FranklinCovey-The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Sales Leaders

HABIT 4: THINK WIN-WIN

HABIT 4: THINK WIN-WIN The Habits I’ve discussed previously in this paper have been focused on developing mastery— mastery of self. The result is true “independence” and deep character, leading to an increasingly more effective and truly powerful individual. Self- mastery is the hardest earned and most valuable of all victories!

Since the first three Habits are deeply personal and private in their effect, you might not appreciate how vital they are as the foundation to success in the public arena. They are the power source that makes our interactions with others effective. For both sales leaders and individual contributors, success with self (Private Victory) is the only way to realize sustainable success with others (Public Victory). Habits 4, 5, and 6 are Habits of interdependence. While independence is an achievement, interdependence is a choice. And it’s a choice only independent people can make and live to. In the long run, you can’t be successful with other people if you haven’t paid the price to master yourself. Many try, but it’s impossible to sever public life from private life. Indeed, the most important offering you give to others is not what you say, what you think, or even what you do; it’s who you are down deep. “Win-Win is not a technique, it’s a total philosophy of human interaction,” Stephen Covey writes. “Win-Win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying. With a Win-Win solution, all parties feel good about the decision and feel committed to the action plan.” Sales people need an approach that allows them to leapfrog beyond a traditional, resistant, or guarded interaction—or one that’s often only utilitarian at best—and truly connect as business partners. The primary mindset is based on Win-Win. In this section, I’ll share some points related to “Think Win- Win” that are highly applicable to sales leaders. Some are focused within the sales

organization and some apply externally with clients. An important note: If, as a sales leader, you look across your team and see individuals who aren’t truly independent—who are frequently overreactive to outside stimuli (what others do or say, or don’t do or say) rather than proactive, who don’t have their own deep purpose they’re committed to, and who aren’t executing around their life’s priorities—how will they have the maturity to buy into someone else’s mission, execute around those priorities, and proactively respond to all the disappointments and challenges that inevitably come? It seems unlikely. I suggest you focus on helping them see the importance of building deep sources of personal security before asking or expecting them to change in their public life. You can encourage them to Think Win- Win, you can train them in Habit 4, and you could even model it in your own behaviour, but without a strong character ethic and the foundation of Habits 1, 2, and 3, they won’t be able to think and apply “Win-Win.” It will be practiced as a manipulative human-relations technique instead of the profoundly powerful principle it is. At best you will only get compliance, which won’t likely unlock Win- Win.

DEPOSITS FOSTER WIN-WIN Stephen Covey uses the metaphor of an emotional

bank account to describe how “making deposits” with another person builds trust. The concept of an emotional bank account is significant as an indicator of the strength of the relationship. The more frequent the interaction

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