Jun 9, 2025
“The hard part won’t be the vision; it will be the change it requires.”
Change. I have always heard, in general, people do not like change, or do they fear change? Either way, I have a problem with that premise. I believe people are OK with change. It is just that they do not like or fear the various things that can come with change. Like learning new behaviors, being judged, fearing failure, falling short, etc. I believe most difficulties with change involve how we see ourselves or how we are seen in change. It is not change – it is our place in it.
Over time, I have learned that change will be what it is, to make what needs to happen, happen. Leadership guru John Maxwell famously said, “Change is Inevitable; Growth is optional.” I find change is more than inevitable; it is necessary. It is essential for our growth, and more often than not, it happens naturally.
We cannot not change.
Brad Stulberg, in his book Master of Change, states that there are two constants in our lives. One is that we age. Trust me when I say we are different from what we were yesterday. We see gradual physical change over time. However, regardless of how old we are, we create our own realities with our choices. Nevertheless, you and I are aging, one day at a time.
Second, Stulberg speaks of what he calls disorder events. Every 18 months or so, we, as research suggests, go through some disorder event. Not good things or bad things specifically…all things. They are events that require us to make some alteration, adjustment, variation, switch, or modification to what we are doing or how we do it. I would not necessarily call them life-changing events as much as I would call them pivotal events when we need to embrace what is in front of us.
Life’s fluidity, or flux, is real, and when we accept it, it can be empowering. When we accept change and how it challenges us, we move into a posture of letting it cultivate who we are and who we are becoming. We allow change to be our hinge for growth. Then, we develop a rugged flexibility and resiliency that is a chance for a new way to be ‘better’ no matter what we face. This can lead to better performance and productivity because when we see change as neutral, or naturally being what it will be, it becomes less about the circumstances and more about how we respond.
Change management would be easy if it weren’t for the change part.
Change, and more importantly, managing change becomes a series of choices. Step one represents acceptance. Accepting change as inevitable, cyclical, and necessary. Personal and professional. Big and small. Important and routine. Urgent and slow burn. We accept that no matter how the factors of “what, why, how, when, who, how much, how often, how long, or to what extent” play in change…change is going to happen.
The second step will always be the space between acceptance and action. It is where we place our intentions, outlook and attitude. It is about how we see and own our commitment to change. Our real commitment. Not the one that sounds good. The place and space where our grit, determination and resilience are tested as accelerants into action.
The third is to act. To do whatever it is right away without overthinking it. My advocation is always, start small. Then, a quick pause and reflection. Question the current action and behaviors…is it working? If it is working, keep at it. If not, pivot.
Ahh, but when is the best time to change?
I have found that it’s not the size of change that really matters. What really matters is the size of our response, especially the size of our acceptance, intention, and action.
Maybe the best time is when we are fully ready to start. I have researched and found four interesting considerations. One, when we hurt enough, we have to. This is about resiliency. It is one thing to say, “Knocked down seven times, get up eight.” Well, it is got to be in the eighth time where we decide, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” OR said another way, “Enough, I need to change.” Desperation drives us.
Two, when we see enough, we are inspired to. This second one is about being provoked in our thinking and doing. Something done, said, or lived out gives us an example of what change can look like and be like. That influences or triggers our motivation for change. Inspiration sparks us.
Three, when we learn enough, we want to. This is about competency. Our capacity to learn, know, and grow forward into change. That our ability to cognitively and logically process the things that need to change, the behavior that gets us there, and the follow-through to maintain our momentum. Understanding directs us.
Four, when we receive enough, we get to. Lastly, whether it seems like it or not, change can also flow out of a “others’ first” point of view. To change as a benefit to others and leveraging what we have in the service of others. Putting others first stimulates us.
Change is hard. Or at least, that’s how we see it. Hard is relative.
What if you and I saw change as an awesome, amazing, fruitful opportunity to do things better and be a better person. To not see it so much as hard, as simply challenging. Because it takes time, and it does not just happen without focus, work, discipline, and dedication. Slow down, pause, and then re-consider the point from above…make change happen in small steps.
There is an old saying, “How do you eat an elephant?” One bite at a time. “How do you eat a herd of elephants?” One bite at a time. Consider that today. We have talked about scale not being bigger than our intention. Maybe the simplest way to get change squared away is in one small step at a time. For two reasons. One, picking one thing makes it do-able, and it creates a singular manageable way to work through change. And two, getting one win builds momentum and the confidence to do more and more. One thing at a time, one bite at a time.
Taking all this into account, my last bit of advice is to not fear change because of the possibility of failing, fear not changing and staying the same. But then again, change is inevitable. Change will happen to you or through you, and you get to choose the pathway.
Consider the following questions and how your answers have the possibility to shape all the next steps.
- First off, how do you define change?
- What do you fear most in change? What do you appreciate the most about change?
- Think about one of your past changes, what happened? What did you learn?
- What are some triggers or motivators for you to change?
- How would you describe your behavior(s) in change?
- How do you typically measure success (or failure) in change?
Want to learn more perspectives about change? Visit our podcast or one of our locations.
Apr 29, 2025
How do you Perceive Effective Sales Tools and Resources in Retail?
Selling has existed throughout human existence. Way back in the day, someone was selling something to someone. At first, it was the stuff of life, and it may have been less selling and more bartering for goods. As communities, villages, towns, and cities sprang up, some types of currency developed, and people needed stuff; some created a marketplace for goods and services. Then came expansion, and the goal was to create new trade routes and for some kings or queens to invest in the business adventure. From then till now, the zeitgeist through the ages and all the socio-economic technological changes have impacted how we sell, buy, and use effective sales tools and resources in retail.
Past and present, a salesperson has always needed some type of tool or resource to help a customer with their buying decision. They needed something, somewhere, or some way to get their point across, position the goods or services in a beneficial light, and help make the process as pleasing and seamless as possible for the customer to say “yes.”
Tools and Resources are…
A simple definition would relate to anything that helps salespeople close sales most effectively. Because the possibilities for defining a tool and resource are so widespread, I have always combined them and called them elements in an effective and efficient Retail Ecosystem.
This represents all the things that can impact sales enablement and engagement. These are software applications and other digital platforms that sales teams use to streamline their workflow, affect transactions, manage customer relationships, track sales progress, analyze data, and so on. It is showroom merchandising, inventory management, marketing platforms, sales support systems, and materials. It is everything on hand that can be leveraged to help sales reps sell and make it easy for customers to buy.
The Greatest Tool and Resource is People.
The thing is, you can have the best, most effective and efficient systems, tools and resources in place, but they will only be so when you add people to the equation. None of those things matter until a person interacts with another person.
Which then means a critical element in the systems, tools and resource library is training and development. People are not effective and efficient until they fully know and understand what they do and how they do it. It’s clarifying the “what, why, how and to what extent” they have at their disposal to sell and sell well.
And just knowing and understanding is not enough. They must leverage these systems, tools and resources in every selling opportunity, realizing that every customer and every situation is unique and will require a certain amount of adaptability and flexibility.
This Ultimately Defines the Art and Science of Selling.
Science represents the systems, tools and resources that aid the selling experience, and art represents the way we, the salespeople, use them to create the selling experience.
I have learned over time, in selling, conditions dictate approach and challenge how we make our decisions in an ever-changing sales environment, constantly evolving market and industry, and diverse customer wants, needs, and reality.
It also reminds me of an old saying, “Sell what you have today”. I have come to understand this is more than just product and service availability. It’s also about being truly improvised in our selling mindset and skillset to accomplish our sales goals.
I’m not sure who said this, “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” This quote emphasizes that salespeople shouldn’t wait for perfect tools to begin selling but should utilize what they have and continuously improve as they learn and adapt. In other words, it is people and their actions that present the most effective and efficient tool and resource.
People Helping People get what they need.
The processes that make up our ecosystem are important. They have meaning and purpose. The people, using what they have at their disposal to provide solutions for the customer, also have meaning and purpose. Just like the sales rep and the customer, in retail, you can’t have one without the other.
For the last time, as an individual or sales team, consider the following questions and how your answers have the possibility to shape all the next steps.
- Define all the types of tools and resources you have on hand…what are they?
- How do the tools and resources benefit you? How do they benefit the customer?
- Think of the selling steps, which tools and resources best apply to each step?
- How do you typically use the tools and resources?
- What is a challenge in leveraging your tools and resources?
- Knowing what you know, which of your tools and resources need some attention?
Want to learn more perspectives about effective sales tools and resources in retail? Visit our podcast or one of our locations.
Apr 1, 2025
How do you Perceive Good Customer Service?
One of my favorite quotes about customer experience is from Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus. He said, and I paraphrase as best as I can remember, “The hardest part of customer service is the customer. They’re not always right, but they’re always the customer.”
In part one last month, we explored sales and selling. Specifically, how our behaviors as sales reps help customers buy goods and services. The sales interaction represents a two-sided coin. On one side, the sales rep, skilled in the art and science of selling. Flip it over. On the other side, the customer, driven by purpose, on purpose, for purpose to buy stuff.
Customers are…
A simple working definition is customers are people who buy goods and services, and in doing so, supply revenue to the organization. Organizations can have a vision to provide amazing goods and services by the best people possible, but none of that matters unless someone shows up. And when they do, a few things immediately stand out.
First off, customers don’t just show up, they have a purpose for showing up. They made the choice to let whoever is in the store – maybe they know each other, maybe not – to serve them. Second, regardless of how they show up; ready to buy, inquisitive about something they need or upset about something that may have happened…they are giving us a chance because they need us as much as we need them. Lastly and most importantly, our goal is to meet them where they are, not where we are.
Everything is too expensive.
That is, until value has been established. Regardless of what the customer’s buying…it doesn’t matter what…it’s all expensive until the value (desire, need, solution) becomes greater than the price of the thing. When the “want” becomes greater than the “wallet”.
In selling, figuring out the balancing act of price and value is all about discovery. To figure out what’s driving the customer’s wants, needs, desires, and solutions. We then align that information with the information we have about the goods and services that make up the best options.
I have found that customers don’t buy so much what the stuff has (features), they buy what the stuff does (benefits). That cause-effect relationship is driven by our ability to know enough about the product to make the connection of value to and for the customer.
“Value is not determined by those who set the price. Value is determined by those who choose to pay it.”
Simon Sinek perfectly sums up the correct point of view and then directs our goal of discovery. To figure out the customers perspective and create a “value bucket”. To discover what’s driving the customer’s decision making and then put things in that bucket.
It begs the question, what are things that can add value?
It depends and it varies. One of the first key components in adding value is brand, or company perception. Specifically, how an organization is seen as having a positive reputation for delivering excellent service and known for the best wireless experience, caring community engagement and best in class products.
Another component is the quality of the retail ecosystem. How we do what we do in our stores and with our call centers with a focus on finding the right solution for the customer. Providing personalized care within a seamless process making it easier for customers to buy our goods and services.
And lastly, a tremendously valuable component, the people who sell and support selling. The greatest asset of any business is its people, and it’s the front-line team members who represent the drivers for adding to the value bucket. Seen each day in how we interact and care for every person. This represents our outlook, mindset, passion, and purpose in what we do and how we do it. With every customer, when we deliver our best self, we demonstrate the ultimate quality customer experience.
I’ll end with this…
If selling is what we do to achieve sales, then the price is what customers are willing to pay to enjoy the value in the thing they buy. Customers buy as a result of the sales rep selling. We need both sides of the coin. Which side needs your attention?
Just like last month, as an individual or sales team, consider the following questions and how your answers have the possibility to shape all the next steps.
- Define Customer…what does this mean?
- What are the different types of customers? What does each need from you?
- Does personality play a part in selling? How does that factor with each type of customer?
- Think about all aspects of the retail experience and interaction, what creates value?
- How do you create value with your customers?
- To what extent will you make that happen with every customer, every time?
- Same question from last month, would you buy stuff from you? Why or why not?
Want to learn more perspectives about how to give good customer service? Visit our podcast or one of our locations.
Mar 3, 2025
How do you Perceive a Salesperson?
Patient: Doctor, you have to help me stop talking to myself.
Doctor: Why is that?
Patient: I’m a salesman, and I keep selling myself things I don’t want.
Maybe you giggled, maybe you didn’t. The thing is, we all know “salespeople” jokes. Because we’ve all had that one salesperson (or a multitude of them) who ruined it for all the others that came after. You know, the one that defined every characteristic of a “bad” salesperson. Some barely said hello, while others seemed disinterested. Few asked any questions and may have rushed to make a recommendation and maybe even hastily positioned something you didn’t ask for. They clerked the sale instead of creating a meaningful customer experience. Never made eye contact, never listened, never really got to know me, the customer, and so on.
Sales is…
A simple definition of sales is the exchange of money for goods or services. Salespeople (or sales reps, sales consultants, sales professionals, etc.) are the people who perform the tasks necessary to necessitate that exchange. Normally, these people follow specific behaviors to help customers buy those goods and services.
I always find a little tension here. “Sales,” for me, represents the outcome of the exchange. Think about the word. It’s a noun, a thing. Sales…how many sales did we have today? “Sell” or “Selling” represents what we do to create “sales”. This is a verb implying action. Which of the two do we place our energy, effort, and enthusiasm? The analysis of outcome or analysis of behavior?
When I am with salespeople, I am typically less interested in their sales and more interested in their capability to sell.
Are you a wireless retail company that happens to make sales or are you a selling organization that happens to carry wireless retail products and services?
Given the context of the Wireless Retail Industry, in almost every selling skills workshop I have delivered, I pose this question. Consider how you would answer.
Let’s be real, we want sales, and a lot of them. This is a constant goal and aspiration. We want maximum achievement, and we measure it in every way possible. And given all of that attention, sales will always ever be a result of behavioral choice.
So back to the question, if we are a selling organization that happens to carry wireless stuff, the implication is that we focus on selling and selling well, and it doesn’t matter what stuff we have to sell. It implies because we are really good at the art and science of selling, we can sell anything. We have mastered the selling process and all the behaviors that cultivate desired sales outcomes. Does that mean we meet and exceed every sales target? No. It suggests by focusing on the selling behavior, we are in a more likely place to meet or exceed a sales target.
There are only five steps in selling.
I’ve gone through a litany of selling skills course and I’ve delivered just as many. Some others wrote, some I wrote. Regardless of who wrote them, what they’re called, or where they go or how you deliver them, they are “Hi.”, “What do you want?” “How about this.”, “Buy it.”, and “Thanks.” I understand I have oversimplified them. Said another way, they are GREET, DISCOVER, BUILD, CLOSE, and THANK.
The premise being, if I know these well and why they exist in that order. Providing that I learn all the behaviors associated with each step and practice them often. If I know to what extent I need to deliver them and receive subsequent coaching and correction after delivery. Presuming I care about the interaction and put all my efforts into a professional point of view…if I do all these things, then, I believe, the sales will follow.
I’ll take a step farther. If we do all of that well and believe that what a salesperson does matters, we aren’t just selling, we begin creating relationships with our customers. We establish value for customers. We pivot from salespeople selling stuff to customers buying stuff. This is where it gets really interesting. More about this in part two next month.
I’ll leave you with this. I learned a long, long time ago that the highest paying job in the world is “sales”. It’s also one of the lowest paying jobs in the world. What is the difference? I contend it comes down to the art and science of selling. It’s all about mindset and outlook driving behavioral choice.
As an individual or sales team, consider the following questions and how your answers have the possibility to shape all the next steps.
- Define Sales…what does this mean?
- Define Sell or Selling…what does this mean?
- In your store and/or market, how are salespeople perceived?
- Think of a bad salesperson or experience, what happened?
- Think of a good salesperson or experience, what happened?
- Would you buy stuff from you? Why or why not?
- If tomorrow all the product you currently sell goes away and is replaced by completely new stuff, could you sell it?
Want to learn more perspectives about how to be a great salesperson? Visit our podcast or visit one of our locations.
Jan 31, 2025
You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation.
I’ve found this time of year is not just about making resolutions. For organizations, it’s also about engaging in initiatives. Maybe some brand-new idea taking shape into action or executing existing stuff in more efficient and effective ways. Regardless, executing initiatives requires that an organization has a firm foundation upon which to build its future success.
This is not just an organizational reality or team dynamic; I challenge each of us to embrace our own individual initiatives – the things we want to achieve personally this year – and then consider if we have a firm foundation before executing our plan.
What makes up a firm foundation?
In a recent leadership forum in Miami, I got to hear from a trusted colleague and friend, Richard Fagerlin. Richard is the President of Peak Solutions, Inc., a company focusing on leadership and culture development. In our time together, he shared his thoughts about cultivating three foundational facets when implementing initiatives. They are Clarity, Cohesion and Execution.
Clarity represents a degree of understanding; specifically, regarding the depth of understanding to ensure all parties involved know precisely the what, why, how and to what extent. “We know what to do”.
Cohesion represents the state or action of working together; specifically, regarding how all necessary people and actions operate as valuable parts of a united whole. “We’re doing it together.”
Execution represents the act of getting the initiative done; specifically, regarding the energy and effort required every day to accomplish targeted goals, actions and behaviors. “We’re getting it done”.
When all three of these facets are defined, understood, and fully engaged with passion and purpose, initiatives seem to move forward in a healthy way. It’s when one or more are absent or fall short, that’s when we have challenges and maybe even difficulties. For instance:
Having cohesion and execution, but no clarity, causes reckless behavior. Which can end up having a frustrated team wondering what, why, how and to what extent. If you have clarity and cohesion, and lack execution, you can end up getting stuck in analysis paralysis and never really getting it or anything else off the ground. If you have clarity and execution, and lack cohesion, it can feel right except all parties can end up doing their own thing and inconsistency becomes an acceptable norm.
So, what’s the goal? It would seem striking a balance and ensuring all three are in check is a healthy place to start.
“Organizational health is the single greatest competitive advantage in any business.”
This Patrick Lencioni quote suggests culture and its relative firm foundation is much more than just a three-element alignment for an organization. If you zoom out, I believe you can see all sorts of ways and means to ensure that one or many have access to professional and personal development. Consider the opportunities like systems, processes and programs designed to elevate success, learning, connectedness, awareness, mindfulness, health and well-being.
Co-Founder Kym Russell has always stressed that our greatest resource at Russell Cellular is people – every single team member that makes up our RC Family. And when we can support one another in our pursuit of the mission, priorities, objectives and calls to action, whatever our job function, we are not only successful…we are also healthy – operationally, organizationally and culturally.
When we all aim for the next right thing and we do it often as second nature behavior even and when no one else is watching, that is what is healthy can look like when flowing downstream from culture. It’s an upstream pursuit of caring for every person and providing the best wireless experience to every customer, every time… and best employee experience to every employee, every time.
Adoption & Maintenance of a Firm Foundation
Let’s say the vision and all the elements are in place, now what? Well, to be fair, that is the age-old question. Most organizations are rarely short on vision, although they are not always crystal clear. They aren’t short on ideas, although many still lack wisdom. They are never short on intention, despite feeling the pain of slow results and not deviating from the plan when necessary. All of that to say, starting is hard, following through and sticking with it is harder.
Paying attention to and sticking with the three elements above is a great place to start. I would also, as either a leader or follower, evaluate and consider some of the following components that make up a foundation; like leadership, communication, self-discovery – team discovery, learning, goal setting, expectations, standards, coaching, feedback, measurement, performance reviews, support, conflict resolution, and surveys. Each lends perspective and attention to the levels and depth of any foundation.
Stating the obvious, build the foundation before you build the house. A house will only ever be as good as its foundation…so, make it solid, make it strong before you make anything.
As you contemplate what makes and maintains a firm foundation – organizationally or personally – consider the following questions.
Foundational Questions for Lasting Success
- What’s the ‘root’ why behind your initiative?
- What is the ‘truth’ for this to move forward?
- What’s the difference about ‘this’ time?
- What’s the ‘wise’ first thing to do?
- What’s the ‘one’ thing that needs to happen and keep happening throughout?
- What could go ‘wrong’?
- What’s the ‘best’ measurement?
- Who really ‘benefits’?
- During implementation…What’s ‘right’, ‘wrong’, ‘missing’ and ‘confusing’?
- How will we know we ‘won’?
Want to learn more perspectives about building a firm foundation? Visit our podcast or visit one of our locations.
Jan 2, 2025
It’s that time of year again when we promise ourselves some desired improvement or change to an aspect of our life in the coming New Year.
New Year’s resolutions essentially mark the start of a new year as an opportunity to set goals for personal growth. Committing to new habits or behaviors is a way of reflecting on the past and actively striving for a better future.
On or about every January first, we all seem to engage in this ubiquitous act. Said another way, resolutions are an act engaged everywhere by everyone done at about the same time. It is omnipresent. And to the surprise of no one, in 2024, the most common resolutions were improving health and well-being. Specifically eating healthier, reducing stress, exercising, spending time with family and friends, reducing time on social media, and saving money.
“I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the years’ (resolution).”
There are two challenges in making resolutions. One is conceptual and the other is about implementation. The first can be found in our definition of what we’re trying to accomplish; call it defining the why…the true why. It is about uncovering the physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual reason for inspiring us into the resolution.
The quote above by Henry Moore is a tremendous way for each of us to contemplate and go deep into what we want to accomplish. Very rarely do we measure the impact on our year, but rather in our day-to-day living. Resolutions, when vetted then and adequately engaged with a defined why in place, become daily aspirations towards specific actions with immediate outcomes. The goal is to reduce our vision into a reality of daily inputs with daily outputs.
“Making New Year resolutions is one thing. Remaining resolute and seeing them through is quite another.”
Alex Morritt is hitting the nail on the head. This is the second challenge, and it represents the biggest tripping point, which is staying committed to the resolution. It’s all about the follow through, even when and especially when it’s hard, inconvenient, disruptive, or it becomes boring and repetitive.
Lack of follow-up and follow through cause the majority of all initiatives to fall short. We can become disillusioned when what we thought we’d be doing doesn’t align with what we’re actually doing. We can get upset when things don’t happen fast enough. We can get agitated when the plan falls short. We can get bored with the same thing repeatedly being done. We can drift off course when other things take precedence. There are so many viable reasons why we should stop, which means our reason why we’re doing this, whatever it is, must always supersede and be bigger than any reason why we stop.
Effective New Year’s Resolutions have Parts.
As with any goal or objective with a clearly defined purpose, comes a requirement to have an equally clearly defined plan. Each element critical to the other like the one piece of the puzzle that is uniquely designed to fit in an exact place to reveal the finished puzzle.
Even though that ‘puzzle’ analogy may make complete sense, is not the way I would advise constructing a plan for a resolution. Resolutions need to be less concrete and unyielding, and more flexible and able to adapt to change. Maybe a better analogy is a game plan in sports. Games plans can be and, most often, are fluid by design. They have options and built-in contingencies based on probabilities, trends and unknowns. Call it, being proactive in being reactive.
Having said all that, there are some constants and best practices to consider in the midst of the unexpectedness, uncertainty, and disruption during resolution implementation.
New Year’s Best Practices
Figure out your why: Be willing, honest and open to defining the true root cause of wanting to improve or change a behavior or behaviors.
Make your resolution behaviorally specific: Be clear about what you want to accomplish. For example, instead of just “exercise more,” you could say “go walking for 30 minutes three times a week”.
Come up with a plan (not the plan): Determine how, when, where, who, and to what extent you want to accomplish your resolution.
Plan for tripping points and excuses: Consider what might derail you from your efforts and how you’ll deal with it. Create contingencies.
Get an accountability partner: Let a friend, family member, mentor, or peer know what you’re doing and why, and then ask them to check in with you regularly to hold you accountable.
Track and reward your progress: Keep a journal or diary to stay focused and recover from setbacks. Celebrate your progress with a treat or something special.
Mix it up and stay flexible: Keep things interesting by adding new activities, changing up some methods and inputs, or be sure to improvise when needed with your resolution.
No matter what, stay positive: Remind yourself of the desired outcome of your resolution to stay focused and motivated. If there are setbacks or failure…accept, learn and keep moving.
Resolutions come and go. The ones that stick and bear fruit are the ones that are designed on purpose-for purpose, done one step at a time-one day at a time and measured by progress not perfection.
What’s this year going to bring?
New Year’s Challenge Questions
I challenge you with the following questions as you reflect backwards to project forwards.
- Why even do a resolution?
- What have you done in the past?
- Pick a resolution and ask why this/why now?
- Can you define a clear expectation and all necessary/specific behaviors?
- What’s the plan…what, how, when, how often, by when?
- How will you acknowledge effort in failure, obstacles, achievement, partnerships, support?
- Which criteria will effectively measure your success?
Want to learn more perspectives about Reflection? Visit our podcast or visit one of our locations.
