Doing the Right Thing at the Wrong Time
By Jeff Seeley - CEO, Carew International
What happens when you do absolutely the right thing, but at the wrong time? Unfortunately you have pain. It is amazing what you hear in the overly dramatized business and sales world these days. This economy has paralyzed even the most optimistic and courageous souls. But why?
At a human level, there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. Such is not the case in the business world. When you combine today’s “Do It All” mentality with the uneasiness we all feel in our lives, you create a hyper drive of activity (for the sake of activity) trying to keep the edge.
Operating in this mode, doing the right things at the wrong times, will create nothing more than well-intended actions that fail to deliver much of anything productive. As business and sales professionals, we know that there are certain things our customers need and want… lower prices, more service, you name it. In a study cited in his book, Ram Charan found that the most successful companies -- those which thrive and prosper in economic downturns-- are led by those who often do things which seem counter intuitive. One example: not lowering prices during difficult times. Lowering prices might seem like a logical response to a reduction in business volume. But if the lower volume is a function of a market reduction (versus lost share), then you are simply compounding lower volume with lower prices. Another example might be reducing costs in customer service, because the call volume in decreasing. What does either really achieve? Right thing/Wrong time.
An effective right thing might be creating differentiation with superior customer service. This can be done through training, service improvement or even on-shoring versus off-shoring. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has shown recently that even in economic recession, improved customer satisfaction and loyalty without lowering prices or margins will positively impact businesses… right thing, right time.
Here’s another example of the right thing at the wrong time: Backing off business and personal relationships when things are stressed might seem like a way to give yourself and those around you space… might seem like the right thing. In reality, it is the wrong thing, since empathy is the one emotion that will help build stronger relationships. Stronger relationships will sustain during good times and bad. You will see many business and sales professionals retreat to their cave and try to wait out the passing storm. “Hunkered down” is not a strategy, but simply a fear-driven reaction.
Take heart, things could be worse. If you change to the equation of the wrong thing at the wrong time you could have outright disaster. So look at your actions and make sure that you are not only doing the Right Thing, but doing the Right Thing at the Right Time.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Effective Talent Management Pays Big Dividends in Tough Times
Ed Albertson
Vice President – National Accounts, Carew International
Your company’s sales force is a valuable, complex and differentiating asset which can make a huge difference in determining success for your entire organization. In such challenging times as these, it’s even more important to extract the best performance from our people and processes so we can optimize our results.
A Robert Half International survey of 150 senior executives from the country’s 1,000 largest companies identified “employee retention” as their greatest staffing concern. Almost four out of ten executives (39%) shared the same concern with retention, well ahead of the 17% who cited productivity and morale as primary worries. Max Messmer, CEO of Robert Half International said, “Many firms are operating with lean teams in which every staff member plays a key role in the business, making retention a greater concern. Companies that lose top performers may not only experience declines in productivity, but also incur significant costs in replacing these professionals.”
With that data in mind, imagine “plotting” each of your own sales professionals on the graph below, using their individual Potential and actual Performance as comparative reference points. Could you do it? If so, what would it look like? Would you like the story that your organization’s plot points tell?
With a slowing economy, it is increasingly important for you to know if you have “the right players on the field” and if they are “playing in the right positions.” Ensuring you retain the people who provide the greatest return on your investment could be your critical, competitive edge in today’s turbulent business environment.
Carew International and our business partner, HR Chally, offer over 65 years of combined experience in performance management and talent assessment. Improving productivity, reducing turnover and developing leadership (collectively) have become a significant advantage to organizations as they navigate the uncertain business landscape we anticipate for the near future. With the right players on the field, each playing in their optimal position and executing to their best abilities, you stand a much better chance of weathering today’s economic storm and being in position to dominate the field tomorrow.
Vice President – National Accounts, Carew International
Your company’s sales force is a valuable, complex and differentiating asset which can make a huge difference in determining success for your entire organization. In such challenging times as these, it’s even more important to extract the best performance from our people and processes so we can optimize our results.
A Robert Half International survey of 150 senior executives from the country’s 1,000 largest companies identified “employee retention” as their greatest staffing concern. Almost four out of ten executives (39%) shared the same concern with retention, well ahead of the 17% who cited productivity and morale as primary worries. Max Messmer, CEO of Robert Half International said, “Many firms are operating with lean teams in which every staff member plays a key role in the business, making retention a greater concern. Companies that lose top performers may not only experience declines in productivity, but also incur significant costs in replacing these professionals.”
With that data in mind, imagine “plotting” each of your own sales professionals on the graph below, using their individual Potential and actual Performance as comparative reference points. Could you do it? If so, what would it look like? Would you like the story that your organization’s plot points tell?
With a slowing economy, it is increasingly important for you to know if you have “the right players on the field” and if they are “playing in the right positions.” Ensuring you retain the people who provide the greatest return on your investment could be your critical, competitive edge in today’s turbulent business environment.
Carew International and our business partner, HR Chally, offer over 65 years of combined experience in performance management and talent assessment. Improving productivity, reducing turnover and developing leadership (collectively) have become a significant advantage to organizations as they navigate the uncertain business landscape we anticipate for the near future. With the right players on the field, each playing in their optimal position and executing to their best abilities, you stand a much better chance of weathering today’s economic storm and being in position to dominate the field tomorrow.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Ball of Confusion
By Jeff Seeley, CEO, Carew International
Last night on the way home, I happened to hear the incredible Temptation’s song, Ball of Confusion, written in 1970. As I listened, it became obvious that this song was as applicable today as it was over thirty years ago. “Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation. Ball of confusion, oh yeah, that is what the world is today…Politicians say more taxes will solve everything…” and the band played on… “so, round and around and around we go. Where the world’s headed, nobody knows…” These were just some of many lyrics that resonated about today’s environment.
So you might be asking, “What does this have to do with business and, more specifically, Sales?” The reality is… when confusion reigns, fear is inside each of our heads as tension increases. When this happens, we become paralyzed in our strategy, tactics and actions. We cease to stay focused on the task at hand.
The reality is our customers need us more than ever, and these times of confusion require us to step up our GAME. The GAME is real.
G oal - Set daily, weekly goals for prospecting, customer interaction, doing exploratory calls, taking care of yourself, workouts, time with family, children and friends… things that make you happy. Achievable goal setting is critical in times of Confusion.
A ttitude - Is the one controllable we all have. Our boss, customers, family, spouses, environment, news… you name it… can influence our attitude, but cannot control it. Look for one positive at the beginning of the day, at lunch and the end of the day. As my friend Parker once said to me, “What was your chocolate milk today?” Find it and use it to motivate yourself.
M otivatation - Do you have it? Attitude gets you up in the morning. Motivation gets you out the door. Are you motivated to focus on your customer and their needs? Are you looking for new and creative ways to help your customers? Are you letting the depressing news of the day keep you at Starbucks all morning, or are you willing to lay it on the line and rock your customers’ world?
E ngage - There are so many E’s… Engage, Energy, Enthusiasm, to name a few. In this time and place, I believe it is all about engagement. You are going to hear more bad news and rejection, especially in the sales and business world. Engage your customer and create value. It is no longer about the product or service. It is about the development of value. Make your customer better. And more importantly, make your customer’s customer better. Engage and create.
Despite the fact that it’s a Ball of Confusion, your band must play on. And with perseverance, success will come your direction. There is no doubt we are in a recession. This is not our first, nor will it be the last. But we cannot let the events of today control our destiny. Get your GAME together and create your own destiny. Don’t put your destiny “In the Lumberyard” (Ty Webb to Danny Noonan in Caddyshack).
Last night on the way home, I happened to hear the incredible Temptation’s song, Ball of Confusion, written in 1970. As I listened, it became obvious that this song was as applicable today as it was over thirty years ago. “Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation. Ball of confusion, oh yeah, that is what the world is today…Politicians say more taxes will solve everything…” and the band played on… “so, round and around and around we go. Where the world’s headed, nobody knows…” These were just some of many lyrics that resonated about today’s environment.
So you might be asking, “What does this have to do with business and, more specifically, Sales?” The reality is… when confusion reigns, fear is inside each of our heads as tension increases. When this happens, we become paralyzed in our strategy, tactics and actions. We cease to stay focused on the task at hand.
The reality is our customers need us more than ever, and these times of confusion require us to step up our GAME. The GAME is real.
G oal - Set daily, weekly goals for prospecting, customer interaction, doing exploratory calls, taking care of yourself, workouts, time with family, children and friends… things that make you happy. Achievable goal setting is critical in times of Confusion.
A ttitude - Is the one controllable we all have. Our boss, customers, family, spouses, environment, news… you name it… can influence our attitude, but cannot control it. Look for one positive at the beginning of the day, at lunch and the end of the day. As my friend Parker once said to me, “What was your chocolate milk today?” Find it and use it to motivate yourself.
M otivatation - Do you have it? Attitude gets you up in the morning. Motivation gets you out the door. Are you motivated to focus on your customer and their needs? Are you looking for new and creative ways to help your customers? Are you letting the depressing news of the day keep you at Starbucks all morning, or are you willing to lay it on the line and rock your customers’ world?
E ngage - There are so many E’s… Engage, Energy, Enthusiasm, to name a few. In this time and place, I believe it is all about engagement. You are going to hear more bad news and rejection, especially in the sales and business world. Engage your customer and create value. It is no longer about the product or service. It is about the development of value. Make your customer better. And more importantly, make your customer’s customer better. Engage and create.
Despite the fact that it’s a Ball of Confusion, your band must play on. And with perseverance, success will come your direction. There is no doubt we are in a recession. This is not our first, nor will it be the last. But we cannot let the events of today control our destiny. Get your GAME together and create your own destiny. Don’t put your destiny “In the Lumberyard” (Ty Webb to Danny Noonan in Caddyshack).
Friday, February 6, 2009
Under the Weather? Could be “Commodity Flu”
By Chuck Terry, Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer
It’s flu season and the sales profession is getting hit hard. You know the symptoms… poor customer appetite (lagging sales), blurred vision (difficulty differentiating your products/services from the competition), nausea brought on by constant pricing issues, and severe headaches for a sales team plagued by disloyal customers. It’s a clear case of Influenza Commodicus, more commonly known as the COMMODITY FLU. And if left untreated, the prognosis is not good.
The term “commoditize” is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “to render (a good or service) widely available and interchangeable with one provided by another company.” Sound familiar? In today’s fast paced, internet accessible world, even companies whose product and/or services were formerly highly differentiated are struggling to maintain a premium price point in the face of feverish competitive pressure.
More and more, senior executives are struggling with the dilemma of how to teach their sales force to not only communicate value but claim back the value traditionally associated with their products and services. The indisputable fact is, the more your product or service becomes interchangeable with your competitors, the more important your sales team becomes as agents of value. The million dollar question is, “How healthy is your sales team?” Are they up to the challenge?
If commoditization is the great pandemic hitting the sales profession, then consultative selling is the cure. No, it’s actually better than a cure. It’s the vaccine that could have prevented this dreadful disease. But if you’ve already got the commodity bug… now what?
It’s not too late to apply treatment! Getting your sales team selling in a consultative manner is the first line of attack in claiming the value needed for any level of premium pricing. Few sales leaders will dispute the diagnosis. But the cure often seems illusive. “How do we get there from here?” is the question I hear most often from sales leaders. If only the cure were available in pill form!
A recent Carew whitepaper entitled “5 Steps to Building a Consultative Sales Force” details a plan for the conversion of your sales team to consultative selling. Below are a few highlights:
1) Define what “consultative selling” means in your organization and outline what that behavior looks like.
2) Develop a system for quantifying how your products/services add additional profitability to your customers’ businesses. The greater your sales team’s ability to demonstrate the impact of your value proposition on their customer’s profitability, the easier it will be to sell.
3) Provide training to equip your sales team to sell in a new, consultative manner. Support with additional coaching to ensure their motivation and success.
4) Institutionalize consultative selling within your company from the top down. Training alone is not enough. The sales management team must own the process. That means leaders will set expectations for the new behavior, model the new behavior, coach to the new behavior and give feedback tied to the new behavior.
5) Communicate the importance of this change. In today’s business climate, consultative selling is truly a matter of survival. Failure to cure this disease has already proven fatal to many! You can’t just mandate change, your sales team must clearly understand what is in it for them.
The world is changing and solid customer relationships are no longer enough. While establishing strong relationships with clients is as critical as ever, it no longer carries the day. The great relationships, service, quality etc. that used to be the hallmarks of differentiation are no more than the minimum daily requirement today. To gain market share or protect margins in today’s increasing climate of commoditization, the successful sales professional will partner with the customer to add true value -- in the form of increased profitability at their customers’ bottom line.
Implementing consultative selling in your sales organization is not a quick, easy fix. No magic elixir here. But in the absence of a robust, high growth economy, it’s your best prescription for success.
It’s flu season and the sales profession is getting hit hard. You know the symptoms… poor customer appetite (lagging sales), blurred vision (difficulty differentiating your products/services from the competition), nausea brought on by constant pricing issues, and severe headaches for a sales team plagued by disloyal customers. It’s a clear case of Influenza Commodicus, more commonly known as the COMMODITY FLU. And if left untreated, the prognosis is not good.
The term “commoditize” is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “to render (a good or service) widely available and interchangeable with one provided by another company.” Sound familiar? In today’s fast paced, internet accessible world, even companies whose product and/or services were formerly highly differentiated are struggling to maintain a premium price point in the face of feverish competitive pressure.
More and more, senior executives are struggling with the dilemma of how to teach their sales force to not only communicate value but claim back the value traditionally associated with their products and services. The indisputable fact is, the more your product or service becomes interchangeable with your competitors, the more important your sales team becomes as agents of value. The million dollar question is, “How healthy is your sales team?” Are they up to the challenge?
If commoditization is the great pandemic hitting the sales profession, then consultative selling is the cure. No, it’s actually better than a cure. It’s the vaccine that could have prevented this dreadful disease. But if you’ve already got the commodity bug… now what?
It’s not too late to apply treatment! Getting your sales team selling in a consultative manner is the first line of attack in claiming the value needed for any level of premium pricing. Few sales leaders will dispute the diagnosis. But the cure often seems illusive. “How do we get there from here?” is the question I hear most often from sales leaders. If only the cure were available in pill form!
A recent Carew whitepaper entitled “5 Steps to Building a Consultative Sales Force” details a plan for the conversion of your sales team to consultative selling. Below are a few highlights:
1) Define what “consultative selling” means in your organization and outline what that behavior looks like.
2) Develop a system for quantifying how your products/services add additional profitability to your customers’ businesses. The greater your sales team’s ability to demonstrate the impact of your value proposition on their customer’s profitability, the easier it will be to sell.
3) Provide training to equip your sales team to sell in a new, consultative manner. Support with additional coaching to ensure their motivation and success.
4) Institutionalize consultative selling within your company from the top down. Training alone is not enough. The sales management team must own the process. That means leaders will set expectations for the new behavior, model the new behavior, coach to the new behavior and give feedback tied to the new behavior.
5) Communicate the importance of this change. In today’s business climate, consultative selling is truly a matter of survival. Failure to cure this disease has already proven fatal to many! You can’t just mandate change, your sales team must clearly understand what is in it for them.
The world is changing and solid customer relationships are no longer enough. While establishing strong relationships with clients is as critical as ever, it no longer carries the day. The great relationships, service, quality etc. that used to be the hallmarks of differentiation are no more than the minimum daily requirement today. To gain market share or protect margins in today’s increasing climate of commoditization, the successful sales professional will partner with the customer to add true value -- in the form of increased profitability at their customers’ bottom line.
Implementing consultative selling in your sales organization is not a quick, easy fix. No magic elixir here. But in the absence of a robust, high growth economy, it’s your best prescription for success.
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