I get asked to work for free almost every week.  Or at least consider working on the basis of trade with the offer of things like promotion, exposure, audience.   There are moments when it can make a lot of sense to work for free and every business leader has to pick their spots.  My friend Laurie at Punk Rock HR said this week she doesn’t work for free.  I tend to side with her.  Although being asked to work for free is nothing new to me.

Having run Business Development for a large services organization I have been involved in hundreds upon hundreds of RFP bids which often resemble a vendor shootout at the OK Corral.  The online reverse auction driven by procurement. The 100 page response with spec strategy and work product followed by the 45 minute presentation with 15 minutes of Q&A….its professional selling of the highest competitive order…where the game is on and the stakes are high.

I had a small crew of elite sellers who specialized in enterprise business development and we had a great run of success going 19-6 over 25 head to head major competitive reviews.  We were forced to get pretty good at lining up and competing to win.  A few things I learned about the RFP Process along the way:

-Relationships matter MORE:  The idea that the vetting process is going to level the playing field is a misnomer.  Try reading 7 100 page documents and sitting through pitch presentations from 7 different vendors in the same category…..it all starts to look the same.  Relationships count!  And many bids are decided before they are sent.

-Proof of Concept is HUGE:  The RFP process often resembles decision by committee and that usually means safe selection.  The odds of the outlier with the alternative approach or BIG idea winning in the end are slim (though nothing is impossible).  Before investing in participation as a vendor ask yourself if the business you are bidding on is right fit and core competency?  Do you have proof of concept in your case study?  The committee doesn’t want to be the first one into the pool.

-Don’t Make Assumptions:  Ask questions.  Many vendors miss this opportunity since there is often so much structure and rigor built into the process.  Big mistake.  If you don’t know, ask.  And always, always focus on selling from a position of intelligence.

-Customize:  Your response.  Your presentation.  The truth is, nobody really cares about your stuff all that much…and your stuff isn’t all that different that the other 6 vendors responding.  They care a lot about their stuff….make it ALL about that…..

-FREE:  Make no mistake.  The RFP process is often a request to work for free on trade for a 1 in 7 chance to win business.  Is it worth the investment?  Your call.  How much should you give?  It depends.  But I’d consider long and hard before I volunteered customized work product or solutions and strategy as part of the evaluation criteria.  Those should be far too valuable to give away.  And at the end of the day that is rarely representative of a firm’s best work and/or outcome for the customer…..particularly when the work product is creative.  The best outcomes there are achieved in close collaboration and partnership.

Are you working for free?  The following is a fun parody on the vendor client relationship, negotiations and working for free.  Enjoy!

Posted in Sales, Uncategorized

I attend a lot of conferences.  And while it’s been a while since I’ve done the traditional market your services in the exhibit hall ‘booth-duty’ I certainly pay attention to how vendor organizations approach the conference circuit from a sales and marketing perspective.

While attending a premiere industry conference recently I overheard two vendors complaining about the lack of qualified leads they were generating during the exhibition hours.  Even with 11,000 attending the event these sellers were lamenting the ROI associated with attending, generally asserting, “we just aren’t seeing any good leads.” And the complaints continued the next day during my walk through the exhibition area.  Complaints about not being able to generate quality time with qualified decision makers.  As I listened to the commentary, I couldn’t help but think…you need a better sales strategy for events.

To maximize your Sales/Marketing ROI when attending industry trade shows consider the following:

Postcard Prospecting: Obtaining an event mailing list and sending a postcard pre-event as an exhibit announcement promoting your demo times and drawing for an ipad does absolutely nothing to differentiate yourself from the 800 other vendors who do the exact same thing.  And it has very little to do with sales and quality lead generation.  Having a quality exhibit and providing a strong introduction to your solution is a good starting point for attending a trade show.  But the exhibit is just the hub.  The spoke strategy is where the action is…..and postcard prospecting simply isn’t good enough.

Clingers v Closers: Determining who represents your organization is a critical decision to maximizing ROI at an industry trade event.  Granted, Big Time Sellers can’t stand ‘booth duty’…..because they know business doesn’t come to them…..they have to go hustle for it…..and an all star seller doesn’t cling to the exhibit during a trade show.  Sure, they put in the time.  But a closer will have an entire agenda outside the exhibit hall arranged pre show.  Breakfast meetings.  Lunch gatherings.  Session visits.  Even the party circuit presents an opportunity to establish meaningful connections with quality leads.  Send a team of exhibit clingers to an event who rely entirely on time at the display and the ipad giveaway to generate ROI and you’ll miss big.

The Mixer: Client entertaining is a time-honored tradition at industry trade events.  And the gathering of customers in different parts of the country represents a phenomenal opportunity for vendors to say thanks and reinforce key relationships.  It can also represent an opportunity to accelerate business development by inviting prospects to attend.  The mixing of customers with prospects is the ideal way to develop business without doing the heavy lifting….let your brand evangelists sell for you! And in return offer your customers and prospects alike an evening to connect, network and develop relationships with other industry practitioners.  The best sales time you can spend at these events is time where your customers are helping you build your business!  And keep the Flip Cam handy for customers that want to give you the testimonial you’ve been waiting for……if they love doing business with you often they want to share it with the world!  And will be glad to share it with the four prospects you’ve also included in the dinner you are hosting.

Key-chains v Keynotes: Any of us that have logged some booth duty time know that the opportunity to collect giveaways can be a driver for prospects to make the exhibit rounds… glow in the dark key-chains, lifesavers, stuffed animals, the coffee thermos…..and the fishbowl of business cards for the ipad drawing make a few software demo’s tolerable mixed in between breakout sessions and lunch…..it really does all start to look  the same.  If you want to differentiate your organization and elevate awareness you need to put down the key-chains and consider if there is an opportunity to keynote…..or at least lead a breakout session demonstrating new ideas and expertise that can favorably impact your industry.  Speaking can drive sales….and your CEO is the ideal person to stand before the attendee’s with insight and opinion that impact the industry and accelerate your business. Right? Your CEO has stage fright?  Well, how about the Chief Strategy or Innovation Officer…….or the VP of Sales?  If you have somebody on the team who is capable I can tell you this can differentiate and accelerate your ROI and opportunity to develop business….significantly.

And while we are talking about CEO’s….

The Chief Engagement Officer: Increasingly the role of the CEO is to drive elevated engagement and quality of experience for both the employees of the organization and the customers they serve.  The large industry trade show represents a wonderful opportunity for the C Level leader to connect and collaborate with the organizations client community and support business development.  A C Level leader has to pick their spots…..but missing the premiere event in the industry you serve is an opportunity missed plain and simple.

Today’s Sales Leader has to consider evolving the way their organization generates leads and drives awareness toward conversion.  The number of business cards in the fishbowl isn’t reflective of qualified leads and will provide little insight into your event ROI.  Consider the hub and spoke sales/marketing model when you attend an industry event……your greatest impact will likely be developed when you aren’t exhibiting but are focused on highly targeted sales activity and effort.

Posted in Brand, Sales

Tags: Marketing, Networking, Trade Show

Testimonials matter.  In sales where value propositions are next to identical and compelling differentiation is narrow or non-existent, proof of concept counts and often closes.  Buyers typically aren’t too optimistic about being the first one into the deep end of the pool.  Knowing you’ve been there and done that provides assurance.  The ability to demonstrate outcomes that not only meet expectations but deliver above and beyond can be a difference maker.  Involving your best customers in the sales cycle elevates trust among business relationships you are cultivating…and the strength of the testimonial often depends heavily on the sellers skill.

So, how does a sales organization build out a portfolio of world class testimonials?  How do you turn customers into Raving Fan Brand Evangelists?   Simple.  You earn it.

3 keys:

1.  Deliver results

2.  Invest and build meaningful relationships

3.  Ask

Results are what its all about.  But results without a relationship aren’t good enough.  Do your best customers champion your cause and go out of their way to help you succeed?  Do you do likewise for them even if it isn’t in the contract?  Tip:  that is what new customers want.

When you are delivering and developing meaningful relationships, you still have to ask.  But, isn’t that the job of the marketing department?  Hardly!  Customers are buying from YOU….and YOU need to demonstrate proof of concept also.  A good marketing organization will take great care in packaging, promoting and building out a portfolio of testimonials, case study’s and client experiences the right way……but anyone selling today can cultivate client feedback in  a way that advances their cause.

I recently delivered keynotes in Madison and Maine.  In follow up, with positive client feedback, I felt I’d earned the right to ask for the coveted testimonial.  Always an opt in (if I didn’t earn it and don’t deserve it, please do not feel obligated in any way to oblige) and authentic, I was fortunate to receive the following two positive returns from my customers:

“From a 72-member program faculty, Ryan Estis was the highest rated presenter at our four-day conference. No surprise! Ryan did his homework for the  keynote. He offered a sophisticated, strategic message delivered with style. And Ryan connected with the audience so that the sophisticated message translated from the stage into practical applications for the attendees.  We look forward to having him back next year!”

Bud Bernstein
Maine HR Convention

“We engaged Ryan to keynote our conference because we knew he would bring high energy and set the tone for a great conference; he far exceeded our expectations.  I have been involved in our conference for 5 years and never had I heard such a buzz that lasted throughout the day and beyond.  Not only as a conference organizer did I find Ryan’s energy empowering, but as an HR professional, I still find myself revisiting Ryan’s message and applying it to my daily work life.  Thank you Ryan for delivering on your promise; you told me you would bring it, and you did!”

Zach Penshorn, VP Programming Greater Madison Area SHRM Chapter

These are great additions to my ‘Testimonials Portfolio‘ and I am more than grateful for the client partner contribution because it certainly benefits my business.  But, if you are a Sales 2.0 Rock Star and paying close attention you’ll notice my colossal mistake.  How, with such good feedback and momentum around the client experience could I leave my Flip-Cam in the bag?

Yup.  My mistake.  That would have elevated the impact substantially.  Next time.

You are a Sales Rock Star?  Then you have powerful testimonials, proof of concept and an authentic, differentiated and compelling value proposition around both your business solution and buying from YOU!

Posted in Brand, Sales, Uncategorized

First dates can be tough, especially if you haven’t dated in a while.  The fear of change and rejection are powerful forces capable of keeping people trapped in situations that are less then desirable. When it’s personal the stakes are high.

Take the job interview.  Tough sledding for most people, especially if it’s been a few years.  It’s got first date evaluation, scrutiny, benchmarking and comparison all over it.

And the sales the call.  I believe whoever said not to take sales rejection personally couldn’t have been very good at sales.  Trust me, it’s personal.  In most instances customers buy from YOU…..whatever you sell is typically replicated and available from the competition.   The best sellers are the difference makers.

To get it right requires some thorough preparation.  And preparation also eases the natural anxiety and tension that come with the territory.  It also mandates authenticity…and the best advice I could give to any candidate or closer is be yourself.  Because good interviewing, selling, dating and relationships are all about ‘fit’ and at the onset deserve authentic representation.

I hadn’t interviewed in quite a while (which was a mistake) when I decided to launch my own business….and in those roller coaster first 6 months the familiarity and security of the corporate gig pulled…and put me in a state of being open to taking meetings, interviews and considering my options.  And I can tell you the very best interviews come when you are confident, patient and open around evaluating the intersection of talent and opportunity.  I am not the right man for every Chief Sales Officer job……and there are sales leadership gigs that would put my feet to sleep inside of 90 days.  Fit is the key.

It’s not all that different in Sales.  The very best sellers take fit assessment seriously.  One of the biggest reasons salespeople fail is they spend their time on the wrong things…low margin activity…or spinning their wheels trying to capture business that simply just doesn’t fit for the enterprise.  In my consulting business being selective and segmenting the kind of clients we work with (where we can really add the most value and help improve their business) is absolutely the focus.  We want great fit for us and the client!

Having ‘fit’ perspective makes the first date (whatever it is) more enjoyable.  Everyone can relax, have some fun and participate in some open, meaningful dialogue….wherever it takes you.  And when its good….when the fit seems to align, you’ll know it.….it will move you, shift your perspective and lift your spirit.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great….so relax, be confident, authentic, focus on fit and enjoy the ride!

Posted in Recruiting, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Human Resources

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak at the 2010 Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International  Resort Business Summit this week in W. Palm Beach, Florida.  It was an Association event filled with an extraordinary amount of community and camaraderie, evidence of a leadership commitment in an industry that is defined by customer service and quality relationships.

Although I was brought in as a Subject Matter Expert to present Sales 2.0 & Social Media Strategy I am quite certain I learned as much as I shared about networking and connections.

In speaking about Social Selling I am quick to point out several key considerations:

-Define your objective and determine the right strategy

-The trend is more important than the tool

-Social Media is not a replacement for relationships but rather an acceleration and expansion platform that can aid in sharing your unique story with your audience (you need to have a story….and an audience).

The Social Secret is that it’s still all about the quality of the relationship.  That hasn’t changed.  And that is something that HSMAI and its membership get straight away.

I was welcomed by a group of open sharers who have fostered strong relationships built around a common interest in identifying best practices and earning more business through delivering an experience consistent with expectations.   That builds trust and loyalty.  And drives Word of Mouth that can accelerate and advance growth in spite of revenue pressure that is surely a sign of the times.  This week would serve as an excellent case study in how to run a best practices forum for other industries.

I was also able to enjoy an invaluable research/trends report by industry linchpin Cindy Estis Green and an exhilarating keynote from Futurist Micheal Tchong.  Bravo!  I suppose the notion that I am authoring this post 40,000 feet above the ground on a Delta flight with WiFi is consistent with the trend of accelerated innovation and change that was such a theme this week.

I always embrace the opportunity to make new and meaningful professional connections.  I hope my contribution this week offered as much value as I received.

Having an abundance of awesome options to consider for my next R&R get away is never a bad thing either!

Here is my preso on Social Selling:

Posted in Sales, Social Media, Uncategorized

Tags: Hospitality, HSMAI, Sales Training

HR industry consultant and thought leader Mark Stelzner at Inflexion Advisors recently authored a fabulous blog post on ‘5 Ways to Torpedo Your Next HR Sale‘.  As someone who has sold into HR and managed a team of sellers doing likewise I have seen it all.  And made and learned from some of those very same mistakes Mark calls out in his post.

Selling into HR is unique and can afford the consultative sales professional with the right solutions portfolio a fabulous career.  I would offer those developing business in the space the following key considerations for success:

Relationships: Earn them.  Over time.  Through expertise and experience. By being a trusted adviser.  By getting there first.  By giving more. And nurture, protect and covet them at all costs.  In sales they are your career.  HR professionals value strategic support and counsel.  They give it daily inside their own organization.  They are domain and subject matter experts.  And they will become quickly frustrated with the Seller who has zero insight into practice of HR.  I have my Human Capital Strategist Certification for a reason.  And I had some  trusted clients help shape my understanding along the way.  Selling today requires subject matter expertise.  And that is far from exclusive to your product or service.  You better understand your customer.

Customization:  Its ALL about the buyer.  The HR professional has needs, expectations, objectives and increasing demands and pressure.  Consultative Sellers conduct thorough discovery and involve the HR professional in the buying decision.  Its a collaborative process.  And every sale, cycle, interaction and conversation should be customized for that unique selling situation.  Seller’s need to recognize today’s Buyer increasingly could care less about your stuff.  They care about their stuff.  That is where you need to focus your time.  Ask and listen.  Learn and solve.  Partner and contribute.
Differentiation:  If you don’t offer something different (or better) than the incumbent or multitude of alternative options then you are wasting everyone’s time.  You need to KNOW enough about the market, competition, customer and opportunity to establish a clear point of view on the specific differentiation your solution delivers.  This is a challenge for many vendors in the HR category whose products and services are lacking in  compelling differentiation.  But the very best sellers can still rise above.  Because in sales YOU can be the difference maker….if you are good enough.  In our Sales Training we challenge Sellers with two very critical questions:

• Why do customers buy from your organization?
• Why do customers buy from you personally?

A Rock Star seller has clear and compelling answers to both questions.

Value:  Today’s HR organization demands increasingly more value from their vendor partners.  The sales organization that can monetize their value proposition has an advantage.  Of course there is often a gap between perceived and achieved value.  To improve closing ratio’s a quality seller establishes clearly defined outcome expectations with the buyer and works tirelessly to create a “vision of the experience”.  When you can deliver client experiences that meet or exceed expectations with consistency, you will drive loyalty.  And customers for life.  You rarely lose a sale over price.  It’s much more likely you lost the sale because you didn’t create enough value.

Evangelism:  The most powerful sales strategy you can deploy is the authentic voice of your client partners.  HR services and solutions is a crowded, confusing marketplace with vendors making next to identical promises.  The smart sales organization doesn’t leave home without ‘Proof of Concept’…and knows that the most loyal customers are more than happy to be brand ambassadors.  Case studies, testimonials, co-presentations, client advisories and open referencing and referrals are the mainstay of a quality solutions provider in this category.

Selling is a process.  But process alone isn’t enough.  That is the science.  The best sellers understand the art of relationships, passion, purpose and performance – most importantly performing for their customer each and every day.  Deliver what you promise plus 1%.  That makes all the difference to the next customer.

For more information on our sales process (PULSE Selling) and training/consulting solutions download our eBrochure.

Posted in Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Human Resources, Sales Training

Late last week I received a red alert phone call from the SVP of Business Development of a large tech. company on the East Coast.  She had a real problem.  And need to arrive at an immediate solution.

A complex and significant enterprise deal she had been working on for months was in the final stages.  And all indicators pointed to her crossing the finish line victorious.  Value – check.  ROI validation – check.  Proof of concept – check.  Competitive differentiation – check.  Relationships – check plus.  Further, she was a veteran.  Had done her homework.  Delivered deep and meaningful insights related to business strategy and outcome opportunities that elevated the sense of urgency to expedite a decision and move into implementation/execution.  This was an expertly managed, collaborative sales cycle with a customer showing all signs of a desire to move forward.

Unfortunately, as is sometimes customary in late stage game changing deals, Executives who have been removed from the sales process enter to demonstrate commitment, reinforce value and/or personally offer up the requisite resourcing support.  Certainly C level face time can have a very favorable impact.  However, it can also adversely effect an outcome if the C suite doesn’t possess the requisite client facing acumen and commit to the preparedness necessary to impact the decision.  And that is exactly what happened.

I had a Sales Executive on the line who was frustrated and clearly feeling like  she “never should have allowed her CEO to enter into the conversations at this stage….things were right where she needed them and after the last meeting she now has experienced a setback, unsure whether or not she can recover.”

As we conducted our situational assessment it was readily apparent the CEO had made several missteps during the limited client interface that introduced new concerns around the decision.  Moreover the customer had lost some of the good feelings that were previously associated with the idea of this partnership.  And that shift in “feelings” or “instincts” were communicated by the customer post meeting by a sudden need to take a much closer inspection to a specific competitor.  Never a good sign. And we needed a game plan for this sales recovery mission.

As we began developing our approach/recovery plan to compete through the final phase of this sales cycle there was an overwhelming desire to communicate.  She wanted to pick up the phone. Have a personal review with  all of her key contacts.  Apologize to everyone and get the situation back on track.  She wanted to send e-mails.  Have conference calls.  She wanted the fix.  She considered eating deeply into her margins and discounting in lieu of a serious competitive threat to preserve the sale.  Ultimately we organized a course of action that was more directed and focused on moving the customer back to the shared vision of the outcome that my SVP was capable of delivering.  We did that 3 ways:

-By isolating the new issues relative to the decision, owning them and specifically making sure they were addressed.  How you deal with a misstep in the sales cycle says a lot about what kind of vendor partner you are going to be.  In large, complex, technical sales there are likely to be imperfections.  It was clearly in everyone’s best interest for the SVP of Sales to apologize, own any parts of the process that wasn’t managed properly, understand the new/key concerns specifically and address them head on to minimize their significance in the outcome.  Further, she needed to get back to owning the relationship.  She was a big part of the reason the company was going to buy and it was critical she emerge as the lead to drive the relationship forward.

-By reinforcing value. A new competitive threat did offer up another opportunity to discuss the clear and compelling advantages of this specific partnership in a side x side comparison and reinforce the outcomes.  Building out some customized communication around this and presenting it personally at the right time should prove to validate the business reasons behind doing business.  Absent the emotion, the logic make sense (although that isn’t necessarily how people buy) and we we have the opportunity to interject both back into the consideration.

-Give something first. And while that didn’t mean eating into her margins the idea that new concerns were understood and being met with some specific action will make the customer feel better about the partnership and go a long way to demonstrating the understanding, flexibility and value associated with doing business.  That is good partnering.

This cycle stalled but it’s still very recoverable if the next steps are managed properly.  This SVP of Sales is expert enough to seize this setback and treat it as yet another opportunity to demonstrate that she is truly going to bring the very best solution to bear on the business challenge.  And like all good sellers, she is going to make it all about the customer and build the shared vision of the experience and results in working together.

I like her chances.

Posted in Sales, Uncategorized

Would sales be easier if every call you made was to a prospective buyer who was aware of both you and your organization prior to talking?  Would it be easier to sell to qualified prospects reaching out to you with a direct inquiry?  What if you could turn virtually every cold call into a “warm call”?  Sales Nirvana?  Perhaps.

And it’s all very possible today with a shift in strategy and through the adoption of new tools and technology.

The blend of a traditional networking philosophy and technology integration can transform the opportunity to develop higher levels of awareness and more attention from your TAU (target account universe).  Social selling is all about being expertly informed and demonstrating value early in the sales cycle to achieve elevated interest specific to your product or solution.  While you cannot automate relationships, you can dramatically expedite quality introductions and knowledge transfer by leveraging a Web 2.0 selling platform. Consider:

How easy it for your customers to intersect with your BIG idea?

Are your channels alive with your very best new content?

Is your value proposition abundantly clear, compelling and so differentiated its worth considering a change?

Is it clear at “the moment of truth” why urgent action is required?

Are you leveraging quality assets early and often in the cycle to add value first?

Now, benchmark against your competition.

In Professional Selling YOU are the the brand, company and marketing strategy in the eyes of the marketplace.  A good foundational strategy will get you off the phone and in front of customers.

Building Sales Influence with your customer community make sales happen.

Posted in Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Influence, Sales 2.0

Great relationships are resilient.  They ebb and flow.  Time passes.  But the most meaningful one’s can quickly come back to center.  I am lucky to have some real authentic relationships like that.  I count my friendship with Brian among them and that is why it was so great to catch up last night over dinner while he was passing through Minneapolis on business. Although the years had passed, last night it was like we hadn’t lost a step.  Lots of reminiscing, reflection and laughter.  And a few life lessons worth sharing.

Brian was my after college roommate.  We lived in Cincinnati, OH and were pretty inseparable.  Flag football, softball and basketball leagues, road trips and a few hazy weekends.  I encouraged Brian to ditch the accounting career and get into professional sales.  He did.  And became a raging success.  Sellers that are genuine, unselfish, and put other peoples needs ahead of their own have several legs up.  That’s Brian.  No surprise that today he is running his own growing/thriving media business.  He is one of those guys that makes success happen. Works real hard at it.  And success for him isn’t all about the business.  It’s about the balance.  He has a wonderful wife and 3 adorable children.  Success is fulfillment.  Its an approach.  A philosophy on life.  And that philosophy is his foundation to take great pleasure in the good and face up to the inevitable challenges that are part of living.

Brian had (and still does) the world in the palm of his hand.  Great life.  One of those guys that other people love to be around.  Centered.  You could call him lucky.  Or, realize he works hard to make his own luck.  But there was no luck in the medical news he received 3 months ago about the tumor on his brain that required immediate surgery.  There were great risks to that kind of surgery.  It was very delicate.  And he might not be the same.  But it was the only decision.  You could call that really unfair.  Say it just doesn’t make sense. Ask why?  Brian never did.

Last night he shared with me that getting the news was a real tough day.  His life changed.  He knew that.  And he gave himself 15 minutes – from the doctor’s office to his home to be angry, feel sorry for himself, ask why…..and when he pulled up into his driveway and prepared to walk into his house and see is family he turned on the switch to turning his approach and attitude into something positive.  The next couple weeks were all about about preparing for surgery.  The workouts to fine tune his body.  The education to prepare to deal with what might happen next.  The mind space to know this wasn’t his time – he had things left to accomplish.

He has brought that same attitude to his recovery.  The pain meds stayed in the hospital.  No drugs to dull his mind and numb his body to the reality of his recovery.  He was on the fast track – like he said to me last night, “I had a business to run, a family raise and a life to live”……the surgery was by all accounts a success.  He lost his hearing in his left ear which effects his balance but you’d never know it.  We were in a restaurant that was a bit noisy last night and I could see him sitting across from me laser focused on what I was saying.  Intense concentration.  I realized soon, he was reading my lips.  Adapting.  Adjusting.  Improvising.

He is back in the gym, back on the road and back to living the life he loves.  He shared with me how the experience has renewed important relationships for him.  Brought him closer to the people he loves.  How the worst situation is becoming a positive event.  He told me that he has gained so much from the whole experience.  Yes, he had to give up some things.  But he doesn’t take his new perspective for granted.

Brian is special.  So is his outlook on life.  But a big take away from last night was about his choices.  He could have complained, been angry at the world or felt sorry for himself.  Bad choice.  For himself.  For the people counting on him.  Choosing his attitude is part of his DNA.  But even he realizes it was a real conscious choice.  He is getting involved in patient advocacy now.  Wants to volunteer time to support others who are facing the same life altering obstacles.  I couldn’t imagine someone better equipped to offer that kind of coaching and counsel.

We also chatted a bit about fear and regret. What are the things that hold us back from doing the things we want in life?  Strong consensus that its better to take some calculated risks, to try, learn by doing…..to conquer those fears and come out on the other side.  It usually ends up being different then you might expect….but that is a whole lot better than always playing the safe move and living with regret.

Whatever comes your way, realize you have choices.  And even when its hard, its probably not brain surgery.  But when it is (or worse) we could all take a page from Brian’s playbook.  He has the approach and outlook nailed.  Its all about PERSPECTIVE.

Last night was a gift for me.  Thanks B.

Posted in Sales

Tags: Life, Success

Remember the movie, Meet the Parents?  Where Gaylord Faucker was hopelessly left outside his soon to be father in law’s magic circle of trust despite his every effort and very best of intentions. Once he was outside the circle it took quite the herculean effort to get back inside.

TRUST is a major issue in the workplace today.  Employee engagement has waned and the prevailing feeling in so many organizations can only be described as anxious and trapped.  It matters little whether the marketplace is talent rich, if the talent on the team isn’t aligned to the objectives and invested in the outcomes.  And invested just enough not to get fired doesn’t count.  I know a lot of passive jobs seekers, working and waiting for something better to come their way.

Sales and Marketing have a Circle of Trust with their customers.  So does Recruiting and Leadership with their employees. And trust and engagement are never higher than the moment someone says YES!  Once the big decision is made the trust should solidify and escalate into endearing loyalty and evangelism.  But it usually doesn’t.  The circle breaks down.

When interest is elevated and engagement is high its a violation if the ‘experience’ doesn’t meet the ‘expectation’.  Brands (and employer brands) that can deliver an experience, that exceed expectations consistently (exceed once and fail twice and you’ll drive people crazy and right into the hands of the competition) build loyalty and have the opportunity to drive evangelism.

Transparency and Authenticity are the new mandate.  You better BE what you SAY.  I read a great quote about this on the Edelman site last night.

“Audiences expect companies to interact with authenticity and transparency. Companies need engagement. Both will only achieve these if driven by compelling content that courts, plays and engages with credibility and professionalism. As Peter Whitehead wrote in the Financial Times, Web 2.0 is a world in which anyone can have a go at generating content; Web 3.0 is where professionals take the lead in shaping that content.  And those professionals are the production experts and the multichannel, multimedia engagement experts. A new world, needing a new marketing offer. It’s all for the taking.”

Content is everywhere.  Quality is another matter entirely.  And better communication inside and outside the company is imperative.  And experience is what really counts.

Authentic, Sincere, Transparent, Timely and Relevant Communication builds TRUST. With employees and customers.

How is your company doing?  Are they inside your circle?

Posted in Brand, Communications, Employee Engagement, Recruiting, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Trust