Are you defending the caveman?

If there’s one thing that gets my blood boiling, it’s speaking to someone who doesn’t know what the hell they are talking about, but trying to convince me otherwise – especially when it comes to sales and client service roles.

If I call a company and it sounds like the person on the receiving end recites information like a parrot, or is reading a script, I am just about ready to drive over to them and bring out the noose!

I blame this on the way companies train their employees. The “this is all you need to know” training method fails to impress. If you pick up the phone, you want assurance that the person on the other end is an expert, can answer off the cuff questions, have all the answers ready and doesn’t have to put you on hold or call you back because “they have to investigate the matter further”. Which brings me to another point – systems.

We operate in an era where smart, pro-active, customizable systems are available to those who are willing to cough up the bucks. Systems that will get rid of the scripted responses and human error all together. The best approach is an informed approach.

The kind of systems I am talking about provide the opportunity for employees to stay up to date with industry and product knowledge, participating in internal online forums based on solution driven discussions; which is better than any training tool. There is no replacement for experience. Active participation and constant communication is the biggest contributor to ensuring employees who are informed. But, having said that, this only works if you drive the process and create a thirst for knowledge.

Instead of boring, “watching paint dry” type group training sessions where you move through information at the speed of light, it’s more effective to allow staff to train at their own pace. ePharmaC is a great case study for this.

These kinds of systems can be built for all companies and industries. The level of involvement can be determined by the company themselves, so, what’s the problem?

I believe it’s due to the fact that management themselves do not stay informed. It’s much more fun to know the new specs of the car you want to drive than the industry you operate in. There’s a need for passionate leaders. Staff can only add as much value as their environment allows them to.

The difference between cave men and the modern man is that cavemen’s brains could only function on the past, were not capable of forward thinking ideas, so they were stuck in the same place for their entire lives, not capable of progress. The modern man is forward thinking through past and current experience and knowledge – solution driven and progressive. But unfortunately the Caveman genes did not die out thousands of years ago. It’s still prevalent in a handful of people, and unfortunately, it’s most common in middle management in some corporations, infecting customer service, staff engagement and continuing education with in the work environment. If your company has a large staff turnaround and poor customer service, blame the cave man.

The answers are there, and it’s simple. It’s called technology. The only way to stay informed and take your company to the next level is through networking. Start talking to people with knowledge, the trend setters, read their blogs, subscribe to newsletters, participate in or start industry forums. Make this a habit. A way of life.

We all know the age old saying “survival of the fittest”,  it’s never been more relevant than the era we live in, only difference is that the jocks are getting left behind, the well informed are leading the way.