A Game Plan for Achieving Success
By Richard F. Libin, President, APB, rlibin@apb.cc, www.apb.cc
Apathy can permeate any business at any time. Once it starts, it spreads from employee to employee. At a loss, many managers throw more and more resources at their people in an effort to help them get past it and to ‘improve’. They provide courses, books, tapes, DVDs, blogs, portals, lectures, podcasts, apps and more.  These managers are looking for a “quick fix” or jumping on the latest trend. When they do, they lose sight of their goals.
Instead of grabbing onto the latest trend, managers should thoughtfully develop and execute a plan of consistent training and education. This program should address the needs of the entire team as a whole and individuals on their own. Savvy managers use this plan to guide and give direction that moves their teams forward. They coach and develop their salespeople so they perform more effectively. In doing so, managers put their salespeople in a position to succeed.
Before successful training and educational programs can be implemented, managers address three basics.
 They must first define success and create an overall goal for the business. This includes the ultimate vision for the business and how it would function.  It should encompass the company’s brand image and awareness in the community, customer loyalty, the organization’s culture, sales execution, employee performance and turn-over in every department. 
Second, they should set personal professional goals.  They need to know their own vision of their role in the organization. They need to know how they will measure their effectiveness as a leader, coach and manager. They should ask what path they will take to achieve these goals and to ensure the team is on track to achieve the overall business goal.
Finally, they must secure, analyze and understand performance data for the business as a whole, for each department and for each individual. Then, they must monitor it continually.  This is crucial in developing an effective and relevant training and education program that will help people improve and focus on achieving the overall business goal.  Only by identifying areas that need improvement can a manager seek to address their own weaknesses and coach their people toward success.
Managers who are on top of their game think differently. They understand that their job is to help each of their salespeople succeed.  Only when they succeed, does the manager succeed.  And, if the salespeople fail, the manager fails as well. 
Richard F. Libin is the author of the book, “Who Stopped the Sale?” (www.whostoppedthesale.com) and president of APB-Automotive Profit Builders, Inc., a firm with more than 48 years experience working with both sales and service on customer satisfaction and maximizing gross profits through personnel development and technology. He can be reached at rlibin@apb.cc or 508-626-9200 or www.apb.cc.