Jim has just finished a seven-week odyssey in Romania. He drove over 6,000 kilometers, visiting 30 agencies, trained over 2,300 agents and managers, and visited 25 cities in Romania for ING Romania. As well he presented at the MDRT conference in Romania. As in many companies in most countries of the world, ING was coping with a downturn in the economy. ING chose to pro-act rather than react. They hired Professional Sales Plus, and Jim in particular, to interact, motivate, inspire and change their sales force.

This event was emotionally, intellectually, spiritually and physically demanding. Jim traveled with an interpreter by the name of Adrian Iacobus. Jim and Adrian became great friends through this odyssey. Because of their efforts, they touched a large number of consultants and managers, and apparently inspired them. Following is the message Jim conveyed to all who would listen.

Many companies around the world found 2009 and the beginning of 2010 to be difficult and challenging. Consultants and managers were struggling to fill the gap between the customer’s rising expectations of our industry and their diminished trust in us. It is apparent that many consultants and managers around the world have walked away from the customer. They do not really listen to or problem-solve with the customer. Far too many have become product pushers rather than relationship managers.

Many consultants and managers do not touch the heart of the customer, show them a process that is focused on the customer or find the gap between where the customer is today and where they would like to be in the future. Therefore they struggle to be successful.

We (Adrian and I) observed and participated in a very deep and insightful look at the financial services industry. It was so apparent to us that there is a huge gap between what we offer, how we behave and what the customer expects from us. We tried to fill the gap by encouraging the consultants to think more about the customer and behave in a manner that brings them closer to customer. We must begin to repair the lack of trust they have in us. We gave the consultants and managers processes and tools to allow them to walk with the customer.

We realized this odyssey was truly a gift to us, although it was incredibly demanding. This experience raised our awareness of the reality that all financial services companies are facing as they try to survive and thrive in 2010. The information we learned and the experience we gained will allow us to add greater value to our existing and future clients all around the world.

This trip was a highlight of my 22+ years in the financial services business in Canada and around the world. The Romanians are wonderful people and they treated us with great kindness and courtesy. What an amazing experience. Our thanks to all of you that organized this trip and made it so successful.

As of March 11, 2010, we heard that productivity is up significantly and moral is at a all-time high in ING Romania.  Apparently we had a very positive effect. Wonderful news!

Fundamentally the development and management of a sales team has not changed over the past 100 years.  The existing method of management relies heavily of the manager taking responsibility for their team’s development. This method is successful if the manager has developed the necessary skills, is able to effectively transfer those skills and the follower is willing and responsible to learn, follow and adopt the guidance offered.   Unfortunately in most cases the combination of skills and acceptance is weak or missing.  Therefore most teams are fundamentally weak. To test our conclusion, look at your own teams.  How many sales persons and sales managers in your organization are effectively and successfully doing their respective jobs?  The failure rate in our industry is horrendously high.  Well, we can help change those results.

We are part of the worldwide launching of a new management methodology called OpenAgile©.  OpenAgile© is a value delivery methodology.  It is an approach to doing work that is both practical and principled.  Anyone doing work that needs to be organized, effective and quality conscious can use OpenAgile©.  It enhances the ability of individuals, teams and organizations to deliver value to their stakeholders by developing human capacity, improving processes and, most importantly, encouraging rapid and deep learning.   Proven benefits include helping to increase the level of professionalism, productivity and profitability.  We know you will find OpenAgile© a useful, exciting and revolutionary approach to the development of your sales teams.

OpenAgile© is currently being used by two life insurance teams in Slovakia with excellent results and will be implemented in Romania this year.  We look forward to helping you to adopt this revolutionary new method of quickly developing your teams and meeting all your production goals.  Please feel free to contact us for more information and allow us to add great value to you and your organization in 2010.

Warm regards,

Titus E. Peride, VP Marketing

Professional Sales Plus, Inc.

For more information please visit http://openagile.com

Most business persons and businesses understand the concept of strategic alliances.  The reason to form alliances are many and varied and include such reasons like; monetary, distribution, market access, shared technology and others.  My reason for joining Berteig Consulting is a little unusual.  First reason is that I am an international consultant, trainer and coach.  My international work requires 100-150 days of travel outside North America every year.  I have been doing this for 10 years and it does not hold the same appeal it did in the beginning of the travel.   Don’t misunderstand me, I still like the travel but I pay a price physically.  So joining a reputable and successful Canadian company was appealing to me.

My second reason for the alliance is that I am very impressed with the knowledge, skills, abilities and professionalism that exists in the Berteig Consulting team. Their values were consistent with mine.  During the summer of 2008, Mishkin Berteig (the co-founder of the Berteig Consulting) and I began to investigate how we could work together.

Needless to say we hit it off.  There is mutual respect.  So I made the move to become a CSM and begin to train, coach and consult within his company.  Mishkin and I have already decided to co-write a book about Agile. I have currently written 5 books which are published in 10 languages, one of which is a best seller.  Mishkin and I hope to publish in late 2009. I will continue my international work to some degree, but my strategic relationship with Berteig Consuting will become more important in the coming months and years.

I look forward to adding value to Berteig Consulting, the team members and all of our clients.   I will do what needs to be done to insure the existing and future customers receive the best advice, coaching and training available in the Agile marketplace.   I care about the people at Berteig Consulting and will make sure they receive value from me.  There is a quote I respect … People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!   We at Berteig Consulting care about the quality of our interactions with our customers and the results of our efforts.

James M. Heidema, CSM, CLU, CIAM
Berteig Consulting team member
James Heidema’s Profile

Building The Passionate Team - Book in Russian

Building the Passionate Team - Now in Russian
Authors: James M. Heidema & Carol A. McKenzie

Building the Passionate Team is a very practical workbook to assist any member of a team to more effectively build a high performance team. This book is a problem solving manual where you can learn to diagnose the problem and find workable solutions. It is written by James M. Heidema and Carol A. McKenzie.

Now it has been published in the Russian language. Building the Passionate Team is also published in Polish. If you would like to learn more about these books just go to this link:
http://professionalsalesplus.com/BuildingthePassionateTeam

Recently I wrote an short article on becoming a partner with Berteig Consulting.

View the Article by Jim Heidema

The Passionate Agent in Russian

The Passionate Agent is a very practical workbook to assist Life Insurance Agents to more effectively manage their insurance practice. It is written by James M. Heidema.

Now it has been published in the Russian language. The Passionate Agent is also translated into Hungarian and will be published in 2009. It will book will be translated and published for Greece and Cyprus. If you would like to learn more about these books just go to this link: http://professionalsalesplus.com/ThePassionateAgent

Good day gentlemen!

I hope the results are still encouraging and the advisors and managers are doing their respective jobs. Here is a message for each audience. Please share this with the managers ASAP. Thank you, Jim

++++++++++++++++++++++

For the Managers

Please meet with your advisors on Monday and ask them these questions.

1. As you look back over the past weeks since the seminar with Jim, what are you doing differently or better in your insurance practice? (Listen without interruption!)

2. This is what I see that you are doing differently when it comes to your activities. (Share with them what you have seen!)

3. What has changed in your attitude regarding your customers? (Listen without interruption!)

4. What has change in your results in the past weeks? (Listen without interruption!)

5. This is what I have seen. (Share with them what you have seen!)

6. Finally, what are you going to focus on this week? (Listen without interruption!)

7. Can I help in any way? (Listen, then make a promise to help, then keep your commitment to help!)

++++++++++++++++++++++

For the Advisors (Managers, please print this off and give a copy to each advisor!)

Good day my dear associates!

It has now been two weeks since we spend time together in the seminar. You have had a chance to apply some of the systems, processes and tools we practiced. I have seen the reports and heard the stories and I am very pleased that some of you have had the courage to apply these methods. I hope you are sharing your successes with each other. Remember your only competition is what happens in your own mind, not what some other advisor is doing. Please encourage and motivate each other. You have had some success! Excellent!

This is a critical point in your change process. You have started to make changes, but you can easily go back to your old habits that have not worked so well for you in the past. Please be courageous. Please trust me and the processes I shared with you. You have the capacity to grow and develop great skills and therefore greater results. Please keep changing!

Now is a time to re-commit yourselves to the changes you know you need to make. Please take some time to go back a review the notes you took during the seminar. Now is the time to add one or two new systems, processes or tools into your daily behaviors. Now is the time for you to prove to me, your manager, your leaders, your company and most importantly to yourself that the week we spent together was not a waste of time. I am confident you were the right person to attend the seminar. We all invested a lot of time in the seminar to help you become the advisor you wish to become. Please prove that we were right in selecting you. Now is the time for you to take action!

If you have problems, questions or comments you wish to share with me, then please write me and I will respond!

Warm regards and remember ‘Success is a choice!”
Jim

Map of Cyprus

For the past three years I have been working with Interlife Insurance Company of Cyprus. The company has 10 agencies around Cyprus. I have spent the majority of my time with the field and corporate management teams. We just completed a special week-long seminar for advisors - the APDS - Agents Professional Development in a 4-day rather than 5-day seminar format. Then we delivered a half-day seminar with the Managers on how to manage the advisors over the next 6 months. What made this event special was that we did not charge the company anything except expenses. We structured the billing to prove to the company that our systems, processes and tools when correctly applied, develop high performance agents. Now we will track the advisors over the coming weeks and months, offer guidance when appropriate, and when the 6 months are complete he will be paid. When we are successful we will receive a percentage of the increase in premium generated by the 23 participants. We are excited by this project for it will once again (as it did with ING Romania) prove the value we offer to our clients. (Note - this is a special project and is not something Jim or Professional Sales Plus plans do in the future with other clients)

For the past 10 years I have been building my company (Professional Sales Plus, Inc.).  I don’t think I will slow down any time soon for I love what I do.  The challenge is to find alternate sources of revenue and to keep adding value to my existing and future clients.

The alternate sources of revenue have been my 4 books.   I have sold a good number of them and I am continuing to write more. These books are now in 8 languages.  I have two more coming into print this year - The Passionate Trainer and Another Flippin Change Book.   I am also going to launch a Manager’s Assistant which is a ongoing source of guidance for managers to help them run their business and their teams.

The value I am adding is in the form of copy written seminars that comprehensively train salespersons, first line managers and agency/branch managers.   These are five-day seminars that build skills very quickly. I have sold two of these programs a few times and look forward to selling them in the future. The customer can have me train their trainers to deliver these programs, or I can deliver them to the participants.

I have also launched 3 of 4 websites; this one, About my Professional and Personal Life, and One About my Company.   I am looking for ways to help existing and potential customers to find me on the internet.

Another business project is to enlarge the Professional Sales Plus Team. I now have 9 associates in various countries promoting or delivering the Professional Sales Plus message and seminars.  I have partners in Romania, Turkey, Slovakia, three in Jamaica, China and four in Canada

I will continue to build this enterprise for it is my legacy.

Over the past 6 months I have been delivering a number of seminars around the world (Slovakia, Czech Republic, China, Poland, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus) and it is becoming very apparent to me that many managers know what they should be doing to manage their team but choose not to do it. So why are they not doing it?

I think there are a few reasons, either they don’t
1 - understand what real management is!
2 - have the necessary energy and commitment to do the job!
3 - know how to manage!

What do you think?