How does Catalyst work?

Catalyst™ is a learning platform designed to make it easier to keep the Everything DiSC® learning journey going after the initial training and profile completion.  The way Catalyst works begins with the administrator finding the organization preloaded in the system or creating a new organization. 

After organization set-up,

1. Everything DiSC participants are issued a link to either convert their existing profile report and answering a few more questions around application specific products or following a link to complete a full assessment. 
2. Once complete, the results appear in an interactive format as described in post What is Catalyst post  For example, upon seeing their DiSC style, participants may find a link will take them to an introduction video on their style.  
3. Participants can move around in the site to:  click through their results, find other videos about each style, and hear about their own unique style.
4. Colleagues section is the best option for participants to search for people and choose to sort by name, style, newest, or department.   After selecting someone to review, it connects to a page to learn more about that person’s priorities, motivators and stressors discover similarities and differences.  This allows then to see how they and that person compared on scales such as daring versus careful, but best of all, it provides tips on working better together.

The Everything DISC world has changed as we knew it.  Catalyst help participants meet the interpersonal challenges many organizations are experiencing including feeling isolated, lack of empathy, increased conflict and not feeling valued or heard. It is  a new way to engage, connect, learn and most of all have some fun!

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What is Catalyst?

What is Catalyst?

Are you tired of one-and-done training?  Do you look for ways to onboard new team members?   Are new hires feeling isolated in your organization?

We have the solution! Meet Everything DiSC on Catalyst™.  Catalyst™ is a new participant learning platform designed to make it easier to keep the Everything DiSC® learning journey alive. Here participants receive their results in an interactive learning format which includes:

• An introduction video about the DiSC Model of Human Behavior
• Videos about each style
• An engaging podcast about the learner’s unique style
• The theory and research behind Everything DiSC
• Best of all, Comparisons with Co-Workers (Learner may opt-out of sharing their results)

For more on this innovative approach, view video or read How Does Catalyst Work post.

Training on Catalyst

Catalyst comes with its own facilitation training materials where participants can print a profile or simply have the assessment and portal up on a second device during a training session. We love to find new ways of keeping things green!

This new training, like our traditional Everything DiSC is designed to be modular in nature or combined into a half or full day session.  We have had great experience with using this new material both in the classroom and virtually.

Special offers through December 2021:

• Trainers/Facilitators:  Here’s the good news if you are already using Everything DiSC Facilitation Kits, you may upgrade your Everything DiSC Workplace and or Agile EQ and get them both now on Catalyst (even if you own one of them). Go to: https://register.everythingdisc.com/  Enter your kit serial number to start.
• Profile Participants:  Anyone who has completed any of the Everything DiSC assessments in the past can convert to Workplace on Catalyst at no charge!  Otherwise, Agile EQ is retail $120. If you convert any profile to Workplace and add Agile, it’s only $48.  Also, you may convert an existing Agile EQ to Catalyst, the learner can receive a Workplace profile for Free!!! 

Contact Roy or Mary Anne to take advantage of the best offer for you!

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Embracing Technology for Building Stronger Relationships

You may have heard recently about a Texas-based attorney who ended up doing an entire Zoom call as an adorable kitten.  The Zoom call was actually a court hearing with a judge.  The attorney accidentally signed onto the call with a cat filter and could not figure out how to turn the filter off.  He eventually proclaimed “I am not a cat” to the judge, who replied “I can see that.”  The video went viral and the attorney was mortified at first, but then realized that we could all use something to laugh at during these stressful times.

The point here is, like it or not, technology is now playing a huge role in the way we relate to each other.  It is important to keep growing and learning these different ways to connect. 

Video calls have taken the place of door to door and telephone sales, meetings with a co-worker and our team, and even building stronger ties to family and loved ones who are not geographically close.  It was on the horizon, many of us avoided it, procrastinated, or even used excuses, but the pandemic, like a wave brought it to our front door.  So, where are you in all of this?

Were you an early adopter or a laggard? If you are in business, believing things will go back to the way they once were, time to wake up and realize “we’re not in Kansas anymore”.  Virtual technology is here to stay. Do not be left behind just because things seem intimidating to use or you feel it will not be the same as in person.  

I have to admit, I surprised myself. Turning our in-person training to virtual seemed like it would not produce the same results and I would use statements like, “I can’t feel the energy of the group”, “I will look horrible on the camera”, “They’ll never participate the way they would in a live session”. Well, I have been proven wrong. VERY WRONG! While it took extra effort learning how to create engagement and interaction, and learning the formula for balancing chats, polls, discussions and activities, I can honestly say, for our typical training, it is the way to go. 

Do not get me wrong, leadership or team retreats, off-site sales meetings, team building interventions will still be more impactful in-person because you cannot make up the conversations that take place on the breaks, the restaurant or even the bar.  For the most part, if done right, virtual training is the new reality as will be team meetings versus conference calls, many sales meeting and even family connections.  We encourage you to educate yourself as much as you can so that you can keep up with these new and exciting ways to communicate, build relationships and increase productivity.

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When it comes to sales, there is no such thing as winging it

There is a skill associated with persuasive selling that goes back to the times of Aristotle, Socrates, St. Augustine, Martin Luther King, and built into what the specific wording trial lawyer states to win over a jury. Those that are students of the skill are at the top 20 percent of revenue generation in their organization, generating 80% of the business. These people know there is no such thing as winging it when it comes to selling.

Yesterday, I heard a story of a gentleman who got into a sales opportunity. The position, in the medical field, was made to sound glamorous. He is up against a wall and simply hating the business, now hating sales and all his management is doing is telling him, “Get out there and do more”.  Why on earth would this organization even consider letting him waste good sales opportunities without giving him the skills he needs and set him up for success?

This reminds me of some multi-level marketing companies that tell me, we do not call our team “Salespeople.” Instead they are considered Independent Business Owners and the organization brings in leadership training and get them listening to Leadership gurus. Do not get me wrong – if you are going to build a team, you have to lead.  How can they be successful if they cannot sell people on the opportunity?

I am always wary of the call, “I am starting a new business, I want your advice” as so often that is the hook for the bait and switch. Yes, I am a magnet and an ideal prospect for multi-level marketing. Please know, I support multi-level marketing, I refer people for products and careers to those that might be a fit for the individual, my point is simply, we have to give people the skill of moving to the next best activity in the process and the sale will come when the time and the fit is right!

Use this time to sharpen your sales skills.  Reading articles, case studies, and my book (see giveaway in previous post) is a start. To Sell is Human by Dan Pink is another great one.  Three Value Conversations (multiple authors) really helps you with the large account sale.  Do not forget the old classics like The Greatest Salesman in the World and Think and Grow Rich.

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Texas Business Achieves Highest Sales Honor for the Fifth Time

Mary Anne and Roy Davis celebrating award

Wiley announced that Dallas-based business Davis Success Solutions is a 2019 Diamond Award winning partner for Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^®. This achievement is in recognition of the company’s continued commitment to improving organizational culture and teamwork.  Typically, this award is announced and given during the April MindLab Conference.  Due to current circumstances, the conference is rescheduled for October 2020 and award winners were notified in advance.

 

“We are proud to partner with Davis Success Solutions in their mission to enrich people’s lives by building better workplaces and high-functioning, cohesive teams,” says Susie Kukkonen, Vice President of Channels at Wiley. “We are honored to have them as an Authorized Partner.”

 

This is the fifth time the Davis Success Solutions has won the Diamond-level award.  The Diamond designation recognizes the Roy Davis’ commitment to building better workplaces with the help of Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^® proven workplace assessment-driven solutions from Wiley.

 

About Davis Success Solutions
Davis Success Solutions (DavisSuccessSolutions.com) is committed to providing professional training solutions and resources with outstanding support. The company focus is delivering workplace performance improvements that align with the professional development goals of organizations and individuals. It has been that way since the beginning of Davis Success Solutions in 2004.  With his extensive management and training experience in various industries and professions, Roy Davis has a proven track record of helping organizations improve communication, processes, productivity and ultimately their profitability and efficiency.  Owner and president of Davis Success Solutions, Roy has almost fifteen years of experience using DiSC®-based tools. Roy Davis, in collaboration with his wife Mary Anne (Wihbey) Davis of Peak Performance Solutions, deliver client-focused solutions and engaging training to their customers throughout the United States and internationally.  Both are certified Everything DiSC® training facilitators and accredited facilitators for The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team®.

 

Roy Davis says, “I find my partnership with Wiley is an increasing factor in my business success.  Offering Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^® training programs and profiles has been of great benefit to my customers as well. I look forward to similar success with the PXT Select^® hiring and placement tool. I am proud to receive the Diamond award for three years straight [2017-2019] and for a total of five times.”

 

About Peak Performance Solutions

Peak Performance Solutions (PeakPerformanceSolutions.com) is committed to “moving individuals to action” through training and advanced learning. Mary Anne (Wihbey) Davis is president and owner of Peak Performance Solutions.  She is an internationally recognized sales and management consultant and trainer.  Her company provides multiple business training and coaching options for her clients, including customized workshops.  Mary Anne is also the author of “The Sales Messenger: 10 Lessons for Sales Success in Your Business and Personal Lives,” which went into a third printing in 2018.

 

Mary Anne added, “Coordinating with Davis Success Solutions on Everything DiSC^® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team^® has allowed me to offer even more options to my client base.  Participating with Roy in the MindLab conferences and associated awards program, along with receiving Wiley certifications, have taken my company to a different level from when it was started in 1994.”

 

About Everything DiSC® and The Five Behaviors®

Everything DiSC is the leading suite of DiSC®-based workplace training and assessment solutions. These advanced applications combine online assessment, classroom facilitation, and post-training follow-up to create powerful, personalized workplace development experiences. With a global network of independent Partners, Everything DiSC solutions are used in thousands of organizations, including major government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.

 

The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team is the result of the partnership between Wiley Workplace Learning Solutions and Patrick Lencioni, author of The New York Times best-selling book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”. This team development program improves team effectiveness and productivity through the understanding and application of The Five Behaviors: Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results. This unique learning experience helps individuals and teams build effective work culture through communication and collaboration.

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Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team –Team and Personal Development Comparison of Program and Assessment

It’s here! Since 2015 our team leaders have been asking for a way to drive the Cohesive Behaviors through their organizations.  Well, it’s finally here. The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Teams now comes in the original team version whereby, the Team scores how they feel the interactions are collectively as compared to the behavior.  Now, we have the  new Personal Development option allowing the team member to rate themselves and learn in a team setting how to foster the cohesive behaviors together.  Both versions include behavior profiles, reports, and training.  Below are an image and a brief list of the gains from the team and personal development options.

The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Models

Team Development is for organizations trying to change team behavior in specific new or intact work teams.  In other words, you want to move the needle on objective data.

• Target specific team dysfunctions and move toward cohesive model: Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results
• Understand the personalities on the team and how they can work together better (powered by DiSC profile or All Types)
• Build cohesiveness in intact team’s aims and desired actions
• Focus on empowering a specific team and tracking their results

Personal Development helps identify tendencies and preferences related to each construct.  It is used to overcome barriers related to each construct so individuals can be more successful on teams.

• Increase awareness of individual role and effect on dynamics of cohesive team model
• Expand desired behaviors throughout the organization, whether or not utilizing teams
• Empower an organizational culture of teamwork and collaboration

 

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DiSC Training is Beneficial for Leadership and Management

Everything DiSC – Management map

We often hear that behavioral styles training is “all fluff”.  To help leaders understand how it can benefit an organization, we often point to case studies showing how profit-based companies, government offices, and non-profits have implemented Everything DiSC successfully.  These case studies give a big picture benefit for the organization.

What do individual managers who went through the Everything DiSC training to learn their own style and that of their: co-workers/ team mates, managers, and subordinates think about Everything DiSC?  Below are some of the individual comments when we followed-up to find out how the Everything DiSC training helped in managing and/or working with others?

• It helped me to determine how to approach different employees.
• I am very conscious of my actions and re-actions now. Emotions are all good; the way that we allow them to manifest dictates good or bad!!!
• Am more aware of different profiles of Managers and how to handle different styles.
• I’m not so quick tempered when I’m dealing with an outraged employee. I make time to think of his/her style and how to deal with this individual.
• I have more tolerance for other people’s style.
• By learning employees’ style has helped me communicate better.
• When dealing with the District Managers on my level trying to figure out what disc style they are and know that I can’t deal with them all the same.
• I use the disc chart for my managers and it has helped me know how to get more out of them.
• Remembering what DISC style I am trying to communicate with.
• I look at people differently because now I see that other people don’t follow and or hear simple instructions the same.
• Deal with coworkers better.
• Understanding people’s personal style has helped in knowing how to address them.
• When trying to explain projects or instruction to an employee, I now first plan out my execution of direction in accordance to THAT employee.
• Remembering that there are a lot of different personalities in the people I manage.
• Applying the DiSC model to characterize and understand reports and associates.
• Learning and continuing to work on my communication skills (reading people and understanding them to communicate effectively to reach a goal, teach or instruct)
• Try to be more opened minded and look at it from their eyes.
• People are different and need to be led by different manners. Sometimes just understanding how a person works/thinks makes all the difference in leading them.
• Learning each other’s style D, I, C, or S.
• Learn to be more open to other “types” of people and how they learn
• Overall how I approached a problem with any of my guys! Instead of getting in there and pretty much treating them all the same, I try to approach each and every one of them differently and according to the situation they may be in. I always remember what you guys had said….not everyone reacts the same in a situation!!
• Everyone is unique in their own way and how to deal with the different styles of people.
• I do better at recognizing people’s good points and try to build on those points.
• Try to remember I am dealing with many different types of folks that are motivated in many different ways.
• Read people better and communicate with them.
• It’s easy to read people better.
• Understand your leadership style and the style of those who report to you, and whom you work with – learn to understand and speak their “language” to optimize the team.
• Relate to other people that have different disc management styles.
• Learn to be more open to other “types” of people and how they learn
• That everybody looks at things differently and I need to be more open to the concerns and interests of my employees
• Learning about the different DISC styles.
• Relating ideas to personnel and best ways to approach personalities.
• Realize that everyone has a style and each of us should learn to adapt our styles to reach effective communication to be productive.
• Other people are different from myself and will see things differently. That is good. Use it.
• That everyone else in this world doesn’t think and follow simple instructions the same way I do.
• We all deliver and receive information in different ways. I try to remember that when speaking with different DISC types
• Not everyone needs to be managed in the same manner as me!

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Ten Questions Leading to Impactful Lunch and Learn Topics

Lunch and Learn Topic Ideas

A Lunch and Learn is an easy way to encourage continuous leaning in your organization. These short informational sessions can provide quick training opportunities for your staff.  If you are thinking about adding Lunch & Learns to the list of educational options you offer in-house, consider the 10 questions below to get ideas for possible training topics.

1. Have your teams been trained, yet still seemed to fall short in some areas of team-building and collaboration?
2. Do you already have topics you would like to introduce to the team?
3. Is it important to reinforce your company values and business ethic policies?
4. What new products or additional services could you introduce to sales and service staff?  
5. Is there a new management strategy you want to educate staff on and gain buy-in for?
6. Did you do a big training event last year that you should do quick refresher for on one or more key components?
7. Is there a new technology tool in the company that several people need a basic introduction to instead of actual hands-on training? 
8. Are there advanced topics your technical staff members can learn as small snippets of information?
9. Does your leadership team want to learn new skills, however they do not feel they have the time to go to long training workshops?
10. Are your employees feeling stressed or burnt out and in need of solutions?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then a lunch and learn session may be the answer to getting the training out there quickly.  With all the new virtual meeting options out there, you can include remote attendees as well.  Just be sure you test the presentation and technology options before the lunch and learn starts.

For more tips on delivering Lunch & Learn training, see Learn At Lunch: A Great Team, Sales, and Management Training Option.

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Diamond Award Winners Two Years in a Row!

Wiley announced the winners of their product sales awards at the April 24-26, 2019 MindLab Conference in Denver, Colorado (more photos from event).  Among the Diamond-level winners were Roy Davis (owner of Davis Success Solutions) and wife, Mary Anne (owner of Peak Performance Solutions).  Since both Davis’ are certified/accredited facilitators for Everything DiSC and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team training options, their separate training companies are able to collaborate on delivering training workshops and seminars to their various customers.  Both Roy and Mary Anne Davis are also asked to speak on DiSC, leadership, and team-building topics at many association luncheons or dinners.  Additionally, Mary Anne is sought out as a sales/marketing speaker.  Roy Davis is also a popular speaker for career development topics.

All award levels are based on sales of Everything DiSC and  The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Wiley products lines.  The two highest awards Wiley gives are Diamond ($125K+ sales) and Emerald ($75K+ sales), which are celebrated at a special Authorized Partner evening of the MindLab event.  The Davis couple has won Diamond in 2018, 2017, 2015, and 2013.  They have won Emerald in 2016, 2014, and 2011.  Other Wiley awards levels include:  Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz (new for 2019), and Opal.  Many of the other awards have been won by Davis Success Solutions each year since Roy began his authorized partnership for the variety of DiSC profiles in 2005, shortly after staring his business in 2004.  The selection of Everything DiSC behavior profiles and associated reports includes:  363 for Leaders, , Management, Productive Conflict, Sales, Work of Leaders, and Workplace which can be for both personal and professional communication use.  The Davis’ began offering  The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team products and training in 2014 and PXT Select assessments and reports in 2017.

Working with Wiley to increase the training offerings of Davis Success Solutions and Peak Performance Solutions has been successful for both companies.  It has also been extremely beneficial to their clients as well.  Customer success stories have been published in Training and Development Magazine (an ATD publication) and as examples published by Wiley.  The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team success stories include AmerisourceBergen and City of Schertz.  Working with Southwest Business Corporation is an Everything DiSC success story (see also testimonial video).

Peak Performance Solutions has been in the training business since 1994.  Roy Davis and Mary Anne (Wihbey) Davis’ companies have been co- facilitating workshops since 2004 for synergistic success, before the two independent company owners married in 2010.  Each company has other training offerings, besides those based on Wiley products, which are unique based on their individual expertise.  As well as their standard course offerings, both companies also offer customized training in each of their areas of expertise designed to meet their varied client needs.  For training outside their scope of knowledge, each training company may contract with other experts that they collaborate with, in order to insure customers get the best options to fill specific skill gaps within the client’s organization.

Check out their company websites or contact Roy Davis at Davis Success Solutions or Mary Anne Davis at Peak Performance Solutions to find out how they may help you with your training needs.

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What Training Do Sales Reps Really Need?

• “My sales manager told me I just need to make more calls.”
• “My sales manager takes 50% of my commission to come on a sales call
  with me and doesn’t close deals that I know I could.”
• “My company offers product training, but I cannot see
• m to get sales training.”

Above are just a few comments I heard from Sales Representatives in the past week.  These are people who are hungry for success in sales. My life is sales and training.

I have had a passion for  sales and training for 30 plus years. I was fortunate to receive

incredible sales training and sales coaching.   We did a survey of a large sales group and it showed that 53% of the sales people had not been to any type of sales training in over 5 years!

That is like not sending your professional sports players to training camp. A small investment of time and money will yield more sales, a confident attitude, and improved customer relations! You want all of that, right?

Four leading experts agree that the following are keys to success: prospecting, building rapport, call management, active listening, communicating effectively, questioning, time management, showing value, managing objections, closing techniques, and maintaining customer relationships.  Only one expert said “product knowledge.”

Here are a few expert reference articles:

• 14 Sales Skills Every Sales Rep Must Master
• 11 Sales Meeting Topics Your Sales Reps Really, Really Want
• 10 Essential Selling Skills Every Sales Rep Needs
• 10 Essential Sales Training Topics for New Sales Reps

Ok, that is what the experts say – what about actual sales reps?  At Peak Performance Solutions, we did a pre-training survey of 79 sales people to see if their needs matched our training plan for their department.  Their highest desires were to learn how to: build/maintain customer relationships, manage objections/concerns, prospecting, understand customer needs, ask questions, follow a sales process, and understand customer personality styles.  Less than a fourth of the respondents also included: communicate value, time management, presentation skills, and meeting management.

Please note continuous learning should start with onboarding and live training.  Then the continuous part could be computer tutorials, reading books, keynote speakers, off-site seminars, and short concentrated workshops in single topic areas.

So if you want to increase sales immediately, here are a few quick tips for sales training opportunities.

1. The Basics of Sales: Like a professional ball player, your reps need to get brilliant at the basics. They need to learn the art of engagement and have a purpose for every step of the sale.
2. Questioning without Interrogating: Selling is not telling and there is an art to asking questions to get the answers to need, want, budget, buying motives and decision makers without interrogating. We practice the Socratic Method that stimulates critical thinking in a way that helps a client uncover their own need without being talked at.
3. Body Language: It is amazing to me how many cues are lost in translation. If I am going to be a master communicator, then I would surely think it important to read what the clients are “saying” or not saying.

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