Sandler Training - October 2018

Take a look at our newsletter this month!

WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM / (208) 429-9275 / OCTOBER 2018

FIND YOUR EDGE

OVERCOMING LEARNED HELPLESSNESS THE VALUE OF HAVING AN EFFECTIVE COACH

In the last newsletter, we covered the essentials of coaching and the role a great coach can play in the success of your business and life. We outlined a healthy balance of motivation, accountability, and knowing how to act on wisdom, but we never covered what makes a great coach. Grasping the difference between technique and skill is crucial to understanding how to apply new concepts. A good coach knows the difference. I played football while I was growing up and learned a ton about the intricacies of the game. As a player, I learned the technical aspects of blocking, catching, carrying the ball, and throwing. Coaches broke down the key points and helped me understand how to be effective in whatever position I played. Each “ “YOU CAN’T TRANSFORM ANYTHING IN AN ENVIRONMENT PREDICATED ON FEAR.” TECHNIQUE VS. SKILL

practice was focused on learning the fundamentals and how to apply them in game situations.

But when the ball was snapped, there were players who could execute and those who couldn’t. You can have all the technical ability on the planet, but skill is about taking that technique and applying it in game situations. When we coach, if our constituents don’t understand how to apply the concepts we teach to their businesses, then what service are we providing? We aim to teach real applications that translate straight to the playing field (your business). Perhaps just as importantly, our training also focuses on adjusting the mindsets of the people we work with. You can’t transform anything in an environment predicated on fear. A good learning dynamic is centered around the freedom to make mistakes, as long as those mistakes provide empowerment to incite change.

LEARNED HELPLESSNESS

Dependency can be a lethal double-edged sword, especially in coaching. Having someone depend on you while you teach them to do something properly is completely natural, but there needs to come a point when the bird leaves the nest and strikes out on

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 >>>

(208) 429-9275 | 1

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com

<<< CONTINUED FROM COVER

its own. The more you teach someone, the higher the potential for dependency. That dependency turns lethal when the student never leaves their learned role and has to consistently report to you or ask questions they are perfectly capable of finding answers to themselves. Coaching your employees is an essential aspect of leadership, but that doesn’t mean leaders are made to function in a supervisory role and dictate their teammates’ every action. It’s pivotal to help others find their way to independence; otherwise, they develop what we like to call “learned helplessness.” It’s important to understand that learned helplessness is precisely that: learned . Behind every dependent employee is a leader who failed to inspire them to learn the self-sufficiency they desperately crave and deserve. More often than not, it’s because the leader is either not abiding by core values or simply has not established them. You have to ask yourself if there is a moral dilemma here or just a need for additional planning. Inserting yourself into a moral equation complicates the question because morality is subjective. Yet without knowing what is right for you or what is right for me, companies sometimes inadvertently create core values that leave no room for discourse and growth. Are you true to your core values in your daily business? Are you proud of what you are? Are you proud of who you are?

Reach out to our team today if you’re interested in seeing our worksheet on the theory of constraints; it’s an excellent tool to use while confronting the mirror in front of you. Don’t let a mask ambush your long-term intentions and the success that you are capable of. –Jim Stephens

DOES YOUR BUSINESS HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP? 4 TACTICS TO WIN WITH AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Going through a change in leadership is always a significant undertaking for any business. It presents a moment of high volatility for the company and its workers. But just because organizational change is difficult doesn’t mean it can’t go smoothly and make the company better. These four strategies will help you approach organizational change in a way that sets your business up for long-term success. 1. Identify the underlying issues that have created or exacerbated the current problems. This analysis can highlight what needs to be addressed immediately and areas where you can work to avoid unnecessary complications. 2. Calculate the resources needed to produce lasting change. Focus on questions concerning expected resistance as well as

how much of that tension can be avoided. From here, you can highlight whose cooperation is essential to making sure the implemented changes succeed. 3. Select a strategy that is consistent with your company’s priorities and core values. Consistency in an organization can remove much of the resistance to change by merely

controlling implementation strategy and keeping track of the unexpected. If you can expect that something will eventually occur and are carefully monitoring the process of change, you can recognize the issue and proactively address it.

We use the Devine Inventory method as a starting point when

approaching large-scale changes. To learn more

highlighting the continuity of your procedures and values within the shift. 4. For change to be successful, it must be monitored and measured. A business’s leadership spends a majority of their effort during organizational shifts

about how this strategy works and how we can help with organizational

overhauls, reach out to us today. Making sure that an adjustment like this goes well is crucial to the success of your company, and we want to help.

2 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com

SANDLER TRAINING BUILDS A FOUNDATION FOR JUNIPER COOPER REALTY GROUP

The Great Recession and the subsequent housing crisis forced out many agents working in the market at the time. In a roundabout way, there was almost a purging effect, and only those with the fortitude to stick out the challenges made it through. When you ask an agent how long they’ve been in business, you won’t find many left who can tell you they started in real estate before 2008. Juniper began building The Juniper Cooper Realty Group at Silvercreek back in 2002 as an independent agent. Her desire to learn and her drive to be successful helped in the early years, but the path to the success she has today started when the economy took a downturn. Rather than jumping out of the industry during the recession, Juniper began to study.

If you’ve ever met Juniper Cooper, you’ve witnessed the passion behind everything she does. It’s hard to find someone who’s so driven by the prospect of growing their business while maintaining their personal relationships, but Juniper is that person. We had the pleasure of spending time with her and Tom Hicks to talk about how Sandler Training has had an impact on her business.

THE TEAM

“The market went down, and that was the time where I started to learn and understand the business model of building a team versus being an independent practitioner,” Juniper says. The concept of real estate teams has gained significant traction recently for good reason. “It’s better for the client, for myself, and for agents,” Juniper states. A real estate team has the capabilities to absorb a lot of overhead associated with transactions and to provide specialized roles. “A lot of

(208) 429-9275 | 3

agents who had tenure in the industry have begun to seek out a team,” explains Juniper. The multifaceted nature of the job often means that agents are pulled in multiple directions at any given time. “The complexities of the transactions have increased. There’s so much to do in real estate to do a good job.” For an independent agent, all of these burdens fall on one person’s shoulders, which can trickle down to the client experience. According to Juniper, a team allows the agent to focus on customer service and be that consultant the client is looking for. Without a positive client experience, your retention is sure to fall rapidly, and that reflects poorly on the agent and leadership. The client gains more peace of mind and a better quality of life when working with a team, and that directly translates to a higher quality of service. Juniper started her team in 2010 with the client in mind, but she soon found that the agents on her team reaped the benefits as well. “A team takes on all the costs — hiring, training, paying admin. We take on all the costs for the agent,” Juniper explains. But they don’t stop there. Her team will pay for videography, marketing, and just about anything under the sun that can help an agent generate leads. “It helps the agent have more peace of mind living in a commission industry.” But in the end, it always comes back to the client. “The more peace of mind agents have, the better the service they can deliver to the client,” says Juniper. Tom Hicks serves as the director of sales and training, and he echoes much of this sentiment. “Agents not on a team are often worried and frustrated. They’re running around like a chicken with their head cut off. They’re already so busy that they never get to go on vacation, but the only way to make more money is to make more sales.”

Tom uses the Pareto principle to explain how a team can help with this. “Most agents spend about 80 percent of their time making 20 percent of their money,” he says. “When you’re on a team, you have mindset training, scripts, and dialogues, so you can spend 80 percent of your time making 80 percent of your money.”

production from the agents on the team, expansion is next to impossible. That’s where Tom comes in. “A lot of these agents will reap the benefits of a team and say, ‘I have a lot of free time on my hands. What do I do?’ I tell them a simple answer: ‘Lead generate.’” There is undoubtedly established credibility with Tom because he was one of Juniper’s first hires when she started her team. He has worked hard for her ever since because he lives with the ashes of a former life in the rearview mirror. “I was originally a lender during the downturn. I was making $12,000 a year and on the verge of losing everything. I was lying on the couch pleading, ‘God, please help me,’” recalls Tom. “I was contacted by a mutual associate who told me someone was looking for a buyer’s agent. Juniper called me, and the rest is history.” This may sound easy years later, but Tom found the process difficult at first. “It took a long time to develop my sales skills

THE TRAINING

The world of real estate is full of convoluted tactics promising

to be the solution to the lead generation and sales issues that plague many agents. But if you ask Tom what he believes to be impactful when working in sales, he’s quick to explain a fundamental concept we teach. “The most important thing I’ve learned is to come from a consultative approach and not sound salesy.” Tom says. “From there, you can find out what the client’s problem is and how you can help them.” As the director of sales and training, Tom plays a significant role in the growth of the team. Without consistent

4 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM

formation. It was deployed six times for five touchdowns, and the Dolphins won 38–13. Coaches across the NFL stole the formation, and it’s still in use to this day. Tom steals the belief Juniper gave to him and imparts that to his team every day. “There are others out there looking for guidance. They know they have talent and don’t know how to bring it out in themselves,” he says. But without tangible information, much of coaching is just temporarily filling emotional tanks. Tom likes to use what we refer to as “Up-Front Contracts.” These contracts can take many forms but are often something simple, like a meeting or a verbal agreement. “One thing we train a lot on is Up-Front Contracts. People want two things: They want to be right, but they also want to be fair. When you use an Up-Front Contract, you give someone the opportunity to be fair and right,” Tom says. Juniper is quick to credit another of Sandler’s methods that has benefited her team. “The in-house training and team- specific training was instrumental in helping our organization. It helped create bonds, and going through the assessment process held us accountable. There was no hiding behind anything,” Juniper explains. The

process wasn’t comfortable; at times, some questioned the challenge, and others even left the company. But Juniper says it was all for the best. “The people who stayed with us through that have grown exponentially. It also helped others decide it wasn’t the right fit for them.” Tom follows up Juniper’s praise by saying, “I think it was the most powerful thing that has happened in my entire career.” The plaudits aren’t just because the training helped Tom’s abilities, either. “It used to be all about me. When you met me, you’d ask yourself, ‘Who is this jackwagon?’ The team dynamics we did helped build my business career and personal life,” Tom says. first started with Sandler, he noticed his business had countless hours going to one business-killing concept: unpaid consulting. By investing time with people who will never purchase from your business, you waste valuable attention you could dedicate to other clients and personal exploits. In a field like real estate, it’s easy to fall into this trap. As Juniper says, “Everyone is an expert.” It’s not just knowledge others are looking to impart, but also an understanding of the market. “What we really get paid for in real estate is giving really good guidance,” says Juniper. “One of the things Sandler helped us realize is that you can only serve so many people. It’s been instrumental in helping our salespeople make more money and serve the clients who are really important.” Qualifying your prospects is something we really try to drive home in our coaching. The more intent your process has for making sure your leads are qualified prospects, the less time you spend as an THE TACTICS When Jim Stephens, president and CEO of Crossroads Sandler,

and change my mindset. I came from a scarcity mindset, but when you have someone like Juniper who believes in you more than you believe in yourself, that really helps,” Tom says. The best coaches learn to steal the great lessons they’ve learned and apply them to their own teams. While the market was crashing in 2008, the NFL was reaching new heights. At the center of that year was a storyline that changed the game forever. The Miami Dolphins started that season 0 and 2 and looked destined for the same fate as their previous year, where they went 1 and 15 for one of the worst seasons in NFL history. The third game of the season pitted them against one of the great dynasties in the sport, the New England Patriots, who were coming off an undefeated regular season the year prior. Severely outmatched in every possible aspect and playing away from home in a stadium where they had only won once in the past six years, Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano unleashed the “wildcat”

(208) 429-9275 | 5

“exponential growth and impact more people and more personalities,” according to Juniper. “It really helps people. I think if they can understand each other, they can be more patient and appreciative of each other.” “Going through Sandler Training systems was enlightening to me. When you find success as a business owner, you find a certain way. What Sandler did was help me understand how other people find success. It’s about the foundation and repeatable systems,” says Juniper. “Sometimes, as a leader, what makes you a great entrepreneur doesn’t make you a great manager. Understanding those polarities and being able to behave in a way that isn’t my natural preference in order to grow the business was instrumental.” While we pride ourselves on helping others learn to ask compelling questions, the questions you ask yourself can be the most crucial. As Tom eloquently puts it, “The biggest and most important scripts and dialogues are the ones we tell ourselves.” We want to help you with those dialogues. Don’t take our word for it, though. Let Juniper explain how we can help. “Sandler Training is absolutely necessary for anyone looking to develop a world-class organization. The training is not for people looking to be mediocre. It’s for business owners that want to go to another level and who want that growth not just for themselves, but for other people.”

unpaid consultant. “I love that approach. It weeds out people who aren’t serious or aren’t actually your clients,” says Juniper. “If someone goes through this process and they’re a no, I get to go home and see my family. I didn’t waste my time with show and tell. It has saved me time and stress and solidified my own value to myself.” Juniper is a committed leader and effective business owner because she always views problem-solving beyond just a logistical lens and puts the true value of a person at the center of the issue. Once you’ve qualified a prospect, you can bet Juniper is going to give you genuine service straight from the heart. “When people get to a place of vulnerability and trust, you can do so much more for them,” she explains. For Juniper, that goes beyond just her clients. “As a leader, if your team trusts you, and they are honest with you, and they’re confident about your ability to get them where they want to go, it changes your entire relationship with them.” Juniper takes this beyond just her current employees and implements Sandler methods into her recruiting strategies as well. “Sandler is critical in helping me [recruit]. I understand behavior and the natural tendencies that lead to achievement and success,” she says. “The primary thing I look for beyond that is do they fit with our culture? Are they about being exceptional, delivering world- class service, and developing long-term relationships with clients? That’s really important to us.” While culture fit is a major concern for almost every business,

Juniper recognizes that not everyone is the right person for the job. “We can take someone with a natural predisposition to succeed and take them to a whole new level. And that’s so much more enjoyable than someone who doesn’t have a sales disposition,” she says.

TALK

So much of what constitutes each person’s success comes

down to self-talk. What goes on within the four walls of our minds has a significant impact on how we live our lives. One of the notable players in this internal struggle is the way we view our role versus our identity. “I love role versus identity because if there are things going on in your personal life that you can separate and say, ‘I’m going to step into my role,’ your business is less affected when you can learn to divide those. Being a salesperson is one of the toughest jobs out there. Your personal life can have so much impact on your professional life and vice versa.” Juniper says. We really drive home this idea because too many professionals attempt to validate their lives through the lens of their careers. But what differentiates the two? “I carried my identity into my role. Identity is more who you are. It’s the truth I tell myself and the lies I used to tell myself. My role is the director of sales and training at Juniper Cooper Realty.” Tom explains.

That sounds pretty good to us.

Once you understand the difference between the two, you can achieve

6 | WWW.CROSSROADS.SANDLER.COM

STOP CHEATING ON YOUR FAMILY!

TAKE A BREAK

Imagine that you just got home from an extremely tough day at work. As you walk in the door, your significant other says, “How was your day?”

CAULDRON COSTUME DRACULA GHOST HALLOWEEN HALLOWS EVE

HAUNTED PUMPKIN SCARY STORIES SPOOKY TRICKORTREAT ZOMBIE

For some reason, this stops you, and you start to think. On one hand, you could actually explain everything that happened today and how frustrated you are about it. On the other hand, perhaps they had a bad day as well. You don’t want to add to that, so instead of being candid and open about your day, you decide to go with the default option of “It was good.” The problem with this response is that, although it’s meant to protect your family from the struggles you face each day, it actually alienates your family and pushes them farther away. Asking for help can be one of the hardest things we do, but it is the most important piece of building a successful team and family. Your family wants to be there for you. They want to hear about your bad day and help you work through it. It is up to you to let them. Any time you don’t open up and let your loved ones into your world, you are lying to them by omission. It is the exact same thing as cheating. If you don’t recognize this and take the time to address it, your family may come to see your job as the object of your desire — your infatuation — and they will become resentful of it. They will become resentful of the time you spend on business. They may feel ignored, unimportant, and worthless. If you don’t open up about work and share both the good and the bad, you could seriously harm your relationships. I know from personal experience that if you don’t fully include your family, they start to feel like they are second to the business, and that is not a good feeling at all. We know they are the reason we work as hard as we do. Our reasons don’t matter, though; what matters is how they feel .

We have 20 complimentary copies of this new book to send out — if you’d like one, email joan.stephens@sandler.com or call (208) 429-9275 to request your free copy!

Reach out to your loved ones right now and let them know you will always share the good as well as the bad.

–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

What Makes a Great Coach?

4 Keys to Successful Organizational Change

Case Study: Juniper Cooper Realty Group

Stop Cheating on Your Family!

Donate to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Even if you don’t live in the Pacific Northwest, you’ve seen the devastation wildfires have wreaked on our landscapes. The smoke filled our valley here in Boise so badly this summer that children weren’t allowed to go outside. Layers of haze blotted out the sun, and even the healthiest of people experienced complications from the poor air quality. But while we were trying to find ways to filter out the smoke in our air-conditioned homes,

WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER FOUNDATION

But the biggest hurdle is the unpredictability of Mother Nature. A change in wind can quickly turn a controlled fire into one that claims the lives of rescue workers. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation was established in 1999 to help families of firefighters killed in the line of duty. By partnering with organizations and gathering contributions from private donors, this nonprofit organization helps honor the fallen by making sure their loved ones are cared for. The foundation does not receive any government funding and relies on the generosity of individuals. You can donate today by visiting wffoundation.org. There are three ways you can support this cause, each one with its own benefits: Make a simple donation, become a “52 Club” member, or donate to a specific fundraiser. Visit their website to learn more today.

firefighters across the country headed to the front lines of the blazes in California, Montana, and parts of Canada as well. Without their selfless acts of heroism, we’d probably still be buried in smoke. Each time these heroes go to the wilderness to fight some of the roughest fires known to man and keep us safe, they leave behind friends, family, and children. The rugged landscapes, isolation, and intense conditions can be challenging enough.