I often see companies make a very clear distinction between revenue generating functions and non-revenue generating functions, i.e. “producers” and “non-producers.”  However, this industry is a bit different, isn’t it?  We have many functional personnel interacting with our clients such as HR professionals, payroll, safety, client support, etc.  What if… we found a way to incentivize and motivate all of our functional areas to upsell/consult clients on:

• Functionality that they are not using that would be of value in their unique environment
• Additional services that they should be using
• Methods and practices that will save them time and money

Sometimes it appears that we place non sales personnel into a “non producer” bucket of “support” or “staff.” But why?  Who else is in the details of our client’s business like them?!

What if we broke down some of the traditional guardrails and challenged our Teams to deliver more via a conversation such as this:

1. Tell me what you see at our clients that prevents them from operating at full potential?

This is the foundation.  Brainstorm to get the creative juices flowing!

2. What can we do today to help them overcome these challenges?

OK, we are getting into the solution mode.

3. What do you do when you identify how we can help them? 

This is where you identify the guardrails.  It is likely that you will hear something like, “I tell the account manager and then they go from there” or “I recommend that the client use X or Y service.”

4. Do you typically find that these solutions get put into action or things stay the same?

Listen closely and be careful here because this can go South if people get defensive.  By this time, they will likely see the logic trail you are walking.

5. If you see the same problems, would you like to get more involved in making changes and helping clients utilize our services better/more?

This is the creative zone.  You can create an individual incentive for this person to be recognized for following up on a recommendation for service expansion or you can create one for all of the members of a specific functional area.

Perhaps the best path is to perform your diligence in each functional area with a set of discussions like the above and then consider how to make this into a “thing” that all of your Teams can enjoy.

In essence, we are trying to tap into the wonderful spirit and desire to succeed, married with guidance and coaching.

At McHenry Consulting, our Profit Management Practice addresses both top line and bottom- line enhancements.  One way to boost the top line is to lead both your traditional “non-producers” and “producers” so that you may achieve the highest return on your invested time.   We perform a deep analysis and can provide you with a combination of operational and leadership best practices that will help you strengthen your financial results.