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by Rick Baker
On Nov 4, 2010
We have a few ways of thinking about those ringing phones, those buzzing emails, those stacks of incoming paper.
The first thought that crosses our mind can be: I am too busy.
Or, the first thought can be: Here come some New Things laced with Opportunities.
From time to time I remember the lesson taught in a sales management course, several years ago…when I was a young sales manager.
The lesson went like this:
- Sales Manager “A” receives 20 customer phone calls a day, cringes every time these customers call to complain about product problems, sales staff problems, delivery problems, etc. Sales Manager “A” can not wait to get home at the end of the day. Sales Manager “A” can barely manage to get out of bed in the morning and come into work.
- Sales manager “B” also receives 20 customer phone calls a day. Yet, Sales Manager “B” enjoys a dream job…loves to come into work, hates to leave, etc.
The instructor then asked,
“Why is Sales Manager “B” doing so much better than Sales Manager “A”?”
Totally stumped me…
How could that Sales Manager “B” possibly enjoy all those days on the phone dealing with all those complaining customers? [I knew I didn’t enjoy it.]
Perhaps:
- Sales Manager “B” had some innate problem-solving gift?
- Sales Manager “B” had some problem-solving tool like P=2S+O?
- Sales Manager “B” had some other trick up a sleeve?
“No”, explained our sales instructor, the customers of Sales Manager “B” were calling to compliment Company “B” on the amazing performance of its sales force.
I often think of this lesson when I see a stranger’s email address in my Email Inbox.
by Rick Baker
On Oct 7, 2010
Recently I asked my friend Barry the question,
“Why do you recommend a focus on people’s strengths?”
Barry shared the following thoughts.
When we focus on people’s strengths…
- We look in the mirror and that helps us understand ourselves
- We concentrate on other people and their uniqueness
- We have an opportunity for a positive experience for everybody
- The process itself helps create better results on many fronts, for example, we effectively apply The 80-20 Rule
More about people’s strengths in future Thought Posts…
Footnote:
According to the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment, Barry’s Top 5 themes are: Strategic, Individualization, Futuristic, Woo, & Communication.
by Rick Baker
On Sep 21, 2010
The Art of Questioning #2 is about sales people using questions to uncover Client needs.
This blog is inspired by Neil Rackham, the author of SPIN Selling.
For the sales process, Rackham defines the purpose of questions: to uncover Clients’ implied needs and to develop them into specific needs.
Rackham talks about 2 types of questions:
- Uncovering Questions which ask buyers about their problems or implied needs
- Developing Questions which took those implied needs and, somehow, developed them into explicit needs
Rackham toured with sales people from multi-national companies and he found:
Uncovering Questions were more strongly linked to success in smaller sales
There are several types of Uncovering Questions, the main categories being:
- Situation Questions: designed to find facts about the Client’s existing situation
- the more Situation Questions the higher the likelihood of a failed sales call
- Situation Questions are overused by inexperienced sales people
- Problem Questions: designed to learn about Clients’ problems, difficulties, or dissatisfactions
- Problem Questions happen more when sales calls are successful
- Experienced sales people ask more Problem Questions
Developing Questions were more important and more strongly linked to success than Uncovering Questions
When it comes to sales people presenting questions to Probable Clients, here's a sample of our recommendations:
- Consider each of your Target Markets and its Value Proposition
- Consider the Ideal Client Profile for each Target Market
- Design Questions to help discover whether or not the Probable Client fits the Ideal Client Profile:
- Spend a lot of time planning these Designed Questions
- Design supplementary questions, at least 2 layers of them
- Be consistent when you ask the questions
- Observe the results and score 'success' or 'failure'
- Where your Client relationships are very strong...ask for Clients’ help as you hone and improve your questions and your delivery of your questions
by Rick Baker
On Aug 24, 2010
Craig James is a former Hewlett-Packard employee. Craig describes how his unit of H-P achieved noteworthy success using a project-management approach to recruiting. They treated recruiting like a project. They used a project-team approach, with a team leader. They used the same interview process for each candidate. They worked to perform the recruiting under a short time frame…i.e., they worked to reduce the variables so each candidate was treated in a very similar way.
The H-P interview process steps can be summarized as:
- Host: greet candidate, give tour, explain interview process [20-30 minutes]
- Technical interview #1: tough, detailed, technical grilling [60 minutes]
- Project manager interview: the hiring manager, non-technical interview with focus on the job [45-60 minutes]
- Lunch: with the project manager and one other project team member...informal
- Human Resources interview: details about benefits and the company...reference checks [30 minutes]
- Technical interview #2: like technical interview #1 but less intense...explore candidates prior work…dig into the candidate’s explanations of his/her successes and failures [60 minutes]
- Host (reprise):...follow up questions and discussions of the next step...thank candidate [15-20 minutes]
Ultimately, the H-P team would reach a decision. Regularly the team members reached similar decisions so when the met as a team to discuss the candidates, consensus was, in general, easy to achieve.
As usual Kawasaki provides lots of good ideas, including many more helpful pieces of advice provided by Craig James.
More on the art of recruiting in future blogs…
by Rick Baker
On Aug 17, 2010
Recruiting is one of the purest forms of evangelism.
At least that’s what Guy Kawasaki says in his book, Reality Check.
Here’s a summary of some of Guy’s thoughts about – The Art of Recruiting
- Ignore the irrelevant: don't be impressed by education that isn't of direct value
- Hire infected people: rather than limit tests to education and work experience...look for people who are infected with a love of your product
- Hire better than yourself: great people hire great people
- Double check your intuition: maybe do the first interview by phone so you are not unduly swayed by ‘gut feel’...ask all candidates the same questions and take copious notes so you have a base of objectivity
- Don't be afraid to issue a challenge: quality candidates will embrace challenges
- Check independent references: consider using LinkedIn, talk to former bosses, talk to former employees
- Apply the shopping centre test: if you saw this person in a shopping centre would you (1) go to him, (2) wait and see if you bump into him then talk, or (3) leave and go to a new shopping centre to make sure you don’t bump into him…if you didn’t choose (1) then don’t hire the person
- Use all your weapons to land the right candidate: people are motivated by more than money and share options
- Sell all the decision makers: spouses, etc
- Wait to compensate...use the offer letter as the last step, not an early step
- Don't assume your recruiting is done: you should not stop recruiting a person once the person is hired.
Recruiting is one of the purest forms of evangelism.
More on the art of recruiting in future blogs…
by Rick Baker
On Aug 12, 2010
This blog contains an argument in support of doing strategic planning in the following sequence:
- Vision Statement
- Mission Statement
- Culture Statements
- Market-Sector Statement
- Market Niche[s] Statements
- Target Markets,
- Value Propositions for each Target Market,
- Differential Advantage/Unique Selling Proposition
- Goal Statements
- Etc
***
Placing a personal or business Vision in writing is tough thought-work.
Placing a personal or business Mission in writing is tough thought-work.
To believe one can understand one's Clients’ needs and desires or one's Clients' Clients' needs and desires when one can not express one's own needs and desires in writing is flawed logic. Starting from flawed logic neuters one's ability to succeed…or, at the very least, makes the next tasks a game of chance. So, we need to start with our own needs and desires: our Vision, our Mission, etc.
Perhaps the best example of proof is the fact the vast majority of people can not write out a Unique Selling Proposition (Differential Advantage) for their business. To make sure my point is clear: a USP/DA is a concise statement that answers the Clients’ question: Why should I buy this from these folks rather than (1) buy something from someone else or (2) do nothing? Many people may be able to state something, place it in writing, and call it a USP/DA but after a bit of scrutiny it doesn't pass the test.
We can consider the USP/DA as the teeter-totter fulcrum that balances one's needs and desires against the needs and desires of one's Clients. Put another way....if there's a meeting of the minds between us and our Clients then the USP/DA is how that meeting of minds is described in simple and clear words. The USP/DA addresses my needs and desires. The USP/DA addresses my Clients’ needs and desires. Things are in balance.
As a general rule, it is a challenge to understand others.
As a general rule, it is challenging enough to understand oneself. And, if we do not understand ourselves (to the point we can describe our needs and desires in writing) then we are deluding ourselves if we conclude/presume/assume we can understand other people's needs and desires.
I suppose we could start our strategic exercises at the USP/DA [ie, at the teeter-totter fulcrum]. We could then quickly determine whether or not the 'us' side and the 'Client' side are in balance,
But, that will rarely work. So, we should start with our needs and desires: our Vision, our Mission, etc.
I'm saying, something like 99 out of 100 people can not or will not write out USPs/DAs. So, starting there is pretty much doomed. And, the 1 time out of 100 it will work the person will ask why we aren't starting with the Vision statement.
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