Research described in a recent Harvard Business Review article affirms that star performers don’t play the sales game better; they change the game. More on the article in a moment, but the immediate question is how do they do it? In the approach we advocate, they…
Imagine this. You are invited to a brainstorming meeting with top level executives regarding a new product that you are going to help market. So you show up a little ahead of time and carefully choose a seat at the boardroom table. The CEO arrives on time and begins the discussion. You listen intently as the meeting starts to unfold. The CEO surveys the room, then suddenly stops and focuses in on you. “Who are you?” the CEO says. You introduce yourself and explain why you are there. The CEO replies, “I don’t think we need you in this meeting. Thanks.” Then as you pack up and make the long trek from your seat to the boardroom door, the CEO continues as if you never existed. What just happened, you wonder? What did I do? What should I have done differently?…
Tumultuous times are here for many institutions of higher education. Traditional revenue streams are being cut. University cost structures are under increased scrutiny. More competition for students causes increased needs for state-of-the-art facilities and increased demand for revitalization and alternatives in student housing. Globally, countries are trying to keep the brightest and best students within their home country, so the full tuition global money stream is drying up. However, successful colleges and universities are positioning themselves to grow. How can leadership in higher education rise above the tumult and achieve their goals?…
Overwhelming evidence proves that establishing deep relationships with a prospective client’s key executives is a mandatory prerequisite for success in selling services related to capital programs. In fact the successful proposer has cultivated a champion with clout before the formal RFP process begins on more than 80% of his or her winning pursuits. How do we know this? Thirty years of experience is a starter, but my colleagues and I have verified our experience with a half dozen formal studies conducted in multiple regions of the country over a twenty year period. In fact few experienced business developers would even question our assertion. What must be accomplished is clear. But how is it done? How can you tell if you’re making progress? If you’re managing your firm’s sales program, how can you tell if your teams are making any real progress toward developing successful relationships? Today, the answers lie in understanding the power of ….
As a 30-year sales manager for a big corporation, my dad used to advise his team, “Lead the pack. But if you are not in first place, then stay comfortably in the middle.” But with tremendous competition and pressures to win deals, organizations are no longer safe with strategies that keep you in the middle of the road. As Jim Hightower, the colorful Texas populist, said, “There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” It is no longer enough to be pretty good at everything and just chase any deal that crosses your path. Continuing to do things the same way will not produce new and better results. In order to win in today’s tough market and transform your company to top-line growth, you and your team need to be motivated to change and take the necessary action to gain the competitive edge and build sustainable accounts faster. You need to know how to motivate your team to excel.
In my everyday life, I sit in on some very high level meetings. One observation I have made is a lot of firms, no matter which market segments you play in, don’t know how to strategically pick the clients that will best be served by their services…
In the athletic world, you win by crushing your opponent. But in the business world of cross-cultural negotiation and global economy, you win by learning secrets from experts. Here are nine secrets for negotiation from Dr. Karen Walch, professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management who specializes in international negotiation, cultural competencies and the global market…
The connection between sales and top-line growth appears to be simple right…sell more and your business grows more. If you are in deal-chasing mode and not into a cycle of building sustainable accounts, growing your company might not be so simple. An interesting article was brought to my attention this past week, “Solving the Sales Conundrum” (INC. April 2012). Jeff Hoffman, founder of MJ Hoffman and Associates and a teacher at Harvard and MIT, emphasized the old marketing principle called AIDA – or attention, interest, desire, and action. According to Hoffman, “No matter what you’re selling, you have to guide a prospect through each phase, and each one requires a different focus, a different language, and a different strategy.” Using a different strategy is a fresh approach to business development…
Have you ever wanted to draw a line with people in your life and say “Do NOT cross this line!” On the other hand, have you ever had to cross the line or work around someone’s boundary in order to make progress in a relationship, business and organization? How can you set healthy boundaries and also maneuver around boundaries without destroying relationships personally or professionally?…
Building a cohesive, productive team is challenging. Even the best teams struggle to improve effectiveness. Some teams have individual team members who are excellent in their own silos, but are not that interested in working as a team or achieving team goals. How do you get them to look to the forest beyond the trees? Other teams have weak team members who don’t pull their fair share for the team and lack genuine teamwork. How do you move a team from dysfunctional to productive?
