How to Up-Sell Change

As Freud cautioned, it's insanity to keep doing the same thing and expect different results. You know things have to change. Business as usual is a guarantee to fail. Your boss supports you, but is fairly lukewarm about resources and time commitments. Your staff agrees but then claim they are too busy. Activity traps, inertia, disinterest, ambivalence, fear? people fabricate (consciously or unconsciously) lots of reasons to avoid making change. This is a frequent organizational dilemma: a needed change stalls before you even get started.

Unless you're willing to wait for a crisis (that usually means someone gets fired), start thinking about "up-selling" change. "Up-selling" change means to persuade your employees that making a personal commitment to the change will reap them personal benefits. Similar to up-selling your customers by informing and sharing the value-add to your products or services, you need to demonstrate the value-add of your change initiative. Just like any business problem, you start by making the business case for change. Except in this situation, your employees become your target market. So, you better have a good answer to the "WIIFM" test - What's In It For Me?

Even if you don't know the answer now, don't let that stop you. The best place to start looking for answers to that question is your employees. Go to them and get them involved in your thinking. The act of asking and listening not only engages them, but informs them as well. When people feel partially informed, not part of the "in the know" group, uncertain of what is really happening, and have no clear answer to "what's in it for me?" you are guaranteed to face stiff resistance to change. The act of engaging employees early on in the change process will accelerate acceptance and learning at a pace most managers would be thrilled to achieve. Weave people into your change plans - their buy-in, their reactions, their learning curve, their commitment (or lack of) to adopting the change.

Don't bother to "up-sell" change without first administering the "WIIFM" test. The test is really rather simple. First, do a quick check of your team's vital signs. Walk around and randomly ask people questions like "So, what do you think of the changes we've been talking about?" "How do you think it will impact your job?" "Think you'll be able to adapt quickly to the new system?" You'll be surprised (and maybe pleased) with the feedback you get. If your employees can articulate a positive connection to their daily job performance, then you've passed the test. On the other hand, if you get answers that vary widely across the board, or responses like "what change are you talking about?" "I hope it's not like last time" or "we're so burnt out now, I don't think we can handle another change," you have some serious remedial change management work to do.

If you pass the "WIIFM" test, then your communications have "connected-the-dots" for your team in ways they can understand and absorb into their daily job functions. If you hear resistance to the change, you need to go back and literally reconnect-the-dots for your employees so that they can clearly understand how the change directly or indirectly will impact their job. You can never over-communicate during a change initiative. Continuous, repeated, and rapid information exchange and knowledge sharing are key to successful adoption of change. If you're sick of talking about it, you've probably converted your true believers but have only reached 25% of your people. Talk it up some more and keep "up-selling" the change.

The art and science of dealing with the people side of the change equation is Change Management. As a practice, it draws from a multitude of social science disciplines to effectively bring people, technology, and ideas together at the same time.

(c) 2004 TurningPointe Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Marketing educator, Kelly O'Brien, is creator of the "Create a
TurningPointe!" Marketing Bootcamp. To learn more about this step-by-step
program, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and 20-page marketing
guide, visit http://www.turningpointemarketing.com

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Get More Clients From Networking - Follow The Rules Of Dating!

If you're a business owner, you probably spend quite a... Read More

4 Steps to Successful Offline Event Booths

A great way to gain more local sales is to... Read More

Make Your Mailing a Home Run, Not a Strike Out!

You can use great design and copy to get a... Read More

10 Ways to Get Your Flyers Noticed

An inexpensive way to promote your services is to createvarious... Read More

Word of Mouth Marketing

'Word of Mouth' is still one of the most effectivemarketing... Read More

5 High-Impact Marketing Tips

Here are 5 high-impact marketing tips you can use to... Read More

Mobile Auto Detailers and Newspaper Companies as Clientele

If you are a mobile auto detailer or mobile car... Read More

The Beginners Mail Order Opportunity Guide

The "Mail Order" business is not a business of itself,... Read More

Top Four Marketing Secrets of Building a Professional Practice

Building a coaching or consulting practice can be rewarding and... Read More

Top 5 Kick Butt Marketing Requirements

Cinch your success with 8-second leaders! Step into the saddle... Read More

The Forgotten Market

There are a great many online business people who are... Read More

How to Booste Your Profit Quickly

There are so many competitions by running business. So you... Read More

Cook Up Something Special: How To Create A WOW Experience For Your Clients

My niece recently graduated from high school, and my family... Read More

12 Lessons I Picked Up from Attending Seminars

So you just dropped a tidy sum to attend a... Read More

Future of Marketing Part 2

In Part 1, I discussed how traditional marketing is no... Read More

How to Avoid Giving Away Free Consulting

After spending 30 minutes in a coffee shop with a... Read More

4 Dynamic Marketing Tactics

Some of the simplest marketing tactics often produce the most... Read More

Strategic Internet Marketing

I met Sue at a recent networking event. She is... Read More

Principles of Marketing 101

Marketing results should be measured in only one way ?... Read More

15 Ways to Promote eLearning Programs

Pre-note: In this article, teleclass is an example used to... Read More

Top 7 Ways to Get Your Products in the Hands of Celebrities

Celebrities are the tastemakers that drive brand awareness and usage.... Read More

How To Sell To Howard Stern... Oprah Winfrey... And Paul McCartney!

Do you know what Howard Stern... Oprah Winfrey... and Paul... Read More

For Ongoing Success, Make Marketing a Habit

Make Marketing a Must, Not a MaybeWhen business is booming,... Read More

Developing A Focused Marketing Strategy

You want all of your marketing messages to have a... Read More

The Secret to 100% Success With Your Marketing

There's a secret to marketing, which is so simple, yet... Read More

Marketing Planning Made Simple - Another Small Business Power Tool

Marketing planning must be really difficult and complex, otherwise why... Read More

Direct Mail Personalization

A colleague who does work for a nonprofit organization contacted... Read More

More Marketing Dope

Direct marketing can make you very successful, but you've got... Read More

Mobile Marketing a New Age Strategy

More and more companies seem to be looking for new... Read More

Online Mentorship Programs: Cash in on Your Expertise

Whether you're a former retail store owner known for your... Read More

Marketing Success Defined

How do you personally define success? High income? Substantial net... Read More

Maximizing Your Yellow Page Investment

Yellow Page users are the hottest of all prospects ?... Read More

A Tool For Selling New Ideas!

Imagine tossing a pebble into a crystal clear pond on... Read More