Speakers at last month's AIMCAL meeting provided management lessons when it comes to giving employees what they need as well as what might happen if sales employees were given a different perspective on their role. As keynoter, US Navy Commander (Ret.) Kirk Lippold first gave a gripping, detailed account of the October 2000 attack by al Qaeda on the USS Cole. He also offered a checklist of leadership skills for anyone to apply in business and daily life.

1. What do employees want? They want to know what their job is, what performance standards must be met, and examples of true leadership. For the USS Cole, the extensive training, evaluation and military leadership on the ship were vital to saving lives and the vessel itself.
2. What do employees need? They need the right training, the tools to do their jobs and the time to get it all done. Ditto for the Cole.
3. What two lessons should all leaders learn? Know when to keep quiet, and know how much leeway to give your employees. Lippold explained that seeing how well his crew worked as it was trained to do after an attack showed him that his best response was to initially keep quiet and let them do their job.
4. What personal trait is most important for leaders? Integrity, as in doing what is right in any situation and sticking by your guns.

Should sales “own” your business? Giving your sales staff an “ownership mentality” just might be what your business needs to get to the next level, advised Rick Farrell, principal with Tangent Knowledge Systems. “What if your sales people were given P/L responsibility for all their expenses? Would they optimize their assets differently?” asks Farrell. What are these assets and their impact on sales?

1. Time. Farrell suggests allowing customers to say “no” earlier than later in the sales process to avoid wasting time.
2. Information. Treat it like intellectual capital. Farrell says to time your release of information to when the customer will actually use it so it is the most beneficial to them...and not just free at first.
3. Resources. Use only what you need when you need it.
4. . Relationships. Everyone knows the adage that “people buy from people they like,” Farrell reminded the audience, but added that today it also means buying from people “who know their customer's business and help the customer sell their products.”
5. Self-esteem. Rejection kills it, so stop making so many offerings; be more discriminating with proposals. The fewer the rejections, the higher your self-esteem, which is too valuable to waste.