Dear e-WOW! Fan,

2003 has started out with a bang! We’ve been busy, challenged and growing. There are a variety of new projects producing some pretty impressive results for our clients. Talk about a blast! We love working, making a difference and producing bottom line results!

As we speak with many folks around the globe, we’re hearing a lot of the same banter: the more things change, the more they stay the same. It seems as if a lot of the basic issues and challenges remain: how to do more with less; attempting to dance with never ending change; working with people to increase buy-in and lower resistance to new ideas and methodologies; hoping to instill some common sense in a world where “common sense ain’t so common.”

This edition will examine “Resistance Factors” and how to move the bar higher in order to produce expanded results.

Featured Article

"Breaking Through Resistance Factors"

by Mark Rosenberger, CSP

To make progress in business means you’ll be constantly pushing up against resistance factors. The very essence of growth means to move beyond one’s current comfort level. Moving beyond one’s comfort level requires attempting something new, stepping into the unknown, embracing uncertainty. Bottom line: we experience a variety of resistance factors.  

When it comes to performance in both personal and business growth, we would love to remain creatures of habit. I’m willing to bet you have a variety of routines that require little, if any, conscious thought. They’re engrained, a habit, easy. We need these routines in our life.  But just try performing the opposite for a day and watch the resistance factors scream. For example, you have a certain “routine” for showering. Some folks shampoo first, others prefer to save the shampooing ritual for last. I’m willing to bet there’s a hand that’s the designated soap holding hand and an armpit you wash first…every time!
For fun, (o.k., perhaps it won’t be all that much fun, but it will help illustrate my point) try holding the soap in your opposite hand next time you bathe. I’m confident you’ll feel some resistance to this process.  

Talk about routines, my car leaves the drive way at 7:10 a.m. whether I’m in it or not and knows the exact path to the office.  

Businesses have resistance factors too. In many companies the advancement of a new idea, procedure or process will meet with a flurry of nasal toned, “That will never work, we tried that 27,000 years ago” retorts. Old methods are still used despite less than thrilling results. “It’s the way it’s always been done” is often the mantra.  

Last month, I had the honor of working with sales teams from two different companies. Each team seemed to experience the same “resistance factors” when it came to gaining and keeping new business. The goal was to produce a sales breakthrough—defined as: “A unpredictable result or outcome;performing significantly past current or historical levels.”  

Here’s what we did to bust through resistance and double referral business in less than 30 days, book more appointments than past historical levels, and improve the close ration on the Top Ten account list. The same steps apply if you’re trying to improve customer service, cut cycle times, reduce employee turnover and boost morale.  

Resistance Buster Step One—Focus:  Step one in our process was to identify the resistance areas. Where were the sales reps exerting lots of energy and seemingly bucking up against resistance? Stated differently, where could they experience more bang-for-the-buck and produce significantly better results? We identified several areas: booking appointments, gaining referrals, working smart vs. hard, dealing with multiple responsibilities and handling objections, to name just a few.  

Resistance Buster Step Two—Perspective:  Next we examined the variety of perspectives surrounding the resistance factors. We determined there were perspectives that worked and didn’t work when it came to success in these key areas. Since we know perspective influences behavior, we know a restrictive perspective will result in restrictive behavior. If someone sees booking appointments as painful, they’ll find plenty of other activities to fill their time. 

Resistance Buster Step Three—“OM ? NR”:  Using our magic formula, “OM ? NR”, we examined current practices to see if they would lead to new, breakthrough results. The reps challenged their OM’s and explored NM’s in order to produce NR’s. They discovered a little PLUS 10% tweak could produce breakthrough results. New strategies were explored to produce new results. (Oh, by the way, here’s our magic formula: “OM ? NR”: Old Methods cannot equal or produce new results.) 

Resistance Buster Step Four—Execution:  The best strategies with poor execution will never produce breakthrough results. Each rep was challenged with executing their plan for implementing their new strategy. The focus was on results. Each rep was coached to examine the results they were obtaining from the strategy being used and make the needed adjustments to produce the desired results.  

The results speak for themselves: one team of 19 sales reps gained 82 referrals in one week using the new strategy. The former benchmark was less than 5 in a week. Appointments have shot through the roof. Confidence levels are rocketing skyward. Resistance levels are being expanded. What once was awkward is now becoming the new standard. 

Oh, and one last note—the reps report continued resistance about showering with the soap in the opposite hand.

Lessons of the Trapeze

Trapeze Buddy Success Characteristic:
Persistence

Simply stated, persistence wins! Winning Trapeze Buddies hang in there, stick to the task, keep pushing forward. Persistence is their middle name.  Walls don't stop them:  they climb over, dig beneath, or bust through.  Period!  You can count on a winning Trapeze Buddy to come through as promised.