Presentation Topic: Interpersonal Influence Inventory
Date: September 15, 2011
Time: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sponsor: Ohio Receivables Management Association
Venue: Dear Creak Lodge & Conference Center
Registration Info: Click here to register.
Presentation Topic: Unlocking the Hidden Power of Your Negotiating Style
Date: September 8, 2011
Time: Part 1 – 2:05pm - 3pm | Part 2 – 3:15pm – 4:30pm
Sponsor: Government Revenue Collection Association
Venue: Hilton at the Ballpark
Registration Info: Click here to register.
Like many kids growing up, I took a special liking to superheroes. And if I had to pick just one as my all-time favorite, Batman would definitely get my vote. I mean c’mon, can any other superhero really compete with the Batmobile and the Batcave? Doubt it.
But that isn’t why he’d get my vote.
He would get my vote because he was one of the only superheroes who didn’t have a superpower. No x-ray vision. No super-sonic speed. No teleportation capabilities. He had to rely on his own unique skills and abilities (and some cool gadgets) to get the job done.
I know many leaders who wish they had superpowers to get their job done. For instance, wouldn’t the ability to predict the future be a helpful interviewing tool? Your company would have the best retention ratio in the industry and you would be the envy of every hiring manager. Thousands of dollars would be saved every year becuase you would hire only the best collectors. Clients would love you. Life would be sweet.
But as fun as it is to daydream, let’s get back to reality.
Your latest class of new hires has shrunk from its initial nine employees down to four employees. A top-performer just submitted her two-week notice, and you have disciplinary warnings to deliver to three collectors who just cannot seem to make it to work on time. Employee-related expenses are through the roof and the pizza parties and Red Bulls are no longer motivating the team.
Sound familiar? If so, don’t worry. Help is on the way.
This summer, I invite you and your leadership team to join collector mentor and insideARM for ARM Summer School 2011. This year’s theme “Creating Superstar Supervisors”is designed to help frontline supervisors and managers identify strategies for achieving high levels of employee engagement.
The ARM Summer School program is a thorough four-course learning experience for supervisors and managers that includes web-based self assessments, online Virtual Learning Labs, testing to make sure students have gotten the lesson, and even follow- up to help supervisors to implement what they’ve learned. There is no travel and there are no full days off the collection floor. The program takes place over four weeks, requiring just a few hours per week.
The facilitators for this year’s program include:
This year’s sessions:
You can save 20% with early bird pricing if you register before the end of the day on Friday, June 17, 2011.
Let’s face it. You and Batman have one thing in common: Neither of you have superpowers. To compensate, you will need to increase your knowledge of what it takes to get the job done. You will need to work on improving your skills and abilities. Thankfully, Summer School can help. See you in class.
If you want engaged, energized, loyal employees, you must have the best supervisors leading the way. Period. Year after year the world’s leaders in employee research find that engaged employees produce better results, remain loyal, are better teammates, and ultimately, create higher earnings for the company. This summer, help your leaders become superstars and get them signed up for Creating Superstar Supervisors.
The ARM Summer School program is a thorough four-course learning experience for supervisors and managers that includes web-based self assessments, online Virtual Learning Labs, testing to make sure students have gotten the lesson, and even follow- up to help supervisors to implement what they’ve learned. There is no travel and there are no full days off the collection floor. The program takes place over four weeks, requiring just a few hours per week.
Regular Price – $899*
Early bird (by June 17) – $719*
Regular Price – $225*
Early bird (by June 17) – $180*
The first participant can save big with early bird pricing – just sign up before June 17. Additional participants from the same company receive an incredible 75% discount. Sign up as many students as you’d like for only $225 (regular price), $180 (early bird).
During my time in student loan collections one of the most difficult challenges I faced was collecting from teachers. I’ve always had great respect for teachers and the important job that they do. Unfortunately, being a teacher doesn’t always pay the bills, especially the student loan bill from a private college.
I find it rather sad that teachers have one of the most important jobs (to educate our future leaders), yet are sometimes poorly paid and underappreciated. I have several friends who are in the teaching profession, and I’ve heard the horror stories of unruly kids, demanding parents, and skimpy budgets. Yet, they stick with it, even going so far as to buy classroom supplies out of their own budget in order to make the learning experience what it needs to be.
In the movie the Freedom Writers, Hillary Swank plays the role of Erin Gruwell, a new teacher who has been given the challenge of teaching a group of “at-risk” high school students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. The movie chronicles Gruwell’s determination as she works to make a positive impact in the lives of her students – a group of students that many people have already given up on.
From the beginning, Gruwell is met head on with opposition, not only from the students, but from department head and colleagues. Yet, Gruwell is determined to make a difference. Slowly, but surely, she begins to win the students over by adapting her teaching style and curriculum to encourage the them to rethink their beliefs. Gruwell takes on not one, but two-part time jobs, in order to provide additional resources and experiences for the class.
As sophomores, the class reads The Diary of Anne Frank and Gruwell challenges her students to keep a diary of their personal experiences, which she later compiles into The Freedom Writers Diary.
The movie isn’t just an imaginary tale either. It’s based on real life events. In fact, The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them went on to become a New York Times bestseller.
If you haven’t had an opportunity to see the movie, I highly recommend it. You can view the trailer here:
As a result of Gruwell’s efforts, lives were changed, a book was published, a movie hit the big screen, and a foundation was established.
American journalist Henry Adams once remarked that:
A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops.”
Gruwell is a remarkable example of just how true Adam’s words are.
How many of us have been fortunate to have teachers like Gruwell? Teachers who refuse to throw in the towel? Teachers who open our eyes to the world of possibilities? Teachers who encourage us when the going gets tough? Teachers who help us explore and strengthen our unique abilities?
I’ve had some great teachers over the years. And I’m not talking solely about high school or college educators either. There have been many people who have helped to shape my knowledge, skills, and abilities for the better. This includes supervisors, managers, trainers, colleagues, mentors, and the like.
This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week and Tuesday, May 3rd is National Teacher Day.
Your challenge this week is to take time to show appreciation for a teacher in your life. Maybe it is the high school teacher who encouraged you through those awkward teenage years, maybe it is your child’s current teacher, maybe it is your boss or corporate trainer.
There are many ways to show your appreciation, but one of the most classic ways to do so is with a hand written thank-you note.
Your words of appreciation may come at just the right time.
Of all the educators that have impacted your life and/or career, who has had the biggest impact and why?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor
To download companion worksheets to use with The collector mentor Challenge, please visit www.collectormentor.com/thechallenge.
© 2011 collector mentor All rights reserved.
Each year the ACA Education Foundation works tirelessly to promote National Credit Education Week (NCEW) during the third week of April.
NCEW is:
A public service campaign that seeks to remind consumers that by simply paying bills promptly and using credit wisely, they are developing good money management habits that will benefit their financial health and peace of mind. NCEW educates consumers about budgeting, using credit wisely and protecting their access to credit in order to ensure success in their personal financial goals.”
If you’ve done your math correctly, you realize that NCEW 2011 is happening this week (April 17-23).
To help companies plan an event, ACA has created a free planning kit that contains a wealth of useful information, including event ideas, financial literacy Q&A, sample press releases, and even a financial literacy quiz. It’s everything a company needs to get active and involved in NCEW.
It might be a little late in the game to plan an event for this week, so don’t sweat it. The challenge for this week isn’t to put together an event in just a couple of days (although that would be cool). This week’s challenge might actually be more difficult than that.
This week, your challenge is to test your financial IQ by taking ACA’s 13 question quiz on credit basics.
As collection professionals, we’re knee deep in other peoples’ finances. We often find ourselves offering budgeting advice, educating consumers about credit reports, and giving tips for using credit wisely. It would make sense, then, that we should know our way around personal finances. If we don’t, what does that mean for the consumers we’re guiding? It’s been said that:
If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
You can see how wide open your eyes are by downloading the quiz here and then coming back for the answer key when you’re done.
Good luck!
1. What do you see as the biggest roadblock to financial literacy?
2. What was your (honest) score?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor
To download companion worksheets to use with The collector mentor Challenge, please visit www.collectormentor.com/thechallenge.
© 2011 collector mentor All rights reserved.
This year is an exciting year to be an Iowa voter. We have to choose between keeping our existing Governor or bringing back a blast from the past. Our longstanding Attorney General is up against a newcomer, and a Senate seat is at stake as well. And then there are the three Iowa Supreme Court justices who might make history by getting voted off the bench. All this in addition to county and city races.
As you can imagine political ads have been dominating the airwaves over the past few weeks. So it came as no surprise when my 11-year-old asked if I would be voting on Election Day. I told him that I would be voting, and then asked him who he would vote for if he could cast a ballot. His answer: Senator Charles Grassley. Why? “Because he’s got a Twitter.”
Yep, Grassley got my son’s vote by playing the social media card.
Thankfully, my son can’t vote yet, because let’s face it, as hip as Twitter may be, who we vote for (hopefully) depends on much more than whether or not the candidate tweets.
Recognizing the opportunity to deliver a life lesson, I shared with my son the reason people vote: To elect officials whose personal and professional values, beliefs, and goals most closely align with their own. I also cautioned him against believing everything he sees on the television and explained the art of the attack ad.
Perhaps, it’s an exciting year to be a voter in your state too. In New York, for instance, State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, well known for his crusade against the bad actors in the collection industry, is running for Governor. It is a race that many in the ARM industry will be paying close attention to.
This week’s challenge is simple: Get out and vote!
If you are drowning in the sea of political attack ads, or are unsure which candidates support the causes you believe in, Project Vote Smart’s VoteEasy is online voter education tool that helps cut through the clutter. Users can select an issue (education, environment, etc.), rate the level of importance, and VoteEasy will identify the candidate(s) who most closely align with the answers you provide. You can also access data on campaign finances and voting records. VoteEasy is not the end all and be all, but it is a place to start, especially if you are a first-time voter.
Dwight D. Eisenhower once said,
The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.”
I couldn’t agree more. Voting is important. If you don’t believe me, would you at least believe Chuck Norris?
1. Do you follow the political issues that affect the ARM industry?
2. Do you believe that every vote makes a difference?
3. Does a candidate’s stance on issues that affect the ARM industry influence your vote?
Be sure to cast a ballot!
Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor
To download companion worksheets to use with The collector mentor Challenge, please visit www.collectormentor.com/thechallenge.
A couple of weeks ago Mike Ginsberg shared his thoughts on what he gets out of attending industry conferences: “My primary objective is always the same for every trade show that I attend: I set out to speak to as many people as possible so I can walk away with as broad a perspective as possible about the current affairs of the ARM industry.”
While people attend industry events for a mix of reasons, I personally subscribe to Mike’s philosophy. I want to broaden my perspective.
In late September, I had the honor of speaking at the ACA of Texas’ 63rd Annual Conference & Southwest Exposition, and instead of hitting the town after my presentation, I made it a point to stick around and attend as many sessions as I could in an effort to more fully understand the issues, challenges, and concerns currently facing the collection industry and agency owners. And, I’m glad I did. I learned new information about data security, virtual collections, and customer complaints. I left more knowledgeable than when I arrived. My perspective was broadened. Mission accomplished.
This week you have the opportunity to broaden your perspective without spending thousands of dollars to fly halfway around the country to attend an industry conference. On October 6, 2010 from 10am to 6pm, EST insideARM.com will host EXPO 10.6.10. It’s free and it’s virtual. You can attend from your office, a Starbucks, or while sitting on your couch in your pajamas. No lost luggage. No missed flights. Nobody telling you, “It’s not in the budget.”
Don’t mistakenly believe that this event is just for C-Suite executives. If you’re currently working on the frontline, or are swimming in the waters of middle management, this event is especially important for you. Let’s face it—your company probably won’t be sending you offsite any time soon. Quite frankly, it’s too expensive and turnover suggests you won’t be around long enough for them to recoup their return on investment.
This is a catch-22, because to learn the language of the C-Suite and move up the ladder you have to discover as much about the industry as you can. Thankfully, this week, you have that opportunity.
You will be able to network and meet new people, catch up with old friends, check out the latest vendor offerings, and take advantage of three educational webinars (complaint management, headline risk, and collector incentive programs). All of which will allow you to do one very important thing: broaden your perspective.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with, learn from and interview some great leaders over the years. When I ask what their secret to success has been, it always boils down to the same thing: Take advantage of every available resource in an effort to learn, grow, and continually broaden your perspective.
This week your challenge is to take advantage of at least one of the three educational webinars at Expo. Then come back here and share what you’ve learned in the comments section below.
1. What do you think about the virtual expo design and setup?
2. Did you make any new connections or catch up with an old friend?
3. What did you learn in the educational session you attended?
4. Did you learn about any new products?
5. How did you broaden your perspective?
I’ll be there. Will you?
Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor
To download companion worksheets to use with The collector mentor Challenge, please visit www.collectormentor.com/thechallenge.
THE PERFECT STORM COLLECTION INDUSTRY WEBINAR SERIES – Part 1
Live Webinar
August 12, 2010
1pm ET/12pm CT
Don’t be caught out in the rain.
The credit and collection industry is being pelted by regulatory and economic challenges. Add to that consumers’ increased use of social media and you have the elements for a perfect storm.
Join insideARM.com and collector mentor as they team up to bring you a three-part webinar series covering the latest advice and strategies for weathering the downpour.
What You will Learn in Part 1:
This first of three sessions dives deep into the critical topic of data security requirements. Did you know that Federal law now requires executive participation? Data security can no longer be delegated to your IT department.
This session will cover the requirements associated with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and the Red Flag Rules, healthcare rules including HIPAA and the HITECH Act, the Federal Information Security Management Act(FISMA), as well as requirements specific to various states.
Panelists will also review myriad industry standards including PCI DSS, ISO 27000, BITS Shared Assessments, and SAS 70. It’s enough to make a business exec’s head spin. Different organizations have different requirements and preferences for which audits they accept; and business could be lost without the proper audit.
You’ll learn about concerns associated with SAS 70, including what it does not cover, the potential impact to your organization as a result of poor public image and loss of customer confidence, and what AICPA says about using SAS 70 for your security audits.
Attend The Perfect Storm: Regs and Red Tape Trends Vital to the Success of Your Collection Operation right from your computer on August 12th and learn:
This is a lesson that all collection executives must have!
Reserve your seat today.
| DATE(S) & TIME | TITLE | NOTES | REGISTER |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2011 Part 1: 11a-1230p CT Part 2: 130p-3p CT | Leader of the Pack - How to Use Your Personal Leadership Style to Help Every Employee Reach Peak Performance | This is an assessment-based virtual learning lab. Participants will complete a pre-webinar self-assessment and take a post-webinar test. | FULL |
| November 18, 2011 Part 1: 11a-1230p CT Part 2: 130p-3p CT | Handle With Care - Complaint Handling and Service Recovery Techniques for Frontline Collection Professionals | FULL | |
| December 9, 2011 Part 1: 11a-1230p CT Part 2: 130p-3p CT | The Incredible Team | This is an assessment-based virtual learning lab. Participants will complete a pre-webinar self-assessment and take a post-webinar test. | FULL |
| December 16, 2011 11a-130p CT | Listen Up! - Improving Collection Results With Effective Listening Skills | This is an assessment-based virtual learning lab. Participants will complete a pre-webinar self-assessment and take a post-webinar test. | FULL |
| January 13, 2012 Part 1: 11a-1230p CT Part 2: 130p-3p CT | Incredible Trust | This is an assessment-based virtual learning lab. Participants will complete a pre-webinar self-assessment and take a post-webinar test. | CLOSED |
| January 20, 2012 Part 1: 11a-1230p CT Part 2: 130p-3p CT | Coaching for Results - Using Team Coaching to Achieve Work Group Goals | CLOSED |
