It has been about a week since I have been back in the field now. I can say I’m happy to be back and look forward to bringing this change from the inside out.

 

Currently I have been working on a training workbook to help my employees (and later the whole company) get a solid foundation in both our industry and the company and to help maximize their potential earning power – all while keeping them “self-accountable”.

 

As mentioned throughout my previous posts – I am a believer in using psychology to help my reps become better at what they do. Teaching psychology is not an easy task and most would not understand how to implement it effectively. Using the workbook as a starting point will help bring in some of the psychology into helping our employees become self sufficient.

 

I know what you might be thinking – if it was so easy, everyone would do it! Well everyone does actually – at least anyone actually still in business and growing. They may not necessarily understand how or why it works, but it does. What I am doing is breaking down the pieces into small chunks and sprinkling them around. After all, this is about creating habits and habits is psychology at work!

 

I started it today formally by doing 1-on-1’s with my employees using the standard company format.

 

How is that starting anything different?!

 

Change is easier when it is paired with the familiar! Part of the training procedure I am doing with them involves also creating an action plan. One they themselves write out. But how does this work??

 

Well there are a few simple principles involved. A couple of the biggest are the “foot in the door” technique and the consistency effect. By having them both verbalize and write out the action plan, they are essentially visualizing themselves actually doing the action, but more importantly they are committing themselves to what they are writing. People do not like to be inconsistent with what they say they will do. By having them write out the action, one step at a time, it opens them up to increase that action down the road as they’ve already committed themselves to doing so.

 

If this doesn’t make too much sense to you yet, I would recommend checking out the following video by Dr. Robert Cialdini – and reading his book Influence: Science and Practice!