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I have observed in many instances that where an agenda that requires ideas of major turnaround is set there is a vicious cycle created when accountability issues are a problem.
The issues of escapism come into play and eventually challenges are not dealt with adequately.
James Allan in his book “As a Man Thinketh” points out pertinent issues that are worth noting.
He says: “Man is made/unmade of himself. In the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools he with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.
“By the right thoughts and application of thought, man ascends to the divine perfection. By the abuse and wrong application of thought he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character and man is their maker and master”.
This excerpt sums up his book. So what is the wisdom in terms of business perspective that can be derived from this?
At one time, I visited a hardware shop and needed some little technical assistance on setting up a gadget I had purchased from them.
The sales assistant was not helpful and was quick to say: “I am sorry ma’am, but that’s our company policy and I cannot assist you.”
OK, my policy is that I do not do business with companies that do not treat the customer with respect and give value for money.
If something does not work, then just fix it. If you don’t know — then say so, but find ways of assisting me.
Training
If an employer places people that have absolutely no clue of the product they are selling on the front line, or do not offer training to bridge that gap, then challenges in service delivery are bound to be experienced. The days of relegating research and training to the back burner are long gone. Transitions are happening at a fast pace, there is a danger of a business becoming irrelevant if they do not adopt new trends in their line of business. Imagine the pace of business if the postman days would be relived. The postman would cycle from door to door delivering hoards of letters, proposals, quotations and invoices and one will have to wait for these to be responded to.
However, thanks to modern technology these can be delivered at the click of a button and the response is sent promptly. Behaviorists have pointed out that man is responsible for about 80 percent of his actions.
Let’s face it, if you choose to place your human resources in the same category as capital equipment and expect them to produce a contribution which is fixed, then you might face subsequent challenges. Remember, the famous supervisor words in the factory, “give me a pair of hands”. Really . . . a pair of hands!
So what will then become of those pair of hands in productivity as we start experiencing diminishing returns?
Comparatively, over time, equipment tends to wear out and will need replacement. A machine will start at peak performance and decline as parts get worn out.
Whereas human performance generally improves as they become more familiar with their role.
This gives credence to the phrase, “Like wine, women get better with age”. Managing people is a very complex process; people are definitely more complex than machines.
Your human resources are important as the organisation strives to achieve its objectives.
Your Sales Representatives
It is also important to make careful considerations when organising your sales force for your product.
Sometimes the one size fits all presentation to customers can be a turn off to some companies that are a bit advanced.
You can use a structure where one sales rep is assigned an exclusive territory, that way a relationship is developed.
For instance, if you are in the travel industry you will know that if it is Cresta Hospitality Group business, we know Tendai will take care of travel agencies. That way, even accountability is easier for internal purposes and for the customer.
It is also important to manage the human resource that sells your product. If a sales rep leaves the organisation, the cost of lost sales, the cost of finding and training a new sales person can be quite heavy.
This is why I do not understand why companies do not pay attention to high staff turnover.
Training time varies with the complexity of the selling task and the type of person recruited into the sales organisation.
In some companies, new reps receive extensive initial training and may spend 15 percent of their time each year in additional training.
Training often involves a variety of methods, including role playing, audio, video tapes and CD-ROMs.
It still remains important to motivate that sales rep, the greater the motivation, the greater the effort. The importance of motivation varies with demographic characteristics. Financial rewards are mostly valued by older, longer-tenured people who have had formal education and those who have large families.
Younger unmarried people tend to value recognition more than the married folks.
I end with a James Alan excerpt: . . .“Every man is where he is by the law of his being, the thought which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance but all is the result of a law which cannot err . . . You reap what you sow.”
Till next week, may God richly bless you!
Shelter Hamandishe-Chieza is a Management Consultant. She holds over a decade of management experience and is in the final stages of a Management of Business Administration Degree with a reputable local university. She can be contacted at [email protected]
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