Meet and Exceed Your Needs with Meeting Planning Technology

By Jeremy Stubbs

Utilizing online meeting planning tools requires a diligent approach. Successful companies make smart decisions at every step of the meeting management process. The process is not as difficult as you might think, but it does require a good action plan and some hard work.

Step 1: Understand Your Needs
So how can you set yourself up to become a best-practice story? Perform an internal assessment of your company's meeting planning needs. To do this, seek requirements from internal stakeholders and document the tools that currently are being used today. Knowing what you will need is useful when you research available products in the market. However, as you research product availability, it's important to have an open mind and adjust your needs as you learn best practices and available options.

Be sure to establish metrics for success. Examples of metrics include: economic savings/revenue, employee satisfaction, adoption, and meeting attendance. Once you have an understanding of your company's requirements and how to measure success, it's important to build a case to demonstrate the value that a program will create. This will be crucial as you recruit executive support for your plan.

Step 2: See What's Out There
Before you start calling vendors, appoint a team to evaluate options and products. Solicit a cross-section of your company's stakeholders who offer a variety of perspectives.

Meeting technology is a fast-growing industry and there are a number of available meetings tools. Products tend to target different market segments of the meeting-planning community, including small meetings, large corporate events, and associations. Industry trade shows and conferences can also be useful resources in identifying potential meetings programs. Use these events to view program options, but also to network with peers about the tools they use and recommend. Once you identify specific products, get demonstrations and obtain customer references from vendors.



As you evaluate the options, be sure to determine the product's stability and the financial stability of the vendors. The last thing you want to do is select a tool that experiences significant down time or a vendor that lacks the resources to enhance the tool as your relationship and meeting planning needs mature. Be sure to find out where you will get the most "bang for your buck" and stick to your original stakeholder requirements. Clearly identify what features are nice to have and which ones are needed to make your meetings program successful.

Additionally, get the full pricing picture from vendors. Many products have an implementation fee, annual fee and a transaction fee. These fees tend to be negotiable based on the volume of transactions that can be delivered—or the number of meetings planned.

Understand the cost of ownership. How much training is needed? Some products are more user-friendly than others and will require less training. Are there any hidden costs like customization or integration with your company’s existing systems? If you want to integrate your meeting tool with another system, like a human resources system or a corporate online travel system, then you should inquire about that cost in advance.

Step 3: Make a Purchase
Once you complete the evaluation period, it is time to make a purchase. This can be a political process depending on your company's approval procedures. Now is the time to identify and approach an executive endorser. Use the same steps that you used to evaluate your needs.

In the decision-making process, be sure to include individuals who will be impacted by this purchase, such as the corporate travel manager, procurement manager and meeting planners. These individuals may not use the product, but they may be affected by the product you choose; you don't want them to derail the process later down the line because they had no say in the decision.

Where can you acquire the tool? In many cases, meeting programs can be obtained directly from vendors or distributors, such as technology companies or travel agencies. Buying directly from a vendor can provide a cheaper price if you can deliver volume. A distributor can package a program with other valued items. Many times the integration to a travel tool is a separate and costly purchase when not packaged as part of the meetings product.

Step 4: Implementation
Once you make the purchase, identify a team to implement the product. Consider involving people from your travel agency, corporate travel, corporate meeting planning, and IT departments. These parties will likely be users of the meetings tool.

As you navigate your way through this process, allow your company enough time to get this implemented. One of the most common mistakes made during implementation is setting unrealistic timelines. Software implementation can take time to properly configure. It also is a good idea to ask the vendor for contact information of other companies that have implemented this product to help manage expectations and timelines.

Step 5: Create a Rollout Plan
While the implementation process is winding down, it is a good idea to begin crafting your rollout plan. The first step is to identify a target audience within your company. For the program to be successful, you need widespread adoption among employees. Think about those people in your company that plan 80 percent of the meetings—such as internal meeting planners, administrative assistants and sales/marketing teams.

Once you identify the target audience, supply them with product training and support. In most cases, your product vendor will supply training either through webcasts or in-person classes. One common oversight when driving adoption is not considering recurring training to address employee turnover and product
enhancements. It's best to establish a recurring training class every few months, directed by a product expert at your company.

Adoption starts with building awareness, so a solid communication plan will play an important role in the success of your program. Plan a series of emails to your target audience starting pre-launch and continuing throughout the program. Communicate the value that this product creates for your company, how to access the product, and how to get more information and training. If possible, get executives to endorse the program and inform the company.

Step 6: Measuring Results
Once the program has been in place for six to 12 months, begin measuring results. Apply the established metrics for success. Were you able to accomplish your initial goals? How can the company improve? What should be accomplished next? The company’s needs might have changed over the last few months, so what adjustments are required to accommodate these needs?

These questions bring us back to step 1—understanding your needs—and the process cycles back to the beginning. As you probably figured out, successful meetings management is an ongoing process, but it gets easier over time as you start to understand your company's evolving needs and as newer technology becomes available.

Going Forward

Remember that you are not the first company in need of online meeting planning solutions. Some of the best resources will be industry peers. Utilize them to understand challenges and successes. Peer experiences may prove invaluable and may help you avoid common pitfalls.

Productivity Coach's Corner: Don't Delay: Debrief!

By Jason W. Womack

"Hindsight is 20/20," and yet few people take advantage of this wisdom systematically. How often do we take the time to do a thorough debrief of an event? Yet, so much of our work is cyclical, with yearly national conferences, quarterly workshops, and weekly meetings.

The immediate value disappears if it is not documented in a timely manner. Research shows the lesser details are forgotten after just five to six days. Many people don't do a debrief session with their team because they already are busy working on the next event.

The purpose of the debrief is to find better ways of doing things by identifying mistakes and clarifying objectives. Two important outcomes of this process are: (1) to learn and hold onto what works and (2) to share and teach best practices.

Here are four topics to address during your debrief session:

1. What worked especially well? What were the highlights?

2. What aspects did not work? What assumptions did we make? What areas needed more support?

3. What were the big(gest) risks we took? Did we take enough risks? How could we better prepare for the "surprise factor"?

4. If money, time, and resources were not a factor, what would we do differently? What features, benefits, or "goodies" would we add to the event? Describe in vivid detail this ideal scene in terms of wild success and flawless execution.

Most crises can be anticipated with the right planning and attention. If you're shaking your head and saying, "No, we're always in crisis mode," then you need to implement this immediately and build it into your culture. You don't have the luxury of not requiring this essential aspect of productivity management. By making the debrief session part of the complete process, you add an effective planning tool to your management ability and to your organization's future.

Create a Competitive Advantage through Retention

Six Ways to Preserve Your Most Valuable Asset: People

By Keith Swenson

Talent retention is no longer just on the radar screens of human resource professionals, but is now a top priority for corporate executives. And for good reasons. Companies are seeing the number of voluntary resignations go up from year to year instead of go down.

According to a recent Monster-sponsored study, 40 percent of the 600 HR managers surveyed have seen turnover within their organizations increase in the past twelve months and 55 percent expect workforce retention will continue to be a high to very high challenge over the next five years with 40 percent of companies reporting direct costs of $5,000 to $20,000 to replace a single employee, according to a recent talent retention survey.

Other research supports the retention concerns of HR and top management—such as a Yahoo HotJobs survey of 5,300 adults that revealed two-thirds of respondents are open to switching jobs. And a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) poll of about 420 middle-management and non-management employees indicated that as many as 76 percent of respondents are currently or open to looking for new employment.

The results of these surveys indicate that the majority of employees are certainly open to switching jobs but only a smaller portion has actually made the decision to leave. Companies who can quickly implement changes that successfully address employees' reasons for leaving may be able to increase retention while attracting employees from competitors. In the current environment where employee turnover rates can range from 10 percent to 40 percent, improving retention alone can create a competitive advantage for an organization.

Why People Are Leaving



Before an organization can take the necessary steps to reduce turnover, it first needs to know the reasons why people are leaving—or thinking about leaving. Surprisingly, only 69 percent of companies use employee satisfaction surveys on an ad-hoc basis and only 32 percent implement personnel and workplace changes as a result of the findings, according to the Monster study.

The actual reasons why employees leave vary depending upon the company, but recent surveys can shed some light on what people are thinking:

*The SHRM poll cited the top three reasons as better compensation elsewhere, better career opportunity elsewhere, and being ready for a new experience.

*Employees rate good relationships with managers as one of the top factors that keep them in their current jobs, according to a 2006/2007 Employee Satisfaction and Retention Survey by Salary.com. People tend to join companies for factors such as pay, benefits, and the job itself, but once they are settled into their positions (about 90 days) a lack of trust in their managers is one of the biggest reasons why they leave.

*A new Selection Forecast study discovered that feeling under appreciated and the perception of being treated unfairly were two reasons for turnover that resonated significantly higher with employees than with HR managers.

*This study also revealed that HR professionals may grossly overrate external factors like returning to school or a spouse being transferred as the most important reasons for employee turnover. Approximately 52 percent of staffing directors and hiring managers believe external factors are the cause for leaving, while only a mere 10 percent of employees reported that was their most important reason.

Understanding employee attitudes is increasingly critical to managing retention. And while the majority of companies use monitoring tools such as onboard interviews and exit interviews to gauge satisfaction, most organizations do not place much emphasis on assessing satisfaction in between these employment stages. Monitoring attitudes throughout the employee lifecycle will allow organizations to implement feedback into the working environment on an ongoing basis.

Six Ways to Ensure Employees Stay

Given the financial, organizational, and market impact turnover can have in today’s war on talent, companies must view the problem as a business problem, not simply an HR issue, in order to successfully address it. So what can companies do to boost retention? Here are some suggestions:

1. Educate employees on the fair market value for their position.
In the Employee Satisfaction and Retention Survey by Salary.com, nearly 50 percent of employees believed they were underpaid. But after analyzing the data, Salary.com found that less than 22 percent were actually paid below the fair market value for their job. Since many employees do not know what a competitive salary is for their position, they assume the grass is greener elsewhere and start to conduct a job search. Employers should provide information demonstrating that their compensation is indeed competitive or make adjustments if its not.

2. Make sure job titles truly reflect the roles and responsibilities of employees.
The Salary.com survey also found that inflated job titles may have contributed to some 30 percent of respondents feeling underpaid. These results seem to indicate that granting a higher title without a commensurate increase in salary will soon leave employees feeling undervalued even if their current salary is truly competitive given their responsibilities.

3. Promote a real sense of work/life balance.
Many organizations say they want their employees to attain a proper balance between their jobs and personal lives, but how many really live up to it? According to a recent Yahoo! HotJobs survey, more than half of the people surveyed said they have to work on their days off at least once per month, and more than 33 percent said they do some aspect of work every single day. While a high salary is important for many employees, the survey found that 90 percent of respondents believe they need to have work/life balance along with a feeling of fulfillment in order to feel successful in their positions.

4. Build an employment brand that motivates employees.
A successful employment brand will position your organization as a well-managed company and good place to work, which will in turn reduce turnover while increasing both the number and quality of applicants. Employees who take pride in their company, its practices, and its leadership tend to be more engaged and more productive as a whole.

5. Hold managers more accountable for the retention of their staff.
Since the relationship employees have with their bosses can be a significant factor in their decision to stay, managers should be empowered to create an environment of trust and engagement. Coaching, training, and feedback exercises can all help managers build the necessary skills to positively affect turnover rates.

6. Make recognition a part of your company's DNA.
Recognition and rewards should be personal, establishing a positive and tighter bond between employee and manager and employee and the company. To attain such a bond, recognition should be given on a routine basis, not just at the annual employee appreciation event. Managers aren't the only ones who should be praising employees. Co-workers should also praise their peers for a job well done and executives should recognize employees who have gone above and beyond their duties. Creating an environment where people feel valued will make it that much harder for employees to leave if opportunity knocks at another company.

Companies that do not address their retention issues now will likely find themselves in a critical staffing shortage down the road as the war for talent heats up. Those that do will be able to preserve and develop their most valuable asset: their people.

The Top 12 Presentation Mistakes

An excerpt from Visual Selling: Capture the Eye and the Customer Will Follow by Paul LeRoux and Peg Corwin (Wiley, $24.95)

By Paul LeRoux and Peg Corwin

Mistake #1: Overlooking "Murphy"
If it can go wrong, it will go wrong. This mistake basically means that you walk into the room where you're going to present and something is wrong. LeRoux tells a story about a multi million-dollar sales presentation to which "Murphy" paid a visit—in the form of missing curtains and a boardroom window overlooking a huge pool surrounded by bikini-clad swimmers (you can guess what the attendees looked at instead of the presenter).

Remedy: Visit important presentation rooms at least a day in advance. If that's not possible, have someone take pictures from different angles and email them to you.

Mistake #2: Delivering Split Presentations
It's difficult to read the subtitles of a foreign movie and follow the action. When sellers stand at a distance from the screen, they create a similar problem. You probably won't build rapport with someone whose focus is repeatedly divided.

Remedy: Stand next to the screen and present a united message.


Mistake #3: Positioning Yourself Incorrectly
Right-handed sellers usually stand with the screen to their right. This allows them to point more easily. However, people read left to right. Salespeople are unable to capitalize on this fact when the screen is to their right.



Remedy: Position a screen, flip chart, or easel stand to your left. Then people will naturally start with their eyes on you and return to you after glancing at the screen.

Mistake #4: Choosing the Wrong Screen Size and Position
In most meeting rooms, screens are two to three times bigger than necessary. The bigger the screen, the more it overshadows the presenter. Recessed ceiling screens are typically centered. This provides nice room symmetry, but it also diminishes the seller.

Remedy: Bring a portable screen. For two to fifteen people, a 4-foot by 4-foot screen is fine. Place yourself in the room's center or key focal spot, and then angle the screen about 25 degrees toward yourself.

Mistake #5: Seating Decision Makers in the Wrong Chairs
In important sales presentations, seating arrangements matter. The first chair to the presenter's left is the best viewing point for a decision maker and the first chair to the presenter's right is the least desirable.

Remedy: Obviously, place the decision maker in the first chair to your left. Plant your feet firmly perpendicular to your group and be conscious that your body will continuously try to rotate toward the screen. Don't let it, or you'll give more eye contact to the non-decision makers.

Mistake #6: Dimming the Lights
Darkness induces drowsiness and mental wandering. Plus it eliminates the best part of a resentation—you.

Remedy: Keep the room lights on or dim them slightly. If multiple light switches are available, turn the lights off directly above the screen. (Of course, since the lights are on, you will need to design slides that are visible at higher light levels.)

Mistake #7: Promoting the Screen
Too many presenters feel that the information on the screen is the real "star." But the audience needs to see you as well—you pull them into the story unfolding on the screen and bring the message to life. As an American Indian proverb goes, "Move closer to the campfire, so I can see your words."

Remedy: Bring the lights up enough so that both you and your visuals are clearly seen.

Mistake #8: Playing with Pointers and Other Toys
Anything you hold in your hands becomes a plaything with which you'll fidget. You might as well twirl a baton, since your hands gripping some object will distract people just as much.

Remedy: Keep your hands free to gesture by not holding a pointer, marker, or remote.


Mistake #9: Blocking the Screen
Do not turn toward the visual and point with your right arm. This causes you to partially block the screen from viewers to your right.

Remedy: Point at the screen with your fingers together, palm down and parallel to the floor. Point to the screen with only your left arm, but when you gesture, use both arms.

Mistake #10: Holding Remotes or Clickers Remember, it's human nature to play with objects in your hands. If you're nervous, you'll speed up and change the slides faster than you should. Besides, holding a remote causes you to gesture less. You'll settle into the easier, boring role of a talking head instead of selling your ideas with your upper body.

Remedy: Place your laptop or remote on the lectern or a table under the screen.

Mistake #11: Positioning the Lectern to the Side
Usually, in high-dollar presentations, two items dominate the room—the screen and the lectern. Too many presenters place the lectern well away from the screen (causing the aforementioned split presentation), and then they hide behind the "box." To "take cover" defeats the whole idea of selling visually.

Remedy: Position the lectern, screen, and presenter together, so the presenter can interact closely with the screen and use the nearby lectern to hold content cue cards or the remote to change slides. If you're the presenter, stand in the center of the room or stage with the screen to the left and the lectern to the right.

Mistake #12: Reading Someone Else's Text Slides
If you take over someone else's text-heavy presentation at the last minute, you face an uphill battle. By just reading the text slides, you'll put your audience to sleep.

Remedy: Use different words from what appears on the screen. Be very enthusiastic. That will help viewers overlook the boring slides.

15 Personal Skills You Need on the Job.

Employers are looking for workers who have that special something: the skills, tendencies and attributes that help to keep productivity—and
profits—up.

What are they? Businesses are looking for employees with strong "personal" skills, according to ACT research. Keep these in mind, because employers
certainly are.

Carefulness: Do you have a tendency to think and plan carefully before acting? This helps with reducing the chance for costly errors, as well as keeping a steady workflow going.

Cooperation: Willingness to engage in interpersonal work situations is very important in the workplace.

Creativity: You've heard of "thinking outside the box"? Employers want innovative people who bring a fresh perspective.



Discipline: This includes the ability to keep on task and complete projects without becoming distracted or bored.

Drive: Businesses want employees who have high aspiration levels and work hard to achieve goals.

Good attitude: This has been shown to predict counterproductive work behaviors, job performance and theft.

Goodwill: This is a tendency to believe others are well-intentioned.

Influence: Groups need strong leaders to guide the way. Influence includes a tendency to positively impact social situations by speaking your mind and becoming a group leader.

Optimism: A positive attitude goes a long way toward productivity.

Order: "Where did I put that?" A tendency to be well organized helps employees to work without major distractions or "roadblocks."

Safe work behaviors: Employers want people who avoid work-related accidents and unnecessary risk-taking in a work environment.

Savvy: This isn't just about job knowledge, but knowledge of coworkers and the working environment. It includes a tendency to read other people's motives from observed behavior and use this information to guide one's thinking and action.

Sociability: How much you enjoy interacting with coworkers affects how well you work with them.

Stability: This means a tendency to maintain composure and rationality in stressful work situations.

Vigor: This is a tendency to keep a rapid tempo and keep busy.

How to Retain Your Gen-X Workforce?

You've hired them. Now how can you keep them around?

By Cam Marston

Things aren't always what they seem. If I could give you one bit of advice on dealing with the latest generation of employees to come under your management, it would be to remember those words…things aren't always what they seem.

If you are like most business leaders, you've no doubt noticed a trend in the way employees behave in recent years. Most likely you consider it a negative trend—too much entitlement, not enough loyalty, no work ethic, only interested in themselves, and on and on. But I challenge you to consider that perhaps these are not negative trends, just different ones.

To better understand who your employees are and what drives them to succeed, perhaps it's easiest to understand who they are not—you. That's right. They may even be your offspring but in the workplace they bear little resemblance to the "you" of yesteryear. Gen Xers (born 1965-1979) and Millenials (born after 1980) are operating in this world with a completely different perspective. Their definitions of loyalty, time and success are often quite different from yours. Rest assured they do recognize all of these concepts and value them in very important ways. The key to your organization's future success is understanding how the Millenials view the world and using that knowledge to motivate them in a way that works. Here's a hint: meet them where they are and they will achieve your underlying goals; try to force them to fit your definitions and they will run for the door every time.

So let's take a look at some of the pervasive myths about our youngest generation in the workforce and discuss why these changes are happening and how you can tailor your workplace to meet the needs of you, your employees and the company.

Myth: Younger generations have no work ethic.



Reality: Younger generations have a self-centered work ethic. This is not necessarily the negative that it may seem at first. Millenials are dedicated to completing their task well. They have not been raised in a way that demands them to look around and see what should be done next. Instead they ask "what is my job" and go about figuring the best, fastest way to complete that task. Then they consider themselves done. This is a key differentiator between your employees and yourself.

The younger they are, the more your employees view their jobs as "something to do between the weekends." For most, early employment has nothing to do with a career path; it is a way to earn money to have fun in their free time. And that is okay. When you understand what motivates your employees you are better able to set mutual expectations for success. Instead of being frustrated that your youngest employees are not interested in climbing your corporate ladder, embrace their true motivation—reliable spending money—and use it to your advantage. When you tell an employee, "I understand this is not your lifelong career, but to earn the paycheck every week, here is what I expect…" they are much more likely to respond than if you try to motivate with promises of promotions and titles down the road.

Understanding that being at the job isn't as important to Millenials as completing the assigned task also opens up new opportunities for motivation and reward. Younger employees are very likely to respond to offers of paid time off. A leading retail organization has recognized this new way of thinking with its "Working Hard Card." When managers witness an employee rising to a challenge, exceeding expectations or otherwise giving 110 percent, they can hand the employee a "Working Hard Card" on the spot. Each card is worth a set amount of paid time off to be used at the employee's discretion. It is a simple strategy that rewards employees in the currency they value most—their time.

Myth: They don't want to put in the hours to get ahead.

Reality: They are willing to put in the time to do the job, however they are uninterested in "face time." Gen Xers and Millenials view time as a currency. While Baby Boomers tend to see time as something to invest, the younger generations view it as a valuable currency not to be wasted. These are the generations that demand work-life balance and paid time off. They want to get the job done, then put it behind them and enjoy life.

Boomer managers have a tendency to lose the interest of their Millenial employees by looking too far into the future. Millenials live in timeframe based on right now. Their world has proven that nothing is a guarantee—from nationwide layoffs to war to soaring divorce rates—and have decided that there's not a lot you can count on. As a result they are not interested in promotion plans for five years from now. They don't even want to know what will happen at the end of the summer. Life is uncertain. To reach the Millenial employee and reduce turnover, make it certain.

Tell your employee that you have a plan. Take pains to ensure it is in a timeframe short enough for them to envision. Be prepared to fulfill your promise—once fooled, forever jaded. This approach feeds into their reality, while simultaneously building trust and buying you more time. Reward small successes along the way, string these milestones together and you will soon realize longer tenures among your staff.

Myth: They have no respect for authority.

Reality: They have great respect for leaders and loyalty. But no, as a rule they don't respect authority "just because." For the younger generations, every ounce of loyalty and respect must be earned. But when it is earned, it is given fiercely.

In fact, loyalty to the individual is the number one reason Xers and Millennials stay in the job, especially during the first three, tenuous years. Dissatisfaction with the boss is the number one reason they quit. So in order to increase retention, managers must take a flipped view on leadership—it is no longer enough to hire the right people and show them the way, now you must BE the right person to win their affection. Sounds a little touchy-feely for the workforce, yet the faster leaders understand this new relationship, the sooner you will see the reward in the way of increased retention.

There is one big caveat to the "be the person they want you to be" approach to leadership, however. Millenials have a tendency to seek tight bonds—they want a boss who is close, caring and aware. And you can be all that. It is very easy to cross the line between "boss as advocate" to "boss as friend." That is a slippery slope. It can be especially tempting in situations where managers and employees are close in age. When activities outside of the office become too regular, too casual or largely social in nature, it is time to examine how this will affect your role as a leader. What Millennials need most out of a boss is a guide, not a social life.

Myth: They don't want to grow up.

Reality: They really don't know how. The youngest generations in today's workforce are facing a delayed adulthood. They are getting married later, having children later and just generally facing the "real world" later. This isn't the result of a mutated maturity gene, it just is. And if we are being completely honest, Boomers had a lot to do with why it's happening. First, as parents, Boomers had a tendency to coddle their children and use their own good fortune to make sure their children didn't experience adversity. Second, as career models, Boomers demonstrated the toll of working long hours and "paying one's dues" in a way that made their children less likely to follow in their footsteps. Millenials today look at the corporate ladder and think, "there must be another way."

My advice to you—don't waste time wishing they were different. Don't spend your energy comparing today's youth to the desires and drive you had at age 18. These employees are not a reflection of you, nor are they an earlier version of you. And again, that is okay. Your task is to take this new understanding and use it to reposition how you interact with, motivate and reward your staff.

Take attire for instance. Your 18-year-old self would have gladly donned whatever uniform was necessary to fit the company mold. Be it pressed khakis and a tie or a specific corporate uniform, fitting in was part of the package. Today's youth wants to stand out. They want their individuality to shine through even when required to provide a consistent standard of service and performance. Balancing corporate needs with individual desires takes some creative thinking.

Home Depot is one company that has addressed this dilemma at a very basic level—company uniforms. They simply require that all employees wear a standard Home Depot apron. Be yourself underneath (within reason) and show the customer that you are on the Home Depot team with this bright orange apron. Is there a standard that you can adopt to accommodate individual preferences? Something to think about.

Not all change is bad.

As we've discussed, the myths surrounding today’s young employees are not always what they seem. Attitudes toward work, life, loyalty and respect have all changed, but each is still considered valuable. In fact, some of the demands made by today's youth are creating positive benefits for employees in every generation. Flexibilty and respect for the individual, as well as the organization, are good for everyone. Loyalty from younger employees, once earned, is long-lasting. The adjustments you make to accommodate the changing attitudes of today's youth will be returned to you tenfold with decreased turnover, improved morale, and measurable business results.

And when the frustration mounts, just remember things aren't always what they seem. Open your mind to the possibility that there is a benign, generational reason for the disconnect between what you want and what your employees are providing, and you may just find room to create a shared vision of success.

Get Reps to Hit the Ground Running.

Be strategic about getting reps up to speed in their first month
By Ellen Neuborne

Troy Harrison has three clients for whom the clock is ticking. They are all sales managers working with new sales reps, and they are laboring under the old assumption that they have 90 days to decide whether the new hire is working out. But that time frame is outdated, says Harrison, founder of SalesForce Solutions, a sales consulting and training firm based in Mission, Kan.

The first month is the new first quarter. Competition and technology have created a shorter sales cycle in many industries, which means companies demand more from sales reps much earlier in the process. In the past, a new salesperson might have spent time shadowing a more experienced team member, but today a newbie is expected to begin producing right off the bat.

That short-term outlook is a two-way street. As much as managers are judging a new rep, that rep is also evaluating his new position. "What managers fail to realize is that the salesperson is also making a decision as to whether this is the right fit for him," says Harrison. "If you don't demonstrate that in the first thirty days, the salesperson is going to be back out on the market."

Reducing sales personnel turnover is a priority for many companies, but turnover is rarely the result of bad hires. "It's more often a case of failure to launch. I tell managers all the time: It's not bad hires, it's bad on-boarding," Harrison says.

How can managers avoid that scenario? For starters, create a process for integration and training rather than leaving it up to individual managers. Mark Landiak, president of Corporate Dynamics, a sales and customer service consulting firm based in Naperville, Ill., recommends making a detailed calendar of the rep's first weeks that outlines precise daily activities.

Managers should also combine inside and outside training. When a new rep schedules meetings with customers to make his first introduction, be sure that it is more than just a meet-and-greet. "Remember that every meeting has to have something in it for the customer," says Damon Jones, who leads international growth initiatives for sales performance firm Miller Heiman, based in Reno, Nev. "Don't let a new rep take up a customer's valuable time."

Finally, use tools to reduce the ramp-up process. For example, consider personality assessments that allow both reps and managers to get to know one another's communication preferences right from the start. This reduces the getting-to-know-you period and allows the team to work more effectively from day one.

High Five for WeFi

By Shayna Jacobs

Trying to find a place where you can connect to the office isn't always an easy task for on-the-road professionals. Business travelers need a quick and easy way to find access to wireless networks in unfamiliar destinations. Now there's a social WiFi community that will ensure you and your reps can always find the closest hot spot.

Social WiFi community WeFi is now available free to public users. Under the slogan "WeFi makes WiFi easy," the California-based company provides free Windows-compatible software (Mac software said to be coming soon) that enables users to quickly locate free hot spots and connect to available networks.

"Our WiFi maps are constantly updated and cover every kind of free WiFi out there, not just the coffee shops, airports, etc.," says director of product marketing Roy Klieger. "Since our software checks real Internet connection and not just the presence of encryption, every network that a user used is added to the database."

Formerly available to only a test market group, WeFi is composed of community users who contribute to the database of worldwide wireless networks. The networks are then classified by availability so users will know whether local hot spots are free- or restricted-access, enabling users to find free service quickly.

Interested users can sign-up for and download the free WeFi connectivity application at www.wefi.com.

Is Sales in Your Rep's DNA?

Hire your next top sales rep with these tips that put personality on top of the skills list.

By Stacy Straczynski

Despite of all of the Internet's wonderful convenience, you have to admit it's part of the reason business has become so impersonal. From online customer service chat rooms to e-shopping carts, customers are becoming more capable of completing all their business transactions with a machine. So where does that leave room for the sales rep? Will their job become a thing of the past? Not if sales reps have the personality to win sales and attract loyal clients.

Pete Kadens, president of Evanston, Ill.-based Acquirent LLC, a sales outsourcing solutions company, believes that organizations will always be in need of top-performing sales reps. "I do believe that you cannot sell or build rapport over the Internet," says Kadens. "You need sales professionals." And with the trend for sales outsourcing on the rise—Acquirent alone saw 309 percent growth since last year—it is increasingly important for organizations—such as Kadens'—to recruit the best.

But how can companies separate the top performing prospects from those who will later fall short? "Sales is about DNA—about the individual and their personality," Kadens says. Finding a sales rep with the right personality will get you farther than hiring one that merely looks good on paper.

Here are some tips from Kadens on what personality traits to look for when seeking that next "golden ticket" hire:



1. A Drive to Succeed
Look for candidates who demonstrate a drive to succeed in all aspects of life. "I'd prefer a person who had to wash dishes for long-hours than the president of a fraternity," says Kadens. Hiring managers should remember that a prospect's previously held job or extra-curricular positions—such as school council president—were not necessarily obtained by skill. It could have been a popularity contest.


Kadens speaks of one sales rep whose resume showed that he "failed at everything." He lost his high school student council election all three times he ran, and he was turned down by every frat in college. However, he started his own frat senior year of college and became its president. "He didn't give in to the pressure of failing," says Kadens. "Today he's one of my best salespeople and most hardworking." Now that's drive.

2. Work Ethic Track Record
Successful sales reps need to roll up their sleeves if they're going to reach and surpass their quotas each quarter. And those who already demonstrate a drive to succeed usually understand the work involved to achieve their goals. "Sales is tough. You have to have resiliency and a drive that you will not succumb to your prospects. It's my job to get [reps] back in the door the next day," he says. Reps need to have what it takes to be persistent enough to succeed.

3. Curiosity Won't Kill the Sales Rep
Let's face it—walking into an office and calling prospects all day, every day, can get repetitious. "If you're someone who doesn't like to do the same thing everyday—well, that's sales," says Kadens. He says having multiple interests outside of work is a key for sales reps to be successful. Look for applicants who are involved in a slew of different and interesting activities—such as hiking and camping. "[Sales] gets tough—repetitious. Reps need to have something to do to get away that allows them to come to work again the next day and repeat," Kadens says.

Sales Training: The Power of Questions .

By Kelley Robertson

Sales training participants often ask how they can better control the sales process. Although most have been trained to spend the majority of their time talking about their product or service believing that telling is selling, it is an ineffective approach. The most effective way to control the sale is to ask more questions.

Selling is like driving a car: The person who asks the questions sits in the driver's seat and controls the direction of the sale, while the passenger—the person who answers the questions—goes along for the ride. Unfortunately, many sales people feel that they are selling when they respond to their prospect's questions. They mistakenly believe this will demonstrate how smart or knowledgeable they are and will help their prospect make a buying decision. In actuality, the customer takes control of the sale whenever he moves into the driver's seat by asking questions.

Your sales reps can also lose control of the sale if they aren't asking the right kinds of questions. Many sales people have learned to ask questions, all too often they sound like this:

"If I could save you money, would you be interested?"
"Is this the one you want?"
"What will it take to earn your business?"

The problem with questions like these is that they do not help your reps gain the knowledge they need to effectively present a solution.—and these questions only demonstrate a lack of sales ability that will quickly cause the prospect to lose interest in the call or discussion.



Instead, your reps need to ask high-quality questions that will make your prospect think and will demonstrate your company's knowledge and expertise. For example—if your reps sell advertising—have them focus on learning more about the prospect's goals and challenges instead of asking standard questions that focus on current advertising campaigns and budgets. This approach helps you gain more insight to your prospect's business which means your reps will be able to present an attractive solution.

Here are three tips to developing good sales questions to pass on to your team:

1. Determine your key objective.
What information do you require in order to move the sales process forward or determine the best solution for your customer? You questions will vary depending on the customer.

2. Consider the person you will be speaking with.
The higher up you go in an organization, the more strategic your questions need to me. Questions about the company's goals and objectives and the challenges and barriers that are preventing them from reaching those targets will give you valuable insight.

3. Use "what" questions.
What caused that problem? What action are you taking to achieve your goals? What specific challenges are preventing you from reaching your targets? What results are you expecting? By determining the cause of their problems, you will be able to better tailor your presentation and show your prospecs how your product or service is a solution.

Another mistake sales reps make is that they tend to move backwards through the sales process. Oftentimes, reps start a sales pitch to a client with their presentation or demonstration followed by a Q & A session. This is a recipie for failure and sets the prospect up to ask questions and take control of the sale. Instead, train your reps to ask questions about their prospect's needs first and then adapt their presentation to address those needs. If you can offer a prospect a difinitive solution, closing the deal will be a certainty.

In today's ultra-competitive business world it is actually easy to stand out from the competition. Most sales people are so focused on trying to get the sale that they don't learn anything about their prospect's situation. If you truly want to control the sales process and positively influence the outcome, you must teach yourself and your reps to ask questions instead of talking. Contrary to popular belief, telling is NOT selling.

International Business Travel: Use Your Cell Phone Abroad .

By Michael Furniss

Have you ever traveled abroad for business and had a crisis—you got lost, had something stolen, missed a connection or fell ill? When the unexpected happens traveling domestically, the chances are that you'll call someone who'll help solve your problem. But that's not easy to do when you're in a strange country.

So how do the business travel experts handle the unexpected? They always take a reliable, quality international cell phone service with them. And it makes sense for you to copy them.

Here are the 5 most popular ways to use your cell phone while traveling internationally:

1. Use Your Own Cell Phone Abroad
This sounds like the perfect option, doesn't it? You don't have to change your number and you already know how to use your cell phone. But there's a problem—approximately 80 percent of U.S. cell phones cannot work internationally due to pesky mobile technological incompatibilities.

Make sure to first check with your carrier to see if you can support calls out-of-country, and be ready for extra charges. You may need to pay to upgrade your account and handset. You'll also have to pay more for your calls—both incoming and outgoing. And remember, you might get people who don't know you're traveling abroad calling you. Make sure to only answer extremely important or business-related calls or else the charges will add up fast.



2. Rent A Cell Phone
It's a popular option but don't do this. Sorry to be so blunt, but renting a cell phone is outdated. You wouldn't think about renting a suitcase every time you traveled, would you? This is no different.

For the same cost of renting a cell phone for 2 weeks, you could easily have bought your own second international capable cell phone—one that's yours for life.

3. Buy Local SIM Cards
Buying your own cell phone is a better value for your money. However, there are 3 methods you can use. The first uses "local SIM cards". You'll need a different local SIM card for each country you visit. With local SIM cards you pay in advance for talk time, and then you keep buying extra talk time to keep your service active.

The problem with local SIM cards is they can be expensive to buy. For example, the local SIM for Germany will cost you $60, and that's without a cell phone and before you've made calls. You also run the risk of getting cut off during an important call with a client or your boss if you run out of talk time. Plus, your cell phone can only use one carrier's network in each country, so you may not have great reception everywhere.

4. Buy A Global Call Back SIM Card
You can use a global SIM card in lots of countries, but like local SIM cards, you still have the hassle of pre-paying for your talk time with the threat of getting cut off during an important business call. But this is not the main headache.

Global call back services use a complicated dialing system:
*First, you call an access number and enter your Pin number.
*Then you're prompted to enter the number you want to dial.
*Then you hang up.
*Then you're called back and connected to the number you originally wanted to call.
With such a method, there is no such thing as a quick call.

But here's the real killer. Because it uses an extra connection in the middle, it can really damage the quality of your calls, so you can't always be sure you'll even be able to make your phone call.

5. Buy A Global Direct-Dial SIM Card
Travel experts love this method. You get global coverage on one cell phone number. It's easy to use because it uses standard direct dialing like your home phone—unlike the complicated call back system above—and your service is continually active whenever you need it so you'll never get cut off.

And, most importantly, you get the best cell phone call quality. It automatically chooses the strongest cell phone signal of all the carriers in the area so the quality is always the best.

Business Travel: Life in the Fast Lane.

T&E budgets are not he rise—and so are the headaches that come with their own solutions to the trials of business travel

By Nancy Lazarus

Pack extra patience and a passport along with your three-ounce liquid containers, arrange your travel plans far in advance, and always have a back up plan to deal with unexpected emergencies. This is the advice offered by sales and marketing managers for dealing with today's increasingly tough business travel environment in Sales & Marketing Management's 2007 Business Travel Survey.

Many executives pursue such measures to lessen the challenges of frequent travel, according to the poll of 275 respondents conducted in April. This year's group travels an average of 57 days per year for business and will take about 17 trips, mostly domestic. While the frustrations of business travel never go away, executives seem to be getting smarter about dealing with the toll that life on the road takes on them.

Old and New Troubles

The negative impact on one's personal life, as usual, was one of the key problems associated with business travel, along with weather-related delays and security hassles at airports. Other difficulties included the steep cost of airline travel and the high cost of hotel stays. Fortunately, about 50 percent of managers say their travel and entertainment budgets are the same as last year's budgets, while about 30 percent say they are higher, to keep pace with rising air and lodging costs. This year's T&E budget was $24,000 per sales rep on average.

New frustrations have emerged as well, especially with the strict Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations regarding carry-on toiletries. According to Scott Jameson, manager of tradeshows and events for automotive parts manufacturer Robert Bosch in Broadview, Ill., "I often encounter non-business travelers clogging up the security lines. Despite messages, notices, pictures, videos, and TSA employees holding up examples, these folks just do not understand what to do with their personal effects going through the security process." Joe Ferguson, customer development manager at meat packingcompany Tyson Foods in Springdale, Ark., also reported having to "deal with non-frequent travelers who insist that their mouthwash, shampoo and eye drops do not each exceed three ounces, that they are not explosives and should be allowed through."


In addition to dealing with inexperienced flyers, limited flight availability was another common complaint. According to Antoinette Modica, national sales and marketing manager for electronics firm Panasonic in Mississauga, Ontario, "There aren't that many options available due to cutbacks in services. There is not enough flexibility in flight times and not enough flights, period." Another frustration in the air: Airlines discontinuing or curtailing their food service. This has led to "people carrying on unsuitable food and spilling it all over the place," says Bob Axline, CEO of Plastic Card Systems, an ID card and badge-printing technology firm based in Northboro, Mass.

Do-It-Yourself Solutions

One notable step professionals are taking to stem the travails of travel is regaining control of their planning. An unexpected two-thirds of those surveyed have used travel booking Web sites outside of their corporate travel policy to book arrangements.

Bill Nehring, sales representative for Hamilton Medical, a manufacturer of ventilation technology based in Reno, Nev., uses this method: "I always book my own travel plans because they change frequently. I can at least equal what a booking company can do in terms of the flights, schedule, cost and time involved," he says. "It really sours a business trip when you go to the rental car desk and find out they booked a car in San Francisco and you are in Anchorage."

Compliance with corporate travel policies depends on the company, according to Bill Connors, executive director and chief operating officer for the National Business Travel Association in Alexandria, Va. "What it often boils down to is one simple question: Does the company's corporate culture allow for real enforcement of policy? If the answer is no, it should not be a surprise to anyone when travelers do their own thing."

Seasoned business travelers also have other effective ways of dealing with their frequent trips while in transit. Bill Hicks, divisional vice president at insurance and investment firm John Hancock Financial based in Atlanta, says he uses frequent flyer fast lanes and adheres to security procedures to ensure speedy processing. Meanwhile, carefully selecting travel times is a popular tactic. Axline says, "I fly as early as possible to avoid the rolling delays as the system gets overloaded. I also drive as often as I can to avoid the hassles at the airport. I would fly private if I could afford it." Panasonic's Modica has preferred flight times she always tries to book. "I plan to travel at a time where I am almost first one out in the morning, and on my return I try and avoid flying around the dinner hour. It's either early noon or red eye."

Smart dressing and light packing is another trip saver. Josh Teweles, national account manager at the New York office of credit reporting firm Equifax, says "I always carry my luggage on board, and Brooks Brothers wrinkle-free dress shirts are a godsend." Jameson has his own method. "I make sure to pack anything that could remotely be construed as a threat in my checked luggage, including tools and lotions. I wear loafers that allow me to take my shoes off when going through airport security," he says.



There is one thing that can make all that traveling worthwhile for executives: Taking leisure trips with their families using loyalty program points. While an average 10 percent of respondents' business trips have a leisure travel component, most executives tend to take separate trips for pleasure using their reward miles or points.

The vast majority are members of travel loyalty programs: 95 percent are in airline programs, 85 percent are in hotel programs, and 60 percent are part of car rental programs. These managers were asked how valuable these programs were in terms of their use in leisure travel. Airline programs were rated highest, closely followed by hotel guest programs and then car rental programs.

As Paul Benton, national sales manager at Advanced Lighting Systems in Sauk Centre, Minn., says, "I try to use the travel loyalty programs as much as I can for leisure. They always seem to offset the hassles when you are finally lying on the beach."

Ferguson agrees that the benefits are well worth it. "I am very loyal to a particular carrier even if I have to add an additional leg. While I fly enough not to want to travel again through the air, it is nice to get a few free fares each year for my wife and child."

Other sales professionals were more emphatic. "If I weren't able to use these benefits, I would not continue to be a traveling salesman," Nehring says. "Two years ago I surprised my wife with dinner on Valentine's Day in Paris. We stayed at a suite at the Marriott on the des Champs-Elysées for a week. The entire trip cost only the dinner and some other personal items. That made the hassles worthwhile."

Jameson was equally clear about the tradeoff. "I consider loyalty programs my reward for the numerous holiday or weekend nightsspent away from my familyin hotel beds, or hours in the airports trying to get some work done," he says. "I let the points stack up, and then treat the whole family to a couple weeks in Hawaii or the Caribbean. Mess with my miles, and we need to renegotiate my salary."