Archive | April 2012
April 8, 2012  

What if you don’t have to hire another salesperson to increase your opportunities in the market?

Salespeople are expensive to organizations and are expected to have a return on investment anywhere from 3 to 10 times their value depending on sales margins.  However, most salespeople only sell 60% of the time because they are involved with too many non-selling activities.  This in not necessarily their fault and the problem can be corrected by integrating the non-selling activities into the internal job positions they already have.

Activities without providing proper resources:

  • Supporting customers
  • Providing quotes and RFP requests
  • Collecting payments
  • Developing marketing materials
  • Coordinating internal resources

 Activities with the proper resources in place:

  • Networking with strategic partners
  • Collaborating with current clients on additional opportunities and referrals
  • Meeting with more qualified prospects
  • Closing more ideal clients
  • Making more money for the company and themselves

Don’t let your revenue generating positions do non revenue generating activities.  Any organization can increase their opportunities in the market if they have the right people in the right positions doing the right activities.

April 8, 2012  

Drive Your Own Car in Your Own Lane

Recently on American Idol, Phillip Phillips sang Stevie Wonder‘s “Superstition” to close out the first “American Idol” finals round.

Steven Tyler said, “you just are…Okay”…. Jennifer Lopez liked how he made the song his own and said “you killed it.” Randy Jackson liked his originality and liked how he interpreted somebody else’s song and told him “You drive your own car in your own lane!”

That hit a point with me about the entrepreneurial companies I work with on a weekly basis and how they have had success doing things their way but are not always fully understood.

When an entrepreneurial company wants to do something new, navigate into a new market, or develops a new way of doing things, they do not always get positive feedback from the direct “stakeholders”  about what they envision or what they are trying to accomplish. Two reasons for this are 1) that they have not effectively communicated why they are trying to do something new, and 2) they do not have the right people in place to execute their vision.

Have a vision, set a goal, create a plan, communicate the plan to all parties involved, inform everyone of their role in the plan, live by example, and do what you say you are going to do.  Once these things are in place, you can hold people accountable to their role in the plan and you will be driving your own car in your own lane and continuing your success.