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S e CU r ITY SYST em S ne WS november 2017 www.securitysystemsnews.com Commer C ial & systems integrators 17 CA: ACO6132 • DE: 05-85 • FL: EF20000481 • IL: 127-001299 • MD: 107-840 • TN: 632/1626 • TX Burg: B11561/17961 • TX Fire: ACR-2215 • VA: 11-1941 Providing nationwide professional alarm monitoring and dealer services from New Jersey | Florida | Arizona | Tennessee | Texas | Maryland 800.367.2677 | Fax: 856.629.4043 | info @ copsmonitoring.com | copsmonitoring.com Let us show you how we stand out from the rest and why thousands of dealers trust COPS to help safeguard millions of their customers and about $1 billion in annual retail revenues. NOT ALL DIFFERENCES ARE THIS OBVIOUS Both cats but Clearly Different Selecting the right monitoring provider is a critical decision that should be based on proven results, not ambiguous statements or marketing gimmicks. Unless you ask the right questions, important differences in monitoring companies may be harder to recognize. Professional Monitoring that is Clearly Different copsmonitoring.com Professional Monitoring that is Clearly Different Continued from previous page out." Whether you've identified it early, or after three months of low sales, looking them in the eyes, and saying those four magical words will relieve the good ones, and maybe inspire the bad ones. Your role is to guide the sales person backward through the sales process—almost like a detective trying to solve a crime. Identify the one to two areas of the cycle that need immediate improvement, and then move onto Step 3. 3. Develop short-term, real- istic goals. One of the biggest time-wasters that I see is the Performance Improvement Plan ( P I P ) . I t u s u a l l y l o o k s l i k e this… Sales Leader: You're at 30 percent of your quota, and we're half way through the year. I need you to catch up by the end of the third quarter, or we'll have to make some hard decisions around here. Translation: "Brush up your resume and go find a job while we pay you for the next few months." After enacting the two steps above, establish short-term and realistic goals that are directly related to the solutions identi- fied in Step 2. Some examples... • In the next week, schedule appointments with three of your top 50 prospects. • In the next two months, generate 110 percent of your quoting goal. • This quarter, schedule and execute successful vision meet- ings with your two Tier 1 clients. Focus on activity identified in Step 2, and set mini-short-term goals aligned with this activity. • Continue to coach. Have you seen The Biggest Loser, the reality television show that brought several obese people together in a competition of losing weight? After months of working with trainers, nutrition- ists, and peers, the winner looks like a different person. Some of the transformations were so drastic that it seemed unhealthy. A f t e r a f e w y e a r s o f T h e Biggest Loser, multiple stories arose about contestants gaining back much of the weight they lost. (To be fair, there are many long-term success stories, too.) When I read one of these headlines for the first time, I was initially disappointed because I'm a fan of the show. After a few minutes of pondering, though, it made sense to me—for months these contestants are surround- ed by coaches, nutritionists and supporting peers. Even though the show does a great job of providing support struc- ture for them after the season, it's nothing compared to their support while filming the show. Of course, some of them are going to slip back into their old habits. Well, it's the same with your sales people. Of course, you can't be as active with them as you were during your short- term goal stage, but you must continue coaching them. Ride in the field with them, hold them accountable to their activity, and keep an extra eye in their direction, at least for the six months following your short- term goal work. Conclusion: Turning around a poor per- former can be a highlight in a s a l e s l e a d e r 's c a re e r, a n d an event that a sales person never forgets. Don't just let them rot away in mediocrity or poor performance. Consider the steps above. Work with them, coach them, and lead them into the success that you expect. Chris Peterson is president of the Vector Firm, a leader in help- ing security companies improve their sales and digital marketing performance. "Turning around a poor performer can be a highlight in a sales leader's career, and an event that a sales person never forgets. Don't just let them rot away in mediocrity or poor performance." —Chris Peterson, v ector Firm