Jonathan Farrington’s Blog

In a survey of more than one and a half thousand managers, people were asked what they would most like to see in their leaders. The most popular answer, mentioned by 55% of people, was ‘inspiration’.

When asked if they would describe their current leader as ‘inspiring’, only 11% said yes. The two attributes that people actually mentioned most often when describing their leaders were ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘ambitious’. As well as this thirst for inspiring leadership, there’s also evidence to support the idea that companies with inspiring leaders perform better.

The Sunday Times publishes an annual survey of the ‘Best Companies to Work For’, which is compiled from the opinions of the companies’ own employees. One interesting fact is that those ‘Best Companies’ that are publicly quoted consistently outperform the FTSE All-Share Index. Five-year compound returns show a 5.7% negative return for FTSE All-Share companies against a 13.6% gain for the Best Companies. Over three years, the returns were -11.3% and 6.7% respectively while, in the last twelve months, they were 23.1% and 44%.
The ‘Best Companies to Work For’ have also performed impressively on staff turnover, sickness rates, absenteeism, and the ability to recruit good quality people.

The stereotype of the inspirational leader as someone extrovert and charismatic is the exception rather than the rule. Looking at best practice across business, though some inspirational leaders certainly do fit this mould, a large number do not. Many are quiet, almost introverted.

My personal view is that the best leaders promote a culture where their people value themselves, each other, the company and the customers. Everyone understands how their work makes a difference. This helps to build a commitment to higher standards where everybody is always looking to do things better.

Today’s News: It’s going to be a BIG week: The Top Sales Experts latest ebook launches tomorrow - 143 pages and contributions from fifty of the world’s top sales gurus - and it is FREE! It went out to them for final proof-reading over the w/e and the feedback was, to say the least, AWESOME. You’ll get your chance to judge for yourselves very soon.

Over on my Sales Manager’s Mentor Blog this week, I provide ten tips for more dynamic sales meetings - here

Ph.D Student Needs Your Help: If you are you a sales trainer, sales coach, sales manager, sales professional, or sales recruiter, Brian Lambert would love to get your input into a survey he is conducting with Capella University.

The free survey and analysis link is here:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB227YW7PAAT7

* At the end of the survey you can enter a drawing for a 32GB IPod Touch.
* You will also be able to see how your responses rate with everyone else’s.

Thank you for helping Brian in this aspect of the sales profession.

Fantastic feedback from my two JF Uncut posts over the w/e: “Where There’s Life, There’s Hope” and “More Bullshit - When Will It End?” if you missed them, just scroll down

Tomorrow: Greg Bautz, fellow Top Sales Expert, makes his debut on the JF Guest Author Spot, so be sure to join us.

You would think that particularly now, as we shiver under the dark clouds of financial uncertainty, we would be compelled to leave our comfort zones, and go off in search of greater security?

Not “most” people, because “most” people are too afraid.

I often quote this:

“Prince Rabadash’s army lay close behind them, Anvard ahead. If they did not reach Anvard before Rabadash and his horde, their journey, their entire lives, would have been wasted. The horses, Bree and Hwin (both of whom could, of course, talk) galloped. Certainly both horses were doing, if not all they could, all they thought they could do; which is not quite the same thing. But a lion appeared out of nowhere and with the spur of terror; Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast, not quite as fast, as he could“.

This extract is of course taken from “The Chronicles of Narnia”, that fount of a million, simple and usually overlooked truths, and it illustrates perfectly what it takes for some of us to be steered out of our comfort zone.

Perhaps of all the temptations we meet in life, money, power, sex, alcohol, drugs and fame, the subtlest of all is the comfort zone, that invitation to settle for less, to go for content when the stresses of over achievement beckon. The way that takes you out of the comfort zone is the route less travelled by. Most of us when we come to that place where the two paths divide prefer the one that leads to safety, to warmth and to comfort.

Both in sport and in business, I have witnessed countless companies, friends, colleagues and team mates that underachieved, despite having far superior skills and talents when compared to others who have made it to the top. The reasons have always been the same, fear of leaving the comfort zone and entering into the unknown, the land potentially of failure and rejection.

However, I believe there is another way to motivate individuals and coax them out and it relies on one simple fact; most people do not know what they want from life. Certainly, the majority working in a commercial field will say they crave success but without understanding what success means for them. Of course, describing success is difficult, because it will be different for all of us. The definition I prefer is ‘The achievement of a worthwhile goal’

I also believe that I can speak with authority about the comfort zone, but in my case, I was lucky enough to discover Earl Nightingale, probably the greatest motivational speaker and personal development guru of our time,and yes, I include Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Tom Peters et al in that assessment.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to listen to Earl, I strongly recommend you seek out his work - I can honestly say that no other single person has had such a profound effect on my own work. 

My experience is that you cannot have everything you want, but you can have anything you really want - you just have to know what it is.

Today’s News: Over at Top 10 Sales Articles, we have just announced the Top Sales Article for September - we now have nine finalists for Top Sales Article Of The Year and just three more places up for grabs

They will join a very illustrious group of world-class authors and sales gurus:

Paul Cherry, Josiane Feigon, Ivan Misner, Mike Brooks, Mark Satterfield, Zig Ziglar, Kevin Eikenberry, Jill Konrath and…..

Just click on the banner below to find out who this month’s worthy winner is…….

You have just over a week to claim one of the last few seats at THE New York event of the month - just click on the banner right at the end of this post

Tomorrow: On The JF Guest Author Spot, my guest is good friend Keith Rosen, who having sent me his latest book, was horrified to have it returned on Saturday: Unfortunately, he sent it to my home address and the rules are now that if you are not in when the postman tries to deliver a package, they don’t try and re-deliver, they return to sender??? Such is French customer service these days.

A recent global survey of more than two thousand organisations that I recently read, identified that one of the biggest issues facing Sales Leaders today is that salespeople’s self-limiting beliefs constrain their performance, which obviously in turn, limits their sales results.

I do subscribe to the theory that whatever you believe you can do, you will; and whatever you believe you can’t do, you won’t.

Like everyone, salespeople hold stubbornly to private beliefs about themselves, customers, the market, competitors and the economy – beliefs that can have an enormous impact, either positive or negative, on their sales performance. If salespeople don’t see themselves as providers of value, they’ll be blinkered to the customer’s genuine business needs.

This manifests itself in a number of undesirable behaviours that range from being too pushy, to being far too accommodating. This can also lead salespeople trying to sell customers something the customer may not need or want, and that certainly will not build long-term customer relationships.

Typically, salespeople who believe that if they had more competitive prices they would win more deals, tend to attract more price objections. This in turn leaves them feeling fearful or reluctant to discuss price and their downward spiral becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A salesperson’s state of mind is instantly transferred to their prospect or customer because they unconsciously transmit their attitude in a variety of subtle and even overt ways. Whilst the prospect or customer may not be consciously aware of the salesperson’s underlying attitude, they will just have a feeling that something isn’t right and will put a distance between themselves and the sales person.

This problem is further compounded and validated by research from Objective Management Group Inc who found that the typical sales person possesses a minimum of ten limiting beliefs that are having a detrimental impact on their performance. Once these beliefs are eliminated the average sales person will increase their sales by approximately 25%.

Many Sales Leaders understand the vital importance of the right mindset and those who are able to tackle and resolve the issue of their team’s negative beliefs will see a dramatic upswing in their team’s sales results.

You may also enjoy:”Are Self-Limiting Beliefs Constraining Your Sales Team?”

Today’s News:

Here’s a special message from a very special lady:

Strategic Marketing Ideas in a Shrinking Economy: Referral Expo 2008 (now through October 10th!)

The Referral Expo is a virtual event, conducted over the phone. It’s free to attend, but registration is limited:

* Breathe new life into your business
* Generate more referrals
* Find better quality referrals

Get new, innovative ideas! Bolster yourself against the economy. The Referral Expo 2008: Register now.

In times like these, building relationships and creating referrals are the keys to success. By attending this virtual expo, you’ll get loads of innovative ideas and strategies for generating referrals - all from the comfort of your home or office.

The Referral Expo 2008:

Tap into 15 world-class marketing experts as they share their best referral strategies. I’m honored to be included in the team presenting at this year’s Referral Expo.

What: Referral Expo 2008
When: Now through October 10th

Each 1-hour presentation will be conducted over the phone on successive weekday evenings.
Monday - Friday at 5:00pm Pacific / 6:00pm Mountain / 7:00pm Central / 8:00pm Eastern

Cost: FREE - Register now!

See you there

Joanne Black

Tomorrow: I am doing my bit for the next Top Sales Experts ebook, which should launch in about two weeks. I am also going to be thinking about the JF Consultancy 2009 strategy - yes, it is that time of the year already - this is me with my thinking cap on

Our graphics designer, Bill Jeckells, has a great sense of humour!

OK, that’s a wrap for this week, so as ever, have a great w/e and be sure to make it back on Monday - JF

The JF Guest Author Spot

Billy Cox

Do you wake up in the morning thinking, “This is going to be a lousy day” or “Nothing good ever happens to me”? If you have an important presentation to make, do you tell yourself, “I don’t have a chance at closing this sale”? If you routinely think this way, how does your day turn out? Do you make the sale? I’d be willing to bet you get exactly the results you expected.

Winners wake up every morning with excitement, enthusiasm, and confidence, knowing that success is in store for them. Top performers set their minds for victory; they set their minds for success.

Setting your mind for success doesn’t happen automatically. You have to constantly tell yourself “today is a great day, good things are happening, and new and exciting doors are opening.” Go out each and every day believing success will come your way.

Now, you may think, “My business isn’t doing well, nobody will buy from me, and I can’t pay my bills. How can I live with enthusiasm? How can I be positive when I have so many problems?”

You gotta make a decision that you’re going to have confident expectancy about everything you do. You have to continually expect that things are going to get better. Positive expectation is a conscious choice and a habit of faith. It is a conscious choice to see a positive outcome instead of a negative one. As you think, so it is created. As you believe, so it is done.

Expectancy is about seeing beyond where you are. Look out into the future and see yourself as successful, happy, and enthusiastic. See sales coming your way, see yourself having all the contacts you want and watch your income soar. See things better than they are . . . see them as you want them to be. Develop a habit of focusing on what’s right in your world instead of what’s wrong, on what you have instead of what you don’t have, on your talents instead of on your weaknesses. You’re probably asking, “What if I do that and it doesn’t work?”

My question to you is, “What if you do it and it does work?”

If you will consistently think about and focus on what you want, you will ultimately get it. By focusing on positive thoughts, you open up your mind to start attracting success. This is why top salespeople seem to effortlessly sell so much more than average negative-thinking salespeople. People want to do business with positive, upbeat, successful individuals.

When things look impossible or you’re tempted to go through the day negative and self-destructive, that is when you have to step up and change your belief level. Expect good things to happen. Expect to rise above your challenges. Expect victory!

When those around you predict doom and gloom for everything from the economy to your dreams and goals, remember that success in life, business and sales is mostly a mental game. Your thoughts will drive your results, your success, even your destiny. So proactively focus on the positive, defend your mind against the negative, and expect victory. You have the power to choose your thoughts and your attitude and, therefore, your success.

 
Billy Cox is a Top Sales Expert and an internationally recognized business leader, author, and inspirational speaker he energizes people to dream big, take action, and achieve results. His message comes from the authenticity and credibility of his own inspiring, all-American success story. Billy Cox now teaches the essentials that led to his own success – he has lived what he speaks. Billy pairs his powerful message with a high-energy, passionate, and down-to-earth style.

You can find out more about Billy here: www.billycoxinternational.com

Today’s News: You could be forgiven for thinking that today is officially “Billy Cox Day” - well it is here!

Now you have the opportinity to listen to Billy in conversation with Clayton Shold - the topic is “Positive Mindset” - over at Salesopedia, just click on the banner below.

Tomorrow: My own thoughts about salespeople and limiting beliefs - I think you’ll enjoy it!

The JF Guest Author Spot

Joan Paul  

This morning when I opened my calendar, everything looked different. Surely someone’s been playing with my computer. I could swear I had appointments booked and paying clients taking every available spot for the next two months. I must be having a bad dream. Pinch myself. Nope. It’s true – I’ve hit the dreaded dry spell!

Entrepreneurs talk about it all the time as part of the game, but being in it is an entirely different thing. If you are like most business owners, you haven’t yet managed to balance the feast and famine phenomenon. The question is, “What do you do when the famine hits?”

First of all, BREATH!!! Preferably without hyperventilating. Don’t panic. Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t check the employment ads. Do remind yourself why you started your business. Do remind yourself of all the successes you’ve enjoyed and will once again enjoy. Do remind yourself if you are just starting up, that it takes time to build an active business. Do park your negative self-talk and replace it with positive affirmations, like “Today I am one step closer to experiencing the wild success that I’ve dreamed about!”

When things are looking a bit slow, do the following:

-Go to your database and call all the people you’ve been meaning to stay in touch with. Arrange to meet and exchange ideas or just have a coffee and find out how you can help them with their objectives.

-Apply a referral selling process. In No More Cold Calling™, The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, Joanne Black puts forward a practical approach to building your business through referrals. This simple system can propel your business through the roof without wasting business development time.

-Attend to the business planning that you may have been procrastinating about. Revisit your business and marketing plans. It will likely re-energize you.

-Find a coach. Whether hired or a business buddy, it’s very helpful to have a thinking partner, someone to share with and encourage you to keep your eye on preparing for the next delectable feast.

-Learn something new. Take the opportunity to read the last business book you bought and put on your nightstand or attend a training program that’s been on your to do list.

Most of all, remember dry spells are temporary and keeping perspective is critical to your success. The objective is clearly to have fewer dry spells and more feasts. However, dry spells are inevitable for most entrepreneurs. If you find you are stuck in dry spell, do get some guidance from someone who can provide insight for you and be prepared to explore difficult possibilities. As Jim Collins says in “Good to Great,” Confront the brutal facts, yet never lose faith.”

 Joan Paul is a Certified Executive Coach and Sales Strategist. Her company, J. Paul Training Inc., provides customized training, strategy development and is the distributor of No More Cold Calling, TM, The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, and The Sales Activator®, an international sales management system. Joan can be reached at (403) 607-1979 or through her website http://www.jpaultraining.com

Today’s News: Over at Salesopedia, Clayton Shold is in conversation with “Mr Inside Sales” the very genial, Mike Brooks - “Throw Away Your Funnel” - “Suppose someone told you to throw away your sales funnel. Would you think they are contrarian or just crazy? Mike Brooks suggests the top 20% of sales producers don’t use a funnel, they use a sales cylinder. He explains how to dramatically improve your closing ratio by using a cylinder and disqualifying prospects early. Mike has a special message for the sales leaders in the audience who have grown up with, and continue to promote sales funnels.”  As usual, just click on the banner below.

In “Wall Street And Broken Social Trust” Charles Green articulates very well what most of us are thinking right now - you might enjoy the read.

My own view is that there is only one thing uglier than a fat cat, and that’s a dead fat cat. Once upon a time in the UK, if someone introduced themselves as an estate agent, you would count your fingers after shaking hands - the banking industry has now been passed that baton and is viewed with considerable disdain by anyone with an I.Q. of more than 30.

Tomorrow: In response to the question: “What is THE most important leadership trait?” I provide the answer - for me, it is a “no-brainer”