Take a look at our newsletter this month!
WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM / (208) 429-9275 / AUGUST 2018
FIND YOUR EDGE
LET SANDLER TRAINING EMPOWER YOU TO TAKE ON GENDER BIAS LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD THROUGH LISTENING
Out of all the ways Sandler Training empowers me to have an impact professionally, changing the perception of women in the workplace has to be the most significant. Recent conversations surrounding gender bias have certainly brought awareness to the issue, but they haven’t addressed the factors that perpetuate this continuing problem. I don’t see gender bias as an overt action that is intended to keep women from progressing to leadership roles. Instead, it’s become an unconscious bias that has been ingrained in our society.
around since the 1920s, and I was only the second woman ever to hold the title of president. I was treated with respect, but women in leadership is not a 50/50 proposition. Men are primed for these positions, and women are often members of their staff — they’re the executive assistant or administrator and consistently work in support roles. Most of that is because the qualities we value in effective leaders are most often associated with men. I did some research on characteristics in job postings and came across a study by The Bureau for Employer’s Activities (ACT/EMP) on how job ads are unconsciously geared toward men. Women are often associated with the following adjectives: emotional, mild, sensitive, warm, friendly, and affectionate. Men are associated with the following characteristics: dominant, achievement-oriented, ambitious, self- confident, tough, and aggressive. What the study suggested was that these male-oriented adjectives were much more prevalent in all the postings. When you think about your own business, when is the last time you used “emotional,” “sensitive,” or “friendly” in your postings?
“ “BECOMING A THIRD-PARTY LISTENER WHO ISN’T EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED ALLOWS ME TO APPROACH PROBLEMS FROM A SOLUTION-ORIENTED MINDSET.”
When I worked my way up the ranks of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), I never encountered blatant discrimination or gender bias. But at the same time, NARI had been
A woman who is viewed as having “male” traits is often viewed as bossy and demanding. These terms are considered compliments for
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 >>>
(208) 429-9275 | 1
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
<<< CONTINUED FROM COVER
a man but not at all flattering to a woman. Yet a lot of what has helped me become a great leader comes down to something that’s not on that list, and it doesn’t come off as aggressive. Becoming a third-party listener who isn’t emotionally involved allows me to approach problems from a solution-oriented mindset. By merely listening to the core issues of the situation, I can then use my innate strengths as a woman to help reach mutual conclusions that benefit everyone. The result isn’t bossy or unapproachable, but rather strong and guiding. Expectations are an essential part of how a leader is interpreted. Unfortunately, what we expect from a woman doesn’t match what we want from a leader. I saw a case study recently that illustrated our current perception of women as it pertains to leadership roles. Howard vs. Heidi was a research project that presented a potential new hire to multiple businesses. The two prospects were completely the same on paper. They were a venture capitalist, former entrepreneur, proficient networker, co-founder of a tech company, executive at Apple, and joined the board at several successful companies. The only difference was the name . The results found that potential employers perceived Howard to be highly competent, likable, and very easy to work with. Heidi, on the other hand, came off as competent, but no one wanted to work with her. Given that gender was the only variable in the case study, it is reasonable to infer a gender bias that high-achieving women are less likable than high-achieving men. Does that sound like bias to you?
Sandler Training has committed to focusing resources on leadership training for women by women. We want to bring the tools and skills needed to manage people and be strong, successful women in the workplace. If you’re going to ditch the kind of thinking that keeps you stuck and find empowerment in who you are as a woman, reach out to us today. The world is ready and waiting for strong female leaders, and we want to help mold them. –Joan Stephens RETENTION: BUSINESS’S SILENT KILLER 3 STRATEGIES TO SOLVE YOUR RETENTION PROBLEMS
OFFER INCENTIVIZED EXIT INTERVIEWS
As the economy continues to surge, the primary threat to growing businesses shifts from revenue to retention. Consistency within your staff is crucial to implementing effective systems and models, and retention has a causal relationship with your company’s bottom line. The cost of hiring a new employee can add up quickly. Depending on the nature of your business, the hiring process can cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. With more big
need to take time and reflect on how they can expand their horizons.
There is an abundance of valuable information available in exit interviews, but unfortunately, they can go wrong real quick. To bypass the generic responses and lack of meaningful data, try offering an incentive after completion of the exit survey.
KEEP YOUR FINGER ON THE PULSE
Most business owners assume employees leave because of money. In actuality, employees more often than not leave because of morale issues. When the economy is hot, success abounds, and morale is generally less of a problem. But what happens when shifts occur? Engaging in team training and communication is a great way to keep morale high. Local events and company engagements are also an effective way to foster relationships with co-workers. These retention strategies are just the beginning. Head on over to our blog at crossroads.sandler.com or reach out to our offices today for more information.
TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR COACHING
companies poaching talent from startups and small businesses, retention becomes pivotal to preventing your organization from becoming a stepping stone. We’ve found the following components to be successful when looking to implement an effective retention model.
Businesses only go as far as their leadership will take them. Leaders
can’t help their teams grow without guiding the path to discovery. But that means leadership becomes the linchpin to growth, and that
can be a hindrance. Sometimes weaknesses will stand in the way of progress, and that’s when leaders
2 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
THE FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS IS BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS
more encompassing concept: cultivating relationships. Sales and relationship building may sound like different ideas, but in actuality, they are dependent on each other. To increase sales and drive new revenue to your business, you have to create a meaningful connection with your prospective clients. Sales then become a natural byproduct of that relationship. But relationships aren’t just externally focused. A business will only go as far as its internal relationships take it. What happens within the walls of your company is just as critical as what goes on outside in the sales field. To scale your business to new heights, relationship building needs to transpire internally. We help a lot of companies, but very few embody this practice better than Sonitrol and Secure Pacific.
At Sandler Training, we’re best-known for sales education. Most of our clients come to us looking to learn our methods and apply them to their business. Many owners and CEOs believe that the problems plaguing their business can be solved by improving sales. While sales can certainly help business owners reach new heights, the key to building an empire is found in a broader,
WELCOME TO THE PARTY, PAL
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Jim Payne, senior vice president of Sonitrol and president of Secure Pacific Corp. Both are top 100 businesses in the $20 billion security industry. Sonitrol has cornered the market with their audio-verification-based intrusion system. The technology has been revolutionary for in-home and commercial security, keeping a variety of structures safe from burglars.
(208) 429-9275 | 3
Secure Pacific focuses on different tactics to keep your home or workplace safe. They use video verification that sends direct feedback to their data center. From there, they can pinpoint the nature of the intrusion and notify the authorities. When we asked Jim about the two companies’ success rate, the data that came back was captivating. “Since 1978, [audio verification] has kept 178,000 criminals off the streets nationwide. No one else in the industry does that,” Jim explains. Secure Pacific’s success has been almost as impressive as Sonitrol’s. “In the past four years, Secure Pacific has caught 300 criminals,” Jim says. For an up-and-coming regional security firm, those results are hard to argue with. But what is now a crime-fighting resource for hundreds of clients across six branches in the Northwest started from very humble beginnings. Beau Bradley began Sonitrol in 1978 with just himself and his wife. The decision to move forward and take on your own business never comes easy. Beau wrestled with the idea for quite some time, until he decided to pull the trigger one day. “He did some selling and installing until he eventually invested in the company himself,” Jim explains. When Beau finally decided to start his franchise in Everett, Washington, there was no looking back. It was that commitment that made the initial stages of Sonitrol successful. “Beau never does anything halfway. He and his wife did it all for a while,” Jim says. Glitz and glamour aren’t the foundation of a great business, and Beau was no exception. “Beau would sell in the morning, and then install in the afternoon,” recalls Jim. “He tells stories of sleeping on a cot in the central station. He’d be woken up to answer some questions on what a specific sound was.” Ah, the luxurious life of an early entrepreneur.
ALL ABOARD!
And that’s just the beginning. “Beau was involved in the first apprehension the company made. There was a phone call about some kids breaking into a school. Beau chased them, crashed into one of them, and grabbed the other. The police showed up, and he made the company’s first arrest.” The hard work and passionate dedication of Sonitrol’s leader translated into steady growth over the next 40 years. “In 1982, [Beau] bought a franchise in Portland, Oregon. In ’99, he opened up in Boise. In 2001, he bought an operation in Seattle. Then in 2005 in Tacoma,” says Jim. If you know anything about Sandler, we’re all about incremental changes over time. Beau Bradley certainly encompassed this concept in his growth model, and their numbers back that decision up. Sonitrol is the 30th largest company in the security industry, and Secure Pacific is in the 80s.
You can have the passion, the skills, the mindset, and the knowledge to grow a business. But without the right people, you’re not going anywhere. Luckily for Beau, he found integrity and a die-hard work ethic in Jim. “I started with Beau in 1984. He needed a sales manager, so I came back home to Portland to run sales for him,” Jim explains. But growing with a company doesn’t happen without a few sacrifices. “[Beau] bought Tacoma, and my son graduated in 2006, so I moved back up to Seattle,” Jim says. It wasn’t easy for Jim as he commuted between Seattle and Portland. “My home away from home was the LaQuinta Inn in Kirkland.” Jim says, chuckling. Luckily for him, he loves both Portland and Seattle. He may even love Oregon a little too much for our local liking.
4 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM
It worked in Jim’s situation, however, because he wasn’t selling aimlessly without direction. “We developed a plan early on. We developed certain benchmarks. If you sell X, we’ll bring on support. Sell Y, and we’ll bring on more support.” The more sales Jim made, the more staff he was able to add for him to manage. With his destiny dependent on his sales success, Jim drove his career forward. “I went from sales to sales manager. Then to branch manager, vice president of sales, and on to senior vice president. I then started Secure Pacific as an owner.” The security industry is a much different market than some of the companies we’ve featured in the past. For example, last month, we featured the solid-state lighting company, Lumencor. The competitiveness in their niche market is based more on research and development than it is on pricing. With Sonitrol and Secure Pacific, they have to compete with a “race to the bottom” market. In a nutshell, companies will attempt to drive prices lower and lower to gain more customers. Whoever gets to the lowest price fastest — or in some COMPETING WITH THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM
cases, no price at all — wins. It places many businesses in a tight spot and leaves them unsure about their future. “I remember the first company to come to the market with low service fees and free installs,” recalls Jim. “We had many conversations about what we were going to do.” Eventually, all businesses in this spot get to a point where they have to decide what kind of company they’re going to be. Do they want to grovel for customers, or do they have enough respect for what they do and who they employ to put their foot down? “We decided to do what we’ve always done: Deliver the best product, provide our customers with value, and exceed their expectations,” Jim says. But making this decision hasn’t come without its hurdles. “Not everyone is going to buy from us,” admits Jim. “From a sales standpoint, our consultants have to be a step above the others out there.” A key concept we teach at Sandler Training is learning to qualify your customers, not having them qualify you. It’s a strategy that Sonitrol employs to great effect, but as Jim mentioned, it means your sales team has to be well-equipped for the task. Jim goes even deeper into Sandler’s methods when he says, “We’re not selling price. We’re uncovering pain and developing the right solutions.” acquisitions. Every time you bring on a new company and absorb it into your own, you have the potential to create a volatile situation. “Their company owners did a great job assuring them they were the best, too,” says Jim. As a business, when you approach this situation, it’s essential to employ Sandler’s methods of listening; otherwise, you could be creating an emotional gauntlet for new and old employees alike. INTERNAL SALES A large part of Sonitrol’s expansion has stemmed from
“I’m an Oregon Duck. I bleed green and yellow,” he admits. Now, I know what you’re thinking. But before you toss this in the garbage and set it on fire, read what he says next: “Boise State kicks our butt in any sport we play them in, and I don’t know why. I’ll just own that.” We’re sure Broncos and Vandals fans alike can appreciate that perspective. Our previous case studies featured a common trend that continues with Sonitrol. It seems as if wearing multiple hats is almost a requirement in the early stages of building a business. If you remember our May edition of the newsletter, Sarah Henry of Gaspar’s Custom Design Build Firm said, “As any small business knows, there are no official roles. You’re always wearing multiple hats.” The same held true for Jim. “I started as a field sales rep. Then Beau hired me as a sales manager. It looked great on a business card, but [it meant] I was the sales team.”
(208) 429-9275 | 5
RELATIONSHIP WITH SANDLER
We started off this study by explaining how relationship building is pivotal to sales. What makes us successful with Sonitrol is the relationship we have with Jim. He’s been with Sandler for 18 years, and he has become much more than just a client; he’s a close friend and confidant. As we’ve gone through our coaching program, Jim has reciprocated our mentorship by teaching us a lot in return. “[Sandler] and I have developed a relationship. I’m more comfortable discussing with [Sandler], and I’ve been blessed with great mentors in my life.” He’s a personification of our methods and is a master at applying the concept of uncovering pain. According to Jim, he does it because he enjoys the Sandler selling process. “I do a lot of internal teaching on it,” he says. Accountability, sounding boards, challenges, training, and resources are all concepts Jim credits as huge influences. And when asked what he says about Sandler to other people, Jim responds, “Sign up. Invest in the training, and you’ll get the return multiple- fold with the practical tools you can take to market.” We’re blessed to have wonderful people like Jim in our lives, and we can’t wait for many more years of Sonitrol and Secure Pacific success.
We can all learn from how Sonitrol goes about acquisitions. “We need to stay true to who we are while respecting who they were. We bring them as quickly as possible into our culture and core values, but tactfully,” Jim says. “It’s important to treat them well. Make them feel like part of the family and not second-class citizens.” When these moments become difficult, it becomes even more important to have the right mindset. Jim’s view on the difficulties with mergers shows why he’s such a valued asset in the company. “It comes with its challenges, but it’s a fun challenge.” Bringing in a whole new culture and merging it with yours shouldn’t be a reconditioning process. When you go through acquisitions, it’s more like selling your product, service, and way of life to the new people you’re bringing on. If you believe wholeheartedly in your culture, then selling that to a new employee is a walk in the park compared to selling to a cold prospect. But even the best cultures have their challenges. Especially when they grow.
sees a cohesiveness within his growing company. “I think family is a great description for our culture. Sonitrol and Secure Pacific, we’re one team, one goal, but two companies. We operate the same way.” Words like “family” and “culture” can certainly feel like buzzwords within the modern framework of internal business operations. But when you’ve forged irreplaceable bonds with people, it’s hard to find better terms to express the closeness you feel. “Throughout the nationwide Sonitrol network, I’ve developed the best relationships of my life,” Jim says. Every culture has its unique twist on how it approaches competition. It may not be a core value up on the wall at the Sonitrol headquarters, but Jim quotes the wisdom of Ricky Bobby from “Talladega Nights”: “If you ain’t first, you’re last,” he says. The comment encapsulates Jim’s sense of humor and lightheartedness because he doesn’t foster a dog-eat-dog mentality. “It’s not an ‘at all costs’ thing.” His next comment displays the heart of a man dedicated to doing the right thing: “If you give [up] your integrity, you have nothing. You have to figure out a way to get it done the right way.”
CULTURE IS KING
“Culture is more of a challenge as you get larger and more
spread out,” Jim says. Luckily, Jim
6 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM
FOLLOW-UP FOR THE WIN!
TAKE A BREAK
To be in sales, you must be optimistic. To be great in sales, you need to be persistent.
Far too often, people try to connect a couple times with a prospect, but they give up because they are getting no response. Sales is all about timing. If you are not in front of your prospect at the right time, chances are they will go with someone else.
MY TOP 3 STEPS FOR CLIENT FOLLOW-UP
The first thing I do is create a task with the due date of the next time I want to contact this person. We have so much going on at any one time that if you leave it up to yourself to remember, chances are you will forget. As soon as the due date comes up, I reach out to them to have a conversation. Once I have attempted to connect, I decide when and what the next connection will be and change the due date accordingly. The second thing I do with any new prospect is make sure they are in our weekly email. This email is designed to keep us top of mind and provide value to our subscribers. This is one of the most important assets a business can control. Make sure that you are constantly building your list. The last thing I do to stay top of mind with prospects is add them to our 18-touch follow-up outline. This outline gives me 18 connection points that I don’t have to think about. I know what I need to do next and can keep moving quickly through my prospecting list. If you don’t have a process in place for following up, it is likely that you are giving up too quickly on prospects who are not quite ready yet. Which process or format you use is less important than simply having a process. I challenge you to take 15 minutes and jot down your follow- up process for developing a new client. If you can’t get it down in 15 minutes, you should get your team together and focus on building a process out of what works.
When someone closes, it is never on the first call. Make sure that you are not losing people during your sales process by giving up too soon.
–Justin Stephens
(208) 429-9275 | 7
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
704 E. UNITED HERITAGE COURT SUITE 202 MERIDIAN, ID 83642 WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
How Sandler Approaches Gender Bias in the Workplace
2
3 Solutions to Turnover and Retention Problems
3
How Sonitrol and Secure Pacific Became Industry Leaders
7
Are You Giving Up Too Soon?
8
One Local Company You Need to Know About
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: To make a difference as a business, you don’t need to turn a considerable profit. You need mission-driven values and the desire to have an impact. Boise River Volunteers does exactly that while making our rivers and community better places to be.
BOISE RIVER VOLUNTEERS local population. The mission of GOOD is to help make water recreation accessible for those with limitations. Individuals who can’t walk due to physical limitations are often excluded from experiencing the joys our rivers have to offer. This initiative provides an opportunity for everyone to enjoy activities like rafting.
ABOUT
VOLUNTEER-BASED
Trash can be a significant detriment to the entire ecosystem of our rivers. Whether it’s from littering or from debris blowing
in from our streets, the issue of human impact on our waterways is continually growing. Boise River Volunteers aims to keep our river clean so that fish can move in their habitat freely and recreationalists can operate safely.
Everyone who contributes to the efforts of Boise River Volunteers comes out on their own time and helps in their own way. Sometimes it’s picking up garbage, and other times it might be helping
a stranded floater. The nature of volunteer-run organizations is to rely on public funding to accomplish
GREAT OUTDOORS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DISABLED OR DISADVANTAGED (GOOD)
their mission. If you’re interested in learning more, head on over to riverhelpers.com to learn more.
Boise River Volunteers doesn’t just limit their impact to keeping our rivers clean. They also commit themselves to work with underserved segments of the
8 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online