Bob Schultek

Bob has more than 30 years of service as a senior sales and business development executive, CEO and business owner. His expertise includes customer-partnered business development, strategic planning, sales management, customer service, operational alignment, lean process analysis and improvement, quality assurance, and performance management. He has worked in the energy, medical device, bioscience & pharmaceutical, discrete and process manufacturing, packaging and distribution, communications and information technology, and business-to-business service industries.

The One Thing a Business Leader Must Do

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  Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet When small and mid-size business leaders are polled about the key factors that impact their success and that of their business, the responses include: Ensuring customer satisfaction Building a strong leadership team Executing the plan Driving change Pursuing innovation Hiring the right people Creating value Each of these contributes to success, but studies cite that the most important thing that a leader should do is focus – it’s the single most critical …

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Sustaining Change

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet You successfully launched an organizational change initiative. You answered questions about what is changing, what will remain as is, and why. You helped people understand how the change will affect them. You collaborated with others to develop and implement a change action plan, and adapted as circumstances evolved. Now you must sustain change momentum. Sustaining change is about changing habits. Aristotle said it best: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, …

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Why Customers Buy More

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet The most productive way to grow sales is to increase orders from current customers. As a result, many organizations, seeing themselves as suppliers of products or services, consider how to sell more of their offerings to their customers. But every supplier is just a hired hand…employed to do a job that produces benefits for a customer who doesn’t care about their products or services. Discovering how these benefits contribute to the …

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Credibility

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Credibility is the quality of being trusted and believed. It’s what motivates consideration of a supplier. It’s the primary reason that people choose to follow their leaders. Credibility is all about reliability, authenticity and accountability…walking the talk, keeping promises. Demonstrating credibility as an individual involves living in accordance with your personal core values. Doing so guides direction, decision-making and commitment. When obligations are honored, personal credibility is strengthened. The same is true for those who …

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Price vs. Value

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet Price is obvious to all buyers. It’s clear, direct and easy to evaluate. In a retail environment, it’s the same for everyone. Value is different for every buyer. It is derived from the benefits or experience generated by the product or service purchased. Selling on the basis of price is easier than selling the value your product or service produces. But doing so makes you a commodity – discounting your expertise, diminishing your …

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Assessing Leadership Competency

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  Preparing for a business acquisition or transfer typically triggers a due diligence process that evaluates leadership competency. Here are the leadership behaviors we evaluate to determine how a leader contributes to the achievement of short-term and strategic goals, and enduring business sustainability: Acting with credibility: more than any other leadership attribute, employees choose to follow leaders who walk the talk, lead from the front and keep promises; they are seen as genuine and worthy of trust. Thinking strategically: despite the constant pressure …

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Helping the Market Determine Value

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet When you introduce a new offering, the market ultimately determines its value. How you position the new product or service when it’s launched influences that decision, providing the opportunity to maximize your profitability and ROI, and avoid the label of commodity. There are really two positioning options. Your introduction of the new offering can explain why it’s the best option available at the moment. Its value is based on being …

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Breaking Innovation Barriers

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  Most organizations pronounce their commitment to curiosity, creativity and innovation; yet the reality is that many of these companies can be hostile to the exploration of new ideas. To achieve predictable growth, it is perceived as less risky to pursue operational efficiency through continuous improvement than to challenge the status quo, encouraging the exploration of innovations that might possibly disrupt a stable business. But with most organizations being steadily challenged by changing customer needs, technology …

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Relationships Matter

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet You’ve heard business people say, “It’s not personal, it’s business.” But nothing could be further from the truth. Because you care about your business, everything about it is personal. The relationships you build, inside and outside your business, are your most important asset. Relationships matter. Business is a team sport. As a leader, you are dependent on others for your success. You create a direction and context for action; …

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Battling Commoditization

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet The market is tilted in favor of commoditization: information about available suppliers and options is easy to acquire online; assessment of these alternatives is designed to enable prompt, simple allocation into pre-determined boxes; and minimal energy and time is invested to gain additional insight about offerings beyond what is evident through readily available information. In this market, your process for responding to inquiries must be distinctive, separating you from competitors. …

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