<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/">
<channel>
<title>Rick Johnson - EzineArticles Expert Author</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rick_Johnson</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:47:49 -0600</pubDate>
<image><title>Rick Johnson - EzineArticles Expert Author</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rick_Johnson</link>
<url>http://EzineArticles.com/images/ea_logo.jpg</url>
</image>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2012 EzineArticles.com - All Rights Reserved.</copyright>
<description><![CDATA[Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership and the creation of competitive advantage. Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. on April 15, 2005. He's also a published book author with seven titles to his credit: "The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance," the NWFA & NAFCD "Roadmap", Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf--The Evolution of Sales", Leading the Pack - Model driven Leadership for the ... ]]></description>
<lastBuildDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:04:27 -0500</lastBuildDate>
<atom:link rel="hub" href="https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com" />
<item>
<title>Handling a Disgruntled Employee</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/6064726</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/6064726</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:04:27 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA["Are you kidding me?" ---- "I can't believe you are doing this to me!" -----"This just isn't fair" Have you ever heard those words or similar words from an employee?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Accountability - Six Keys to Execution</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/4138523</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/4138523</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:49:46 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[We all "Talk the Talk". We understand that we must introduce accountability into the organization if we have any hope of achieving our objectives. Yet, many companies struggle, some unknowingly, with this concept for many different reasons. Long term employees can become complacent, competencies can be limited, a free pass is sometimes given for a variety of reasons and the "Peter Principle" is still alive and in existence today; Promoting people beyond their ability to perform.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Striving For Greatness</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/4138454</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/4138454</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:48:55 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Being an effective leader, striving for excellence and being inspirational is essential to creating a great company. There is no doubt that during these tough economic times that average is not good enough. Look around, if you have average performing employees that can't seem to reach the level of performance that is in alignment with your vision, "Now is the time" to do something about that. However, don't let great be the enemy of good.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Creating Personal Success</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/4138467</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/4138467</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:48:33 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Both the Democrats and the Republicans were preaching change in last year's presidential election. I only mention that because I really like the buzz words --- "Yes We Can" that have been used by both campaigns. You see, I believe that everyone can achieve success and realize their maximum potential. I make that statement in spite of the statistic published by several experts that claim only 20% of individuals today actually perform up to their own potential.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Manage Your Assets, But Lead Your People</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/4138516</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/4138516</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:41:57 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I have had suggestions made to me by owners, presidents and CEOs that would baffle the mind of most professionals that have integrity. For example, I once was asked to fire an individual because his wife's illness had caused the company to reach their catastrophic cap in their insurance program. This same owner would intentionally run mail that contained checks to his vendors through the meter at two cents so they would arrive with postage due. He thought this was a great cost savings idea until the government sent him a cease and desist letter.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Change is a Fact of Life - Six Keys That Make a Difference</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/4138505</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/4138505</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:31:17 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Without change your company becomes stagnant, uncompetitive and boring. A leader's major responsibility is to create change, instigate change and then manage change effectively. In spite of the fact that creating change is a key competency required to be an effective leader, most people resist change. This includes leaders themselves.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ten Tips on Motivation in a Tough Economy</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/4138555</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/4138555</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:30:21 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The employee issue cannot be emphasized enough. Tough times weigh heavy on employees. They know when a company is not performing without seeing the profit and loss statement. The good ones start to abandon ship and seek employment elsewhere. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Economic Crisis Creates Leaders</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/3763955</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/3763955</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:51:57 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Significant challenges faced by leaders during tough economic times will separate real leaders from the impostors. So, ask yourself, "Are you a real leader?" Recently while surfing the net I ran across an anonymous quote that read "Leaders Don't Create Crisis but Crisis Creates Leaders."]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Success With Mavericks and Risk Takers</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/3763920</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/3763920</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:27:48 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Creating the right attitude is paramount to structuring an environment of success. Getting your employees to work with you and join in the search for better ideas, new methodology and higher profitability will transform your company from passive individualists to intelligent action takers and change agents.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Building the &quot;Right&quot; Culture is Key to Retention</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/3386243</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/3386243</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:51:09 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Almost every Human Resource expert will tell you that employees must enjoy their work to be effective doing it. Enjoying work is not limited to the task itself. What this really means is simply "enjoying work is exceptionally dependant upon the culture which the works resides in." In other words, the company must build a culture that the employees embrace. One that encourages self development, empowerment, social inter action, accountability and recognition.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Reduction in Force Needs to Be a &quot;Surgical Strategy&quot;</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2847319</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2847319</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:38:26 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[During tough economic times a reduction in force (RIF) often becomes a necessity for many companies. Let's face it; payroll expense is probably the biggest expense for the majority of companies in business today. Unfortunately, many leaders have a tendency to panic and make across the board cuts without regard for the long term effects, including employee morale and the overall health of the company and its ability to weather the economic storm.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Stay Calm - Don't Panic</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2847485</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2847485</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:24:55 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Calm during economic crisis is the key to survivng these turbulent times. Remaining calm serves to calm others and it demonstrates leadership. It may be difficult at times, especially if you have never been through a recession before but you have to reach deep inside yourself and find the strength to get past the surreal situation you find yourself in to focus  on creative solutions and ideas to gain market share. Forest Gump once said - "Stuff Happens". Yes it does -- anytime and anywhere. You can prepare for just about any type of economic disaster by developing a Contingency Plan and being prepared to execute under even the most difficult circumstances. What people usually do not prepare for is how to be effective leaders when a crisis begins.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Don't  Let the Media Kidnap Your Intellect</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2847445</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2847445</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:39:38 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[These days it seems the message being sent to everyone is how to survive in this turbulent economy. However, if you are following best practice you should be looking for ways to thrive instead. Media sensationalism tries to kidnap your intellect through continuous coverage about the economic downturns; lay offs, and stock market fluctuations. How you react to this attempt to smother you with negative information is what will determine your success or failure. If you're a person that allows this kind of information to affect your daily thinking and decision making, it's time for you to turn off the TV and turn on your creative mindset. Listen to inspirational people, people that won't fill you with pessimistic emotions. Start focusing on solutions and stop focusing on the problems.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Maintaining Company Stability - Contingency Planning</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2847414</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2847414</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:37:44 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Economic Turbulence May Demand Contingency Planning Contingency planning is often essential and unavoidable during economic turbulence. However, the creation of a sound contingency plan is a complex undertaking, involving a number of stages and discrete activities. For example, initially it is necessary to understand the underlying risks and the potential impacts of market decline.... this becomes the building block upon which a sensible business continuity plan must be built. Every aspect of the plan must be carefully managed to ensure that it does not fall short of recovery and maintaining the company's stability.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Leadership Development During a Recession</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2558017</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2558017</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:51:05 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[We are in the midst of a tough economy, a recession. That makes it convenient if not easy to ignore our responsibilities as leaders to invest and develop employees within our organization. Sure times are tough. Recently I had a CEO say to me: "Rick, what happens if we continue to invest in leadership development and the employee leaves?"  My answer was simple, although I can't take credit for it since I heard the answer at a seminar years ago.  "Jim", I replied, "What if you don't invest in their development and they stay?"]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Women in Leadership - This Countries Most Under Utilized Asset</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2558002</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2558002</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:50:08 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I firmly believe that women in the workplace are the most under utilized asset this country has. We have come a long way from that chauvinistic attitude of the past that believed men are simply better, more natural leaders; the belief that women's careers were compromised by their responsibilities at home?  Yes we have come a long way. But, Statistics are still shocking for women who hope to succeed in the business world. Today, women occupy 40% of all managerial positions in the United States but only 6% of the Fortune 500's top executives are female. (Newsweek Magazine)]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Are You Doing the Moon Walk?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2557982</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2557982</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:48:54 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The "Moon Walk" is a dance move that looks as if you are going forward when in reality you are moving backward. Michael made that move famous. His tragic sorrowful death reminded me of that move. The Moon Walk itself brings to mind how many businesses often struggle to achieve success; doing things that are supposed to gain market share and create success. And yet, many find that even though they believe they are doing all the things the "experts" say they should be doing, real success eludes them.  They feel like they are moving forward but in reality they are moving backward. They are doing the "Moon Walk". This can be particularly evident during tough economic times.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Maximize Performance Through Understanding</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2428378</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2428378</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:02:07 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[To be effective, leaders must not only manage their team but they must develop an understanding of every individual on that team. Prioritizing acquainting yourself with each individual on your team includes knowing their dreams, their hopes, their thoughts, their opinions and their values. This and only this is the key to making sure you not only have the right team in place but it enhances your ability as  a leader to maximize performance.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Crisis and the &quot;Black Swan&quot;</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2428270</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2428270</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:23:03 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[When you have seen only white swans in your life, you think "all swans are white". But it might be that you just haven't recognized a Black Swan yet. Remember, Taleb defines a "Black Swan" as a highly improbable event, but with an enormous impact when it occurs. But, in my opinion, that doesn't mean they can't be recognized or even predicted.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Success Isn't a Mystery in Any Economy</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2194288</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2194288</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:44:20 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[My first piece of advice on success today for anyone willing to listen is simply to turn off the news. Don't listen to CNN. Turn off the Fox News network, NBC, CNBC and all the other networks that are sensationalizing everything that is happening in our economy on a minute to minute basis. I have made a conscious decision not to listen because a high percentage of what you see on television today is pure garbage designed simply to improve ratings. I refuse to listen to a constant diet of negativity. In fact, I refuse to even associate with negative people. I suggest that each and every one of us has an obligation to protect our attitude.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Economic Turbulence - A Window of Opportunity</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2194176</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2194176</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:03:13 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The state of the economy is a fact. How you feel about that fact and what it means to you personally is a belief. Your beliefs have a major impact on your employee's attitude. Beliefs that drive your sales behaviors are the keys to becoming successful in a down economy. If you believe that this economic crisis can provide you with opportunities than your attitude will drive the behavior of your employees.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Service Factor During Economic Turbulence</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/2194336</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/2194336</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:53:55 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Improving and maintaining good customer service is not an exciting endeavor.  It involves detailed study and steadfast execution rather than temporary brilliance or inspiration.  Therefore, customer service improvement is fundamentally an effort of continuous improvement.  You must develop a basic competency in process improvement to attain and sustain high levels of customer service. This means that it is absolutely critical during tough economic times that you don't make the mistake of cutting resources that support service excellence in your attempt to control operational costs.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Leadership - Don't Get Bit by Your Own Rattlesnake</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1385127</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1385127</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:22:35 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Honest negative feedback is difficult to accept. It takes tremendous courage. I learned that twenty years ago. I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about running a company let alone a smaller $100 million dollar division. I had owned and sold several successful businesses and that success certainly enlarged my ego even though I didn't realize it at the time.  I was a little too self-indulged and my self confidence bordered on arrogance and stupidity. I even had a rattlesnake sitting on my desk with a statement that can't be printed exactly as it appeared, due to censorship.  It read...]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Four Primary Functions of CEO Leadership</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803078</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803078</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:43:15 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The majority of effective CEO/President leaders seem to be natural visionaries. Although, I admit, that there are successful leaders that can't see past lunch. However, those leaders without the vision that are successful are successful because they have the unique ability to surround themselves with high quality people. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ten Tips to Avoid Micro Management</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803073</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803073</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:45:26 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Micro managing may make you feel in control but in reality you are only hurting yourself and the company. It only limits an employee's ability to be innovative and creative. This can cost the company thousands of dollars because it is the creativity and innovation of your employees that maximize the profitability of your company.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Learning to Listen - The Key to Effective Communication</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803044</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803044</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:44:54 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Personally, I believe that the biggest weakness most of us face as business people, as leaders and as individuals is our inability to listen effectively. Even though the majority of us have ears that test in the excellent category for hearing, most of us have not developed the necessary skills or aural skills as the academics call it to be used effectively to listen well.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Six Principles of Effective Team Management</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803062</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803062</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:30:03 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Organizations that maximize success embrace the concept of "Team Leadership" and their managers are skilled at leading group problem-solving sessions maximizing collaboration across all functional units. A forum exists to educate and train managers on the problems and concerns of other functional departments. Communication is kept at the "Adult" level and an explicit understanding of respect exists throughout the culture of the organization. This feeling of mutual respect, trust and maturity becomes the foundation for teamwork and problem solving.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Lead Wolf Leadership Tips on Change</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803031</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803031</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:29:37 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Success in any organization often depends on leadership ability to adjust quickly to a changing environment both internally and externally. Trends, regulations, competition and yes the economy may force organizational change. This change has a direct impact on employees often creating a decrease in morale which can lead to complacency and apathy. To circumvent these consequences leaders must justify, communicate and explain the long term benefits to the company and the employees. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>How to Survive Restructuring During the Economic Crisis</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803015</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803015</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:27:27 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Organizations must implement change to offset economic challenges. It's a hands on process that often requires total restructuring of the organization which invariably leads to a "Reduction in Force". Making sure you aren't one of the RIF's (Reduction in Force) due economic conditions is not an easy task. If you are one of the chosen that remain with the company, you are blessed. Keep in mind that the immediate aftermath of any restructuring based on contingency planning and economic conditions is very stressful and can be fraught with uncertainty.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Curiosity Killed the Cat But it Can Make You a Better Leader</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803001</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803001</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:25:16 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Keep this point in mind ------ Most new ideas are simply a combination or rearrangement of old ideas and facts. What that tells us is simply the more we study a topic or situation and the more knowledge we gain about anything specific, the more likely it becomes that we come up with new ideas. Your ability and willingness to explore, study and learn is directly related to your level of curiosity. If you don't feel that instinctive curiosity then you need to take deliberate action everyday to improve your knowledge foundation. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Define Your Goals More Clearly and You Will Succeed Much Easier</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803169</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803169</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:10:32 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Clarity increases the likelihood you will accomplish your goals. If your goal is to become rich, clarity is lacking. What is rich? What does rich mean? How do you define it? Rich to one person may be totally different than to someone else. However, if you define your goal as earning $200,000 in commission by the end of the year you have much more clarity. You have also created something actionable because you have defined the source of your goal. The clarity of your goal and what it means to you personally has a major impact on whether you will succeed or not.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Are Managers Leaders Or Are Leaders Managers?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803156</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803156</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:02:49 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The concept of management is actually fairly complex. The terms manager and leader are often used interchangeably but they are also often confused and misinterpreted. Management implies control in its traditional sense. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Vision - Values and Core Beliefs</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803135</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803135</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:05 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Every effective leader I have ever known understood that their impact on the success of their organization was based on their vision, values and core beliefs they shared with all their employees. Those companies that create effective strategic plans try to capture the vision, values and core beliefs in a simple brief explanatory communication called a "Core Strategy Statement". ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The &quot;FUN&quot; Relationship to Success</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803093</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803093</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:58:39 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Having fun is the very first recommendation I give to anyone that asks me how to create success within their organization. I have always said that if you don't enjoy doing what you are doing, if you don't have fun doing it, then you should do something else because you simply can't excel at anything unless you really enjoy doing it. That means having fun. You can walk into almost any company and observe the employees for a short period of time and I guarantee you that the employees that seem to be having fun, those that display a real fondness for what they are doing are the ones whose performance will exceed expectations.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>An Overlooked Tool For Business Improvement</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1802967</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1802967</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:56:45 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Benchmarking - A simple concept that is too often overlooked. Tremendous insight and problem solving ideas can be generated solely by observing how someone else runs a similar business to ours. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Mystery of Marketing</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1803109</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1803109</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:19:48 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Many companies often blur the connection between marketing and sales. Some even combine the function and actually create the position Vice President of Sales & Marketing. That would be the same as appointing someone as Vice President of Finance and Operations. Unless the company is exceptionally small, no one person can maximize their effectiveness at either position. Simply put, both functional areas are completely separate and require separate management.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Leadership - Who's on Your Team?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1171037</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1171037</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2008 13:18:23 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I often try to emphasize to executives and managers at all levels that you are only as good as the team you surround yourself with. You can be a brilliant, visionary and exceptionally innovative but if you surround yourself with a team that is below average, you will not be an effective leader.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Creating Success During a Downturn in the Economy</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1063175</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1063175</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:10:03 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Today we are engulfed in the debate on whether or not we are facing a true recession. Fifty percent of the so-called expert economists say we are and fifty percent say it's just a downturn and we will come out of it in 2009. Regardless, let's consider a couple facts rarely remembered in times like these:      Most companies market share growth happens going into a recession or coming out of a recession, not at the top or the bottom of an economic cycle.  	    Those who react to cycle changes first will gain share over those who don't.      Those who understand best practice and have invested in their employees through development & training will maintain competitive advantage and grow market share by taking it from the competition   "The biggest challenge we face is our own ability to create a  self-fulfilling prophecy."  This is called the Pygmalion effect. The media has a tendency to sensationalize. I remember three days this month when CNN and other major news networks actually followed the movement on stocks on the NYSE on a minute by minute basis. Give me a break.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Now is the Time</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1063166</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1063166</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:54:33 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[    With everything that has happening in the world around us including the economic crisis, the Bear Sterns bail out, the war in Iraq, the Presidential race and the scandal in New York about both the old and new governors,  I thought I'd take this opportunity to suggest to all of you that  "Now is the Time" to reflect on what's happening in our lives, around us and what we should expect from the future.    1st and foremost, Now is the Time   to reevaluate our thoughts and our position regarding ...]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Value Propositions and Competitive Advantage</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1039617</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1039617</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:49:48 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[In times past, salespeople were trained to focus on their product. They knew everything about it - what features it had, the benefits, how long it could last and what the red button did when pressed. Salespeople talked about the product until they were blue in the face. Armed with brochures and warranties, they were ready to attack. But, in today's environment, customers want more, not just the latest technology and the best "widget" a person can buy. They want complete solutions to all their problems. Suddenly, the brochure and other marketing materials are simply support functions. Buyers are more educated, more professional and seek more than just products. They want efficiencies, market share and profit generation. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Wings and Ribs</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1039634</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1039634</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:51:22 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Last year I mentioned in one of my newsletters a customer service incident that happened to me while entertaining friends from Hilton Head Island. What we experienced then at a very upscale country club in The Villages was in my opinion a perfect example of how not to treat your customers. At the time I thought this really takes the cake.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Puppy Dog Close</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/1039424</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/1039424</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:49:30 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The puppy dog close is one of the most effective ways to get the sale that anyone ever dreamed up. It got its name form the pet store industry. Let me explain. Have you ever walked by a pet store and saw adorable little puppies playing and frolicking in the front window? Have you ever just visited a pet store for any reason and just happened to go over to the puppy cages to look at the puppies? What happens?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Master Sales Plan for High Potential Accounts</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/903936</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/903936</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:28:03 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ A Master Action Plan is your high level plan of attack - the ideas, activities and general approach that will enable you to reach key account goals. Your plan should develop naturally from the knowledge you gain from your research and customer contact. A plan should be developed for each of your key high potential growth accounts. However, master action plans are complex and should be limited to only those key accounts with high potential for growth. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Phantom Stock</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/903923</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/903923</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:27:26 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Phantom stock can contribute to a personal objective that is aimed at getting your executive team to think and act like equity partners. It creates a feeling of obligation toward success because owning phantom stock means they now have "skin in the game".  Having skin in the game can make  all the difference in the world.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>A Trip to Charleston</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833615</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833615</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:57:00 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I just returned from a trip to Charleston and Savannah. Tracy and I took five days off to travel with my brother and his wife who is from England. She had never been to either city and they were anxious to get a glimpse of the "Real South".  Florida is a hodge podge  mixture of all the states in the union and I can't recall meeting anyone that was actually born in Florida since I moved here. My brother and his wife are retired and on a fixed pension so Tracy tried to use her self proclaimed talent for being frugal to minimize the expense of the trip. After all, she is a die hard Wal-Mart girl. In fact, if she ever became ill the Walton family would probably send her a get well card.   ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Whose Knickers are These?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833662</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833662</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:47:03 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Speaking of bad travel experiences, I do have one to share with you. We have some good friends (Jocelyne and Derek) that visit "The Villages" every year. They are from Northern England which makes it very difficult for me to understand them sometimes. This is especially true of Derek after he has had a couple glasses of wine... They are quite a couple and both are good golfers, although Jocelyne seems to beat Derek more often than not. They are both characters and quite a bit of fun on the golf course. (Geez, just thinking about them makes me write with an English accent)  They had to return to England a couple of weeks back as they are only allowed to stay in the States six months at a time. I received an e-mail from Jocelyne explaining how they ran into a little trouble.  This is her story: ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Fire in the Hole</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833628</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833628</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:28:02 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Well, about 4am I woke up and had to use the bathroom. Not wanting to disturb my sweet little wife, I felt my way along the wall to the bathroom and decided to sit down so I wouldn't have to turn the light on. As I was sitting there, I felt a strange warmth on the back of my legs. My first thought was that my directional aim was off and that I was probably getting my boxers wet and would have to change them.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Habits of the Incompetent</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833598</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833598</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:27:00 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[How do you really know if an employee's performance has deteriorated because of his personal incompetence or the incompetence of his manager?  I have dealt with numerous employee issues that quite frankly in many cases the problem was not the fault of the employee. Yes, the employee's attitude wasn't good, mistakes increased and their general performance wasn't acceptable. However, replacing that employee didn't solve the problem. In fact other employees also demonstrated symptoms leading to non performance.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Frozen Fantasy</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833652</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833652</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:13:03 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Everything started out great - We ate in a revolving restaurant at the top of one of the nicer beach resort hotels. The meal was fantastic, the wine was good and Tracy looked fabulous in a clinging black dress with just the right amount of Jewelry. Of course I had visions of how the evening would end from the minute she appeared all dressed up for dinner. After we finished eating, we did take that romantic walk on the beach. It helped with the digestive process after the big dinner but it also worked on another type of appetite.   We returned to our hotel room and to say the least I was kind of in an anticipatory frenzy. Remember at 3 years we were still considered newly weds. Tracy is a romantic and she wanted to extend the romance. Being a certified massage therapist she warmly suggested that I just relax as she was going to give me a massage.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Once You've Been King -- It's Hard to Become a Prince</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833575</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833575</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:57:57 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[So you sold your company and the new owners want you to stick around and run it for a couple of years. Don't make the mistake of thinking that nothing has changed. Everything has changed. You don't own it anymore. You will find it extremely difficult to watch change that is initiated as a result of the sale. Change initiated by someone else.  You are no longer the king. You no longer have final say. You have to answer to someone else. This can be a traumatic experience.  Things will occur that you disagree with but can not do anything about. This in itself can become extremely frustrating.  Don't believe that age old lie that is often spread by an acquiring company ---- "Nothing will change".  That's a bunch of hog wash. Things will change; some for the better some not. The difference is that you no longer control that change. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Dinner at Chili's</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833582</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833582</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:49:59 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[How often do you get bad service in a restaurant? It happens to all of us. Honestly though, I have a lot of compassion for those waitresses and waiters. I believe it's one of the toughest jobs out there. So....even when I get bad service at a particular restaurant I still tend to leave at least a 15% tip. If I get good service I'll usually give 20% and if service is excellent I'll leave even more. Tracy (my wife) is even more generous. Since she worked as a waitress while putting herself through school, she really has compassion for them and would probably make their car payment for them if she had the chance.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Employee Development - Soul Searching Questions</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833555</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833555</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:22:56 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Many if not most organizations consider employees its most valuable asset. Unfortunately many don't walk the walk.  Anything the organization can do to retain and enhance those assets should be a top priority.  Employee development is one of the most important aspects of building and maintaining a successful organization.  Research proves when employees fail in their positions in more than 90% of the cases the failures are directly attributed to some aspect of human behavior.  Individuals do not usually fail because of lack of education, experience, training, or skills.  They fail because their personality and behavior is not compatible to the behavioral requirements of their particular position.  If employees are not suitable for their position or if they do not achieve their potential, the organization can fail or never achieve its potential.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Time to Fire is BEFORE You Hire</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/833567</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/833567</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:21:57 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I have yet to deal with a client or company that didn't consider recruitment, retention and employee turnover the number one problem they have to deal with today and into the future. Not only is it difficult to find the right person to fit into a new job opening but it is equally difficult to determine if that person will fit into the culture of the organization. Added to that is the fact that employee turnover is extremely costly averaging over 1  1/2  times the annual salary of the individual that must be replaced. To put this into perspective, let's assume the average salary of employees in a given company is $50,000 per year. Taking the cost of turnover at 150% of salary, the cost of turnover is then $75,000 per employee who leaves the company. If your turnover rate is 20% and you have 100 employees --- that means your cost of turnover equals $1.5 million dollars.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Strategic Planning - Key Success Factors and How to Avoid Ten Common Mistakes</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/756311</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/756311</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:42:06 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Organizations employ strategic planning as a way to move toward their desired future status (End Game). It is the process of developing and implementing plans to reach goals and objectives. Strategic planning, more than anything else, is what gives direction to an organization. Obtaining buy-in from all relevant parties is essential for successful strategic plan implementation  	Key employees from all areas of the business should be included.  Communicating the strategic plan to all employees is an important critical step. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Differentiator</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/725083</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/725083</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:54:33 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Your customers can buy from anyone, loyalty is an elusive factor today. They have many choices. And, don't forget, your employees have choices as well. Some companies truly believe that their employees are their most important asset. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>How &quot;A&quot; Players Meet Customer Expectations</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/668522</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/668522</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:56:39 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[It's not enough to achieve some or even most of your customers expectations - your objective is to meet them all.  Yet, this can be quite a challenge during peak times when the counter is backed up, the phone keeps ringing and you are short personnel in will-call.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Training You Have To &quot;Walk the Walk&quot;</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/668511</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/668511</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:26:33 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Most company executives decide to spend money on training because it is popular, especially when economic times are good.  There is a view that it is "good" and it is also something that responsible leaders are supposed to do to prepare for the future. However, just spending money on training isn't the only answer. Training alone will not produce the kind of results that training combined with coaching and mentoring can produce. Training can increase specific skill sets but education, coaching and mentoring is necessary for complete employee development which incorporates leadership into the equation. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Empowerment  The Rerwards Are Greater Than The Risk</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/668493</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/668493</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:07:24 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Employees must take ownership in the success of the organization. This means they must become part of the strategy employed by the company. Acknowledge their presence and contributions, and praise them at every opportunity. But, be sincere. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, had a favorite method of sending personal handwritten notes to employees who demonstrated some form of success. This is an employee issue that cannot be emphasized enough. Employees want to know how they are doing and they want to be held accountable.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Wounded Wolves ---- The Journey Forward</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/646241</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/646241</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:21:20 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[This is a story about finding your way. It's dedicated to any and all people that may have found themselves lost, confused, powerless, in a dead end career, going nowhere and those who may have lost sight of what they really want from life. It's a story about "Wounded Wolves" and making the journey forward. Forward to success, self esteem and pride. Maybe a few of you can relate to this as it's happening now. Or, maybe you were wounded once and remember the journey you had to make to create happiness and success in your life.

Being wounded can be a result of many things - a personal crisis, family life, a bad marriage, the way you were raised, poor life decisions, limited exposure to education and learning, and sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It can even be just a matter of heritage and the socialistic environment that you become accustomed to as a child.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Profit is NOT a Dirty Word</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/625541</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/625541</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:52:49 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Have you noticed that price is not the major topic of discussion when it comes to customer expectations?  You see, the reality about price is that the customer expects the right price, which does not automatically mean the lowest price.  A key skill you must acquire to become top sales performer is the ability to explain and sell value.  What is the difference between "price and cost?" The point is that competitive advantage is not about price- it's about value. So what are the products' value propositions?  This is not just the features and benefits. It's about what value the features and benefits actually provide for the customer. What are your company's value propositions? What are your personal value propositions? Why should the customer do business with you- with your company?
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Cash Flow - The Key to Stability and Growth</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/625531</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/625531</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:52:43 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[In layman's terms, cash flow is basically the cash received (coming into the business) over a specific time period less the cash going out of the business in the form of payments.  You have a positive cash flow when the cash received exceeds the cash paid out: a simple concept.  However, managing and controlling cash can become complex.  If the cash being paid out exceeds the cash being received in the business you are in a negative cash flow position.  This is critical because, if it persists, your company may be unable to pay its bills and continue operating.  It is possible to find yourself in this position even if your Profit and Loss (P & L) statement says you are profitable.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Closing the Sale</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/625527</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/625527</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:52:39 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Much has been written about sales techniques, strategy and skill training including closing techniques. I believe, "Closing the Sale" really revolves around satisfying the customer's real needs.  Bottom line, you must be able to provide the solution to his or her problem. Consider this, using the building trades as an example, if the customer is a do-it-yourselfer, the problem could be as simple as recommending the right replacement filter.  If the customer is a contractor, the problem could be ensuring customer satisfaction.  If the customer is a builder, the problem could be providing maximum value with an acceptable return on his or her investment.  Simple enough, yet, closing the sale is the part many sales people find very difficult.  Another very common rookie mistake sales representatives make is that they forget to ask for the order. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Counter Sales - Defining the Role</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/625560</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/625560</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:20:56 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[As a counter sales person, when a customer walks through the door, you are generally the person they are looking for.  The customer wants to place an order and expects you-the counter sales person-to take care of him.  Although this encounter is usually brief, let's examine what the customer's overall expectations may be. What do customers expect of counter sales professionals?  Since customer's perceived value of you as a supplier drive their expectations, knowing the answer to this question is important to meeting expectations and building relationship equity.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Front Line Customer Service</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/588869</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/588869</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:28:56 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I read an amazing statistic in an article written by the Canadian Management Centre. 

"The average company loses half their customers in 5 years and half their employees in 4 years?.  This has significant impact to overall customer, employee, investor and supplier loyalty."

Wow! Think about that statistic. 100% customer turnover in 5 years and 100% employee turn over in 4 years. Management at all levels must understand the changing role and importance of front-line customer service operations to achieve the core mission of the business, i.e., customer retention, customer acquisition, customer satisfaction, employee retention and increased profitability.

]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Effective Sales Training Sessions</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/588851</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/588851</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:13:40 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Sales training programs should be designed to achieve maximum participation on the part of the audience. It has been proven time and again that audience participation in sales training is one of the most effective methods of developing both an attitude for learning and an attitude for successful salesmanship. Next, enthusiasm must be created. Enthusiasm is one of the most important traits a sales meeting leader must possess - because it is contagious. Participants in the training program will learn very little if they are bored, inattentive or mentally falling asleep.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Lead Wolf Model of Leadership</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/584586</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/584586</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2007 14:53:03 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Effective leaders are driven by a model. A model is a tool used to predict future outcomes of current decisions. Effective leaders build their models on the sum of their experiences, knowledge and deeds as well as their mistakes. This truth is at the core of learning how to be a winner instead of a survivor.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Employment Interview - How Hard Can It Be</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/546607</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/546607</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2007 12:47:20 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Interviewing a new job candidate sounds easy. After all, you are in control. You have something to offer. You can select anyone you choose to select. Right? That sounds good but in reality interviewing a person to fill a job opening is one of the more difficult tasks you may face as a manager. It does require specific skills to do it right and increase your chance of hiring  the ideal person for the job; the person that will stay and fit in with the culture of your company. That being said, I personally don't know of one company that has a formal program to train their managers on how to conduct an interview. Interview training is much the same as training managers how to conduct a performance review. It is a rarity to find a company that actually does it.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Customer Service -- Do Warm Cookies, USA Today and Lobby Coffee Really Make a Difference</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/546597</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/546597</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2007 12:40:18 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[In the hospitality industry, customer service is the platform upon which everything is built. It's the mantra. It must become a core competency.  So, if it's all about customer service which is designed to build relationship equity with your firm; your brand which in turn creates customer loyalty, are cookies, coffee and the USA enough?  I think not.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Fighting the Perception of Commodity</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/546627</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/546627</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2007 12:24:51 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[How do you find your value proposition when everything you do and everything you sell seems to border on being a commodity because everybody is trying to do the same thing to create competitive advantage? "Oh, but we're different. We sell our World Class Service." Right.
How many distributors do you know that don't say they have world class service. Many say that servicing the customer is their core competency. If they truly do have world class service, service is not their core competency it's what they are doing to create and maintain that level of service that is their true core competency.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Distribution Leadership - Lead Wolf - Lone Wolf or the Narcissist</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/546619</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/546619</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2007 12:10:29 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[CEOs or Presidents, who attain positions of power, reach these positions for a variety of reasons. The reasons are not always a result of competency and hard work; these positions are not always earned. As a result employees find themselves under the rule of various kinds of leaders. Even those leaders that have earned their position can be impossible to work for and it's difficult to be happy and satisfied doing it. Presidents and CEOs are typically seen as sources of motivation and direction. But what's often overlooked is the fact that they not only motivate their management team but they receive motivation and even direction based on the responses from the employees below them.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Sales Management Leadership Quiz</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/509334</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/509334</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:34:42 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Finding the right person to fill the sales management role is a common quandary in most businesses. It can be especially challenging when a decision is based strictly on sales territory performance without regard for the specific skill sets required to lead a sales force. Deciding on the right sales person to promote to sales manager can become a difficult and risky decision..   

It is an indisputable fact that different skill sets are required to become a successful sales manager as compared to being a successful sales person. Selling is a profession that requires professionals. Managing a group of professionals with the type of personalities required to succeed in sales is no easy task. Yet, in my humble opinion, it is probably the most important management position you can hold in a company. Sales management holds the key to meeting company objectives. Effective sales management builds the platform for success. Sales people are not the easiest group in the company to manage. If they were they would not be sales people. Selling is not easy. It takes a special talent, self motivation, self discipline, a passion to succeed and the ability to accept rejection.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>10 Morning Coffee Thoughts on Leadership</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/509271</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/509271</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:31:15 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[People who get results are high impact leaders. They are consistent, explicit and concise and they command a presence when they walk into a room. They have enough charisma to turn the dullest moment into a high-energy event. When they move on, others want to go with them. Their openness and honesty creates a legacy which people admire and look up to. They gain commitment and foster trust.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Sales Effectiveness Guidelines for Taking Over a New Territory</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/509382</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/509382</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:45:46 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Sales professionals are high-energy, fast-thinking, opportunistic people. If they are good, they often shoot from the hip and take calculated risks. They can be called mavericks and that's a good thing. It takes a little "maverick" in the blood to be effective in the world of professional sales. Most are willing to try anything that offers the potential for a fast boost, a quick sale, increased value, or the strengthening of their relationship with their customer. Too often, however, this quick fix mentality reduces the long-term focus and discipline of the sales force.  This can be especially true for a new sales person or a sales person taking over a new territory.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Five Key Elements and the Five Key Steps to Successful Branch-Division Planning</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/509218</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/509218</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:01:52 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The Operation/Branch plans must define the objectives, timeline and resources required to meet the growth objectives of the business unit, department or branch.
Analysis of opportunities is useless if it doesn't degenerate into work. Operational planning, by definition, results in action plans for day-to-day work.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Myth of the Working Sales Manager</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/498816</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/498816</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:15:24 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Sales managers are often promoted and then expected to continue to handle their most lucrative accounts. This decision is often made by management for the fear of losing major accounts. The new sales manager hardly ever protests as it is an affirmation as to his worthiness and ownership of those accounts. These decisions leave little time for coaching their sales teams or strategizing about future sales initiatives. Field sales people may end up with the perception that their personal growth potential may be limited.  ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Real Value of Strategic Planning</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/498856</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/498856</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:13:40 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I know some of you are so involved in fighting fires that you believe there isn't time to develop a strategic plan. Some of you may consider long term planning a waste of time. Some believe long term planning is what you are going to do after lunch and some may even believe there is no value in strategic planning because as the owner-CEO you know what it takes to be successful and all your employees need to do is listen to you. Hello, you may be wrong! You may need to join this century. Times have changed, leadership has evolved. The days of the "Lone Wolf" leader at the top who dominates with power are gone. Successful privately held organizations have gone through the leadership evolutionary process. They understand that today's leader must create change in the organization to meet the needs of their customers, to meet the needs of their employees and to meet the needs of their vendor partners. It involves a particular life cycle change.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Secret - Is It Really a Secret?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/498822</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/498822</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:09:29 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[The latest rage in self development circles today is a CD and Book called "The Secret". People have even been on Oprah and Larry King promoting the concept of the powers in the universe. The basis of success according to The Secret is a law in the universe called - "The Law of Attraction". The hype surrounding this new rage is very enticing. Claims include that Plato, Leonardo, Galileo, Napoleon, Beethoven and many other famous people discovered "The Secret" and as a result they accomplished great things. Discovering "The Secret" creates a transformation of life according to those who are promoting the book and CD.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>10 Tips to Create an Effective Management Team</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/487349</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/487349</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 18:30:17 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[A team culture is necessary for success. Working together effectively is not automatic. It takes a specific effort and the development of a culture that is supported by executive management. Shared experiences create unity and value. Knowledge transfer is essential for an organization to grow. Without knowledge transfer and the sharing of success it is difficult for the group to share any vision and work toward common goals. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Dirty Little Secrets Of The Failure To Leverage The Inside Sales - Customer Service Potential</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/487305</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/487305</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:26:14 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[How can the distributor take advantage of existing relationships between Inside Sales/Customer Service personnel and customers? This age-old question has caused managers to implement a variety of approaches in the attempt to tap perceived potential, but many fail and the question persists. Why? Most firms do not have adequate measures installed to determine who does what within an Inside Sales/Customer Service group. For lack of measures, it is not possible for management to define department productivity or level of activity much less individual productivity. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Turn Over - Do You Really Pay Attention To It?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/487301</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/487301</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:04:11 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I have worked with numerous companies that have or had employee retention issues without any real understanding as to why they can't seem to keep good employees. Oh, most of them track turn over. Some even measure it accurately. Some even do exit interviews but very few have a clear understanding as to the cause of high turn over rates. Added to that fact, a common attitude seems to exist that turn over in operations and logistics may just be the "nature of the beast."]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is Your Underperforming Employee Incompetent Or Is It AADD</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/487312</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/487312</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:01:19 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Mistakenly, people have believed that ADD was a childhood condition that often disappeared at the onset of adulthood. That is not always the case. It has been proven that ADD often persists into adulthood and can have a dramatic impact on an employee's performance at work. It has been reported that more than 50 percent of children diagnosed with ADD carry the condition well into their adult lives. However, ADD in adults is difficult to recognize. Sometimes when an employee has difficulty starting a task, staying focused and following through it is simply considered poor performance or incompetence. The inability to pay attention for long periods of time is a common symptom of ADD. The inability to complete assignments, lack of organization and talking excessively are also common symptoms. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Basic Reasons Why Employees Do Not Perform Well</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/487339</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/487339</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:23:45 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Employees want to perform well and they want to be held accountable. As leaders and managers we have an obligation to our employees to help them realize their maximum potential. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Can We Live Without LIFO?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/487315</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/487315</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:04:40 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Now Government wants to eliminate LIFO. LIFO stands for Last In, First Out. It is an inventory costing methodology. The last in, first out, or LIFO method, selects the most recent purchases whose quantities add up to the total number of items sold during the year.  The last in, or most recent purchases, are the first charged out to expense. The primary theory of the LIFO method is that products sold have to be replaced to continue in business and that the most recent (i.e., the last in) costs are the closest to the costs of replacing the products sold.  From a tax standpoint, LIFO minimizes tax consequences by using the highest cost of inventory which reduces reported profit. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Future Shock</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/460474</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/460474</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:44:33 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Alvin Toffler wrote a book by this title about change in 1970. Many of the principles he explained then still apply today. But... this article isn't about change. This article is about compassion, leadership, integrity and "Mentors". Do you remember who your mentors were? Do you currently have a mentor? Is there someone in your organization that you really respect, someone you look up to, someone who's actions and words have a real impact on how you live your life, perform your job and think about your future? If you do, whether you or they know it or not, they are mentoring you. Or, you may be mentoring them. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>When a Cold Call Isn't a Cold Call</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/460483</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/460483</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:36:36 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Just the term "Cold Call" has threatening, wasteful connotations in my mind. Yet, every sales person has to make this kind of call sooner or later. Most sales people would rather have bamboo shoots stuck under their finger nails than make cold calls. The reason is simple, "Cold Calling" carries with it an extremely high rejection rate. And, even though as professional sales people we realize that rejection is part of building our sales success, that doesn't mean we like it.
Cold calling may be the sales tactic that gets no respect. But it really can work -- if you do it right. Stop thinking of such calls as "cold" in the first place. "Qualification" is a more accurate description.  Don't forget,  plenty of research is necessary before reaching for the phone to set up that in-person qualification call.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Tough Reprimands -- How To Handle That One On One Discussion With A Sales Person</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/460490</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/460490</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:28:43 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[What do you do when one of your sales people just isn't performing up to standards? The key to answering that question is determining the cause of the non performance. Start by reviewing the obvious. A sales person must have adequate tools, resources and leadership to maximize their effectiveness. The review process is a critical component of sales effectiveness. This review should occur monthly for regularly performing sales representatives (reps) and even more frequently for those reps that are under performing. This review enables the sales manager and the sales representative to discuss, plan and measure success. In addition to possessing and capitalizing on certain natural talents and traits, the review process should encompass the following issues:]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slowdown At The &quot;Building Supply&quot; Corral - Are We In For A Tough Recessionary 2007 Or Not?</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/460504</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/460504</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:29:42 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[So, how do we prepare for 2007? Will it be a bang or a bust? Will we continue to ride a high tide in our industry? According to our President and several experts the economy is on the rise. Growth is accelerating. The labor market is still tight with unemployment averaging 4.5% and when it gets that low, most of the people that don't have a job just don't want to work. (Excluding those in transition).
There's no doubt the housing market has softened and in some areas it has really tanked. Sales of previously owned homes are estimated to be down 8.6% this year from 2005, while sales of new homes are down 17.7%, according to the National Association of Realtors. Prices, meanwhile, have fallen after posting double-digit gains for years. However, some industry experts believe that although 2007 will not be a banner, it will not be a recessionary year either.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Become a C.O.P. in 2007-Change On Purpose</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/398082</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/398082</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:23:00 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[More than ever before, 2007 will demand of most companies the ability to achieve measurable results that are specific to profitability, growth, cost containment and operational effectiveness. Of course, none of this will be possible without leadership and organizational change. 

This challenge will become a common theme in 2007 that will go uncompromised by the potential market gymnastics that we are likely to face. Without a doubt, success in 2007 will be directly dependent upon both individual and team performance. More importantly however, is the driving force that creates both individual and team effectiveness. That driving force is leadership at every level in the organization. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Journal Your Legacy</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/398097</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/398097</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:08:08 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[I've asked countless CEOs and Presidents - What exactly do you want your legacy to be?


I have been impressed with how many have really put some thought into that question. However, I have been equally disappointed in how many CEOs, Presidents and owners have really never given it much thought. Speaking from my personal experience and my own deep seeded feelings regarding what I would like to be known for, recognized for and thought of as I go down that retirement pathway and even that final walk in my life, I have began keeping a journal.

2007 is here. It is now a perfect time to begin to think about and document what you want your legacy to be. It doesn't matter if you are thirty years old or if you're older than sixty. Creating your own journal can do wonders for your effectiveness as a leader. It will help you put things in perspective. It will allow you to create focus, purpose and clarity of vision.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ten Basic Success Reminders - Survival of the Fittest in a &quot;Tough Profit&quot; Market</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/398110</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/398110</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:17:50 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Darwin Says: 
"It's not the strongest of the species that survive; nor is it the smartest. It's not the strongest or the smartest; it's the ones that are the most responsive to change that survive."

In order to survive the many ups and downs of today's changing environment and the market forces we will all face ion 2007 it will require sticking to the basic principles of running a well managed business.  

"Profits can cover many sins." 

The market forces have been very kind to the majority of us through 2005 and much of 2006. However, 2007 is a brand new year and the wave we have all been riding has shrunk in size at varying levels for every industry in distribution. The success we have enjoyed in the past may not be as easy to accomplish in 2007. Past successes may have camouflaged internal problems and annoyances that could become a crisis in 2007 under different circumstances.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Recruiting and Retaining Top Sales People</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/379898</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/379898</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:54:23 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Two of the biggest issues facing the industry today are recruitment of sales personnel and retention. Problems in this area may not be due to bad hires or low unemployment rates. If they are related to bad hires then it means you don't fire well. You are not holding people accountable. If that's the case, it only stands to reason that you are probably overpaying a sizable portion of your sales force, as they are not performing as "A" players.

]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>CEO's - Presidents &amp; Executives-For Your Eyes Only-The One Thing</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/379879</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/379879</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:35:18 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Goals save time, provide balance but they also reduce stress
because using your goals to focus your life and choices makes it easier to make those choices. Goals give you a sense of personal accomplishment that can be measured, not by numbers and graphs like you are used to, but measurements of smiles, chuckles, hugs, laughter and contentment. There is nothing more powerful than a smile from your little girl, a hug from your son or a thankful kiss from your soul mate.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>It's a Dream</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/379881</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/379881</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:34:19 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[It's a dream. A dream I personally lived. Become an entrepreneur. Start your own company, be your own boss and pass the company on to the next generation. Unfortunately, the odds are against you. The truth is the majority of family held businesses don't make it past the first generation. I sold my business before my kids had a chance to express their disinterest in it.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Hiring is Not Easy-Interviewing Techniques to Improve Your Success</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/379874</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/379874</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:22:17 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Interviewing should not be just about filling an open position. Anytime you have an opening to hire someone, you have an opportunity to build bench strength, organizational effectiveness and the opportunity to introduce fresh ideas and new insights into the organization and it doesn't matter what level in the hierarchy the opening exists in. 
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>ABC's of Sales Planning</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/379910</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/379910</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:02:29 -0600</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Why do I need a sales plan? 

Sales planning is critical to sales success. Return on Time Invested (ROTI) should be key criteria that every salesperson should use when evaluating their account base. The biggest asset a salesperson has is their time. It is imperative that they manage this asset carefully. Time management is called the queen of the management sciences and the reason why they call it the queen of management sciences is that time management - needs to be "romanced" -salespeople need to go through a fundamental management course every 12- 24 months.

]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Are You Proud to be a Salesman</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/313038</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/313038</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:31:21 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Almost universally, many people have negative stereotypes about selling. These stereo types include thoughts of selfish deception, fast talkers, little integrity and people actually cringe at being sold something. Today's predominate school of thought in sales is "stop trying to sell the customer," instead learn how to "help them buy" something by becoming a total solution provider. Becoming a solution provider means solving a problem even if the solution doesn't involve the purchase of your product. This is often a hard pill to swallow.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Consistent Sales Success Requires Passion</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/313034</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/313034</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:17:16 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Nowadays, salespeople must be problem solvers able to generate solutions for customers in their time of need. Therefore, they must possess a great deal of knowledge about your customers' business. They must actually define what those needs are because the customer may not know, nor take the time to explain if they do know. Customers want you to have the knowledge and intelligence to comprehend and analyze their problems before showing up at the door. Customers will listen and buy from the salesperson that finds the "pain" and takes it away."
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>DIY-Strategic Planning</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/313035</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/313035</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:00:19 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction - to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization's direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there.

Fundamental decisions, actions and choices must be made in order to develop a plan that provides a Roadmap on "How to get there from Here."." The plan is ultimately no more, and no less, than a set of decisions about what to do, why to do it, and when and how to do it.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Passing the Torch-Next Generation Leadership</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/284232</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/284232</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Aug 2006 05:51:18 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[If your true desire is to keep the business in the family and pass it on to the next generation, you have an obligation to yourself, to the business, to your employees and yes to your son or daughter to make sure you are doing everything you can possibly do to help them prepare to take over the business. I can offer one simple piece of advice; when they are ready, back off and get out of the way. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Sales Management-Do The Inmates Run The Asylum</title>
<link>http://EzineArticles.com/257580</link>
<guid>http://EzineArticles.com/257580</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jul 2006 18:59:28 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Handling sales people that can put up the numbers but break every rule in the book, someone that can't get along with their peers and someone that drives inside sales people crazy can be very challenging for a sales manager. This will create a situation that ultimately will affect overall company performance regardless of this sales person's individual success. This is especially true if this sales person holds the sales manager hostage knowing his numbers help keep corporate off the sales managers back.
]]></description>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>
