November 26th, 2008 admin
If you need sales skills and methods to grow your business then you must join Fast Track Sales Clubs. The unique blended learning provides immediate access to innovative and time tested techniques from Top Sales Expert and Business Growth Specialist, Drew Stevens.
No business grows without acquiring new customers. In fact, nothing happens to your business without a sale. Utilities do not function, employees do not get paid and you do not receive compensation without a sale!
To grow business, acquire and retain clients and gain financial prosperity requires a single focus and most important accountability. Coaches assist elite individuals uncover underutilized strengths and hide weaknesses. Coaching helps provide a single focus and work towards the tip of the arrow rather than just the target.
In addition, in a time pressured world and multi generational environment modalities of learning change. Professionals desire assistance wherever, however and whenever they need it. Using the power of technology coaching is available throughout the day!
Finally, Athletes practice, attorneys practice, students practice and musicians practice. Business professionals must practice! . Too many individuals attempt things once and quit. Whether a diet, gym membership or other life altering experience, individuals try one time and leave without moving forward. The key to self-mastery is continuing. You must practice everyday. Just like you body is an investment, so is your mind!
Join our Fast Track Selling Club and watch your business dramatically accelerate!
For additional information click here…
Posted in Business Communication, Communication Training, Customer Relationship, Customer Relationship Management, Customer Service Training, Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Management, Positive Selling, Public Speaker, Public Speaking Skills, Sales Management Training, Sales Training, Sales marketing, Selling in a Bad Economy, Strategic Selling, Tips and Techniques, Training, account management, brand recognition, branding, business building, business development, business selling, cold calling, customer service, customer service consulting, customer service ideas, customer service seminars, customer service skills, effectiveness, efficiency, great customer service, lead generation, lead inquiry, lead management, life balance, make money, marketing, marketing help, marketing techniques, marketing tips, marketing tools, productivity, productivity techniques, sales coaching, sales effectiveness, sales help, sales manager training, sales selling, sales skills, sales strategist, sales strategy, sales success, sales techniques, sales trends, self development, self doubt, self help, self mastery, selling, selling effectiveness, selling skills, selling skills sales seminars, selling strategies, selling strategy, selling techniques, selling tips, small business, small business success, small business techniques, tips on marketings | No Comments »
November 6th, 2008 admin
Do not believe the rumors. Selling is not difficult now. People are attending sporting events, they are eating out, and they are buying beer! Now is not the time to avoid pressure but to increase it for your competition. While others fold, you must build. Listen to Drew Stevens Coach you through the malestrom and get you into competitive grear! This podcast promises to get you to Make it Happen!
Selling in a Volatile Economy:
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Posted in CEO challenges, Communication Training, Customer Relationship, Drew Stevens, Management, Positive Selling, Positive Thinking, Sales Management Training, Sales Training, Sales marketing, account management, attention management, brand recognition, branding, business building, business development, business selling, charismatic leadership, customer loyalty, customer service, customer service consulting, marketing, marketing help, sales help, sales selling, sales skills, sales success, sales techniques, self development | No Comments »
October 3rd, 2008 admin
A recent book from Lee Iacocca reminds me of the issues pertaining to leadership in America today. In his, book “Where have all the Leaders Gone? Mr. Iacocca reminds us of the ethical issues inherent in our system and challenges leaders to make amends. Greed and narcissism take hold in our society and change must follow. Leaders today use too many freedoms that create too much separation from the employees.
I recently rang off with a client who indicates to me required cost cutting given today’s economic upheaval. Items such as cup sizes; pens, pencils, space allocation etc are all under review. Yet most interesting executive bonuses, salaries, and benefits remain. Leaders today must be examples not narcissists. Being a leader requires being an example to all not one above the rest.
In the late 90’s, Colin Powell provided insight on a book on leadership in which he states, “Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off”. Agreed, but leadership is about trust and respect, little exists when employees are continually annoyed. Attrition increases and morale too. When productivity lacks, who really must be accountable?
Leaders today must constantly strive to challenge the employees and the system. The “aint broke don’t fix it” rule is not longer applicable. The days of the status quo ended and individuals and the culture as a whole must change to remain competitive.
Leaders need to act in harmony with employees and ensure equal treatment of all. Cultures where this practice occurs frequently include McDonalds, Fed Ex and UPS where employees and management are one. Why is it that some leaders build a culture of enthusiasm and energy and others self-fulfillment? Herb Kelleher, Steve Jobs, and others all exist to build a culture based on output to the employee and customer. Businesses suffer when leadership exists in a chasm. Businesses must emphasize focus for the customer.
Finally, leadership requires oversight and there exists little. Oversight committees and boards must help leaders change methods. Avarice does not assist stakeholder’s only self. Metaphorically, leaders must regain their site on the ball and stop stranding stakeholders and employees in sand traps. Organizational life is not an individual sport, it requires, moxie, persistence and a team effort.
2008. Drew J. Stevens All rights reserved.
Posted in Leadership, Leadership Training, Management, Management Training, Organizational Skills, Performance Management, organizational secrets, organizational success, organizational tips | No Comments »
September 26th, 2008 admin
Emerson states, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”. A majority of the issues related to worker productivity stem from enthusiasm or the lack thereof. Individuals simply go to work despite their abhorrence of their employer, the monotony, and the products. There is no passion or pride.
Much of this issue stems from practices embedded within an organizational culture affecting morale and productivity. These include:
• Leadership not serving as exemplars – some leaders today are narcissists, demeaning and ruthless. More importantly, leaders’ salaries can exceed employee pay by 425 times the average worker. Leaders need to act in harmony with employees and enure equal treatment of all. Cultures where this practice occurs frequently include McDonalds, Fed Ex and UPS where employees and management are one.
• Little or no accountability - The United States economic system is currently in financial turmoil and no one is accountable. Employees need to know that mistakes may count for learning but criminals are punished for repeat offenses.
• Career planning and succession planning is null – simply put there is no succession planning. Most CEOs and senior managers join an organization from competitive industries and companies. Whatever happened to the mailroom climb?
• Too many silos and departmental infighting – Companies are in business for one reason- to create clients. End the infighting and focus on the most vital asset!When the fighting ends (and everybody understands their reason for being employed) perhaps harmony arrives.
Causes of low morale correlate to the organization, its culture, and its management. After 25 years of research in this area, we find five factors contributing to organizational morale. A study by the Corporate Leadership Council revealsthe tremendous impact managers have on an employee’s level of commitment. It is imperative to note that individuals do not leave companies - they leave poor managers. Organizational mis-management contributes to negative morale. As recent as 2006 the Gallup Organization estimated there were 32 million actively disengaged employees costing the American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity. Such loss includes absenteeism, tardiness, and poor work.
To dilute the productivity impact, research shows that taking time to build relationships with employees through personal interaction, is a key step managers can take to keep morale high. Employees need to feel trust and respect from their managers. Employees desire feedback from management to understand their work matters.
Ending the morale issue is not easy but there are cures.
1. Begin with talent acquisition – Start with the right people. No firm we work with ever hires on a proactive basis. Most firms conduct employment searches reactively. Seek employees that fit with the organizational culture and with the obligatory skills. Never wait!
2. Hire for skill – Talent is innate. Organizations hire for personality and behavior first and skill second. Skill is not interchangeable, behavior is. A great hire might have a wonderful temperament and lack the skill to plug a socket into an outlet. I recall a five star hotel that sought advice to correct housekeeping flaws. After five minutes, it was easy enough to terminate staff and find those without flaws.
3. Look at best practices from best people – Management focuses on “fixing those that cannot” rather than “improving those that can”. Icons of performance exist in your organization. Discover what they do right and encourage others to emulate it.
4. Passion – In the 1980’s Sylvester Stallone appeared again as Rocky this time with a theme, “Eye of the Tiger”. What a great metaphor for valuable talent. Seek to acquire talent that truly loves work. Passion too is innate. Employees must love what they do and how they do it. When passion is high so too is morale.
5. Focus on the Customer - Managers, the organization, and the employees must vehemently focus on the customer. Remember Winnie the Pooh, try finding Eeyore amongst staff at Disney; Southwest Airlines and FedEx, all intensely focus on servicing the client.
Lastly, managers must constantly strive to provide feedback to employees. Feedback is not an annual performance review event. It is imperative that daily communication exists for good information and improvement. Coaching, counseling, and mentoring are components of organizational morale. In addition, many attend church and hear the words, “It is right to give thanks and praise”. Many watch professional sports and view coaches coddling athletes. We can learn something here; simple words of thanks and praise constantly improve morale and employee relationships.
Finally, the first item terminated during economic volatility is training. Research finds that employees are assets and require that treatment. Never stop training; this improves productivity and morale at all times.
Issues of low morale and productivity are onerous, volatile, and difficult to control. There is a need for management, the organization, and the individual to assist with success factors. Much is dependent on the desire to change; methods chosen and consistent follow through. However, if you do nothing you still have a morale issue. Take the time, seek remedies, and keep morale high. Doing so, lowers attrition, improves productivity, increases profitability and most importantly- reduces stress.
© 2008. Drew J. Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Posted in Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Employee Performance, Entreprenuership, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Leadership Training, Management, Management Training, business development, business selling, effectiveness, efficiency, life balance, motivation, negativity | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2008 admin
I advocate training but not for training sake. As many readers know my emphasis is two fold, those that treat training as an event. Individuals cannot change behavior in a six-hour training session. Like biting fingernails or twirling hair, training requires habit changes. Training must be a process that requires several sessions, perhaps years rather than a one-time kudos.
Nothing is more irksome then hearing the CEO or HR professional from a multi-billion dollar organization state there is no money in the training budget. Human Capital is assets not liabilities. The current trend traced to economics is rote with excuses of cutbacks. Typically, training budgets are the first line item.
My doctoral work and a recent article written by Jorina Fontelera indicate the need to train employees. Training when conducted consistently, helps with both worker productivity and morale.
Posted in Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Employee Performance, Expertise, Human Resource Management, Management, Performance Management, Uncategorized, effectiveness, efficiency, improve customer service, job training, productivity, productivity techniques, workplace performance | No Comments »
July 28th, 2008 admin
Secrets of Leadership Success
Drew Stevens Ph.D.
A recent IBM Global Human Capital Study mentions that 40 percent of organizations believe that a lack of leadership capability is one of the primary workforce related issues. As companies and employees grow and mature one of the ailments of many organizations is developing the needed bench strength for the future.
As researchers in this area we notice several factors that contribute to these issues:
1. Succession Planning – Both an aging workforce and ineffective succession planning continually impact leadership development. A recent Wall Street Journal article “Hiring a CEO from the Outside is More Expensive” depicts the issues organizations face due to ineffective succession planning. Executive pay tracker Equilar found that firms typically pay 65% more to hire outside CEO’s. With burdensome profits and a failing economy organizations need to save costs wherever possible.
2. Knowledge Management – We live in a knowledge economy and as oftentimes written when individuals leave organizations, they take with them knowledge. Content is king and much as heirs and heiresses pass down fortunes, knowledge must be treated similarly. Leaders must allow employees to cross pollinate and learn each area of the business. In the not too distant past many CEO’s began in the mailroom.
3. Talent Acquisition – The best method for succession planning begins with hiring the right people. Not enough firms spend time here. According to a 2007 study of 37,000 employees (Manpower), 41 percent of companies worldwide are having trouble finding suitable talent. Make this a priority. Look inside and outside the organization for those individuals that can impact the organization.
4. Skill Acquisition – Productivity begins with understanding the job function, the industry and the competition. Not enough time is spent on training and development. Too many firms use elearning and software to augment human interaction and investment. However, firms are not seeing sufficient returns. For production to rise, more commitment must be spent on training and development. Further most organizations believe that a one time training event will boost productivity. This is untrue. Training is an inducement to change behavior, such augmentation taking months to rehabilitate. Training is an investment, a process that must be taken seriously.
5. Dichotomy – The success of FedEx, Disney, Southwest and many other top-flight organizations is the spirit and passion binding the culture. Individuals love leaders that communicate, respond to queries and allow all to share a common voice. Participative management is a leadership trait envied by many.
Leadership today requires a different business strategy. While many have coined phrases such as Sale, Web and Business 2.0, there is also a need for Leadership 2.0. With so much change and turbulence there is a need for a nimble, faster and yet pragmatic leader. The need for knowledgeable quick leaders is more prevalent then ever before. Organizations must work smarter not harder to remain competitive and the successful leader is pinnacle to its success.
©2008 Drew Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Posted in Business Communication, CEO challenges, Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Employee Performance, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Leadership Training, Management, Management Training, Performance Management, effectiveness, efficiency, organizational success, organizational techniques, organizational tips, productivity | No Comments »
July 13th, 2008 admin
This week Drew Stevens will have featured his article “Love my Alliances, Hate Negotiation” on Salesopedia Home Page. Click here to read Drew on Salesopedia Now!! find this article on how to get what you want and negotiate anything.
Salesopedia is one of the strongest reference forums on the Internet, devoted, engaging and providing introspective information on the profession of selling.


Posted in Customer Relationship, Customer Relationship Management, Customer Service Training, Management, Management Training, Negotiation Training, Sales Management Training, Sales Training, Uncategorized, customer loyalty, customer retention, customer service seminars, customer service skills, improve customer service, inquiry managment, negotiation, sales and marketing, sales help, sales manager training, sales selling, sales skills, sales strategist, sales strategy, sales success, sales techniques, self development, self help, self mastery, selling, selling skills | No Comments »
July 12th, 2008 admin
In the last several years there has been much hype and marketing related to certification training. Certifications are special designations attributed by numerous professional societies so that members get the opportunity to enhance particular skills. Exemplars include Residential Relocation Designation for those in the Real Estate Industry and Chartered Accountant for the Accounting Industry.
While there is a need for particular organizations and its members to have such designations, a plethora of these certifications have developed over the years. There is certification for Project Management, Selling, Speaking, Consulting and even Customer Service. At some point, the average professional must begin to question the worthiness of such programs.
Questions to ask must include:
1. Who are those the certify those they certify? What reporting procedures are in place to ensure legitamacy.
2. What is the value? Many associations provide the certification with little explanation as to member value
3. What is the ROI? It is vital for you to understand what returns you receive when you spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours. One must also understand if there is a track record of proof.
If you seek certification you might want to question:
1. What is the projected revenue stream upon certification? There are associations for both speaking and selling even training and yet no one is willing to take the bullet to illustrate the relevance to future revenue. If the certification does not lead to revenue growth do not do it!
2. Ego. Many individuals take certification simply because they devour seeking alphabet soup after their name. There are two issues to heed, 1) you are in business to create clients not to stroke your ego, 2) what is the benefit to the client? If you are in business for you and no one else, then eliminate the office and look at the bathroom mirror the remainder of the day since that is all you will sell to.
3. Education. If it is additional education you seek that is admirable. The advice here is to seek that education congruent with both your clients and your desire for knowledge as it relates to present and future clients. These can include CEU credits or additional degrees at the graduate and doctoral level. You might desire a two to three day seminar at many prestigous Executive Education Programs. Many of these alternatives provide a greater return in networking then certification will.
4. Accreditation. Seek education only from accrediting bodies.
5. Be mindful. There are many institutions today that seek to gain from student enrollment and shy from solid eduational practices. Many of these institutions can be found in your Spam filters or were previous good e-learning institutions however they now suffer from avarice. If you desire a solid education then find a solid learning institution.
Certification is not a bad concept however, you need to answer the imperative questions before embarking on this journey. Ensure you can obtain a return for your precious time and money. And do it to assist your clients, not you!
©2008. Drew Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Posted in Business Communication, Customer Relationship, Employee Performance, Expertise, Human Resource Management, Management, Management Training, Organizational Skills, Performance Management, Sales marketing, Tips and Techniques, Training, alliances, business building, business development, business selling, effectiveness, efficiency, inquiry managment, job training, marketing, organizational secrets, organizational techniques, positive results, sales and marketing, sales selling, sales skills, sales strategist, sales success, sales techniques, small business success, small business techniques, training and development | No Comments »
July 12th, 2008 admin
It was approximately 54 years ago, but Peter Drucker was correct about the past, the present and most certainly the future. In his award winning book “The Practice of Management” Mr. Drucker wrote, “The only valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer. …It is the customer who determines what a business is”. Unfortunately for many businesses, their focus is not on the customer but on greed- how foolish.
All businesses make money, yet those that are customer focused are more profitable. Untrue you say, seek avatars such as Harley- Davidson and Southwest Airlines. The extreme loyalty factor from both firms enables them to remain profitable even in these poor economic times. In fact, both refer to customers more as family rather than clients.
There are several reasons why many firms seemingly do not follow the exemplars, these include:
1. Misalignment of the organization – We find that organizations today lack strategic focus. Organizations must research their motives and align them with their client needs. The client determines value and vision and management must not even guess the answer, the customer should systematically provide the response.
2. Lack of focus – Organizations typically loss focus on where they are and where they need to be. Diversification is for hedge funds; product and service companies should follow the shortest path to customer needs and profitability.
3. Greed – A famous line from the 1984 blockbuster movie Wall Street, “Greed is good”, was a mantra during crazed economic prowess. When organizations get greedy they lose focus with stakeholders with employees and more importantly clients. It is better to provide minimum service to clients rather than great service only to lower it during poor earnings.
So what is a CEO/Business Owner or Client Manager to do to augment the gyrations of client loyalty? We provide our clients with Split Second Loyalty – Tools for Success©.
• Culture – The benefit of loyalty to any organization is gaining the “buy in” from the top officers. Harley Davidson’s CEO uses the importance of the Value Proposition to rationally and irrationally build client loyalty. At Southwest, Barrett exemplifies 23 years of service experience. The leader must be the exemplar for all to follow. During Herb Kelleher’s tenure he placed bags in storage.
• Rump Rule – Call it what you will but the best example of customer service is simply walking around and speaking with clients. Apple, Enterprise, and a host of others remain not only profitable but maintain an enthusiastic customer base because they meet with clients and understand the issues. Stop administering and get off your backside.
• Passion – This begins with the hiring process. Talent is innate. Refrain from hiring anyone to fill a seat, employ those that are passionate about service, support and development for the client. All at FedEx and Disney are passionate about delivering to the client.
• Proactive Problem Solving – Give employees the power to make decisions. For one it provides better productivity and morale and it streamlines customer support. Allow staff to work hard and make something optimistic of each situation is, make the client feel good. A cognitive dissonance occurs with most service issues, yet it is instantly avoidable.
Return in a few days, when I will post additional tools to aid your customer service issues that allow for a better experience and a loyal fan base.
© 2008. Drew Stevens Ph. D. All rights reserved.
Posted in Customer Relationship, Customer Service Training, Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Management, Sales Training, Sales marketing, customer service, customer service consulting, customer service ideas, customer service skills, good customer service, great customer service, productivity, sales coaching, sales help, sales selling, sales strategist, sales strategy, sales techniques, selling, selling skills, selling skills sales seminars, selling strategies, selling strategy, selling techniques, selling tips, small business, small business success, small business techniques | No Comments »
February 26th, 2008 Drew Stevens
Where have all the leaders gone
Watching the news recently I took note of a recent report featuring Countrywide Mortgage. This is the same firm caught in the hailstorm of the sub prime mortgage scandal. Just a few prudent facts, the firm has laid off hundreds of employees, created a panacea in the financial markets, and was recently purchased because of cash flow issues.
The firm canceled plans to host a business summit at a posh Colorado ski resort. The company was to host 30 mortgage bankers for three nights at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor for over 750 dollars per evening. What was the firm thinking? Why don’t shareholders hang the CEO for such malfeasant behavior?
We currently live in an avaricious world catering to individuals that produce little results and get paid enormous sums. It is time for individuals to stand up and challenge the norms. One simply needs:
Curiosity – become curious and ask the provocative questions. I attended a meeting recently where the CEO was telling everyone that this product needed to be implemented amongst all staff in 60 days. I challenged this by suggesting that time frames, strategy and accountability were all off. People we aghast I challenged “authority”. Successful leaders ask the difficult questions and when in doubt get buy in from others.
Communication – There is a general failure in communication. The proliferation of the Internet has created a conundrum or misunderstood and often misunderstood information. True leaders understand the power of communication and the importance of it. Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy were great orators. Successful leaders study the classics.
Character – Dale Carnegie once stated, ““Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” Too many leaders are caught up in the panacea of titles. Worry more about who you are rather than what you are. Clearly, Countrywide is micofocused on titles.
Passion – There is nothing more important that servicing your clients well. True passion is found from leaders that have a stake in company issues such as Steve Jobs. Michael Dell et al. Founders with a personal stake know better how to boost earnings and impassion the entire company. Their personal desire is for all to achieve. True leaders are not self-centered, all are nurtured for success.
It is time to find the new leaders that can implement strategy, impassion and work team and provide better returns for shareholder value. It is time for a new set of leaders to sacrifice and ensure success for all. It is time for true leaders to stop lining their own pockets and spread the wealth. It is time for true leaders to say NO.
©2008 Drew Stevens PhD All Rights Reserved.
Posted in Leadership, Leadership Training, Management | No Comments »
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