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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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; …
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. …
Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet rschultek@staging.elfin-bead.flywheelsites.com 216-272-4449 People act in their own best interest. Before choosing to follow your lead, your team will assess your credibility (are you genuine?) and your intentions (why should I follow you?), asking themselves these 3 questions: 1. “Can you help me?” The number one reason that people choose to follow is because the leader is credible. More than vision, or communication skills, or other effective leadership characteristics, people need to believe that a leader has the credibility …
Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet The fundamental premise for business acquisitions is that the merged organizations will be more valuable together than they would be if they continued as separate entities; an acquisition is expected to create value. Yet, a multitude of research studies cite a high failure rate for mergers. One KPMG study indicates that 83% of acquisitions fail to boost value, and another by A.T. Kearney concludes that total return on many M&A deals is often negative. These studies consistently …
