Three Word Meetings: A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team

by Lisa Thal

Overview

Maximize Your Team Meetings

Creating great sales meetings week in and week out is challenging, but in Three Word Meetings, Lisa Thal helps provide some fun and interesting options to get your sales team motivated and inspired. By providing a full year of simple three-word topics that can be discussed at each weekly meeting, the author has created an actionable plan for improving the much-maligned gatherings. She has done the work for you--just add or adjust content as you see fit. No matter what industry you're in, you will benefit from the author's knowledge and expertise.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632990969
Publisher:	River Grove Books
Publication date:	08/31/2016
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.48(d)

Read an Excerpt

Three Word Meetings

A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team

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By Lisa Thal

River Grove Books

Copyright © 2016 Lisa Thal
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63299-096-9

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CHAPTER 1

LEAD THE WAY

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We use "lead the way" in many different contexts. Let's take a look at two of the most common interpretations:

1. Act as a guide in advance of others; go first to show someone the way: "He led the way on point as we made our way through the jungle."

2. Be first or most prominent in some field or action: "She led the way for the US Olympic team with three gold medals."

One of our great debates revolves around the question of whether leaders are born or made. It is obviously easy to track the success of leaders over time and ascribe such success to their schooling or training. But does genetics come into play? This was the great mystery until several years ago when a study was published by University College London. It was the first time researchers could show a link between certain genetic traits and leadership. The study did not dispute the fact that leadership skills can be learned, but it was the first time a scientific study showed that leadership qualities could be passed down through generations.

When we ask someone to lead the way, we are making a number of statements about their character:

• We are saying we trust them based on their previous performance.

• We are saying we believe that they have our best interests in mind.

• We are saying that we know they've gone down this path before, and we are comfortable with their guidance.

• We are saying that we think we can learn from their experience.

• We are saying that we appreciate the fact that they have been successful in the past and we want to gain from those successes.

When I was managing a radio station, we were faced with a dip in our ratings and the onset of a recession. The combination was going to take us down a path I didn't want us to go down. My sales team was compensated with a 100 percent commission plan. In the radio industry one rating point dip could mean thousands in lost revenue from the advertising agencies and lost commissions for my team. I knew we would have to work through the dip in ratings, and so I needed to figure out a solution to how my sales team could earn other commissions to offset the agency side of their business. I decided to lead the way on generating direct business, which was not impacted by ratings. The easiest way to do this was to show them how to do it, instead of telling them how to do it. I hit the streets on my own, as I had created a list of direct clients and met with them individually over the coming weeks.

When I started to quickly make sales, their curiosity led them to ask me what I was doing, so I happily played them the sample commercials (spec spots) and customized proposals I put together for these businesses, which I had titled: "Recession-Buster Programs to Grow Your Market Share." If their market was going to have fewer opportunities due to the recession, I needed to find a solution for my clients to capture a larger share of the available market. I would have faced the typical pushback if I had shoved the concept on my team; but by doing it myself first and leading the way it was an easy conversion from customized programs. The sales team sold more, earned higher commissions, and the company's annual revenue increased.

For You

• Think about someone who you believe to be a great leader and discuss the qualities you admire in that person.

• What are the ways you can serve as an example and lead the way in your current role?

• Do you feel confident when leading your team?

• How do you inspire others to lead the way?

For Your Team

Ask your team to share their thoughts on what the phrase "Lead the Way" means to them.

Next, expand the discussion using the following prompts:

• Think about someone who you believe to be a great leader and discuss the qualities you admire in that person.

• What leadership traits do you believe you have?

• In what circumstance has someone asked you to lead the way?

• How does the phrase "Lead the Way" play out in your client relationships?

• What are the ways you can serve as an example and lead the way in your current role?

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."

— John Maxwell

CHAPTER 2

IN THE ZONE

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A popular phrase in the American vernacular, especially in reference to professional sports, is "in the zone." NBA stars who are on a hot streak from beyond the three-point line claim to have been in the zone. Baseball players in the midst of a hitting streak tell how the ball seems bigger and slower, almost impossible not to hit, when they are in the zone.

Michael Jordan was once interviewed about what happens during particularly pressure-packed moments of important games. He said that whether at home or away, while in the zone he was almost in a place of total quiet. He became so totally focused on being in that moment of the game that everything else seemed to fall to the background or was shut out, including the noise of the crowd.

Being in the zone is actually a psychological concept known as flow. According to Wikipedia, flow is "a mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does."

Being in the zone means there are three conditions at play:

1. We are solely focused on our goal and the actions needed to accomplish the goal, and it feels effortless.

2. We need immediate feedback so we can make adjustments to maintain the process and flow.

3. We must maintain our confidence through the process. We are energized by the entire experience.

Those who are frequently in the zone talk about feeling a sense of calm when all else around them may be chaos.

In the zone, or flow, is an excellent topic to explore with your team during a sales meeting. Every seller, especially those at the top of their game, has had moments when everything is going right, when every call clicks, when they might feel superhuman. They probably don't know it, but they are experiencing flow, or the sense of being in the zone.

For You

• Come up with a "zone moment" you may have had, either on the job or in your personal life. How did it feel?

• Think about a typical day. What aspects of your job are most likely to be those that create zone moments?

• How can you create more zone moments during a typical day?

• What is happening in your body when you are in a zone moment?

• How do you think fear plays into zone moments?

For Your Team

Ask your team to share their thoughts on what the phrase "In the Zone" means to them.

Next, use the prompts you used in your exercise with your team.

Change your perspective and you can change your life.

CHAPTER 3

LIVE YOUR DREAM

* * *

Let's be clear: There is a big difference between "living your dream" and the much-used phrase "living the dream." We've probably all used the phrase "living the dream" at some point, especially in those moments when life or work — or both — are conspiring to frustrate and bring us down. But for the purpose of this book, we will focus on the more positive one: "living your dream." We live in a country that embraces the belief that any person can accomplish any dream or goal through a commitment to hard work and perseverance.

The truth is we are born into a world that embraces this ethos, despite its imperfections. Little children are taught to think about what they want to be when they grow up. We need to make certain that we stay focused on living our dream — the life we have planned for ourselves with the goals in mind that we hope to achieve.

Of course, there are limits to living your dream. One can practice golf twenty-four hours a day for years and not approximate the success of Tiger Woods. And very few of us have the looks or talent to become an Oscar-winning performer. To that end, living your dream is framed by more achievable goals: a steady job, a family, a nice home, etc.

One day I noticed that one of my salespeople seemed distracted. I asked him if he was okay. He shared that his father had been ill and that the two had always had a strained relationship. His father was a successful surgeon, and the salesman's brother had followed in his footsteps. His father had taught his sons that living the dream was all about financial success, big homes, and vacations. This was not the dream my coworker saw for himself; but despite those feelings, he chose a career in sales, which was met with disapproval. He felt in sales he could still earn a great income without losing his authentic self. I asked him if he was happy selling. He shared that he loved the people he worked with, but he had always dreamed of being in a band and owning his own consulting company. He was never comfortable in a corporate setting with rules and expectations. He was more of a free spirit, and he felt that characteristic had faded over the past twelve years. He didn't want to disappoint his father, especially now that he was ill.

I expressed my sorrow that his father wasn't doing well, and I explained that perhaps the moment was for him. He needed to live his dreams and stop fulfilling someone else's. Life has a way of shifting us to where we need to go next. I asked him to take as much time as needed to determine if working in sales was where he should be. Weeks later he turned in his resignation. You could see that an emotional weight had been lifted off of him as he found the courage to start living his dream.

For You and Your Team

This is an interesting topic to explore with a sales team. It's likely that few, if any, sellers could say they are living their dream, that they grew up wanting to be a great salesperson. You do risk the chance that this discussion could prompt one or more of your sellers to realize they are missing their dream, in which case they might resign to become a bartender in Barbados.

Explore what "Live Your Dream" means with your team by using these prompts:

• How do you define "Live Your Dream"?

• On a scale of 1–10, with 10 being "fully living my dream," how would you rate your life and why?

• How important is money to living your dream?

• What can you do to help your clients live their dreams?

Don't dream your life, live your dream! If don't live your dream, then you're fulfilling someone else's.

CHAPTER 4

THE V FORMATION

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Teamwork is a vital part of a thriving work environment. Everyone plays a critical role in the overall success of a company. Teamwork helps employees build trusting relationships with their coworkers, reduces workplace fatigue, and increases overall productivity. In sales your days can be filled with very high moments of interactions with clients and closing sales, along with the frustrations of not being able to connect to the decision maker on a potential account or losing a big sale. How do great sales teams consistently perform better than their competitors? They realize the importance of everyone's contributions to the overall team's success. They understand at any given time they may be asked to lead the team and accept that leadership role. The efforts of teams often produce far greater results than individuals.

How can you coach your team to work better together in order to produce better results? A great example of team-work is how geese fly in the V formation and the valuable lessons the formation teaches us about working together.

1. Teamwork: By flying together in a V formation, the flock, scientists estimate, can fly about 70 percent farther with the same energy than if they flew alone. This is because each goose provides additional lift and reduces air resistance for the goose flying behind them. When everyone works together they too can arrive at their destination quicker and easier because everyone is contributing. Each team member is doing his or her part for the team. Is it possible to improve your teamwork?

2. Effort: When a goose decides to drop out of the line, it discovers that it requires more effort to fly. This happens because the goose loses its advantage of the lifting power that comes from flying together. You may experience members of your team falling behind and going on their own. They quickly find out that it is more fun to be on a team. It's more rewarding when their efforts contribute to the greater good of the team. Is everyone on your team giving their best effort?

3. Leadership: Each goose will be asked to take their turn in the front of the formation and lead the others. Each goose, like our team members, has an opportunity to step up and lead. Everyone has the opportunity to be a leader on the team given the chance. Can more leaders be developed?

4. Communication: The geese honk while they are flying to encourage each other along the way. They keep their lines of communication open so everyone knows the outcome. How is the communication with your team?

One year my team and I shared a vision of breaking an annual revenue goal for our company. We knew exceeding this goal was going to take tenacity and teamwork. We established the goal and strategized the game plan and effort it would require from each of us. Everyone understood that in order to achieve the goal they would each have to achieve their individual goal or, better yet, exceed their goal in case another seller fell short. We created a big board with our vision on it and hung it in the sales area as a reminder of what we were striving for. The revenue goal would get updated at the end of each week so the team knew how much more they had to produce. Each team member's name was listed — from the twenty-year veteran to the newest member who joined the team just sixty days before. It was exciting to watch how the veteran would encourage the newest member to contribute and step in to help if they faced setbacks. The team understood that at various times throughout the year each of them would need to step to the front and lead. They would high-five each other and ring a bell when a sale was added to the board. The energy and communication were contagious. We understood that we could encounter setbacks, but we were willing to keep pushing forward. We met our goal in the eleventh month of the year and celebrated our accomplishments. We shared what we learned through the process and realized that because of everyone's efforts, our goal was fulfilled.

For You

• Write down an example of when your team exceeded expectations.

• Write down an example of a time your team fell short.

• How can you improve the overall performance of your team?

• What strategies can you implement to improve your team's efforts?

• How do recognize and reward great teamwork?

• Do you have someone on your team who keeps your team from moving forward?

For Your Team

Ask your team to share their thoughts on what the phrase "The V Formation" means to them.

Next, walk them through the following:

• Write down positive and negative views you have about teamwork.

• What role do you play on the team?

• Share an example of how you contributed to the success of the team.

• Think of an example of when you took the responsibility to lead the team.

• How do you encourage other team members?

"Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission."

— Zig Ziglar

CHAPTER 5

THE GROWTH MINDSET

* * *

Our mindset is the single most important part of the sales process. If you're in sales, you can encounter various situations that you mentally have to be prepared for at all times. Your current mindset may be focused on preparation for the call, determination to close the account, or overcoming the objections to win the business. Through all our sales experiences, we have the ability to learn something new.

The good news is that you are the only one who can determine your mindset every moment and every day. When we set our minds to something, we feel more in control. When we set our minds on something we really want, we find a way to deliver on it.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Three Word Meetings by Lisa Thal. Copyright © 2016 Lisa Thal. Excerpted by permission of River Grove Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Preface,
Introduction,
1. Lead the Way,
2. In the Zone,
3. Live Your Dream,
4. The V Formation,
5. The Growth Mindset,
6. On the Rise,
7. Engage, Inspire, Empower!,
8. Someday Is Today,
9. What to Improve,
10. Attitude, Approach, Action,
11. Ask Another Question,
12. Business or Busyness?,
13. It's All Possible,
14. Own the Objection,
15. Proactive or Reactive?,
16. Reason for Calling,
17. Raise Your Standards,
18. The One Thing,
19. Looking for Leads,
20. Are You Listening?,
21. Winning Is Contagious,
22. What You Want,
23. Who Knows You?,
24. Begin and Win,
25. One More Call,
26. The SMART Approach,
27. Make Meetings Meaningful,
28. Are We Prepared?,
29. Own Your Numbers,
30. I Will Know,
31. Win the Day,
32. What Stops You,
33. Because of You,
34. Your Sales Story,
35. Find a Way!,
36. Grow Your Business,
37. Do the Fundamentals,
38. Rapport Is Power,
39. How's Your Focus?,
40. Keep Moving Forward!,
41. Are You Relevant?,
42. Never Underestimate Yourself,
43. Your Big Breakthrough,
44. Consistency Pays Off,
45. Activity with Productivity,
46. It's Your Choice,
47. Outcome = Income,
48. Just Get Started,
49. Activity and Effectiveness,
50. Do It Again!,
51. What Drives You?,
52. Now, Next, Then,
Acknowledgments,
About the Author,