Office Dynamics, Ltd. - Getting to Yes

Getting to Yes

Gain Support from Your Executive for Training and Seminars
You know the scenario: You read about a great seminar, workshop or conference for administrative office professionals. The topics are of interest to you and will help you in your job. You walk into your manager’s office to request his or her approval only to hear “no.” You walk out. End of story.

Selling your executive on supporting your professional development is a skill. It’s also known as the art of persuasion. While teaching, coaching and consulting with thousands of assistants nationwide, I have found that they often don’t see they have to work at gaining support for training and development. They view it as a yes or no situation: “Yes, I’ll get to go” or “My manager will say no.” Instead, an assistant needs to believe, “This is a great program. This will help me become a better assistant and a more valuable employee. How will I sell this to my executive?” You now have your subconscious working to come up with ideas on how to get a “yes” from your executive.

I also hear assistants say, “My executive will never approve this,” so they never even present their case. It’s all in positioning your thinking. You have to truly believe that you are worth investing in, and that you and your executive will both win big with this investment.

I’m providing this advice after being on both sides of the desk. For 20 years I was an assistant, and I often had to persuade my executives to let me attend seminars. Since 1990, I’ve been on the other side of the desk, and I now see things as other executives and business owners do. There has to be return on the investment made in an employee. Use the guidelines below to help you sell the seminar or conference to your executive.

Points to Consider

1. You continually need to learn and grow. In today’s competitive marketplace and at the pace this profession is changing, if you do not continually enhance your skills, build new ones and have a strategy for your career, you will get left in the dust – and your efforts to help managers boost the bottom line won’t be as effective.

2. Don’t feel guilty about being out of the office to attend something that will make you better, faster, smarter and sharper.

3. Get your executive to see the long-term payoff. Executives often think about the number of days you will be out of the office. You need to help them see that while you may be gone three or four days, you will gain skills and knowledge that will take you, and them, into the future.

4. Executives travel all over the country. Why shouldn’t you? Some assistants tell me they can only attend seminars that take place in their cities or states. That is not 21st Century thinking. Assistants should be business partners to their executives, so start acting like a business partner and convince your manager why you should be allowed to travel out of state.

5. I’m sure you receive a lot of information on seminars, conferences and workshops for administrative and executive assistants. You need to be selective. Some things to consider are:

• Who is speaking? What qualifies them to speak on the subjects covered?

• If they are going to speak on how to thrive in your administrative profession, do they understand the career itself? Did they ever work for any length of time as an administrative professional?

• What is the value of the program? In other words, what are you getting for your money? The quality of the materials? Any extra events such as a welcome dinner? What meals are included? Of course, the content is always most important. But when you are comparing seminars and can only attend one, you need to consider these other aspects.

• Is this a lecture, or will you be actively involved in the learning process?

6. Don't Give Up. If you truly believe this training will help you professionally – even if that means simply rejuvenating your enthusiasm about your career – realize it may take three or four attempts to convince your manager. You may have to try different ways or formats to persuade your executive. And remember, timing is important.

Principles of Persuasion

1. Before asking to attend a training session or conference, know exactly what you want to accomplish.

2. To be a good seller, consider the “buyer’s” viewpoint: Try to put yourself in your executive’s position. What key selling points would be important to your manager? How will he or she benefit from your attendance?

3. Learn what motivates your executive: Is it ROI (return on investment), the skills you will develop or the fact you’ll be learning from an acclaimed expert in the field?

4. Keep in mind the format you will use to present your case. Try to gauge your receiver’s communication style preference. Does your executive prefer concise information or details?

5. List the specific topics that will be covered at the seminar or conference, and describe how they tie into your job or future work.

6. Tie key learning points of the seminar or conference to your professional development plans for the year, as well as your department’s goals.

7. Show your executive how the conference will help you in specific areas of your job. Example: Let’s say one of the topics covered will be learning and understanding communication styles. Tell your executive that you will use this information to be an even better communicator by recognizing the many different styles of communication; building stronger rapport with internal and external customers; and complementing the communication styles of your executive and other staff members.

8. If your executive does say “no” to the training or seminar, sincerely ask why he or she believes this is not a good investment. You may be able to counter that perception.

9. Offer options. Say, “Would you rather I attend the conference in May in California or the seminar in September in Atlanta?”

10. It always helps to let your executive know that you will share what you have learned with other assistants in your organization.

11. Emphasize the benefits of networking with peers and learning from others in the field.

12. Negotiate if necessary. Example: Ask your executive to pay the registration and hotel, and offer to pay your airfare. Or, you pay for your hotel stay, and ask your executive to pay for registration and airfare. Be creative!

Most of the time assistants tell me they can’t attend our programs because of budget cuts. Sometimes it really is a budget issue. Other times, it’s just a lack of knowing how to sell the program to the executive. Have the courage to go after what you want. That, in itself, is a learning experience.

Joan Burge is the founder and CEO of Office Dynamics. Since 1990, Joan has helped assistants become “Star Performing” professionals through training, coaching and consulting.

Sept. 30 - Oct. 3, 2008
San Diego, CA

Your completed registration form and payment of $999 must be received at Office Dynamics, Ltd., by September 1, 2008.

We accept

For more information call: 800-STAR-139
Early Early Bird: by 3/1/08	$849
Early Bird: 3/2/08 - 7/30/08	$899
Registration: 7/31/08 - 9/1/08	$999