Grant Stanley Consulting

Sales leaders are obsessed with closing. Even movies elevate closing to a mythical status. We’ve all heard the line, and maybe even implored our salespeople to, “Always be closing” (Alec Baldwin in “Glengarry Glen Ross”). The “State of Inbound 2018” report, which compiled the responses of more than 6,200 leaders from around the world, identified “closing more deals” as the No. 1 priority of sales leaders. Nothing else was even close! It’s no wonder that everyone would like a quick fix. Google the term “sales closing” and you will find: “How To Close A Sale: 7 Closing Techniques And Why They Work”, “20 Modern Sales Closing Techniques That Will Help You Win More Sales” and a host of other closing miracles. However, despite all the fanfare, focusing on closing alone does not work. Here is why. The data from nearly 2 million evaluations and assessments of salespeople conducted by Objective Management Group, shows that fewer than 6 percent of all salespeople are stron...

The key to instant popularity? Make people feel good about themselves. When people around you feel good about themselves, they will like you and seek more opportunities to experience the same inner glow. If it is so simple, why don’t more people do it more often?  One simple answer is that we spend too much energy focused on ourselves and our own feelings that we end up ignoring the energy of others, if only by default. Smile   Sincere smiles from the heart trigger warm, reciprocal feelings. Praise Compliment. Appreciate. Be specific and avoid insincere flattery. Look for the best in everyone and in every situation.  Ask questions that show an interest, listen attentively Use their names. Dale Carnegie, author of the perennial best seller, “How to Win Friends & Influence People,” said “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Empathise See the world from their perspective. Reflect ...

Each year 2.7 million teaching days are lost through sickness and unauthorised absences. Last year 2,500 teachers took early retirement on grounds of ill health. An average secondary school with an average number of absences could face annual supply teacher costs of up to £150,000. Nationally, the cost is about £300 million of tax payers’ monies. More importantly, classes are disrupted, work programmes interrupted and the remaining staff are overloaded with additional workloads. More than half of teachers took almost two weeks’ worth of sick leave last year citing stress, workload and pupil behaviour. So what can be done to boost attendance? And how do you sort the ill from the ill-intentioned? Now I'm not a Teacher (and never have been), but I have managed over 300 staff and I know from experience that sometimes a small investment, on your part, can have a massive impact.  I have offered a few suggestions below, but I'm sure many of you reading this can offer a lot...