They Don’t Know if You Don’t Tell Them (WT590)

They Don’t Know if You Don’t Tell Them (WT590)

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by Shirley Dalton | 15 Oct, 2021 | Blog, Business

WT 590 They don't know if you don't tell them

This morning I finished re-fuelling the motorhome and was waiting for Ross to finish cleaning the windows before paying.

I noticed two flags that read “Car Wash”.

I looked around to see where the car wash was and wondered if it would be high enough for us to drive through.

“Hey Ross, can you please ask about the car wash when you go and pay?” I asked.

After what seemed like ages, Ross came back and said he and the attendant went and measured the height and width and we’d be able to use the machine.

“Fantastic.”

As we drove off I reminded Ross about our marketing training with Emerson Brantley many years ago. Emmerson taught us “they don’t know if you don’t tell them”.

If the flags weren’t out I wouldn’t have known we could get Contessa washed.

So, I have to ask, “What’s it like in your business?” “Are you letting people know what you have to offer and how you can help?”

As we’ve been travelling around Kangaroo Island this past week, I’ve noticed heaps of Welcome and Open signs and lots and lots of flags.

It’s important to let people know you’re open for business and what you can do.

Equally, it’s important for us as individuals to let people know what we can do and how we can help. That’s not bragging. That’s advertising.

Remember, they don’t know if you don’t tell them.

Do you want to be overlooked because someone else spoke up and you didn’t?

And one more tip. It includes letting people know about the positions you aspire to have, training you want to do and responsibilities you want to take on.

If you’re up for it, do a little audit for yourself (as an individual) and for your business.  What areas can you improve and what can you do to make sure management and your customers know what you have to offer.

Remember, they don’t know if you don’t tell them.


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Put a Letterbox Near the Exit (WT581)

Put a Letterbox Near the Exit (WT581)

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by Shirley Dalton | 13 Aug, 2021 | Blog, Business

WT 581 Put a Letterbox Near the Exit

For many years I was employed by various government departments before I joined the team at Kip McGrath Education Centres.

This was my first full-time role with a private company. I’d had plenty of casual and part-time roles which didn’t afford me the opportunity to understand the difference between public and private companies.

Because my job was to look after the franchisees, who worked according to the school terms, I understood that my holidays could only be taken at the same time as the education centres (school holidays) and that I would not be able to take more than a couple of weeks at a time; certainly not a month.

I don’t have children so I didn’t particularly want to have time off in school holidays, however as Kip explained, “We work to serve the customers, not ourselves”.

Today I wanted to share that policy and attitude with one of the caravan parks we stayed at.

The park was split into two sections by a very deep gorge and a dry creek. The office was situated on the other side to where we were told to stay. That wasn’t a problem. We checked in and then drove to the other side to set up.

We had been given a key ring with a key for the amenities and a remote to open the boom gate.

This morning as we were leaving in the pouring rain and very strong wind, Ross informed me that we had to drive over to the other side to hand in the key ring.

“What? Why don’t they just put a letterbox near the exit like other parks do?” I responded.

Wow! I couldn’t believe it. To put a letterbox at the exit would mean that they would have to drive over and clear the letterbox. They’d rather make the customers drag their caravans and motorhomes and campervans etc. around the streets, drop the keys off and then have to navigate turning to head back out of town.

I truly wanted to share Kip’s philosophy of looking after the customer and working to serve them.

Your turn, what happens in your business or organisation? Are you serving your customers or yourself?

Regards Shirley

P.S. Save the date for Friday 20th August for our next free online training. We’ll be doing a LIVE re-run of How Your Personality Affects How Well You Lead. Register now for 11:00am Sydney time. There’s always something more you can learn. https://shirleydalton.convertri.com/how-your-personality-affects-how-well-you-lead

P.P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.       

Recruit for the Role (WT578)

Recruit for the Role (WT578)

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by Shirley Dalton | 23 Jul, 2021 | Blog, Business

WT 578 Recruit for the Role

Last week in our online training I provided a formula for finding, hiring and keeping the right people.

What I’ve found as I’ve worked with hundreds, if not thousands of companies over the years is that many are still making the mistake of hiring the person instead of hiring for the role.

What do I mean by this?

Many are still hiring people that they know and then do their best to create a role to suit the person.

I have to be clear about this.

This is the wrong way to hire.

The first thing you want to do is to map your processes to work out the tasks and standards that are required of the role.

Once you’ve done that you can give the role a title and start to look at what we call “KESAQ” – the knowledge, experience, skills, attitude and qualifications that the ROLE needs.

Being clear about the KESAQ for the role helps you to create a compelling advertisement to attract the right people.

It also makes it easy for you to determine whether applicants match the KESAQ for the role.

If they do, you can add them to your shortlist.

We know interview is the least reliable form of recruitment because it’s often the person who has the best interview skills that gets the job and not necessarily the best person for the job.

You can minimise your risk here by giving them some practical tests such as a typing test or a case study.

You can also include profiling to get a better idea of who the person is and what their personality and values are.

Too often I see the wrong people hired because the recruitment process isn’t rigorous.

How about your organisation? Is your recruitment process defined and followed or is it adhoc and dependent on who gets recommended?

P.S. Our signature Leading Yourself and Leading Others Experience is now open for registrations and we only have a couple of places left, plus the Early Bird Discount ends at the end of this month. For more information Click Here.

P.P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

Choose Your Communication Method Carefully (WT544)

Choose Your Communication Method Carefully (WT544)

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by Shirley Dalton | 27 Nov, 2020 | Blog, Business

WT 544 Choose your communication method carefully

One of the services I provide for my legends is a recruitment profile and interview for potential employees.

I have a couple of profiles that I use depending on the outcome we are looking for.

One of the questions I ask to find out their preferred communication style is “If you had a message to give to a colleague at work, would you: a: walk down the hall and deliver it face to face (assuming no Covid restrictions), b: send an email c: send an SMS, d: post it via the interoffice mail or e: call them?”

Just as it’s important for us to know their preferred communication style, I am often flabbergasted at what appears to be such little interest or little knowledge displayed by employees, to understand how best to communicate with their managers.

For example, some of my legends have shared with me how their former employees have simply sent an SMS message to resign.

Others have complained how employees will SMS or email when they are unwell and will not be going to work.  In fact, one company has now implemented a policy for employees to call their manager when they will not be coming to work, so that the manager can find out if there are any urgent tasks that need to be dealt with during their absence.

Another example includes emailing the boss with a list of complaints and an ultimatum, (not in these words but the message was clear), “Fix it or else (I’m leaving)”.

If you want to influence someone to give you what you want, you MUST discover their preferred communication style and use it.

If you don’t, you run the risk of them reacting to the manner instead of the message. It certainly won’t help your message or your request.

I have to ask, “What’s your preferred communication style?” and “Do you know what your manager’s is?”

If you don’t know or are unsure, how can you find out? (Hint: Ask them, or notice how they communicate with you. You’d most likely ask your customers, wouldn’t you?)

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What Game are You Playing? (WT543)

What Game are You Playing? (WT543)

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by Shirley Dalton | 20 Nov, 2020 | Blog, Business

What Game are You Playing? WT543

This week I was privileged to attend Part 1 of Simon Sinek’s leadership training series, based on his book The Infinite Game.

Do you know the difference between a finite game and an infinite game?

I confess, I didn’t know the difference and it seems I’m not alone.

According to Sinek, “leaders don’t know the game they’re in”.

A finite game is a game that has a winner. It also has rules and known players and competitors.

An infinite game has known and unknown players. Its rules are changeable and the objective is to stay in the game, not to beat your opponent.

Examples of infinite games include: business, marriage, global politics, education and healthcare.

Playing the infinite game in business means becoming obsessed with where you are going versus beating the competition.

Sinek outlined the 5 components of the Infinite Mindset and explained that the Infinite Mindset is a “striving”. If we take health as an example, we strive to be healthy. To be healthy we need to exercise, sleep, meditate, drink so many litres of water each day and eat healthy food.  We can’t do them all at the same time. We go in and out of balance, however if our ambition is to be healthy over time, and we focus on each of the components of health, we will eventually achieve health. The same applies to business and marriage etc.

Sinek’s 5 components for business and leadership include:

  1. Advance a Just Cause
  2. Build Trusting Teams
  3. Respect/Study your Worthy Rivals
  4. Develop the capacity for existential flexibility
  5. Have the courage to lead.

What game are you playing?

What game do you want to play?

When will you start playing?

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Put Your Big Girl Pants On (WT439)

Put Your Big Girl Pants On (WT439)

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by Shirley Dalton | 9 Nov, 2020 | Blog, Business

WT 439 Put your big girl pants on

Years ago, I was mentored by the fabulous Mitch Axelrod. Mitch wrote the book, “The New Game of Selling” and was teaching me how to conduct a sales call. 

He had an amazing philosophy and system that completely resonated with me; “look for the highest and best outcome for all,” he said, including me. 

As all great coaches and mentors, Mitch wasn’t just interested in teaching me the information. He wanted to see me put it into action.

I had a sales call booked that very day.

Mitch made me practice asking the questions.

I could do it with Mitch but I was terrified to put it into action with “real live people” (not that Mitch was a blow up doll).

Frustrated with me, Mitch challenged me and to this day I can hear his words. In fact, I’ve even used them myself with my own coaching clients.

“Shirley, put your big girl panties on and go and have the conversation,” he demanded.

I gulped. I knew what he was saying was right and yet I was terrified.

What if I stuffed it up?

What if I said the wrong thing?

What if they didn’t like me?

What if they said “No” and rejected me?

What if they said “Yes” and I got the job?

Oh my! The dialogue that went through my head.

Knees knocking, I did put my big girl pants on and showed up for the appointment.

They said, “Yes”.

I was so grateful; grateful to Mitch, grateful to my new clients and grateful for the work.

It truly was the highest and best outcome for all.

And so you might be wondering why I am writing about this today.

Well, guess who got to coach and mentor and share Mitch’s famous words?

I can’t wait to hear the outcome for my client.

And I’m now realising that the universe uses me to talk to you. Is this the message you need to hear today?

How about you?  Do you need to step up and put on your big girl or big boy pants?

We can’t stay little forever.

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