8 Tips to Building a Championship Team

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Melissa D. Whitaker

Coming from being an athlete myself, not only do I strive to be an MVP player at all times, but I also want to be part of a “Championship Team.” If you ever get the opportunity to feel the unbelievable synergy and adrenaline of a winning team, you continually strive to keep that feeling (winning streak) or are in constant pursuit of finding that again.

That feeling also relates to being part of a winning team at an organization. Everyone wants to enjoy what they do for work and most people want to work in an environment that is also fun and “winning” in their field of expertise. There are many things Managers and Leadership Executives can do to create this type of atmosphere and overall results. I came across an article by Rajat Taneja, Executive VP & CTO at Electronic Arts, called “8 Tips to Building a Championship Team” and loved it. The points that Rajat lists resonates with the same message I preach to my clients. If you are looking for additional ideas on how to do this, check out his article below:

8 Tips to Building a Championship Team

Leaders Who Excel

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Melissa D. Whitaker

“Leaders serve as the enablers of talent, culture and results.” Glenn Llopis – Forbes Magazine

I am always fascinated by reading what very successful “leaders” have in common. Glenn Llopis wrote a really good article in Forbes Magazine on February 18, 2013 about the 15 things successful Leaders automatically do every day (link to article found below). I read through his article and agree on his in-depth points. Leaders have a large task at hand that is always revolving and challenging us in many different ways. If you are someone like me who is constantly thirsty for growth and knowledge – take a moment to read his article. If you are someone who wants to know how to become a better leader, this article is a great place to start.

The Most Successful Leaders Do 15 Things Automatically, Every Day

Simon Sinek “Why”

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Melissa D. Whitaker

Want to thrive as a business? Are you clear on “why” you do what you do? Are your employees in alignment with why you started and run your business?

Start with “Why” – this is worth taking a look at for any Executive of an organization. Simon Sinek challenges you to look at “Why” you do what you do as an organization and how having clarity with that is essential to make sure everyone in the organization shares the same passion. Check out the youtube video below:

DISC Profile Assessment Tool

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Melissa D. Whitaker

Have you been looking for an economical way to see effective profiles on the employees at your company? Or how to communicate more effectively as a Leadership Team? How about communicating better with your direct reports? Check out Dave Ramsey’s INSIGHTS – DISC Assessment — I recently took it myself along with one of my client’s Leadership Teams and the results were amazing and right on. This profile assessment helps build teamwork and create better communication.

I highly recommend checking out the link below to see how easy it is to use and how low cost Dave Ramsey has made it for groups of people.

Dave Ramsey’s INSIGHTS

Writing Sales Emails that Get Noticed

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Melissa D. Whitaker

I come across sales people in various industries that all have a different opinion when it comes to prospecting through email. In some industries it seems to be more successful than others. My question is, is it more successful truly because of specific industries, or is it attributed to the way an email is designed and delivered?

Bryan A. Garner wrote an interesting article in the HBR (Harvard Business Review)

Write E-Mails That People Won’t Ignore

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Pros Elite Group and Melissa Whitaker International Announce Partnership

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Melissa D. Whitaker

The Pros Elite Group and Melissa Whitaker International have announced that they have partnered to provide the Office Imaging Dealer network with a comprehensive Top Gun Sales training program designed as the foundation for new Sales hires and a refresher for tenured Sales Executives.

“This five day, web based and Instructor led program has been designed to respond to the hundreds of Dealers who have been asking us to develop such a training offering over the past two years”, said Steve Rolla, one of the Partners of the Pros Elite Group. “This high-performance, customized Sales Training, consultations and proven selling system will help drive performance, generate new prospects, improve negotiation skills and ultimately win more sales,” said Melissa Whitaker “. Like the Pros Elite Group Advanced Hybrid Service Management and Independent Dealer Executive Academy, our Top Gun sales training will be practical and focused on the words to use and actions to take in order to produce more sales. I strongly recommend this program for a Dealer’s New Hires and current Sales Professionals who may be underachieving. It has been my experience that their lack of success can be traced back to deficiencies in the core skills that will be the focus of this training.” The training will be offered on a quarterly basis commencing in June of 2013.

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BTA Southeast Winter Break 2012

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Melissa D. Whitaker

Business Technology Association (BTA) just held another successful conference in Orlando Florida February 10-11, 2012. This summit was designed to deliver thought-provoking content and discussions on the current state and the future of the Imaging Industry. I think the real value was the opportunity for so many influential leaders to chat about business, swap stories, and solve problems.
The event was built around one keynote presentation and five additional education sessions by industry leaders. Many thanks to the BTA and their helpful staff for putting together such a well organized and successful event. This year’s topics included “Understanding Your Customer: Output Strategies” by the keynote speaker Marty Canning, president, Imaging Solutions and Services, Lexmark International Inc., recruiting and selecting sales reps for MS and MPS by Rich Sissen, services challenges every dealer faces by Ken Staubitz, the rise of social media in business by Martin Perry, what’s on the horizon for BTA dealers in 2012 by Keith Kmetz, and yours truly was very privileged to present the hot topic of how aftermarkets is an untapped resource.

Some of the key points that stood out to me were the following:

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