Better Mondays = Better Performance

Drive better Customer Experience, Operational & Financial Performance one Monday at a time!

When I start working with Contact Center owners, I always tell them I’ll be at the site bright and early on Monday morning. I usually get responses like, “…well, Monday’s aren’t the best day to visit because everyone is just getting back from the weekend and things are a little slow. ”Why don’t you start on Tuesday?”,

Yikes! no wonder they are calling me for help to boost their call center’s performance. Top Call Center Operators that I’ve worked with make it a point to hit the ground running on Monday mornings. There is not warm up or ramp up time in the Customer Experience industry where your company and brand (or your client’s company and brand if you are a BPO), are as good as your last call.

As a Call Center leader, do you allow your team to leisurely wander into the office, grab some coffee, talk about the games this past weekend, and, eventually get around to thinking about planning for their day? Monday or any other day of the week?

A word to front line leadership. If you want to be a successful Call Center Leader, grow in your career, break records and develop a loyal and high performing team while and separating yourself from the pack, one simple change can propel you way ahead. Be ready to go on Monday Morning. You should be rehearsing the plan you’ve created on Sunday night in your mind as you drive into the office. In fact, some top operators are holding conference calls with their team on the way in.

If you are a front line Supervisor, Manager or Director, if you get to work wondering what you are going to do on Monday morning, you’ve missed it completely. And, holding a staff meeting on Monday morning without an agenda and no goals does not count. Staff meetings on Mondays often are used to plan the week. By Noon the plan is getting rolled out to the floor. Too late to have a positive impact on Monday’s performance, and possibly, the week’s performance.

If you need a planning meeting, have it on Friday afternoon (another very valuable time period that is often wasted – more on that in a future post). Plan for next week so everyone comes in Monday morning with a game plan and ready to go.

Some of you may be thinking, “Wait Mike, I don’t get paid for Sunday night work.” I say, “oh yes you do! You get paid to bring value to the company and to your team. And that means you plan your work in advance so you have a plan and a direction the minute you are in the building.”

If you want to be paid only for the time you spend clocked in, I’m sure your company has some agent seats they need to fill with good people like you. However, once you accepted a leadership position, you chose a different path. You have a direct stake in the success of the company. You are now a role model. You set the tone, the pace and the energy level for your responsible area. Whether it’s a team of 12 agents or a department of 100, you are in control of the performance and success levels which are directly impacted by the preparation you bring to the job each day.

Those around you, direct reports, Sr. Leaders and Colleagues will see the energy and seriousness you bring to the job. This is not a make it up as you go industry and when others see your approach they will know what you expect and will follow your lead. If not, you’ll have a place to start as a mentor and leader.

Let’s all plan to bring our A-game to Monday Mornings and watch the performance needle move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Product Matters!

I can’t tell you how many folks in Network Marketing over the years told me, “don’t worry about the product, the product doesn’t matter, it’s about signing people up.”

I never did business with those people because, to me, the product does matter a great deal! In fact, I would never represent a product or service that I felt was inferior. I knew that I would be putting my personal reputation on the line when I represented a company and a product so I was very careful. And you should be careful also.

That’s one of the great differences in working for yourself vs. having a JOB. At a job, if your company introduces an inferior product, you have to live with it. Even if you know the product “sucks.” After all, you just work there, right? And, you need the paycheck. When you work for yourself, your business is on the line so you must insist on high quality.

I’ve spent my entire career in Direct to Consumer Sales and Service and I can tell you without hesitation that the product or service quality is a key to your success. Have some people made lots of money with an inferior product. Sure. But, they usually don’t last long once people catch on and enough customers complain. There are some who have made money with no product at all. They’re called frauds and thieves and you must stay far away from them.

If you are new to Network Marketing and looking to change your life through a home based business, I urge you to give any potential businesses you are looking at this important test. When you see the product demonstrated or watch the video, do you immediately say to yourself, “I want one of those.” Or, “Wow, we need that!” If you want one, the business opportunity definitely has promise. But, if you don’t think you want one for yourself, your prospects will have the same feelings.

Here is an example. What do you think when you watch this video?

Remember, sales is not about forcing people to buy something against their will. Good sales people know that if you have a product that sells itself, 90% of the work is done and your chances of making money go way up.

In the end, for any business to survive and thrive, products and services must be sold. Without sales, nothing else happens. Network Marketing is a crowded business with lots of products vying for the attention of you and your prospects. To maximize your chances for success, represent a high quality, “Must Have” product.

If you watched the 2-minute video above and thought, Wow, I want one of those, you now know why the Product Matters.

To your success,

Mike

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