Friday, May 29, 2009

Why barista training won't work....(part 1)

Part 1 of: Barista training just won't cut it.....

To me, it’s ironic that the world of 'strategic sales training' has stayed pretty much the same over the last fifteen years, but for most companies; the selling environment has changed dramatically.
Consequently, salespeople have to work harder to penetrate new accounts, while prospective customers are working even harder to keep salespeople at bay.

Don’t blame the customer. In the past decade, downsizing, economy woes, and acquisitions have burdened corporate decision-makers with greater responsibility, oftentimes without the benefit of additional resources. Meanwhile, workloads continue to increase, competitors are getting hungrier, and the overall pace of business has quickened. Even if they wanted to, customers simply cannot afford to spend time with every salesperson that comes-calling.

So what is going to happen?

Well, less than half of today’s business-to-business sales professionals have ever weathered a true economic downturn. These folks learned how to sell when things were good. We've had a decade in which it was one of the longest business expansions in U.S. history. Hey, it’s not that hard to hit quota with double digit market returns and huge growth in the number of new jobs. But what should you do when the economy starts to tap the brakes? How about now...? ..When you actually need to find business and it doesn't walk through your front door?

In today’s business environment, teaching salespeople to be just like “everyone else” puts them at a competitive disadvantage.

The fundamentals in selling have remained the same. Salespeople must uncover needs before they can provide solutions, the product or service being offered must be cost justifiable, and the salesperson with the best relationship has the greatest chance of winning the business. People still do buy from people. But the paradigms of the strategic sale have shifted significantly and differentiation is now the key.

A person that was trained to be a barista...is an order taker that has limited skills in today's market. What the hell is a barista anyway?

The term barista, the Italian word for "bartender" - masculine or feminine; plural: baristi (masculine) or bariste (feminine) has been used in English to denote a maker of espresso based beverages. Its journey into English has been accompanied by a slight shift in meaning. When using the term in English, a barista denotes one who has acquired some level of expertise in the preparation of espresso-based coffee drinks. "Barista" in Italy is the bartender, who prepares both alcoholic drinks and espresso coffee beverages.

In its most basic form, a barista by definition is one who prepares espresso coffee beverages. Someone that takes an order and then fills the order. Ask a barista what they do for a living...and some might say 'they sell coffee.' But come on...do they?

Face it. Office 'interior solutions' are successfully designed and coordinated by professional office furniture personnel...especially the ones that have over 20 years of experience. Take your pick...a professional?....or an order taker?


...more to come....

Sunday, May 24, 2009

a perfect day...

Ever since I was a young boy, I have wondered why on earth an older couple would want to stay in their manicured yard..and relax. I used to see 'older' people actually enjoying themselves in dialogue...in their yard.

How could this be I wondered? Why are they not out hiking or camping I thought? I wanted to scream at them over the fence..."get out and enjoy life"...wow...how boring I thought.

With the weather so perfect in Portland this Memorial week-end, I am sure that several hundred..if not thousands of people are flocking to find a piece of property to pitch and tent...and sleep on the ground.

But something special happened this weekend...I realized that "I" am that older person I saw when I was a young boy...my wife and I are that 'older couple' that enjoys listening to our huge water-feature pond, feeding the ravenous appetites of the Goldfinches, and more importantly I am not "afraid" of who I am (and have become)...I am at peace with myself! Finally!

We have worked for 15 years to get the look we have now... (we have worked longer on this yard than the number of years I was alive when I used to see old people in their yards). Well, I love my yard for the way it bombards my senses and shields me from the rat race. When I look out a window, walk out a door, or drive up in my car, I'm blinded by my own smile. After one of Portland's toughest white winters I can't get enough of its myriad shades of green and the songs of all the various birds.

The scent when I mow the grass ... wow, that fresh green fragrance ... there's no smell that brings back more Saturday morning memories than a freshly mowed lawn. The sound of the water splashing in our pond near the back patio, and the twittering of birds in the feeders in our 'bird garden' connects me to the natural world in a way that completely drowns out all other ‘stressful’ things in my life.

And to sit on the patio at the end of the day with a cool beverage, and feel the garden air play over my face, with the fragrance, and the splashing and twittering, and the scent of grass now mingled with the aroma of a perfect t-bone on the grill ... well, put it all together and it's the ultimate escape. What I did not know as that young boy (many moons ago)..is that "I deserve to sit on my ass after working all these years."

I love my yard...I love my wife....and I am not afraid to say...”I love my life."

Friday, May 22, 2009

Opening weekend: backyard barbecue!

Opening weekend: backyard barbecue. Get out the steel wool. Scrub down the grill rack, the barbecue tools. Strike up the charcoal. Add hot dogs, burgers. Bring on a big bowl of classic potato salad. Cover the table with a checkered cloth, stack up the paper napkins. It’s the first cookout of the season! Keep it simple, pure, traditional.

The key to delicious results is building the bold flavor before, during, and after barbecuing. For example, if you want your rib eye steak to have a blackened exterior and a rare interior, you need a good rub on your steak, a hot fire in proximity to your meat, and a short cooking time.

Ahhhh....Memorial Day Weekend is upon us! For many, it's three days of fun in the sun and welcoming summer. It's great to enjoy yourselves, but keep in mind that Memorial Day is also about remembering soldiers that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Memorial Day is a holiday set aside to remember soldiers who have lost their lives, although many people also take the opportunity to remember all loved ones who have passed away. The holiday began after the American Civil War. During the war, about 500,000 soldiers were killed on both sides of the battle, and women began decorating graves of these lost soldiers.

Although many cities created local holidays to memorialize the dead between 1864 and 1866, the first widespread celebration of the holiday was on May 30, 1868. A general ordered that flowers and decorations be placed at the graves of fallen soldiers. Special services and tributes were also created to honor the dead. The general asked the press to support the effort.

Originally, Memorial Day was called Decoration Day, and most cities passed their own resolutions making it an official holiday, usually on May 30 or 31. In 1938, congress made Memorial Day a national holiday on May 30. The date was adjusted by congress in 1968 so that it would fall on the last Monday in May.

After World War I, many women began selling poppies in honor of Memorial Day, to raise money for families affected by the war. The poppies were inspired by Canadian Colonel John McCrae's poem, "In Flanders Fields." Today, honoring soldiers on Memorial Day often takes the form of special ceremonies, speeches, and laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

John McCrae was a Canadian physician. He fought at the Western Front in 1914, but was later moved to the medical corps and assigned to a hospital in France. He died of pneumonia while on active duty in 1918. His "In Flanders Fields" is probably the single best-known and popular poem from the war, published in his volume of poetry, In Flanders Fields and Other Poems, 1919.


In Flanders Fields


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.


We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)


As I enjoy this time set-aside for remembrance, I want to say thank you to all the men and women that have given me the 'right' to enjoy this weekend. Thank you for your sacrifices...PLEASE OBAMA...bring our troops home soon!!

Monday, May 18, 2009

A good offense...wins!

What if you could change destiny? Would you really want to?

Along our journey we will be confronted with many situations, some will be filled with joy, and some will be filled with heartache. How we react to what we are faced will determine what kind of outcome the rest of our journey through life will be like.

When things don't always go your way, you have two choices in dealing with the situations. You can focus on the fact that things didn't go how you had hoped they would and let life pass you by or we can make the best of the situation and know that these are only temporary setbacks and "study" the lessons that are to be learned.

Time stops for no one, and if we allow ourselves to focus on the negative we might miss out on some really amazing things that life has to offer. You can't go back to the past, you can only take the lessons learned and the experiences gained from it and move on. It is because of the heartaches, as well as the hardships, that in the end help to make you a stronger person.

The people that we meet on our journey, are people that we are destined to meet. Everybody comes into our lives for some reason or another and we don't always know their purpose, until sometimes, it is too late. They all play some kind of role. Some may stay for a lifetime; others may only stay for a short while. Several years ago, at an awards banquet an employee of mine was being honored in front of all 17 offices nationwide. My wife and I were absolutely 'stunned' when he accepted the award...and said without reservation..."I would like to thank Tracy Hall for hiring me."

As you can imagine I was shocked...but the words that came from my wife were true..."you never know how you will impact someone's life."

It is often the people who stay for only a short time that ends up making a lasting impression not only in our lives, but in our hearts as well. Although we may not realize it at the time, they will make a difference and change our lives in a way we never could imagine. To think that (any) one person can have such a profound effect on your life forever is truly a blessing. It is because of these encounters that we learn some of life's best lessons and sometimes we even learn a little bit about ourselves.

People will come and go into our lives quickly, but sometimes we are lucky to meet that one or two very special people that will stay in our hearts forever no matter what. The lessons that we have learned from them and the experiences that we have gained from meeting certain people, will stay with us forever.

It is often said that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. It all depends on how one defines the word "strong." It can have different meanings to different people. In this sense, "stronger" means looking back at the person you were and comparing it to the person you have become today.

It also means looking deep into your soul and realizing that the person you are today couldn't exist if it weren't for the things that have happened in the past or for the people that you have met. Everything that happens in our life happens for a reason and sometimes that means we must face heartaches in order to experience joy.

It is “you” that decides if you are winning in life….or not. You decide if you want to make a difference in someone's life.

Friday, May 15, 2009

a simple breakfast!....

With the winter that we had this year...it is now time to celebrate the 'true meaning' of spring. This morning I had breakfast with a visionary in my industry that gave me hope that 'I am on the right path' in my thinking about customer service. He and his wife were open, honest, and easy to talk to.

I am again excited about the future which (at times) depending on who or what you listen to....is as though the 'sky is ALWAYS falling.' This team provided 'just enough' information to keep me wanting to know more about them and I look forward to our dialogue again someday. Sometimes it makes sense to 'bounce' ideas off another person...just to make sure you are on the right track....and you know what? I am!

I am extremely good at what I do and now....after all these years...I am finally beginning to believe it myself. No matter what business you are in....every business is a "people business." Whether you are dealing with internal or external customers...being able to deal with people is the key! I tell everyone that they're in the people business, and passion makes the biggest difference. If you're going to have an impact on somebody's life, you have to be excited about what you do.

Try this…before your next shift; ask yourself how passionate you are about your work. Does it show? Get honest assessments about your level of desire from coworkers or your spouse. Many employees let life and its circumstances get them off track. If this has happened to you, think back to when you started. Remember the lives you touched, the people who will never forget you, and try to recapture your passion.

You should also associate with people who have a passion for people. It sounds corny, but birds of a feather really do flock together. If you've lost some of your fire, get around people who haven't, because passion is contagious.

The second thing you must do is control your attitude. Attitude is more important than education, appearance, skill or talent. It can make or break personal relationships, business organizations, and teams of all sorts. The good news is that you have a choice every day regarding the attitude you wear. You may not have control over things around you, but you can control how you respond to them. Focus on the way you interact with people and attend to their needs. You must consciously decide to not let external factors affect your attitude, because doing so impedes your ability to give your customers your best.

And....positively interacting with people and building successful relationships requires effective communication. This goes far beyond the verbal. You have to interpret mental states and discern true meanings behind words. You must learn to communicate at the emotional level. This involves eye contact, tone of voice, body language and facial expressions listening with your eyes as well as your ears.

The final way to improve the quality of life of those you interact with is sharing your sense of humor. Of course making jokes during emergency situations is improper. But in many instances, when appropriate, a moment of laughter can give any stressed-out person a change of perspective. It can break the ice and put you on the fast track to building a relationship.

And I certainly hope that I built a relationship with the two I had breakfast with this morning...sometimes...a simple breakfast meeting can put you on the right path to your personal success!

Friday, May 8, 2009

How work invades your personal life

There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days (not to mention the time preparing for work …and the commute). The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Here's why:

Global economy: As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs. Eight- to nine-hour days easily become ten....and your boss "loves it." This economy has actually shown the "weakness" in the American leadership....especially in little 'family-owned' companies....most employers think they have you by the balls (where will they go in this poor economy?)

Advanced communication technology: Many people now have the ability to work anywhere — from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this. This is why "instant email" is so popular....when can you actually get away?

Longer hours: Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they're scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations. This is especially true since so many employees “pick-up the additional work” from the employees recently laid-off.

Changes in family roles: Today's married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.

Balance doesn't mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle. I did! Get your hands dirty.