WorkPuzzle

The Importance of Self-Activation

If you've ever attended any of our presentations, you've heard both Ben and I refer to Self-Activation, a concept that is the foundation on which much of our recruiting platform is built. 

What is Self Activation you ask?

Allow me to begin by explaining what it is not.  If someone were to call you right this minute, and ask if you'd like to purchase one of their new or used cars, what would you say?  My hunch is that you would quickly interrupt their sales pitch and tell them to never call again.  Why is this?  There are several reasons, but the primary issue is that you have done nothing to demonstrate any interest whatsoever.  This is the coldest of cold calls.  They are chasing you, much like a predator chases its prey -- the target (you in this case) has never taken step one towards demonstrating any interest in the product. 

On the other hand, let's say you drive on to a local car lot, and someone approaches you... Are you offended?  I hope not.  Of course you might say something like, "Allow me to look around a bit" and then later ask him/her questions.  But their approaching you is completely reasonable and expected because you're taking the first step.  The first step is another way of understanding self-activation.  The act of you driving to the dealership to look at cars is one form of self-activation toward the ultimate goal, purchasing a car.  If "self-activation" were on one side of a continuum, the other side would be disinterest, and in the middle would be apathy.  

If you've ever tried to teach a child to swim... oh, how important is it to let that first step be theirs!  Right?  Because if you force the issue, they will resist it for months to come.  How to establish the perfect conditions to get them to take that first step, is the primary problem to solve.  

In whatever you do, whether it be sales, recruiting, or management...begin to consider how to watch for, and even actively elicit from others, forms of self-activation.  Without the other party self-activating, you are stuck in the very weak position of wanting something more than they do.  That never works. 

So, the question that we continually ask ourselves in order to assist you in attaining more candidates and to build software systems to track those candidates is, "How do we elicit a self-activation from people who have never thought about working in real estate before?"  Without going into great detail, we attempt to understand the pain that ordinary people feel, and use this knowledge to appeal to that pain in a way that resonates with reality. 

Once the candidate takes the CCI and expresses interest in being contacted, they have activated their "self" to do  something unusual and new, thereby leaving the door open for you to pursue them for an interview.  Voila!  No cold call.  

In your work, how can you spend more of your time talking to people who have already taken steps toward you without wasting time pursuing people who are running the other way?

1. Identify the pain of your target audience
2. Identify the answer for that pain
3. Identify ways that you might already have access to that target audience (people you could truly help)  
4. Identify easy steps that you can take with them with little commitment in each step
5. Have a solution that addresses their pain

You might be saying, "...but many of these warm leads seem to resist the very thing that they have shown interest in."

That is absolutely normal and should be anticipated.  In the next edition, I'll share with you how to deal with the defense that usually follows self-activation.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Surprise Your Candidates: Play the Respect Card

I think I highlighted one of Peter Weddle’s articles a couple of months ago, and I usually like to let more time go by before I cite him again as a source for a new discussion.

But, the content in his latest newsletter was just too good to pass up.

Why?  Because Peter (unknowingly) identifies a hiring advantage that real estate companies can quickly and easily use to differentiate themselves from traditional employers.

This may surprise you, but that differentiator is respect.

I wish that I could report there has been a sudden and unexpected groundswell of respect that candidates have gained for the real estate industry in recent months.  While this would be well-deserved among many of our clients, there is no real evidence that any change in behaviour has actually occured here.

The change has instead happened among traditional companies who hire employees.  Many of these companies have become very disrespectful toward their applicants, and many candidates have noticed this change.

Peter makes the following observation from the candidate’s perspective:

“For the first time in modern American history, those in transition now have to worry about serial unemployment.  They must endure a grueling and often lengthy job search, and then they have to deal with the ever-present possibility that they may lose their job 6, 12 or 18 months down the road.  No sooner are they employed, it seems, than they face the prospect of becoming unemployed all over again.

There are, of course, a range of reasons for this phenomenon.  The lousy economy, changing consumer tastes, and the introduction of new technology certainly deserve some of the blame.  In far too many cases, however, there's another cause.  It's employers behaving badly.

What does that mean?

Bad employer behavior includes misrepresenting the nature of a job - the tasks it involves or its compensation - and/or the nature of the organization - its culture, values and leadership.  The former is rare because it can only occur if recruiters and other employees are complicit in the cover-up and thankfully few are willing to do so.  The latter, on the other hand, occurs far more frequently than it should primarily because the warning signs are overlooked or, worse, ignored.”

At first, you may not see traditional employers as your competitors, but when it comes to attracting and hiring talented candidates, they are the ones who most commonly lure candidates away.

And while they seem to have the “unfair advantage” of offering upfront salary and benefits, this advantage has a disproportionate impact on desperate people—these are the individuals who put up with the abuse and ignore warning signs of poor employers.

Every real estate hiring manager knows that desperate candidates do not make good real estate agents.  They typically cannot afford the start-up costs and sustain focus on the long-term payoff of a real estate career.

So, an interesting dynamic has developed-- We have traditional employers who disrespect candidates and naturally filter out the desperate candidates for themselves.  Who’s left in the pool?  Non-desperate candidates who have the resources, talents, and self-esteem to not jump at the first thing thrown their way.

Anytime your competitors act badly, it’s an opportunity for you to differentiate yourself.  But you have to counter their missteps with good behavior of your own.

Peter goes on to describe how this is achieved in the hiring process (again, from the candidate’s perspective):

“A decent employer is one that provides the environment, encouragement and support for you to succeed.  In short, it's an organization that respects you as a person of talent.  It recognizes the contribution you make to its success and treats you accordingly.  As a consequence, you are able to perform at your peak, and that outcome - excelling at your work - is the best guarantor of continued employment.

Respect, however, is a two-way street.  Yes, an employer should respect you, but you must also respect yourself.  You must think enough of your talent to ensure you can always deliver it on-the-job.  You must constantly refresh your skills and knowledge so that your talent is as strong, versatile and durable as it can be and must be in today's highly competitive global economy.

With self-respect in place, you are in the right position to evaluate the level of respect you would get from prospective employers.  How do you make that judgment?  Look for telltale signs in the recruiting process of each organization.

For example:

• Does the employer acknowledge the receipt of your resume when you submit it and thank you for doing so?
• Does the employer keep you informed of your status as the evaluation process unfolds?
• Does the employer remove filled positions promptly so you are not applying for jobs that are no longer available?
• Does the employer provide a clear and complete description of its culture and values on its organizational web-site and/or Facebook page?

If you are invited in for an interview, are you greeted in a friendly and courteous way or are you treated as if you're just another widget with DNA?

And, while you are interviewing, are you able to meet with the people who would be your coworkers and are they able to speak freely about their working conditions?”

All of this boils down to respect.  Are you willing to put in the time, effort, and focus on details to show another human being respect in the hiring process?  If you make this commitment, you’ll be well-positioned to attract and engage the next generation of talented agents for your office.  If not, know that you’ll be in head-to-head competition with traditional employers to hire desperate candidates.  That’s a game you can’t win--even if you do make the hire.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Balancing Innovation and Stability

Some of our readers have commented on what appears to be an occasional conflict in our message, especially when we refer to innovation.  At times we emphasize the topic of stability and the unchanging fundamentals of human nature, and then we refer to the vital importance of innovation.  How could these seemingly contradictory messages co-exist?

I'm not sure that this can be answered in one blog, but I'll make a couple comments to help us think through the psychological ramifications of both extremes.  By extremes, I mean that they can be viewed as opposite ends of a continuum, with blind innovation on one end, and rigid stability on the other.

Psychologically, the need or proclivity for stability can be driven by fear.  Whereas constant need for innovation can be driven by impatience, lack of persistence, and impulsivity.

There are currently so many new innovations in technology alone...social media, cloud computing, and mobility are all equally hot topics right now.  So how does a company balance the need for these new technologies, while also maintaining their older, established systems and solutions?

The common understanding in Organizational Psychology, is that there must be a delicate balance and more importantly, you must be aware of why you favor either side of the continuum.  Are you always fighting for stability and resisting change?  Or, are you always leaning towards innovation?  I can tell you that I tend to lean toward innovation, and have slowly made my journey towards balancing that with stability and patience within the last ten years.

For you more impulsive types who seek to innovate everything, you might experiment with recalling instances where your patience and persistence with the status quo paid off.  In contrast, those of you who cling to stability might surround yourselves with people who ask questions that seem bizarre.  Typically, the more odd the questions appear to be, the more likely they are to possibly lead to something better.

A case in point...While Sony was asking "How can we build the smallest MP3 player," Apple was asking "How do we make listening to music cool."  We all know where this led.

So... I continue to listen to basically the same music....but in a very different way.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Confessions of a System Innovator

In my last blog, I described the importance of following and executing a system for any lasting success or improvement to take shape.  I used the example of my ups and downs with regard to my physical workouts over the last 25 years to drive home the vital importance of following and measuring results though a proven system.  My final points were as follows:

1. Find and follow a system. 
2. Do not venture off of the system. 
3. Have someone hold you accountable to the system. 
4. Compete with someone who uses the same system.
5. Track your results and aim for constant improvement.

Now here comes my confession:  While I had been largely following my well-established workout "system," I couldn't help myself.... I had to innovate some variations of my own plan.  

Now the eventual fallout of my innovated system, is that I didn't experience the improvements others had been describing for the last several decades.  So, I did some online research in an effort to figure out what might be going on with my lack of constant improvement, and I found the following emphatic words written on a forum by someone who has trained others to use this system.  He said:  "What is it with you people who think you can alter a system that has been around for four decades?  Do you have some sort of attention deficit disorder, or do you think that you are so special that you can invent a new way of doing something that has been honed by 10's of thousands of people?"  He went on to conclude:  "Listen Carefully.. Don't MESS (he used another word) with the system! Don't add, delete or alter it in anyway.  Follow it and it will work!"   

I needed to read those words, and I needed to read them in that tone to really get it.  So, what is the lesson here?  Why am I reminding you of something that appears to be common knowledge?  Because we all are guilty of innovation when it's not needed.  Why do we do this?  I believe the following are some reasons for our tendency to wander off the system path: 

1. We think that we are facing unique challenges that require a different angle. 
2. We feel bored with the system and want to entertain or stimulate ourselves with variety.
3. We get lazy.  Systems can be mundane and take energy to execute well.
4. We think we're smarter than we really are. 

I'm beginning to believe that one of the primary reasons that McDonald's is so successful, is that it is managed by 24-year-olds and executed by 16-year-olds, who are too young and green to make the erroneous assumption -- "I might know a better way."  

If you are a manager of agents, take it upon yourself to meet with all your struggling agents to investigate in detail what they are actually doing daily.  Get them to sign up for Toggl (time management) and categorize their efforts into the primary tasks that drive success and see if their real time matches their imagined time spent in those activities. 

If you are an owner, CEO, or GM, and you haven't been getting the recruiting results you're accustomed too, peer into your systems that measure activities and see for yourself what is actually happening.  

We all get off course - That's going to happen.  But sometimes we need others to remind us to not "MESS with the system."  I'm back on track, following someone else's system... How about you?

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

The Secret Ingredient of Every Healthy Manager-Agent Relationship

It is pretty ironic that I find myself involved in the real estate industry.  My mother was, at any given point in my life, a bank manager, credit union mortgage officer, or the marketing director for several title companies.  Many of her very close friends are real estate agents.  

During a recent visit to see my mom, I spent a few minutes with one such woman, who started telling me how her manager could ask/tell her to do this, that or the other thing, but she didn't really have to act upon the request.  

“I’m an independent contractor, I don’t have to do any of that!” 

To some degree, the smugness of this comment surprised me since I've never really taken that stance when it comes to my own performance.  In fact, I found myself identifying with many of the real estate managers who have to work with the difficult agents who possess such a perspective.  

But thinking more about the exchange in the weeks following the visit, I started to have more sympathy for the frustration this agent was feeling.  Why did the agent feel so uninspired by her manager? Certainly, there had to be some fault on both sides of the relationship  that created strain and hindered it from blossoming into something more productive. 

As the conflict of the competing perspectives remained unresolved in recesses of my subconscious, the memory of the event was triggered when I came across an article written by business author, Jeff Haden.  Here is part of the article I found:

“Great leaders don't need to struggle to motivate, inspire, and lead their employees. Here's why.

I was struggling to engage the audience. Okay, be honest, I tried not to let it show but I was dying onstage.

So I took a different approach. "In one sentence, what is the key to leading people?" I asked.

So I asked the question and then paused to read the room. Some people looked down. Some looked away. As I expected, no one was going to answer. Cool.

I was about to speak when a voice broke the silence.

'I think I know,' a man sitting in the back corner said, somewhat hesitantly.

A few heads turned in his direction.

'No one cares how much you know until they first know how much you care about them.'

Wait--what?

'Can you repeat that?' I said.

'We think we have all the answers, and maybe we do, but that doesn't matter. No one cares how much you know until they first know how much you care about them,' he repeated.

He took the silence in the auditorium as disagreement.

'No, really,' he said, starting to sound more confident. 'Yeah we're in charge and yeah we talk about targets and goals and visions, but our [agents] don't care about any of that stuff for very long. We can communicate and engage and connect all we want, but no one really listens to us. They just smile and nod and go back to doing their jobs the way they always do.'

'Our employees don't really care about what we want them to do until they know how much we care about them. When an employee knows--truly knows--that you care about them, then they care about you. And when they know you care, they will listen to you... and they will do anything for you.'

Best answer ever.”  

Somehow, I don't think my mom's friend was convinced that her manager truly cared about her and had her best interests at heart.  Harsh comments, such as the one she delivered to a near stranger, suggest that she did not feel valued by her manager.  

Is the manager to blame?  Maybe, or maybe not. I didn't have any information about the manager (there may have been an unknown reason to devalue this agent). I do know that if you want any relationship to prosper, building upon the foundation of genuine care and concern is critical.

If you're feeling strain in the relationships with some of your agents, consider asking questions related to this topic.  At a minimum, you'll rekindle the fire of care and concern that needs to burn at the center of every healthy relationship.

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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Talent Pipelines: The Future of Experienced Agent Recruiting

If you’re a regular WorkPuzzle reader, you know that I occasionally share some insight from Peter Weddle.  Peter recently authored a book called WorkStrong: Your Personal Career Fitness System, and writes a blog (also called WorkStrong) to support his publishing effort.

While these are great resources, I still seem to gain the most insight from his “old-fashioned email newsletter” that he publishes twice a month.  While the delivery method of this publication may seem a little “old-school,” the ideas he presents are often way ahead of their time.

This is exactly the case for his most recent newsletter regarding the future of recruiting pipelines.  Here is some of what Peter had to say:

“What's the number one problem with today's talent pipelines?  Attrition.  According to research, the number of people bailing out of recruiter-built networks typically reaches forty percent or more each year.  Given the time and effort required to load a pipeline, that's a huge loss for any organization.

Unfortunately, for many organizations, a talent pipeline is simply a resume database redux.  Oh sure, today's pipelines are built on social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn, but there's very little social activity actually going on.  In fact, if there's any communications at all with the people in the pipeline, it's either repurposed job postings or hard sell promotions designed to drive traffic to the organization's website.”

Peter goes on to ask an important question:  What is the ideal purpose of a talent pipeline?

If the goal is to just provide a passageway for candidates to move from a passive to an active candidate state, then the results will always be mediocre.  But, if the goal is to provide skilled agents from competitive companies a way of experiencing your organization, then your talent pipeline could become the best tool in your recruiting toolbox.

Peter explains why this small distinction makes such a significant difference:

“[Talented individuals] are almost always employed, so to recruit them, you must get them to do the one thing we humans most hate to do: change.  You have to get them to leave their current employer, turn down offers from other employers and accept a position you're trying to fill for your employer.

That outcome simply will not occur with repurposed job postings and hard sell promotions.  In fact, research indicates that the single best trigger for motivating change among passive, high caliber candidates isn't requirements and responsibilities, but reality - a reality they have the time to recognize and appreciate.

The best talent wants to know what it's like to work in your organization.  Before they will even consider a job, they need to have a sense of what their employment experience will be like.  To put it more bluntly, they must be assured that their personality and principles are aligned with the organization's culture and values so they will be comfortable in its work environment and, able to continue their career success by performing at their peak.”

Read the first sentence of that last paragraph again…"The best talent wants to know what it’s like to work in your organization.”

Providing this experience is the ideal purpose of a talent pipeline.

In our next discussion, we’ll learn how most companies make some common mistakes in trying to make this happen, and how you can avoid them as you start to use this important tool in your recruiting efforts.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Treat Candidates Right--Even Those You Turn Away

Your recruiting efforts may have a more significant impact than you think.  We can all agree that successfully managing a candidate pipeline will result in high-performers choosing to employ their talents in your organization; That's a win for your organization and an automatic loss for your competitors.  

But, what about those candidates who are not a good fit?  Treating them right takes more thoughtful effort and purposeful goodwill.  These interactions also have a significant impact on your company’s reputation.  More specifically, the way in which these candidates are treated on the phone or via responsive emails will eventually flow down to who they choose to do business with when buying, selling, or referring a company for their next real estate transaction. 

Below is an excerpt from an article written by Margaret Heffernan, entrepreneur and author.  She articulates well what we already know to be true...it is not just the hire, it is also the relationship that benefits the company.

“Seize the moment to build your firm's reputation.  Treat all job candidates well during and after the interview process.

Even with high unemployment, leading firms work hard to position themselves as the employer of choice for top candidates.  They spend a fortune doing so--through on-campus visits, conferences, sponsorships, advertising, and search firms.  What's so striking to me is that they waste all that money, but miss seizing the crucial moment:  the in-person candidate meeting.

It's almost schizophrenic, the passion with which top firms woo--and then lose interest in--new-hire candidates.  Once these individuals come in for an interview, the tables are turned, the selling process stops, and the employer metamorphoses into a very demanding customer and the previously-cherished candidate is suddenly treated like a petitioner.

For those who aren't selected, the process is invariably worse.  They have invested a great deal of time, energy, and attention in a job they didn't get.  And even then they may be left guessing for weeks since, these days, almost no one seems to send out rejection letters or explanations.  How can firms who treat people this way expect any outcome other than having now created a large number of people who cordially hate them?  All that initial salesmanship-and the only legacy is one of distrust and disgust.

It doesn't have to be this way.  Much of the feedback that's generated can, and should be shared.  I can hear human resource executives complaining that they don't have time, but here's the question:  After the fortune invested in recruitment, do you want to turn failed candidates into adversaries or evangelists?  It's a choice.  Treat candidates--successful and unsuccessful ones--well and they can become your sales force.  Assuming you've interviewed and tested strong, capable people, they are capable of building your reputation.  But only if you deserve it.”

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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Why using Scripts might kill your recruiting

I realize that using scripts for both selling and recruiting in the real estate industry has been one of the most sacredly protected principles over the last century.  I recently read a fairly long list of scripts used for both selling and recruiting, and found myself bristling at the thought of having someone use them on me.  I'm not sure that they would work.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that they would turn me off.

Now, maybe I'm more hypersensitive than most to being treated like a "target" rather than a person...but I don't think so.  I know that what I am about to say, I have said before, but I will say it again:  People want and need to be understood in every human interaction. 

In the May 21^st and May 28^th editions, I shared a fairly in-depth backdrop to the topic of how to build attunement in order to build attachment.  But, contrary to what I was saying...if, on the other hand, a manager focuses on scripts without a deep understanding of how Attunement and Attachment fit into recruiting and retention, then their "pitch" will never be accepted by the smartest people. 

Much of what is being written about tips on how to recruit Generation X's will (in my opinion) take many managers off into the weeds when trying to recruit.  Many of these tips focus on how Gen X's are "so different than the rest of us."  In my opinion, this is very dangerous thinking.  If we try to get "tricky" with trying to pitch to Gen X candidates in the "right way," we miss the point.  And the point is:  Human nature NEVER changes!!  

There are far more similarities than differences between every generation, and most psychological research would confirm this.  The common denominator that we all need to know is that people want to be attached to leaders who are genuinely curious about who they are, and what they want.  They want leaders who are willing to teach them what they know, and who will mentor and speak into their lives, and/or introduce them to existing successful peers who can do this.  One of our clients, when interviewing a new agent candidate, routinely calls an existing (successful) agent that is within that person's age group and gender, to be at the office at the time of the interview.  Simple, but smart! 

In the next edition, I'll share with you another theory I have about the difficulty with hiring Generation X candidates, and tell you an interesting story about a golf store salesman who practices much of what I've shared above. 

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Books That Will Bring Out Your Inner Entrepreneur

A couple of weeks ago, I challenged you to start evaluating your candidates from an entrepreneurial perspective.  If you missed this discussion, here are a couple of links (1,2) that will get you up to speed.

The line of reasoning in these previous discussions was…if a person approaches becoming a real estate agent from a traditional job perspective, they will not be well-equipped to make the sacrifices and overcome the obstacles to be successful under the current marketing conditions.  The solution?  Find and/or inspire candidates to think like entrepreneurs. 

As I continued to noodle on this topic, it occurred to me that many hiring managers in the real estate industry may be a little rusty on this topic.  While many managers went through a start-up phase when they first became agents, for most that was many years ago.  And while most managers are successful day-to-day business operators, a large majority are running mature offices that are beyond the start-up phase.

So, could you use a little brush-up on what goes through an entrepreneur’s mind?  If so, I would suggest taking a look at the list of books below.  This list was put together by Aimee Groth and Kim Bhasin—both staff writers for BusinessInsider.   

They qualify their selections by saying, “ …we go through dozens of books each year here at Business Insider's War Room.  Many aren't worth a second glance, but there are some every business owner should read.  So, we've put together a list of the best books for entrepreneurs — either from our own recommendations or touted by big-time VCs, CEOs and startup founders.”

Here's the list:

1. "Predictably Irrational," by Dan Ariely
2. "The Four Steps To The Epiphany," by Steve Blank
3. "How to Change the World," by David Bornstein
4. "From Resource Allocation To Strategy," by Joseph Bower
5. "Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, And Made A Fortune Doing Business My Way," by Richard Branson
6. "How To Win Friends And Influence People," by Dale Carnegie
7. "The Zigzag Principle," by Rich Christiansen
8. "The Innovator's Dilemma," by Clayton Christensen
9. "Good to Great," by Jim Collins
10. "The Startup Game," by William H. Draper
11. "Innovation and Entrepreneurship," by Peter Drucker
12. "The Ascent Of Money: A Financial History Of The World," by Niall Ferguson
13. "Never Eat Alone," by Keith Ferrazzi
14. "The World Is Flat," by Thomas Friedman
15. "The E-Myth Revisited," by Michael E. Gerber
16. "Outliers," by Malcolm Gladwell
17. "All Marketers Are Liars," by Seth Godin
18. "The 48 Laws of Power," by Robert Greene
19. "Delivering Happiness," by Tony Hsieh
20. "Steal Like an Artist," by Austin Kleon
21. "Founders at Work," by Jessica Livingston
22. "How Successful People Think," by John Maxwell
23. "The Smartest Guys In The Room: The Amazing Rise And Scandalous Fall Of Enron," by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind
24. "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," by Robert Pirsig
25. "The Lean Startup," by Eric Ries
26. "Start With Why," by Simon Sinek

No doubt you’ve probably read some of these books already, but I would guess that there are at least a few that are new to you.  As a summer reading project, I suggest selecting at least five books from the list that you’ve not read yet, and try to get through them by Labor Day. 

Doing so will help you increase your own entrepreneurial skills, and will enable you to better connect with candidates who would make good entrepreneurs in your office.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Building Trust: Nine Rules

I recently came across a newsletter written by Geoffrey James, a sales expert and author, listing nine ways to build customer trust.  As I read through this, I couldn’t help but apply these rules to recruiting.  Geoffrey states, “No one is going to buy from a person they don't trust.  Here's how to build better client relationships.”  Let me translate…no one is going to work for someone they don’t trust.  Here’s how to build better relationships in your recruiting efforts.

In this newsletter, Geoffrey summarizes a conversation he had with Jerry Acuff, author of The Relationship Edge: The Key to Strategic Influence and Selling Success.  These rules are intended to be shared as part of a sales process (and could be shared with your existing agents), but I think you will see a parallel in the recruiting process as well.

"1. Be yourself.

Everybody on the planet has had unpleasant experiences with salespeople, and many have walked away from a sales situation feeling manipulated.  So, rather than acting or sounding like a salesperson, simply act the way you would when meeting with a colleague.

2. Value the relationship. 

If you want people around you to value having a relationship with you, you must truly believe that relationship building is important.  You must also believe that you honestly have something of value to offer to the relationship.

3. Be curious about people. 

People are drawn to those who show true interest in them.  Curiosity about people is thus a crucial element of relationship building.  Having an abiding fascination in others gives you the opportunity to learn new things and make new connections.

4. Be consistent. 

A customer's ability to trust you is dependent upon showing the customer that your behavior is consistent and persistent over time.  When a customer can predict your behavior, that customer is more likely to trust you.

5. Seek the truth. 

Trust emerges when you approach selling as a way of helping the customer–so make it your quest to discover the real areas where the you can work together.  Never be afraid to point out that your product or company may not be the right fit.

6. Keep an open mind. 

If you're absolutely convinced the customer needs your product, the customer will sense you're close-minded and become close-minded in return.  Instead, be open to the idea that the customer might be better served elsewhere.  In turn, customers will sense that you've got their best interests at heart.

7. Have a real dialog. 

Every meeting should be a conversation, not a sales pitch.  Spend at least half of every customer meeting listening.  And make certain the conversation is substantive and about real business issues, not just office patter or sports chit-chat.

8. Be a professional. 

Customers tend to trust individuals who are serious about what they do, and willing to take the time to achieve a deep understanding of their craft.  Take the time every day to learn more about your customers, their industry and their challenges.

9. Show real integrity. 

Be willing to take a stand, even when it's unpopular with your customer or your company.  You don't need to be adversarial, but have the ability to make decisions based upon what you know is right.  And on a related note:  Never promise what you can't deliver.

Needless to say, gaining trust is only part of the equation. You must also have a product that customers want and need, and the ability to show how you're adding value, solving problems, and so forth.

However, if you don't earn the customer's trust, they'll probably buy from someone else whom they do trust–even if the offering isn't as good."

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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.