b'the way they want to be treated. you uncover how your salespeople want to be rec-ognized, corrected, motivated, and challenged.The good news is, that with a little bit of legwork, its pretty easy to do. You just need to fully under-stand two things: Reach Beyond the Golden Rule to Something More Valuable1. Understand Their Natural Abilities Following the Platinum Rule and this two-step pro-Startbyconsistentlyusingavalidatedtalentas- cess, our super-competitive fictional manager will sessment instrument that measures the intensitiesdiscovertheirsellersstrengthsandweaknesses of an individuals strengths and weaknesses. and fully understand their coaching preferences.Youll want to choose an assessment that accurate- Theyll know the answers to questions like What ly predicts success before you hire. But in order tomotivates you to achieve goals? and On a scale follow the Platinum Rule, you also need that talentof 1 to 10, how important are contests to you? assessment to provide you with detailed informa- which will allow them to motivate the seller in the tionontheirstrengthsandweaknesses,soyouway that they need to be motivated.know exactly what you are working with and howYou can increase your effectiveness in developing they need to be managed. others right away by knowing what they need from you.2. Understand What They Need From You Press the hot buttonsthe buttons that are, for Ourclientsuseaninstrumentthatguidesthemthatperson,connected!Treatpeoplehowthey through a list of questions including, Do you likewant to be treated and youll find that you use less being given a clear plan to follow, or do you preferenergyandachievegreaterresults.Thepeople to do your own planning? you manage will also be happier and more produc-tive. You cant beat that.If you dont have access to our questionnaire, you can create your own list of questions that will help You must understand whatmakes them tickand treat them the way theywant to betreated. When the Golden Rule Fails, Try the Platinum Rule 111'