Recently we've been hearing that our economy is slowing down, and that we are headed for a recession. Some say we're already in a recession. It makes good sense to pay attention to economic indicators. But a weakening economy should not give you a reason for your sinking bottom line. If it does, then you may have just found the real cause for your bottom line: blaming it on the economy.Too often people believe the "reason" they are having a particular problem is due to something that is happening elsewhere (and usually outside of their control). This is especially true in the business world. Here is an example:Shoe Store A is doing very well until Shoe Store B opens up across the street. Revenues decline at Shoe Store A as Shoe Store B gets up and going. But, and this is a very importantbut, to the degree that the owner (and staff) at Shoe Store A attribute their decline in revenue to the existence of Shoe Store B, TO THAT DEGREE they will be unable to deal with it.Shoe Store A simply needs to step back and realize they have new competition and take concrete steps to retain their current customers and create new ones. Perhaps they need to streamline their marketing and advertising effort. Maybe they actually need to do some marketing for the first time!

The reason sales are down at Shoe Store A is not Shoe Store B. Sales are down because Shoe Store A did not effectively shift their own gears to keep their business afloat and prosperous.That may sound simplistic, but when an executive or business owner places the blame elsewhere, this very act of "placing blame elsewhere" reduces his ability to devise effectivesolutions. It actually reduces his ability to think straight, because s/he is so embroiled in what is happening somewhere else."Elsewhere" is not a place that you can easily control. But you do have complete control over what happens internally within your business. You do have control over how efficient your staff are. You do have control over how well surveyed your marketing messages are. And you can control the level of care shown to your customers. There are countless aspects of your business that you have control over. Those are the items that should occupy your time and focus. Complete focus. To the degree that you assign thesource of a problem to "elsewhere", to that degree you will be incapable of handling your own scene. Let's look at one more example of this. A dental practice considers it has "slow periods of the year." One such period is the end of the year. Numerous professionals believe the end of the year simply is not as productive as other parts of the year. And of course they have statistics to back up this belief. Every year, December is just very slow.

Then there is the dentist who decided he wasn't going to have a slow December again. So, back in October and November, this dentist figured out a few things to do for December. He remindedhis patients that most insurance companies do not allow you to carry over unused insurance from year to year. He offered his patients incentives to come in during the holiday season. He just plain worked on it so that his December was not a "slow period." The result? He now no longer believes in "slow periods"and of course he has the statistics to back up this new belief.You can always find statistics to match a belief. If you believeyou are going to have slow periods, you'll have them. Why generate the insight, focus and hard work to fix something that you know and believe is not fixable?The same is true on a broader scale with "the economy". If you believe "the economy" is the basis for your declining revenues, you're in more trouble than you need to be. Anything that isoutside of your immediate control is just that: outside of your immediate control. Put your total focus on your self tapping concrete screws internal scene and get yourself busy improving things there.Leave "elsewhere" alone.

DISC Behavior Characteristics  A person who exhibits high "D," or dominant, behavior takes an aggressive, sometimes demanding approach to problems. He (or she) undertakes challenging assignments, and is not afraid to confront his boss when the situation doesn't suit him. This person is apt to say, "It's my way, or the highway."  Someone who displays high "I," or influencing, characteristics is friendly, persuasive and verbally aggressive. If you shut her (or him) in an office away from people or a telephone, her resume will back on the street before the day is done. She loves people and, correspondingly, has a strong desire to be "liked." If you ask her if she has a moment to talk, you're likely to get an earful!  Characteristic number three is high "S," or steady, behavior. This person is easily identified by his (or her) patience and loyalty. He is the one with the 20-year pin in his lapel, who can be counted on to be on the job day in and day out. With his "passive" aggressiveness, he will wait you out. He doesn't mind repetitive tasks, and prefers working on one thing at a time until it is completed. "Steady Eddie" describes him well.  The final behavior in this mix is the high "C," or compliant, individual. She (or he) wants to do things right the first time, every time; and displays this as "defensive" aggressiveness. Her emphasis on quality and accuracy can sometimes drive Ds to distraction, but organizations count on her dependability in positions where exactness matters. She fears your criticism of her work, so you'd better bring plenty of evidence to the table when you confront her with her mistakes. What Makes An Effective Telemarketer?  Remember that what makes each of Flange wood screws us unique is the specific blend of the four characteristics described.

Very few of us display just one dominant characteristic. Most of us exhibit two primary behaviors and two recessive behaviors. Let me explain how this blend would occur in a typical customer representative (CSR) personality.The dominant quality we seek in a CSR is the "S," steady and patient- a reactive, non-combative individual who listens well and is naturally empathetic to distraught callers. The second primary characteristic is the "I," or influence. The person with a moderately high "I" in his or her profile is friendly and persuasive, and enjoys the challenge of verbal dialog.  The one quality you don't want is the high "D." A confrontational person with a bent to disagree tends to heighten, instead of lessen, the emotions of dissatisfied callers. The fourth characteristic is the "C," or compliance, characteristic. I prefer the "C" to be rather high in the profile because this person has a tendency to follow the rules you have established, and not make them up as he or she goes along. This "ideal" CSR profile I depicted on this page.  You'll notice that I placed range boxes around the "Xs" in each of the D, I, S and C categories. However, you will rarely have the latitude to fill your headsets with "ideal" candidates. As this profile system predicts the impact a person will have on your organization, these boxes provide you with some flexibility as you seek qualified candidates. In no instance should this screening device be used to make the hiring decision.  This profile system is best used to filter-out candidates who will not last long in the position. Why will they quit? When you ask a person to use behavior that is not naturally strong in him (or her), you ask him to conjure up qualities that do not reinforce his self-esteem. It's like asking Robin Williams to stop joking around! Let's look at what happened to Phyllis.

An Example Of Evaluating Impact  Each profile produces two graphs. Graph I displays motivated style, the behavior a person demonstrates on the job, and Graph II depicts the innate, natural behavior. In the interviewing process, you should primarily concern yourself with Graph II (basic style). In addition, Graph I (motivated style) gives you an idea of the stress imposed on the person in his or her previous position. Phyllis' graphs are depicted on this page.  Phyllis has great potential, but not for the position of CSR. In Graph II, she exhibits great drive (high "D") and a high sense of urgency (high "D" - low "S"), she is optimistic and enthusiastic (high "I"), has great natural self-confidence (high "I" - low "C"), but is impatient and a sporadic listener (low "S"), and prefers to do things her own way instead of the way stipulated by her CSR manual.