The latest issue of Selling Power arrived yesterday and there was an interesting article that offered some predictions for 2009 and how a business would need to adapt in this economy. It started with an interesting story about a CEO that cut his staff by 20% back in October "before things got too bad" - interestingly his competitors used these layoffs as a marketing tool and put fear into the CEO's current clients as well as future clients -would they be taken care of? Are they going out of business? Surely the quality will of the service will be affected? The Result - their numbers went in the toilet because they were losing current customers and the new deals were not closing - with them! If you are thinking the same way as that CEO please reconsider.
Here are the interesting predictions mentioned in the article:
1)Your customers future will continue to be uncertain.
2)Decision makers will have less time than ever to listen to you.
3)Your customers will be overwhelmed with data and have difficulty recognizing fact or fiction.
4)Your customers will have trouble seeing past the end of the current quarter.
5)Your customers will need your help more than ever before.
So are you adapting the approach of your sales group to compensate for these changes? Are the people you have even capable of changing? History is full of Paradigm shifts that left some floundering and others prospering - we are all aware of the dramatic changes going on around us, we have all felt them happening but are we change ready? Have you already changed what you are doing?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Lessons from a Biotech Presentation.
I had a chance to hear Robert Coughlin speak Friday afternoon regarding the advances in the Massachusetts Bio Technology sector and its impact on the State. Robert is the CEO of the Mass Biotechnology Council. I must be honest and admit that I initially thought any discussion on Bio Tech was going to be pretty boring and dry - but it wasn't and I want to talk about why.
First of all as I read Roberts Bio my hopes improved, it was clear that rather than having a super technical background he had risen through the sales ranks and I believe that made a big difference for me and the other 500 people in the room. Could utilizing what he did help you?
1. He gave us a compelling reason as to the big picture. Good sales people start with a positioning statement that addresses the big picture and gets the emotions involved. Bob did this by mentioning his experiences having a sick child and desiring a cure (a very strong emotional argument) and by reminding us of the States former mistakes in allowing some of huge companies of the past to all move out west (very big picture) Now he had my undivided attention.
2. Bob spoke in the vernacular. I was expecting the talk to contain big words and terminologies that my very unscientific Brain couldn't handle - but not once did he go there. He spoke in terms that all 500 could understand.
3.He spoke with Passion and Personal Commitment - it was very clear that this was close to his heart and he let that show. People as a rule are attracted to that type of realism and can relate to it.
So Thanks Bob - I learned a lot, I want to Join the MBC and see if we can help other companies package their story in the way you were able to - like a true sales professional.
Historically speaking - great leaders have always been able to use these same methods to relate to their people and get their acceptance and buy-in. Conversely the hacks have not. Just compare Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Alexander the Great and Henry the 5th to Dick Cheney, Jefferson Davis, Marie Antoinette and Czar Nicholas.
First of all as I read Roberts Bio my hopes improved, it was clear that rather than having a super technical background he had risen through the sales ranks and I believe that made a big difference for me and the other 500 people in the room. Could utilizing what he did help you?
1. He gave us a compelling reason as to the big picture. Good sales people start with a positioning statement that addresses the big picture and gets the emotions involved. Bob did this by mentioning his experiences having a sick child and desiring a cure (a very strong emotional argument) and by reminding us of the States former mistakes in allowing some of huge companies of the past to all move out west (very big picture) Now he had my undivided attention.
2. Bob spoke in the vernacular. I was expecting the talk to contain big words and terminologies that my very unscientific Brain couldn't handle - but not once did he go there. He spoke in terms that all 500 could understand.
3.He spoke with Passion and Personal Commitment - it was very clear that this was close to his heart and he let that show. People as a rule are attracted to that type of realism and can relate to it.
So Thanks Bob - I learned a lot, I want to Join the MBC and see if we can help other companies package their story in the way you were able to - like a true sales professional.
Historically speaking - great leaders have always been able to use these same methods to relate to their people and get their acceptance and buy-in. Conversely the hacks have not. Just compare Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Alexander the Great and Henry the 5th to Dick Cheney, Jefferson Davis, Marie Antoinette and Czar Nicholas.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
War and Technology
I was watching a documentary on World War 1 the other day and it was discussing the advances in technology and the impact those advances had on the war itself. One of those advances was the machine gun - it was introduced early in the war and even with this new opponent soldiers were still ordered to perform the same maneuvers as prior to its use. The results - millions of young men died almost needlessly.
Another invention was the tank - it was designed to overcome the problems the machine gun was causing, and it would have, however the generals and leaders of the day didn't like this new concept and didn't understand it fully so it sat in a warehouse somewhere unused until the very end of the war.
Lesson - Business is a war. Are your people still using outdated methods, ineffective methods or are they finding ways to utilize technology to their benefit. As the leader of a company are you taking advantage of new systems and tools that might help your people perform? are your competitors gunning your people down on the field without so much as a chance of success?
Another invention was the tank - it was designed to overcome the problems the machine gun was causing, and it would have, however the generals and leaders of the day didn't like this new concept and didn't understand it fully so it sat in a warehouse somewhere unused until the very end of the war.
Lesson - Business is a war. Are your people still using outdated methods, ineffective methods or are they finding ways to utilize technology to their benefit. As the leader of a company are you taking advantage of new systems and tools that might help your people perform? are your competitors gunning your people down on the field without so much as a chance of success?
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