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PLR Newsletter - June 2007

Coming soon! Soon, you’ll be able to check out www.influencingoptions.com a website devoted to supporting the work of Influencing Options, a unique, ethical, skills-based approach to communication and interpersonal skills. Classes taught by Influencing Options trainers include Influencing Skills, Confrontation without Conflict, Effective Problem Solving and Managing for High Performance and Retention. The site will also include books and products for further study and information about how to bring Influencing Options to your company or organization. Click here [send them to my e-mail] to find out more information.

This month’s newsletter focuses on developing great sales relationships. Even if your position or company’s focus does not include the sales of goods and services, each of us is selling all the time—our ideas, our goals and even our company’s vision.

Libby's Articles

Trust me! Please . . .

Four Core Dimensions of Great Sales Relationships

As a smart sales professional, you know that creating great sales success is about connecting with people. There are a kazillion books, tapes and classes to help you network to find prospects and potential customers and to connect with people who might need what you have to sell. But the real truth is that creating great sales success is about creating great relationships based on trust. So, if great relationships are built on trust, how, then, do we create trust with people we don’t know yet? It’s not as easy as giving a great handshake, looking someone in the eye and saying, “hey, trust me, I’m your friend!”

If you want to create great, long-lasting sales relationships, you need to earn trust. Building a foundation of trust is a simple concept, but not everyone takes the time to do it. They just imagine that they are trustworthy, so people should trust them. Why? Why should I trust you? Over time, we can create trusting relationships with friends and associates, but is there anything to do immediately that would communicate a sense of trustworthiness to a potential customer?

Here’s the key: it’s your behaviors that influence, not your intentions! You can have the best, most honorable intentions in the world and they won’t mean anything unless your behaviors—your actions and your words—demonstrate what’s going on inside. You cannot influence someone to believe in you, to trust you, unless you are demonstrating trustworthy behaviors. Read Full Article

Leader Profile

Shay Hoelscher, Vice President for Business Development for TIGI Linea Inc./Tony & Guy USA, www.tigihaircare.com leads a team of high performing sales specialists whose clients span all of the western United States. TIGI, an industry leader in hair care products, cutting-edge salons, and stylist education, is a global company in a competitive industry. Founders were stylists themselves which makes their creative focus unique. Shay, one of the most successful women in her industry, is devoted to her sales team’s growth and development. Her leadership vision is shaped by what she calls the fundamentals: commitment, passion and attitude, and Shay leads from the front by being an example and a model of confidence and pride in her company. She loves TIGI and her team’s mission—to demonstrate TIGI love with all their customers—is something they live every day.

Shay holds herself to the same standards as she does her team—they all work hard, strive to aim for higher goals each quarter, develop their sales skills and intellects—they often read the same book and come together to talk about how to integrate what they’ve learned into their work and lives. Shay says, “I believe that all people in this world have an opportunity to make their surroundings better, richer, and more rewarding.” Shay encourages her team to be leaders, regardless of title or job. “Being a leader is doing the right thing, creating a greater impact, being a model of professionalism—always,” Shay says. And Shay’s team is amazing—just being around them you are swept up in their enthusiasm and energy—their passion for their work is magnetic.

What advice does Shay have for other leaders who want to inspire great teams?

1. Always lead by example—“the speed of the leader determines the pace of the pack” is one of her favorite sayings.
2. Do it well and do it right, not because you’ll be rewarded or gain recognition. Doing the right thing—for your customers and for the company—is its own reward.
3. Perseverance—don’t give up and make it right.

Shay is respected by her team and her peers for her resiliency and confidence, but she’s not quick to take credit—“I’m so blessed with my great team,” she says. When I remind her that a good leader finds and attracts great teams, she admits that’s probably true: “we all work hard. We all love this company!”

Resource Review

In my work to help leaders develop great teams, I’m always looking for resources and strategy and skills to increase trust among team members. I was happy to see The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M.R. Covey, son of the famed author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Finally, some statistical research that backs up the impact of trust, or lack thereof, on an organization’s bottom line. Covey includes 13 behaviors of trust-inspiring leaders, an important emphasis on behaviors. (see Libby’s Article this month!) I especially enjoyed the CD, 75 minutes in length, or a decent commute in traffic! Speed is also key here—the presence of trust encourages things to move along more quickly, more creatively, more innovatively and conversely, the absence of trust slows everything down.

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