The Kirkpatrick Model of Learning

Measuring effectiveness of learning can be a somewhat amorphous process, but the most concrete way of actually determining learning effectiveness is by making sure that team members are achieving business objectives that have been set for them. This, however, cam be something of a confusing process.

Interestingly enough, the measure is not necessarily about ROI. Because ROI refers largely to a tangible return of input to output, the measure of something like learning is a little fuzzier. The best way to achieve an accurate measure of long-term results, in the end, is probably to distinguish between accountability and effectiveness – objective number crunching versus the individual and overall team usefulness of the training. You’re improving workers – not numbers.

The Kirkpatrick Model was created in the 1950s, and remains widely implemented today. The model relies on four well-researched levels of measuring learning. As you go up the ladder, the actual process of measuring becomes a little less concrete.

Reaction. This refers to the participants’ thoughts and feelings about the training, which can be difficult to gauge. The best way to “measure” the response to learning is to solicit individual reactions through surveying or feedback sessions.

Learning. What actual knowledge was gained? This is about the actual content of the training. Was it straightforward and transparent? Was the material clear and well delivered? In a school setting, results here would be best measured by administering a quantitative exam. In a work setting, this level of learning may be best understood by conducting an interview or observation.

Behavior. We’re getting closer to achieving real results. The response to training in changed behavior is all about how the learning has been applied in a practical way. Is behavior different now, and if so, how? Is the change positive? Is the change sustainable?

Results. Here we are – the greatest measure of learning effectiveness, and also in some cases the least tangible. How is the training affecting the overall environment and the actual outcomes within the workplace?

Learning Effectiveness and Accountability

When we talk about learning effectiveness, we’re talking about measuring outcomes, right? Person to person, measuring results is not so difficult. When it comes to implementing change, it is easy to observe what each team member is doing. With regard to the entire organization, the measure of how a process has changed as the result of blended training is a little harder to figure out. By letting these trainings be counted as an expense rather than an investment, business leaders are saved the project of objective measuring, an impossible task that does not necessarily provide concrete answers.

So with this in mind, what does it actually mean to build trust? Companies that have high-performing team members and work to gain and keep their client partners rely deeply on relationships of trust, both within the employee team and with partners.

In the Office

According to Forbes contributor Glenn Llopis, one of the most powerful components of building trusting relationships is transparency. Transparency means two things in this situation:

• Teamwork. When leaders are transparent about the team’s strengths and weaknesses, team members are able to work more efficiently. This means that problem solving can be based around what’s actually going on, rather than what people are inferring. New teammates will immediately know what’s going on and be able to bring their whole selves into the work.
• Consistency. In order to build trust within the office, it’s important to remain consistent. Consistency in this case means treating everyone fairly; it should be a no-brainer, but unfortunately it doesn’t always work out that way. Frequent communication doesn’t just mean letting people know what’s going on, either – remember, it is important to listen to your teammates, too.

What does trust building lead to in the end? Higher performance, according to this Guardian UK article, which is what customers are after.

With Customers

Believe it or not, building trust between a company and its customers is a very similar process. It all comes down to letting your clients or customers know that you care about them. Don’t just tell them – show them.

• Be good at what you do – A more straightforward way of saying, deliver what you promise and then some. Do what you say you are going to do, and beyond that, exceed expectations whenever you can.
• Ask for feedback – If you’re convinced your product or service is of the highest caliber, that’s not going to do much for your customers. There are few things that consumers trust more than peer reviews, so give people who have used your service or product a chance to share their experience through testimonials and reviews.

Remember: building trust takes time and effort. It’s not going to happen overnight. But by making sure your in-office team is working together, you will find that you are, in the end, creating a relationship of mutual trust with your clients. This leads to an empowered partnership between clients and coworkers.

With numbers like these, executives who want to increase business sales and establish connections cannot afford to not advertise their company over email. But what are the benefits of this vital tool?

Advantages of Email Marketing

It saves time. When considering marketing techniques like those that involve mail or the telephone, you can see how email marketing carries a significant advantage. Less time and energy spent = more profit. Email marketing is a great improvement because it only takes a few hours to send a mass email to a very large audience.

You can personalize emails. After a user registers with you on the web and subscribes to your email list, you can send them emails that have their name in them, outdating the old marketing techniques like phone calls that had a stereotypical salesman tone to them. This causes the targeted individual to feel more a part of your business.

It enables you to communicate frequently. Email marketing has revolutionized the way companies stay in touch with their customers. Companies are able to keep their customers informed with less effort. However, flooding user’s inboxes with your emails will likely provoke frustration!

It is less costly. Because it doesn’t require a team of marketing professionals, designers, or employees, email marketing has become one of the least costly ways of advertising a business.

You can track users. Email marketing provides a usable and precise way to determine what your users are up to. Certain email marketing platforms offer businesses ways to monitor their customer’s interest in the emails, identifying what the company can do to make it more appealing.

It is a green way to advertise. An obvious benefit, but one that can be overlooked, is how much better for the environment email marketing is. Email marketing is a smart decision that benefits the planet. This will likely be looked upon favorably by your customers who are trying to be more environmentally friendly.

Are you taking advantage of email marketing?

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-s-kilborne/book-email-marketing_b_2502168.html

http://www.forrester.com/US+Interactive+Marketing+Forecast+2011+To+2016/fulltext/-/E-RES59379?objectid=RES59379

Email Marketing: What not to do

Don’t send a blanket email. More often than not, a blanket email that has a piece of general information is not going to be relevant to your recipient. A solution to this is simply asking each registrar what demographic they belong to and sticking to that. Inc.com uses the example of a retail clothing salesman first pointing a man to the women’s section. Be sure to send relevant information.

Make it simple. Though it’s tempting to make it an elaborate and fancy message, the user is much more likely to click on an email that has a simple format. A useful practice is setting one primary option, perhaps including a single, easily clickable link that will require less thought. Asking too much of the reader will guarantee a negative response.

Consider the mobile use of the recipient. As NBC’s Suzanne Choney reports, “A striking 87 percent of smartphone owners check the internet or email on their phones, including 68 percent who do so generally every day.” The increased use of mobile devices requires attention when building an email. A poorly formatted email on a phone will not only frustrate users and guarantee less clicks, it will make your business look less professional. This can be remedied by following the instructions above and making it clickable and easy to read.

Make the subject line appealing. As said before, email marketers have a very small window of opportunity to catch the attention of their targeted audience. If the reader is not immediately interested in what you have to say, you can expect a quick delete. But with an exciting and announcing subject line, you can avoid being deemed as irrelevant. This requires great attention to who exactly your subscribers are, and what exactly they want.

Don’t send too many. The final and most important of all not-to-dos when it comes to email marketing is not flooding the inbox of your recipient. We’ve all unsubscribed from email lists for this reason: we’re tired of having to delete so many. Obviously an increase of sales will be the reward if email marketing is done right, but getting carried away and sending too many will reverse your fortune.

Are you email marketing effectively?

Sources:

http://www.inc.com/charlie-graham/email-marketing-mistakes.html

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/25-percent-use-smartphones-not-computers-majority-web-surfing-122259

Loss of Economic Security is the Greatest Stressor

Loss of economic security is cited by the Washington Post as the greatest stressor. Executives are in a unique position because they are not only worried about their own financial wellbeing, but often are responsible for the security of a multitude of sales people under their leadership. Here are 5 ways to cope with and reduce business stress.

Remember the bigger picture.

Often we can let our problems get the best of us, even giving them power over us. Focusing on life as a whole and thinking about what is going right can often renew our perspective. Jotting down things that are going right is a good practice and will remind you that your present circumstances are not the whole story.

Keep a clean work area.

Cluttered desks and unorganized office space can contribute greatly to your anxiety. Taking a few moments in the morning to clear your office of any trash and put documents in places where you will be able to find them will save you time and energy. Exercising this type of control over your environment will boost your morale and give you a sense of power over your life.

Practice meditation.

Meditation could include slow breathing exercises. Former medical professional at the Washington Post, James Gordon, reports that simple meditative exercises have helped financial advisors, child-care workers, and veterans find an inner place of peace. Breathing deeply and slowly will relax your body as well as refresh your perspective.

Focus on helping others.

Though it would seem like time spent on doing simple acts of kindness would take away from the work you are trying to tackle, simply helping others will serve you well when stressed. Forbes cites the University of Pennsylvania’s studies that prove this fact. Focusing on service rather than your own issues will help you overcome your issues.

Take control of your circumstances.

Responsible individuals resist the temptation to procrastinate. When you are proactively solving your problems and fixing what you have control over, you are building within yourself a confidence that you have control over your own life. You’ll see the positive results every time you insist on getting things done.

Are you taking control of your stress?

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/siimonreynolds/2013/03/25/6-ways-to-reduce-business-stress/

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2009-09-29/news/36867089_1_anxiety-and-depression-stress-relaxation-response

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_22206437/small-business-owners-coping-greater-stress

If an executive does not know the motives and needs of the prospect, discerning the direction of the negotiations can be very challenging. Rarely are consultations quick and easy processes, often leading to a standstill. The following systematic approach to successful negotiating will generate sales while leaving a lasting, positive impression on your client:

Ask questions. When met with a reluctant client who wants to end the meeting with, “We need more time,” it is essential that you ask questions like, “What’s holding you back?” rather than letting the sale walk out the door with a simple, “When can we contact you?”. This puts the client on the spot, forcing them to reveal their true feelings about you and what you are offering. This also allows you to determine their goals and find out how best to proceed.

Be timely with facts. Details that are sure to persuade your client need to be disclosed at the right time. When selling points are revealed in a timely manner, it can have a great positive impact on the progress of the negotiations.

Make a firm offer. This is an essential key to success. It is best to be honest and reasonable from the beginning. This will often reveal how valuable you truly are in the client’s eyes. Being strong in a fair price will avoid bringing the negotiations to a halt.

Leave ego out of the picture. Nothing can halt negotiations like ego. As Christopher Voss said in a recent Forbes interview, “Effective negotiating is more complicated than making an offer, considering the other side’s offer and then trying to basically shove those ideas into alignment.” Clients will sense from the get-go if you respect them. Their sense that you want to treat them with respect will make or break a deal.

Upon adopting these simple habits and tools of sales execution, you’ll find that you spend less time with the ball out of your court. CEO Kathleen Steffey refers to this negotiating approach as a way to ‘work on the problem, not the symptom.’

These tools can do wonders for the effectiveness of your approach to negotiations.

Sources: http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/11/19/three-ways-to-negotiate-about-anything/

http://salesjournal.com/2013/03/27/are-you-working-on-the-symptom-or-the-problem/

Keep to the facts. When money is on the line, things can get personal. Professionals, however, are able to see the big picture. They have a knowledge of what is being offered. The facts should be what drive the negotiations, not personal involvement or feelings. This results-oriented tool is sure to bring about the outcome that is most desirable, because it prevents the environment from becoming hostile.

There is no “I” in team. Making the client or prospect feel that you are on their side is essential to having success. Using the word “we” and phrases like “let’s do this” can do wonders for a company looking to make a deal. Self-centered sentences that start with the word “I” will often make your prospect feel overpowered. This will often result in a halt and subsequent failure in negotiations.

Body language speaks loudly. From the time the prospect walks through the door, your body language is of upmost importance. It is important for any salesman to always be conscious of their body language, as this speaks as loudly as words over the negotiating table. In a Forbes interview, Panorama Software founder and successful negotiator Rony Ross recalls many instances where people in negotiations would lean back in their chairs. This gesture, Ross claims, not only puts a physical distance between themselves and the other side, but an emotional one as well. For negotiators, this unwisely communicates that you are unwilling to find middle ground.

Understand the prospect. The final negotiating tip that could perhaps sum up the preceding 3 is to understand the prospect. Prospective clients can sense whether or not they are being respected and understood. It is in your best interest as a negotiator to communicate this effectively. It is important to give the prospect the impression that your intentions are to serve their best interest. However, while giving this type of impression is beneficial, compromising and allowing them to manipulate you will lead to a solution that is less desirable for you.

Using this approach to solve common negotiating problems will create a better and more cooperative environment, with great results for all involved.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/10/08/the-secret-art-of-negotiating-take-your-ego-off-the-table/

1. Specify the volume of sales. For example, how many 2 liter bottles of soda do you sell? What is the value of each sale? Knowing the volume of your sales and when they tend to fluctuate will increase your ability to predict decline. This is also a great way to be realistic in your goals. You are not simply thinking up a target figure and doing whatever you can to achieve it. Wishful thinking is a common error and most often results in a pitfall.

2. Consult your sales associates. If you are not the one who is spending face-to-face time with those who are doing business with you, consult those who are. They probably have a good idea of what your customers are thinking. Get your sales people to give their opinions on the goals you’ve set. This guarantees a realistic anticipation of sales or lack thereof.

3. Get counsel. The greatest advice you’ll find is that of someone like a senior accountant, who has more experience in the industry and knows the tendencies of the business you’re in. Preparing for sales declines is a part of any seasoned businessman’s plan for sustained success. Sound counsel from the wise is an essential element of preparing for hardship.

4. Get innovative. An ice cream shop owner, for example, could serve crepes and hot chocolate during the winter months when no one is buying ice cream. Creativity is a great gift in preparing for sales declines, and will keep you afloat in times when businesses are sinking.

These ways of preparing for sales decline put you in control of your own fate. Times of feasting present an opportunity to prepare for famine. These tools allow you to take responsibility for your company by focusing on the goal.

Are you properly planning for a decline in sales?

So how do we deal with these sharks, lions, big bad wolves, and Robespierre types? Well Thomas Jefferson thinks it’s as easy as counting, “When I am upset, I count to ten. When I’m very upset, I count to one-hundred.” That may be easy enough but how many times have your reactions mirrored the attitude towards you? Do you yell when yelled at? When someone challenges you, do you accept?  How do we harness these emotions and keep them in check? How can we become better negotiators to avoid becoming a screaming and yelling Big Bad Wolf?

A strategy of intimidation is often the easy way out (the easy and often ineffective way out). To get around this we’ve developed a new approach that answers all of these problematic questions. N.I.C.E. is a philosophy that maps out how to beat them without joining them.

N:        Neutralize Emotions

I:          Identify a Type

C:        Control the Encounter

E:         Explore Options

This general approach will hopefully calm the boiling blood in your veins. It’s important to remember that emotions trump reason, the better you’re able to neutralize your emotions, the more rational you’ll become. You should know the type of person you’re dealing with also. Identifying their personality on a scale based on their relative difficulty, that will help you hone your approach towards them. Once you have a feel for their personality type you can try to use appropriate techniques to help shape and better determine the outcome of the encounter. Finally, if you find yourself stuck, look for alternative solutions within your strategy.