Lead from the Front…By Example…

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By Sid Chadwick

“The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word…”……Isaiah 50:4

INTRODUCTION:

Production and sales staffs knew…for possibly the 1st time in their careers…:

sales team meeting…They had a leader….who would not wait for the phone to ring…

…Who recognized the value of relentless, relevant education…for the whole Team…

…Who invited Production Supervisors to attend two-hour Sales Team Education Sessions...every two weeks…

…Who invited major Customers…AND…major Prospects… to come and talk to The Team in detail about their Best Suppliers…and… their “Previous Suppliers”….

Every Sales Call would be prepared…with relevant educational content for my Prospect…(and…for me)….

…As a result…I was always  invited back…requests for appointments always accepted…for our next “sharing discussion”….

…I deeply understood…if my Buyers wanted to see me…they wanted to buy from me…

…We were differentiating ourselves…repeatedly…consistently….

Because my Production Team…and my Suppliers… knew I would ask for …and take instruction, I could make sure my buyers would learn more from me…than anyone else calling on them…!

I have no memory of a request for a return appointment….refused.

When Dick Gorelick was invited to visit by our company president, Dick’s private key employee interviews heard, “It’s a little scary sometimesSid would take on RR Donnelly tomorrow… and probably win.”

Received two weeks ago, and provided here with permission:

“RE: Recently Published Article by Sid Chadwick

Rhett K. Gordon Wed, Mar 29, 2023 at 4:07 PM

To: Sarah Ogburn

I am an avid reader and recipient of Sid’s newsletters which are not only inspirational but more importantly EDUCATIONAL.

I read about the use of “thank you” cards and decided I was going to try it and see what kind of response I got.

It worked. Not only did it work, but it was well appreciated by our customers who received it, so much so gifts were sent in return as well as additional work.

Truth be told, I also today decided to use two cards to say thanks to two members of staff that took it upon themselves to come in an hour earlier this week in order to process the numerous jobs on the floor. That simple note made a world of difference and all day these two individuals had a completely different demeanor…I could only assume it was the cards.

Thank you Sid Chadwick for sharing your wealth of knowledge so freely.

Rhett Gordon
Rhett K Gordon O.C.F.I.S. Ltd c/o 60 A Boundary Road, Extension San Juan, Trinidad 868 372 2777 (mobile) 868 228 3592 (office)”

SUMMARY:

personal noteHow often, or when - did you last send a personal card to an associate, acknowledging their helpful contributions…?

Smaller organizations, with young-thinking, ambitious management - in our great industry…are where the hunger to innovate, perform and grow…can be found.

Smart CEO’s divide their product and customer groups, and P & L’s…for improved accountability, and recognition…!

It’s all about continuous education…and accountability…and giving public acknowledgement to those who support the dream, have a fierce internal work ethic, want to perform, and make their mark.

I lived and died off the support from my Production Leadership and Team…they never left me hanging…or working a weekend - that I wasn’t also there - with them…!

Ultimately, we are all teachers”….Wanzie Collins, CEO, Panaprint, Macon, GA

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