It’s no mystery that 2009 has been a struggle for all. The year started for most of us with declining or no sales, frozen budgets, layoffs and drastic shifts in behaviors many of us were not prepared for.
As we start 2010 let's remember the lessons we learned from 2009. Remember that success comes from going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. Find your enthusiasm in the start of this New Year. New possibilities and challenges lay ahead of us so let us act without fear and embrace 2010.
We may not be able to change what the economy does, the way the markets shift or how our customers behave, but we can change the way we look at it.
Best to all in 2010!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Lead Generation
This post was inspired by a question that was asked on Linked In. It is a question that seems to always come up around the sales campfire and one that many "sales experts" debate over and over again. The subject is "Touch Points" and the amount of touch points it takes to get to a decision maker .
This always brings a smile to my face when I read about this topic or hear it debated. It reminds me of the Tootsie Pop commercial of the 1970's when a boy asked the wise old owl "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop." The owl says "Let's find out." Then the owl takes his licks of the Tootsie Pop ..." A One... A two-HOO...A three.." Then tells the boy "A Three!" as he crunches the Tootsie Pop on lick number 3. Same can be said for sales touch points. Is the magic number 7, 8, 9, 10? The answer is actually "yes" to all. Allow me to explain…..
If I have a close contact in my network that is close to one of my targets it may only take one touch point to get to the decision maker and close the sale (assuming the target has a need for my product or service). Now let’s say I just happen to be at the right place at the right time when a trigger event is taking place. Again, it may only take 1-2 touch points to get to my desired outcome (i.e. a sale). However, if my target is near the brink of financial ruin or in the process of freezing all budgets it could take a year of touch points to get anywhere near a sale. There are many variables and you need to understand the lay of the land.
If you have read my blogs then you know I tend to take a pragmatic approach. Rather than complicate things or look for a magic formula I try to put the shoe on the other foot. That is to say look at it from my target’s perspective. Here are some basic principles to consider……
- Make sure you can clearly communicate what your differentiating value is.
- Research the company to see if you can find out if they have pain points now or
have had pain points that your product/service can solve.
- Understand what key "trigger" events create a need for your product/service.
- Have a KIT (Keep In Touch) strategy. This may be a marketing campaign so that if the timing is not right (no trigger event is occurring or won’t occur for some time) your product/service will remain top of mind when the trigger event happens. This also helps you move onto the next sale without “letting go” which is hard for us salespeople.
Lastly, stand in your target’s shoes for a moment. Do you want to be called, emailed, etc. 7, 8, 9, 10 times or does that seem harassing and desperate? Do you want your email box filled with all types of advertisements each week? Do you want text messages sent to your phone each day with promotions? Probably not. Soft persistence pays off, but those touch points should have value. A seminar/speaking event, a piece of information that may help others (free of charge and without the need for registering or signing up), a white paper with some case studies.
There is no magic touch point number.....but there better ways to manage those touch points. Good luck out there!
This always brings a smile to my face when I read about this topic or hear it debated. It reminds me of the Tootsie Pop commercial of the 1970's when a boy asked the wise old owl "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop." The owl says "Let's find out." Then the owl takes his licks of the Tootsie Pop ..." A One... A two-HOO...A three.." Then tells the boy "A Three!" as he crunches the Tootsie Pop on lick number 3. Same can be said for sales touch points. Is the magic number 7, 8, 9, 10? The answer is actually "yes" to all. Allow me to explain…..
If I have a close contact in my network that is close to one of my targets it may only take one touch point to get to the decision maker and close the sale (assuming the target has a need for my product or service). Now let’s say I just happen to be at the right place at the right time when a trigger event is taking place. Again, it may only take 1-2 touch points to get to my desired outcome (i.e. a sale). However, if my target is near the brink of financial ruin or in the process of freezing all budgets it could take a year of touch points to get anywhere near a sale. There are many variables and you need to understand the lay of the land.
If you have read my blogs then you know I tend to take a pragmatic approach. Rather than complicate things or look for a magic formula I try to put the shoe on the other foot. That is to say look at it from my target’s perspective. Here are some basic principles to consider……
- Make sure you can clearly communicate what your differentiating value is.
- Research the company to see if you can find out if they have pain points now or
have had pain points that your product/service can solve.
- Understand what key "trigger" events create a need for your product/service.
- Have a KIT (Keep In Touch) strategy. This may be a marketing campaign so that if the timing is not right (no trigger event is occurring or won’t occur for some time) your product/service will remain top of mind when the trigger event happens. This also helps you move onto the next sale without “letting go” which is hard for us salespeople.
Lastly, stand in your target’s shoes for a moment. Do you want to be called, emailed, etc. 7, 8, 9, 10 times or does that seem harassing and desperate? Do you want your email box filled with all types of advertisements each week? Do you want text messages sent to your phone each day with promotions? Probably not. Soft persistence pays off, but those touch points should have value. A seminar/speaking event, a piece of information that may help others (free of charge and without the need for registering or signing up), a white paper with some case studies.
There is no magic touch point number.....but there better ways to manage those touch points. Good luck out there!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Differentiating Value & You
Sometimes in our life we come across people who share something that we did not expect, but really enlighten us to new perspective. I often find that this new perspective is really not new at all, but is grounded in those very basic values we were taught as a child. We may have put them on the shelf to gather dust as we take in new information and move along in our lives, but then we meet a stranger at a grocery store, have a conversation with the cashier at the shopping mall or watch a movie and suddenly the dust that has gathered is instantly blown off. This happened to me the other day and it was a thought that kept boiling in my mind and soon I started connecting it with some business principles and my own job search.
The enlightenment:
As I was holiday shopping for my wife I came across a woman who has spent many years in Asia. She went to school there in her late teens/early 20's, but is not of Asian descent. As I was shopping she was telling me about her business and her process of shopping for unique pieces in the Asian markets. I asked her how she got into this business and how she became so interested in Asia.
She said that she has loved the Asian culture since she was a little girl and this is who she is and she couldn't imagine doing anything else. She told me that the most profitable and deepest relationships she has had both in business and in her personal life are with those that were secure in who they and what they believed in.
As I shopped and the conversation went on I wondered if this was a simple business to customer conversation or a life lesson in the making. Such a basic thought, but profound in a world where change is common and quite frankly....expected! This conversation stayed with me on my ride back home and seemed to reappear again as I watched a movie with my wife called "Four Christmases."
The Connection:
The notion that such a simple concept could bother me so was unsettling and I began to work with it in my mind. I started to think about myself and who I was, the career paths I had taken, my journey as I look for a new job and how this applies....or does it at all. Suddenly it hit me!
Isn't this what we strive for in business? Are we not looking for that key "differentiating value?" Isn't this what we want as we job hunt? To "stand out" from the rest of the candidates? Yes...we so often change because others have or because the competition has shifted into a new direction and soon we find ourselves becoming a "me too.” We allow others to change our business, resumes, etc. to sound like something we are not and we find ourselves in situations that are not a good fit.
What would happen if we stayed true to ourselves? What path would that take us down? What differentiating value do we already have that just needs to be discovered and highlighted vs. changed? Look for those simple lessons in life we learned at a young age and allow them to be dusted off .
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Dr. Seuss
The enlightenment:
As I was holiday shopping for my wife I came across a woman who has spent many years in Asia. She went to school there in her late teens/early 20's, but is not of Asian descent. As I was shopping she was telling me about her business and her process of shopping for unique pieces in the Asian markets. I asked her how she got into this business and how she became so interested in Asia.
She said that she has loved the Asian culture since she was a little girl and this is who she is and she couldn't imagine doing anything else. She told me that the most profitable and deepest relationships she has had both in business and in her personal life are with those that were secure in who they and what they believed in.
As I shopped and the conversation went on I wondered if this was a simple business to customer conversation or a life lesson in the making. Such a basic thought, but profound in a world where change is common and quite frankly....expected! This conversation stayed with me on my ride back home and seemed to reappear again as I watched a movie with my wife called "Four Christmases."
The Connection:
The notion that such a simple concept could bother me so was unsettling and I began to work with it in my mind. I started to think about myself and who I was, the career paths I had taken, my journey as I look for a new job and how this applies....or does it at all. Suddenly it hit me!
Isn't this what we strive for in business? Are we not looking for that key "differentiating value?" Isn't this what we want as we job hunt? To "stand out" from the rest of the candidates? Yes...we so often change because others have or because the competition has shifted into a new direction and soon we find ourselves becoming a "me too.” We allow others to change our business, resumes, etc. to sound like something we are not and we find ourselves in situations that are not a good fit.
What would happen if we stayed true to ourselves? What path would that take us down? What differentiating value do we already have that just needs to be discovered and highlighted vs. changed? Look for those simple lessons in life we learned at a young age and allow them to be dusted off .
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Dr. Seuss
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Customer Experience
Last week I attended a wonderful seminar on Customer Value that was put on by the American Marketing Association of Minnesota. The speaker was Lou Carbone of Experience Engineering: http://www.expeng.com/lou-carbone.htm
If you have not seen Lou speak on the subject of Customer Value you should. He had some fresh perspective on this subject matter and much like other valuable speakers was quite engaging.
Lou talked about the notion of moving from the current practice of "Make & Sell" to "Sense & Respond." It’s about the effect your products/services have on how the person feels about themselves vs. simply selling them on features and attributes (It’s the effect....not the function).
Lou spoke on his own experience with a local Minnesota airline company. The airline company is under the impression Lou is a very "loyal customer" because of his frequent use of their products / services, but in reality his customer experience is anything but wonderful....in fact its horrible. Lou shared that he does not feel good about himself following his experience with this particular airline company (I’m sure we can all relate). Thus....there is a difference between the pains of change vs. a truly loyal customer OR in some cases not having an other options available so the customer is left with no other choice.
Lou also spoke about "The Brand Canyon" which is a distinction between Brand, Service & Experience. Brand being what the customer feels about the company, Service is what the company does to the customer and Experience is what the customer feels about themselves.
One of the last things Lou shared (which I personally believe there is much truth in) is the iddea that what really drives business is emotion not rationality. Think about Starbucks Coffee. Is it rational to drive out of your way and pay $5 for a cup of coffee or is it the way that experience makes you feel?...emotion over rationality.
If you have not seen Lou speak on the subject of Customer Value you should. He had some fresh perspective on this subject matter and much like other valuable speakers was quite engaging.
Lou talked about the notion of moving from the current practice of "Make & Sell" to "Sense & Respond." It’s about the effect your products/services have on how the person feels about themselves vs. simply selling them on features and attributes (It’s the effect....not the function).
Lou spoke on his own experience with a local Minnesota airline company. The airline company is under the impression Lou is a very "loyal customer" because of his frequent use of their products / services, but in reality his customer experience is anything but wonderful....in fact its horrible. Lou shared that he does not feel good about himself following his experience with this particular airline company (I’m sure we can all relate). Thus....there is a difference between the pains of change vs. a truly loyal customer OR in some cases not having an other options available so the customer is left with no other choice.
Lou also spoke about "The Brand Canyon" which is a distinction between Brand, Service & Experience. Brand being what the customer feels about the company, Service is what the company does to the customer and Experience is what the customer feels about themselves.
One of the last things Lou shared (which I personally believe there is much truth in) is the iddea that what really drives business is emotion not rationality. Think about Starbucks Coffee. Is it rational to drive out of your way and pay $5 for a cup of coffee or is it the way that experience makes you feel?...emotion over rationality.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Thoughts On Sales
You know there are many philosophies on selling these days. Books upon books have been written on different processes, techniques, tips, etc. Even for the seasoned salesperson it can be quite confusing and frustrating. Does cold calling work? Does it not? What is the most effective way to get to the decision maker? How do I get past the gate keeper? How do I improve the close ratio? It's enough to make your head spin and keep you tossing and turning in bed at night.
It took me a while through trial and error, but I have been enlightened to a few things that may help you as you read through the next great sales book or attend the next hot seminar on selling for 2010.
Style:
We all have a "style" like it or not. Some of us are more direct, others are softer, some are introverts and some are extroverts. Each of us has our own way we feel most comfortable to communicate. What works for one person may not work for another and understanding and accepting those differences is the key to making you a more effective salesperson. I call it "filtering your leanings."
Yes....I said "filtering." What does that mean? It means that some techniques are just not for you and reading about those techniques (while good information) is not something that you will employ and act on. If instead you have a clear understanding of your style you will find that you can filter out those techniques and styles that just don’t align with you and instead focus your energy into learning styles that are complimentary to your personality and style. You will soon find that the seminars you attend and the books you read will be much more focused and eventually fruitful.
Think Pragmatic:
In this fast paced world we live in we rarely take the time to step back and look at the situation from a practical standpoint. Case in point....I read a sales book once that said it takes 10 touch points to get the decision maker to call you back. Let’s think about this pragmatically. If I called you 10 times or called you 8 times and sent you 2 emails or emailed you 7 times and sent you 3 flyers would you call me back? ….probably not. You would more likely ask me to stop calling or put a block on me. This is also a lot of work for a prospect that may not even be of value to you or you to them. A better approach is to put yourself in their shoes (simple idea that has been around for years) and ask yourself what you would want to hear if you were on the receiving end of any communication. How would you like to be communicated with? What would motivate you to call back?
Think about this.....
There are companies out there making millions of dollars these days to improve the "customer experience" yet very few that look at sales the same way. What kind of experience is your prospect getting from you?
Build Networks for You!:
As we sell it is easy to get hyper-focused on performance, sales quotas, new clients, etc., but as sales professionals we also want to build our own clients. That is to say the relationships we build in our sales role can be a strong personal network of our own as we change jobs, look for key resources and look for mentors /sounding boards. Selling is not just about making the organization you work for profitable, it’s also about making "you" more profitable. Think of yourself as a business inside a business.
Happy Selling!
It took me a while through trial and error, but I have been enlightened to a few things that may help you as you read through the next great sales book or attend the next hot seminar on selling for 2010.
Style:
We all have a "style" like it or not. Some of us are more direct, others are softer, some are introverts and some are extroverts. Each of us has our own way we feel most comfortable to communicate. What works for one person may not work for another and understanding and accepting those differences is the key to making you a more effective salesperson. I call it "filtering your leanings."
Yes....I said "filtering." What does that mean? It means that some techniques are just not for you and reading about those techniques (while good information) is not something that you will employ and act on. If instead you have a clear understanding of your style you will find that you can filter out those techniques and styles that just don’t align with you and instead focus your energy into learning styles that are complimentary to your personality and style. You will soon find that the seminars you attend and the books you read will be much more focused and eventually fruitful.
Think Pragmatic:
In this fast paced world we live in we rarely take the time to step back and look at the situation from a practical standpoint. Case in point....I read a sales book once that said it takes 10 touch points to get the decision maker to call you back. Let’s think about this pragmatically. If I called you 10 times or called you 8 times and sent you 2 emails or emailed you 7 times and sent you 3 flyers would you call me back? ….probably not. You would more likely ask me to stop calling or put a block on me. This is also a lot of work for a prospect that may not even be of value to you or you to them. A better approach is to put yourself in their shoes (simple idea that has been around for years) and ask yourself what you would want to hear if you were on the receiving end of any communication. How would you like to be communicated with? What would motivate you to call back?
Think about this.....
There are companies out there making millions of dollars these days to improve the "customer experience" yet very few that look at sales the same way. What kind of experience is your prospect getting from you?
Build Networks for You!:
As we sell it is easy to get hyper-focused on performance, sales quotas, new clients, etc., but as sales professionals we also want to build our own clients. That is to say the relationships we build in our sales role can be a strong personal network of our own as we change jobs, look for key resources and look for mentors /sounding boards. Selling is not just about making the organization you work for profitable, it’s also about making "you" more profitable. Think of yourself as a business inside a business.
Happy Selling!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
First Blog - Welcome
WELCOME!
This is my first step into the world of Blogging. My goal is to provide content that will be useful to those who are currently in my network and those who I hope to network with down the road.
I have always been a strong advocate of sharing knowledge and so as I attend seminars, learn new perspectives and techniques from other professionals, and read relevant business information in books, I will pass along those learnings.
Quick Footnote......
As I share this information I will be up-front and transparent and tell you that I may interject some of my own experiences, thoughts or ideas.....that is the beauty of being the author of a blog. You in turn are free to agree, disagree or remain indifferent.....whichever you choose is okay with me, but my goal remains to simply share some good information (from my perspective) that will hopefully enlighten you in a new way.
So it begins.......
I am currently reading a book that is called "Three Feet From Gold" by Sharon Lechter & Greg Reid. What prompted me to buy this book is that I was recently laid off from my job and I did not want to get discouraged or develop self pity. I was on a mission to read (which I love to do) something motivating and positive to flood my mind with constructive thoughts and keep the destructive thoughts from creeping in.
As of this blog I am halfway through the book, but wanted to share a few lessons that struck me as profound. The first was...."Never Make a Major Decision In a Valley." The Cliff Notes version of this is that many of us tend to make major decisions about our life when we are at a negative turning point (Loss of Job, loss of a loved one, divorce, etc.). It may seem obvious, and yet not very recognized until the decision is made. Case in point is the start of 2009. How many major business decisions were made when companies were at the lowest point or in a state of fear? These "in the valley" decisions may lead to negative long-term cost impact.
The second thing I read in this book that struck me was this notion of (P+T) x A x A = Success. "P" standing for passion, "T" standing for talent, first "A" standing for association, second "A" standing for action (Passion + Talent X Association X Action).
It may appear complex if you are not a fan of math, but actually this is no math involved. Its simply a good "process of elimination" exercise used to uncover your life's purpose as it relates to your career (i.e. The complimentary combination of what motivates you and what you are talented at).
This is truly one of those books for me that has prompted a lot of good thinking, centers you and starts the building blocks for success.
This is my first step into the world of Blogging. My goal is to provide content that will be useful to those who are currently in my network and those who I hope to network with down the road.
I have always been a strong advocate of sharing knowledge and so as I attend seminars, learn new perspectives and techniques from other professionals, and read relevant business information in books, I will pass along those learnings.
Quick Footnote......
As I share this information I will be up-front and transparent and tell you that I may interject some of my own experiences, thoughts or ideas.....that is the beauty of being the author of a blog. You in turn are free to agree, disagree or remain indifferent.....whichever you choose is okay with me, but my goal remains to simply share some good information (from my perspective) that will hopefully enlighten you in a new way.
So it begins.......
I am currently reading a book that is called "Three Feet From Gold" by Sharon Lechter & Greg Reid. What prompted me to buy this book is that I was recently laid off from my job and I did not want to get discouraged or develop self pity. I was on a mission to read (which I love to do) something motivating and positive to flood my mind with constructive thoughts and keep the destructive thoughts from creeping in.
As of this blog I am halfway through the book, but wanted to share a few lessons that struck me as profound. The first was...."Never Make a Major Decision In a Valley." The Cliff Notes version of this is that many of us tend to make major decisions about our life when we are at a negative turning point (Loss of Job, loss of a loved one, divorce, etc.). It may seem obvious, and yet not very recognized until the decision is made. Case in point is the start of 2009. How many major business decisions were made when companies were at the lowest point or in a state of fear? These "in the valley" decisions may lead to negative long-term cost impact.
The second thing I read in this book that struck me was this notion of (P+T) x A x A = Success. "P" standing for passion, "T" standing for talent, first "A" standing for association, second "A" standing for action (Passion + Talent X Association X Action).
It may appear complex if you are not a fan of math, but actually this is no math involved. Its simply a good "process of elimination" exercise used to uncover your life's purpose as it relates to your career (i.e. The complimentary combination of what motivates you and what you are talented at).
This is truly one of those books for me that has prompted a lot of good thinking, centers you and starts the building blocks for success.
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