targeting your talent for top performance · business and drive customer success.” ceo...

©2015 Alexander Consulting

BRILLIANT SERVICES LEADERSHIP

By James “Alex” AlexanderService Strategies Business Partner

TARGETING YOUR TALENT FOR TOP PERFORMANCE


“People are our most…important asset.

Is that statement true or false?

Careful…You are being set up!

FALSE: People are not your most important asset…the right people are.

STATION BREAK: PLEASE COMPLETE THIS OFT-HEARD BIT OF BUSINESS WISDOM…


STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE CHAIN

Source: Alexander, James. 2015. “Creating the Brilliant Customer Experience – Part One: The Brilliant Performance Chain.”

Capable & Loyal

Employees

Brilliant Employee

Performances

Brilliant Customer Experiences

Customer Success

Customer Loyalty

Robust MarketingQuality

Robust Sales Quality

Robust Services Quality

Profitable Growth

Brand Dominance

Performance Systems

FrontlinePersonnel

Targeted Accounts

BusinessResults

There is a direct correlation between employee loyalty and customer loyalty.


STATION BREAK

When it comes to working with your people, where do you focus most of your efforts?

1. Low Performers2. Average Performers3. Top Performers

Why?

10%Top

20% Average

70% Low


TOP TALENT TIP #1: CORRAL YOUR NAGS AND LET YOUR THOROUGHBREDS RUN

One great performer is equal to at least five good

performers.


RECOMMENDED PERCENT OF MANAGEMENT TIME SPENT WORKING WITH TYPES OF EMPLOYEES.

10%Nags

40% Work Horses

50% Thoroughbreds


HAVE YOU HEARD THIS BEFORE?NEW SERVICES PRO EXPECTATIONS

“I want everyone in our company to do whatever they can to help grow the business and drive customer success.”CEO Presentation to

Services

BrilliantService

Professional

Differentiating Capability Requirements

Customer Acumen

RelationshipSkills

Value-Creating Mindset

Technical Expert


THE MISERY OF NEW EXPECTATIONS MEETING YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS

“I probably spend close to five days a month in pre-sales, yet I’m supposed to maintain 70% billability—that’s tough!”

Star SE

“I want everyone in our company to do whatever they can to help grow the business and drive customer success.”

CEO Presentation to Services

“I sold the customer on switching out seven competitive machines…the sales guy got a big commission…I got nothing.”

Star FSE

“We are told we need to make our customers successful, but I get dinged for spending too much time on my calls when I am trying to be proactive.”

Star Support Engineer

Yesterday’s Business



NEW EXPECTATIONS


TOP TALENT TIP #2: ALIGN YOUR PERFORMANCE SYSTEM TO GIVE YOU THE BEHAVIORS YOU CRAVE


1. To work for an organization they are proud to be associated with.Question to contemplate: What can you do to build pride in your team?

2. To contribute.Action step: Ask all your high-potential players what important issues/ideas/problems/opportunities they’d like to address and let them at it.

3. To be treated as the professionals they are.Common sense: Treat professionals as professionals.

TOP TALENT TIP #3: GIVE YOUR STARS THE 5 THINGS THEY WANT, EXPECT, AND DESERVE

Source: Alexander, James. 2000. The E-Impact on Business Performance. AFSM International.


4. To be treated fairly.Reality check: Assume that everyone knows everything; then act accordingly.

5. No hassles.Cold, hard reality: If you’ve hired the right people, they know more about their job than you do, so let them work. Remove obstacles; don’t add more.

TOP TALENT TIP: GIVE YOUR STARS THE 5 THINGS THEY WANT, EXPECT, AND DESERVE

Source: The e-Impact on Business Performance. James A. Alexander. AFSM International. December 2000.


Q & A


THANK YOU!

• www.alexanderstrategists.com• [email protected]• 239-671-0740


USE EDUCATION AS A STRATEGIC TOOL

Ponder Point

Often thought and sometimes stated: “Cripes, what if I take my people out of the field and spend money to train them, and then half of them leave?”

Appropriate response: “What if you don’t train them and they stay?”


RECOMMENDATIONS

• Re-think the positions in your professional services organization and determine their importance to helping you accomplish your strategy and business goals.

• Assess your talent (start with the most important positions), develop a hiring and development profile, and identify major gaps.

• Close the performance gaps by first adjusting the performance management system, then providing appropriate training, tools, and reinforcement.

• Treat your people as volunteers that can vote with their feet…share a vision, outline clear expectations, provide tools, then get out of the way!


EMPHASIZING TALENT IS A PERFORMANCE DIFFERENTIATOR: BEST PRACTICES

• Management is accountable for nurturing top talent.• A top-performer retention plan is in place.• The loyalty of top-performing employees is tracked.• Everyone in the organization is given incentives for recruiting

talent.• An alumni network is in place to maintain relationships with past

employees.• Everyone who touches the customer has been trained in

relationship and influencing skills.

targeting your talent for top performance · business and drive customer success.” ceo...

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