It was one of those typically spectacular sunny March afternoons in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Tops were down on many cars and the golf courses were buzzing with activity. It seemed as though everyone was outside. Everyone, that is with the exception of seventeen business leaders engaged in an enthusiastic leadership conversation at the home of Bob Ditta, former President of Dental Services Group.
George Obst and Bob Ditta, former Chairman and President of Dental Services Group
George Obst, DSG former Chairman, and Ditta were there to contribute to The Leaders Institute, a collaboration between the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce and John Hersey International. It’s mission is to provide business leaders with an opportunity to tune into a high level leadership conversation by exposing them to a variety of businesses and business leaders. The opportunity today was for these local leaders to learn from two leaders that led their team to purchase the Dental Services Group business and then grow that business, in a highly competitive category of 14,000 Dental Labs serving 118,000 Dentist, to double it’s size in fourteen years, without acquisition.
When Obst and Ditta, along with two other DSG executives, purchased the business through a leveraged buyout, it consisted of 34 Dental Labs across the United States doing approximately $30 Million in annual revenue. When the group sold DSG in 2005 it’s revenue’s were in the $60 million range.
This Livingroom Leadership session covered topics like:
the 4 original partners are as different, behaviorally speaking, as different could be. How were they able to allow those differences and still run a successful company. George Obst offered that the solution was a clear delineation of responsibilities, largely tied to the individuals strengths. Ditta added that there was a remarkable consistency in values. Each of the partners was committed to growing the business through employee relations and development. Unlike many of their competitors, DSG took on training, at all levels, like no other company. The strategy was to help the employees learn more and achieve higher levels of knowledge and competence in their jobs. The belief was that it would actually lead to significantly lower turnover levels, more loyalty and thereby increased customer support and service. It worked!
Creating Your Own ceremonies. Each year DSG spent gobs of money to put on it’s annual leadership meeting in Scottsdale (where else?). The teams would arrive with great expectation, primarily for the awards dinner. A pretty extravagant affair for nearly 300, the recognition awards always stole the show. Obst and Ditta agree that “recognition has always and will always be the key to motivation and employee loyalty.” Obstencouraged all the Leaders Institute participants to create ceremonies, even if they were solo-preneurs.
Performance accountability and reviews. Everyone at DSG, from the person working on a bench crafting, grinding and polishing the caps ordered by our dentists, to the Chairman and President, had annual goals. And, the leadership team, some 65 strong were trained to manage to those goals. Every employee had an annual review and the subject of goals was always discussed. As Bob Ditta put it, “Goals don’t lie. You either achieved the goal or you didn’t. If you didn’t, the why is relatively unimportant. How we can do better next quarter or next year is the key.”
Educational goals. Everyone in the company had to have an educational goal. What were they going to do to get better at their job? DSG was willing to invest in these classes and seminars because, in keeping with the values of the 4 partners, training and development would pay dividends way beyond the cost.
Listening. Listen to your customer, listen to your prospects, lost customers and employees. Then have a system in place where what you have heard can be acted upon. This is the bullet to excel, be the best. You will hear and observe everything you need to dramatically improve on a regular basis.
Dental Services Group implemented strategies that were way ahead of the competition, at the time. We look at these strategies as sound, basic leadership habits that work every time. Well, I don’t know about every time, but these sure did work for George and Bob and Dental Services Group.
Rarely have Beverly and I been so touched by a book as we have been by The Go-Giver. It took us all of two hours to read and we immediately asked author Bob Burg to join us on a complimentary teleseminar to go deeper on his 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success. It is Wednesday January 13.
Register NOW! Even if you have schedule challenges, register anyways. Only those registered will receive a link to the recoded interview. Go to:
How many organizations have failed for lack of leadership focus? Contagious Leaders pick a course and remain focused, even when it is a bit uncertain at first.
What used to work doesn’t. What does work is new to many of us and can be intimidating. What is a Contagious Leader to do?
Pass this Leadership Video on to your team members, friends and colleagues. And let us know what you think about our new video format by cpmpleting the reply box below.
During the past couple of years I have become more serious than usual (and I tend to have a serious nature). In April of this year my life and business had gotten so serious that I decided, much to Beverly’s relief, that it was time to make some changes. Since then I have been on a mission to learn to have fun again. Not only has it made me a better person (at least more tolerable to be around), but it has made me a better leader as well. I have discovered that really great leaders are broad thinkers, not narrow minded. Great thinkers have diverse interests. And, really great leaders enjoy leading.
John and Bev dancing at EuroRhythm
In my pursuit to learn to have fun again I have engaged in as many wonderful and new experiences as possible. We’ll share some of them with you from time to time. Beverly and I have taken up ballroom dancing (this is amazing fun,; check out EuroRythm Studios) and photography while expanding our interests in learning about wine, cooking, travel and Opera.
This weekend we engaged in several of these activitites. A ballroom dancing event Friday evening, Tosca at The Met at the Movies (fabulous and you must try this) on Saturday, and a musical Saturday evening. Sunday was the topper. We took a helicopter to Four Peaks Mountain and toured one of the finest (certainly the hardest to reach ) Amathyst mines in the world. The pictures below say it all.
Boarding Helicopter for Four Peaks Mine
Entering the Mine (From L-R; Doc, John, Garrett, Bev and Donna in front)
John Having Fun, Hard Hat and All
We got to keep the minerals we mined and the people at Sami’s Fine Jewelry will process, cut and polish the best of our stones and give it to us. Bev had some pretty huge rocks so maybe we’ll retire soon.
Finally, Just in case you are thinking this was looking like lots of work and very little fun check out the picture below.
John & Bev
You have no doubt heard the saying about all work and no play making John a dull boy. Learn to have fun again and the work and play will make us all better leaders. Besides, it makes for Unforgettable Weekends filled with Unforgettable Experiences.
There was a time when the Internet was all about speed. We sent emails (fast) and people would expect us to respond (fast). Now, this is still true but the Internet has become a tool for much more than speed. Click here to view our video, Vibrant Communications.
Employees, customers and prospects have different needs and learning styles. Some like to watch (video), some like to listen (audio), while others are at there best when reading. We wrote about this in our book, Creating Contagious Leadership, in the chapter The Habit of Vibrant Communication.
If we just do that which is fast or efficient (email), we will fail to communicate with large numbers of people. If, however, we practice Vibrant Communication and include variety, our communication will break through to all audiences.
This post is a good example. The same message delivered by video, and the written word.
And, if you want to listen to the message in audio format, click the play button below.
The question is are you practicing Vibrant Communication? Are you being a Contagious Leader or just doing that which is efficient (fast). At the end of the day leadership is about effectiveness more than efficiency.
So, open up, practice Vibrant Communication and watch your leadership soar.
Nido Qubein has been a friend and business coach for John and me. He has a strong vision of leadership. Nido came to this country at 17 years old, with $50 bucks and unable to speak English. He is now a multi-millionaire. He is a sensitive and insightful leader who creates success in every project he takes on.
The following quotes are extracted from his book Stairway To Success. I hope you’ll find inspiration in his words:
• You cannot give that which you do not possess.
• Relationships break down when there is a preoccupation with self.
• Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.
• The practical side of dreaming is being willing to pay the price to make those dreams come true.
• If you work only on days you feel like working, you’ll never amount to much.
• Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? A thermometer only reflects the temperature of its environment, adjusting to the situation. But a thermostat initiates action to change the temperature in its environment.
• Those with a strong self-image realize that the only way to keep from making mistakes is to do nothing — and that’s the biggest mistake of all.
• The process of growing and learning always involves risk. No one ever becomes perfect; but anyone can improve.
• Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your attitude.
• If you could view your life as you do a highway from an airliner, many of the detours and curves would make more sense.
• The practical dreamers know the harder they work, the luckier they get.
• No failure, misfortune, or mistake is ever so great that nothing good can come from it.
• Only when your memories are more important to you than your goals are
you old.
• Fixing the blame is never important, and fixing the relationship is never unimportant.
• You can’t think your way into acting positively; but you can act your way into thinking positively.
• People who are looking for something to make them happy, somehow never seem to find it. Yet those who find a way to be happy while they are looking for something, typically find what they are looking for.
• What matters is not so much how you got to be the way you are now, but what you do with the person you have become.
• A strong awareness that you are loved by God provides the most solid foundation for building high
self-esteem.
• Your best bet for a good job is to do the best you can with the one you have right now.
• Those who spend their lives searching for happiness never find it, while those who search for meaning, purpose, and strong personal relationships find that happiness usually comes to them as a by-product of those three things.
Dr. Nido R. Qubein is president of High Point University and
chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company.
Isn’t this exactly what we all need right now, More Sales, Less Selling!
Well, please pardon the shameless self-promotion but we are thrilled and feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the response to the publication of our new eBook, More Sales, Less Selling. This is such a simple concept, selling more while selling less.
More Sales, Less Selling
Beverly is fond of saying that in every book, eBook and seminar people read and or attend there are a number of elephant sized footprints. Our jobs are to focus in on these footprints, separating them from all the other information so we can glean the real treasure in the message. The elephant sized footprint in More Sales, Less Selling is the More Sales, Less Selling Referral System™ outlined in Chapters 8-12. By executing this system as a separate strategy, rather than relying on asking for referrals as an add-on conversation, one of the 5 Deadly Mistakes People Make When Asking for Referrals, we can shape our business and create an endless stream of profitable customers.
Steve Chandler, best selling author of Fearless and the Joy of Selling had this to say about More Sales, Less Selling:
“This system will be assigned training for
every sales team. It will sweep the planet
with a total reversal in the attitude of selling.”
For only $14.97 we think it is a great value and a necessary tool, particularly in our current economic environment.
To order More Sales, Less Selling just click here.
Please let us know what you think by offering a comment below. And, be a good friend and pass this post on to others who could use the help of More Sales, Less Selling.
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