Author Archive
HIRE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR BOTTOM LINE
Posted by: | CommentsResumes Don’t Matter!
In these challenging economic times, focusing on sales is not the only way to get ahead. One of the areas that some business people forget to consider has to do with the realm of hiring and personnel selection. In light of the fact that so many companies are downsizing and laying workers off at the present time, it is all the more critical that when you do hire someone, that you hire right the first time. The best predictor of future behavior is past history. It is important to realize that it is not what a person says that he or she will do that matters. Rather, it is what the person has done in the past in similar situations (as the job for which he or she is applying) that matters.
IT’S ALL ABOUT CONTEXT
Posted by: | CommentsIT’S ALL ABOUT CONTEXT
In the prior post, I briefly discussed the interesting twist to the structurist/free spirit dichotomy of the Organization People Pattern™ when it comes to time management. The concept of time management (and time management seminars) was created by structurists who don’t need it and was developed for free spirits who don’t want it. There is another aspect to this pattern to consider as well, now that you understand the distinction between the two types.
It is that the Organization People Pattern™ and all People Patterns™, for that matter, are highly contextual. Over the years, we have met all types of different people in a variety of situations and contexts in work and at home. Most individuals are either decidedly, proud structurists or else are at the other end of the spectrum as blatant, in your face free spirits. There are some cases, however where individuals exhibit one proclivity in one context of their lives, and the opposite pattern in another context of their lives.
WHY ARE TIME MANAGEMENT SEMINARS A WASTE OF TIME?
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Did you know that time management seminars and classes are a waste of time for part of the population? From our behavioral perspective, the eternal question that we ask: “How is this possible?”
The reason that time management workshops or seminars are a waste of time for some is that structurists don’t need them and free spirits don’t want them. Where you are coming from is based on the Organization People Pattern™. As you may recall from past articles, this People Pattern™ determines how an individual deals with structure. This critical pattern reveals how we organize time and space in our lives and becomes really important because the place out of which we operate happens to affect how we make decisions.
As a quick review, remember that there are two distinctions or types to know as part of the Organization People Pattern™: 1) structurists and 2) free spirits. Structurists are people who lead very organized lives. They like to plan things in advance because they need some type of structure to guide them in their lives. They have a sense of past, present and future. Structurists also like to organize their space and they tend to be neat and orderly. Free spirits, on the other hand, prefer to live their lives spontaneously, as the wind blows, so to speak. They focus on the present moment. They detest structure and avoid planning ahead because it interferes with their unstructured nature. They don’t mind piles and untidy spaces around them. Some free spirits even say that they are more motivated by a mess rather than by a neatly organized space.
So when it comes to time management, which of these two types would need to learn time management skills? It is the free spirits of the world, of course; and yet, they are the ones who frown upon structuring their time and space in any shape or form. Time management courses end up teaching the structurists who take these classes how to be even more organized. Often time management seminars will teach you how to use some kind of planner. Franklin Planners were designed to be used by free spirits who actually need them and it is they who don’t want them. Ironically, it is the structurist who is already organized who ends up buying planners and agenda books and it is they who don’t need them.
The structurists of the world created time management courses to proselytize their fellow free spirit counterparts. Of course, this is to no avail because structurists mistakenly assume that free spirits aren’t organized because they don’t know how to be organized. Furthermore, structurists erroneously believe that free spirits simply need their own system by which to organize their time in order to become good structurists. This is definitely not the case. The truth of the matter is that free spirits choose not be structured. For them it is simply a matter of personal preference and not a matter of ignorance. (In our own workshops, we have ways to enable people to experience both types of time/space orientations, that of structurist and that of a free spirit. There is a distinctive difference the way in which each one internalizes these preferences.)
If you happen to be a good structurist, remember that giving your free spirit friends or colleague a planner is a waste of time. You may think that you are doing a good deed when, in fact, the free spirit person couldn’t care less. The planner may be the structurist’s bible, yet it is meaningless to the free spirit person.
As you begin to understand the distinction between a structurist and free spirit orientation, you will come to realize why time management seminars and classes are a complete waste of time for so many. They are created by structurists who don’t need them and for free spirits who need them yet don’t want them. There will be more about this all important Organization People Pattern™ at another time
WHEN IS “ENOUGH” ENOUGH OR NOT ENOUGH IN SALES?
Posted by: | CommentsWHEN IS “ENOUGH” ENOUGH OR NOT ENOUGH IN SALES?
THE CHUNK SIZE PEOPLE PATTERN™ – PART III
Now that you know what the Chunk Size People Pattern™ is all about, it will be helpful to know what types of questions to ask in order to identify whether a person is global or specific. First, let’s have a quick review. Remember that in communication, people will either show a preference for scope or for depth. We refer to those who prefer scope as global people and we refer to those who prefer depth as specific people.
Global people decidedly prefer to communicate the overview or the big picture. They chunk up which means that they go into less and less detail or inversely, consider greater scope and less depth. They don’t like details. Specific people, on the other hand, prefer to communicate all the small details no matter how minute. Furthermore, specific people often like to have the particulars or details presented to them in some kind of hierarchal order.
WHEN IS “ENOUGH” ENOUGH OR NOT ENOUGH IN SALES? Part II
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THE CHUNK SIZE PEOPLE PATTERN™ – PART II
In the last article, I briefly introduced the concept of how much is enough when it comes to the scope and depth of your communication as it relates to sales. As I explained, one of the biggest challenges in communication is to know when enough is enough in terms of the level of details which you are giving or not. The question of when enough is enough can be understood and explained by the Chunk Size™ People Pattern of the Information People Pattern™.
The two components that correspond to Chunk Size People Pattern™ are 1) global and 2) specific. They correspond to the two ways in which we take in information and communicate it back. Global people look for the broad overview and specific people look for details. These two opposing viewpoints represent both sides of a continuum that have inherent challenges in communicating with the opposite orientation.
When Is “Enough” Enough In Sales – Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsWHEN IS “ENOUGH” ENOUGH IN SALES? – PART I
Wouldn’t it be helpful to know how much detail to provide your customer or prospect regarding your product or service? One of the biggest challenges in our sales communication and in communicating with others in general is to know when enough is enough. This has to do with the amount of detail one interjects in a given communication and more specifically how much detail with which to begin and to end a conversation or a sales presentation, whether in person or online.
The amount of detail we use in communication is based on the Chunk Size People Pattern™ which is one element of the Information People Pattern™. A good knowledge of the Chunk Size People Pattern™ is critical in sales. Chunk size has to do with the scope and depth of information that we give in a communication exchange. There are two types of people that comprise the Chunk Size People Pattern™: 1) global and 2) specific.
Global people have a preference for scope. They are interested in the big picture and see the forest for the trees. They are most comfortable with large chunks of information. Specific people, however, prefer to communicate details and specifics. They are interested in the trees rather than the forest. They are most at home with small bits of data and information.
George M. Steinbrenner -The “Power” behind the Man
Posted by: | CommentsGeorge M. Steinbrenner…The “Power” behind the Man
Who was the “Boss”?
With the passing of George Steinbrenner an era has ended. Mr. Steinbrenner was more than the owner of the New York Yankees. He transformed the sport of baseball into a billion dollar business for other owners. The “Boss” as he was known, singlehandedly raised the competitive drive to levels not seen before and didn’t care what people said about his actions. Furthermore, he became a cultural icon. And perhaps most important, George Steinbrenner was a behind the scenes angel whose generous philanthropy helped many in times of need, often unknown to those very individuals whose lives he touched so profoundly. Read More→
Mass Mediocrity And The Motivation People Pattern
Posted by: | CommentsMASS MEDIOCRITY AND THE MOTIVATION PEOPLE PATTERN™
“Human nature is such that if we are relatively content, then we are not going to be motivated to do anything to change our comfort zone, whether it be now or later.” Marilyne Woodsmall
Why is this so? It is because when people have already gotten all the carrots and sticks they think they need to lead what they believe to be an acceptable lifestyle, then they no longer have that fire burning within to move any farther. Life is okay as is, nothing more nothing less, no bells and whistles; yet this is satisfactory to them so they don’t care to budge one bit. These are the very people who end up staying in jobs for years and are quite content to do so.
PEOPLE PATTERNS™ VS MEYERS-BRIGGS – PART II – ARE ALL TYPES THE SAME?
Posted by: | CommentsARE ALL TYPES THE SAME?
PEOPLE PATTERNS™ VS MEYERS-BRIGGS – PART II
In the first part of this discussion, we discussed the two points: 1) the concept of typologies from a perspective of formal logic and 2) the different forms of typologies. As mentioned, Meyers-Briggs presents immutable boxes or preferences, whereas we know that types can be changed, given our work in behavioral change technologies. Second, we discussed how Meyers-Briggs and People Patterns™ are what we refer to as horizontal typologies.
Now we are going to present the third concept that relates to typologies, that of contextuality. It is critically important to realize that all behavior is context dependent. This is one of the fundamental principles of NLP. In fact, all behaviors change depending on the context in which they occur. What this means is that you may behave or act in a particular way, for example, in a work context, while at home, you behave totally differently because it is a different context. So in one context, you’ll behave one way, and when you shift contexts, your behavior shifts as well. With People Patterns™, we constantly emphasize that they are context dependent. Myers-Briggs does not take this into account.
The notion of context and contextuality in our typologies (in this case, People Patterns™) is critically important. It is a concept that is a vital component to all behaviors, and thus, to typologies. Context, for our People Patterns™ takes into account several elements:
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Where you are (for example in work, at home, at school, driving, etc.)
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What are the circumstances in which you are behaving a certain way
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When are you behaving a particular way
Now let us consider the fourth concept regarding typologies, that of deep structure and refinement. What we call People Patterns™ that make up one’s Personality Language™ goes beyond what the four Meyers-Briggs categories cover in their scope. People Patterns™ take the types to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of what is involved:
Sensor/Intuitor: our Tangible/Intangible People Pattern™ is more refined.
Introvert/Extrovert: our Internal/External People Pattern™ is more refined.
Judger/Perceiver: our Structurist/Free Spirit (through time/in time dichotomy) People Pattern™ is more refined.
Thinker/Feeler: Our Decision People Pattern™ (looks right, sounds right, feels right and makes sense) is more refined. Also, the Chunk Size People Pattern™ clarifies this Meyers-Briggs preference.
Now, our People Pattern™ Profile is different from others that are out there in that we are not looking for content based responses. Our work is based on decoding what I refer to as the deep structure (as in linguistics), and here, the deep structure of the psyche. In this case, it is the deep structure of your thinking and of your behavior, rather than the specific content.
At another time, we will discuss the deep structure differences between the two typologies a bit more.
DO TESTIMONIALS REALLY WORK? PART II:
Posted by: | CommentsDO TESTIMONIALS REALLY WORK? PART II:
By Marilyne Woodsmall
WHEN TO USE THEM AND WHEN NOT…
In our prior discussion, I talked about the Evaluation People Pattern™. This critical Evaluation People Pattern™ determines how an individual makes a judgment. In the context of sales, this pattern reveals how an individual makes a judgment to buy a product or service.
If you remember, there are two types of people when it comes to the Evaluation People Pattern™: Internal People and External People. Individuals who have what we call an Internal Referential Filter don’t want to hear about what other people are saying about a product or a service that they are thinking about purchasing. On the other side of the coin, there are those who have an External Referential Filter. They need to know what other people think before they purchase something. Remember, too, that there are some Internal People who will rely on what another person is saying if that person happens to be a proven expert on the product or service and has accurate information.
It makes a huge difference whether you are selling to someone with an internal pattern or an external pattern. Most Internal People think that the public at large is totally lacking in awareness and taste when it comes to making evaluations or judgments. In fact, our term, the Science of Idiots™ is quite apropos here, since Internal People view External People to be idiots for the most part. The former ask in referring to the latter: How is it possible to be such an idiot as to need another person’s opinion before buying something?
On the other hand, External People can’t imagine how a person can buy anything in life without getting feedback from others. They think that Internal People are idiots for not wanting the opinion of other people.
So what can you do to tailor your sales communication, whether one-on-one or on your site to reach these types of people? First, let us consider External People. If you are dealing with External People there are two viable strategies. One, you can position yourself as their external point of reference. The second strategy is to have people they respect or admire talk about your product.
The first strategy means that you have to be knowledgeable about your product or service as well as be trustworthy. Even sleazy car salesmen types don’t fare well here. Customers are much savvier than you may think and they certainly don’t want or need the traditional hype that has worked in the past in certain niches. The best rule of all is to always come from a place of integrity. In our work professionally modeling top salespeople over the years, my husband and I have always found that the best of the best have integrity and also create trust among their customers. I’ll delve more into this topic in a future article.
The second strategy involves telling your customers what people they respect have to say about what you are selling or providing. This means finding out who those people are for your particular customers.
In brief, with External People:
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Provide as much information or referral material that you can.
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Give as many testimonials as possible (more is better than less here)
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Stress what others think about your product.
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Have them see and or hear others’ reactions to your product or service.
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Know that they are easily influenced by others.
Now, with Internal People, the strategy is totally different. With them you want to go out of your way to avoid telling them what other people are saying about your product or service. In fact, an Internal People will think less of you if try to sell your product based on testimonials or based on others’ opinions. They simply will view you as another idiot who has no clue about things.
In brief, with Internal People:
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Suggest that they have their own internal check regarding the buying decision.
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Stress that it is up to them and not up to you, as to whether to buy or not.
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Avoid giving testimonials.
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Tell them that you know that they are ultimately making the buying decision.
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Know that telling them what others think is useless and may cost you the sale.
Also, remember that if you are an expert and or have someone else’s expertise to present regarding your product, it may be helpful to the Internal Person and only if the information is from an expert and is relevant.
In summary, it is critical in sales to know what criteria your customers are using when buying anything. This is why it is so important to appeal to both the Internal and External People in your presentation. In this way, you cover all possibilities; and you increase your sales as well as avoid missing half your customers and thus, avoid losing sales.
