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Which do you think would be harder to train, a cat or a
salesperson? Seriously, which one would you pick? While
it's true that cats have a well-deserved reputation for being
independent, demanding and virtually impossible to train, the
same can be said for many salespeople. Surprisingly, the same
training and reward techniques required to get Fluffy to jump
through a hoop can also be utilized to motivate your sales
team to achieve
peak performance!
One evening while
channel surfing I came across a fascinating
animal act that grabbed my attention. The act featured a cat
trainer with a half dozen cats of varying size, shape and
color. Unlike a circus lion tamer who attempts to intimidate
with a chair and whip, this man simply used a combination of
treats and verbal praise to motivate his cats to perform
difficult tricks. Using only soothing voice tones and a pocket
full of cat treats, he would calmly command each cat to do its
own specific trick. Amazingly, he got one cat to walk on his
front paws, one balanced on a ball, while yet another pushed
a toy baby stroller across the stage.
After the performance, the cat trainer was interviewed and asked
how he was able to get his cats to willingly obey his commands.
His response surprised me with its simple wisdom. He said that
he didn't train the cats at all, he simply figured out what each
cat liked to do best and then encouraged that behavior!
"People need to realize that a cat's indifference doesn't mean
they can't learn cool tricks," says celebrity
animal trainer
Joel Silverman. "It simply means you haven't convinced them yet
that doing so is in their best interest. A dog naturally wants to
please you and will work for you, but a cat needs a paycheck to
be motivated."
Five Tips to Help You Train Cats and Salespeople
1.
Temperament testing is a must! Before you invest your time
and energy into training make sure you check for temperament
suitability. Temperament testing allows you to identify those
who by nature lack the discipline, desire or self-motivation to
consistently achieve peak performance.
Sales managers who lack
the benefit of temperament understanding are inclined to place
too much emphasize on their gut-level feeling during the hiring
process. If you hire someone that is not suited for the position,
you will experience low morale, high turnover and find yourself
constantly in the training mode. On the other hand, when you
recruit the right person you will find that they are self-motivated
and eager to train.
2. Look for "hot buttons". Traditionally, sales managers have
relied primarily on commission to motivate their sales force.
Unfortunately, a compensation structure based solely on commission
does not address individual motivational factors and therefore,
money alone will not motivate your sales force.A successful
incentive program is a mixture of awards, recognition and
peer
pressure
. There is tremendous power behind a timely word of praise
or a handwritten note acknowledging achievement. While money is
certainly an important ingredient in any incentive program, it
should by no means be the only tool in a manager's motivational
toolbox. If money by itself were a sufficient motivation,
commission-based salespeople would simply sell more without
additional enticement.
3. Make the training fun and positive. All cats and most salespeople
have pretty
short attention spans and low boredom thresholds. Keep
lessons short, interesting and always try to end on a positive note.
4. You must be patient when training cats or salespeople. It's
important to respect individual abilities and preferences. Make
allowances for personality, and don't get frustrated if the training
schedule doesn't go exactly as expected. Remember that people have
off days and on days just like cats. ''When I'm really pushing and
the going gets tough," says Silverman, "sometimes the cat just sits
down and says, 'I give up'. Even the brightest cats, if they feel
you're pushing them too hard, will, in effect, say, 'Screw you, buddy,
I'm going to go over there, sit down, and stare into space.'''
5. Make sure to take time for rest and relaxation. All work and no
play will make the cat, the salesperson and the trainer grumpy.
Whether it is playing with a ball of yarn or enjoying a round of
golf, taking time out to play is critically important. By successfully
balancing play and work, you will return recharged, refreshed and
ready to accomplish more.
By incorporating these five powerful tips into your training program,
you will develop an award-winning sales team and achieve unbelievable
results!
John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and
sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales
meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized
sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an
impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have
John speak at your next event, visit
www.johnboe.com
or
call
877 725-3750.
© Copyright 2008 - John Boe International
John Boe International
201 Glenridge Road
Kettering, OH 45429
Office: 877 725-3750
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