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Benjamin Franklin called wasted strengths "sundials in the shade."
What are your unique strengths?
What are the unique strengths of your organization?
How can you best apply, practice, refine and leverage these strengths?

These are questions that I have been reflecting on since I read this edition's suggested reading "Now, Discover Your Strengths." Many of us have a fixation on fault and failing and spend too much time and energy on our weaknesses. We hope that this edition of insights will help attract more light for you!

Tim Magwood and The Fusion Learning Team

If you have any feedback or contributions, we would love to hear from you!
Insights@fusionlearninginc.com


	Monthly Business Reviews - Preparation One-on-one conversations with sales professionals are critical in building confidence, reflecting on past performance and clarifying future direction. How often do you meet one-on-one with your sales professionals? Are they formal or informal conversations? One best practice for sales managers is leading a monthly business review. This is a formal conversation that: · reviews last month's performance · provides recognition · facilitates constructive feedback · confirms the sales professionals specific plans for the next month To help make the conversation productive, preparation is required by both sales manager and sales professional. Here is a template you can both use to prepare for the monthly business review: HIGHLIGHTS · what are 3-5 highlights from the past month? · summary of results GREEN FLAGS · progress with existing clients? · progress with prospects? · progress in development of selling skills? RED FLAGS · what are areas of concern? · what are challenges? · any unresolved issues? · what are patterns from past months? HELP REQUIRED · what help is needed by sales professional? ACTION PLAN · what is specific action to address red flags? · what are specific goals for upcoming month? Try this template out in your next one-on-one. In the next Insights, we will examine keys to effectively leading the monthly business review conversation.
	Confirm Skill How are your listening skills? How do you currently demonstrate that you are hearing what the client is saying? Listening is challenging for all of us because the speed that we think (about 450 words per minute) is much faster than the speed that we can speak (about 150 words per minute). So when someone else is talking, it is easy to get distracted. One key to listening and staying engaged is to use the confirm skill. Confirm: Paraphrasing or summarizing what someone is saying Why? Proves that you are listening and that you understand Key Benefits: · Helps build strong relationships · Ensures you get the right information How do we do it? · Stay present · Avoid distractions · Capture feelings and details · Synthesize · Summarize Everyone likes to be heard. Confirm at regular intervals in a sales call to improve your sales effectiveness.

"This is the best sales exercise I have ever experienced. Very focused, well organized, and it ended with a terrific Account Plan. Great job!
- St Jude Medical participant in S.A.M (Strategic Account Management), January 2004

Now, Discover Your Strengths

- Donald Clifton, Marcus Buckingham, Simon & Schuster 2001

Why you should pick it up:
Will cause you to think about the importance of leveraging personal and organizational strengths.

An Insight from the Book:
Globally, only 20% of employees in large organizations surveyed (1.7 million surveyed) feel that their strengths are in play every day.

A useful tool:
This book contains an identification number that allows you access to the StrengthsFinder Profile (assessment tool) on the Internet. A great tool to improve your awareness of your unique strengths!

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