dta Worldwide

Leadership - not always easy?

Malcolm — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:29:50 +0000

dta continues to work with organisations large and small to help develop their people. In recent weeks we have worked with clients in the fashion industry, cinema technology and telecommunications. There are common challenges faced by these companies all of which revolve around people. We are complex beings and taking a linear, methodical approach doesn’t always work. Leadership requires vast amounts of skill and the ability to interact with people of all behaviours. How are you developing your interpersonal skills? Get in touch and we’ll let you know how we’ve boosted leadership capability in many of our client organisations.

Emerging Trends in Professional Selling

Malcolm — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:09:30 +0000

Malcolm Dawes, Managing Director at dta WORLDWIDE has been working with a number of co - contributors on a brand new book entitled ‘Emerging Trends in Professional Selling’. If you sell for a living, you manage a sales team, or are responsible for the growth of your business and you want the best outcomes for your sales efforts – this book is for you.

Some of the world’s leading trainers, consultants and coaches in the world of professional selling bring you detailed ideas on how you can improve your personal performance, and the performance of your sales team. Inside this volume you’ll find 12 chapters to ensure you are informed about the latest trends, research and best practice in professional selling and sales management.

For your copy at a special rate - contact us at info@dtaworldwide.com - and quote ‘dta book promo’.

Emotionally Intelligent Selling

Malcolm — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 03:44:46 +0000

dta has been busy delivering workhops on a number of topics over the past few weeks. One of these has been on the subject of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Most of those participating have been in sales and consulting roles. We know that EI and our positive attitude is vitally important in the area of selling. How much do you use emotional intelligence attributes required for high performance in selling? How optimistic and resilient are you? How often do you use empathy in the sales environment? If you want to know more about how EI can improve your sales performance, contact dta now at info@dtaworldwide.com

Optimism

Malcolm — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:55:05 +0000

You can never tell what is around the corner. One minute we may be doing well in our job, business or social life the next minute, without warning, all that changes. The way in which we deal with these changes in our lives is pivotal to our ongoing success. How do you respond when things go wrong? Who do you blame? What do you do with the negativity that you feel? Keeping things in perspective and applying positive thinking in any situation will help you. Having an optimistic view and high levels of emotional intelligence will also be of great value in getting through lifes challenges.

Positive Thinking

Malcolm — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:50:47 +0000

Through repeated suggestion, the subconscious mind can be put to work for you. It’s about being able to concentrate your mind on your burning desire until your subconscious mind accepts it as fact and begins to devise ways of bringing it about. It’s where hunches come from, sudden flashes of thought & inspiration.

To access the power of auto suggestion, go to a quiet place, perhaps in bed at night. Close your eyes and repeat an affirmation of whatever your goal happens to be. If it’s the accumulation of a sum of money, reiterate the sum and the time limit for its accumulation. If you think positively, positive things happen - if you think negatively - your goals will never be achieved.

Exceptional Customer Service

Malcolm — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:52:28 +0000

Exceptional Customer Service

Customer service is something we are all exposed to. Some good and some downright bad. Only recently in the news has been examples of the high number of complaints about poor customer service in some areas of the telecommunications industry. Airlines too get their share of bad press for poor customer service.

It is well accepted that people will continue to do business with a company - even if they have a complaint - when they have received good customer service. dta has recently been working with Fuji Xerox Australia in the Business Services area of the company. Fuji Xerox have long recognised that exceptional customer service is what will ensure that they continue to maintain a good customer relationship with their clients. This in turn will ensure customer loyalty and continued profitable business for Fuji Xerox.

So far around 50 Fuji Xerox staff have attended a workshop to further enhance their customer service skills. Ted Hargraves, National Administration Manager - Business Services at Fuji Xerox Australia commented that ‘our goal is to improve our tools and training in Customer Administration so that our people have the resources and capabilities to manage and effectively respond to customer queries. The “exceptional service training program” has focussed on the required competencies and given us the framework and structure to provide benchmark customer service.

So how do you provide exceptional customer service? Here are some top tips:

Ask the right questions - do you really understand what your customer needs - which may be different from what they want!
Be reliable - if you say you will do something or get back with some information - DO IT!
Keep your customer informed. If circumstances change - let your customer know. Better they are informed about changes than thinking all is happening when it may not be.

To find out more about Fuji Xerox Australia - click here - www.fujixerox.co m

Click here to find out more on providing Exceptional Service to your customers

How do you sell?

Malcolm — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:50:15 +0000

How are you selling? Is it using brochures and an approach which means building successful customer relationships depend only on a sale? Or do you try and understand your customers from a more holistic perspective? Don’t just flog your product - know your customer - connect with them help them and add some value. Use your interpersonal skills to engage and with them. After all, they can learn about your product on the web! Q: What is your job as a sales person? A: To know your customer. Do that and you will find success.

Sales Effectiveness Breakfast Event Series

Malcolm — Tue, 18 May 2010 01:26:59 +0000

dta WORLDWIDE are pleased to be a partner of the Sales Effectiveness Australasia Breakfast Event Series. Join us at the following event in Sydney on June 18th. If you are not in Sydney, you can register for the virtual event and still receive the DVD and ‘Book of the Month’. For more information and to register

click here

The future of effective sales leadership by Malcolm Dawes

What are the qualities and competencies that distinguish high-performing leaders from others?

Why is leadership so important in a sales context?

How can we increase our capacity for effective leadership?

High performing leaders are distinguished by two qualities – their ability to interact effectively with other people and the ability to think strategically and tactically. In this insightful event session, Malcolm Dawes will share the results of an extensive 10 year study of over 6000 managers – and the implications that this study highlights.

A multinational study by dta WORLDWIDE has found that, on average, managers are performing below the level that characterises high-performing leaders.

The study, analysing data from 6,320 managers and over 30,000 of their work colleagues, examined leaders’ self-perceptions and the perceptions of others in interaction effectiveness and thinking effectiveness. Leaders’ average ratings on the two key qualities were both around 70, out of a possible 100. Previous research by dta WORLDWIDE has shown that to be an effective leader, a score of 80 and above is required.

Ten competencies that make up these two key qualities were measured, including teamwork, win/win negotiating, communicating clearly and positive orientation. The competencies which were assessed as being lowest, by both leaders themselves and their colleagues, were interpersonal flexibility, problem-solving and analysing perceptively.

Malcolm Dawes, Managing Director at dta WORLDWIDE will explain that the low scores are an indicator of a number of things, including the low importance placed on leadership in many businesses. Yet much research exists which suggests that effective leaders will return significantly better results from their people.

This presentation focuses on key areas to improve your leadership in the sales domain, within all levels of your business. After Malcolm has shared insights from this research, you will:

Understand the importance of 10 core competencies for sales managers
Know the essential qualities to allow you move from sales management to sales leadership
Be able to focus on your own strengths to develop the effectiveness of your personal leadership style

Overcoming fear to create great sales results by Suzanne Mercier.

What is fear, and why is it a natural part of the human condition?

Can I really overcome fear in a competitive sales environment?

How can I build more sustained resilience in my sales prospecting and negotiations?

Selling is one of the most critical activities in the work environment. Without the ability to sell, ideas would be nipped in the bud, products could “rot” on the shelves and services would remain unused potential.

Extensive research has proven that even the best of sales people will, at some point, miss opportunities and underachieve because of fear. It can be fear of rejection, call reluctance, fear of failure – or one of the many other ways fear can be manifested. But fear is also natural. Anyone who needs to sell – from a sales professional to a business development person to a non-sales employee – knows and feels fear when it comes to selling. Picking up the telephone to make a prospecting call can feel traumatic. Closing the sale can be equally daunting. Yet, both those activities are critical to the sales process and to the business.

Research has identified that the interaction through selling accounts for 53% of the influence on a purchase decision. Building on that, what increase in sales and bottom line could you achieve if you could transform fear into energy that propels you forward to action and success?

By improving your sales skills, you can overcome the reluctance that many people experience around selling, but this is not the only solution. By addressing the fear that makes it so challenging to put yourself on the line, your selling skills can be put to great use.

Over the last 10 years, Suzanne Mercier has become an expert on the limiting nature of fear. In this session, Suzanne will lift the veil from fear and share how – by understanding our fears – we can overcome them to achieve better sales results.

During this compelling session, you will:

Understand the nature of fear and how it inhibits our actions
Receive tools to transform fear into more productive energy
Recognise the triggers of fear and address them before they hit
Feel more willing and able to increase prospecting activity
Increase your ability to close the sale

eLearning & Blended Learning

Malcolm — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:58:49 +0000

Talking with people at the Australian Institute of Training & Development, the Institute of Learning & Development Professionals and similar bodies around the world, there seems to be a growing demand for eLearning and Blended Learning. What is your experience? Vote now on our poll - just follow this link: http://polls.linkedin.com/p/85800/wveor

Leadership V. Management

Malcolm — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:29:18 +0000

In some interesting conversations recently, leadership and management have been hot topics. It is fascinating that leadership and management are seen as the same thing in many peoples’ mind. They are totally different. There has been so much written on the difference, yet it still amazes me that management persists as the way forward. For sure, we need management skills and good managers to implement and achieve business outcomes.

Equally, it seems that the ability of managers to use leadership skills is limited. We need to be innovative & creative, demonstrate high levels of interpersonal flexibility, involve people and give them opportunity to excel by giving them support. When we make mistakes, accept them and learn from them. Leaders allow this through continuous learning both for themselves and encouraging others to do the same.

In a recent example of management gone mad - I heard that the sales of a particular company had not been so good. They had implemented a ‘new’ selling skills process and involved the managers to implement it. Several indicators have since shown that sales are low and customers not happy. The solution put forward……… more management time to get the sales people doing more of what they have done so far! Surely, that will give them more of what they got before - low sales! What really is needed is a look at leadership (as well as the selling process) and how to learn from the mistakes that have been made. Innovate some new ways of doing the task and improve the performance and outcomes.