Today, we will address how to master the balancing act of the producing owner. We hire type A assertive salespeople, who are motivated by money.  Challenges and issues do occur, and you must determine your actions prior to issues surfacing.

Require that planners be completed before your recruiters leave each evening.  Every single day, early in the morning or at the end of the workday, conduct a short meeting to check planners.  Most ATS systems offer some type of daily planner. or you can utilize your calendar. 

Make revisions and suggestions on their planners so they know this is where you focus.  The planner holds your recruiters accountable for their daily activities.  People tend to accomplish what you inspect vs. expect. 

Next let’s discuss seven challenges and more importantly, solutions to those challenges.

CHALLENGE ONE:  Understanding Your Role – Best Use of Your Time

If you are an entrepreneur and still working a desk, you function in many different roles daily. Review the various areas of responsibilities listed and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in these areas.  This will determine if you need to improve.  Then determine the 20% of your efforts that provides you with 80% of your results.  There are instances where you will need to stop doing tasks you enjoy, that are not best use of your time.    

SOLUTION ONE:  Evaluate yourself on a scale from 1 – 10 on the applicable areas listed below (10 being the highest rating).

• Business Plan ____________
• Human Resource ____________
• Sales and Marketing ____________
• Customer Service ____________
• Follow-Up ____________
• Referral ____________
• Back Office | Accounting ____________
• Technology ____________
• Legal ____________
• Administrative ____________

If you rated any category lower than a 7, this is an area that either needs your attention or you need to delegate this area.  Your value increases substantially when you are focused on those talents which provide you with the greatest results. Conduct a time study for the next twenty working days.  Number the items you listed from the most important, which you list as #1, to the least important functions, numbered last.  Attempt to delegate the bottom ten items on your list or complete those activities during non-prime time hours.    

CHALLENGE TWO:  Consistently Attaining Goals and Profits

It is important that you focus on profits vs. sales, especially in the temp or contract business.  Goals will only be attained if they are mutually agreed upon between you and your sales team.  If you set goals for them, and they do not believe they will achieve them – goals will not be attained.

If you have ever erased goals and not added them to future months, you have sent a loud message that you will not hold people accountable for their goals.  You have also allowed your employees to give up their income goals for the year.

SOLUTION TWO:  Focus on the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) of your employees if goals are attained.  

Your employees will not produce more because you want a record month, quarter, or year.  They will only produce more if they understand how it will benefit them.

Does your entire sales team have their top ten goals posted where they can see them as they work?  If the answer is no, have them write ten non-negotiable goals followed by dated action items which will dramatically increase the probability of attaining those goals.

If you are wondering which contests will motivate your team to hit or surpass their goals, read the goals they posted, and you will have your answer.

CHALLENGE THREE:  Manage by Numbers – They Don’t Lie

Individual numbers, stats, and ratios are the best indicators of performance.  To accurately predict sales and profits, minimum standards must be set.  

SOLUTION THREE:  Knowing numbers and ratios for each individual on your sales team will make your job much easier.  You will know how to guide and coach them.  It’s not about the number of calls, it’s about the results they need each day based on their ratios to consistently hit or surpass goals. It is not as important to tell your sales team to make 100 calls daily as it is to guide them exactly where to focus their calls to produce at least their minimum results daily.

Tracking stats allows you to identify problem areas before they result in major issues or slumps.  In addition, you can anticipate changes in the market when ratios begin to increase.  Once you know individual ratios, you can manage by the results each person needs daily to consistently hit or surpass goals set.  This takes the emotion out of your decisions and prevents your decisions from backfiring.

CHALLENGE FOUR:  Disagreements Between Your Team Members

Think of how long it’s been since you’ve read or implemented policies and procedures outlined in your Employee Handbook.  Without processes written down, your decision could be affected by the type of month you are having or your current mood or emotions.  Decisions made based on emotion are often inconsistent and can result in turnover or loss of key employees.  

SOLUTION FOUR:  Provide Suggestions for Updates

Most disagreements can be resolved by quoting sections out of your Employee Handbook which provides you with a fair and consistent way to handle internal issues.  However, as the workforce, economy, and way of conducting business continue to change, it’s important that your Handbook reflects current trends and conditions. If you have not updated your Employee Handbook in the last two years, chances are it is outdated.

CHALLENGE FIVE:   Mandating Systems

It’s just not common sense to keep reinventing the wheel.  Once you have identified a system that works, keep repeating the successful sales process vs. having your team shooting from the hip or skipping steps.  

SOLUTION FIVE:  If every person in your office is working from the same playbook you will all close more deals because details will not fall through the cracks causing deals to blow up.

Other benefits of mandating systems:

1. Consistent Work Environment

• Systems ensure everyone is on the same page
• You can jump start new hires

2. Fair Work Environment

• Everyone plays by the same rules
• No favorites

3. Improved Morale

• Systems improve consistency
• Consistency improves morale

4. Clear Standards and Core Values

• Systems provide clear standards
• Systems reflect the core values of ownership

5. Increased Sales and Profits

• Systems prevent details from falling through the cracks
• Systems will help you close more business

CHALLENGE SIX: Consistently Upgrade Your Team

The most important decision you will make is deciding who is on your team.

SOLUTION SIX:  

• Evaluate your current team members
• Determine if you have the team you need to achieve your company goals
• Put marginal employees on probation with a detailed plan of action
• Determine if anyone has quit and stayed
• Upgrade your team
• Identify who your team needs
• Hire eagles, not ducks
• Hire individuals who align with your core values

CHALLENGE SEVEN:  Be Creative with Recognition and Rewards

The Staffing and Recruiting Profession is a sales environment and contests, and recognition help create a motivating environment.  If your best producer wins every contest, this can have a negative impact on morale.  

SOLUTION SEVEN:   Recognition does not always need to be monetary.  Instant gratification will get you results in the areas needing attention.

• Individualize contests
• Accept individual challenges twice a year
• Ask each employee what would motivate them and customize your contests
• Make contests simple - KISS method
• Allow multiple winners, not always the top producer in your office

Take time to review these seven challenges and solutions. Pick the one that you feel will have the greatest impact on your bottom line as well as your sales team.