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usiness tipsHow to Train Cats and SalespeopleBY JOHN BOEWhich do you think would beharder to train, a cat or a salesperson?Seriously, which one would youpick? While it's true that cats have awell-deserved reputation for being independent,demanding and virtually impossibleto train, the same can be said formany salespeople. Surprisingly, the sametraining and reward techniques requiredto get Fluffy to jump through a hoop canalso be utilized to motivate your salesteam to achieve peak performance!One evening while channel surfing, Icame across a fascinating animal act thatgrabbed my attention. The act featureda cat trainer with a half-dozen cats ofvarying size, shape and color. Unlike acircus lion tamer who attempts to intimidatewith a chair and whip, this mansimply used a combination of treats andverbal praise to motivate his cats to performdifficult tricks. Using only soothingvoice tones and a pocket full of cattreats, he would calmly command eachcat to do its own specific trick. Amazingly,he got one cat to walk on his frontpaws, one balanced on a ball, while yetanother pushed a toy baby stroller acrossthe stage.After the performance, the cat trainerwas interviewed and asked how he wasable to get his cats to willingly obey hiscommands. His response surprised mewith its simple wisdom. He said that hedidn't train the cats at all; he simply figuredout what each cat liked to do bestand then encouraged that behavior!"People need to realize that a cat's indifferencedoesn't mean they can't learncool tricks," says celebrity animal trainerJoel Silverman. "It simply means youhaven't convinced them yet that doingso is in their best interest. A dog naturallywants to please you and will workfor you, but a cat needs a paycheck to bemotivated."Five Tips to Help You TrainCats and Salespeople1. Temperament testing is amust! Before you invest your timeand energy into training make sureyou check for temperament suitability.Temperament testing allowsyou to identify those whoby nature lack the discipline,desire or self-motivation to consistentlyachieve peak performance.Sales managers who lack the benefit oftemperament understanding are inclinedto place too much emphasis on their gutlevelfeelings during the hiring process.If you hire someone that is not suitedfor the position, you will experience lowmorale, high turnover and find yourselfconstantly in the training mode. On theother hand, when you recruit the rightperson you will find that they are selfmotivatedand eager to learn.2. Look for "hot buttons". Traditionally,sales managers have relied primarilyon commission to motivate their salesforce. Unfortunately, a compensationstructure based solely on commissiondoes not address individual motivationalfactors and, therefore, money alone willnot motivate your sales force. A successfulincentive program is a mixture of awards,recognition and peer pressure. There istremendous power behind a timely wordof praise or a handwritten note acknowledgingachievement. While money iscertainly an important ingredient in anyincentive program, it should by no meansbe the only tool in a manager's motivationaltoolbox. If money by itself were asufficient motivation, commission-basedsalespeople would simply sell more withoutadditional enticement.3. Make the training fun and positive.All cats and most salespeople have prettyshort attention spans and lowboredom thresholds. Keep lessonsshort, interesting and always tryto end on a positive note.4. You must be patientwhen training cats or salespeople.It's important torespect individual abilitiesand preferences. Make allowancesfor personality,and don't get frustrated ifthe training schedule doesn'tgo exactly as expected. Remember thatpeople have off days and on days justlike cats. "When I'm really pushingand the going gets tough," says Silverman,"sometimes the cat just sits downand says, 'I give up'. Even the brightestcats, if they feel you're pushing themtoo hard, will, in effect, say, 'Screw you,buddy, I'm going to go over there, sitdown, and stare into space.'"5. Make sure to take time for restand relaxation. All work and no playwill make the cat, the salesperson andthe trainer grumpy. Whether it is playingwith a ball of yarn or enjoying a round ofgolf, taking time out to play is criticallyimportant. By successfully balancing playand work, you will return recharged, refreshedand ready to accomplish more.By incorporating these five powerfultips into your training program, you willdevelop an award-winning sales teamand achieve unbelievable results!John Boe presents a wide variety of motivationaland sales-oriented keynotes andseminar programs for sales meetings andconventions. John is a nationally recognizedsales trainer and business motivationalspeaker. To learn more, visit www.johnboe.com or call 877 725-3750. FreeNewsletter available on Website.Spring 2009 Exclusivefocus — 27