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      By Donna Fuscaldo

For many of us saying no is hard to do. When it’s saying it to our boss, it can be downright impossible.  But there are situations that merit a no. How you go about it, however, can make or break your relationship with your supervisor.

“It depends on the boss,” when it comes to saying no, says Pamela Skillings, co-founder of Skillful Communications. “You have to know what kind of boss you are dealing with.”

Some bosses don’t want anyone disputing their power while others are more willing to listen to suggestions. When dealing with the power wielding ones, Skillings says its best to let the boss think he or she came up with the change of plan.

The types of scenarios also matter. Here’s a look at when, and when not, to say no to your boss.

When Your Are Getting Taken Advantage Of

At some point in your career working long hours and taking on work that’s not in the job description will undoubtedly be part of the job. But when your boss is asking you to work late every night and come in on the weekends all the time, it may be situation where you have to put your foot down and say no. 

If the boss is blatantly taking advantage of you then a boundary needs to be drawn, says Skillings. “If you are working late every night and it’s not an emergency situation and is becoming a habit, it’s not something you want to allow,” she says.  Skillings says to say no at least one night to make it clear you aren’t going to do it all the time.

Doing Your Bosses Errands

Unless you are a personal assistant, doing errands for your boss is a situation where you may want to say no. If you like to get out of the office to pick out a birthday present or get coffee from Starbucks that’s one thing, but if it takes you away from your work or isn’t something you signed on to do then a  no is warranted, says Patricia H. Lenkov, executive vice president of Agility Executive Search.  Lenkov says simply saying no could upset the boss, but being more tactful and presenting your no in a way that will help the boss should work.  “Explain that the truth is if you do this, you won’t be able to do this more important work for your boss,” says Lenkov.

When the Impossible is Expected

Tight deadlines are pretty much the norm at many companies but when you are given a timetable that cannot be realistically met or a workload that is impossible to complete on your own, that may be the time to say no or ask for help. Again, don’t just say no, but explain to your boss that it’s not a realistic deadline and that you’ll need more time to complete the workload. That doesn’t mean you should leave the office at five every day, but if you are putting in the hours, show your boss how much you’ve done and provide an alternative time frame to get the rest of the work completed, says Skillings.

Even if you want to say no, there are situations that you should refrain from saying no. The main one: when you are asked to be a team player.

Your job may be managing the books for your firm, but a big marketing campaign is coming up so you are asked to pitch in with helping with that project. Sure, it’s not what you were hired for, but saying no will reflect negatively on you. According to Skillings, you’ll most likely appear stubborn and lacking the team player mentality. If it’s something that is truly out of your scope or you really don’t have the time to do it, Skillings says then it’s ok to express your reservations. “It’s important to show them there’s a trade off,” says Skillings.

No for the Heck of it

Saying no for the sake of no is probably one of the most serious mistakes you can make, especially in this job environment where there are twenty people lined up waiting for your job. If you say no to exercise your control, it can be perceived as insubordination, says Lenkov. “You have to be mindful of the environment we are living in,” says Lenkov. “There has to be a good reason to say no.”

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How can you make your sales culture fun? Here are some ideas to help generate activity to meet your financial targets as well as boost your sales teams’ energy over the summer! Also, check out this year’s Sales Hiring Trends report at http://www.saleshiringtrends.com/

By Ken Thoreson

At this time of year sales management must be looking at pipeline levels and goals for July/August and determining if there is the necessary level of activity to ensure targets will be exceeded.

In this blog, I wanted to share a few basic ideas from my books on sales management: Leading High Performance Sales Teams and Creating Sales Compensation Plans for High Performance.  In both books I share ideas for sales contests/games as well as how to properly.  In many cases I have seen great ideas poorly executed, it is critical you  think through what your objectives are and what you want the results to be and then CLEARLY write down the objectives, rules and incentives. The first rule, remember cash is not what you want to use during sales games-that is what your commission plan is designed to achieve.  The second rule is that creating fun in your sales culture is the main outcome-surely you may wish to add “net new client’s” or sell certain products/services and increase sales-but it is sales leaderships objective to make the sales contest is a fun experience.

Different types of contests will help you achieve different goals. Some should be held annually to address sales objectives, company business strategies and potential seasonal fluctuations. Others can be scheduled as needed to help launch new products or services, promote new releases or upgrades or tie into your customers’ larger campaigns. Still others can consist of short-term incentive games designed to motivate sales personnel to accomplish specific objectives by a specific deadline.

A Contest Sampler

Following are a few typical goals, along with ideas for contests that may help achieve them:

• Increasing sales volume. Consider adding a cash bounty for each additional new seat, new customer, or revenue sold beyond a certain target value. Set a quarter-to-date objective above your sales goal; that way, everyone on the team can win.

• Improving customer service. Periodically survey your entire customer base. If satisfaction reaches a certain goal—for instance, when 95 percent of your clients say they’re “highly satisfied”—and if your company is profitable, everyone gets a cash bonus. Keep a visible scorecard of your goals and results so that everyone maintains a constant awareness of your objectives.

• Acquiring new clients. To boost the number of new clients you add each quarter, consider creating a “bounty bonus” plan. For example, salespeople could earn a bounty bonus—either in cash or in points that can be redeemed for rewards—for each new client or each competitive replacement of a specific vendor’s customer. In addition, you could offer bounty bonuses for salespeople who exceed their quarterly or annual quotas for new accounts or net new revenues. You might even create and post “Most Wanted” posters with the bounties prominently displayed to help keep salespeople focused on contest objectives.

• Overcoming seasonal slumps. If your sales typically slow down over the summer, try launching a prospecting activity contest in March, April and May. For instance, award sales team members points for each new face-to-face call or sales demonstrations that they make during those months, with accumulated points eventually eligible for prizes. Such an effort can go a long way toward increasing the number of opportunities in the pipeline from June through August.

Competition Considerations

Following are some issues to consider and questions to answer as you plan sales contests:

• Determine what you want the contest to accomplish
• Set the ground rules. Are all sales executives on an equal basis for the contest?  Be sure to put the rules in writing, making provisions for those and other situations that could arise.
• Make the contest length the same as the sales cycle.
• Set specific goals that can be measured weekly or monthly.
• Incorporate an exciting theme.
• Consider making rewards gifts, rather than cash.
• Boost team members’ motivation by getting their families involved.
• Never run contests to the last day of the month or sales period.

I would like to hear from the readers, comment below as to what contests have worked for you and why? Or what contests did not work and why?  What contests are you running this summer?

Make it productive summer!

Ken Thoreson

Ken Thoreson “operationalizes” sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone. During the past 13 years, our consulting, advisory, and platform services have illuminated, motivated, and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America. Ken’s latest book is: “Leading High Performance Sales Teams”.

Ken provides Keynotes, consulting services and products designed to improve business performance. You may contact him at: Ken@AcumenMgmt.com   www.AcumenManagement.com

       By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter

A comedian once spoke of a chance meeting he had with a certain movie star known for his rather eccentric ways and unique speech pattern. According to the comic, the exchange went something like this:

Comic: Hey, I haven’t seen you in awhile. How’s it goin’?

Star: Frankenstein never scared me!

Comic: Really?

Star: Marsupials do (momentary pause) …’cause they’re fast! And they dart. If they ran straight, you could get a bead on them … tackle them. But, no … they dart!

It’s a great bit and a great reminder of how important it is to be connected to the conversation you’re having with the other person—not the one you may be having in your head.

There are certain times you should never be unprepared to properly respond. A job interview is definitely one of those times.

Always be mindful of the fact that the interviewer is looking to fill a position in which you have expressed an interest. This person is concerned with how the person across the desk (you) will benefit the company if hired. 

If you were asked the following typical interview questions, consider what your answer would be:

Question: What motivates you to perform and excel?

Wrong Answer: Believe it or not, some people have been known to answer with a reference to their family, i.e., “My kids are my greatest motivation,” or, “I am motivated to perform so I don’t lose my job,” or even, “My spouse and I are looking for a larger home, and the only way we can afford it is if I start making more money.”

When answering the above question, it’s important to remember, this is a Job interview, not Good Morning America!

The point is the answer should relay specifically how your motivation will be beneficial to the company.

Better Answer: Say something like, “Knowing that doing my part to increase our customer base will eventually lead to bigger and better things going forward with this organization,” or, “I’m motivated by challenges I’m certain will be a part of my tenure here, such as [insert related challenges here].”

Most hiring managers are far more interested in a potential employee whose motivation is company-centric versus the “feel good” answers some are compelled to give.

Let’s try another one.

Question: Why do you want to leave your present position?

Wrong answer: My boss is a total jerk, and if I have to spend one more minute in that office, I may commit Harry Carry!

(While this may be true, degrading your current employer will only serve to make you look small and petty.)

Better answer: I’ve heard great things about this company and was excited for the opportunity to be a part of the team when I learned of this opening.

Here’s another one.

Question: What are your salary expectations?

Note: While the proper time to openly disclose your salary preferences varies, the bottom line is when you are ready to answer that question, there are right and wrong ways to do so.

Wrong answer: What ever ya’ll think I’m worth will be fine by me.

(Desperate much?)

Better answer: Based on the research I’ve done on others in similar positions and my own experience level, I believe my salary range should fall somewhere between (blank) and (blank).

(Answering this question should be tactful and concise.  This is no time to be timid or bashful. You should always be well armed with this information prior to the interview)

And, one more.

Question: Why don’t you tell me about yourself?

Wrong answer: I like sleeping late and getting off work early enough to get home so I can watch my favorite television program. I’m a staunch (insert political affiliation here) and I’m proud of it! I love the outdoors (unless you’re applying for a job where “loving” the outdoors is essential to your position), and I’m an avid croquet player (unless this skill is required to fulfill the position you’re applying for).

It’s important to bear in mind that this question isn’t being posed by someone you just met at a social gathering. This person wants to know how you and your skills are going to fit in this environment.

Better answer: I studied (subject apropos to the job) at (school where you studied said subject). My interest concerning this subject is how I can use those skills in order to be instrumental in producing the best widget known to man (assuming this is a widget manufacturer).

The point here is to make certain your response speaks directly to what the interviewer hopes to achieve.

The above question and answer session is just the tip of the iceberg. But it should provide you with enough fodder to realize the importance of being prepared, and the devastating outcomes that are possible if you’re not.

So, do yourself a favor and spend some time preparing your answers before they are asked. Practice with a mate or friend prior to the event. Doing so will help you feel more at ease during the interview process, and will make you appear polished and professional when the time comes.

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