It’s the Sunday after my 53rd birthday dinner on Friday night..

Recovered from that well yesterday then had a Father and son surf this morning up at Lancelin..

so a very good weekend all in all..

and off to AC/DC concert tomorrow night… just to top it all off..

(talking of AC/DC if you haven’t checked out my video post at the Bon Scott statue in Fremantle you

can below

But more importantly….

…what happened last week and what are the lessons for you..?

STOCK TAKE AND TELL THE TRUTH

With one of our clients this week doing one of our regular 90 day reviews.

Only proved yet again the importance of taking stock..

The importance of working ON the business as well as IN it..

Lesson: In the absence of a FORMAL 90 DAY STOCK TAKE SYSTEM,

it’s only too easy for a whole 365 days to zip past and the key strategic actions have not been moved forward..

Here are 5 key stock take questions for you..

1. What have you done?
2. What still needs to be done?
3. What have we achieved?
4. What do we still need to achieve?
5. What are the top 5 Actions?
6. Now let’s get on with it..

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE UNDER THE PILLOW

With another client doing a Stock Take Session this week…

One of our realisations was that even though they had several competitive advantages over their competition..

They were hiding them under their pillows….

Lesson: If the customers and the marketplace aren’t aware of your competitive advantage… you DON’T have one..

You’ve got to let them know.. OVER and OVER AGAIN what your competitive advantage is.. then make them a COMPELLING OFFER that knocks their socks off..

Get competitive or don’t play the game. You’ll only get hurt.

Which leads me to the next point..

DO IT OR GET OFF IT

With another client… nice people.. well intentioned people…

But..

Lesson: Just sitting around complaining and blaming won’t make the difference..

Sitting around talking about what CAN’T BE DONE, won’t make the difference..

Sitting around and coming up with actions to make a difference, WON’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE..

UNLESS..

You actually IMPLEMENT…. DO IT… TAKE THE ACTIONS..

BE RUTHLESS in your accountablility to do the things you said you need to do..

If it’s advertise more… then get a PROVEN marketing, advertising person in to make it happen..

if it’s get new and better sales people… then appoint a PROVEN recruiter or PROVEN recruiting system

If it’s get rid of underperforming sales people… put them into a PROVEN performance management system… give them a chance.. some coaching.. some mentoring… and if they still don’t perform… get rid of them..

The Universe rewards ACTION… not just INTENTION..

Anyway.. enough raving.. time to go..

If you want some ideas or need help in any of these areas.. hit reply and write ‘HELP..’ in the subject line..

Have a good week..

If you haven’t already got our amazing Blue Rocket Business Owners and Sales Managers gift, you’re ripping yourself off..

go to..

http://www.FreeGiftfromBluerocket.com

Have a good week.

WORKING ON IT…

Working with a new client this week.. making the point how important it is to work ON the business not just IN it..

We’ve all heard it before..but if you don’t do it… it’s just a meaningless bit of management drivel.

These guys just soaked up the catalyst reaction of our input and their brainpower..

New marketing strategies.. new referral programme… new branding ideas… new ways to work as a sales team..

new ways to generate leads.. realisation that there were tools, systems and points of difference they had let lay dormant for years..

Lesson: When was the last time you got your team working ON your business in an organised, facilitated way using an external catalyst to get you thinking ‘outside the box’ at the same time focusing on your business.. Looking at your business as if you were a Martian..

INTEGRITY IN THE RELATIONSHIP

Whether it’s husband and wife, manager and team member, client and consultant, coach and player…

If the relationship loses it’s integrity.. you are in trouble..

If trust breaks down… If you start to second guess each other time and again.. it’s either as good as over.. or a lot of work needs to be done to repair it..

For any relationship to work, the power sharing, the listening, the trust, the responsibility, needs to be right..

Sometimes we see managers getting too close to their staff… so ‘matey’ that instructions are respected or followed..

Other times we see team members thinking ‘I’ve been here for so long there’s no way they really mean that applies to me..’

Other times we see in a coaching relationship ‘this information is for the staff but not for me..’ or ‘I’ll take that idea but I won’t take that idea..’ Not realising that both ideas are part of an integrated strategy.

Lesson: All relationships have power structures for them to work.. Knowing what that structure is and taking responsibility for your role in the success of that relationship is critical.

If you’re a leader…lead… If you’re being coached…implement.. If you’re a parent..parent.. If you’re a salesperson…sell… If you’re a team member.. be a team member..

As soon as you start second guessing yourself… your coach… your partners and you don’t sort it out quick smart.. the fester turns to rot.. and the rot turns to cancer… prevent, treat, amputate, terminate.. are all choices..

In our world of coaching, it’s not the smartest or most beautiful that succeed.. it’s the IMPLEMENTERS who succeed..

In the next couple of months we are interviewing Craig Whitely and Roberta Fadoul who just won Marketers of the Year and were listed at number 42 in BRW’s Fastest Growing Companies in Australia..

They are classic examples of people not trying to second guess their coaches and mentors.. they simply take ideas and implement with enthusiasm..expecting success…and funnily enough.. they manifest success..

Just a thought..

WHO COACHES THE COACH?

At an old friends daughters 21st last night and caught up with another old friend there..

He is the training and coaching manager of their franchise operation… the Coach..

As he mentioned to me, he is constantly on the lookout for new ideas and tools to share with his team.

Got me thinking, that is just why we have created our Inner Secrets CD of the Month programme.

A low cost, affordable and guaranteed way Business Owners, Sales Managers, Team Coaches, Trainers and other Thought Leaders in companies can access monthly inspiration, ideas and proven strategies on sales, marketing, personal management, leadership and business success for less than $2 a day..

We even have a way you can access this for a fr~ee trial..

Check it out at …

www.freegiftfrombluerocket.com

If you’re wanting to be a Coach or Consultant… or You want to get better at marketing and selling B2B, here is a ONCE ONLY chance to get the INSIDE SECRETS that clients normally pay over $5000 per day to have revealed..

In Sydney on July 6 and 7th you can….

“Learn the Secrets to Selling Consulting Services and Business to Business – Rare 2 Day Training…”

Here is your opportunity to learn from Australias Leading face to face Sales and Persuasion strategists John Blake and Leigh Farnell in a rare 2 Day Consulting and Business to Business Sales Training Bootcamp.

Just Click on this Link and register your Expression of Interest NOW… and pick up FREE downloads valued at over $257..

http://www.consultingmastermind.com

It’s Tuesday afternoon… and if you’re in one of our Breakthrough Programmes you may have been on the teleconference with John today..

If not.. this is your first communication with Blue Rocket today..

Either way.. today is a cause for celebration.. another interest rate cut..but the market still drops… I just checked the headlines on www.igoogle.com and decided my brain shouldn’t be clouded with a combination of market results and Chris and Rhianna..blah… blah..

In the past week working with clients in all types of industries, as usual, I gain tremendous insights into myself, people, business and success.. and I wanted to share these lessons with you..

THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES

One of my clients just yesterday showed me a magazine article highlighting how in the very same industry, one supplier is closing down stores, while another is opening 17 more stores..

How another supplier is closing a factory, while a direct competitor is starting a whole new division in the very same product line as the one closing down..

The Recession is often in the minds of the people making the decision.. and is cleaning out those performers who have poor internal systems, strategies and cultures.

JB Hi Fi, Harvey Norman and several other retailers will gain market share in this economy, while others will fall away.

Make a conscious decision that you are in the group gaining market share..

SALES MANAGEMENT CRITICAL NOW

The pressure really is on Sales Managers now..

As prospects try to sit on their chequebooks in fear of the future, sales professionals have to provide more compelling, risk free offers to get the business.

People are still using mobile phones, still driving cars, still eating, still taking holidays, still going to the gym, etc, etc, some sections of some industries are even expanding budgets (eg see http://www.appliancemagazine.com/blog/ as an example…

“Farrugia said that, despite the economic climate:

• 21% of manufacturers report their equipment budgets have increased
• 25% have seen no change
• 18% report only a slight decrease.

The number of manufacturers reporting that intend to buy equipment at the trade show is also up slightly over previous years. The survey indicated that interest in the purchase of cutting tools, measurement and inspection technology, and machining centers is significantly higher in 2009.

Source: EASTEC/ Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)”

The point is, Sales Managers need to point their teams in the direction of ‘where the money is..’, then set clear activity plans and targets to ‘extract that money from that market segment’.

Sales teams need both clear direction and motivational support in these tough times…just letting people go out and aimlessly prospect without clear, realistic plans is a sure fire way to burn the team out, lose good people, and fall short on sales budgets..

We will write more about Sales Management in the next few issues… If you’d like more info or coaching on it now hit reply and write ‘Sales Management’ in the subject line.

THE FIRST 90 DAYS

One of my clients has just recruited 3 new people to the team..

The price has gone up, the quality had gone up, and so has the pressure to make sure these new members deliver an ROI as quickly as possible.

That means getting really clear about what is expected, really fast.

1. Team rules and expectations

2. Activity targets

3. Scripts

4. Prospecting plans

5. Positioning plans

6. Shadowing/ mentoring/ coaching…all need to be fast tracked.. and executed to perfection…

Even more pressure on the Sales Manager as coach, leader, inductor and mentor..

The first 90 days (or even 7 days) will either set the new sales professionals up for success or failure..make sure you get it right.

If you want some help or coaching on this hit reply and say CONTACT ME in the Subject line.

LEADERSHIP IS ACCOUNTABILITY

Finally, with one of my clients, the team had not reached potential..

Why?

In a nutshell… average to poor Sales Management..

The assumption – that the team could manage themselves..

DANGER.. DANGER..

These people are good people… but they are employees.. with families, on wages..

Like most people, they do their best… but they are not going to kill themselves to get results if:

1. the results they are expected to get are not clear

2. there is little or no leadership or support to help them get there

3. there is no fun, challenge, excitement, play, joy, pressure… to do extra-ordinary things..

4. There is no accountability for results that are not achieved….

Ask questions like:

1. What are you doing?

2. What are you not doing?

3. What can I do to help you?

4. What have you done different in the last 30 days to improve your numbers?

And if behaviour is continually unacceptable, you must let the person go… for your benefit and theirs..

’3 strikes and you’re out’ is a powerful but important leadership principle…and it takes courage to implement it..

As one of my mentors said to me once…’You are not the Salvation Army… You are in business to hit targets and budgets.. or you’re ripping off your family..’

THE HIGH JUMP BAR

People will only jump as high as the high jump bar is set…. They won’t jump 2 metres if the bar is set at 6 inches…

and they can’t jump two metres if they are not coached in the technique that allows them to jump 2 metres..

We were watching the Recruiting scene from the movie “Boiler Room” the other day.. and the question

“What is possible? and What is expected?” were asked..

Make sure as a leader you let people know ‘what is possible… and what is expected…’

ENOUGH OF ME

Enough of me… time to go…got to take James to tennis training..

My final message to you (and myself) ‘No need to panic… only a need to attack, lead and celebrate your progress..’

See you soon..

PS: If you’re in or near Canberra check out this link  – its Suzette Bailey, seminar organisor in the ACT interviewing me about the upcoming “Recession Busting” Seminar we are doing in Canberra in May.

 http://www.s7promotions.com/content/090327_leighfarnell.mp3

Here’s what Greg Roworth had to say after a one on one session with John Blake regarding his consulting business

To register for the $100,000 Challenge Consulting Mastery Seminar on Wednesday 5th November at 6pm at the Mercure hotel in Perth, go to

http://www.consultingmastermind.com/indexa.html now to reserve your spot and recieve your FREE 30 minute one on one with either Leigh or John valued at $397 strictly limited to the first 6 people.

Here’s that link again http://www.consultingmastermind.com/indexa.html

Look forward to seeing you there.

Regards John