It was and it took time and lots of effort.
I don’t know about your job or your business, but when has it ever been a good time to find a job, or get promoted, or start a business, or find new customers, or sell more of your product or service?
Admittedly, 2009 will be a challenge for many people and for more than a few businesses.
If you want to shine in 2009, then what you need is lots of BRAIN ENERGY and lots of BODY ENERGY!
Sure-fire tip number 1 is – Build your Brain Energy.
Imagine that you’ve just been rejected for a bank loan, or you’ve just been turned down for promotion or a potential customer has rejected your proposal. Perhaps a publishing company has rejected the book that you’ve slaved over for the past couple of years.
If you react with – “Oh no, not again, I’m really fed up with this. These people are a real pain. They’re making a big mistake. What am I going to do now?”
This sort of reaction drains your brain of energy; it adds to your stress levels and destroys your self motivation.
Reacting drains the brain – thinking less so.
Get the thinking part of your brain working and say to yourself – “I’ll make an appointment today with a better bank! I’ll show my employer how good I really am or I’ll find a new job. I’ll phone the next potential customer on my list right now! And the next publishing company will see the potential in my book!”

There are also many minor situations that happen every day that’ll drain the energy from your brain. Let’s say you receive a parking ticket; pay the fine right away; get rid of it, forget it and move on. Moaning and complaining about it drains your brain and the fine still has to be paid.
Do not, and I repeat, do not say – “Oh no, what am I going to do now!?” Every time you say – “Oh no” your brain has a huge drain of energy.

Build up your brain energy by using lots positive self-talk.
Your level of success in terms of your happiness, emotional wellbeing and anything else you desire is a direct result of how you talk to yourself. The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one you have with yourself.
Listen to the self-talk that goes on in your head and ask yourself – “Is what I’m saying allowing me to be confident, on top and going for it?” If so – great!
“Or is it holding me back and stopping me achieve my goals?” If this is the case – STOP IT, change the program!
Think about the things you say to yourself and make every statement in the present tense.
Don’t say, for example – “I’m going to make a success of this business” or “I’m going to get organised,” or "I’m going to lose weight and get fitter" or “I’m going to be much more confident.”
Say – “I am totally in control of my life. I am totally confident and positive. I’m achieving my goals. I have determination and drive.”
What you’re actually doing here is re-programming your subconscious. If you talk to yourself in a positive way, that’s what your subconscious will focus on and you’ll have lots of brain energy

Sure-fire tip number 2 is - Build your Body Energy

The body and the brain are linked together so when the brain drains of energy so does the body. However, the body also does a lot of running about, up and down off the seat and often takes a bit of a beating.
For it to work well, it needs to be in good condition in the first place. We all know by now that if we eat too much or eat the wrong things, smoke too much or drink too much alcohol, then our body is in danger of breaking down.
If you want more body energy, then you’re going to have to do some exercise. (Do I hear you saying - “I need the body energy before I can do the exercise!?”) You know as well as I, that if you take more exercise, you will have more energy.
Now I know you think you don’t have the time. You may also be the type that doesn’t want to go to the gym and lift heavy things or leap about in an aerobics class; however, I am totally convinced that you need to take some exercise that makes you sweat a little.
I’m sorry, but walking the dog or a round of golf doesn’t count, it isn’t the kind of exercise I’m talking about. Golf is great and it’s good for the stress, but it doesn’t make you sweat.

If you’re going to walk then walk fast for a distance, enough to push up the heart rate and increase the breathing.
Again, get your internal program right and start to think how you can make your exercise enjoyable. I see some people at the health club making the whole business a real chore. They get on a bike or a rowing machine and try to kill themselves for twenty minutes. If that’s your thing then fine, but please don’t make it a chore, plug into the sound system and catch up with what’s on TV.

If you’re really not into exercise then please make sure you have other activities outside of your workplace and make them fun. Too many people are going home and slumping in front of the TV - successful people don’t do that.

A laugh and a sweat a day – keeps the stress away!

Make no mistake about it; if you look after the Body and the Brain:
You’ll shine in 2009

Alan's Recent Articles from Straits Times, Singapore

2008-12-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

Do You Have The Likeability Factor?

2008-11-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

Why do you think Barack Obama overwhelmingly won the US Presidential Election? Perhaps it was because of his policies for change, or even the amount of money invested in his campaign. Or perhaps it was his ability to eloquently express the hopes, answers and beliefs of a good chunk of the American people. Some people may even say that Obama was a better bet than his rival, John McCain.

I think it is probably a mixture of all these reasons, and a few more. But more than anything else, I do believe he also has, a high Likeability Factor.

So what’s ‘Likeability’ got to do with anything? Surely we’re going to vote for the policies not the person? Somehow I don’t think so! What so many politicians tend to forget is that we voters are humans and the thing about humans is, they’ll always be driven by their emotions not their logic. We let our heart rule our head all the time. If we decide that we don’t like someone then we have a heck of a job believing anything they say. How well our politicians score on the Likeability Factor is going to influence whether we believe them or not.

Roger Ailes the communication coach to Presidents Reagan and Bush Snr. Wrote - “The silver bullet in business and politics is the like factor. All things being equal, we are more likely to vote for people we feel we like.”

However so many of our politicians seem totally unconcerned by this. Consider some other public figures that have been affected by the like factor. Bill Clinton came through some ‘difficult’ situations relatively unscathed; the reason being that the American public quite liked him. Margaret Thatcher suffered more than she needed because too many people didn’t like her. Princess Diana’s funeral gave a clear indication of how many people liked her. I don’t believe we would have seen the same outpouring of public grief, had that tragic accident happened to another member of the Royal Family.

The Likeability Factor also affects products and the organisations that supply them. As with people, it’s not so much about what the product does, but do we like the brand? Some years ago Proctor and Gamble launched Ariel to compete against Persil. All the tests proved that Ariel washed whiter, but Persil remained the top brand. P&G managers tore their hair out looking for an explanation. Until one day someone told them, “Well I believe people quite like Persil.”
If your Likeability Factor is high, votes go up, sales go up and you go up.

But what about the other people in your life, are they likeable? What about your boss, your dentist or your accountant? I get some funny looks when I tell people that I’ve no idea if my accountant is any good or not. How would I know if he is a good accountant? I’m not competent to judge. I only know that I like and trust him, and that means he’ll continue to get my business.
Warren Buffet, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, sometimes acclaimed as the world’s greatest investor, once said, “I’ve walked away from some great deals because I didn’t like the people I was dealing with.”

Harry Redknapp has recently taken over as Manager of struggling soccer team, Tottenham Hotspur. Redknapp has engineered a remarkable turnaround in a short period of time. I believe that a great deal of his success is down to his high Likeability Factor.

Phil Neville the Everton, England and ex Manchester United footballer recently commented. “If the players like you then that decides ninety-five percent of your success as a manager.”

So how do we get this Likeability Factor if we haven’t got it? Or how do we improve it if we have, and what’s it all about anyway? Well as far as companies are concerned it’s all about whether we trust them and feel that they care about us when we contact them. Do they have the human touch? The advertising agencies know all about the likeability factor and the human touch. They want to make us laugh; they use cute children and animals. They feature celebrities that we like and can relate to.
Andrex TV ads certainly aren’t about what you can do with toilet paper; they’re more about puppies and children.

Some commercial organisations still don’t quite understand this. The high street banks in the UK were recently criticised in a report that suggested many customers didn’t like their bank. One senior manager replied in the press saying, “We continue to grow our business because our products and services meet customer demand and expectation.” He fails to realise that it’s not just about products and services; it’s about the human things, like dropping into your local branch and having a talk with the manager. It’s much harder to do that nowadays, which is one of the main reasons for poor reports in customer satisfaction surveys.

Likeability is about being human; it’s about displaying warmth. Bill Clinton displays warmth, Hilary Clinton less so. Being known as the ‘Prince of Darkness,’ doesn’t suggest too much warmth in UK politician Peter Mandelson. Richard Branson has warmth so did Princess Diana. Nelson Mandela has it; Margaret Thatcher didn’t display it in her time as Prime Minister.

Likeability in people will also be measured by their ability to really listen and be interested in others. Likeable people use your name and look as if they care. We like people who have something positive to say and don’t whinge! Likeable people empathise with our problems and accept that we may have a different view of the world from them. Likeability is demonstrated by a genuine smile, good eye contact, a sense of humour and relaxed open body language.

Much of our success in life will be determined by our ability to sell ourselves to others. Whether in our personal or working lives; people will judge us by what we say and what we do. However, more importantly, this will be influenced by how likeable we are.

The Likeability Factor—have you got it?

The Truth about Managing and Coaching

2008-11-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Let me ask you a simple question – what is the difference between a Manager and a Coach?

I like to watch football on TV (or soccer, as my American chums call it) and for years, in the UK; we have always described the person in charge of the team as the ‘Manager.’
In the US, the person running the team, be it football, baseball or basketball, is usually referred to as the ‘Coach’ However, I’ve noticed now, in the UK, that the football Manager is more likely to be called - The Coach.

So, what’s the difference? And how does it relate to your job as a manager?

When I ask participants on a seminar – “Tell me what a Manager does, what are their duties?” They usually come up with responses such as – planning – cost control – resource allocation – analysing data – interviewing – solving problems - dealing with customers and other ‘technical’ duties.

When I then ask – “What are the duties of a Coach?” I hear replies such as – leading –motivating – listening – encouraging – identifying training needs – communicating expectations – believing in their people – inspiring – winning and getting results.

There are cross-over duties between a manager and a coach; but let me ask you a question – which role is going to be the most important in achieving your objectives, goals and outcomes, is it a Manager or a Coach?

Now I know what you’re going to say – “My organisation and my boss want me to do all the ‘management’ things and that’s how I spend most of my day.” But always remember, at the end of the day, you will ultimately be judged on the success of your staff, rather than your ability to complete a report on time.

If you want a happy and motivated team who – don’t take time off work – don’t keep looking for other jobs - don’t give you too many problems and who generate results for your business. You need to spend more time ‘Coaching’ and less time ‘Managing’

Here are 3 steps to becoming a successful coach

1. Spend quality time with each team member - You need to get to know each member of your team better and they need to get to know you. If you listen and show that you’re listening, you’ll gain a much better understanding of each individual and how they’re handling the job. It will also send the message that you care about them and show that you’re there to help with problems, both business and personal. You can communicate expectations, encourage and inspire them to do even better.

2. Give feedback and coach them - You need to regularly tell each of your team members when they’re doing well and when not so well. When you see or hear one of your staff doing something you DO like – tell them about it! When you see or hear them doing something you DON’T like – tell them about it. You can then coach them on the job or identify training needs and agree a way forward. Most employees want to know how they are performing in their job; they want to know if they are doing it right or how they could do it better.

3. Believe in each individual - You need to constantly demonstrate to each team member that you trust and believe in them, by what you say, your tone of voice and your body language.
They will very quickly sense if you don't trust them to carry out their job and they'll act accordingly.
If you believe that your people are not to be trusted to do their job; that they’ll turn up late and go home early, then that is exactly what they'll do.
On the other hand, if you believe that your people will do their job well, that they can be trusted to make decisions that are good for the business and that they'll give you a fair day's work, then it is more likely this is what you'll get.

So there you have it; successful managers know that to get the best out of their people they need to spend less tine ‘Managing ‘ and more time ‘Coaching’.

10 Steps to Becoming a Powerful Listener

2008-09-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

Let me ask you a simple question. Are you a good listener? Now you might believe you’re a good listener, but just stop for a moment and think; how would the following people rate you as a listener – your best friend, your boss, your employees, colleagues and even your nearest and dearest. Rather not think about it eh!

Let me give you some facts and figures about listening that have been established by research.
G R Bell established in 1984 studies that adults typically practise listening at no better than 25 per cent efficiency. In 1983 G T Hunt and A P Cusella reported how well Training Directors in Fortune 500 companies rated the listening effectiveness of managers and subordinates in their organisations. Ratings averaged 1.97 on a 5-point scale, somewhere between “fair” and “poor.”
Other studies suggest that 60-70 per cent of oral communication is either ignored, misunderstood or quickly forgotten. After 48 hours people are likely to retain less than 25 per cent of what they heard in a conversation.

Now I’m sure this makes a lot of sense to you because one of the most common complaints I hear from managers and employees is – “My manager doesn’t listen to me!”
It’s also one of the reasons why difficulties arise in our personal life. How often have people headed to the divorce court saying – “He never listens to me!” or “She doesn’t understand me!”

Listening is a very powerful management skill and if you want to become a Motivational Manager and minimise your stress then you need to become a Powerful Listener.
Powerful listening isn’t about hearing; it’s about really understanding the message that the other person is sending and letting them know that you understand and care about what they’re saying.

Hearing doesn’t take any effort; however listening, takes a great deal of concentration and effort. Of course, it gets easier with training and practise, so don’t give up on me yet.
It’s important to understand why listening can be difficult and there are whole lists of reasons why people don’t listen well. One of the main reasons is that we can be distracted both internally and externally.
People have the ability to think at around 400-700 words per minute. People talk at about 120-150 words per minute. So in any interaction there’s a huge amount of spare brain capacity unused by the listener.
Because we all have so many other things going on in our lives, it’s so easy to let our mind ‘wander off’ and use that surplus brain capacity to think about something else, when someone is speaking to us. We might have personal concerns that pop into our mind such as issues with our partners or children.
Listening can also be difficult if we’re tired, bored, in a hurry, confused or can’t make out or understand what the other person is saying.

Here are 10 key steps to becoming a Powerful Listener:
1. Listen logically – stay emotionally detached and listen for facts, ideas and details
2. Stimulate the speaker – nod your head, lean forward, keep good eye contact and concentrate totally
3. Make notes – if relevant get all the details down
4. Shut out distractions – change your environment or shut out all distractions in your mind
5. Listen between the lines for hidden meanings – listen to the emotional meaning of the speaker
6. Use your intuition and trust your gut feeling
7. Observe non-verbal clues – watch body language, be aware of what people are not saying
8. Listen for what people would like to say but have difficulty putting into words
9. Don’t pre-judge – keep an open mind
10. Don’t interrupt or jump in with an answer or solution

Commit to practising your listening skills everyday. Whenever you come into contact with someone, be it in business or socially, really listen to that person. It’s like any other skill, the more you practise the better you’ll become. (And just think how much you will learn)

Can’t Buy Me Love

2008-08-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

You might disagree but hear me out on this. Money does not motivate employees!
In 1964 The Beatles sang – “Money Can’t Buy Me Love” and it certainly won’t buy you loyalty or team motivation.
And yet; when I’m running a Motivational Manager Seminar, some managers come back at me with statements such as:

“My people are only interested in the money”

“That’s why they come to work”

“Sales people are motivated by money, that’s why we pay them commission and bonuses”

“You try reducing their money and see what happens”

Let me say now; if you want to become a successful Motivational Manager please accept that for the majority of employees – money is not a motivator!

The psychologist Frederick Herzberg developed his ‘Two Factor’ theory in 1959 and established that money is not a motivator। However, if it’s inadequate, then it can be a de-motivating factor. In other words, it can adversely affect job performance.

If you were able to increase the salary of your employees by 5000 pounds, dollars or whatever currency you pay them in, then I’m sure they’d be really pleased and motivated to do well – but for how long? I reckon that within a couple of months that extra 5000 would be accepted as the norm with virtually no effect on motivation। And don’t think it matters if it was 10000 pounds or dollars, after a while it wouldn’t make a difference।

Yes there are people who are motivated purely by money; however, they tend to be in the minority.

The majority of employees are motivated by other factors and these are often more easily delivered than extra money. Many managers are unable to raise the salary paid to their employees as this is usually decided by company policy.

Employees can be motivated by several factors in relation to their work. Here are three things you can do:

1. Make their job more interesting by:

Giving them more responsibility
Giving them some of your tasks
Asking them to train or mentor another member of your team
Asking them to sit in occasionally on management meetings
Giving them further training

2. Give them feedback and appreciation for what they do by:

The occasional gift
Time off work
Gift vouchers
Personal thank you letters

3. Make them feel ‘in on things’ by:

Letting them attend meetings and conferences if they don’t already

Letting them run a team meeting

Listening to their opinions on how to run the team

Listening to their feedback

I feel sure you can add several other things to these lists and put this to the test right away.

News Release

2008-07-14T03:26:00.001-07:00

You Don't Have To Be a Tough Guy to Motivate Your 'Apprentice'

"You're Fired!" Sir Alan Sugar's immortal catchphrase was once again directed at unsuccessful candidates in the fourth series of The Apprentice, recently concluded on BBC Two.

This high flying self-made billionaire is portrayed as a tough no nonsense individual who fires people who don't come up to the mark.

Other 'tough guys' were recently referred to by Ruairi O'Kane in an article in the Sunday Times. He reports that bullying bosses who copy the behaviour of the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and Simon Cowell, the X Factor judge, have been blamed for a doubling in the number of employment tribunal cases over the past year.

We've all heard the old cliché, 'nice guys don't finish first' and, Edinburgh based Alan Fairweather, 'The Motivation Doctor' believes that the media and our culture send the wrong messages about how to manage people. This makes it difficult for Business Owners, Managers and Team Leaders to motivate their staff and run their business.

Fairweather goes on to explain, "I believe there are four reasons why there are many poor and mediocre managers; one, because it's such a difficult job; two, nobody shows you what to do or gives you the right training; three, the media and our culture send the wrong message and four; some people are just not cut out to be managers."

Alan Fairweather's new book, How to be a Motivational Manager, is a down-to-earth guide for Managers and Team Leaders. It reveals how to motivate your team, get results and do it in the easiest, least stressful way possible

It introduces three vital factors in team motivation that don't include the 'tough
guy' approach.

The book was written by Fairweather to develop the skills of anyone whose job involves supervising others.

He understands the challenges faced by business people and knows how hard it is to motivate a team. He's used the skills described in this book with great success; and as he points out – "you don't, in fact, motivate other people; you create the environment where they motivate themselves," this book will show you how to do that.

Readers will learn how to spend quality time with their team members, build relationships and gain a better understanding of each individual.

They will also learn how to give feedback and coach employees, particularly when facing poor performance. And finally, they discover how, by believing in their people, they can utilise the skill, knowledge and experience that's already within their team.

Fairweather points out that a team's performance is determined by the relationship they have with their manager. Don't be misled, this isn't some kind of 'touchy-feely' approach; it shows managers how to deal with 'difficult' employees and any other kind of unproductive behaviour and still keep the team motivated.

The overall aim of the book is to support the Customer Service activities of the readers business, generate more sales and make life easier.

You don't have to be a tough guy to motivate your 'Apprentice' you just have to be 'tough enough to care.'

About the author: Alan Fairweather, The Motivation Doctor, has for the past fifteen years been turning 'adequate' managers and team leaders into consistent top performers. After a successful career as a manager he founded his business in 1993 and works with people and organisations consulting, speaking and running training programmes in the UK and Asia. He specialises in how to motivate people at work so that they deliver business results.

How to be a Motivational Manager is published by How To Books Ltd
http://www.howtobooks.co.uk/ and is available at £12.99 in major bookshops and online retailers across the country. ISBN 978-1-84528-225-7

If you would like to arrange an interview
or receive a review copy please contact Alan 07767 050462 alan@themotivationdoctor.com

www.themotivationdoctor.com

Alan has written a number of articles and is happy to contribute to your publication. Please see the list below for titles and word count.

The 3 Secrets of Team Motivation: 527 words
Discover How To Motivate Your Manager: 1219 words
Why aren't you using feedback to motivate your team?: 419 words
One Way to Deal with a Difficult Employee: 385 words
5 Action Ideas to Deal with Difficult People: 613 words
Three Steps to Stop Absence and Make People Happy at Work: 937 words
A Must Do Tactic That Will Improve your Team Motivation Skills: 474 words
Team Motivation – are you tough enough to care?: 439 words
Feedback – how to make it effective: 1116 words
Poor Performance – fix it by coaching: 661 words
Managing People – no more Mr Tough Guy: 914 words
Pick People Who Think: 495 words

Power to Your People

2008-07-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

I don’t know a thing about you, but I’ll bet if you’re a manager, then you probably think you’re pretty good at your job. Some managers seem to think that they should know everything about the job that their team members do, and be better than them at doing it.

I can remember, in the past, working for managers like that; they gave the impression that they knew everything and were far better than I would ever be at doing the job. This, of course, didn’t motivate me at all.

The Motivational Manager accepts that members of their staff may be better at doing the job than they are. Their staff may be better salespeople, better at customer service, better administrators or better engineers.

I’ve had salespeople working for me who were better at selling than I was, however, that made me no less a good manager.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of probably the world’s most successful football club, Manchester United, had a pretty undistinguished career as a footballer. He did at one time play for Glasgow Rangers but could hardly be described as a star footballer; he is now, of course, a star manager.

If you manage or supervise other people, have confidence in yourself. Accept your limitations and don’t feel bad if you don’t initially know the answer to every question.
Ironically, it isn’t motivational for your staff, if you come up with the answers to all of their problems or queries.

Encourage your staff to come to you with solutions, not problems.

If you spend your time solving problems; you’ll spend your time solving problems!

When someone in your team asks you what they should do, even if you know the answer, reflect back the question. Ask them what they would do; ask for opinions. What do they think is the best course of action; why do they think it’s the best? What are the consequences of this action, for the customer, the business and the team member?

Empower, support and congratulate them on their decision. If they feel that they’ve made the decision, they will have more confidence in themselves and be more motivated to do the job even better.

What you’re essentially doing here is utilising the knowledge, skill, experience and motivational power that is already with in your team.
Believe me, once you apply this, you will have a highly motivated team who respect and trust you as a manager.

Sell Don't Tell

2008-06-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'll always remember the first sales course I ever attended. The definition of selling was drummed into my brain. "Selling is the art of creating a desire in the mind of a buyer and satisfying that desire so that buyer and seller benefit."

Now this notion may seem a bit old fashioned for many of today's salespeople but this article isn't about selling. I believe the principle still holds true in many situations, especially when you want to achieve a 'win-win' outcome.

If you want one of your team members to do something, how do you approach them? You can 'tell' them what you want, but 'telling' just makes your job a lot harder. The Motivational Manager gets 'buy in', so everyone benefits. There's sometimes a case for 'telling' but it's hard work. Sometimes you have to keep telling them if you want results.

Here's how a Motivational Manager would do it:

Recognise that your team members are your 'internal customers'. You need them to 'buy' from you in order to get the job done. And in order to get them to buy; you need to be a good sales person. I'm sure you've heard the phrase - 'get buy in.'
Get better results by selling not telling. Use good sales and persuasion skills when dealing with your team, your colleagues, even your boss. The sales or persuasion process is very much part of our world, and it's far better to sell than to tell.
Focus on achieving a win-win outcome. Any good salesperson or negotiator knows, a 'win-win' outcome is what you should always aim for. If you want one of your team to do something and they see a benefit for them, or they're just happy to do it, then you have a 'win-win' situation.

"You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough other people to get what they want" - Zig Ziglar

Now you've no doubt noticed that I've started to talk about sales people and buyers. It's because I believe we're all sales people and buyers from the moment we enter this world till the moment we leave it.

A baby crying for food, attention or a change of nappy is trying to persuade you to take action. If you don't respond to this initial 'request' then they step up the volume until you do. Because we love that child, because we care, we are very open to their persuasion.

It follows throughout our life; if people care about us, if they respect us, if they have good rapport with us, then they're more likely to respond to our persuasion.

If people understand the benefits for them, then they're more likely to respond in a positive manner. You're on to a winner if you benefit as much as the other person. If you get into a 'win-lose' situation, then you may not have used selling or persuasion, but manipulation, control or coercion. A win-lose situation doesn't benefit anyone in the long run.

So whether we like it or not, selling and persuasion is going on all the time. You need to utilise these skills if you are to be a successful Motivational Manager.

Motivation – You don’t need a carrot or a stick

2008-06-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

The term, Carrot and Stick alludes to enticing a horse or a donkey to move by dangling a carrot before it, so urging it forward.

The term should really be Carrot or Stick; the carrot being offered as a reward for moving forward and the stick used as a punishment for refusing to do so.

Some organisations and managers still use the Carrot or Stick approach to motivate their people. They reward good behaviour and punish bad behaviour.
However, that's not what motivation is all about because, you don't in fact motivate people; you create the environment where they motivate themselves.

So how do you do this? It's quite simple really; here are 3 points to think about:

1. Spend some quality time - You need to get to know the individuals in your team better and they need to get to know you. You'll gain a much better understanding of them and how they're handling the job. It will also give the impression that you care about them and show that you're there to help with problems both personal and business.

2. Give feedback and coach -You need to regularly tell each member of your team when they're doing well and when not so well. Some managers still believe - "Why should I praise people when they're only doing what they're paid to do." The Motivational Manager knows better! It's also important to tell people when they're not performing. There are too many managers who either ignore poor behaviour or come down on the person like a ton of bricks when they do something wrong. There are particular ways to give feedback and coach the individuals in your team and they need to be learned.

3. Be a believer - You need to empower each individual team member. It's important to utilise the knowledge, skill, experience and drive that's already within each individual. The majority of people in teams and organisations throughout the world are severely under utilised. Your team have probably more to offer in terms of skill, knowledge and experience and if you utilize that, you'll achieve your business goals and you'll lead a highly motivated team.

So there you have it; 3 very important points which will help you get the job of managing done and do it without carrots or sticks.

PS: Check out ‘How to be a Motivational Manager’ at Amazon.

Customer Service Training is a Waste of Time

2008-06-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

A waste of time! That may sound a bit strange coming from someone who has delivered hundreds of customer service seminars over the past fifteen years. However, there are two provisos.

Customer service training is a waste of time unless managers, supervisors and team leaders:

1. Attend the same training

2. Are trained to motivate and coach their staff when they return to the workplace

Managers, supervisors and team leaders need to experience the training undergone by their staff and then support the training outcomes by daily on the job coaching.

They need to spend quality time with their staff, walking the job, listening and observing interactions with customers either face to face or on the telephone.

When they see or hear something they do like, they need to tell the team member about it. When they see or hear something they don’t like, they need to tell the team member about it.

It’s important to do this coaching in a positive and productive manner in order to support good behaviour and rectify not so good behaviour.

To help managers and supervisors become more successful, I’ve developed this stimulating and highly interactive seminar – Motivating for Customer Service. This will give managers, supervisors and team leaders, the skills and abilities that will help them motivate their staff and support the customer service efforts of their business.

For more details check out my website.

Motivation Means Presence not Presents

2008-05-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

Let me ask you a quick question; do you have any children? I don’t have any children, however, I appreciate the challenges that parents face and I’m most reluctant to tell anyone how to bring up their children.

Whether you do or don’t have children, I’m certain you appreciate the importance of raising them to be happy and successful.

To do that, you’d take a great deal of interest in them and what they’re doing; show you care about them and give them lots of your time and attention.

Children show us from an early age that they want lots of attention. We become aware of this by the way they physically and emotionally, reach out to us. If we fail to provide their required level of attention or acknowledgement, then they’ll almost certainly let us know; usually by behaving badly.

Some parents have difficulty in giving time and attention and often bribe or pay their children to be successful with offers of gifts or money. “Pass your exams and I’ll buy you a new bicycle!”

However, children want presence not presents and if they fail to receive their acceptable level of attention and acknowledgement, then they may behave badly.

Not a lot changes when we become adults; we still crave attention and acknowledgement from other people. We look for it from our partners, friends, children, parents and, very importantly - our boss at work!

Successful Motivational Managers realise this and provide their staff with attention and acknowledgement.

They spend quality time with every member of their staff, giving feedback on job performance; be it good or bad.
They listen to problems, both business and personal; they show interest and help the staff member find solutions
They show that they trust and believe in their staff by empowering them to make decisions and be responsible for their actions

Successful Motivational Managers do not bribe or pay their staff to be successful. Incentives, bonuses and prizes are all acceptable; however, they will never replace attention and acknowledgement.

Some food for thought; take a minute and think about someone in your life who you did your best for. Perhaps it was a parent, a teacher or a manager. What was it about them that made you want to do your best; was it presence or presents??

The truth about staff who can’t perform

2008-04-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a quick story. When I started my first job as an apprentice engineer, I quickly realised that some of my fellow apprentices shouldn’t be in the job. They just didn’t have the aptitude or ability for engineering.

Back in those days, and I don’t mean Victorian times, staff selection wasn’t very sophisticated. All budding apprentice engineers were interviewed by a foreman, and if he liked the look of you; you got the job.

I was lucky enough to be interviewed by a foreman who, in his spare time, was a Captain in the Boys Brigade. I was a member of another BB company; so guess what, I got the job. Neither I, nor any of my fellow apprentices were ever tested for our ability, or for any natural talent we might have, for engineering.

Resultantly, many apprentices shouldn’t have been there in the first place. However, most of them struggled on and qualified as time served engineers. The problem is, they didn’t turn out to be particularly good engineers. And, I also suggest; weren’t particularly happy engineers.

I’ve experienced customer service people who shouldn’t be let anywhere near a customer. Secretarial assistants who couldn’t spell or type fast enough; engineers who couldn’t read blueprints and plumbers who couldn’t plumb.

If you have someone in your team who is unable to do the job and is unable to learn, then you need to transfer them into something they can do, or advise and help them to find other employment. Now I know that may seem harsh and it’s not always easy or feasible to release people, however, you’ll never achieve your outcomes with the wrong person in the job. The business may suffer and you’re in great danger of de-motivating the other members of your team. They won’t want someone on the team who can’t do the job.

A client of mine realised that the customer service person, they’d recently employed, couldn’t handle the pressure of difficult customers and situations. They realised that training wouldn’t solve the situation, so they transferred her to a job where she produced quotations and didn’t have to speak to a customer.
What you need to do is get people who can’t do the job, into a job that they can do or get them out of your team.

I joined three companies as a manager and in each case I inherited team members who didn’t have what it takes to do the job. I’d usually find three categories of people in the teams - The first group were the ‘good guys,’ the ones I knew could do the job and wouldn’t give me any hassle. The second group consisted of people who needed a bit of looking after, watching closely and definitely some coaching.

The third group were the ones who didn’t have either the skills or the characteristics to do the job and no amount of training, or anything I could do, would change that.
I would often find that these people, due to their lack of success, weren’t exactly happy in the job anyway and were sometimes only too pleased to be transferred to another position.

I hear you saying - “easier said than done Alan” and you’re right. But the Motivational Manager needs to address these issues and ‘bite the bullet’ for the good of the team and the business.

2 Ways to Deal with Difficult Staff

2008-03-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Let me ask you a simple question; do you have any ‘difficult’ people on your team? One of the subjects managers ask me to speak about more than any other is: ‘How to Deal with Difficult Staff.’

As we all know; dealing with the good guys is no problem, it’s the difficult ones that give us the challenge.

You might disagree, but hear me out on this; in my experience as a manager, I found that there are very few really difficult staff. The people on your team don’t necessarily, think, look or act the way you do, but that doesn’t necessarily make them ‘difficult.’ It just makes them different!

The other day, I was listening to a teacher on television, talking about how he was unable to handle ‘difficult’ schoolchildren. After listening to him for awhile, it became apparent that the problem didn’t lie with the children, as he was trying to suggest; but more with the teacher. He just didn’t have good communication skills.

If you have a difficult team member, or even more than one, you may feel there’s not much you can do; however, stay with me.
Instead of concentrating on dealing with difficult staff; it is much more productive to stop them being difficult in the first place. Spend less time ‘fire fighting’ and more time on ‘fire prevention.’
If managers and supervisors can create the right working environment for their team, then they’re less likely to experience difficult staff.

Here are two ways to deal with difficult staff:

1. Spend some quality time.

I didn’t say ‘quantity time’ I said ‘quality time.’ One or two minutes of quality time on a regular basis are far more productive than a one hour review every year.
You need to get to know your individual team members better and they need to get to know you.

Build a relationship with each individual; you’ll gain a much better understanding of them and how they’re handling the job. It will also give the impression that you care about them and shows that you’re there to help with problems both business and personal.
Find out as much as you can about them, their background, where they’re from, families, pets, hobbies, sports and their views on the world.
Discover their philosophies and faiths; how they think and how they feel. Just think about it like any other relationship – what do you want to know about this person?

Now I’m not suggesting you sit around all day gazing into each others eyes or spend half the night talking to them on the phone. I’m suggesting you do this over time, and slowly but surely, build up your understanding of the Person.

Don’t get nervous; this isn’t prying!

You might also be thinking that your team members won’t want you to get to know them that well. Well let me reassure you – most of them will, if it’s done discretely.
Almost everyone wants to know that someone is genuinely and positively interested in them. They may not always give that impression by their demeanour but trust me – they want to know you care; they want acceptance from you.
If they know you care about them, then your relationship will be much more productive.

2. Concentrate on what they do well

Here’s another way to deal with a ‘difficult’ employee.

Try concentrating on what they do well and tell them about it. Spend less time with, and even ignore bad behaviour.
It’s not uncommon for managers to invest 90 per cent of their energy responding to negative performance and only 10 per cent strengthening positive performance. If you ‘reward’ good behaviour - you’ll get more of it. If you ‘reward’ bad behaviour – you’ll get more of it.

It’s also very easy for a manager or supervisor to fall into the trap of condemning one of their team as a no-hoper or a problem child.
It may turn out that this person shouldn’t be on your team, and you may need to help them find another position.

However as Abraham Lincoln once said about someone he had a problem with -
“I don’t think I like that man, I must get to know him better.”

Some food for thought; get to know each member of your team much better, concentrate on what they do well and you’re less likely to have difficult staff.

How to feel even more self-motivated

2008-02-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make; I, on occasion, have felt a little de-motivated. Yes, me, the ‘Motivation Doctor,’ feels a bit lacking in motivation from time to time, just like everybody else.

In last month’s Powerpoints we looked at how to develop your Brain and Body Energy to build self-motivation; so here’s another suggestion – Spend time with positive people.

Last Saturday I had lunch (well beer and chips) with five of my really good friends. They’re always interested in what I’m doing, really supportive and they really make me laugh! When I leave them, I feel much better and more motivated than I did before we met.

I like to think that I do the same for them, and that’s the secret to receiving support and motivation from others; you need to hand out some ‘Warm Glows’

So let me ask you; do you remember how you felt after your last interaction with another person either on the phone or face to face? That person – it could have been one of your customers, a colleague, a salesperson, a friend or even a member of your family. Did they make you feel good, uplifted and more positive? Did they leave you feeling neutral or, even worse, did they make you feel down and more negative?

Unfortunately, most of us have grown up in a negative culture where it’s much easier to tell people what they did wrong rather than praise them when they succeed. Research in the United States found that 65% of employees received no recognition for good work in the past year. Similar research in other countries of the world shows comparable results.

Other research has shown that the number one reason people leave their job, and customers take their business elsewhere, is that they don’t feel appreciated. (And if you think about it – many people leave their partners for the very same reason)

If customer’s leave an interaction with you or one of your team feeling better than they did before, then they’re much more likely to come back, recommend you to other people and spend more money with you.

If one of your team feels better after an interaction with you then they’re much more likely to pass that feeling onto a customer.

If a friend feels better and more motivated after spending time in your company, then they’re much more likely to return these feelings to you.

So, go ahead; give some positive and motivational comments to the other people in your life and you’ll have - a workplace that’s more productive and more fun - more happy customers – more friends – better relationships and a healthier, happier and longer life.
Remember – 'Hand out warm glows, not dampeners.'

2 sure-fire tips for self motivation

2008-01-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you a quick story. When I started my business in 1993, I faced all the challenges experienced by most new business start-ups. I also had to deal with the all the negative situations; the people who said – “The Speaking and Training business is a hard market to break into, it’s very competitive, you’re very brave!" There was also the rejection from potential customers and the people who’d let me down at the last minute.

I quickly realised that if I was going to be successful, there were two things that I really needed:

Lots of BRAIN ENERGY and lots of BODY ENERGY.

Sure-fire tip number 1 is – Build your Brain Energy.

Imagine that you’ve just been rejected for a bank loan, or you’ve just been turned down by a potential customer, or a publishing company has rejected the book that you’ve slaved over for the past couple of years.
If you react with – “Oh no, not again, I’m really fed up with this. These people are a real pain. They’re making a big mistake. What am I going to do now?”
This sort of reaction drains your brain of energy, adds to your stress levels and destroys your self motivation.

Reacting drains the brain – thinking less so.

Get the thinking part of your brain working and say to yourself – “I’ll make an appointment today with a better bank! I’ll phone the next potential customer on my list right now! The next publishing company will see the potential in my book!”

There are also many minor situations that happen every day that’ll drain the energy from your brain. If I receive a parking ticket, I pay the fine right away; get rid of it; forget it and move on. Moaning and complaining about it drains the brain and the fine still has to be paid.

Do not, and I repeat, do not say – “Oh no, what am I going to do now?” Every time you say – “Oh no” your brain has a huge drain of energy.

Build up your brain energy using lots positive self-talk.
Your level of success in terms of your happiness, emotional wellbeing and anything else you desire is a direct result of how you talk to yourself. The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one you have with yourself.
Listen to the self-talk that goes on in your head and ask yourself – “Is what I’m saying allowing me to be confident, on top and going for it?” If so – great!
“Or is it holding me back and stopping me achieve my goals?” If this is the case – STOP IT, change the program!
Think about the things you say to yourself and make every statement in the present tense.
Don’t say, for example – “I’m going to make a success of this business” or “I’m going to get organised,” or “I’m going to be much more confident.”
Say – “I am totally in control of my life. I am totally confident and positive. I’m achieving my goals. I have determination and drive.”
What you’re actually doing here is re-programming your subconscious. If you talk to yourself in a positive way, that’s what your subconscious will focus on and you’ll have lots of brain energy

Sure-fire tip number 2 is - Build your Body Energy

The body and the brain are linked together so when the brain drains of energy so does the body. However, the body also does a lot of running about, up and down off the seat and often takes a bit of a beating.
For it to work well, it needs to be in good condition in the first place. We all know by now that if we eat too much or eat the wrong things, smoke too much or drink too much alcohol, then our body is in danger of breaking down.
However, if you want more body energy, then you’re going to have to do some exercise. (Do I hear you saying - “I need the body energy before I can do the exercise!?”) You know as well as I, that if you take more exercise, you will have more energy.
Now I know you think you don’t have the time. You may also be the type that doesn’t want to go to the gym and lift heavy things or leap about in an aerobics class; however, you need to take some exercise that makes you sweat a little.
I’m sorry, but a round of golf doesn’t count, it isn’t the kind of exercise you need. Golf is great and it’s good for the stress but it doesn’t make you sweat.

If you’re going to walk then walk fast for a distance, enough to push up the heart rate and increase the breathing.
Again, get your internal program right and start to think how you can make your exercise enjoyable. I see some people at the health club making the whole business a real chore. They get on a bike or a rowing machine and try to kill themselves for twenty minutes. If that’s your thing then fine but please don’t make it a chore, plug into the sound system and catch up with what’s on TV.

If you’re really not into exercise then please make sure you have other activities outside of your workplace and make them fun. Too many people are going home and slumping in front of the TV - successful people don’t do that.

Make no mistake about it; if you look after the body and the brain; you’ll have lots of VROOM! (And that’s another word for self-motivation)

The One Thing You Need to Know about Team Motivation

2007-12-14T04:22:00.000-08:00

Let me ask you a simple question. Do you, as a manager, want a highly motivated team who don’t take time off work, who achieve their goals and objectives, and don’t stress you out in the process?
I’m sure the answer is - Yes! However, you’re no doubt asking how you’re supposed to achieve this ‘miracle.’

The one thing you need to know about team motivation is that – there’s no such thing! Okay, so the football manager ‘motivates’ the team by getting them together at half-time and ‘explaining’ how they’re about to lose the game unless they start to play a lot better. (This, of course, is the polite version)

However, the only way to build a highly motivated team is to concentrate on individual motivation and create an environment where the individual ‘motivates them self.’
Every member of your team is a complex and complicated human being and they all have different needs. Your job, as a Motivational Manager, is to find out what these needs are, and satisfy them.

There are 3 actions you can take

1. Spend some quality time with each team member - One or two minutes of quality time on a regular basis is far more productive than an appraisal once a year. You need to get to know the individual better and they need to get to know you. You’ll gain a much better understanding of them and how they’re handling the job. It will also send the message that you care about them and show that you’re there to help with problems, both personal and business.

2. Give feedback and coach them - You need to regularly tell each of your team members when they’re doing well and when not so well.
This is where so many employers and managers fall down in dealing with their people; they're hopeless at giving feedback! Many managers are uncomfortable telling staff how they feel about their work performance. Some managers still believe - "Why should I praise people when they're only doing what they're paid to do!"
However, most employees want to know how they are performing in their job; they want to know if they are doing it right or how they could do it better.
If you really want to motivate your team members then you need to ‘catch them doing something right’ and tell them about it. If, on the other hand, you hear or observe them doing something you’re not happy about, then you need to tell them what needs improved and coach them.
It’s important to tell the team member when they’re not performing. There are too many managers who either ignore poor behaviour or come down on the person like a ton of bricks. There are particular ways to give feedback and coach and they’re described in detail in my book – How to be a Motivational Manager.

3. Be a believer - You need to constantly demonstrate to the team member that you trust and believe in them, by what you say, your tone of voice and your body language.
They will very quickly sense if you don't trust them to carry out their job and they'll act accordingly.
If you believe that your people are not to be trusted to do their job; that they’ll turn up late and go home early, then that is exactly what they'll do.
On the other hand, if you believe that your people will do their job well, that they can be trusted to make decisions that are good for the business and that they'll give you a fair day's work, then it is more likely this is what you'll get.
As with all theories, there is no guarantee that this will work every time. However the majority of people in this world are reasonable people; if you treat them as such they're more likely to behave in a positive manner.

So there you have it; Motivational Managers know that to get the best out of their people they need to concentrate on the human interactions and make that emotional connection with each individual team member.

7 Ways to Motivate Customers

2007-12-14T04:17:00.000-08:00

When was the last time that you experienced exceptional customer service?
Every time I run a Customer Service Seminar I always ask the participants to think about a time when they experienced exceptional customer service, either face to face or on the telephone, and describe what made it exceptional. Inevitably, participants tell me about situations where the person providing the service was warm and friendly, a good listener, appeared to care about them as a customer and made them feel good.

Last week I was picking up some foodstuffs in a local supermarket. When I arrived at the check-out, the smiling Janice was there to scan my goods and help me pack them. In between all the scanning and packing, she asked me: “How are you today? Have you been on holiday?” She commented on what a lovely day it was and said: “Hope to see you again sometime.” I left the store feeling better than when I walked in.

What customers want can be divided into two areas. Firstly, they want your products or service to meet their needs and represent value for money.
However, even when your products or service meets the needs and expectations of your customers it doesn’t necessarily motivate them to return and spend more money – it takes more!

What really motivates customers are:

Warm and friendly responses: When customers meet you face to face or speak to you on the telephone; they want to feel that you're pleased to see them and happy to help them. For example - It's not so important what you say when you answer the telephone but more important how you say it.

They want to feel important: They know that you have lots of other customers and clients but they just love it when you make them seem special.
To be listened to: Listening is probably the most important skill to develop when dealing with customers. It has been said that people are either speaking or waiting to speak. In order to build rapport with customers it’s important to listen and show that you're listening. People like good listeners; listening gives you information and indicates to the customer that you’re interested in them and value what they say.

Someone to know their name: A persons name is one of the sweetest sounds they’ll ever hear. If you use a customers name when you talk to them, it indicates that you recognise them as an individual. Don’t use it too often as it can become irritating, but definitely at the start and the end of a conversation.

Flexibility: Customers hate to hear the word “No” or “It can’t be done.” It’s not always possible to say “Yes” to a customer or do exactly what they want; however, it is important to be as flexible as you can. Tell customers what you can do, not what you can’t.

Fast recovery when something goes wrong: When things go wrong, customers want you to solve their problems quickly. They don’t want to hear excuses or who’s to blame or why it happened, they just want it fixed fast.
Customers will often judge the quality of your service by the way you recover. They will even forgive your mistakes if you recover well.

They want to feel good: Overall, customers just want to feel good. They want to feel better after they’ve dealt with you or anyone in your business, than they did before. If you can create that feeling, then you’re well on the way to – giving customers what they REALLY want

So there you have it; 7 steps that will motivate customers to return, spend more money in your business and tell their friends.

The truth about personal impact

2007-11-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

When communicating with other people face to face - and particularly when you're trying to persuade them - the key ingredients are credibility and believability. Your credibility will be determined by the verbal, vocal and visual elements of your message. If the words you say aren't confirmed by your tone of voice and how you look, you won't be believed.

People will evaluate you (an average of 11 decisions, within the first six seconds) based primarily on non- verbal information. We all tend to make snap judgements about other people, and often make mistakes - we stereotype.
Don't fall into this trap when you meet other people, however, be aware - they will be making decisions about you.

Low self-esteem and self-image affect body language. People tend to make movements and display posture which indicates a lack of confidence. If you don't feel confident in a particular situation, act or pretend to be confident. Walk into a room as if you own the place.

Listen to the self-talk that goes on in your head and ask yourself - "Is what I'm saying allowing me to be confident, on top and going for it?" If so - great! "Or is it holding me back and stopping me achieve my goals?" If this is the case - STOP IT, change the program! By talking to yourself in a positive manner, you'll start to feel physically better and you'll look better. Words have an enormous power to create change in the chemistry of your body. Your heart rate, blood pressure, muscles, nerves and breathing will all react to the words you say to yourself and this will be evident to other people.

Put this to the test right away; for the next 7 days listen to what you say to yourself and if it's negative, change it to something more positive and you'll start to feel better, look better and have much more success.

3 reasons customers will buy from you

2007-11-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

There are a whole range of reasons why customers buy a product or service. They usually buy to solve either real or perceived problems. They want to move away from pain and towards pleasure. They want to feel better after having made the decision to buy a product or service than they did before. Customers will buy from you if you meet these criteria.
However there are other reasons they will buy from you rather than your competitors.

1. If they think you're an expert and a specialist
2. If they think you're product or service is better
3. If someone tells them to

Let's look at each of these in turn -

1. Customers want to know that you understand them and their business. It therefore makes a great deal of sense to specialise. Work in a niche and become known for it. For example: If a customer is in the hospitality industry and they know that you specialise in the supply of hygiene products to that industry; then you're more likely to receive a call from them. They know that if they raise a particular problem with you then you'll understand.

2. It makes sense to say that, people will come to you if they think your product or service is better that your competitors; so you've got to make sure they get that message. And it's not all about selling - customers will form an impression of your product or service by the image you project. I'm sure you've heard the saying - "you never get a second chance to make a good first impression." If you want to draw customers to your business rather than to your competitors then everything about it must make a good first impression. You - your business name - business cards - your people - vehicles - stationary - web site - leaflets and brochures - everything and anything about your business. I recently passed a delivery truck from a local bakery. It was the oldest, dirtiest vehicle I've seen in a long time. I don't thing I'll buy any of their pies.

3. Customers will come to you if someone else tells them to. That someone will be one of your unpaid sales- force who will say wonderful things about you and your business to other people. They may be someone who has met you, has been impressed with you and what you have to say. Or they may be an existing customer or client who has experienced your superb customer service. They might just be someone who has heard about how good your products and service really are.

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to grow your business; make sure it works for you.

2 Tips on Motivational Feedback

2007-10-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you’re like me, then you probably like to receive some positive feedback on what ever it is you do. I avidly read the feedback forms after a seminar or training workshop looking for those words of praise.

I was speaking with my friend Paddy the other day and he was showing me an email he’d received from his manager. Paddy works in sales and he’s had a really good June, July and August.

In the email his manager was congratulating him on a job well done; heaping praise on the fact that Paddy consistently achieved his target. However, after all this praise and congratulation, the email finished with these lines – “I’m concerned however, about your recent performance and your ability to achieve your target in September. You’re going to have to put in more effort if you want to continue your success next month.

This manager probably thought that this would motivate Paddy to achieve his target in September however; these words left him totally deflated. The congratulation was outweighed by the warning at the end of the email.

So here’s tip number 1 - If you’re giving some positive feedback to a member of your team or another person, I strongly suggest that you DO ONLY THAT!

And tip number 2 - Tell the person how well they’ve done using descriptive language. It’s best to minimise the ‘well done’ and the ‘congratulations’ and describe to the person exactly what it is that they did well. Too much ‘well done’ can come across as patronising.

Say something along the lines of – “Thank you Paddy for the extra work you put in to achieve your target. I’m particularly pleased that you achieved this without giving away too much discount. Your efforts have increased the team’s performance by 12 percent and I appreciate that.”

Never, never, never, finish on a negative. If you have concerns about some aspect of an individual’s performance, leave it for another time.

And just in case you’re wondering, Paddy did achieve his target in September; however he’s looking for another job where he’ll feel more appreciated.

Motivational Managers treat their team the way they expect to be treated

2007-09-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a quick story. A branch manager friend of mine, Jennie, was telling me about a recent meeting she had with her boss. After discussing some day to day issues he said, “Jennie, I have some good news; I’m sending you on another weekend team building event.”

Jennie’s heart sunk, she remembered the previous event where they spent the day swinging thorough the trees, falling in the mud, building rope bridges and generally getting wet through. Jennie isn’t particularly athletic and the aforementioned activities don’t exactly fill her with joy. She also has a husband and young children and she regards her weekends spent with them as very important.
Jennie is a very bright outgoing person however she isn’t keen to do much socialising with her work colleagues. She doesn’t attend social events or the Christmas night out.

She is however a very successful manager. Her team consistently hit their target and her branch is the most successful in the company. She runs a ‘tight ship,’ has a happy team with little absenteeism and is generally regarded as a first class manager.

Her boss believes that weekend team building events are good for morale, team spirit and very motivational. In Jennie’s case, it’s exactly the opposite; it’s totally de-motivational.

The Motivational Manager gets to know each individual member of their team. They are sensitive to how they see things and they know that they think differently than they do.

We all see the world in a different way based on our culture and how we were brought up. It’s very important to understand this, particularly when you give your people feedback, be it good or bad.

Last year I spent several weeks in a particular hotel running seminars and I started to get to know some of the staff. One day I noticed that Carol the conference manager had been named employee of the month and her photograph was displayed in the reception area. When I congratulated her on this honour, I was a bit surprised at her reaction - “I hate it, I’m so embarrassed,” she complained.

Carol didn’t like the attention she was getting and as a result, this recognition by her manager didn’t motivate her. Another member of the team could possibly see this completely differently and regard it as a great honour.

If you have good rapport with your people then you become sensitive to how they see things. The Motivational Manger understands each member of their team and doesn’t reward everyone in the same way.

I’ve often heard managers say - “I treat people the way I expect to be treated.”

The Motivational Manager says -
“I treat people the way THEY expect to be treated.”

Don’t be nervous if you’re nervous.

2007-09-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you did some public speaking? Perhaps it was a presentation to a client or your colleagues, or an event in your personal live. Did you feel nervous?
It sometimes surprises people when I tell them I get slightly nervous before a speaking or training event. They seem to think that because I’ve been doing it for years, nervousness would no longer be an issue.

Public speaking is still one of our greatest fears; it turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our internal plumbing to act up and turns our knees to jelly.

However, ‘nerves’ is a normal human emotion and as I often say, “I’d be nervous if I wasn’t nervous!” It’s how you handle the nerves that will determine your success as a speaker.

The great actress Sarah Bernhardt once asked a young actress whether or not she suffered from nerves before she appeared on stage. “Oh no, Madame,” the young actress replied. “Well” Sarah Bernhardt said, “Don’t worry; it will come, along with talent.”

Nervousness is vital, you need nerves. Nerves release a cocktail of chemicals into your blood stream, one of which is adrenaline. This in turn releases glucose into the blood stream. This gives you more energy and your mind becomes sharper.
The thing is, not to overdose on these stress chemicals or you’ll start to shake like a jelly and overheat. You need to work off some of these chemicals.
Murray Walker the ex motor racing commentator used to run on the spot as fast as he could just before he went on air. You could try that or run up and down the stairs. Wave your arms about like a lunatic and get lots of oxygen into your system. Obviously it’s better to do this when no one is looking!!

Speak to as many members of the audience as you can before you stand up to speak. This tricks your brain into thinking you’re talking to lots of your friends.
Speak louder than you’d normally do, that helps the nerves as well. It also keeps the people in the front row awake and makes sure the people at the back get the message.

Have a glass of water handy for that dry mouth. Don’t be afraid to stop and have a drink, it makes you look really professional. However, one word of warning; do not drink alcohol. It might give you Dutch courage but your audience will end up thinking you’re speaking Dutch!

If you’re into creative visualisation, then that’s also a great way to handle the nerves. Spend some time before the event visualising yourself being really successful. And what ever you do, have lots of positive self talk with yourself.

Believe me; once you start to apply this, the butterflies in your stomach will all be flying in formation.

Only make promises you can deliver

2007-08-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever visited Disney World or Disney Land and stood in line for some of the attractions? In the UK we call it queuing and we’re particularly good at it. We wait patiently, we don’t complain and we certainly wouldn’t think of cutting in. Some people will even join a queue even though they don’t know what it’s for. (You may note a hint of sarcasm here) However some people and certain nationalities don’t like to stand in line or queue at all.

I read recently that a woman in Florida had been charged with beating and kicking another woman she said cut in line at a Walt Disney World attraction!

Perhaps she didn’t need to get so worked up because the lines at Disney may not be as long or as time consuming as you think. Apparently the lines are engineered to go faster than the signs say. The signs are designed to say that a line will take15 minutes longer than it does. It’s a case of ‘under promise and over deliver’

When you’re dealing with a customer, particularly an unhappy one, or a member of your team; you may be tempted to make promises you can’t deliver. You may say things like: “I’ll phone you back in 5 minutes” or “I’ll post that to you today” or “I’ll get this sorted this afternoon and phone you back.” It would be far better to say: “I’ll get this sorted by tomorrow midday.” Then phone them back that afternoon or early the next morning and they’ll think you’re great.

Just some food for thought; before you make a promise to a customer or one of your team, stop for a second and think before you speak. Customers and your team will hold you in high regard if you ‘under promise and over deliver.’

How to run Motivational Manager meetings

2007-08-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

How many times have you phoned someone to be told, “They’re in a meeting!”

At least 60 per cent of manager’s time is spent in meetings. Research in one large organisation discovered that the figure could be as high as 90 per cent. And another survey found that many managers consider meetings they attend to be a waste of time.
In fact, some managers say that – “meetings take minutes but waste hours.”
If you are a manager or a team leader then you will have to hold meetings; so here are 4 steps to make them motivational:

Don’t hold a meeting unless you really have to. Be really, really sure that the meeting is needed and that it has a clear objective. By the end of the meeting, however long it takes, the shorter the better; you have to be sure that you’ve achieved that objective.

Start the meeting on time; don’t wait for anyone and don’t go over what’s been discussed for latecomers. Of course, you really shouldn’t have latecomers and if you do, speak to them individually after the meeting and sort it out.

Have a structured agenda showing start time, breaks and finish time. Don’t schedule meetings to start on the hour; say 1.20 rather 1 o’clock. And if it’s a half day meeting, start in the afternoon rather than the morning; people will keep moving if they think they will be late leaving work. Ruthlessly stick to that agenda, don’t allow people to ramble or talk about things not on the agenda. If you want to have chit-chat time – put it on the agenda! Keep people moving and even get them out the door before the finish time on the agenda.

Make meetings fun; supply snacks, drinks, fruit and chocolate. Start the meeting with a fun energiser game or a quiz. Let one of the team chair the meeting occasionally (as long as they control the agenda). Allow people to have a laugh; create energy and enthusiasm.

So there you have it; Motivational managers run structured meetings with clear objectives where people have fun and resultantly contribute and get things done.

A New Venture

2007-08-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

This is a new venture; I've produced a blog before but didn't keep it up. Let's see if we can make this one work.