If You Want the Right Answer, Don’t Ask the Wrong Person

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Aszure Grimes

Ahhh…good intentions. They can bite you in the “you know what” and probably have on more than one occasion. For some reason, we like to think that good intentions or just performing the act itself will be sufficient. It makes us feel better. And, we even have the nerve to act surprised when the result isn’t what we had hoped it would be.

Why do we ask our mechanic for stock tips and our accountant for advice on the rattle our car is making? Why do we ask our five year old what they want for dinner and act surprised when they say ice cream? Exactly, we shouldn’t.

“Well, you told me to start seeking advice…” Yes, but, consider the source. One of the reasons organizations find human analytics so useful is that it can take some of the guesswork out of decision-making when it comes to your people. Whenever you find yourself asking, “Why isn’t our strategy working?”, the next question should be “Did we consider the human factor?” People are funny and complex, as we all know. And, those good intentions (my mechanic really thought he was giving me good financial advice) are not always enough.

Human analytics, a compilation of data about the people in your organization, can be utilized to strengthen your organization and answer tough questions about how to motivate employees; making targeted recruiting metrics; help with managing difficult people; improve employee productivity and creating an organizational design structure to take you where you want to go.

What data do you need? How do you obtain it? Once you get it, how do you ensure that you are applying it properly to resolve your unique business challenges or to achieve your company’s goals? I’m glad you asked. While I can’t answer your questions in this blog, I’d love to schedule a time to talk with you about it.

That’s what we do at ADVISA. We ARE the people with those answers.

The number 1 reason your bottom 25% of sales reps will never succeed

Posted on November 23, 2010 by BJ McKay

Everyday new business development teams take to the phones or the streets to make deals for their companies, and for themselves. The facts are that most sales representatives are not successful in most companies. Take your company for instance. How many reps achieve quota each month or quarter? How many times is the top sales person the same individual from previous months or quarters? Why though?

The number 1 reason the top stay at the top and the bottom are likely down for the count is self-confidence and humility. Neither of which, I feel, is mutually exclusive. In my work aiding managers in managing difficult people, executive team building, and improving sales performance both elements are critical to the superstars of sales.

Self-Confidence

This is the easy one of the two. If a person has the right P.I.® (Predictive Index®) profile for the job, and their manager is giving them what they need, self-confidence is a natural outcome. The logic is simple: You give me what I need the most + I get to do what I need to do each day = Self-confidence. If a sales manager leverages assessments this can be achieved in most sales reps.

Humility

This is the tricky one. I haven’t found any assessment for this trait, and it can take forever to learn. However, it can start with self-awareness. If someone is mature enough to accept who they are, and to realize that whatever they are is ok, they are on their way. Humility is also found in those who help others with no expectation of personal gain, those who do not feel belittled by the success of others. Those who are resolute that a career is important but falls way behind the most important priorities in their lives. They seem to be unshakable, rarely intimidated, and often the most likable and approachable people in the world.

Now back to your bottom 25% reps. They likely lack self-confidence because they are trying to be like someone else. They likely feel that the way one person realized success is the exact way that they must behave to do so. This is a recipe for little to no self-confidence. How can you be self-confident when you are working at NOT being yourself? They likely lack humility in that they must bolster small wins to earn praise and recognition. They become angry, emotional, and often times vacant in their roles. That is a helpless combination. When you profile your top sales representatives, consider both self-confidence and humility in their elixir of success. Odds are that if you give them what they need to be successful, and they have balanced and fulfilling lives outside of work as well, they’ll meet their balanced scorecard metrics.

Click the image below to get a complimentary profile on your top two sales people:

Recruiting – The Art of Creating the Right Relationships

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Dana Harrison

Studies indicate there are four of these levels of fit between the employee and the job, the workgroup, the candidate’s vocation and the organization described below.

The concept of “employee fit” is truly a multi-level phenomenon, and will be maximized in instances in which a person’s personality matches both the objective characteristics of the organization and integrates well with the personalities of those that he or she interacts with most frequently. Keep both of these levels in mind when assessing candidates.

Only the best hiring practices coupled with a well-planned and executed on-boarding process will deliver the desired results.

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