As the years pass, I’m increasingly reminded how very few things I can control. When I was young, I felt immortal and less worried. But as my life progressed, I became more aware of its complexity and of my limitations in shaping my reality. There are many forces impacting my life and yours, so we seek to gain control over every situation in search of greater stability. It’s a very human reaction…but it’s an illusion. One …
That’s the premise of The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon. Of course, the message of the book is more subtle. What The Challenger Sale actually suggests is that your customer relationships will generate more sales only when you continue to produce strategic value for your customers. Customers have many options available to them; competitive intensity continues to grow and the pace of evolution continues to accelerate. Customers demand expertise, initiative and innovation. They expect you …
How do you know if your company’s Core Values are driving your success? Many companies have Values, but which ones are proven to boost profitability? According to Peter Cohen (Value Leaders, 2003), there are 6 standard Values that have helped eight publicly-traded companies achieve superior financial and stock market performance. Value human relationships. People matter – they make the difference in whether a business succeeds or fails. Satisfied customers are more profitable; satisfied employees are more …
Adding customers is a compulsory exercise requiring persistence and a significant investment of time and money. For much of the B-to-B market, cold calling is no longer an option so what works best? In our connected, noisy, ever-urgent economy, consider the following concepts to meet and develop new customers: Plan your attack. Rather than knocking on any door you see, plan your attack as follows: Specify your Core Customer, the customer most likely to buy …
Trust is the foundation of enduring relationships – trust in self and trust in others. Individuals and organizations cannot change and grow without it. If generosity creates trust, then what sustains it? Trust must be earned, revealed and validated by your actions. Demanding that others be trustworthy, or proclaiming yourself to be, is a futile expression. Sustaining trust requires the determined implementation of 3 essential elements: Caring: You cannot trust someone you believe lacks a …
The most productive and economical strategy for boosting sales is to increase your transactions with your current customers. Most likely, you built relationships with your customers by producing value from one product or service. They define their relationship with you through the lens of that one offering and aren’t thinking about how else you might help them be successful. There are 3 basics for using the strategy of cross-selling to expand your relationship with your …
Managing the ever accelerating pace of change creates a challenge for leaders. In the race to stay ahead, what parts of your business do you preserve and what should you break? The competitive advantage of your exclusive product or service erodes quickly these days. Sustaining a program of continuous innovation and improvement is mandatory to stay ahead of the disruptive forces of unrelenting, rapid change. Implementing such a program drives you to acquire new skills …
When a customer has a problem, they search the web using whatever words they know about their challenge and possible solutions. But once they have identified potential solution providers, most customers want to connect directly with them to discuss their needs. Rather than forcing a potential customer to fill out a response form on your website, it’s more productive if you enable those customers to contact you in whatever way they are most comfortable. This …
In this dynamic marketplace, how can you move faster? How can you accelerate your time to market? How can you react faster to opportunities? How can moving faster help you grow, or save you time and money? Moving faster primarily involves your decision-making process. Here are 3 ways to move faster: Accelerate decision-making. First, you must choose to decide. Ask yourself if waiting to decide will generate any more useful information. If the answer is …
In this dynamic marketplace, how can you move faster? How can you accelerate your time to market? How can you react faster to opportunities? How can moving faster help you grow, or save you time and money? Moving faster primarily involves your decision-making process. Here are 3 ways to move faster: Accelerate decision-making. First, you must choose to decide. Ask yourself if waiting to decide will generate any more useful information. If the answer is …
