January 18, 2009
Q: While going for the home run, have you forgotten what it takes to just get on base?
A: I know a young sales professional who I have mentored over the years who sold a huge account about two years ago. He is a 100% commissioned sales person and this brought him a six figure annual income. The problem is, he stopped working. He told me his only job was to take care of this account and bragged about working less than 8 hours per week. Many times I called him, he would be on the golf course, fishing, hunting or other activities not related to continuation of his selling career.
He felt confident that all he had to do was keep them happy and they would keep him in money. Well guess what? The company moved their operation to another city and no longer need to utilize his services. Today he is scrambling in an attempt to recover from a serious tactical error. He has no smaller accounts to sustain him. No prospective accounts at all in the hopper. Now there is nothing to do but start over or look for another job.
Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t a sale or business professional that doesn’t dream of hitting the huge home run like my friend did. But to lie back on your laurels once that has been achieved can be the kiss of death to your earning potential and maybe even your career.
2009 has begun and you’ve got the next 12 months to hit the home run. But you can never forget that it takes getting on base in order to round the field and touch home plate.
A. Have you set your goals in writing for 2009?
B. Are you planning to track your accomplishments?
C. Have you shared your goals with your spouse, peers or managers to help keep you on track?
D. Have you fully learned your product and services and are ready to take on any business challenge within your selling theatre?
E. Have you demonstrated your leadership ability and are working your way through all of this negative media hype?
F. Do you care about people?
G. Do you have a positive attitude?
H. Are you a deal maker or a procrastinator?
I. Are you a non-stop networker?
J. Do you give your business card out several times a day?
K. Do you tell your business story several times a day?
L. Always ask yourself, “If not today than when?”
I strongly encourage your truly shine in 2009! You’ve worked for it in the past, you deserve but you must keep earning your way to the top. I hope you have a tremendous week.
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Grinnell, IA
www.GmanSearch.com
Nationally recognized Retained Executive Search and Employee Retention Specialist.
1/18/09
12/25/08
Reflections of 2008
Today's discussion, which is the last in 2008, is about reflection and perspective on what delights you about your profession and/or your business practices.
Spend a few minutes thinking back over your professional career. Close your eyes (after you are done reading this) and go over the research, marketing, selling, engagements, client conversations, employee to employee conversations, analyses, interviews, publicity events presenting findings and recommendations and being called back to provide additional products, services or mentoring. What were the one or two most satisfying and rewarding events or moments you have experienced?
Was it when a team received applause at a board meeting for your work they performed under your direction? Was it winning an engagement or a sale you had been pursuing for some time? Was it reaching a unique conclusion or insight after a long period of analysis? Was it the times you spent with a valued colleague working on a difficult problem? What about being able to speak to audiences about your work or about your profession in general? Or is it the flexibility of lifestyle business and/or sales management can afford you?
Is there a pattern? What were you doing when you experienced your favorite moment? If you think about a few of your favorite moments, is there a pattern? Are they all related to selling your services or wining an engagement, or are they mostly about doing the work? Are the winning moments all of one type? If so, how will you make 2009 a year when you get to experience more of those delightful moments? Why shouldn't you focus your efforts on living a professional life full of joy?
Conversely, what were some of the worst moments of your professional career? Is there a pattern? Can you restructure your business practice to eliminate or at least mitigate them?
2009 is exactly 4 days away. I sincerely hope that my weekly messages of hope, leadership, management, sales and dealing most effectively with people in general has been a good inspiration to your business and personal lives alike. I get my ideas from many of you who send me comments that reflect your perspective. I get great pleasure from those of you who ask me great questions about business acumen, growth, sales and treat of and by people. And I certainly hope that pleasure rings loud and clear each week as this “People Newsletter” goes out.
I would like to wish you a tremendous 2009! If we can ever be of assistance to you, please contact me via Email, U.S. Mail or call and we will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Spend a few minutes thinking back over your professional career. Close your eyes (after you are done reading this) and go over the research, marketing, selling, engagements, client conversations, employee to employee conversations, analyses, interviews, publicity events presenting findings and recommendations and being called back to provide additional products, services or mentoring. What were the one or two most satisfying and rewarding events or moments you have experienced?
Was it when a team received applause at a board meeting for your work they performed under your direction? Was it winning an engagement or a sale you had been pursuing for some time? Was it reaching a unique conclusion or insight after a long period of analysis? Was it the times you spent with a valued colleague working on a difficult problem? What about being able to speak to audiences about your work or about your profession in general? Or is it the flexibility of lifestyle business and/or sales management can afford you?
Is there a pattern? What were you doing when you experienced your favorite moment? If you think about a few of your favorite moments, is there a pattern? Are they all related to selling your services or wining an engagement, or are they mostly about doing the work? Are the winning moments all of one type? If so, how will you make 2009 a year when you get to experience more of those delightful moments? Why shouldn't you focus your efforts on living a professional life full of joy?
Conversely, what were some of the worst moments of your professional career? Is there a pattern? Can you restructure your business practice to eliminate or at least mitigate them?
2009 is exactly 4 days away. I sincerely hope that my weekly messages of hope, leadership, management, sales and dealing most effectively with people in general has been a good inspiration to your business and personal lives alike. I get my ideas from many of you who send me comments that reflect your perspective. I get great pleasure from those of you who ask me great questions about business acumen, growth, sales and treat of and by people. And I certainly hope that pleasure rings loud and clear each week as this “People Newsletter” goes out.
I would like to wish you a tremendous 2009! If we can ever be of assistance to you, please contact me via Email, U.S. Mail or call and we will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
12/14/08
Are we Really in Hard Times?
Q: Are we really in hard times?
A: Today it appears that we have been delivered harder times than we have experienced in the past. And as with anything else in life, uncertainty exacerbates the situation at hand. However it is times like this that makes me want to remind my friends and colleagues of that which we already know, mainly because these thoughts are so simple and fundamental;
1. Things are never as bad as they or the media makes them seem.
a. The economists that we listen to (and remain reassuringly consistent regardless of the news) tell us that the markets will begin to improve in February and that the stocks don't fall unless people buy. And people buy because they are convinced that stock prices will increase.
b. The media has always been the messenger of perceived doom and gloom from those who call themselves “experts” in these matters. Only if we allow ourselves to be lead into this black hole do their predictions come true.
c. We Americans are a resilient bunch and have demonstrated time and time again that we know how to overcome adversity and bring our lives back to normal. And I subscribe to you today that now is one of those times.
2. What you do in difficult times will result in greater rewards than what you do during the good times.
a. Difficult times make or break businesses, careers - and families. Make your own success by not getting distracted by the times and focusing on what is important, what you have to do. You'll benefit from being clear headed and conveying stability in these times, and it will benefit those around you as well.
b. From within your own circles of friends and/or influence demonstrate your leadership.
3. The best times quite often follow the worst times.
a. There can't be good times without bad times. Almost 3,000 years ago Solomon recognized that there is "a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away."
b. And although these are hard and uncertain times, we need not mourn.
c. We need not stick our heads in the sand.
d. We must as individuals and as a group be the “good times” leaders of the world.
A friend of mine told me recently, don’t be a lightning rod, but be the lighting that ignites the rod! I still firmly believe that in these economic times, we must be the leaders we claim to be during the good times. When the so called recovery comes, you will be so far ahead of your competition, it won’t even be funny. Put your “A” game face on, get into the trenches and make your markets, take no prisoners and grow yourself and your business!
As always, I wish you a tremendous week, filled with good spirits, good business, family and great health.
A: Today it appears that we have been delivered harder times than we have experienced in the past. And as with anything else in life, uncertainty exacerbates the situation at hand. However it is times like this that makes me want to remind my friends and colleagues of that which we already know, mainly because these thoughts are so simple and fundamental;
1. Things are never as bad as they or the media makes them seem.
a. The economists that we listen to (and remain reassuringly consistent regardless of the news) tell us that the markets will begin to improve in February and that the stocks don't fall unless people buy. And people buy because they are convinced that stock prices will increase.
b. The media has always been the messenger of perceived doom and gloom from those who call themselves “experts” in these matters. Only if we allow ourselves to be lead into this black hole do their predictions come true.
c. We Americans are a resilient bunch and have demonstrated time and time again that we know how to overcome adversity and bring our lives back to normal. And I subscribe to you today that now is one of those times.
2. What you do in difficult times will result in greater rewards than what you do during the good times.
a. Difficult times make or break businesses, careers - and families. Make your own success by not getting distracted by the times and focusing on what is important, what you have to do. You'll benefit from being clear headed and conveying stability in these times, and it will benefit those around you as well.
b. From within your own circles of friends and/or influence demonstrate your leadership.
3. The best times quite often follow the worst times.
a. There can't be good times without bad times. Almost 3,000 years ago Solomon recognized that there is "a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away."
b. And although these are hard and uncertain times, we need not mourn.
c. We need not stick our heads in the sand.
d. We must as individuals and as a group be the “good times” leaders of the world.
A friend of mine told me recently, don’t be a lightning rod, but be the lighting that ignites the rod! I still firmly believe that in these economic times, we must be the leaders we claim to be during the good times. When the so called recovery comes, you will be so far ahead of your competition, it won’t even be funny. Put your “A” game face on, get into the trenches and make your markets, take no prisoners and grow yourself and your business!
As always, I wish you a tremendous week, filled with good spirits, good business, family and great health.
12/7/08
Rapid Response of Manager
Q: I have noticed a big difference among managers. It is not so much the varied technical skills or level of confidence but different senses of how quickly to move on a project. Any comments on this subject?
A: This sense of urgency you mention does make a difference in how effective you can be as a manager or sales professional. Certainly, a manager who presses ahead and gets the job done quickly will be viewed favorably by his/her constituents, other managers and the client. The sooner a solution is presented and implemented, the sooner a company can improve its effectiveness in the area in which demands the most attention. A manager who is a true leader bringing a sense of urgency will move faster through diagnosis, solution and implementation and encourage the staff to do the same.
However, remember that speed is not everything. Don't move so fast into a solution that the team is left behind. Many of us have solved the problem (or at least so we thought) on the first day and were anxious to implement the solution. But, unless a team wants and commits to a “buy-in” of a turnkey solution instead of mere advice on how they can address the issue, you do more harm than good by rushing.
Once you have the lay of the land in an engagement, discuss with your team and/or client what functions, processes and people are likely to be the "rate limiting step" of your implementation process. It might be information management, or staff scheduling, or approvals. Agree with your team(s) which ones are worth waiting for and which ones hinder rapid results. With this mutual understanding, and recognizing that some elements of your operation may not be able to move as fast as everyone wants, you can press ahead as fast as you have explicitly agreed with your team.
Changes in a client's market or overall economic conditions do present a challenge for management and sales teams. However, if you are in a position to see how your client or market is changing, it is also a great opportunity to increase the value you can provide.
Almost every change in an organization means a change on the organization chart. Positions are added or removed. Reporting relationship are typically altered. Overall structure may be leveled or new layers added. Each of these changes presents an opportunity to provide some services to smooth the transition. Ostensibly, these changes were thought out and intentional. However, sometimes they are made with some, but not enough, forethought.
Once you feel you have a solid grasp of the emerging situation, develop some recommendations of how your plan(s) might help the transition. Thinking at the highest level will help you better understand your needs and the needs of your team and clients and will likely let them see you in a more strategic light.
Have a safe and prosperous week. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
George Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Grinnell, Iowa
A: This sense of urgency you mention does make a difference in how effective you can be as a manager or sales professional. Certainly, a manager who presses ahead and gets the job done quickly will be viewed favorably by his/her constituents, other managers and the client. The sooner a solution is presented and implemented, the sooner a company can improve its effectiveness in the area in which demands the most attention. A manager who is a true leader bringing a sense of urgency will move faster through diagnosis, solution and implementation and encourage the staff to do the same.
However, remember that speed is not everything. Don't move so fast into a solution that the team is left behind. Many of us have solved the problem (or at least so we thought) on the first day and were anxious to implement the solution. But, unless a team wants and commits to a “buy-in” of a turnkey solution instead of mere advice on how they can address the issue, you do more harm than good by rushing.
Once you have the lay of the land in an engagement, discuss with your team and/or client what functions, processes and people are likely to be the "rate limiting step" of your implementation process. It might be information management, or staff scheduling, or approvals. Agree with your team(s) which ones are worth waiting for and which ones hinder rapid results. With this mutual understanding, and recognizing that some elements of your operation may not be able to move as fast as everyone wants, you can press ahead as fast as you have explicitly agreed with your team.
Changes in a client's market or overall economic conditions do present a challenge for management and sales teams. However, if you are in a position to see how your client or market is changing, it is also a great opportunity to increase the value you can provide.
Almost every change in an organization means a change on the organization chart. Positions are added or removed. Reporting relationship are typically altered. Overall structure may be leveled or new layers added. Each of these changes presents an opportunity to provide some services to smooth the transition. Ostensibly, these changes were thought out and intentional. However, sometimes they are made with some, but not enough, forethought.
Once you feel you have a solid grasp of the emerging situation, develop some recommendations of how your plan(s) might help the transition. Thinking at the highest level will help you better understand your needs and the needs of your team and clients and will likely let them see you in a more strategic light.
Have a safe and prosperous week. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
George Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Grinnell, Iowa
11/1/08
Are You Going to Lead Us Out of this Crisis?
Q. Are you going to be a leader in this crisis or a hopeful tag-a-long follower?
A. Two weeks ago I wrote a short newsletter entitled “Is the Sky Really Falling?” I received over 100 comments about the article, most all were positive. So I’d like to give you my humble (or not so humble depending on how you look at it,) opinion about the recovery process.
All week I have been hearing about layoffs, cut backs and temporary and in some cases permanent closings of plants and service operations. Okay so now the reality seems to be setting in that for the last 24 months or so you haven’t prepared for any serious down turn in your business and now that problem looms large over your operation. You can’t go back but you can go forward, beginning today, right now, no more excuses, and the time has come to act aggressively. No more sitting back and waiting…..become a leader….make it happen….show the world what you are truly made of!
I believe you have two choices:
1. Sit back and take a wait and see posture and hope that SOMEBODY begins the turnaround sooner rather than later. And if you are lucky, it will be sooner and you won’t go out of business before it happens. However in this scenario I ask you, WHO IS “SOMEBODY?” Does somebody have a name? Is it our government? Our lawmakers? The big players in the business world? WHO?
2. Or in the second choice, YOU can be the market maker. This is the time when you should be advertising, you should be pushing your sales departments to get 10 times as aggressive, offer deals you never thought possible to stimulate sales, make purchases that improve your operation. Are you bullish on YOU? Are you bullish on YOUR TEAM? Are you confident that YOU can be a leader in your industry from a small role to a large role? If you answers are NO, then you should revert back to item 1 above and maybe even consider updating your resume.
There are over 700 people that I send this newsletter to weekly. And each and every one of you is capable of leading your company out of this so called mess we are in. The election is 2 days away…..no matter what the results, ask yourselves…..NOW WHAT? What excuses am I going to use now? Am I going to be in category 1 or 2 above?
You really can’t use gas as an excuse as the price of gas in falling rapidly. Thursday night I paid $1.97 a gallon and that’s a far cry from the $4.10+ we all had to endure. I think of all of the negative comments around the world about how high gas prices were going to be our doom and how America was going to be crippled. Guess what folks we survived and continue to survive. We as individuals acted and reacted and we prevailed, which is the way it is suppose to be.
SOMEBODY is making changes or the gas wouldn’t be coming down. The truckers we speak to are “quietly” busier than ever so that certainly indicates that SOMEBODY has done something different. If the truckers would have thrown in the towel when diesel got so high, where would be today without trucking? It happened because SOMEBODY made a plan and became the leader and changed the process to work for them, their companies and their industry.
Again I ask, what is SOMEBODY’s name? Just think if each of you follows my suggestion, there will be 700+ new plans of attacks beginning now. Next week may I substitute the word SOMEBODY for your name?
Two months left in 2008 and I wish you tremendous success in the race to the finish line. Have a tremendous week.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
A. Two weeks ago I wrote a short newsletter entitled “Is the Sky Really Falling?” I received over 100 comments about the article, most all were positive. So I’d like to give you my humble (or not so humble depending on how you look at it,) opinion about the recovery process.
All week I have been hearing about layoffs, cut backs and temporary and in some cases permanent closings of plants and service operations. Okay so now the reality seems to be setting in that for the last 24 months or so you haven’t prepared for any serious down turn in your business and now that problem looms large over your operation. You can’t go back but you can go forward, beginning today, right now, no more excuses, and the time has come to act aggressively. No more sitting back and waiting…..become a leader….make it happen….show the world what you are truly made of!
I believe you have two choices:
1. Sit back and take a wait and see posture and hope that SOMEBODY begins the turnaround sooner rather than later. And if you are lucky, it will be sooner and you won’t go out of business before it happens. However in this scenario I ask you, WHO IS “SOMEBODY?” Does somebody have a name? Is it our government? Our lawmakers? The big players in the business world? WHO?
2. Or in the second choice, YOU can be the market maker. This is the time when you should be advertising, you should be pushing your sales departments to get 10 times as aggressive, offer deals you never thought possible to stimulate sales, make purchases that improve your operation. Are you bullish on YOU? Are you bullish on YOUR TEAM? Are you confident that YOU can be a leader in your industry from a small role to a large role? If you answers are NO, then you should revert back to item 1 above and maybe even consider updating your resume.
There are over 700 people that I send this newsletter to weekly. And each and every one of you is capable of leading your company out of this so called mess we are in. The election is 2 days away…..no matter what the results, ask yourselves…..NOW WHAT? What excuses am I going to use now? Am I going to be in category 1 or 2 above?
You really can’t use gas as an excuse as the price of gas in falling rapidly. Thursday night I paid $1.97 a gallon and that’s a far cry from the $4.10+ we all had to endure. I think of all of the negative comments around the world about how high gas prices were going to be our doom and how America was going to be crippled. Guess what folks we survived and continue to survive. We as individuals acted and reacted and we prevailed, which is the way it is suppose to be.
SOMEBODY is making changes or the gas wouldn’t be coming down. The truckers we speak to are “quietly” busier than ever so that certainly indicates that SOMEBODY has done something different. If the truckers would have thrown in the towel when diesel got so high, where would be today without trucking? It happened because SOMEBODY made a plan and became the leader and changed the process to work for them, their companies and their industry.
Again I ask, what is SOMEBODY’s name? Just think if each of you follows my suggestion, there will be 700+ new plans of attacks beginning now. Next week may I substitute the word SOMEBODY for your name?
Two months left in 2008 and I wish you tremendous success in the race to the finish line. Have a tremendous week.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
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