Have you ever had a disagreement with a work colleague or family member?

How has that left you?

If you’re like me this can leave you feeling misunderstood, frustrated, confused, and wondering what went wrong and how to ‘get things back on track.’

At the heart of this problem is the way we behave as people. Without realizing it, we often expect behaviour from other people to be the same as us and when it doesn’t happen we’re left wondering!

When talking about behaviour I believe it refers to the way a person most naturally operates or acts.

For example, some people are naturally motivated to be very organized and precise, and some are more spontaneous and casual.

Likewise, some are risk takers and others are naturally conservative.

Each of us have a unique Business DNA profile which drives our behaviour but it is easy to think that some are better than others for making life or business decisions.

In reality this is not the case. All profiles and styles are equally valid, and all are needed. All styles and all people have strengths and struggles which when blended together can come up with better outcomes.

The key point to remember is that people can be the most successful when they understand and maximize the positive aspects of their own natural and unique styles, and operate in an environment which will enhance their natural talents, and balance their areas of struggle.

So when you had that disagreement, was the other person actually struggling? Were they doing everything they could to avoid confrontation when you were simply trying to get something done?

If this was the case then they may have been trying to defend themselves and you saw that as avoiding the issue.

So what do you do when this happens?

Ask yourself whether the other person may be wired differently to you. What might they be struggling with and therefore how can you change your behaviour to accommodate those struggles.

Honouring the differences in people will always lead you to less confrontation and misunderstanding.

How unique do you think you really are?

When I ask business owners this question they often tell me that they’re different but fail to show this in their behaviour.

They have not progressed in their thinking and therefore fail to reap the best out of their behaviour and the people who work with them.

Understanding the unique talents of people is fundamental to maximizing the enjoyment and value of running a business.

It seems to me that there are four different levels of thinking which drive how people respond to situations in their life and affect how they run their businesses.

FIRST LEVEL – this is where people believe that most people in the world are basically the same. Yes, there are small differences but men are basically men and women are basically women. At this first level these people spend a lot of time waiting for other people to grow up so that they can think ‘Just like me!’

SECOND LEVEL – People at this level believe there are a few people in the world that are a bit different. You know the quirky ones that don’t fit in with the crowd. These misfits are a relatively minor part of the community but most ‘normal’ people are basically the same and in time will think ‘Just like me!’

THIRD LEVEL – People at this level come to the realization that there are more people in the world who are different than the same. They begin to spot the differences and applaud them rather than waiting for people to change to be ‘Just like me!’

FOURTH LEVEL – People at this level finally work out that there is no one in the world that is ‘Just like me!’ They realise they are completely unique and therefore begin to appreciate and value the differences in other people. As a result they are able to honour those differences and have far more depth to their life and relationships. This allows them to leverage themselves by using the unique talents of the people around them

How do you feel about this?

What level of thinking do you think you’re operating at?

Do people know the sound which is coming from your business?

When people think about your business what sort of sound do you think they are hearing and how are they hearing it.

• Is it the voice they hear in your newsletter?

• Is it the voice they hear when visiting your website?

• Is it the voice they hear when dealing with you face to face?

Most likely they are hearing all of these so the next question is:

Are the voices consistent? Is there a conflict in the message that is being sent out of your business?

As the business owner it is important that your voice is heard consistently both inside and outside your business.

There are many ways that this can be achieved but often the business owner forgets and people are left hearing disjointed voices from employees, disgruntled customers or competitors.

Determine today that your voice will be heard consistently and in a way which supports the business values which you aspire to.

What do you think about this as a concept?

When I started working online I mistakenly thought that it was about building a website that would attract lots of people who would want to buy my products and services. I could then make good sales and life would be great.

In fact, at that time there was a great deal of emphasis from web developers and graphic designers to invest in a well designed and well constructed website but little emphasis on what happened around that site.

I was using the good old strategy of ‘Build it and they will come.’

I had a wake up call one day when a wise online marketing expert told me that a good rule of thumb to use in thinking about the web is this:

• 25% of your web effort is about your website

• 75% of your web effort is about other people’s sites

This meant a change of paradigm for me and a completely different allocation of resources. The most important resources in my business are TIME and MONEY and I had to reallocate my time and money away from my own site to other activities which built an online presence for me beyond my own website.

How much activity do you have on other people’s websites?

How much web presence do you have beyond your own website?

In his famous book Wombat Selling, Michael Hewitt-Gleeson says ‘there’s no such thing as closing the sale!’ During a talk to leading insurance salespeople, Michael even offered $100,000 if some one could come on stage and close him.

Needless to say no one was able to and he kept his $100,000

So this made me think…

What is the real value a salesperson brings to an organisation and how might that be changing?

If the salesperson can’t close a sale then what is their role in the sales process?

Michael Hewitt-Gleeson also put forward the thought that a sales person’s role is to make enough ‘check moves’ so that the prospect can close themselves.

He describes a sales process made up of ‘check moves’.

A ‘check move’ is defined as ‘a customer contact of any kind.’

So following this process sales people need to have great follow through and discipline so that the ‘check moves’ are consistent and continuous.

But there is an issue..

Most prospects are incredibly busy these days and therefore don’t want to take multiple face to face visits from a sales person.

More and more ‘check moves’ are being done online which can be mechanised through the thoughtful use of auto responders.

This means that some of the value of salespeople is being transferred into online software and those increased costs must be paid for by the business.

Unless this value is recovered in sales the additional costs will mean a reduction in profitability.

I doubt whether any sales person would want a reduction in salary but it is clear that part of their function is being taken online where it is far more efficient and costs effective.

Do you have any live experiences on this?

How are you going about recovering the additional costs of developing your online presence?