Ford Motor Company - Tell the U.S. Government to Pound Sand

The Ultimate Sale - Lee Iaccoca must be flummoxed by this circus... Chrysler is partially owned by Cerberus GM and is too big for almost ANY company to swallow Ford is still family owned All three presented their Sales Presentation to the United States of America - all three were spurned and sent home packing. What is that old joke about outrunning a bear? 

Ok...let's say you are in the woods with your friends, "GM" and "Chrysler" - you all stumble upon a mamma bear and her cubs. You are "Ford". Each of you knows that the worst thing you can do is run. A bear can get going up to 40 miles an hour - but you run because you know you don't need to outrun the bear, just "GM" or "Chrysler". 

Ford should run from Barney and Pelosi and let GM sell Government Approved, Green SUVs, designed by one of Barney Frank's "nephews". Fords should circle the wagons and take the hits - sell off assets, reduce in size, get rid of the unions(hah! will never happen)and become a "boutique" auto manufacturer like Jaguar - let the other folks build to government spec. 

 Craziness -

Read More

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail - or - Plan to Plan...

TIPS FROM THE FAST GROWTH 100


I ran across this article, by By Jennifer Bosavage, ChannelWeb and it seemed pretty relevant -

She mentions three points, the second struck me -

2. Don't Overstrategize

"... some organizations' cultures lead managers to discuss goals and strategies ad nauseum. At some point, action needs to be taken. "We devote 10 percent of our time to strategizing and 90 percent to execution..."

Well. Ok.

Seems to me, that a bunch of Sales Managers and Managers in general should take a look at the way they manage.

And the Selling Professionals too - do we plan our week, all week?

Is it all planning and little execution?

Read More

Partnership vs. Vendorship

Sick of long cycles and prospects lying to you? Start developing a Partnership with your clients instead of being a vendor to your customers. If your primary contact with a prospective client is in Purchasing or Facilities, you are a vendor and will never be more than a vendor; a number in a cell, next to another. I am not suggesting that Purchasing or Facilities should not be involved in the selling process. But as long as Purchasing or Facilities is your ONLY contact, you are selling on borrowed time. 

Partnerships are Developed "High" - Get "upstairs", on the level where visions take place. At least get there and tell your story; your day-to-day contact with your client may end up being at a lower level, but you gave yourself and your company visibility. Is this easy? Nope. Can you do it with your bottom planted in your chair? 

Nope. 

Can a "rookie-newb" get in front of a C-Level and explain the value? Nope. But you can. "Sales Training" classes are at best going to tell you what you don't know and at worst try to teach you "selling techniques" - "techniques" are for Newbs - stay away from teachers of "techniques". Instead, improve yourself in other ways - like learning as much as you can about business. 

Business in general. And business in specific terms. And then, discover the impact that your Partnership brings to the table. 

Example: Copiers. 

If you sell copiers, ask yourself, "How do this copier and my company, affect my customers' business?" Answer to yourself at least 4 times, throw out the first 3, and what remains is "The One" the real reason - to start. 

Peel Away The Onion - It is not "just a copier" - it's a reason employees can get their work done in 8hrs OR it's a reason people stay late and come in on the weekends. It's all about the results of your offering - not the offering itself. Good or bad, we inject ourselves into our client's world; and we have an effect, good or bad. 

Once you figure out what your Effect is, you can begin to have conversations with prospects around the business impact, not the "first copy out" speed. And you know your competition is selling on specifications, not results.

Read More