Professional Selling

One of the primary roles of any CEO is to be a salesperson for the company ... perhaps to be THE primary salesperson for the company. You want your team to believe in your company probably even more than you want any individual potential client to believe, because if your people are "sold" on the virtues of your company, products and services then selling clients will be much easier.

As a CEO who came from a sales background I should have a "leg up" on that aspect of the job ... but no matter how good a salesperson you might be, or might have been, you can never become complacent. I believe that it is critical to always be upgrading your skills, practicing your trade and "sharpening the saw" as Steven Covey suggested in his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

One of the things I do is to subscribe to the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) and along with that membership comes a regular newsletter with great articles and leading edge thinking. I have referenced this organization many times in previous blogs ... in January 2008 I gave some reasons for joining CPSA and referenced an article about 6 trends sales people should be aware of. In march this year I blogged about the CPSA magazine and an article about 12 Golden Principles of Selling. In July 2007 I referenced an article about some common sales mistakes, again an informative article from CPSA.

If you are in sales ... and certainly I believe EVERY senior executive should consider themselves to be a salesperson representing their company ... the CPSA is a great resource.

One of the other things I do is to bring in sales expertise to work with our company. We have had several people over the years who have brought fresh ideas and new approaches to the team. I fully participate in this training (a) to ensure that what is taught is consistent with our company culture also, (b) to ensure that I know what my team knows and (c) for me to learn new "stuff" ... because if you are in a leadership role and stop learning new things, then you should consider giving up your role.

In addition to the CPSA resource and our own internal sales training programs I also read many business books, typically through the Executive Book Summaries resource ... which I have spoken about often. Books such as Exceptional Selling by Jeff Thull, Bag the Elephant by Steve Kaplan and Customer Centric Selling by John Holland and Michael Bosworth all help me to keep looking at how I can be a better sales person.

Selling is the life blood of any company. If you don't sell your product or service then in all likelihood you are a "not for profit", a government agency ... OR out of business. The sales profession has a chequered history, not always covering itself in glory, but a professional sales team can make every difference.

If you sell then continue to invest in yourself ... join professional sales organizations, get training, get certified in sales (CPSA have a Certified Sales professional designation), read and continue to learn. Do whatever you can to be a professional!

Do Something Different!

Its Friday, the weekend is here and for most of us it is a time to recharge the batteries, spend time with friends and family and forget about work for a little while.

Do you make the most of your "down" time?

When is the last time you actually put some thought into what you could/should do with that time?

Maybe you could do that this weekend.

Are you in a rut? Do you do the same things every weekend out of habit?

What else could you do with your time?

Could you start an exercise program, start to read a book, learn to dance, enjoy nature, get the bike out, visit someone you haven't seen for a while ... just do something a little different!

Try it ... it doesn't have to be radical, but it can be quite refreshing to try something new.

Go to a museum, be a tourist in your own city, be a volunteer ... or just have a "movie marathon".

You might find a new hobby or discover that you have been missing out on something

You only live once ... don't stay in that rut!

Reinventing the Wheel

How many times have you struggled through a project … whether at work or at home … learned some lessons the hard way, and then moved on to the next “project’?

It never ceases to amaze me how often we do that in business and at home, we end up making the same mistakes, and learning the same lessons over again.

So … whenever I am faced with a new “project” the first thing I like to do is think about how we can capture the “lessons learned”, and develop a standard “framework” that can be used for similar projects going forward.

The first and probably most critical step is to find “experience” elsewhere … who has done this before and what lessons have they learned? Better still do they have a framework that we can use? The elements of this are very familiar to anyone in the project management world … but as I have mentioned previously even those people don’t necessarily learn and capture their lessons in a structured manner. Witness my experience with our new condo that I wrote about recently.

I firmly believe that technology could be a great aid for this type of approach … but it is not absolutely necessary. What IS necessary is:

1. a standard set of Tasks
2. the actions required to complete each Task.
3. a timeline that shows what needs to be done before other tasks and what can be done concurrently. (critical path)
4. the resources (how many and what skill sets) to complete each task.
5. the types of barriers encountered and how they were overcome (lessons learned or frequently asked questions)
6. A set of contacts who could be useful as advisers through the project
7. A set of resources that would be useful … eg where to find “stuff”
8. A description of the best approach (subjective) to ensure the project gets off on the right foot.

If this is captured electronically then it is easier to modify, update, share etc. If project management software is used it allows for the diagramming and modification of critical paths quickly … however some knowledge of the software and project management is required.

This approach can be applied to any situation that might be replicated. Eg. building something physical, writing a report, planning a trip, developing a business plan, a home renovation project, learning a new language … just about anything. Each can have its own methodology so that you get it right every time!

I think your goal in starting any new venture should be to NOT reinvent the wheel. No matter how clever you are you can always learn from those who have been there before you. Worst case you learn what not to do … best case you inherit best practices that will save you time energy and grief!

Anonymity

You have to love the internet ... it provides us with information about almost anything you could want. If in doubt "Google it"!

Here in "blogosphere" we also have the ability to voice opinions and I guess some bloggers will create an appearance on anonymity when they make their opinions public ... which, it appears, can occasionally backfire.

The latest case making the rounds was the Canadian fashion model Liskula Cohen, who was apparently accused of being a "skank" and a "ho" by an anonymous blogger.

Ms Cohen took exception (and who could blame her), sued Google to reveal the name of the blogger and won her case. I happen to think that was the right answer ... but of course everyone is entitled to their opinion (I just air my opinions in the open).

Google revealed that the blogger was Rosemary Port, a 29 year old student of Fashion ... I guess I could make a comment about why she might still be a student at 29, but I might invite a lawsuit.

Ms Port took exception to the fact that Google complied with a court order and revealed her name ... and now people know it was her who said all the nasty stuff! How fair is that? Not good at all according to Rosemary, who is suing Google for $15 million!

I suppose if you are a 29 year old student then $15 million might seem like a good amount to set yourself up for life.

I suppose that if a lawyer is willing to take the case on for a piece of the action you have nothing to lose.

However what a total waste of court time, of the energy of Google's lawyers, of everybody involved. If you call people names and get "outted" too bad. I don't expect anyone tied her fingers to the keyboard (not sure how you would do that) and made her type that stuff. Get over it!

So ... if you want to post an anonymous comment about this entry feel free. I won't get a court order to find out who you are :-)

However if you want to start a blog and call people names then you probably should just do it in the open ... or think again and not do it at all.

The Sony EReader .. very cool!

This isn't a book review ... but it is a "book reader" review! I will state up front I am not being paid for this!

I recently bought a Sony Ereader ... I have to admit that I was the second person in our house to own one, my wife bought hers a couple of days before me. We researched what was available and the major competition (Amazon's Kindle) is not available in Canada, however its proprietary nature means we would likely have settled on the Sony anyway.

I like to read ... typically I choose to read novels, but I also end up reading a fair bit of business literature too. Since buying this ereader my book consumption has increased a lot ... a good thing!

I subscribe to Executive Book Summaries and every month receive another two or three 8-page book summaries, but sometimes it can be months before I actually play "catch up" with those. Thus I can end up with a file full of paper in my briefcase that invariably gets carried around with me from city to city. Not any more ... I just load them on the EReader.

My modus operandi for reading novels was to read a bit each night before bed, and it might take me quite a while to get through a book. When on vacation I would read a couple or three books in a week.

The convenience of the ereader has me reading a lot more ... if I have a few minutes of down time in the evening I am reading again. In the time I have had the device I have read two novels, in just a couple of weeks. Which is a big increase in my reading again.

It can hold 150 books which means there are always plenty available to read, no more running out of reading material while on vacation in a foreign country or while on a several hour flight!

I thought I would miss the familiarity of reading an actual book, but not at all! The ereader is compact and easy to hold/read. In fact I find it easier than a substantial novel when reading in bed!

I wondered if the print would be easy to read ... it has 3 different sizes of print and I was even able to read while exercising this morning ... something I usually can't do!

I was curious about the battery life and how is it charged ... a charge can last up to a week and it is a standard USB connection to your computer.

So I am very pleased with this purchase ... this is a thumbs up for the Sony Ereader.

Check them out!

More About Diversity from an Englishman!

I have written about the subject of diversity a few times now ... back in February I blogged a little about the regular updates we get from our HR department explaining different "special days" and their importance to different cultures.

The last couple of months I have been struck by a fairly common theme for these special days. If you think about 4th of July as a celebration of Independence from England for the United States it apparently sets the theme for a couple of months!

August sees a few special celebrations of independence ... from England!

Pakistan's Independence Day is observed on August 14 also known as Yaum-e-Azadi. It was on this day in 1947, that Pakistan became independent from British rule, also known as the British Raj. The day is a national holiday in Pakistan. To celebrate this day, flag hoisting ceremonies, tributes to the national heroes, fireworks and cultural programs take place in the provincial capitals. Families and friends get together for lunch or dinner, or for an outing.

India's Independence Day is celebrated on August 15 to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on this day in 1947. The day is a national holiday in India. In India's capital, New Delhi, a colourful pageant showcasing India's cultural diversity, symbolic depictions of the country's advances in science and technology, and a joint display of India's military capabilities by the armed forces are an essential part of the Independence Day celebrations.

Celebration of Independence Day in Afghanistan takes place on August 19th. Afghanistan was an ancient focal point of the Silk Road and migration. It has an important geostrategic location, connecting South and Central Asia and Middle East. Because of this, the land has been a target of various invaders and conquerors, as well as a source from which local powers invaded surrounding regions to form their own empires. On August 19, 1919, following the third Anglo-Afghan war, the country regained full independence from the United Kingdom over its foreign affairs.

Now I was born in England so what am I to think here?

Should I be embarrassed that we were a colonial power that conquered countries and kept them "under the thumb" so to speak.

Should I rally for a new move to repatriate these colonies back where they belong? :-)

All joking aside reading about these celebrations reminds me about just how fast our world changes and that a celebration of diversity is a good thing. People will strive to create their own cultures as long as there are humans.

Today the Afghan people are at the polls, 90 years after winning independence from Britain. Let's hope they can soon reach a state where our soldiers are no longer needed to assure their right to peaceful self government!

Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own!

I was looking for inspiration for today's blog entry and my ipod came to the rescue when the U2 song Sometimes You Can't make it on Your Own started playing. Bono probably didn't envisage a business perspective to his lyrics but the sentiment can actually apply to many situations.

One of the interesting things for business leaders is that they often don't have anyone to talk with about the issues they face. They cannot share their fears and concerns openly with their employees, because they need to project the positive messages and be the cheerleader rallying the team. It can even be difficult with their fellow executives because often decisions made and courses chosen will affect those individuals too.

There are however options for those business leaders willing to reach out for help. There are "peer" groups such as President's Clubs, and I have belonged to several over the years. They can employ coaches and external advisers, and they can have a board of directors to go to for advice.

Business leader or not there can be times when all of us need some help. I don't care how independent or self-sufficient you are as an individual there are times in your life when you need an ear to listen, a hand to help or just a friend. So, Bono is right ... sometimes you just can't make it on your own.

It really is not a good thing to wait until such times arrive before you start to develop networks. You need to have a plan. For some people its easy, they have lots of relatives close by, they maintain contact with their old school friends and they always seem to have people around that are supportive.

Other people don't have those networks. I was born in Liverpool and can barely remember the names of people I went to school with, never mind keep in contact. I emigrated to Canada alone and my family are all back in the UK.

So ... how strong are your support networks?
Who do you turn to when you need help?
Do you have close friends ... or do you have social acquaintances?
When you have tough life decisions to make who will help?
We all need friends, but are you making the necessary investment in those relationships? Are you willing to "be there" for your friends?

Life is about give and take ... if you are not prepared to give, then you can't reasonably expect to take. Whether it is advice, comfort, support or just companionship you need to invest in relationships.

How will you fare when you need that friend?

What makes you smile?

Almost three years ago i wrote a blog entry called Smile ... its contagious. In this last year there have been plenty of reasons NOT to smile ... the economy has been dire around the globe, we have seen major shifts in weather patterns and the onset of yet another potential pandemic, swine flu.

The hectic pace of the 21st century means that we are all working harder, under more pressure and just a little more serious than we used to be!

Of course these are the very reasons why we NEED to find reasons to smile! Three years ago I suggested that the world would be a better place if we all just smiled more ... and that is still true.

One of my favorite sayings is Walk Fast and Smile ... which suggests that the most important things we can focus on are energy/drive and attitude!

So ... if you buy into my theory, then you need to find reasons to smile. Here are just a few of the MANY things that make me smile ... maybe you can add your own list:

1. A puppy or kitten playing.
2. A cute child.
3. An unsolicited smile from a stranger.
4. A bright sunny day.
5. Riding my motorbike.
6. A great workout.
7. Success ... when a plan comes together.
8. Seeing others succeed when they have EARNED it!
9. Nice memories.
10. My family.

I could probably go on and on ... spectacular scenery, a glimpse of nature, music, a good book and so many more things can make me smile.

I smile a lot, and I try to appreciate ALL of the things that make me smile. If you can find more reasons to smile it will make you feel happier ... try it!

The Recession and Your Health

The Canadian Medical Association says that 25% of Canadians are adversely affected in how they take care of their health, due to the economy. “The economic crisis is having an influence on the health of many people. This is something we were not expecting,” said outgoing CMA president Dr. Robert Ouellet.

I am surprised that THEY are surprised!

As of last month there were more than 1.5 million people unemployed in Canada! These are people without a salary … but they are also without benefits packages.

The people who still have jobs are worried (a) that they might get laid off; (b) that their company might not make it through the recession and (c) that even if they are not laid off they might be asked to take a pay cut.

If you have a business then you have seen the decimation first hand, have perhaps had to lay people off, find ways to cut costs, renegotiate contracts with clients and suppliers. You may even have lost your company, entered bankruptcy, lost all of your worldly assets under a debt load too great to carry.

Every second article in the newspaper for the last year has harped on about the recession, the job losses, the coming job losses, the worldwide issues and how long it will take to recover.

Why would any of this affect how people take care of themselves? Here are a few:

1. If you are worried about money you will cut back on non-essentials … visits to the dentist, new glasses, vitamins, elective surgeries will all suffer.
2. If you have increased stress then it will affect your health. Who has NOT had increased stress?
3. For many people their reaction to stress is to (a) eat more (bad stuff); (b) spend more time worrying; (c) spend less time exercising.
4. People will have foregone vacations … because they can’t afford them, but the positive affects of vacations are then lost too, adding to the impact on health.

The impact of this recession will continue to be felt economically for some time yet, but at the human level I think that even the most resilient of us will need to be very diligent in finding a way to recharge the batteries and get our health back in order!

Three years ago I wrote a series of blog entries about health and fitness for executives. There is something here for everyone … check them out, maybe these could help in that “post recession” road to health recovery!

The Healthy Executive

The Healthy Executive - part 2 - Diet

The Healthy Executive - Part 3 - Exercise

The Healthy Executive - Part 4 - Sleep

Goal Time!

OK ... I'm nagging again.

When is the last time you set some goals? When is the last time you measured your performance against goals?


Do you have a goal for your career? It doesn't have to be a long term goal, it could be as simple as mastering a new skill, or achieving your next level of promotion.


Do you have a goal for your health? It could be about giving up a bad habit, or creating a new one. Maybe adding some exercise ... walking after supper instead of watching TV, or it could be more adventurous like completing your first marathon!


Do you have a goal for your leisure time? It might be a vacation you would like to take, or a new hobby you want to start.


The thing about goals is that they give you something to "go for".


Once you have that you can put a plan in place to reach your goal.


Setting and meeting goals is a very satisfying feeling and once you have achieved a few you begin to understand that saying ... you can achieve anything you set your mind at!



I have written about goals many time ... here are a couple of blog entries to check out.

Its a Great Time to Revisit (or set) Your Goals for 2009

2009 - Make it Work for You

Good Luck!

Values

One of the author's that had the biggest effect on me over the years was Steven Covey. Certainly his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People had an impact on me, but it is perhaps his philosophy about "values" that really resonates with me.

Covey's belief is that for any organisation to be sustainable it has to adhere to a set of core values that govern every decision. It is a belief that I share ... of course it is not always easy to stay the course, but I also believe that once you let those beliefs "slip" then you are headed for problems.

This concept applies every bit as much to each of us as individuals, as it does to companies!

When you compromise your principles (or core values) just once then where is the new "line"? If its OK to cheat a little, is it OK to cheat a little bit more? Where does it stop?

Each of us as individuals needs to have our our "line in the sand" ... that represents our stand on matters of ethics, or principle. We need to really understand who we are in order to make that decision. We need to understand what is important to us in life.

Consider the impact you have on those around you, by your actions.

A classic example would be the smoking parent who berates their children not to smoke, and the fact that they can't quit is the reason that their child shouldn't start. Or the adult who throws their garbage down on the street but expects their children not to follow that example.

It follows into management also ... if you have a habit of coming to work late, leaving early, stretching lunches and taking off for golf games then what example are you setting your staff? It may be OK for you that they come in late, but you are developing bad habit in those people that will last a lifetime. Is that OK? Or perhaps you don't think you are responsible for them?

When I was in the navy (about 100 years ago) one of the worst "sins" anyone could commit was to steal from a colleague. However if you were negligent enough to leave temptation lying around then you too would suffer punishment according to navy law. It seemed a little harsh to me at the time, but with the benefit of a few more grey hairs I understand it better these days.

I certainly believe that we are all the authors of our own destiny, and responsible for our own actions. Having said that we can also influence many others around us ... children, colleagues, staff, friends and family ... so I also think that we need to be cognisant of that when we decide what standards to set for ourselves!

Where is your line in the sand?

CANADIAN IT JOB MARKET – Mini update July/August 2009

General Observations:


July saw the official Bank of Canada announcement that the recession was over … of course the pain has not stopped! The unemployment rate remained at 8.6% but Canada lost another 45,000 jobs in July. There are however many signs that we are on the cusp of recovery and here at Eagle we are quite optimistic.

More Specifically:

Over the last couple of months (June and July) and heading into August we have seen a steady increase in orders from our clients. The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) has been the busiest market, but Alberta has also started to pick up the pace. Ottawa, Montreal and East has not been very busy, but there is a school of thought that the onset of the vacation period may also be a factor here. On the candidate flow side of things we have seen an increased number of resumes over this period too, with again the GTA being the hottest area in the country.

The following are some facts/indicators we are watching as of time of writing:

> The price of oil was in the $70 range which should result in the oil companies ramping up some projects. We are seeing early signs of this.
> The TSX is still in the 10,500 range and has been over 10,000 for a while … a positive sign.
> The Canadian dollar is strong, close to 90c US. This is a positive indicator but can also serve to lengthen a recession.
> Prime is at 2.25%, and expected to remain there, making borrowing inexpensive. This is good for when companies feel optimistic enough to invest!
> Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada announced the recession was over here in Canada.
> Unemployment is still bad … 8.6% nationally (1,583,000 unemployed). However Ontario actually gained some jobs and improved its unemployment rate, month over month, from 9.6% to 9.3%.
> The Alberta government has large deficits for the first time in many years … which might cause a slowdown in government spending.
> The BC Government introduced tax breaks for oil companies … which might poach some business from Alberta?
> Many sectors appear to be picking up activity … banks, oil companies, provincial governments and telcos all appear to be picking up steam.> There have been few signs that any “stimulus” package will bring relief in the IT services sector. Hardware companies are benefiting from tax breaks but no big new IT services spending yet!

In Summary:

While we would like to see a more uniform recovery, we are at least seeing increased business activity in some major markets … and we are confident that others will follow. In addition to the concrete increase in demand there is also a more positive sentiment among our clients, many of whom are talking about increased activity in the Fall. There will continue to be some areas more significantly impacted than others but overall we expect things to just keep getting better from here. Pundits have stated many times that the recovery is likely to be slow, and that is what we are seeing. It would not however surprise me to see skills shortages return early in 2010 … which will be strange because there will still also be high unemployment. The last update I did in June suggested it might be the Fall before we see measurable improvement, and I think we are tracking to that prediction.

Experience

Experience has always been something to value ... but there are lessons to learn along the way to gaining that experience.

1. We are creatures of habit and breaking habits is very difficult! If you want to use experience to your advantage then one of the first things you need to do is embrace change!
2. Lessons happen all the time ... one theory is that the more times you have those lessons the more you learn, hence experience. IF you don't really LEARN from those lessons then experience is really just "time in"!
3. The world is FULL of people who have lots of "time in" ... but "experienced" people are not quite so plentiful, and they bring value.
4. You can be very experienced at your role, but when you move to a new role the value of your experience is much reduced. This is particularly true when you move into management and executive roles ... the thought process at the higher levels requires a much broader view!

In his book Outliers one of the underpinning suggestions from Malcolm Gladwell is that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in anything. (Read the book its worth it!) 10,000 hours approximates to about 5 years of pretty long hours on a job. The "operative" word here is PRACTICE ... just "doing it" isn't enough. You need to PRACTICE your craft every day!

So ... what does all of this mean.

1. If you are performing your job on automatic pilot then you are not learning and growing, and nor are you adding to your experience. It might even be suggested that you are going backwards ... because everything changes in this world.
2. Experience is something to be valued ... by an employer or a client and even by yourself, because experience is something to be proud of.
3. Just because you are old, or because you have been doing something a long time it does not mean you are experienced.

What can you do?

1. Go to your job tomorrow and look at everything with new eyes ... pretend its your first day on the job.
2. Find ways to get excited about your job.
3. Find ways to improve your job.
4. Engage your brain and challenge yourself.

Why?

1. You owe it to the person who is paying your salary.
2. You owe it to yourself ... you will definitely enjoy life more!
3. You are improving your worth and gaining EXPERIENCE ... a valuable commodity!