Why are some managers more effective than others? In the last few decades there has been a substantial amount of research that has verified the specific behaviors that can increase management effectiveness. One of the most surprising research findings was that great managers are liked by those they manage. The following are four reasons why management likeability is essential.
There is no doubt that integrity matters in business and sales. To become a successful sales person, you must be trustworthy, honest and dependable. In today’s transparent marketplace, salespeople who will do or say anything to earn a sale are a liability that is simply bad for business.
If you are a sales or business leader how can you create a sales compensation plan that will improve sales results? Here are four rules that will help guide you in devising highly effective pay plans.
Greg was a sales person that I will never forget. He would often barrage prospects with a seemingly endless supply of sarcastic remarks. Though his first quip would usually inspire a grin, as the attempts at humor continued, prospects would become annoyed and then attempt to disengage from the sale. In the end, Greg’s ineffective use of humor cost him sales. Unfortunately, Greg is not alone. Many sales people struggle …
How can you increase your sales? This is where behavioral science – the study of how the human brain makes choices and which factors influence what we say, how we act, and what we decide to buy – can help. Here’s three science-backed principles that will increase your sales success.
In the profession of sales we have an alarming problem: many of the most commonly used and taught sales behaviors have been scientifically shown to drive down performance? For example, a study published in the Harvard Business Review, analyzed the sales calls of 800 sales people. The results were that only 37% of the sales people exhibited behaviors that increased the likelihood of the sale. The remaining 63% behaved in …
In the past, the factors that underlined sales success were thought to be a mixture of innate talent, timing and luck. However, because of modern breakthroughs in behavioral science, there has been a codification of the causal behaviors that empower heightened levels of performance. These behaviors are learnable and anyone who adopts them will significantly increase the likelihood of achieving their goals. The following are 3 scientifically proven principles of …
What makes someone an effective presenter? Why do some sales people seem to effortlessly captivate their buyers, while others struggle just to keep them awake? The way you present your ideas matters because it is often the deciding factor in whether or not your message will be met with acceptance or rejection. Neuroscientist Gregory Berns summarizes this reality with the insightful statement, “A person can have the greatest idea in …
Craig was an experienced sales person who was going through the worst selling slump of his career. His sales production had plummeted by over 50% and no one knew why. Craig had even met with his sales manager numerous times and had reviewed with him his entire sales presentation, but still nothing seemed to help. With each day that passed Craig was becoming more frustrated as his performance continued to …
“Try not to think of a white bear.” This was the peculiar instruction given to participants in a research experiment led by behavioral scientist Daniel Wegner.[1] Each participant was directed to sit quietly for five minutes and attempt to think about anything other than a white bear. The findings of this experiment, which were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, disclosed that in spite of their most valiant …
What makes a PowerPoint presentation effective? Why are some PowerPoint presentations described as being highly engaging and others infamously referred to as, “death by PowerPoint”? These are meaningful questions because your proficiency in communicating your ideas will be the determining factor in whether or not you or your ideas are embraced by others. Hillary Chura writes about this in one of her New York Times articles where she cites numerous …
The late Dr. Irving Janis was one of the most distinguished social psychologists who ever lived. His innovative psychological theories, such as groupthink, have transformed the way people relate to one another. One of his most unique research experiments occurred on the Yale campus where he taught. Janis gathered together college students to analyze how the persuasiveness of a message could be enhanced. To some of the students he gave …