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

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

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

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

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

1. Spend quality time with each individual
2. Give feedback and coach them
3. 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:

1. Because it’s such a difficult job
2. Nobody shows you what to do, or gives you the right training
3. The media and our culture send the wrong message
4. 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.