Leadership

I write these words on the last leg of my journey home from Korea. I normally don’t use the blog to comment on business trips, but given the hoopla regarding the political climate in Korea, I feel this trip to be different.

Fear

Many people were surprised that I was going to Korea. “Are you sure it is safe?” they asked. Ironically, many Koreans do not think it is safe for their loved ones to travel to the United States, especially Chicago. One customer confided that his family is convinced he is going to get shot when traveling to America. (Sadly, by the time I landed back in the states, this reality rang true again).

It seems that people from both countries rely too heavily on messages about the “other” that are given to them, as opposed to going and seeing for themselves.

Seeking Understanding

One customer began rambling about all the things they did not like with regards to the United States, especially its politics. Less than twenty four hours later, a different customer went on a rant about how much they liked the United States and its current stance with North Korea.

I listened to both, seeking to understand their points of view, instead of sharing my opinions.

I was reminded that I need to do the same back home. Whether in Korea, or in Chicago, we are still more alike than we are different. If we stopped shouting, started listening —and forgive me, turned off all cable news programs designed to confirm our personal biases —I suspect many Americans would remember this and we wouldn’t be as divided as we currently are.

Flexible Packaging

Like many who read this blog, I am crazy about flexible packaging, spouted pouches in particular! As all of us in the industry know, the flexible packaging market is global. Korea, Europe, Latin America, the United States, and everywhere! The market rewards innovation and effort, thus providing an equal playing field for us all. And the best part is that its progress is tied directly to people from different parts of the world creating enduring relationships.

I absolutely love this!

A final, personal, note.

In the short time I was there, I fell in love with the Korean people. In fact, I have a lot to learn from their hospitality, and graciousness. Given this, I leave even more passionate regarding the conflict between North Korea and the rest of the world. What’s apparent, at least to me through various news organizations, NGOs, and ministries like Voice of the Martyrs, is that the human rights violations in North Korea are real. Moreso, it was apparent in conversations with people in Korea, that the tension existing between the two countries is ever-present. Therefore, I leave more motivated to give, more motivated to pray, and more motivated to use whatever influence I have to spur others to do the same.

While I understand some readers of this blog may not share my personal faith —and all are welcome here—I hope we can all agree that the human rights violations happening in North Korea need to end immediately.

As I have said before, every human being matters.

(Back to my normal blog Monday!)

Many sales people “show up and throw up.” In attempting to overcome every anticipated objection, they describe all the features and benefits of their service or company. “Our quality is impeccable, our on-time delivery is 99.9%, our pricing is competitive, and our customer service is second to none.”

Have you ever heard a pitch where someone admitted that their customer service was mediocre? Just imagine, “our quality is great, but our customer service is mediocre. I mean, we get back to you eventually, just not right away.” (It might be refreshing to hear this from someone at the cable company!)

I get why sales people do this. For starters, they have been trained to. Sure, most training programs talk about asking questions and uncovering motives. Some do a particularly great job in that pursuit. But most mainline sales training programs focus on the finer points of self promotion.  It is also natural to talk about yourself when nerves set in—it is a self-preservation strategy, and at its core, a necessary one! For if you can’t “sing for your supper,” you will go hungry.

But as I have written about before, I believe there is a better way. Instead of talking about how great you are, you could talk to the customer about how great their business or idea is. You are not the hero, and in the B2B world, neither is your customer. The real hero is further down the line. It is the mother trying to grocery shop while simultaneously trying to manage her three rambunctious kids. It is the retired school teacher mowing his neighbor’s yard. It is the mom and dad nervously handing over the keys of the new car to their 26-year-old son (note: the age is not a typo, just an extreme anchor in case my kids read this in future years!).

The point is the hero is OUT THERE, outside your walls. Of course there are heroes inside our walls, and we can’t serve the ones out there without a cared-for team inside, but the focus begins out there.

What are the hero’s needs?

What does the hero define as impeccable quality? To spec, or something else?

When does the hero need what we produce?  Do we measure to that, or to our internally-quoted lead time?

What does the hero need in terms of customer service?

Whose expectations are we living up to, ours or theirs?

It is not about us. It is about serving them.  The real heroes.

Are we creating fans? (“Wow, it sounds like you guys are an amazing company!!”)

Or, are we creating customers? (“Wow, it sounds like you guys care about us!”)

Choose wisely.

A few weeks ago, a family friend asked me if I could mentor their child. Of course!

Anyone who knows me knows that I believe in being 100% transparent. So, I share the email I wrote to this individual below in hopes of modeling one way of doing so —“one way” is the key phrase here because your way will probably differ from my way.

I also share because most of the readers of this blog are leaders. Therefore, I pose the question to you: In your life, who could use an email like this? Who could you be mentoring?

I hope my email gets you thinking about someone you could challenge (and hopefully build up).  In case you’re wondering, this person told me that they thought the email was “intense,” but they liked the intensity because it forced them to think about the questions I outlined.   I also think it is safe to say that we both learned a few things from the time we spent together, which is another positive aspect of “mentoring.”

Here is the email I sent to setup our meeting:

Dear X, 

Things to consider before meeting:

1. How can I serve you?  (That question probably sounds creepy…but what questions do you have that you are embarrassed about?  Maybe you don’t have any.  But I used to think being a “grown-up” meant that you had your stuff together, so I did not ask a lot of questions because I was afraid to look stupid.  This is not the case at all.  Most people stay this way because they don’t ask).

2. What do you want to do?  Really? (Keep asking yourself this over and over, emphasizing the “really” part.)  I wasted (say “used” in front of my father please) a lot of his money to get a teaching degree.  I don’t think I ever really wanted to be a teacher however (but I didn’t realize this until I was in my 30s). 

3. Do you want to meet or are you doing this because your mom wants you to?  Be honest.  I can do the check the box thing. I love your grandfather and would do just about anything for him. I just want clarity here.  The “check the box” meeting is 15 minutes.  I am offering much more than that. 

What I am bringing:

1. Vulnerability. I won’t hold back.

2. Transparency.  Again, I am an open book.

3. Time.  I’ve got plenty of things to do.  This kind of meeting excites me.  I am choosing to do this.

I write a lot about leadership here: http://baldinbusiness.com/ .  Read a few posts if you want to get to know me better.

If I received an email like this when I was your age, I’d think the dude was nuts.  I am sure my wife thinks I am.  But we have a happy marriage because I am completely transparent about everything.

 

I approach life that way.

You won’t get anything less from me,

Alex

Yesterday was an extremely difficult day at Hoffer Plastics. Some thoughts on our family, and a challenge to show and tell.

(Note: Excuse the bad video angle. I was not filming this message twice!).

While attending a conference last month I was taken aback as I listened to many of my friends express discontentment about their current employment. Interesting to note, most of these friends are at very good companies–companies that are winning: results are exceeding expectations and there is tangible evidence of further growth in 2018. Still, there was an overarching sense of discontentment through our conversations.

As a leader, this got my attention. I wondered how this could be, so I asked a few of these people why they felt the way they did. Further, I wanted to know what specifically I could do as a leader to improve the culture at Hoffer Plastics. Since our results for 2017 were also positive, I didn’t want to fall into the trap of thinking this was not applicable to us. I share below the three most striking lessons I learned from asking these questions:

People want to feel like they can make a difference in the company. More than this, they want to feel empowered to do so. Empowerment means autonomy. (Note: the people I asked these questions to are all accomplished. In short, they’re winners. Winning people want to make a difference, and winning companies want winning people on their team. Period.  Empowering winning people makes them want to stay, and benefits the company as a whole.)People want to be rewarded. (Note: This does not automatically mean money, although money can be a driver. One individual shared their bonus with me (a much larger sum than mine, so I am in the wrong business!) and yet, they still don’t feel like they’re being rewarded. This is NOT because they’re greedy–I have personal evidence that they’re not. It is because they do not feel like their sacrifice and commitment to the company is recognized.)People have a need to be validated and appreciated. (Note: In my experience, a reward without personal validation feels like a “pay off.” People need to hear that they matter regularly. This can’t be inauthentic either. The leader should never say it unless they mean it because people can spot insincerity a mile away.)

To be sure, these aren’t the only ways to fix the discontentment problem. However, implementing them will help improve your team’s culture.

For some more thoughts on how I am working to implement these ideas into my leadership at Hoffer Plastics click the following link.

“I was just there to shop for new shoes,” my friend told me. “But, when I complained that the shoes I had on had were slightly coming apart at the sole, and that they were less than a year old, the guy helping me demanded that I take them off. Before I knew it, I was walking out of the store with a brand new pair of Allen Edmonds shoes. No bill. No receipt. Nothing. I was speechless.”

“Will you ever buy a pair of work shoes anywhere else?” I asked.

“No,” he replied.

Two things stand out from this story.

First, the salesperson was empowered. They didn’t have to ask a boss or a manager what they could do. They just handled the situation, going above and beyond to ensure a happy customer. Furthermore, they did not argue with my friend. What if the shoes had been put under extreme stress? Perhaps this would have been noticeable upon examination, or perhaps it did not matter. Perhaps the $350 price tag comes with insurance? Whatever the reason, this worker — who, by the way is not just a WORKER because they have power and influence, which makes them a leader, regardless of what their title is — made the decision to serve the customer! What a thought!

The second thing worth noting is the outcome of the exceptional customer service: the response from my friend that he will never buy shoes elsewhere. Isn’t this what those of us in sales dream about? Seriously, would you ever buy shoes from somewhere else if you were my friend?

Me neither.

The challenge, and what I want to work on in 2018, is empowering our team to live like this. To handle problems with exceptional service. To show that they care. That we care. And to know that they have our support as they are out there making game time decisions for the good of the customer.

It takes real trust.

And to be sure, it isn’t the only way. In fact, many companies would have told my friend how sorry they are for his experience. Some may have even offered him a discount for the next pair of shoes.

And to be sure, had that been the case, he would still be shopping around the next time he was looking for a new pair of shoes.

That’s why this story is so instructive.