Getting Past "But..."

A successful career in sales requires not just a tough skin or ability to withstand rejection. The most successful sales reps are able to not just withstand rejection, but also to examine rejections and objections to identify customers' very real needs and concerns. Initial objections from customers aren't simply "no," but a jumping-off point, the beginning of the conversation. Any information the customer offers is a means to discovering and understanding their needs, priorities, and anything in your company's performance with room for improvement.

When are Objections Beneficial? Always!

Objections are a natural part of the buying process. Appreciate them! They show that the customer is actively interested, or he/she wouldn't be wasting their time talking about it. Objections allow dialogue about questions and doubts, give information for strategic moves in the future and the direction of your company's product and service development. They provide an ideal starting point to educate the customer about your products, your service, and your willingness to go the extra mile. Objections reveal the customer’s concerns. When objections are handled well, the result is a good relationship and enhanced trust between customer and sales rep.

Process for Handling Objections:

Step 1 - Encouraging

Draw out the objection. Listen. Don’t try to answer right away. Acknowledge it without interrupting and let the customer express his or her reservations completely. Show empathy and put yourself in their shoes. Empathy defuses antagonism and resistance, transforming confrontation into mutual problem-solving. (Seven habits -- seek first to understand, then to be understood.) Be patient. Your turn comes when the customer feels heard and understood. “I can see how you would be concerned about that.” “I’d feel the same way if I had your responsibility.” “Can you tell me more about that?”

Step 2 - Questioning

Ask questions to clarify the objections and draw out the underlying reservations. Frequently, the real objection is different from what the customer first expressed. (Just as in your personal life -- someone may seem angry about the dishes, but it may go back a few days to when you forgot to make an important call... all anger is not caused by the immediate stressor. ) Don’t interrupt and assume you have it all wrapped up, launching immediately into a "counter." “And then what?” “What are your biggest reservations”? "What other concerns do you have?"

Ask open-ended questions that lead to an informative response, rather than yes/no questions.

If you've ever worked as a telephone market researcher, you may recognize the direction,

"Ask until unproductive."

That's when the agent waits for you to finish, recording all that you say, and then asks, "What other words would you use to describe the dishwashing detergent...?" And they continue to ask until you say, "Can't think of anything else!" Ask those questions again and again until they are unproductive (but not annoying), to be sure you get to the source of any objections, reservations, or negative feelings. You may even see a physical relief of tension in the shoulders of your customer. Who among us isn't less stressed when we feel truly heard, listened to, and understood?

Step 3 - Confirming (Mirroring)

Check your understanding of the objection/problem before responding. Repeat to the customer, using his or her own words in a summary, the concerns that were expressed, demonstrating that you truly understand any problems before you try to provide a solution. Responding too quickly, with incomplete understanding, will undermine your customer's trust.

Step 4 - Providing

Respond to the objection/problem. Answer the objection as specifically, completely, and informatively as possible. Objections and their appropriate responses usually fall into the following categories: Misconception, Skepticism, Real Drawback and Real Complaint.

Misconception

- The customer does not understand the product or service or is misinformed (often with complex products). The customer needs more information, targeted directly to his or her level of expertise, to help them make a purchasing decision, and you are the educator. Approach: Clarify, teach, explain, and resolve. Example: “If I understand correctly, your concern is that our product won’t handle X… and it’s important for you to have a machine/service that handles X… As you can see from our proposal, we can handle X, because our product/service does the following, in this way...”

Skepticism

The customer is not convinced your product will do what you claim. He or she is being cautious or probing for more information. Approach: Prove it. Give solid evidence such as examples, statistics, references, and trials. If needed, ask for sample situations in which the customer will need your product or service and demonstrate how it will function. Generic info may not provide all the information your customer needs, and your creativity and genuineness -- or lack thereof -- will make or break this sale. Customers who are extremely satisfied will be good, objective references for difficult circumstances. Example: “If I understand you correctly, you aren’t sure our people will be available when you need them. We realize that it’s important for you to have weekend service, and others may have promised it but not provided it. Our techs are on call 24x7, and are highly trained reps, not third tier. You know, if it would help to speak with a customer who uses this service, we've been providing that sort of service for Bill Smith over at Acme Industries for 3 years now. Please feel free to call Bill. It might really ease your mind to talk to him about the arrangements we made for them.”

Real Drawback

- Customer has a valid point about some disadvantage, such as price, delivery, or operating specs. Approach: Don't be blindly defensive and make vague references to quality. Show the big picture, then get specific on how certain advantages your product or service provides will outweigh those disadvantages. Lower prices often come at the cost of lower quality or reduced service. You can elicit information about costs that come with the lower price, and demonstrate how those costs are greater than the additional cost of a higher-price, higher-quality product. Try to find out very specifically how any drawback affects the customer, and reason through the benefits that may outweigh those drawbacks. Example: “Yes, our price is higher. I can see why you would be concerned about that. We have had other customers who were also concerned. But they found that the savings both in time and total dollars (combined with the knowledge that they had a reliable resource on hand) far outweigh their initial concerns about price.”

Real Complaint

The customer has had an experience that created an unfavorable impression. That impression stands in the way of moving forward with this account or a purchase. Approach: Show immediate empathy, action and responsiveness. Example: “I'm so sorry that happened. So you felt the last representative wasn’t clear about the service policy, and that you got stuck? That's no good for you or for us, and we will work to make there are no repeats. One idea to make sure nothing like that happens again... let's go over this written scope of work together, to make sure we're on the same page about terms and expectations before you buy. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them."

Step 5 - Checking

Confirm that the objection has been resolved. Ask outright if your response was satisfactory. If not, go back to encouraging the customer, and asking questions to draw out the more objections or unaddressed concerns. Continue working with the customer until the objections are addressed to the 100% satisfaction of the customer. Sales aren't just about products or services, but about relationships with customers. The steps above are all about maintaining that relationship, and responding positively to the fact that the customer is talking to you, sharing concerns with you, and moving toward the customer allowing you to resolve those concerns through a SALE.

Objections are opportunities -- seize them!

Great sales techniques often require real-life practice, roleplaying, and follow-through for long-term results. Krissi Barr of Barr Corporate Success teaches several energizing, invigorating programs that teach concrete and actionable sales techniques, generating Amazing Performance(TM) from your sales program. For more information, please feel free to call Krissi at 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com! Return to Barr Corporate Success

Make More of Your Time!

You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. Charles Bruxton

When you pack for a family vacation driving across the country, do you fling your luggage into the back of your car, allowing it to fall however it may? Of course not! You would run out of room!

Instead, you carefully choose the luggage you use so that it will fit in your trunk, pack accordingly, and leave a little room for souvenirs. When you've assembled everything you need to take, you put the big luggage in first, and fit smaller items around it, compactly placing everything so you'll have as much room to move around in the car as possible. You prioritize, compartmentalize, make decisions, and maximize use of space.

Maximizing use of space is much like maximizing use of time. Do you pack your day as thoughtfully as you do your car?

Probably not. Most of us don't. But if you've packed for a big trip, you DO have within you all the skills and practices you need to make the best use of your time.

Some simple time management techniques can increase our output while reducing our stress. Time flies and you are the pilot. Fortunately, some simple planning tips -- some of them counterintuitive -- can help us use our time carefully.

Tips for getting the most out of your day.

Don't work late into the night.

It saps energy and makes you less productive the following day. Surveys show that working late at night causes you to go to bed with a mind racing, recounting today's events and planning tomorrow's, and makes you less likely to get restful sleep. The habit of working late at night also gets built into your schedule and reduces your sense of urgency to finish tasks earlier in the day.

Arrive early, and leave on time.

You can not only boost your productivity, but improve your work-life balance, since family members are impacted more heavily by absence in the evening than leaving earlier in the morning.

Limit the length and number of meetings.

Frequent and uncontrolled routine meetings without defined agendas are a huge time waster for all concerned. Purpose-driven meetings with clear agendas should result in clear accountabilities, and defined follow-up dates, allowing you to focus on tasks that bring the greatest results.

Set aside uninterrupted project time.

Anything that interrupts you and breaks your train of thought costs you time, in the long run. Hang a do-not-disturb sign on your door, turn off your cell phone, route landline calls to voicemail, and turn off "new e-mail" notices.

Make Monday count.

Build some momentum by getting off to a good start Monday, working on individual tasks and digging in on important projects, which helps the rest of the week flow better. Fridays are a good day for staff meetings that to set group agendas that will be addressed by each person on Monday, with a brief follow-up Monday afternoon.

Prepare the night before.

Choose, set out, and, if needed, iron tomorrow's clothing. Pack kids' lunches, set the timer on the coffeepot, and have your packed work bag by the door. You can even preserve morning momentum by filling up your gas tank on the way home, or at lunchtime, rather than in the morning.

Don't over-plan.

The average person can only realistically plan about 50 percent of his or her day. We all generally underestimate the amount of time a task might take by at least 20 percent, and tend not to anticipate and allot extra time for interruptions and other delays. When we overplan, it later costs us time rolling tasks over to the next day and adjusting our daily planners.

Get specifics.

When someone says, "as soon as possible," define exactly what that means, and why. Sometimes, people operate in default crisis mode. Their "as soon as possible" may not be the same as yours -- does that mean drop everything because we need this now, or that we only have a couple of weeks to get X done? Find out, or you will allow unnecessary stress and time pressure to hijack your day.

Our clients often seek our advice on time management, and in addition to these tips, there are more specific steps you can take to produce Amazing Performance(TM). Give Krissi a call at 513-470-8980, or e-mail her, krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com, to find out how Barr Corporate Success can help you.

We'll leave you with a (brutal) quote that might inspire any of us:

"Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Brown

Let's Get to Work!

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Job Satisfaction on the Wane?

The Conference Board reports that U.S. worker job satisfaction has declined 14 percent in the past two decades, and is still in a declining trend. According to a TNS survey of 5,000 U.S. households, the percentage of workers satisfied with their jobs, by year, was:

• 61 percent (1987)
• 59 percent (1995)
• 51 percent (2000)
• 52 percent (2005)
• 47 percent (2006)

The figures are no cause for alarm, necessarily, but indicate a troublesome trend. Why do we pay close attention to satisfaction trends? Because each employee's job satisfaction statistically correlates with whether he or she will quit, and his or her absenteeism rate. And overall satisfaction rates strongly correlate with productivity and profitability. Management Malpractice reports, “...The decline in job satisfaction is widespread among workers of all ages and across all income brackets. Half of all Americans today say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from nearly 60 percent in 1995.

But among the 50 percent who say they are content, only 14 percent say they are "very satisfied."

This report, which is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households, conducted for The Conference Board by TNS, a leading market information company (LSE: TNN), also includes information collected independently by TNS.

"This information reveals that approximately one-quarter of the American workforce is simply 'showing up to collect a paycheck.' The survey finds that job satisfaction has declined across all income brackets in the last nine years.” from Management Malpractice."

Satisfaction and profitability aren't a dichotomy, but instead are linked reflections of the underlying effectiveness of leadership practices.

If you suspect that your employees are simply showing up to collect a paycheck, all is not lost. Much can be done, with adjustment of management styles, assessments to get the right people in the right seats, and amazing performance goals.

Barr Corporate Success can help drive teams and individuals to outstanding profitability and job satisfaction. Call or e-mail today! Return to Barr Corporate Success For more data and analysis of worker satisfaction, causes, and effects, please see : http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/13/business/workcol14.php, accessed 8/4/07. U.S. Job Satisfaction Keeps Falling, The Conference Board Reports Today. Source: The Conference Board, Feb. 28, 2005 http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2582, accessed 8/4/07. http://www.managementmalpractice.com/in_the_news.php

"The No As*h@#!@ Rule"

We apologize for using a word that may offend the sensibilities of some. We'll alternate between the vulgarity, and the more accepted "jerk." We hope that after reading, you'll agree it's worth discussing.

As you can tell from the length of the post, we like the book. Read it!

Stanford University professor and Robert Sutton has not only legitimized the word "asshole" in business conversation -- he's made it practically unavoidable.

"It all started in 2003 with a half-serious proposal that I made to Harvard Business Review, when their senior editor Julia Kirby asked if I had any suggestions for HBR's annual list of 'Breakthrough Ideas.' I told Julia that the best business practice I knew of was the 'no asshole rule.'"

Despite Sutton's expectation that no such title would ever be published by HBR, the article was embraced, and drew so much media attention that he followed it up with the frank, amusing and well-researched book, very directly titled The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. If you're actively dealing with a jerk, read it. You may find help with your current situation, and at worst, will better be able to recognize and avoid assholes in the future.

Sutton offers welcoming reassurance to anyone who has ever thought, "I don't care how productive this guy/woman is, it's just not worth it to put up with him/her."

Experts agree, and for sound business reasons. Assholes are not worth it. Sutton shows that whatever numbers the jerk generates in terms of individual sales or productivity, more comprehensive metrics prove that jerks take a tremendous toll on morale, overall productivity, and unnecessary turnover.

A partial list of factors Sutton suggested we consider when calculating TCA (Total Cost of Assholes)

• Distraction from tasks, the effort devoted to avoiding unpleasant exchanges, recovering from them, avoiding blame.
• Damaged sense of safety and an environment of fear that discourages "discretionary effort," suggestions, risk-taking, learning from own and others' failures, and honest discussion.
• Reduced motivation and energy at work.
• Stress-induced physical and emotional illness.
• Potentially impaired mental acuity.
• Continual and ongoing bullying transforms targets into assholes.
• Absenteeism
• Turnover due to asshole's abusive supervision, plus time spent looking for new job while at work
• Costs of victims' retribution toward the company.
• "Combat pay" for those who stay.
• Time spent "cooling out" victimized customers, contract employees, suppliers, outsiders, and internal employees who are victimized.
• Settlement fees and successful litigation by both victims, and alleged assholes (wrongful termination claims).
• Increased health insurance costs.

When those factors are considered, it becomes apparent that assholes cost more than they are worth. Add in the damage to personal lives, marriages, and other relationships, and assholes become a toxin that must be removed.

Have you experienced or witnessed any of Sutton's "Dirty Dozen"?

These are common everyday actions that assholes use.

• Personal insults
• Invading ones "personal territory"
• Uninvited physical contact
• Threats & intimidation, both verbal and non-verbal
• Sarcastic 'jokes' and 'teasing' used as insult delivery systems
• Withering e-mail flames
• Status slaps intended to humiliate
• Public shaming or 'status degradation' rituals
• Rude interruptions
• Two-faced attacks
• Dirty looks
• Treating people as if they're invisible

If you haven't, then you're among the lucky few. Sutton cites one study showing that 27 percent of workers in a representative sample of Michigan residents experienced mistreatment by someone in the workplace, with one in six reporting persistent psychological abuse. And a 1997 study of 130 U.S. nurses found that an astounding 90 percent reporting being victims of verbal abuse from physicians during the previous year.

If you have, then you're obviously not alone. We empathize. Without real concrete incentive to change, such as forceful intervention from higher-level management or powerbrokers, it is difficult to stop an asshole. While some are unaware of the effect their behavior has on those around them, others may simply not care, or not be able to control themselves.

Sutton writes of several levels of asshole:

• "Temporary assholes" are having a bad day or moment. Miscommunications and frustrating situations can at times bring out the worst in all of us. All of us have probably offended, if only by rolling ones eyes during a difficult meeting. As long as offenses are infrequent, apologized for, and an isolated aberration from usually friendly, respectful behavior, temporary assholes are part of life.
• "Certified assholes" are workplace polluters who "display a persistent pattern of episodes that end with one 'target' after another feeling belittled, put down, humiliated, disrespected, oppressed, de-energized, and generally worse about themselves."
• "Flaming assholes"... 'nuff said.
• "Two-faced backstabbers" are particularly noxious weeds. They "have enough skill and emotional control to save their dirty work for moments when they can't get caught, and are much tougher to stop, even though they do as much damage as a raging maniac."

Sutton proposes two steps for detecting assholes: find those who persistently leave others feeling demeaned and de-energized; then look to see if their victims generally have less power and social standing than the tormentor. The basic hallmark of assholes is "kiss up, kick down." Does the alleged asshole persistently leave the person he interacts with feeling worse about him- or herself?

Hundreds of cross-disciplinary studies have attempted to define practices that lead to greater productivity. Supportive, warm work environments that reward risk-taking and creative thinking are often most productive. Assholes utterly destroy creative, supportive, productive teams and create a contagion of anger, resentment, and bad behavior. The more powerful the asshole, and the longer his or her behavior goes unaddressed, the more widespread the effects, and the harder to recover from.

Sutton writes, "Research on everything from student groups to top management teams reveals that constructive arguments over ideas -- but not nasty personal arguments -- drives greater performance, especially when teams do non-routine work."

Certain industries in particular are haunted by the myth of the "temperamental rock star", which misleads companies into hiring and retaining -- with gritted teeth and clenched fists -- assholes who put up good numbers. They're often considered part of the price of doing business.

Sutton writes, "There is so much evidence that civilized workplaces are not a naive dream, that they do exist, and that pervasive contempt can be replaced with mutual respect when a team or organization is managed right -- and civilized workplaces usually enjoy superior performance as well."

There is hope. The workplace is changing as the nature of our work shifts more to knowledge work requiring good interpersonal relations and teamwork. Owners and management are paying attention. For example, Virgin founder Richard Branson devised a test to avoid assholes; he dressed as a chauffeur and picked up candidates personally. Other companies are actively training HR and other hiring professionals to weed out asshole candidates.

In the meantime, Sutton recommends you ask yourself: "Am I part of the problem, or part of the solution?" Your answer may determine the course of your career.

Return to Barr Corporate Success

Bob Sutton's blog

The Moment of Truth

Freezeframe: A regular mid-level customer, Bob Smith, has just complained to one of your employees. Bob's brow is furrowed, and his right hip is thrust out a bit. He's just run his left hand through his thinning hair, and his right hand is waving slightly out to the side, palm up.

If we looked at your employee, representing you, what would we see? Eye contact? Looking down at the desk/counter? Body language?

...annnnnd "Action!"

What will your employee say? What will he or she do? Will the customer's issue be addressed? Will the customer want to continue doing business with your company?

Feeling confident? Let's up the ante. New research shows that customers fall into discrete categories:

• 43% are shouters - people who tell as many people as possible when they experience bad service.
• 27% are switchers - people who switch to another company and don't tell anyone.
• 15% are seekers - people who try and find a better way to get good service.
• 11% are sulkers - who just put up with the bad service and sulk.
• A full 20 percent will rant to more than 10 friends about their bad experience.

Source: SunGard Availability Services, UK.

And the common wisdom:

• 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers.
• It costs less to keep customers than to find new ones.

A recent McKinsey Quarterly article demonstrates how critical "moments of truth" are in profitability. Customers who experience a high rate of positive outcomes in "moments of truth" broaden their connection with the company, consuming more services. Those who experience negative outcomes tend to leave, or stay but "sulk" by seeking any additional services elsewhere. That's why it's vital that emotion-laden moments when a customer has a problem result in an employee's empathetic, appropriate, and helpful response. That response can either cement relationships or break them. Companies spend fortunes creating and enhancing brands, but without frontline follow-through, customers don't return.

While recruiting employees with high commitment and high emotional intelligence is a good approach, companies must go further. McKinsey suggests that companies can hard-wire excellent customer service by engaging employees in certain ways. It stands to reason that those who have their needs met are more motivated and enabled to meet the needs of others. Companies can best foster that culture of excellence by:

• Stressing a deeper meaning, and clear sense of purpose within frontline work, to integrate work with the values, beliefs, psychological needs, thoughts and feelings of workers.
• Influencing mind-sets of employees to both increase their abilities and help them acquire the right emotional skills.
• Aligning compensation, processes and structures with the goal of customer service, clearly placing value on customer-retaining behaviors.
• Mobilizing frontline mentors to model and teach emotionally intelligent behavior.

You know better than anyone: Is Bob going to leave with a smile on his face?

If you're not sure, call Krissi Barr at 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com

Competition tops challenges list

Study: Senior executives of companies with revenues of $1 billion to $10 billion report that the major business challenges of the next two years are:

• Increased competitive pressures (83 percent)
• Responding rapidly to changing market conditions (67 percent)
• Failure to innovate (60 percent)
• Satisfying customer expectations (52 percent)

Source: Mercer Delta Executive Learning Center and the Economist Intelligence Unit poll of 233 senior execs, as published in USA Today business section.

So that means....

... we should watch what the other guys are doing...?

Yes and no. Yes, watch what other companies are doing. Yes, keep your ear to the ground for what's happening in your industry. But no, you're not going to win by chasing the competition. Your company needs to find its unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to find the greatest potential for growth.

...we don't have time for strategic planning, since It's all moving so fast...?

No! Strategic planning is more important than ever! Market change is the "sea of business." If you're trying to stay in one spot, you'll get pounded by the waves, sputter, and eventually go under. Those waves can be seen coming: prepare your board, begin paddling in front of them, and your company will ride those waves, right in the curl! That's what strategic planning, done right, can do for you and your business. We can help you spot current and coming business trends based on your knowledge of your industry, find the sweet spots in those waves, and paddle right into them. You also build your "surfing" skills in the process.

We must pressure our workforce to innovate, innovate, innovate!

Nope. As a matter of fact, if you approach it like that, you will shut down innovation completely, and probably cost yourself some big turnover expenses in the process. You know, innately, that innovation is borne out of atmospheres of trust, openness, and risk-taking, and all studies back up your "gut instinct" on that. Imagine a far-fetched example: If someone put you in a room with 10 straws, 16 pins, 6 LifeSavers, and a pair of scissors, you could devise a primitive car in no time. Reading this, relaxed, you're probably generating ideas right now. But if someone were standing over you, threatening physical harm if you failed, you'd be far more likely to poke yourself with a pin than produce workable, much less innovative, model. Great teamwork produces great innovation. If you don't have the former, you're not likely to get the latter.

... satisfy our customers? We are, aren't we?

Is there a note of uncertainty there? Don't just sit there! If you're not sure, find out! The best practice is for everyone in your organization who interacts with customers on a regular basis stay close to the customer, ask questions, learn customer needs, and meet them.

Barr Corporate Success helps businesses meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

To learn how Barr Corporate Success can help your business meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, call Krissi Barr at 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com.

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You May Need a Consultant If...

Unless you've been on a deserted island for the past 10 or so years, you're likely familiar with Jeff Foxworthy's "... you might be a redneck" stand-up routine. Granted: The one sure way to make humor unfunny is to overanalyze it, so I'll keep my academic musing to a minimum! The key to Foxworthy's successful and universal humor is we have all known, seen, or been what he describes. You may not identify yourself as a redneck, but at some time or another, you may have done some of what he describes, to some degree, and those are the jokes that get the biggest laughs out of us.

Now, switch gears with me, and consider the performance of your company, your team, yourself.

We all face business challenges, both personally and as an organization. Sometimes a business is just not growing as fast as it could and should, is in a rut, or worse -- is shrinking. Sometimes the most difficult part of running a company, division or team is leading the it in the right direction and ultimately putting it on the right path to grow and prosper.

"But we don't need any help, certainly not a consultant!"

That would mean something is badly wrong, right? Not necessarily. Your car runs fine, but might not if you skip regular maintenance and tune-ups. You change the weight of oil in your car for cold/hot weather. Put on snow tires for different road conditions. It's no weakness of your car that you consult a mechanic. Using a consultant to take your business to the next level is no different. Want a Maserati, or a beater?

Go in for a tune-up!

Listen to the watercooler conversation. Look at the numbers. Consider the morale of your teams. Listen to your own thoughts.

If any of the following rings true… you need a consultant!

(May we suggest Barr Corporate Success?)

• “We could seriously use a new $1 million.”
• “Our organization feels stuck.”
• “Revenues and growth are flat or falling.”
• “Sales are sluggish and costs are rising.”
• “Our competitors are gaining market share.”
• “Oh, it’s a bad economy, everyone’s off.”
• “The business just isn’t profitable.”
• “Customer demands are changing constantly – how do we know what they want?”
• “How can we find new customers and markets?”
• “Vendors demand more and more from us all the time.”
• “I'm not sure the right people are in the right positions.”
• “People are burned out, unmotivated, and turnover's on the rise.”
• “No one around here makes decisions.”
• “Does our compensation plan reward good performance?”
• “There goes the rumor mill again. These office politics are wasting time.”
• “Most of my team is -- at best -- 'C' players.”
• “How do we get more out of our partner relationships?”
• “We'd love to be more efficient, but how?”
• “What advantages could we get out of new technology?”
• “Sales are giving away the store!”
• “Our product quality and service is weak.”
• “Product development is taking longer than expected. The market’s not waiting.”
• “We’re considering a merger or an acquisition.”
• “New industry regulations are seriously hindering growth.”
• “Industry rules are changing. Our operations aren't aligned to those changes.”
• “No one seems focused on the bottom line.”
• “We spend more time putting our fires than planning for the future.”
• “Well, this is the way we’ve always done it.”
• “We need some solid strategic alliances.”
• “Succession plan? There is no succession plan.”
• “Strategic vision just isn't there. We need some new ideas to grow the business.”
• “We need more innovative leadership.”
• “We need a business, sales and marketing plan with teeth.”
• “How do I develop leaders from within my company?”
• “How can I get my teammates to be as passionate about the business as I am?”

Sound familiar? We can help.

Call 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com